Why? This was supposed to be a long-awaited reunion between dearest companions. This was meant to be a joyous hour of celebration after months of separation. So how on earth had the evening collapsed into this particular scene?
Jeanne had returned home carrying immense glory from a beautifully executed campaign in Kazdel, along with a magnificent treasure—the summoned, thoroughly endearing Fafnir. Why wasn't she receiving the grand treatment she so rightfully deserved?
Weren't they supposed to throw open the doors with a passionate welcome? Weren't they supposed to fling themselves into her arms with tears of joy? Even if a stubborn dragon like Talulah refused to display such emotion, why was Alina remaining so incredibly unfazed?
Jeanne sat in her seat, looking thoroughly wronged as she studied the three individuals opposite her. The atmosphere in the room felt precisely like a formal family tribunal assembled to publicly interrogate a weary traveler who had weathered a thousand hardships just to reach the hearth.
"Stop letting your imagination run wild over there!" Talulah commanded, snapping her fingers to interrupt her companion's internal brooding. Having lived alongside Jeanne for years, she was entirely accustomed to these sudden lapses into deep thought. "You had best drag your focus back to reality and explain exactly what is going on here! Why has a child appeared who looks like a flawless mirror image of my own youth?"
Brought back to the present, Jeanne looked across the table. Talulah sat with a thoroughly stern expression, entirely resolved to unearth the root of the mystery. Meanwhile, Alina...
The gentle Elafia was completely occupied with offering spoonfuls of dinner to Fafnir. She looked remarkably pleased, though Jeanne couldn't quite discern whether her joy stemmed from the child's natural, simple charm or the sheer novelty of seeing a miniature Talulah behaving so cutely.
Left with zero alternatives, Jeanne offered a sheepish grin and began unfolding the authentic chronicle of Fafnir's origin. This time, she avoided manufacturing any flimsy tales, choosing instead to reveal the precise nature of the bond to her companions.
When the two women learned that the small child resting by the table possessed a might that vastly eclipsed the ferocious dragons down by the woodline, they turned startled, wide-eyed glances toward Fafnir. It felt entirely impossible to connect such immense power to this tiny person.
It wasn't that they doubted Jeanne's word. Years of shared hardships had proven that Jeanne would never fabricate such massive claims, but the youngster simply looked entirely too small.
With those tiny arms and legs, matching her to a legendary entity capable of effortlessly scattering an entire imperial vanguard required a massive leap of faith. Both of them clearly needed a fair interval of time to properly digest the reality of the situation.
"It truly defies belief... Fafnir, are you truly that powerful?" Talulah reached down, lifting the child until their eyes were completely level. Fafnir studied the dragon leader with immense curiosity, her tail swaying happily behind her as she offered a bright smile.
"Fafnir is incredibly strong!" the youngster proclaimed with immense pride. Her sweet, ringing voice sent a wave of affection through the room, making it nearly impossible for the onlookers to resist doting on her. She was simply entirely too endearing.
Yet, Talulah's internal reaction remained highly complex. True, the youngster's behavior was thoroughly charming.
But watching a child who possessed her exact face deliver such boasts created a deeply strange sensation within her chest. It felt precisely like being forced to confront the most embarrassing memories of her own childhood.
Letting out a weary sigh, Talulah realized that fully welcoming this new addition to their daily lives would definitely require a lengthy adjustment period.
"But you have still neglected the core of the riddle," Talulah noted suddenly, her gaze sharpening as she locked her focus onto Jeanne once more. "You haven't detailed the exact reason why she shares my features. Since this form isn't her original state, a specific catalyst must exist."
Her instincts shouted that Fafnir's current appearance was inextricably linked to the silver-haired maiden sitting across from her. Letting her off the hook without a thorough explanation was completely out of the question.
Meeting that piercing gaze, Jeanne quietly shifted her eyes toward the corner of the room, her expression radiating guilt.
After all, the primary reason Fafnir had adopted this specific form was because Jeanne had shown her photographs of Talulah.
Observing that shifty behavior, Talulah knew with complete certainty that her companion was hiding something. Setting the youngster gently onto the bench, she reached across the table, firmly cupping Jeanne's face with both hands to force her to look straight ahead.
"You. Had. Best. Unfold. The. Whole. Truth."
She was entirely certain now—this silver-haired troublemaker was the sole architect behind this domestic crisis. What manner of misfortune had led her to cross paths with such an eccentric companion?
Worse still, watching Alina dote on Fafnir with the gentle care of a loving mother left Talulah feeling thoroughly flustered from the tips of her horns to the end of her tail. It felt altogether too much like she was the one being pampered by the Elafia.
"Well... you see... a creature seeking to manifest a human form requires a tangible point of reference, right?" Jeanne offered a thoroughly pleading smile, though her voice steadily lost its volume as her confidence evaporated.
She could fully empathize with Talulah's plight. The sudden emergence of a duplicate would inevitably introduce massive complications to her daily routine, but Jeanne truly hadn't anticipated the youngster would copy the reference photograph so flawlessly.
She had merely intended to offer a general concept of human structure; who could have guessed Fafnir would simply duplicate the image entirely?
Talulah maintained her firm grip, staring silently at Jeanne for a long interval. The heavy quiet left the maiden feeling thoroughly helpless until, finally, the dragon leader seemed to deflate entirely. Letting go of Jeanne's face, she slumped back into her seat, looking utterly defeated.
"I yield... What an unbelievable turn of events."
Talulah rubbed her temples. The sheer volume of unexpected variables that had collided with her today was more than enough to cause her mind to fracture from sheer exhaustion.
Seated right beside her, Fafnir seemed to register the leader's deep frustration. Rising onto her tiptoes, she reached out with her small hands and gently patted Talulah's head, attempting to soothe the weary dragon.
The scene bore such an uncanny resemblance to a daughter comforting her mother that even Alina's eyes seemed to sparkle with pure delight. It was simply a magnificent sight.
Confronted by such sweetness, Talulah couldn't resist scooping the child back into her arms, gently ruffling her hair while staring blankly at the timber ceiling.
In fairness, the youngster was incredibly pleasant to hold. And if one applied a bit of creative logic, pampering this child was basically equivalent to pampering a younger version of herself. No wonder Jeanne had spent all these years teasing her.
"So, you've accepted the reality?" Jeanne asked with a chuckle, watching the domestic interaction unfold. She had anticipated this outcome, though she had to credit Talulah for adapting to the situation so swiftly.
"What choice do I have? Can you magically command the child to adopt your features instead? Or perhaps... never mind." Talulah rolled her eyes dramatically, only to catch Fafnir gently snagging her tail, carefully comparing the texture of their scales.
Though the sudden grasp on her tail caused her to flinch slightly, the pure joy radiant on Fafnir's face caused her to resign herself to her fate. She would simply let the child play.
With that, she fully accepted the reality of a new resident beneath their roof, even if glancing at that familiar face still triggered a deeply peculiar sensation.
Setting that detail aside, the child's demeanor was thoroughly sweet and incredibly well-behaved. Beyond the shared features, what grounds did she truly have to object? None at all.
"That is outside my power," Jeanne replied, waving her hands helplessly. "This form appears to be completely permanent for her. For a very long time, she likely won't possess the capacity to alter her appearance again."
Talulah let out another weary sigh, embracing her new role while offering a silent lament for the increasingly chaotic nature of her domestic life.
Meanwhile, lurking within the deep recesses of her thoughts, Kashchey observed the small child who so closely mirrored the young Draco he had once taken in. The immortal entity mused silently that the concentration of formidable individuals within this remote settlement was growing thoroughly alarming.
If this trend sustained itself, should Jeanne actually resolve to orchestrate an uprising against the Ursus Empire in a few years, Kashchey felt she might truly possess the absolute might required to bring the regime to its knees.