"Then, how about we just have a chat instead?"

Kiana rested her head on her knees, wearing a sweet and innocent smile. Her pair of watery blue eyes shimmered with a beautiful radiance in the glow of the fire, evoking imaginative thoughts.

Sigurd paused for a moment, then pulled open a corner of his blanket, gesturing for Kiana to crawl inside.

Kiana blinked and crawled over, wrapping herself in the blanket.

The two of them cuddled close together, and Sigurd felt a chill at first, but it quickly dissipated by the warmth emanating from both of them. The entire blanket was filled with a cozy and comfortable feeling.

"So warm (▽)"

Kiana squinted her eyes like a little cat and made a cute purring sound.

Sigurd couldn't help but slightly curl up his lips and said, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, there are so many things! For example, did Sigurd have any family before, where did you live, anyone you miss, what do you like, and what do you want to do in the future, and so on."

"Why do you want to know so much? We've only known each other for two days, right?"

"Sigurd, you big dummy!"

Kiana bumped her head against Sigurd's, seemingly a bit angry as her cheeks puffed up, and said, "The length of time doesn't matter! We're friends, and friends should get to know each other better!"

Sigurd touched his forehead where he was bumped and felt a slight pain, but his mood inexplicably improved.

"I don't have any family left. I used to... live in a very distant place. There's no one I miss, and I can't quite say what I like. As for what I want to do in the future, I guess it's just to live peacefully without too many worries."

"Wow, is that all?"

"How much more do you want me to say?"

"Fine, I guess it's normal for you to have limited experiences if you're about the same age as me. As for me, I'm a bit better off than you, at least I have a smelly old dad who went missing. But it seems like I had a sickness before, and I've forgotten all my childhood memories. I don't know where I lived before, who my family and friends were, I don't know any of it."

Kiana's face showed a look of disappointment, but she quickly cheered up and continued, saying:

"Now the only family I know is my annoying old man, and I miss him a lot. The thing I want to do the most is to find him as soon as possible. As for the things I like... cake or snacks?"

Sigurd suddenly asked.

Not realizing the change, Kiana replied:

"I like both... No, wait! What do you take me for? My favorite thing is fighting for justice, so in the future, I will definitely become a great hero who protects justice! Just you wait and see!"

Kiana raised her head, curled her lips, and her face, illuminated by the flickering flames, was filled with pride and satisfaction.

Sigurd looked at her intently, feeling as if something inside him had been touched, unwilling to look away.

After a while, Sigurd spoke slowly:

"A partner in justice, huh? That's a good dream. I happen to know a story about a partner in justice, would you like to hear it?"

"Of course, tell me."

"The story begins in a peaceful city called Fuyuki, where a Holy Grail War took place..."

As the night grew deeper, Sigurd told the story of the ordinary hero using the framework and settings of the Holy Grail War, partially copying and modifying it.

At first, Kiana was captivated by the imaginative setting and captivating opening. Her sparkling eyes were full of anticipation. But gradually, her spirit involuntarily grew weary.

After all, she had just been affected by the consciousness of the Honkai Impact, so it was normal to feel tired.

Finally, in the gradually lowering voice of Sigurd's storytelling, Kiana leaned against his shoulder and fell asleep, emitting the peaceful sound of a little girl's breath.

Sigurd silently looked at her for a while, then pulled the blanket and tightly covered her, protecting the warmth inside. He closed his eyes and gradually cleared his mind.

...

The next morning, the sky cleared up.

Under the azure sky, only a few floating clouds leisurely passed by. In the snow-covered mountains of winter, the sunlight finally appeared after a long absence, casting its rays.

One couldn't expect the warmth from the sunlight in this season, but it did improve one's mood.

"Wow! It's sunlight! The snowy mountains are so beautiful!"

Kiana raised her hands high and ran freely in the snow, as if she could take flight. She was full of innocence and joy.

Even the strict Sigurd didn't want to disturb Kiana's happiness in this situation.

When Kiana had finished running enough and returned to the entrance of the cave with a flushed face, Sigurd had already packed up the donkey-less cart.

Two reins were placed at the front as a means of traction. Up the hill, they could be pulled, and down the hill, they could be used to slow down. The cart was wrapped in a bundle of various supplies and tied with canvas. Hidden along the edge of the canvas were pistols loaded with bullets, ready to be drawn out for self-defense if any danger arose.

Sigurd lifted a corner of the canvas to show Kiana where the weapons were, then patted the snowflakes off her and said:

"It's time for us to leave."

"Do you know the direction?"

"I have a general idea, it's close enough. Just follow me."

"Okay, then get on the cart."

Kiana picked up the two reins, holding one in each hand, as if she were about to demonstrate the strength of a strongwoman pulling the cart alone.

Sigurd was taken aback.

"You want to pull it yourself?"

"What else? Sigurd, your body is so weak, what if you have a fever again on the way? Don't worry, I'm very strong, this weight is nothing. Hurry up and get on!"

Sigurd shook his head speechlessly and took one of the reins from Kiana's hand, saying:

"My intention in having two reins was for each of us to pull one."

"No, no! In this icy and snowy place, if you have a fever again, it really is dangerous! Trust me, Miss Me is very strong, this weight is nothing. You should just get on!"

Faced with Kiana's persistence, Sigurd sighed and wondered how to bypass the topic of his sudden recovery and explain the situation. He decided to change the angle and said.

"According to my calculations, if we both work together and make an effort, we should be able to reach the designated town before it gets dark. There, we can find a warm inn and professional doctors, which would be the best option. If you go alone, the speed will definitely slow down, and we'll have to spend the night in the snowy mountains. In my opinion, that situation poses a higher risk."

"Is that so? Well, then, you mustn't push yourself. If you're feeling unwell, you have to let me know. I'll do my best and rely on myself to reach the town on time."

Kiana had no doubts and completely believed Sigurd's words.

Sigurd rubbed his nose and looked up at the sky.

Somehow, even though he had smoothly made it through, Kiana's trusting attitude filled him with a sense of guilt.

Kiana, on the other hand, didn't notice Sigurd's strange behavior. She continued to wrap the rope around her hand and chattered on, saying, "If you knew it would be like this, you should have called me back earlier. We could have set off earlier and arrived at our destination before it got dark."

"You're right. I'll keep that in mind next time. Let's get going."

"Are you really okay, Sigurd?"

"I've rested well, and my stamina is replenished. It might surprise you. Let's go!"

To prepare Kiana for his sudden increase in strength, Sigurd gave her a heads-up.

He had already tested it out and found that his grip strength had increased by at least six times, and his jumping power had improved by more than four times. Other aspects were difficult to quantify, and he couldn't test them at the moment. Overall, his physical fitness now exceeded that of a healthy adult male.

As for Kiana, she could probably easily defeat a bodybuilder in an arm-wrestling match, which made him question the extent of muscles and the meaning of life.

"Before we set off, put these on."

"Huh? Sunglasses? Did you prepare these too?"

"On a sunny day in the snowy mountains, it looks beautiful from a distance. But when you're actually there, the sunlight refracts irregularly through the ice and snow, making the light intensity high and unstable along the way. It puts a great strain on the eyes. It may look pretty now, but without sunglasses, you'll have blurred vision later."

"Wow, Sigurd, you thought of something that others wouldn't think of! And they're even small-sized sunglasses. Impressive!"

Kiana gave a thumbs-up and happily put on the glasses.

Afterward, the two of them pulled the thick rope and stepped on the ice and snow, embarking on their journey.