Crystal Companion White Mice were a national treasure protected by the Snow Kingdom’s laws. Anyone who hunted a White Mouse would be condemned and executed by all.
Though a national treasure, few knew their true origin.
They were born from high-order life crystals gestated within the Snow Domain. They were “living fossil” creatures possessing self-awareness, emotions, and the foundation of a Mana Spring.
From birth, they appeared as loli/shota figures around eleven or twelve years old. They had no parents, no past, did not age, yet their lifespan was merely ten or twenty years… Because their race was weak, they constantly wandered and migrated, living in groups and clinging to each other for survival. The perceived destiny of the Crystal Companion White Mice from birth was simply to linger near mineral veins, surviving on scraps and the Mana provided by the mines. In turn, their presence created a magnetic field that couldn’t be explained, accelerating the gestation of new ores within the veins.
—Besides the Illusory Snow Queen, only a handful of people knew this truth.
But Weilin, once a “Player,” knew.
Because it was only this Snow Domain that could give birth to a miraculous, ice-clear and intelligent life like Elizabeth. That was why, after the Snow Kingdom met its end in the game, it was equivalent to an extinction sentence for the White Mouse lineage. They were never seen on the continent again…
?
Weilin told Elizabeth to open her eyes.
She blinked, dazed, seeing her sister inexplicably offering her tea. She also saw, reflected in the tea, the white hair ribbon tied at the side of her head, its end draping gracefully…
“Hey, Sister,” she suddenly spoke, looking at the tea.
“What is it?” Weilin asked with a smile.
The smile Elizabeth knew on her sister’s face was always so casual and gentle. Even on the rare occasions her attitude was forceful, it was always… like a silly sweetheart, finding ways to “throw money” at her.
So Elizabeth still found it incredible that she had “dug up” such a “foolish sister” in a mine. Didn’t she fear Elizabeth was a swindler dressed in an innocent facade…
“I… cough…”
The moment she looked up, she suddenly met those gentle, quiet eyes, like a calm lake. Elizabeth barely got a word out before her nose stung and her voice choked with emotion.
“Don’t speak, now. Come on, drink the black tea.” Weilin offered the tea again.
Elizabeth didn’t think much of it and took it. Her tender lips gently touched the rim of the cup for a small sip, then she put the cup down. Her reluctant, lingering gaze turned towards the girl.
“Is Sister planning to leave… to do something very amazing…?”
Weilin was inwardly surprised. This little girl’s intuition was far too sharp.
“Why do you say that…”
“…I don’t know.” Elizabeth shook her head gently.
“How can you not know?”
“I know many, many things. But the things Sister asks me… I actually don’t know…”
“I’ve envied humans for many, many things. But by Sister’s side, I felt happier than anyone for the first time…”
“I’ve also had many, many foolish delusions. But it’s only now I realize… compared to trivial things like a Prince Charming or a White Dragon Knight, the delusion of making Sister stay is a billion times harder.”
“Because someone as amazing as Sister will surely reach heights I can’t even see, even if I look up… Maybe by then, Sister will have long forgotten a girl named Elizabeth…”
“But Elizabeth will remember forever. And for the rest of Elizabeth’s life, I will forever wait for Sister.—Using this fleeting human lifespan, the dozen or so years of my remaining life, which is almost my entire lifetime!”
Elizabeth didn’t seek to gain anything from Weilin.
Her greatest extravagant hope was that Weilin would still remember her years later, and come visit the girl named Elizabeth before her brief life reached its end.
That was all.
Even though Lega Weilin was mentally prepared, she couldn’t help but show surprise.
“Are you confessing your love?”
“Mm…”
Having her feelings hit directly on the mark, even with the momentum Elizabeth had from her previous speech, she quickly deflated like a punctured balloon after a moment. She hung her head and said gloomily, “But my lifespan can’t compare to a human’s… I worry… I won’t get to wait for Sis… ter……… ugh!”
Suddenly, a violent wave of weakness washed over her entire body. “Why… my head… is so dizzy…”
Her clear consciousness rapidly sank, and her body swayed, about to collapse. Elizabeth frowned tightly, and then, she abruptly realized something.
That cup of black tea…
Sister really was planning to leave her, wasn’t she…?
But, no. The confession wasn’t finished yet.
Though, if she had to be honest, Elizabeth’s gratitude could never be fully expressed…
The Sleeping Powder Weilin had specially made was startlingly effective, even with just a taste. Yet Elizabeth’s willpower was uncharacteristically firm… Even in this state, she controlled her body to fall towards Weilin.
“Thump”—
She crashed her small frame into the girl’s embrace, and Weilin was knocked stumbling back into the soft sofa chair behind her.
“Sister… Wei… lin…”
Faintly catching the light, unique fragrance on her sister, Elizabeth curved her lips. In a weak, extremely soft voice, she spoke within the girl’s arms, “So… fortunate… to meet… you… ya…”
And then, she finally fell asleep.
“…”
“…”
“…”
It wasn’t until the girl in her arms began breathing in soft, even little breaths that Weilin finally snapped out of her daze. In her eyes flickered a subtle stirring she hadn’t even noticed herself.
Indeed. If Elizabeth hadn’t met Lega Weilin, but any other person, her tragic mouse fate wouldn’t have changed much.
The girl sighed, her gaze gently shifting to Elizabeth, who had fallen asleep against her chest with an expression of blissful peace.
“It won’t take twenty years. Once I’ve resolved that matter, no matter the outcome, I’ll come back to see you.”
At the moment of parting, Weilin greedily rubbed her cheek against the Elizabemouse’s ear.
“Alright, it’s time to send Little White away. I really am a bit reluctant to let… huh?”
The game system’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
[Elizabeth White’s Affection has reached 100% (Almost willing to do anything for you)]
[Conditions met to induct her as a Retainer. Induct as a Retainer?]
“Retainer…?”
[Targets who become Retainers will inherit up to 1% of your total Potential and gain your protection:
Every time a Retainer levels up, they will gain additional total attribute growth, an additional chance to comprehend new skills, an additional chance to undergo evolution… (Related to the Potential distribution ratio and Mental Strength)]
[Notice: You can distribute your total 100% Potential in any proportion, with each Retainer receiving no more than 1%]
Holy moly…
If Weilin remembered correctly, every skill tied to her Mental Strength seemed absurdly powerful.
Did that mean the growth potential after becoming Weilin’s Retainer equated to the ability to super-evolve a ‘Magikarp’ into a cosmic monstrosity like ‘Koi-Guzzling·Carp Ancient God’?
Of course, it wasn’t that exaggerated, but it was still as terrifying as the ability to turn a chick into a phoenix.
[Elizabeth White’s Affection has reached 100%. Induct as Retainer?]
“Hey, does Affection have to reach 100% to meet the induction conditions? That’s too harsh! After all, there are so many Retainer slots. To avoid wasting Potential allocation, who knows how long it would take to conquer a hundred targets?”
[Notice: Ordinary characters usually only require 70% Affection to meet conditions. The induction threshold for special characters like Elizabeth White is more stringent.]
This explanation…
Won’t this be a kind of indirect praise for Elizabeth?
[Notice: Detected that Elizabeth holds the highest reputation among the Crystal Companion White Mouse clan, holding the position of ‘Clan Leader’. Now inducting Elizabeth as a Retainer will also bring the other 24 clan members into your Retainer slots and grant them your protection.]
[Notice: However, if you fail to promptly increase your Affection with other Crystal Companion White Mouse Retainers, then if Elizabeth ‘defects’ or ‘dies’, all other Crystal Companion White Mouse Retainers will definitely ‘defect’ as well.]
The last notice was utter nonsense. Weilin wouldn’t let Elizabeth suffer any grievance, let alone let her die.
“Do you even need to ask? Induct! Must induct! Induct them all! I want them all!!”
[To induct Elizabeth as a Retainer, the following physical operation is required: Exchange of saliva.]
“…WHY?”
[Notice: Special character, special treatment.]
Weilin was never an overly sentimental person.
Now, she looked down at the peacefully sleeping face of the girl in her arms. She gazed at those two delicate, cherry-blossom-colored lips, slightly parted and gently exhaling warm breath…
Weilin thought, if her first kiss in this other world was with Elizabeth… Well, it didn’t seem so bad?
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