— — — — — —
"Little girl, I'm not the dragon you're looking for. I don't know where that dragon is either. If you understand, then leave."
"I don't like humans, and I don't like others living in my place. So I won't let you stay here."
Porlyusica looked at Wendy. In the end, she still couldn't bring herself to swing the broom and chase her away, but she didn't accept her either.
After saying that, she closed the door again and sat alone inside the house, her thoughts in a tangled mess.
...
"Hehehehe."
Rejected once more, Wendy wasn't sad at all. Instead, she smiled, sat down on the tree root by the door, and kept waiting.
"Wendy, she already said that much. Should we go back and ask Kazuma what's really going on?"
Carla's voice carried a bit of confusion as she looked at Wendy's cheerful face.
"No need to trouble Kazuma-niisan again," Wendy said softly. "Porlyusica Granny is the one we're looking for."
"I can feel it. She definitely knows Grandeeney."
"And we never even told her who we were. But Granny Porlyusica already knew that the Grandeeney we're looking for isn't human, but a dragon."
Wendy usually looked spaced-out and cute, but she wasn't dumb at all. Her senses were sharp, especially when it came to things like this.
She trusted her intuition. She would keep waiting here.
Before she knew it, half a day passed. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and soon a thunderstorm rolled in.
"Wendy, let's go find somewhere to take shelter," Carla said, huddling under a big tree. "We can come back after the rain stops."
"No," Wendy shook her head. "The air is telling me the rain will stop soon. I'll keep waiting. Carla, you can go back to town first."
She hugged Carla tightly, using her small body to shield her from the rain and keep her warm.
"How could I leave you behind, Wendy?"
Carla gave up on the idea of going back. She decided to stay and wait together with Wendy until Porlyusica opened the door.
...
Inside the house, Porlyusica watched Wendy through the window. She sighed, walked to the door, raised her hand, then hesitated.
"It's just a little rain. That kid won't die," said the spiteful side of Porlyusica. "Once she can't stand it anymore, she'll leave on her own."
"... No. That won't do," said the kind side of Porlyusica. "She's not as sturdy as those idiots in the guild. She'll get sick if she keeps soaking in the rain."
"Don't care."
"Care."
"Don't care!"
"Care!"
"Ugh…"
Porlyusica let out a long sigh. In the end, she opened the door. Her kindness won out after all.
"Don't stand outside anymore. Come in. Take off your wet clothes and dry yourself. I'll make you some hot tea."
Wendy's face lit up with joy. Hugging Carla, she dashed inside.
Porlyusica didn't have any clothes that fit Wendy, so there was no choice but to let her climb into bed and warm up under the blankets.
Before long, Porlyusica brewed some black tea. Wendy's cup even had a little milk added.
"Thank you, Granny Porlyusica."
Wendy noticed the detail and smiled. "You're kind too, just like Grandeeney."
"Hmph. I'm not like her. But if you insist on saying that, fine."
"Listen carefully, little girl. I'm not the one you're looking for, and I don't know where Grandeeney is right now. Staying here won't help you find her."
Porlyusica snorted and crossed her arms.
"Yes, I know," Wendy said gently. "But Granny Porlyusica, could you tell me how you met Grandeeney? And how did you know who I was?"
Curious, Wendy asked eagerly, wrapped in the blanket, holding her warm tea with both hands.
"That was because some self-centered idiot kept talking at me on her own. As for how we met, she was the one who came looking for me."
"I'm not Grandeeney, but you could say I'm Grandeeney from another world."
"Because of that, that dragon often used magic to talk to me, asking me to help with various things."
Porlyusica spoke calmly.
"Grandeeney… from another world?"
Wendy's curiosity deepened. The person in front of her smelled and sounded just like Grandeeney. Was that why?
"That's a story from a long, long time ago."
Porlyusica began recounting the past. As she spoke, the tightness between her brows slowly eased.
.....
By the time she finished, the rain outside had stopped. She glanced out the window, then looked back at Wendy.
"Um… thank you for taking care of me," Wendy said hesitantly. "If you don't like it, I can go build myself a house in the forest."
"I'm actually really good at surviving outdoors," she added quickly, clenching her little fists. She was the best at setting up tents in the guild, after all.
"You think living in the forest is that easy?" Porlyusica replied. "What about food? What if you run into wild beasts? What about danger?"
"Just don't cause trouble for others."
"Yes…"
Wendy lowered her head, looking a little dejected.
"Later, come with me to town. We'll buy you some clothes and daily necessities. And I have something Grandeeney left for you."
"The ultimate secrets of Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. They're difficult, so don't push yourself. You can stay here and learn slowly."
"If there's anything you don't understand, I'll explain it to you."
Porlyusica took out two scrolls containing the secret techniques of Sky Dragon Slayer Magic and handed them to Wendy, then turned to head out.
"Thank you!"
Wendy jumped up in excitement, burst out from the blankets, and gave Porlyusica a big, tight hug.
She knew she could stay.
"Oh, right," Porlyusica said awkwardly. "She asked me to tell you… that she'll always love you."
"Um… I'll always love you," Wendy said in a small, trembling voice.
Porlyusica's body stiffened for a brief moment. Then she sighed, smiled, and stiffly raised her arms to hug Wendy back.
It was the first time she had ever done something like this with another person.
"I love Grandeeney," Wendy said through happy tears. "And I love you as well, Granny Porlyusica."
She cried openly now, joyfully. At this moment, she finally knew she hadn't been abandoned by Grandeeney. She wasn't an unloved child.
"All right, that's enough hugging," Porlyusica said, smiling before turning stern again. "Get back into bed. You're not wearing anything, and if you catch a chill, I'm not taking care of you."
She pushed Wendy back under the covers.
.
.
.