At some point, snow began to fall again.
Lucien and the others, supporting each other, hurried back.
Before they even drew near, they could already see the campsite nestled against the vast snowy night.
Fires burned within the camp, and figures stood at the forest's edge, craning their necks anxiously to peer into the darkness.
Seeing this, Lucien couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness Lucien, they're here to greet us!"
Although Ryan had been knocked aside by Beartic, he was otherwise mostly unharmed, just a few scrapes and bruises.
Whenever this sort of thing happened, Lucien couldn't help but marvel at the extraordinary constitution of humans in the Pokémon world. Even after being struck full-force by a 260, kilogram Beartic, they didn't die outright. The worst of it was a fractured bone suffered by one knight who'd landed badly.
"Your Highness Lucien!"
The old butler Elif and a group of civilians came hurrying toward them.
Anna's mother, Ellie, rushed forward to embrace her daughter, her trembling hands running across Anna's arms and face to check for injuries.
Anna scratched her head sheepishly. "Mom, I'm fine!"
But then Ellie's eyes fell on the small fox-like creature in her daughter's arms.
Her face drained of color. She immediately recoiled in fear, crying out, "A beast! Anna, throw it away!"
"Don't worry, Mom! It's okay! This one saved us!" Anna blurted out.
Ellie was still terrified, and the other civilians exchanged uneasy, bewildered looks.
"Heh… it's hard to believe, but this little beast really did save us!" Ryan admitted with a sigh, still shaken by the memory.
He had learned something completely new tonight: even a terrifying magical beast would risk its life to protect a human.
The crowd gasped, muttering in disbelief. What on earth was going on?
Instinctively, all eyes turned to Lucien.
"Your Highness…"
Lucien's gaze shifted to the Zorua in Anna's arms. His voice was calm but steady as he spoke.
"Perhaps we've been mistaken all along. These so-called magical beasts are not mindless monsters. They are intelligent, wise, full of emotions, and even capable of understanding our language."
"Anna helped it, and so it protected Anna in return. It cast aside its fear, disregarded its own safety, and put itself in front of her. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."
But it had happened, unquestionably.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the people mirrored Ryan's earlier reaction in the forest: disbelief, confusion, and shock.
To these ancient people, who had always viewed Pokémon as dangerous monsters, accepting the idea of living alongside them was not going to happen overnight.
This had to be a slow process.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone, go and rest!" Lucien ordered, his eyes sweeping across the crowd. "Tomorrow, we have new work waiting."
Gradually, the crowd dispersed.
So much had happened today that Lucien, finally feeling the weight of exhaustion, turned back toward his tent, ready to rest.
But before he could leave, Ellie stepped forward. With a serious expression, she tugged Anna down to kneel before him.
Lucien blinked in surprise.
"Anna, quickly ask His Highness Lucien for forgiveness!" Ellie pulled her daughter forward firmly.
Running out of the territory without permission, and even putting His Highness Lucien in danger, was absolutely unacceptable.
If anything had happened to him, the entire territory would have been doomed.
Anna, only now realizing how reckless she had been, felt a cold sweat run down her back.
She knelt down, clutching Zorua tightly in her arms, and said with a trembling voice, "Your Highness Lucien, I'm sorry!"
Lucien: "…"
"Get up." Lucien's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he said evenly, "Anna went out today to gather herbs. It wasn't done with bad intent. Just be more careful in the future."
Hearing His Highness forgive her daughter, Ellie's heart surged with gratitude.
'His Highness truly is a kind ruler…'
"Also, Anna," Lucien continued, his tone shifting, "bring the beast to see me tomorrow. I have an important task for you."
"Huh?" Anna was stunned. Then, as realization dawned, she quickly nodded. "Yes, Your Highness!"
With that, Lucien turned back toward his tent. The old butler, Elif, followed closely, his expression one of quiet disapproval.
After a moment of hesitation, Elif finally spoke. "Your Highness, please… leave such matters to the knights. There's no need for you to risk yourself again."
Lucien: "…"
He had gone out to find Anna, yes, but also because, as a transmigrator, he longed to experience the real Pokémon world with his own eyes.
Still… thinking back, he realized it had been reckless.
Lucien exhaled and admitted, "You're right, Elif. I won't do something like this again."
At last, the butler released a sigh of relief. "Then please, Your Highness, get some rest."
With that, Elif withdrew, leaving Lucien alone in the tent.
Only Dratini remained by his side. Thanks to the vitality roots Anna had brought back, its wounds had closed, but its spirit had yet to recover.
The little dragon lay curled weakly on Lucien's blanket, its round eyes still carrying the shadows of the Beartic's savage attack.
Lucien leaned closer, his voice low and steady.
"Dratini… do you want to become stronger?"
The moment it heard his words, Dratini stirred. Slowly, it lifted its head and looked straight at him.
"Woo…?"
"As you saw today, there are still many dangers around our territory," Lucien said, his tone deliberately firm. "If we're not strong enough, sooner or later, we'll die here."
"Woo…"
No Pokémon wanted to die, and Dratini was no exception. But… it didn't know how to become stronger on its own.
That was where a Trainer came in.
Lucien continued, "If you're willing, I'll do everything I can to help you grow stronger. But the road won't be easy. You won't be able to stay curled up under a blanket all the time like before, you'll have to face the cold winds outside, even when it's harsh."
"Woo…"
As a Dragon-type, Dratini had no innate resistance to the cold or to Ice-type moves. The very thought made it hesitate, a flicker of fear in its eyes.
Lucien noticed.
This little dragon had once been raised as a pet in the palace, enjoying warmth, comfort, and luxury. Asking it to abandon that pampered life would not be easy.
He let out a quiet sigh. "If we don't become stronger… then sooner or later, we'll all meet the same fate we nearly faced today."
"Wooo…"
Dratini shook its head quickly. No, it didn't want to die.
At that moment, the tiny dragon gathered every ounce of courage it had and cried out firmly, "Woo!"
It wanted to get stronger!
"Good."
Relief washed through Lucien. He crouched down so his eyes met Dratini's, his voice steady and resolute.
"No matter what lies ahead, I'll face it with you. So don't be afraid, Dratini. You and I, we'll be the best partners in the world."
For a moment, Dratini just stared at him, wide-eyed. Then, deep inside its heart, something stirred, an unfamiliar warmth, born from the human's unwavering conviction.
"Woo".