In the northern provinces of the Russian Federation during autumn, the land seemed to be quietly enveloped by a mysterious veil, as pure white snowflakes, like nimble Pokémon, fluttered down, adorning the entire world in a blanket of silver.
Yelena and Dewott sat comfortably in the warm luxury car, gazing through the window at the snow falling from the sky, their minds filled with a myriad of thoughts and mixed emotions.
In the distance, the family castle loomed vaguely amidst the swirling snow, like a dreamy fairy-tale palace, exuding a mysterious and solemn aura.
The car slowly came to a stop, and the door opened, letting in a biting cold wind. Yelena took a deep breath of the snow-scented air, then elegantly stepped out of the car with Dewott.
She was dressed in a well-tailored gray fur coat and a matching fluffy hat, which further accentuated her tall and slender figure.
Her hair was neatly tied back, with a few strands gently fluttering in the cold wind, adding a touch of liveliness to her appearance.
The castle gates slowly opened, and the butler, dressed in a black uniform and a thick cloak, stepped out with steady strides.
His hair and beard were already white, but his eyes remained sharp and resolute. The butler bowed slightly and said in a clear, respectful voice, “Welcome home, young lady.”
Behind him, a line of maids stood neatly. They were dressed in simple cotton clothes, with expectant expressions on their faces, and snowflakes fell on their hair and shoulders, like blooming white flowers.
Yelena, however, stood tall and straight, like a proud iceberg.
Her gaze slowly swept over everyone, and just as they thought she would walk past them indifferently as usual, the corners of her mouth slightly curved upwards, revealing an extremely faint smile.
That smile was like an ephemeral flower suddenly blooming in the snowy night, brief and beautiful, yet exuding an indescribable sense of detachment.
She nodded lightly, her movements simple and elegant, as if a noble response to their welcome.
Then, she softly asked, “Where is Father?”
The butler quickly replied, “The Viscount is waiting for you in the study.”
Yelena acknowledged, “I understand,” and then walked directly into the castle with Dewott.
Seeing that the young lady had entered the castle, the butler hurried inside, while the other maids continued with their respective tasks.
An elderly maid had returned to her post, her face still full of surprise. Her hands were tightly clutching her apron, as if she had just witnessed something incredible.
The other new maids looked at her in confusion, and one young maid softly asked, “Aunt Martha, what’s wrong?”
Aunt Martha came back to her senses and said with emotion, “The young lady never used to respond to us, let alone smile at us. Back then, she always had a cold face, just like the Viscount, with eyes as proud as an eagle on the castle, which made people feel intimidated. But now, the young lady has changed. Today… it’s truly surprising.”
Walking through the long corridor, Yelena arrived at the study door.
She took a deep breath, then raised her hand and gently knocked on the door.
“Come in,” came the Viscount’s deep and authoritative voice from inside.
Yelena pushed open the door and entered the study. The study was filled with the rich scent of books and ink, and a warm fire blazed in the fireplace, its flickering light illuminating the ancient paintings hanging on the walls, creating a quiet and solemn atmosphere.
The Viscount sat behind his desk, his hair slightly graying, but his eyes still sharp as an eagle’s.
Yelena walked to her father’s side, bowed slightly, and said in a cool voice, “I’m back.”
“Hmm!” the Viscount responded, but said nothing more, continuing to focus on the documents in his hand.
Yelena stood quietly in place, her posture straight, her eyes calm. Dewott, feeling the warmth of the study, yawned and gradually grew sleepy.
Time slowly passed in the quietude; the study was so silent that only the crackling of the fireplace and the rustling of her father turning pages could be heard. She waited quietly like this, without the slightest hint of impatience on her face, as if she had long been accustomed to such waiting.
After an unknown amount of time, the Viscount suddenly asked, “Yelena, how is your other Pokémon doing?”
His voice was deep and slow, and even as he spoke, his gaze did not leave the documents.
Yelena released Aegislash from its Poké Ball, then said, “There’s been some improvement. Doublade has evolved into Aegislash.”
“You used the Dusk Stone your mother left you, didn’t you? It was about time; keeping it wasn’t doing any good anyway,” the Viscount said, his gaze still fixed.
“Can they use Sacred Sword now?”
The Viscount’s question made Dewott lower its head, and Aegislash also averted its gaze.
Yelena was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “Not yet.”
Upon hearing Yelena’s answer, the Viscount, full of dissatisfaction, put down the documents in his hand. He did not speak immediately, but simply scrutinized Yelena up and down with his deep eyes for a moment before saying, “Then what have you been doing in Dragon Country these past few months? The mission isn’t completed, Sacred Sword can’t be used, and your Pokémon are being trained so lazily.
When this Dewott was still an Oshawott, it was confirmed to have inherited the Sacred Sword move. How come it’s not working in your hands?”
“I apologize, I will continue to work hard.” Although she was apologizing, Yelena’s tone was stiff and cold.
The Viscount, hearing his daughter’s attitude, couldn’t help but burst into anger. He slammed the documents onto the table and roared, “Effort, effort, how many years have you been saying that?! Do you know how many departments have complained about you to me recently?
Our family is about to be squeezed out of the Viscount seat, do you realize that?
How can you face Lord Bili Jiong like this? And how can you live up to your mother’s entrustment?”
Facing the Viscount’s reprimand, Yelena found even sighing superfluous.
She had never felt this way before, but after her trip to Dragon Country, she found that compared to Chen Kai’s parents, or Su Yuexi’s parents, the Viscount before her was more like a leader severely reprimanding a subordinate, rather than a father.
The Viscount’s reprimand did not anger her; in fact, Chen Kai might even annoy her more by comparison.
She calmly replied, “Regarding Sacred Sword, I train with them every day. As for the mission, I am completing it in the best possible way. As for my mother, that is between her and me. Since you don’t remember, you don’t need to trouble yourself with it.”
It was hoped that Yelena had never said such words to the Viscount; usually, when the Viscount scolded her, she would only endure it in silence. But today, to utter words like “you don’t need to trouble yourself,” the Viscount was furious, trembling all over, pointing at Yelena, repeating “You, you, you…” several times, but unable to say anything further.
Yelena also did not wish to say more, stating, “You should rest early. I will go visit Mother, then return to Dragon Country to continue the mission.”
After speaking, she turned and left with her two Pokémon, closing the door behind her, leaving only the Viscount in the study, raging ineffectually.
Leaving the study, she went to the back of the castle. The cold wind outside grew even more biting, and snowflakes, like goose feathers, fluttered down, quickly covering her black fur coat with a layer of white.
Yelena walked along a small path up the hill, with Dewott obediently following close behind her, the snow under their feet crunching with “creak, creak” sounds.
On the hill, numerous tombstones stood silently. The surrounding trees were covered in ice and snow, like silent guardians, protecting this peaceful land, among them was the tombstone of Yelena’s mother, Maria.
Yelena’s ancestors were also buried here.
One of their family’s ancestors had become a great noble due to being favored by Lord Bili Jiong.
However, with the ancestor’s passing, no outstanding individuals appeared in the family again, and by her father’s generation, they were even almost kicked out of the Viscount ranks.
It was not until Yelena’s birth, when Lord Bili Jiong directly appointed her as his disciple, that the family managed to halt its decline.
Yelena walked to the tombstone, gently knelt down, and reached out to brush away the snow from the stone. Her mother’s name was carved on the tombstone, and against the pure white snow, the three characters “Maria” stood out particularly vividly.
Her mother had passed away from cancer three years ago; it was discovered in its late stages, and even someone as powerful as Lord Bili Jiong was powerless to reverse the internal collapse of the human body.
“Mother, I’ve come to see you,” Yelena’s soft voice echoed in the silent mountain forest.
Unfortunately, it was winter, so she couldn’t bring her mother’s favorite flowers.
She brushed away a patch of snow with her hand, sat quietly in front of the tombstone, then hugged Dewott, gently stroking its head, recalling every little moment she had shared with her mother.
When she was little, her mother would also gently stroke her hair, tell her stories, and teach her how to become an elegant and strong woman.
Her mother’s smile was like warm sunshine, illuminating her dreary sword-training life.
The last relic her mother left Yelena was a carefully prepared Dusk Stone for her.
While her mother was alive, she always taught her to obey Lord Bili Jiong, to strive for the family’s honor, and to follow the mission passed down through the family.
Her mother always gently yet sternly told her that Lord Bili Jiong represented justice and power, and only by following its guidance could the family prosper.
But that busy Viscount, perhaps long forgotten, that in her mother’s last moments, lying in bed, her breath weak but her eyes resolute, she held Yelena’s hand and left her final words: “Child, even if you become a remarkable adult someday, don’t forget to find your own happiness!”
“Mother, don’t worry, I will remember your words.” A determined light flickered in Yelena’s eyes. She stood up, brushed the snow from her clothes, and prepared to leave.
Just then, a soft whooshing sound arose, and a emerald green light flickered beside her.
“Little Yelena, why have you returned?” a gentle voice asked.
Yelena turned her head in surprise to find that it was Lord Bili Jiong!
Yelena felt a bit awkward saying that she was forced to return due to some internal machinations, so she could only prevaricate, “I just came back to see Mother. Lord Bili Jiong, please rest assured, I will complete the mission.”
Lord Bili Jiong seemed to sense Yelena’s nervousness. It slowly approached and softly said, “You don’t have to push yourself too hard, child. Actually, it’s fine if that mission isn’t done. Just stay in the Russian Federation.”
In reality, Lord Bili Jiong’s original intention was simply because Little Yelena’s progress with Sacred Sword was not going well. It had noticed some unfavorable rumors and wanted Little Yelena to go out, change her mood, and finding that strange Pokémon was merely an incidental task.
However, Yelena was unaware, and she said gratefully, “Thank you, Lord Bili Jiong. But since I have already accepted the mission, I will definitely help you find that evil invader!”
Seeing Yelena’s persistence, Lord Bili Jiong could only say, “You are thoughtful.
If you encounter any problems, contact me anytime. If that strange Pokémon appears…”
Lord Bili Jiong hesitated, remembering that it had lost to that strange Pokémon hundreds of years ago. The main reason was that the Pokémon looked very similar to it, yet it possessed Psychic-type abilities that countered them, the three Sacred Swordsmen. It was truly like a mother opening the door for her disgusting child—disgusting to the core!
So it changed its words and said, “I will rush to protect you!”
“Then I am truly grateful, Lord Bili Jiong. I will be careful,” Yelena said.
After speaking, Yelena bowed to both Lord Bili Jiong and her mother’s tombstone, then prepared to set off for Dragon Country again.
Even when she reached the foot of the mountain, Lord Bili Jiong could still hear Yelena loudly saying, “I will definitely complete the mission!”
It was unclear who Yelena was speaking to, or if she was simply cheering herself on.
Lord Bili Jiong shook its head helplessly: “This child is good in every way, except she’s too stubborn.”