Ultear then turned to the slightly reserved blue-haired little girl beside her and spoke gently: "You must be Wendy, right? If you don't mind, you can stay here before you find your mother."
Tike immediately nodded vigorously in agreement, looking at Wendy with eyes full of expectation: "Yeah, yeah, Wendy, just stay! Although you've joined 'Fairy Tail' and the guild has a girls' dormitory, and I heard there's a discount for children, I still prefer you to stay here!"
"Big Sis isn't home often. Gray and Lyon, those two guys, claim they've grown up and want to be independent, so they didn't live here from the start. Mom Ur also has to go on missions from time to time... This big house is often empty, a bit lonely."
Tike disliked being surrounded by a group of strangers, but he equally disliked an empty environment, only willing to stay in places full of familiar and beloved scents.
Alice, lying on Ultear's lap, also leaned over and rubbed her head gently against Wendy's cheek.
"Stay~ I'll play with you~"
As a childcare robot cat, Alice naturally liked children and welcomed Wendy's addition very much.
Feeling the warmth of this family, a warm current surged in Wendy's heart. She responded somewhat shyly, "Then... then sorry for disturbing everyone."
Just then, Ur walked out of the kitchen with tea and snacks, a teasing smile on her face: "Oh? Don't you all need to ask for my opinion first?"
Wendy instantly became somewhat nervous.
"No... is it not allowed?"
Ur put down the tea and snacks, walked two steps closer, reached out to rub Wendy's hair affectionately, and laughed: "Of course you can."
For her, having one more child to take care of at home was something she had long been accustomed to.
"To celebrate welcoming another cute new member to the family, let's have a welcome party!"
"Yay!" Tike clapped his hands excitedly.
A party meant there would be lots of delicious food, which was exactly what he liked most.
Decision made, the four people and one cat acted immediately. Ur and Ultear prepared party food in the kitchen. Tike volunteered to help decorate the living room. Wendy and Alice also joined in enthusiastically. The small house was full of lively scenes.
Meanwhile, on the roof, Lucia was sharing a delicious cake with her sister Blake. She narrowed her eyes and asked with a grin: "Sister, is it tasty?"
At South Gate Park, Erza raised her sword and dropped it, cutting the cake into three portions, stuffing them unceremoniously into the mouths of Gray and Natsu, who were exhausted from fighting.
The noisy day slowly came to an end under the gentle shroud of the setting sun.
---
Early the next morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the canopy and cast dappled shadows in the forest, two small figures appeared on this forest path on the outskirts of Magnolia.
Wendy breathed gently in the surrounding air mixed with the scent of soil and vegetation, unable to help asking: "Brother Tike, where are we going?"
Tike turned his head, a trace of expectation in his azure eyes: "I want to take you to visit Grandma Porlyusica. She is the most amazing pharmacist in the guild, unmatched in pharmacology. If you can get her guidance, it will definitely improve your healing magic greatly."
Hearing this, Wendy's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded vigorously.
"Mm! I will definitely study hard!"
Tike gazed at Wendy's motivated small face, his expression becoming a bit more solemn: "When you succeed in your studies, I hope you can do me a favor."
"Sure!" Wendy agreed without hesitation, then asked somewhat curiously, "Who do you want me to treat?"
"My birth mother." Tike's voice lowered, an indescribably complex emotion flashing deep in his azure eyes. "However... not the current her."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Well... it's a bit complicated to explain." Tike was vague. "I'll explain in detail later."
Wendy nodded obediently, suppressing her doubts for now and asking no more.
The two continued along the path. Soon, a small wooden house hidden deep in the woods appeared before their eyes.
Surrounded by various strange medicinal herbs emitting a faint herbal aroma, it was Porlyusica's residence.
Tike stepped forward and knocked gently on the wooden door.
Knock knock—
The wooden door opened in response, revealing Porlyusica's slightly gloomy face.
"Hmph, you brat, you still know to come back."
"Uh..."
Tike remembered. When he left Magnolia, he only left a letter for Ur but forgot about this old lady who had always taken care of him, leaving without even saying hello.
No wonder her face looked so bad. But rather than being angry, it was more likely worry.
Just as Tike prepared to use his usual coquetry and acting shameless to muddle through, large teardrops rolled down from Wendy's wide eyes without warning.
This little girl stared blankly at Porlyusica behind the door, softly uttering a name with a disbelief tremor:
"Grandeeney...?"
"Hmm?"
A look of puzzlement appeared on Tike's face, while Porlyusica's originally slightly gloomy expression inside the door also became somewhat peculiar.
Wendy looked at Porlyusica with teary eyes, filled with indescribable attachment: "Your scent... is almost identical to my mother Grandeeney."
(Grandma Porlyusica is Grandeeney?!)
Tike clenched his fists subconsciously, but then realized—
"But, Wendy," he looked at the girl still sobbing beside him, pointing out the most obvious contradiction, "Grandma Porlyusica is human. Your mother Grandeeney... is a dragon, right?"
Wendy raised her small hand, wiping the tears on her cheeks indiscriminately. Her voice carried a heavy nasal sound, but she still insisted on her feeling: "But, but... really very similar..."
Porlyusica was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "Grandeeney... that was my name in Edolas. That world has some similar existences to here. You must have confused me with her."
Wendy hadn't been to Edolas like Tike, so she didn't understand the meaning, but she understood one thing—this old lady before her wasn't the Mother Grandeeney she missed day and night.
But that overly similar aura still made it hard for Wendy to suppress her longing for Grandeeney. The tears she just stopped once again blurred her vision uncontrollably.
Seeing Wendy like this, Porlyusica's usually somewhat cold attitude softened a few degrees.
"Your mother, the Grandeeney of this world, contacted me via magical communication yesterday and mentioned your matter."
Wendy raised her head abruptly, her face still wet with tears written with excitement and urgency: "Mother Grandeeney... contacted you? She, what did she say to you? Where is she now?"
A series of questions blurted out, every word full of her deep desire—she really, really wanted to see Grandeeney again.
Meeting Wendy's expectant gaze, Porlyusica shook her head slowly: "She didn't tell me where she is now, only that she is doing a very important thing. Regarding leaving you alone there, she also feels very sorry."
Tike frowned, unreservedly revealing a look of dissatisfaction.
"Feeling sorry yet leaving without a word?"