Flandre Scarlet watched the retreating figure disappear down the hallway before shifting her attention to the crisp appointment letter in her hands.
She tilted her head, a soft look of confusion crossing her face as she scratched her blonde hair.
“Flandre has a job?” she murmured to the empty room.
“But isn’t Flandre still a minor!
I will have to ask Big Sister Beatrice tomorrow if minors are even allowed to work!”
Setting the heavy parchment aside on a polished mahogany table, she padded over to the plush sofa.
She picked up the thick book she had abandoned earlier, curling her small legs beneath her to resume her reading.
A familiar resonance suddenly pulsed in her mind.
It was a message from Alina, transmitted through the deep, crimson connection of their shared blood.
‘Flandre, are you asleep yet?”Not yet!’ Flandre replied brightly in her thoughts.’Is something the matter, Big Sister Alina?”I am not disturbing you then, am I?”Of course not, Flandre is just reading a book!”Reading?
Flandre, does that mean you successfully entered Lungmen?”Yes, yes, Flandre got in yesterday…’Settling deeper into the cushions, Flandre Scarlet happily recounted every little detail, from her grand entrance into the sprawling nomadic city to the events of the current afternoon.’I did not expect Flandre to have made new friends already.
That is wonderful.’ Hearing that the little vampire had befriended a woman named Beatrice brought a wave of sincere relief to Alina.
The Elafia then began to share her own updates from the Reunion camp over the past two days.
She spoke of the Rhodes Island medical team and their startling efficiency.
One patient’s condition had secretly deteriorated to a critical level, completely unnoticed by the camp’s rudimentary medics.
When the Rhodes Island doctors screened the individual, they were visibly horrified and immediately rushed the patient into emergency surgery.
Alina also explained the triage system.
The infected children received strict preferential treatment, forming the very first batch to undergo complete examinations and therapy.
Naturally, a few of the more selfish adults had voiced their bitter dissatisfaction.
They attempted to incite a riot over the perceived unfairness, only to be swiftly intercepted by the Yeti Squadron.
Frostnova’s elites had beaten the troublemakers black and blue before dragging them out into the frozen wastelands for exile.
It was a harsh but necessary justice.
Everyone in the camp understood that the children were the fragile hope for their future, yet those greedy few had possessed the sheer audacity to focus on their own rotting lives.
In stark contrast, many of the elderly Infected had stubbornly refused treatment.
No matter how desperately the Rhodes Island doctors tried to persuade them, the elders insisted on remaining at the very back of the line.
They knew their bodies were failing, that even a miracle cure would not grant them much more time in this cruel world.
It was far better, they argued, to leave the precious medicine for the young who truly needed it.
“Mhm, because Flandre is a minor, she also received preferential treatment at the castle!” Flandre said aloud, nodding to herself.
Although she did not quite grasp the heavy concept of hope for the future, she knew the feeling well.
As long as she did not break her older sister’s strict rules, everyone in the Scarlet Devil Mansion loved and spoiled Flandre very much.
‘By the way, is Lungmen really as prosperous as the rumors say?’Alina asked after their casual chatter subsided.’Flandre does not know, because I have not been to many places yet,’Flandre replied, her crimson eyes wide with lingering awe.’But Lungmen is really huge!
You cannot even see the end of it from the highest walls.
How does such a massive city even move?”I do not know the exact mechanics either,’ Alina admitted, her mental voice carrying a gentle warmth.’But I remember reading that the city is propelled by massive Originium power reactors.”Originium is truly a miraculous thing,’ Flandre mused, tapping her chin.’It grows on people, on animals, on plants, and you can even dig it straight out of the ground.”Everyone is terrified of it, yet no one can survive without it.”So has no one considered using other energy sources?’Flandre asked, genuinely curious about this world’s strange reliance on the deadly rocks.’Of course they have.
Wind, water, and fire have all been harnessed,’Alina explained, a hint of melancholy creeping into her tone.’But in the end, Originium energy was the only thing that remained viable on a global scale.
Even though it is lethally dangerous, its efficiency is unmatched.
And as long as the Catastrophes continue to tear the world apart, Originium will be produced in endless supply.”Although,’ Alina added,’this newly birthed Originium is far too volatile.
It requires decades, sometimes even centuries, of dormancy before it stabilizes enough to become usable fuel.”But because this crystalline plague will only spread and multiply if left alone, the world has no choice.
Whether it is to deliberately consume it to halt its spread, or simply bowing to the sheer economic reality of mining and usage, every nation is forced to make it their primary energy source.’Alina’s tone carried a heavy, helpless resignation.
Aside from the most primitive acts of striking a flint to cook a meager meal, modern civilization was entirely shackled to Originium.
Even the Rhodes Island doctors, who dedicated their lives to curing Oripathy, relied on Originium-powered medical equipment to save their patients.
It was a bitter, inescapable irony.’Speaking of which, if you have access to a library over there, could you help me find a few specific books and read them to me?’Alina asked, struck by a sudden inspiration.’Sure!
Just tell Flandre what books you need, Alina.
I will go look in the study right now.
If they are here, I can read them to you immediately.
If not, I will just go ask that Governor Wei to fetch them tomorrow!’
Flandre Scarlet agreed without a second thought.
She could read any book with ease, and reading silently to herself was no different than projecting the words across a telepathic blood-link.
More, this arrangement gave her a delightful sense of nostalgia.
It reminded her of the quiet nights in the mansion when her older sister would sit by her bedside and read her stories until she fell asleep.
It was a warm, cherished memory.
Only now, the roles were reversed.
The very thought amused her to no end, putting a bright smile on her face as her footsteps became light and brisk across the carpeted floor.
The text Alina requested was not a whimsical novel or classic literature, but a dense, highly technical medical reference manual.
As luck would have it, Flandre had spotted a copy the moment she first entered the study.
Emergency Treatment for Oripathy, authored by Mr.
Blood.
This was the exact manual the Rhodes Island Operators had strongly urged the Reunion medics to study.
The pharmaceutical company had anticipated that the infected rebel camp would have poor medical standards, but the reality of Reunion’s dire conditions had completely shattered their lowest expectations.
As for the Rhodes Island doctors themselves, every waking second was consumed by treating the endless line of critical patients.
They simply lacked the luxury of time to sit down and lecture Alina on the text.
The original plan was to wait until the medical team returned to the landship, then send a new batch of textbooks with the next exchange delegation.
But now, Flandre Scarlet could bridge that gap by reading the text aloud across the miles.
Alina only needed to gather some paper and a pen to transcribe the very useful knowledge.
The greatest advantage of their bloodline transmission was its permanence.
As long as Flandre did not intentionally sever or erase the mental echo, the words would linger in Alina’s mind, allowing her to review the sentences repeatedly.
Even if the little vampire read at a blistering pace, Alina would have more than enough time to write everything down.
After plucking the heavy medical tome from the shelf, Flandre sent a mental pulse confirming she was ready.
Alina asked for a few minutes to prepare her workspace.
Under Talulah’s curious gaze, the Elafia stood up, gathered a thick stack of blank paper and a fountain pen, and settled at the sturdy wooden table in the corner of the room.
‘I am ready.’
The moment Alina sent the confirmation, Flandre Scarlet eagerly flipped to the first page.
“Are you memorizing a book from thin air?” Talulah asked, her draconic tail swishing in surprise as she watched Alina’s hand fly across the paper, writing out complex medical terminology without a source text in sight.
“No, it is Flandre,” Alina answered softly, her eyes never leaving the page.
“She is reading this book all the way in Lungmen and transmitting the audio record directly into my mind…”
“Your communication Arts are that simple?” Talulah stared, utterly shocked by the sheer range and clarity of such an ability.
“Yes, but the physical consumption is a bit high.
Could you please go cut some tender branches for me?” Alina asked, gesturing vaguely toward the door with her pen.
“Alright!” Seeing the intense focus in her friend’s eyes, Talulah did not press the issue.
She grabbed a heavy scythe resting against the wall, hoisted it over her shoulder, and marched out into the freezing night.
Seeing the mighty leader of Reunion running out in the dead of night to chop down trees left many of the visiting Rhodes Island operators utterly bewildered.
Only Frostnova stepped away from the crowd, approaching the Draco with a worried frown.
“What is going on?” the Cautus asked, her icy breath misting in the dark air.
Talulah leaned in and explained the situation in a hushed voice.
Frostnova’s pale eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
“We are hundreds of miles away from Lungmen, and they can still maintain real-time telepathic communication?!”
“Yeah, I did not expect it either.
The only trouble is that the energy drain on Alina has increased quite a bit,” Talulah replied, her grip tightening on the scythe.
“That bit of consumption is nothing compared to the value of that knowledge, but will it exhaust her completely?” Frostnova asked, immediately moving to help gather the freshly cut wood.
“I will tell her not to push herself too hard.” Talulah nodded firmly.
Working together, the two leaders quickly hauled the bundle of tender branches back toward the village.
Inside the main guest house, the Rhodes Island delegation sat around a warm stove, exchanging quiet chatter.
One of the operators, having just witnessed the bizarre lumberjack routine outside, stepped in to share the gossip.
“That Leader Talulah and Officer Yelena are acting so strange.
There is a massive pile of dried firewood sitting right in the yard.
If they wanted to stoke the furnace, wouldn’t it be easier to just take from there?
Why go all the way out into the tundra to cut fresh, green branches?
You cannot even use those for a proper fire!”
“Oh?
Do you know where they took the wood?” Kal’tsit asked, her sharp Feline ears twitching as she looked up from her datapad.
“Ah, they went straight to Ms.
Alina’s house,” the operator replied, crossing his arms with a slight shiver.
“Speaking of Ms.
if it weren’t for her Elafia antlers being so obvious, with those glowing red eyes and that pale hair color, I would have genuinely thought I had bumped into a blood relative of Dr.
Warfarin and Closure.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the room.
The others nodded, exchanging uneasy glances.
Alina’s striking crimson pupils bore an uncanny, unsettling resemblance to Closure from the Engineering Department and Dr.
Warfarin, the Sarkaz Vampire who had only recently been invited to join the Rhodes Island landship by Kal’tsit herself.
However, that prominent pair of branching antlers completely ruled out the biological possibility of her being a Sarkaz.
Yet, the sheer aura she exuded told a different story.
Every time they stood in the Elafia’s presence, the operators felt a strange, primal chill crawl up their spines.
When Alina looked at them, they did not feel like respected medical professionals; they felt like delicious, sweet little cupcakes waiting to be devoured.
It was a deeply unpleasant, skin-crawling sensation.
In fact, many quietly agreed it was practically more terrifying than being cornered by Dr.
Warfarin in a dark hallway.
“It just so happens I have some logistical matters to discuss with their leadership.
I will go over and assess the situation,” Kal’tsit said, her voice cool and measured.
“The rest of you should get some sleep soon.
The workload here at the Reunion camp is much larger than our initial estimates.
Do not overexert yourselves.”
“Understood, Dr.
Kal’tsit.”
“No problem, Dr.
Kal’tsit.
Please make sure to look after your own health as well.”
Seeing their stoic leader stand up, the operators respectfully rose to their feet, preparing to retire to their assigned cots.
Stepping out into the biting cold, Kal’tsit made her way toward Alina’s modest cabin.
As she approached the wooden door, the faint sounds of a lively conversation drifted through the thin walls.
‘Alina, how about you take a break first?’Talulah’s voice carried a note of concern.’Yeah, you have already transcribed three entire chapters.
We desperately need this book, but there is no need to rush it all in one night,’Frostnova chimed in.’But Flandre said there are ten chapters in total, and today’s goal is to finish five!’Alina protested, the scratching of her pen never ceasing.’Hiss…
how about this: you rest your hand and just read the transmission from the side, and I will help write the next section for you.”Alright, I will read the mental echo aloud, and you write.’ Alina finally conceded.
Kal’tsit did not knock.
Instead, she stood perfectly still in the freezing shadows outside the window, listening intently.
A moment later, she heard Alina begin to recite complex medical procedures, sentence by flawless sentence.
As the words reached her ears, Kal’tsit’s emerald pupils constricted into sharp slits.
The terminology was far too familiar.
While she had not memorized every single line of Warfarin’s exhaustive manual, her brilliant mind instantly recognized the core content, the distinct phrasing, and the unmistakable structural flow of the text.
But this made absolutely no sense.
During the day, Kal’tsit had personally interacted with Alina.
The Elafia’s understanding of Oripathy treatment protocols was rudimentary at best, no different from any other desperate, uneducated Infected in the wastelands.
If Alina had truly read this advanced medical textbook before, why on Terra would she have managed the camp’s Infected in such a dangerously primitive manner?
But if she had never read the book…
how was she flawlessly reciting its most complex chapters from memory?
, who exactly was this Flandre they kept mentioning?
Kal’tsit mentally sifted through the exhaustive intelligence files.
She was absolutely certain that this name did not exist anywhere on the complete roster of Reunion Movement personnel that Rhodes Island had compiled over the past two days.
“Lord Kal’tsit, what are you doing standing out here?” a voice suddenly called out from behind her, shattering the quiet tension of the night.
[Rhodes’s Note:
Enjoying the operation so far, Doctor?
(This daily grind literally pays the landship’s rent!
🙇♂️):
to use the links!)