A low, rumbling voice sounded from behind Kal’tsit.
She turned her head, her calm gaze meeting the towering, armored figure approaching through the corridor.
“Lord Patriot, I came to discuss some matters regarding the Infected with Miss Talulah.
However, I heard conversation inside and felt it was not quite appropriate to enter just now.”
Kal’tsit delivered the explanation without a single shift in her stoic expression, her cadence unbroken.
Buldrokkas’tee gave a slow, heavy nod.
At that exact moment, Frostnova, having heard the voices outside, opened the door and paused as she spotted the two imposing figures standing in the hall.
“Dr.
Kal’tsit, and Ol…
Father.
Is there something the matter?”
Frostnova caught herself just in time, swallowing the nickname ‘Old Stubborn’ before it could fully slip out.
“I came to discuss some Infected-related matters with Leader Talulah,” Kal’tsit repeated evenly.
“But seeing as the conversation inside sounded quite pleasant, I refrained from knocking.
It just so happened that Lord Buldrokkas’tee was passing by, so we shared a brief word.”
As she spoke, Kal’tsit’s sharp eyes caught a fleeting detail.
Frostnova was carrying out a completely withered branch, casually tossing it onto the firewood pile beside the door.
A flicker of surprise crossed the feline doctor’s mind.
Had that person not just claimed to have brought back fresh sprigs?
Yet, peering past Frostnova’s shoulder into the room, Kal’tsit spotted another branch that looked as though it had been drained of life for a very long time.
How curious.
Kal’tsit pondered the anomaly in silence.
Then again, considering there was a certain Vampire back on her own landship who could happily survive on nothing but engine oil, she supposed she should not be too surprised by whatever bizarre phenomena she encountered these days.
“Dr.
Kal’tsit?
I will be right out.”
Talulah’s voice drifted from within.
After handing the pen and paper back to Alina, the Draco leader stepped out into the corridor.
Though Kal’tsit still wished to probe the strange situation inside, Talulah smoothly pulled the door shut behind her, cutting off the view.
“It is cold out here, Dr.
Kal’tsit.
Let us go to my quarters!” Talulah invited, gesturing politely down the dimly lit hall.
“Of course.” Kal’tsit nodded expressionlessly.
Now was clearly not the time to investigate the secrets hidden within Alina’s room.
She turned and followed Talulah to her quarters.
Only after Talulah had led the doctor away did Buldrokkas’tee speak again.
“What were you doing in there?” he asked, his deep voice echoing faintly.
Frostnova smiled, explaining how Alina and Flandre Scarlet were currently in remote contact.
She described how the little Vampire had found relevant books all the way in Yan and was reading them aloud across the distance, while Alina transcribed the words.
“Is the connection between Vampires really that convenient?” Frostnova looked up at the towering Wendigo with genuine curiosity.
As the last pureblood Wendigo, his ancient lineage surely afforded him more knowledge than she possessed.
Buldrokkas’tee stood there, thoroughly bewildered.
Could the innate connection between Vampires truly be this potent?
If such a thing were possible, the Military Commission would have elevated the strategic priority of Vampire recruitment by several magnitudes centuries ago.
After all, a mere handful of Vampires could guarantee flawless, instantaneous communication between Kazdel and its scattered legions.
The tactical advantage it would bring to military operations was immeasurable.
So why had the Sarkaz never used this?
The answer was simple: no one had ever heard of a Vampire possessing such an absurd capability.
The Reunion Movement’s current camp was at least four or five hundred kilometers away from Lungmen.
To maintain continuous, perfectly clear communication over such a vast distance…
to his extensive knowledge, absolutely none of the existing Sarkaz witchcraft could achieve this.
Slowly, the giant shook his horned head, indicating his complete ignorance on the matter.
“Old Stubborn, didn’t you say you knew a lot about the Sarkaz?” Frostnova teased, her tone light and affectionate.
Buldrokkas’tee felt a rare wave of disorientation wash over him.
He hailed from Kazdel.
He possessed vast, ancient knowledge inherited directly through his bloodline.
While he might not compare to the cloistered scholars specializing in Sarkaz history, his understanding of their race far exceeded that of any ordinary person.
Yet, regarding the phenomenon his daughter had just described, he had to admit defeat.
Back inside the warm room, Alina picked up her pen to resume recording the moment Talulah and the others departed.
‘Sister Alina, did some trouble happen on your end?’Flandre Scarlet had noticed the sudden silence through their mental link.
She paused her reading, her childish voice echoing with a hint of genuine concern.’It is nothing.
Dr.
Kal’tsit came to discuss things with Talulah.
They have already left, so let us continue!”Okay!’ Flandre nodded eagerly on the other side of the country, turning her attention back to the heavy tome in her hands.
She read steadily until the moon hung high in the night sky.
Glancing at the remaining half of the thick book, she finally asked, ‘Continue the rest tomorrow?”No problem.
I will contact you at the same time tomorrow night,’ Alina replied, rubbing her tired eyes.
Even without having to exert much mental effort, transcribing five full chapters of a dense reference book was an exhausting task.
also, the text was riddled with complex technical terms, many of which were written directly in Victorian or ancient Sarkaz script.
Flandre had no idea how to translate them, so she resorted to a brute-force method: she literally copied and pasted the visual images of the words through their bloodline telephone, forcibly projecting the segments of text into Alina’s mind.
Alina did not recognize the characters either.
She could only painstakingly draw the strange symbols onto the paper as best she could.
At worst, she figured she could ask the operators from Rhodes Island to help translate the manuscript once she finished.
After all, the delegation that had arrived included personnel fluent in multiple languages, including Ursus.
Tucking a delicate bookmark between the pages, Flandre fluttered her bat wings and flew back to her large, empty bed.
“It seems Flandre is missing a few dolls…
hmm, but Flandre cannot buy them without any money!”
Pouting slightly at the barren mattress, the little Vampire lay down, pulling the covers up.
Within moments, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
When she woke the next morning, Flandre stepped out of her assigned house and began her usual leisurely stroll through the upscale Lungmen neighborhood.
Before long, she spotted a familiar, energetic figure jogging toward her.
Upon seeing the little Vampire, the approaching girl waved enthusiastically.
“Good morning, Flandre!”
“Good morning, Beatrix.
You look especially happy today!”
Flandre tilted her head, watching the Victorian feline’s striped tail wagging so fast it resembled a spinning electric fan.
“Hehehe, you caught me!
My application to join the L.G.D.
was officially approved!
I am heading over to report for duty in a bit!”
Swire’s eyes sparkled with fierce ambition as she proudly described her grand master plan to Flandre: she would become a Senior Superintendent within six months, secure a high-ranking official seat within a year, and successfully seize the position of Chief of the L.G.D.
within three years.
Listening to this, Flandre inwardly mused that while Swire did eventually achieve her ultimate goal in the original plot, it actually took her five to six years to reach that apex.
Still, her rapid ascent was terrifying in its own right.
By the time she took charge, Swire would have been around thirty years old at most.
A top-tier leader at thirty…
such a feat was only possible with Chief Executive Wei Yenwu’s direct favor and the massive financial backing of the Swire family.
An ordinary person could double that age, work until their bones turned to dust, and still never touch that seat.
Then again, Nine had been about the same age as Ch’en, or perhaps slightly older, back in those days.
Wei Yenwu was undeniably bold in his appointments, showing a clear preference for promoting capable youth.
This train of thought, however, sparked an entirely different idea in Flandre’s mind.
“Sister Beatrix, can you take Flandre with you to the L.G.D.?” Flandre asked, her crimson eyes shining with anticipation.
“Flandre, what are you going to the L.G.D.
for?
Did your house get robbed?
Do you need to report a crime?” Swire immediately looked around, her feline ears twitching nervously.
Flandre shook her head, her blonde pigtails bouncing.
“No.
Madam Fumizuki visited last night and gave Flandre a certificate.
Sister, wait right here, Flandre will go get it for you to see.”
With that, she turned and scurried back to her nearby residence.
A few minutes later, she trotted back, clutching a formal document.
“Look, Sister.
The Madam said she was worried Flandre would be too bored here all alone, so she helped find something for Flandre to do.
By the way, Flandre is not an adult yet.
Will there be trouble with working?”
The moment her eyes scanned the elegant text, the energetic Little Tiger felt the beautiful morning weather sour slightly.
What on earth was written on this thing?
Special Invited Expert of the Special Inspection Unit?
Did the L.G.D.
even have such a ridiculous position?
Oh.
It was personally stamped and appointed by Chief Executive Wei.
Then there was absolutely no problem.
Swire sighed.
Fine.
Even though the cute little girl standing in front of her was technically external personnel, her status was absurdly high.
The Special Inspection Unit sat at the absolute pinnacle of the L.G.D.
hierarchy.
While the dangers they faced were the most severe, every single L.G.D.
officer took immense pride in even being considered for the unit.
And the certificate in Flandre’s small hands explicitly stated that she could freely choose whether or not to participate in any mission assignments, while simultaneously granting her full authority to access classified case files and intelligence.
In other words, despite not being an official officer, this child held more operational authority than the vast majority of the L.G.D.
Swire had to admit she was a little bit jealous.
“Alright, meet me at the main gate in a bit.
I will drive you there,” Swire finally agreed, handing the heavy document back.
“So, are you going to the L.G.D.
to report in as well?” Swire asked.
Flandre shook her head innocently.
“No.
Flandre wants to decorate the house with some dolls, but Flandre does not have any money.
In this big city, Flandre only knows Ch’en Hui-chieh from the L.G.D.
and Chief Executive Wei Yenwu.
The Chief Executive is not easy to meet, so Flandre can only go find Sister Ch’en to ask for some pocket money.”
Flandre’s words left Swire utterly flabbergasted.
Wei Yenwu arranged for this girl to live in an elite district but didn’t give her a single LMD for an allowance?
“Then what do you usually eat?” Swire asked, horrified.
“Chief Executive Wei has food delivered to Flandre.”
Swire breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the esteemed Chief Executive wasn’t completely detached from basic human needs.
“There is no need to go bother your Sister Ch’en for that.
Once I am done reporting in, I will take you to the mall to buy whatever you want.”
The Little Tiger waved her hand with grand, sweeping generosity.
Flandre inwardly marveled.
She truly was the wealthy little heiress from her past life’s memories; this tiger had simply never experienced the concept of financial struggle.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Swire resumed her morning run to prepare, while Flandre clutched her shiny new certificate and unhurriedly continued her stroll.
This time, however, she did not return to her empty house.
Instead, she wandered toward the grand entrance of the residential sector.
As she waited by the sidewalk, several passersby instinctively wanted to approach the incredibly cute little girl.
But the moment their eyes landed on the bizarre, crystalline bat wings protruding from her back, their warm smiles faltered, and they quickly retreated in fear.
Flandre felt absolutely no sadness at their reaction.
In her eyes, these were all insignificant creatures.
And because they were insignificant, their feelings did not matter in the slightest.
As long as they did not interfere with her comfortable life, these mortals were no different from the fragile ants crawling along the roadside.
A short while later, the sleek purr of an expensive engine approached.
Swire pulled up to the main gate in a luxurious car, rolling down the window to call out to the little Vampire waiting on the curb.
“Sorry to keep you waiting!
Get in!”
[Rhodes’s Note:
Enjoying the operation so far, Doctor?
(This daily grind literally pays the landship’s rent!
🙇♂️):
to use the links!)