Upon hearing Jeanne's suggestion, Talulah nodded in agreement. It was indeed logical; they needed to find a way to send someone inside to see what changes the enemy had made over the past few days. At a time like this, even the smallest detail could not be overlooked. Otherwise, they might be caught completely off guard in the upcoming battle.
Consequently, she dispatched Lyudmila (Crownslayer), who was most adept at infiltration, to gather intelligence. At the same time, she requested that Jeanne, their trump card, participate in the mission as well.
"This doesn't seem right, does it? I've only been back for a few days! Even the doctor on on a certain pharmaceutical company isn't exploited this much!Why is it me again..."
Hearing Talulah's words, Jeanne wore an expression that screamed, 'Are you kidding me?' She hadn't expected her own suggestion to land her an overtime shift. Jeanne stared directly at Talulah's face—which looked the very picture of sincerity—for a long moment before spinning on her heel to run away. Was she joking? She'd only been back from her business trip to Lungmen for a few days, and now she was being sent out again?
How could the exploitation be this extreme! She had just finished a duel with that Sarkaz maiden, and now Talulah was shipping her off again? If Jeanne hadn't known that Talulah didn't have the brains for it, she would have suspected some nefarious motive—like seeing her own prestige threatening the leader's position and trying to "slaughter the old lynx once the grinding is done."
"But it's dangerous! Lyudmila can't take many people with her; she might even have to go in alone. I have to find someone who can bring her back safely if she gets discovered!"
Talulah's reflexes were impressively quick. The moment she saw Jeanne trying to bolt, she lunged forward and hugged her to prevent her departure, her tail coiling firmly around Jeanne's waist. This way, even if Jeanne tried to run, Talulah would be dragged right behind her. Though, if Jeanne truly started sprinting, Talulah knew she wouldn't be able to keep up.
However, it was exactly as Talulah said. If they were discovered, the only ones capable of breaking through a siege of that magnitude were Jeanne or Patriot. It would be difficult even for Talulah herself; her Originium Arts weren't yet powerful enough to ignore a constant barrage of cannon fire.
"You two... seem to be having fun!"
Alina returned to the room only to find the two of them in a very peculiar position—one looking like she was trying to escape out the door, and the other seemingly possessed and clinging to her. Looking at the tail wrapped around Jeanne's waist, there was a distinct visual sense of a python capturing its prey. The two entangled women looked up to see Alina entering.
"Alina, you be the judge! I've only been back for a few days, and this girl is already exploiting me like this. Is there no justice left?"
Jeanne immediately began venting her grievances to Alina. From her tone, a bystander might have thought Talulah had just committed some unforgivable crime. Alina stood at the doorway with a helpless expression. Watching these two grown women messing around like children, she didn't know what to say for a moment and could only watch them with a faint smile.
The next day, on the path toward their objective, Lyudmila looked at the listless Jeanne beside her. She couldn't quite figure out what was wrong with her.
Last night, after much relentless pestering from Talulah, Jeanne had eventually agreed to her request and began leading Lyudmila toward the mining area she had discovered.
"Are you alright? If not, I can go alone this time," Lyudmila offered, seeing Jeanne's poor state. The mission wasn't exceptionally difficult, and she had enough confidence to handle it solo. Another reason was that she was genuinely worried Jeanne might be feeling physically unwell; if that affected her during the infiltration, it could be problematic.
"I'm fine. My body is okay; it's just that my heart is tired," Jeanne said. She scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it against her face. The freezing sensation snapped her back to alertness, making her look much more spirited.
"Just you wait, Talulah... when I get back, I'm definitely performing a 'manual removal of tail-end hardened matter' on you..." Jeanne muttered under her breath. She thought she was being quiet enough, but Lyudmila heard every word.
Jeanne continued to lead the way without noticing Lyudmila watching her from behind with a very complex expression.
Manual removal of tail-end hardened matter? Isn't that just peeling off scales? Do these two play that roughly? Lyudmila wondered to herself. She didn't say it out loud, however, and simply followed Jeanne silently like a shadow.
Lyudmila's method of movement was quite unique; she moved in a semi-crouch. Furthermore, every step she took landed exactly within the footprints Jeanne left behind, and she used her own tail to sweep away the traces they left in their wake.
After walking for some time, the two arrived once again at the forest near the camp. This time was different from before; the number of patrol personnel in the camp had increased significantly.
"This is the place. But there are a lot more patrols this time. I don't know if they realized someone was here before, or if they're just stepping up their defense," Jeanne explained the situation to Lyudmila.
After observing the layout, Lyudmila began to consider which point would be best for entry. From her perspective, the situation was indeed tricky. These men seemed to have undergone specific training, and they had increased patrols in every area where an infiltration was possible. It seemed Jeanne was right; even if these men weren't regular Ursus soldiers, they were at the very least private troops raised by a noble.
"Hmm? That's..."
As Lyudmila and Jeanne stood atop a tree using binoculars to scout the interior, a familiar figure caught Lyudmila's attention.
It was a white-haired Ursus boy. His skin was excessively pale compared to an average Ursus citizen, and his frame was so thin and frail he hardly looked like a boy at all. At a glance, it appeared this boy had come from a wealthy family before becoming Infected; his physical health didn't look like it had ever been robust.
The boy was currently being punished by four monitors from the Legation dressed in black. The four surrounded him, kicking him brutally in the stomach with their black leather boots, seemingly unconcerned about whether he might die. Perhaps he hadn't performed his work well, or perhaps these bored, malicious men were simply amusing themselves by tormenting a kid who looked like he came from a "good" background.
"What's wrong? Do you know him?" Jeanne followed Lyudmila's gaze. Seeing Lyudmila's reaction, she guessed it was an acquaintance. Otherwise, Lyudmila wouldn't have focused on a single individual like that, even if he was being bullied—though what was about to happen to him would likely be worse.
The boy had just vomited his lunch onto one of the men's boots.
"Yes, an acquaintance. I didn't expect such a coincidence, that he would be here. Don't you think he looks very much like Misha?" Lyudmila nodded. She hadn't expected to run into him so soon.
This was Sergei's son, Misha's younger brother—Alex, the one who was said to have been captured and sent here as a miner. She had assumed that after being sent to the tundra, someone with his constitution wouldn't have survived long in such a harsh environment.
"Now that you mention it, they really do look alike! He's just so much thinner, isn't he? He looks way more frail than Misha. I guess he really can't handle the life here," Jeanne agreed. Looking at the white-haired boy, the resemblance to Misha was striking, though she didn't have a very deep impression of Misha to begin with.
"So, what do you plan to do? Are you going to save him? His father did mention this to you, didn't he?" Jeanne turned to Lyudmila.
Lyudmila's expression didn't change. She watched Alex as he continued to take the beating and remained silent for a long time.
"We'll act tonight. As for him... we'll wait until we rescue all the Infected. We can't afford to alert the enemy prematurely," Lyudmila finally said.