Even though the massive creature didn't know exactly what Jeanne intended to do—or rather, it didn't care to know the purpose behind her orders—it remained obedient simply because it was Jeanne's command.
The giant draconic beast turned and began digging the tunnel. Before long, the massive entity vanished from Jeanne's sight, leaving only a gaping hole in the earth. Sounds of heavy breathing and hissing echoed from within the pit; it was using its breath to scorch the permafrost of the tundra, softening the earth to make the subsequent excavation easier.
Jeanne watched for a moment before dragging over a large amount of branches and fallen leaves to camouflage the entrance, then departed from the area. It would take some time for the dragon to dig to the desired depth, and by the time it finished, it would be right around the period they planned to assault the camp. This tunnel would be of great use then.
"Where did you go? Not long after you left, I felt a sudden tightening in my chest, like some great disaster was about to happen here. I was worried you'd run into danger."
Lyudmila spoke with a tone of lingering fear. As she spoke, she subconsciously scanned the surroundings; clearly, the sudden event earlier had truly startled her. Back then, in the pitch-black woods, Lyudmila had felt as if some monster had manifested. The fright had caused the fur on her tail to stand straight up, yet despite looking around, she hadn't found a single clue.
That terrifying sensation reminded her of her training days in Siracusa—the feeling of her mentor, who taught her the arts of the shadow, slipping into the darkness and appearing right behind her. Lyudmila had no doubt that if she had encountered whatever creature had been there, she might have become that monster's midnight snack.
So, those men hadn't been lying; there really were monsters in this place.
"I was just making a mark and doing some preparations to ensure we can minimize our losses when the operation begins," Jeanne said, looking at the visibly shaken Lyudmila. She hadn't expected the other woman to be able to sense the Earth Dragon from such a distance.
Perhaps it was due to specialized training. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been scared to this extent, looking like a small animal whose fur had bristled after encountering a natural predator. It seemed this was the unique pressure exerted by the Dragon race. Although Jeanne still didn't quite understand what that sensation was, she had been told it was a peculiar power.
It certainly existed, though. Jeanne recalled the few times she had released the Earth Dragon in the forests before; it had caused every animal in the woods to abandon their dens and flee for their lives.
She had also summoned it in front of Talulah once, as the latter had been curious about the "little guy" who was suspected of being Infected after hearing Jeanne's account of the situation in Lungmen. As for why Talulah didn't feel that pressure, it was likely due to her Draco lineage. Even if it was only a partial dragon bloodline, it was enough to resist the intimidation of most sub-dragons.
"Alright then, let's leave quickly. Staying here makes me feel uneasy, like something is going to jump out and attack me at any second."
Seeing that Jeanne had no reaction to it, Lyudmila dismissed the feeling as her intuition's warning. She was very sensitive to crisis, even if they weren't quite as sharp as the Cautus "rabbits."
Hearing her say this, Jeanne nodded and left the woods with her. Before disappearing into the distance, Lyudmila cast one last lingering, fearful glance back at the forest. Truthfully, if she had faced a monster head-on, Lyudmila wouldn't have been this afraid even if she couldn't win. The problem was the pitch-black woods where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face—that was the scary part.
It didn't help that she used to like practicing her courage with horror games or movies. Standing in a place like this, those stories immediately pounced on her, playing out repeatedly in her mind.
Meanwhile, underground, the Earth Dragon sensed Jeanne moving away. It didn't try to sneak out to cause trouble; instead, it just kept its head down and dug the tunnel. It was clear that the events back in Lungmen had truly traumatized the little guy. Now, it would rather hide underground than go looking for those creatures that stood up on two hind legs.
Except for Jeanne, of course. She could be trusted.
"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"
After traveling for a while, the two successfully returned to the village. Upon entering the room, Jeanne found a listless Talulah waiting inside. Her expression was that of someone whose physical energy was completely spent and was only slowly recovering... in a way, it looked like this dragon had been mistreated by someone.
"Waiting for you to come back! I couldn't very well send you out and then have no one here to welcome you home, could I?"
Seeing Jeanne return, Talulah smiled. She pulled her thoughts away from the pile of trivial matters and put on a welcoming front for her comrade's triumphant return. She was exhausted today; so many different issues had piled up that even though she didn't have to do most of it herself, the mental toll was immense. Had she not been waiting for Jeanne, she likely would have gone to rest long ago.
Fortunately, she had practiced her administrative skills using Kashchey's city management back in the day, so this amount of work wasn't enough to truly defeat her.
"You should rest when it's time to rest! Aren't there patrols outside to welcome me? If you wear yourself out like this, I'll be the one who has to handle everything for you when the time comes."
Looking at the weary Talulah, Jeanne walked over and patted the head that was resting on the table. She understood how busy the girl was—setting up a new village while simultaneously preparing for a battle. She had to stay informed about every little thing. How could she not be tired? Otherwise, with her personality, she would have insisted on resting for several days after returning from the "dragon's den" of Lungmen. I finally survived Lungmen, what's wrong with a little rest?
"Don't mess around, you're ruining my hair. I'm going back to sleep now. Seeing that you're safe and sound is enough for me to rest easy."
With that, Talulah turned to go to her own room. It was indeed very late. The intelligence gathered could wait until tomorrow. If the two of them started talking now, it wouldn't be surprising if they stayed up until dawn, and then neither would get any rest tonight. Besides, if there were any dire, life-or-death news, Jeanne would have told her immediately. Since she hadn't said anything, it wasn't that urgent.
Seeing the exhausted Talulah, Jeanne felt a wave of tiredness wash over her as well, though she wasn't sure if it was just psychological.
"Fine then, goodnight. We'll talk tomorrow."
Jeanne let out a yawn and bid Talulah farewell. Back in her own room, she threw herself onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep instantly. "Sleeping as soon as the head hits the pillow" was an understatement.
Unlike Jeanne, who had already entered the world of dreams, Lyudmila—back in her own quarters—couldn't forget that terrifying sensation from the depths of the forest. She could tell the creature hadn't held any hostility toward her—or rather, it hadn't paid her any attention at all—but the feeling of seeing her own death reflected in that aura was not pleasant.
It seemed she really was far behind. That was what Lyudmila had realized since coming here. Although she could tell herself that their areas of expertise were different, she could still clearly see how many deficiencies she had.
Exhausted after the night's events, Lyudmila's body was weary, yet she still spent time reviewing her actions from that night, looking for any loopholes or mistakes. This was her habitual routine—using every mission to gradually make herself stronger. She hadn't forgotten that she still had a debt of vengeance to settle.
The person truly responsible for her father's death was still living a life of leisure. How could she ever act as if that didn't exist?