Flandre Scarlet pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number.
Beep—
Beep—
"Hello?" The voice on the other end was cautious, laced with a faint hint of disbelief.
"Hey, Sister Beatrice, it's me! Flandre! I'm back!!!"
Flandre had no intention of giving Beatrice on the other end any time to mentally prepare, shouting directly into the receiver with unrestrained excitement.
A few seconds of dead silence passed on the line before a calm, steady voice asked, "Where are you right now?"
Flandre looked toward the vast docking bays in the distance. "It should be the South Gate Port! I haven't entered the city proper yet!"
"Understood. I'm coming to pick you up immediately!" Beatrice replied briskly.
"Bring a bigger car! There are people with me!" Flandre reminded her.
"Your sister?"
When the Lungmen convoy that had traveled to handle the Reunion affair returned months ago, Flandre's sudden absence had triggered endless inquiries. Naturally, Beatrice and the others eventually learned the truth: her elder sister had arrived and swept her away on a grand journey across Terra.
When Beatrice first heard the news, she had been heartbroken for over half a month, even losing a noticeable amount of weight. She genuinely believed that once Flandre left, she would never return. She certainly hadn't expected that before autumn had even drawn to a close, Flandre would be standing right outside Lungmen's gates.
"Never mind the details, just wait right there! I'm on my way!" Beatrice hung up before Flandre could respond, practically bursting out of her house in a frantic rush.
Half an hour later, an oversized vehicle pulled up to the South Gate.
Stepping out, Beatrice spotted Flandre standing alongside two unfamiliar companions. Strangely enough, neither of them displayed the distinct, crimson-eyed traits of a Blood Demon.
After greeting the group and ushering them into the car, Beatrice asked curiously as she merged into traffic, "And these two are...?"
Flandre pointed to her left. "This is Patchy." She then pointed to her right. "And this is Meiling."
Beatrice immediately matched the names to the figures Flandre had mentioned in past conversations.
Patchy—full name Patchouli—was Flandre's academic tutor and Arts instructor. Hong Meiling was the gatekeeper and Gardener of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, as well as a close friend who frequently played with her. Reports brought back by the original convoy had mentioned both of them.
"Where are your sister and that Head Maid?" Beatrice asked as she steered the vehicle through the bustling outer thoroughfares.
"Sister had important matters to attend to back home, so Sakuya went back with her," Flandre explained smoothly. "But Sister was worried about me staying here alone, so she let Patchy and Meiling stay behind to keep me company!"
Beatrice nodded in understanding. "We'll head straight to your former villa then—it's been kept fully maintained for you. It's quite spacious, so you can unpack your things first, and I'll arrange dinner for tonight. By the way, Miss Patchouli, Miss Meiling, do either of you have dietary restrictions?"
"Thank you, Miss Beatrice, but we have no specific restrictions," Patchouli replied politely.
Before long, the car pulled into a pristine residential sector.
Looking at the familiar estate, Flandre turned to her companions with a bright beam. "Patchy, Meiling, look! This is where I used to live! How about it? Impressive, right?"
Patchouli and Hong Meiling shared a subtle glance. Naturally, they recognized every corner of the property—back at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, they had watched live feeds of this very house through the magical mirror setup.
However, they couldn't possibly admit that out loud. Feigning genuine wonder, they exclaimed in unison, "Wow, it really is impressive!"
Having brought very few physical belongings, the trio settled in within minutes. Shortly after, they departed together for the high-end restaurant Beatrice had reserved.
Upon stepping into the private dining suite, they found several familiar faces already waiting.
"Auntie Fumizuki! Sister Ch'en! Sister Hoshiguma!" Flandre waved enthusiastically.
Lady Fumizuki opened her arms with a warm, elegant smile, welcoming the sprinting girl into a gentle hug. "Let Auntie see if you've lost any weight on your travels... Not bad at all! This little face is still soft and rosy—it's clear you've been eating well." She playfully pinched Flandre's cheek.
"Hehehe~" Flandre happily giggled under Fumizuki's doting affection.
"Everyone, please take a seat. These two must be Flandre's family," Fumizuki said, smoothing her hair as she looked up at the two women who had followed Flandre inside.
"Hello, Madam," Patchouli and Hong Meiling greeted gracefully. Knowing they would be residing in Lungmen for an extended period, they maintained proper etiquette before the wife of the local Chief Executive.
Once everyone was seated, Fumizuki turned to Flandre with fond curiosity. "Little Flandre, why don't you tell us about the adventures and interesting places you visited during your time away?"
Flandre's eyes lit up instantly. Without a shred of hesitation, she began chattering nonstop, detailing every single event from the moment she departed the Reunion Movement up until her return to Lungmen.
Patchouli and Hong Meiling could only look at each other with helpless smiles. This little girl truly couldn't keep a single secret—she laid out their entire itinerary with complete, transparent honesty.
As the party listened to Flandre's vivid storytelling, their expressions turned to awe. None of them had anticipated that within a mere six months, Flandre's group had traversed multiple sovereign nations and crossed over half of Terra's known landmass.
"I have read of Kjerag in state archives," Fumizuki remarked softly, a rare look of yearning touching her eyes. "I only knew it as a harsh, snow-capped mountain range to the west of Victoria. I never imagined an entire independent realm was hidden deep within those peaks. If the opportunity ever arises, I would dearly love to see it for myself."
"Just take a vacation and have the Chief Executive go with you!" Flandre suggested casually.
Hearing her innocent suggestion, the adults in the room shared a wry smile.
Others might be able to take vacations, but the Chief Executive certainly could not. Furthermore, as the primary figures holding Lungmen's administrative power, if both Wei Yenwu and Fumizuki departed for such a distant, isolated region, there was no telling whose name Lungmen would bear by the time they returned.
Noticing their expressions, Flandre tilted her head in confusion. "Why not?"
"It is not entirely impossible, but perhaps only after he officially steps down from office!" Fumizuki chuckled gently.
"So you're saying he has to work constantly without a break until he retires? That's way too miserable!" Flandre was genuinely shocked. She hadn't realized Wei Yenwu's job was so pitiful that he didn't even get holidays. After all, even when her shift at the Guard Department was at its absolute busiest, she worked two days and took five days off!
Flandre's deep pity left everyone momentarily speechless.
In truth, while the Guard Department and the Chief Executive's Office occasionally requested Flandre's assistance and granted her an official title, both institutions viewed her position merely as an honorary link—a formal way to tie the powerful girl to Lungmen. Neither side had ever dreamt of using that title to enforce mandatory work shifts; doing so wouldn't align with Lungmen law anyway.
"It really is quite grueling," Beatrice whispered, leaning in to chime in softly near Flandre's ear. "I heard that whenever an emergency breaks out somewhere in the city late at night, the Chief Executive has to get out of bed immediately to deal with the paperwork."
"Then why do so many people fight so hard for that job?" Flandre wondered aloud, marveling at whether those politicians were masochists. Why would anyone crave a job that required being on duty twenty-four hours a day?
"Perhaps... because it lets them boss everyone else around?"