Arknights: The Scarlet Devil of Terra — Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Exposed!You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

After a long day of running around, Flandre fell into a sweet, undisturbed sleep, her small head resting comfortably against Beatrix’s lap.

Meanwhile, the Feline officer was wide awake. Beatrix held a small leather-bound notebook, her pen scratching quietly against the paper as she recorded the license plate numbers and the frequency of heavy transport vehicles entering and leaving the town.

She had chosen this specific vantage point for a reason. It wasn’t just for the stunning scenery; the elevated spot overlooked the town’s main gate, offering a clear, unobstructed view of the primary traffic arteries. While Flandre had been playing all afternoon, Beatrix had been silently memorizing the models and plates of every suspicious truck. She had already circled several repeat offenders in red ink.

The following morning, Beatrix led Flandre down the bustling main street. As the two of them browsed through various trinkets and local goods, Beatrix’s sharp eyes constantly sized up the surrounding architecture and foot traffic.

“Is Big Sister looking for something?” Flandre asked, tilting her head as she noticed Beatrix’s slight absent-mindedness.

A nearby vendor with drooping ears immediately pricked them up, listening closely to their conversation.

“Oh, just admiring the area,” Beatrix said smoothly, her voice carrying the casual arrogance of a wealthy socialite. “The commercial flow here is quite good. I think it’s highly suitable for investment. I’m planning to squeeze some funds out of my old man to give it a try.”

These were actually Beatrix’s honest thoughts. Although she hadn’t pinpointed her primary target yet, the development prospects of this town were excellent. The only glaring downside was the looming threat of Catastrophes; fixed settlements were always vulnerable to the devastating storms. There was no way around that harsh reality, unless she could convince her grandfather to acquire a massive mobile plate and hire a battalion of Civil Engineering Casters to uproot this entire scenic area and mount it on treads.

But purchasing a mobile plate just to preserve a tourist trap would be far too extravagant. The Swire family board would never approve such a frivolous expenditure. So, local investment was the next best option. Assuming a Catastrophe didn’t wipe the town off the map, she calculated they would break even in five years. Even though she had run off to become an Operator at the L.G.D., proving she had little interest in corporate succession, the Swire bloodline still blessed her with a razor-sharp business sense.

The eavesdropping vendor visibly relaxed, his tense shoulders dropping.

Once Beatrix and Flandre had walked a safe distance down the road, the little vampire tugged on the Feline’s sleeve.

“Big Sister, that man selling the small gifts on your right just now had a problem,” Flandre said brightly. “The one with the yellow hair and the droopy ears. You were picking things out at his stall for a long time, but you didn’t buy anything.”

Beatrix immediately recalled the vendor. “What was wrong with him?”

“When Flandre asked if you were looking for something, he was very calm at first. But his heartbeat sped up super fast when he heard that! Then, after he heard you talk about investment money, his heartbeat slowed right back down.” Flandre giggled, having listened to the precise rhythm of the man’s blood.

Beatrix’s emerald eyes flashed with realization. She scooped Flandre up into her arms and planted a loud kiss on the girl’s cheek.

“Mwah! Little Flandre, you’ve been an absolute lifesaver.”

She realized why she hadn’t found any isolated clues since arriving—this entire town was a massive, interconnected industry chain. A significant portion of the village was likely complicit in the smuggling ring. She just needed to locate their primary warehouse and the source of the contraband.

It baffled her, honestly. With such a beautiful landscape, these locals could have lived comfortably off the tourism industry alone. Why risk the gallows by running illegal goods?

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking a wide perimeter around the sensitive zones. Beatrix snapped dozens of photos using a tourist camera she bought from a local shop, eventually returning to their lodgings with arms full of souvenirs.

The moment the door clicked shut, Beatrix’s demeanor shifted. She checked her carefully placed traps on their luggage; nothing had been rummaged through. Drawing a small, specialized L.G.D. detection device from her coat, she began sweeping the room.

A few tense seconds later, a red light flickered frantically near a corner of the living room. Beatrix’s pupils constricted into thin slits.

She approached silently, parting the leaves of a decorative potted plant, and found a microscopic listening device glued to the ceramic rim. It was expertly hidden. If she hadn’t run a dedicated sweep, it would have gone completely unnoticed.

Fortunately, they hadn’t discussed any L.G.D. business in the room yesterday. She swept the bedroom and bathroom, finding nothing else. The smugglers likely didn’t suspect them enough to wire the entire suite, allowing Beatrix to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

Still, she caught Flandre’s eye, placed a finger over her lips, and pointed toward the ceiling.

Up on the open-air rooftop terrace, the evening breeze masked any faint sounds. They sat down on a pair of beach chairs. Beatrix had already swept the terrace; out here, even a directional microphone would struggle against the wind.

“There’s a bug in the house,” Beatrix whispered, her tone serious. “Little Flandre, absolutely no talking about anything related to our work once we go back inside. Don’t mention Old Ch’en, don’t mention Hoshiguma, and definitely don’t say the words ‘Guard Department’.”

Flandre nodded obediently. “Flandre promises! Not a single word about work.”

Over the next few days, the duo mapped out the majority of the village. Relying on Beatrix’s sharp observation and Flandre’s supernatural hearing, they pinpointed several highly suspicious, heavily guarded locations.

The smugglers had indeed taken notice of them. However, because Beatrix threw money around like a spoiled heiress and the bug only recorded them debating which local delicacies to eat, the surveillance team wrote them off as harmless, wealthy tourists. Even when they wandered too close to the restricted zones, the guards simply ignored them.and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

Having gathered enough hard evidence, Beatrix decided it was time to return to Lungmen and organize a full-scale L.G.D. sting operation. They packed their luggage, loaded the car, and prepared to drive out.

As Beatrix’s modified vehicle rolled toward the village exit, an incoming off-road vehicle passed them on the narrow dirt road.

Beatrix glanced through the driver’s side window, and her heart skipped a beat. She recognized both men inside. The passenger was a shady dealer she had interrogated at a frozen goods warehouse weeks ago. The driver was a thug she had personally arrested for a violent brawl in a Lungmen plaza.

Sure enough, as the cars passed each other, the two men in the incoming vehicle glanced back. The passenger scoffed. “Look at that rich bitch. Spends an hour picking through my stall and only buys one cheap trinket.”

“What rich bitch?” the driver snapped, his face draining of color. “She’s a damn cop! Remember that time I got hauled into the station for fighting in the plaza? That Feline was the one who cuffed me!”

“A cop?!” The passenger jerked upright, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

This village was the nerve center of their entire smuggling operation. What the hell was a Lungmen officer doing out here?

The driver slammed on the brakes, throwing the car into reverse and tearing back into the village. Word spread like wildfire. The Feline woman who had been wandering around for days, taking photos and getting dangerously close to the core warehouses, was L.G.D.

“Could she just be here for tourism?” one of the thugs asked nervously in the makeshift meeting hall.

“A cop who raided our sales points in the city just happens to show up at our main supply hub and hangs around for days?” the leader snarled. “One thing is a coincidence. A string of them is a death sentence. Don’t forget, we aren’t just moving untaxed goods. If she brings the Guard Department down on us, they’ll dig up the bodies. We’re all finished.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Contact our muscle in the city and the scavengers out in the wastelands. Block the road to Lungmen,” the leader ordered, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. “We’ll pursue from behind. Whether she came for fun or she’s building a case, we can’t let her leave this territory alive.”

The room murmured in grim agreement. These were desperate, bloodstained criminals. Smuggling, robbery, murder—they had crossed the line long ago. If caught, they would rot in an Originium mine for the rest of their short lives. Killing one or two people meant nothing to them. As for murdering an L.G.D. officer? The wastelands were dangerous. Catastrophes, bandits, wild beasts. As long as they disposed of the bodies properly, Lungmen would just write it off as another tragic accident in the wild.

Within minutes, heavily armed vehicles roared to life, converging on the single dirt highway leading back to Lungmen.

Miles ahead, Beatrix had her foot pinned to the floorboard, the engine of her modified car screaming as she tried to put as much distance between them and the village as possible. Her Feline instincts—her seventh sense—screamed that their cover was blown.

She knew Flandre possessed terrifying, god-like strength. The little vampire could easily slaughter an entire army. But Beatrix’s pride as an officer demanded she resolve this using her own skills and the law., Flandre called her ‘Big Sister.’ What kind of older sister relied on a little kid to clean up her messes?

But the smugglers were faster and more desperate than she anticipated. In less than half an hour, the roar of pursuing engines echoed from the dust clouds in her rearview mirror. Vehicles were fanning out, trying to box her in.

Fortunately, Beatrix had spent a fortune modifying her car. Even on the cracked, uneven wasteland roads, her speed barely dropped. The suspension absorbed the worst of the impacts, though the cabin still shuddered violently.

The heavy bumping didn’t bother Flandre in the slightest. Instead, the little vampire stood up on her seat, her eyes sparkling with excitement as if she were on an amusement park ride.

“Careful, don’t get bounced out!” Beatrix yelled over the roaring engine, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. She couldn’t afford to take her eyes off the treacherous road to pull the girl down.

“Damn it, they know we’re onto them!” one of the pursuing drivers shouted as Beatrix’s car surged forward.

Knowing the element of surprise was gone, the smugglers bared their fangs. Heavily modified off-road buggies accelerated from the flanks, tearing through the wasteland brush to pull parallel with Beatrix’s car. Thugs leaned out of the windows, raising heavy hand crossbows.

Flandre wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. She turned around, leaning out the window, and waved mockingly at the chasing killers.

Despite Beatrix pushing her engine to the absolute redline, the smugglers’ vehicles were purpose-built for the rugged terrain. The gap between them steadily shrank.

“Big Sister Beatrix, you just focus on driving!” Flandre cheered, her innocent voice cutting through the roar of the wind. “Flandre will deal with these guys!”

To the little vampire, a high-speed car chase was just another fun game.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Having closed the distance, a thug in the passenger seat of the nearest buggy flashed a cruel grin. He leveled his hand crossbow at the two girls in the speeding car, his finger squeezing the trigger…You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.