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ArabicArknights: The Scarlet Devil of Terra — Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Sudden Checkpoint
After arriving at the devastated logging camp, the surviving members immediately began salvaging and moving whatever usable supplies remained stored in the ruins.
Talulah stood amidst the wreckage, looking at the man in charge of the camp with a deeply apologetic expression.
“Romanlov, I am so sorry…”
She had just learned the full context of the situation at the reservoir from the other fighters. The entire reason they had chosen to establish this specific logging camp here in the first place was because Romanlov’s father worked at that nearby reservoir. He was supposed to serve as their eyes and ears in the wilderness; if there was any trouble stirring, the logging camp would receive the warning immediately.
When she and Frostnova had received word early this morning that the camp had been raided, a fleeting, dark suspicion had crossed their minds that Romanlov might have defected. Now that she knew the tragic truth of the ambush, Talulah felt a heavy, suffocating wave of shame.
“It is alright, Leader. It is just… there were so many good areas here ready to be harvested, and now we have no choice but to abandon them all.” Romanlov wiped away the freezing tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, his voice dropping into a hoarse whisper.
“I know. Fortunately, we have a backup plan in place, so this loss shouldn’t delay our supply of firewood for the winter heating.” Talulah breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she watched Romanlov’s turbulent emotions slowly stabilize.
He was one of the very few people within the Reunion Movement who possessed genuine logistical and organizational skills. Although he had zero talent for combat and was strictly assigned to administrative work, he was exactly the kind of rare, stabilizing talent the movement desperately needed to survive the harsh Ursus environment.
“Leader… do you think it is still too late for me to start practicing Originium Arts?” Romanlov looked down at his calloused, trembling hands and asked softly.
Talulah parted her lips, wanting to tell him not to let the bitter poison of revenge blind him, but looking at his grief-stricken face, she simply could not bring herself to voice the words.
The group did not return directly to the main base. Instead, they trekked through the biting wind to another designated backup logging area deeper in the woods. Once there, they began the grueling process of setting everything up from scratch.
Talulah paused her work, glancing over at Flandre Scarlet, who had cheerfully followed them the entire way.
“Flandre, you truly did not have to come along for this. Alina is still waiting for you to return to the camp.”
Flandre simply shook her head, her blonde twin-tails bouncing as she indicated she was just here to see something new. After all, it was her very first time seeing a real logging camp—especially one that was in the middle of being built—and her childlike curiosity was entirely captivated by the process.
As the Infected workers labored and worked up a heavy sweat in the freezing air, they would occasionally glance up to see a little girl floating effortlessly above them. She touched the freshly cut timber here, peered into the supply crates there, and occasionally poked her head out from behind a massive tree trunk to ask a barrage of questions.
Although her speech was a bit stuttered and odd, not a single worker felt impatient. Every person present understood that their safe return today was entirely thanks to this little girl’s terrifying intervention. Even if her methods during the rescue were excessively destructive and exaggerated, they all had to admit her arrival was a miracle.
She hovered around the camp until the evening shadows began to stretch across the snow, finally floating down to approach Talulah.
“Flandre is going back now!”
Talulah nodded, brushing sawdust from her coat. “You know the way back, right?”
Flandre puffed out her chest, indicating she was perfectly fine.
“Alright then. When you get there, give my regards to Alina. Also, there is still a massive amount of work to do at this new site, so I will probably need to stay out here for a few days. Um… also, please take a letter to Frostnova… I mean, Yelena. We are still missing some crucial supplies here, so ask her to help gather them at the base camp.”
As Talulah spoke, she pulled out a crumpled slip of paper, hastily scribbled down a list of necessities, and handed it to the little vampire.
Although the draco leader looked physically exhausted, her spirit burned exceptionally bright. Because of her steadfast presence and willingness to work alongside them, the Infected here had temporarily pushed aside the trauma of the previous camp and were throwing themselves heart and soul into developing the new area.
“Sorry for the trouble, Flandre.”
Flandre Scarlet took the slip of paper, tucked it away, and launched herself into the darkening sky.
It did not take long for her to cross the frozen distance and return to the base camp. Seeing the familiar silhouette of Flandre Scarlet descending from the sky, many people stopped what they were doing to look over.
The moment her boots touched the snowy ground, Alina came running over. The gentle Elafia dropped to her knees and pulled the girl into a tight hug, her hands nervously checking over Flandre’s clothes for any sign of blood or tearing.
“You’re not hurt, are you?!”
Flandre Scarlet shook her head, a bright smile on her face. “The opponents were very weak; they couldn’t hurt Flandre. Big Sister Alina doesn’t need to worry at all.”
Hearing Flandre’s confident words and confirming that her complex dress was completely clean and tidy, without a single scratch from the battle, Alina finally let out a long, shuddering breath of relief.
“Oh right, Talulah said there are many things she needs to handle at the new logging camp, so she probably won’t be back for several days. Also, Flandre has a note to give to Yelena, saying they need some things brought to the camp.”
Hearing the message, Alina took the folded note from the girl’s hands. She scanned the contents briefly before turning and handing it to Frostnova, who was just walking over from the command tent.
“It is mainly about security,” Alina explained softly. “Talulah feels that from now on, we cannot just leave defenseless workers at the logging camp; we need enough combat personnel stationed there permanently. This time we had Flandre to help deal with those enemies, but Flandre will be leaving after the new year. We will be living out here on our own in the future. If we encounter this kind of situation again, we cannot expect a Flandre to just happen to appear and save us every single time.”
Frostnova read the note, her icy white ears twitching slightly as she nodded.
“Originally, there were defensive forces arranged at that logging camp. But over the last two months, the sweeping operations of those Ursus Patrols have suddenly increased in frequency and aggression. The brothers were all sent out to rescue stranded Infected or provide emergency support. We thought that location was relatively hidden, and with people keeping watch outside, nothing would happen… so we withdrew the security detail. We never expected them to strike so suddenly.”
Frostnova sighed, a cloud of white mist escaping her lips. The Reunion Movement was still far too weak. Never mind the regular, heavily armored Ursus army—even these roaming Ursus Patrols could chase them until they were scattering in all directions just to survive.
However, the deep winter would be arriving soon. The violent winds and heavy snows of the Ursus tundra would severely hinder the enemy’s movements. Once the blizzards hit, everyone would finally be able to rest and recover for a while.
The only glaring issue was the food supply. The Yeti Squadron had already been forced to expand their hunting range to a staggering hundred kilometers, but the number of starving Infected seeking refuge kept increasing by the day. Right now, they could barely maintain the daily caloric consumption of the entire camp. also, they could not survive an entire winter eating nothing but scavenged meat; they needed proper supplies.
Coupled with the agonizing shortage of medicine and warm clothing, Frostnova had long noticed that some people in the camp were already having second thoughts about the movement. It was only because the deadly winter was approaching and the threat of the Ursus Patrols loomed outside that those dissenting voices stayed obediently within the camp’s borders.
She had warned Talulah long ago that not everyone who came to them was a true comrade or a loyal compatriot. But the stubborn draco refused to listen, insisting that as long as someone was willing to stay, she was willing to take them in and protect them.
It gave the Yeti leader quite a headache.
Frostnova shifted her gaze to Alina. “Recently, because of the cramped housing situation in the camp, a few people have become a bit unstable and agitated. If you are going out to the markets, try to take Flandre with you.”
As Talulah’s closest friend, Frostnova’s relationship with Alina had actually been quite average before Flandre arrived. It was only after the little vampire’s chaotic integration into their lives that Frostnova truly noticed this Elafia woman who possessed an unbreakable strength hidden beneath her gentle demeanor.
Even though Alina was an ordinary person who couldn’t even use Originium Arts, one had to admit that because of her calming presence, the entire base camp felt significantly more stable amidst the daily chaos. While she couldn’t make brilliant strategic judgments or fight on the front lines, her boundless gentleness and kindness were her greatest weapons.
“I understand,” Alina smiled warmly. “It just so happens I have to go buy things again tomorrow. Little Flandre, would you like to come with me to the market?”
Alina turned and looked down at the blonde girl. Flandre Scarlet immediately nodded, her red eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Then it’s a promise. Little Flandre, you have been busy for so long today, you should go back and get some good rest, otherwise you won’t be able to get up tomorrow morning.” Alina reached out and affectionately pinched Flandre’s soft cheek.
After saying her goodbyes to the two women, Flandre Scarlet retreated to her own assigned room.
She lay down on the makeshift bed, closing her eyes. That night, she dreamed of a massive, glowing crimson blood moon hanging over the elegant spires of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Her older sister sat high upon a grand stone chair, a proud, elegant smile playing on her lips as she looked down at her, as if she were deeply pleased with all of Flandre’s recent actions.
‘Sister, Sister, has Flandre grown up? Can Flandre help Sister from now on?’
In the dream, Flandre laughed happily, spinning in place and dancing joyfully beneath the red moonlight… and when she finally opened her eyes, the morning light was already filtering through the cracks in the wooden walls.
Perhaps it was because she had “seen” her sister in her dreams, but she looked particularly radiant and full of boundless energy this morning.
“Big Sister Alina!” Seeing the Elafia carefully loading bundled items onto a small wooden handcart outside, Flandre Scarlet skipped over, her boots crunching lightly against the frost.
“Little Flandre looks very happy today. Did you have a good dream?” Alina looked at the skipping girl with a bright smile, reaching out to gently rub her cold cheek.
“Mhm!” Flandre Scarlet’s eyes curved into happy crescent moons.
After packing the last of the goods and finishing a simple, meager breakfast, the two of them did a quick wash-up and began pushing the heavy handcart out of the camp.
The cart was loaded to the brim with various goods, mostly surplus woven items and carved trinkets the Infected had made during their downtime. Alina, as a non-Infected with no visible Originium crystals, would take these goods into the ordinary civilian markets to sell or trade for vital supplies.
Although there was a massive amount of weight, the handcart’s wheels made the journey manageable. Flandre followed closely behind her as always, carrying a large woven basket strapped to her back, which also contained some lighter trade items.
Most, Alina had specially modified the basket, cutting two large holes in the sides which perfectly allowed Flandre’s crystalline bat wings to be hidden inside the hollow space.
That was right—today, Flandre was going to follow Alina directly into the human market. This clever disguise was the result of a sudden flash of inspiration Alina had during breakfast, when she noticed that Flandre’s bizarre, jewel-strung wings could actually fold outward and compress.
The settlement they were heading to this time was not the same village as before, but a different trading hub. It was located much further away, requiring them to walk for the majority of the day. Because of the distance, they had set out at the crack of dawn.
Fortunately, although the dirt road this time was not perfectly flat, it was just wide enough for the handcart to pass through the snowdrifts. Whenever she saw Alina panting and struggling along the uneven path, Flandre Scarlet would take the initiative, flying forward to help push the heavy cart for a long stretch.
Alina stopped, wiping a sheen of sweat from her forehead. “Whew… Little Flandre, your physical fitness is truly amazing. I can barely walk anymore!”
“Big Sister Alina, Flandre is a vampire! Flandre is different from fragile humans!” Flandre Scarlet declared proudly, easily pushing the heavy cart over a frozen rut.
“A vampire… is that what you Blood Fiends call yourselves? By the way, you have been staying with us for so long, I haven’t even asked you how old you are yet!” Alina looked at the energetic girl, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
“Flandre? Flandre is only 495 years old. There are still exactly five years until Flandre is an adult!”
Flandre Scarlet’s casual words almost made Alina lose her footing on the ice and twist her ankle.
“How… how many years?!” Her voice involuntarily spiked several octaves in pure shock.
“495! There are still exactly five years until Flandre is an adult!” Flandre Scarlet held up five delicate fingers to emphasize her point.
Alina stared at the girl with a deeply complex, bewildered expression. She had never expected this little girl in front of her—who called her ‘Big Sister’ all day, who threw tantrums, and who looked so incredibly immature—to actually be older than her great-great-great-great-grandfather.
Four hundred and ninety-five years old. Calculating the timeline in her head, that meant this child would have been born somewhere around the year 600 of the Terra Calendar. But looking at her innocent, unblemished face, one could not tell at all that she was an ancient monster who had walked the earth for nearly five centuries.
Alina swallowed hard, her throat dry, before tentatively continuing to ask. “Then… where did you live before you came here?”
“In Sister’s castle. Sister said Flandre was too young and wasn’t allowed to go out, so Flandre spent most of her time playing in her own room.” Flandre Scarlet replied with a completely innocent face, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
‘Doesn’t that mean you were locked up in a single room for 495 years…?’ Alina thought to herself, though she dared not say the horrifying realization out loud.
If that were true, it completely explained why she still possessed the erratic, undeveloped mentality of a child. But at the mere thought of the little girl in front of her being locked away in isolation for four solid centuries, Alina couldn’t help but shiver violently. As an ordinary person, she felt that if she were subjected to that, she would have gone completely insane within the first decade.
She decisively dropped the grim subject, forcing a lighter tone.
“Then… what does Flandre usually like to do for fun?”
“Play games.”
“Games by yourself?”
“No, it’s a game for four people!” Flandre Scarlet corrected brightly.
“Four people? You have other sisters?” Alina asked in surprise.
“No, no, no. It’s a game between Flandre and us four!”
Flandre Scarlet’s bizarre phrasing left Alina entirely confused. ‘You and you…?’ Subconsciously, the Elafia wondered if the trauma of isolation had caused the girl to develop multiple personalities.
Then, right before her eyes, she saw Flandre Scarlet suddenly shake her body. With a strange, rippling distortion in the air, three exact copies of Flandre Scarlet popped into existence beside her.
Except for the original one who was still wearing the modified basket, the crystalline bat wings of the three clones were proudly spread out behind them, catching the winter sunlight.
The four Flandre Scarlets looked at Alina and spoke in perfect, overlapping unison. “That’s right, it’s a game between Flandre and us four!”
Hearing four identical, childish voices speaking at the exact same time made Alina’s scalp tingle with a sudden spike of primal fear. She forced a stiff smile, trying to process the impossible Originium Arts—or whatever magic this was—happening in front of her.
“Are… are you all Flandre?”
“That’s right, we are all Flandre Scarlet! I am Flandre Number One, my name is Fufu, Fufu will form the head!” the first clone cheered, raising her hands.
“Darn it, you beat me to it! I am Lanlan, Lanlan will form the chest!” the second clone pouted.
“Ah, I am Duoduo, Duoduo will form the limbs!” the third giggled.
“Curse it, you only left me with Lulu? Then Lulu will form the wings!” the original Flandre complained.
Instantly, the four Flandres descended into a chaotic, noisy mess, playfully shoving and fighting with each other in the snow over who got to be which body part.
Watching the absurd, childish display immediately dispelled the lingering fear in Alina’s heart. She covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she chuckled softly at the ridiculous sight.
“I can see that all the Flandres are very good children!”
“Really?!” Four identical heads snapped toward her, their red eyes wide and filled with innocent, hopeful gazes that suddenly dominated her field of vision.
“Of course!” Alina replied with absolute certainty, her heart warming.
Satisfied, all the Flandre Scarlets—except for the original one pushing the cart—cheered and began flying around the snowy path, chasing each other through the dead trees.
Just as Alina was about to call out and tell them to come down before they were spotted, the three flying clones suddenly froze in mid-air. In a flash of light, they shrank back down and smoothly merged back into the body of the Flandre pushing the cart.
The playful innocence vanished from Flandre’s face, replaced by a chilling, predatory stillness.
“There is a situation ahead,” Flandre Scarlet whispered, her voice dropping into a serious, flat tone. “Ursus people have set up a checkpoint on the road. Big Sister, you go through the front normally, and Flandre will go around through the woods to avoid a conflict.”
Flandre’s sudden warning made Alina’s heart sink like a stone.
Why would the Ursus military set up a random checkpoint in this desolate place? Was it because they had discovered there were Infected hiding in the region, so they specifically arranged a blockade to trap them?
But even without knowing the enemy’s true intentions, Alina knew she had to go forward and assess the situation. After all, she was not an Infected; she had no Originium lesions that could be discovered. The Ursus officials theoretically had no legal reason to do anything to her. She needed to use her civilian advantage to scout for information, find out exactly what the military was planning, and then report the intelligence back to the base camp.
Moving quickly, she took the more valuable, suspicious items from the handcart and quietly transferred them into Flandre’s hidden basket. After rearranging the remaining mundane goods to look like a standard merchant’s load, she took a deep breath and pushed the cart forward toward the blockade.
Meanwhile, Flandre Scarlet melted into the treeline, her red eyes locked onto the distant soldiers. She quietly circled around to the blind spot behind the checkpoint, observing the situation with unblinking focus, ready to unleash absolute devastation the exact second Alina was in any danger.