As a direct result of this deep-seated cultural disconnect, Kjerag had effectively split into two entirely different worlds, remaining completely isolated from the outside civilization.
However, for powerful entities like Remilia and Letty, they secretly wished for Kjerag to remain exactly this way forever. In their experience, a society's ignorance and reliance on old folklore made it significantly easier to generate and maintain a steady stream of natural 'fear.' Furthermore, given the region's low level of modern industrial development, there were far more untouched, pristine places across the snowy mountains for Letty to comfortably live and gather her strength. If the mountains were ever truly developed by corporate machinery, she would eventually be forced to retreat much deeper into the frozen wilderness.
Meanwhile, after wandering around the glittering metropolitan sectors for a while to observe the layout, the group chose a seemingly ordinary but relatively clean hotel to secure their lodgings. The room prices here happened to be quite a bit cheaper compared to the luxury establishments in the commercial center. The primary reason for the discount was the hotel's physical proximity to Block Zero—the heavily segregated district where the local Infected citizens were forced to reside—and the fact that the property wasn't situated along any of the major thoroughfares. But then again, being tucked away from the main strips had its own distinct advantages. Staying here was particularly quiet, peaceful, and hygienic. At the very least, Remilia's group was thoroughly satisfied with the arrangements.
The next morning, shortly after waking up and gathering in the lobby, Hong Meiling volunteered to head out alone to help buy the official stadium tickets for the upcoming tournament, suggesting that the others could use the morning to freely explore the surrounding urban blocks. After the gatekeeper departed on her errand, Remilia looked over at Patchouli and suggested they pay a formal visit to the city's grand central library today. Flandre Scarlet didn't mind either way; to her hyperactive mind, as long as she was allowed out of the tight confines of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, absolutely anywhere in the world was a great place to play. Besides, with her beloved older sister tag-along, what could she possibly have to be dissatisfied about?
Upon inquiring with the hotel staff as they left the lobby, they learned that the grand library was located on the exact opposite side of the sprawling city plates. Fortunately, they had brought their own transport along, so after a steady, one-hour carriage ride through the urban traffic, they finally reached their grand destination.
After dropping the carriage and the Camel-beast off at a nearby city stable for a brief rest, the four of them entered the library doors together. The institution truly lived up to its glittering reputation as the largest repository of knowledge in all of Kazimierz; the sheer collection of books stored inside the towering shelves could be described as vast as the open sea.
However, the mansion group was very focused and deliberate with their selections this time. They didn't bother wasting time on complicated modern books regarding industrial technology or hard science. Instead, they focused entirely on purchasing a massive number of texts related to the ancient mythology, geography, recorded history, and diverse cultures of various countries across Terra. It ultimately added up to quite a massive stack of heavy literature. By the time they finished paying for the haul, Patchouli's specialized Magic Pocket was packed almost to the absolute brim.
As they were walking out of the grand exit doors, Remilia smoothly handed Flandre Scarlet a beautifully illustrated picture book she had secretly purchased.
"You have worked quite hard during our travels lately, Flandre. I saw you looking longingly at this specific picture book while we were browsing the aisles, so take it!"
"Thank you so much, Sister!" Flandre Scarlet cheered, immediately hugging Remilia tightly around the waist and giving her a bright kiss right on the cheek.
"Ugh, so sticky and dirty," Remilia muttered with a smirk, feigning a look of deep, aristocratic disgust as she wiped her cheek.
Flandre Scarlet proudly picked up her new picture book, hopped back up onto the cushioned carriage seat, and began flipping through the colorful pages happily. She didn't care in the slightest that the money used to purchase the book had actually come from her very own personal traveling allowance. Once the wheels were turning and they were resting back inside the moving cabin, Flandre Scarlet eagerly slid the open book into Remilia's lap.
"Sister, Sister, you read it out loud to me!"
After taking the book into her hands, Remilia caught sight of Patchouli staring over at her with a knowing, teasing look. Remilia immediately cleared her throat, adjusting her posture as she stiffly stated that reading a children's picture book wasn't her own intention at all; she was strictly doing it to appease Flandre's stubborn demands.
Patchouli merely smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Of course, Remi. I know perfectly well that you dote on Flandre the absolute most."
Hong Meiling had not yet returned by the time the carriage successfully arrived back at the hotel. So, the companions found a comfortable lounge spot in the hotel lobby to sit down, resting their legs while they waited for the gatekeeper to finish her task. After another quiet half-hour passed, Hong Meiling finally walked back through the front doors of the hotel.
She walked into the lounge looking incredibly embarrassed, scratching the back of her head as she approached Remilia.
"Eldest Miss... I am afraid I might have accidentally caused a little bit of trouble out there."
"What exactly happened?" Remilia asked, her brow furrowing slightly, while Flandre Scarlet's ruby eyes instantly lit up with immense excitement. After all, in Flandre's chaotic worldview, the word trouble always meant conflict, and conflict directly meant a fun fight—and Flandre loved nothing more than a good fight.
Hong Meiling calmly recounted the sequence of events that had transpired after they parted ways. After leaving the group, she had navigated her way directly to the main ticket booth as planned. When she arrived at the venue, there was already a massive crowd of people waiting, but since she wasn't in a great hurry, she patiently found the end of a long line and waited her turn. However, just as she had finally neared the front of the queue, an arrogant individual aggressively tried to cut right in front of her.
She had stood properly in that queue for a long time, so when a complete stranger tried to push past her the exact moment they arrived, her stubborn sense of fairness naturally wouldn't allow it. The line-cutter had brought several rough-looking accomplices along, and seeing Hong Meiling firmly blocking their path, the thugs tried to physically pull her out of the queue by force.
But who exactly was Hong Meiling? These ordinary mortals were absolutely no match for her martial arts prowess. She effortlessly knocked them down to the cobblestones with one precise punch each, letting those arrogant guys all fall into a swift, peaceful sleep on the spot. After finishing all of this cleanup, she successfully stepped up to the counter and bought the tournament tickets.
But as she was attempting to leave the plaza, an even larger crowd of armed men suddenly surrounded her. Earlier, while waiting in the queue, she had deliberately restrained her martial power because she felt that leaving her physical spot meant she would have to start the line all over again, and she was just about to get her hands on the tickets. But now, having already successfully secured the passes in her pocket, she naturally possessed no more mental reservations or reasons to hold back. She easily floored over a dozen burly men right then and there on the plaza stones. After completing the sweep, she noticed the entire surrounding crowd of citizens staring at her in absolute shock, and realizing she had probably caused a public scene, she hurried straight back to the hotel.
"Since it was a clear case of self-defense and you didn't actively go out looking to cause a scene, then it doesn't truly count as trouble on your part. This is naturally not your fault at all," Remilia noted nonchalantly after listening to Hong Meiling's explanation. As a trusted companion traveling with the Scarlet family, this minor brawl wasn't a big deal, and there was absolutely no reason for Hong Meiling to lie to them about the details. So, since she wasn't the instigator, Remilia naturally wouldn't blame her for the outcome.
And frankly speaking, it was a wonderful thing that Hong Meiling was the one who had gone to the booth today. Among the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she possessed by far the mildest, most patient temper. If Flandre Scarlet had been the one waiting in that line, there highly likely would have been massive amounts of blood spilled across the plaza today.
As they were sitting there chatting, the sudden, shrill sound of sirens echoed down the road. Several official police vehicles pulled up aggressively outside the glass entrance, and a squad of Kazimierz Riding Police cautiously deployed, surrounding the entire perimeter of the hotel building.
"They are here again," Hong Meiling noted calmly, looking up toward the front glass door and spotting the moving uniforms of the Riding Police through the windows.
Flandre Scarlet peeked over at the newcomers with a bright grin, and after analyzing their specific armor, she turned her head back to look at Hong Meiling. "Was the second group of people who tried to grab you at the plaza wearing these exact same clothes?"
Hong Meiling offered a firm nod. "Yes, they were. If those guards had spoken to me reasonably at the scene, I might have stayed to explain myself, but those guys just lunged straight at me to arrest me without a word. Do they truly think I am someone easy to bully?"
"Tsk, looking at it logically, it seems like either those law enforcement guards are incredibly lazy and just want a quick arrest to close their report, or they are simply corrupt accomplices of the local thugs you beat up earlier," Remilia's eyes were filled with absolute, aristocratic contempt as she watched the flashing lights. "Looking at the situation this way, they completely deserve whatever beating you gave them."
"Meiling, how about we turn this into a fun little contest?!" Flandre Scarlet cheered, eagerly rolling up her frilly sleeves as she stared out at the police perimeter, looking ready to burst through the doors at any given second. "Half each! Let's see which one of us can knock all of them out onto the ground first!"
Remilia thought about the situation for a brief moment; this physical altercation probably couldn't be avoided at this point anyway. Given her younger sister's hyperactive temperament, the harder she was suppressed or held back from a fight, the harder she would eventually rebound later on. Since she was still right here to oversee the aftermath, the situation was at least completely controllable, so it wouldn't hurt to let the girl get some light exercise.
"Flandre, if you truly wish to go out there and play, I won't stop you," Remilia lectured firmly, her crimson eyes locking onto her sister. "But I possess one absolute, non-negotiable requirement. No killing!"
It wasn't that the Vampire Countess was suddenly kind-hearted enough to care about the fragile lives of these ordinary corporate guards; it was purely a practical measure to avoid unnecessary geopolitical trouble for their travel plans. After all, this city was the grand capital of Kazimierz, and these arriving guards appeared to be official law enforcement officers. If the girls simply gave them a thorough beating to show off their overwhelming physical strength, there would still be plenty of room for diplomatic maneuver or evasion later on. But leaving a pile of dead officers in the street would turn this into a completely different, high-profile story.