It was only because winter was coming and the threat of the Ursus Patrol was there that those people stayed obediently in the camp.
She had warned Tallulah long ago that not everyone was a comrade or a compatriot.
But the other wouldn't listen, even saying that as long as someone was willing to stay, she was willing to take them in.
This gave her quite a headache.
She looked at Alina.
"Recently, because of the housing situation in the camp, a few people have become a bit unstable. If you're going out, try to take Flandre with you."
As Tallulah's close friend, her relationship with Alina had actually been quite average before Flandre arrived.
It was only after Flandre came that she noticed this woman who possessed strength within her gentleness.
Even though the other was an ordinary person who couldn't use Originium Arts, one had to admit that because of her presence, the entire base camp felt a bit more stable amidst the chaos.
While she couldn't make any strategic judgments, her gentleness and kindness were her greatest weapons.
"I understand. It just so happens I have to go buy things again tomorrow. Little Flandre, would you like to come with me?"
Alina turned and asked Flandre Scarlet.
Flandre Scarlet nodded.
"Okay!"
"Then it's a promise. Little Flandre, you've 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." Alina reached out and pinched Flandre's cheek.
After saying goodbye to the other, Flandre Scarlet returned to her own room.
She lay on the bed and dreamed of a crimson blood moon and everyone from the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
Her sister sat high upon a stone chair, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at her, as if she were very pleased with her actions.
"Sister, Sister, has Flandre grown up? Can I help Sister from now on!"
Flandre laughed happily, spinning in place and dancing joyfully... when she opened her eyes, it was already the next morning.
Perhaps it was because she had "seen" her sister, but she looked particularly full of energy this morning.
"Big Sister Alina!" Seeing Alina putting things onto a small handcart outside, Flandre Scarlet skipped over.
"Little Flandre looks very happy. Did you have a good dream?"
Alina looked at the skipping Flandre with a smile and reached out to rub her cheek.
"Mhm!" Flandre Scarlet's eyes curved into crescent moons.
After packing everything up and Alina finishing her breakfast, the two of them did a simple wash-up and pushed the handcart out.
The cart was loaded with many things, mostly surplus items everyone had woven, which Alina, as a non-Infected, would take to the ordinary people's market to sell.
Although there were many items, because of the handcart, it wasn't that strenuous.
And Flandre followed along as before, carrying a basket on her back, which also contained some items.
Most importantly, there were two holes in the basket, which happened to allow her pair of bat wings to be hidden inside.
That's right, today Flandre was going to follow Alina into the market.
This was the result of a flash of inspiration Alina had when she saw during breakfast that Flandre's bat wings could actually fold outward.
The place they were going this time wasn't the village from before, but another one, though it was also very far away and required walking for most of the day.
So they needed to set out in the morning.
Fortunately, although the road this time wasn't very flat, it was just enough for the handcart to pass through.
When she saw Alina was tired along the way, Flandre Scarlet would take the initiative to help push for a stretch.
Alina wiped away some sweat.
"Whew, whew, whew. Little Flandre, your physical fitness is really good. I can barely walk anymore!"
"Big Sister Alina, I'm a Vampire, I'm different from humans!" Flandre Scarlet said proudly as she pushed the cart.
"Vampire... is that what you Blood Demons call yourselves?
By the way, you've been here so long, I haven't asked you how old you are yet!"
Alina looked at Flandre Scarlet and asked curiously.
"Me? I'm only 495 years old. There are still five years until I'm an adult!"
Flandre Scarlet's words almost made Alina lose her footing and twist her ankle.
"How many years?"
Her voice couldn't help but rise several octaves.
"495! There are still exactly five years until I'm an adult!"
Flandre Scarlet held up five fingers as she spoke.
Alina looked at Flandre Scarlet with a complex expression. She hadn't expected this little girl before her, who called her 'Big Sister' all day and looked so immature, to actually be older than her great-great-great-great-grandfather.
495 years old. Calculating it, she would have been born around the year 600 of the Terra Calendar.
But with her innocent appearance, one could not tell at all that she was an old monster who had lived for nearly five hundred years.
She swallowed hard before continuing to ask.
"Then where did you live before?"
"In Sister's castle. Sister said I was too young and wasn't allowed to go out, so Flandre spent most of her time in her own room."
Flandre Scarlet replied with an innocent face.
"Doesn't that mean you were locked up for 495 years?" Alina thought about it but didn't say it out loud.
In that case, it made sense why she had the mentality of a child.
But at the thought of the girl in front of her being locked in a room for a full four hundred years, she couldn't help but shiver.
As an ordinary person, she felt that if it were her, she would have probably gone insane long ago.
She decisively dropped the subject.
Alina asked,
"Then what do you usually like to do?"
"Play games."
"Games by yourself?"
"No, it's a game for four people!" Flandre Scarlet corrected.
"Four people? You have sisters?" Alina asked in surprise.
"No, no, no. It's a game between me and us four!"
Flandre Scarlet's words left Alina a bit confused.
"You and you..." Subconsciously, she wondered if the other had multiple personalities.
Then she saw Flandre Scarlet shake her body, and three more Flandre Scarlets appeared beside her.
Except for the one carrying the basket, the bat wings of the others were all spread out around them.
The four Flandre Scarlets spoke simultaneously.
"That's right, it's a game between me and us four!"
Four identical people speaking at once made Alina's scalp tingle for a moment.
She forced a smile.
"Are you all Flandre?"
"That's right, we're all Flandre Scarlet! I'm Flandre Number One, my name is Fufu, I'll form the head!"
"Damn it, you beat me to it. I'm Lanlan, I'll form the chest!"
"Ah, I'm Duoduo, I'll form the limbs!"
"Curse it, you only left me with Lulu? Then I'll form the wings!"
The four Flandres became a chaotic mess, starting to play and fight with each other.
This immediately dispelled Alina's fear.
She covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"I can see that all the Flandres are good children!"
"Really!" Four heads with innocent gazes suddenly filled her field of vision.
"Of course!" Alina replied with certainty.
Then she saw all the Flandre Scarlets, except for the one pushing the cart, begin flying around everywhere.
Just as she was about to tell them to come down, those Flandres suddenly all shrank back and entered the body of the one pushing the cart.
"There's a situation ahead. Ursus people have set up a checkpoint here. Big Sister, you go through the front, and I'll go around to avoid a conflict."
Flandre Scarlet's words made Alina's heart sink.
Why would Ursus set up a checkpoint in this place? Was it because they discovered there were Infected here, so they specifically arranged a blockade?
But even without knowing, she had to go and see the situation.
After all, she wasn't an Infected who could be easily discovered; the Ursus officials wouldn't do anything to her.
She needed to use her advantage to scout for information, find out exactly what was happening, and then report back to the base camp.
She placed the more valuable items from the cart into Flandre's basket and rearranged the cart before pushing it forward.
Meanwhile, Flandre Scarlet kept an eye on the situation while quietly circling around to the back of the checkpoint.
She observed the situation at all times so that if she discovered a problem, she could rescue Alina at the first opportunity.