Following that incredibly fierce argument, Jeanne never saw Patriot approach the detention area again, as if the old gentleman were deliberately avoiding the place. Originally, Jeanne would see him patrol the area twice a day to confirm the situation, but now he didn't even show up for those two rounds. She heard that the old man was heading out to patrol the wilderness before dawn every day.
Jeanne felt that the shouting match that night had indeed affected Patriot; getting out to clear his head was far better than brooding in his room. However, she didn't seek him out just because he stopped appearing. The old gentleman wasn't that fragile, and the incident hadn't dealt him that much of a blow.
As for Jeanne? Over the past few days, she had settled into a nocturnal lifestyle: finding a place to curl up for "hibernation" during the day and emerging at night to guard the prisoners. She felt that if this continued, she could try to impersonate an owl Liberi, and the disguise would be flawless.
Fortunately, Kazdel's efficiency was acceptable; it wasn't so slow that Jeanne would actually evolve into a nocturnal creature before the task was done. After less than a week of endurance, Dr. Kal'tsit received word: all the Babel operators held by Theresis had been released into the combat zone.
Yes, they were "dumped" into the combat zone. That word wasn't an exaggeration—those fellows had stuffed the operators into bags, dropped them on the ground one by one, and vanished in a flash. While the Kazdel wastelands weren't as cold as Ursus, being bagged and left on the barrens for a long duration before rescue wasn't an experience worth remembering.
There was one exception, however. The elite operator named Ascalon was escorted directly to the vicinity of Babel. The captors only breathed a sigh of relief once they saw her enter the base. They didn't dare leave her on the barrens; this trained Sarkaz would undoubtedly break her restraints and possibly track them down to eliminate them for good.
Once Babel had recovered all its members, they immediately contacted Kal'tsit to inform her that the prisoners could be released.
"I hope we never meet again. If you all refuse to give up and come looking for us next time, the matter won't be resolved so easily."
As the Sarkaz soldiers were escorted out of the village, Talulah looked at them expressionlessly, speaking in a voice as cold as ice. This wasn't a threat; they could forgive these fellows once for certain reasons, but they would never be foolish enough to let them go a second time if they attacked again.
Surprisingly, these nearly threatening words did not ignite the tempers of the volatile Sarkaz. They remained silent, their spirits appearing somewhat withered. If this had happened in Kazdel—someone being defeated so thoroughly without even a word of rebuttal, let alone a mention of revenge—people would think they were mad. It was an unbelievable sight: the Kazdel elite forces, usually so arrogant within their borders, had actually backed down. It exceeded the imagination of the average Sarkaz.
The Mudrock Squad was currently surrounded by this sense of unreality. They never imagined they would see these individuals, whom they viewed as no different from demons, yield to anyone. What made them even more delighted was that they were among the group to whom the guards had yielded. Although they hadn't contributed much power to this specific operation, the feeling was absolutely wonderful!
The squad members tried their best to keep from laughing or doing anything embarrassing that might reflect poorly on their group. But their joyful expressions and the way they struggled to suppress their smiles were caught by Jeanne, whose mind was currently "galloping across the prairie." She looked at them with a sense of helplessness.
Is it really that big a deal? Look at how easily satisfied you are! When I gave you the chance for revenge, not one of you dared to step up, and now you're standing here secretly gloating?
Deprived of sleep, Jeanne felt an impulse to "stir things up." She considered leading everyone to give these guys a collective thrashing before letting them leave... And being a woman of action, she prepared to start!
"You, behave yourself! You can go back and rest properly in a moment. If you want to sleep, don't cause any more trouble here! Otherwise, even if you lock your door, believe me when I say I'll keep scratching at it until you can't sleep at all."
Just as Jeanne was about to act on her desire to cause mischief, she was thoroughly suppressed by Talulah. The urge didn't even leave a ripple. Talulah had noticed that Jeanne's gaze wasn't on the Confessarius but was wandering elsewhere, looking like she was about to do something abnormal. Knowing Jeanne as she did, Talulah stepped in just as everyone's attention was on Dr. Kal'tsit, suppressing Jeanne's antics in time.
Hearing Talulah's whispered warning, Jeanne seemed to snap back to reality, a look of profound surprise appearing on her face.
Right! I can go back to sleep immediately. Why am I thinking about causing trouble? What could be more important than sending these nuisances away so I can go back and have a good long sleep?
Realizing this, Jeanne immediately quieted down, presenting the image of a refined young girl. She stood there in silence, no longer observing anyone. Seeing Jeanne return to her usual calm—with a face that clearly said "I just want to sleep now"—Talulah breathed a sigh of relief and stopped worrying about this "little troublemaker."
Meanwhile, the exchange between Kal'tsit and the prisoners had ended. The Sarkaz intended to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible; returning to Kazdel was their top priority. They knew in their hearts that the greatest danger hadn't been their capture, especially after Kal'tsit arrived to negotiate.
The real danger lurked on the journey back. The Ursus nobles and the Emperor's Blades had also suffered a major loss, and Ursus now knew of their existence. After a failed operation, those forces wouldn't let them return to Kazdel easily. Someone was bound to be hunting them on the road. Whether they could leave Ursus alive was a serious question. They knew the way back would be exceptionally perilous.
Consequently, after their exchange with Kal'tsit, they didn't say much to Talulah and the others. They simply stared at Patriot for a long time before departing from the nightmarish snowy plains. If it were possible, they would never step foot on these permanently frozen barrens again, even upon death; the place was simply too terrifying.
"It looks like another hard battle ahead. We might need your strength to successfully retreat. To what extent has your body recovered, Sanguinarch?"
During the trek, the Confessarius Leader asked the silent Sanguinarch with a worried tone. But it was merely a question. He didn't hold much hope for the arrogant Vampire, especially after the fool had done something as stupid as feeding on his own subordinates. Besides, the Vampire had been wounded so severely; who knew how much of his power had returned? He wasn't counting on much.
"I've recovered well enough. That Feline is a bit annoying, but her medical skills are undisputed," the Sanguinarch replied airily. His nerves tightened as he prepared to fight any enemies that might appear.
About half a day after leaving the village, warning bells suddenly rang out in their minds. A black mist, like a surging tide of the sea, rushed toward them.
On the other side, once the prisoners had all departed, everyone prepared to return to their respective posts to continue their work. Life had to go on. As Jeanne was about to head back for a several-day sleep, she was intercepted by Kal'tsit, who spoke in her usual cool tone:
"Miss Jeanne, there are some matters I would like to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?"
"Sorry, I need to go back and rest now. Whatever it is, let's talk after I wake up!"
Before Kal'tsit could finish, Jeanne immediately shot down the invitation. In fact, she hadn't even fully heard what Kal'tsit said; she just refused subconsciously. Right now, she only wanted to go back and sleep! No one could stop her!
Kal'tsit: "??????"