Flandre Scarlet counted the number of people here, then recalled the group over on the other side. After confirming that no one was missing, she breathed a sigh of relief. The greatest fear in this kind of primeval forest is someone getting lost. After all, the wild beasts, plants, and insects inside could cause someone to die without ever knowing why.
She had everyone gather together, and then the other side also began leading the dozen or so people who had successfully escaped over, preparing to set off toward the Reunion Movement. At the same time, she sent a message to Alina to inform her of the situation.
Upon learning that Flandre Scarlet had found everyone and successfully rescued them from the hands of the Reconnaissance Squad, Alina appeared very happy. After learning that many in the group were injured because of the Reconnaissance Squad, Alina told Flandre that there was a first-aid station at the rendezvous point. She would take the people there for temporary treatment first, and then perform further emergency measures after returning to the Reunion Movement.
Flandre saw that the condition of the Infected had improved slightly; those with minor injuries could walk on their own, while the seriously injured were carried by everyone on temporary stretchers. The people who had fled to the rear earlier also caught up. After confirming everyone was present, she led the group to continue their evacuation toward the Reunion Movement.
No one in the crowd questioned Flandre's decision. After all, the methods she used to annihilate that Reconnaissance Squad earlier had been seen clearly by many. If she had ulterior motives, they would have been dead long ago. So, upon learning she was sent by the Reunion Movement to pick them up, everyone was overjoyed. The fact that the Reunion Movement had a powerhouse of this caliber only proved that the organization was even more worth joining.
As for her being a Blood Demon, that was the least important thing to these Infected at the very bottom of Ursus society. After all, those who chose to flee were basically people who could no longer survive. If they fell into the hands of the Ursus Old Nobility, though they might not die, returning to the mines for day-after-day of dangerous labor was no better than death. At least if you died quickly enough, there wouldn't be too much pain. But living in the mines meant suffering torture every single second. So, since it was death either way, even if Flandre wanted their lives, these people wouldn't resist. At least she had killed the members of the Reconnaissance Squad before killing them, hadn't she? Thinking about it that way, they were still coming out ahead.
Because there were wounded in the group, the pace was very slow, and they didn't reach the rendezvous point with the Reunion Movement members until after four in the afternoon. The personnel who had been waiting there for a long time were startled to see this bedraggled and scarred group. Only after seeing that the person escorting them was Flandre did they breathe a sigh of relief.
"Lady Flandre!" Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, Flandre looked up and found it was indeed an acquaintance.
"Peter?"
That person was one of the father-son pair she had rescued when she first arrived in Ursus.
"I didn't expect Lady Flandre to still remember me." Hearing her call out his name, Peter was very excited.
"Of course I remember. How is your father?" Flandre asked with a smile.
"He's doing alright, but he's getting on in years and caught a cold. Fortunately, my father used to be a carpenter, so he stays at the Base Camp to work." Peter replied.
"That's good. There are one hundred and twelve people here in total; not a single one fell behind or got lost. However, three of them have relatively serious injuries and need to be treated quickly before being sent back to the mobile module for medical care." Flandre briskly explained the state of the group to him.
"No problem, we've already made arrangements. The carriages and Camel-like Beasts below are ready. The seriously injured, the elderly, pregnant women, and children can take the carriages to the Base Camp first. We'll arrange for the rest of the people to rest for the night and set off for the Base Camp together tomorrow." Peter pointed below the nearby hill, where several carriages were ready to depart at any time.
Arrangements were quickly made for the group. A dozen or so people—the elderly, children, pregnant women, and the seriously injured—were placed in the carriages and driven toward the Base Camp, while the others were settled on a flat stretch of grass below the hill. Tents had already been pitched here, and campfires were lit. There was also steaming hot vegetable and minced meat soup and boiled potatoes.
Once they sat down and held the steaming food in their hands, many people burst into tears.
Standing far off on the hill, Flandre asked in confusion, "Aren't they safe now? Why are they crying? And they're such big people, yet they're still crying. How embarrassing."
Peter shook his head. "They're crying not because they're sad, but because they're too happy. After all, Ursus's policies toward the Infected haven't changed elsewhere, even after the Reunion Movement rose up. To the Infected, anywhere outside the Reunion Movement is like hell. And the Reunion Movement is the only heaven. They've finally walked out of hell and into heaven, so naturally, they are very happy."
Flandre still shook her head, not quite understanding. Can one cry from being happy? But it was indeed something worth being happy about.
Peter asked Flandre about her plans. Flandre said that since she was already here, she would go back with these people tomorrow. After all, her sister and the others had already left yesterday, and no one would check if she was sleeping properly at night, so there was no need for her to rush back now.
Peter then said he could arrange a tent for her. Flandre shook her head and pointed to a large tree on the nearby hillside.
"I'll just sleep in that tree. You don't need to worry about me."
Peter looked at the large tree, bewildered. Then he saw Flandre fly up lightly and hang upside down from the tree. Fortunately, she wasn't wearing a puff skirt this time, but a pair of overalls, so there wouldn't be any issues like accidental exposure.
Seeing Flandre like this, Peter couldn't help but be speechless. What normal person sleeps hanging upside down from a tree?
She's a Vampire, not a 'normal person'.
Alright, then it's fine.
Seeing Flandre like this, Peter worried if she would fall down. Flandre stated that she absolutely wouldn't; sleeping upside down was something she was very good at. Seeing this, Peter had no choice but to go and arrange for the others.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a fifty-man Reconnaissance Squad had failed to return for a long time, causing the Reconnaissance Squad commander there to feel a sense of panic. Because it was so close to the Reunion Movement, most people were unwilling to serve as Reconnaissance Squad members here, fearing they would bump into a Reunion Movement patrol midway.
One had to know that the Reunion Movement's patrols had long since upgraded their equipment. They used the same weapons as the Ursus Regular Army, and coupled with their hatred for the Reconnaissance Squad, once they met, there was a high probability they would be chased and beaten by the other side. It was completely unlike other places where they could rely on the weapons in their hands to bully the vulnerable Infected.