"Leave it to me. After all, I was the one who asked Flandre to do this."
Alina patted Flandre's head and comforted her.
"By the way, I have a question?"
Alina glanced behind herself before asking.
"Why don't I have wings?"
"Huh? Do Elafians grow wings?"
Flandre looked utterly confused. She had never seen a deer with wings before, not even the reindeer Santa Claus rode in her sister's stories.
"But didn't I become a Blood Demon... a Vampire?"
Thinking of how Flandre referred to her, Alina whispered.
"Vampires aren't responsible for growing wings.
Besides, wings aren't responsible for flying. What's the point of having them?"
Flandre scratched her head. Although she had wings, in her view, their main purpose was to scare people... Alina recalled the abilities related to her bloodline. Regarding flight, it was exactly as Flandre said—it wouldn't be difficult for her to fly like Flandre.
Then she suddenly felt something hard pressing against her skin. She touched it and pulled out a tiny piece of Originium. Her pupils couldn't help but contract.
"Is this Originium?"
"Mhm, while I was drinking your blood earlier, I helped remove those gritty things from inside you.
Alina, do you have Originium inside you too?"
Flandre indicated that she had always thought only sick people had it inside them.
"Everyone has it inside them. It's just that for some people, it's not obvious, while for others, it's very noticeable."
Alina explained Originium to Flandre, then suddenly remembered.
"Since I don't have Originium inside me anymore, what about my Originium Arts?"
"It's not Originium Arts; it's Bloodline Magic!"
Flandre explained.
"Huh?" Alina's expression gradually turned serious as she felt the related knowledge transmitted through her bloodline.
"A completely new way of casting spells, different from Originium Arts?"
She crouched down and looked at Flandre seriously, saying,
"Remember, no matter who asks you in the future, this is Originium Arts, nothing else. It's just Originium Arts. Understand?"
Flandre nodded. Alina's expression reminded her of when her sister was serious—it was best not to argue at times like this.
Recalling the times she had been mischievous and spanked by her sister, Flandre nodded obediently.
Seeing this, Alina said she would now go back to sort through her memories and told Flandre to rest first.
"Alright, then I don't need to sneak away early, right?"
"Of course not. I'll explain it to Talulah myself tomorrow."
After saying this, Alina bid farewell to Flandre again and returned to her room.
After she left, Flandre yawned.
"My sister said that underage Vampires should sleep more and move less..."
After saying this, she crawled back into bed and fell asleep with a clear conscience.
The next morning,
Alina looked at her pale face in the mirror and took a deep breath.
"It's fine, Alina. Talulah will understand... probably!"
After saying this, she walked out of her room.
After pushing the door open, she walked outside as usual.
Upon seeing the people around her, her first feeling was how fragrant they smelled. Then she realized it was the Vampire's instinctive craving for blood.
Combined with Vampires' dependence on blood, this was why most Vampires loved drinking human blood so much.
But she was fine. For her, with Pallid Touch absorbing life force to provide her energy, her biggest dependence on blood disappeared.
Since she didn't need blood to "fill up," ordinary people were just delicious little cakes in her eyes.
Resisting this level of desire wasn't a problem for her.
"Sister Alina, why are your eyes so red now?"
"Yeah, yeah! And your skin is like ours now!"
"Then, do I look pretty?" Alina smiled and reached out to pinch the cheeks of the children gathered around her.
"Pretty!" everyone said in unison.
Just as Alina was chatting with the children, Talulah walked over.
"Alina!"
Hearing her voice, Alina stiffened, then slowly turned around.
Seeing her crimson pupils, Talulah felt her breath catch.
"You..."
Ten minutes later, in Flandre's room,
Several people, including Talulah, sat there with serious expressions, while Alina sat opposite them.
As for Flandre, she sat nearby, holding a lollipop and looking puzzled.
"Why couldn't you discuss such a big matter with me?"
Talulah asked, heartbroken.
"Because Talulah definitely wouldn't agree, right?" Alina lowered her head and whispered in response.
Hearing her words, Talulah took several deep breaths.
"Since you knew I wouldn't agree, why did you do it?"
"Because I didn't want to hold Talulah back anymore!"
Alina said seriously.
"Besides, I feel perfectly fine. There's absolutely no problem!"
"Really? From what I know, the consequences of being assimilated by a Blood Demon aren't something ordinary people can endure!"
Talulah clearly didn't believe her.
The information about Blood Slaves related to Blood Demons she obtained from Kashchey's memories wasn't like this.
Buldrokkas'tee nearby was also very surprised because Alina's behavior was completely different from the "subordinates" developed by Blood Demons in his memory.
Those Blood Slaves had no minds, no memories—only loyalty to their masters and a craving for blood.
They could be described as monsters that only chased after blood.
But what about Alina here? Her emotions, memories, and personality hadn't changed at all.
Apart from her eyes turning red, her skin improving, and her looking more charming, she was almost no different from before.
If all subordinates developed by Blood Demons were like this, the Vampire race would have been overcrowded long ago, not just a handful like now.
"Then, aren't there any drawbacks?" Frostnova asked, looking somewhat enviously at Alina's skin.
"Of course there are. After becoming a Vampire, ordinary food has no effect on me anymore," Alina said.
"Doesn't that mean—!" Before she could finish, Talulah slammed the table and stood up!
"Could you let me finish first?
However, I don't need to drink blood like Flandre... Well, after becoming Flandre's blood relative, I gained a special Originium Art."
Alina looked at a sprouting branch nearby, which she had prepared that morning.
Under everyone's gaze, Alina grabbed the branch. In less than two seconds, the once tender branch turned into a withered, dead wood under their astonished eyes.
"This is the Originium Art I gained. It can actively absorb the life force of anything I touch. Flandre said this Originium Art has a nice name: 'Pallid Touch.'"
Alina explained the effects of Pallid Touch to everyone, adding that after using this ability to absorb life force, she no longer needed to eat, so she had no need to drink blood.
"How long can a branch like this provide you with life force?" Frostnova asked.
"Hmm, about an hour or so!" Alina thought for a few seconds before answering.
Frostnova nodded. If that was the case, it was actually a good thing for the Reunion Movement.
After all, not needing to eat and surviving on insignificant things like branches or flowers was beneficial.
Moreover, captured live creatures could be given to Alina to absorb their life force first, then handed over for everyone to eat.
Since Alina seemed fine, Frostnova had no comment on the matter.
Buldrokkas'tee said he needed more observation before giving his opinion, so he remained neutral.
Then only Talulah was left.
She held Alina's hand, repeatedly confirming her condition before reluctantly acknowledging the matter.
But she still asked Flandre several times about Alina's situation, making sure she wasn't lying, before leaving.
"Whew, I finally got through that!"
Alina wiped away sweat before smiling at Flandre.
"Sister Alina is actually afraid of Sister Talulah, right?"
Flandre's words made Alina pout.
"What do you mean afraid? I just don't want to argue with her."
Flandre said that since there were no more problems, she was ready to leave.
"Won't you stay here a bit longer?"
Alina asked somewhat sadly.
Flandre shook her head.
"Sister, your situation isn't obvious, but my appearance clearly shows I'm a Blood Demon. Rhodes Island and the Sanguine Court have a deep-seated hatred. Once they discover my situation, it could affect your relationship with them.
Besides, I heard Lungmen is a very prosperous place. Going there might help everyone.
Moreover, our blood is connected. No matter when, as long as you want to chat with me, you can reach me, right?"
Flandre's words eased much of Alina's sadness about parting.
The two walked out of the room and found Talulah.
Already aware of their purpose, she nodded and took out two prepared letters, looking at Flandre with a complicated expression.
"I do have some connection with that governor in Lungmen, but I don't know if he still acknowledges it after all this time.
If that doesn't work, here's another letter. After you arrive, look for a woman named Ch'en and give her this letter. She should help you settle down in Lungmen."
Flandre took the two letters and placed them in the small backpack Alina had prepared for her.
Frostnova and Buldrokkas'tee brought gifts for Flandre: a picture created by everyone in the Yeti Squad and a wooden doll blessed with ancient Sarkaz incantations by Buldrokkas'tee.
Alina had also prepared something, but Flandre said they could contact each other anytime, so gifts seemed too sentimental. Alina thought it made sense and finally prepared a set of clothes she had knitted herself for Flandre.
Only Talulah showed a helpless expression upon seeing this.
"You all prepared gifts, and I only have these two letters. Doesn't that make me look silly?"
Hearing his words, everyone burst into laughter, lightening the sadness of Flandre's impending departure.
After saying goodbye to them, Flandre went to the classroom to bid farewell to her classmates one by one. Upon learning Flandre was leaving, everyone showed reluctant expressions.
Many took out what they considered their most precious treasures from their pockets or backpacks—some gave candy, some pretty little stones, some hand-folded paper cranes.
Even a certain white-haired, awkward boy handed Flandre his and Sasha's favorite tangram toy.
"Here!"
After stuffing it into Flandre's hand, the boy turned and left.
Flandre watched his retreating figure, unable to imagine that he and the person from another memory—who disregarded life and had a twisted heart—were the same.
She looked back at Alina.
"Indeed, saving her was the right choice."
Noticing Flandre's gaze, Alina nodded at her.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Flandre officially prepared to leave.
"Sister Alina, no need to see me off. Go back and practice those spells, especially flight and Danmaku magic. Next time we meet, let's play a Danmaku game together."
Standing at the entrance, Flandre said goodbye to everyone, then turned and flew toward the direction of the rising sun.
That night, she landed in a cave. Shortly after sitting down, she heard Alina's voice.
"[Flandre, Flandre?]"
"[Sister Alina, I can hear you!]" Flandre responded.
"[Great! I tried for a long time to successfully learn this communication spell.]" Flandre felt Alina's excitement through her bloodline.
"[Bloodline Communication ignores distance. It's the most basic and common spell for Vampires to locate and communicate with each other, but it's not easy to learn. It took me a whole week to learn it back then. Sister Alina learning it in one day is amazing.]"
Of course, Flandre wouldn't tell her how she had slacked off when her sister forced her to learn it.
"[By the way, I contacted you to share good news. Our people at the border reported that Rhodes Island's support has reached the Ursus border. They'll probably arrive at the base in at most a week.]"
Alina's tone was very cheerful. Clearly, this news was important for the entire Reunion Movement.
This wasn't just a stable route for Infected medication; Alina also mentioned that according to the intelligence, Rhodes Island was led personally by a doctor named Kaltsit this time, aiming to meet with the Reunion Movement's leadership to confirm future cooperation plans.
"[That Doctor Kaltsit is a very formidable person. Be careful, Alina.
Also, check if there's a little Cutter girl named Amiya in their team. If so, try to avoid her meeting with the Old Stubborn One. You can tell that Ms. Kaltsit it's the Wendigo's prophecy—she'll understand.]"
Recalling how Buldrokkas'tee almost killed a child named Amiya in the plot, Flandre quickly reminded her.
"[Is it that serious? Alright, Talulah was just discussing who should go meet them. I'll volunteer.]"
Seeing how seriously Flandre spoke, Alina immediately took it as an important matter to remember.