Jeanne watched as one of the Patrol placed a tray before the Infected man. It was a lavish meal by commoner standards: hot soup, potatoes, a steak, and a thick slice of bread.
The Infected man instantly dropped to his knees, kowtowing and mumbling prayers of gratitude.
"Just eat. Your thanks won't do much," the soldier said in a tone that sounded deceptively gentle, but to Jeanne, it was nauseatingly hypocritical. "Just perform well when we reach Karlo Village and don't disappoint us. Remember, as long as you're obedient, you won't be tossed into the mines."
The man didn't care for etiquette. He lunged at the food like a starving animal, tearing at the meat and pounding his chest when he started to choke. It was clear that being fed meat was a rare "reward."
"Why are you giving him steak and bread?" another soldier asked, sounding annoyed. "Soup and potatoes are more than enough for a dog. You getting soft?"
The Infected man froze mid-bite, his eyes darting between them.
"The weather is trash," the first soldier replied. "I'm giving him protein so he doesn't freeze to death. If our 'tool' breaks, where are we going to find another one this good? Besides, we aren't exactly short on supplies."
These Patrols were rich. They didn't just have meat; they had cream for soup and high-quality vodka—stuff low-ranking soldiers shouldn't be able to afford.
Jeanne turned her attention to their truck. It looked like a livestock transport, but the "cages" were two-meter-tall iron cells reinforced with thick steel bars. A terrible thought struck her: These aren't for animals. They're for people. But why so many? These cages could hold five hundred people.
Jeanne slipped back to the attic and shared what she saw. A plan was formed.
As the vodka took hold, the Searchers fell into a heavy, drunken stupor. Only the Infected man, "152," remained awake by the fire. Talulah and Jeanne crept down.
Talulah approached the man with a kind smile, reaching for his shackles. "Hello, friend. Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you. I'm an Infected, too."
But instead of relief, the man's face twisted in terror. He began to shriek at the top of his lungs.
"She's an Infected! Masters, someone has broken in! She's an Infected! She's here to steal my job!"
Talulah was stunned. Steal his job? Before she could process the absurdity, she had to knock him unconscious to stop the noise. She drew her greatsword, bracing for the Patrols to wake.
But they didn't. They were so drunk and the storm was so loud that one of them simply threw an empty bottle toward the noise, cursed, and went back to sleep.
Jeanne didn't waste the opportunity. She used the shackles from the truck to bind the five soldiers. If any stirred, she promptly knocked them back out. Soon, they were tied in a tight bundle.
A quick search of their pockets revealed a map. Several villages—including the one they were in—were marked with a large 'X.' There was also a location for a specific mine.
Jeanne grabbed a bucket of ice water from outside and dumped it directly over their heads. The shock was instantaneous. They woke up shivering and cursing, demanding to know what "152" was doing. When they realized they were bound, the booze-fog cleared into pure panic.
"Who are you?! Do you have any idea what it means to defy Ursus?" the leader barked, trying to hide his fear with arrogance. He saw their commoner clothes and assumed they were just local girls. "Your village will be razed for this! Untie us now and maybe we'll be lenient!"
Talulah ignored the threats. "Who are you? What happened to this village? Start talking."
"Little girl, you think you're scary?" "Just two runaways? You must be Infected."
Jeanne didn't argue. She dragged them out into the freezing storm.
"I'll give you fifteen minutes to think," Jeanne said coldly. "If you don't talk then, the next round will be thirty minutes." She shut the door, leaving them to freeze in their water-soaked uniforms.
Inside, Talulah and Alina tried to comfort the now-conscious "152."
"Sir, please. The bad men can't hurt you anymore. We're here to save you! We're your comrades!"
The man let out a hysterical scream. "You are the villains! You're the ones trying to ruin my happy life!"