Talulah, I'm still a child.

Chapter 25 Gas Mask and Saber Man

Heavy snow fell, and winter arrived in Ursus much earlier than in other countries. The continuous snow not only covered people's footprints but also drowned out the hope of life. From now until spring, the only food available will be the animals running on the snowfield.

The heavy snow fell intermittently for a month or so. The village where Talulah and Meixue once met is now just ruins, buried under the vast snow. Generally speaking, the disappearance of an entire village should cause some reaction, but the guerrillas are unusually active in this area, and for Ursus, it doesn't matter if there are one more or one less village on the snowfield.

It's absurd, really. The patrol team wasn't unaware of the village's disappearance, but considering that reporting the sudden disappearance of a village would only cause unnecessary trouble, they reported it as "a village in the Ursus snowfield has relocated and its whereabouts are unknown," a vague statement. When this report reached the higher-ups, the Ursus elites and various factions were too busy fighting for power to follow the usual procedures, so they simply covered it up. It's fair to say that Ursus is now so absurd that it's almost laughable.

But being covered up doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The vast snow of Ursus could conceal the traces of the flames, but it couldn't bury everything underground. A black foot stepped into the snow, then lifted it up. Snowflakes gently touched the military boot, then turned into black ashes and drifted to the ground.

"Ah!"

The little fox, who was waiting for Frostnova and the others to return, sneezed delicately. Looking at the snow falling from the sky, he felt that it wasn't so cold today, especially since he was holding an umbrella.

"The sisters are taking forever to get back."

Gently turning the red oil-paper umbrella, the little fox couldn't help but complain. Perhaps the heavy snow had delayed their journey, as Frostnova and the others hadn't returned yet. However, Talulah was still at the camp. The little fox twitched its ears, hugged its tail, and gazed into the distance. Last month, it had agreed to sleep alone, but it had run off to Bodrakas to sleep in place of its grandfather out of fear. This had made the little fox too shy to face its sister the next day, and that night, it had been dragged back to bed by the three girls and used as a shared pillow for a difficult night.

Why is it considered difficult? Just think about it: what happens when Frostnova, who is extremely cold, Talulah, who is extremely hot, and Alina, who has a slightly unsatisfactory sleeping posture, get together? Anyway, when Bozokasti saw the little fox's dark circles the next day, he simply waved his hand and sent the three of them to plant potatoes all day long.

Even though he was tormented by his sisters, the little fox's affection for them didn't diminish in the slightest. He stretched lazily and pondered how he should live his life from now on. In a few months, he would be going to Lungmen and would have to part ways with his sisters. Although Talulah had said she would come to see him occasionally, it would still be a long time before they met again. Just thinking about this made the little fox's tail lose its spirit.

Are you still waiting for them?

Talulah reached out to brush the snow off the umbrella for the little fox, then wrapped her tail around his to give Meixue more warmth.

"Hmm, sister, won't you rest for a while longer? You've been feeling really down lately."

The little fox twitched its ears, folded its umbrella, and took Talulah's hand. She was already very tired during this time. The more critical the moment, the less careless one could be. Talulah knew this well, so she had been pushing herself to the limit these days, even to the point of letting Meixue sleep alone.

"I just woke up. The Shield Guards said you were still waiting, so I came to check on you."

Talulah gently stroked Mei Xue's fox tail. Sleeping without the little fox's company was somewhat unsettling, but the black snake had stopped bothering her mind a long time ago, which made Talulah much more relaxed. She also had fewer nightmares, at least she didn't dream about Mei Xue marrying someone other than herself.

The camp began to move closer to the city. Talulah needed to rely on delayed information to anticipate the movements of various forces. Fortunately, Ursus was still in turmoil, so they were relatively safe. With Mei Xue around, they would not lack food. However, some people still chose to stay in the snowfield. Fortunately, there were not many, and they were mostly people who were more accustomed to a normal life.

"Speaking of which, Mei Xue probably doesn't know what a mobile city is, right?"

“Hmm… Grandpa Bozokas told me a lot, but I’ve never met him.”

"It's alright, you'll see him soon."

Talulah gently stroked the little fox's tail. Being with Mei Xue always made her feel relaxed and happy. Just a gentle touch on the little fox's tail felt like the pressure was swept away, and her thoughts became much quicker.

"Um……"

Just as the little fox was about to agree, it suddenly frowned, its eyes showing disgust for the first time, and it even covered its nose.

"What's wrong, Meixue?"

"Something bad is coming; it's very dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Talulah immediately shielded Mei Xue behind her. She trusted Mei Xue's perception abilities; the little fox's keen senses had helped them evade the Ursus extermination teams several times.

"No, sister, it's not enough... Uncle Shield Guard!"

At the little fox's shout, the shield guards who were standing guard immediately ran over with their shields. Without even knowing what had happened, they surrounded Mei Xue.

"What's wrong, Meixue?"

“A very dangerous guy is coming.”

Everyone looked in the direction the little fox was pointing. In the vast white, a black figure stood out abruptly. The black figure slowly walked over, leaving black footprints behind it as it passed.

The newcomer wore a military knife at his waist and a helmet similar to a gas mask on his face. He was completely covered from head to toe. He was black, a black that did not match the entire snowfield at all. After seeing his appearance clearly, Talulah and the Shield Guard subconsciously felt a trace of fear, which they then suppressed.

"What is this...?"

The Yeti Squad couldn't help but mutter to themselves. They had been fighting for so many years and had never encountered an enemy dressed like this before. Judging from the equipment the other party was wearing, it was also made in Ursus. But why was there only one person?

"Shield Guards, form a defensive line! Yeti Squad, watch for gaps... Damn it, how did those *Ursus curse* imperial guards end up here!?"

The captain of the Shield Guards frowned. As one of the proudest military units of Ursus, the Shield Guards and the Inner Guards were both powerful combat forces. However, the Inner Guards were special. They were monsters, beings that were passed down in Ursus folklore, and also the guards of the Ursus Emperor. Logically speaking, they should not be here, especially in this turbulent era.

"Meixue, it's okay, don't be afraid."

Talulah reassured the little fox who showed no fear whatsoever, then looked solemnly at the guard standing in front of her. Kosichek had taught her many things, one of which he had particularly emphasized: do not be targeted by the guards.

"I never thought the Shield Guards would stoop so low, and with the Duke's daughter on top of that... Hiss, most of the soldiers on the snowfields are habitual liars, no wonder the mopping-up teams couldn't wipe you out."

The inner guard's voice was unusually hoarse, like the sound of an old radio. However, when he saw Mei Xue, who was standing behind Talulah and curiously peeking out, everyone could clearly feel that the inner guard's breathing became disordered for a moment.

"It's you……"

The little fox, whose gaze was fixed on him, tilted his head in confusion. What did this mean? Did he know this man with the gas mask and knife?

"Bad uncle, do you know me?"

The little fox's voice eased the tense atmosphere for a moment, and the guard who was about to draw his sword stopped. He looked at Talulah and pointed at the obedient little fox.

"Hand him over, or you will all die."

Chapter 26 Uncle: You call yourself an Inner Guard?

The blazing flames and the eerie black mist intertwined. After declaring that she would never hand over Mei Xue, Talulah drew her sword against the inner guard. Although she was young, her bloodline gave her a unique talent for magic. Relying on her flames, Talulah was able to fight the inner guard to a draw.

At least in the eyes of those who don't really understand, Talulah should have the upper hand now. Her flames can melt ice and snow and burn sand. But even the little fox knows that her sister is actually the one who is at a disadvantage.

[The Emperor's Blade. These guys are probably here to check if Talulah has turned into the Black Serpent so they can adjust their plans, but they won't suspect I'm on your side.]

"Um... my sister can't beat this bad uncle."

The little fox frowned. Talulah's magic looked powerful, but it didn't actually pose a real threat to the inner guards. It was only with the cooperation of the shield guards and the yetis that they could barely hold their own. This bad uncle gave Mei Xue a rather strange feeling. In terms of oppressiveness, he was certainly not as good as Grandpa Bozokasti, but Talulah was no match for him either.

Are you going up to help?

"I can't fight, I can only cheer for my sister."

If possible, Mei Xue would certainly rush up to fight, but his combat power was too low, and the little fox could clearly sense that the bad uncle had no intention of killing Talulah. He had been defending and occasionally counterattacking since the beginning, and had not used any magic.

This center-back is stronger than I knew; it seems Ursus has changed quite a bit over the years.

"Can he beat Grandpa Bozokasti?"

Patriot is a legend in the Ursus military; even now, he requires at least three inner guards to counter him through various tactical combinations.

"I can rest assured that."

The little fox's eyes were fixed on the battle between Talulah and the inner guard. This was not something an ordinary person could get involved in. Whether it was Talulah's flames or the inner guard's strange military knife, any contact would definitely leave a very ugly wound. The little fox didn't want his tail to be burned, but he also wanted to help.

Mei Xue glanced at his tail. He desperately needed power, but he was the weakest one. Helplessly, he could only watch Talulah fight to protect him. For the first time, the little fox felt a sense of resentment. If he also knew Originium Arts, he could help his sister.

“Duke’s daughter, you are not Vayvan…”

The guards' tone inevitably carried surprise, as this did not match the information they had received. According to the information provided by Kosich, Talulah should be Vaiva, but the shape of this horn and the ability to manipulate flames were beyond the reach of ordinary fire-type Originium Arts. Talulah was clearly a former member of Victoria's royal family—Drak.

"What, didn't that snake tell you?"

Talulah's sword was wreathed in flames. The inner guards were strong, but not to the point where she couldn't reach them. It was just that their abilities were too strange. Talulah noticed that the black mist on the saber was slowly consuming its own fire.

"I see. This was his own scheme, a backup plan."

The guard seemed to have realized something, but at this moment, Talulah's identity was no longer important. During the previous exchange, the guard had already seen through the current situation. The spell that Kosich had planted in Talulah's mind, which should have existed there, seemed to have not yet awakened. In other words, Talulah in front of him could not carry out his plan for the time being. But it didn't matter; he had to take that Volpo with him.

"I don't know anything about backup plans, but if you dare to lay a hand on my companions, be prepared to be buried in the snow as ashes."

“No, Duke’s daughter, you don’t understand what his existence means, nor do you understand how terrible he is. We will not harm him.”

The saber and the greatsword clashed. The sword in Talulah's hand had been with her for a long time. Although she didn't like Koschei, Talulah had to admit that the weapon he gave her was indeed quite excellent, as if it had been specially made for her.

"Do I need you to tell me?"

Talulah scoffed dismissively. Mei Xue was scary? The little fox was the cutest in the world! Putting everything else aside, she dared to make a move on him; he couldn't let this go.

"It seems you understand as well."

"No, I just believe what I see."

No matter how much others say, nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes. How could Talulah not know what Mei Xue is like? She spends at least half of her time every day cuddling with the little fox.

However, no matter how much she tried to be brave, she couldn't change the fact that she was no match for the inner guard. Talulah's strength was gradually failing. She was stabbed in the shoulder and kicked away. When Mei Xue saw this, she ran to catch Talulah without saying a word. She felt a pang of heartache when she saw the wound on Talulah's shoulder. She glared fiercely at the inner guard and had an urge to tear him to pieces.

"Immense potential. I should have tipped my hat to you, but I forgot to bring my military cap when I came."

The shield guards raised their shields to protect Talulah and Meixue behind them. With their strength, they were enough to hold off the inner guards, but they couldn't hold out for long. After all, the shield guards were a team whose fighting power increased with the number of people, and they could only unleash their true strength by cooperating with Bozokasti's tactics. Now there were only five shield guards, and Bozokasti was not there either.

"Now I'm giving you one more chance. Hand him over, and you can continue to live as a protector of the infected. We each get what we need; you exchange him for the right to survive. It's fair."

"I've already said it's impossible."

With Mei Xue's help, Talulah got up. The guard's knife was special; the wounds from the cuts healed much more slowly than usual.

"Then I'll make the choice for you."

The inner guard was about to step forward when a spear flew out from behind the shield guard. He quickly retreated to avoid being pierced, and the hard ground was left with a huge crater from the impact.

"Tell me, who should make the choice?"

The ground trembled slightly with each step Bozokastie took. He was as heavy as a mountain, his sharp gaze sweeping over the inner guards before looking at the end of the road, where another inner guard stood. He hadn't made a move from beginning to end, and his clothes were different from the other inner guards. He was the captain of the inner guards. If he had acted together with the two inner guards who had held him back, Bozokastie might have really been killed.

"Two guards alone are not enough to kill me; you should go with them."

"Including my daughter's group, there are five people in total, forming a small team..."

The heavy shield fell to the ground, its weight sinking everyone's hearts. Bozokasti drew his spear, and the shieldbearers gathered around him. The appearance of this patriot instantly reversed the tide of battle, and all the Integrators found their leader.

"Whom do you want to kill, and whom do you want to take away? Tell me, I'm listening."

"Hiss! 36 [Secret Code]... Wendigo."

The inner guard's aura became flustered; clearly, he hadn't expected his two companions to fail to hold off the enemy, allowing Bozokasti to arrive in time.

"The internal security forces I know are unwavering. Tell me, how confident are you in your own strength?"

"..."

The guard did not answer; he was waiting for orders. The appearance of Bozokasti had disrupted the plan. He had thought that the Patriot's existence was just a legend, but it seemed that the soldiers on the ice plains were hiding a lot of information. They were nothing but parasites. How could Ursus prosper with such people around? But no matter what, the battle could not continue, otherwise there would be unnecessary losses, and it might even pollute Ursus's land once again.

"It really was you following her... ouch, a mistake in intelligence."

The guard, having received the order to retreat, sheathed his saber. He even regretted not bringing his autograph board with him today; he should have at least brought his hat to pay his respects. As a new generation of guards, Bozokasti was a true legend to them. Even though he no longer served Ursus, no one dared to say he was disloyal to Ursus.

“I am infected, she is the guardian of infected people, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with her.”

"No, that's not right, Bozokasti. If this continues, you're destined to fail."