Because I Am Surtr

"You're from the medical department..." she asked subconsciously.

"I'm Anto, Medical Operator Anto. We've met before at the Moonlit Night Bar." She received an answer.

Her vision then stabilized, and things became clear again in her eyes. She turned her head and saw that familiar, pretty face. Her gaze shifted, and she realized she was in a temporary infirmary, with many lightly and severely wounded individuals lying on the beds looking at her curiously.

Provence blushed.

"S-sorry..." she stammered, a little surprised to find herself unharmed. She remembered she was supposed to be at the observatory, measuring important data, and then, then...

"I, I remember I was..." The memory of scarlet blade light, which had seen through all her evasive maneuvers and aimed straight for her throat, surfaced. Her tail twitched from the terrifying memory. "...How did I get here..."

"Miss Surtr brought you here," Anto said, helping her up.

"Surtr?" Provence tilted her head slightly. The name sounded strangely familiar.

"Mmm, she's a red-haired Sarkaz woman. I heard she's also a member of Rhodes Island, but she's never been active on this ship... You've probably heard of the Rhodes Island Top Ten Unexplained Phenomena, right?" Anto glanced behind her subconsciously, then lowered her voice, looking cautious. "Like Phantom Operators, or Doctor Kal'tsit personally cleaning an unoccupied room every day... Do you want to go see her?"

"Yes," Provence breathed softly, calming herself before nodding. "I still need to find Amiya and that... Doctor Persephone. My mission failed, and I need to report."

She was scrutinized from head to toe. Only when she started to feel uncomfortable did Anto reluctantly nod.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you really don't have any external or internal injuries. You're just simply shocked and exhausted... We're currently in the sarcophagus area of Kazimierz City. The Doctor and Amiya are at the temporary command center on the top floor of the facility. If you go out from here and take the elevator, you can reach the top floor directly. Everyone at Rhodes Island knows you, so you won't be stopped."

"Thank you..."

"It's what I should do. And... good work, Operator Provence." Anto gave her a hug, then perked up and returned to her duties as a medical operator. As Provence left the medical room, she subconsciously glanced at the nearest bed. Her eyes fell on a white-haired boy, no older than fourteen.

He appeared to be a Liberi, suffering from moderate burns all over his body, wrapped in bandages like a mummy. A Fedia boy, about his age, was holding his hand and whispering words of comfort. When Provence looked over, he seemed to sense it, looked up, met her gaze, and managed a smile that clearly showed he wasn't good at it.

Poor child, he must have been burned in the chaos.

She nodded at the boys and turned to leave. For some reason, she felt her tail was a bit hot, as if it had been scorched by some flame.

—It's probably just an illusion. Like feeling cold when you see ice. Because she saw burns, she felt the heat.

So she continued on.

There were many people on the road, and they were all busy. She saw several Rhodes Island operators, some familiar and some not, carrying files or pushing gurneys through the corridors. Some greeted her, while others were too busy to even notice her. In addition to Rhodes Island operators, many locals in ill-fitting police uniforms were also assisting.

—Does Chernobog have this many police officers? Perhaps.

She walked through the corridor. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows outside the corridor, the entire city in her eyes sparkled under the twilight colors. She didn't see a single building destroyed by external forces. She saw lights twinkling in every corner of the streets. People, guided by escorts and drones, were leaving shelters and returning to their homes. Large quantities of well-protected supplies were also being transported from warehouses, piled up in the square to provide a sense of security, and distributed to citizens in an orderly manner.

The Cataclysm... it's really over.

The power hub of the Mobile City rumbled, and Chernobog was moving in another direction, away from the damaged Cataclysm clouds. For the first time, Provence felt the dissipation of the Cataclysm was so understated. In her memory, every Cataclysm incident she had investigated in the past had resulted in heavy casualties.

"World-wandering Hunt... In Ursus, it should be called Ember Demon. I always thought it was just an exaggerated modern legend reported by the media. I didn't expect... such things actually exist."

She muttered to herself as the elevator doors opened before her. The path to the top floor was more crowded and slower than she expected. When she finally reached the top floor, several hurried Rhodes Island operators brushed past her.

Was there some kind of emergency? It didn't seem like it.

She recognized the elite operator leading them, codenamed ACE. From ACE's face, she only saw exhaustion akin to overwork—not a major crisis. ACE was an excellent soldier; the more difficult the mission, the less it would show on their face. But simple and trivial details were bound to give these elites a headache.

So she didn't speak. She just stepped aside, making way, and faintly heard familiar voices in the distance.

—"Regarding the mobilization of the sixteenth batch of food, here are the corresponding forms and plans..."

—"A small-scale disturbance occurred in Sector C31, and personnel have been assigned..."

—"Negotiations with the Ursus authorities..."

—"Great Yan has publicly expressed its condolences internationally. The nearby Mobile City, Lungmen, has offered assistance..."

—"The communication network with this ship needs secondary reinforcement..."

—"The unidentified forces in the nearby outskirts have retreated..."

It was Amiya, Provence recognized the voice. She saw several clerks she seemed to have met before, hurrying out of the largest office with files. They didn't greet her when they passed.

They must be really busy, she thought.

But she still pushed the door open, and then she saw the poor little rabbit buried under a mountain of files.

There were indeed many files, piled up even higher than Amiya's ears. As she pushed the door open, she saw an unfamiliar, but presumably Amiya's kin, white Casters assisting with the files on the other side of the desk. The Casters nodded at her when she entered.

She must be a newcomer to Rhodes Island too? Provence saw the Rhodes Island armband on her shoulder.

"Amiya?" she called out softly.

"Yes?" Then she saw the soft rabbit ears behind the mountain of files perk up sharply—well, it seemed the number of files wasn't as overwhelming as she thought. Or rather, Amiya's height was impeccable. The pointed ears drooped again when she saw it was Provence, and Amiya seemed to sigh in relief.

"It's you, Operator Provence," the young Casters said with a gentle smile. "Are you feeling better? Perhaps you still need some rest."

"I've recovered. But my previous mission..."

"Your previous mission is complete," Amiya interrupted with a smile. "You did very well. The Doctor successfully received that data, and it was useful. However, commendations and vacation days will have to wait until we return to the ship."

"Huh? Was it Miss Surtr? But I remember I was attacked then..."

As she mentioned Surtr's name, another white Casters sitting beside Amiya glanced up at her. The gaze was like an appraisal, but it lasted only a moment before vanishing as if it were an illusion.

"And everyone said it was the World-wandering Hunt... the Ember Demon who stopped the Cataclysm." She changed the phrase to the local Ursus term.

Then she saw Amiya wear a troubled expression.

"Mmm, the specific situation is a bit complicated. But the Doctor is currently handling these matters and will release an official incident report soon. Chernobog's survival this time is indeed thanks to external forces. But the efforts of the citizens and the Infected cannot be overlooked."

"About that attack..."

"Ah, that was a misunderstanding. Mr. Yan Ke has submitted an application to join Rhodes Island. He should explain things to you later."

"Is that so..."

The chaotic dream gradually faded from the little wolf's memory. As Amiya spoke softly, the once terrifying visage of the blade beast seemed to blur. However, while the memory of the fight receded, a burning thought surged. She didn't know why she remembered the great fire at the end of the dream, and her large tail unconsciously wagged.

"Can I go see the Doctor?"

Amiya said weakly.

"The Doctor's current workload is probably three times mine, or even more. I suggest you go see her tomorrow or the day after."

"Then... what about Miss Surtr?"

The little rabbit suddenly perked up.

"Sister Surtr is in the lounge next door. She just got back from the outskirts. That's right, I'll take you—" She stood up, preparing to leave her seat.