Scout, who had been full of fighting spirit and ready to snatch a student, realized that he had been tricked by the brat again. Although Ascalon had not become an Elite Operator, if they truly fought, aside from monsters like LOGOS, none of the current Elite Operators dared claim they could defeat her steadily. Even he only dared say they would be evenly matched under perfect conditions. He could only make excuses to brush the matter aside. Fortunately, as long as food was mentioned, Kanna could let everything else slide, giving him an opening.
"Yes! Make it a big one..." Knowing Scout had backed down, Kanna did not care. If a few casual words could trick him into getting her a cup of juice, what more could she ask for?
Before long, Scout brought up a huge cup of juice and handed it to Kanna.
She took it and happily drank a mouthful. To her surprise, it was iced. Drinking something cold under the blazing sun sent pure refreshment straight to her head.
After resting briefly, the two started a new round of competition. As time passed, Scout had no choice but to start using equipment.
Unlike Kanna's monstrous eyesight, Scout's visual limit was five kilometers. Within that range, he could still identify the landmarks Kanna pointed out, but beyond five kilometers, there was truly nothing he could do. Fortunately, Rhodes Island was currently situated on a plain, giving her enough distance to show off. It only made Scout want to take her as his student more. With eyesight like that, it would be a terrible waste not to train her properly.
Another round began. Kanna looked westward. Scout had already found a landmark and was waiting for her to speak, but he noticed that she kept staring intently to the west, as though she were watching something.
He looked up along Kanna's line of sight and immediately understood. It had to be beyond five kilometers. He promptly raised his binoculars and looked in that direction.
Nearly ten kilometers away, six vehicles were chasing one another toward Rhodes Island. The leading vehicle bore the Rhine Lab emblem, while the others surrounded it from every side. People kept leaning out of the vehicles, waving weapons as they attacked it.
Once Scout saw this clearly, he immediately pulled out his communicator and pressed the red emergency contact button.
"What is it?" Kal'tsit's cool voice came from the communicator.
"Six vehicles are heading toward our landship from due west. One of them is under attack by the others. The attacked vehicle bears the Rhine Lab emblem. Should we send people to rescue it?"
"What about the attacking vehicles?"
"Not sure. They appear to be some kind of mercenary organization, but I have not seen any Sarkaz."
"Fine. Keep observing and report immediately if anything changes. I'll arrange a squad to provide assistance."
Meanwhile... inside that Rhine Lab vehicle.
"Ugh, this is so annoying! Hermo, move aside and let me burn these bastards to ashes..." A young Sarkaz girl with a rather fierce expression bared her teeth at the vehicle ramming toward them and spoke angrily.
Hermo, who was driving, said nothing. She only focused on accelerating forward.
According to the intelligence she had obtained, Rhodes Island's landship would pass nearby. As long as she got close enough, they would surely notice them. She had previously contacted Kal'tsit, and given the relatively stable relationship between Rhine Lab and Rhodes Island, they would definitely receive help.
"Come on, Ptilopsis, say something!" Hermo's silence had bottled up all her anger, so the young Sarkaz turned and glared viciously at the girl beside her, who seemed to have fallen asleep.
"Snore... snore... snore..."
"I'm so pissed off!!!" With two people in a row ignoring her, the young Sarkaz grew increasingly frustrated.
As her temper flared, the temperature inside the vehicle began to rise.
"Warning~ Abnormal temperature within vehicle... Determining source of anomaly: Ifrit." The girl called Ptilopsis, who had apparently been asleep a second ago, suddenly spoke. Her manner of speech was strange, but the other two were not surprised.
"Ifrit, control your emotions. We're almost at our destination..." Noticing the situation behind her, Hermo finally shifted part of her attention away from the pursuing vehicles to keep the young Sarkaz from losing control.
"Tch!" Hearing Hermo's words, Ifrit clicked her tongue unhappily and took a deep breath. As she exhaled, the temperature inside the vehicle gradually fell again.
"Alert cleared! Returning to standby." After reporting like a robot, Ptilopsis closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.
Hermo was also terribly anxious. After Ifrit's earlier loss-of-control incident, a rift had formed between her and Rhine Lab, so she had secretly taken Ifrit and Ptilopsis away from Rhine Lab. Of course, another person she did not wish to mention had also played a part in making their departure so smooth.
After leaving, Ifrit's improved mood had strengthened her control over her Originium Arts, and she had not lost control again.
But things had changed after they resupplied at a town earlier. A group of mercenaries from who knew where had set their sights on them. Once they discovered there were only three people in the vehicle—an old woman, a weak girl, and a child—they immediately bared their fangs.
She regretted it now. If she had known this would happen, she would have skipped that resupply. But it was too late for regrets. She could only hope to contact Rhodes Island before they were forced to stop.
Just as she was distracted, a vehicle beside them slammed into them, knocking their car off course and onto an even rougher gravel road. The other side took the chance to overtake them and rushed ahead.
"Damn."
Seeing the road ahead blocked, that was the first thought that rose in Hermo's mind.
But she had dared to flee Rhine Lab with others, so her heart was strong enough. Even with no road ahead, she still had no intention of giving up.
She stomped on the accelerator, sending the entire vehicle charging at the one ahead.
Just as the two vehicles were about to collide, a wave of Originium Arts appeared ahead.
With a thunderous boom, the vehicle blocking Hermo's path was flung several meters away, and Hermo successfully broke through the blockade via the opening it left behind.
Caught by the sudden attack, the convoy slowed down as they tried to locate their attacker.
Then they saw several Sarkaz in special combat uniforms standing shoulder to shoulder atop a nearby hill.
The person at the front merely waved a hand, and another vehicle was sent flying.
Now they understood that they had run into someone dangerous.
The vehicles in the rear immediately slowed down and prepared to retreat, with no thought at all of rescuing their comrades at the front.
What a joke. If they had known that the vehicle loaded with expensive medical equipment belonged to a squad of Sarkaz, they would never have been stupid enough to launch an attack.
After all, Sarkaz were famous for valuing money over their lives. If you dared steal a Sarkaz's money, you had better first consider whether you would live long enough to spend it.
But as they turned around, they saw a sight that filled them with despair. At some point, a thick stone wall had risen behind them. Their group had become turtles in a jar.
The people in the vehicles could only curse in despair. Were these Sarkaz insane? They had two Liberi escorting a child while hauling a truckload of medical supplies worth as much as gold. Was that not deliberately baiting them?
Once everyone realized their escape route was blocked, they all jumped out of their vehicles, grabbed their weapons, and prepared to fight for their lives.
As for surrendering, once you fell into Sarkaz hands, do not even think about surrender. Dying in battle was at least quick. If they were captured, who knew what they would be tortured into before they died?
"Tch! Are they planning to resist to the bitter end?" LOGOS, who had struck first and sent two vehicles flying, said displeasedly as he watched their movements.
"Well, we're Sarkaz. Who would dare fall into Sarkaz hands on a battlefield?" Misery shoved both hands into his pockets, determined to compete with LOGOS for the title of Rhodes Island's number one poser.
"Ha... Kal'tsit woke me up while I was sleeping. So annoying. Why couldn't these people just stay obediently in their vehicles..." LOGOS was entirely unmoved by Misery's posing and even yawned.
"What, so you could crush them into meat paste while they sat there? Do you think they're idiots?" Misery mocked him with an expression as if he were looking at a fool.
"Fine, say whatever you want. Only trash remains. I don't feel like doing anything, so I'll leave them all to you. End this quickly. I still need to go back to sleep."
Seeing that the enemies had scattered in every direction, clearly afraid of being wiped out in one blow, LOGOS looked around and found no formidable opponents worth his attention. He dropped onto a rock nearby, intending to let the others stretch their limbs a little.
At LOGOS's words, the remaining people split into several groups and charged into the battlefield.
One side was made up of mercenaries who had come to take advantage of a crisis, while the other was Rhodes Island's elite Sarkaz unit. The moment they clashed, the battle immediately became a one-sided slaughter.
In less than ten minutes, the battlefield had fallen silent again. Apart from a few soldiers receiving minor injuries during the charge, Rhodes Island had suffered no losses. As for the other side, the scattered corpses across the ground were their final outcome.
After the battle, several team members went from corpse to corpse, ensuring no one was faking death to escape.
Meanwhile, Hermo, who had broken out of the encirclement, also saw the Sarkaz on the hillside. She recognized their clothing, because she had seen it many times during contact between Rhodes Island and Rhine Lab. This was the gear Rhodes Island guards usually wore. As for why Rhodes Island had so many Sarkaz, she neither wondered nor found it strange. After all, if an independent landship possessed no real military strength and was merely a pharmaceutical company, the countries along its route would have devoured it long ago.
After driving over the hill, she saw an elderly Sarkaz woman standing in the middle of the road ahead.
Hermo slowly stopped the vehicle as she approached.
"Ms. Hermo, it has been a long time. I never expected to meet you here. This is quite a pleasant coincidence." The Sarkaz woman paused in surprise upon seeing Hermo open the door, then smiled as she spoke.
"Ms. Outcast, on behalf of myself and my two companions, I thank Rhodes Island for its assistance." Seeing a familiar face eased the tension Hermo had been holding onto.
Outcast had once participated in an escort mission, and Hermo had been among Rhine Lab's personnel at the time. The two had gotten along well during that escort, so both felt much more relaxed upon meeting again.
"May I ask what is going on?" Outcast examined the vehicle and saw that besides Hermo, there were two others inside. One wore a white coat and was obviously also a doctor, while the other was a young Sarkaz girl with a furious expression. Even without being told, she could guess the girl was a patient.
What puzzled her was that if they were transporting a patient, they should not have assigned only two doctors with no combat ability. There should have been security personnel at the very least.
Hermo shook her head, indicating that she did not want to discuss it here. Outcast thus led the way, bringing Hermo and the others into Rhodes Island.
While a fierce battle raged at the front and Outcast was receiving guests, Kanna sat with Scout in the observation tower, watching the show from premium seats.
"Wow! Is that an intestine?" By the end, Kanna could not bear it and covered her eyes. It was too cruel, completely an adults-only scene that a hatchling like her should not be watching.
"I have to admit, although LOGOS is pretty annoying when he's showing off, he really knows how to train his subordinates." Scout considered all that talk about whether it was appropriate for Kanna to encounter such a bloody battlefield at her age to be nonsense.
After all, when Kazdel had been at its bloodiest, it had been perfectly normal for Sarkaz Kanna's age to go to the front lines. Rather than finding a way to get Kanna used to blood later, was this not the best opportunity?
Besides, they were several kilometers away. She could see clearly, but she could not smell anything. At most, it was visually shocking. To Scout, this scene was nothing. If he had not been testing how well Kanna could accept a battlefield, he would have gone down to play cards with Long Scorpion.
But for Kanna, this was the first time in both her lives that she had seen something so bloody. This was not a slaughterhouse or a butcher shop. The pieces scattered all over the ground made her stomach feel a little uncomfortable—she would probably have to eat one less bowl today.
After cleaning up the battlefield, the team at the front returned to Rhodes Island. Scout wanted to tease Kanna, so his eyes turned and he slipped downstairs, pulled a sausage from the refrigerator, then darted back up with an ill-intentioned smile.
"We've been out here playing for so long. You must be hungry. I grabbed a little snack. Want some?" As he spoke, he casually held it out to Kanna.
"Fuck." Kanna immediately wanted to give him the middle finger.
This guy was way too petty. He was actually messing with a hatchling like this.
But she was not an ordinary person. She was a glutton, all intake and no output. Everything she ate was completely digested, and there was nothing for her to throw up, so she would not end up vomiting everywhere.
After dry-heaving for a while, Kanna decided she could not let him look down on her. And she could not stand the smug expression on his face. She pounced, shut her eyes, and with an "Awoo!" bit the sausage from Scout's hand. Without even chewing, she swallowed it with a gulp.
Scout was dumbfounded. He had not expected Kanna to be so obsessed with food. Ordinary people, after seeing such a scene, would avoid even red and white foods if they could still eat. Someone like Kanna, who could suppress her revulsion and eat meat the first time she encountered it, could only be described by Scout in two words—monster.
"Aren't you going to welcome Outcast?" Scout asked, pointing at Outcast and the Rhine Lab group entering the landship below.
Kanna had naturally seen Outcast and the people she had brought back. She dared say she knew Hermo several streets better than Scout did. Since Hermo was there and Kanna had seen two other people in the vehicle, though she could not make them out clearly because of the lighting and angle, she guessed they were probably White Gugu and the invincible Little Fire Dragon.
Since they had boarded the island, it seemed the Rhine Lab Martial Emperor would be arriving soon. And later, the prison Martial Emperor Mountain would be arranged as well. (I strongly recommend Mountain's Combat Records from the Arknights New Year Festival, BV1qq4y1k74P.)
From then on, Rhodes Island would embark on the irreversible road of constantly poaching Rhine Lab's people through Hermo. Hehe, when would they poach Mumu too?
Thinking about it, Kanna did want to meet Little Fire Dragon. But having just arrived in an unfamiliar place, she would inevitably be wary of others. And given Little Fire Dragon's physical condition, it would probably take some time before Hermo allowed her to come out and play around Rhodes Island.
As Rhodes Island's most sociable Kanna, she naturally wanted to meet Ifrit. But she was not in a rush. There was still plenty of time, and as children close in age, they would eventually have a chance to meet.
Come to think of it, Kanna had not seen any members of Reserve Action Group A4 since arriving. She guessed they had probably not boarded the island yet, so she would not get to witness the Roseblade Sword Saint's splendor.
Soon, amid their casual conversation, the dispatched teams gradually returned to Rhodes Island.
Before long, a head popped up from below.
"Captain, Dr. Kal'tsit wants you to take Kanna to the Control Room and report in."
Scout nodded, then patted Kanna's dragon horns. "Let's go. You've probably earned a major merit this time."
Kanna was about to agree when she suddenly remembered how she had eaten a huge pile of desserts at the dessert shop and told the owner to send the bill to Kal'tsit. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. Would going to see Kal'tsit now count as walking into a trap?
"Don't just stand there... Come down!" Seeing Kanna, who had been excited a moment ago, suddenly freeze in place, Scout waved at her.
"Um! Well, I'm afraid of heights, and I'm a little dizzy right now. Can I not go see Kal'tsit..." Thinking of that long bill she had run up to trick Kal'tsit, Kanna's eyes spun. She touched her forehead with one hand, pretending to be unwell.
Scout looked at Kanna speechlessly. You were the kind of savage who jumped off the edge of the observation tower without even blinking, and now you were telling him you were afraid of heights? Was this a joke?
"Did you screw up again earlier?" Scout asked helplessly.
"Um... I wouldn't exactly call it screwing up... I just ate a tiny bit of dessert, then told the owner to make Kal'tsit pay." Kanna spoke hesitantly while holding up two fingers to indicate the tiniest amount.
"I think I get it... How much was it?" Scout raised a hand to his forehead. Based on what he knew of Kanna, her "tiny bit" was probably very different from a normal person's tiny bit.
"I don't know. I ordered one of everything," Kanna confessed decisively.
Scout merely gave Kanna a thumbs-up in admiration. "Don't worry. You've done a great service today. Kal'tsit won't make trouble for you over such a small mistake."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
After hesitating, Kanna thought that Rhodes Island was only so large. She could avoid the first day, but not the fifteenth. Rather than letting Empress Kal'tsit settle accounts with her later, it was better to let her merits and faults offset each other now.
"Fine! Then I'll wait for you downstairs." With that, Kanna unwillingly walked to the edge, stepped out, and vanished from the observation tower.
Watching Kanna jump straight down like that, Scout was too exhausted to complain. That little thing truly was a newborn hatchling who did not fear heights. Forgive these old bones of his for lacking the courage to perform high-altitude rapid descents whenever she pleased. Even if his mind could handle it, his body could not endure that kind of stunt.
After going downstairs, he instructed Putel, who was on rotation break, to take over his position in the observation tower. Then he took the elevator down from above to the platform.
Once he got down, he saw Kanna staring blankly at the floor in front of her.
When he walked over and looked, he found two huge holes in the floor. This was the deck of a landship, made of solid steel. Even with welding equipment, punching holes that large would take tremendous effort.
But the more he looked at the two holes, the more familiar they seemed. After unconsciously glancing at Kanna, he realized they matched the horns on her head exactly, even with the same spacing.
Noticing that Scout had figured it out, Kanna rubbed her dragon horns and said embarrassedly, "I haven't jumped off buildings enough times, so my technique isn't good yet. A gust of wind knocked my balance off midway, and I ended up crashing down headfirst. I definitely didn't do it on purpose. If I practice more, this definitely won't happen next time."
Scout looked at Kanna's head. Her two horns gleamed brightly, without the slightest damage or scratch.
Good grief, those horns were harder than steel.
As for whether Kanna herself was injured, he could not tell. He would have to tell Kal'tsit about it once they reached the Control Room and let her decide how Kanna should be examined.
Before you continue