Arknights, but the Family Has Fallen Again, Again, Again — Part 7

Frostleaf took off her headset and answered, "Mm. They prepared for only a few hours, then plunged headfirst into a captured mobile city... and yet there were almost no casualties! I've never heard of an operation like that!"

In truth, preparations for this operation had begun in October, though not everyone knew that.

To them, it all seemed to have begun with this morning's news.

"Um..." Jessica watched the descending transport aircraft and joined the conversation. "I heard that too. All the casualties happened before the target was rescued..."

Frostleaf glanced at Jessica, then turned to Meteorite and asked, "You're a little older. I heard the target this time is one of Rhodes Island's founding members. Do you know him?"

Meteorite's brow furrowed slightly. "...Let's not talk about me being older."

"Before I started using the codename Meteorite, I'd heard of his name."

The Sarkaz mercenary looked at the two half-grown children beside her. In the end, she only said, "Dr. Oute was once..."

At the end of the corridor, Specter, dressed in a nun's habit, made her way toward them at an unhurried pace. At some point, she had recovered her circular saw.

"...Lord of All Things... I will finally see you..."

The transport aircraft's doors swung wide open.

Chapter 8: Warfarin, One Reserved Seat!

"The mental and physical burdens incurred through missions and treatment can both be eased here."

Oute pondered for a moment. Since this was the residential area, was the medical area nearby?

PRTS replied, "Correct. The medical area is nearby. Would you like guidance to Operator Specter, Dr. Oute?"

Cold sweat broke out on Oute's back. PRTS's respectful form of address carried an obvious sense of estrangement when directed at him.

As for why she was being distant?

Well... the finger incident just now.

He thought, Where is Amiya right now?

"Ms. Amiya has just finished communicating with Dr. Kal'tsit and is heading to the deck."

"Then take me to Amiya."

"A wise decision... Doc-otter."

For some reason, PRTS seemed extremely pleased with Oute's choice.

The landship advanced across an endless wasteland. It silently passed towering clusters of Originium crystals and ruined walls, leaving the desolate scenery behind. The setting sun shone behind Rhodes Island, while ahead lay the nerve center of Yan's deep inland.

Lungmen, the border trade city governed by Wei Yenwu, the "current feudal lord."

Its model was naturally HK, but placed upon Terra's map and considered alongside Wei Yenwu's identity, the mobile city's political and economic role more closely resembled that of the Protectorate General of the Western Regions.

Perhaps for safety reasons, the landship's deck was protected by railings while it traveled.

At that moment, Amiya was leaning alone against the railing, grinning foolishly toward the direction Rhodes Island was heading as she imagined the future.

"Doc-otter!" The moment she heard the voice behind her, Amiya immediately perked up.

She turned around, only to find Warfarin.

The Vampire was indeed one of Rhodes Island's founding members, but as an employee whom the old lynx had dragged in to work only after Babel's collapse, Mr. Blood Warfarin had never actually met the Doctor before.

She said, "I heard from Medic."

"The Doctor's physical condition..." She shook her head. "We'll probably need to prepare some equipment in advance."

"Huh?" Amiya found that hard to accept. "Could it be..."

Warfarin quickly waved her hands. "No, no, no. It's not that bad."

"Some kidney issues are expected. Specifically, kidney failure." Warfarin planted her hands on her hips. "That's no problem for Rhodes Island!"

"Can it be cured completely?" Amiya asked anxiously.

Warfarin revealed an eerie smile. "Treatment needs to be planned according to his physical condition, you see... so..."

"I'll contact Dr. Kal'tsit right away!" With that, the little donkey pulled out her phone.

On Terra, these highly intelligent handheld terminals were sometimes also called phones.

Warfarin grabbed Amiya and hurriedly said, "No, no, no! Just give me authorization!"

Before the elevator doors had even opened, Oute heard the voices from the deck.

"Amiya?"

Warfarin's eyes darted about. Choosing to selectively forget what would happen if Kal'tsit found out, she turned and went to pester Oute.

Both white-haired and red-eyed, Warfarin sauntered before Oute and leaned forward, trying to seduce him with what little she had. "Dr. Oute! You don't want kidney failure, do you?"

Warfarin, you weren't even an operator from the East Country, and besides...

Oute glanced at her, sidestepped, and avoided Warfarin's pounce.

PRTS promptly informed him of what had just happened.

Oute nodded, indicating that he agreed with Warfarin's statement.

Given that Warfarin, as a member of the medical department, was no match for him while he was not wearing an earpiece, he raised his terminal and spoke through PRTS. "If you want to participate in my physical examination, it would be better to apply directly to Dr. Kal'tsit."

Warfarin instantly froze.

Fragments of the injured operators' boasting from earlier flooded into Warfarin's mind. She stared at Oute in disbelief. "How did you... Don't tell me you can read minds? But I didn't feel anything at all!"

Seeing Warfarin's stress bar suddenly rise, Oute tilted his head and said, "Ahem, I heard it in the elevator just now."

Warfarin sighed in relief and smiled. "Ah, I thought someone had easily broken through my mental defenses while I was powerless to resist."

Feeling playful, Oute equipped Dismas's Head on Warfarin, establishing a mental link.

He commanded, "Jump toward six o'clock. Ahem."

As strength surged through her body, Warfarin instinctively obeyed the voice from within. She turned toward Amiya, leaped with all her might, and jumped straight off the deck.

"Waaaaaaaaah!" Her voice gradually faded into the distance.

"Ms. Warfarin!" Amiya immediately leaned over the edge, only to see the Vampire abruptly blink through the air and cling to the landship's outer wall.

She let out a breath of relief, then turned back and lightly patted Oute's clothes. She was extremely careful, as though afraid of hurting him.

"Doc-otter! Don't play such dangerous pranks!"

The father-daughter dynamic seemed to have subtly reversed.

"Just now..." Still shaken, the Vampire clung to the outside of the railing and watched Oute warily.

PRTS's electronic voice came from the terminal again. "There is no need to be so cautious. If you have no intention of following such an order, it will have no effect whatsoever."

"Essentially, this only allows my commands to convey my intentions more effectively, without being easily misinterpreted."

"If you don't believe me, ahem, come up here!"

A warm sensation came through the mental link. As she savored it carefully, Warfarin understood exactly how that command wanted her to "come up," and from which part of the railing she was meant to "come up."

Perhaps to demonstrate the trait he had just described, the order contained many complicated details that did not need to be followed.

Warfarin believed she had already raised her guard. Though the command had been conveyed clearly into her heart, she remained unmoved.

Oute merely extended his hand, like someone guiding a beginner through a tutorial, and invited the Vampire.

"Ahem, if you intend to follow my command..."

"Then take my hand and come up."

When Warfarin made up her mind and followed the command, taking the man's hand, a sense of certainty and satisfaction welled up within her.

Like a kite with its string cut, returned to someone's hand.

She was clearly obeying an order, clearly being restrained...

A flush crept onto Warfarin's excessively pale cheeks, as if the sunset behind Oute had somehow reflected itself onto her face.

There was clearly no need for this...

The Vampire gently held Oute's hand, flipped back over the railing onto the deck, then rolled into Oute's arms with the momentum.

She lay facing upward, as though she could see Oute's smooth neck. Closing her eyes and taking a light breath, she seemed able to smell the fragrance of fresh blood flowing through his arteries.

And yet... she felt so safe...

That's right, I can refuse completely, so... it's fine...

The Vampire closed her eyes and raised her head, relying solely on her other senses to shape the scene before pulling back her hood and lightly sucking on Oute's lips.

The Vampire was intoxicated by an inexplicable sense of security.

"Ms. Warfarin! What are you doing?!" The little rabbit's face turned bright red.

Specter had broken through the medical department in an attempt to bypass Kal'tsit and obtain authorization for the Doctor's physical examination. And now there was this sneaky taste... This Vampire could start considering where she wanted to be hanged.

Chapter 9: The Evil Spirit Loves Me... I... Love the Evil Spirit?

"...Lord of All Things? Dr. Oute?"

On the bridge's display, Kal'tsit supported one elbow with one hand while the other rested against her smooth chin in thought.

"No, impossible. Absolutely impossible." Kal'tsit firmly rejected the notion. "Most likely, it's Originium neural infection. Specter confused her... him."

"She is a patient. There is no need to blame her... Just deduct the cost from the combat operators' allowances."

"As for Warfarin..." She paused and crossed her arms.

It was an unmistakably resistant gesture.

"Letting Specter break through the medical department is one matter. Attempting to deceive Amiya in order to obtain authorization for Dr. Oute's physical examination is another..."

She lowered her head slightly, her face buried deep in shadow as she muttered, "...The third is even more unforgivable."

What was the third thing?

Say it already!