Chapter 257

Seeing the Doctor's skeptical look, Warfarin shrugged, then picked up the blood sample she had drawn earlier and drank it all in one gulp.

"Take only half of what Medic says. Closure and I are the minority, while you, Doctor, are indeed as tempting as a delicious snack to the Bloodfiend... So don't be careless. If you're discovered and captured, you really will be exploited like a snack."

Seeing the Doctor deep in thought, and at the same time, whether instinctively or out of fear, clutching her left hand, Nana let him manipulate her hand like a toy. Even when the Doctor buried his face in Nana's freshly washed hair and took a deep breath, she didn't seem to mind at all... Nana seemed to have more patience for the Doctor than for Rosemary.

"Speaking of Closure also played pranks on the Doctor, you know. Medic, you can't just ruin my plans, go and teach that swindler a lesson too~"

What did she do?

"How should I know? Anyway, no matter what she does in the end, it'll all veer towards her Closure's Supermarket..."

"Should we install unskippable video ads on the Doctor's room screen?!"

"You could have been even more vicious, playing midnight convenience store ads that you can't turn off at midnight... Since she likes Coke so much, it's only natural that she'd prefer high-glycemic foods in the traditional Bloodfiend diet."

"I remember she doesn't drink blood... Also, if the Doctor gets fattened up by her... will Kal'tsit pinch Closure and sway her from side to side, or will she pinch the Doctor and make him do some side-to-side swaying exercises?"

"Good question, you've stumped me... But Kal'tsit always has to keep someone in check, that's for sure. You already know that woman from Rhodes Island quite well."

As she said this, Warfarin smirked as she packed up her equipment.

Nana, feeling the Doctor's gentle tugging on her hand, as if urging her to leave, asked:

"So, Doctor, may we leave now?"

"Yes, the inspection is complete. Although the reports are all sent directly to Kal'tsit... we don't have permission to view them."

"Of course, Doctor, I also..."

Before Nana could finish speaking, the Doctor, who seemed to have some social anxiety but was an exceptionally socially apprehensive person in front of Nana, quickly grabbed Nana's hand and swayed it from side to side... No, I was just joking when I said Kal'tsit was pinching you and swaying you from side to side, I didn't mean I wanted you to do that.

Helplessly letting the Doctor make these gestures, whether it was coquettishness or something else, Nana said speechlessly:

"I still have work to do, Doctor. You should also go back to your office and get back to your work... Amiya is probably still waiting for you."

"Medic, aren't you coming along?"

"... But I've already been transferred back to the Medical Department from the Human Resources Department."

She was no longer actually the Doctor's direct subordinate. Although the Command System did not recognize Rhodes Island's administrative orders, Nana did have a lot of things to do now that there were no security risks.

Watching the Doctor purse his lips, looking like he didn't want to be separated from Nana, Warfarin said speechlessly while washing the test tubes:

"You should just take her with you... It should be Kal'tsit showing the Doctor around her work... But that Kal'tsit always looks like she has something to hide when she sees the Doctor... I remember Closure said that Kal'tsit is very close to the Doctor, who knows if the Babel... all those messy things that happened at Rhodes Island before created some kind of rift between her and the Doctor."

"Nana, you must have seen it too, right? Kal'tsit's strange expression, staring at me so intently, it scared the Doctor half to death."

"Hmm... but I don't think it's a barrier."

Warfarin glared at him, saying something incoherent, but more likely trying to appease the Doctor. Nana helplessly grasped the Doctor's hand.

"Alright, I'll take you to find Amiya first... Kal'tsit shouldn't... no, I should say she couldn't possibly hate the Doctor, and you don't need to think she's scary..."

After a pause, Nana looked gently at the Doctor:

"Kal'tsit... she's much gentler than me... no, I should say much gentler."

Therefore, it's better to trust Kal'tsit more.

PS: Waaaaaaah!

Although it's neither a cat nor a dog, I still want to show everyone the adorable Mutou↑

PSS: YJ really pulled a huge surprise for me this time. I can't even imagine what kind of bombshell the anniversary celebration will be... Also, the name "Heavenly Fulcrum" is really nice... It's similar to "Deep Blue Tree"...

While these plans might seem a bit juvenile on their own, they feel perfectly fitting within the Arknights.

So, I think it's a real shame that Nana's Halo has nothing to do with the Heavenly Fulcrum... New term, and she immediately jumped on the bandwagon! Typical me.

8th Spring of Siracusa: 289 Nana's New Mission

Although Nana offered this comfort, the assassin knew that it was impossible for the Doctor to immediately change his preconceived notion that 'Kal'tsit always had a stern Little Cat -like face.'

It's no use just talking about it; if she wants to change the Doctor's preconceived notions about Kal'tsit, she needs to see for herself what Kal'tsit has done.

What Nana needs to do is to tell the Doctor the truth in the simplest way possible. This is to prevent the Doctor from being unable to even have the most basic rational understanding of Kal'tsit because of his resistance to Kal'tsit... otherwise, Kal'tsit's image in the Doctor's mind will be completely ruined.

Of course, this situation is unlikely to happen... After all, his own Halo would make the Doctor the primary target of protection, so the situation on Kal'tsit's side is probably similar, and besides, the Doctor isn't a bad person.

Although Nana would occasionally hear rumors about the 'Demon of Babel' from various sources, based on their current experience, the Doctor's ability to quickly grasp the situation after losing his memory and knowing nothing, his good relationship with the Special Operations Team through Amiya's introduction, and his successful replacement of her in commanding the PRTS in a short period of time with excellent results... the Doctor's learning, communication, and thinking abilities are all top-notch.

How could someone like that not notice Kal'tsit's gentleness hidden in her silence...? So Nana isn't worried at all about the tension between the Doctor and Kal'tsit; it must only be temporary.

However, this doesn't mean that there are no concerns about Nana regarding their relationship.

After all, the Doctor is a good person, Kal'tsit is a good person too... So why did Kal'tsit show such a pained expression when she saw the Doctor?

Nana still remembers Kal'tsit from not long ago; she was sad, heartbroken, and seemingly reaffirmed her resolve...

She was undoubtedly wary of some question related to the Doctor, and considering the VIPs of the Halo Command System and the four strange project names that Kal'tsit had inquired about, Nana had reason to believe that the Doctor was strongly connected to those Previous Civilization' salvation plans.

With the Doctor suffering from amnesia and his temporarily frozen memories irrecoverable, just like Kal'tsit's helpless expression, it's no wonder that Kal'tsit has that perpetually headache-like expression, since she doesn't handle those crises herself.

"But... saving the world?"

Leading the Doctor looked like he was sixteen, the black-haired girl who wanted to hide behind everyone was so weak that she couldn't even lift a standard medical supplies box.

Nana really finds it hard to imagine that this girl, who looks only slightly older than Amiya and Rosemary, could be associated with those world-destroying crises.

But what was that saying?

A chef has his talents, and an assassin has his. Even with amnesia, the Doctor is still an extremely excellent battlefield commander. As for getting up close and personal with those disasters, perhaps Kal'tsit and I... no, I can go by myself.

Nana gently grasped the Doctor's hand, introducing him to the main elevators and routes of Rhodes Island while leading him to greet the ship's crew.

Because Rhodes Island's official operations teams and Elite Operator are currently engaged in the Chernobog war negotiations and refugee relief efforts, most of the personnel currently active on Rhodes Island are Medical Department members, followed by personnel from the Human Resources Department's cooperative operations team who have just returned to the ship and are still on leave.

Coincidentally, Nana was taking the Doctor to meet the Human Resources Department break room where she would probably be spending a lot of time... And because Nana had filled out a move-out application, a small drone was currently carrying boxes of packed personal belongings through the drone-only passage. Upon entering the break room, you could see Huang and FrostNova, who had originally come to Nana to receive their belongings, but were now just staring at each other.

"Hi everyone, good afternoon. Also... this is the Doctor. Although you all got to know each other during previous missions, let me introduce you again. PRTS should have already notified everyone that from now on, the work arrangements for the Minister of the Human Resources Department and the combat personnel who have signed cooperation agreements with Rhodes Island's Human Resources Department will mostly be under the Doctor's command."

"Ah, so Nana, you're going to focus on the Medical Department's work now? But... I remember you already have your own team... Why don't I have the right to apply?"

Nana was already used to Huang's habit of snuggling up to her and getting close to her while he was talking.

Watching the Doctor, angrily standing between Nana and Huang with his hands on his hips, his cheeks slightly puffed out—whether from anger or defiance—after being pushed aside by Huang and then struggling to get back in his arms, Nana chuckled as she rescued him from Huang's embrace and continued:

"Because you, Blaze, are already Top Operator. You have your own team, and why would a captain-level operator easily join another team... Not every mission requires multiple Elite Operator."

"But I can do it... with multiple Elite Operator."

Whether it was to retaliate against Huang for having just touched her inappropriately, the Doctor swiped on her tablet Terminal. As Huang watched the Doctor assign Nana's squad to her command order, she was first stunned, then frowned slightly, and immediately became overjoyed!

"Doctor! Bro! Take me with you! I'm a pro at breaking through obstacles! I can saw through any obstacle! If you weave me and Nana together, you can even touch my tail and ears!"

"... No need, I can touch Nana."

Watching the Doctor keep his word and pounce on Nana's back, burying his head in Nana hair again, while his hands restlessly pinched and squeezed Nana's cat ears, the roughness of his touch was enough to make Huang's ears hurt.

Looking worriedly at Nana, who still wore a gentle smile, Huang couldn't help but give her a thumbs up:

"Nana, your maternal instincts are even stronger now than when you were wearing Rosemary... And Doctor, that's not how you pinch Feline's ears, you're practically abusing her... Come on, you have to rub along the contours, like this... Ah!"

Seeing Nana slap her hand away speechlessly, Huang clicked his tongue in regret, which Nana clearly heard:

"Don't treat me like a toy."

Clearly, the carefree Blaze didn't notice the people around her, such as FrostNova's little gesture of picking up her teacup to cover her smiling face. But seeing Jessica stiffly avert her gaze, Franka, the funny one, lowering her head to suppress her laughter, and even Liskarm, a trustworthy person, giving her a wink... Blaze cautiously turned around, and then saw a splash of emerald green.

"Kal'tsit... Dr. Kal'tsit?! When did she arrive?"

"When the Doctor assigned me to her command authority as well."

Recalling the time the Doctor operated the Terminal, Huang slapped his face in exasperation. Hadn't he heard everything?!

"Well... respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a common saying in Yan, I absolutely did not say anything about Dr. Kal'tsit being old or anything like that..."

Hearing what Blaze said, even Kal'tsit was speechless. Emerald Feline, with one hand in her pocket, tapped Blaze's head with her folder before changing the subject and looking at the Doctor.

"I'm sorry, I know you've just returned to Rhodes Island and should be given some time to adjust, but in reality, we have a lot of work to do, and you may need to start working on the tasks at hand immediately."

The Doctor glanced uneasily at the document Kal'tsit handed him, who was smiling encouragingly at Nana, before taking it and asking in a low voice:

"Then... what do I need to do?"

"Without a doubt, starting with the documents is currently the best way for you to gain insight into Rhodes Island's operations and the state of our organization. As Medic previously explained, Rhodes Island's cooperation and its own combat personnel organization are now entirely under your command and allocation, and the highest-level access key for the Human Resources Department has been sent to your PRTS access integration."

"I am currently in charge of the treatment and research work at Rhodes Island Landship and Medical Department, while Amiya, as the company's CEO, will assist you in understanding what that power is and how it affects this land."

As if seizing this opportunity, Amiya, dressed in a brand-new Rhodes Island uniform, entered the lounge. The Little Bunny pricked up her ears and stood at attention in front of everyone.

Kal'tsit nodded slightly to the rabbit, then continued:

"Don't be too nervous... Having just left a war-torn region like Chernobog, we won't be returning to that level of battlefield intensity anytime soon. Your priority now is to eliminate the effects of amnesia, see this land clearly again... and rediscover your true self."

Watching Kal'tsit hesitantly arrange the Doctor's next steps, and as Blaze once again approached the Doctor asking questions, even the three members of the Blacksteel Team occasionally offered their Mercenaries insights to answer the Doctor's questions about the documents, Nana gently nudged the Little Bunny. Amiya joined in, watching the girl with her long hair tied in a ponytail nervously point out important details in the documents to the Doctor. Nana smiled slightly, then turned to chase after the silently departing Kal'tsit.

"... Medic?"

"I still care, Kal'tsit. Do you have any work for me right now? About those things you care about..."

"Those... um... I've already contacted and arranged for people to handle it... If you mean Medic, you mean something like directly confronting the Collapse Entity and destroying it, I don't have that kind of work right now... However, I can tell you about my current arrangements for those things."

Following Kal'tsit back to her office, Nana ordered a takeout coffee from Licorice Cafe to save Kal'tsit's time... This unexpectedly caused Kal'tsit, who had just taken out the coffee grinder, to show a slightly sad expression, making Nana feel a little guilty.

Of course, the final line of defense of Rhodes Island and Kal'tsit, who is considered the de facto controller of Rhodes Island, didn't just get together to discuss whether coffee tastes better when made at home or ordered from elsewhere... I don't know if this counts as an official sign of the escalation of Nana and Kal'tsit's relationship, but in any case, Nana received some of Kal'tsit's explanations of the arrangements made by those Previous Civilization.

"... Well... to put it simply, although our informants in Columbia claim to have received leads on Project 'Preserver,' our location makes it difficult for them to reach us..."

"Yes, things are relatively stable over there for now... Although I don't know the details of these plans, judging from the name 'Preserver,' its threat is far less than the already activated Deep Blue Tree. This is a disaster we need to act on immediately, but we are still waiting for some key items." Si

Seeing that Kal'tsit hadn't even entered the PRTS (Prescription, Notice, and Report), but had only handwritten it to herself on paper, Nana memorized it. Then, black magical flames dissipated in the air, leaving not a single scrap of paper behind.

"Seaborn... Aegir... the Great Silence... the Deep Blue Tree... is it really the culprit that directly caused the silence along the Iberia coast?"

Although initially somewhat incredulous, Nana pondered the events surrounding herself, the 'Angel,' and the supposed Old Covenant Skyfire Burning the City. Taking a sip of coffee with her neck hunched, Nana refrained from further questioning the destructive power of the Previous Civilization's creations.

"But... it fused with the Deep Blue Tree to gain a powerful physique and immunity to Originium, but due to uncontrolled individual signals, it triggered a rejection reaction in its dominant system... causing the Deep Blue Tree to transform into a monster named Seaborn, who sees humans as enemies... is that right?" V

Scratching her head, Nana temporarily thought of an operator with the login name Specter, but quickly focused on the core of the Deep Blue Tree problem: the group.

"In other words, the so-called hostility of the Seaborn wasn't actually due to their prolonged stagnation, but rather because Aegir's research... steered them towards some irreversible mutation."

Seeing Nana's speechless expression, Kal'tsit nodded expressionlessly, covering half her face with her coffee cup to avoid looking too stern.

"Unlike other projects that are inherently dangerous, the Deep Blue Tree should be the project furthest removed from Previous Civilization. However, due to Aegir's provocation, it is indeed one of the most widely known, most frequently attacked, and most severely damaged Previous Civilization projects on Earth, and is confirmed to be one of the most in need of closure or repair... While it is useless and pointless to blame curiosity, Aegir's recklessness is indeed the reason for the birth of the so-called 'Seaborn'."

"Because their technology is superior to that of the surface world, where they have been fighting the Sarkaz for years, the underwater Aegir possess an unacceptable arrogance... This is also the root cause of their current predicament."

"... Weakness is never an obstacle to survival; arrogance is..."

"Is this your assessment of what appears to be a product related to Heaven's Pivot Project?"

"No, this is what my manager told me when I first woke up, when I thought I was just a weak, pitiful little Feline who could eat a lot..."

"She certainly taught you very well... Anyway, I've contacted the relevant people in Iberia and commissioned a trusted Aegir to search for items related to the Deep Blue Tree..."

"The action plan and priorities are set as follows: 'Confirm the situation,' 'Re-establish contact with Iberia to rebuild the Seaborn defense line,' and 'Re-enter the deep sea to restart or shut down the Deep Blue Tree.'"

Looking at Kal'tsit's matter-of-fact expression, Nana felt as if she were talking about how one would take it for granted to stuff an elephant into a refrigerator.

"... Kal'tsit, things can't be that simple..."

"I know, that's just a very general statement."

Clearly, Kal'tsit understood that when it came to combat, field operations, and command, she, as a research assistant with numerous restrictions, could never compare to the military mechs before her or a professionally trained person like the Doctor.

But... what could she do? She couldn't just do nothing.

After a moment of silence, Nana sighed:

So, all we can do now is wait?

"No, you probably can't simply wait on Rhodes Island..."

"A mission?"

Seeing Nana suddenly perk up her ears and tail, Kal'tsit helplessly pressed her hand down to make her sit back down on the stool, Kal'tsit pulled up an explanation.

Nana glanced at it; it was an application for Ascalon, or rather, SWEEP.

"They want to transfer me away from Rhodes Island... to identify... traitors on the ships?"

"... These are some historical issues."