Kitty Killer Isn't Very Cold

"I can neither stand by and watch you become that kind of bad child, nor let Medic walk into the abyss of regret alone... So, I need you, Matilda."

"What should I do?"

"Yes. Medic is somewhat self-destructive now. On one hand, it is because of Survivor Syndrome; on the other, she was severely injured in the previous incident... and lost an eye... Unable to give her all right now, it makes sense that she would prepare everything for you as though arranging her final affairs.

"And restoring Nana's strength would not be difficult. We plan to give Kate's eye to Nana... But that alone probably will not stop Nana from sinking further... So we need you, Matilda... Treat your Sister Nana as you would family...

"Don't only go to her when you want to talk to family... Care more about Nana. After all, she is the only family you have left alive."

"...But... I don't know... what I should do... At a time like this, I can't hear Mama or Sister's voices at all."

Seeing Little Cat's anxious expression, as though she were about to cry, Kal'tsit wiped the tears from the corner of the girl's eyes with the back of her hand and said in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Actually, it's simple... Master the power that hurt Nana when you went berserk, and continue learning the knowledge you should be learning at school... Don't let Nana spoil you into a spoiled, extravagant child... Give some of the feelings you have for Dead Soul to Nana as well... It doesn't need to be much. Just see Nana, who is caring for you now, and the mother who cared for you before as one and the same... I think Nana would be very happy."

By now, Matilda's expression had become somewhat blank... Clearly, even Kal'tsit realized that she had said too much to this child, and that her words had been too long-winded...(

But since they were speaking with something like Dead Soul, then once Medic returned... perhaps the deceased Bruce family would give their youngest child some advice and guidance.

Or perhaps Medic suddenly being willing to accept the will of the Original Organ was the result of the Bruce family's Dead Souls intervening to comfort her?)

Normally, such vague speculation that blurred the line between life and death—thinking that dead friends were still looking out for her—should have brought some warmth to one's heart... But when Kal'tsit thought of how such understanding people had now been separated forever from their last family member, a dark anger smoldered within her.

And Dead Souls were generally beings whose humanity gradually vanished and rapidly deteriorated over time. Every Dead Soul Kal'tsit knew had, without exception, been left with only its deepest memories gnawing at its soul and will... becoming stubborn and hostile toward everything in those memories.

If Medic had truly used the Demon King Authority to create the Bruce family's Dead Souls... the worsening of her own mental state over time was one concern, while what kind of ideas those Dead Souls might instill in Matilda, this artificial war caster, was another matter requiring special attention.

There did not seem to be a problem at this stage, but considering the future... Kal'tsit thought she needed to speak with Medic as soon as possible.

Just as Kal'tsit habitually opened her Terminal to call her, she saw the "out of range" label beside Medic and the Medic Squad and remembered that Medic had decided to personally recruit employees in order to ease her own burden... This operation had also been arranged by Kal'tsit to encourage Medic and rebuild her confidence.

Only after turning her full attention back to the present did Kal'tsit see... Matilda, tugging desperately at her sleeve under Amiya's encouragement:

"...Um... um!"

"Yes?"

"Amiya... Amiya said that Doctor Kal'tsit is the most knowledgeable person on the ship... Can I study textbooks and how to use Arts with Amiya under you?"

Looking at Matilda, who was stumbling over her words, Kal'tsit glanced at Amiya, who stuck out her tongue at her... Although Kal'tsit had been so distracted just now that she had not noticed what Little Bunny and Little Cat had said to achieve such remarkable results, since this child was willing to improve, Kal'tsit naturally would not play favorites—for the child's sake, and for Medic's.

Kal'tsit nodded, her expression beneath the dark circles under her eyes as calm as ever.

"Yes."

PS: Today's cats

I really want to sleep while being held like this...

PS2: What was originally supposed to be wrapped up in two thousand words somehow turned into an entire chapter, but at least I made Little Cat's seemingly somewhat heartless problem clear... After thinking it over, I'll leave Cardigan and her friends for the next chapter... Mainly because I'm sleepy and hungry and need to deal with biological necessities.

PS3: So today's update seems like it might be ten thousand words? I looked at the previous chapter, and together with this one it's nine thousand words... Still not ten thousand. Sad... All I can say is, I hope everyone can understand what I wanted to explain through Little Cat's explanation.

After all, I'm no longer a little girl. I don't know what children that age think about.

The Mystery of the 2nd Medic: At the Beginning, No One Cared About This Disaster

The weather was exceptionally clear today. Even in the dead of night, Su Sulo, taking her turn at the wheel, could maintain a speed of over seventy kilometers per hour under the faint light of the Twin Moons.

But good night vision did not mean she liked the darkness around her. On the wilderness plains, wild animals like Rock Crabs were just as frightening as strangers lying in ambush beside the roads used by small vehicles.

Fortunately, as dawn gradually brightened the horizon, the pink Little Fox was finally able to yawn to her heart's content... Wasn't the rising sun also a reward for drivers who had stayed up all night?

Su Sulo had worked plenty of night shifts while studying and during her time at a public hospital... But watching the sunrise like this was still quite novel for Little Fox.

"Ooh... That sun halo is so beautiful... Leithanien is really nice. There are plenty of rivers, and it's nestled between mountains and water... The air isn't as dry as Columbia's, either..."

Muttering to herself, Su Sulo yawned and took out her phone Terminal, absentmindedly snapping a photo of the sun halo outside the cab.

Since she had taken over from Medic in the latter half of the night, Little Fox was somewhat tired after several hours of driving. The photo was casual in every way, from the halo itself to the half of someone's head that had failed to focus in the frame...

Yet that casually taken photo made the gleaming sun halo seem like the Halo above Little Fox's head... becoming one of the little pleasures of this brief journey.

The girl's quiet, foolish giggling naturally woke her companion as well. The large black cat pawed at the seatback and quickly leaned over with messy hair:

"What are you looking at that's making you so happy?"

"I just took a sunrise photo. I thought it was pretty interesting."

Taking the phone handed over from the driver's seat, Blaze held a hair tie between her teeth and examined this "Sankta Su Sulo" photo, but failed to understand what was funny... As a field operator, Blaze focused more on practical matters. Her attention was clearly on the halo itself.

"The size of that halo ring... It's huge... Is there heavy rain coming?"

"If a halo can form, there must be plenty of moisture in the air. But Rhodes Island hasn't issued a heavy rain warning... It's probably just normal rainfall... Speaking of which, wasn't the weather forecast program Rhodes Island started broadcasting earlier also Medic's responsibility? Now that she's out on a field mission with us, is anyone updating the forecast?"

As she spoke, Su Sulo scratched at the rather large ears atop her head, large even among Vulpo. Although she did not feel that the air was particularly damp, she still remotely switched the vehicle's air conditioning to dehumidification... After all, all three people in the vehicle were furry to varying degrees. If they truly started feeling damp, it would be too late to do anything about it.

Blaze casually ran her fingers through her hair, considering herself dressed, then leaned against the window to look at the sun that had already risen into the sky... But the angle seemed wrong. The beautiful halo Su Sulo had photographed was no longer visible, and Blaze could only regretfully withdraw her gaze:

"If Medic isn't here, then Kal'tsit is probably personally overseeing it... After all, she's the only Ship Affairs Department member now... But Kal'tsit doesn't have that much energy either, so maybe it only automatically warns about Catastrophes through PRTS?"

Perhaps the idle chatter was a little loud, or perhaps Kitty Killer simply could not sleep where other people were present... In any case, when Medic opened her eyes, a massive shadow filled her vision... It was a mobile city of Leithanien.

"Oh, Medic, you woke up at just the right time. We can already see the target."

"Mm. Looks like everything went smoothly."

As she spoke, Kitty Killer instinctively took out her phone to check for unread messages, but after lighting up the screen and seeing the large "out of range" notice, she remembered that Leithanien's Intercity Network could only be connected to a limited extent after completing entry procedures...

All she could say was that although Leithanians possessed boundless imagination in music and other arts, their insistence on procedural justice could indeed be irritating at times.

After staring at the words "Please apply for entry permission at Customs" on her phone for a while, Medic first made an advance landing application for corporate entry, then observed her companions' expressions after a night had passed... None of them seemed to have any problems.

"Su Sulo... Pull over first. Everyone, straighten up your clothes, hair accessories, and take care of any biological needs... It will take some time to complete the entry procedures, and to keep us from getting stuck because the restroom is not open to us or something... We should enter Customs in fully prepared condition. Do you remember the plan for what comes next?"

"Mm... Enter the city, restock, find people, leave? Something like that?"

After the three got out of the car to stretch a little, Medic took a hairbrush from her shoulder bag and helped Su Sulo brush her fur neatly, then waved Blaze over as well:

"More or less... But in practice, this is a flexible process that can change at any time... For example, if we are in good spirits, we can move the rest period from after entering the city to before leaving it... Pick them up early, then buy some things in the city that the newcomers might need on the island before heading back..."

"Mm... Rhodes Island has everything, though... What else is there to buy?"

Looking at Blaze sitting before her on a little stool, her hair falling all the way to the ground, slightly shy but still generally as carefree as ever and not much like a girl, Medic gave an example as she brushed:

"Like tents for camping in temporary dormitories?"

"...All right, that probably is something we need to buy..."

Even though she thought highly of Rhodes Island, Blaze could only cover her face with a wry smile at Medic's blunt reminder.

She had forgotten that she herself was used to roughing it in Kazdel... If newcomers went to Rhodes Island and had to sleep in communal barracks like her, they would probably have some complaints.

For Medic, Blaze was her fourth friend after Cole, Kate, and Su Sulo.

But unlike Su Sulo, who cared about privacy and kept a good sense of social distance, Blaze, as a friend, showed more than just the warmth that was everywhere around her and could even physically affect the temperature... She possessed a kind of authenticity that was both good and bad.

After being friends with her for a week, aside from the fact that she invited Medic out for drinks every other day, making her seem like an incurable alcoholic... Blaze's... "uninhibitedness" in daily life was also quite troublesome.

As a city-raised cat, Medic truly found it hard to imagine why a girl's long hair could be so tangled that a brush could not get through it... With no other choice, Medic took out a comb she hardly ever used... It was something her manager had given her long ago.

It was part of a complete grooming set with the brush. Its black-purple wooden base was very understated, but the wood's fragrance was faint, elegant, and ethereal. Besides masking body odor during use, trying to track the scent alone gave one an irritating feeling of being unable to locate the target.

Because its fragrance was difficult to leave behind a sensation in one's memory that could be clearly described, it was called "Longing"—the farthest distance from understanding.

According to her manager, this Great Yan material, processed through ICA, could make even the Perro, renowned for their exceptional sense of smell, unable to track someone after long-term use... Medic reserved judgment on that point.

"So, if everyone thinks there is no problem, we'll adjust the itinerary to find them directly after entering the city, then purchase supplies and leave... Any objections?"

Little Fox and the big cat both gave slightly helpless smiles at Medic's words:

"Actually, Medic, you're the one who got the least rest among us... If you think it's fine, then it's fine."

"Good... Then the next stop is Customs."

Customs was the gateway to a city. Usually, Medic could understand how much "vitality" a city possessed from the level of activity at its Customs office.

Of course, judging the character of an entire city by the demeanor of one department's employees or the conduct of its officials was biased no matter how one thought about it... But it undoubtedly represented the authorities' general attitude...

Although Medic had never previously participated in missions as an Infected person or in a role related to the Infected, she had seen Oripathy patients standing before Customs offices in countries and cities with varying attitudes—feeling relieved and grateful, collapsing into tears, or even cursing in rage.

Entering as an Infected affairs company... especially with Infected personnel in the group, Medic knew the procedures might be complicated... But Leithanien required not only medical proof of mild symptoms. Even after Medic presented their proof as a Contingency Contract partner organization, the city still demanded restrictions on their movements and duration of stay... The way the staff looked at them as though pests had crawled into their home naturally made Blaze increasingly angry.

But the mission remained the top priority. Though the air temperature behind her rose, Medic used the hand behind her back to signal Su Sulo to calm Blaze down... At least members of the Operations Department had no problems with following orders.

Even though the Customs worker's teasing—"You look like a normal person without Oripathy. If you keep staying in such a strange company, you'll surely shorten your life~"—was still infuriating... After learning that the three of them had come to take away the three "Oripathy patients" who had appeared half a year ago, Medic ultimately obtained special entry permission.

Just as she had worried before departure, this trip had now become a full-blown bladder emergency... After Medic's group drove into the city, the first thing they did was find a fast-food restaurant to eat, drink, and borrow the restroom...

At the same time, only emerging businesses like fast-food restaurants allowed the Infected inside. As Su Sulo had mentioned on the road, the food brands listed in tourist magazines did not state it in the magazines, but in reality, every sign outside their entrances bore the words, "No Infected Allowed."

More ironically, when Medic's group drove past a public hospital in Leithanien, they saw the same Leithanien words at the hospital entrance.

At the time, Blaze had happened to still be complaining about those restaurants refusing entry to the Infected, leaving everyone... especially Su Sulo, who had been looking forward to the tourist magazine's recommendations, deeply disappointed.

Fortunately, Blaze, whose native language was Great Yan, and who occasionally used Victorian and Higashinese at Rhodes Island, could not read Leithanien at all... Otherwise, Medic did not know whether the car's air conditioning could have kept the temperature inside down.

Only through this comparison did Medic gain a real sense of Rhodes Island and the "ideal" Kal'tsit spoke of... understanding exactly what kind of troublesome thing she pursued.

From the detached perspective of a newly hired employee, Rhodes Island was like a child unaware of pain, holding aloft innocent, naïve dreams.

Fortunately, Medic was merely a "salesperson"... She did not have anything like dreams.

But the more she paid attention to sights she had never noticed before, the more Medic gradually felt an urge to do something.

Everyone knew that while fighting Catastrophes, people could not stop using Originium... Oripathy would not vanish, and those subject to exclusion and strange looks would always exist.

But... if one possessed a heart that would not be swayed by others, then please shout those "meaningless" words once more.

At the very least, Medic felt that Kal'tsit, who understood how difficult the world was and still persisted... was probably that kind of person.

"We're here. This is Rhodes Island's office in the city..."

Before the vehicle had even stopped, Medic saw colleagues in the same uniform standing at the entrance, smiling wryly, as well as locals who seemed to have come to see them off.

Unlike the authorities and the prevailing attitude on the main streets toward the Infected, Medic's Arts could clearly sense that at least half the people before her were healthy... But unlike the stern and indifferent Customs officers, they surrounded Medic's three targets, offering words of comfort while occasionally stuffing packaged convenience food or homemade snacks into the hands of the pink-and-gold-haired Perro girl smiling warmly in the center.

...Why pink hair again?

Medic gave Su Sulo, who had also gotten out of the car, a puzzled glance. After making the pink-furred Little Fox look equally confused, Medic stepped forward and shook hands with the local person in charge, who was also approaching in a Rhodes Island uniform.

"Hello, hello. Are you messengers from headquarters?"

"Hello. I am Medic, an operator from the Medical Department aboard Rhodes Island's landship, responsible for this personnel operation... Behind me are Su Sulo from the Medical Department, who will be caring for the new operators during this mission, and Blaze from the Operations Department... As you can see, she is our escort on the road. These are our work credentials and the patient transfer documents... Please verify them first."

"(The rustle of pages turning and signatures being written)... All right, everything is confirmed... You arrived so quickly. When we received notice from the landship, I thought you would not arrive until at least the afternoon or evening."

Putting the documents handed back to her into her shoulder bag, Medic gave a slightly embarrassed smile:

"After all, we heard that the patients'... various circumstances were not optimistic... And considering that three patients might be too much of a burden for an office with only five people, we hurried somewhat along the way.";

"...Aha... As for the burden... Actually, as long as we keep distributing inhibitors, the city government will continue funding us, so it's all right. As you can see, Meli is actually a very sensible and popular person... Although helping out while she had a fracture was a little too enthusiastic, but... after learning they were leaving, many people were still willing to come see her off as friends."

As he spoke, the local person in charge, a Cautus doctor, wiped the corners of his eyes and looked to the other side... A short distance away, the girl named Meli was still saying goodbye to her companions in the city with a smile that looked forced on closer inspection, as though she might cry at any moment.

Medic felt that interrupting them at a time like this would be terribly tactless, but since their stay permit only lasted one day and time was tight, she decided to handle the preparations before departure first... After all, they had found the people already. No matter how pressed for time they were, there was still time to let friends about to part properly say their goodbyes.

While Medic began coordinating again with the person in charge about loading the three people's personal belongings and reimbursing medical support supplies, Blaze and Su Sulo, who had been upset by all the "No Infected Allowed" signs along the way, watched everyone's farewell and smiled:

"I thought Leithanien was so serious and hostile toward the Infected that we might have to leave like we were being driven out... But now it seems things might not be so bad after all..."

"After all, Leithanien is known as a nation of romance... No matter how serious it is, a place with so much moving music and art surely cannot be a cold society... Meli went skiing down from the snow line for her friends. No matter how you look at it, she is someone willing to persevere and help others... Isn't it only natural that someone like her would have people seeing her off like this?"

When Medic carried two boxes out of the office and found Little Fox and the big cat still chatting—especially when all five people in the office were helping—she helplessly coughed twice at them:

"Don't just watch. Don't forget the time limit on our stay... Come help first... I talked it over with the office director. We can take three sets of field camping equipment as reimbursed supplies. They also have blankets and beds in the office, so don't waste them. Take them all."j

"Aha... Sorry, sorry. I didn't realize everyone was this enthusiastic..."u

Stuffing the large and small souvenirs and food into the car, the Perro named Meli tied her long pink-and-gold hair into slender twin tails and scratched her head awkwardly... As she spoke, she secured the pair of skis strapped to the outside of her suitcase, which already looked broken...

"It's fine... Say, was that the pair of skis you used half a year ago?"

At Su Sulo's question, Meli gave a bitter smile:

"Yes... Although I told the rental company that I was the only one who had driven that vehicle, that I didn't have Oripathy, and that Stewart and Adnachiel had boarded Rhodes Island's vehicle... They still demanded a huge compensation fee for scrapping the car... But it's fine! With help from the neighbors and my coworkers, I managed to redeem it."

"...You really are optimistic... In the end, you still paid away several years of savings from work, didn't you..."