Kitty Killer Isn't Very Cold

After finishing her exchange with Ascalon, Little Cat habitually rubbed her cheek against Xia:

"It's okay. I also think my ears and hair, which haven't grown back yet, look ugly, so I wore a hat... How about... lending it to you, big sister? Amiya said that wearing this outfit makes me look cool even without a hat... probably... I don't really understand this sort of thing."

Seeing Little Cat clutch the hat on her head stiffly after speaking, wanting to give it away yet unwilling to, Xia's smile became even gentler.

Smiling, she smoothed down the fur standing up on Little Cat's tail, then went along with her cheek-rubbing gesture:

"...It's okay. Big sister knows a very powerful Arts expert! He helped hide my horns. He's someone as amazing as Little Cat's Medic sister~"

"Oh... then... do you still want the hat?"

With a smile, Xia placed the soft red cap back over Little Cat's head. To keep her from baring her teeth at Ascalon again, Xia scooped Little Cat up in one arm and took Amiya's hand with the other. Amiya seemed quite pleased with the conversation between the two:

"No need~ We said we had a week to play, but once we factor in the time needed to buy things and decorate the room, we can actually only stay outside for three days..."

"Um... buy things? Decorate the room?"

Seeing the confused look on Little Cat's face in Theresa's arms, Amiya pressed the elevator button.

"Doesn't Matilda want to add some things to her room? I remember Medic... Medic sister has been sleeping on the floor, right? How about we buy her some things and prepare a surprise?"

"Yes! Let's go, let's go! It'd be best to get a bigger bed so I can sleep in the same bed as Nana..."

"Ah... that probably won't work. That bed of yours was actually pretty expensive..."

Watching the elevator surveillance feed as the group of one adult and two children... actually, two adults and two children, left Rhodes Island, Closure's envy was written all over her face.

"Damn it, I want to go shopping too... Why doesn't Ticarondo support online shopping with home delivery?!"

"If it did, Lord Kal'tsit wouldn't have to personally negotiate with those businesspeople..."

As she spoke, Warfarin sorted through the low-temperature storage boxes for blood samples that Operator Touch had sent over. Yet both Bloodfiends present looked utterly disdainful toward the test tubes filled with blood samples.

"That's exactly what I'm saying! If they're going commercial, they should go all the way! They call themselves the most advanced Columbia, too... They refuse delivery because they're scared of the Infected? I'd say they're less open-minded than Kazimierz! At least Kazimierz uses drone logistics..."

"Stop complaining already... If it really bothers you, why not message Her Highness and ask her to bring back a case of cola?"

"...Ascalon would beat me up."

"I think so too... Hm? Did the ship's internal communications just go off?"

"Ah, they did... It's a message from Medic... She's using Contingency Contract traffic. Let me see—requesting comparative analysis of meteorological data, Catastrophe range prediction... Ticarondo... zero point two percent?"

The two Bloodfiends looked at each other wordlessly at the file Medic had sent. Only when Warfarin shut the low-temperature blood sample storage box did time seem to start moving again.

"That probability is really awkward... I don't even know whether she wants us to run or thinks we can stay put."

"Though there are signs of a Catastrophe, the projected area is too broad. It basically includes more than ten cities around the Ticarondo route... In any case, notify Kal'tsit first..."

"We're not making preparations?"

"Warm up the ship and be ready to run at any time... Kal'tsit said that we can be kindling, but we must never become a torch. When it's time to run, we have to run faster than anyone else."

"Do you even need to tell me that?!"

After a moment of silence, Closure looked pitifully at Warfarin.

"Should we call Amiya back?"

"...Inform Her Highness and Amiya... Kal'tsit entrusted Her Highness with looking after this ship, while Amiya is Rhodes Island's true master. What happens next will have to be decided by the three of them."

As she spoke, Warfarin glanced at the climate monitoring display, which still showed everything as normal.

"Even if Originium starts falling from the sky, we still have to load this supply shipment. Otherwise, we'll starve to death ourselves. How are we supposed to save anyone then...?"

Besides, they couldn't be that unlucky... could they?

Looking at the sender information for Medic, whom she still did not know very well, Warfarin thought so.

PS: Sob sob...

PS2: In the original story at this time, Theresa should have been with Doctor in Kazdel, fighting her older brother to determine life and death... Does this count as making my own incarnation guard an empty room alone?

Well... I suppose it's laying some groundwork for the later interactions between Doctor and Medic...

PS3: I went a little too hard yesterday... I've been dizzy all day today... Let me recover a bit... I'll try to write more in the next update...

And please send some votes my way...

The Mystery of the 2nd Medic: 037—A Storm Is Coming

"A Catastrophe... prediction? At a time like this...?"

Looking at the message Warfarin had sent, a hint of helplessness appeared in Theresa's eyes.

Not far away, a rabbit and a cat in clothing marked with the Rhodes Island logo were standing at a street stall, marveling at glittering handmade accessories.

While many of those ornaments were not made from precious metals, Amiya had picked up enough from Kal'tsit to recognize aged brass and platinum plating. But the other little cat, Matilda, could not take her eyes off a bag of glass marbles that the vendor had casually tossed into a corner...

They had been toys she used to entertain herself at Wilson Apartments, but Little Cat felt that she had grown up now, so she only looked at them... while pricking up her ears to listen to Amiya introduce the other metal accessories to her.

"There's a zero point two percent chance that we'll be affected by a Catastrophe... That's Medic's assessment. What do you think, Ascalon?"

[Dense clouds in the sky, falling temperatures... Aside from that, the only anomaly that could serve as evidence of a Catastrophe is the halo over Leithanien. Normally, it would probably be considered an early Columbian cold wave... Though it has come a little earlier than last year, it is still within the normal range.]

"You know that isn't what I want to hear..."

[If there truly is a possibility of being affected by a Catastrophe, then considering Rhodes Island's current material reserves, I recommend that everyone except Ship Affairs Department and Engineering Department personnel immediately gather at Rhodes Island's Ticarondo office...]

"Let Rhodes Island make use of its advantage as an independent landship and leave the Catastrophe zone first. Then, in Rhodes Island's name, take control of the shelters, inventory the city's Catastrophe emergency supplies... If necessary, use the absolute strength of Sarkaz Royal Court soldiers to maintain order. Implement the rationing system Kal'tsit described under extreme conditions. Use the more robust and comprehensive shelter facilities of the mobile city to evade the Catastrophe while starting the mobile city and moving it out of the affected zone, then evacuate safely..."

After reciting every part of her little follower's plan in one breath, Theresa let out a heavy sigh, her smiling eyes filled with sorrow.

"Then, over so-called sovereignty issues, we will once again become enemies with a newly risen nation. And to divert the attention of the Catastrophe refugees, the Sarkaz Exclusion Act will appear in that nation as well... Just from speculation alone, one can tell that this will be another... victory for my brother's... theories..."

[...That kind of thing is too distant from me. If it truly is a Catastrophe, anyone who wants to survive will have to give it everything they have... So I would not be surprised by any actions taken then...]

"...Even though I'm still here?"

[I will obey Your Highness's orders.]

Tilting her head, Theresa touched the stiff, imitation cat ears on her head—ears that only had the shape of the real thing. In the end, all her countless thoughts became a sigh.

Before long, Amiya and Little Cat stood up from the stall as well. Theresa hurriedly restored her expression to normal, then gestured toward her phone. Such an obvious hint immediately made Amiya notice her unread messages.

The little cat and little rabbit huddled together. The two who had been chatting and laughing just moments ago suddenly fell silent.

"A... Catastrophe?"

Even while exclaiming, Amiya instinctively lowered her voice at the mention of a Catastrophe... During her short life, she had seen terrifying Catastrophe Clouds reshape the landscape from afar several times from Rhodes Island's bridge, but those had all been Contingency Contract operations under Kal'tsit's leadership.

Now that she had learned of a Catastrophe while Doctor Kal'tsit happened to be absent, the little rabbit immediately stiffened from head to toe...

"Amiya, Amiya, scroll down. There's more below—it's a message from Teacher Kal'tsit..."

"Hm? Ah! Um... She says we should stay with Sister Xia and listen to her arrangements..."

Seeing Kal'tsit's message, the little cat and little rabbit immediately seemed to find their anchor again. Their eyes sparkled as they looked at the false Feline beside them.

"My, my... Kal'tsit really threw you two at me just like that... She certainly trusts me."

"If she can trust you, then Doctor Kal'tsit probably wouldn't trust anyone else... These figures... are Medic's judgment, right? The probability seems very low, but just to be safe, Sister Xia, we should still make some preparations."

"Mm, that would work... But I want to hear Amiya's thoughts first."

Amiya began to think, while Matilda fiddled with her phone, looking through Medic's signature and photos. After deciding that she understood the thought processes of these two children somewhat better now, Theresa picked Matilda up and took Amiya's hand, letting her think as they walked.

"Um... my thoughts... Gather everyone's strength... and fight the Catastrophe?"

"That's a very good thought. Unity is the foundation for resisting disasters beyond human power... But when a Catastrophe strikes, all anyone thinks about is saving themselves. What if the people you want to help try to seize the limited food and supplies just to survive? What would you do then?"

"...Huh? Food is limited?"

"Mm. One major reason we are still at the market rather than returning to Rhodes Island is that Rhodes Island's supplies are already running low. During a Catastrophe that can last months, in order to ensure that the patients aboard Rhodes Island who cannot act for themselves have enough food to survive, most of the operation teams and... my attendants have left Rhodes Island...

"Either we get lucky and the Catastrophe does not reach this place before we finish resupplying... or this city is about to collapse. What will you do then, Amiya? You must understand that even a city this large cannot have everything... How will you deliver the supplies everyone needs to those who need them? When that time comes, Amiya... as Rhodes Island's leader, what will you do?"

Watching Theresa continue to "pressure" Amiya, the real little cat in the false Feline's arms became a little unhappy... She tried to push against the other woman's chest, but when she found the woman's arm utterly unmoving, she puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.

"Why are you asking us something like that...? Didn't Teacher Kal'tsit say we should listen to you? Can't you tell? Amiya is really troubled..."

Watching Little Cat push at her chin with both hands in dissatisfaction after speaking, Theresa helplessly put her down. She then switched to holding both children's hands as they continued onward.

"Ahaha, I've already decided what to do... But isn't life like that? Difficult things you cannot accept will always suddenly appear... It may still be far away for you, Little Cat, but... Amiya... she will probably encounter things like this many times in the future... Whether you are unhappy or in pain, many things cannot be solved by simply staying where you are... Just like how everyone understands some principles, yet events will inevitably still develop in directions no one wants... So, Amiya, what is your choice?"

Urged by the white-haired "false Feline" beside her, the Cautus girl anxiously clutched her chest and spoke with great difficulty.

"...I... I... At the very least, I want the people I know, my companions, to survive. It would be wonderful if I could take everyone into account... But if doing that would get my companions hurt... then I will protect my companions..."

"For example, if supplies are insufficient, and even the rationing system Doctor Kal'tsit taught us cannot guarantee everyone's survival... then those of us who cannot help the doctors should seek survival in cities with more abundant resources..."

"Mm... yes. We should go to Rhodes Island's safe house in Ticarondo and contact the companions scattered throughout the city... At the very least, we must protect everyone."

Seeing the little rabbit make her decision but sadly curl her arms around herself as though her heart ached, Theresa smiled, though she understood that pain deeply.

"Mm, good child... Kal'tsit taught you well... Now I can rest easy too..."

"...Sister... Xia?"

"Mm~ It's nothing... Look, Rhodes Island's Ticarondo office. We're here."

Following Theresa's gaze, the two little ones finally realized that they had unknowingly left the bustling market behind... This was a residential district near Ticarondo's Originium processing plant. People of various races around them watched the three with suspicion, calmness, or hidden schemes.

Amiya, who had just been forced into making an unwanted choice, could feel the complicated emotions around her. Her already drooping ears became even more listless. Faced with hostility that seemed ready to consume her whole, Amiya fearfully hid a little farther behind Theresa.

Likewise, after sensing that her friend was being bullied, the mind-reading little cat straightened her tail and puffed up her fur until she looked at least three times larger... If she had merely gone "Hiss—" to threaten the annoying Ascalon, then toward these strangers who seemed to harbor ill intent, Little Cat's first instinct was to use Originium Arts to rip off part of a building and throw it at them... That was what she had done at Loken Watertank.

Fortunately, there was a normal adult here. Theresa first smiled and took Little Cat's hand when she showed signs of preparing an Arts spell, then picked Amiya up instead... After giving the surrounding strangers an elegant smile, the graceful princess entered Rhodes Island's office with the two children...

The people who had not realized they had just escaped death reacted differently after seeing them enter Rhodes Island's office. Some came to a sudden realization, while others clicked their tongues in regret, but all of them gave up their little schemes.

Rhodes Island's office in Ticarondo was a small place staffed by only one person... After all, the proper treatment facility with doctors stationed there was far away in Ticarondo's commercial district... This place was really just a transit point where Rhodes Island distributed medicine to the Infected.

"Huh? What rare visitors... Those uniforms of yours... Are you coworkers?"

But weren't these two coworkers a little too young? Though the woman accompanying them did look like she had rather severe Oripathy...

Unable to afford specialized protective equipment, the local Rhodes Island operator could only constantly wear goggles and a dustproof veil. That was the judgment she made before frowning at her watch.

"Um... is it something urgent? Why don't we talk while walking?"

"Ah... it's urgent... No, no, no, we're not in a rush. Nothing has been confirmed yet... Anyway, let me introduce myself first. I'm Amiya... Um, the Amiya whose name is on the employee handbook and your contract... Sorry, we decided to come here on short notice while the main ship was resupplying... We didn't bring any gifts..."

Seeing the shy look on the little Cautus before her, the local operator's surprise was obvious even beneath her oversized hood and veil, her mouth hanging wide open.

"...My direct superior came to this dump to visit me? Why am I having this kind of dream...?"

"It's not a dream! Anyway... how about I treat you to a meal later? Also, that's a storage box for inhibitors, right? Are you going to deliver medicine? We'll come with you. There are some things afterward that may require you to make an early decision."

"Uh... that sounds pretty serious. What is it? Am I getting promoted and receiving a raise?!"

Seeing the other person's momentum suddenly surge, Matilda knew she was not bullying Amiya, but she was still unhappy... So she secretly used Telekinesis to lightly push the woman back a step... It probably felt like a strange gust of wind suddenly sweeping through the room.

"...Ah, sorry, sorry... So, what exactly brings the CEO here so suddenly?"

As she dragged her feet while preparing to leave the office, Little Cat crossed her arms and spoke when she saw how little urgency the woman had.

"It's a Catastrophe."

"...Huh?"

"Ticarondo might be affected by a Catastrophe. The probability is low, but we came to see whether you've prepared... and whether you might accidentally die."

Although... Matilda's wording was somewhat problematic, the local operator clearly took her words to heart. Soon afterward, she mounted her tricycle and sped along with one adult and two children aboard.

Using the Intercity Network, she did indeed explain the situation to Ticarondo headquarters in the commercial district and requested that a local Catastrophe messenger be dispatched, at Amiya's request.

And under those circumstances, the three little cats saw a highly unexpected figure on the Contingency Contract channel that Amiya had accessed through her Terminal as Rhodes Island's CEO.

"Nana—!!"

That was right. On Contingency Contract's public broadcast, a black-haired, one-eyed Feline in a Rhodes Island uniform was submitting an operation request as a Catastrophe messenger.

[Now, the next contract... Miss Medic, a Rhodes Island medical operator from Columbia.]

[...She requests that twelve regional authorities, including the Columbian government, Leithanien government, Kazimierz government, and Ursus government, raise the Catastrophe threat level across more than one hundred mobile city sectors, including Ticarondo, to a yellow alert...]

[Her reasoning is that an Originium dust storm is moving with the winter cyclone over the Columbia Great Plains, gathering and passing through the skies above these nations. As the Originium dust becomes more active, it could at any moment form highly dangerous "Active Originium Rain" and return to the ground...]

In the solemn council chamber on the screen, sharply dressed staff members were passing around the Catastrophe data Medic had gathered. Yet everyone's expressions remained calm. Some people did not even open the thick documents before directly voting against the proposal.