Kitty Killer Isn't So Cold

Seeing that she did not seem willing to move off her anytime soon, Nana would have to hide behind Liskarm if she kept avoiding her. She could only endure it and ask:

"...The captain does not seem to have come to this meeting."

"There was no need for him to, right? After all, the previous... two times, the Ship Affairs Department faction won by a landslide. Things seem to have already been decided. Compared with this sort of internal bickering, our captain probably considers guarding against Catastrophes more important."

Guarding against Catastrophes... So he might be in the central command center, the Landship's bridge... or the aviation tower?

Without exception, all those places were heavily guarded. If Nana had merely disguised herself as an ordinary Blacksteel employee, she might actually have had to put in some effort...

Silently thanking that unlucky cat-headed girl and the agent for their foresight, Nana glanced at the meeting, which no longer needed her attention. Hunched over and clutching her stomach, she prepared to take her leave.

"Um... I'm not feeling very well, so I'll be leaving first..."

"Ah, Operator Jessica, please wait..."

Seeing that her one sentence had drawn everyone's attention, Su Sulo could sense Medic's anxious gaze without even looking. She instinctively grabbed "Jessica's" hand and said to the puzzled Blacksteel group:

"I have some follow-up treatment matters to discuss... Let's go outside. We won't disturb everyone."

Watching Su Sulo casually pull the black cat girl out of the meeting room, Liskarm and Franka exchanged puzzled looks before turning to Vanilla.

"Are they already this close?"

"Did Jessica know them before? Their relationship progressed so quickly..."

"Mm... Maybe she's in a bad mood because of her injury? Or perhaps pain makes people dependent on doctors... maybe? I don't really understand, but Jessica does seem strange today..."

As the two vanished from sight, Franka smiled at Liskarm.

"Did your ridiculous homework assignments finally drive that kid insane?"

"...How could that be? Anyway, let her rest more after the meeting."

Though they said that, both could see the hesitation in each other's eyes. As teammates, they exchanged their thoughts with just a glance. After the meeting, they would go check on Jessica.

Unaware that someone had already grown suspicious, Nana had left the meeting room with Su Sulo. After confirming that no one around them was paying attention, Su Sulo finally asked:

"Are you going to continue your... mission? Can I know what you're doing? It's not... something dangerous, is it...?"

"My mission is only to persuade the captain to take a risk. What danger could I be in...? The captain is the one in danger... as is everyone entering the Catastrophe zone. When the time comes, Su Sulo, don't run around anymore. If you get separated from Blaze and encounter danger..."

She shook her head and did not continue. Nana removed the bandage around her head and sighed.

"Afterward, just say that 'Jessica' went back to rest... Thank you for helping in the meeting just now, too..."

"No... I did not accomplish anything... Blacksteel still has not changed its mind..."

"It's fine. The rest is my job."

Closing her eyes, Su Sulo felt the gentle touch of the other girl stroking her ears using that slight height advantage. But when she opened her eyes again, the black-haired Feline had already vanished. The uneasy Little Fox naturally received more questions from the Blacksteel trio upon returning to the meeting, and Su Sulo obediently relayed Jessica's condition exactly as Nana had instructed.

But... there was another problem.

Nana had left a note in Jessica's room. If they arrived before Jessica woke up, then the presence of outsiders aboard the Landship would be exposed.

Though BPRS, like Jessica, was an allied hired force of Nana's, when it came to whether allies might ruin things... Nana, whose plans had been ruined more than once by ICA employees, believed that as long as she handled things quickly enough, trouble would not catch up to her.

Putting her eyepatch back on to conceal the horrifying wound, Nana swiftly checked the route in Jessica's guise. At the same time, since she would need to command this ship to Ticarondo after killing the captain, she took a quick trip through the lower mechanical levels.

[Although it is an old-fashioned warship, the Originium Engine and the locomotion system appear to be in decent condition...]

"I am not good at engineering... especially high-energy Originium engineering. If you say it is decent, I'll take your word for it."

[...Should I thank you for your trust? Also, our partner sent word that the target changed locations not long ago. What is certain is that he is currently neither in the armored command room nor the bridge...]

"...The aviation tower."

Having confirmed the location, Nana memorized the shortest route to the tower and immediately began moving.

The aviation tower was one of only two places aboard the Landship with an expansive view. Throughout the old man's life, countless people had compared it to the bridge at the bow.

Countless people had asked whether the bridge offered a better view, or whether the aviation tower's vista was more magnificent... To this day, the old man still did not know how to answer such a sentimental question.

At the bow, he usually looked down upon the earth: yellow sand, smoke, mud, crushed grass... Resilient nature bowed before the Landship's man-made metal plow. Without question, Landships were symbols of humanity's conquest over nature.

Yet even Landships had Fortresses they could not push through and barriers they could not bypass. Before Catastrophes, Landships instead became trash that could be casually swept aside... Back when he served in Victoria, ships that had faced Catastrophes for one reason or another had always met exceptionally miserable ends...

He could practically return to those days merely by closing his eyes...

[Captain, we cannot leave our allies stranded in the Catastrophe... Three ships—just three support vessels, or one main warship, and we can bring them back... Captain... Captain!!]

"Captain?"

Startled awake, the old man looked beside him. His first mate stood there with a wry smile, holding a cup of coffee. He had been the one calling to him.

"Ah... Did I fall asleep?"

"Captain, you have been overworking yourself lately... Since you have already made your decision, you should conserve your strength for what comes next... Wasn't that what you said...?"

Taking the coffee that had already gone somewhat cold, the old man took a large gulp with none of the elegance expected of a fleet noble.

"Yes, I said that. But how could I possibly let it go... A city cluster of over a million people lies ahead, and hundreds of thousands were left behind after being forcibly disconnected... People are dying every moment. Even in my dreams... How can I sleep? What happened at the discussion meeting?"

"Just as you expected, everyone still voted with their own safety as the priority... but morale is very low. After all, we are openly defying the Contingency Contract. Many of the younger people seem to have strong objections."

"It's fine. Send any objections to me... Let the Contingency Contract come find me as well."

"This..."

Ignoring his hesitant first mate, the captain accepted a tissue from another person nearby and wiped his already graying beard. After giving them a slight nod of thanks, he adjusted his posture. Even as he sat there watching the clouds churn at the horizon, the old man's figure remained upright and robust.

"A ship's voyage has never been the work of one person. There are already differing opinions aboard about whether to risk supporting them. Traveling through a Catastrophe cannot withstand internal strife. Rather than allow the conditions for discontent to erupt, it is better for me to make the decision from the beginning..."

"Captain, do you think everyone's silence... is them building up resentment?"

Looking at his confused first mate, the captain glanced behind him at the Feline girl wearing casual clothes marked with Blacksteel insignia.

"...What else would it be? Most Blacksteel personnel are young. They have no idea what entering a Catastrophe means... All they see is praise for courage from every direction. All they see is shining glory beckoning to them... But what about the cost? How many people will decide halfway that it is not worth it and abandon the journey, putting even more people in danger? If the military were fully prepared, if everyone was ready to die on the road, then we could depart immediately... But clearly, no one is ready now."

"Then... what exactly counts as being prepared?"

Hearing the soft question from the girl behind him, the captain closed his eyes as if considering it. Then he spoke each word deliberately.

"Not fearing hardship, yearning for glory, and not fearing sacrifice... Those are merely the most basic mental preparations. Beyond that, we need at least two ships over three hundred meters long to cross the geological disasters caused by the Catastrophe, five hundred professional damage-control engineers prepared to repair the ship beneath our feet, and more than three thousand sailors mobilized and ready at all times to throw themselves forward, clearing obstacles and patching damage with their lives... That alone would require at least ten million Columbian Dollars to address the crew's compensation."

"Finally... we also need authorization for cutting-edge technologies from leading research companies, including Rhine Lab and the Meland Extreme Climate Engineering Institute; military exoskeletons issued by the Columbia Department of Defense to enhance the crew's physical condition and work capacity; and national-treasure-class Catastrophe Messengers dispatched by the National Weather Bureau and the Catastrophe Messenger Association, risking their lives to lead the way at the front... Only then would we have hope of sailing this ship to Ticarondo."

By the end, the captain even laughed.

"Not bad. In the end, it sounds as though Columbia alone can actually accomplish it... Times really have changed. In the past, this was something that..."

"Something even an entire Victoria Cruiser Fleet could not achieve... wasn't it?"

Hearing the voice behind him again, the captain and first mate finally noticed the girl standing alone behind them in the tower.

"You are... Miss Jessica?"

"No, I am not... But please forgive me, I cannot reveal my name here. Please address me as 'Jessica.'"

Just as the first mate reached toward the Originium Arts unit at his waist, the captain raised a hand to stop him. Looking more closely at the girl behind them, they saw that she had somehow produced a silver gleaming handgun and was aiming it at them.

At this, the first mate instinctively raised both hands.

"...Where are the guards? What did you do to them?"

"They are fine. I merely said the captain and first mate might need some privacy, so they very conscientiously went outside to wait..."

Before the assassin could finish, the first mate suddenly stomped down as though he had been waiting impatiently for the chance. Originium Arts erupted with a loud bang as the burly man lunged at "Jessica"... only to be thrown over her shoulder and knocked unconscious on the floor.

Clapping her hands, Nana spread them toward the captain, who remained seated. She was mainly indicating the hostage still breathing at her feet as a gesture of goodwill.

"Of course, they cannot hear our conversation... I would not neglect even such basic precautions for a private discussion..."

"Mm... I thought as much."

"Your first mate reacted rather violently. Have you never encountered this sort of situation before?"

"...Blacksteel has never been successfully infiltrated. This is the first time... You remind me of some unpleasant memories."

"Mm... You mean the memory of the warship you served on mutinying after crossing a Catastrophe Cloud, only to be suppressed by Victoria's Gray Hats? I am sorry for reminding you of such unpleasant things... But... I'm sorry, I am in the same line of work as those Gray Hats, in a sense."

Seeing the red mist in the left eye of the girl who should have been one of his own operators burn like flames, the captain—who had never once considered resisting since their meeting—wore a dazed and sorrowful expression.

"Is that so... So although Blacksteel is a registered company, at its core, it is still Columbia's militia... And in the end, it will once again be suppressed because of a 'mutiny.' What a reenactment of the past..."

Seeing the old man's momentary weakness, Nana awkwardly raised a hand. It seemed he had misunderstood why she was here.

"My apologies again... Time is short, so let us get straight to the point. The conditions you mentioned earlier—if they are met, can you lead Blacksteel through the Catastrophe?"

"...I see. You do not intend to directly execute me for disobeying orders... Compared with those people in hats, you are rather... gentle..."

Lowering his head slightly, the captain tilted it so that his wavy gray hair covered one eye. Then he spoke calmly.

"Indeed. If you can meet my previous requirements, then I am confident I can lead the lads, the equipment, and the supplies straight to Ticarondo... But... There is not enough time even to deploy the equipment and obtain the technology licenses. This is not a feat that any organization or department can accomplish. Coordination between companies alone would be impossible... And in the end, what Catastrophe Messenger would be willing—and able—to travel through such savage weather?"

Hearing the captain's dejected tone, Nana listened to the conversation between her agent and Kal'tsit through her earpiece. Her drooping cat ears flicked.

"That may not be the case..."

"...Are you serious?"

"Of course..."

As she spoke, a box suddenly appeared before them amid distorted space...

At Nana's outstretched hand, the metal case opened. An exoskeleton mechanism bearing Rhine Lab's name rose upright, then attached itself to "Jessica."

Metal medium flowed upward like liquid. Folded skeletal joints unfolded and locked into place, while countless fine folded metal plates danced through the air and shaped themselves around the girl's head into a three-dimensional helmet... At last, Columbia's pinnacle of technology was assembled here: a protective suit capable of allowing an individual human to walk through a Catastrophe.

"Please allow me to introduce myself... Although Columbia and I still do not quite know what grade you mean by national treasure, as the person who calculated the range and type of the Ticarondo Catastrophe, I am willing to find a path to Ticarondo for you..."

Nana extended her hand, her voice utterly firm.

"A total of one hundred and twenty-five companies under the Contingency Contract, including Rhine Lab, have granted authorization for special equipment and patent use. Twelve thousand personnel from the Columbia Homeland Security Bureau and the Columbia Army Armored Combat Group can deploy at any time... Five hundred and seventy-two registered engineers from the Rhine Lab Engineering Division, Rhodes Island Ship Affairs Department, Ironforge City Third Ship Affairs, and Homeland Security Bureau Engineering Division have all assembled. In addition, a twelve-hundred-meter supply ship and a six-hundred-meter special operations ship are advancing toward Ticarondo at the same time..."

Looking at the captain, who had gone blank but seemed to have tears in his eyes, Nana continued through the exoskeleton's amplification system.

"We are not helpless before Catastrophes... Regardless of how later generations judge your actions in coercing that captain alongside the warship's Ship Affairs personnel, your good deed cannot be denied... I want to save them. This has nothing to do with Columbia... If you will not act, then I will..."

Before Nana could finish, the captain's phone suddenly rang. Their gazes became somewhat awkward, but the captain still accepted the voice message.

[Captain! I am a member of the lower Ship Affairs Department... Regarding Rhodes Island's partners...]

"Rhodes Island? What happened to them?"

The old man glanced at the powered armor beside him. He vaguely remembered that she had mentioned Rhodes Island just now.

[They said... since Blacksteel intends to keep waiting, they will not accompany us anymore... They are heading into the Catastrophe zone themselves... They said they are taking one of those civilian city vehicles...]

"Ridiculous!"

Those words were not spoken by the captain, but by Nana... Even from more than a meter away, the person on the other end of the communicator was startled.

Nana's anger was entirely understandable... After all, her order had been that it was fine even if they remained at Blacksteel and regrouped after the Catastrophe had passed... What was Su Sulo doing?!

"The Ticarondo Catastrophe is extremely intense. Aren't they simply going out there to die? Stop them immediately!"

Though Nana said this, the other side still stammered.

[But... they have already left... Their attitude was extremely firm... We could not exactly restrict their personal freedom... Also...]

Seeing Nana lean back as if she might faint upon hearing there was more, the captain maturely continued questioning.

"What else?"

[Also... the two from BPRS went with them...]

"Doctor Franlo... Jennifer allowed them to behave so recklessly?"

[...It was Director Franlo who ordered the BPRS personnel to bring the Rhodes Island members back... But we still have not seen any sign of them...]

"...How long have they been gone?"

[Ten minutes.]

Looking at his watch and then the Catastrophe Cloud that seemed distant on the horizon, the captain glanced at Nana.

"There is still time... Also... While I had heard that Doctor said if we would not go, she would go herself, I did not expect her to truly mean it... Is this what Columbians are like...?"

"...She is Siracusan. People there seem to value promises rather highly..."

"Oh? Is that so?"