Chapter 71

Listening to everyone's comments, Vanilla felt a little regretful, but she also understood that she still lacked many things when it came to actually fighting people.

"Yes, I understand..."

"I'll arrange for you to continue training with Dobermann afterwards. Keep an eye on your PRTS Terminal... Ah, Folinic, you've already fixed it? Now, please make reservations for the cafeteria and for Cardigan and the others..."

"The Reserve Op Team A4 is fine, but the cafeteria is..."

"To quickly regain my weight, I might eat a lot of food in a short period of time... the high-protein, high-calorie kind..." (Qi)

"This... it seems someone has already made arrangements for you, senior."

"Huh? Is that Kal'tsit?"

"No, it was Dr. Warfarin ... She booked Cafeteria One and the attached bar half an hour ago, and sent messages to many people saying 'there's a party today.'"

Folinic blinked, her fingers swiping across the Terminal to turn the pages, then looked at Nana with a hint of a smile: a

"The reason is... to welcome the return of Rhodes Island's heroes."

"Aha~ Warfarin, well done!"

Ignoring Huang's leap into the air and his subsequent muttering about "free drinks," Nana shifted uncomfortably. She felt that waking up wasn't something worth such a grand celebration.

However, this affection was also passed on to the Little Cat, Rosemary then imitated Franka's behavior of rubbing against the Liskarm, hugging Nana from behind: Jiu

"It's very important, Nana- neechan... both for me and for Rhodes Island..."

As Nana listened to the Little Cat's clear voice and felt the soft touch of the girl's furry head, she looked out over the Rhodes Island corridor.

Unlike the ship's hull which used overhead lighting in the past, this area is now fully outfitted, with anti-slip flooring and soundproofing materials in perfect condition. Even though the ship is sailing at high speed as before, the corridor is no longer as eerie as I remember.

The location of the Human Resources Department is unchanged from three years ago, but the originally cramped room has now been transformed into a spacious living room that blends into the reception room. Nana's Terminal file bar has been replaced with a brand new carbon fiber table... and the dormitory lounge behind her now belongs to Rosemary.

The yellow-orange color scheme clearly indicates it's a children's room, supposedly designed by Kal'tsit. The Little Cat proudly introduces to Nana the wooden floor she and Amiya laid by hand, as well as the Little Cat's favorite spot: the little tent behind the low partition wall... This is where the Little Cat would rest when it was inconvenient to sleep with Nana for the past three years.

A diary hangs on the cartoon wallpaper, a calendar filled with the Little Cat's activities over the past three years... The red markers are Nana's treatment records, while the black ones are the Little Cat's training and occasional outings.

Although it was called a mission, after looking through some documents, Nana realized that she was mainly being taken out by Elite Operator to do some shopping...

Proactive combat was rare; most battles seemed to be encounters with bandits during wilderness operations. A few proactive attacks targeted serious criminals or even death row inmates on official records, clearly indicating that Rhodes Island rigorously screened the Little Cat's targets... The Little Cat also recorded the process and feelings of each mission in it, filling an entire notebook.

Just like the height record drawn in pencil on the wall, the Little Cat has gradually grown up in the past three years in a place unknown to Nana.

Kal'tsit prepared a lot of toys for the Little Cat, which are now neatly arranged in the cupboard. The Little Cat said that during the first year, when Nana was still in the ICU, she was with Amiya and relied on these toys to get through that difficult time.

After Nana's condition stabilized, the Little Cat, with the support of Amiya and Kal'tsit, began learning handicrafts. Its most notable achievement was probably the display case on the cabin wall filled with water and aquatic plants...

Since the lounges are mostly located on the inner side of the ship, and the Rhodes Island doesn't have true portholes, the lighting in this display case also serves as natural light.

The Little Cat held Nana's hand and said that this water tank was the first time she had seen what a living Scale Beast (fish) looked like... Of course, the fish fry that Huang had brought over had long been sent to the canteen to become food because they had grown too big in the past three years. Fortunately, the swaying water plants were still very beautiful as long as they were trimmed in time.

Of course, those seaweeds also taste good when pickled in sugar water. They look bright green and taste like strands... She and Amiya simply call them "Crispy Strawberries".

Besides these handicrafts, Nana also saw an easel.

Seemingly to avoid soiling the carpet, the Little Cat laid out drawing paper between the shelf and the carpet... Cole chuckled, saying that if it were the artist who taught her when she was a child, treating watercolors and paints like that would definitely get her kicked out of the classroom.

Fortunately, these were just children's toys... but even so, Nana still had the impression that those paints were not cheap... clearly, even non-toxic watercolor paints are not cheap, even if they are toys.

After learning that both the Little Cat's watercolors and the violin case in the cupboard that made Cole exclaim in surprise were things that Kal'tsit had specially purchased, Nana was truly grateful for the emerald cat's thoughtful care... Although, if she really said that, Closure, as the purchasing agent, might puff out her cheeks and complain.

The entire room, including the Originium lamps, is protected by double barriers of bamboo baskets and glass covers to prevent curious children from getting hurt. Even the children's small yellow round stools are designed for safety by not having rotating or height-adjustable cylinders installed...

With its massive refrigerator crammed full of sweets and pastries from all over the world (mostly Columbia), Rhodes Island clearly cares for its Little Cat, if not all the children.

What Nana found familiar were the circular marks on the floor in front of the partition wall... Nana was very familiar with these marks.

In the past, my own desk in the apartment building often bore such marks.

These are the marks left by my potted plant after it has been sitting for a long time.

"... It seems that Matilda was the one taking care of the potted plants before."

She twitched her ears as if to admit it, and Rosemary now had an incredibly bright smile on her face: She had just shown Nana around her room.

"Teacher Kal'tsit taught me how to take care of Nana's potted plant... but it's still in the hospital room, should we go and move it back later?"

"Let's wait until tomorrow... I'll probably move out of the ward soon..."

Nana glanced at Franka, who was already sitting on the hanging sofa and playing with it like a swing, then looked at Folinic was taking a glass of soda from the refrigerator:

"This room is very well-designed, thank you for taking such good care of the Little Cat..."

"Medic-senpai, you said I was being too polite... If you weren't so overly polite, why would I unconsciously use honorifics... You're also a member of Rhodes Island, so what's wrong with us taking care of Rosemary? Of course, it would be even better if she could complete her homework as conscientiously as Amiya."

Folinic's words startled both Nana and Cole, but Kate showed an expression of knowing agreement.

"Homework... didn't she finish it? Besides that, does the Little Cat have any other problems?"

"Well, as for homework... if I push her too hard, she'll just copy Amiya's homework, which would be pointless... As for other things... when she's free, she becomes unusually lazy, forgets things when she goes out, borrows money from Amiya, and always likes to eat from Amiya's bowl, even preferring to be fed by Amiya... Does that count?"

Listening to Folinic's rambling, Nana was stunned and didn't know what to do, while Kate, who was floating, chuckled.

[Ah, Yi Qi Ba Ba Ling Qi Liu Yi, it's been three years. She looks like she's grown up, but deep down she's still that Mia.]

[Matilda... no, Rosemary ~come, sit down.]

Watching the Little Cat being led by Mrs. Cole to sit upright on the carpet like a Higashi, even its previously excited ears drooping, Nana stopped Su Sulo from checking the Little Cat's health... and explained to everyone that the Little Cat was being scolded by its mother for not doing its homework.

Okay, now it's everyone else's turn to be stunned.

However, perhaps because there was a celebration tonight, Cole didn't bother the Little Cat too much... Although the little guy climbed up from his kneeling position and pounced into Nana's arms, refusing to get out, it was hard to tell whether that was a good or bad thing.

For Nana, who has never raised a child, there's nothing she can say about education...

After that, it was time to wait for the evening shift to change. Su Sulo left the work to her junior brother with pink bunny ears, while Huang and the rest of the Blacksteel Team washed up and changed into clean clothes.

When Nana entered Cafeteria One, the confetti, air salutes, and cheers that followed startled the Kitty Killer once again.

She almost thought someone had shot her.

What she saw first was Warfarin, who lacked any semblance of seniority, standing on the table with a wine glass in one hand and a large chicken leg in the other, both hands raised high, making it unclear whether she was eating or surrendering.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh~ Our main character has arrived!~ Come on, just like we agreed, as we practiced before! One, two, three--!!"

Welcome home!

Not just Warfarin...

Seeing acquaintances and strangers gathered here to celebrate her awakening, even the assassin, who had always felt utterly empty about everything, couldn't help but have her emerald green and sky-blue eyes filled with misty tears.

In the past... tears have always been a symbol of hurt and pain... but that is clearly not a harbinger of the current state.

The assassin, whose inner emptiness had been filled by Little Cat, suddenly discovers...

I don't know when it happened, but so many people have gradually appeared around me... so many people who can be called companions... companions, not just Cleaners or salespeople.

Upon entering the venue Blacksteel Team dragged Folinic into the crowd and disappeared. Huang also ran to the bar, then raised his glass and, along with ACE, Touch, Outcast, and a group of elite uniformed operators, gestured to Nana.

Su Sulo was grabbed by Cardigan, who had rushed over to see Nana, and soon a plate appeared in her arms, filled with all the things Cardigan thought were delicious... Meanwhile, Stewart and Adnachiel could only use their already full plates as wine glasses to gesture to Nana.

Amiya, now dressed in a black evening gown, complained to the SilverAsh -Cautus woman beside her that no one else was wearing formal attire, making Amiya, who felt out of place, extremely shy...

But the operator codenamed "Outrage Cautus, just pushed Amiya forward, constantly saying, "Beautiful~ Beautiful~." Seeing that Amiya was still shy and even had a mischievous thought, he specifically asked everyone if Amiya's dress looked good, which was met with an unanimous affirmation.

The Minos operator, whom Nana had met briefly in the training room before, introduced herself to Nana. The operator, who called herself Vulcan, said that she could come to her with any equipment problems.

Meanwhile, another white-haired, racially indistinguishable Engineering Department member, codenamed Weedy, also found Nana through the chaotic crowd, led by Closure. Nana would have been much happier if Closure n't introduced Nana with such nonsensical descriptions as "Rhodes Island's all-around substitute queen"...

Finally... Kal'tsit stood in the corner, smiling and applauding Nana.

Beside her, a little girl wearing an eye patch nervously tugged at Kal'tsit's hem.

"And this is...?"

"... A new member who just woke up today... and what happened to her..."

Seeing Kal'tsit's faint smile vanish instantly as she looked at the Rosemary in Nana's arms, Nana suddenly understood the difficulties and good fortune this uneasy child had faced in his life so far.

After a moment of stunned silence, Nana put the Little Cat down and gestured to the younger child in front of her.

The Little Cat quickly perked up its ears, and under the watchful eyes of the entire Cole and Bruce family, Matilda reached out her hand to the blindfolded child:

"I'm Rosemary, little sister, what's your name?"

"I am..."

Seeing the child in the knitted sweater glance nervously at Kal'tsit again, encouraged by the emerald-green cat's gaze, the blindfolded girl timidly grasped Rosemary's hand:

"I am... Popukar ..."

"Hmm~ Well, we're friends now! Are you hungry Popukar? Or should we go meet our friends first? See that lady in the dress? Shall we go find her and play?"

Watching Rosemary lead Popukar to meet Amiya, Nana drifted off into thought, only to find a plate suddenly appearing in her arms... filled to the brim with various foods, mainly meat.

Clearly, even disregarding weight gain... I'm probably going to have a really good meal today.

"Hey~ Medic, what are you standing there for? Where's your toast?"

Seeing that Warfarin had just finished shouting when Kal'tsit grabbed her with a "snap" and said, "Don't corrupt the children," Nana smiled... and then grabbed the fork stuck on the top of the plate on her lap.

Holding the thick, skewered steak high in the air, Nana didn't care about the sauce dripping onto her; she used the food as a drinking glass, shouting to the crowd:

Cheers!

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PS2: Finally, I've finished writing about Nana waking up... The imminent mission, people I know and don't know... the weight of time... the maturing Little Cat, and new companions~

Medic... now it's finally the 'Medic of Rhodes Island'.

3rd This land: 071 Preparing to go out

Then, some time passed.

With the help of Bloodfiend Arts, Nana, who had been eating and drinking excessively for many days, finally returned to a normal weight. What followed was an extremely painful rehabilitation process.

Originally, recovering her physical condition should have been a long process that took several months or even years, but because Rhodes Island would soon be arriving in Kazdel, in order to at least escape smoothly if chased by the Sarkaz or harassed by the Ursus military thugs, Nana's efforts were almost self-harm in Folinic.

Separating the sticky ligaments and specifically exercising the atrophied muscles... In order to achieve rapid recovery, Nana even used a certain unstable blood plasma with the help of Warfarin, deliberately using Originium Arts to subtly damage the substrate itself, thereby promoting the recovery of muscle cells.

Through her strong tolerance for pain honed in previous ICA training programs, Nana completed the tasks she had set for herself with a rather unremarkable attitude.

She can now move around normally without her wheelchair or crutches.

Although as a field operative... compared to the physical fitness test three years ago, Nana's current physical strength is still far from the 'standard'... she can move on her own, and her basic physical fitness has recovered to a level close to the average level of a normal Feline race...

In Nana's view, she has recovered to the minimum level required to perform the mission.

"... However, judging from your medical report, senior... your physical condition is still somewhat lacking compared to the requirements for a member of the action team... Aren't you really considering taking some more time to recuperate in Kazdel?"

"My identity will only cause trouble for Kal'tsit in Kazdel... Besides, physical constitution is merely the foundation of operations; strategy and magic are the true criteria for a team's success..."

While chatting with Folinic, Nana looked at the equipment she had found in her room... Since leaving Columbia, replenishing her equipment had become visibly more difficult.

Due to issues concerning technology patents, after completing the rescue mission in Ticarondo, Rhodes Island returned sensitive items such as the Rhine Power Armor and the Harpoon Device to Rhine Lab.

His own special agent equipment, in conjunction with the Rhine Power Armor, provided him with overload-level life support during the Catastrophes, and the outer part of his body was basically Originium Crystals with Originium.

The Liquid Fabric as the base layer is about the size of a pair of pantyhose. Although it can be thinned out to still cover the whole body and maintain excellent signal shielding... its thickness prevents it from supporting a multi-layered structure, and its warmth retention becomes almost non-existent. (Umbrella)

Compared to this, the increased light transmittance is not a problem. Furthermore...

Nana had to urgently order several Rhodes Island uniforms from Closure, both summer and winter versions... Since the location of the person the Ursus intelligence organization was monitoring was in the snowy northern Ursus Snowfield, Nana felt everyone needed to be mindful of keeping warm.

Even more unsettling than the armor were the weapons... Nana previously had two custom-made pistols, one of which exploded during the 'Judgment' operation in Ticarondo... and the other, designed to fit a woman's hand, was ill-suited for extended-length or double-stack magazines... Nana suddenly lost half of her sustained firepower. Guilt

For assassination missions, dual pistols are usually unnecessary... But now, in a war-torn region, and potentially facing the Ursus Imperial Strikers... let alone pistols being ineffective, Nana feels even carrying a handheld Originium Cannon wouldn't be enough firepower.

So what are the things I can use right now? An umbrella.

Nana shifted her gaze from the pistol she had carefully maintained to another gun case in front of her.

This is something I brought from home, left behind on Rhodes Island's WA2000 when I went to Ticarondo... The.300 Magnum ammunition it uses, combined with Teekaz Witchcraft, is quite powerful. The six-round detachable magazine was originally designed specifically for the 'Judgment' burst attack...

Thinking of this, Nana involuntarily raised her head again. Of course... Sankta couldn't see his Halo if he looked up, especially since Nana was now a purebred Feline...

During a recent gathering, Nana privately inquired about the nature of her Halo from Kal'tsit. However, upon hearing that Nana's Halo had disappeared, Kal'tsit seemed even more surprised than Nana herself.

Clearly, she was unaware of this.

Considering that her treatment wasn't conducted by Kal'tsit, Nana has reason to believe that the disappearance of her Halo is inextricably linked to that mysterious 'Doctor'.

[So, is our family destined to be inextricably linked to Frankenstein's monster? Is it the Little Cat's fate, and yours too?]

[I think it's good enough that Nana survived; she doesn't have time to dwell on this kind of thing... As for the Little Cat, she was targeted even before she was born... Well, she's dead now, I don't want to talk about it.]