Miss Vulpo's Life as a Rhodes Island Operator Chapter 49

Where should she begin...

After giving it some thought, Fengling slowly began her account.

Starting from the moment she was attacked in the Reunion Movement settlement.

How she had been drawn into that battle.

How she had encountered the first wave of enemies.

And then... while there had initially been a bit of an act to it, Fengling really had tried to negotiate with them. In the end, the negotiations failed, and Fengling resorted to bloody means to fight back.

Whether Dobermann had done it intentionally or not, she specifically had Fengling describe in considerable detail exactly how she had attacked them.

Fengling could only revisit it all in depth once more.

And along with it came the sensations she had experienced that day.

Her tail could unleash enough force in an instant to pierce straight through a body.

One hard punch from her could truly cripple a burly man's limbs.

Strike a vital point, and a living life would vanish at once.

Those lives, in Fengling's hands... had actually been very fragile.

"So... how do you see it now? You could take those people's lives with ease."

Dobermann asked.

"You can't hesitate on a battlefield, can you? But..." Determination shone in Fengling's eyes. "If possible, I'd still like to consider things more, to think more carefully. At the very least, I don't think I can become numb to this kind of act. Otherwise, one day, I might become indifferent to the lives around me too. That's something I could never tolerate."

"Very good." Dobermann even nodded, looking at Fengling approvingly. "You little girl... sometimes you're so sharp that it makes people feel sorry for you."

It was rare for Dobermann to address Fengling that way. It seemed she was genuinely in a very good mood.

"Rhodes Island operators, even field operators who have to fight, need decisive methods, but we are absolutely not mere killing machines." Dobermann spoke seriously. "Taking another person's life is sometimes filled with helplessness. We don't need to make excuses for our actions, because in most situations, if we did not take the appropriate measures, we would be the ones to die. We are not noble, nor do we claim to be. Keep thinking, and recognize the direction in which you are moving forward."

Fengling had heard words like these more than once.

"Dobermann, here's what you ordered. And the trash can is beside you."

At that moment, the bartender's voice interrupted Dobermann as he placed her order on the table.

Fengling glanced at the items on the table, then looked at Dobermann strangely.

"Instructor Dobermann... you're... not messing with me, are you?"

Dobermann's Little Test

"Oh? You're surprisingly calm."

Dobermann revealed a faint smile, carrying just a trace of mischief.

The order itself was not complicated, but it could indeed be said to be... rather targeted toward Fengling's current state.

A plate of thinly sliced Siracusan salami, raw, to go with the drinks.

And one classic cocktail each: Bloody Marys, deliberately made to look thick and bloody.

With just one glance, Fengling understood the meaning behind Dobermann's order.

It was a simple test to see whether the earlier battlefield incident had left some psychological shadow behind for Fengling—things that looked similar on the surface really could trigger people with related psychological issues.

And perhaps help any operator with such a mental barrier get past it.

"I'm not so far gone that I'd confuse food with... those things."

She really felt underestimated!

Because she had thought it through so carefully earlier, Fengling naturally did not have that sort of instinctive mental barrier now.

After all, some foods, especially meat... put bluntly, were simply corpses being eaten.

If someone who had been on a battlefield could not rationally distinguish food from those things on the battlefield, they would naturally develop psychological trauma. If things went badly, it might even lead to psychological distortion.

Fengling used a toothpick to spear a thin slice of salami and put it into her mouth.

Siracusan smoked, air-dried sausage could be eaten raw after being properly aged and fermented for a certain period of time.

It was Fengling's first time eating this little thing raw.

The moment it entered her mouth, a rich, savory meat aroma blossomed across her tongue. Amid the saltiness was the perfect amount of black pepper flavor and smokiness.

And because it had been fermented, even this tiny slice became more fragrant the more she chewed.

"This is delicious!"

The burst of flavor on her taste buds even seemed to make Fengling's eyes shine brighter.

"Rhodes Island actually has snacks like this? Looks like I can come here often in the future!"

Fengling had completely entered food-lover mode, and the smile on Dobermann's face nearly became impossible to hold back.

"This... looks like I was worrying for nothing. Being able to distinguish things rationally and enjoy good food does make it easier to cross that psychological hurdle."

Then it truly was time to simply enjoy this pleasant moment.

Dobermann lifted the glass before her.

The specially made Bloody Mary looked thick and bloody.

But it actually did not taste bad. It even smelled rather appetizing.

"This one actually gives me a bit of a mental hurdle." Fengling also picked up her glass of cocktail, narrowing her eyes as she examined it through the light, as though that would let her see its ingredients.

Clearly, that was impossible.

And the mental resistance to drinking it mainly came from the unknown, not from associating it with blood...

Unlike the salami slices, Fengling could at least roughly tell that those were some sort of sausage.

But this cocktail was completely unknown to Fengling, who had no relevant experience at all.

Still, she had long heard of this drink's famous name.

Since it was a classic, it could not possibly taste too bad.

There was a fine layer of powder around the rim. As Fengling drank, it added a hint of underlying flavor to the sip.

Beyond the alcohol taste it should have had, the first mouthful was mostly tomato sourness, the sourness of some citrus fruit—probably lemon—the fragrance of celery, followed by a somewhat complex spiciness and saltiness.

It was not unpleasant, but for Fengling, who was used to ordinary alcohol, it really was a little too unusual.

"This barely even feels like drinking... it's more like having some sort of soup."

Fengling swirled her glass and gave that assessment.

"If you put it that way, it isn't exactly wrong." Dobermann took a light sip and continued, "But people with average alcohol tolerance should still be careful. Its base liquor is Ursus vodka, and Rhodes Island uses the high-proof version by default. It tastes good, but if you take several big gulps in a row, it'll still knock you down easily."

Fengling understood. In Great Yan terms—it had quite a kick afterward.

With snacks to accompany the alcohol, it took no time at all for the glass to be drained.

Dobermann had not truly brought Fengling here just to drink, so she intended to end things there.

Seeing that Fengling was completely unaffected, Dobermann stood and teased, "Looks like Rhodes Island is getting another heavyweight drinker."

Though she was still some time away from adulthood, the maturity Fengling displayed far surpassed that of the boys and girls in the reserve squads.

From the battlefield to everyday life, the impression Fengling had left Dobermann with was one of "steadiness" and "ease."

Such qualities were indeed rare.

Having just completed a mission, Dobermann generously approved several days of leave for Fengling, allowing her to rest properly before returning to her studies.

However, even before her courses were fully completed, Fengling might have to go on missions at any time.

After all, she had become a full operator and possessed that capability.

"It's still early. Go see Doctor Kal'tsit this afternoon if you have time." Dobermann reminded Fengling of the appointment she was not to forget that day. "Your official operator file will be finalized according to your wishes, combined with Rhodes Island's recommendations."

"My wishes?" Fengling asked in confusion.

"Basically, what kind of combat operator you want to serve as on Rhodes Island. I already taught you about this in the first lesson."

Oh! That was it!

Fengling remembered.

Once they officially became full operators, they had to decide what battlefield role they wished to take on.

Reserve squad operators also had corresponding battlefield roles, but they still had to be confirmed again after becoming full operators.

For instance, Melantha was a Guard, responsible for close combat in the team and breaking through the enemy at close range with devastating force.

Someone like Cardigan was a Defender. Though not agile, she was indeed the team's most reliable front line, using defensive equipment to create room for others to attack.

By that classification, there were also flexible Vanguards who supplied resources to the team; Snipers, who generally used physical equipment for long-range attacks; Casters, who primarily used Originium Arts; Medics, who provided treatment and protected the team through various means; Supporters, who offered buffs or protection; and Specialists, who excelled in a particular area and were extremely useful to the team under specific circumstances.

Of course, these were only broad classifications, meant to help commanders quickly grasp information about the operators in a team and make use of their strengths.

For example, nobody said that Gavial, as a Medic, could not smack an enemy flat with her remarkably sturdy staff when she was getting attacked.

"So why does Rhodes Island classify operators like this? It feels... like it was prepared for someone."

Fengling asked.

"I can't give you a specific answer to that... well, to be clear, even I don't know the details. Perhaps you can ask Kal'tsit." Dobermann seemed somewhat helpless regarding this subject.

Because even she had only heard that person's name through hearsay.

"Rhodes Island's military commander-in-chief, a researcher of Oripathy—everything at present seems to have been prepared by Doctor Kal'tsit for that person."

"Many people know of her, but very few have truly met her."

"Anyway, you may call that person... the 'Doctor.'"

Preparing to Become a Full Operator

Returning to her little dorm room after so long gave her an unexpected sense of nostalgia.

It was exactly the same as when she had left.

"Mm... my own little bed is still the most comfortable."

After taking off her coat and putting away her pendant, Fengling gave a small hop and threw herself onto the bed.

Because she was usually so attentive to cleanliness, Fengling could still smell the fresh scent of the body wash she often used through the bedding.

Instructor Dobermann had approved her leave, so for the next two or three days, Fengling could temporarily ignore everything and rest in peace.

That said, there were still a few matters she needed to handle.

Besides what had been mentioned earlier—finalizing her official operator information with Doctor Kal'tsit—Fengling also needed to visit the Engineering Department to have her equipment maintained. Then she needed to find time to visit the Medical Department for her regular physical examination and to reset the data in the Monitoring Ring around her neck.

"Mm..."

Thinking about all those miscellaneous matters, Fengling rubbed her face against the soft pillow and let out a comfortable little moan.

Then, before she knew it, she fell asleep.

The fatigue accumulated during her time away, aided by the alcohol she had just drunk, burst forth completely and sent Fengling into deep sleep.

During that time, the last team that had gone out on a mission returned to Rhodes Island's main vessel.

Everyone returned safely. No one had been separated.

And so Rhodes Island's journey would continue.

After a brief resupply stop in Ursus, their next destination would be Siracusa.

According to Rhodes Island's public itinerary, they were expected to stay there for longer.

Amid rumbling roars.

The massive landship began to move.

Rhodes Island departed Ursus and continued on its own journey.

It was not until the afternoon by the ship's clock that Fengling finally woke.