Kal'tsit, Who's Like a Mom

"Hmm, there are other patients. Would the Doctor like to come and take a look?"

"Never mind, I don't really like the smell of disinfectant, and I have a lot of work to do today. Mizuki, when can you come and be my assistant?"

With Mizuki around, the only thing to do is probably to make herself happy. The Doctor has always been a staunch advocate of slacking off, and besides, Mizuki wouldn't let her be overwhelmed by all sorts of documents.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, the Medical Department is very busy. Please wait for me..."

Guess who I am?

Mizuki was speaking when a pair of soft hands gently covered his eyes, and a voice as gentle and melodious as a lark in the quiet night reached his ears.

Without needing to think much or hesitate, Mizuki naturally remembered the voice, especially since he could share vision with the tentacles.

"Liz, how are you feeling?"

"Hmm, much better." Liz let go of Mizuki and hugged her instead. "Thank you. Look, I can run freely now, my legs are perfectly fine."

As she spoke, Liz deliberately lifted her skirt, revealing her long, slender, and fair legs to Mizuki. The Doctor subconsciously thought of something unpleasant; Liz's feet... were quite pretty.

Shining and Nearl were also nearby, very pleased that Liz could not only walk, but also took the initiative to express her gratitude to Mizuki, which was a great improvement.

"I understand." Mizuki quickly helped Liz put her skirt back on. This girl really lacked common sense; Mizuki almost saw something she shouldn't have. "It seems you've recovered quite well."

"Um, may I sit here and eat with you?"

"Sure."

With permission granted, Liz chose to sit next to Mizuki, which made FrostNova and Mudrock, who had originally planned to join in, frown. They were too late again; when would they be able to catch up?

Breakfast didn't take long, and Liz was quieter than Rosemary. Although she would occasionally nudge Mizuki's ankle with her foot, it was just a sign of her being overjoyed at regaining her mobility.

Only the Doctor noticed that Liz kept staring at Mizuki's face during the meal. She immediately understood what the girl was thinking. This was quite normal; the hero saving the damsel in distress is a timeless trope, and Mizuki's behavior was pretty much the same.

Shining and Nearl couldn't possibly be unaware of Liz's feelings for Mizuki. Are these two planning to give Liz a helping hand?

Regardless of what the Doctor thought, Rosemary, who also came to the cafeteria, was somewhat jealous. However, she remembered what Mizuki had told her beforehand about what she could and couldn't do, so she could only obediently eat while marking Liz as an enemy.

Everyone's pretty much used to Mizuki's appetite by now. If Rhodes Island were to hold a competitive eating contest and didn't want Mizuki to win, the best solution would be to have him act as the judge. Otherwise, this guy would probably eat the contestants along with him.

(I also need to pack two breakfasts for Skadi and Specter.)

Mizuki remembered that two others hadn't come for breakfast yet. She wondered if Specter and Skadi were awake by now. Even if they were awake, she wondered if they could eat. She'd eaten so much Jellyfish-chan last night that her stomach was bulging.

Fortunately, Mizuki checked the Sea of Life and found no new life signs. No... well, one hundred shots and it's a perfect hit. It seems that as long as the connection to the Sea of Life is severed, life will not be able to develop.

"Skadi, is she still alive?"

Early in the morning, Specter slapped Skadi on the butt, making her, who was already in pain, jump up like an eel.

"Laurentina! What are you doing!"

"Nothing, just wanted to wake you up. Mizuki's already gone."

Having finished showering and wrapped in a towel Laurentina walked to the wardrobe, took out a new set of clothes, and changed into them. Looking at her radiant and glowing reflection in the mirror, she felt that her skin had improved considerably. Even if the life force she gained from doing that kind of thing with Mizuki couldn't promote the evolution of life, it could still optimize her body. The calluses on her hands from years of Abyssal Hunters had also disappeared.

"I'm going to sleep a little longer... I'm so tired. You passed out after only three hours last night, and I had to carry you the rest of the time. Ouch, it still hurts a bit."

Even with the physical prowess of Abyssal Hunters, it would be difficult to say she wasn't feeling unwell. Skadi felt as if her entire body had been torn apart and reassembled, and coupled with the fact that Ishar-mla had taken over her body midway through last night, which had expended too much energy, all she wanted to do now was sleep.

"Aren't you going to find Gladiia?"

"Going later won't make a difference. How did you manage to be perfectly fine for five hours back then?"

"Ah, it was just that Specter was incredibly patient back then; it actually hurt a lot too."

Laurentina stroked her chin, and suddenly a very strange thought came to her.

"You said we both have two personalities inside us, so was it two against one or four against one last night?"

"Laughable, you only have three places on your body that can serve as entrances, and Mizuki only uses the first two."

Skadi rolled her eyes at Specter, then reluctantly got out of bed. Looking at the marks on her body, she knew she still needed to take a shower. The bite marks were one thing, but it wouldn't do for anyone to see the congealed parts.

"Do you think... if we brought the captain in too, could we have beaten Mizuki last night?"

"Puff!"

Chapter 146 Kal'tsit, who looks like her mother

"That should be about right..."

Looking at the sleeping Eyjafjalla, Mizuki gave Kal'tsit a look. Compared to Ho'olheyak and Lappland, who were both troublesome and liked to cause trouble, Mizuki preferred the obedient Eyjafjalla. After all, treating Eyjafjalla was too much of a hassle.

Ho'olheyak's treatment was the simplest; she was an expert at infusing life force, but this was a dangerous period, so she could only use her mouth. As for Lappland, even if Mizuki didn't want to, she would force herself on her, but she would behave after being disciplined by Kal'tsit. Her treatment method was similar to Ifrit's.

As for Eyjafjalla, it has taken a full three hours since I started helping her adjust, and Mizuki feels like she's almost out of energy.

First, Eyjafjalla's consciousness had to be guided into the Sea of Life to maintain contact and prevent her from being assimilated by the Sea Siren. At the same time, her brain's neural tissue also needed to be repaired. Doing so many things at once was quite tiring.

"Let her rest well. Her condition is more serious than Rosemary's. She probably won't wake up for the next couple of days. She'll have sweet dreams."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Kal'tsit wiped Mizuki's face with a wet wipe, then picked him up and laid him on another bed. Mizuki also needed to rest for a while. Physical fatigue was easy to treat, but mental exhaustion could only be healed by time.

"Iberia has received my letter and is probably considering your matter now. We'll have a result soon."

"Yes, thank you."

Mizuki yawned. The Sea of Life was as calm as ever, but he felt uneasy and needed to quicken his pace. He Exusiai returned.

"Don't you need me to come along?" Now that no one else was watching, Kal'tsit's attitude and expression softened considerably. "It will be very tiring to bring the Doctor and Skadi along."

"It's alright, the Doctor may be a bit mischievous, but he's not a brat."

"But I heard she's trying to trick Amiya into transferring you to her dorm."

Now Mizuki was speechless. He hesitated for a moment, then gave Kal'tsit a forced smile.

"Remember not to hit too hard."

"I'll try my best." Kal'tsit nodded slightly; she knew what was important, she couldn't possibly kill the Doctor. "So, what do you plan to do about the Rosemary?"

Upon hearing this, Mizuki pulled the blanket up to cover the lower half of her face, her large eyes filled with innocence and sorrow.

"Can we not talk about this?"

"No, I've already asked. They've done everything except the last one... You really have the heart to do that?"

"I didn't want to either, but I had no way to resist at that time."

Mizuki muttered to himself, then couldn't help but complain about his tentacles. He now understood that these tentacles probably wanted him to find more mates to reproduce, as long as they were female, from Kal'tsit to Rosemary, they would accept them all. If Mizuki hadn't restrained them, they would have turned Rhodes Island into a completely different, indescribable place by now.

"But it still happened, that's undeniable, and you have to take responsibility."

"So what do you think we should do?"

Mizuki was really undecided about this matter. If she went to the Doctor, who knew what kind of explosive advice he might give?

"What else can we do? Do you think she's willing to break up with you?" Kal'tsit rubbed her temples. There really wasn't much she could do. "This is the only way. Her memory is gradually returning, and her personality is developing. It's okay that she instinctively relies on you. She'll grow up quickly. Don't worry too much about the trouble, and don't blame yourself. You didn't have any romantic intentions anyway..."

Well, as she talked, Kal'tsit couldn't help but feel annoyed. What kind of mess is this? It's all Blaze's fault. If it weren't for the bunch of weird stuff on her computer and under her bed, Rosemary wouldn't have ended up like this.

"I'm no longer comfortable leaving Rosemary in Huang's care; I'll keep her with me."

Anyway, taking care of Rosemary now won't take too much effort. The little kitten is already fourteen years old. Kal'tsit just needs to instill good values in her. She's done this before. The Medical Department's operator Folinic, was raised and cared for by Kal'tsit.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing the teasing look in Mizuki's eyes, Kal'tsit subconsciously touched her face. Although she didn't really wear makeup, she had carefully looked in the mirror and tidied herself up when she got up this morning. There shouldn't be anything wrong, right?

"Do I... not look good without makeup?"

This wasn't a question Kal'tsit would ask, but since she had chosen to form a romantic relationship with Mizuki, she had to make some changes. For some reason, being with Mizuki always reminded Kal'tsit of a long time ago, a time before she shouldered so many responsibilities.

Makeup was certainly not a problem for Kal'tsit. She remembered that two people had said the same thing to her, "Kal'tsit, what girl doesn't know how to do makeup? Be a little kinder to yourself. You're already tired enough."

"No, Kal'tsit, you've always been beautiful and have such a great presence. You always give off a reliable vibe."

Mizuki shook her head. If she smiled, Kal'tsit would be even more beautiful. Everyone on Rhodes Island either feared or respected her, but Mizuki and the Doctor only treated her as an ordinary friend.

"But when you mentioned taking care of Rosemary earlier, it made me feel like you were a Kal'tsit, oh no, you're already a mother-to-be."

"Don't mention this again."

Kal'tsit covered Mizuki's mouth. Although the pregnancy was a fact, she was still a little unprepared. She had been single for over ten thousand years, and to become a mother in one night was too much of a contrast. It came too fast for her to react at all.

Thinking about it now still feels like a dream. If anyone saw Kal'tsit now, they'd probably bang their head against the doorframe. Who could possibly see such a shy Kal'tsit except in a dream?

"Go and rest, you've exhausted yourself."

"... good."

Recalling his previous dreams, Mizuki closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, wondering what he would dream about this time.

"She fell asleep really quickly."

Young people are great; they fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Kal'tsit glanced at Eyjafjalla not far away, hesitated for a moment, then gently lifted Mizuki's blanket, intending to crawl in and catch up on some sleep together. Before that, she should replenish her nutrition a little.

Meanwhile, in Iberia, the Inquisition, already troubled by the Sea Siren's actions, fell silent after receiving Kal'tsit's letter. From the High Inquisitor down to the lower-ranking inquisitors, everyone was in a state of shock.

"The main reason I've gathered everyone here today is because of one thing. Seaborn hasn't launched a major attack in a long time. The mysterious Sea Siren —according to my information—is because Seaborn and the Sea Siren have a common leader, namely, Izumik we've been investigating."

As Carmen spoke, even his own expression began to betray a hint of unease.

"According to that Izumik, the Seaborn's attack on Iberia was a self-defense mechanism triggered by provocation. The Sea Siren will not harm Iberia. He has already made the Sea Siren return their weapons and hopes to reach a ceasefire agreement with us."

"As a gesture of goodwill in making a ceasefire, they will return the flagship of the former Golden Fleet and allow the Iberia fleet to set sail. As long as it does not involve genocide, the Seaborn will not react excessively to our actions."

"Now, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask."

The entire room fell silent. The somber atmosphere was so intense that one could hear each other's breathing and heartbeats. This was understandable. Although they had already guessed that Seaborn wouldn't retreat without a reason, the sudden announcement of a ceasefire was far too unexpected.

The main reason is that the war between Iberia and the Seaborn has never stopped for so many years. Countless judges and Inquisition have died in the struggle against the Seaborn. The coast of Iberia was once covered in blood. Now, the sudden ceasefire, coupled with this condition, is probably no different from surrender in the minds of most people.

However, no one dared to say it out loud. Perhaps the judges below did not know, but the chief judge present knew very well that Iberia could no longer afford to wait. They did not have the ability to turn the corpses of their compatriots into nourishment like the Seaborn, nor would they accept such a practice.

The Seaborn are not afraid of being consumed, but Iberia is not. Even though it was once destroyed by the Great Silence, how could Iberia have remained in decline and failed to develop to this day if it weren't for the threat of the Seaborn?

"... Regarding the ceasefire, if no one has any objections, then I will choose to meet with that Izumik. Who agrees, and who disagrees?"

No one objected, even though they had all fought against Seaborn, and their comrades had all died at Seaborn's hands. Everyone understood that if the fighting continued like this, Iberia would be wiped out.

"Then it's decided, but we can't let our guard down. Go back and tell the judges, and have the Inquisition keep a close watch on the sea. We must not let our guard down. Also, Dario, your disciple has joined the Church of Life, right?"

"Yes." Dario, whose name was called, felt a little embarrassed. If it weren't for Irene getting back the gun that had been taken from him, he would have definitely expelled this shameful apprentice from the school.

"Don't look so serious. I trust Irene's character. Since the Church of Life is connected to our guests, it's not a bad thing."

Carmen, though strict, was not pedantic. Meanwhile, in the newly built church of the Church of Life, Irene looked at the one-page doctrinal text in her hand and felt that she might have followed the wrong religion. However, what surprised her even more was what the Sea Siren said.

"You mean, the Seaborn will no longer raid Iberia lands?"

"Pretty much. You Iberia were caught in this mess for no reason. Aegir's actions activated the fighting genes of the Seaborn, causing the entire race to riot. In order to ensure the survival of the race, the Seaborn chose the simplest and most violent method: to directly conquer the entire land."

Sea Siren #233 munched on some cold seaweed salad while explaining to Irene what the previous Seaborn had been like.

For the Seaborn, predation and being preyed upon are normal parts of the food chain, so being attacked is at most self-defense. What could cause the entire population to riot? Aegir doesn't know what Irene did, but it must have been something extremely shameless.

"So... Izumik is coming to Iberia?"

"Yes, we originally planned to just conquer this country, but that would make Izumik hate us."

"Then why didn't he keep an eye on Seaborn before?"

"Because he used to be just a rather special Seaborn, not someone with such a high status, but now we basically all listen to him."

Izumik is the best in the world. This is the consensus of both the Sea Siren and the Seaborn. Compared to Ishar-mla, who doesn't care about anything, the Unmelting Iceberg is always offline, and the Origin Lifeline, who often acts erratically, Mizuki, as the leader, is obviously much more responsible. The Sea Siren and the Seaborn's current understanding of the land comes mainly from him, and he also gives clear instructions.

The key point is that he even occasionally checks in on the Sea Siren's lives (mainly because he's worried that those guys might cause some big trouble).

"Won't he be angry if you write the doctrine like this?" Irene looked at the doctrine in her hand. "The first one is that God loves the world, but God is not your parent so he doesn't feed you. You can't expect to get something for nothing. Instead of praying, you should think about where your dinner will come from."

This isn't some kind of doctrine at all; Irene feels like it looks like a propaganda slogan no matter where it's placed.

"Well, that's about the gist of it. Anyway, that's what Izumik told us: to be self-reliant. Otherwise, why would we come ashore if we were living perfectly well underwater? It's not like we're roasting salt."

Number 233 rolled her eyes and continued eating. This was the first time Irene had ever eaten cold seaweed salad. To be fair, it tasted pretty good. These Sea Siren had learned their cooking skills from Mizuki, but their finished products didn't look as outrageous as Mizuki's.

"Will the Inquisition agree to a ceasefire?"

"You Iberia have no choice but to cease hostilities." Sea Siren #999 walked over with a bowl of noodles. "Even if the Sea Siren don't participate in the war, with Izumik as their guide, the Seaborn can still flood this land. Besides, you've been wasting so many years. If you don't stop fighting sooner or later, other countries on land will stab you in the back."

"So, my lovely Little Bird, you should be most grateful that Izumik is not hostile to humans, otherwise you wouldn't even have Terra by now."

"More than anything else, I care about the name. Izumik made us name it ourselves, and I'm not satisfied with any of them."