With Amiya's announcement, the unprecedented mass exodus of Tarans and Infected leaving Victoria officially commenced—an operation on a scale Rhodes Island had never attempted before.
In the past, the landship had mostly handled localized evacuations following Catastrophes. Not only was a evacuation of this magnitude entirely new to Rhodes Island, but even Victoria itself had rarely seen such a massive migration, leaving everyone involved feeling somewhat out of their depth.
"Please remain in order! We will bring every single one of you along, so please do not push..." Amiya projected her voice, doing her utmost to keep the swelling crowd calm and prevent any sudden incidents.
Kal'tsit, meanwhile, stood off to the side, silently observing the young leader's flustered attempts to manage the crowd without stepping in to assist. It wasn't out of cold indifference; the ancient Feline clearly intended to use this chaotic situation as a practical lesson for Amiya, ensuring she wouldn't freeze up the next time she faced an overwhelming challenge.
So, Kal'tsit completely ignored the subtle, desperate glances Amiya kept casting in her direction, retreating into her role as a dedicated physician and quietly attending to her medical duties.
Still, her attention never fully drifted away from Amiya. Should a situation arise that the young rabbit genuinely couldn't resolve, Kal'tsit would step in instantly.
Is Dr. Kal'tsit... holding a grudge because I didn't let her drink coffee earlier? Amiya stole a quick peek at the silent doctor behind her, her mind racing. No, impossible! Dr. Kal'tsit isn't that petty... She couldn't possibly be holding a grudge over something like that, right? Or is she genuinely too busy to help?
It was a lingering mystery.
Nearby, Jeanne and Talulah watched the scene unfold. Even the two of them had to keep a sharp eye on the boisterous crowd to ensure no sudden altercations broke out.
"Do you have any ideas to get these people to settle down?" Talulah walked over to Jeanne, eyeing the restless masses. "If this keeps up, someone's going to end up hurt in a stampede."
When seeking a quick solution, Jeanne was the most convenient person to ask—at the very least, her crazy ideas rarely resulted in actual failure.
"How about you breathe a giant plume of fire in front of them to grab their attention?" Jeanne tilted her head, offering the suggestion with a straight face. "That ought to make crowd control a whole lot easier."
It was the kind of idea that practically begged for Jeanne to be tackled to the ground and beaten senseless.
Compounded by Jeanne's slightly mischievous grin—the exact kind of look that made Talulah's blood boil—Talulah felt that breathing a fireball directly onto Jeanne's face would be far more appropriate.
Regrettably, Talulah knew full well she couldn't beat the troublemaker in a outright fight. Putting aside the urge to physically punish her, Talulah nudged her with a sharp kick to the shin. "Be serious for once! I'm asking you a proper question here; I don't have time for your silly games!"
To be making jokes at a time like this... Talulah decided she really ought to find a chance to pin Jeanne down and give her a thorough thrashing.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Let me think..." Jeanne didn't get angry at the kick, effortlessly dodging out of the way.
She turned her gaze back toward the massive crowd of Victorians preparing to depart. Thinking it over, she realized her initial logic wasn't actually wrong. Making a grand scene to draw everyone's focus before issuing instructions was indeed an effective way to restore order.
After pondering for a moment, a brilliant idea struck Jeanne. Since Talulah refused to cooperate, she would simply handle it herself!
In the blink of an eye, Jeanne vanished from the spot. When Talulah looked back, her companion had completely disappeared, leaving her blinking in confusion.
Where on earth did she go? Talulah scanned the surroundings, seeing no sign of the girl anywhere, and muttered under her breath:
"Where did she run off to? Don't tell me she came up with another absurd scheme... Can't that girl be normal for once? I just hope she doesn't cause a scene..."
Talulah was still grumbling to herself when a sudden shadow fell from above, accompanied by a wave of gasped cries from the crowd below.
High in the sky, the massive form of a wyvern flapped its wings, looking down upon the gathered people with an imposing presence that sent a involuntary shiver down many spines.
The noisy crowd fell dead silent instantly, staring up at the terrifying creature in a mixture of awe and panic.
However, when their eyes caught the familiar figure riding atop the creature's back, a collective sigh of relief swept through the masses. Every person there trusted that the young woman named Jeanne wouldn't bring harm to them.
"Everyone, please remain calm and keep the lines orderly!" Jeanne's voice rang out from the heavens, carrying a strange, reassuring resonance. "We promise to safely transport everyone who wishes to leave with us. We have plenty of time, so there is no need to push!"
Hearing her clear instructions, the chaotic crowd immediately settled down, swiftly falling back into neat, organized lines.
"See? I told you my idea would work!" Jeanne boasted the moment she landed back beside Talulah. She looked thoroughly pleased with herself, clearly expecting a compliment for her quick thinking.
The surrounding crew members, however, merely offered her deadpan stares, letting her savor her self-proclaimed victory in silence.
"Can't you ever use a normal, sensible method?" Talulah grumbled, grabbing Jeanne by the ear with a exasperated sigh. "Aren't you even a little worried about causing a panic with antics like that?"
Amiya looked back and forth between the two, completely flustered and unsure of who to side with, trying her best to keep them from escalating into a full-blown argument.
The surrounding Rhodes Island operators wisely averted their eyes, adopting a strict policy of "this has nothing to do with me" to avoid getting dragged into the chaos.
"While I don't see any immediate harm done, both of you are mature adults," Kal'tsit said smoothly, stepping over after finishing her work to restore order to the scene. "Should you not consider the dignity of your actions a bit more carefully?"
Before either could offer an excuse, Kal'tsit handed Jeanne a digital terminal containing the landship's projected route out of Victoria, assigning them a far more practical task.
"If you have this much free energy, perhaps you could survey our upcoming path? With your ability to take to the skies, it should prove quite simple."
Receiving the task, both women accepted without hesitation. Moments later, they took to the sky atop the wyvern, soaring ahead to scout the surrounding terrain.
"Finally, some quiet," Kal'tsit murmured, watching them fly off. "If they had stayed here arguing any longer, our processing efficiency would have plummeted."
Amiya watched the two figures fade into the clouds, completely at a loss for words, inwardly admitting that Dr. Kal'tsit's solution had been undeniably effective.