Alina still hesitated after hearing Jeanne's proposal. It wasn't that she didn't want to leave Chernobog to explore the world—she just wondered if now was really the right time.
Talulah was shouldering the heavy responsibility of managing a whole city, and Jeanne carried the burden of resolving an existential crisis in Iberia. To Alina, running off on a leisure trip felt completely irresponsible given everything at stake.
Besides, she was never the restless type. Noticing Jeanne's set jaw, Alina prepared to turn down the idea once again, worried it might derail whatever plans Jeanne had lined up.
"It's just an idea, so don't overthink it!" Jeanne waved a dismissive hand, sealing the matter with a bright grin. "Just treat it as accompanying a restless fool like me for a getaway. That's a promise!"
Although there was no telling when this trip would actually happen, the thought of it sparked a rare trace of anticipation in Alina, who had spent most of her life tethered to one place.
"What about Iberia, though? Is it really fine for you to hang around here?" Alina asked, her expression laced with genuine concern for the terrifying Seaborn Jeanne had described.
"Ah, don't worry about that! Gathering an international allied force will take six months at minimum, and even the advance units won't mobilize for a while," Jeanne replied smoothly. "When I step onto the field, it needs to be after everyone recognizes how dangerous the Seaborn are—only then will they actually stand together."
She waved off the worry as if it were nothing. If things in Iberia escalated to the point where her direct intervention was needed, she could ride Fafnir and reach the front lines in a matter of days. Constant physical presence wasn't necessary yet.
Besides, Pope Yvangelista preferred that she didn't linger at the front lines indefinitely. If Jeanne stayed on the battlefields, her divine revelations would make victory far too easy.
That clashed with Laterano's overarching goal: forcing the major nations to witness the sheer horror of the Seaborn on their own, making them recognize that the true threat to civilization lay in these apocalyptic disasters. For now, Jeanne sat outside the grand chessboard, bidding her time until her dramatic entrance.
Hearing this breakdown, Alina finally let out a breath of relief, dropping her protest. In any case, a vacation wouldn't happen anytime soon.
The Victorian refugees had only just arrived, so every ounce of focus had to remain on helping them settle down.
Even then, logistics could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, the three friends simply sat around the cozy room, catching up on everything they had missed, completely setting aside city management. After a long separation, business could wait.
"Ngh... I can't believe the sun is already up," Jeanne muttered, rubbing her bleary eyes as she pushed herself up from the mattress, squinting at the bright morning light pouring through the window.
She promptly flopped back down, pulling the covers over her head. Her own bed felt incomparably comfortable—no matter how plush a bed on the road was, nothing matched the warmth of home.
Jeanne snuggled into her soft duvet, her mind drifting aimlessly. Nobody would bother her today; Surely no one was heartless enough to drag an exhausted wanderer straight out of bed without a single day of rest.
Talulah, of course, was the exception. As the leader of Reunion, the poor girl had no choice but to show her face at the administrative offices, if only to relieve Patriot from doing all her paperwork single-handedly.
Jeanne wasn't planning on slacking off all day, though. Around ten in the morning, she threw off the covers, stretched her limbs with a long yawn, and finally got up.
She planned to check on the residential quarters assigned to the Victorians to see how the newcomers were adjusting to their new surroundings.
"You're actually up?" Alina, dressed in comfortable home clothes, paused her broom mid-sweep, staring at Jeanne in surprise. "We talked so late last night that I thought you'd sleep last night."
Had months of traveling altered Jeanne's personality? Where was the lazy, sleep-loving Jeanne of the past? Could this be an imposter? Alina tilted her head in deep thought for a brief second before tossing the ridiculous suspicion out of her mind.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? You're making me sound like a total slacker who does nothing but eat and sleep!" Jeanne pouted, thoroughly dissatisfied. "I'm always the one working the hardest out there!"
Jeanne puffed out her cheeks in protest, swelling up like an outrageous blowfish.
Alina couldn't help a soft chuckle at the sight. For someone who carried the weight of the world, Jeanne could still act like a total child.
"Alright, alright, I apologize. I was wrong, okay?" Alina patted Jeanne's shoulder, her tone soothing and gentle—the exact cadence one used on a fussy toddler.
Jeanne stared back blankly, her cheeks still puffed out as she glared in utter silence. She really thinks I'm a kindergarten kid, doesn't she?
Far from feeling embarrassed, Alina found the sight endearing. She almost wanted to tease her a bit longer just to keep that ridiculous face going.
Luckily, Jeanne wasn't genuinely upset. After washing up and getting dressed, she stepped out to inspect the Victorian living quarters, eager to see if anyone needed a helping hand.
The district allocated to the Victorian migrants was a fully restored sector of the city. Although Jeanne's divine intervention had previously shattered the terrifying Catastrophe descending on Chernobog, the shockwaves had still inflicted structural damage across several districts.
Infrastructure across multiple sectors had taken a beating, leaving numerous buildings damaged. Fortunately, the core framework held up, allowing repair crews to finish restorations in record time.
This specific district had remained empty—not because of poor conditions, but because previous residents had chosen to relocate into busier sectors.
Today, the district carried a new designation: Victoria-Tarah, serving as the residential hub for the newly arrived Victorians and Tarans. The Infected were married on the eastern side, while non-Infected occupied the west.
Even though Reunion actively promoted integration, separating the two demographics slightly—just for now—was a necessary concession to ease immediate tensions.
Rebuilding trust between Infected and non-Infected wasn't something that could be forced through top-down mandates; it required time for both sides to live alongside one another and build mutual understanding.
Today, the perimeter of the new district hummed with commotion. Local residents from surrounding sectors gathered near the security lines, sneaking curious glances inside to see how these Victorians differed from themselves.
"Please do not crowd the entryways! Our new friends are currently settling into their homes. If you are curious, there will be plenty of time to get to know them once everyone is settled..."
Members of the Chernobog Guard Bureau—a restructured security force composed of former Ursus military police—were working hard to manage the crowd, preventing the eager locals from overwhelming the anxious newcomers.
As for the name Guard Bureau... it was simply a matter of habit for its organizer, and Talulah had readily approved the title upon seeing the proposal.
That organizer was Nine—a former Senior Superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Bureau and Ch'en's former superior. She was a deeply unusual Pythia who, strangely enough, possessed a pair of sharp horns!
Her presence proved one universal truth across the continent of Terra: no matter where you went, standing around to gawk at a spectacle remained the absolute favorite pastime of the public.
"Please step back, this area is closed to—oh, it's you," Nine said, stepping forward to block a young woman who was awkwardly squeezing her way through the crowd. She paused mid-sentence, catching her breath as she recognized Jeanne.
It had been so long since Nine last saw Jeanne that she couldn't even remember their last meeting. They had rarely crossed paths.
"I came to see how everyone is settling in," Jeanne offered a bright, warm smile, stating her purpose clearly. "Just checking if there's anything I can help with."
"Fair enough. Follow me inside," Nine replied smoothly, gesturing for Jeanne to pass while instructing her officers to keep the onlookers moving.