Patriot was planning to jump ship? Once Jeanne finally processed what FrostNova was implying, she scratched her ear, thoroughly bewildered by what she had just heard. "Wait, run that by me one more time?"
Had she been gone from Chernobog for so long that her brain couldn't keep up with the local gossip anymore? Jeanne had plenty of good reasons to doubt her own hearing.
She stared blankly at FrostNova, trying to verify if she had misunderstood. Talulah hadn't mentioned a single word about this!
Was this secret so tightly guarded that practically no one knew, and FrostNova had only stumbled upon it by accident while visiting Patriot? No matter how she looked at it, that sounded completely improbable.
Seeing Jeanne's baffled expression, FrostNova began recounting the unusual behavior she had noticed from Patriot over the time the two of them were away.
In truth, there wasn't a single shred of concrete evidence showing that Patriot intended to leave. Everything was just a somewhat far-fetched guess based on FrostNova's deep understanding of her old man.
That was precisely why she hadn't mentioned it to anyone else. Without hard proof, it was nothing more than her own personal suspicion.
Still, hearing such a bizarre theory coming directly from Patriot's adopted daughter caught Jeanne off guard, and her demeanor quickly turned serious, erasing her previous lighthearted mood.
"A while back, I noticed he seemed absentminded. Then I realized he was starting to pay close attention to news out of Kazdel. At first, I didn't think much of it—it seemed normal enough..."
FrostNova paused, a reflective look drifting across her features as she searched her memory.
At the beginning, she had simply been surprised that her old-fashioned father figure was showing interest in Kazdel again, given how he usually avoided hearing anything about his former homeland.
"Later, I found out he was occasionally asking people from Rhodes Island about the situation over there. Yesterday, that Feline named Kal'tsit even came by to see him, though I have no idea what they discussed behind closed doors."
FrostNova described her old man's weird behavior with utter gravity. If she hadn't prefaced it as a concern about him leaving, Jeanne would have sworn she was laying out evidence for a late-life romance rumor.
"He said he was planning to find you today, but after Kal'tsit left, he just sat there in a daze for hours. He was acting completely off all morning, and he even took a trip over to Rhodes Island! When he came back, he looked like something major had happened..."
FrostNova rubbed her head in frustration. Seeing her stubborn old man act so wildly out of character was giving her serious anxiety—mainly because she was entirely in the dark about what he was actually up to.
Now that she had finally found someone she could confide in, her emotions were visibly running high. Her white rabbit ears were twitching so rapidly in front of Jeanne that they almost left afterimages.
Jeanne occasionally wondered how Cautus and other infected folks with animal ears managed to control their human and animal ears separately. It was a complete mystery to her.
"If that's the case, why don't you just ask him directly? You really think the old man would hide his intentions from you if you asked?"
Jeanne couldn't understand why FrostNova hadn't just sat down with Patriot. From what she remembered, those two were the type who could sit across from each other in total silence for hours without it feeling awkward.
"Ask the old man...? Forget it. I don't want to interfere with his choice, whatever he ultimately decides."
FrostNova closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. For someone claiming she didn't want to pry, her expression made it obvious that if Jeanne hadn't returned today, she would have marched over to ask him within forty-eight hours anyway.
"Calm down for a second. Things probably haven't gotten to the point where he's actually packing his bags," Jeanne said, gently taking hold of FrostNova's soft ears to soothe her—while secretly enjoying the long-missed feel of snow-hare fur.
Jeanne doubted Kal'tsit would attempt to recruit Patriot back to Kazdel without consulting her first. Thinking it through logically, that scenario made zero sense.
Deciding to clear up the confusion once and for all, Jeanne dragged FrostNova along to visit Patriot's quarters, stopping along the way to pick up a basket of fresh fruit as a polite visit gift, looking every bit like a dutiful young person visiting a respected elder.
Patriot's living quarters were situated within an outpost encampment on the outskirts. The old veteran always maintained that he couldn't adjust to the cramped environment of the mobile city, so he kept his residence out in the open, though it was hardly remote.
"Old Mister, are you inside? Yelena and I came to see you!" Jeanne called out, pulling a reluctant FrostNova into the shelter. "Wait... Kal'tsit, you're here too?"
Stepping inside, Jeanne found Patriot and Kal'tsit sitting face-to-face, locked in a quiet conversation. Seeing Jeanne enter, Kal'tsit maintained her usual composure, offering a polite nod of acknowledgment.
"In that case... I shall entrust this to you. While I have no intention of returning to Kazdel myself, if you deem this necessary, I am willing to lend my assistance."
Patriot raised a massive hand in greeting as Jeanne entered, though he didn't address her immediately. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on Kal'tsit, his immense presence filling the room.
That pressure wasn't just atmospheric—it was purely physical. A nine-foot-tall Wendigo sitting directly across from a slender Feline created a naturally overwhelming visual contrast.
"If that is your decision, then on behalf of myself, Theresa, and Kazdel, I offer you my deepest gratitude. Thank you for still being willing to lend us your aid."
Kal'tsit spoke with utter sincerity, executing a formal, traditional greeting that Jeanne couldn't quite place—a ancient Sarkaz gesture reserved for expressing solemn gratitude.
It was obvious how crucial this agreement was to her, a fact mirrored in the flicker of surprise that crossed Patriot's glowing red eyes.
Patriot's crimson gaze wavered for a split second. He clearly hadn't expected Kal'tsit to go so far, nor had he anticipated such a formal gesture over this matter.
"There is no need for such formalities, Dame Kal'tsit. This was not a difficult decision to make; it was merely a matter of convincing myself. It requires no grand sacrifice on my part."
"Yet convincing oneself is often the hardest task in this world—especially for someone of your stubborn nature. Overcoming the fortress of your own mind is no small feat, Buldrokkas'tee."
Kal'tsit looked at him, her expression softening into a rare, almost imperceptible smile before reverting to her usual icy composure. Between the four people in the room, there wasn't even enough warmth to assemble two full smiles!
Patriot remained silent for a long moment. Then, as if reaching a firm resolution, he reached deep inside his heavy armor and produced a small, exquisitely crafted yet noticeably ancient artifact.
If Jeanne had to guess, it was a historical relic of considerable age. Judging by the weathered scratches and the unmistakable patina of time across its surface, this was definitely no cheap souvenir picked up at a junk market.
The artifact was intricately carved with the silhouette of a stag's head—a symbol belonging unmistakably to the Wendigo line. Jeanne and FrostNova both locked their curious gazes onto the object in Patriot's massive hand.
FrostNova in particular was stunned. After worrying for days that her old man was planning to abandon them, it turned out he was simply handing over a personal heirloom. What kind of significance did that object carry?
"This is a Royal Court Covenant," Kal'tsit explained, noticing their bewildered expressions. "It represents the authority and voice of a Sarkaz Royal Court."
Hearing that, Jeanne instantly understood why Kal'tsit needed it. But what surprised her even more was something else entirely...
This stubborn old veteran, whom FrostNova called the most set-in-his-ways man alive, actually changed his mind and handed over something so significant to Kal'tsit?
Patriot had sworn off interfering in Kazdel's affairs long ago. Yet here he was, breaking his own long-standing vow never to involve himself in Sarkaz politics ever again.