"What on earth happened here? Did someone ambush the Doctor?"
When Jeanne arrived at the rendezvous point, she was greeted by the sight of the Doctor lying flat on her back, still as a corpse, while Amiya fluttered her hands in helpless panic nearby. Beside them, the elite operator Blaze was doubled over in fits of laughter.
At Jeanne's question, Amiya hung her head even lower, looking for all the world as though she had committed an act her conscience couldn't quite reconcile.
"It's... it's nothing. I just took a slight kick from an ill-tempered rabbit, that's all. Entirely my fault for sneaking up on it and giving it a sudden fright."
The Doctor struggled to her feet with visible effort, brushing herself off with a generous wave of her hand as if to prove it was a minor matter.
"Never mind that—let's prepare to move out!" Compared to taking a hoof to the chest, the Doctor cared far more about the journey ahead. What was a little physical discomfort compared to a rare trip abroad?
"It's just a shame you can't come along with us, Amiya," the Doctor added, gently patting the young Cautus on the head with a trace of regret.
"It can't be helped, Doctor. I can't leave Dr. Kal'tsit to handle all those administrative matters alone, can I? If I did, she wouldn't sleep for days on end."
Amiya kept her head bowed as she murmured her reasoning. Remaining behind on Rhodes Island to assist Kal'tsit with daily tasks had been her own choice.
As for the Doctor, she ought to enjoy this well-deserved break while it lasted. After all, once this journey concluded, there was no telling when another vacation would ever come around.
Naturally, Amiya kept that last thought entirely to herself. If she voiced it aloud, the troublesome strategist would surely launch into a passionate protest.
With a gentle smile, the young Cautus bade the group farewell, turning back toward the main corridor with her mischievous secret intact.
"Amiya really is such a wonderful child—so gentle and sensible," the Doctor remarked with deep affection as she watched her leave, completely oblivious to the young leader's hidden thoughts.
"So, how are we traveling to Kjerag? How about I summon a wyvern and fly us over?" Jeanne suggested, already preparing to call forth her mount.
"Please, no! I'd prefer to keep living a while longer!"
"Oh, yes! Count me in!" Blaze exclaimed, taking the complete opposite stance from the Doctor. "I've never ridden one of those legendary wyverns before! I heard ACE and the others talking about them over drinks a while back, and I've been dying to try it ever since!"
Unlike the Doctor's instant rejection, Blaze embraced the proposal with glowing enthusiasm. She had wanted to experience such a flight for ages, but between privacy restrictions aboard Rhodes Island and a lack of opportunities, the chance had never presented itself.
However, Blaze had failed to consider the massive gap between her physical resilience and the Doctor's fragile mortal frame. Hearing the operator's agreement, the Doctor puffed up like an alarmed cat, stepping swiftly between Jeanne and Blaze to block them.
"No! Absolutely not!" The Doctor panicked. She knew her own physical limits all too well—if they went airborne, her frail body would collapse midway through the flight.
She was a delicate woman who suffered physical distress after hanging from an office hook for three hours! The gap between her constitution and these superhuman fighters was vast enough to inspire absolute despair.
"Cliffheart and the Karlan Commercial representatives are due to pick us up any minute! There's no need to cause extra complications. More importantly, Kjerag has its own traditions—do they even permit outsiders to breach their sacred airspace?"
The Doctor argued with earnest conviction, conveniently omitting the primary reason that her body couldn't handle the flight, though her flustered posture gave her away.
"But riding a wyvern sounds like so much fun! If someone personally invited us, surely we don't need to worry about such small details?"
"I completely agree," Jeanne chipped in, catching on instantly. "We could easily touch down near the border, restock at the local Rhodes Island safehouse, and save ourselves a massive chunk of travel time!"
Jeanne and Blaze saw right through the Doctor's bravado, teasing her in perfect unison and driving the flustered strategist into a frenzy of frantic excuses.
What followed was a rare spectacle: the Doctor desperately pulling every reason out of thin air to talk Jeanne out of the sky route, while Jeanne deliberately played along to keep her squirming.
Since Alina was still saying her farewells to the children, Jeanne figured she might as well amuse herself by teasing the Doctor while they waited.
"You two are so wicked... Ah, Alina! You're finally here! Quick, help me out—Jeanne is trying to end my life so she can inherit my estate!"
The Doctor finally realized she was being teased, but the threat remained real enough—if she agreed, Jeanne might actually carry out the aerial transport.
"Stop teasing her," Alina said, giving Jeanne a gentle tap on the head.
With that, the joke came to an end, and Jeanne dropped the subject of the wyvern.
Disappointed, Blaze turned to Alina to satisfy her curiosity about flying atop a giant beast.
"Honestly, it isn't as wonderful as you might imagine," Alina explained, offering a practical perspective for ordinary mortals. "When you're sitting on a wyvern's back, you have to work constantly to maintain your balance, take care not to hurt the creature, and endure fierce winds the entire time..."
Alina's physical strength was nowhere near that of Jeanne or Talulah, so her account reflected the reality for normal travelers. Riding such a creature was hardly a relaxing excursion. Yet even that sober description failed to dampen Blaze's excitement—the Feline's eyes continued to sparkle with eager fascination.
"Apologies for the delay, Doctor, Operator Blaze, and honored guests."
A deep, commanding voice sounded from behind them. A tall, heavily built Forte warrior stepped forward with a serious expression, offering a polite greeting.
"On the master's orders, we have arrived to escort your party to Kjerag. The transport is ready whenever you wish to depart."
"This is one of Karlan Commercial's resident representatives on Rhodes Island—you can call him Matterhorn," the Doctor introduced. "And beside him is Courier. The two of them will be guiding our route."
The Doctor introduced the two representatives to Jeanne and Alina, who exchanged polite nods before leading the group toward the waiting transport.
They belonged to a distinct category of personnel aboard the landship—cooperation operators affiliated with external companies who managed trade and logistics between Rhodes Island and Karlan Commercial, occasionally taking on field missions. Similar arrangements existed with other entities, such as the personnel dispatched by Blacksteel Worldwide.
"Doctor... you truly accepted the invitation after all," Cliffheart said, her expression complex as she watched the group approach. Seeing an elite operator like Blaze in the escort detail only confirmed her suspicions.
Rhodes Island clearly understood that Kjerag was on the verge of turbulent shifts, which was why they had deployed high-level protection for the Doctor. Yet part of the reason the Doctor had agreed to come in the first place was tied to her own situation...
A wave of mixed emotions washed over the young Snow Leopard. Before she could speak, a slender hand rested gently on her head, causing her to freeze in place.
"Don't weigh yourself down with unnecessary pressure," the Doctor said gently, comforting the anxious young woman. "I made this choice myself. If I had refused, even a dozen requests wouldn't have moved me, right?"
Having eased Cliffheart's mind, the Doctor turned her gaze back to Jeanne, silent for a brief moment before speaking up.
"My personal safety on this road rests entirely on you and Operator Blaze. Whatever you do, please ensure I live to see tomorrow's sunrise!"
Though her words sounded grand, the strategist didn't hesitate for a second when it came to seeking protection, appealing directly to the strongest fighters present.
The surrounding group exchanged knowing looks, leaving the physically fragile strategist even more nervous as she sought reassurance from everyone around her.
Up front, Matterhorn and Courier paid no attention to the banter. After transmitting a brief update to their master, they set the vehicle in motion, heading straight toward the snowbound realm.
Far across the mountain passes, the powerful male Snow Leopard received the message on his Terminal. He stared at the screen in silence for a long moment, set the device down on his desk, and turned his gaze toward the detailed map of Kjerag mounted on the wall behind him.
In his eyes, a quiet fire burned.