"Because everyone here is a good person!" Amiya declared without a second thought, casually handing out a blanket 'good person card' to every single soul aboard Rhodes Island.
"I see. It seems Amiya truly adores everyone here!" Flandre remarked, looking at the young leader with bright, inquisitive eyes.
"Of course I do!" Amiya smiled sweetly, her long ears twitching happily.
Before they had traveled much further down the pristine metal corridor, a tall, imposing figure materializations up ahead.
"Mr. Logos!" Amiya called out politely upon recognizing him.
Logos turned his head, spotting the young leader standing a short distance away. Her cheeks were faintly flushed from light jogging in her effort to keep pace with Flandre's eager strides. A soft, rare smile touched the Banshee's lips.
"Amiya, are you currently escorting young Flandre on a grand tour of our landship?"
Amiya nodded dutifully. "Flandre mentioned that this is her very first time stepping aboard Rhodes Island, and she expressed a keen interest in exploring the sights."
Logos turned his dark eyes toward Flandre. "Following my return to headquarters, I deposited a duplicate copy of that surgical recording along with the supplementary theoretical video into the Rhodes Island archive. I also transmitted a second copy across the sea to my mother."
He pauses slightly, his voice carrying a hint of wry self-deprecation. "She replied recently, stating that the professor's assessment was entirely accurate—I still possess a vast ocean of foundational knowledge yet to master... Mother explicitly instructed me to acquire the precise series of academic texts that the professor assigned to you."
As he spoke, Logos raised his hand, displaying a heavy, leather-bound volume dedicated to advanced spatial spellcraft and structural incantations.
Flandre immediately puffed out her chest, proudly declaring, "I have already finished reading that exact book! If there is anything inside the text you find difficult to grasp, Mr. Logos, feel free to ask me!"
Hearing Flandre's unreserved declaration, Amiya—standing directly beside her—couldn't help but let out two soft, awkward coughs.
Mr. Logos was widely acknowledged as the absolute top Arts authority aboard Rhodes Island. His mastery and structural analysis of Originium Arts were arguably second to none across the entire organization. If there existed a complex incantation or structural formula that he struggled to comprehend, it was virtually guaranteed that no one else aboard the vessel could offer an answer.
Regarding Flandre, Amiya had certainly heard Operator PITH describe her before, noting that the young vampire's aptitude for Arts research was 'quite good.' But 'quite good' in PITH's pragmatic vocabulary was a light-years distance away from a level where she could actively lecture someone like Logos!
Furthermore, the child looked several years younger than Amiya herself. Even if she had commenced rigorous Arts research from the very second she was born, how could her depth of knowledge possibly compare to Logos, who had spent decades immersing himself in the deepest arcana of the Royal Courts?
Yet, an event entirely beyond Amiya's wildest expectations transpired next.
Upon hearing Flandre's offer, Logos did not show a hint of skepticism. Instead, he offered a respectful nod, flipped open the heavy volume to a pre-marked page, and immediately presented a deeply technical query regarding fluid incantation stabilization.
Amiya listened intently, realizing with a sensation of profound vertigo that while she recognized every individual word leaving Logos's mouth, when assembled into full sentences, they sounded like an unreadable script from a bad civilization.
While the young Cautus stood there in absolute bewilderment, Flandre, standing right beside her, began responding with effortless, fluid clarity, breaking down the complex mana-flow formula step by step.
Logos had not posed the question out of a desire to test the young girl; he had genuinely encountered a theoretical bottleneck that had stymied his recent research. Listening to Flandre's concise, unconventional breakdown, a sudden flash of profound realization dawning across his expressive features.
"So that is the underlying mechanism... I had truly failed to consider approaching the structural fold from that specific spatial angle," Logos murmured, a rare surge of pure academic enthusiasm igniting in his eyes. "May I ask how you managed to conceptualize such an approach?"
"I researched it together with Patchy!" Flandre replied brightly, refusing to claim sole credit for the insight.
"Patchy... do you refer to Miss Patchouli Knowledge?" Logos instantly identified the scholar Flandre mentioned.
Flandre nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! Right before traveling here, we took a detour through Zwillingstürme and met that grand professor. Patchy and the professor hit it off instantly—it was like two ultimate geniuses meeting! Even the professor was overflowing with praise for Patchy's scholarship!"
Listening to Flandre's proud account, Logos narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
There had been one additional detail included within the encrypted transmission sent by his mother, Raemian. She had explicitly confirmed her long-standing acquaintance with the professor Flandre referenced. As the reigning Scribe of the Lich Royal Court, that ancient scholar was universally regarded as the single most knowledgeable authority alive in the modern era, bar none.
To earn his unreserved praise meant Patchouli's academic depth was vastly superior even to the high estimates Logos had previously calculated. It seemed he would need to actively seek out an opportunity to engage in a formal scholarly exchange with Miss Patchouli during her stay.
"I understand," Logos noted smoothly, closing the heavy volume. "I shall make a point to consult Miss Patchouli regarding these higher-dimensional principles. Amiya, my apologies for neglecting your presence just now. I return young Flandre to your care."
Noticing Amiya standing quietly to the side with a dazed expression, Logos offered a polite, apologetic bowing gesture.
"It is quite alright, Mr. Logos!" Amiya quickly snapped back to reality, waving her hands. "I know you and Flandre were discussing matters of immense academic importance. Since I lack the knowledge to contribute, it is already a relief that I didn't interrupt your exchange!"
Amiya harbored zero resentment over being left out; on the contrary, she felt a warm sense of happiness seeing her friends connect so seamlessly.
Logos took his formal leave of the trio—with Hong Meiling lingering dutifully a few steps behind—and Flandre turned back to Amiya with bright eyes.
"Amiya, is there anywhere aboard this giant ship that you think is exceptionally fun or peaceful?"
Amiya paused, pondering the layout of the landship carefully before her face lit up. "The Convalescent Garden currently under construction! Dr. Lena, who joined Rhodes Island not too long ago, established a specialized botanical zone dedicated to psychological comfort and therapy with Dr. Kal'tsit's full support. There are so many unique plants growing there, and it has quickly become one of the favorite places for everyone on Rhodes Island to rest."
"Then let us go take a look right now!" Flandre cheered, grabbing Amiya's hand and marching forward with boundless energy.
"Ah—it's this way!" Seeing Flandre striding off in the completely opposite direction, Amiya hastily pointed toward the correct portside connector.
Before long, the three arrived at their destination.
Stepping through the automated airlock, they entered a sprawling, glass-domed Convalescent Garden that had only recently completed its primary structural installation. The interior had yet to be fully cultivated, with young saplings and scattered floral beds dotting the rich, dark soil plots.
Amidst the growing greenery, a gentle, refined woman clad in a soft coat was walking leisurely along the stone path, pausing periodically to record the exact physical condition of various specimens into a leather notebook.
Hearing the hum of the entrance gantry, she raised her head. A warm, radiant smile bloomed across her face the second she spotted the young Cautus.
"Amiya, have you come here to take a brief rest again?"
Amiya shook her head, gesturing toward Flandre and Hong Meiling beside her. "No, Sister Lena. These two are esteemed guests who just arrived aboard Rhodes Island today—Miss Flandre and Miss Hong Meiling. Dr. Kal'tsit entrusted me with showing them around the ship!"
Amiya clearly explained the reason for their visit. Upon hearing the introduction, Lena offered a graceful, welcoming smile to the two visitors.
"Ah, so you are friends of Dr. Eirin Yagokoro," Lena noted softly. "Dr. Eirin provided an extraordinary number of invaluable botanical and pharmacological suggestions during the initial design phase of this garden. Since you are her companions, you are naturally welcome to step inside and explore."
With a soft motion, Lena opened the security barrier, gesturing for the three to enter.
The moment they stepped onto the interior walkway, the rich, fragrant scent of damp soil and fresh greenery washed over their senses. Hong Meiling took a deep breath, her sharp eyes scanning the surrounding plant beds before she crouched down beside a cluster of pale blue stalks, examining the root structure closely.
"Miss Hong Meiling, is there a discrepancy with the flora?" Lena asked, walking over with gentle curiosity.
Hong Meiling stood up, offering an honest, professional nod. "The soil composition in this specific bed is far too nutrient-dense; it is entirely unsuitable for cultivating this particular species of plant."
"Oh?" Lena tilted her head slightly, clearly surprised by the gatekeeper's sudden botanical critique.
Hong Meiling gestured toward the pale stalks. "If my eyes do not deceive me, these plants are specialized environmental variants unique to the harsh tundra soil of Ursus. The original ancestral species indeed originated from the fertile river basins of Victoria, requiring rich, black soil to flourish. However, this variant has evolved through centuries in the brutal Ursus wilderness, where seasonal temperature shifts are extreme and the native soil quality is exceptionally poor..."