Although there was much less food left, Amiya and the others still seemed to be enjoying the meal.
However, when Doctor Kal'tsit looked at those dishes, she gave Shirou a rather strange look that made him uncomfortable.
How should he describe it…? Her gaze seemed to carry both surprise and pity.
In any case, it felt odd. Shirou simply turned his head away and continued eating, pretending not to notice her stare.
The meal went well. Amiya and the others enjoyed it, and it successfully brought Shirou closer to Rhodes Island.
Aside from Ace, Scout, Blaze, and Rosmontis, who had originally been invited, other operators also developed a favorable impression of Shirou.
Although most of them mainly hoped he would quickly become the cafeteria's head chef.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Amiya shared the comprehensive medical test results of the Penguin Logistics group. They were not too different from the ones conducted in Lungmen, just with more detailed data.
As for the one everyone cared most about, Shirou…
Aside from "Physical Endurance" being rated as Standard and "Combat Skill" as Outstanding, everything else was rated as Excellent.
"Hm? Shirou, why has your Originium Arts adaptability been marked out with black squares?"
Among the results, Exusiai noticed one category that had been completely blacked out.
Normally, such a result would indicate a deficiency… but seeing two black squares was a first.
"Shirou's abilities exceed what can be measured by conventional standards, so they are represented this way."
Amiya, who was sipping the feathered beast soup in small mouthfuls, patiently explained.
This soup was highly nourishing. Doctor Kal'tsit had said she could drink more of it.
Such an opportunity was rare, so Amiya cherished every sip.
Though she took sips mostly because it was quite hot.
"Oh… I understand that part, but even the blood Originium crystal density is not disclosed? Is that not a bit much?"
Croissant found Amiya's explanation reasonable. Shirou's magecraft really was difficult to evaluate.
If you said he could not use Originium Arts, his techniques were still impressive enough to leave you stunned.
But if you said he could use Originium Arts… he could not even light a fire with a staff.
So that part made sense to her.
His cell-Originium assimilation rate being 0% was normal, that just meant he was completely healthy and not infected.
But the medical department deciding not to disclose his blood Originium crystal density felt excessive.
That was something Croissant could not quite understand.
Could there be something special about his blood?
"Croissant, you idiot. Did Shirou not explain it this morning?"
Hearing her teammate's comment, Sora sighed and reminded her.
Texas, meanwhile, simply covered her face, as if she did not know her.
Only after their hints did Croissant recall the explanation.
"Hmm… we are not entirely sure either. But if the medical department made that decision, it must be necessary."
Faced with the question, Amiya gave a vague answer. It was unclear whether she truly did not know.
In any case, it did not really concern Shirou.
His blood was already being extensively studied at Rhodes Island, and there was even a strange individual who wanted to use it for odd experiments. At this point, he practically had no privacy left.
Additionally, someone had warned him that his constitution was special and should be kept hidden. Maintaining things as they were was fine.
What he was thinking about now was that his physical abilities seemed much stronger than a few months ago.
Both "Physical Strength" and "Battlefield Mobility" had improved from Good to Excellent.
It might seem like a small change, but if he remembered correctly, "Excellent" already meant above the average level of a Terran.
And Terrans were generally stronger than normal humans on Earth.
Did that mean he had already far surpassed ordinary human physical capabilities?
Aside from that one encounter with the mana crystal, his own training probably contributed as well.
In any case, it was all positive feedback. There was no need to overthink it.
After all, he was not going to stop his daily training just because his results had visibly improved.
The routine still had to continue.
"Shirou, what are you thinking about?"
Rosmontis, sitting nearby, noticed that Shirou had not touched his spoon for a while and asked.
"It is nothing. I was just reminding myself not to skip daily training."
Pulled back to reality by her question, Shirou answered.
"Wow, that answer is way too intense. Or are you planning to have a passionate training session with me later?"
Blaze, sitting beside Rosmontis, reacted immediately, saying he was being overly competitive.
After all, aside from physical endurance, Shirou's test results were nearly on par with hers or even better in some aspects.
But she was an elite operator of Rhodes Island.
Well… Shirou did seem stronger than her in actual combat. Never mind.
Although she had witnessed Shirou achieve results equivalent to an entire squad by himself, that did not stop her from wanting to spar with him.
After all, only real trials lead to growth.
With such an excellent opportunity right in front of her, how could she not improve?
"Ah, no… let us skip it at this time."
Facing Blaze's suggestion, Shirou decisively refused.
Not to mention that it was already quite late and he had just eaten. The last thing he wanted was to exercise intensely and end up throwing everything up.
"Eh… how boring."
After being firmly rejected, Blaze shrank back and turned to Ace, connecting her terminal to start playing games.
"Sorry, Blaze is just a bit more outgoing."
Watching their interaction, Amiya let out an awkward laugh and explained.
"It is fine… I am used to it. By the way, did the food not suit Doctor Kal'tsit's taste? She seemed to leave after eating very little."
Shirou had already grown accustomed to people like that thanks to certain members of Penguin Logistics, he had built up a strong "resistance."
Although he did not particularly need such resistance.
So he changed the subject, bringing up Doctor Kal'tsit, who had already left the cafeteria.
"As for Doctor Kal'tsit… she is always like that. Honestly, the fact that she even made time to come is already quite surprising."
After hearing his question, Amiya responded.
At first, Amiya had not planned to invite Kal'tsit, since she seemed to have some reservations about Shirou. However, when Amiya woke up that morning, she found a message sent by Kal'tsit in the early hours, saying she would come along.
That alone was quite unusual, but Amiya still arranged a seat for her.
Still, as always, she came quickly and left just as quickly. After all, she had many responsibilities.
Even so, Amiya was satisfied that Kal'tsit had taken the time to accompany her.
"I see. Then later, could you bring her some of the feathered beast soup for me?"
After thinking for a moment, Shirou figured she really was quite busy.
Besides her duties as a doctor, she also seemed responsible for managing others.
It was said that Doctor Warfarin being hung from the deck was not a rare occurrence and Kal'tsit personally handled it each time.
On top of her medical work, she worried about many other things. Shirou could not even tell whether her white hair was natural or the result of overwork.
Thinking about it like that, she really did work hard. It would be good for her to have some nourishing soup.
He would make sure to scoop extra meat for her.
"Of course, no problem! I will go get a thermal container right away!"
Amiya was more than happy to help. She had originally worried there might be tension between the two, but now it seemed they were getting along fairly well.
This was exactly the kind of situation Amiya wanted to see.
Meanwhile, Shirou glanced at the Penguin Logistics group, who were still studying his medical report.
He did not really understand what was so interesting. When Yith had shared their reports before, they had acted the same way.
"Hmm… I cannot really understand it, but compared to mine, Shirou seems much healthier, right?"
Looking at her own report, which still had one or two yellow warning indicators, Exusiai could not find anything wrong with Shirou's results.
While that was a good thing, it also meant they had no excuse to keep him away from the LGD's grasp.
"He is definitely healthier than you. You eat too many sweets."
Glancing at Exusiai's data, Croissant teased her.
The two immediately started bickering, leaving Texas and Sora focused on analyzing Shirou's report.
"Um… why does Shirou's report have an extra category?"
After checking multiple times, Sora noticed an additional, unidentified entry on Shirou's report.
── 0%
There was not even a label and it was just a line crossed through it.
It was placed at the very end, and because it was both crossed out and marked 0%, Exusiai had ignored it earlier. Only Sora's attention to detail caught it.
"Huh? You are right!"
Hearing Sora's observation, Amiya opened her terminal and pulled up Shirou's data, confirming that there was indeed an extra, unidentified entry.
And it appeared only on his report.
She immediately reported the issue to Doctor Kal'tsit. Since Kal'tsit was responsible for Shirou's examination, this extra data point was likely something she had added.
Unfortunately, Kal'tsit seemed busy and did not reply right away.
"It does not seem like the kind of mistake Doctor Kal'tsit would make… could it have some meaning?"
After sending the message, Amiya began to think about the significance of that data.
She was not the only one, everyone else started pondering it as well.
"Maybe it is something Doctor Kal'tsit arranged for me. Do not think too much about it."
Seeing them all absorbed in the question, Shirou found it somewhat amusing.
It was understandable for those who did not know the truth, but even the Penguin Logistics members, who already knew most of it, were still getting caught up in speculation.
If there were no surprises, that entry was likely something Kal'tsit had prepared specifically for him, a person not native to this land.
For example… something like magical energy and its compatibility with Originium?
Of course, Shirou had no intention of bringing that up.
After all, it was only speculation from his earlier conversation with Kal'tsit.
The details would be better left for her to reveal herself.
"That is indeed possible… then let us leave it at that for now. By the way, when are you planning to return to Lungmen?"
After hearing Shirou's explanation, Amiya did not dwell on the issue any further. Instead, she shifted her concern to their upcoming plans.
After all, Shirou had come to Rhodes Island for treatment. Judging from his medical report, he was in excellent health, with no obvious internal or external injuries. If anything, Amiya felt that his emotional state might be the bigger concern.
Although not very pronounced, she could sense that there were traces of resistance, aversion, and even fear within his emotions.
But these feelings were directed at himself.
At the same time, his outward mental state appeared perfectly normal, which made the situation feel somewhat contradictory and unsettling.
Still, since Shirou clearly had no intention of discussing this with others, Amiya chose not to pry. She would simply pay closer attention to his condition afterward.
If she had the time.
"Probably in a few days? Let us treat it like a vacation?"
When asked, Shirou looked toward the others traveling with him, and Exusiai gave that answer.
"If the boss hears that, he will turn you into a chandelier."
Hearing her response, Shirou could not help but remark dryly.
"Do not say that! This was the boss's idea! He told you to rest more and recover properly! We are just here to work on the side!"
At Shirou's comment, Exusiai immediately imagined a terrifying scenario and hurriedly defended herself.
They, being perfectly healthy, did not have that privilege. They still had to coordinate with Rhodes Island. But so far, there was not much to do here… in fact, aside from not being allowed to play with explosives, it felt almost the same as being in Lungmen.
And they did not even have to work. If this was not a free vacation, what was?
As for why she reacted so strongly—
Aside from worrying that Shirou might tell the boss and get their pay docked, the other reason was simple: it was both fun and useful.
If she pretended to be pitiful and clung to Shirou while crying a little, he would definitely soften.
And once he softened, he would never report this to the boss.
She really was clever. A perfect plan.
"..."
Amiya, watching Exusiai act like she was crying while clearly sensing that she was actually amused inside, could more or less guess what she was thinking.
There were quite a few people like that in Rhodes Island as well.
So… she would just make a note of this later and quietly include it in the report submitted to Penguin Logistics.
It was amusing to watch, but interrupting the conversation would not be appropriate.