Under the combined assault of Rosmontis's tail tapping and her little hand serving as an eye mask, Shirou slept soundly for quite a while.
The ones who shattered that peaceful atmosphere were none other than two of his acquaintances, Croissant and Exusiai.
According to Texas, who claimed she had merely been passing by, the two had come for a simple checkup and to have some minor scratches bandaged. But the moment they entered, they saw Rosmontis sitting there, and then noticed the unconscious Shirou lying on a bed receiving an IV drip.
For some inexplicable reason, something deep within their DNA suddenly awakened, and the two charged toward his bed.
Fortunately, Rosmontis reacted immediately and stepped aside.
Sleeping Shirou, however, was not so lucky. The two crashed directly onto him, and the makeshift hospital bed could not withstand the impact and collapsed.
"Do either of you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Standing outside the tent, Shirou looked down at the horned bread girl and the lightbulb angel hanging their heads in shame.
Being woken up by hitting his head or having an intimate encounter with the ground did not really bother him.
The real issue was that the two had recklessly charged around in a place full of people who needed rest and had even broken a hospital bed.
Even if those beds were essentially disposable supplies, natural wear and tear and deliberate damage were two entirely different matters.
That was why he had dragged the two outside for a lecture.
Incidentally, since Shirou had grown considerably, he no longer needed to grab Croissant by the horns or Exusiai by her halo separately.
Now, he could simply grab one head with each hand and make both of them suffer simultaneously.
"Nothing."
Neither Croissant nor Exusiai dared to argue with Shirou's lecture.
They were far too familiar with this kind of pressure. If circumstances allowed, both of them would have wanted to kneel with their hands raised in surrender.
It was all because of that cursed DNA controlling their bodies.
"Honestly, why are you two always so reckless?"
Seeing how sincerely remorseful they appeared, Shirou found it difficult to continue scolding them. Besides, he did not really have the energy for it.
Although sleeping for a while had only eased the dizziness somewhat, at least he was no longer unsteady on his feet.
And there was no point going back to sleep now. Everyone inside, both medical operators and patients, had surely remembered him by now. Besides, the bed had collapsed.
In any case, the IV was almost finished, and once this bottle ran dry he would be done, so leaving was not a problem.
"Well, they are Croissant and Exusiai. If they suddenly became serious, that would be even scarier."
Sora spoke up to lighten the mood.
Shirou was still receiving glucose through the IV, and it was Sora who was pushing the stand for him.
Rosmontis had originally wanted to do it, but the uneven ground outside made it difficult for her to push the stand while holding her terminal with one hand.
So Sora had taken over.
"True."
Texas, standing behind the pair, nodded in agreement.
"That is too much! I can be serious too, alright!?"
Hearing her teammates slander her, Exusiai could not sit still. She straightened up and protested.
However, after only a few seconds, she shrank back under Shirou's gaze and muttered quietly:
"Yeah, yeah, you are all right. We just cannot be serious."
Though she spoke softly, everyone present heard it clearly and could not help finding it amusing.
As for Croissant?
She had already accepted her fate.
Running around carrying her shield all day had exhausted her, and whatever energy she had left had been spent moments ago.
"By the way, Shirou, are you really alright? You do not look too well. Do you want to go back and rest some more?"
Although Sora had just learned about Shirou's condition from Anto, who had come by to replace the IV bottle and repeat Doctor's instructions, she was still a little worried.
His current state genuinely looked poor. Or perhaps she simply had not gotten used to his white hair yet.
Either way, checking on him could not hurt.
"After the glucose and some sleep, I feel a bit better. Walking around is no problem. Besides, I want to ask Doctor about something."
Shirou waved his left hand to emphasize the IV and informed everyone of his next destination.
He had not really thought about it earlier, but checking on the Black Snake sealed within the Originium crystal sounded like a good idea.
At the time, circumstances had not allowed him to do more than glance at it from afar before leaving.
Now that he felt somewhat better, it would be good to take a proper look.
The Originium concentration around that place had undoubtedly exceeded safe limits. Without specialized equipment, approaching it was completely impossible.
But he was different. With only some basic protective gear, he could safely investigate it himself.
"Doctor? We just came back from there, their work should have wrapped up by now."
Hearing that Shirou wanted to see Doctor, Exusiai suddenly felt alive again.
As long as it got her out of her current predicament, she would even be willing to go back to work.
"...?"
Sora, Texas, and Croissant all turned toward Exusiai at the same time, giant question marks practically appearing above their heads.
If they remembered correctly, Doctor had already looked utterly exhausted when they saw them earlier. Moreover, the camp still depended entirely on Doctor's management, which meant there was no way their work would be finished before everyone finally got some rest.
Well...
Shirou's question probably would not be too troublesome, right?
And if bothering Doctor was not possible, they could always ask Amiya instead.
After deciding on their destination, the six of them headed toward Doctor's office tent.
Since they had a patient still attached to an IV drip, their pace slowed considerably.
Croissant took over pushing the IV stand from Sora. The uneven ground made rolling it too risky, so she simply hoisted the entire stand onto her shoulder.
Compared with her hammer and shield, it was child's play.
"This mission was seriously exhausting! When we get back, I am making the boss give us a few extra days off."
Walking in front, Exusiai suddenly spoke up.
With most of the incident finally resolved and the remaining matters having nothing to do with Penguin Logistics, the mood was fairly relaxed.
"Not enough. We need a raise too."
Croissant added from behind.
"Please stop. I still have other work waiting for me after we get back."
At the mention of work, Sora had plenty to say. Besides her duties with Penguin Logistics, she also had her career as an idol.
She had only managed to take so much time off because she had arranged it in advance and treated it as a long vacation.
The price was that her workload afterward would certainly increase dramatically.
So hearing Exusiai and Croissant discuss vacation and raises only made her feel out of place.
"Forget about vacation. A raise is possible, but the busy season is coming."
After giving it some thought, Texas chimed in.
Their boss was generous enough under normal circumstances, but after leaving logistics work unattended for more than a month, they would definitely have to make up for it.
Not to mention that January and February were their busiest months.
If they wanted any vacation at all, they would probably have to wait until mid-February or even March.
They might even have to work overtime during that period.
"!!!"
Exusiai and Croissant clearly realized this as well. They exchanged a glance before hanging their heads in despair.
The cheerful atmosphere instantly sank to rock bottom.
"Busy season?"
Shirou could tell from their expressions that those words carried terrifying implications, but he still did not quite understand.
"Simply put..."
The subject was too cruel for Exusiai and Croissant.
And Texas was not particularly good at explaining things.
So Sora took it upon herself to answer Shirou's question.
After briefly describing the increased workload during January and February, as well as how her absence this time would make Penguin Logistics even more understaffed, Shirou could vaguely see Exusiai and Croissant trembling beside him.
Even Texas looked somewhat dejected.
"Alright, enough with the funeral expressions. I will help."
Seeing the mood sink into an abyss, Shirou felt that he ought to do something.
They were just short-handed, right?
He could simply fill in.
"Waaah... Shirou, you really are our savior!"
Croissant was the first to pounce, grabbing his right sleeve.
Of course, she carefully set down the IV stand first. She had no desire to be lifted one-handed by Shirou again. While it would not feel like her body was being torn apart, the crushing sensation was hardly any better.
"I-I promise I will work seriously after we get back! I definitely will not slack off. I will do my best to deliver everything as quickly as possible!"
Exusiai also wanted to rush over, but after noticing the needle still stuck in Shirou's left hand, she abandoned the idea and could only declare her loyalty verbally.
"We shall see."
As for Exusiai's solemn declaration, Shirou treated it as something to be taken with a grain of salt.
Whether she truly kept her promise would only be known later.
Though regardless of whether she had said any of that, he would help them anyway.
After all, the reason the group had accepted Rhodes Island's commission in the first place was because of him.
Laughing and chatting along the way, they soon arrived outside Doctor's office tent.
The members of Penguin Logistics declared that they had only just come out of there and would rather not disturb Doctor again.
They would simply wait outside.
Only Shirou and Rosmontis entered the tent.
"Hmm... Shirou? You look pretty good."
As soon as he pushed aside the flap, Shirou heard Doctor greeting him in an exhausted voice.
Besides Doctor, Amiya was also inside, helping with the mountain of work. As for Blaze, she had probably been assigned elsewhere.
"I slept for a while. Exusiai and the others woke me up, and after that I could not get back to sleep, so I came to ask about the Black Snake."
After waving to the busy Amiya in greeting, Shirou got straight to the point.
"I already sent people to investigate the area around it. The Originium concentration is too high, so they did not go too far in. I was planning to wait until you recovered before sending you over there. I did not expect you to come so soon."
Doctor had already learned the details from Amiya and Blaze and had sent people to inspect the battlefield.
At the moment, Blaze, Ace, and Scout were leading a team watching from afar.
After all, the mastermind behind the entire Chernobog incident deserved that much attention.
Talulah knew about this as well. However, Reunion currently had too much on its hands, and even if they did send people, they lacked the equipment necessary to get close. They could only observe from a distance even farther away than the Rhodes Island operators.
So Talulah had left the matter entirely to Rhodes Island.
Or rather, to Shirou.
After all, it was Shirou's achievement, and the Black Snake that had once possessed her and manipulated Reunion was already dead.
As for this remaining fragment, she had very few thoughts about it.
If she had to say something, perhaps there were a few questions buried in her heart that she had wanted to ask.
Unfortunately, with the original already thoroughly dead, those questions had become meaningless.
"I see. Then let us head over right now. The sooner we resolve this, the less work everyone will have."
After hearing the situation, Shirou immediately proposed leaving at once.
"Fine. I already prepared the equipment. But are you really alright?"
Doctor was not surprised by the suggestion. During these short few days, they had already grasped everyone's personalities and ways of thinking.
"I am feeling great. Do not worry."
Seeing Doctor take out a simple protective suit, Shirou decisively removed the IV needle from his left arm and put on the suit on the spot.
The protective suit was large enough that he could easily wear it over his clothes.
"You cannot just pull it out like that! It will start bleeding immediately!"
Seeing Shirou yank the needle out so violently and casually wrap it up before tossing it aside, Amiya could not help scolding him.
Although she had some objections to Shirou and Doctor's decision, she knew that if Shirou had not recovered enough, the medical operators and Penguin Logistics would never have let him go.
That was why she had not voiced any opposition.
But seeing his dangerous behavior finally gave her suppressed emotions an outlet.
The reason for her strong reaction was simple.
Many of Rhodes Island's elite operators had done the exact same thing before.
Some, like Shirou, did it for convenience.
Others simply thought it looked cool.
The result was always the same.
The moment the needle came out, blood sprayed everywhere and caused no small amount of trouble.
"Uh... I will be more careful next time."
Being suddenly reprimanded by Amiya left Shirou feeling awkward.
Fortunately, everyone from Penguin Logistics was outside and had not witnessed this.
"Hmm? Next time?"
She had only intended to give him a reminder, but seeing that his reaction was exactly the same as every operator she had caught red-handed before, Amiya could not help adding another remark.
"Cough, cough. I mean, I will not do it again."
Knowing he was in the wrong, Shirou coughed awkwardly and corrected himself.
"Now I really believe you are fine. I was originally planning to accompany you, but it looks like that will not be necessary."
Seeing his response, Doctor was finally convinced that he was not forcing himself.
After all, one could tell whether someone was pushing themselves too hard through simple conversations and reactions.
"...You know, even if you wanted to come with me, I do not think those things on your desk would let you leave."
Shirou glanced at Doctor and then at the towering pile of documents on her desk.
"Guh—"
Doctor felt as though an arrow had pierced thier heart.
"Doctor, you still cannot rest. There is still plenty of work to do."
As she spoke, Amiya moved the stack of documents she had already processed halfway onto Doctor's desk as well.
"Guhuu—"
Doctor felt the second arrow from the little rabbit strike home.
"It is alright, Doctor. Once we get back to Rhodes Island... your workload should decrease... right?"
Seeing Doctor gradually withering away in their chair, Shirou tried to comfort them with a hopeful promise.
Halfway through, however, he hesitated.
If he remembered correctly, the purpose of this operation had been to rescue Doctor so that they could help save Rhodes Island's current situation.
Which seemed to imply...
That once they returned, there would be even more reports, more people, and more work waiting for them.
Still, remembering that he was trying to cheer Doctor up, Shirou forced himself to finish the sentence, though he ended it with a question mark.
He did not have the heart to lie to someone he knew.
What Shirou did not know was that Doctor had already caught the meaning hidden in his words.
"How about you send me back? I think I was doing just fine in there."
Doctor immediately slumped in the chair, looking as though life had lost all meaning, and uttered words that might have been either a joke or her genuine feelings.
"But Doctor... the sarcophagus was partially damaged by those people disguised as Reunion members. Some of its functions might already be broken."
Still failing to understand what Doctor was trying to say, Amiya answered honestly.
Completely unaware that this was the third arrow that would finish Doctor off.
"Ahahaha... The rioting infected, right? Ursus agents hiding among them, right!? Contact Talulah for me! Rhodes Island cannot let our allies face such dangers alone. I am sending people over to support them immediately!"
After processing Amiya's words, Doctor burst into laughter. After only a few laughs, they suddenly switched to an extremely serious tone and said something rather alarming.
"..."
Shirou, Amiya, and Rosmontis exchanged glances, each seeing the confusion in the eyes of the other two.
After a moment, Amiya suddenly spoke.
"Leave this to me! Rosmontis, go with Shirou first!"
Then she picked up her terminal.
However, instead of contacting Talulah, she urgently called for a medical operator.
Doctor was clearly not alright.
Very much not alright.
A doctor was needed immediately.
"Alright, we are leaving!"
Seeing Doctor's current state, Shirou had no idea what had happened, but his instincts told him not to think too hard about it and to get away quickly.
Otherwise, he would probably witness something he was not supposed to see.
So he scooped Rosmontis up with one arm and decisively left the tent, leaving behind Doctor, who had suddenly become determined to fight the enemy to the bitter end, and Amiya, the only person currently capable of restraining them.
"Hahaha!"
That was Doctor's laughter as they started devising ways to eliminate the enemy.
"Doctor! Please calm down!"
That was Amiya desperately trying to persuade Doctor to abandon those terrifying ideas.
"Hm?"
That was Rosmontis, who had not understood anything before being picked up around the waist with one arm and carried away.
"Whoa. Has the mountain of paperwork finally driven Doctor insane?"
That was Exusiai and the others from Penguin Logistics, who had taken a peek inside the tent out of curiosity when Shirou came out.
"Cough, cough! Stop talking and let's go!"
That was Shirou, who finally realized after hearing Exusiai's remark that Doctor's current condition was largely thanks to the things he and Amiya had said.