After pushing the door open and stepping outside, Kal'tsit saw Shirou standing nearby, counting the loose change in his hands.
"I have been spending quite a lot... I wonder if I can get the Boss to reimburse me when I get back."
As he calculated his expenses, Shirou decided that he would try submitting an expense report later.
"..."
Watching Shirou count his coins while casually talking about charging it all to his employer, Kal'tsit remained silent.
For a brief moment, she wondered whether she should tell Emperor about this or simply keep it to herself.
After two seconds of consideration, Kal'tsit chose to forget what she had just heard and pretend she had seen nothing.
Emperor was not short on money anyway.
Besides, she was not particularly close to him.
"Doctor Kal'tsit, you are out already?"
Having nearly finished his calculations, Shirou heard Kal'tsit's footsteps. He put away the coins and greeted her casually.
He had assumed she would have a longer conversation with Closure, which was why he had escaped first to avoid both the awkwardness and Closure's resentful stare.
Now it seemed he had been overthinking things.
Given Kal'tsit's usual way of speaking, if she had actually started discussing something, it would have taken quite a while.
"Are we heading back directly, or is there anything else you need to pick up?"
Pretending that nothing had happened, Kal'tsit asked.
She had no idea what ingredients were required for making desserts, so naturally she did not know whether Shirou still needed to gather anything else.
"There is still some sugar left. The eggs and the other ingredients are already in the cafeteria kitchen. There is nothing else I need."
Just as when they had arrived, the two walked through the corridor one behind the other.
The difference was that on the way there, Kal'tsit had spent the entire journey asking Shirou all sorts of questions, making things far less awkward.
As for now...
The silence was so complete that it felt almost frightening to Shirou.
Although he could not pinpoint the exact reason, he had the feeling that Kal'tsit still had something she wanted to ask, but was holding herself back for some reason.
"Um... Doctor Kal'tsit, is there something else you want to ask? It looked like you tried to say something several times."
After walking for a while, Shirou finally could not hold back any longer and asked.
"Yes, there is... Shirou, what kind of person do you think Doctor is?"
Since Shirou had brought it up himself, Kal'tsit no longer saw any reason to hesitate.
Originally, seeing that Shirou and Doctor seemed to get along fairly well had made her somewhat concerned.
She worried both that Shirou might be manipulated by Doctor and that learning about Doctor's past might create a rift between them.
In truth, the two were getting along rather well at the moment. The amnesiac Doctor was no longer as dangerous as they had been during Babel's era. If things continued developing as they were now, Rhodes Island's future might even become brighter than Kal'tsit had anticipated.
But all of that depended on one crucial assumption:
That Doctor had truly lost their memories.
"Doctor? Hmm... overall, I would say they are a pretty good person. Sometimes they suddenly act like someone drunk off their mind, which can be a little troublesome, but aside from that there are no major issues."
Kal'tsit's question was well within Shirou's expectations. Anyone with eyes could see that the relationship between her and Doctor was rather complicated.
Still, Shirou had no intention of blindly taking Doctor's side.
If handled properly, perhaps this conversation could improve Kal'tsit's opinion of Doctor, even if only slightly.
If he defended Doctor too aggressively and ended up worsening Kal'tsit's impression instead, it would be counterproductive.
"That is a fairly objective assessment. And you are right. The current Doctor is, in many respects, genuinely a good person."
Although Shirou's answer had been somewhat diplomatic, Kal'tsit had also witnessed Doctor's behavior during this period.
Ignoring everything Doctor had done in the past, the present Doctor truly was a decent person.
Yet it was precisely because of the past that Kal'tsit could never fully control herself whenever she faced Doctor.
"The current Doctor...?"
Shirou quickly caught the emphasis in her words.
"I do not really know what Doctor was like in the past. But Doctor I know is someone who enjoys helping others, listens to what people have to say, and even when burdened with a mountain of work, finishes it all before thinking about slacking off."
As far as Shirou knew, only Ace, Scout, Kal'tsit, and Amiya truly understood what Doctor had been like before.
Yet Doctor that Amiya remembered seemed vastly different from Doctor remembered by everyone else.
That difference was also the primary reason why Amiya had ignored all objections and insisted on rescuing Doctor from Chernobog despite the danger.
No matter how others viewed Doctor, this was the person Shirou saw before him.
"I know it is not really my place to say this, but I still have to warn you. Doctor is... extremely dangerous. By themselves, they laid the foundation for Babel and led it to prosperity, giving hope to countless people. Yet in the end, they were also the one who toppled it and destroyed that hope."
After much hesitation, Kal'tsit finally decided to be honest with him.
Doctor alone was already terrifying enough.
If someone with Shirou's combat capabilities were added to the equation, the threat posed to Terra would increase dramatically. It might even surpass the horrors lurking in Ursus's northern frontier or the Seaborn dwelling beneath the oceans.
"That sounds... complicated. But Amiya trusts Doctor, does she not?"
After hearing Kal'tsit explain one of the reasons behind the fall of Babel, the predecessor of Rhodes Island, Shirou found himself at a loss for how to respond.
Comfort her?
He did not believe he had the right.
Although Babel's destruction had happened three years ago, he still occasionally heard stories about it from elite operators such as Ace and Scout.
It had been a difficult and painful period, but back then they had all gathered together for a common goal.
Or rather, because of a certain person.
Although everyone on Rhodes Island was still working toward a common goal now, that person was no longer there.
As for who that person had been, Shirou did not know. The few people who knew were extremely tight-lipped about it. They had never let anything slip, not even when drunk.
"After all, Amiya was rescued by her. When she was little, Amiya depended heavily on Doctor. But she was still too young back then and was not involved in those events, so she only remembers Doctor's good side.
"Of course, I am not telling you to stay away from Doctor. I simply hope that when dealing with them, you think a little more carefully. Do not become a weapon in their hands without realizing it."
Kal'tsit understood very well why Amiya viewed Doctor the way she did. She had no intention of driving a wedge between them.
She simply hoped that before taking action, Shirou would observe more, listen more, and think more, rather than blindly following Doctor's suggestions and commands.
"You do not need to worry about that. I naturally evaluate every order and every command. Besides, I usually know where to draw the line when I act."
Since Kal'tsit had gone out of her way to warn him, Shirou naturally had to respond.
When intelligent people decided to accomplish something, most others would struggle to even notice what was happening.
Is had mentioned something similar before.
Because of that, before every operation, Shirou tried to personally verify the actual situation whenever possible before taking action.
That was the best way to prevent tragedies caused by incomplete information.
Fortunately, nothing like that had happened so far.
Every enemy he had encountered had given him more than enough reason to fight.
"That is good to hear."
Kal'tsit let out a sigh of relief.
What she feared most was the possibility that Shirou lacked opinions of his own.
If that were the case, she would have been forced to reveal even more information, possibly causing Shirou to develop a negative impression of Doctor.
The current outcome was practically the best she could have hoped for.
In fact, the reason she had hesitated for so long earlier was because she had been worried about making the situation worse.
The fact that Shirou understood her concerns and took them seriously was reassuring.
"I do not know what Doctor did in the past, but at the very least they do not possess those memories now. And Amiya is willing to trust and support them. I think perhaps you could try not to push them quite so hard.
"Besides, you know how Amiya's Originium Arts work. If Doctor had any malicious intentions, Amiya would definitely notice."
After saying that, Shirou stopped speaking in Doctor's defense.
Kal'tsit, who had been helping Amiya manage Rhodes Island from behind the scenes, was undoubtedly far smarter and wiser than he was.
He only needed to give her a small reminder.
As long as she was willing to look at Doctor as they were now, rather than viewing them entirely through the lens of the past, that would be enough.
"Amiya... you are right. She is somewhat naïve in this regard, so I still need to keep an eye on Doctor. But I will not be as aggressive as before."
At the mention of Amiya, Kal'tsit's expression relaxed considerably.
She truly trusted Amiya.
That trust was also the main reason why, although she had opposed the plan to rescue Doctor, she had never deliberately tried to stop it.
She often called Amiya a child, but in truth, Amiya had already grown up.
She was far stronger than Kal'tsit had ever imagined.
In a way, that was partly thanks to Nameless's excessively realistic approach to education.
"I think Amiya will be very happy to hear that. She has been stuck between the two of you for a long time."
Seeing Kal'tsit's attitude soften, Shirou felt genuinely happy for Amiya.
To prevent Doctor from constantly being on the receiving end of Kal'tsit's cold treatment, Amiya had put in tremendous effort.
She had even become increasingly skilled at smiling her way through awkward situations.
Watching it always made Shirou admire her.
If he were in her position, he was fairly certain he would have stopped smiling long ago and simply shut his brain off.
"Mm... Amiya, huh."
After hearing Shirou's words, Kal'tsit did not respond immediately.
Instead, she once again appeared hesitant, as though she wanted to say something but could not decide whether she should.
"Hm? Is something wrong with Amiya?"
Hearing the uncertainty in Kal'tsit's voice, Shirou stopped walking and turned toward her once more.
"Then, Shirou... how do you view Amiya? Tell me what you think of her in every respect."
Unlike her earlier hesitation when asking about Doctor, the feeling Kal'tsit gave him now was different.
There was still caution, certainly.
But there was also something else.
A subtle sense of scrutiny.
"Amiya? How should I put it... she is an amazing person, I suppose. She possesses emotional stability and logical thinking that surpass people her age and even many adults. She can calmly handle all sorts of situations.
"When I was her age, I was still buried in schoolwork. Even now, I could not do as well as she does, and I probably never will. Handling those kinds of issues has never been my strength."
Shirou's understanding of Doctor might have been somewhat limited.
But when it came to Amiya, he had plenty to say.
He genuinely admired her.
To achieve so much at her age was remarkable enough, but beyond management and leadership, Amiya was also exceptionally skilled at interacting with people.
"Anything else?"
Hearing Shirou praise Amiya so highly, Kal'tsit's expression became noticeably gentler than usual.
However, this was not the information she had actually wanted to hear.
"Anything else...?"
Shirou thought for a moment.
"Honestly, she feels a little dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
The answer was clearly not one Kal'tsit had expected.
The relaxed expression she had just regained instantly tightened once more.
Shirou did not leave her hanging for long and continued:
"Amiya's Originium Arts are certainly very convenient when it comes to handling work and many other situations, but she is still too young. She is easily affected by the emotions she picks up.
"Or perhaps it is because of her Arts. Amiya is unusually sensitive to other people's emotions, which also makes it easy for her to be influenced by them.
"There was one time when she either accidentally used her Arts or became affected by someone else's emotions. She seemed to pick up on the depression of one of the patients present, and afterward she remained downcast for quite a long time.
"So since then, whenever I am around Amiya, I try to keep my own emotions under control and avoid large emotional swings. I do my best not to let my negative feelings affect her."
Kal'tsit undoubtedly already knew about these issues and had measures in place to deal with them. Amiya herself was also disciplined and did not use her Arts carelessly.
Still, mistakes happened from time to time.
Shirou had simply happened to witness one of those occasions.
Even now, he was not entirely certain whether Amiya's low spirits had been caused by her Arts or whether she had simply been feeling emotional on her own, so he had never mentioned it to anyone.
As a result, whenever he was around Amiya, he always made an effort to regulate his own mood and condition, doing his best not to pass his negative emotions onto her.
In fact, whenever something fun or entertaining happened on Rhodes Island involving him and the people from Penguin Logistics, they would often invite Amiya, Rosmontis, Blaze, and others to join them.
The pudding party was a perfect example.
"That is something I failed to notice. I will pay more attention to it from now on."
Kal'tsit let out a deep sigh.
Lately, she had been paying far less attention to Amiya than she used to, which was why she had missed the signs.
Work had been overwhelming recently, and she had neglected that aspect.
She would need to check the stability of Amiya's ring later and also arrange some proper downtime for her.
After all, with Doctor now present at Rhodes Island, some of the burden on Amiya's shoulders could finally be eased.
"That is good to hear. But Doctor Kal'tsit, why did you suddenly start asking me about Amiya? Did something happen to her?"
Only after responding did Shirou realize something.
The earlier discussion about Doctor had clearly been building up to Kal'tsit's warning that Doctor was dangerous.
But what was the purpose of bringing up Amiya afterward?
In Shirou's experience, Kal'tsit was not the sort of person who engaged in casual small talk with a serious expression.
Whenever she discussed personal matters or talked about Amiya, her attitude and expression were always noticeably gentler than usual.
Yet her demeanor just now had clearly been that of official business.
At most, it had only been slightly softer than normal.
Something felt off.
Realizing this, Shirou immediately asked about her intentions.
"Do not be nervous. Nothing has happened to Amiya. Those questions were simply things I wanted to ask. There was no deeper meaning behind them..."
As she spoke, Kal'tsit hesitated slightly before giving Shirou a quick glance.
"The main reason is that you and Amiya have been spending quite a bit of time together lately. And no matter how you look at it, Amiya is still young—"
Before she could finish, Shirou abruptly cut her off.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Doctor Kal'tsit, are you misunderstanding something?"
The more he listened, the worse it sounded.
Shirou hurriedly stopped her before she could say anything even more alarming.
Just hearing this much was already making him feel unwell.
"Hmm... perhaps it is a little early to discuss this now. Still, there are some things that are better understood sooner rather than later."
Seeing Shirou's reaction, Kal'tsit finally realized that she might have misunderstood something.
Then again, the two of them were similar in both age and temperament.
And lately, whenever Shirou had something going on, he almost always ended up looking for Amiya...
Hmm.
Maybe she had not misunderstood after all?
"There is absolutely no need for me to know this!"
Watching the misunderstanding grow deeper and deeper, Shirou felt a headache coming on.
"I have noticed that you spend a great deal of time with Amiya lately..."
Seeing how strongly he reacted, Kal'tsit once again began doubting her own assumptions.
Unfortunately, when it came to anyone else, she could think calmly and objectively.
But when the subject was Amiya, she was bound to become overly protective.
"That is because Amiya spent almost an entire month without proper rest while trying to rescue Doctor! Then immediately afterward she got buried under everything involving Chernobog and Reunion and still had no time to rest!
"So I thought I should invite her whenever there was something relaxing or enjoyable! And every time, the people from Penguin Logistics, Rosmontis, and Blaze were there too, were they not!? Why are you only focusing on Amiya!?"
Upon hearing Kal'tsit's words, Shirou slapped a hand against his forehead.
Fortunately, her misunderstanding had not progressed too far yet.
There were only a few warning signs.
Shirou was convinced that if Kal'tsit continued thinking about this on her own, then the next time he came to Rhodes Island he would probably find himself under Mon3tr's personal supervision.
Just imagining that sent chills down his spine.
Mon3tr was enormous. Getting squeezed occasionally was one thing.
Being squeezed every day was another matter entirely.
"So there really is nothing?"
After calmly listening to his explanation, Kal'tsit still sounded suspicious.
"Nothing! She is only fourteen! Doctor Kal'tsit, please calm down!"
At this point, Shirou finally broke.
He suddenly found himself missing the old Kal'tsit who spoke in riddles.
At least when she did that, he could pretend he had misunderstood her.
Now her words were so direct that his brain understood exactly what she meant the instant he heard them, leaving him no time whatsoever to process the shock.
"It is precisely because Amiya is young that I—"
"Stop! Stop! Let us skip this topic! We should hurry back! Everyone has probably been waiting for us for a long time!"
Realizing that persuasion was hopeless, Shirou decisively gave up trying to reason with her. After saying that, he grabbed the two bags of milk and hurried toward the cafeteria.
He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, Kal'tsit would start explaining even stranger things.
"Looks like I really was overthinking it."
Watching Shirou flee in panic, the tension finally faded from Kal'tsit's face.
Although, if it were Shirou, it would not actually be a bad choice.
His character was excellent, and in many respects the two of them were quite compatible. Their personalities and ways of thinking were also surprisingly similar.
With that thought in mind, Kal'tsit quickened her pace and followed after him.
After all, there was no telling what kind of trouble Doctor might have caused while she was away.
As for the previous Doctor, Kal'tsit had regarded them with respect and admiration.
The current Doctor, however...
Three parts vigilance, seven parts concern, and the remaining ninety parts wanting to hang them from the ship alongside Warfarin and leave them there under the sun.
The reason was simple.
Doctor's talent for causing chaos had become even stronger than before.
"?"
When they arrived near the cafeteria entrance, Kal'tsit noticed the indescribable expression on Shirou's face.
Curious, she remained silent and quietly approached him, following the direction of his gaze.
"Ooh! It really is soft! Just like mine!"
Doctor was holding Croissant's pudding in one hand, shaking it gently while comparing it to their own pudding.
To be honest, Shirou had already developed some resistance to this sort of scene.
After all, the four members of Penguin Logistics could become far more unhinged than this after a few drinks.
The problem was that there were plenty of other people in the cafeteria.
Not to mention children like Amiya and Rosmontis.
This behavior was a little too much.
"Doctor Kal'tsit, I think this one is sturdier."
Only after hearing a series of cracking noises did Shirou notice Kal'tsit beside him.
Unlike her usual calm demeanor, he could clearly sense her anger.
After all, those cracking sounds were coming from her clenched fists.
After thinking for two seconds, Shirou projected a grappling hook and handed it to her.
The thing was sturdy and reliable.
Even if Doctor used it as a swing, it would not break.
It was also perfect for tying someone to the ship.
"Mon3tr, go."
Kal'tsit summoned Mon3tr.
The moment it appeared, it snatched the grappling hook from Shirou and charged straight at Doctor.
"AAAAAH! Kal'tsit, you cannot do this to me! I have not even gotten to eat the cold pudding yet!"
Doctor's miserable scream echoed through the cafeteria as Mon3tr bound them in an instant.
"Oh? So you already had the hot pudding and were planning to steal a cold one as well? Then you can spend even more time hanging there."
Upon learning that Doctor had intended to sneak another pudding, Kal'tsit immediately extended their "suspension from the ship" sentence by an additional hour.
She then pulled out some bandages she carried with her and wrapped them around Doctor's mouth for good measure.
"I am taking Doctor away. The rest is up to you. Amiya, Doctor and I will handle your remaining schedule and work, so afterward you can spend time with Rosmontis, Shirou, and the others."
With that, Kal'tsit and Mon3tr departed, carrying away a suspended and thoroughly restrained Doctor.
From the moment Mon3tr charged in to the moment Doctor was removed from the scene, less than twenty seconds had passed.
Most of the people present were already completely accustomed to such events and barely reacted.
Of course, FrostNova and several other operators nearby were exceptions.
As for Shirou?
"The milk is here. Do you want your pudding cold or warm?"
By now, he could watch Mon3tr suddenly appear, tie someone up, and drag them away without changing his expression.
Warfarin had been hauled off in front of him often enough that he was used to it.
"Can I have both?"
Seeing that everyone else remained so calm, FrostNova concluded that this was probably a unique Rhodes Island disciplinary method.
She quickly recovered from her surprise and expressed her preference to Shirou.
She was a mature adult.
Whether it was cold pudding or warm pudding, she wanted both.
"Of course."
Watching FrostNova adapt to Rhodes Island's peculiar atmosphere with such remarkable speed and calmly place her order, Shirou responded with an awkward yet perfectly polite smile.