Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"That's right, everything is over, that's the most important thing. Thank you for making the trip, but there's nothing left to do now."

After exchanging greetings with the scavenger, Tomat headed towards the guerrillas' location.

Although they can now be considered allies, they still chose to gather not far from the pit, keeping a distance from the Rhodes Island operators and the Lungmen Guard personnel, due to Patriot's orders.

These men were no longer part of the regular Ursus army, but they were once disciplined soldiers. When they saw Tomat approaching, they were prepared to stop him and prevent him from getting any closer.

"Let him through, bring him over."

As soon as Patriot finished speaking, the shield guards who were blocking him automatically made way for Tomat, allowing him to walk towards Patriot and Frostnova, who were located in the central open space.

"The doctor mentioned before that your Oripathy has flared up again, so I came to check on you."

Tomat looked at Patriot, who was now without armor, then turned to Frostnova, extending his hand to her and saying:

"For that matter? It's alright, much better than when I was seriously ill before. Now I just have a slight cough." Frostnova explained her physical condition, while also being slightly surprised by the reason why Tomat had come here. Then, for some reason, she looked at Patriot, who hadn't seemed to intend to speak since earlier, with a slight headache, and continued, "Are you going to use that 'qi' to treat me again?"

"If you can learn it, or if someone makes a useful medicine, then we won't need it anymore."

Tomat didn't seem to understand why Froststar looked troubled.

His long-standing thought patterns had made him forget certain things he should have paid attention to.

Just like using qi for therapy, a specific method of contact is required.

One method is to press on the heart from the front or back, and another is to touch the head. After all, from the perspective of the contact position, this is the most suitable position to channel one's own energy into the circulation of energy in another person's body.

Telekinesis is a high-end application, and Tomat doesn't have such a convenient technique.

Froststar was passed on to Tomat in the latter way, so she naturally assumed that he was going to touch her head in public.

—A boy, whose age was unknown, patted her head in front of a group of guerrilla soldiers who had watched her grow up like a daughter.

This included a patriot who was indeed his adoptive father.

This is a situation that can't be described simply as awkward.

"Let's forget about 'that' for now, especially with so many people around."

"Yelena, what does 'that' mean? What did you do?"

However, no sooner had Frostnova uttered her polite refusal than Patriot's deep voice followed up with a follow-up question.

"Just take what's inside my body..."

"What's inside your body!?"

Before Tomat could finish his explanation, the Patriot's impassioned voice drowned out Tomat's, and the surrounding guerrillas all stood up.

It was surrounded by layers upon layers.

"what happened?"

Perhaps Thomas could easily refute the schemers' tricks with his own experience, or intuitively expose those veiled and annoying arguments.

However, in daily communication, especially in matters that require common sense, or so-called "normal emotional intelligence," his performance can only be described as tragic, although this characteristic can be applied to all Saiyans.

"Old stubborn man, don't overthink it. It's really nothing. He just treated my Oripathy!"

Froststar quickly explained loudly to Patriot before he could lose his temper.

"Oh, I thought it was something serious. You reacted so strongly to such a small misunderstanding. So, Frostnova is still single at such an old age, it's all your fault?"

Thomas immediately understood why Patriot had suddenly become agitated, and explained as he spoke.

"That's right! Although I understand your encouragement on the battlefield to be independent and take charge as soon as possible, you're still too protective of me in some matters. Nothing happens to others, but you start overthinking things just because you hear a little bit of news!"

Froststar seemed to have found an opportunity and followed up with Tomat on speaking to Patriot.

However, after she finished speaking, she remembered a word Tomat had said earlier, and her attitude instantly turned somber:

"Wait, what did you say about my age just now?"

[Main Text] Chernobog, Amidst Ruins: Chapter Forty Concludes

Perhaps because various issues were resolved, apart from the doctor, the other people who were involved gradually relaxed their tense nerves and resumed doing what they were supposed to do in an orderly manner.

The surveys were being conducted, and the rescue efforts were underway. The Rhodes Island, now docked within the ruins of Chernobog, has begun dispatching a large number of transport vehicles to transfer some of the more seriously injured Chernobog refugees, as well as some operators previously affected by the events in the core city, to the ship for further treatment.

As for the more complex matters—such as the "mystery of Chernobog's destruction" that some experts have yet to solve, and "how to explain to the people of Chernobog that Ursus did not come to their aid"—those are not things that Tomat needs to consider; naturally, there will be people to handle those matters.

For example, a PhD.

"Although Ursus is not currently providing direct aid to the Chernobog people, we cannot accept such a large number of refugees for an extended period of time, given that most of them have already been rescued. It is also impossible for us to leave them in the wilderness, where only wrecked mobile platforms remain. Therefore, in the short term, the refugees will be jointly received by Lungmen and Rhodes Island until Ursus responds."

"No matter what, they could not possibly do such an inhumane thing in full view of everyone. Moreover, given the current situation in Ursus where the new emperor and the old nobles are on equal footing, the emperor, as the highest decision-maker, would inevitably become an excuse for the nobles to incite domestic opposition and weaken the new emperor's influence by directly abandoning the refugees in the directly controlled city-states."

"In addition to your encounter with the Ursus Guards, the conspiracy to secretly eliminate the survivors and then abandon the plot has been exposed. They will have no choice but to accept them obediently without bringing the matter to the forefront."

Even with the pressure of Kal'tsit's imminent arrival, the Doctor still tried his best to handle what he could. Although his emotions were so tragic that it seemed like he was arranging his final affairs, his logical analysis and specific arrangements made him seem very reliable.

"But if the refugees are taken back, wouldn't they have another chance to be killed? You know, these people who have lost their original homes, even if they go to other city-states, are basically the same as the homeless. Even in the same country, they not only have difficulty getting a normal life, but what they experienced in Chernobog could put their lives in danger."

However, after Chen returned to the doctor's side and heard these analyses, he also realized what was quite dangerous for these survivors.

That is, after returning home, they might face further threats to their lives because they learned that Ursus had not provided them with assistance and had even sent its internal guards to silence them.

Even if almost none of them knew about these things, it wouldn't be surprising if the Ursus people, fearing they might become a destabilizing factor, did what Chen was worried about, just to be on the safe side.

"The Reunion Movement colluded with Ursus, which almost made Chernobog the fuse for war between Ursus and Yan. Although the local residents are all civilians, there is a tiny probability that they 'know the inside story.' In order to prevent this probability from becoming a factor for other countries to target Ursus or affecting the internal stability of our country, it is indeed the best choice to make the suspects disappear."

The doctor did not object to Chen's concerns and even used his own reasoning to support their validity.

"However—if we forcibly take everyone to Rhodes Island or Lungmen out of concern for their safety, it would be tantamount to completely confirming that suspicion. At that time, if anyone proves that these refugees are unaware of the inside story, or even still have a sense of belonging and loyalty to Ursus, they will be more determined to kill all of them. At the same time, forcibly detaining citizens of other countries will also allow those people to achieve their true purpose, which is to provoke a war against Yan."

However, the doctor clearly stated that if they did not do so, it would lead to more serious consequences.

"So... we need to send them back to that country that doesn't treat them like citizens at all? And the risk of them being killed hasn't decreased in the slightest?"

But despite the doctor's confident assertions, Chen still felt powerless against this cruel yet well-reasoned arrangement. In addition, she had already had a good chat with her sister, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, about all the things that had happened over the years. The mental pressure exerted on her made this usually decisive and efficient Lungmen police superintendent seem a little tired, as if his spirit had been dampened.

"It's a pity, that's true, but it's not all that bad, because we kept your sister, someone who knows the inside story without us having to prove it."

Just as Chen was about to turn away and leave, the doctor's voice rang out again.

"What do you mean?"

She stopped in her tracks, just as she was preparing to regard the doctor as a rational yet cold-hearted person, but the doctor's next words changed her mind.

"Ursus wants to eliminate the survivors because they're worried that some of them might know the inside story and be used. But imagine if their goal is to eliminate everyone who might know the inside story, but there's one person who definitely knows the inside story and is in a position where they can't act. Then dealing with the remaining suspects wouldn't make much sense."

"A group of 'suspicious but not necessarily needing to be dealt with,' and a 'person who must be dealt with but is difficult to deal with,' where will their attention be focused?"

Just over ten minutes ago, the Doctor was surprised and puzzled that Amiya had handed Talulah over to Rhodes Island for imprisonment.

However, we now have a full understanding of Talulah's role.

Moreover, he was under pressure from Kal'tsit's imminent arrival.

"You actually considered so much? I originally thought it was just what Talulah told me. Did you start thinking about all that when you found out the dragon was Talulah?"

After the doctor's explanation, Chen suddenly felt as if all of this was the result of his careful planning, and that the whole situation seemed to be under the doctor's control.

However, the doctor still answered decisively in a weary tone:

"How could that be? I never considered those things before Amiya told me. And I hope there will be fewer things like this that are squeezing my sanity. At least before we set off, I really hoped it would just be an ordinary rescue operation. It turned out to be more exciting than what happened in Lungmen City."

No matter how modest or frank the words were, they couldn't easily erase Chen's admiration for the Doctor's personal abilities. However, just as Chen was about to praise him and, out of personal sentiment, thank him for taking Talulah in, a voice that the Doctor absolutely did not want to hear suddenly rang out from nearby.

"Even under these circumstances, you were able to analyze and plan these complex matters in a very short time, taking into account everything from people's hearts to the overall situation. You truly deserve the title of 'the best'."

The doctor's calm and collected tone made his heart feel as if it had fallen into an ice cellar.

Perhaps the doctor had initially thought that he could "build a good relationship" because of the other party's recognition, but since waking up, the cold and even confrontational attitude has seemed to have cultivated a mechanism in his mind—when he hears this voice, he subconsciously feels that he is in a weak position and feels afraid.

This is the feeling that Kal'tsit's voice evoked in the Doctor.

In the northern region of Terra, which is close to the territory of Ursus, the winter temperature is quite cold, but Kal'tsit still wears an off-the-shoulder coat as usual, not caring at all about exposing the Originium crystal on her shoulders to anyone who sees her.

Perhaps it's because she doesn't care what others think of her at all, and it's precisely this indifference and arrogance that makes the doctor always feel that it might be his illusion whenever he has the thought of "getting along well with her".

"Y-you...you've arrived!"

The Doctor, who had been explaining things smoothly to Chen, was so frightened by Kal'tsit's sudden appearance that he started stammering.

He couldn't help but take his hands out of his pockets and rub them together in front of him, looking all sweet and gentle, even a little timid.

When Chen saw this scene, it immediately reminded her of the sycophantic people she used to attend in official gatherings, and how they would react to high-ranking officials and dignitaries.

However, it now seems more like a "private matter" between the higher-ups of Rhodes Island. She gave Kal'tsit a brief greeting and quickly left, returning to Talulah's side.

The Doctor hoped that this attitude would make Kal'tsit less angry about Amiya's situation.

But Kal'tsit only paused for a second or two after hearing the Doctor's words, and then continued in the same tone.

"...Can I take this as sarcasm from you?"

Wait a minute? Why does he look even angrier?

"I... I wouldn't dare..."

Upon hearing Kal'tsit's words, the Doctor immediately shook his head and denied it.

"That's enough, you don't need to say anything more."

But Kal'tsit spoke faster than the Doctor, and before he could continue explaining, she immediately told him to shut up.

Good grief, I'm so angry I don't want to listen to anyone anymore.

Moreover, despite being so angry, the other party maintained the same tone of voice.

Film that's completely devoid of emotion!

"Fine! I give up!"

With a gritted tooth and a closed eye, eighteen years later, the doctor was still a fine piece of cured meat on the bridge!

Seeing that there was no room for further explanation, the doctor simply accepted the fate he had feared.

"...What are you acknowledging? If we're talking about merit, you really did work hard this time."

But it was only then that Kal'tsit's tone changed, but it wasn't anger; it was simply confusion.

“It was my misjudgment of the potential dangers of this operation, and my focus on researching those monsters while staying behind at Rhodes Island resulted in my inability to provide timely support. Amiya had no choice but to use those spells. You also did your best to ensure the smooth running of this operation, and there were no casualties due to unforeseen circumstances. You did a great job.”

What followed was not what the Doctor expected, "accompanied by Kal'tsit's cold expression that showed utter contempt and a barrage of rhetoric and mental torture," but rather Kal'tsit's self-reflection—plus her recognition of the Doctor.