Léon: The Cat Killer

Besides important matters like feeding and maintaining equipment, with the hardware support of the exploration vehicle, Ms. Athena, a tailor, finally had the opportunity to make more formal clothes for the refugees.

What Medic remembers most vividly is that Alfred and Irene were the first to change into tailcoats and maid outfits with Rhodes Island blue armbands...

Food, clothing, shelter, transportation, equipment maintenance—although the title "Welfare Department" may seem light and meaningless, Medic has indeed entrusted a significant portion of the daily work of the exploration vehicles to these Sarkaz.

This seemingly reckless move was naturally warned by Yato about the potential danger, but since the Medic team held the ultimate key to PRTS, this kind of 'insignificant'... mainly work that wouldn't threaten anyone's lives unless deliberately sabotaged, outsourcing it was a 'burden reduction' for the A4 task force.

Medic intends to use the 'welfare department' as a trial period for these people, although the welfare department's work cannot fully meet the needs of all refugees... For example, the militia trio who aspire to be a shield for everyone refuse to join the welfare department, which is a... rear-area department.

Since W's subordinates also needed to be arranged, Medic simply went all out and, not long after adding a 'Welfare Department' to the Human Resources Department, added a 'Disciplinary Department' as well.

As the name suggests, the Disciplinary Department is a department used to punish internal personnel.

With the Shield Guards promising to maintain order, Medic established a disciplinary department based on Rhodes Island's internal regulations. This was not only intended to encourage these Rhodes Island prospective members to supervise each other and avoid making mistakes, but also to provide these 'refugees,' who might increase in number later, with a direct channel to contact Rhodes Island's management.

Aside from potential future disciplinary issues such as theft of company property like drugs or food, matters that the Shield Guard cannot easily intervene in, such as violations of the employee handbook or passive resistance at work, can also be handed over to the Disciplinary Department for clear rules and regulations and to be handled openly and through normal procedures. Now that we are about to head to the Reunion Movement's gathering place, a clear set of rules and regulations and an order-maker are absolutely necessary.

More importantly, the established rules should belong to Rhodes Island, not Reunion, and certainly not the Shield Guard.

The fact that the Shield Guards were observed by the infected, who had diverse personalities, to be willing to abide by Rhodes Island's order was a prerequisite for establishing safety at Rhodes Island, and also a process of resocializing and taming the already alienated infected.

The Shield Guard's adjutant obviously understood this as well, which is why he readily agreed to the disciplinary department's rules and regulations. After all, compared to military regulations, Rhodes Island's discipline is ultimately just a company requirement, which is a freebie for the Shield Guards who come from the military... Of course, Medic cannot rule out the possibility that the adjutant had long been disgusted by certain things the Reunion Movement did.

Because most of the members of the Disciplinary Division are W's subordinates, and these mercenaries who have always followed W are followers of the White Emperor from the Tower of Babel era, under the mediation of Afro and others from the Welfare Division, they have a high degree of acceptance of Rhodes Island's ideals and strategies.

The only problem might be that W needs to explain the situation to the Sarkaz mercenary leader on the Reunion side when he leaves with his men... That mercenary, who is relatively neutral, might ask W to fulfill the contract with Talulah first.

This matter was brought up when Medic performed surgery on W, and then this person actually said that she should handle it herself... And because of the mercenaries' obedience to W as their superior, W was obviously the candidate for the head of the disciplinary department.

However, Medic certainly wouldn't grant formal permissions to this guy who can only be admired as a static beauty, unlike Afu and Irene.

Medic's onboarding process for W will only proceed after she confirms that W will not be hostile to Kal'tsit.

W himself has no objection to this.

"...Alright, the surgery was a success. If there are no problems during the recovery process, there shouldn't be any aftereffects..."

Reading Aya and Sussuro's post-operative evaluations, Medic looked at W, who, although awake, was still in a static state due to arm anesthesia:

"Also, about what you mentioned before... you should know what I'm worried about."

"Oh, it's just some messy work from the job change. You said you'd leave it to me, so feel free to leave it to me... Although I can't guarantee that after visiting Kal'tsit, I'll still work obediently under you."

“It’s good that everyone has their own pursuits. As for your concerns, I think that’s a very low probability thing… So I’ll temporarily hand over the position of head of the disciplinary department to Huang. W, please make sure to tell your subordinates about the transfer of command.”

Listening to Medic's instructions, W, who had struggled to get out of bed after the anesthesia, pouted:

"Wasn't a written agreement already signed?"

“That’s something that’s meant to be handed over. If you, as a member of the team’s management, suddenly disappear or are ‘seized’, it will cause us a lot of trouble… So, nominally you are still the captain of those mercenaries, but you still need to be accountable to Huang.”

"Ah, contact person, I understand~"

Propping her head with her uninjured right hand, W watched Medic meticulously organize the documents, looked around for a while, and then asked:

"Speaking of which, is Nana really gone?"

“……（? ? ?）”

"What's your expression?"

After slightly changing his movements to speed up the metabolism of the anesthetic, W continued to complain:

“I told you that Rhodes Island was a company that supported Your Highness in your efforts to modernize Kazdel in the past. That’s why I temporarily set aside my suspicions about that old woman and let the brothers who are willing to follow me help you.”

"So you guys are even more wary of me than we mercenaries are of our employers trying to sabotage us... I mean, you're incredibly thorough and meticulous. It's like Nana just gave you a proper analysis of me."

With that still gentle smile, Medic didn't quite understand why W said that:

"I think this is a basic quality that the head of the personnel department should possess."

"What basic qualities? If every 'human resources department' in the world were like Rhodes Island, then there wouldn't be any other companies to compete with. Medic, your judgment on Yetis, Shield Guards, and us... 'Demonic' mercenaries... is excessively accurate."

W, tilting her head and in a static beauty mode, lay on the bed touching her chin, then revealed a look of sudden realization:

"I still think it's Nana's fault... But it's normal for me to be outmatched by a company with a dedicated analysis department, so I won't bring up your abnormal judgment. I really do have something I want to talk to Nana about, at least give me that person's contact information!"

"Actually, you could have let me relay it."

"No, I don't want to talk to someone as 'bottomless' as you. As a mercenary, you're too scary for me... Nana is someone I feel closer to."

W's undisguised disgust and wariness left Medic completely bewildered. Is this something you should say to your future boss?

However, due to W's insistence, Medic had no choice but to give W the agent communication code that Anna was in charge of managing.

After obtaining the desired item, W immediately ignored Medic, the 'terrible information black hole,' and began rapidly typing on a tablet that could only be used within the Rhodes Island PRTS system.

Soon after Medic stepped out of the medical room, he received a message from Anna.

After clicking on it, seeing the system-generated message "Task in progress, do not disturb," Medic sheepishly began manually replying: I

'Now you can tell me, what's wrong?' I

【...Would you like to see my self-introduction?】I

Glancing at the seemingly furious message, "Did you sell all my information to Rhodes Island? —W," Medic scratched his chin in confusion, then typed: I

No, get to the point.

【You mean you said 'no'?! You mean your HR manager has everyone wrapped around his little finger, laughing like an idiot, and all the conditions are just barely within everyone's tolerance limits? And you call that no information leaked?! I feel like I'm running naked in front of that guy! Completely exposed!】a

[She even knows I view Kal'tsit critically—?! By revealing my target like this, even if I meet Kal'tsit, I'll be ambushed by three hundred greatswordsmen. If I say a bad word about her, I'll be chopped into mincemeat!]

'...Don't you want to look at what you're saying? What kind of image do you really have of Minister Kal'tsit?' Phosphorus

After a moment's hesitation, Medic continued typing: I

"Besides, didn't you ask Frostnova and Patriot? I didn't even go to see my own team when I left that day... I was so busy searching for the demonic corruption, I didn't have time to care about you." V

[Swear! Swear to the gods of Sakorta! And I'll record this and put it in writing!]

Are you out of your mind...? He typed out a few words, but before sending them, Medic deleted them and replaced them with a (???) chibi-style emoji of a white-haired girl. V

'I swear to the great God, the Father of Sarkaz, and the Savior of this land, I, Nana Ivy, have not revealed any of W's shady information to the HR department.'

[...It's shameful...sigh...Anyway, I've remembered what you said, recorded it, and I'll print it out later...Don't try to renege on your promise.]

It was as if you could hear W gritting her teeth through the screen… no, Medic could definitely hear W gasping for breath, as if she were pulling at her wound… Was she using voice input?

To prevent W from becoming further agitated, Medic continued typing on the projected keyboard: [The matter...]

"In short, try to minimize your illness, focus on healing, and trust Medic... I said you and Astolfo can trust her as much as you trust me... I will accompany you to see Kal'tsit in the end, and that promise still stands."

"Okay, I trust you. My men have already been deployed to your team... But I need to think about what excuse to use to claim damages from that nominal leader... Will Rhodes Island pay for their release?"

'Redemption... what kind of mercenary slang is that?'

[Breach of contract penalty... Forget it, relying on a guy like you who slips away is unreliable... To avoid your boss looking down on me, I said I could handle this myself, but I can't use the usual breach of contract penalty for mercenaries... How about some small change to help out my sisters?]

"…Asking for money before achieving anything is not a good habit. Also, if you have any difficulties, I recommend you go directly to Medic; she probably won't laugh at you."

Ignoring the subsequent barrage of unhelpful messages from W, Medic handed over his agent account back to the Security Bureau's AI, Anna, for safekeeping... Afterward, Medic checked his daily missions and then decided to visit the Welfare Department.

"The minister is here!"

"It's the Minister's sister."

After confirming the personnel's location via PRTS, Medic entered the common lounge on the third floor, which currently serves as the Welfare Department's office. There, he saw the two little ones, Airi and Shia, who had regained consciousness at Rosemary's birthday party and had been examined by Sussuro and Aya without any problems being found.

Medic had never been able to tell which of the twins was the older sister and which was the younger sister, but it seems that after the naming ceremony, their personalities began to diverge.

As the older sister, Ellie has always maintained the innocence and cheerfulness of a child. Her enthusiasm is unlike that of a Sarkaz. The clear look in her eyes makes her seem more like a real, carefree Sarkaz child.

After waking up, Xia, the younger sister, seemed to be influenced by Eileen, who was holding her in pain. The little one became visibly quiet, or rather, 'strong'... Although Medic felt that there was a lot of pretense in her being strong, since everyone had the same attitude towards the two little ones.

Ellie was openly and honestly enjoying everyone's love and care, while Sia seemed more embarrassed... These things didn't happen during their past escape and hardship.

Back then, both little ones were equally obedient and sensible, looking like identical twins.

But now, it seems more like her personality is slowly deviating?

Or are the twins now simply a reflection of their original personalities?

"Illie, Sia... Good afternoon, Dad. Have you had lunch yet?"

"I've eaten! Today's lunch was a thick porridge so thick you could stand a fork upright in it! There was lots of meat in it!"

"And the fries that we didn't finish yesterday, we ate them all as a snack, leaving none of our portion."

Touching the two little ones' heads, feeling as if he were touching the very first rosemary, Medic smiled and encouraged them:

"You ate it all? That's amazing! You need to eat and sleep more so you can grow taller and bigger faster... Of course, don't grow up too fast... Childhood has many interesting things too."

Seemingly touched by Medic's words, Frostnova, who had been sitting to the side and seemed to have been taking care of the child earlier, raised an eyebrow.

"I think the right thing to do is to stay alive and work hard to teach the children to grow up... Otherwise, what will they do when they suddenly have no adults to accompany them and need to grow up?"

Perhaps this was just the realization of someone infected in the snowfield, but as someone who had also suddenly lost his first friend, Medic's sudden, frozen stance, as if his body had been pierced by something, made Frostnova raise an eyebrow, while the white rabbit wore a slight smile:

"It seems you agree with what I said..."

"...Yes, when children grow up may be a difficult question to control...but they do need to be prepared to grow up at any time..."

With a sigh, Medic picked up the twins, one in each arm, and carried the two little ones back to Frostnova. Seeing the scattered 'equipment' that was supposed to be prepared for the children on the floor, Nana felt relieved. Then, the two little ones quickly picked up their own backpacks.

"Are they teaching children how to use tools and equipment?"

"Yes, I sometimes do similar things in the settlement... I just didn't expect there to be children here."

Just as Froststar finished speaking, Afu, who had appeared out of nowhere, suddenly spoke up with a smile:

“Every Sarkaz group has its own parenting and education strategies. Even the seemingly ruthless and warlike Military Council is definitely a systematic and socialized process when it comes to raising children. So, it is not uncommon to see Sarkaz with children.”

"...Don't you make any noise when you walk?"

Ignoring Frostnova's complaints, Astolfo bowed to Medic.

"Solving problems quietly and quickly is not a profession, but my personal philosophy... So, since you've come to the welfare department, you must have finished W's surgery... My lord."

"Yes, the surgery was successful, but the follow-up care will be handled by the welfare department... Remember to remind her to come for dressing changes and subsequent magical treatments..."

"You can just give instructions through the PRTS system."

"No, I still need to check if the two little ones are doing well on the third floor... Not only the Sarkaz, Rhodes Island also has protective and nurturing measures for minors. If conditions permit in the future, I will consider sending them to Rhodes Island's nursery..."

After listening quietly to Medic and Afu's conversation for a while, Frostnova asked curiously:

"Does Rhodes Island still have childcare facilities?"

"...Although there is no formal title and the care has always been taken care of by the Minister of the Medical Department, if the number of children increases in the future, it would be only natural to establish a formal department or division."

"Is your little white cat also from that... nursery?"

"...No, she was...the result of my mistake...Although it was indeed that minister who helped me with my education when I was incapacitated in the past, that gentleman is indeed one of the most learned people I have ever met on this land."

"As you can see, Rosemary is in excellent health and has already participated in operations as a full-fledged operator, and has made contact with the Shield Guard as a pivot point in the operation... Although saying this from my perspective may only make me seem like I am being negligent, Rosemary is indeed growing healthily under the guidance of my superiors."

"...Are you trying to entice me to keep asking? But seeing how serious you are, I feel it would be impolite to keep pressing you..."

Frostnova shrugged and changed the subject:

"Speaking of which, haven't the doctors reached a conclusion on my treatment plan yet?"

White Rabbit's words made Medic suddenly take it seriously, because after a preliminary examination, the operator named Yelena, codenamed Frostnova, although she seemed to have no problems, her infection rate was already close to the late stage.

"In my personal opinion, Frostnova, your treatment cannot be done here... You need to come with us to Rhodes Island headquarters for a collective consultation by the medical department to develop a suitable plan..."

"Then forget it, it sounds very expensive."

Although the remark was clearly a joke, Medic still took a serious step forward and stared intently into Frostnova's eyes. The Rhodes Island black cat was almost touching Frostnova, and the slightly tilted head of his head made even the Yeti princess involuntarily turn her head away slightly.

"First of all, we will not accept any money, as you have already seen in the initial agreement. Then, please respect life... especially your own."

"Um, can I say I've gotten used to Oripathy... Okay, okay, I was just kidding. Be serious, don't you feel cold being this close?"

"...The loss of control over Originium Arts is already a late-stage sign. Coupled with the Originium crystals that have begun to fuse with your internal organs, I must propose to your adjutant and your subordinates that you completely prohibit the use of primitive arts from now on."

"If I could, I would be more than happy to do so."

Seeing Medic write down 'Doctor's Recommendation' with utmost seriousness, Frostnova crossed her legs, propped her chin on her hand, and sighed... Of course, she knew that if she continued to use Originium Arts, she would eventually be unable to even be touched.

In fact, because her body temperature is slightly lower than that of an average person, Froststar feels unusually hot in environments that are comfortable for most people.

Without anyone knowing, she had secretly removed the thermal layer from her clothes... Despite living in the snowfield, she was dressed as if she were in a temperate region.

Once you take off that coat made from a modified Patriot's armor cloak, you can see Frostnova's figure clearly outlined by the belt.

Medic was fully aware of this, as was Frostnova, whose figure, as an adult woman, appeared rather thin.