Kanna and her group had just entered through the passage, and upon seeing it, oh, it was all familiar faces.
Watching Kanna greet everyone, Gladiia, who had returned with her, then understood how popular she was within Rhodes Island.
"You... are Dalia?" Not far away, Silence's voice suddenly came.
Kanna looked over and saw Silence staring in astonishment at Dalia, who was being led by Ifrit. She distinctly remembered the other transforming into that creature called a "Purewater Spirit" right before her, yet how was she standing before her now?
"Uh, it's Kanna's gift to Dalia, allowing her to continue existing as a 'human,'" Ifrit said cautiously.
Silence, now turning to Ifrit, her eyes immediately became serious. As someone who had been thinking about Ifrit's treatment plan even in her dreams since encountering her, Silence could say she understood her best.
But looking at Ifrit now, she found Ifrit gave her a very strange feeling. This strangeness came from a cognitive error. She quickly walked to Ifrit, grabbed her hand, and then her face changed dramatically.
Before she could speak, Saria said, "A lot has happened along the way. This is not a good place to talk. If you want to hear, go to your office!"
Silence forced herself to calm down, then pulled Ifrit and walked towards her office.
"Is everything alright over there?" Nian, who was walking last, witnessed the Rhine family drama and asked Misery, who was also walking last.
Misery scratched her hair, "I don't know... But as far as I know, Doctor Silence brought Ifrit to Rhodes Island after falling out with Rhine Lab over Ifrit's treatment plan. Here, she is also her only attending physician and doesn't allow anyone else to intervene. Now, Ifrit's condition... it just depends on whether she can accept it or not."
After the greetings were over, Kanna led the newcomers, Chiyo and Yuli, towards the Medical Department. This was a welfare regulation of Rhodes Island: after long periods of fieldwork, Operators returning to the main ship had to undergo a physical examination to check if they had contracted oripathy while on missions, or if they were already Infected, whether their Originium concentration had abnormally increased and if they needed additional treatment arranged by a Doctor.
Although for Kanna, oripathy probably wouldn't infect her even if she bathed in water made of Originium, this examination would also check for any foreign diseases. So, all Operators would voluntarily go for a physical examination after fieldwork.
She also took the two little ones along for their physicals. If they were not Infected, they would be arranged to a special internal school for basic learning. If they had a talent for Originium Arts and were willing, they could join Rhodes Island's Reserve Operator sequence.
Of course, this was for those with Originium Arts. If they didn't have Originium Arts, and were willing to stay on the main ship after graduating from school, they would also be arranged corresponding clerical work, becoming a clerical Operator.
However, if someone like Kanna and Rosmontis showed powerful Originium Arts upon joining Rhodes Island, Rhodes Island would not rigidly adhere to the arrangements. For example, Kanna and a few others had never attended Rhodes Island's school.
Watching the two being led into the examination station by the Medical Operator, not long after, she saw the door not far away open with a "bang," and then Saria walked out with a cold expression. Faintly, she could still hear Silence's angry curses from inside.
Kanna then realized she had walked to the outside of Doctor Silence's office.
Saria, coming out, saw Kanna, who was looking uncertain and surprised not far away. She forced a smile, then walked into the corridor with a sense of weariness.
Just as Kanna was debating whether to hide first or brace herself and walk past, Silence's tottering figure emerged from the room. At this moment, she looked distraught and at a loss.
Upon seeing Kanna, she took a deep breath to compose herself.
"I'm sorry, you saw me lose my composure..."
After Kanna walked in, she saw Ifrit and Dalia huddled together in a corner, trembling, and Ptilopsis standing not far away, looking completely frozen, as if the excessive information was about to burn out her CPU.
"I should be the one saying sorry. I promised before that I would bring Ifrit back completely intact." Although, selfishly, Kanna was happy about transforming Ifrit into her current state, because this way they could always stay with her.
But this was undoubtedly a negation of Silence's long-term efforts to treat Ifrit.
"It's not your fault. I've already heard the story from them. You were far overseas at the time, barely able to look after your own life and death, how could you guarantee Ifrit, who was in the safe zone?"
"This was also my mistake. I never taught her how to discern good from bad in people, which is why she fell for the tricks of those 'cultists.'"
"Doctor Silence, you don't need to be overly sad. Treating oripathy doesn't only involve the former Ifrit. There are countless oripathy patients on Rhodes Island, from mild to severe. Even if Ifrit no longer needs your treatment, there are others who need your help."
Besides, everyone knows what Ifrit was like before. Every treatment was extremely painful for her. Although she often said she was used to it, who can get used to pain? You see, Ifrit, although her body has transformed, she has also escaped the pain of oripathy. Since that day, I haven't seen Ifrit frown, and her temper has improved a lot.
Dr. Silence, I believe your goal in treating Ifrit was to cure her or extend her life so she could live a full one, but aren't you going astray a bit now? Regardless of the method, whether it's you or me, isn't our goal to completely free patients from the entanglement of oripathy, and even free all of Terra from the fear of oripathy?"
Kanna racked her brain, trying to explain to Silence, but unexpectedly, as she spoke, she ended up criticizing her.
By the time she realized it, it was too late, and she could only forcibly smooth things over with her words.
Silence listened, covering her forehead in Silence for a while. Just as Kanna's legs were trembling and she was about to leave, she heard Silence suddenly take a deep breath.
When she looked up again, the confusion in her eyes had dissipated a lot. "Kanna, you're right. For a long time, curing Ifrit almost became my obsession. I poured all my energy into it, forgetting the fundamental purpose of being an oripathy researcher."
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