When Jeanne walked into Kal'tsit's office, she found two figures seated together, deeply engrossed in a discussion. The moment Amiya noticed her entrance, the young girl greeted Jeanne with immense enthusiasm, immediately rising to welcome her.
"You've arrived, Miss Jeanne! Was your journey smooth?" The young Cautus had clearly matured through her recent trials; she no longer displayed her former timidity, now conversing with others with a remarkably bright and confident demeanor.
It appeared that even if this young leader of Rhodes Island didn't hold absolute executive power, the weight of her responsibilities had catalyzed a positive transformation. At the very least, her communication skills had improved dramatically.
"Everything went very smoothly. After all, flying through the sky means there are rarely any obstacles to bar our path," Jeanne replied, smiling as she greeted the young girl. The youth was growing remarkably fast; including her long ears, she was already a little taller than Jeanne herself.
"It has been a while, Dr. Kal'tsit. You look rather exhausted lately," Jeanne remarked, observing the weary physician before her. She wondered if even a woman who seemed to possess infinite knowledge could be run ragged by daily operations.
Perhaps Kal'tsit simply found commercial matters tedious, or perhaps the endless diplomatic negotiations with various foreign factions were draining her spirit, or perhaps there had been a complication in their supply procurement...
One could only wonder how high a salary Theresa paid her to secure such relentless dedication. Then again, a figure of Kal'tsit's caliber likely didn't care for material wealth; discussing money with someone like her felt thoroughly crude.
"It has indeed been a while. The ripples Reunion has been causing lately have reached our ears, even while we move through other nations."
Kal'tsit began with casual conversation, recalling the intelligence reports sent back by Babel's field operatives over the past year. Quite a few of their operations had received unexpected assistance from Reunion personnel.
Babel had not moved as rapidly as Jeanne might have imagined during this past year. Instead, they had been systematically establishing their own network across the various nations of Terra. On the surface, these were merely corporate branches of a pharmaceutical company, but in truth, they functioned as an exceptional intelligence network.
Both Rhodes Island and Kazdel required a comprehensive network to understand the wider world. Their previous civil war had forced them to ignore international affairs, an isolation that had proven highly detrimental.
During Rhodes Island's travels, they constantly crossed paths with Reunion. The movement's primary focus appeared to be organizing the oppressed people at the very bottom of society, transforming a scattered populace into a unified force.
"We are merely getting started. After all, we cannot afford to fixate entirely on internal Ursus affairs while remaining blind to the rest of the world, can we?" Jeanne replied calmly.
In truth, she hadn't been fully aware of the extent of the cooperation between her dispatched vanguard and Rhodes Island. Reunion's communications infrastructure wasn't nearly as advanced as that of the landship, and her fighters likely didn't even recognize the Rhodes Island personnel as formal operatives.
Even if they had known, the fighters probably wouldn't have thought much of it. It was merely a minor partnership formed during their expansion, hardly something worth utilizing precious time to report up the chain of command.
"Moving too quickly can easily cause an organization to lose its way... However, with you guiding their direction, I suppose they are unlikely to stumble into that trap."
Kal'tsit instinctively began to offer a lecture, but she quickly checked herself, remembering that Jeanne was not someone prone to such careless errors. Given the immense power the maiden possessed, the organization would not devolve into the threat Kal'tsit typically feared.
On this long, arduous path of fighting for the infected, finding a fellow traveler was a rare gift. Kal'tsit did not want this hard-won spark of hope to be snuffed out by the bitter wind and darkness once again.
"Given your current trajectory... your immediate objective is Chernobog, isn't it?"
The moment Kal'tsit uttered the name, Amiya's ears instantly perked up. Her large eyes fixed intently on Jeanne, waiting motionlessly for her response.
"Yes, that has always been our destination," Jeanne confirmed without hesitation. A flicker of complex emotion crossed Amiya's eyes; the name Chernobog likely reminded her of someone who lay buried beneath its soil.
"Your original destination? I see. In that case, I suppose congratulations are in order. Either you or Talulah will soon assume the position of Mayor of Chernobog, correct?"
Hearing Jeanne's confirmation, Kal'tsit immediately recalled their very first meeting, and the highly secretive maneuvers the two women had executed within that city.
Looking back, the ownership of that mobile city had likely been decided even then. Reunion's current march wasn't an act of conquest; they were simply moving to take formal custody of a vessel that already belonged to them.
The Emperor of Ursus had proven remarkably shrewd. By trading a single mobile city, he had secured an opportunity to communicate and potentially cooperate with Jeanne. In the grand scheme of things, Ursus had lost very little.
Ever since Jeanne had displayed her terrifying aerial deterrence back in Kazdel, the various nations of Terra had poured immense resources into conquering the skies—a domain they had previously ignored. Yet, even after nearly two years of research, not a single country had managed to produce a working prototype. This reality made Jeanne an incredibly valuable figure on the global stage.
Presently, the only factions maintaining formal communication with Jeanne were Kazdel and Ursus. As for Laterano? That was her ancestral home; they didn't require negotiations—they treated her with the utmost reverence, treating her word as law.
"That is the plan," Jeanne nodded. When the time came, Talulah would likely take up the mantle of city governor, unless she selected a trusted proxy to fill the vacancy.
"If that is the case... how do you intend to handle the civilian population within the city?" Kal'tsit asked, her tone sinking slightly. Despite her confidence in Jeanne's judgment, a trace of anxiety remained in her voice.
Ursus harbored the most volatile friction between the infected and the uninfected. Once the long-suffering infected found themselves in power, their accumulated fury could easily reduce the entire city to ash.
Expecting them to simply grant mercy to the uninfected civilians was an incredibly difficult prospect. It seemed almost impossible.
Even if Reunion could govern its own trained fighters, could they truly control the raw emotions of every infected civilian residing in the city? Did they possess that level of widespread authority?
"We have naturally integrated that factor into our planning. When the transition occurs, we have allies who will step forward to pacify the local infected population. Furthermore, should any malicious incidents arise, we will enforce strict disciplinary measures."
Jeanne harbored genuine concern regarding this issue; after all, she understood the volatile social climate of Ursus far better than Kal'tsit did.
Although the Emperor's recent reforms had slightly eased the tension, the relationship remained frozen solid. Melting that deep ice would require considerable time and patience.
Kal'tsit easily guessed who Jeanne had enlisted for aid—the Azazel Clinic. However, she hadn't expected Jeanne to successfully sway General Hellagur, a man whose stubbornness easily matched that of Patriot.
"Since you are prepared for the challenges, I shall wish you nothing but success. Our research into the inert Originium crystals has yielded a few promising leads. Perhaps by the time you assume control of Chernobog, I will be able to present you with a significant surprise."
Kal'tsit offered a rare, subtle smile, deliberately keeping the details shrouded in mystery. Her cryptic tone immediately piqued Jeanne's curiosity. What could possibly qualify as a surprise to a stoic woman like her?
Furthermore, Jeanne hadn't realized the research into the crystal fragments the Doctor had requested from her was still ongoing; she had assumed the project had been abandoned long ago.
As Kal'tsit spoke, even Amiya's expression turned remarkably mysterious. This only intensified Jeanne's intrigue, yet the two remained entirely tight-lipped, refusing to offer a single hint.
Jeanne truly could not fathom what practical utility inert Originium could possess. Had Kal'tsit managed to pioneer some entirely unique technology?
"In that case, I shall eagerly await this surprise. However, there is one more matter I would like to discuss with you," Jeanne remarked, adopting a collaborative tone.
"What is it? If it lies within our capability, we will certainly assist," Kal'tsit replied, casting a glance at Amiya, who promptly understood the cue and asked the question.
"I would like to borrow your Doctor for a period of time. Specifically, to assist us in managing the initial administration of the city. What do you think?" Jeanne asked with a pleasant smile.
The request left young Amiya entirely at a loss for words. The sudden mention of the Doctor threw her into a flurry of internal panic, leaving her visibly flustered.
Observing the young girl's reaction, Kal'tsit let out a quiet sigh. The child still possessed a trace of immaturity; she required far more experience before she could maintain her composure under unexpected circumstances.