Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals returned to Kazdel for three reasons. First, to find Theresa. Second, to resupply in Kazdel. Third, to allow operators who had not been home for a long time to finally return.
It had been far too long since they left Kazdel. Many had already forgotten what their homeland looked like. When the Kazdel operators stood at the city gates and gazed inward, they realized they could no longer recognize the city they once called home.
Fortunately, their families were waiting for them at the entrance. After exchanging greetings and heartfelt sighs, the operators eagerly followed their loved ones back to their new homes, where they would enjoy a rare period of rest.
Felix toured Kazdel Mobile City with his old acquaintances—ACE, Logos, and Scout—while Theresa walked beside him with Amiya and Kal'tsit, forming a trio. As for the Doctor, Felix had asked ACE earlier. The Doctor was still aboard Rhodes Island handling paperwork and would enter the city that evening.
ACE marveled openly at the transformation of Kazdel Mobile City. Logos, Scout, and the other Sarkaz elite operators, however, felt something more complicated. They saw preserved buildings and statues from Kazdel's past standing alongside the brand-new, thriving city.
Sarkaz children no longer grew up aspiring to be mercenaries. The newest graduates had dispersed throughout Kazdel, becoming small but vital parts of the city's vast machinery. The life might seem ordinary, even dull, yet they no longer had to live by the blade. They no longer needed to stain steel with blood—whether of enemies or their own kin.
"Have you ever thought about what you'd do if you weren't elite operators one day?"
Felix smiled and nodded to the Goliath Guards patrolling past before turning to Logos and Scout behind him.
"I'd probably retire here in Kazdel Mobile City and open a bar or something," Scout said with a shrug.
"I'll fight until the day I grow tired of it. After that, perhaps I'll become a novelist," Logos replied coolly. "Let the people of Terra experience the Sarkaz language."
"If you decide to publish, come to me. I'll help you with the process."
Felix smiled.
That night, the entire crews of Tomorrow's Development and Rhodes Island attended a welcome banquet in Kazdel Mobile City. Felix sat at the head table, and Amiya, as the leader of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, sat close beside him. She was growing more and more into a young woman. After reuniting with Theresa, the worry between her brows had faded, and she laughed freely as she spoke with Felix.
Not far away, Kal'tsit watched the Doctor wolf down her food with ACE and the others, swallowing back a sigh. She then looked at Theresa, who sat beside her with a faint smile, quietly observing the lively chatter.
"Theresa, have you made up your mind…?"
"Hm? What are you referring to?"
"Everyone on this land deserves a place to belong, a haven. Theresa, you've found yours."
Theresa paused at Kal'tsit's awkward phrasing but quickly understood. She smiled gently. "I've found my home, my happiness, on this land. As a long lived being, such hard-won happiness means more than I can say. Felix and I have been connected for a long time… And you, Kal'tsit? Do you wish to pursue your own happiness?"
Kal'tsit fell silent. After a moment, she shook her head and did not continue. She realized she neither had the right nor the position to persuade her oldest friend. Theresa had already chosen her path. All Kal'tsit could do was watch from the sidelines.
Kal'tsit still harbored a trace of affection for Felix, just a faint one. When she first learned that he had secretly hidden Theresa away to treat her illness for so many years, the calm surface of her long-standing feelings had stirred. Yet now, seeing Theresa alive and well, memories of their days in Babel washed over her, and a small smile formed on her lips.
Yes. Felix had saved Theresa. Without him, Theresa would not have survived.
At another table, Blaze and Degenbrecher drank beer in steady sips. Scout, ACE, and the others joined them. Scout drank heavily, while ACE emptied glass after glass, his expression thoughtful.
"What's wrong? It's a rare celebration. What's on your mind?" Scout nudged ACE's shoulder. ACE gave a slight shake of his head.
"Boss Degenbrecher, is Kazdel about to enter another war?"
Degenbrecher took a drink and nodded faintly. "Kazdel has been preparing for half a year. In truth, we're still preparing."
She was not surprised that they knew. For elite operators who spent their lives on the battlefield, it would have been impossible not to sense the tense atmosphere surrounding Kazdel's preparations.
"Rhodes Island is also considering joining the fight," ACE replied calmly. He clearly understood which war Degenbrecher was referring to. After taking a sip of his drink, he added, "There are far too many infected waiting for treatment on the outskirts of Londinium."
"This is Amiya's intention."
"Right."
It was clear what that meant. Rhodes Island had, in part, already stepped into the conflict between Tomorrow's Development and the Military Commission. Of course, some former Babel operators within Rhodes Island might personally resent the Military Commission and choose to temporarily side with Tomorrow's Development. But at the very least, Rhodes Island now had a justifiable reason to head to Londinium.
"What are the chances of victory this time?"
"If we only count Kazdel and the Terrans fighting alongside Tomorrow's Development, about sixty percent. If we include the adventurers, the odds could rise to ninety percent."
"…Adventurers truly displayed overwhelming strength in the last war. Who would have imagined that those once-weak individuals who mastered the Immortal Originium Arts would now be capable of participating directly in large-scale warfare?"
ACE sighed and glanced toward Felix and Amiya, who sat not far away, smiling at each other as they chatted animatedly.
"It's all thanks to His Highness. Perhaps joining this battle will benefit Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals' development. That's what I think."
"I only want to kill those centurions of the Military Commission. They may have become chiliarchs by now," Scout said coldly. "My former comrades died at their hands. I will take revenge during this trip to Victoria."
Logos had been drinking, though not heavily. Hearing this, a faint, indifferent smile appeared on his face. "As a Sarkaz, I fight in this war to reunify Kazdel. The final division must end. Setting revenge aside, the position of leader of the Sarkaz royal court should also change."
There was a quiet hint of pride in his tone. After all, among those present, only Logos belonged to the Banshee race. The others were either not Sarkaz or were ordinary members of the Sarkaz people.
"Miss Degenbrecher, I believe we will meet again soon at the war conference." Scout raised his glass. Degenbrecher returned the gesture and drained it in one gulp.
After some more casual conversation, Felix and Amiya began discussing their upcoming plans. As summer approached, messages from Duke Windermere grew increasingly frequent. Under deliberate pressure from the Military Commission, the various nobles had already entered a state of high alert. Nearly the entire population was mobilized for war. Battleships slowly emerging out of their docks, preparing for the coming conflict.
Vina would enter Londinium with outstanding operators such as Hellagur, Degenbrecher, and Neon. Felix, meanwhile, would lead the Legion and wait outside the city. Only after Londinium's internal defenses were breached would he launch a full assault. From Tin Man, he had learned that there were opponents within Londinium capable of rivaling him in strength. Tin Man advised him to conserve his stamina before the battle.
Felix agreed and decided to observe from a distance until the moment came to storm the city in a single decisive push.
Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals would participate in Tomorrow's Development as a support unit. For example, Scout and ACE would accompany Vina into Londinium, bringing members of the action team to assist once inside the city. Meanwhile, elite operators such as Logos and Blaze would formally attack the city alongside Felix.
Rescuing the infected was also one of Rhodes Island's objectives. Amiya explained that she had several operators from Londinium's Norbert District. All of them were infected and lived without knowing where their next meal would come from. The Sarkaz treated them harshly. If someone was discovered to be infected, they were expelled from the city and left to die outside its walls.
Even among the infected, they turned their fangs on one another.
Felix simply nodded. The division within Kazdel would not continue, but there were die-hard members and war zealots within the Military Commission. He would never accept them into the new Kazdel. More accurately, they would never choose to bow their heads.
In that case, the battlefield would be their most fitting end.
"Brother Felix… um, please take good care of Miss Theresa."
After dinner, little Amiya held Felix's hand, her voice tinged with reluctance.
Felix gently rubbed her bunny ears. "Theresa said she wants to rest with you tonight and read you a bedtime story."
"Really?!"
Amiya's ears shot upright instantly. She looked at Theresa with bright, expectant eyes. Theresa smiled softly and stepped forward, taking the little bunny from Felix's side.
The scene felt almost like a mother reading a bedtime story to her daughter, gently coaxing her to sleep.
Felix experienced a strange sense of déjà vu.
Kal'tsit, who had been with Theresa moments earlier, watched as Theresa left with Amiya. She then walked slowly to Felix's side. "The lament of Kazdel has never ceased. This time, you will personally bring an end to the fate that has haunted this land like a ghost."
"This is for Kazdel, and for this land." Felix looked up at the twin moons hanging overhead. "Our time is running out."
"You…"
"You know, I once met a very interesting individual in Columbia. He's been waiting for me to fulfill a promise. When this war is over, I think it will finally be time. Kal'tsit, would you like to come with me?"
"Anytime is fine, as long as it's during working hours."
Kal'tsit replied calmly, "Tomorrow we'll be developing a new set of standard equipment. I want to discuss it with Anthony."
"That's a minor matter. Anthony won't hold you back."
Felix waved a hand dismissively. "Where's the Doctor?"
"She had a few drinks and felt sleepy, so I asked Warfarin to take her back to rest. It was a busy day for her."
"Isn't every day like that?"
Felix slipped his hands into his pockets, gazed up at the star-filled sky, and sighed. "I hope that one day, we'll be able to see the real night sky."
"What?" Kal'tsit's eyes narrowed, her expression remaining unreadable. "You… know something?"
"Theresa knows a little more. Of course, she probably doesn't know as much as you do."
Felix shrugged. "At the very least, I was able to evolve into Teekaz because of Theresa. I've seen and understood many things. War on this land is nothing but child's play. To overcome the true crisis, all of Terra must stand together."
"I may not know as much as you think."
Kal'tsit took a slow breath. "When the war ends, I hope both sides will find the answers they deserve."
"Mm."
After watching Kal'tsit leave, Felix returned to his residence to rest.
Over the following days, Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals began resupplying after settling in Kazdel. At the same time, countless meetings were held to discuss future cooperation projects and war operations. Felix attended some of them, but most were handled by his senior staff.
In May, Loughshinny and Felix spent several more days together. One day, Loughshinny led a group of Tomorrow's Development high-ranking officers and operators toward Windermere. She did not travel lightly. Her transport was a land warship.
A battleship could carry around two thousand people, while her group numbered just over a thousand. Under the cover of night, they boarded and departed from Kazdel.
"They're gone."
Wiš'adel stood beside Felix, clutching her ancestral launcher. After trading insults and blows with the restless spirits, she had mastered an entirely new combat technique. It could be said that she had evolved from someone who once threw potato mines into the Wiš'adel she had become.
"Hmm… we'll be there soon as well."
Felix lifted his head and watched the battleship slowly set out of the military factory. A faint smile curved his lips.
He felt someone tug at his clothes. Turning around, he saw Wiš'adel biting her lower lip.
"I'm stronger now," she said softly. "So you should rely on me more often."