"Then you should also head to bed early, Doctor. If you were to drop dead from exhaustion because you stayed up too late, it would be quite a headache for the Medical Department."
As she spoke, Kal'tsit tossed the files onto the desk. She had no intention of continuing the conversation and left without looking back.
The Doctor simply watched Kal'tsit's retreating figure, as if she had words she wanted to say but swallowed them back down. Looking at the empty room, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Once the Doctor had secured the room, she removed her helmet. Her long silver hair, no longer restrained by the headgear, flowed down like a waterfall. She stood silently, looking out the window.
She gazed calmly at the scenery outside. After a long silence, she spoke as if to no one in particular: "I'm going to rest now."
Having said her piece, the Doctor didn't wait for a response and went straight to sleep. In Babel, no one had ever encountered this side of the Doctor, nor did they know who she was talking to when she spoke to herself.
The following day, within the briefing room of Babel, several high-ranking officials gathered to discuss Theresis's bizarre recent movements.
"In short, all we know now is that something happened to the units Theresis dispatched while they were within Laterano territory, after which they fled back to Kazdel," Kal'tsit explained to the group. Recounting the fragments of information Babel operators had painstakingly gathered made her feel mentally weary.
"However, even our own operators cannot obtain detailed information. Those units involved in the battle are impossible to penetrate, and even the Royal Court has no further details."
"But in the end, this is a good thing for us. Because of this incident, Theresis's offensive against us has weakened. Whether it's for the excavation of Rhodes Island or for our own recovery, it is best if we do not provoke a battle at this time," the Doctor spoke up from where she sat. As a commander, she was acutely aware of their situation. With only Babel standing against Kazdel, they had already reached their limit.
Furthermore, they were currently busy excavating the landship Rhodes Island in Rim Billiton. Being busy on two fronts made Babel's situation more dire by the day. She hadn't slept before 3:00 AM in a long time.
"Moreover, we don't have enough personnel to continue scouting. On the contrary, since this operation was a complete failure, Theresis will surely concentrate his energy on handling our problems, using Theresa to minimize the impact of this event."
Hearing the Doctor's words, the others silently nodded in agreement with her perspective. Even if Theresis had taken a significant blow, it wasn't necessarily a good thing for Babel. Because his reputation had been damaged by the mysterious deaths of his soldiers, Theresis would need a major event—preferably a victory—to cover up this stain.
"Then what should we do? Should we recall some of the operators currently assisting with the Rhodes Island excavation? If it truly comes to all-out war, those operators would be very useful," Warfarin suggested. This was currently the best option. Compared to an ancient landship, the organization's headquarters was more important.
With the current operators and Elite Operators stationed at Babel, it was still somewhat difficult to handle an enemy attack. If they could recall a portion of the staff, it would be easier to manage even if war broke out.
"No, let those operators continue their work. Let's strive to sail it back to Kazdel by next year. As for the arrangements regarding a potential war, leave that to me."
"But doing so could lead to more casualties due to lack of personnel—casualties that could have been avoided!" Kal'tsit couldn't help but retort. In her view, sacrifices that could have been entirely avoided by taking action were meaningless.
"That is still better than failing on both ends because we tried to cover everything! If the Rhodes Island operation is sabotaged by Theresis, won't the sacrifices of those people have been in vain as well?"
A heated argument erupted between the Doctor and Kal'tsit. The expressions of those nearby suggested this was hardly the first time.
As for why it was "heated"? Neither woman's tone wavered in the slightest. Kal'tsit remained cold and stoic, as if they were two strangers. This manner made it difficult for onlookers to believe they were actually arguing; if one wasn't intimately familiar with them, they would have assumed the two were just having a casual chat.
"Alright, both of you stop. This arguing won't lead to a result."
Theresa, sitting in the center, spoke up to stop the dispute. Seeing the Lord of Fiends intervene, the two finally quieted down.
"We will send a portion of the operators back from Rhodes Island first. For the subsequent work, hiring a local Rim Billiton engineering team plus Closure should be enough. Theresis won't make a move against a landship that hasn't even finished being excavated yet."
The words of the pink-haired Lord of Fiends ended the conflict. After all, she was the true leader of Babel.
"Furthermore, according to information sent to me, this matter is related to Laterano gathering troops at the Ursus border. In a few days, the two sides are actually going to hold a meeting."
Though this sounded absurd to the group, they did not doubt it."We will set that matter aside for now; I have my own arrangements. For now, we continue according to our previous plan! Even if Theresis wants to act against us, he will need time. Everyone, speed up your current tasks."
Following Theresa's order, the group left the briefing room one by one to attend to their work. Because of the accelerated schedule, many would likely have to compress their rest time in the short term.
Theresa went to the infirmary. Upon entering, she saw Kal'tsit staring at the Doctor, and the Doctor holding little Amiya, teasing the young rabbit girl. However, seeing how Amiya kept glancing at Kal'tsit, it was clear she hoped to ease the tension between the two moody adults.
"Sister Theresa, you're here! The Doctor and Dr. Kal'tsit seem to be fighting again!" Finding that she couldn't soften the atmosphere on her own, Amiya quickly called for help from the entering Theresa. The little rabbit remembered clearly that every time the Doctor and Dr. Kal'tsit had a conflict, Theresa could always smooth things over.
"You two have had enough. You can't let Amiya be caught in the middle, feeling troubled, can you? Let it go for the sake of the child."
As Theresa spoke, Kal'tsit's expression shifted slightly. She turned her swivel chair around to face away from the Doctor and remained silent. Seeing this, Amiya looked at Kal'tsit with concern, her large rabbit ears twitching rapidly.
"Alright, let's get down to business. Kal'tsit, what do you think about the issue between Ursus and Laterano?"