Dame Kal'tsit listened to the conversation between the two on the other end of the line. When the discussion drifted from the serious matters at hand toward whether making instant noodles directly in one's mouth was healthy, she silently hung up the phone. Based on her understanding of those two, once the topic of instant noodles was raised—provided they had no urgent business—they could argue for an entire day without tiring.
Compared to the imminent chaos in Kazdel, Kal'tsit's current leisure in Ursus could be considered a rare long vacation granted by Babel. Suddenly finding herself with nothing to do, Kal'tsit was momentarily at a loss. Her life had always been surrounded by piles of documents, meetings, intelligence, and countless surgeries; she had often felt that twenty-four hours in a day was simply not enough. How many years had it been since she last had such idle time? Kal'tsit herself could no longer remember.
But what should I do now? Kal'tsit looked at the sun hanging high in the sky and fell into thought. She shouldn't have scheduled her meeting with Jeanne for the evening. It was currently just past noon; while she could sit in her room until nightfall, she found the inactivity difficult to adjust to.
"Forget it. I might as well use this time to see the skill level of their doctors."
After sitting in her room for a while, Kal'tsit decided to visit their medical clinic to assess the situation and decide how to best instruct the doctors there. She had a month at most, which was not particularly long, especially if she intended to teach them complex medical knowledge. Conveniently, several people had been injured in the recent battle, providing a perfect opportunity to see their specific capabilities.
When Kal'tsit arrived at the doctors' tent, she found that their level was actually quite good. On second thought, this wasn't inexplicable; many among them were medics and doctors who had left the Ursus army along with Patriot, so their skills were naturally robust. What they had lacked previously was not technique, but sufficient medical supplies. Now that supplies were less scarce, they were demonstrating their true proficiency.
"You are the Doctor Kal'tsit that Jeanne mentioned, right?"
Kal'tsit's arrival naturally drew everyone's attention. A white Feline they didn't recognize appearing suddenly was bound to become the center of focus. Jeanne had specifically visited earlier to tell them that a white Feline would be coming—a doctor with superb medical skills who would guide them during her temporary stay.
This made the group curious: just how great were this doctor's skills? Jeanne, a girl who never came to the clinic for treatment herself, had gone out of her way to give them a heads-up. It was true—Jeanne never sought medical aid here. No matter how intense the battle, the girl would simply go back to her room, sleep, and be perfectly normal the next day.
However, the medical staff felt no resentment or slight regarding the idea of being "instructed." On the contrary, they felt having an expert guide them was a blessing; finding a good doctor to provide guidance in this godforsaken place was incredibly difficult.
"That is correct. I am Kal'tsit. Since you already know, I will not repeat myself. I would like to observe how you operate on a daily basis, if I may?"
Kal'tsit spoke slowly, her gaze fixed on the doctors. The aura she carried convinced them that she was indeed a capable physician. Over the following hours, they realized exactly how formidable she was. In a short span of time, she pointed out several faulty habits they had never noticed in their daily routines.
This busy work continued until evening. During this time, Kal'tsit observed their methods—standard Ursus military treatments, though the Arts they utilized were somewhat dated. However, the healing Arts of that era in Ursus had one advantage: excellent versatility. They had almost no barrier to entry; anyone with a bit of talent for Arts could learn them.
Kal'tsit was so serious in her corrections that she nearly forgot she had invited Jeanne for a meeting. Fortunately, she remembered in time; otherwise, it would have been quite impolite to leave her waiting. When Jeanne arrived at the room, Kal'tsit was already there waiting for her and had even brewed a cup of tea for her.
"It must have been hard on you, going straight to the medical camp on your very first day."
Jeanne had heard from people coming out of the medical camp that an unfamiliar doctor had arrived today—someone very skilled, though she looked a bit intimidating. Even Frostnova had come to ask her and Talulah who this doctor was, wondering why she kept such a stern face and spoke so bluntly.
Frostnova had merely gone there to pick up some materials for treating external wounds and ingredients for her own frostbite medicine, only to be pinned down by that doctor for a full-body checkup. Frostnova said that when the doctor looked at her report, her expression was so solemn it looked as if Frostnova had contracted some incurable disease, which gave her quite a fright.
Fortunately, the final report showed no major issues; even her Oripathy was staying within a stable, safe range. However, there were still some concerns. The doctor told her that her liver had some issues and that she should avoid getting angry as much as possible. When those words were said, not only Frostnova herself but all the other doctors nearby looked at her with meaningful expressions.
Given my situation, how is it possible not to get angry? Frostnova thought. Her only solution was to return that anger to the rascals who liked to cause trouble. After this incident, the lively members of the Yeti Squadron would likely find their "Big Sister" wouldn't be letting them off easily.
"I had nothing to do here, so I went there to find something productive to do. It was also a way to familiarize myself with the level of your doctors."
Kal'tsit invited Jeanne to sit down, but for a moment, she found herself unsure how to broach the subject. Asking directly, "Are you a resurrected corpse?" seemed inappropriate. Such things were usually top-secret; normally, if someone even guessed it, steps would be taken to make them forget. Furthermore, the girl had no obligation to explain herself to Kal'tsit, who was neither a close friend nor a superior.
"I am somewhat curious—where exactly is your hometown? You seem... somewhat different from everyone else on this land."
In the end, Kal'tsit chose not to ask about the secret directly, opting instead to probe indirectly. If the other party followed the topic, it meant the conversation could continue. If she brushed it off with a few vague words, Kal'tsit would simply have to wait for another opportunity.
"Different? Of course I'm different. My body lacks any prominent biological features that would indicate what my race is."
Jeanne understood that Kal'tsit was likely curious about her origins, as she was indeed special in this world. If it were anyone else, she might have passed herself off as an Aegir—a race with less obvious traits—but that wouldn't fool Kal'tsit. This woman had witnessed the rise and fall of Terra; she understood the Aegir and could easily distinguish them.
"My hometown? It is a very distant place. I don't even know where it is now. And my race? I am a human."
A nostalgic look appeared on Jeanne's face. Regardless of which "hometown" she thought of, she could no longer find any trace of its existence. If the map hadn't changed, she might have found it via geography, but the continents of Terra had merged into a single supercontinent, making it impossible to search.
Kal'tsit was taken aback by how frankly Jeanne admitted to being human. She knew very well that the "human" the girl spoke of did not refer to the various races of the Terran nations.
"In that case, I would like to ask you a question." Seeing that Jeanne didn't mind discussing her identity, Kal'tsit sat up straight and looked at her solemnly.
"I want to know... how exactly did you return to life after being dead for ten thousand years? The Holy Maiden of France who saved her nation—Jeanne d'Arc, or Joan of Arc?"