That Doctor wanted to meet her? Upon hearing Kal'tsit's words, Jeanne immediately deduced who the individual inviting her and wishing to meet her truly was, yet she reasoned that she didn't actually know that Doctor. Could it be that the other party's desire to meet her was solely because she was a human? That seemed somewhat uncharacteristic of the legendary Doctor's rumored personality, though Jeanne couldn't quite articulate what that personality was actually like.
"Uh... Dr. Kal'tsit, is the human you speak of the same human as I understand it?" Although she had already guessed the meaning behind the words, Jeanne still inquired with some hesitation. After all, all living beings on this land could technically be called humans; it was just that in their understanding, their respective races were merely numerous branches within the broader category of humanity.
Seeing Jeanne query in this manner, Kal'tsit nodded slightly. The human she spoke of meant exactly that—a human without any racial traits, an existence entirely distinct from all the humans currently on the Terra continent.
"I would like to know if there is a specific reason that makes my... compatriot so eager to meet me?" Jeanne inquired with a slight trace of hesitation on her face. She couldn't quite fathom why the other party wanted to see her so urgently. Could it be that the Doctor's body had developed some extremely severe issue, so they wanted to meet a fellow human before something happened, and perhaps impart a few classified secrets she wasn't aware of?
But in Jeanne's view, if she suddenly caught wind that a human had abruptly popped up here, she absolutely wouldn't be in such a desperate rush to meet them. Instead, she would first confirm whether this person was an enemy or a friend.
"As for the exact reason... I do not know what is going on inside that foolish brain of theirs either, but perhaps it is just a bit of excitement over the sudden appearance of a fellow compatriot?"
In truth, even Kal'tsit didn't particularly support Jeanne traveling to Babel. Not for any other reason, but simply because if this girl actually intended to do something inside Babel, there wasn't a single operator currently within the organization who could stop her. Furthermore, because this child shared an immense connection with Laterano, and the hatred and mutual slaughter between Laterano and the Sarkaz had persisted for so many years, Kal'tsit truly couldn't set her mind at ease letting her go to the place where Theresa resided.
After all, Theresa was the Demon King! This identity was far too critical among the Sarkaz. If the Demon King were to be assassinated, the current Kazdel would instantly collapse into pieces, wouldn't it? And that sort of outcome was likely exactly what Laterano desperately wished to see. What Kal'tsit was envisioning was perhaps the absolute worst-case scenario, but it was also one she felt compelled to guard against.
"Excitement?" At this moment, Jeanne seemed somewhat incapable of understanding. Perhaps because she was naturally big-hearted, her emotions regarding meeting a fellow compatriot weren't particularly intense. Besides, she herself couldn't even fully figure out whether she currently counted as a human or a Heroic Spirit, and she had no interest in fixating on such matters, so she naturally couldn't comprehend the Doctor's excited sentiments.
Seeing Jeanne's slightly puzzled expression, Kal'tsit also expressed her understanding. After all, a person who had risen from the dead and a person who had endured the Doctor's specific experiences would naturally perceive things differently. For Jeanne, this was her second life, whereas for that fellow, it was likely an ordeal—the kind of excruciating ordeal where one was completely alone and utterly isolated.
Thinking about it that way, it wasn't surprising that the other party was so thrilled upon hearing the news of Jeanne's appearance. Kal'tsit understood that perhaps the Doctor simply wanted to find someone to talk to, even if that person felt as though they were separated by a vast expanse of time.
"Perhaps she simply wishes to find a human to talk to. Though I believe that fellow harboring such notions of racial barriers is also utterly foolish." Kal'tsit answered Jeanne's doubt with an expressionless face. If that individual hadn't begged her continuously for days on end, she might have just dropped the matter entirely after gauging Jeanne's thoughts. Regardless, that fellow was likely acting on a whim anyway; the time they spent acting unhinged far exceeded the time they spent lucid. It was entirely possible that in the next second, she would receive a message from them saying the invitation was cancelled.
"Uh, meeting up isn't a big deal in itself. But if I have to make a special trip all the way to Kazdel just for this... I might still need to consider it for a bit." Hearing Kal'tsit express the hope that she would travel to Kazdel made Jeanne rather hesitant. After all, her relationship with the Sarkaz race was still quite tense, and blindly running into someone else's headquarters indeed carried a fair share of risk. Although Jeanne believed she could protect herself perfectly well, she also worried that if that old man over in Laterano heard she had run off to Sarkaz territory, he might initiate some sort of operation.
Seeing Jeanne's hesitant demeanor, Kal'tsit merely nodded and did not explain further. After all, if Jeanne had agreed to accompany her to Kazdel right off the bat, that would have been truly bizarre.
But even though it was understandable, Kal'tsit still pondered if there was any method to get Jeanne to come along with her once she gave her final answer; after all, she absolutely couldn't stand that nagging fellow's relentless pestering.
"Yes, your hesitation toward such an invitation is entirely understandable. After all, the current Kazdel cannot be considered a safe place by any means, and it is exceptionally chaotic," Kal'tsit told Jeanne. She was naturally well aware of what a wretched state Kazdel was currently in; inviting someone to that place was practically no different from telling them, 'let's go hell together.'
In a place like that, walking five kilometers could easily result in encountering four waves of bandits. If you didn't possess a certain level of skill, the only consequence of going there was death! Hadn't anyone noticed that even for Laterano, whose citizens handled firearms with absolute mastery, their merchant caravans were still plundered by those groups from time to time, occasionally even suffering total annihilation in that chaotic region?
"Even I cannot guarantee your absolute safety. I can only promise that during your time living in Kazdel, I will do everything in my power to protect your safety." Kal'tsit didn't hold any expectation that Jeanne would accept her invitation right away. She simply made this solemn promise to Jeanne with great sincerity, and subsequently, the room fell into a quiet stillness.
As for Jeanne at this moment? Deep down, she naturally wanted to go. This was primarily because an individual who knew the secrets of this world existed over there, who could perhaps provide an explanation for those bizarre dreams of hers. Lately, these dreams had been manifesting in her sleep from time to time, especially during her recent five-day deep slumber, where she had literally traversed every accessible region using her own two feet!
To Jeanne, this was undoubtedly an incredibly terrifying nightmare, and she was well aware that the appearance of this dream in her mind was by no means an accident; she simply didn't understand what exactly had happened. If someone could step forward at a time like this to explain to her what those things she saw actually were, she wouldn't be wandering aimlessly through such dreams like a headless fly.
However, regarding whether she should actually go to Kazdel, Jeanne still maintained an uncertain stance. She couldn't possibly give Kal'tsit an answer immediately, so she merely stated she would provide a response before the doctor departed.
Kal'tsit didn't say anything else either. She simply nodded in agreement, then left her room alongside Jeanne to attend to her own duties.
Jeanne walked through the village by herself, her mind still earnestly weighing Kal'tsit's invitation, thoroughly conflicted over whether she should actually go to Kazdel. This matter was indeed something Jeanne needed to deliberate upon carefully.
"Jeanne? What is the matter with you? Have you encountered some sort of trouble?"
As Jeanne was walking through the village, she suddenly caught the sound of a somewhat aged voice greeting her. It was just that she had been thinking too intently earlier, so she hadn't noticed someone walking toward her.
And why could the other party tell that she had something on her mind? The reason was that the person who had arrived was actually Patriot. Given his stature, as long as one paid even the slightest bit of attention, it was impossible not to notice this exceptionally tall old gentleman.
"Did Dame Kal'tsit say something to you over there?" Seeing Jeanne appearing as though she had something weighing on her mind, Patriot also recalled the fact that Kal'tsit had sought her out earlier. He was familiar with Kal'tsit's manner of speaking; in his view, it wasn't particularly incomprehensible if a child like her had been provoked by whatever Kal'tsit had said.