The group finished their run soon enough.
Ace looked at the panting little ones before him with immense satisfaction. Naturally, his gaze also lingered on a certain blonde girl who was neither flushed nor out of breath.
He had kept a sharp eye on her the entire time; she hadn't slacked off, cut corners, or slowed down once, steadily completing all ten laps. He could only conclude that her physical fitness far surpassed that of an average child, effectively reaching—if not exceeding—the level of a conditioned adult Operator.
Ace clapped his heavy hands together once more to draw everyone's attention before making the next announcement. "Alright! Today's physical education class is split into two parts: the first half consists of two sets of twenty-meter frog jumps, and the second half is kicking a shuttlecock twenty times without letting it touch the deck!"
He flashed a grin. "Once both tasks are completed, you're free to play as you please."
After laying out the instructions, Ace began leading the children through the training modules.
Flandre completed the frog jumps in a flash, but she found herself completely stymied by the tennis.
It wasn't due to poor physical coordination; rather, since she was strictly forbidden from flying, her prominent wings became a massive physical hindrance while hopping around on foot. Several times, her eyes locked onto the falling shuttlecock and her legs moved into position to jump, but her wings would unexpectedly sway during a hop, knocking into the airborne shuttlecock and causing her to fail at the absolute last moment.
"Waaah!" After yet another failure caused by a crystal hanging from her wing accidentally brushing against the feather, Flandre tearfully threw her arms around Amiya, who was standing nearby.
Amiya watched the entire scene unfold, caught between laughing and feeling deeply sympathetic.
One really couldn't blame Flandre for this. Her wings were undeniably wide, about a little over half her size, and the winds sweeping across the open deck were quite formidable. It wasn't just Flandre—every child had to constantly factor the gusty drafts into their kicks, making the task significantly harder.
When a draft blew past, the shuttlecock would drift off course, and the brilliant, diamond-like crystals suspended from her wing structures would sway with the motion.
In truth, as a close-quarters combatant, Flandre's athletic instincts were top-tier. Her most recent attempt had reached eighteen consecutive hits—a mere two shy of success. Her luck was simply abysmal.
"What's wrong?" Ace asked, strolling over after witnessing her distress.
Amiya quickly explained Flandre's unique dilemma, leaving the veteran Operator somewhat speechless. In his view, hitting a shuttlecock twenty times shouldn't have posed the slightest challenge to someone with Flandre's extraordinary physical stats. He simply hadn't anticipated her luck being so ridiculously poor.
"How about you give it one more try?" Ace suggested with a helpless, gentle tone, looking down at the teary-eyed girl. "If another fluke accident ruins the attempt, I'll count it as a pass!"
With Amiya's warm encouragement, Flandre picked up the shuttlecock once more.
One, two, three...
"Fifteen, sixteen... Keep it up, Flandre! You're almost there!" Amiya loudly keep counting and cheering her on.
Just as the shuttlecock hit the nineteenth, another sudden, sharp gust of wind swept across the deck surface. Caught off guard, the shuttlecock blew several centimeters off course. Flandre instinctively shifted her weight to compensate and land the final strike.
Unexpectedly, a dangling crystal beneath her wing swung outward, catching the shuttlecock mid-air and altering its trajectory once again. Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, it brushed harmlessly past Flandre's shoe and tumbled onto the deck.
Having witnessed the entire sequence, even Ace couldn't help but rub his nose in silence. This truly wasn't a flaw in skill or effort; it was sheer, unadulterated bad luck.
Seeing Flandre on the verge of bursting into tears, Ace immediately stepped in. "This really isn't your fault, Flandre! If anything is to blame, it's that awful draft of wind coming at the worst possible moment."
He offered a reassuring thumbs-up. "I'm officially declaring your physical test passed! Go run along and play with Amiya."
Only after hearing Ace officially grant her a passing mark did Flandre choke back her tears. "Really...?"
"For real!" Ace answered without a moment's hesitation.
A brilliant smile instantly returned to Flandre's face. She grabbed Amiya's hand and eagerly skipped off to join the other children.
Ace wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh, reflecting that looking after kids was truly far more exhausting than a field operation.
With their physical training concluded, Amiya led Flandre and the rest of the children in a lively game of 'Hopscotch'.
Meanwhile, Remilia, who was currently taking a guided tour through Rhodes Island, happened to arrive at the Central Control Room. One of the main surveillance displays was currently broadcasting a live feed of the open deck.
Remilia's eyes instantly caught sight of Flandre playing games amidst the cluster of children. Seeing her younger sister's pure, radiant smile, a tender warmth softened Remilia's usually regal gaze. She offered a slight, polite nod to the Operator accompanying her and quietly continued toward the next section of the landship.
The children played together on the deck until noon before reluctantly trickling back inside the landship for lunch.
Flandre was already plotting how to spend her free afternoon when Eirin Yagokoro suddenly sought her out.
"I have a surgical procedure scheduled for this afternoon," Eirin said, looking directly at her. "I need you to lend a hand."
"Ah? Me?" Flandre pointed a finger at her own nose in surprise.
Although she had been present during medical operations before, during their effort to save Talulah she had been nothing more than a curious spectator. This time, Eirin was explicitly asking for her active assistance—meaning she certainly wouldn't be standing around watching.
"Yes. I require your unique ability to handle certain specific aspects of the surgery," Eirin explained smoothly. "I have researched several alternative surgical approaches, but ultimately, none are as precise, efficient, or clean as having you step in."
Amiya stared at Eirin for a moment before asking cautiously, "Excuse me, Doctor Eirin... are you referring to Whitesmith's operation this afternoon?"
Eirin looked over at Amiya and nodded. "Indeed. Operator Whitesmith's condition is among the most severe among the Elite Operators. After consulting thoroughly with Dr. Kal'tsit, we decided to prioritize her procedure first."
Eirin turned back to Flandre, her tone professional yet measured. "If this surgery succeeds, similar procedures for the remaining critically ill Operators can be scheduled immediately. However, Whitesmith's condition presents several volatile complications—most notably, her internal lesions cover an expansive area and require individual, targeted removal."
"Such removal must be executed with absolute speed, surgical cleanliness, and flawless precision," Eirin continued. "If we rely solely on conventional medical apparatus, the physical strain and duration of the procedure would increase exponentially. The longer a patient remains on the operating table, the greater the physiological danger. However, Flandre's ability allows for rapid, perfectly isolated targeted removal, so..."
Flandre nodded solemnly, indicating she understood. "I can do it."
"Very good. Finish your lunch first," Eirin said calmly. "We will gather in the Medical Department in half an hour." With that, she turned and headed back toward the medical wing.
Amiya reached out and squeezed Flandre's hand tightly, her eyes filled with quiet earnestness. "Flandre... Whitesmith is a vital Operator and a deeply cherished partner of Rhodes Island. I'm counting on you..."
Flandre looked back at Amiya with rare seriousness. "Don't worry. Since Eirin chose to come to me, she must be entirely confident in my ability to handle it. Otherwise, she would never let me touch the patient."
Still, realizing the weight of the task, Flandre decided it was best to seek out her sister first to discuss the matter before stepping into the operating theater.