After bidding farewell to Kanna, Lena led Gloria back towards the inner courtyard.
After leaving the Greenhouse, Kanna stretched. Today had been a very enjoyable day, and the addition of Nian had resolved some of her anxieties.
This anxiety might have stemmed from sudden responsibility, or perhaps from this group of rookie teammates.
Just when she thought she was stable, seeing the rookies Doctor had assigned to her side triggered her deep-seated fear of insufficient firepower.
Fortunately, Nian's arrival saved her. With Kanna and Nian (Lei Yan) – two gods – in one squad, even if the rest were dead weight, Kanna could proudly thump her chest and declare her squad to be Rhodes Island's top tier!
As she walked, Kanna grumbled, "Seems like we're missing a crowd control? But it's still a tiny bit better than 'The Wind Rises' or 'Alas, Falling Leaves'... Bah, what am I thinking..."
Reality isn't a game. Not to mention whether anyone would be foolish enough to stand there and let her run into the middle of a crowd to cast skills.
Even if she could get in, she'd probably be riddled with holes before she could even act.
Moreover, in reality, gathering people around with wind would require considerable power. If Kanna had to say, she thought Mudrock or Dublinn / Deepsea's Mandragora, who manipulates mud, could completely take on the role of crowd control if they could use Originium Arts to alter the terrain and force opponents to gather in one direction.
However, according to Doctor, her squad was already full. Currently, only the last mysterious person's identity was unknown; as for the others, they were indeed not suited for that job.
The next day arrived quickly. Kanna, who woke up in the morning, uncharacteristically combed her hair. Although she knew most of the people inside, it was always good to make a good impression in a formal setting.
As she reached the main gate, she coincidentally met Scout, who was going to the rooftop for a shift change.
"Yo, did the sun rise from the west today? Why are you playing on the deck so early? And by the looks of it, you haven't had breakfast yet!" Scout had guessed the reason when he saw Kanna, but that didn't stop him from teasing her. After all, besides gaining a verbal advantage, Scout was usually the one being bullied when he met Kanna.
"Morning exercise, is that a problem?!" Kanna was naturally too embarrassed to say it was because of the new squad, but there were people who came to the deck for morning exercise, so finding an excuse was not a big deal.
Scout glanced at Kanna's short, thick legs after hearing her, "It is time for some exercise..."
Hearing Scout's slightly mocking tone, Kanna couldn't help but raise her small fist, "Have you ever seen a fist as big as a sandbag!"
"Cough cough! Long Scorpion, wait for me!" As soon as Kanna threatened him, Scout decisively cowered and ran away.
Upon reaching the deck, she saw Fang and Nearl running side by side. Behind them, the A1 Team members were panting as they tried to keep up with the two.
Seeing Kanna, Fang, who still had energy, happily greeted her.
Nearl, beside her, also looked at Kanna in surprise. Ever since she witnessed Kanna's combat, she had been somewhat puzzled. With such city-level combat power, how could Rhodes Island trust her to run around alone?
With such combat power and at such an age, she had no doubt that those officials would strictly guard her, constantly brainwashing her until she completely became one of them.
But at Rhodes Island... she had encountered Kanna wandering alone several times.
For this, she had even chatted with Kanna, confirming that the other party was clear-headed and highly intelligent.
Of course, during their conversations, Kanna continuously tried to convince Nearl to establish a "Tracen Academy" at Rhodes Island, primarily for the Kuranta race, and then organize running competitions.
This proposal was regrettably rejected by Nearl. In her words, the Kuranta's love for running was innate and instinctive, and everyone's strengths varied; some excelled in bursts, others in long distances, making direct comparison impossible.
Moreover, Rhodes Island already had a happy running association primarily for Kuranta, so there was no need for her to establish an entirely redundant organization.
Speaking of which, through several conversations and observations, Nearl also understood that Rhodes Island's management did not impose strict controls on Kanna. Basically, she was only punished when she made mistakes.
More often, "friendship" and "sense of belonging" were used to deepen Kanna's attachment to Rhodes Island.
Regarding this, Nearl couldn't help but sigh, thinking that if all superiors were so virtuous in their governance, perhaps there wouldn't be so much oppression and conspiracy in this world.
Flapping her short legs, Kanna nimbly joined the running team.
With the addition of new energy, Fang and Nearl, whose speed had stabilized, both instinctively increased their pace. For them, as Kuranta, this acceleration had little effect, but it was tough for the remaining few members of the A1 Team who had been diligently keeping up.
Among them, a certain lazy "Koko da yo" simply lay down on the ground with a "Muri~" indicating she could no longer continue.
Fang couldn't say much about her friend's lazy habits. After all, whether it was Kroos, Eyjafjalla, or Hibiscus, they were all ranged Operators, unlike herself who needed close-quarters combat, so greater physical stamina naturally brought a greater sense of security.
As for her other friend, Beagle, she was still persevering, but she wasn't like Fang; instead, she was carrying extra weight. This was because Beagle, as the heavy-armored Operator and defensive core of the team, needed control over strength more than agility.
For Beagle, as long as the running time was long enough to help improve her stamina and strength, that was good; speed was not the primary option.
So, it quickly turned into a "competition" between the two Kuranta maidens and Kanna.
One lap, two laps, three laps... When Fen was almost out of breath, Nearl called a halt, and the three gradually slowed down.
"Huff, huff, huff... I didn't expect you to have such good stamina, Kanna! You ran so many laps and only broke a slight sweat..." Fen said with an envious tone, looking at the thin layer of sweat on Kanna's forehead.
Of course, she didn't know that this sweat was deliberately forced out by Kanna towards the end of the run; otherwise, finishing without any visible effort would look cool but might make her friendless... "That's a must... After all, I didn't eat all that food for nothing, right...?" Kanna first twisted her body proudly, indicating that she accepted Fen's praise, then changed her tone, attributing the reason to her large appetite, which drew a round of laughter from everyone, and Kanna's slightly exaggerated behavior was smoothly overlooked.
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