"Are you simply inviting me on a leisure trip, or do you have some hidden, ulterior motive behind this sudden excursion?"
Jeanne tapped the side of her ear, half-convinced she had misheard the masked strategist, and stared across the table with a deeply skeptical expression.
She found it baffling that the Doctor would propose a long-distance journey to such a distant realm under the current circumstances without some concrete justification.
Could it be... Jeanne's mind briefly wandered down a thoroughly absurd train of thought, though the Doctor's next words instantly crushed the notion.
"We can treat the whole undertaking as a vacation. Besides, I have a strong intuition that this trip will yield quite a few valuable opportunities."
Completely oblivious to Jeanne's eccentric gaze, the Doctor gestured animatedly, waxing poetic about her speculative future gains until she reached a state of pure self-absorbed enthusiasm.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. There's no guarantee you'll extract anything useful from it. Besides, Kal'tsit hasn't even approved your out-of-bounds leave request yet."
Jeanne promptly tossed a bucket of cold water over the strategist's grand ambitions, successfully dampening her momentum.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Cliffheart, who had been quietly spectating the entire exchange, finally processed what was happening and realized the Doctor was actually considering taking up her brother's invitation.
"This has nothing to do with you! There's no need to drag yourselves into this mess—it's genuinely dangerous!"
Regardless of whether the Doctor ultimately chose to align with SilverAsh or oppose him, the stakes weren't high enough to justify Rhodes Island sticking its neck out.
Unless extraordinary circumstances demanded it, Rhodes Island maintained a strict policy against active interference in sovereign domestic affairs. That was the foundational rule Kal'tsit had laid down for the Doctor.
"Hmm... is that so? Well then, Jeanne, what do you make of her brother's intentions?"
Instead of immediately replying to Cliffheart, the Doctor shifted her gaze back to Jeanne, silently seeking the Saintess's perspective.
Though she already possessed her own working hypothesis, relying on Jeanne's uncanny intuition provided a much-needed sense of security.
"He's likely planning to ignite a sweeping reform across Kjerag. As for what shape that reform ultimately takes... that depends entirely on whether the traditional factions are willing to cooperate."
"That matches my thoughts precisely. Though I've yet to figure out why the Karlan Commercial chairman extended an invitation to me specifically, knowing his track record, this is almost certainly a tactical probe."
Delighted to hear Jeanne validate her reasoning, the Doctor pumped her fist in satisfaction and picked up the thread of her analysis.
"Your brother's emissary brought up proposals for deeper economic cooperation when they last visited, but negotiations stalled out. At the time, I suspected he simply realized Rhodes Island wasn't the right fit, but it appears he had other designs in mind."
What the Doctor left unsaid was her private desire to steer this impending upheaval away from the rivers of blood she feared it might otherwise produce.
She viewed the expedition as a personal test of her administrative reach—a chance to practice diplomacy in a region where conflict resolution required a delicate touch.
Finding the prospect increasingly thrilling, the Doctor turned back to Jeanne, pleading, "Just say yes! Bring a few friends along for the holiday—travel expenses and accommodations are fully covered on our end."
"Be honest with me. What is your primary motivation for dragging me along?"
"Because you're extraordinarily capable in a fight. In a worst-case scenario, I'm banking on you to scoop me up and carry me out of danger."
The Doctor spoke with absolute candor; having Jeanne along served as her ultimate insurance policy for peace of mind.
"Hearing you say that makes me suddenly want to decline." Jeanne pushed herself up from the chair, pretending to walk away, but froze the instant a dark blur lunged across the table.
"Please don't! You have to say yes, Jeanne! Kjerag sounds terrifying—they say there are man-eating monsters roaming the peaks, and you wouldn't want your dearest friend to meet a tragic end out in the snow, would you?"
The Doctor wrapped her arms tightly around Jeanne's waist, refusing to release her grip. Seeing no way out of the embarrassing scene, Jeanne reluctantly sat back down—mostly because dragging a clinging, masked appendage through the lobby was far too humiliating to endure.
Cliffheart watched the spectacle with wide eyes, silently revising her assessment of their relationship. The two seemed far more than casual acquaintances or business partners; their dynamic was unmistakably close.
Yet, given that both were women, the intimacy was entirely harmless—merely a reflection of a remarkably deep friendship.
"Fine, fine! I agree to come along and see what it's all about, now let go of me!" Jeanne flushed, acutely conscious of the surrounding operators who might misinterpret the physical comedy.
"Doctor, here are today's operational files requiring your review..."
Speak of the devil.
Amiya stepped into the room, freezing mid-sentence as she took in the undignified sight of the Doctor clinging desperately to Jeanne's waist. The young Cautus took a slow, deep breath, placed the stack of paperwork squarely on the table, and took a deliberate step backward.
Then...
The Rabbit Flying Kick!
With a swift, practiced motion, Amiya delivered a decisive strike that instantly knocked the Doctor out of her theatrical cling, smoothly hoisted the crumpled strategist back toward her desk, and hopped up onto a tall stool to look down with stern, authoritative disappointment.
"Doctor, how many times do I have to remind you not to cause public disturbances? If external visitors witnessed you behaving like this, they would seriously question your administrative standing and our institutional standards at Rhodes Island..."
Truth be told, when the young leader adopted her strict managerial persona, she radiated an undeniable charm. Her soft, earnest scolding made anyone within earshot want to reach out and give her a gentle pat on the head.
Meanwhile, the Doctor seemed to shrink visibly under the gaze, looking as though she desperately wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.
"Honestly, Doctor Kal'tsit will be returning from her trip any moment now. If she walked in and saw you acting this way, she'd undoubtedly assume I failed to supervise you properly and let you run wild."
Amiya wiped a bead of non-existent sweat from her brow, flashing back to the time the Doctor filled Kal'tsit's office with five pounds of catnip, prompting the feline strategist to mix the entire batch directly into the Doctor's evening meal with a terrifyingly polite smile.
Even when the bowl looked more like a herbal poultice than food, the Doctor had gritted her teeth and finished every last bite of that culinary nightmare.
"I was wrong, Amiya, please stop lecturing... Wait, did you say Kal'tsit is returning?" The Doctor gasped, seizing on the welcome news. It seemed fate itself was actively clearing the path for her upcoming getaway to Kjerag!
"It's settled then, Jeanne! We'll make the arrangements, and Cliffheart can serve as our official guide to show us around the snowy peaks for a few days."
The Doctor immediately began plotting how to fabricate an airtight justification that Kal'tsit would actually approve. After working herself to the bone for months, surely she deserved a proper holiday?
"To summarize, that is the current situation. The Doctor invited us on a sightseeing trip to Kjerag, with the minor side objective of sorting out a 'small complication' while we're there."
Back at their residence, Jeanne recounted her afternoon on the landship to her companions, floating the idea of taking a trip out into the wider world.
"You should go. Even though we have no formal ties to Kjerag, if that eccentric insists on dragging you along, having you out of my hair for a change will save me a mountain of stress."
Talulah wore an expression of well-practiced exasperation, though her eyes betrayed a faint reluctance, as if Jeanne's constant presence—and the trouble she stirred up—was something she secretly relied upon.
"That's my thought as well. Would either of you be interested in joining—"
"Count me out; I have a mountain of administrative work to clear. You should take Alina instead."
"I... perhaps I should stay behind as well?"
As expected, both immediately deflected the invitation using excuses Jeanne could have predicted blindfolded.
"Talulah is out of the question—she's already accompanied me on several outings. This time, Alina, you're coming with us! Don't forget you still owe me a favor."
Jeanne rested a firm hand on Alina's shoulder, leaving no room for argument. She knew that left to her own devices, the Elafia would instinctively retreat from unfamiliar horizons, holding back due to an unexpressed reluctance to travel.
"Eh? But I... Talulah, say something!" Alina blinked in panic, frantically appealing to the Draco seated beside her.
"You should go experience it. You've barely ever left our immediate circle, and people might start thinking we're deliberately keeping you cooped up."
"O-Okay... if you say so."