"Whew... whew..."
Charlotte blew on the blackened roasted potato in her hand, feeling a bit awkward under Amiya's expectant gaze.
She couldn't understand what the Doctor and that seemingly extraordinary little sister were talking about—something about the universe, Observers, the end of the world, and so on—but she had tried very hard to grasp it.
Well, the consequence was that the potato had been roasted until it was pitch black.
She sheepishly peeled the potato, pulling off the charred outer layer to reveal the soft, fluffy interior, and fed it to the tiny Amiya.
As she fed her, she stuffed the burnt bits into her own mouth.
Charlotte didn't like wasting food, even if it was roasted to this state.
"Sister Charlotte," seeing her actions, Amiya tilted her head. She broke the soft potato in her hand in two, straightened up, and tried to feed it to Charlotte.
"What is this child's name? She's simply too endearing," just as Charlotte was about to refuse, Xia Yu excitedly leaned over. "Can I hold her?"
"Uh," Charlotte instinctively looked at the Doctor. Seeing that she didn't object, she reached out and handed the Amiya in her arms to Xia Yu.
Ah, the familiar feeling of a loli was back.
Holding the tiny Amiya in her arms, Xia Yu squinted comfortably.
Bailu's stature was truly too petite. On this trip, let alone snuggling with a loli, she'd be lucky not to be scooped up and snuggled by others herself. Swire, for one, had been itching to do so many times.
Each time, Xia Yu had repelled her with a majestic glare.
The Amiya recently picked up by the Doctor was very small. Catus naturally aren't very large to begin with, and considering Amiya's age and the fact that she likely hadn't eaten much good food growing up, her size actually allowed a loli like Bailu to hold her.
Of course, the maneuver of resting her chin on top of the loli's head—as she had done with Bronya and Illya before—was still too high-difficulty for Bailu.
"Sister, you eat too," Amiya blinked her pure, large eyes, dividing the remaining half-potato into two again and feeding it to Xia Yu's mouth.
Xia Yu wasn't polite; she took a big bite and ate it all.
"My name is Bailu," Xia Yu said while chewing, rubbing her face against Amiya's small cheek. "Just call me Sister Bailu!"
"Mhm, Sister Bailu," Amiya answered crisply.
Heavens, this child is too cute!
Xia Yu's heart was about to melt.
Bronya had been very well-behaved, and Illya was a tsundere—neither were the 'pure' type... suddenly encountering a genuine loli like Amiya... ah, paradise is nothing more than this.
"Bailu? " Hearing this, the Doctor watched the two while peeling her own potato. "Sigh, after talking so much, I only just learned your name."
"Likewise, Doctor," Xia Yu tilted her head toward her. "And what is your name?"
"...Just call me Doctor," the latter instinctively looked away.
"By the way, how did you bypass the Barrier Layer to reach the surface? " She started changing the subject.
"Don't ask me that," Xia Yu shook her head. "To each their own specialty. I'm a Medical practitioner; I earn my living through medical skills. Asking me such a technical question is useless."
"Then what about your other companions? " the Doctor continued. "Your civilization is..."
"Wait, you seem to have misunderstood something," Xia Yu interrupted her. "We don't represent a single civilization. We're a group of like-minded individuals acting together. Hmm, like an adventure group?"
"Everyone's identity is different. There's the Elden Lord from The Lands Between, a Self-Annihilator who walked out of IX, the last and most powerful war machine of an Interstellar Empire... everyone has their own business to attend to."
"As for me, I'm just a Vidyadhara Medical practitioner traveling abroad. I don't have powerful strength like my sisters."
"So you don't have a civilization supporting you? " The Doctor's eyes widened.
"Not exactly," Xia Yu scratched her head. "At the very least, we're operating under the name of a Post-Disaster Reconstruction and Support Team."
"Right, we're specifically responsible for contacting survivors like you or your descendants to see if there's any technology or talent worth salvaging. After all, that thing is the Enemy of Civilization. Everyone is preparing for a rainy day; no one knows when the next 'Harvest' will come."
"A private team, I see," the Doctor sighed. She thought she had run into a major power... She was still coveting that celestial-scale computer that could touch the Laws of Physics.
Now it seemed... it probably really was just a legend.
For the First Civilization, a celestial-scale computer wasn't rare; what was rare was one that could touch the Laws of Physics. The technological strength behind that was not lacking at all. At least within this star cluster, Human Civilization had never encountered such a neighbor.
Therefore, it could be inferred that the thing was likely so far away that its location was unknown.
"What, you look down on private teams?" Xia Yu smiled faintly. "Do you know? I have enough food on hand to feed ten million people for three years. After all, I'm part of a registered professional rescue team."
"Boss! " Hearing this, the Doctor immediately grabbed Xia Yu's hand. "What a coincidence! I just happen to have ten million Sarkaz here who can't get enough to eat or wear!"
Since being awakened by Kal'tsit, she had also learned a bit about the Sarkaz race.
And then she had gone completely numb... They were basically disliked by the whole world. Coupled with their martial prowess and being dirt-poor but fierce, internal conflicts had already reached a boiling point.
The Doctor didn't want to get involved in their war, which is why she said she wanted to walk around and see... but a letter from Kal'tsit a few days ago... sigh.
In the end, she couldn't let go of that child whose eyes were full of expectation.
The Sarkaz problem was, in the final analysis, a problem of resource shortage. This barren land could no longer support the reproduction and growth of ten million Sarkaz. With generations of blood feuds, it was no surprise that war was not far off.
Honestly, if there were a piece of land rich enough and undeveloped for the Sarkaz to live on, they wouldn't be causing all this trouble (the current Doctor didn't know about the collective souls yet).
So if she could bring back enough food, even if it didn't solve the problem entirely, it could at least delay the increasingly severe conflict.
"Sigh, Sister Bailu, you have no idea how miserable the Sarkaz have it," the Doctor said, snot and tears flowing as she gripped Xia Yu's hand. "They've fought for thousands of years and aren't welcome anywhere. They finally found shelter here, but the land of Kazdel can't support so many Sarkaz."
"Soon, a war is going to break out!"
Saying this, she sighed and looked at Amiya in Xia Yu's arms. "We were originally planning to go to Lungmen. We heard a Divine Doctor had appeared there who could cure Oripathy."
"Amiya's Oripathy... sigh, I've always been very worried. But a letter came from Kazdel, and I had no choice but to turn back."
Right, Amiya has Oripathy!
Hearing this, Charlotte completely froze.
She had been watching Xia Yu and the Doctor chat so happily that she had instinctively ignored the fact that the girl in front of her might not know about Amiya's condition. She had handed Amiya to her without thinking. Considering how Infected are usually treated by others...
Charlotte shuddered, her body tensing up. She was already prepared for Xia Yu to scream and throw Amiya away, in which case she would rush forward to catch her.
As for the Doctor, she had only just thought of this point as well.
Mainly because the other party wasn't a local, she had subconsciously equated Xia Yu with someone like herself, thinking she wouldn't mind something like Oripathy.
Xia Yu?
She patted Amiya's head.
Seeing that she didn't show any disdain, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. As expected of someone who could chat so happily with the Doctor; she didn't care about Oripathy at all.
"Divine Doctor... Divine Doctor..." Xia Yu put on a mournful expression.
"Sigh... it's all tears when I talk about it."
"Hmm? What is it? Does Sister Bailu have news of the Divine Doctor?" The Doctor's eyes lit up.
"What Divine Doctor," Xia Yu shook her head. "Over ten days of pro-bono medical service without using a single bit of medical skill... it makes my conscience hurt just hearing it..."
"Hmm? You mean?" The Doctor became instantly excited.
Xia Yu sighed, took out the Spirit-Calling Bell, and summoned Little Tarnished. The latter skillfully cast a spell!
After the Golden Light flashed, she handed the Amiya in her arms to Charlotte.
"Take her to change her clothes. Be careful not to let the falling Originium Shards scratch her again."
"This..." Charlotte was at a loss, but the Doctor directly picked up Amiya and headed toward their tiny tent.
The former also hurriedly followed.
"Doctor," seeing this, Mudrock walked over from a distance. "These people are..."
She had thought they were just passers-by, but it turned out they could converse happily with the Doctor, and it seemed the Doctor even valued that black-robed person!
"That's an honored guest of the Demon King," Xia Yu smiled and said. "She's a person of true great ability. Remember to be polite to them."
"She's that powerful? " Mudrock sucked in a breath of cold air. That's the Demon King!
Even if many Sarkaz identified more with the path of the Military Commission, in their hearts, they still revered the current benevolent Demon King.
Including Mudrock.
"You know her identity?" At that moment, a cold voice came from behind the two.
"Who!? " Mudrock gripped the hammer in her hand and turned instantly.
A black-clothed Sarkaz figure had appeared silently behind them.
Mudrock felt the other party's aura, gripped her hammer, and stood between Xia Yu and the figure, as if facing a great enemy.
This was no ordinary Sarkaz... the surrounding mercenaries also gathered around.
But that figure merely produced a token, which caused the Sarkaz Mercenaries to lose their will to fight.
"Demon King... Guard! " Mudrock's voice was strained. That token... there was no mistaking it.
In other words, that black-robed person really was an honored guest of Lord Theresa.
"You are... Yan Dragonkin," Ascalon looked at the Bailu before her, frowning.
She didn't look very old... Ascalon had only been watching from afar and didn't know what had been said, but after that Golden Light, the Doctor's frantic state wasn't fake.
The reputation of Sarkaz Mercenaries preceded them; Ascalon felt she had to step in. In case these mercenaries had ill intentions while she was still so far away...
Once she moved, her identity as a Demon King Guard could naturally intimidate this group of rookie mercenaries.
"Alright, put the hammer down," Xia Yu patted Mudrock's arm—sigh, she could only reach that far. "This is a personal disciple of the Demon King. Be careful she doesn't give you a hard time later."
"Ah... I..." Hearing this, the surrounding mercenaries couldn't help but become even more respectful, instinctively lowering their weapons.
Personal disciple of the Demon King?
Wait, she's such a huge figure?
Mudrock was still hesitating, but at Xia Yu's signal, she finally lowered her weapon.
"Yo, Ascalon," Xia Yu waved at Ascalon. "What, afraid I'd do something to her?"
"You know my identity? " Ascalon found the act of the other party calling out her name terrifying.
After all, although she was a disciple of the Demon King siblings, not many people knew of Ascalon's existence. This person could actually call it out directly...
And she just happened to appear here and contact the Doctor!
Was there a leak from within?
Ascalon immediately glanced at the surrounding Sarkaz Mercenaries; she suspected it was the work of the Military Commission.
But thinking carefully... it didn't really seem like it. Mainly, these mercenaries were too much like rookies; the Military Commission didn't just take anyone...
"What's so strange about knowing your identity," Xia Yu shook her head, pulling a potato out of the fire. "It must be hard protecting someone from the shadows all by yourself. Here, have a potato."
"..." Ascalon did not take the potato, but instead stared intently at Xia Yu.
"Not eating?" Xia Yu smiled.
"I've eaten," Ascalon said expressionlessly.
"Then Mudrock, you eat it," Xia Yu handed it to Mudrock casually.
"Your identity! " Ascalon gripped her weapon, ready to strike at any moment.
This person's appearance was too bizarre.
Mudrock raised her weapon as if facing a great enemy.
"A passing Doctor," Xia Yu cracked open another potato. "Planning to go to Babel to take a look. I'm quite interested in your ideals."
"I..." Ascalon wanted to say more, but from the tent to the side, the Doctor suddenly burst out. She ran to Xia Yu and, under her stunned gaze, thrust her hands under Xia Yu's arms and hoisted her up with a 'whoosh'.
"How exactly did you do it? What technology is that Golden Light?" The Doctor looked at Xia Yu excitedly. "It's simply like time is flowing backward. Even the Originium in the organs was converted back into flesh and blood. It's like... it's like..."
Halfway through, she seemed to think of something, and her excited tone gradually began to falter.
"Go on, why'd you stop," Xia Yu made a 'cat-face' pout. 'Damn you, Doctor. Usually I'm the one hoisting others up. To think I'd fall into your hands today.'
'I'll remember this grudge!'
"Did you associate it with something? Say it, and I'll give you a reference!"