"Rhodes Island! Your Fire Queen has returned! ≧▽≦"
Blaze planted herself in the doorway of the bridge and shouted at the top of her lungs, drawing frustrated looks from everyone passing by.
Rhodes Island was in the middle of preparing for a major operation. Everyone was busy. No one had the time or patience for Blaze's theatrics.
She lowered her arms, suddenly feeling very alone.
Then she slipped behind a long-eared Cautus girl and wrapped her arms around her from behind.
"Amiyaaa~ I'm back! Aren't you even going to welcome me?" " she said with a dejected look.
"Oh. Welcome back, Blaze." Amiya didn't look up from her paperwork. "I'm in the middle of sorting documents. If you're free, just go rest in your room."
Efficient, focused, and utterly dismissive—the little Cautus didn't spare Blaze a glance.
This small rabbit girl was Rhodes Island's public leader and highest authority: Amiya. Only fourteen, her delicate looks matched her age—ten people out of ten would call her adorable.
But she was sharp, steady, and without question the true center of Rhodes Island. Everyone trusted her.
Still… Blaze suddenly realized that letting a fourteen-year-old girl run an entire Landship was more than a little questionable.
Was she working for a shady corporation?
A thought clearly planted by Penguin Logistics made Blaze shake her head hard. She leaned closer and said:
"No, really, I'm here on official business. I didn't just slack off in Lungmen. The folks we worked with—you know, Penguin Logistics—they asked if we wanted to hire them as mercenaries."
"…Penguin Logistics?" Amiya blinked, finally setting her papers down.
She looked surprised. "Penguin Logistics—the famous Odd Jobs Office in Lungmen, right? A logistics company on paper, but they'll deliver anything, no matter how dangerous. They know Lungmen inside and out."
"Yeah. And didn't we already hire them as our local guides?" Blaze looked puzzled. "I thought you knew them well."
Amiya shook her head. "Doctor Kal'tsit recommended them. I've never been to Lungmen, so I don't know the local companies."
Originally, Rhodes Island planned to leave Chernobog immediately after the mission and head to Lungmen for resupply.
Amiya was capable, but she was still just a fourteen-year-old rabbit with limited connections.
That was why Kal'tsit—Rhodes Island's other top administrator—handled local diplomacy and external contacts. If Kal'tsit chose someone, it was guaranteed to be reliable.
Blaze pulled a letter from her jacket and handed it to Amiya.
"Here. Penguin Logistics wrote this. They said they'll come contact us in person in a few days. Whether we want to work with them is up to us. They just want to get inside Chernobog, and in return they'll help us out."
"Thank you."
Amiya accepted it seriously. "We really are short on manpower. If Penguin Logistics has the combat ability we need, we'd be more than happy to work with them."
She opened the envelope, scanning the letter Texas had written on their behalf. She muttered under her breath:
"We can't disclose anything about the Doctor, but even simple reconnaissance would help a lot… Ah, right—Blaze, make sure you get your medical checkup first. You just got back from outside."
"Yeah, yeah, I know~."
Blaze waved lazily.
A Rhodes Island Landship wasn't just home to Operators; it also housed many patients receiving treatment for Oripathy.
Since Rhodes Island was still a pharmaceutical company at its core, everyone entering from the outside needed a sanitation check.
Blaze knew the drill. She made her way to the infirmary.
"Morning! I'm here for my checkup."
She waved at the girl in the white coat. "Oh, it's you on shift today, Warfarin."
"Indeed, it is this mistress."
The white-haired, red-eyed little old loli turned around.
Her skin was deathly pale, her long hair the same snowy white—no hint of pigment anywhere.
Combined with her crimson eyes and pointed ears, this deceptively cute girl had a race identity everyone on Terra recognized instantly:
A branch of the Sarkaz demons—Bloodborne. Vampires.
Even among the already feared Sarkaz, Bloodborne were infamous.
Cruel, bloodthirsty, murderous. They hunted other races in the dark, draining them dry. Their lifespans were long, and the older they grew, the more cunning and vicious they became.
And unfortunately… most of those rumors were true.
But within Rhodes Island, discrimination wasn't tolerated.
Blaze flopped into a chair and raised an arm.
"Anyone but Gavial is fine. I don't want to lose a bone every time she draws blood."
"Hmph~." Warfarin let out a cute little laugh.
"You exaggerate. As long as you cooperate, Gavial won't just hit you with her staff for no reason… hm?"
Warfarin suddenly froze.
The tiny vampire—who looked about Amiya's age—stared blankly, breathing heavily.
"Blaze… you smell wonderful today. Did you change perfume?"
"I never use perfume. Why would I change—? Warfarin, why do you look so scary? Why are you getting so close—hey! Hey!"
Warfarin lunged.
Blaze reacted instantly, blocking her.
They tumbled onto the medical bed, Warfarin drooling as she panted:
"Just one sip! Just one sip, Blaze! Let me taste it! Why do you suddenly smell so sweet? I need to study this!"
"That is NOT studying! You're trying to eat me!"
Blaze struggled desperately. "Since when do Bloodborne just go feral out of nowhere?! I've never heard of this before!"
"How rude! I'm not always like this!"
Warfarin defended herself between hungry breaths.
"I'm not like those barbaric relatives! I know the difference between food and patients! And I never cared for your blood anyway—you muscleheads all taste like protein powder!"
"How dare you! Who are you calling a musclehead, you pale tofu!"
Even Blaze had her pride. Some lines could not be crossed.
She only had one free hand and had to hold back her strength to avoid hurting Warfarin, so she was quickly being overwhelmed.
Just as Warfarin's drool was about to drip onto her face, Blaze jerked her head aside—and a small pouch of Red Sugar fell from her chest.
Lucian had given it to her as a snack for the trip.
Blaze thought the stuff was ridiculously strong, but he insisted it was good for her, so she kept it.
"!!"
Warfarin's eyes snapped toward it. She lunged, snatching the pouch.
Then she lost all interest in Blaze entirely.
Her expression lit up with frenzied joy.
"So that's the smell! Blaze, where did you get this?! I've never smelled blood this fragrant! Was it made by one of my kin? Did you run into some Bloodborne gourmet?!"
"Of course not!"
Blaze clutched her chest as Warfarin pulled out the Red Sugar and inhaled deeply.
"Mmmm~! What a rich aroma! Even diluted, it's still so sweet! Just what race's blood is this? Even I've never seen anything like it! I'm licking it—"
Warfarin stuck out her tongue and gave it a quick taste.
…Then everything went wrong.
Her entire body stiffened. The candy fell to the floor as she collapsed onto her knees.
She trembled violently, eyes brimming with tears, legs pressed tightly together.
She looked up at Blaze, face flushed red, voice breaking—
"This—this candy… whose—no! I… I can't hold it in~~~!"
The several-centuries-old Bloodborne princess clamped her knees inward and stumbled out of the room, sprinting toward the restroom at the fastest speed of her life.
The infirmary fell silent.
Blaze sat there, stunned, letting the air wash over her like a cold wind.