Half a month flew by, and soon it was time for Durandal and her group to leave. She'd only told Aponia they were going and hadn't said goodbye to the children at the sanatorium.
This wasn't a parting for good, so there was no need to make it sad.
Only three of them had come, but now Pardofelis, a whole group of cat carers, and eleven cats were joining them for the trip back.
Sometimes, Durandal couldn't help but marvel at how strange life could be. Before, she'd lacked the time to keep even one cat. Now she had more than she could count on both hands.
With this many cats, they could turn the pet room into a cat café. There'd be more than enough to keep everyone company when they needed a break.
--+--
On board the flying battleship, Pardofelis held Big Orange in her arms and gazed around the cabin in wonder. She'd never even been on a plane, let alone a vehicle built with such cutting-edge tech.
"Eden, what does Schicksal actually do? You've even got something like this to travel in! With a flying battleship, you could get from the South Pole to the North Pole in no time, right?"
Her eyes shone, though a hint of unease lurked beneath her awe. She'd begun to sense that there was more to Schicksal than she'd thought.
By now, though, Pardofelis was well and truly on board. At ten thousand meters above the ground, she couldn't slip away even if she wanted to. Eden took out the files she'd prepared and handed them over.
"What's this?" Pardofelis asked, looking puzzled.
"Take a look, and you'll see."
Eden said no more and waited while she read through the files. Half an hour later, Pardofelis finally set them down. Her questions had been answered, but she didn't feel any relief. Instead, the weight on her shoulders had grown.
She looked at Eden and started to speak, then stopped. Eden gave her time before asking, "What's wrong?"
"Eden... Are you sure you want me to learn from you? I... At the end of the day, I'm just a..."
Pardofelis pressed her lips together. She'd always called herself a merchant and passed off what she did as stocking up on goods. Now, for the first time, she used that other word to describe herself.
"...a thief. Is it really okay for someone like me to help save the world?"
"Let me guess, Felis. Do you think only saints deserve to save the world? The way I see it, everyone who lives in this world has both the right and the duty to save it. You're simply one of the lucky few Schicksal has chosen to stand at the front."
Eden went on, "This burden isn't some great honor. It just means that when disaster strikes, we'll be the first to face it—and quite likely the first to die."
To Eden, there was no need for Pardofelis to feel so unworthy of the chance she'd been given.
Instead of asking whether she deserved to be here, she ought to ask whether she was ready to face the risk of death on the front lines.
Her words left Pardofelis stunned. The girl's unease slowly turned to fear. At just fifteen, she'd never given death much thought. It was a distant, dreadful word.
Eden noticed the change and winced inwardly. There were all sorts of ways to comfort someone, yet she seemed to have picked the worst one.
As she tried to work out how to fix this, Elysia's sweet, bright voice came from beside them.
"Eden, how could you scare our cute new recruit like that? Sure, Schicksal fights on the front lines against the Honkai, but that's our job in the combat division. You and Pardo are in logistics—all you need to do is keep an eye on our funds and make sure our supplies get where they need to go! ♪"
She stroked Pardofelis's head.
"Don't worry. Even if the sky falls, we'll be up front to hold it up for you. Just give us all the support you can from the rear, so a lack of supplies won't cost us a fight! Sounds simple, right? ♪"
Pardofelis relaxed at that, but her face soon fell again. "That sounds even harder."
She scratched her head. "I'm no good at fighting, so if I went out on the battlefield, I'd probably be cannon fodder before I could even throw a few kitty punches. But at least I'd buy you a little time, right?"
"If I join logistics and help you from the rear, Elysia, I'm scared I won't do a good enough job. What if someone gets hurt because of me, or even... Anyway, this is a lot of pressure!"
Though Pardofelis had laid out all her fears, both Elysia and Eden felt relieved to hear them. Eden took the chance to offer her a smile.
"That's why I want you to learn from me! Until you're ready, the other senior staff and I will handle all the supply plans. We won't put you in charge of supplies for our frontline fighters on your first day."
Those words finally eased most of Pardofelis's fears. As for the rest, she'd need time to settle in.
--+--
Durandal had listened to the whole exchange from nearby. She folded her arms and sank into thought.
The people now in Schicksal weren't struggling as much with their mental health as they'd been in her memories, after they'd joined Fire Moth. Still, each of them had their own issues. If small problems went unchecked, they could grow into something much worse.
Luckily, they had ways to deal with this. Su, for one, had the makings of a fine head of mental health services within Schicksal's logistics division.
As for her mentor, the medical professor who'd even done some research into Honkai sickness, Mobius's lab might be a better place for his skills. Durandal also thought it might be a good idea to let Su wield the Eighth Divine Key, Fenghuang Down, once she'd finished her training.
Rather than give Fenghuang Down to Hua, they could put it in the hands of a mental health doctor like Su. It might make it easier for her to help Schicksal's members work through their problems.
While Durandal's thoughts wandered, the flying battleship reached the landing pad near Schicksal Headquarters in Nagazora City.
After half a month away, she, Elysia, and Eden were finally back. Pardofelis followed the three of them, getting her first look at the place she'd soon call home.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL