Following the address provided by the local office, the group quickly found the Rhodes Island office located in the Infected district.
Before even entering, they heard Outcast's hearty laughter.
"Grandma!" Opening the door, Kanna happily waved at Outcast, who was performing magic tricks inside.
"Oh! Let me see who this is, if it isn't my little Kanna!"
Outcast reached out, caught Kanna as she rushed over, and skillfully picked her up.
Seeing three more people suddenly enter, the Operators who were already inside became even more nervous.
"Come, let me introduce everyone. This is Kanna, this is Misery, and this is Nian. They are all Elite Operators from Rhodes Island's main base. Over here are Oliver, Shredder, Will, and this Miss Jane, who are Operators at this office…"
"No, no, no, I just like the atmosphere here, so I often come to visit…" Hearing Outcast introduce her as an Operator here, the Vouivre / Wyvern "village girl" sitting nearby immediately stood up to explain.
Kanna looked at Saileach, who was somewhat restless due to the arrival of the Elite Operators, and felt a pang of regret. It was a pity that this was Victoria and not the now-defunct Gaul, and Saileach was too tall. At 1.66 meters, she could only claim two of the three buffs (foreigner, woman, and short person). Thus, she couldn't fully summon an otherworldly heroic spirit (in Kanna's opinion, if Myrtle was willing, she would definitely become the leader of Gaul's revival as Durin, as she truly possessed all three buffs).
"Since you, Elder Sister, are willing to come here, it proves that you recognize Rhodes Island's beliefs and principles. If you agree with our ideals, then we are family."
Kanna, at some point, had climbed onto Saileach's lap, her small face pressed close to the other's, speaking earnestly.
Looking at the cute face before her, Saileach's tension immediately eased. She reached out, stroked Kanna's hair, and gently picked her up with a soft expression.
"Everyone at the office is kind. I was very lost for a while, and their words encouraged me, giving me the motivation to get to where I am today. If I ever retire from the army, and Rhodes Island doesn't mind, perhaps I would choose to join Rhodes Island."
"Hahaha, no problem. If we are still working here then, we will definitely throw you a grand welcome party when you join." Hearing Jane's words, Oliver, as the team leader here, was the first to step forward and welcome her.
After he finished speaking, the other two also enthusiastically cheered.
Hearing everyone's words, Jane's face turned crimson. She put Kanna down. "I've been out for too long. I'll head back first, or my superior will scold me…"
With that, Jane rushed out of the small house at an escaping speed.
"That little girl is quite thin-skinned!" Nian leaned against the doorframe with a smile, teasing after Saileach left.
After Saileach left, Outcast lifted Kanna, placed her on her lap, and then pulled a comb from some pocket, carefully combing Kanna's hair.
"You lot, I don't even know what to say. Rhodes Island's main ship is so short-staffed right now, and the Elite Operators are working non-stop, yet you haven't returned to report for duty. Instead, you ran from Leithanien to Victoria. This small matter in Hillock County, if others knew Rhodes Island dispatched four Elite Operators here at once, it might lead outsiders to think Rhodes Island has designs on Hillock County."
"Grandma, coming here was my request. Uncle Misery was just the driver I hijacked… the driver!" Kanna, hearing Outcast's words, generously took responsibility, knowing that Outcast wouldn't get angry with her.
"You, you're just a little troublemaker." Outcast extended a finger, placed it on Kanna's forehead, and gently flicked it.
Meanwhile, Oliver and the others were in confusion because of Outcast's words… Outcast mentioned four Elite Operators, but the three of them certainly didn't count. Besides them, only Outcast and Misery truly looked like Elite Operators. As for the girl standing at the door munching on chili peppers and the little girl happily chatting in Outcast's arms, they didn't look like the legendary Elite Operators of Rhodes Island who could summon winds and rain and form an army by themselves.
But besides the three of them, there were only four others here… So the fact before them was that the seemingly spaced-out girl and the little girl happily chatting with Outcast were both Elite Operators of Rhodes Island.
In an instant, the three felt their ideals shattered.
"Speaking of which, the current situation in Hillock County is quite bad, isn't it?" When the topic turned to Hillock County, Kanna asked Outcast, wanting to see if she had discovered anything.
"Oh! It seems you've seen something?" Hearing Kanna's unusual question, Outcast realized the three must have discovered something on their way.
"It's like this…" In their back-and-forth, the three recounted what they had discovered upon entering Hillock County.
"This is impossible..." After hearing what the three said, Operator Will seemed very agitated.
"Operator Will is a local; he has always lived in Hillock County, so..." Oliver said to the three, who were somewhat confused, after comforting Will.
"It's alright, this was just our speculation anyway..." Misery stepped forward to explain.
"The three of you have provided very important and valuable insights. Those of us who have lived in Hillock County for a long time have become accustomed to situations that outsiders might find abnormal, so we subconsciously overlook them. Hmm, as far as I know, the relationship between the Tara people of Hillock County and the official Victoria government has always been very tense, even exceeding the conflict between the Infected and non-Infected..." Oliver was very grateful for the important news the three brought, and a cold sweat broke out as he reflected on the potential consequences of this information.
If the Tara people of Hillock County were to clash with the Victoria authorities, not only would the Tara people be no match for fully armed soldiers, but even if they managed to defeat the unprepared local garrison, the nearest Connor County would surely receive the news. Hillock County would then face encirclement from Victoria's regular army, rushing in from all directions.
The result for Hillock County would only be ruins.
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