Flandre's casual declaration brought a look of profound satisfaction to Pith's face.
After chatting with the young girl for a bit longer, Pith turned her attention back to Amiya to explain the primary purpose of her visit.
It turned out that Rhodes Island had recently inducted a new batch of Reserve Operators. Pith felt it would be highly beneficial for Amiya to find time to interact with them directly. Not only would this help foster a strong bond between the leadership and the fresh recruits, but it would also allow the new Operators to integrate into the vessel's community far more rapidly.
After all, what better way to feel truly welcomed into the grand family of Rhodes Island than to share an encouraging conversation with the CEO herself?
Amiya nodded thoughtfully upon hearing the proposal. She inquired about Pith's upcoming instruction schedule and ultimately decided that when Pith conducted her lecture for the recruits the following morning, she would sit in and "study together" alongside them.
Pith departed the office with a satisfied smile, but not before glancing at the wall clock and offering a gentle warning. "It is nearly time for lunch. Do not become so engrossed in your reading that you forget to eat."
The two girls looked up, discovering to their surprise that it was already nearly half-past eleven in the morning.
Once Pith took her leave, Flandre and Amiya neatly tidied up their study materials and walked out of the office together.
Upon arriving at the bustling central cafeteria, Flandre immediately spotted Remilia Scarlet and Hong Meiling seated near a window, though Patchouli and Sakuya were nowhere in sight.
Mentioning it to Amiya, Flandre skipped over to greet her elder sister.
"Where did you wander off to all morning?" Remilia asked, looking up as her younger sister bounded over with a beaming face.
Flandre pointed back toward Amiya, cheerfully explaining that she had spent the entire morning keeping the young leader company in her office.
Remilia let out a quiet sigh of relief. Her concern had never been Flandre getting into trouble or being harmed—she knew the terrifying extent of her sister's raw power all too well. Rather, her slight worry was that Flandre might accidentally do something within the confines of Rhodes Island that might harm the locals.
Knowing Flandre had spent her time peacefully alongside Amiya put her mind entirely at ease. Remilia had observed the Cautus girl closely over the past two days; she was a remarkably polite, gentle little rabbit, far more pleasant to be around than that troublesome, prank-loving fellow from the Bamboo Forest.
Learning that they planned to venture out onto the main exterior deck to play after lunch, Remilia gave an approving nod.
"Where are Patchy and Sakuya?" Flandre asked after her sister finished her line of questioning. She had looked around the hall upon entering, but neither Patchouli Knowledge nor Sakuya Izayoi were seated at their usual table.
"Patchy remains deeply absorbed in her reading down at the central library," Remilia explained smoothly. "I sent Sakuya down a short while ago to remind her that it is time for lunch."
Flandre let out a knowing "I see." She had wondered why Sakuya wasn't standing loyally at Remilia's side, as the chief maid rarely left her mistress's presence for long.
After chatting a bit more with Remilia, Flandre scampered back to Amiya's side.
"Are you not going to eat together with your sister?" Amiya asked, glancing curiously back toward Remilia's table.
"We are together every single day normally, so eating at separate tables once in a while is completely fine!" Flandre declared brightly. "Besides, Amiya is my friend too. There is obviously nothing wrong with having lunch with a friend!"
With that settled, Flandre pulled a small, decorated cake toward herself and began nibbling on it happily.
Amiya stared at the food resting on Flandre's tray—it consisted entirely of two delicate, sugar-dusted desserts. "Is that truly all you are going to eat?"
To be fair, the sheer sugar content of those two desserts was more than enough energy for a little girl, but it was purely empty calories devoid of essential nutrients. If a clinical nutritionist from the Rhodes Island Medical Department's Nutrition Section witnessed Flandre's meal choices, they would undoubtedly let out a sharp, horrified screech.
"This is plenty for me," Flandre replied, pausing slightly.
Ever since Sakuya Izayoi had arrived aboard the landship, Flandre hadn't consumed raw blood for a long time. Sakuya possessed a masterful culinary technique, seamlessly blending the necessary blood nutrients required by the Scarlet sisters into their daily gourmet meals, creating a specialized version crafted specifically for the two vampire maidens.
As for the ordinary human food served aboard Rhodes Island over the past two days, she and Remilia only sampled it out of curiosity, eating tiny portions each time.
Seeing Flandre's confident response, Amiya didn't press the matter any further.
The two girls chatted comfortably as they finished their food. After resting for a short while to digest, they made their way toward the upper deck exits under Amiya's guidance.
All of this was observed with absolute clarity by a certain Old Lynx sitting inside her high-tier executive office, watching the live security feeds.
Dr. Kal'tsit said nothing, her expression entirely unreadable. Although Flandre was a Blood Demon, she was—at the very least—a fully rational and controllable one... a far cry better than a certain chaotic individual in the medical department.
Speaking of Warfarin.
She appeared to be currently suspended beneath the ship's bridge structure.
Kal'tsit switched her private monitor feed directly to the exterior deck camera, and sure enough, a certain "Mr. Blood"—who was well on her way to being air-dried by the high-altitude winds—was currently swinging back and forth from a reinforced tether, looking remarkably entertained by her predicament.
Kal'tsit, who had originally intended to dispatch a maintenance squad to cut the erratic vampire down, felt her face darken slightly.
Forget it. Let her hang out there for a while longer!
With that cold thought, Kal'tsit clicked off the surveillance monitor.
Not long after, Amiya guided Flandre through the heavy pressure doors and stepped onto the open upper deck of Rhodes Island.
It was currently midday, a time when the sky should have been bright and sunny. However, dense gray clouds blanketed the atmosphere above, making it look as though a heavy rainstorm was imminent. It was precisely because of this overcast, sunless sky that Kal'tsit had been able to hang Warfarin outside without turning her into ash.
Naturally, the Rhodes Island Catastrophe Messengers had already conducted a thorough atmospheric sweep; this was merely a standard rainfall system, entirely free of active Originium Catastrophe particles.
Stepping out onto the vast steel platform, Flandre felt the alternating gusts of hot and cold wind sweeping across the metal plating from every direction. She looked around with bright, curious eyes.
"This wind is really interesting! Sometimes it feels super hot, and sometimes it feels freezing cold!"
Amiya smiled, her long ears fluttering in the breeze as she explained, "It is due to our current geographic location. We are in the middle of summer, and major north-south atmospheric currents converge directly over this region. Combined with the local terrain, nearby Catastrophe weather patterns, and the fact that the deck of Rhodes Island rests at a significant elevation, it creates a unique microclimate where cold and warm air currents intermingle."
Amiya's geographical education had clearly been thorough, and she delivered the explanation with practiced ease.
"So that's how it works! Huh? Why is there a person hanging over there?" Flandre suddenly blinked, pointing off toward the massive bridge structure. "Is she playing on a swing?"
Flandre's sharp eyes had instantly picked out Warfarin suspended beneath the bridge. The vampire was currently swaying back and forth in the high-altitude air with the wind, looking thoroughly entertained.
Amiya looked in the direction Flandre was pointing, spotting Warfarin in an instant. She could easily guess why the senior doctor had ended up in such a bizarre position. Aside from Dr. Kal'tsit, who else aboard this ship possessed the authority—and the cold detachment—to execute such a punishment?
After all, Warfarin was the famous "Mr. Blood." In any external Oripathy research institute across Terra, she would be revered as a top-tier authority leading entire departments. She practically possessed everything she could ever desire. It was only in front of Dr. Kal'tsit that she would be hung beneath the bridge like a piece of laundry to undergo "behavioral reflection" after committing a blunder.
As Flandre and Amiya walked closer to the edge, they found that Warfarin was suspended roughly four or five meters above the metal deck plating. With the high winds causing her tether to sway wildly, holding a normal conversation with the person above was virtually impossible.
But could a minor distance like four or five meters stop Flandre Scarlet? Absolutely not.
Flandre gently grabbed Amiya's hand and asked with a playful grin, "Amiya, why do you think Feathered Beasts can fly?"
"Huh???" Amiya tilted her head in utter confusion.
"Of course it's because they have wings! Amiya is so silly!"
Flandre giggled delightfully. Then, amidst Amiya's sudden, startled cry, Flandre wrapped her arm firmly around the young leader's waist, deployed her brilliant, crystal-adorned wings featuring multicolored lanterns, and kicked off the deck, soaring effortlessly up into the open air!
A second later, they hovered directly in front of Warfarin. The suspended vampire clearly hadn't expected anyone to casually fly up to her height, her eyes widening in absolute shock.