"If I tell Dr. Kal'tsit that I spent half an hour chatting with His Holiness about Chair Sliding, followed by another half hour reminiscing about Outcast, she will hang me from the landship's bridge right beside Warfarin!"
Back in his private quarters after the meeting, Logos buried his face in his hands while on a remote call with his Rhodes Island colleagues, deeply regretting his casual chatter.
How could he have spent so much precious time discussing such trivia? It was a clear oversight on his part; he should have focused every minute on matters of state and regional diplomacy.
"Wait, so the Pope is genuinely interested in Chair Sliding?" Blaze chimed in, her attention instantly captured by the mention of the activity. A reckless grin spread across her face. "Does that mean Rhodes Island could host a tournament over there? I could bring little Rosmontis along to be my co-host!"
Seeing her vibrant enthusiasm, Logos knew she wasn't joking in the slightest.
"Listen, nobody utter a word of this to Kal'tsit," Logos warned his notoriously chaotic teammates. "I need to find a reasonable way to frame this before I report to her. If you lot spill the beans first, I'm done for!"
He had every reason to be cautious. If he didn't lay down strict ground rules, these troublemakers would happily broadcast his blunders to the entire landship without a second thought!
"Don't tell me what?" a crisp, cold female voice echoed from behind the group.
The operators turned around to see Dr. Kal'tsit standing quietly near the doorway, eyeing both the room and Logos on the video screen. It was immediately clear that secret was out.
"Er..." Logos froze, his diplomatic poise completely evaporating. Even across a screen, the immense pressure Kal'tsit projected felt as tangible as ever.
"Go on," Kal'tsit said, stepping forward as the operators hastily cleared a path for her. She took a seat, while everyone else backed away with amused, expectant expressions, waiting to see how the young Court Master would wriggle out of this one. "Tell me what Pope Yvangelista discussed with you today."
"Well... it was..." Logos hesitated for a second before gritting his teeth and laying out every single detail of the audience, including all the trivial banter.
"I suppose nerves got the better of me," Logos admitted, reflecting on his performance like a junior scholar reporting a mistake to a senior mentor. "I certainly could have handled the interaction better—addressing core political concerns rather than squandering such an opportunity on casual talk."
The room fell silent as everyone waited for Kal'tsit's reaction. Nobody dared interrupt, though a few exchanged subtle looks to gauge the doctor's mood.
"I'll bet you three cases of beer that Kal'tsit is actually in a great mood right now," Blaze whispered under her breath, leaning toward ACE.
ACE responded with a dry, helpless look. "Count me out. If Kal'tsit hears us betting on her mood, she'll assign both of us to deck-scrubbing duty for a month." His eyes practically screamed: If you want to court death, leave me out of it!
"Come on, if you tell me how you know, I'll buy you a meal!" Blaze pressed, revitalized by his offer. She whispered her secret technique into ACE's ear: "You can read a Feline's mood through their ears and tail! Kal'tsit's tail is too short to track, so you have to watch her ears. Even though she controls her ear twitches very carefully, nothing escapes my eyes..."
Blaze delivered her grand theory with absolute conviction—a skill honed through years of surviving her parents' scoldings as a child!
Kal'tsit completely ignored the low murmurs behind her. If they wanted to keep secrets, they should at least step out of the room; whispering in her immediate vicinity was practically speaking into a microphone.
"No, you did remarkably well," Kal'tsit said, breaking the silence. Far from reprimanding him, her tone carried genuine approval.
Logos snapped out of his self-critique, thoroughly caught off guard by the praise.
"You performed admirably," Kal'tsit reiterated softly. "In fact, your approach yielded a far better outcome than Theresa or I could have anticipated."
Her words were entirely sincere, easing the tension that had gripped Logos's chest, though a hint of residual doubt remained in his eyes.
"We never expected to resolve centuries of blood feuds through a single meeting," Kal'tsit explained, noticing his expression. "Sending you there was simply meant to establish contact. Even if you had sat in that room and discussed cake recipes for twelve hours straight, it would have been equally meaningful."
She continued calmly: "Your presence alone signified Kazdel's willingness to communicate. The Sankta and Sarkaz have been locked in hatred for far too long; even the simplest dialogue carries immense value."
Logos nodded slowly as the realization dawned on him. "I see... I was worried I had ruined our opening move."
For someone who had never been trained in traditional statecraft, stepping into high-stakes diplomacy was indeed a trial by fire. Normally, figures like Kal'tsit or Theresa would be far better suited for such duties.
Regrettably, neither could represent Kazdel in this specific context. Kal'tsit was a Feline who could not speak for the Sarkaz, while Theresa, as King of Kazdel, could not set foot inside Laterano without triggering an international crisis.
"You will need to get used to these responsibilities," Kal'tsit added. "We lack suitable diplomatic representatives outside of you. The senior leaders of the other Royal Courts possess... rather intimidating appearances. While I don't believe in judging by looks, you know as well as I do that their presence would terrify ordinary folks."
Both of them instantly pictured the leaders of the Vampires and the Nachzehrer. Perhaps the Anasa or various shapeshifters could assume more approachable forms, but each had their own glaring complications.
Eliminating those options left Logos as the sole high-ranking figure who possessed both a dignified appearance and an unwavering commitment to Theresa's vision.
"I will do my best," Logos sighed, realizing the weight of his new duties. If all went smoothly, he might not see the decks of Rhodes Island for a very long time.
Yet this was precisely the future he longed to build. If his efforts could bring real change to his homeland, what did a long assignment matter?
"I'll hold you to that," Kal'tsit remarked smoothly. "I'll forward your sentiment to Theresa when I return. I hope you'll maintain that enthusiasm then."
Logos blinked. "Wait... did I say that out loud?"
"Yes, you muttered it without realizing," Kal'tsit replied before he could even ask.
"Ah... well... I might have spoken too hastily," Logos admitted with a touch of regret. A thousand years without leave would turn any Sarkaz into dust!
"Rest well. Goodbye," Kal'tsit concluded, terminating the call before rising to her feet.
As she turned to leave, Blaze nudged ACE excitedly. "See? I told you she was in a good mood! She even made a joke!"
Kal'tsit paused near the doorway without turning around. "Blaze. Go scrub the main deck."
"Aww..." Blaze's ears drooped as she accepted her punishment with a low sigh.
Returning to her private quarters, Kal'tsit stood by the window, gazing out at the wide sky above. Perhaps it was merely her imagination, but the horizon seemed far clearer and more inviting today, even beneath the artificial sky.
"Perhaps... things truly are moving in a better direction," Kal'tsit murmured softly to herself, a quiet warmth brushing against her heart.