"You called me chief?" Sofia didn't stand the ceremony and obediently waited in the receiving area.
"Let's wait for Thomas for a minute, I have something to tell the both of you." Kayden replied while he continued to take care of the pending documents.
Sofia nodded and waited calmly. Silence ensued in Kayden's office, but there was no air of awkwardness nor uneasiness among the two.
The silence mysteriously sang harmony. Two quiet people, one busy flipping document through document, other was patiently waiting, yet everything was calm and serene.
Knock knock knock..
"Chief, did you call for me?" A slightly mischievous yet manly voice sounded on the door, breaking the harmonic silence shared by the two.
"Thomas, come in!" Knowing that the other person had finally come, Kayden let go of the files and stood to talk to the two doctors in front of him.
He sat opposite the two doctors. One gentle as lily, Sofia, another emitting a playful aura, Thomas.
They weren't far from Kayden in age. He was only at most three years older than them, yet the two had an look of respect towards him.
It was not the kind of respect from a master to a student, but from a senior to junior colleague.
Kayden met these two doctors on his way to hide from the Spectre.
He met Thomas, who was back then a temperamental doctor, who only learned medicine on a whim. He only treats the people whose condition catches his attention. Sometimes, if he is in the mood, he would also heal people randomly.
He stumbled upon Kayden on the road who was busy resuscitating a wounded merchant who was robbed by the bandits.
At first he ridiculed Kayden, saying that it was impossible to save the man, because he had already lost too much blood.
However, he was stunned after he witnessed Kayden's prowess in treating the gravely wounded.
Since then, he followed Kayden like a child, admiring his work and pestering him to teach him his ways.
Sofia, on the other hand, was a mysterious lady they met where Kayden and Thomas traveled. She was from a little village famous for being quiet yet good at making medicine. She ran a little clinic along with two twin nurses Lan and Jan.
However the bandits abducted her and the twins because they wanted to force her to be the bandit leader's wife and doctor on the side.
Kayden and Thomas conveniently saved them.
Knowing that they couldn't go back to the village in fear of implicating the townsmen, the trio joined Kayden and Thomas.
Whether it was a coincidence or a work of fate, these people, who were well versed in the medical field, gathered together and helped the nearby villages from time to time.
They continued their aimless journery until they met the last three members of the Riverfort Hospital and settled down in this town for about seven years already.
"I have something to tell the both of you." Kayden calmly looked towards his two companions.
The two wore attentive and serious expressions as they listened to what Kayden wanted to say.
"As you know, Younger Sister Eli was residing in the capital right now. She was adopted by great people and learned a lot from them. Now, she was already a renowned person in the capital and was able to become an honorary person in the Farauld Magic Institute." Kayden started with the made up story he and Eli thought of to explain her current situation to the Riverfort crew.
"Wow Farauld Magic Institute! Heavens! I know our little Eli is talented!" Thomas exclaimed in delight, there was a heavy hint of doting in his tone.
Although in real life, 'Elise' was actually only a few years younger than them, everyone in the Riverfort Crew treated her like a child because she really only started learning everything about this world at twenty years old!
"She has always been a fast learner, she was able to learn many things in the span of four years! It's no wonder that she would learn a lot from her benefactors!!!" Thomas continued fanatically.
"I feel so happy for her!!!" Sofia who was always quiet and gentle displayed an expression brimming with pride. She was like a mother listening to the praises given to her daughter.
"Un! She was invited there to help the research branch improve. Just last night she called me for something that needs our help." Kayden let the two express themselves patiently before continuing his words.
Hearing that Eli needs their help, the two displayed enthusiastic expressions and replied, "What help does our little sister need?"
"As she worked on implementing some changes in the institute, a group of young researchers expressed their intent to continue Doctor Kayden's medical papers. Although it was possible to allow them to start the research, the main problem was who will guide and mentor this group of researchers."
"As you all know, ever since Doctor Kayden's disappearance, the education and improvement in the medical field became restrained and covert. As such, not even the Farauld Magic Institute managed to get a doctor to enter as a faculty member."
"Younger Sister felt burdened and pitied the young ones who just wanted to improve the current medical proficiency of our Empire. Thus, she wanted to find a way for the research to still push through somehow."
"The people that came to her mind to ask for help were the three of us." Kayden looked at them intently, carefully watching their expressions.
Hearing Kayden's explanation the two were touched about Eli's concern and affection for thinking about them.
"Now I want us to talk about this. Who would want to go to the capital and take the position to help the students continue Doctor Kayden's research?" Finally, Kayden asked the main question.
"I won't talk about the monetary benefits, as we all have the same view about it. I just want to ask your opinion about this matter. All these years, we have been together and pretty much what I know has already been learned by you as well. I feel like it is also time for the two of you to consider seeking the next steps on your path."
There was a long silence in the room.
Although it was indeed touching to know that Eli thought of them in times of need and continuing research would bring great benefits to their profession, it was still a big matter to consider, especially that they were running a hospital.
The two frowned, clearly troubled. However they remained silent, deeply contemplating everything about this matter.
Kayden also didn't let them decide right away. Seeing their troubled faces, he gently waved his hands and said,
"You do not need me to hear your answer right now. You can think of it for a few weeks, until Inspector Andre finishes his investigation and goes back to the capital. By then, one of us will travel with him back to the capital to enter the Institute."
The investigation Kayden pertained to was the truth behind Elise's death, whom He and Leon covered up as only something that attempted to hurt Eli's life.
"Alright.. Doctor, we'll think through this carefully." The two replied. After catching up on some hospital matters, the two bid their farewell towards Kayden.
It was already deep in the night when Kayden and Leon managed to go home, it was truly a busy day for the two of them.
Leon, after interviewing the entire crew, immediately seeked Elder Oscar's help in obtaining a copy of the entry and exit registers a year ago.
He then immersed himself in examining the documents, carefully ensuring that he missed no crucial information among them. Because of this, he had only managed to scan through a fourth of the available information.
Kayden, on the other hand, proceeded to catch up with the piled up matters in the hospital.
Although the hospital was simple and remote, it was still a hospital built by him and the crew to help Leon and General Farauld on war matters.
It could also be said that this hospital is a military medical facility.
As such, they received appropriate funds straight from the military budget and intricate management of the funds and the entire hospital operations needed to be documented in black and white form.
Since he left the hospital for more than five months, the paperwork piled up like a small mountain in his office. Even after extending up until it was completely dark, he also barely finished a third of his paperworks.
"How was the first day of the investigation?" Kayden asked with concern as the two took their evening meals.
Hearing the question, Leon paused with a deep look in his eyes. "Just like what happened in Mystic woods, it is as if there were no traces left behind by suspicious people. Tomorrow, I'll try to check for any clues from the mercenaries, but as of now… Sigh.. who are we going against?"
It was rare for Leon to let out a sigh, and with that, Kayden was surprised. Leon was a person who was sent to the battlefield before he was even ten years old.
Since then, he was already eating hardships for breakfast, setbacks for lunch, assasination for snacks and ambushes for dinner.
From childhood up until now that he became a brilliant adult, he had conquered every adversary that came his way.
Kayden had long concluded that nothing could render his best friend helpless and powerless, until he met Eli and Little Han.
"If there's nothing abnormal about that particular period of time, maybe we are missing something here…" Desperate to also help his friend to bring the light out of this mystery, Kayden used what was left of his mental energy and thought of ideas for Leon to consider.
"What if we were wrong in the first place.. What if the culprit didn't come only in that particular year.." As if being enlightened, Kayden looked at Leon with anxiousness in his eyes, it was obvious that even he himself got totally scared of the idea that he was thinking at the moment.
"What if the culprit was already targeting her since the time you saved Eli from her captor?!"
