Marsha rested her chin on her hand.
Marsha: "So, you want to enter the Kergo Autonomous Zone? Do you think you can pass that test?"
Shirone: "I have some ideas, but I’m not entirely confident."
Marsha looked at Freeman.
Marsha: "What do you think?"
Freeman: "If all you need is to get there, I can help. Falcoa has been trading Loop recently, so showing a Freeman Organization pass should work. He’s quite capable in that area, so they’ll trust it."
Amy: "That’s a bit strange. Even if it’s illegal, if there’s another route, why is the Hall of Achievement and Sacrifice necessary? Maybe the two routes lead to different outcomes? Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense why skilled people would stick to the latter."
Tess: "Aren’t you overthinking it? Maybe they take the test because they don’t want to spend money on bribes. Or it could be a Kergo tradition. The more isolated a culture is, the more they emphasize such things."
Amy: "That might be true, but..."
It still bothered her.
If the test was just a formality or tradition, it didn’t seem like Alpheas would have specifically told them to go.
Freeman: "Why not just check it out yourself? You don’t have to choose one or the other. If you need it, I can get you a pass. It should be ready right away."
Shirone: "Yes, please."
They hadn’t decided which route to take yet, but having more options was always better.
After giving instructions to his subordinates, Freeman continued.
Freeman: "And you’ll need someone who knows the native language. There’s no one like that in the mercenary group."
Shirone: "Huh? What about Falcoa?"
Freeman: "After coming to the island, Falcoa built his own network outside the mercenary group. It included brokers from the black market. I think he got interpreters from there."
Shirone: "Hmm, then we’ll need to find an interpreter too."
Yuna raised her hand.
Yuna: "Um, I’m not sure if I should say this, but..."
Shirone: "Huh? It’s fine. You can say anything."
Yuna: "My brother knows a bit of Kergo."
Amy: "Gis does? When did he learn that?"
Yuna: "He did all sorts of jobs when I was little. Before becoming a harbor tout, he worked part-time at the ruins. I think he learned it then."
Freeman: "That’s great. Then we’ll hire him. I’d like to find someone for you myself, but we don’t have time. We need to leave the island before the Magic Association locates Marsha."
Being pursued at a national level, even this moment was tense.
Reviewing the battle, especially a real one, was a rare opportunity, but Shirone decided to end the conversation here.
As they stepped outside, the late afternoon sun was setting. If they left now, they’d probably arrive by nightfall.
Marsha: "Here, use this."
Marsha handed them a spatial movement bracelet.
Marsha: "It’s simple to use. The bracelet has its own magic, so you just need to input the coordinates."
After entering the coordinates closest to the exit, Marsha fastened the bracelets on everyone.
Marsha: "When you reach the exit, a carriage will be waiting. Take it and go home. I’m not sure if we’ll meet again, but be careful. Make sure to see a recovery mage when you get back."
Shirone: "Yes, thank you."
Marsha smiled bitterly.
It wasn’t a debt that could be repaid with such a small favor.
As Shirone walked toward where her friends were gathered, she suddenly turned and asked.
Shirone: "We’ll see each other again, right?"
Could she live a new life?
Marsha: "Don’t worry. Claire Marsha can find you anytime, anywhere."
It was a promise that she could.
When Shirone activated the bracelet with her friends, a flash of spatial movement shot into the sky.
Watching the scene, Marsha asked.
Marsha: "The Kergo Ruins... Will they be okay?"
Freeman: "Probably not."
Marsha frowned and looked back, but Freeman spoke as calmly as ever.
Freeman: "But they’ll pull through. They’re strong."
Marsha, lost in thought for a moment, turned her head back to the sky and smiled.