☀️ Arselia and Akonia

- Sigh... Today is clearly not our day, - Beata sighs sourly.
- You can stuff yourself later, once we're done studying, - Guyon consoles her.
- Later will be later... Fine, thanks... Sorry for the bother...

The couple leaves the bar.
- So what was that?! - the adventuress snapped at her partner, - did you see it too?!
- Wait, you saw it too?!
- I saw it and I heard it. And before you blurted out something about your hallucinations, I thought I was the only one losing my mind.
- So we're all going crazy together... All three of us.
- Or maybe it was some kind of omen from the gods or something... magic, - Beata shrugged.
- Maybe magic... It's strange that Arthur didn't comment on it.
- Maybe he decided he was losing his mind too... Anyway, we have two hours left. Any ideas where to go?
- To the riverbank? We could take a stroll in a romantic place...
- Uh-huh, and run into Christoph and Enio, who'll also decide to take a stroll there... No way.
- We could stop by Ornament; maybe they've already sewn the flags according to our sketches. I'd like to see them.
- That's far... Maybe we should drop in and visit Kalina?
- I don't know, I don't know... She's certainly become kinder and friendlier since she turned to Ikigai, but how to put it... She's very interested in spreading this religion. And I like your point of view. That since we are creations of Anuzish, it would be strange to worship anyone other than her and her children.
- On the other hand, the gods gave us free will... But yes. I appreciate what she did on Tais through her faith, and I respect her religion, but I prefer ours.
- Exactly... So, maybe to the port?
- Well... why?
- To find out the price of a ticket to Heles.
- As far as I know, there have never been direct flights from here to Heles.
- Then for a ticket anywhere else. If this hopeless dragon isn't our collective hallucination but the honest truth, I'd prefer to be as far away from Velfern as possible.
- P-patriotism.
- I'm just not interested in suicide.
- Glad to hear it. Honestly? I'm scared shitless of that creature too. I also have a desire to drop everything and run away. But... did you hear what he said? "Cannot be overcome by traditional methods of warfare."
- Yes, that's what he said. We definitely won't win if we attack; he'll just destroy us.
- "Cannot be overcome by traditional methods".
- Hmm... Hm! Are you suggesting that... it can be overcome by non-traditional methods?
- Yeah. Now we just have to figure out which ones, - Beata scratched the back of her head. - Guyon, what do you think if we, ahem, non-traditionally... You know, like in that joke, "The first time I'm going to fuck something this scary."
The joke was hardly a success—it was more likely just the result of accumulated stress. But Guyon burst out laughing.
- Not me, I'm not trying it, - he snorted.
- I'm not suggesting you do. No, we need to think here. First, we tell the boss. Let him suffer. Then we can think about it ourselves... Honestly, I'd go to Eugene.
- You think he'll... non-traditionally... - Guyon began to giggle hysterically again.
- Who knows, - Beata grinned with a mix of madness and joy. - But seriously, - she wiped the grimace from her face. - he can help. Since Her Highness isn't here. I heard something, maybe a snippet of conversation or maybe I imagined it... It seems they and Her Highness are interested in the same thing, but he doesn't entirely approve of her methods.
- I wouldn't want to get in his way regarding such matters more than necessary... After all, Her Highness left her sister. Let her deal with the headache.
- That's an option too... But I don't know, I trust Her Highness more than her sister. In the end, it's her plan and her schemes. We are just her pawns, but... we are her pawns.
- I hope she doesn't hate me as much now as she did before... And why did she even dislike me?
- Ask her!
- Great idea, yeah.

The couple goes to "The Anchor".