— I'd rather catch up on what I missed on the Path of the Sword first, — the girl melancholically traced the edge of her boot in the sand, — but never mind. A parrot, you ask? The message said that he, quote, — Alaria rummaged in her bag and pulled out a note, — "will stay with the group to collect the Apostle Stones." I actually thought he would fly away with them as soon as we collected the full set, but maybe that's for the best. His predecessor didn't end well. I suppose Dodeca will either return to us soon, or someone else will come to replace him.
Having finished her answer, the swordswoman thoughtfully looked into the distance.
—And I heard that they conducted an experiment in the RSC to summon cat familiars! —Yu interjected. —It turned out to be useful, but not always predictable. It seems that after losing two squads, they shut down the experiments...
—Yu, quote paragraph 14, part 3 about not disclosing information to civilians.
—Oh...
—Are there any instructions on what we should do now? It's clear that we still need to get one more heart. And we even know where. But such a journey requires funds to hire a reliable ship with an equally reliable crew, which sounds a bit fantastic. If we go straight for the last Apostle, we might make the same mistake we're making now, thoughtlessly entering the beast's lair and almost becoming its dinner. And that's if we even make it to our destination. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to ask for help from your powerful, charming genie again. To arrange for the mysterious Apostle to end up in the beast's lair, stunned and caught off guard. This would save so much valuable time and money for Her Majesty, not to mention reducing the risks. However, — the Tanarian raised her index finger, — this is just the opinion of an outside observer, lacking your extensive experience, Mr. Problemsolvdt. Besides, we need a familiar on hand first. Perhaps upon his return, we will even receive further instructions.
Taking a map of Calcite out of his briefcase, Mr. Problemsolvdt carefully studied the northern sea for a few minutes.
—You're right. Let's go to Barsina. Or use your suspicious thing if you don't feel like walking. Just hide in the suitcase closer to the city. First, the familiar. The last wish as a last resort. The intern might be right. If we turn to ashes after the Apostle's death, we need a new parrot to be able to carry the stone.