Insight

In her last tenuous connection with the Paper Boat, Lucretia did her utmost to guide it down toward the Lost Homeland, which was flying over the forest.

The Lost Homeland had noticed the little boat swaying through the sky and about to crash as well. It suddenly accelerated in midair, its massive hull as light as the wind in its spirit form, and reached the area beneath Lucretia and the others in the blink of an eye.

The torn Paper Boat was like an out-of-control cloud. After several perilous course corrections, it finally crashed crookedly onto the deck of the Lost Homeland.

Shirley and A'gou practically tumbled out of the Paper Boat, rolling several times across the deck before finally steadying themselves. Then a tall figure appeared before them—Duncan bent down and pulled the dazed Shirley to her feet, then grabbed Nina as she rolled over as well.

Shirley still seemed a little out of it. Only after vigorously shaking her head did her gaze gradually focus again. Once she saw her surroundings, she finally relaxed completely. "Fuck, we actually survived... I thought we were dead for sure this time..."

"Uncle Duncan!" Nina cheered happily and threw herself directly at Duncan.

Duncan smiled and patted Nina's hair, giving her a light hug before looking up into the distance.

Morris stood steadily on the deck, one hand resting on his cane while the other held an exquisite mechanical device resembling a gyroscope. He watched them with a smile. Lucretia, meanwhile, drifted down lightly from a nearby mast—she had flown out of the Paper Boat ahead of time just before it struck the deck.

Then gotten hung from the mast.

"Looks like you're all doing pretty well," Duncan said with a smile and a nod. "But honestly, flying toward a burning sky