In the end, Fang Zheng chose Package A.
It was not that he was reluctant to spend the money. Rather, none of the plans Stifal had offered were safe enough, so he ultimately decided... if you wanted something done right, do it yourself.
Wasn't it not safe enough? They would send the person back themselves; Stifal just had to hand over the compass!
Of course, Fang Zheng understood that Stifal had not been talking nonsense on purpose. Although he had never been there himself, he had read records about the Astral Plane in the Mage Tower's archives. It truly was an extraordinarily bizarre place. No one could say with absolute certainty that they would leave the Astral Plane alive; even gods could become corpses drifting through it.
It was impossible for Touma to return through the Astral Plane on her own, so Fang Zheng decided to assemble a team and escort her back... while picking up something he could burn along the way.
If Fang Zheng remembered correctly, the Astral Plane was also a giant dumping ground full of valuable things. If he got lucky and found a few Corpses of God to burn, that would at least replenish his reserves somewhat.
"I'm really sorry, Kasugano-kun."
Standing beside Fang Zheng, Touma looked somewhat uneasy.
"Actually..."
"It's nothing. If anything, this was my fault, not yours."
Looking at the uneasy Touma, Fang Zheng shook his head and patted her shoulder reassuringly. Then he turned around and looked toward the Void Gate in the distance, as well as the people preparing to depart.
For this trip to the Astral Plane, Fang Zheng did not intend to bring too many people. He only brought the First Fleet of the Azure Fleet, along with Tilia, Nephren, Kudrlyat, Illya, Little Black, and Atalanta...
However...
"Wait,