"Warrior Princess"

By the time the two came down from the mountain, it was already noon.

"When are we leaving?" Lin Qiye asked.

"The day after tomorrow." Amamiya Haruki seemed to have planned it out already. "We need a day to prepare what we'll need to enter the ruins—diving suits, oxygen tanks... Because of the Sea Ban Order, those things are absolutely prohibited. Getting them through special channels will take quite some time."

Lin Qiye nodded. Yurina had mentioned the Sea Ban Order to him before, but he still had some doubts.

"Why was the Sea Ban Order issued? What's on the other side of the sea? Have you been there?"

"No. Ships are too conspicuous; once they head out to sea, they'll be spotted and destroyed. Diving equipment can't last very long either... Getting to the other side of the sea isn't that easy." Amamiya Haruki thought for a moment, then added,

"Perhaps Yurina Kurotetsu has been there. With Thousand Cranes, he can fly directly across these waters."

"Did he ever say anything about it?"

"No..."

Lin Qiye felt somewhat helpless. He secretly resolved that when he saw Yurina again, he would borrow Thousand Cranes from her and fly to the other side of the sea to see what was really there.

He had always felt that this matter concealed some secret of this country.

"Then where are we going now?"

"To pick someone up."

"Someone else is coming with us into the ruins?" Lin Qiye asked in surprise.

"No, he isn't going into the ruins. Without a Magatsu Blade, his combat strength is practically zero," Amamiya Haruki said. "But before we enter the ruins, he'll help us make some predictions."

"An unreliable prophet?"

"Exactly. His name is Hoshimi Shota. I called him yesterday; he should be arriving in Hokkaido soon."