Withered Forest

The plane took off smoothly. Hesta leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

Kiki and Eleven sat facing each other by the window, both of them practically pressing their faces against the glass.

"Ms. Simoya..." Eucali raised her hand. "May I ask a question?"

Simoya glanced in Eucali's direction and handed her a vomit bag.

"Go ahead."

Eucali accepted it awkwardly and asked in a low voice, "How long will we be flying?"

"A little over three hours."

"That long?" Eucali was astonished. "Didn't they say Saint Lom was only seventy kilometers from Emangria...?"

"As I just explained, there are safety hazards along the direct route, so we need to take a detour."

Eucali hesitated. Simoya seemed somewhat impatient, so she could only suppress her curiosity.

"That's quite a detour," Hesta said as she adjusted her seat belt. "What exactly do these 'safety hazards' refer to?"

"Simply put, some armed groups actively attack aerial targets."

"...What does that mean?" Eucali felt her heart leap into her throat again. "You mean someone might shoot at us from the ground?"

"That's nothing to fear. While the aircraft is in flight, ordinary guns and artillery cannot reach our altitude. There have recently been two helicopter accidents in District 12, both caused by aircraft rapidly climbing before their rotors had reached sufficient speed after takeoff... But considering the various accidents that might occur during the flight, we have marked out several high-risk areas."

Ligo listened for a while with a frown. "Why would those two aircraft climb so quickly before their rotors had enough speed?"

"They were probably trying to avoid ground fire during takeoff," Hesta said quietly.

"Simply put, yes," Simoya answered. "We'll be going by way of Almi Forest."

"...That wasn't simple at all," Ligo muttered, then turned to Hesta.