Before the heavy rain arrived, Selina had spent a long time searching back and forth through the streets of the Governor's Special District. She had inspected every stretch beneath the eaves and every crack in the walls, yet still found nothing.
The Key of the Two-Breathers seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. After two days of reflection at the inn, the Sea Elf swordswoman finally began to suspect that the shark-tooth-shaped fossil might not have fallen out while she was chasing Shahualin.
Perhaps Shahualin's schizophrenia had flared up before the chase even began. In her confused state, she might well have left that unremarkable shark-tooth fossil in some even more unremarkable corner...
If that were true, then no amount of searching along the route of the chase would ever turn it up.
That was why Selina had decided to focus today's search on the sites of several magic circles Shahualin had frequently visited before. She wanted to see whether she might happen to recover the lost "key" in one of those places.
It was a perceptive line of reasoning, and a correct one. Unfortunately, the Key of the Two-Breathers had already fallen into Renato's hands before the Sea Elf spies began their search.
At that very moment, the shark-tooth-shaped fossil was safely stored inside Klauthsura's Ring. Unless Renato wished otherwise, that "key" would never be recovered.
Even if those spies from the sea turned the entire island upside down, their efforts would ultimately be in vain. That was precisely why he could calmly accompany Selina on her search, with enough composure to wait while she considered where to look next.
Yet compared with Selina's uncertainty, Renato found Shahualin's various reactions after losing the "key" stranger still.
The odd feeling rising in his heart had even