Chapter 96
Soluten grew serious, considering the unforeseen possibility. Preoccupied with the recovery mission, he hadn’t considered Benjamin’s long-term plans for Arietta. “The Leonota family must have rather liberal traditions,” Isaac concluded. He hadn’t explicitly stated his desire to reclaim Arietta, but he’d planted a seed of doubt in Soluten’s mind. From that moment on, Soluten couldn’t help but imagine Lord Leonota’s reaction to Benjamin arriving in the Sky City with Arietta in tow.
***
The night before the marsh excavation, Benjamin visited Arietta, wanting to talk. She didn’t offer him the comfort of her bed, so the viscount, in a manner unbefitting his status in the Sky City, sat humbly on the floor, looking up at her. “Tomorrow’s the day,” she said. “I hope we find something.”
Arietta clung to the hope of a miracle, despite the slim odds. “By the way, I’m curious. What exactly is this mystical animal?” Benjamin, willing to offer her anything, remained tight-lipped on this particular subject. This was something he couldn’t divulge to anyone in the Downstream.
“I’ll tell you when we get to the Sky City.” Arietta scoffed. “I’m not really interested in what it is.”
“Then why ask?”
“You seem so certain that if you find remains, you’ll recognize them. I was just wondering what kind of creature it is.”
Her curiosity was valid. The search had been ongoing for nearly a decade. She’d overheard stories from the first recovery team – the Sky City claimed the animal had escaped decades ago. The animal wouldn’t have had access to purifiers in the Downstream, so it likely died quickly.
Nearly thirty years had passed since its escape. Even if they were lucky enough to find remains, they wouldn’t be intact. At best, they might find a few bone fragments. So how could they possibly know they belonged to the mystical animal?
“We have a sample. A tissue sample taken from the animal while it was still in the Sky City. If we find remains, we’ll test them against the sample.”
Arietta nodded, her curiosity satisfied. “It can’t be a very noticeable creature, then,” she added. Benjamin blinked slowly.
“If some unusual animal had been wandering around and died, you wouldn’t be having so much trouble finding it. Everyone would be talking about it. Rumors would have pointed you in the right direction.”
“….”
“Wildlife is rare in the Downstream. People here gossip for days if they see a live eagle.” Benjamin remained silent, as if struck by her words. Arietta waited for him to speak, but after a long pause, he changed the subject.
“I hope tomorrow goes well. Then I can insist on taking you back with me.”
“….”
Arietta gazed at his hair, noting his blatant avoidance. Well, the animal’s appearance wasn’t important to her. Her priority was getting to the Sky City with Benjamin. “You’re going back where you belong,” he said.
“I’m glad you think so.” Arietta recalled her mother’s words about a long journey. Perhaps it referred to the passage the recovery team had mentioned, the one connecting the Sky City and the Downstream. If the airship plan fell through, she’d need to know about that route. She filed the thought away, considering how to bring it up casually.
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