Chapter 8
70.
Celeste is a Kemi who's been the outcast of the Northern region. Even with genuine intentions to help the expedition, her efforts do not meet the standards. Resulting in her current position, which is a mere lab assistant. Despite her low position, she truly wants to be part of the expedition. That is why Celeste is willing to do anything just to reach her dream.
"Anoo… Please follow me to my room if nyu are fine with it." Celeste offered.
The group was silent as they were confused about the sudden approach of Celeste. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, they trusted Celeste and followed her. Eventually, they reach a small old room in the basement of the working area. It was previously a stockroom beneath the place, but it was abandoned when the Kemis renovated the area.
"Sorry for the mess, my room is not big enough to fit everything that I have," Celeste said as she arranged her stuff.
The group looks around, and as per their observation, the room has a lot of Moon posters and other exploration areas. "What are those?" Kita asked as she pointed to the moon posters.
"Oh, those are moons. There's a theory that a ruin somewhere in the Deserted Isles is connected to the moon. It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a child." Celeste answered. "By the way, I'm Celeste, a lab assistant," she added as she wiggled her ears.
The group wiggled their ears back as they introduced themselves one after the other.
"Anyway, why did nyu invite us here? Raven asked straight-forwardly.
"Anooo… I heard that nyu need a seafarer. Having one is definitely hard because the rules are strict. I, myself, still haven't joined any expedition. To be honest, I saw this opportunity for me to finally join one! I'm willing to be your seafarer for free." Celeste offered.
"I told nyu it wasn't that simple," Eve responded.
"But why did you pull us all the way here if we can just discuss this at the cafeteria," Yuna questioned.
"Because it will be an illegal act…" Celeste answered.
"What? Why?" Hana replied.
"That sounds exciting!" Kita reacted.
"Only the ones with the Northern region's permit can voyage under their expedition. It's impossible for us to get any of those." Celeste explained.
"It's getting more complicated, I like it…" Raven commented as she smirked.
"Are we going to do something bad? Because Kita looks excited." Lulu asked.
"Chuu~ most likely," Pily answered.
"Okay, let's go!" Lulu replied.
"If it's illegal, how will we do it without getting caught?" Hana questioned.
"Please don't tell anyone but I've been studying the timings of each expedition. There's a day where we can sneak out while they are too busy with the return of the ships." Celeste answered.
"When would it be?" Rubi asked.
"Hmmm... let's see…" Celeste replied as she looked at the schedule. "8 days from now," she added.
"8 days? I guess that's enough time to plan everything out." Rubi responded.
"What we will be needing is; to buy a ship, study the recent expeditions, narrow it down to the most suspicious one, and then prepare every tool that we need for travel. All in 7 days, everything should be ready on the 8th day." Eve said.
"Don't forget that we need to do all of that in secret," Rubi added.
"I think it's doable," Yuna commented.
"Nothing can stop us!" Kita responded.
"As long as no one asks Kita, I'm sure we can keep it a secret," Hana said.
"Kita is not good at keeping secrets," Lulu added.
Kita chuckled, completely guilty of the statements about her.
"So, are we all in?" Raven asked.
"Hai!" The group answered.
Celeste is surprised, for the first time, she feels like there's a group that finally trusts her. Tons of rejections do not stop her from moving forward. The group with a mission will be her ally in achieving her dream. It's the chance that Celeste has been waiting for.
Raven suggested that it would be better to work in their room but Celeste disagreed. It's because there are loads of security cameras, especially at the hotel. Sneaking tools and equipment would raise suspicion in security. On the other hand, her room does not have cameras because it's an abandoned place, and it's in the basement. To top it all off, most scientists do not expect anything from Celeste. They look down on her to the point that even with suspicious movements from her, no one would even bother.
With that said, the group strategically dissects each angle to take as they assign parts of the mission to each one of them:
Eve and Kita will go back to the laboratory to gather the necessary items they need for the trip. Kita is bad at keeping secrets, so she should join Eve, not to mention her ice talent will offer security and assistance.
Celeste, Raven, and Hana will be the ones to gather more data, and also purchase a ship. Celeste will act as their tour guide while Raven will show deep interest in ships. They have to create a scenario where Raven is being outrageous about the idea of racing in ships. It's a weird concept but if they can execute it well, they might be able to purchase a ship and make everyone believe that it is just a leisure expenditure.
Lastly, Rubi and Yuna are the ones who are left to inspect the data that were previously gathered. The most suspicious expedition will be their primary target location. With the help of navigating skills that Yuna learned, they can create a priority list of islands that they need to check. On the other hand, Lulu, and Pily are not good with this type of task, therefore they will practice honing Lulu's talent. Having a clear goal in their minds, it's time for them to execute the plan flawlessly.
Meanwhile, as Kita's group progressed to their mission, Tridae made it back to Kemitopia. He immediately reported everything to Princess Grace.
"I was right, the Runecrystal belongs to Kita. As much as I want to celebrate this news, the update about the Evil Mimi is bothering me. I feel like they are heading for a trap or something…" Princess Grace said.
"From what we discussed, they are going to a lab where an incident with Evil Mimis occurred," Tridae added.
"I'm still uneasy about this…" Princess Grace replied. "Guard, summon the scholars. I want to check every record that exists. The name Hideo is somewhat familiar to me…" Princess Grace ordered the Royal Guard.
71.
The 8-day preparation starts and it looks like everyone is on the same page. Their individual goals glued their determination towards a single destination. On the first day of their preparations, Eve and Kita left the Northern region, it was about time for Raven's group to initiate their part.
As they walked through the laboratory, the so-called engineering of new ships, the supervisor spotted them. "Good morning Ms. Raven, allow me to assist you from this point onwards." He greeted.
"No thank nyu, I prefer to be guided by this Kemi," Raven replied as she referred to Celeste.
"With all due respect ma'am, but she is just a lab assistant. I guarantee you that I can offer a better service as the supervisor." The Chamelonman Kemi insisted.
"Don't worry, nyu will be handling loads of paperwork for me later," Raven replied to the supervisor. "Come now, show me where the ships are," she added as she ordered Celeste.
"Ah, hai!" Celeste responded as she led the way.
The supervisor could not believe what he just heard, it was the first time that someone declined his assistance, and it was Celeste who replaced her. With his pride completely shattered, the supervisor tailed Raven's group.
"Is he following us?" Raven whispered.
Hana peeked backward and saw the supervisor, "Hai, the plan is working…" She answered.
"Good, it's time for the drama," Raven replied. "Can these ships go fast?" Raven loudly said.
"No, they only travel at a slow pace," Celeste answered. They are intentionally provoking the supervisor to make him take the bait.
"That's sad to know, I prefer fast vehicles. Coz nyu know, I'm the Racing Queen." Raven replied.
"That indeed sounds terrible," Hana added.
"Come on now Celeste, she should be luring her to the good parts…" The supervisor said to himself.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but these ships cannot meet your expectations. They are designed solely for efficiency." Celeste said.
"I think we should explore other options if that's the case," Hana suggested.
"Nyu think so?" Raven responded.
"What is she doing? She's losing a big investor! That's it, I should step in." The supervisor madly muttered. "Sorry to intervene ma'am but I think our lab assistant here is quite not updated with our new ships," he said as he jumped into the conversation.
"What do nyu mean?" Raven fiercely questioned.
"These models that you are looking at, can go faster than you think. The engines are top tier, they can even pull away from the current of a sinkhole." The supervisor marketed.
"That sounds promising," Hana commented.
"Is that so?" Raven answered, pretending she was getting persuaded by the marketing.
"Hai! Believe me, these ships can reach the Racing Queen's expectations," he added.
"Can it out-race other ships in the UniPaws?" Raven asked.
"Yes indeed. I'm confident that it can even be used for racing!" The supervisor kiddingly said as he laughed.
"Then I'll buy one for racing." Raven immediately answered.
The supervisor continued laughing, thinking it was a joke. He then stopped as he realized that no one else was laughing, Raven was dead serious about the purchase.
"Shall we head to the dealing area?" Raven added.
"Right this way ma'am," Celeste answered.
"Aa… anooo! I think there's a misunderstanding here… Usually, the investors only help the project, not buy the whole ship…" The supervisor explained as he nervously chuckled.
"Is there anyone else here that can race? I would like to meet them if there is one." Raven responded.
"Na… None ma'am…" The supervisor confusedly answered.
"I thought nyu were confident that it could be used for racing? If no one else will use that for racing even though it was capable of it, then I'll use it for racing. Nyu said it yourself, it can be used for racing. Let's not waste those features then." Raven added.
"I did say that but-" The supervisor was about to answer but Raven interrupted him and said, "Then name the price, and let's end this. I don't care about your expedition, I want something new."
"Please don't waste our time. Raven is getting bored with land vehicles. We are here to find a different way to race, they also said that the Northern region has top-of-the-line ships." Hana added.
"But ma'am-" The supervisor was about to respond but was once again interrupted by Raven. "Think of how much investment it would gather to the Northern region if suddenly the Southern witnessed a new racing event. I'm willing to advertise that it's your ship when the time comes. With that funding, nyu can definitely go beyond whatever nyu want." Raven said as she continued manipulating the supervisor.
With the tension that Raven keeps on inserting, the supervisor gives up on arguing "Ha... Hai… This way ma'am…" He answered. The supervisor is already playing against his own words as soon as he steps into the trap. It will be tons of paperwork for him, and he better prepare himself before facing the Head Developer of the Northern region.
While Raven's group undergoes an exciting act, Eve and Kita are quite in a dead-air situation. It was the first time they realized that they didn't have anything in common, completely the opposite of each other. Eve is strategic, organized, and scientific, solving complex problems with different methodologies is what made her the Head of the Research. On the other hand, Kita is free-spirited, intuitive, and definitely chaotic; she basically does what she feels at the moment rather than following a certain flow.
"Soo ahm… Science… I never liked that stuff." Kita said, trying to start a conversation while they were on the way.
"Hai," Eve responded.
The dead air continues after the short response. After a couple of awkward seconds, Kita added "So, what makes you like science?"
"It's been a dream of mine. Seeing this place turn into something we cannot control makes me think that we need to do something. To somehow preserve the fresh air while we still can." Eve answered.
"Don't we naturally have fresh air?" Kita asked.
"In other lands, yes, but in Zenshin? Partially, at this point. That's why our goal is renewable energies, something that will help us evolve further without killing the place." Eve explained.
"I haven't thought of that. We don't have any of these kinds of tech or vehicles in Riverania. Nyu know, from where I came from." Kita replied.
"Is Riverania primitively civilized?" Eve asked.
"Ah… Hai?" Kita confusedly responded.
Kita is trying her best to keep up with the conversation, just like what she did when Princess Grace and her casually talked. Back then, Kita was confident that she could be friends with anyone. But meeting someone who is her complete opposite made things harder for Kita. It will be a long ride for both of them.
72.
As the two previously mentioned groups progressed, Yuna and Rubi were already done with their tasks. They are patiently waiting for Celeste in terms of having new papers to assess. As of now, none of the previous expeditions gave them valuable or even notable information.
"So we are just gonna wait, huh?" Yuna mentioned.
"We don't have much of a choice. These papers are leading us nowhere." Rubi answered.
Due to boredom, Yuna randomly asked Rubi, "Hmmm… What's your dream?"
Rubi is quite curious about the sudden question, so she decides to see where the topic is going. "I wanted to perform on a stage when I was little. Almost everyone around me believed that I should do more than just that. I guess that's why I ended up in the research department." Rubi answered.
"Do nyu regret doing that?" Yuna responded.
"Not really, I mean I can still sing at the karaoke. Plus I'm contributing to something other than what I just like." Rubi replied. "How about nyu? Do nyu have any regrets?" She added.
"Me? I don't think I have any." Yuna answered shortly.
"How about envy?" Rubi asked.
"Envy?" Yuna clarified.
"I mean the rest of your friends have unique abilities. Don't nyu feel a little bit envious of how things are?" Rubi explained.
Yuna paused for a moment as she thought deeply. It's been the question that she has avoided since then. Yuna is genuinely happy that Kita, Hana, and Lulu are achieving milestones, but it's impossible for her to not ask why she is not the same. "Let's just say I'm happy that I helped them," Yuna vaguely said.
"I understand, though a piece of advice, you should start prioritizing yourself sometimes," Rubi replied.
"I think that goes for both of us," Yuna responded.
"I agree," Rubi said as they both laughed about their current lives.
As Rubi and Yuna are enjoying their free time, Lulu and Pily are having lots of free time as well. They just roam around, back and forth from the Hotel to the working area. Lulu and Pily are just playing around, observing other Kemis.
Their setup went on for a whole week. Raven successfully bought a ship, the supervisor is in a whole lot of trouble during that time. The Head Developer of the Northern region surely called him out for allowing such a thing. Eve and Kita managed to get back with fresh equipment, it turns out there is something in common between them. They both love burgers, it's been their topic while they are heading back to the Northern region. Lastly, Celeste and Hana gave Rubi and Yuna all of the necessary information about the expedition. The plan is quite vague but they manage to formulate an itinerary for their journey.
Everyone seemed busy during those days and everything went smoothly for them. But even with that said, something doesn't feel right. As they finalize everything for the 8th day, it feels like they are missing something, or perhaps someone.
"Have nyu guys seen Lulu?" Yuna asked while everyone was preparing in Celeste's room.
"She was in Raven's room earlier. We even ate some sweets before I went here. She said that she'll sneak in a nap while we are all busy." Kita answered.
"Well, I've been to Raven's room but she is not there," Yuna replied.
"Maybe she walked around the hotel?" Hana responded.
At that moment, everyone went silent. They can hear their heartbeat as they instinctively get nervous.
"I'll look around the place," Raven said as she immediately moved.
"I'll come with nyu!" Kita replied as she followed.
"Aa... I will check the security cameras!" Celeste added as she panicked.
"Let's go back to the room, maybe we can find something there," Hana suggested. Yuna agreed and they both went back to the hotel that instant. On the other hand, Eve and Rubi stayed in Celeste's room to continue the preparation, and also just in case Lulu went there. They can update everyone through their wristwatch, splitting up is the best way to find Lulu and Pily.
A couple of minutes passed and there was no sign of Lulu or Pily anywhere. The group strongly believed that Lulu wouldn't run away just like Kita did. It would not make any sense since they are already aware that Lulu can't do such a feat. As Yuna and Hana thoroughly searched the room, they found a note with numbers on it under the bed.
"You can find her here but you better hurry." The note says. Yuna and Hana started to tremble as they realized someone had taken Lulu and Pily away while they were too busy.
"Calm down Yuna, we… We have to contact everyone first." Hana said. For the first time, Yuna lost her cool.
"Ha… Hai…" Yuna responded while shaking. She initiates an emergency call, which will alert everyone on her list that they need to come to her aid. Only the members of the group are in her contacts, an emergency call is indeed helpful at times like this.
Everyone rushed towards Raven's room except Celeste, she is still extracting the security footage. Luckily, the security Kemis assigned to the cameras are good friends with Celeste.
Upon arriving, Hana explained what they saw while Kita comforted Yuna, she was breaking down at the moment. Rubi inspected the note and in that instant, she said, "I… I saw these numbers… They are coordinates!"
"Coordinates?" Eve questioned.
"Hai! It's one of the destinations that was canceled due to the environment. The place is heavily guarded by Beast Mimis based on the records…" Rubi answered.
"Then… Then we better go there now!" Yuna said while trembling.
"I feel like this is a diversion…" Raven replied.
"I think we still need to go there, even if it's a diversion. We can still find answers there." Rubi argued.
"With or without answers, saving Lulu is the priority. Let's meet Celeste in her room." Eve firmly stated. As everyone is slowly losing their minds, Eve demonstrates her mental fortitude. Right now, they need someone to rely on. It's time for Eve to return the favor.
Yuna could not keep herself together, that's why Kita and Hana assisted her as they proceeded to Celeste's room. After a couple of steps, they saw Celeste preparing the footage on her computer. The record will finally give them a clue as to who took Lulu and Pily.
73.
The situation suddenly became more chaotic as Lulu and Pily went missing. Celeste reasoned out that she lost an important document. The security Kemis did not even bother asking since it already happened before, therefore they freely gave Celeste her request. After acquiring her goal, the group closely watches as Celeste plays the security footage.
Celeste only gets the footage of the current day since Lulu and Pily were still there during the prior days. Whenever Lulu and Pily are still visible in the footage, they fast-forward the recording. Eventually, they reach the time when Lulu and Pily stayed in Raven's room as Kita left.
A couple more minutes later, a Kemi with horns can be seen in the footage. As it continues, the Kemi goes straight to Raven's room.
"Wait… Isn't she the one that we saw in the cafeteria?" Eve asked.
"That's… That's Vali!" Raven replied.
"What is she doing there?" Kita added.
Vali knocks on the door and immediately Lulu responds. The footage shows that Vali and Lulu are talking a lot, it looks like they are comfortable with each other. But since the recordings do not have sounds, the conversation between the two is unknown.
A few more minutes passed and Lulu went back inside the room as Vali waited. Afterwards, Lulu comes back carrying Pily with her backpack on. Vali holds Lulu's hand as they proceed elsewhere.
"That bastard, she took Lulu!" Yuna reacted madly.
"Yuna, calm down. Let's finish the recordings first. We can find her easily if we know where they are heading." Hana said as she tried to calm Yuna.
As the video continues, the group can see that Vali and Lulu are heading outside. Upon leaving the building, the cameras outside revealed that they were heading to an alley. But as soon as they turned inside it, Vali, Lulu, and Pily disappeared. The camera on the other side of the building did not record anything.
"What's happening… Is this a glitch or something?" Rubi questioned.
"I doubt the timer on the camera is still going. Not to mention, the plastic in the trash bin is swaying. It would have frozen if there was a glitch." Eve responded.
"So are nyu saying they just disappear into thin air?" Yuna asked.
"All I'm saying is there are a lot of unknown phenomena that science or logic can't simply explain. Kita can make ice, and Hana controls water, what are the odds of a Kemi that can turn invisible or teleport?" Eve answered.
"That's true… Kemis with talent are different cases. Vali may have one and we are just not aware of it." Raven added.
"But why Lulu? Lulu did nothing to her!" Yuna madly replied.
"I understand your frustration. Don't worry, we will rescue her." Eve firmly said.
"I swear I'm gonna make her pay…" Yuna stated.
Having determination fused with anger, the group sped up their preparation. After finalizing everything that they needed, they all left the building and proceeded to their ship. Raven hid it on a nearby coast, not that far from the expedition area.
Exactly at 18:00, the ships from the previous expedition arrive. 18:00-19:00 is a short period wherein the next batch will soon sail. Everyone will be busy receiving the new materials while preparing for the other voyages. After 30 minutes, the ships started to move out. It is the cue for the group that they should also start sailing. With that said, they begin their voyage toward the coordinates on the note.
There are a lot of mysteries that need to be solved; is Vali working with Hideo? Is this Hideo's plan? Who leaked the information that they will voyage somewhere? What talent does Vali possess? All these questions will be answered as soon as they reach their destination. It is indeed bothering everyone, but for now, they all pray to the stars that Lulu is safe.
"Everything worked out?" A mysterious Kemi confirmed.
"Hai, those lingering Kemis will eventually rest," Hideo answered.
"Next time, do your job properly. We wouldn't even know that they were already on to Evil Mimis if I didn't find out." The mysterious Kemi said.
"Forgive my incompetence. I will make sure that they will meet Lulu there as they all disappear forever." Hideo replied.
"Aside from Beast Mimis, is there anything else on that island?" The mysterious Kemi asked.
"Hai, a King that even Mathus wouldn't mess with…" Hideo said.
End of the Tale of Zenshin