As the trio stepped outside of the mayor's residence, a heavy silence enveloped them, broken only by the faint murmurings of the villagers nearby. Celestine's shoulders were tense, her eyes blazing with a quiet fury that she struggled visibly to contain. Kaiser observed her closely, noting the subtle twitch of her eyebrow just before it happened.

With startling speed and without a trace of Sol, Celestine slammed her fist into the ground. The impact was astonishingly powerful, sending a tremor through the earth and carving out a small crater roughly half a meter in diameter. The villagers watching fell silent instantly, their gazes turning sharply toward the trio, eyes wide with shock. Celestine stood defiantly, uncaring of the stares, her breathing slightly ragged from frustration rather than exertion.

Kaiser and Zilean, by stark contrast, remained completely motionless, expressions unreadable. Kaiser's eyes flicked briefly toward the stunned crowd but quickly returned to Celestine.

"Am I the one who's insane here?" Celestine finally spoke, voice taut with exasperation, her eyes pleading silently for understanding. "Tell me honestly, Kaiser, uncle. Wasn't my suggestion the logical choice? We had a clear path, a way to evacuate safely. Instead, now we must sacrifice precious time, risk countless lives, all for no reason, and all that just because of one man's stubborn pride."

Kaiser observed her silently for a moment, then glanced toward Zilean, whose metallic form had shifted slightly, perhaps the faintest hint of a reaction. Finally, Zilean's deep, calm voice broke the tension.

"It is frustrating, yes," Zilean said quietly, his armored face giving nothing away. "Yet perhaps it will ultimately be for the better. Soon, more Liberators will arrive, and your combined strength may prove sufficient."

Celestine shook her head bitterly, her golden hair shimmering dimly in the fading daylight. "We don't have 'soon,' uncle. Every hour lost is an hour the captured villagers slip further away. By the time reinforcements arrive, it may already be too late."

Kaiser finally spoke, his voice composed yet probing. "But we have Vizbots, Celestine. Surely the Liberatorium will see that something is wrong here. Wouldn't they send assistance immediately?"

She sighed, frustration mixing openly with weariness. "Vizbots are merely recorders, Kaiser, not transmitters. They document the Tale, yes, but those recordings aren't available until we return to the Liberatorium. By then, it will be pointless."

Kaiser's gaze sharpened thoughtfully. "Then what about Aria and Ivan? They are still in the Liberatorium. Surely, once they realize something is amiss, they could alert someone and send immediate help?"

Celestine shook her head again, this time with even greater sadness. "It's not that simple. The teleportation stations connecting directly to the heart of the Liberatorium are incredibly complex—beyond the capability of casual use. Most are either fully automated or controlled by specialized personnel."

Kaiser frowned slightly, puzzled. "Then how did we teleport here so easily?"

She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "The station we used functions by scanning your Albus. Each person's Albus is unique, like a fingerprint of the soul. An artificial intelligence within the station determines your destination based on recent information provided by your mission coordinators. You don't choose your destination directly; the station chooses for you, ensuring accuracy and safety."

Kaiser raised an eyebrow, intrigued and skeptical. "If that's true, how do the villagers, who have no Albuses, manage teleportation at all?"

Celestine smiled faintly, a tired expression devoid of joy. "That's simpler. Only a single person with an Albus is required to activate the teleportation platform. As long as there aren't too many high-Sol individuals to teleport simultaneously, it can handle ordinary humans quite easily. The artificial intelligence recognizes that the villagers don't have Albuses and automatically factors that into its calculations."

Kaiser's curiosity deepened. He found the concept fascinatingly advanced yet bizarrely impractical. "And this system, this artificial intelligence, it's truly reliable?"

Celestine nodded earnestly. "It may sound impractical, perhaps even absurd, but these teleporters have a remarkable record. Ninety-nine percent accuracy, Kaiser. The AI listens and analyzes everything. It can interpret subtle signs of danger, like distress in the user's voice or changes in vital signs. For example, if someone is kidnapped or injured, the teleporter can automatically redirect them to an emergency room full of Liberators or medical staff."

Kaiser considered this quietly, the idea of intelligent, sentient mechanisms new and somewhat unsettling to him. "Artificial intelligence…" he echoed, the words unfamiliar on his tongue. "Does this mean the teleportation platform itself is somehow alive?"

Celestine's lips quirked slightly, appreciating his earnest confusion. "Not alive in the way we are. Think of it as a mind without a body—an incredibly sophisticated network capable of making its own decisions. It learns, adapts, even anticipates human needs and reactions. It's a creation of pure logic, completely devoid of emotions yet able to understand them in a technical sense."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Kaiser's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, his curiosity piqued . "So it can feel nothing, yet it understands when a person is frightened or endangered?"

"Precisely," Celestine affirmed softly, her expression shifting momentarily toward melancholy again. "And that's exactly why this whole situation frustrates me so much. We have at our disposal such brilliant tools, miraculous technology designed to protect us, yet we're still hampered by something as trivial and irrational as pride and stubbornness."

Kaiser regarded her silently, sensing the deeper wound beneath her frustration. The loss of Elsie was still raw, compounded by the fresh disappointment of the mayor's obstinance. "It's human nature, Celestine," he said quietly, a rare softness in his voice. "Humans are rarely logical creatures. Even when gifted with tools beyond imagination, they often choose poorly. But that does not make your intentions or your plan any less logical or valid."

Celestine met his gaze, grateful yet still deeply troubled. "I just hope we're not too late. All this unnecessary delay… If only they understood the real stakes."

Kaiser inclined his head slightly, agreeing without words. His mind raced, analyzing their dwindling options. Beside him, Zilean remained silent.

The villagers, having lost interest in the brief display of Celestine's anger, returned to their muted conversations, oblivious or indifferent to the profound implications of the conversation unfolding mere meters away.

Kaiser's brow furrowed, a rare flash of uncertainty breaking through his measured demeanor. He turned to Celestine, quietly persistent. "I understand the restrictions on teleportation, and I accept that the Liberatorium's system is complex. But if Aria and Ivan are already at the Liberatorium, why can't they bring help back here? Why can't you simply arrange for assistance to arrive through them?"

Celestine exhaled, the breath heavy with frustration and exhaustion. She met his gaze, her golden eyes carrying both the weight of command and the vulnerability of someone burdened by secrets. "It isn't so simple, Kaiser. The teleportation stations are secure—guarded, tracked, and heavily regulated, especially those leading directly into the heart of the Liberatorium. When I use one, I'm almost always transported to my private floor. If Aria and Ivan return, the system will likely take them there as well, since they are marked as my allies on this Tale."

She looked away for a moment, voice dropping lower. "And when that happens, there will be someone waiting. If not Botanica herself, then one of her closest companions. They'll want a report. They'll want to know where I am and why our Tale is still unresolved. I can't just walk in with a crowd or bring back more people to this Tale. One group of Liberators can be explained away, maybe even hidden as an error in documentation or a shift in the paperwork. But multiple groups? That would draw too much attention, too many questions. It's not possible to slip through unnoticed with larger numbers."

She hesitated, glancing around as if expecting to be overheard. "And remember, we were assigned this Tale a full day earlier than protocol allows. If anyone finds out about that, we're in serious trouble. Saving this many people would make it impossible to keep that detail hidden. There's no way to avoid the consequences if word spreads."

Kaiser watched her carefully, eyes narrowing with calculation. "I don't follow... Why are you so determined to bring them back then?" he asked quietly. "If it would land you in that much trouble, why risk it?"

For a moment, Celestine just stared at him. Then, suddenly, she laughed—a quick, incredulous sound, as if he'd asked the most absurd thing in the world. "Are you serious?" she said, shaking her head. "We're talking about people's lives. At worst, what happens? I get demoted to Hero? I'd make that trade a hundred times over if it meant saving all these people. What kind of Saint would I be if I hesitated over my own status?"

Kaiser crossed his arms, considering. "So, for all your rank, all your supposed freedom, you're trapped by expectations and political gamesmanship. If you act openly, you risk censure and scrutiny. If you act in secret, you risk everything."

Celestine's voice softened, revealing a flash of the burden she bore. "Yes. And now that the mayor has refused evacuation, we're forced to stay and protect these people, even as time runs against us. If we try to pull in more Liberators, the consequences for me and for them could be severe. The best I can do is operate quietly, make use of what I have, and hope for an opportunity."

A bitter silence settled over the three of them for a moment, broken only by the wind rattling through the trees at the camp's edge.

"But," she continued, looking up, "There's still a chance. Since we're at a new location, and neither Aria nor Ivan know where to find us, either you or I will have to go to the teleportation station, retrieve them, and bring them here. It's not ideal, but it's the only way."

Kaiser nodded, mulling over the logistics. "That makes sense. I'd hoped we could solve the problem here before they even came back. But with the mayor's refusal, the situation has changed."

He paused, then made a practical suggestion. "Celestine, perhaps it's best if you go to the teleportation building yourself. If you're certain Aria and Ivan will return there, it would be most efficient for you to meet them, explain the situation, and bring them directly back."

Celestine considered this, her posture straightening, some of her old resolve returning. "Yes. I'm certain. Botanica's allies are persuasive, and Aria and Ivan both have good instincts. They'll realize something is off, and they'll want to come back for us. If I'm there to meet them, I can keep everything contained—keep the number of people involved to a minimum, and hopefully avoid drawing too much attention."

Kaiser's eyes met hers, searching for any sign of uncertainty. "You're sure they'll listen? That they won't cause more complications?"

She nodded firmly. "I know Aria, and I'm starting to understand Ivan. They're not the type to ignore a call for help. And as much as they're inexperienced, they know the stakes. They won't try to alert the entire Liberatorium, especially if the situation is explained to them, which I know it will."

Another silence stretched between them, but this time it was less charged—almost companionable, as each considered the paths before them.

Kaiser broke it at last, his tone practical, almost weary. "Then it's settled. You'll wait at the station. When Aria and Ivan arrive, bring them here. I will maintain the camp's security and keep the villagers. With luck, we'll have just enough time to act after that."

Celestine exhaled, a mixture of relief and determination flickering across her face. "Thank you, Kaiser. I know this isn't the solution you wanted."

He shook his head. "I've learned that there's rarely such a thing as the perfect solution."

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