85. Investigation Preparations

We're running out of leads... and we still haven't got anything to show for it.

We haven't discovered anything useful in the city either.

Which just goes to show that the Dragon Orchid is a well-kept secret in Eastrise, right?

Are there other leads or locations we haven't looked into yet?

There's one place we haven't looked yet... and I'm pretty sure it will have info on the Dragon Orchid.

Yeah? Where do you mean?

Far out! I'm surprised you haven't thought of it yourself, Yanling!... The Archive, of course!

The Archive, is that the place Stara mentioned before where they keep ''all the books from every nation and every era''?

Yeah, that's the Archive. That place is bound to have info about the Dragon Orchid!

True... there's a very good chance.

What do you mean ''there's a very good chance''? If you knew about it, why didn't you go there already?

Because the Archive is under Raeon's control, inside the Forbidden City. As an active member of Watchtower sworn to take her head, I thought it would be better to keep my distance.

Besides, we are on a list of wanted persons, and can't just go waltzing in through the front door. Likewise, they might recognize you from your earlier encounter. You probably couldn't get in there either.

We might not have a choice but to head into enemy territory. If something goes wrong, I dread to think what could happen.

But we don't have any choice. So we're going to go there, right?

Awakener is right. The Archive is worth the risk.

Okay. Since we don't have any good options.

I think it's time for a council of war. You must be fed with staying in the base all day. You wanna stretch your legs? Let's go get some barbecue.

Welcome!... Hey, Yanling, didn't I tell you, give me fair warning when you're planning to drop in!

Uh, sorry. The kid wanted barbecue. Please forgive me. These guests have come a long way.

(So now it's MY fault...?)

So this is where Xen works?

It is! Everyone knows this place! It's famous in Eastrise. Everyone, please take a seat!

...

(Barbecue... I used to eat it with Sunflower all the time... How come...?)

Ah! That tastes AMAZING!!!

If you want to order anything else, just call out!

I do! I do! I want skirt steak and tenderloin!

I'll have... brisket and salted beef tongue...!! How about you, Yanling?

Ah, I'll be fine. My pipe kills my appetite. You guys go ahead.

Sorry for the wait! Here are the skirt steak and tenderloin you ordered, plus the rump.

Huh? Did we order rump?

The rump cut is hard to find. It's on the house. Please enjoy!

(Rump is my favorite cut...)

Thank you. It looks delicious.

Ah... um. Bon appétit, !

Guys! The food is great, but let's not forget why we're here! We need to figure out how we're going to get inside the Archive!

What?! Archive? Why would you want to go there? That's where Katch works!

... Who's Katch?

Well... Katch is a security guard at the Archive. She's very formidable. Nobody gets into the Archive without her knowing.

And if she does find you, you'd better hot tail it out of there, or she will make mincemeat out of you.

But that's before you even get into the Archive! Is it really so difficult?

We don't have to just sit around waiting. The Watchtower could set an ambush somewhere else as a diversion. Katch will be distracted, and we can walk right in. What do you think?

But it could jeopardize our people on the inside. And please bear in mind, we can only pull this trick off once.

Well... it sounds a bit risky, but if there's no other way, I say we give it a go. What do you think, Sova?

...At this point, it's one-in, all-in. You can count on us, Yanling.

We need time to prepare and grease the wheels. We move in two days.

One more minute to go...

You think it's going to work?

Ah... probably. Katch is very strong, but she does have one weak point; that is, she's too focused on the job.

I heard one time someone took a book from the Archive without permission and Katch followed them all the way to the Augustine Empire to exact punishment. I'm not sure if it's true...

The funniest thing was the book they took wasn't even that important! It was a regular magazine with thousands of copies all over the place.

In other words, she's not exactly known for her flexibility.

I get it. And we're using her laser-like focus against her to draw her attention away from us?

Exactly. Okay. It's time. Let's go.

Even slight movements can make a big sound... Be careful.

Shhh! Someone's coming!

I got a tip that someone saw Watchtower lackeys in this area. They've been planning an ambush, so it could be some kind of trick.

I'm going to go and check it out. Stay sharp. Do not let your guard down for one second.

Yes, ma'am!

... She's gone. Has our plan worked?

That was Katch... Conscientious and not to be dissuaded.

It's going to take her at least 30 minutes to reach the location of the diversion and get back here. We need to get inside the Archive before she returns. Okay, let's go!