Chapter Forty-Six

Tiyung narrates traveling with Hana from the Fountain Inn to Gaya at dawn, landing at the Port of Charm and proceeding to Jeul, the island’s old capital. Their strained history lingers, yet both admit they would do anything to help Sora, tempering Tiyung’s resentment.

In Jeul, they immediately spot a massive wanted poster naming Sora’s group, with Royo notably absent. The four-million reward convinces Tiyung that the fugitives must be in hiding. As they blend in at the market, they note Gaya’s distinct culture and the prevalence of old Gayan despite Yusanian rule, reinforcing Hana’s belief that local rebels might aid Sora’s allies.

Hana buys clothes to fit in while Tiyung samples food, observing Hana’s nervousness despite her claim it’s only the heat. Their search halts when a vast crowd gathers in the square, all staring uphill at a fountain by the palace.

There, a man with a golden scepter manipulates water into towering shapes, drawing praises to Alta. Nearby stand two women and a man; one woman’s long dark hair reminds Tiyung of Sora. Hana identifies the wielder as Mikail and suggests, given his command of the Water Scepter, that he could be the lost prince of Gaya, shocking Tiyung and confirming the group’s presence—and peril—in Jeul.