"I'll be back."

In the end, Rabin left the hero party with Arsil to visit the Sludge Alley for a short while. Lin had no choice but to agree when Rabin asked him to trust her, as she intended to help Arsil, who had been acting out of sync lately. Besides, Naidrian had already left without permission, so a day or two without Rabin and Arsil wouldn’t cause much harm.

“Here are the coordinates.”

Surprisingly, Rabin still remembered the exact coordinates of the Sludge Alley. Even while working in Valtercrua, she had studied how to read and set coordinates, ensuring she could always return to the alley when necessary.

“Sorry I can’t go with you.”

“It’s fine. I’m only taking her along to straighten her out.”

Rabin looked at the charm hanging from Lin’s chest and forced a bright smile. In the dark and hopeless reality they faced, every time she saw that charm pouch, Rabin felt as though she were connected to Lin. Even though the charm was made of Lucy’s red hair, it felt as if the pouch tied Lin and Rabin’s hearts together.