"You may do what you like. I will not hold out hope." Mostly because so far, every time hope had been dangled before her, it had also been shattered brutally. After a while, it got difficult to hold on to.

"Yes, I did say that, and suddenly you want to go there? Oh, true, now you do have research," Yotsuyu said, gently teasing. Then again, the crowds beyond her hiding place were getting rowdy once again. Perhaps another new aspect of Bala-Inlota was coming to the fore, and they were reacting to it.

Yotsuyu was not interested whatsoever. "Very well, regardless, let us make haste." She did not want to get caught up in whatever ruckus was about to break loose!