Chapter 48
"Marquis Craft was carried off by a bird?"
Sinclair, the trading company head who had just disembarked from the airship onto the sky whale's back, was perplexed upon hearing the report.
Other trading companies seemed confused by the news too, as there was considerable murmuring among the leaders.
"What happens now?"
"Should we form a search party?"
"What about the audit?"
The trading companies participating in sky whale collection had long since agreed to sideline the student council after being notified of the audit.
Though the student council that inherited some of the Sky Island governor's office's authority was powerful, they were still just a student group. Sky whale collection required specialized skills, so it was difficult to properly examine without cooperation from relevant workers.
With the entry barriers unique to specialized fields and unified evasion and fabricated testimony, it was easy to deceive about unavoidable customary procedures whether tax evasion or illegal acts.
Trading company unity was achieved smoothly. Now they just needed to pretend to cooperate with the student council while ignoring them and focusing on their own collection.
But suddenly Marquis Craft was carried off by a monster bird.
"Just why?"
It was truly ridiculous. Even merchants experienced in collection had only heard of monster bird kidnappings.
"What happened? Was she really carried off by a bird?"
One of the trading company representatives spoke up suspiciously.
Though it was somewhat disrespectful suspicion toward the Marquis, subtle agreement formed. Considering Craft's infamy, she could be lying to catch them off guard and start the audit.
But the reasonable suspicion was quickly resolved. The sight of the pink girl being carried away in a bird's beak was too eye-catching.
Numerous testimonies came that she went uwang~ while being carried off.
One trading company head hit his chest.
"No, just why?"
Though the troublesome student council work was stopped, it wasn't something any trading company actually wanted. They'd have to form a search party by taking away some of the manpower that should be earning money.
A student council member entered the tent where trading company representatives had gathered.
Leonard looked around arrogantly then announced:
"You already know the situation? We're forming a search party. Dispatch personnel accordingly. Why so slow? Move now!"
A search party was formed through unilateral personnel dispatch. Since the kidnapper was clear, they planned to head straight to the rocky mountain where the nest should be.
Soon the search party composed of various trading company guides and mercenaries departed.
The trading company representatives sighed and dispersed. They needed to move quickly to make up for the losses.
However, Sinclair who had the largest trading company here and should be busiest had a strange expression.
Looking at the unfolding situation, it seemed there would be no audit or anything similar. At most, the area around the rocky mountain would be busy with subjugation of the monster bird that committed lèse-majesté.
Though plans were tentatively suspended due to the burdensome existence of Marquis Craft who maintained an innocent appearance despite dominating the student council as a first year... now they didn't have to deal with the Craft family's uniquely cunning inner thoughts.
Sinclair who entered the trading company tent quietly called a subordinate. After giving instructions, the subordinate left the tent and disappeared into the forest.
They would contact the cult that should be somewhere on the sky whale.
Fregie was a trading company passed down for generations. It was a company that had accumulated know-how through countless contacts with sky whales regularly visiting Sky Island and dominated a significant portion of the sky whale market.
However, though he was the head of Sinclair Trading Company, he had no blood relation to this company's history and tradition. When the family of the company head coincidentally died en masse, Sinclair who was vice president at the time ended up taking over the entire company.
Coincidental mass death and timely company takeover.
The cult produced definite results. Now it was time for Sinclair to pay the price.
As promised, he planned to hand over various core equipment and technology of Fregie Trading Company to the cult.
Once this contact was finished, the cult would be able to self-procure high-grade materials in places beyond the Empire's gaze. Of course, securing funds through material smuggling would become smooth too.
Just one contact was enough.
The plan was for Fregie Trading Company of Sky Island to go meet cult members who came riding the sky whale from the demon realm. It was contact taking place on top of a sky whale, troublesome for both the Knight Order and academy to pay attention to.
Though it was concerning that Marquis Craft whose inner thoughts were unknown started an audit after smelling something, now that the Marquis was actually stranded there was no better timing for contact than now.
The head of Sinclair Trading Company moved busily.
#
Pastel lay prone on a branch of an impossibly tall tree. The massive tree easily supported her body.
She covered herself with dense leaves and looked down at a pit far below.
Members of Fregie Trading Company were busy working around the pit. A device with a long, large needle was stuck in the pit. When gears attached to the device moved, red liquid filled the needle hole and rose up.
Pastel whispered softly.
"What are they doing?"
Looks totally suspicious.
『They're extracting blood from the sky whale.』
"What?"
Could the thing I thought was a pit actually be whale friend's depressed skin?
The syringe with gear mechanism was pulled out. Workers poured the extracted blood into a large cauldron. When a wood fire heated the cauldron, the blood boiled. Red liquid dripped.
Uweeh.
Pastel shuddered.
Whale friend, your blood...!
To have blood extracted while alive...!
Uwaa.
"That's totally wicked!"
Anyone would see they're vampires!
100% connection to the evil cult
『Hmm, though unpleasant to watch it's normal work.』
"What?"
『If you remove moisture and go through various processes to make serum, it becomes an ingredient for the magic stone stimulant you ate.』
Pastel's eyes went round.
The candy-like magic stone stimulant was actually made from blood extracted while whale friend was alive?
She recalled the past when she ate it deliciously going nom nom.
Huk.
She covered her open mouth with both hands.
Sorry, friend!
Though we never even talked, I'm really sorry!
『I don't know well either, but when it's boiled and concentrated to a certain degree they'll move it to oak barrels. Tax evasion is done by lying about the number of oak barrels. If you confirm at this site you can catch tax evasion.』
"I see."
Pastel carefully observed the site.
Though it was grotesque seeing blood extracted from a perfectly alive whale, she didn't see anything wicked or suspicious.
Instead she noticed a group learning by watching the on-site work. They were a small number of people carrying weapons or wearing wizard robes, perhaps mercenaries, but it was strange that they were actually learning the on-site work.
"Is that tax evasion too?"
『Probably not. Looks like a handover, are they creating a new organization within the company?』
The head of Sinclair Trading Company approached that small group and conversed. When a wizard pointed at the site and asked questions, Sinclair with arms crossed answered. It looked like technical transfer.
Though ordinary, Pastel's hair tingled for some reason.
"Something's strange."
『What is?』
"That's..."
Pastel thought deeply.
She crossed her arms with a serious expression, looked up at the sky then down at the ground before saying firmly:
"It's just strange!"
This is a profound answer to a foolish question.
『Is that so.』
The demon was dumbfounded.
Uwat, totally treating me like a fool.
"You'll see! I'll find evidence for my smart unconscious reasoning!"
Pastel watched the site all day from the tree.
Work continued then the workers ate meals. When sunset came and the sun set, work stopped. Workers began returning to the campsite near the work area.
『Seems today's work is over.』
The demon continued in a worried voice.
『Young Craft, shouldn't you head back soon? It's been days of sleeping outdoors. Your body will wear out at this rate. You're very resistant to external infections but not immune to all diseases.』
"Demon, you've been saying that for days."
Thanks to the needless worry about getting sick, she's been bathing regularly at the stream and washed her clothes several times already.
Thanks to that, Pastel now wasn't muddy muddy Pastel but squeaky clean Pastel.
Squeaky clean Pastel.
She was very clean thanks to the surfactant plant the demon personally found being so effective.
Sniff.
Pastel felt slightly wronged.
No one would understand the feeling of being forcibly washed before bed, told I need to wash up when I disguised myself with mud carrying cold revenge...
Forcibly splash splash.
Captured Pastel flailed flailed.
The dignity I should keep as family head...!
The vengeful heart that should glare at the cult...!
Forget all that and splash splash.
Uwaat! Demon! Demon! The stream water is cold! Really cold~!
"Sigh."
Squeaky clean Pastel sighed deeply.
But she couldn't say she was distracted by the cult when she knew the demon would obviously worry.
『Do you want to go back? If you go back now I'll prepare meals with whatever menu you want for a week. Regardless of nutrition, as you please.』
Hut.
As I please for a week?
Pastel was extremely tempted then came to her senses.
She had a cold, ruthless gaze.
"I know you'll give me everything if I throw a tantrum anyway."
There's no merit at all.
『What...?』
The demon was shocked.
Pastel ignored the silenced demon and examined the work site. The workers who had completely finished cleaning up the site all began leaving.
There was something unusual - the personnel who received technical transfer despite being mercenaries remained behind. The head of Sinclair Trading Company also returned after seeing off the workers.
Oing.
A million times suspicious.
Some workers returned to the site, left various equipment and materials, then left again. They were the same equipment used at the site.
The mercenary personnel exchanged greetings with Sinclair then packed up the equipment and moved. It was in a completely different direction from Fregie Trading Company's camp.
Pastel immediately followed.
Where the mercenaries arrived was an open space not far away. It was surrounded by trees and undergrowth, but its location was so exquisite that a hidden airship was only visible when approaching nearby.
An airship?
The mercenaries grabbed the rope ladder of the airship and boarded the deck. The whale-imitating airship moved its wing fins. Strong winds blew and the massive body slowly rose.
Pastel ran as if hiding in the airship's shadow. When she reached a complete blind spot, she leaped upward toward the airship.
The girl's body floated up. Knives floated from her chest and flew to her feet. Jump sounds came in succession. The knives bounced away then returned repeatedly as the pink silhouette soared.
Pastel thrust her sword toward the airship floor. The wooden material split and the sword stuck in. She rotated her body and hung on.
The rising airship gradually accelerated. As it flew like riding above the trees, vegetation was pushed aside and wind sounds were loud.
Uwaa.
Various branches brushed below the girl.
"Uwaat! Where is this going?!"
『Hooh. Judging by how it's sticking to low flight, it's probably not leaving the sky whale.』
"I see!"
Pastel dangling from the sword felt excited.
Who are you people~!
Where are you taking us~!
Though I don't know anything.
"The conclusion is a million times sleeping outdoors!"
Pastel became full of thoughts of sleeping outdoors.
『What...?』
The demon was shocked.