Chapter 190
"Is anyone inside...? Are you a Leff?"
"!"
When I called out to the first door, someone who happened to be awake came over.
Peering through the slot for passing meals in and out, I saw someone in a dirty combat suit and military trousers approaching.
"Who are you?"
"I was an adventurer operating in the Leff Magic Empire. And you?"
"I'm a sergeant major with the Imperial Air Force's 4th Flight Unit."
I was lucky to find someone of rank right away.
"I was one of those sucked into the sky as well, but somehow survived, and I'm now searching for the other survivors."
"Where is this place?"
"...It's another world entirely, a place known as the 'world behind.'"
"What does that mean?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to explain. Could you tell me about your situation?"
"You have the power to save us?"
"I can offer that possibility."
"I understand."
This sergeant major was sharp; they made a decision immediately and told me everything.
There were thirteen survivors and forty-five dead—the latter figure matched the bodies I'd seen.
The airship had been flying without trouble, but a gigantic goat, tall enough to pierce the heavens, glared at it and brought it down.
It was a Forest Eater.
After many Leff people died from the impact, the survivors were apparently surrounded by subterraneans while working on rescue operations.
"They said they would attack us without mercy if we resisted. We had plenty of 'Magic Gear' and should have been able to put up a sufficient fight, but... the first officer said they wanted to surrender to save their own skin."
"The first officer?"
"The captain died in the crash. The first officer took command, but... the officer was an incompetent fool who had joined up solely through connections."
"Ah..."
The Leff Magic Empire is a small country, so I suppose having an important father was often enough to get someone in through connections...
"But there was clearly a powerful fighter among the enemy. If we'd fought them, some of us would have died as well..."
"Someone powerful?"
"The problem is that the Magic Gear fell into that person's hands. Even trying to escape would do us no good if they spotted us."
"...What does that person look like?"
"A young woman with purple hair tied back. She smoked a long, pipe-like cigarette, but her eyes were dead. They were the eyes of someone who had killed too many people and become numb to it."
"Understood. I'll be careful. So, is everyone here?"
"I believe all twelve are here."
"Twelve? You said there were thirteen survivors..."
"...The first officer begged for mercy immediately and sold out to the enemy. The officer is now currying favor with them somewhere that isn't a cell."
"..."
I could hear teeth grinding. The sergeant major was furious. I understood the feeling, but...
"Are you all being treated well? Escaping right now would be difficult, so I'd prefer to prepare and do it tomorrow if possible... but if things are too harsh, I think we should do it tonight."
"The food is awful, but it's Maika mushrooms, so I can endure it."
"I... see."
For me, I suppose it was like saying, "The food is bad, but I'll let it slide because it's white rice."
I thought back over the traces of what I'd done.
I'd broken the lock at the patrol unit's entrance. I'd broken the latch on this building's roof.
For the former, if I took the lock and hid it somewhere, they would probably assume it had been lost. I hadn't left any other traces.
For the latter, I could probably make it look like it had deteriorated with age.
"I'll come back tomorrow night."
"Ah... If you find the first officer, could you punch them for me? No—if you find them, I'd like to do it myself."
No, if I did that, I'd give myself away.
"!"
At that moment, my nose caught the smell of tobacco.
Clack, clack... I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
"...Go."
The sergeant major must have heard them too, because they told me to go.
"Yes."
Using 【Sprint】, I muffled my footsteps and returned to the stairs. If I went up from here, I'd be on the rooftop in no time—but then curiosity got the better of me. I decided to see who was coming up.
If the person the sergeant major called a 'strong one' really was here, there was no harm in checking them with 【Omniscience】.
I held my breath on the landing.
There was no light here, so my body completely blended into the darkness. Even with 【Night Vision】, it was so dark that I wasn't sure whether I could be seen.
The footsteps drew closer.
A soft light appeared on the stairs leading down.
The light held a steady brightness—it was a magic lamp.
The footsteps drew closer.
A wisp of purple smoke drifted into view.
Then—a hooded subterranean appeared on the stairs, with a long pipe protruding from their mouth.
"..."
They stopped.
The ember in the pipe glowed red with a sizzle, then air was exhaled silently—apparently through the nose.
Had they stopped for a puff...?
After climbing the last two steps, the subterranean headed toward the corridor lined with cells.
"!"
They suddenly turned to look back in my direction.
"..."
That was close.
I'd let my guard down and was about to crane my neck out to see the face.
I pulled my head back as fast as I could. I think I was faster than a turtle withdrawing into its shell.
Silence fell.
The smell of tobacco reached my nose.
(This is...)
Then I heard the footsteps receding. Apparently, they had entered the corridor.
Should I find out why they were going to the cells this late at night?
(The answer is no.)
I couldn't imagine they were going to kill anyone. I stayed hidden just in case, but everything remained quiet; they seemed merely to be walking down the corridor—their movements were almost those of a sleepwalker.
I quietly returned to the rooftop, twisted the latch into a mangled mess, and went outside.
I felt I understood why the sergeant major had called that subterranean a 'strong one.'
They must have been given some kind of Innate Jewel. The subterranean who had shot at me had used magic too, and unlike Dragonkin City, I could safely assume this place had a fair number of Innate Jewels.
Above all, the subterranean I'd just seen... was probably the "strong one" the sergeant major had mentioned, and possessed an Innate Jewel with many stars.
Five, or perhaps even six—something special.
(That smell of tobacco...)
According to 【Omniscience】, that tobacco had an extremely powerful analgesic effect.
The pain and suffering I'd felt when using 【Shadow King★★★★★★】 came to mind—and I wondered whether that tobacco was meant to ease it.