Conquering the Tower Even Regressors Couldn't-Chapter 121: Thirty-First Floor, Whale Hunt (4)

“Well, if you insist..."

Even if they were planning on scolding me, it wouldn’t be my problem once I cleared this floor.

“Oh, by the way, where’s the temporary docking station again?"

“Excuse me?"

“I left something important on the airship. I want to retrieve it, but I can’t quite recall where the airship is located. My memory can be a bit spotty sometimes."

“Ah, I see. It’s near Peak Twenty-One."

“Ah, right, I remember now. Thanks."

“I’ll take my leave."

“Very well, I’ll think about how to deal with the elves in the meantime."

The vice-captain saluted and turned to leave.

A sudden thought struck me.

If there is an airship nearby, why hasn’t it been used to hunt sky whales?

While I intended to use it as a means of escape, it seemed like it could also be a useful tool for the hunting party.

I called out to the vice-captain before he could exit the tent, “Vice-Captain."

“Yes, sir?"

“Something piqued my curiosity. Why hasn’t the airship been used for hunting? Spraying the bait from above would make it much easier to catch the sky whales."

Being airborne would also mitigate the threat of elven interference. If there were trade airships and guns, surely there were combat airships. Using those would be far more efficient than deploying a ground-based hunting party.

The vice-captain looked at me in disbelief. “Are you asking that because you truly don’t know?"

His response frustrated me since I wasn’t asking him questions for the fun of it, so I responded curtly, “Yes."

He seemed to have caught my irritation because his expression grew even more complicated.

“Well, Captain, I mean..." he trailed off, then sighed deeply before giving me a look as if explaining something to a clueless child.

“Under the Continental Agreement, elves won’t attack airships. But when it comes to sky whales, that’s a different story."

I nodded slightly, digesting the information. So there were laws like that here.

“They’re spirit manipulators. If several of them work together to harness the power of wind spirits, they can easily take down an airship."

Right, spirits.

Roxanne had demonstrated their use earlier, and I had found it fascinating. That had been my first encounter with them, so the concept that they could destroy airships was shocking.

“Taking that risk for a sky whale hunt isn’t worth it. No matter how valuable a sky whale is, the cost of replacing an airship far outweighs it."

“I see. Thank you for the explanation."

Seeing my composure, the vice-captain hesitated before cautiously continuing, “Captain, I understand you are far stronger than I imagined. However, it will be best if you familiarize yourself with the situation before acting in the future."

Although he had spoken politely, I could tell he was saying I should act more sensibly. He had probably thrown in a few curses inwardly, too.

It felt unfair.

Does he think I wanted to come here without knowing the circumstances?

He wasn’t the only one who wished that I was more familiar with the situation. Still, taking my frustration out on him would be pointless.

I nodded slightly. “I’ll do that. Thanks for the advice."

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

After saluting again, the vice-captain left.

I sat back and reflected on the situation, thankful that the airship issue was resolved. While I didn’t know its precise location, it should be near Peak Twenty-One.

Now, my only remaining tasks were to secure the whale-baiting incense and meet Roxanne. Stealing the bait wouldn’t be difficult. When the sky whale appeared earlier, they had fetched it quickly, suggesting it was stored in a supply depot.

I could simply cloak myself with the Shadow Veil, store it in my mimic, and leave with the stolen goods unnoticed.

Simple enough.

As for speaking with Roxanne, that could wait until later. Moving during the day felt too conspicuous. Even if the vice-captain oversaw operations, the other soldiers would still observe my actions. With how conspicuous I had been during the twenty-four hours, disappearing in broad daylight would attract too much attention.

Maneuvering the airship should be easier than expected.

If it was waiting at a temporary docking station, there had to be a crew capable of operating it.

Well, people value their lives, don’t they? A bit of persuasion—or threats—will likely do the trick.

As for dealing with the hunters, I would figure that out when the situation arose.

Now that securing the airship was no longer an issue, my earlier worries seemed almost laughable. Hidden missions were designed to be achievable, after all. Even in the face of adversity, there would always be a way forward.

If the airship gets shot down, I can just take care of the whales myself.

This wasn’t baseless confidence. I could use lightning, steal a harpoon cannon, or come up with another plan. There didn’t seem to be anyone on this floor who could stand against me.

Even if the hunting party turned on me, I could always resort to guerrilla tactics and hold my own.

“Doppy, get some rest. We will probably be busy tonight."

"Kriee! Got it!"

Now that everything was sorted out, I felt a wave of relief. It was time to set aside my concerns and take a well-deserved break.

***

[Drive away the sky whales from the vicinity of Mount Tumay. Time remaining: 162 hours 43 minutes.]

Night fell swiftly in the mountains. The moment the sun dipped below the western peaks, the Mount Tumay range plunged into shadow. Only a few patrolling guards kept the camp from becoming absolutely still.

As soon as I stepped out of the barracks, I cloaked myself with Shadow Veil before reminding Doppy, “Stay quiet and follow closely.”

Doppy nodded, its tiny face tense from determination. It seemed to understand the seriousness of the mission as it wore a grim expression that I found oddly endearing. Smiling at it to lighten the mood, I resumed my steps.

Patrolling guards passed mere inches away from us, oblivious to our presence.

The supply depot should be around here...

I retraced the path the hunting party had taken when the sky whale appeared, heading toward what I assumed was the depot. While I hadn’t finalized a plan with Roxanne yet, securing the sky whale bait came first.

The elves were primarily focused on thwarting the hunting party, leaving me with little concern for their movements tonight. My main objective was to seize the airship before dawn.

Oh?

Unfortunately, I immediately ran into an issue. A lone guard stood stationed at the entrance, and a sturdy padlock secured the door. The lock wasn’t a problem, but the guard was.

Even if I plan to steal the airship tonight...

Knocking out the guard wasn’t an option. The patrols likely rotated every two or three hours, and his absence would be noticed.

If the elves and I take too long, the hunting party will reach the airship before us.

I needed to keep my betrayal hidden for as long as possible. The later they discovered it, the better for my plan.

How do I deal with this?

After a few seconds of thought, a spark of inspiration struck, which I acted on immediately.

Circling to the back of the depot, I deactivated my Shadow Veil and left Doppy concealed behind me. Then, adopting an air of authority, I walked toward the guard.

“You’re doing great out here. Staying sharp, I hope?”

The guard straightened and saluted, obviously anxious. “C-Captain! Yes, sir! Everything’s under control!”

A flicker of fear flashed across his face, likely from witnessing the incident earlier.

I clapped his shoulder with a reassuring grin. “How long have you been on duty?”

“About an hour, sir.”

“Ah, right. You’re probably reaching the point when time seems to drag. Why don’t you take a quick bathroom break? Maybe step out for a smoke, too.”

“Sir?”

He blinked, startled, but his hesitation was only brief.

“No, sir! I’m fine!”

Yet I caught the faint upturn of his lips, the subtle twitch of a smoker trying to hide his eagerness. No one could refuse such consideration from a superior while on duty; I certainly wouldn’t have either. This was especially true for smokers.

I had come up with the idea after noticing the faint smell of cigarette smoke lingering on the guard. Since lighting up near the supply depot wasn’t an option, he would have to step away.

Flashing a knowing look, I gave the guard a gentle nudge on the shoulder. “Go on. Don’t take too long, though. Oh, and smoke far enough away. I hate the smell.”

“Haha, yes, sir! Thank you! I’ll be back in no time!”

I responded with a smile and said nothing more. Perhaps worried I would change my mind, the guard hurried off at a brisk pace.

Once he disappeared from view, I immediately retrieved the Universal Slime Key from my mimic. It was an item I had picked up after passing through Rotace’s hospital and realizing how annoying it was to deal with locked doors. I hadn’t expected it to come in handy so soon but was glad to have it.

I placed the slime at the edge of the padlock, and it slipped inside before reshaping itself to fit perfectly.

Turn it the moment it stiffens, right?

Click.

The door creaked open, and a familiar scent wafted through. It was the whale-baiting incense.

I quickly stepped inside, where about forty sacks of the incense were stacked in a corner. Confident this would be more than enough, I began stuffing them all into the mimic unhesitatingly.

Thanks to my superhuman strength, it didn’t take long to move everything.

I exited the storage, locked the padlock again, and casually waited for the soldier to return. Barely a minute passed before I spotted him rushing back from the distance.

He saluted the moment he reached me. “Captain, thank you again!”

“No need for thanks. Good work out there.”

“Please, take care!”

I turned with a smile. Watching the soldier beam so brightly did leave me feeling guilty.

The vice-captain would inevitably realize tomorrow morning that all the incense had disappeared. Considering the vice-captain’s strict demeanor, it didn’t take much imagination to know how the guard would fare.

Sighing briefly, I offered a moment of silence to the poor guard of the future.

***

[Drive away the sky whales from the vicinity of Mount Tumay. Time remaining: 161 hours 52 minutes.]

Finding Roxanne was easy. Infusing mana into the goddess’s ring summoned a gust of breeze that led the way. Time was of utmost importance, so I carried Doppy during my mad dash.

After running for about thirty minutes, I finally came upon a group of elves.

Whoosh!

An arrow zipped through the air in my direction, although it was clear that it wasn’t meant to harm me. The shaft embedded itself in the ground right in front of me, the fletching trembling on impact.

“Human! Turn back if you want to stay alive!”

The warning, laden with hostility, puzzled me.

Did Roxanne not tell them about me?

Then again, she had said we could talk once I managed to secure an airship, and from her perspective, that hadn’t happened yet.

Raising my arms to show I came in peace, I called out, “I spoke with Roxanne earlier! Tell her I’ve found a solution!”