It was only natural, but it didn’t take long for Rudell and Leje to subdue the Public Gang that had attacked them.
Grrr…
My arm… My arm…!!
“You guys are weaker than I thought.”
On the deck of the magic airship.
The captured members of the gang, bound with ropes, were groaning in despair, and Leje, watching the scene with a look of pity, remarked.
It seemed she had high expectations of the “Public Gang,” but in the end, they were just insignificant extras.
Of course, if you looked closely, it wasn’t that they were weak; it was that Leje was abnormally strong, but there was no point in saying that.
Monster…!! It’s a monster…!!
“Excuse me? Calling a person a monster? In the kingdom, that would be an immediate summary execution for insulting a noble. Got it?”
“I thought you were an ogre.”
As Leje shot back at the Public Gang who yelled at her, Rudell let out a low chuckle nearby.
Who’s an ogre!! Who!!
Ah! Sorry! I’m so sorry!!
At that statement, Leje blushed and swung her fist at Rudell.
Meanwhile, Rudell’s scream echoed across the deck…
…
Watching this scene, Camel had a look of utter disbelief as he stared at the two.
His expression seemed to say, “Did I really end up like this because of these idiots?”
Oh? You still look grumpy? Want to get hit more to come to your senses?
Grr…
Seeing Camel’s look, Leje narrowed her eyes, making Camel lower his gaze with a low groan.
In the meantime, an elder was helped up to the deck by the crew members.
He was none other than the captain of the magic airship.
His one eye was swollen, apparently from being beaten by the Public Gang, and he bowed his head in gratitude.
Th-thank you, everyone… I never thought I’d receive help from a kingdom citizen…
You don’t need to thank us.
It was something we had to do anyway.
After all, they were bandits who had attacked with the intent to plunder; a clash was only a matter of time. It was something the two had no choice but to get involved in.
You two are surprisingly humble, aren’t you? I will repay this kindness for sure.
But it seemed the captain mistook their reaction for humility as he bowed respectfully towards them.
For Rudell and Leje, it was just a burden. However, they couldn’t just tell him to stop either.
By the way, what are you going to do with these people?
They’ll be handed over to the Empire’s air force. It’s only right to get rid of this trash!
Gah!?
It seemed the wounds inflicted by the Public Gang hurt immensely, as the captain yelled that and charged toward Camel, kicking him in the chest.
With a pained groan, Camel fell down, and still not satisfied, the captain kept kicking him.
You rotten bandits!!
Stop it, Captain! You’ll actually kill him!!
Damn it! If I were ten years younger…!!
The crew, unable to bear it anymore, stopped the captain, who was huffing in anger, as they helped him back toward the bridge.
And then, at that moment.
A black shadow loomed over their heads.
What is that?
Why is it so dark?
In the sudden situation, Rudell and Leje looked up…
Oh my…
W-What is that!?
A low groan escaped from the mouths of the two as they gazed at the enormous object filling their view.
It was none other than a magic airship.
And it was several times larger than the one they were on…
It was a colossal floating fortress that truly deserved the name.
This is Imperial Air Force Royal Sovereign. We alert the Public Gang. Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately. If you resist, you will be executed immediately.
The thunderous warning broadcast echoed from the Empire’s magic airship…
Boom…
With a heavy sound, the lower part of the airship opened, and huge metal masses were dropped from inside.
Wait!? You said we’d be shot if we resisted!? We didn’t do anything!
Are they trying to sink the ship!?
Rudell and Leje shouted in panic upon witnessing the scene, and in the next moment…
Bwaaaaaang-!!
The metal masses were falling with the momentum to pierce the deck, releasing blue flames as they blasted downward, while the amount of falling metal masses decreased.
To their surprise, the immensely large metal masses landed lightly on the deck…
Whirring!! Clank!!
With a clanking sound, the masses transformed into mechanical armor.
This is the Imperial Air Force. If you do not surrender and lay down your weapons immediately, your lives are not guaranteed…
Um… it seems there’s been a misunderstanding. The Public Gang is over there, not us.
A formal warning broadcast came from the mechanical armor, which looked more crude than Silphier’s suit, and only then did Rudell realize something was wrong. He hurriedly pointed toward the tied-up Public Gang behind him.
W-What…?
At that moment, a bewildered voice came from the mechanical armor.
*
A few hours later.
The sky had been dark for quite some time.
But…
This is the capital of the Empire, Pensburg.
As the officer said that, an incredibly splendid view unfolded beneath his feet, beyond description.
The capital of the kingdom, Prucelium, also had splendid night views, but the empire’s capital in front of them…
The night view of Pensburg was undeniably much more magnificent.
Buildings densely packed across a much larger area than Prucelium were casting illuminations.
The sparkling scenery they created could hold its own even when compared to 21st-century cities on Earth.
Wow…!!
This is amazing…
G-gosh…
Hmm…
Incredible, isn’t it?
All of them, including Rudell, were left speechless at the splendor.
It was that overwhelming.
We’re landing soon, so hold on tight!
Just then, the officer’s voice rang out as the magic airship began to shake and gradually descend.
To avoid falling, Rudell and the others grabbed onto whatever they could until soon enough, the magic airship safely landed at what appeared to be an airfield.
Thank you for the ride!
No need to thank us. You did our job for us.
The officer waved his hand toward Rudell, who bowed, and Rudell and company passed through the busy landing area, leaving the airport.
And there, the landscape of the empire, totally different from the kingdom, welcomed them.
Ughhh…!! We finally arrived!!
I’m glad we got here sooner than expected…
We got lucky; I never thought those people would give us a ride.
In a way, they were indeed lucky.
After all, instead of the magic airship broken by the Public Gang, they were given a lift to Pensburg.
Rudell thought about whether civilians could ride military ships, but listening to their words, it seemed that even if they were affiliated with the military, they were essentially no different from the police.
If they were police rather than military, this whole situation was completely understandable.
Yawn… So, what are we going to do now?
I think we should find a decent place to rest for tonight. What do you all think?
It seemed like Leje was tired from the long flight as she let out a big yawn and asked.
To her question, Rudell replied while looking at the others.
I—I’m in favor… I’m exhausted.
I don’t really mind either way.
I’ll also vote for resting.
Then it’s decided. We were originally supposed to arrive tomorrow anyway…
With the responses of the others, Rudell nodded.
Since their original schedule was to arrive tomorrow afternoon…
Given that spies from the kingdom would come to meet them at the airport, there wasn’t really anything they could do at that moment.
So finding a suitable lodging to rest would be a good choice.
But then, at that moment…
By the way, do you guys know the area here? I don’t know at all.
Uh…?
At Leje’s follow-up question, Rudell let out a vacant voice.
Then he turned his head to look at the other companions.
I—I don’t really know much about the Empire…
I don’t know either.
This is the first time I’ve been to the Empire…
Naturally, none of the group knew the geography of Pensburg.
In other words, they were completely clueless about their surroundings, having fallen right into the middle of the capital of the Empire.
Ha… Ha ha…
It felt like things were going too smoothly.
Rudell thought that and then a sigh of resignation escaped his lips.
We’re in trouble.
And gazing at the overly glittering streets of the Empire, he said that.
