Looking out the window in front of me, I see the distant horizon and shoreline intertwined.
Yes, I’m currently in the sky.
It’s much smaller compared to the airship I took from Bern City to the Royal Castle, but it’s still an airship the size of a small boat.
The vehicle that left from in front of the accommodation went straight into the military base surrounding the castle, and I immediately boarded the airship at the dock.
Now that I think about it, this world has a ton of flying machines.
This is because there’s a mysterious substance called “floating matter” that actually exists. According to some memories, it’s either a collection of microorganisms that levitate using magic power, or it’s originally a substance that isn’t affected by gravity but has an affinity for magic, often found on planets abundant in magic.
There are many examples, but it seems that this world has different qualities of magic power, with some floating while others sink.
To put it simply, if you pour water and oil, water sinks, and oil floats. If there’s an object that sinks in the oil and floats in the water, it gathers at the boundary between them.
It seems to be that kind of substance. In short, using a material that rises to a certain height, the means of transportation in this world is the airship that moves up and down.
There are layers of magic power, suggesting that at least there are types of magic that do not mix, but what do I know? I can’t use magic.
From the memories of Wonsi Cheonjon, I hear that I probably have a type of power completely opposite to magic power, making it impossible for me to use magic even if I die and come back.
So, I decided to ignore such things and look around.
The front is blocked by a transparent panel, and the pilot or captain is driving in front. On either side, the Mechanical Puppets assist in the operation.
And there’s a door separating the cockpit from the room.
With a large circular window in the center, the cockpit is visible. The room has two chairs on either side like a bus.
But the difference is that these chairs are quite plush, providing one seat per person.
Polaris is sitting in her seat, looking comfortably familiar.
From Kanna’s memories, it doesn’t seem strange that a well-off nobility has an airship, so it’s not surprising that she’s accustomed to airships.
However, it’s hard to see airships in the capital city.
Unless it’s a specific type of airship, if you get too close to the capital, after one warning announcement, you’ll be shot down immediately if you continue to approach.
So even Kanna had to leave the capital before going to the dock to board an airship to return home.
By the way, there are also flying monsters and sky thieves in this world.
That’s why this airship we’re on has defensive equipment attached.
Zap!
Looking out the window, I sometimes see them firing electric shocks at creatures approaching the airship.
Electric shocks in mid-air are dangerous. Yes.
That aside, considering where Victoria is right now…
Ah.
I’ve definitely gone south of Victoria. It’s much faster flying in the sky than traveling on the ground.
But since I can’t let that show, I quietly sat there.
It seems Polaris notices my awkwardness and doesn’t initiate any conversation, leaving only the soft whirring sound of the airship’s winding mechanism in the background.
Unlike me, who has countless constant movie theater channels, for Polaris, this might be a somewhat dull journey.
She responds sincerely if asked something, but she doesn’t actively engage unless spoken to, so it seems our journey will likely be quiet unless something happens.
Yes.
Unless something happens.
The incident occurred as we got closer to Bern City.
CRAAACK!
Up ahead.
Without any warning, the window revealing the cockpit was suddenly stained red with screams. It was clearly a deadly amount of blood.
The only person in front is the pilot.
Just before this, no monsters appeared, nor did any enemies invade. If that were the case, it would be a case of murder in a sealed room.
But this is a world where things that are not human can kill people.
CRACK!
Despite having hands that could open the door, a blood-soaked Mechanical Puppet emerged from the cockpit, openly displaying hostility.
Contrary to what I knew, the visual apparatus was not stained red, but it was evident that the machine had killed someone.
BANG!
As it came out, a chair hit its face and exploded.
The culprit who threw the chair was none other than Polaris.
I thought most people around here were kind, but there are many who handle dangerous situations without losing composure. No, they’re not exactly calm. Their faces are filled with confusion and fear, shocked by the incident.
Yet somehow, they are keeping it together.
Looking slightly downward, the chair is bolted to the ground with screws. In other words, she ripped the chair off the ground and threw it.
EEEKK!
With a sound of steel tearing again, the chair in Polaris’s hand is torn free from the floor. Ah, so this chair was made of metal.
Polaris seems to want to say something but makes a high-pitched sound, then clears her throat a few times while bending her back, pretending to not be confused at all.
“Bell, it’s dangerous! Don’t go near the door. What is it, an assassination?”
“Isn’t it more like a rebellion of machines?”
CLICK!
I heard a noise from behind and turned around to see another blood-soaked doll-like Mechanical Puppet walking this way, presumably with the remains of its insides stuffed into a half-broken teapot.
Thinking back, there were a few crew members onboard when we boarded…
“Who is controlling the Mechanical Puppets?”
“There’s no chance it has a consciousness, right?”
“A machine? That’s impossible. It might have a level of judgment, but it’s no more intelligent than a bug. Unless it’s the latest model, but this one looks pretty outdated. There’s definitely a person giving orders.”
Even including faded memories, this level of intelligence… Hmm. No, there seems to be more than I expected. Typically, it’s strange that a world from my fading memories developed this much and didn’t have such artificial intelligence.
THUMP!
At that moment, the blood-soaked, partially destroyed teapot-bearing Mechanical Puppet charges at Polaris.
BANG!
But Polaris swiftly swings the chair and strikes it to the side.
THUD!
It crashes into the wall and gets stuck. It seems to have decent endurance as it rattles, trying to free itself from where it’s stuck, but it doesn’t seem to have enough power to pull its crumpled metal body out.
“How many more are there?”
“I have no idea.”
“Not much help.”
Polaris carefully walks backward. But before she reaches the back door of the room, she stops.
There are three blood-soaked Mechanical Puppets emerging from the rear door. Behind them, a corpse with a significant amount of skin stripped away is visible.
I hurriedly direct my gaze back at Polaris. I was worried that this sight might be horrific for the girl, but Polaris coldly glares at the Mechanical Puppets.
The Puppets clank toward Polaris. Suddenly, one of them starts spinning its winding mechanism wildly and lunges at her.
BANG!
However, it hits a chair, crumpling its body instead, and Polaris deftly ducks under the swiftly striking hand of the next machine. While ducking, she spins and kicks its head.
CRACK!
The head comes off and rips from the torso.
But the last one grabs the rotating torso of Polaris mid-air.
Is a harvesting period soon?
BANG!
Wow.
As the Mechanical Puppet grasped her torso, Polaris’ legs, which were spinning in inertia, twist around and wrap around the Puppet’s head and shoulders, then slam it down to the ground.
Does action-reaction exist? Polaris bounces into the air humorously, but it must be part of her plan as she lands lightly on the ceiling before dropping to a positioned stance.
Then, instead of smashing its head into the ground, she leaps, smashing down onto the head after it has hit the ground.
HISS!
This time, instead of the head smashing into the ground, the skeletal frame that served as the head disintegrates into pieces, scattering Mechanical Puppet fragments everywhere.
The size was the same as Rebecca, but what kind of bear smashes down like this?
Now that I think about it, late-stage Rebecca could probably pull off that kind of move too, couldn’t she?
After I left, having no light or warmth, for some reason, Rebecca started moving again, and when I saw her later, she had become immensely strong.
Is it because of the presence of magic that she’s getting some kind of boost from pure physical strength?
Thinking it was a fascinating phenomenon, I watch Polaris moving towards the back door of the room. I follow her into the back room.
“Don’t come in!”
As I grab the door, a threatening voice comes from inside. It’s not so much a tone warning me it’s dangerous, but more like “there’s something creepy, so I can’t show you.”
But I went inside anyway.
Polaris’s back is visible, and the heavy stench of blood assaults my nose.
From behind, Polaris’s clenched fist has turned completely white.
In the corridor, shredded body parts lie scattered everywhere. But looking at the pieces, it seems to be one person…
Ah. No, it isn’t.
Under the sign reading “Crew Quarters”, a hand slips out from between the door cracks. Noticing that, Polaris walks over and stands there.
I also walk over in that direction. In the process, I stealthily step on a corpse to absorb the faint remaining warmth.
Though memories are like corpses themselves, they’re broken in places, yet they still come to me.
I verify what just happened.
It seems they were rushed here for an emergency flight, expressing sadness about it. This isn’t right. The memory right before death…
Ah, found it.
They were chatting about why they were suddenly headed to Bern City, carrying two children, when the convenient Mechanical Puppet that was helping them slowly surrounded them and killed them without giving them a chance to respond.
The Puppet surrounding them was a fatal blow because they felt it coming with no suspicion.
Polaris steps backward out of the door. As more of her face becomes visible, it stands pale and frozen.
“Bell.”
“We need to find out what happened.”
Polaris calls my name with a tone indicating “don’t come closer” as she hears me stepping, but I insist on going inside to find reasons, leaving her behind.
There are two more.
While pretending to rummage through the corpses, I gain the warmth that’s disappearing. The heat left on those who died recently is still there.
It’s incredibly faint, and the memories coming through are fragmented, but…
“All three were ambushed and killed.”
“All three?”
“Including the corridor.”
Polaris solemnly nods her head. That’s when it happened.
Suddenly the vehicle jolts, and the whole structure shakes a bit, causing inertia to point upwards.
“Are we dropping?”
“Looks like it.”
At my words, Polaris’s face turned pale. But we’re clearly not falling freely; otherwise, we should be in a state of weightlessness. This means someone is controlling the descent.
Now that I think about it, there were Mechanical Puppets on either side of the pilot, but only one came out.
I’m headed for the cockpit.
“Where are you going?”
“To the cockpit.”
Seeing her wondering if that was a good idea, Polaris follows.
My first goal is to reach the pilot’s warmth before it cools down, but I have no reason to explain this compulsion and just pretended to head forward to resolve the situation.
