“Has Viscount Craft been devoured by a bird?”
After disembarking from the scoff and arriving on the back of the skywhale, Sinclair, the guild master, was taken aback when he heard the report.
Other guilds seemed equally confused, with the chatter among their leaders significant.
“What will happen now?”
“Should we form a search party?”
“What about the guild master?”
The guilds had long agreed to sidestep the student council after receiving notification of the guild master. Despite the student council’s substantial authority, having received some powers from the Sky Island governor’s office, they were still a student group. Collecting skywhales required specialized skills, and without the cooperation of those involved, it would be challenging to undertake a thorough investigation.
Given the unique entry barriers of their specialized field, it was easy to disguise tax evasion or illegal activities as unavoidable procedural norms if organized dissembling and manipulated testimonies were orchestrated.
The unification among the guilds progressed smoothly. Now, they only had to pretend to cooperate with the student council while focusing on their own collection efforts.
However, suddenly Viscount Craft had been attacked by a bizarre bird.
“Why on earth?”
It was truly a ridiculous situation. Even merchants with significant experience in collection only knew about bizarre bird kidnappings through hearsay.
“What happened? Is it true that he was swallowed by a bird?”
One of the guild representatives voiced his suspicion.
Although it was somewhat irreverent to doubt the viscount, an underlying sense of empathy began to form. Considering Craft’s notorious reputation, he could easily start an investigation under false pretenses to distract them.
However, the reasonable suspicion was quickly dispelled. The sight of a pink girl being carried off by a bird was simply too conspicuous.
Numerous testimonies confirmed that he had been taken away with a loud wail.
One guild master clutched his chest.
“No, why would this happen?”
While the somewhat troublesome duties of the student council had come to a halt, none of the guild leaders desired this situation. They needed to form a search party by pulling some members away who should be earning money.
An individual from the student council entered the tent where the guild representatives had gathered.
Leonard arrogantly surveyed the scene before making an announcement.
“You all know the situation by now, right? We’re forming a search party. Gather your members as you see fit. Why are you so slow? Move immediately!”
With unilateral member summons, the search party was formed. Given that the perpetrator was known, they planned to head directly to the mountainside where a nest might be located.
Soon enough, a mixed search party of guides and mercenaries from various guilds was dispatched.
The guild representatives sighed and disbanded. They needed to move quickly to recover their losses.
However, Sinclair, the guild master, who managed the largest guild, wore a peculiar expression.
From the situation unfolding, it seemed unlikely that there would be any investigation, much less anything similar. If anything, the area around the mountain would become bustling with the viscount’s perverse bird-hunting.
Despite being a freshman, Viscount Craft, who maintained a naïve exterior while controlling the student council, was a burden, causing them to tentatively put their plans on hold. However, given Craft’s current predicament, it was an excellent time for contact without needing to face his sinister true nature.
Entering the guild tent, Sinclair quietly summoned an underling. Upon receiving the signal, the subordinate left the tent and vanished into the woods.
He would contact the cult, which should be somewhere with the skywhale.
Prism was a long-established guild. Interacting regularly with the skywhale that frequently visited the Sky Island, they had accumulated substantial expertise and captured a significant portion of the skywhale market.
However, despite being the guild master, Sinclair had no blood relation to this guild’s history and traditions. When the previous guild leader and his entire faction had unexpectedly died, Sinclair, who had been the deputy guild leader at the time, was handed complete control of the guild.
A fortuitous mass death and timely guild governance.
The cult assuredly produced results. It was now time for Sinclair to pay the price.
As promised, he was set to hand over various key equipment and technologies of the Prism guild to the cult.
Once this contact was concluded, the cult would be able to secure high-grade materials autonomously, in a location beyond the empire’s scrutiny. This would also facilitate smooth funding through material smuggling.
It only required a single meeting.
The cult members who had come from the demon realm via the skywhale would be welcomed by the Prism guild on the Sky Island. This interaction took place above the skywhale, a scenario that the knight corps and academy wouldn’t be able to interfere with.
While it was concerning that the clueless Viscount Craft had initiated an investigation, given the viscount’s current predicament, there was no better time for the contact.
Sinclair, the guild master, moved swiftly.
—
Pastel lay sprawled on a branch high up in a colossal tree. It was large enough for her body to rest comfortably.
She concealed herself amidst the thick leaves, gazing down at a pit far below.
Members of the Prism guild busied themselves back and forth across the pit. A large device with a long syringe needle was inserted into the pit. As the gears on the device moved, a red liquid began to fill the syringe.
Pastel whispered softly.
“What are they doing?”
It looks completely suspicious.
『They are extracting blood from the skywhale.』
“Excuse me?”
Could it be that the pit she thought was simply a hole was actually the sunken skin of her whale friend?
The syringe with the gear attachment was pulled out. Workers poured the extracted blood into a large cauldron. As the firewood heated the cauldron, the blood began to boil. Red liquid splattered.
Eww.
Pastel shivered.
Her whale friend, your blood…!
Being extracted while still alive…!
Ahhh.
“That’s so evil!”
Anyone could see that they looked like vampires!
A 100% association with the wicked cult.
『Hmm, it’s an unpleasant sight but a fairly standard procedure.』
“Really?”
『They are removing moisture and going through various processes to create the serum that will be the raw material for the magic stone awakening agent you enjoyed eating.』
Pastel’s eyes widened in realization.
The magic stone awakening agent, which had tasted like candy, was actually made from the blood taken from her whale friend while it was alive?
She remembered the times when she used to eat it deliciously.
Gulp.
She covered her agape mouth with both hands.
I’m sorry, friend!
Even though I’ve never talked to you, I’m truly sorry!
『I don’t know much myself, but once it’s boiled and sufficiently concentrated, it will be transferred to the barrels. The tax evasion will be carried out while deceiving the count of barrels. This scene needs to be verified to catch the tax evasion.』
“Is that so?”
Pastel scrutinized the scene closely.
Though it was bizarre to witness the blood being drawn from a still-living whale, she didn’t see any overtly evil or suspicious activities.
Instead, she noticed a group of individuals learning about the ongoing work. They were a small number of individuals dressed as mercenaries or wearing robes of mages, making it odd that they were there learning about the fieldwork.
“Is that also an act of tax evasion?”
『Probably not. It seems like a handoff; are they establishing a new organization within the guild?』
Sinclair, the guild master, approached that small group and began to converse with them. When a mage pointed to the scene and asked questions, Sinclair, with his arms crossed, responded. It looked like a scene of skill transfer.
Although it appeared ordinary, Pastel felt an unsettling sensation in her hair.
“Something feels off.”
『What is it?』
“That is…”
Pastel pondered deeply.
After furrowing her brows in a serious expression while crossing her arms, she looked skyward, then back down to the ground and decisively said,
“It’s just strange!”
This was an obvious question that begged an answer.
『Really?』
The demon was taken aback.
Wow, I’m being treated like a complete fool.
“Just you wait! I will find proof of the smart subconscious!”
Pastel spent the whole day perched in the tree, observing the scene.
As the work continued, the workers began to take a break for a meal. As the sun set and darkness fell, the work came to a halt. The workers started returning to a campsite nearby.
『Looks like today’s work is done.』
The demon continued with a voice of concern.
『Little Craft, how about you head back? You’ve been camping rough for several days. Your body will wear out if this keeps up. You may be very resistant to external infections, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune to all diseases.』
“Demon, you’ve been saying that for days now.”
With all my concern about getting sick, I still bathe regularly in the stream and have washed my clothes several times.
Thanks to that, Pastel wasn’t muddy Pastel; she was squeaky-clean Pastel.
Squeaky-clean Pastel.
Just how effective the surfactant plant the demon found was made her incredibly clean.
Huh.
Pastel felt a tinge of sadness.
No one will understand how it feels to be forced to wash my face just when I was disguising myself in muddy revenge…
Being forced to splash around.
Caught Pastel was flailing about.
The loyalty she must maintain as a clan leader…!
The vengeful spirit that should be directed at the cult…!
That aside, splash splash.
Whoa! Demon! Demon! The stream water is cold! It’s really cold!
“Ugh.”
Squeaky-clean Pastel let out a deep sigh.
However, knowing that the demon would worry, she couldn’t admit that her heart was sold to the cult.
『Do you want to go back? If you return now, I’ll prepare a week’s worth of meals according to what you want. Anything, regard of nutrition.』
Huh.
A week’s worth of anything?
Pastel was tempted but quickly shook herself awake.
She made a cold, harsh expression.
“I know you’ll just give in to all my demands if I whine.”
There’s no merit in that.
『What did you just say…?』
The demon was astounded.
Ignoring the now silent demon, Pastel surveyed the work site. The workers, having completely tidied up, began to leave.
A peculiar detail caught her eye: the individuals dressed as mercenaries who were receiving technical instruction remained behind. Sinclair, the guild master, also returned after seeing off the workers.
Huh.
Suspicious times a million.
One of the workers returned to the site, bringing various material tools before leaving again. These were equipment identical to what had been used on-site.
The mercenary exchanged pleasantries with Sinclair and began gathering the equipment to move. Their direction was completely different from that of the Prism guild’s campsite.
Pastel immediately began to follow.
The place where the mercenaries arrived was an open area not too far away, surrounded by trees and bushes. The spot was positioned so perfectly that one would only notice a hidden scoff if getting close.
A scoff?
The mercenaries clutched the rope ladder of the scoff and climbed on deck. The scoff, mimicking the whale, flapped its wing-like fins. A gust of wind blew, and the enormous craft began to rise slowly.
Pastel dashed forward, blending into the shadow of the scoff. Upon reaching an absolute blind spot, she leaped up toward the scoff.
The girl’s body lifted into the air. A knife floated from her grasp, flying down toward her feet. The sounds of her leaps followed. The knife bounced off and flew back repeatedly, as the pink silhouette soared high.
Pastel aimed her sword at the deck of the scoff. The wooden surface splintered, and the sword was lodged. She spun her body and hung on.
The rising scoff began to accelerate slowly. As it flew above the trees, the vegetation was swept aside, and the sound of wind roared loudly.
Ahhh.
Various branches brushed beneath the girl.
“Whoa! Where does this lead?!”
『Hooh. Judging by the insistence on low flight, it seems they are not leaving the skywhale.』
“That makes sense!”
Hanging precariously from her sword, Pastel’s heart began to race.
Who are you~!
Where are you taking us~!
Even though she didn’t understand anything,
“In conclusion, it’s camping times a million!”
Pastel was filled with thoughts of camping.
『What did you just say…?』
The demon was shocked.
