Mob No. 72: “Your pilot sucks. The pilots I hired flew steady as a rock through this insane storm and landed easily. Incompetent subordinates stay incompetent.”
To be frank, I don’t know what Professor Theez is thinking.
There’s no way someone like that would keep his word.
The professor probably realizes that too, but had no choice with her team and students held hostage.
I want to believe that’s the case.
It’s unreasonable even if the client requests it.
Ignoring and escaping would leave me in breach of contract and open to lawsuits.
Plus their demands clearly aim to kill me.
Now how do I get out of this…
They have two ships.
One loitering overhead, the other descending to retrieve us.
So they’ll take the professor, gain altitude, then open fire probably.
Stay close to the ship and when they ascend, jump back in and activate barriers?
If the winds pick up again it could provide an escape opportunity.
As I’m planning our escape,
“Please, Uzos… That man would readily commit murder…I know it’s shameful but… My colleagues’ and students’ lives are at stake… I’m begging you…”
The professor prostrates desperately before me with a frustrated expression.
If a third party who didn’t know us saw a beautiful female scholar bowing to some brute, they’d immediately label me a villain.
Well, begging me instead of stubbornly taking the ignition key is commendable I guess.
[Hurry up and follow instructions!]
On screen, Dr. Dazblout impatiently rushes me, unable to see the professor’s prostration from his angle.
I shut off the engines and remove the ignition key and data devices, pocketing them in my pilot suit. Then hand the professor a spare ignition key.
Taking the key, she says “I’m sorry… And thank you.”
She heads out without questioning the spare key, my lack of keychain proving useful it seems.
This might allow me to fake handing over the key and capitalize on that opening.
I follow the professor out of the ship.
One ship hovers 50m up while the other has landed.
A bunch of obvious non-researcher types with military assault rifles surround Dr. Dazblout.
Probably ex-military mercs.
“Professor, bring the research results and that ship’s ignition key here! Pilot, step away from the ship!”
At his order, the rifles simultaneously take aim at me.
No way I’m obediently complying with this!
But I have no choice but to cooperate.
They’ve also made me move far enough that I can’t quickly jump back aboard.
Eventually the professor reaches Dazblout.
“Good. Now hand over the ignition key and research data.”
The professor reluctantly passes two items to the doctor.
“Excellent. Get in.”
As the professor, Dazblout, and fake researchers board, one merc points his rifle at me with the door open as they take off.
When halfway to the second ship’s height, it suddenly fires beams, destroying my ship.
Unsatisfied with just one shot, they fire multiple times.
Just as expected.
I sprint desperately to survive.
Towards a cave entrance on the excavated, tiered ruins.
Heroine? Side: Professor Florina Theez
“Good. Get in.”
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Looking satisfied, Dazblout says this after I hand over the research and Uzos’ ship ignition key.
“What are your plans for him?”
“We’ll toss back the ignition key once we gain some altitude.”
Dazblout grins while showing me the key.
As the cargo ship ascends, the fake researchers keep Uzos at gunpoint.
Around 25 meters up, I hear a beam fire followed by an explosion.
“You promised he’d be safe!”
I shout at Dazblout.
“I intended to, but it seems my subordinates had other plans. Oh well, let’s return the key.”
Grinning, Dazblout tosses the ignition key out of the ship.
“You bas-!”
As I try to punch him, a fake researcher knocks me down and Dazblout sticks a gun at me.
“Settle down unless you want your research team dead too?”
“Tch…”
I glare at Dazblout.
Just then, one of Dazblout’s non-fake subordinates reports,
“That pilot’s alive! Heading for a cave!”
“Tsk… He survived huh… Chase and kill hi- whoa!”
Right as Dazblout starts ordering, the ship shakes tremendously.
“The wind suddenly strengthened… Losing control… Can’t land!”
“Figure it out!”
“Impossible! We’ll crash at this rate!”
The pilot sounds like he’s struggling mightily, his tone conveying desperation.
With the cargo door open, a few fake researchers nearly fell out.
Wish they had.
“Can’t be helped! Shoot the cave entrance to seal it! We’ll kill him after the weather improves!”
While clinging desperately to the wall, Dazblout ordered sealing Uzos inside the cave.
Of course they’re unlikely to score a direct hit, wrestling the shaking ship and wind to prevent crashing while firing multiple beams.
Seeing this, I can’t help laughing through my nose.
“Your pilot sucks. The pilots I hired flew steady as a rock through this insane storm and landed easily. Incompetent subordinates stay incompetent just like their master.”
I couldn’t resist taunting Dazblout.
In response, he pistol whipped me in the temple.
“Don’t get cocky you lowborn…
Once I’ve taken all your research, I’ll give you plenty of tender loving care.
You should feel honored a commoner like you gets embraced by nobility like me.”
Glaring at the grinning Dazblout, I endure the pain.
Heroine? Side: End
This is the worst.
Since this seemed the only cave entrance, I planned to deal with any pursuers inside one by one.
But they sealed the entrance.
The wind noise grew louder before that, so they probably lost control and couldn’t land to chase me.
Frustrated, they destroyed the entrance.
Well, the wind did make them fire wildly.
Professor Rozweiss said this place had a villa and storage right?
So why is there a cave?
I’ll have to ask when I get back.
If there’s a villa or storage deeper inside, there may be another entrance.
A map or schematic would be great.
No use standing still.
Let’s head deeper first.
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