Chapter 394: Why Are Women So Scary?
A mechanized leviathan with a sleek cobalt hull layered with black armor plating and bristling with multiple heavy dorsal fins extending like oppressive pillars along its spine sailed across the endless sky above an endless sea.
Four fin-like structures curved upward from the sides like those of some ancient sea predator. Pale thruster light poured from beneath the vessel in radiant columns across the water, giving the colossal airship an eerie grace despite its overwhelming size and destructive presence.
The exterior of the ship was terrifying, but the interior...
That was a world of its own.
The main interior of the vessel felt less like the inside of a ship and more like a floating city forged from steel and circuitry.
Vast corridors ran beneath the armored hull in layered decks, lined with exposed pipes, humming conduits, and hydraulic veins that pulsed with blue light like the bloodstream of some colossal mechanical beast.
The upper levels where we had torn through were the command citadel. And it wasn’t an understatement when I said a citadel. We had passed through passages to come here, but that was simply because they were the quick routes the soldiers took to reach the roof hatch.
Which meant that it was simply a straightforward path to the main control room.
Then beyond the control room was the command room.
However, when we got there, the commanders were not there. But since the ship had moved, it also meant that they were still on the ship. So, in a way, I had found myself in a snakes-on-a-plane situation.
White Feather and I descended into the lower decks, which were harsher and more industrial.
Massive engine chambers roared with deafening energy, filled with towering reactors, rotating turbines, and heat vents that exhaled waves of dry metallic air.
However, this place was not simply crowded with crude engines, but also brutes of beings. Bulky men ran around the engines and constantly along suspended walkways and elevator rails, appearing tiny against the scale of the machinery surrounding them.
White Feather watched them for a moment. It seemed that they had no idea what was going on yet, and their simple work was to tend to the ship. Of course, a destructive creature like this had to have this many people tending to its belly.
’Does Gilbert even have any idea?’
As we returned from the south of the lower deck, heading toward the center, White Feather asked me,
"It seems that this will be quite a hassle to clean up. What do you plan to do, Lord Cade?"
I gently tapped my jaw as we continued to walk.
"Well, killing them is reckless. They’re an organ in the ship; once that organ is removed, we will be lacking a great deal. It’s only a countdown to our destruction."
I slammed my fist into my palm as I instantly realized...
"Of course!"
White Feather gave me a serious and patient look.
I turned to her, smiling.
"Kassie is awesome with these sorts of things!"
White Feather tilted her head, sounding doubtful.
"She is? I don’t see her as someone who finds it pleasant speaking to another human."
Her opinion of Kassie made me giggle proudly.
"Right, but she has led men and led them into repetitive and addictive victories."
She sounded thoughtful.
"Oh? That’s impressive."
Then she looked at me, lingered for a moment, and smiled. Except I was overthinking it, a small hint of jealousy hid itself behind that smile.
"You know her so well, Lord Cade."
I grinned.
"Of course, she’s my first summon."
My voice dropped a moment later.
"Although I don’t know her well enough."
She patted my back.
"Give it time. It’s not always easy for us women to open up, and those of us who have carried our burdens alone our entire lives? It’s even harder."
She headed forward, the air around her turning somewhat cold.
"Thank you... I guess?"
While she had clearly given me advice, all I could sense now was an uncomfortable air.
We silently went deeper into the ship. The further inward we went, entire districts lay hidden within the vessel’s armored body — empty barracks, sprawling hangars where smaller aircraft rested in magnetic cradles, ammunition vaults sealed behind blast doors thicker than bunker walls, and artificial gardens.
"I think this place will be the destination of everyone who wants to escape."
I said, taking a look at the two-man spaceships.
White Feather shrugged.
"I doubt they’d want to run away."
I turned to her.
"Why do you say so?"
It wasn’t like I didn’t already know, but I wanted to make her talk more, as if that was going to fix the cold air she was putting on.
She responded with an impassive look.
"If that’s so difficult to figure out, Lord Cade, then I sincerely don’t know whether to be disappointed. Please refrain from asking me such demeaning questions. I think really highly of you."
I stood petrified.
’What?’
She continued to walk down toward the entrance of the hangar hall. Then she paused there, glancing back slightly.
"You’re not going to stand there all day, are you?"
I gulped.
’Why are all the ladies around me so scary? Except Yuan. I miss you once again, Yuan.’
It was quite concerning that I considered someone who slaughtered all of her siblings and their mothers less scary. But it is what it is at this point.
’Really, she’s the better end of the stick.’
I hurried after her, and we entered into the pristine hallway, lit with a flood of white light that made the entire place even brighter than day.
"It’ll be best to prevent the survivors from reaching the crew. As such, it is important to locate them before they can sabotage the ship."
I exhaled.
’Once again, Kassie was right.’
"And to bring the crew over to our side. If Lady Kassie can do it, then you should summon her as soon as possible."
Despite her words being true and necessary, it was difficult to shrug off the fact that they sounded with a sharp and insidious edge.
As I reached within me to bring Kassie out, the black lights suddenly flickered and went black without the slightest warning.
That darkness was quite deep, and I was robbed of sight.
A dry, broken chuckle fell from my lips.
