Chapter 76

Actually, I had many questions: why was a noble lady here? Why did Rosweyde not have a human form, but the lady did? Why did she start moving now? Could she tell me about other entrances? However, resting my body was a priority, and I thought that asking would definitely complicate things, so I decided not to ask.

But there was one thing I had to ask.

"Um, can I take a break inside this elevator? I came back here to rest..."

"Sure, do as you like when the elevator comes back. Don't go down, though."

After calmly giving me permission, Gerhilde went back down and retrieved the shovel and gun she had left behind. By the time she was done, the elevator had returned unmanned.

Only then was I able to take off my pilot suit.

I always wear a pilot suit when operating the ship.

Thanks to this habit, I didn't get wet except for my face, even in the heavy rain, and I didn't have to worry about catching a cold.

However, since I had been digging, I naturally sweated, and even without the rain, I could catch a cold from my own sweat.

So before taking off my pilot suit, I activated the drying function.

This function perfectly evaporates moisture both inside and outside and also deodorizes.

By the way, the clothes under the pilot suit are track pants, chosen for ease of movement and moisture absorption.

Speaking of which, I remember Gerhilde mentioning that documents and recording media made of Pla-paper were found underground. Could they have been here?

In a room-sized elevator, having documents inside, I vaguely remember a manga or movie where an entire office became an elevator.

Anyway, I placed the pilot suit on the table, used the portable toilet, arranged chairs to make a bed, and lay down. Due to fatigue, I soon lost consciousness.

The next morning, I didn't feel very good.

Laying on chairs arranged as a bed was not good.

I even thought the ground would be better.

First, I drank water from the water server to my satisfaction, checked the battery of the excavator, used the toilet, put on the pilot suit for safety, and loaded the necessary tools onto an anti-gravity hover cart and moved to the entrance.

By the way, I didn't shoot the entrance with the gun I got back because it probably wouldn't make a hole, and more importantly, the vibration from the impact could cause the cracks to worsen and the cave to collapse, putting my life in danger.

After that, it was a repeat of yesterday: two hours of digging with the excavator, a ten-minute break, and twenty minutes of clearing debris, repeated four times, and finally, the entrance was open.

It was past 6 PM. The rain and wind were still raging outside.

Even from a distance, I could see that my ship was completely destroyed, and even the shed was demolished, making communication impossible.

Of course, all my precious books and anime data cards, except those in the listcom, were reduced to ashes.

While they can't be replaced with my life, I absolutely won't forgive the destruction of my precious light novels, manga, and anime data cards!

However, I can't return to the floating city like this.

There's no choice. I should consult Gerhilde... but that's impossible. She told me not to go down.

But what about the cracks? If they aren't repaired, they will definitely be noticed during the investigation.

"Hey"

"Ah!"

While thinking about these things in the rain, Gerhilde suddenly called out to me from behind.

"Can you leave but you're not going back?"

"Don't scare me like that. But it's good timing. Do you have a ship, plane, or boat? My ship is like this."

After seeing what was left of my ship, Gerhilde thought for a moment and then said something very helpful.

"Right... I think there was a watercraft for fishing in the corner of the hangar."

"That! Can I borrow it?"

If I have a boat, I can return to the floating city.

It's much better than staying here and being killed by that doctor.

"Sure. But you know my foolish sister, right? Where is she?"

"She's based in the Pout space region, on the planet Itz, working as a mercenary like me, with a partner."

"Can you give me a space map? Mine is old."

"Sure."

While duplicating the space map from my bracelet terminal, I noticed the rain had stopped.

But the rain was still visible in my field of vision.

Looking up, I saw a streamlined combat boat floating, with a black line and a black bow and arrow mark on a silver background. The silhouette resembled Rosweyde but was a size larger.

It was stationary in the air, unaffected by the storm.

I immediately realized it was Gerhilde's main body.

Then, in human form, Gerhilde said,

"I'm abandoning this place to meet my foolish sister. You can investigate as you like."

With a powerful leap, she boarded herself and quickly left the scene.

Well, if I'm found, it could be very dangerous, so it's a good decision.

More importantly, I should immediately search for the watercraft below.

If it's broken, I'll need to repair it.

The elevator descended to a well-lit area. To the left was a wall, and to the right was a corridor. In front of me was a narrow elevator hall with a leather sofa.

Turning right down the corridor, I reached a large hangar, big enough to fit the entire stadium of the floating city.

However, there were no ships, and no work machines or tools were left. The entrance Gerhilde used was open, and rain and wind were coming in.

I didn't think Gerhilde would lie, so the watercraft must be somewhere.

Looking around carefully, I saw a square hole in the wall with a staircase leading up.

There was a glass window at the top, so I went up the stairs.

It seemed to be a control tower where everything inside the hangar could be controlled.

The next moment, the entrance Gerhilde used started to close.

It probably closed automatically, as part of the console was lit.

There were many other interesting things, but it was better not to touch them.

Fortunately, there was a layout of the hangar, and although I couldn't read the text, I could see where the watercraft was.

Going to check the watercraft, I found that it was connected to the sea, and there were three watercraft, one of which had an engine.

Even without being able to read the text, the system was simple to operate, and it wasn't broken. The fuel tank was also quite full, so I could escape.

However, in my current state of exhaustion, it would be dangerous, and even with the heavy rain, it would be better to go during the day.

For safety, I loaded the paddle of the rowboat onto the engine-powered boat.

Then, I returned to the elevator hall, used the toilet inside the elevator, and lay down on the leather sofa.

It was much more comfortable than the three connected hard chairs.

The digging was completely in vain...

Gerhilde wouldn't tell me, given her attitude.

Well, I can only think that it was good for my diet.

This time, I got to it first.

The drying function of the pilot suit is similar to the jacket in the movie "Back to the Future 2."

Thank you for your comments, opinions, and any corrections.