Kyiing.

With an eerie sound, the airship slipped into the rift between dimensions.

It automatically stopped in a secluded spot. We had finally arrived.

“Ugh. What time is it now?”

Eloka, who emerged onto the deck, yawned and looked up at the sky.

It was still gloomy but with hints of bright gray mixed in.

“It seems like it’s almost morning.”

“Today was a tough one.”

“You’re not planning to call us out during the day, are you?”

“Did I ever fool you? Today is a day off.”

“Hehe. I’ll go first then.”

Clank. The door closed.

Eloka descended the stairs.

Jenna and Neryssa followed behind. I expressed my gratitude by saying they worked really hard. They must have been tired from the physical and mental strain. It was almost like a raid.

“What about the kid?”

“I’ll take care of him. Don’t worry about it.”

Finally, Velkist left the airship.

I entered the storage room on board. A boy tied with ropes was asleep there. To sleep in such a situation. Quite daring. But it’s more convenient this way. I picked up the boy and headed to the deck.

‘I wonder how he’ll react.’

Anytng still had time to connect.

I couldn’t predict his attitude. An airship, a mage, and various items. It was too big a haul to be considered mere looting. And he didn’t tell us to do anything of this.

‘I’ll figure it out as I go.’

I deleted the chat history between me and the other player, but the logs of intrusion, counterattack, and looting remained intact. The fact that enemies had invaded the waiting room and we repelled them, then looted them in return, would be known.

I left the dimension’s rift with the boy in my arms.

Downstairs, various workers were heading to work, holding extension rods. They were going to the weekly dungeon. I turned away and entered the lodging. I opened the door and tossed the boy onto the bed. Thud.

I leaned against the chair.

I couldn’t sleep comfortably. Even though I had tied him up, mages sometimes pulled off unexpected feats. At best, it would take three hours. I closed my eyes lightly.

And a few hours later.

I woke up to daylight after closing my eyes.

My eyelids felt heavy.

I checked the clock.

I must have slept for about 5 hours, but it was already daytime.

“Ugh!”

I turned my gaze.

The boy was wriggling with anger, looking at me with hostile eyes.

Was he awake all this time? I approached and untied the rope around his mouth.

“Hey, where am I?”

“Where do you think you are? My room.”

“Why did you bring me to this place? Let me go!”

“That’s not happening.”

I spun the chair and crossed my legs.

“From now on, you’re in charge of the airship.”

“What? What nonsense…”

“Nonsense or not, how are we going to operate the airship without a mage? You’ll also help with research. Can you do enchantments and potion-making? You will also assist with missions. It’s more convenient with two mages.”

The boy looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

I patted him again.

He was wearing a robe. There were blue patterns on the robe. He had short hair with a deep blue hue. At first glance, he could be mistaken for a girl.

“Hey, you! You shameless…”

[‘Katiio (★★★★)’ is furious!]

Is his name Katiio?

The boy blushed but continued to wriggle like a caterpillar, still bound.

“You kidnapped me and now you want me to work? You bastard! Go to hell!”

I scratched my cheek.

It seems he won’t cooperate willingly.

Knock.

A knock was heard.

“Oppa, it’s me. I noticed you hadn’t eaten.”

“Come in.”

Jenna entered with a tray.

On the tray were bread and milk. Jenna’s gaze shifted to Katiio as she placed the tray on the table.

“This kid… he’s that mage from yesterday.”

“He’ll be fighting with us from now on. Get along.”

I placed the tray by the bed.

“You must be hungry. Eat.”

Zap.

He just glared at me.

I smiled and said, “If you don’t eat, you won’t be able to escape.”

“Can you… can you untie my arms?”

I untied the rope around Katiio’s arms.

“Is it okay?”

“It’s fine. There’s not much he can do alone.”

The individual combat power of mages is not high.

“It’s not like that. I made it for you to eat, oppa.”

“….”

Silence.

Katiio chewed on the bread without meeting my sharp gaze.

“Keuh!”

Perhaps he heard her saying it was for me, he coughed and drank milk.

I watched him quietly. Katiio, who quickly devoured the bread and milk, spoke.

“Even if you try to sway me like this, I won’t join you. I won’t cooperate with villains who burn other people’s houses, commit murder, and plunder.”

“Villains, you say? Do you know what your master was up to?”

“T-That’s…”

There’s no way he doesn’t know.

Even if he doesn’t directly participate in raids, traces are left everywhere.

At first, it was simple looting.

Just as the fairy said, it was at the level of casual theft. But the moment he found it easy, he gradually increased the intensity. From item theft to hero abduction and murder.

Masters on the 30th floor usually aren’t well-prepared for raids.

They lack defensive personnel and facilities, and there are hardly any masters on the 30th floor who own airships. They’re prepared for it.

It wasn’t difficult to bring them down.

Just like they did with us, they would ambush during the careless early morning hours or strike when the mission-required heroes were away.

After nibbling like this, they would invade when they were weak enough.

Then they would capture a large number of heroes and synthesize them with their own heroes. It was a pattern of repetition. The reason a lot of masters folded in this sector was probably because of him.