Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 24

“What’s going on? An air raid?”

Alois struggled to get up from Joshua’s lap, catching a glimpse of something rapidly approaching in the sky behind them. It looked like a large white bird. Did Neo Venice have such massive carnivorous birds that shot missiles? He pondered, but before he could reach a conclusion, Joshua pressed his head back down onto his lap.

“Stay still.”

The assassin maneuvered the car to fly sideways, as if making way for Her Majesty’s chariot. Taking advantage of Joshua’s distraction, Alois peeked out, trying to see what was happening.

A giant silver object reflecting the dazzling sunlight, accompanied by swirling air currents, sped past him, leaving a long trail.

Alois found the bird-like object very familiar.

“Hey? Isn’t that… the ‘Bard’?!”

It was indeed the latest fighter jet from Neo Venice, the Bard. It looked exactly like the one Alois had seen in virtual reality training, with its streamlined silver body, engines, and feather-like wings perfectly combined. It was both a deadly weapon and a stunning work of art.

However, the pilot of this Bard was clearly not as skilled as Joanna. The fighter wobbled in the air, seemingly on the verge of stalling and crashing. The earlier missile had missed Green Star Diamond Island and hit the water nearby, causing a splash. Then the Bard, drenched in water spray, crash-landed on the island.

To say it crashed might be an exaggeration. It was more like a clumsy landing by a novice pilot. The fighter landed on the island’s silver beach, skidding forward for several hundred meters, smashing through trees, and kicking up a cloud of dust before finally stopping in the middle of the rainforest.

Alois observed the scene from above, completely stunned, not knowing how to react.

“Uh… should we… should we call the police?” he asked hesitantly.

Joshua glared at him with disdain, as if to say, “Look at you, always calling the police when there’s trouble. What good are the police now? We’re pirates, remember?”

“Let’s go down and take a look first.”

‘Alright. Whatever you say.’ Alois thought. ‘I never have much say anyway.’

The flying car landed on the silver beach, where the Bard had gouged a deep trench, extending into the rainforest. The ground bore scorch marks from the intense heat generated by high-speed friction. This pilot must not have paid attention in class. Even with the automatic control system, the landing shouldn’t have been this disastrous.

Joshua habitually carried a gun. “Do you have an extra one? Give me one too,” Alois asked. The assassin gave him another disdainful look. “Forget it. With your skills, I’d be thankful if you don’t shoot me.” He walked along the trench into the forest.

“What kind of look is that? I’m just rusty from not handling a gun for too long. Give me some time, and I’ll get back in shape. Hey! Joshua! Wait for me!”

The trees in the rainforest were knocked askew, but fortunately, this created a path, making it easy to walk through. Some plants were uprooted, revealing their complex root systems. Thick vines hung from the ferns above, like living creatures. Despite many plants being knocked over, the rainforest was still dense, with the canopy blocking most of the sky, letting in only patches of dappled sunlight. The sunbeams filtering through added a mysterious atmosphere.

Alois clung to Joshua’s clothes, nervously following behind. He felt like something in the forest was watching them. But every time he searched carefully, the creepy feeling disappeared.

“Joshua, let’s call the police,” Alois whispered, afraid the forest’s inhabitants might hear. “Something’s not right here.” A fern moved nearby, and he gasped, jumping aside. Joshua didn’t react at all.

A colorful lizard crawled out from under the leaves, flicking its tongue.

“It’s just a poisonous lizard,” the assassin said without stopping. “Are you afraid of this too?”

Alois quickly caught up, warily looking around. “Weren’t you afraid of cats?”

“I clearly conquered that fear.”

“Hmph, you just made friends with a cat. You make it sound like you’re so brave and heroic.”

“That’s still better than someone who’s always jumpy.”

They continued their childish bickering as they ventured deeper into the rainforest. Alois estimated they were near the island’s center. Sure enough, after passing some low-hanging vines, the silver Bard came into view.

It was almost half-buried in the dirt, its body covered in roots, leaves, and uprooted vegetation, like a swan fallen into a mud pit. Alois frowned. “Damn, which idiot is this pilot? I could strangle him!”

He approached the fighter, surprised to see that its body wasn’t pure silver but covered with intricate, lighter-colored patterns visible only up close. “What was the designer thinking…” Alois muttered, reaching the cockpit.

Now he was sure that the Bard’s pilot was either a complete novice or an idiot. Generally, after such an accident, the fighter’s escape pod would automatically eject, ensuring the pilot’s safety. But here, the escape pod hadn’t ejected. In fact, there were no signs of it even trying. Alois knew of only two reasons why the escape pod wouldn’t eject: either the fighter was damaged, or the pilot had disabled the auxiliary systems.

“Alright, if it’s the former, I’ll generously forgive you. If it’s the latter, I’ll definitely beat you up and send you back for retraining!”

Joshua joined him, looking at the beautiful silver machine. The assassin was experienced with piloting small aircraft and knew the operations of large ships, but he was clueless about fighter jets, especially the notoriously complex Neo Venice models. In this area, Alois was more knowledgeable.

“What do you think?” Joshua asked.

“Let’s hope the pilot is still alive,” Alois said. “You can’t open the cockpit from the outside unless you use the ship’s maintenance arms to pry it open.”

“Is he still alive?”

Alois regretfully searched around, finally finding a piece of nearly rotten wood. He threw the wood at the cockpit.

Bang!

The wood bounced harmlessly off the metal shell.

“Can you hear me?” he shouted.

No response.

Alois looked sadly at Joshua. “May the Lord bless him.”

“Bless him,” the assassin echoed, shaking his head.

Whirr—

The sound of mechanical movement filled the air. The metal cockpit door slowly opened.

“Bless your entire family!” A weak but spirited voice came from the cockpit. “I’m not dead yet!”

Joshua was amazed. “Oh, the Lord really did manifest! How considerate of Him!”

A slender, pale hand reached out from the cockpit. “Give me a hand! Help me out!”

Alois looked at the hand indifferently. “I suddenly want to leave.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Joshua said.

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