Chapter 68: Townsperson A Infiltrates the Imperial Capital

The man who snatched Ana had fled to the Imperial Capital. Melissa was the one who brought me the news.

That night, when Melissa’s face suddenly loomed in the window of my room in the quiet fortress, I thought my heart was going to stop. Once I realized she was there about Ana, though, I managed to calm down.

I thanked her and immediately headed outside. I pulled out the Vytol Custom and soared into the sky in a vertical takeoff.

“Hold on, what do you think you’re doing?” Melissa asked, pulling up alongside me.

“I’m getting her back, no matter what it takes!”

“Honestly... fine. We’ll help you out.”

Melissa kept pace with the Vytol Custom effortlessly as she spoke.

“Wait, really? But I already gave you your reward for the information...”

“It’s fine. You’re way too panicked right now, Allen; I can’t just leave you be. Besides, you’re always worrying about everyone else. You could’ve just left Jerry to his own devices, and you didn't have to go out of your way to warn us about that weird pink thing attacking, either, did you?”

“Ah, well...”

“And even though you warned us, it turned out to be so weak. That pink thing must have been someone you knew—you pulled some strings to make it that way, didn't you?”

Certainly, I can’t say it was unrelated. There’s no doubt that many things went haywire because I won that duel.

“That was just how things turned out. I didn't particularly—”

“Oh, enough. Just let us help. Besides, anyone who’d dare kidnap Allen’s mate deserves to be wiped out!”

“...Thank you. But don’t overdo it, okay?”

At my words, Melissa’s expression broke into a smile.

“A-A-A-Allen-san!”

Jerome flew toward me at incredible speed, pulling up on our other side.

“I-I-I heard everything! Leave it to me! Teeto? Or whatever it’s called... I’ll level the place!”

“No, that’s not the plan. If you just start blasting indiscriminately, you might hit Ana. I’m going to sneak in first and gather information.”

“So... if I make sure I don’t hit her, then I can blast it?”

“Well, if you’re absolutely sure you won’t hit her.”

“Got it! Leave it to me!”

He wagged his tail vigorously as he flew. That habit of Jerome’s hadn't changed a bit. Even though he’d been such a coward back when we met, Jerome felt very reliable now.

“For now, I’ll sneak in and search. Melissa, Jerome, I need you two to provide a diversion when it’s time to escape.”

“Leave it to us,” Melissa said. “By the way, Allen, your mate is in the largest building right in the center of the Imperial Capital.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? We’re Sky Dragons; we caught her scent and memorized it thoroughly. We can tell exactly where she is.”

“Oh, that’s incredible.”

“Hmph. See? Aren’t you glad we’re on your side?”

“Yeah. Truly. Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome!”

And so, with my two reliable comrades and the starlight to guide us, I continued flying toward the Est Empire’s capital.

We arrived in the skies above the Imperial Capital under the cover of the dark night.

I probably wouldn't have even been able to find this place in the pitch black without Melissa and Jerome’s guidance. I really am blessed with good friends.

Looking down, the streetlights along the main boulevards were lit, and light spilled from the windows of the palace and the larger buildings in the city center. It seemed the place was quite prosperous.

“Time to give them a little shock.”

I used Transmutation to create glass bottles filled with gasoline and dropped them indiscriminately near the palace. This time, the flames caught instantly. Between the sudden explosions and the rising fire, the area near the palace turned into a commotion like a poked beehive.

“That should do it, don’t you think?” Melissa asked.

“Yeah.”

I landed in the palace’s backyard where the security was thin. Using Transmutation, I buried the Vytol Custom beneath the earth to keep it hidden.

“Good luck! Your mate’s scent is coming from that building. But even though we’re this close, it’s extremely faint. She might be deep inside.”

“Understood! Thank you!”

I immediately activated Stealth and sprinted toward the building Melissa had pointed out. Once she saw me off, she took to the sky again.

I infiltrated the building. I kept my ears open while searching for an entrance to the basement, but nothing obvious stood out.

The reason I was looking for a basement was based on an inference from Melissa’s words. First, she said she was sensing Ana by “scent.” However, it shouldn't be possible to pinpoint a location just by what humans consider a smell. No matter how sensitive a nose one has, considering how wind and other odors mix, you can’t just track something from dozens of kilometers away. If I recall, even elephants—famous for having the best sense of smell on Earth—could only manage a few kilometers under perfect conditions.

Which means...

I suspect that what they call a “scent” isn’t actually an odor, but something else—perhaps a magical signature—and Sky Dragons use their noses to perceive it.

The fact that the “scent” grew weaker deep inside the building suggested it was being blocked by something like thick stone. Back in Kardachia, they had found me instantly even though I was sleeping in a stone room. In other words, a single stone wall or a pane of window glass wasn't enough to dampen the signal.

Usually, buildings like this have windows in every room, and from the sky, I’d seen that this building had a central courtyard. If the signal was being muffled, it meant the location had to be surrounded on all sides—ceiling, floor, and walls—by thick stone or earth, without any windows.

A basement was the only logical conclusion.

Ana, please be safe!

Praying for her safety, I threw myself into the search.