Chapter 414: 16 Year Old Inglis and the Highland on Distance Sea (23)
Illuminas Main Island. The Great Arsenal—
"Thank you very much. We were flying low in search of this place when we were attacked by a pack of Magic Stone Beasts. I'm deeply grateful for your timely rescue."
Descending from the flying battleship now docked in the Great Arsenal, a young man from Midland extended his thanks. With a deep bow that almost had him folding at the waist, his striking silver hair and a noticeable monocle added to his handsome appearance. His genteel and poised demeanor was the kind that would usually catch Rafinha's eye.
“Ooh...”Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com
“NO!”
Inglis sprang into action, wrapping her arms around Rafinha’s head from behind, effectively covering her eyes.
“Ah, hey, Glis...! What are you doing...?!”
“You mustn’t see weird things!”
“Really, when we were trying to have a serious conversation...”
“You’re being a nuisance, Miss Inglis.”
Leone and Liselotte exchanged weary sighs.
“...Is something the matter?” The monocled youth looked around, puzzled.
“No, please don’t mind them.” Vilma dismissed the distraction and scrutinized the newcomer.
“...You are from the Æthelstan Firm, aren’t you? I don’t recognize your face.”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Über Æthelstan1 . My father has recently retired due to illness, so I've taken over his duties. I hope to continue our cooperative relationship. Thank you for your support.”
“I'll report to the higher-ups and seek further instructions. It shouldn’t be a problem, but please wait here for a moment.”
“Understood. However, could we possibly start unloading the cargo first? It might obstruct the repairs.”
“Leave it to us. Do you need any assistance with that?”
Rafinha still refused to back down, but Mais stopped her.
“R-, Rafinha... I don’t want to cause trouble for you guys, so I’m going home. I’m sure my mom and dad are looking for me and making a fuss right now. You’re going to give me a lift, right? Let’s go.”
It was fortunate that Mais was the one who suggested this.
Rafinha getting into an argument with Vilma wouldn’t end well, but if Rafinha wanted Inglis to examine the ship’s cargo, she would do it swiftly. However, Inglis doubted there would be someone strong for her to fight against in the cargo, so she wasn’t thrilled with the idea.
Then again, if they were to resort to force, Vilma might deploy a secret weapon far surpassing the Mecha Dragons to stop Inglis.
“Mais... Yeah, got it.”
Urged by Mais, Rafinha had no choice but to prioritize his safety, and they all boarded the Star Princess.
As they took off, Mais turned to Rafinha with a serious expression.
“Rafinha, hurry back there after you drop me off, okay? Miss Knight had something to hide and used me as an excuse... but she won't get away with it if I'm not there. I'm sorry I dragged you down.”
Mais seemed more aware and suspicious of Vilma than Rafinha was.
“Mais... Yeah, you got it! I’ll make sure to wring out every answer from Miss Vilma!”
“Yeah, please do! Tell me if you learned anything. I’ll come to see you again!”
“Aah~ That means you’re going to sneak out again. You naughty you~”
Rafinha playfully poked Mais with her fingertips.
“If the Duke gets all better and Illuminas is back in the sky again, then it won’t be sneaking out.”
Rafinha and Mais exchanged mischievous grins. It was charming how quickly they had bonded. Rafinha’s ability to forge connections with just about anyone was one of her strong suits.
Inglis was proud of her beloved granddaughter surrogate. She had played a significant part in her upbringing, and though Marquis Wilford and Aunt Irina had raised Rafinha, Inglis felt no less proud.
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Also, a guy whose job is deliver stuff and you name him Uber. The author is really creative.