"Check below deck for enemies! I don't sense anyone with my detection field, but inspect the spaces anyway! Stay alert!"
I instructed my comrades who were still slightly surprised by my teleportation stunt.
"Understood!"
They all said promptly once they woke back to realization.
It would become more than troublesome if we had to fight those black-armored knights to get to this vessel.
The ship was luckily in near enough distance for me to cast teleportation with just relying on my sight and what was left of my mana supply.
Right now simple First Circle spells or one solid Third Circle were all I could cast. I had expended almost all my energy to teleport us.
[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:03:23]
I scanned the timer again as I raised the ship's anchor with telekinesis and made my way to the ship's helm.
Three minutes should be enough to get us to safe distance from the city.
"This ship. It's not an ordinary vessel, is it?"
The young prince said, joining me.
I nodded to him.
"That is right, Your Highness. This vessel is an airship that has been repurposed for treading water."
"I knew it!"
The prince said excitedly with childish tone.
"You're familiar with the engineering design, Your Highness?"
The young boy nodded.
"I love flying on airship. So I talked a lot with airship mechanics and captains. Even got myself small lessons on how to pilot one."
"Then you should know how to control even this modified vessel."
I told him as I opened a panel from under the ship's spoked wheel.
Collectives of button were arranged behind the panel.
From the dust collecting on their surface, the owner of this ship likely never realized this mechanism existed.
"The ship's secured!"
Jonah reported as he and the others returned to the deck.
"There are only cabins for sleeping and a storage filled with food and water down there."
Shanny added.
I nodded to them.
"Very well. Now hold on to something or you'll fall off."
I ordered as I pressed a button.
A loud buzzing noise suddenly resounded from somewhere at the rear of the ship.
Soon, the vessel began to move as if all the winds in the world had pushed its sail, which we had not even brought down yet.
"Whoa!"
Shanny reacted as she tightly hugged the ship's mast.
"The vessel is going so fast!"
Jonah said while clutching the railings.
I turned the ship's steering wheel and directed the vessel west, toward the Great Katcha Lake, away from Tsuchi.
[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:00:57]
We watched the time running out as our magically-engineered ship was swiftly cruising into the vast dark water ahead.
The moon was our only guiding light.
Tsuchi slowly faded in the darkness as we sailed further into the lake.
[Time remaining until the decimation of the city:]
[00:00:00]
A piercing light suddenly flashed from the east. From where Tsuchi stood.
Whoosh!
A big shockwave suddenly rushed past us, travelling further into the lake. Our large vessel slightly rattled at the contact.
Then, like the coming of dawn, a golden shining dome emerged from where the light appeared.
The radiating dome grew larger and larger it painted the dark clouds above golden.
Even from afar we could feel the heat that the titanic dome radiated.
Just before the dome's peak kissed the clouds, it instantly vanished into nothing.
What was left in the dome's place was a vast burning crater that could fit all of Tsuchi within it. For that was where the city used to stand.
An entire city filled with a million humans, both alive and undead. All vanished in a matter of seconds.
My comrades and the prince gasped at the calamitous sight.
"By the Eternal Serpent…"
The young prince whispered as he fell to his knees. Tears were welling up in his eyes.
"So many lives.... Gone just like that..."
Darius said under his breath.
Devisha removed her veil and bowed her head.
"Surya guide their souls…."
Shanny and Jonah turned to me unbelievingly.
"Fina, the Dragon Dome…."
"That artifact did all that?!"
I pressed the autopilot button on the panel and let the vessel steered itself to the vast open lake.
To the obliterated Tsuchi I turned my eyes and spoke with a composed voice.
"The Dragon Dome was a legendary artifact owned by the Sandomer family."
Darius gasped at my words.
"The Sandomer. It's one of the Great Houses!"
I nodded to him and went on.
"The two giant battleships that carried the Dragon Dome into the middle of Tsuchi were crafted and exclusively used by the Tadosin. There were also Tadosin aircrafts patrolling outside Tsuchi's eastern border."
"Tadosin, another Great House."
Shanny added with an intense glare.
"It is also a known secret in the noble society that the Garlas Household employed assassins to help with their diplomatic works. A special group of trained rogues which utilized magic artifacts."
"The Sun Shadow Corp…"
Devisha whispered with suspicious stare.
I went on.
"The black-armored knights we encountered at the pier were part of the Viulan knight order, the finest in the empire and in the entire world.
"The second-best knight order in the world, the Farista, was also guarding Tsuchi's eastern border alongside the Tadosin patrols.
"The Anashta sorcerers were also seen raising barriers on Tsuchi's walls. They had the help of the members of the Tower of Circle and the Serpent's Order.
"It was also widely known that the Jherendal was a loyal vassal to the Harta Household.
"And let's not forget the perpetrator to the madness disease outbreak in the city, the Circle of Kali…"
I stated to everyone on the ship.
Jonah looked to me with a confused frown.
"Fina, what are you trying to say?"
"We are presented with two mysteries. Two intriguing mysteries."
I said while turning to the young prince, our person of interest in this trial.
[The target has escaped the city.]
With the emergence of the notification, bluish-white light began to engulf my comrades and I. The radiance did not touch the prince.
I kept staring to the imperial royalty.
"Why does everyone wants to kill you, Your Highness?"
[Stage Clear!]
['Serafina (★★★★)', 'Jonah (★★)', 'Shanny (★★)', 'Darius (★★★)', 'Devisha (★★★)' levelled up!]
[MVP – 'Serafina (★★★★)']
[Reward – 100,000G, Iron Ore (A) x3]
Ignoring the notification window, I went on to the boy we had been risking our lives to protect.
"And why saving you...is our mission?"
I studied the young prince's confused face as the bluish-white light completely engulfed my entire self and transported my comrades and I into a pure white dimension.
The light soon dissipated and our environment shifted into a chamber with three shining mirrors.
We had returned to the space-time rift in the lobby.
As always, I turned my gaze to the shining mirror on the furthest left.
[Climb the tower and save the world!]
[Main Dungeon]
[Floor conquered - 15 -]
The number fifteen confirmed the completion of the third Quintal Trial.
We won this war without casualty.
But unpleasant feelings lingered with the victory.
[Congratulations on the big win, Vice-Master!]
The fairy suddenly appeared in front of my face with bright and cheerful expression.
I raised my eyebrows upon her comment, particularly at the end of her sentence.
"Master finally made up their mind?"
[Uh-huh! They sure did after they saw how amazing you were in this mission!]
I nodded to the warden's confirmation and began walking for the exit.
"I have a suggestion I would like master to immediately implement."
[Your first order as Vice-Master? What will it be? Announce away!]
The fairy asked excitedly.
"Restrict record-viewing for the fifteenth floor's mission."
[Excuse me?]
While keeping my vigilance I maintained throughout the Quintal Trial, I stepped through the rift, back into the lobby, back to the forged land.
"I would like to know just how many enemies have infiltrated master's army of heroes."