Chapter 60
Episode 60: Methone's Realization
The moment the door opened, Wilhelm Corporation's most important first contract clause, "Under no circumstances shall the machine room door be opened without the company's permission," was violated.
As the machine room revealed its dark interior, reeking of stifling heat, Methone immediately infused Magical Power into the flashlight Olivia had given him. To his surprise, an incredibly bright light poured out of the flashlight.
With little time to be amazed, Methone put the flashlight in his mouth and began to examine Olivia's drawing and the interior alternately.
Olivia's drawing was similar in structure, as if she had seen the interior, and Methone quickly identified the locations of the Coolant, Converter, and Transport Pipe. The only difference from the drawing was the number of Mana Conduit.
'She said there would be up to 32, but why are there so many?'
Methone groped for the Coolant inlet, opened the lid, and shouted to Noah.
"Your Highness!! Stop injecting Magical Power!!"
Even though Noah was furious, Methone was not one to act without reason. If he were, he would never have become Noah's secretary in the first place.
Noah gritted his teeth and released the terminal. Judging by the increasing metallic noise, it would break down in a matter of minutes. As he jumped down to the machine room entrance with a hardened face, Methone was doing something inside the machine room.
Sensing his presence, Methone shouted without even looking up.
"Your Highness!! Bring a large container of cold water!!"
Now he was even giving orders.
Noah swept back his sweat-soaked hair, turned around, and went outside. Then, grabbing the nape of a uselessly slumped mercenary, he pulled him up and ordered.
"Fill a large container with cold water and bring it here."
The mercenary flinched at the Prince's fierce gaze and quickly got up.
"Yes, yes!"
"You go with him too. Bring it as quickly as possible!!"
Noah pushed another mercenary who was nearby in the back towards his legs and returned to the machine room.
Methone was busy closing the valves with the flashlight in his mouth.
"What do you need me to do?"
Noah, who had entered the machine room without preamble, asked, and Methone pointed to the Transport Pipes above and said.
"Please lower the valve handles from here to there!"
Then he put the flashlight back in his mouth and began to do his job. Noah glanced at the familiar object in Methone's mouth and moved quickly as he was told.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries, who had done nothing but slump until now, ran in with a large container filled with water.
The four of them carefully poured water into the inlet according to Methone's instructions, being careful not to spill as much water as possible. Sweat poured down their faces like rain in front of the Converter, but there was no time to wipe it away.
Soon, after confirming that the Coolant was full of water, Methone said to Noah.
"Your Highness, I think we can start the bombardment now!"
Even now, the Coelacanth's attacks were continuing, breaking through the guards' Magical Power.
Noah roughly wiped his messed-up, wet face with his hands and flew to the terminal. After tearing off the buttons on his chest as if to rip them off, as the wet shirt stuck to his body, he poured Magical Power into the cold terminal.
A hot yet cold stream of water, as if drawn from his heart, crossed his chest and right arm. At the same time, the bombardment from the lower part of the ship resumed.
Sweat flowing down his beautiful face dripped onto the back of his hand.
Noah closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound.
Please, please, don't let the damned metallic noise be mixed in.
The hull vibrated finely, and a distant bombardment sound was felt.
Dudududu, dudududu.
"……."
And after a while, Noah opened his eyes and swept back the blonde hair that was sticking to his face.
A long, languid sigh flowed from his alluring lips. A faint smile formed in his dim green eyes and then disappeared.
"I should get a refund for the cabin fee and buy Olivia a gift."
His tired murmur was buried in the sound of the bombardment.
About an hour later.
The nauseating Coelacanth swarm attack finally stopped. Around that time, Jonan offered Noah a cigarette, who had switched with one of the guards and was resting.
"No thanks."
At the Prince's refusal, Jonan blinked his eyes and tilted his head.
"Are you trying to quit smoking? You haven't smoked since we were heading to Pulder."
But you smoked when you were with Libero Akiten, didn't you?
At his question, Noah chuckled and answered casually.
"Quitting smoking? I'll smoke when I feel like it, and if not, I won't."
Leaning against the railing, Noah turned on the flashlight and looked down at the drawing Olivia had made. Methone had returned to Olivia on Noah's orders.
Jonan glanced at the crumpled paper over his shoulder and then looked at the strange object held in the Prince's right hand. The sleek silver object looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere.
"Wait a minute... Your Highness, isn't that... the thing you used to carry around all the time?"
"What do I carry around?"
At Jonan's question, Noah quickly asserted and stared at him intently.
"Are you guys collectively investigating what I carry around and what I eat?"
"No, it's just……."
"Just, what?!"
"That silver thing is so uniquely shaped, and you used to habitually take it out and spin it around, look at it, make clicking sounds and look at it, anyway, you did that, didn't you? It was noticeable, I couldn't help but see it."
So it's not my fault.
Jonan strongly expressed his opinion with his eyes and looked at Noah, and Noah rubbed his forehead as if he was tired and put the flashlight and paper in his pants pocket.
"……."
At that sight, Jonan stole a glance at Noah with a lecherous gaze and chuckled. A moment ago, Methone had clearly asked for 'Olivia's thing' back. The Prince refused, saying he would give it to her himself.
When Noah glared at Jonan's lecherous gaze, Jonan quickly averted his gaze and coughed dryly.
Seriously, these guys.
Noah, who was dumbfounded by the sight of them all becoming like Methone, got up from the railing and said coldly.
"It seems like we're out of it, so I'll go first. Clean up the mess and come."
"Yes. But, Your Highness."
"What."
"What should we do with the Magic Dome machine room...?"
Jonan pointed somewhere with a troubled face. At the place his finger was pointing, the Captain, looking very embarrassed, was heading towards the Magic Dome with magicians belonging to the shipping company.
Noah clicked his tongue softly and frowned.
Meanwhile, the Captain, facing the machine room with its mouth gaping open in a terrible state, staggered as if the ground beneath his feet was collapsing.
The door had been removed so cleanly that it seemed impossible to reattach it seamlessly now. Moreover, the locking device that Wilhelm Corporation had installed to prevent outsiders from touching it had been completely torn off, so it seemed inevitable that he would have to pay the price for breach of contract.
The price for breach of contract was contract termination.
Since no one would try to board a cruise ship without a Magic Dome these days, the termination of the contract with Wilhelm Corporation essentially meant that he would have to close the business.
As a sense of crisis greater than the moment the Megalodon surfaced washed over him, cold sweat poured down the Captain's spine like rain. He looked at the machine room with its mouth open with a blank expression and slowly sat down.
It was then.
"Report it as it is."
"...Yes?"
The Captain turned his head at the sudden low voice. A man with only a dark outline clear under the dim moonlight was shining his vivid green eyes.
"Report it as it is. 'A metallic noise was mixed in with the bombardment sound, and the Mana Cannon stopped intermittently. Noah Astrid judged that it was impossible to escape the Coelacanth territory, so he opened the machine room door and adjusted some parts.'"
The Captain jumped up from his seat, lowered his shoulders, and trembled his lips.
"H-However, would that be, be alright……."
"Do that. I want to ask again too. How did you make it like this?"
Noah let out a languid breath and swept back his stiff hair.
"When we arrive at Herot Port, I'll send a lawyer to the company."
The Captain reddened his eyes and bowed his head deeply as if to bury it in the ground.
"Thank you! Thank you, Your Highness!!"
Noah glanced at him with an indifferent gaze and turned around.
"Please clean up the cabin quickly. It was a mess."
"Yes, I understand!"
Leaving behind the Captain's loud voice, Noah moved with a leisurely step.
Meanwhile, Olivia narrowed her eyes and stared at Methone. He was standing by the door, smirking slyly and twitching his lips.
Methone Roktar was very excited because he belatedly remembered Olivia's silver flashlight.
Even in the midst of the chaos, the silver, strange object was very familiar. Methone, who had been thinking about what it was, finally succeeded in recalling the strange object that Noah had been carrying around all the time.
It matched the timing since Olivia had returned to Pulder.
Methone cleared his throat and slyly asked Olivia.
"That silver thing from earlier was very interesting, is it an object only distributed in Pulder?"
Olivia, who had been glancing at Methone, quickly shook her head at his sudden question.
"No, it's not."
"Then where did you buy it? It looks so good that I'd like to get one too."
At Methone's question, Olivia made a troubled expression and explained.
"I designed it. I wanted to sell it, but due to circumstances, it just ended up as a prototype development."
I got you!
She was caught without a doubt!
Methone felt like he was going to burst out laughing, so he put strength in his chin and nodded diligently.
"I, I see. Then, there wouldn't have been many."
"Yes."
Olivia just made a sorry expression. She couldn't bring herself to say, 'I'll make you one next time if I get the chance.' Because she didn't think such an opportunity would ever come.
Then she swept her chest, gauging the vibration of the ship. Judging from the fact that the bombardment sound had stopped and the ship was no longer swaying, it seemed that things had been handled well.
"It looks like it's over."
