Chapter 7: Mind If I Borrow This Clock?
Clang clang.
Clang clang.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
“Ugh… so noisy…”
Who the hell is making all that racket while I’m trying to sleep?
I’m going to complain to the landlord.
“Oh, it’s you, military butler.”
So it was the landlord…
Looks like the pig noble isn’t here.
The military butler was hitting the iron bars with a spoon.
Probably to wake me up, but… is that really the right way to do it?
“ーー。”
“Good morning. You’ve got a pretty cool voice.”
“ーー。ーーー。”
“What time is it right now?”
“ーーー。”
“Do you play sports or something?”
Yeah, this isn’t getting through at all.
He just looks at me calmly with an unreadable expression.
He’s standing straight with his hands behind his back… doesn’t that get tiring?
“Are you alone today?”
“ーー。”
This is probably an interrogation, but he knows it’s pointless.
He keeps a serious face, but I feel like he occasionally lets out small, exasperated sighs.
Yeah, this is just a formality for him too.
“ーー……。”
“Ah, got it, got it. Thanks. Oh, heading out already? Good work.”
It seems today’s interrogation is over, and the military butler starts to leave.
Oh?
He looks back at me.
“ーーー。ーーー…………。”
He mutters a few words, then lightly closes his eyes before exiting the room.
“Hey, that sounded like something cool, but I have no idea what you said!”
He had that capable military officer vibe.
He looks smart, so it’s kind of sad he has to do such pointless interrogations.
Man, I’m bored.
I can’t understand a single thing in the books on the shelf, and there aren’t even any illustrations.
They should at least put in some manga for prisoners!
“Ugh, I wonder if I can bring a handheld game out from my domain…”
Sitting around won’t help.
Let’s check the hallway… huh?
Could it be… is it night right now?
Peeking into the corridor from the gap I made in the door, I see that the lights are off.
At night, when fewer people pass through, they probably turn off the lights.
Saving electricity is important.
Well, I don’t know if it’s actually electricity.
The hallway is dimly lit only by floor lamps.
It feels like a hospital at night—kind of creepy.
“Well now, looks like my chance.”
I return to the bed, roll up one blanket, and cover it with another to create a lump.
Like, “I’m sleeping right here~.”
After setting up the decoy, I kill about two hours.
The military butler came by earlier, so that was probably a night patrol.
I peek into the hallway from the gap and search for another gap.
“Oh, there they are. And they’re evenly spaced too. This is perfect.”
What I found were ventilation grates.
Just to be clear, I’m not crawling through ducts like in spy movies.
My target is the cover of the vents.
Since they let air through, they naturally have gaps.
I listen carefully for footsteps.
Nothing.
Alright, go!
I slip out into the hallway and dash about ten meters to the vent.
Tap tap tap tap!
Hey, blond delinquent god.
These sneakers are loud.
Did you prepare these?
Oh wait… no.
They shrank, but these are the sneakers I wore in my original world.
So I probably prepared them myself.
I place my hand on the vent cover and activate my ability.
Tick tock, tick tock…
Ugh, the clock feels so slow.
I glance around nervously—ding!
And slip!
I managed to create a gap.
Ahh, it’s so calming inside the gap.
That was nerve-wracking.
Haha, but I’ve got the hang of it now.
Ahead of me, I can see multiple vent covers.
If I prepare gaps in each of them, I’ll be able to move around quite freely.
It’s like the game is set to very easy mode with this many entry points.
Hello again, it’s me.
Making gaps has been going smoothly, but I’ve run into a slight problem.
“This is inside an airship…”
I’ve come pretty far from the cell, but then I found a window in one of the corridors.
I stopped without even thinking.
And what I saw was the dark night sky… and far below, a forest.
Escape is impossible.
How am I supposed to break out of this sky prison with just a gap-slipping ability?
Ah, forget it.
No good ideas right now.
At least I can escape the cell anytime now.
I don’t even know where this airship is heading, but it’ll land eventually, right?
If that’s the case, I might as well make sure I can move freely inside it.
“Alright, that’s enough exploring for today! Time to head back to my room—oh?”
There’s a fancy door here.
…Should I go in?
Rooms like this usually have important items.
That’s how it was in Slit!
Even if it’s locked, no problem.
There’s a gap under the door…
…Oh right, that takes time.
“Excuse me~”
This looks like an office.
A fancy sofa, a table, bookshelves, and a large desk.
Yeah, definitely a rich person’s room.
There are paintings and decorations along the walls, but I’m not interested right now.
Oh, wait… is that a clock?
Inside a display case, there are about five pocket watches.
…I want one.
No, seriously, I really want one.
I can’t tell the exact time in the cell.
I stretch up to peek inside the case.
“Would taking just one… go unnoticed?”
But they’re displayed so neatly.
If one goes missing, it’ll be obvious.
On a whim, I open the storage compartment below the case.
Oh!
There they are.
About ten pocket watches are tossed inside a box.
They’re less decorated and look older than the displayed ones.
“Hehe, I’ll just borrow one~”
I pick one with minimal decoration and a slightly worn look.
It has a lid, but you can see the dial through a small glass window in the center.
I press the crown, and the lid pops open.
Nice.
I don’t know what powers it, but it’s working properly.
Comparing it to the wall clock, it seems accurate.
I like it.
I put the pocket watch into my pocket.
Now I can check the time properly.
Stealing?
Come on, I’m just borrowing it.
More importantly, this isn’t the time to worry about ethics.
Being in another world is already a problem, and right now I’m a prisoner.
I don’t know the rules here, and I have no allies.
I have to protect myself.
Sure, so many absurd things have happened that it doesn’t even feel real anymore.
I’ll admit that.
But worrying about morality comes after I secure my safety and learn the basics of this world.
Until then, I’ll do whatever I need to survive.
Alright, that’s enough justification.
Time to head back to the cell.
Getting back is easy.
I just have to follow the gaps I created.