Chapter 255: Sixty-Fifth Floor, Dragons’ Grave (3)
[Complete the Beastfolk Alliance’s request. Time remaining: 156 hours 13 minutes.]
Few things in life ever occur exactly as planned. I had learned that truth long before coming to the Tower of Ordeal, and my time here had only reinforced it.
This time was no exception. Realizing that Parein would be on the same dragon carriage as us didn’t change the fact that we couldn’t prevent it.
Sure, I could have tried intimidating him into backing off, but there was no guarantee it would work. Moreover, if it provoked him into lashing out, things would only spiral into more of a mess.
If we got caught in a dispute and had to reveal that we were using fake identities—or worse, members of a foreign nation’s intelligence organization—we wouldn’t even be allowed to board.
Even though Langley had managed to forge documents at the mercenary guild, this was an entirely different country. We didn’t have any allies here.
If the authorities decided to investigate deeper, it would waste my precious time. There was no telling how that delay would impact my ability to conquer the floor.
Not that it would be any better for Parein either.
At the end of the day, I had the most to lose. Not just time, but my life.
Although I briefly considered forcibly removing Parein, that wasn’t a good option either. A total of seven other passengers were already rising from their seats. With so few of us, every individual stood out.
The station staff were already observing us closely, so there was no way I could just make him disappear without raising suspicions. If someone abruptly vanished before boarding, the employees would immediately notice.
Parein himself seemed momentarily startled that we were to board the same carriage. Though he quickly turned away, I caught a look of recognition flicker across his face.