Although Dekan could find a way to clean up the situation, such as later explaining it as the pilot being under the influence of alcohol or speeding, it would be much too harsh on the pilot.
The pilot was also affected by "Rampant Desires" and could be considered a victim.
Dekan wouldn't harm ordinary people.
Earlier, he merely scared the pilot a bit to give him a warning about drunk driving.
Of course, this teasing of the pilot was also a form of revenge.
Because of this pilot’s unexpected actions, Dekan was forced to work overtime.
But that was enough for revenge.
Dekan had no desire for the pilot to end up losing his job or getting imprisoned.
Alas, a small trouble came his way.
As the "kidnapping target" in this hijacking incident, the "ordinary passerby who took care of the hijackers," and the "ace pilot who took command in a crisis," Dekan would inevitably be investigated.
Because of that, Dekan had Deputy Commander-Captain Durrkan help him bring the Substitute Puppet back from the passenger cabin to the cockpit.
He had no intention of going back to the passenger cabin pretending to be an unsuspecting passenger.
Additionally, besides the man in the suit who had turned into fireworks, the other two hijackers were captured alive by Dekan.
He needed to safely hand over these two hostages from the Resurgence Church.
Ah, no, they were captives.
After the magic airship landed safely, Dekan summoned the "Ruined Poet" again, awakening the two unconscious Resurgence Church members and then putting them back to sleep.
After ensuring that they were sleeping soundly, Dekan disembarked the airship.
As Dekan didn’t know how powerful Tristin City’s guards were, it was safer to give the two captives a complete anesthesia.
Although those gentle interrogators from the kingdom probably wouldn't extract any information from them...
"Well, even if I brought in Croix, I wouldn't be able to interrogate these two privately. It's better to cash them in."
Life is not easy, Dekan sighed.
On the positive side, he could get a good bonus, so it wasn't like he worked for nothing.
Since that's the case, why not cooperate with the investigation early? It could speed up the process of getting the bonus.
As Dekan descended, he friendlily waved to the knights, signaling that he meant no harm.
However, the expressions of the knights became even more tense. Some even showed a hint of horror and there were occasional gulps of saliva.
They thought the demeanor of this hijacker went from calm and composed to somewhat terrifying.
It seemed as if he had absolute confidence to wipe out all of them with a wave of his hand.
Many knights were prepared to be sacrificed.
"Wait a minute, he's not a hijacker."
The lord squinted his eyes, observed Dekan for a while, then raised his hand and ordered the knights to stand by.
His appearance and his peculiar behavior, it was likely that he was the mysterious card maker from the royal capital, Dekan.
Dekan nodded with a smile, moving elegantly and steadily towards the lord who approached.
Fortunately, this lord was a sensible fellow.
Without the need for excessive explanations, he guessed Dekan's identity.
"Are you Mr. Dekan?"
The lord confirmed once again.
Dekan didn't say much; he simply summoned the "Ruined Poet."
Instantly, black mist swept through the area, startling the knights.
Compared to any identification, this epic card was more effective in proving Dekan's identity.
It was Dekan's signature card, and an epic card couldn't be forcibly seized.
The soul binding of an orange card could only be released if the user willingly paid a certain price.
Even without seeing Dekan's Shadow World recordings first hand, anyone who heard about Dekan's feats would know about his ace card, the "Ruined Poet."
This was undoubtedly the best symbol of his identity.
"Could you please tell me what happened on this magic airship? And how are the passengers?"
The lord, without any noble airs, asked sincerely.
"Don't worry, the passengers are... safe."
Speaking up to this point, Dekan paused.
Upon careful consideration, he thought the term "safe" was more accurate.
It was just that the passengers' conditions might not be too good.
"Princess Alice is also safe, but she may have been excessively frightened. Please pay extra attention to her."
Dekan understood what the lord cared about the most.
But Dekan also genuinely felt that using the word "safe" was more rigorous.
If later Princess Alice vomited rainbows in front of everyone, she would probably cry again.
"Alright, no problem."
The lord breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed like something had finally settled in his mind.
Although Dekan was still a student, he was a significant figure who was about to become the thirteenth special class card maker and had outstanding talent.
As an ally, he was really reliable.
Viscount Lampard: "By the way, why did you arrive so much earlier than expected?"
Dekan: "After dealing... no, defeating the hijackers, the pilot also experienced unexpected mental disturbance. I had to take over the control. To prevent any subsequent threats to Princess Alice's safety, I quickly escorted her to Tristin City."
"Uh..."
The lord hesitated.
Legally, if a pilot was incapacitated due to an air disaster and a passenger was able to safely take control of the magic airship, the passenger would bear no responsibility and even a receive a commendation.
However…
For the airship to arrive so much earlier in Tristin City, wasn't that a bit excessive for speeding...
As a lord, he naturally couldn't turn a blind eye.
He had to arrest Dekan.
But, how should he phrase it?
Critiquing Dekan would seem heartless.
After all, his reason for speeding was reasonable, and he had the irrefutable keyword, "escort Princess Alice."
But it was another thing with so many knights watching. As a lord, he had to be impartial.
After thinking for a while, the lord cleared his throat and said: “We will harshly criticize and fine you for your speeding after the investigation. However, given your heroic actions and accurate judgment under duress, as the lord, I commend you and express my sincere gratitude. I will also request His Majesty the King to award you.”
Dekan nodded in satisfaction after hearing this.
The lord was a fair and just person.
His words were both meticulous and reasonable.
"Ah, I'm so tired."
Intentionally or not, Dekan sighed.
He had taken down three hijackers and even piloted a magic airship all the way to its destination.
Dekan felt like he was carrying nineteen other people in the Anton Raid.
What happened to the vacation?
The lord immediately understood Dekan's meaning.
"Mr. Dekan, can you accompany us for a while? We have many things to investigate with you regarding the aftermath."
After delicately suggesting the idea of arrest, the lord changed his tone.
"Of course, considering your security level, we will protect you in the lord's mansion and provide you with the treatment you deserve."
After hearing the lord's words, Dekan once again showed a satisfied expression.
It was the first time he heard someone say "you are arrested" so smoothly.
Tristin City’s lord, he was making new ground.
