Looking at the vent that Leonard pointed to, Mirelle regretted her choice in following him to the chamber to set up protection.
This crown prince was very ungrateful to her concern and intention.
She was about to remove some of her garments to avoid dirtying them and to not hinder her movement while inside the vent when she suddenly heard something being thrown at the bed.
As a mage, her senses and hearing were naturally high. Thus, she quickly darted her eyes toward the bed, only to spot some of the clothes worn by the crown prince.
Startled, she turned to him and noticed he was already donned in an all-black uniform that covered him from top to bottom, with the exception of his eyes.
"You were wearing that underneath your clothes?" She twitched her mouth in disbelief. Did he not feel any discomfort wearing so many layers of clothes?
The weather wasn't sunny, but it wasn't exactly chilly either.
"Wearing them underneath helps save time from changing back and forth." Leonard chuckled softly.
"Anyway, you will remain in this chamber and do your best to moan loudly."
After saying that, he walked around her and seemed ready to enter the vent.
As for making her be the first to enter the vent, it was merely a joke.
The risk of having the two of them enter was greater than having only one person explore the vent.
Since he studied the blueprints and understood the passageway, he was naturally the ideal candidate.
Moreover, Mirelle could stay in the chamber and moan loudly to let those who could have the ability to eavesdrop believe a lovely session was in place.
"Y-You want me to moan like some heated whores?" Mirelle stumbled a few steps, her eyes widened in bewilderment. She was a dignified sixth magic circle mage and with a well-known reputation in the Mage Association.
If others were to learn of this incident, then where could she face others in public anymore?
"You don't have to moan, but how else could you convince others that I'm still in the chamber without being suspicious?" Leonard questioned.
Being the crown prince, all the crewmates would naturally hold him as the highest priority. In other words, once mealtime was ready, they would knock on his chamber's door and deliver a large feast to him.
And that was only the tip of the iceberg. There would constantly be crewmates patrolling around his chamber to safeguard him. This was also why if there was truly an enemy or enemies in disguise, it would be hard to spot them.
They had constant surveillance on him under the guise of his safety.
"But this is too risky," argued Mirelle. "I would only be alerted when the stealth came undone or you ran out of my perimeter to supply the mana. If you really encountered anything in the vent at that moment, then I won't be able to come to your aid immediately."
"Do I look like a good person to you?" He asked.
"Absolutely not!" She flatly replied. Sure, his deeds in the aftermath and settlement for the victims were handled well, but those were all to boost his public opinion.
To do a good deed while expecting a return value meant it wasn't a good deed, but one that was laced with hidden intention.
Hearing that swift and honest response, Leonard nodded his head.
"Only the good die young. And since I'm not a good person, I'm destined to live long." He smirked.
After causing Mirelle to become speechless, Leonard hovered his arms around the vent opening. It was a good thing that his physique was quite fit and enabled him to crawl through the vent.
"Alright, have you cast the stealth magic on me?" He questioned.
Realizing that he was serious, she could only sigh and cast the spell on him.
Soon, Leonard's appearance became invisible to the naked eye and it was nearly impossible to sense his presence.
"Keep in mind that the stealth only works on appearance, but it doesn't mask any sounds. It's best to keep your movement minimal and ensure you don't accidentally cause any sound." Mirelle warned sternly as she watched Leonard advancing toward the vent.
Leonard didn't bother to respond. He was focused on the passage.
The interior of the vent was tighter than he anticipated. Metal walls closed in from all sides, leaving little room to maneuver.
He moved with precision, crawling forward on his elbows and knees while being extra careful not to let his boots scrape too loudly against the surface.
'What is this smell?' His eyes suddenly narrowed. The stale air inside the vent already smelled faintly of oil and dust, but as he came across an intersection, the smell intensified.
In the blink of an eye, he detected the source of the smell.
'That direction should be…' His memorization came in handy and concluded the direction was located at the fueling room.
His expression darkened at the sudden possibility. He hurriedly increased his pace and momentum.
A few minutes later, he slowed down and peered through the vent.
Below was the Astral Gale's fueling room. Cylindrical mana tanks lined up neatly near the chamber walls, pulsating with dim light. Mana-infused fluid coursed through their tubing, but something was off.
"There's a fuel leak." He murmured with a solemn expression. One of the tubes near the rear tank trembled erratically, its light flickering like a dying flame.
A faint hissing sound accompanied the pulses, followed by the same foul stench that caught his nose earlier. Despite having a mask on, the smell was able to penetrate him from afar.
These mana tanks were always under inspection to ensure their quality, so Leonard was certain that the tank didn't become damaged due to prolonged usage. Instead, it was done deliberately by someone inside the ship.
After all, the ship wouldn't have set sail if they discovered a problem with the mana tank at the start.
'I've miscalculated slightly. This enemy is more clever than I gave them credit for.' He was intrigued by their cleverness.