Chapter 140
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 140
Following the floating ship’s guidance beam, we ascended into the sky toward the massive vessel.
Zwoong—
As we passed through a shimmering space that felt like a barrier, the surrounding scenery shifted instantly.
Just like that, we were inside the ship.
The interior wasn’t much different from a high-end passenger vessel. Pristine white walls, polished railings, and a smooth wooden deck met my eyes. Everything was finished with a touch of luxury, yet it maintained the familiar layout of a typical ship.
As I took a moment to look around, an announcement echoed through the halls.
[Your student ID will function as your room’s key card. All students, please find your designated rooms, unpack your luggage, and check in. We are confirming attendance through the check-in process, so please ensure you do so in your assigned room. I repeat…]
I checked the number displayed on my student ID.
Room A-17, huh…
After navigating a series of winding hallways, I reached Zone A. While most students were assigned to twelve-person dorms, VIPs like myself were granted private suites.
I swiped my student ID, and the door clicked open.
Wheeing—
As the automatic door slid aside, I was greeted by a window offering a panoramic view of the blue sea and the clouds hugging the horizon. The bedding and duvet were a crisp, refreshing white and blue. The room exuded an exotic atmosphere, making me feel as if I’d just arrived at a southern sea resort.
Nice.
There was a small desk and a lamp for reading, and in one corner stood a refrigerator and a monitor displaying a map of the ship’s interior. It wasn’t incredibly spacious, but it felt like a high-end hotel room that had everything one could need.
I set my bag on the desk and threw myself onto the bed. The soft mattress enveloped me in a cozy embrace.
“Hoo.”
I let out a long breath, staring blankly at the ceiling. It felt like the first truly relaxing break I’d had in a long time. After all, I’d spent the last few months in a constant whirlwind since possessing Roen’s body.
After lying there in a daze for a while, I sat up and examined the ship’s map. The vessel housed all sorts of cultural facilities, including an opera house, a luxury buffet, a swimming pool, and even a shopping mall. It was a thoughtful gesture for the students, who were likely exhausted from midterms and the competitive exhibition.
We would be able to enjoy the ship’s facilities at our leisure for the few days it took to reach Full Moon Island. Moreover, our destination was a famous resort spot. The Student Council’s decision to include it as a candidate for the summer training camp had been met with universal praise.
After unpacking, I stepped outside and immediately heard the excited chatter of students.
“Whoa, damn. These facilities are insane. The Student Council actually pushed for this?”
“This is crazy. We get to relax on the ship, and then we get to have even more fun on Full Moon Island?”
“Of course we will. It’s a famous resort. I’m gonna get a tan and hit the water.”
“Should we try to pick up some girls while we’re at it? I hear the ones from Seintea are gorgeous.”
“Dumbass, with your face?”
The students chattered away, dreaming of a bright future. Their joy wouldn’t last long, but I decided to let them enjoy the moment. Still, hearing them buzz with excitement gave me a nostalgic thrill, like I was on a school field trip.
As I was exploring the ship’s interior, I sensed someone approaching. It was Beatrice, Yulina, and Trish. Seeing the three of them together, I could easily guess their intentions.
I waved at them with a friendly greeting.
“Long time no see. Ah, or has it not been that long?”
“Roen, if you have a moment…”
“You want to go to the alchemy lounge on the ship, right?”
Beatrice nodded as I cut straight to the chase. “You catch on quick.”
“Alright, let’s go together. I figured you were interested in the artifact I have, anyway.”
As I touched the Azoth Sword hanging from my waist, Beatrice spoke.
“Yes. We concluded that the abilities you displayed during your match with Ciel originated from that Azoth Sword. Roen, if you’re amenable, let’s go to ‘Patech’ in the alchemy lounge. We can have them run a detailed analysis and check the results. I’ll cover the cost.”
Beatrice wanted a detailed analysis of my Azoth Sword. It wasn’t that she coveted the item; it was purely intellectual curiosity. She wanted to know who had crafted it and what its exact capabilities were.
The one who was actually coveting it was Trish, standing right next to her. I smirked at Trish, whose eyes were practically glazed over as she stared at the golden sword at my hip.
“What are you staring at so intently? I’m not giving it to you, even if you want it.”
“Hmph, I… I never said I wanted it!” Trish denied her desire, though she quickly wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth.
Just then, Yulina asked, “By the way, Roen, where did you get that? It looks like an incredibly rare item.”
Seeing my Azoth Sword, Yulina wondered about its origin. It seemed the thought that I might have made it myself never even crossed her mind.
I gently stroked the hilt of the Azoth Sword and said calmly, “I made it.”
“What?”
“I crafted it myself. It took about a month. It was a difficult process.”
“Come on, you’re kidding. How could you have made that? Just by looking at it, it looks like a divine relic passed down through a Great House or a Kingdom for generations. Did your family get it for you? It must have cost a fortune.”
“Tsk.”
I told her the truth, but even I, the creator, had hardly believed it at the time, so I could understand Yulina’s skepticism. The birth of this legendary-grade Azoth Sword was, after all, a stroke of miraculous coincidence.
As such, even I wasn’t fully aware of all the history and latent abilities contained within it. Having it analyzed seemed like a good idea.
Beatrice, who had been staring intently at the sword, spoke up. “Well, very well. The truth will be revealed once we have it analyzed.”
*
The shopping district of the floating ship was reminiscent of a massive department store.
The ship was fundamentally a passenger vessel, but at its core, it was a relic owned by the Magic Tower—a modified ‘Ark’ from the Golden Age. Naturally, it housed lounges for each of the Empire’s seven Magic Towers.
The place we were visiting was the alchemy lounge in the shopping district. Here, one could acquire rare materials and artifacts available only through the Magic Tower, as well as receive various alchemy-related services.
As I walked through the lounge with Beatrice’s group, a thought occurred to me.
I should buy some things that are hard to get in the underworld.
While it was said that you could find anything in the underworld, items exclusively handled by the Magic Tower were difficult to procure—for example, a Subspace Pouch. I decided to buy the Subspace Pouch I had always wanted here.
All Subspace Pouches were artifacts handmade by Magic Tower mages. Furthermore, they were enchanted with spatial-temporal magic, which was extremely difficult to master, making them incredibly expensive.
After looking around the lounge for a while, I suddenly headed toward a particular shop.
As I veered off, Beatrice asked, “Where are you going?”
“Just a moment, there’s something I need to buy.”
I entered the shop, selected a B-grade Subspace Pouch, and handed it to the clerk.
Total capacity: 500 liters. The perceived weight wouldn’t exceed one kilogram even when filled to the brim. On top of that, time inside the pouch flowed extremely slowly, allowing for the storage of fresh goods, and it even included a feature for compartmentalized organization. It was the height of convenience, allowing you to pull out whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted.
Of course, the price was just as brutal.
The clerk asked, his voice tinged with a hint of concern, “The tax-free price is 1.5 billion Krone. Will that be alright?”
“…”
It was expensive, alright. Considering my current finances, it was a major expenditure, but a necessary one. I could easily cover 1.5 billion by selling just a few Dwarven gold ingots.
“Do you accept checks?”
Just as I was about to pay, Beatrice stopped me.
“Roen, allow me to buy this for you.”
“Hm?”
“Thanks to our expedition together, I also earned a considerable income. And you did save me several times. Please consider it a small token of my gratitude.”
Beatrice took a red card from her pocket and handed it to the employee. It was a card stamped with the seal of the Cassandra Imperial Family. In modern terms, it was a black card with no spending limit.
The employee accepted the card with both hands as if it were a holy relic and completed the transaction.
“Yes, the payment has been processed, Your Highness.”
He then carefully packaged the Subspace Pouch in a luxurious shopping bag and handed it to me. I accepted it and expressed my thanks to Beatrice.
“I’ll put it to good use.”
I took the bag and glanced at Trish, who had her head pressed against a nearby display window, ogling the items inside.
“Trish, aren’t you buying anything?”
At my question, Trish mumbled, her forehead still glued to the glass, “I… I need money to buy things.”
“I gave you a lot of sponsorship money, and didn’t you earn quite a bit during the sports festival?”
She should have had at least a few hundred million.
Trish’s shoulders slumped as she replied, “I used it all to pay off my debts. I bought some supplies for the club room, too. I only have a few hundred left.”
“Hmm.”
True, she had earned some money recently, but she’d been saddled with debt for a long time. Since we were already at the alchemy lounge, I decided to be generous and buy a few things for her.
“Well, since we’re here, pick a few things. I’ll buy them for you as a special treat.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Thanks to the gift from Her Highness the Princess, I have some money to spare.”
Just as a chain of hatred breeds further conflict, kindness also comes full circle. Just as protecting Beatrice in the past had paid off today, this choice would surely benefit me someday. The opportunity to buy magical tools at a Magic Tower-owned lounge didn’t come often. I would put Trish in my debt today.
I added one more thing. “Of course, I’m not just giving them to you. I’ll put it on your tab. Pay me back when you make a lot of money later.”
“Hehe, don’t you worry. Now, what should I buy first~?”
Trish’s jaw went slack, and she immediately started grabbing everything in sight and tossing it into a shopping basket. That day, Trish incurred a debt of one billion Krone to me. She was thoroughly hooked, with no way to escape.
*
We finished our shopping in the commercial area near the alchemy lounge. Afterward, we arrived at Patech, a place that specialized in the analysis and repair of artifacts.
“Welcome, Your Highness, and everyone. Welcome to Patech.”
A handsome man dressed in a sharp white suit greeted us politely.
“It’s been a while, Sir Dedolea.”
Dedolea Paracelsus. A member of the Paracelsus family, he possessed the trait [Analysis], which specialized in artifact examination. It could be considered a superior version of my system’s analysis and an inferior version of Lize’s [Eye of Replication].
“This way, please.”
We followed Dedolea to a VVIP room. It was a luxurious space, sealed off from the outside, where neither mana nor sound could escape.
Beatrice was the first to speak. “The reason for my visit is none other than to request an artifact analysis.”
“Hoho, that is indeed the wish of many who visit this place. What item would Your Highness like to have analyzed?”
At his question, I drew the Azoth Sword from my waist and placed it on the table.
“This. I request an analysis of this sword.”
“Hoh, this is…?”
Dedolea adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and leaned in.
“An Azoth Sword, I see. A symbolic weapon of the alchemist. But it contains a truly formidable amount of mana. May I touch it?”
“Be my guest.”
Dedolea put on a pair of white gloves and carefully lifted the Azoth Sword from the table with both hands. His blue eyes gleamed behind his glasses as he examined the blade from all angles.
“Ooh. This beautiful form, the refined mana, and even the Azoth alphabet imbued with the power of the five elements. Although its ‘history’ doesn’t seem long, its quality is worthy of being called a divine artifact. I believe this was crafted by a once-in-a-century genius with talent comparable to a Grand Mage.”
“Mm, that’s right.”
Well, of course. Look who made it.
I crossed my arms and nodded confidently.
“…?”
Yulina and Beatrice gave me puzzled looks before turning their attention back to Dedolea.
“The elegant golden curves and the beautifully engraved patterns show the touch of a master craftsman. And the magic circle inscribed within this Azoth Sword… a great power slumbers here. Just a brief look makes me curious about this sword’s creator.”
That would be me.
Dedolea carefully set the Azoth Sword back down and said, “For a more detailed look, I’ll have to use my ability to ‘analyze’ it. It will take some time, so would you mind waiting for a moment?”