On the Airship (2)
Our tour of the airship's interior was finally drawing to a close.
It felt as though we had explored almost every accessible corner.
Yuri let out a long sigh and spoke.
"Whew... I should probably head back and unpack my things too. It'll be dinner time soon... You remember where the male cadets' quarters are, right?"
"Yes, thanks to you. I'll see you later, then."
Having Yuri with me had made the tour much more enjoyable. Thanks to her, it had been a wonderful experience.
[She is truly a sweet-natured child.]
Sierra murmured softly as she watched Yuri walk away.
Standing in the empty hallway, I nodded slightly in agreement.
And so, I parted ways with Yuri.
[An airship... With something like this, one could reach the East in no time...]
Sierra was gazing out the window in the hallway. Outside, the scenery of clouds parting as we soared through them swept past.
A faint trace of longing lingered in her voice.
The East was Sierra's homeland.
Since she had met her end as a ghost during her secluded training, it must have been ages since she last visited her home.
But the East was far too distant to visit on a whim.
I should make some time eventually to seek out Sierra's acquaintances.
For now, though, I needed to unpack my own luggage.
However, my room was not in the direction of the male cadets' quarters that Yuri had pointed out.
As I wandered down the corridor, I spotted a staff member sweeping the floor and approached him.
"Excuse me, are you one of the airship staff?"
"Oh... Yes, that is correct. How may I help you?"
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the room for this key is located."
I held up a key to the visibly puzzled employee.
It was the key to the ultra-luxurious suite that Hubert Graham, the Academy's headmaster, had given me earlier.
"Ah, that key...! I will fetch the manager immediately!"
The staff member stared at the key, seemingly recognizing it, and rushed off down the hall.
Had there been some sort of advance notice?
Before long, a man in a sharp suit—evidently the airship's manager—approached me from the direction the employee had run.
"Cadet Zeto, I presume. Lord Hubert informed me of your arrival beforehand. Please, follow me."
With those polite words, the manager began to guide me.
Following him down the corridor, we eventually stopped before a massive, ornate door.
Taking the key from my hand, the manager unlocked the door and began to introduce the room.
"This is the finest suite aboard this vessel. It is originally Lord Hubert's personal quarters, but all of his personal belongings have been cleared out in advance. Should you experience any discomfort during your stay, please do not hesitate to press this call button."
Ding!
The manager pressed the call button inside the room as he spoke.
It seems he was briefed about me in advance.
He had likely rung the bell to let me—a supposedly blind person—know its exact location by sound.
"Thank you for the guidance."
"Then, I wish you a pleasant journey to our destination."
With a polite bow, the manager quietly closed the door behind him as he left.
Incredibly professional. I suppose that was what it took to be a manager.
Once he was gone, I unpacked my things and began chatting with Sierra. Our conversation mostly revolved around the room's interior.
[At this point, this is no longer mere luxury; it has reached the realm of art.]
"Do you think so?"
Looking around the room, I had to admit she wasn't entirely wrong. Gold leaf, embedded gems—there wasn't a single item that wasn't lavishly decorated.
Even the bathroom was dazzlingly opulent. The decor was almost overwhelmingly extravagant.
Personally, I would have been perfectly content with just a high-quality bed.
Regardless, meal times on the airship were strictly scheduled, so I had to head down to eat before it was too late.
Just as I was about to leave the room, Sierra leaned her face close to my ear.
Her characteristically gentle voice echoed softly in my mind.
[Enjoy your meal in peace. This Lady shall rest inside the Demon Blade for a while.]
"...Are you sure you'll be alright? Won't it be suffocating?"
[Whatever the case, it is far better than a master becoming a burden to her disciple. Besides, is eating not of the utmost importance?]
Sierra placed an unusually high importance on food.
Then again, having her hovering over me while I ate might make things a bit awkward.
"I'll be back, then."
[Indeed. Run along safely.]
With that, Sierra slipped smoothly back into the Demon Blade leaning against the wall.
After confirming she was safely inside, I opened the door and made my way to the dining hall.
The dining hall, which wasn't too far from my room, was already bustling with cadets.
All sorts of dishes were giving off their own mouth-watering aromas.
I couldn't spot Yuri or Eisel anywhere.
I grabbed a reasonable amount of food and took a seat.
Just as I was about to pick up my utensils, someone suddenly slid into the seat across from me.
"Zeto!"
"Let's eat together."
Crank and Lucia greeted me, followed by Amon, who also sat down at the table.
Were they still hanging out together?
"Looks like Team 2 is back together," the easygoing Crank remarked, and I chimed in accordingly.
"Miss Lucia, you haven't caused any trouble in the meantime, have you?"
"I-I've been perfectly well-behaved...!" Lucia muttered softly, averting her gaze.
"...Well-behaved, my foot. I feel like I've had to smack her on the head at least twice already."
Amon's dry follow-up gave me a clear picture of the situation.
It was hard to tell with Crank since he always had a smile on his face, but Amon looked genuinely exhausted.
Maybe I should help him out a bit.
"Haha, somehow I feel like even if Miss Lucia fell off the airship, she'd manage to survive."
"Wait, can you actually die from falling off the airship...?"
Lucia's face filled with sheer shock at my words.
Catching onto my intention, Crank rested his chin on his hands with a deadpan expression and spoke.
"Ah... I did hear that every time people board an airship, there's always at least one cadet who ends up dead..."
"H-Hieeeek...!"
The fork in Lucia's hand trembled in perfect sync with her shivering body.
No cadet had ever died on an airship. Probably.
It was merely a 'harmless' lie to tease her.
This should do.
Handling Lucia... was remarkably easy once you got the hang of it.
Ignoring the trembling girl, the three of us calmly began to eat our meals.
Dinner was quite pleasant.
Crank's sociability and conversational skills were particularly outstanding.
An extra. In the game, Crank was nothing more than that, but in this reality, he was far from a mere background character.
He was special in his own right.
By the time we finished eating, Lucia was completely deflated.
Even so, she had managed to clear her plate, which was now spotlessly empty.
It was evening now, so Amon and Crank would need to rest.
It felt like I had fulfilled my duty as their leader.
After finishing our meal and parting ways, I made my way back to my room.
Were there any items I needed to collect inside the airship?
Occasionally, there were items hidden in various corners of the map.
They were likely minor things, but some of them could be quite amusing.
Just as I was about to open my door while pondering my next move—
"Zeto...?"
A familiar voice called out to me from down the corridor.
Turning toward the sound, I saw her approaching, her finely braided red hair swaying gently.
"I was actually looking for you. Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes, I just finished and was on my way back. What did you need me for?"
"I didn't see it when we were walking around earlier, but there's an incredibly delicious restaurant here! I wanted to go there with you later...!"
Yuri spoke in a shy voice, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
She possessed a keen interest in food. In that regard, she was quite similar to Sierra.
I recalled how pleasant it had been to watch her enjoy her food during the few times we had dined together before.
"Haha, I'd love to. Was it really that good?"
"Yes, you absolutely have to try it. More importantly, why are you opening that door? It looks like a place we're not supposed to enter..."
"Uh... because this is my room?"
At my quiet response, Yuri tilted her head in confusion.
"Your room...?"
"Yes. The headmaster kindly arranged it for me as a gesture of goodwill regarding what happened in the Labyrinth."
"You met the headmaster?"
"Yes. Well, one thing led to another..."
"I see... I thought he was a very difficult person to meet..."
"...Since you're already here, would you like to take a look inside?"
I offered Yuri a tour as I pushed the door open.
I had nothing to hide in there anyway, so it didn't matter.
Since Yuri was naturally curious, showing her around seemed like a good idea.
After a brief hesitation, Yuri followed me inside.
Her eyes widened as she scanned the room's interior.
Though she didn't ask any questions, her curiosity drove her to inspect every detail closely.
"May I sit down for a moment?"
Standing by the bed, Yuri looked back at me and asked.
"Of course."
At my response, Yuri sat on the edge of the bed, and I took a seat beside her.
Behind her, the Demonic Sword Sierra leaning against the wall caught my eye.
Even though I had returned, Sierra showed no signs of emerging from the blade.
Yuri rustled the bedsheets slightly before speaking.
"The bed is quite spacious..."
"It's unnecessarily large, indeed. Wouldn't it be more than enough for the two of us to lie down?"
"T-The two of us?"
"Yes."
At my playful reply, Yuri gave my shoulder a light nudge.
"Y-You don't need to imagine something like that! ...I mean, what happens when a man and a woman spend the night in the same room is... obvious..."
Flustered, she stammered, her voice trailing off into a quiet whisper.
What happens is obvious...?
Perhaps because I had already spent a night in a room with a woman before, Yuri's casually tossed-out words left me somewhat puzzled.
As I fell into deep thought and failed to offer a response, a strange silence settled between us.
"..."
Yuri kept her head lowered, twirling her braided hair around her fingers while staring blankly at the floor.
In the end, she was the one to break the silence.
"Um... I should probably head out, then. It's getting late, and... I've seen the room..."
Yuri stood up from the bed, hastily trying to wrap up the situation, but her words were cut short.
Knock, knock.
Someone was knocking on the door.
At the sudden sound, Yuri froze mid-sentence, completely stiffening up.
I was equally taken aback.
Who could it be at this hour? I didn't call for any staff...
I walked toward the door and spoke to Yuri.
"I'll get it."
After all, a 'friend' was simply touring my room. That was the truth, and there was nothing strange about it.
"Who is—"
Before I could even finish my sentence as I opened the door, a flash of pink hair caught my eye, and she slipped into the room like a gust of wind, as if afraid of being seen.
I don't recall telling Kaen where my room was...?
The uninvited guest was none other than Kaen.
She hadn't been monitoring me lately. I hadn't sensed any unusual presence from her on the airship either.
Had she simply happened to spot me entering this room?
Kaen immediately looked at me and spoke the moment she entered. She hadn't even glanced in Yuri's direction, completely unaware of her presence.
"Cadet Zeto, why didn't you come find me? My body..."
"Your... body?"
Kaen's words were cut short by Yuri's quiet murmur.
"Cadet Yuri?!"
Only then did Kaen notice Yuri, her eyes widening in surprise.
I immediately spoke up to salvage the situation.
"Uh... I was just showing Miss Yuri around the room."
"Ah... I see."
Kaen nodded in understanding. However, Yuri was the one who couldn't seem to accept it.
"You're Cadet Kaen, the one who sparred with Zeto, right...? Why are you in Zeto's room...? And what do you mean by 'body'...?"
Yuri's pupils trembled as she spoke.
...It seemed she was letting her imagination run wild.
Kaen had likely come to my room assuming I had gathered information. Since I hadn't sought her out, she had come to find me instead.
Still, there was no need to be in such a rush.
In any case, I couldn't let Yuri find out about our secret arrangement. But letting Kaen use her usual excuse of "business that requires a body" would only make things far more dangerous.
How do I handle this?
The situation was completely tangled.
"Uh... well, you see, Cadet Yuri?"
Fortunately, it seemed Kaen had thought of a plausible excuse, as she began to speak.
Since I couldn't think of anything to say either, I had no choice but to rely on her. The ball was in Kaen's court.
"Well... Cadet Zeto and I... ah, the sauna! We agreed to go to the sauna! That's why I said my body was itching for it, ehehe..."
Kaen offered a rather shocking excuse accompanied by a silly chuckle. Where on earth did a sauna suddenly come from?
Yuri's reaction was no different. She leaned forward, looking even more bewildered, and questioned Kaen.
"A sauna...? Itching for it...?"
"Well, Cadet Zeto and I are both swordsmen, right?! We thought we'd... share a conversation about swordsmanship while having a contest to see who could endure the heat of the sauna the longest...?"
Kaen's voice grew quieter as she explained. Listening to her, it actually sounded somewhat plausible. She was quick-witted when it counted.
"Zeto, is that true? A contest?"
Yuri turned to me, seeking confirmation.
"...Right. Yes, we did agree to go to the sauna. Miss Kaen and I have been engaging in various contests ever since our spar. I had briefly forgotten about it, haha."
"My, I had no idea you were interested in saunas, Zeto. In that case, I'm coming along too. I'm quite confident when it comes to enduring heat...!"
At my lukewarm response, Yuri immediately volunteered to join us.
"O-Oh, really? Then let's all see who can last the longest!"
Kaen raised her arm with a goofy grin. Was this really how things were going to turn out?
I glanced at the Demonic Sword Sierra leaning against the wall. She could observe the outside world from within the blade, couldn't she? Yet, there was still no reaction from her.
Considering Sierra's likely reaction to the mention of a sauna, it was probably for the best that she remained quiet.
Shortly after, I found myself practically dragged out of the room by Yuri and Kaen.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Fortunately, perhaps because of the late hour, the sauna was completely empty.
At the very least, the changing rooms were separated by gender.
According to the staff member in charge, there was specific undergarment wear provided for the sauna. Still, it couldn't be helped that it looked as though I was only covering my lower body with a single towel.
The towel wrapped around my waist was designed specifically for sauna use; it was sturdy and thick, ensuring it wouldn't slip off easily or be see-through.
I had no idea why anyone would design a mixed-gender sauna where people entered wearing nothing but a towel, but experiencing it firsthand was far from comfortable.
What on earth have I gotten myself into...
I checked the knot of my towel once more. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the sauna.
The moment I entered, the hot, heavy air rushed into my nose. The intense heat, felt immediately, seemed perfect for working up a sweat.
Through the thick steam, I could make out Yuri's figure, wrapped in a single towel. Soon after, she spotted me as well.
"You're here...?"
A single, shyly uttered question from Yuri.
As if a veil of steam had been lifted, her entire figure came into clear view.
Yuri, too, was covered in only a single towel, just like me.
Her voluptuous figure, which had always been strictly concealed beneath her school uniform, was now fully revealed. The single towel wrapped around her looked dangerously precarious. It was simply impossible for it to cover everything.
As I approached her, Yuri, seemingly at a loss for where to look, darted her eyes around before speaking.
"C-Cadet Kaen might be a little late. Her face was already bright red before we even came in, so I asked if she was alright, and she said she was going to get some water first."