Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: What Happened on the Super-Luxurious Airship (1)
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“Hmm, that seems to be everyone from the White Team. Alright, all of you, board this airship. It's a super-luxurious vessel that will take you to the next examination site.”
When I arrived at the meeting point designated on my watch.
The examiner, Tempest, welcomed the examinees with open arms.
Behind him stood an airship of immense size.
That must be the aerial carrier the Fixer Association is said to possess.
It seems the next examination site, the Sky Garden, is hundreds of kilometers away in the sky.
Using a large airship to transport so many people and supplies makes sense.
Amazingly, the speed of this massive airship is said to be comparable to a train.
It gave me a faint sense of just how incredible the technology of this era was.
“Whoa…! There's even a fountain inside!”
“Is this really an airship? ...It puts a luxury cruise ship to shame.”
“I feel like I've walked into a building. The Association is truly amazing.”
Perhaps Tempest's description of a 'super-luxurious' airship wasn't an exaggeration after all.
The sight inside the airship was so magnificent it left me speechless.
High ceilings gave it a sense of openness, and the floors and walls were covered in expensive materials.
It was as if a section of a high-end department store had been cut out and pasted here.
Even I, who had seen it in the original story, was impressed. How much more shocked must those who hadn't expected it be?
The examinees, mouths agape, were busy looking around.
Had Tempest fully expected this reaction?
He smiled like a mischievous old man and spoke as if to comfort the weary examinees.
“Khuhu, you all look quite surprised. Well, you've been through a lot. Think of this as a short break. By the way, everything on this airship is free. Feel free to use whatever you like, as long as you don't fight with the other examinees!”
“Whoa! Is that really true?!”
“Unbelievable amenities…”
The examinees reacted enthusiastically to the extraordinary announcement that all facilities on the airship were free.
They likely never expected to enjoy such luxury while taking the Fixer exam.
They could worry about the next task later.
For now, it was best to enjoy what was given.
As the White Team examinees were reacting with some bewilderment.
The examinees from the Red and Blue Teams belatedly entered the airship.
“Tch... So that bastard is still alive...”
“Where did that one go? I need to get revenge for that backstabbing...”
“That traitor! To think they ran away and still passed!”
Naturally, the examinees began glaring at each other, their hostility plain to see.
After all, they had just been through a chaotic period of betraying and fighting one another.
Suddenly meeting like this was bound to be awkward.
If left alone, it was a volatile situation on the verge of erupting into a violent clash.
However, the examiners, as if this were a common occurrence, calmly approached Tempest.
“Tempest, sir. The Red Team has arrived.”
“The Blue Team has also arrived.”
“Ah, right. Good work. You can clock out now. I'll put in a good word for you with the Association. ...Hey, kids. Quiet down. You planning to fight in a place like this? Well, fighting shows you're healthy, which is good... but just know that whoever breaks something pays for the repairs, got it?”
For the record, the specialists needed to fix the airship were expensive, so the repair costs were said to be astronomical.
Tempest had spoken nonchalantly, as if telling a boring story.
His words may have lacked tension, but perhaps the intent behind them was strong.
The examinees, who had been baring their teeth at one another, could only cough awkwardly and back down.
No matter how angry they were, it wasn't enough to make them give up the exam and pay for repairs.
Besides, acting out with a heavyweight like Tempest right in front of them would only hurt themselves.
Just as the heated atmosphere among the examinees began to cool down.
Tempest scanned the group and added one last comment.
“Alright. If there are any schedule updates, I'll send them to your watches. Until then, get some rest. And keep in mind that forcibly removing your watch will result in a major disadvantage. Got it?”
Now, dismiss!
As soon as he finished speaking, Tempest spun around and left.
The other examiners followed him, bowing their heads slightly as they departed.
The examinees, suddenly left alone in the lobby, glanced around at each other warily.
Then they began to disperse on their own—some to rest, some to eat, and some to find entertainment.
Amidst the examinees gradually disappearing from the lobby.
Someone emerged from the crowd and called out to me in a bright voice.
“Ah, Yuria!”
“...!”
The voice belonged to none other than Alice.
Had this task not been particularly difficult for her?
Her face showed no signs of fatigue, only delight at seeing me.
But her cheerful steps, which had been carrying her toward me, came to an abrupt halt.
It was probably because of the strange woman clinging to my side.
“Uh… wh-who…?”
The woman was, of course, Vespera.
Ever since seeing my face, she had taken a strange liking to me.
Unless I actively pushed her away, I had no choice but to let her accompany me.
The two women faced each other and exchanged glances.
Then Vespera, as if she had just remembered something, lightly licked her lips and spoke.
“You're... the girl who was next to the little one during the first task. Hmm, your magical power...”
She scanned Alice from head to toe.
And, as if she'd found something interesting, she lightly licked her lips again.
Was she no longer trying to hide her true nature? She looked every bit the villain.
Alice, wary of Vespera's thoroughly suspicious aura, asked,
“Um, uh... what is your relationship with Yuria...?”
“Our relationship? Well... I suppose you could say I took a liking to her and decided to tag along. And you, the nosy one, are you perhaps this little one's guardian?”
“S-Something like that... I guess. We've known each other since before the exam.”
“Aha, but for that to be the case... Hmph, perhaps I should hold my tongue?”
Crackle. For a moment, sparks flew between Alice's and Vespera's gazes.
Strange. They must have just met, but it seemed they already disliked each other.
Naturally, this was a problem.
Vespera was a dangerous bomb that even Tempest was careful about handling.
Even if Alice was skilled in her own right, before Vespera, she was nothing more than a firefly before the sun.
I wasn't hoping for them to become friends, but it would be nice if they could at least be civil.
If Alice were to get on Vespera's bad side and suddenly get hurt...
Yes, that was something that absolutely could not happen.
So, if it was going to come to that...
“H-Huh? Yuria?”
“Oh my.”
“...!”
After glancing at Alice and Vespera, I took Vespera's hand and stepped forward.
Then, with my other hand, I took Alice's... and forced them to hold hands.
Of course, the two who had been in a standoff were flustered to suddenly find themselves holding hands.
I ignored their reactions as if I hadn't heard them, simply pulling their joined hands into an embrace.
Of course, this was all part of a calculation.
The belief that if Vespera's true goal was the World Tree Seed, she wouldn't cause any trouble before we reached the Sky Garden.
And Alice, with her soft heart, wasn't the type to easily hate others.
This was the only way out, a means to cut through the awkward atmosphere.
“Pff, haha... What a cute idea. Ah, isn't she just adorable?”
“Of course. Yuria is the cutest in the world. You have a good eye.”
Was this little plan of mine enough to deflate the tension between the two women?
They both shrugged, letting out light, incredulous chuckles.
“Anyway. So the little one's name is Yuria. This is the first I'm hearing it. It suits her. The name Yuria.”
“...”
“Um, does accompanying Yuria mean... you helped her during the third task? How did you...”
“Well, it was a bit of this and that. In fact, I received some help myself. I almost had to sleep outside in this cold weather.”
The reconciliation plan seemed to be a success.
Alice and Vespera started chatting about this and that, with me as the topic.
Of course, since one of them was a major criminal, I wasn't exactly hoping they'd become friends.
They'd likely have no connection after this exam anyway, so I didn't have to worry too much about it.
“Well, whatever. You, what's your name?”
“Me? I'm Alice.”
“Right. I'm Vess. Shall we walk together for a bit? There's a lot I'm curious about when it comes to the little one.”
“Sh-Should we? Yuria, are you okay with that?”
“...!”
Honestly, being alone with Vespera was incredibly stressful.
If Alice was by my side, nothing could be more reassuring.
Since I knew her goal, it was clear she wouldn't act out for a while.
Accompanying her for the time being probably wouldn't cause any major problems.
But just as the situation was starting to settle down, an extremely troublesome message arrived on my watch.
[Examinee Yuria. Please come to Room 101 in Sector A in 30 minutes. Being late or failing to appear may result in a significant disadvantage to your exam results.]
An interview before the fourth task, of all things.
I looked at Alice and Vespera beside me and hesitated for a moment.
These two... is it really okay to leave them alone?
My mind grew complicated with the feeling that some strange chemical reaction was about to occur.