Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Events on the Super-Luxurious Airship (5)
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“Alice, you smell like peaches. It doesn't seem to be perfume… Is it your natural scent?”
“Eek…?! Where are you putting your face! If you keep this up, I won't just stand by and take it!”
“…”
The sight before me was Vespera persistently clinging to Alice.
Just before we parted, she sounded like she was ready for a fight at any moment.
What on earth happened in the thirty minutes I was gone for my interview to change her this much?
I watched Alice's repulsed expression thoughtfully before a sudden thought made me nod.
After all, it wasn't so strange that Vespera would take a liking to her.
‘At first glance, Alice seems mature, but she's still a high schooler, not even an adult. And she's a beautiful girl, pretty enough to rival a world-famous idol.’
Perhaps it was a trait of vampires, who could maintain their youth through blood.
Vespera looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties, but her actual age was around a thousand years.
A thousand years old and a late teen.
No matter how you looked at it, the gap was so overwhelming that Alice could only be seen as a child.
And Alice's personality matched her lovely appearance—the diligent, honor-student type with a strong moral compass.
To the spontaneous and easygoing Vespera, Alice might have seemed like an amusing toy.
“Don't be so angry~ You'll get wrinkles on that pretty face of yours. You have to take good care of it from a young age.”
“Urgh… I-I'm not that young! And how old are you, anyway?!”
“Hehe, older than you, at least, wouldn't you say?”
See? No matter how you look at it, it feels like she's toying with her.
I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing…
Still, with this kind of atmosphere, Vespera probably won't try to eliminate Alice.
From watching her for about a day, I'd gathered she was the type to cherish things she liked.
She probably wouldn't harm Alice so easily, especially since she seems to like her this much.
Considering the power gap between them, this could be seen as a positive development in many ways.
“Ah! Yuria! You're done with your interview!”
“…”
*Thump!*
While I was secretly nodding to myself, she must have spotted me.
Alice shot up from her seat and came running toward me.
Perhaps it was because she now had an excuse to escape from Vespera.
She looked even more joyful than usual.
This was the place we'd agreed to meet after I rushed off to my interview.
Unable to run anywhere else, she must have meekly endured Vespera's teasing.
Hmm, I kind of feel like I did something wrong to Alice.
But considering how she usually treats me, maybe this is a good taste of her own medicine.
“Yuria, did you pass?”
“…!”
“That's a relief! Honestly, I was so worried. I thought you might fail because you can't speak…”
In response to Alice's question, I nodded confidently.
Of course. There was no way I'd fail an interview that was practically designed to pass me.
But Alice, unaware of this, could only let out a deep sigh of relief.
She must have been worried that I'd fail the interview after coming all this way.
Well, I never even considered the possibility of failing.
Still, the fact that she worried for me warmed my heart.
So, to convey my feelings, I gently wrapped my arms around Alice's waist as she came closer.
*Thank you for worrying.* That was roughly the meaning behind the gesture.
“What a nice sight. A pretty girl and a cute girl together… Mind if I join in?”
“Ew… No way!”
Had she closed the distance during my emotional reunion with Alice?
Vespera had approached silently, a smile on her face as if asking to be included.
Of course, Alice hissed, holding me tighter as if to say no.
I, however, didn't mind and gestured for her to come in, opening one arm wide.
“…!”
“Y-Yuria?!”
“Hehe, then I'll join you.”
Alice's eyes widened in surprise at my wide-open invitation.
But it wasn't like she had any ill intent.
If she just wanted to be friends, there was no real reason to refuse.
Vespera rushed in as if she couldn't wait, hugging me so tightly that my body tilted.
Thankfully, Alice braced her legs and kept us from falling over.
Still, the three of us hugging was a bit cramped.
“Maybe I won't touch these kids…”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. Not a thing. Well then, shall I get ready too? For that interview thing.”
“…”
*No, I heard all of that!*
I watched with a shiver as Vespera pulled away from Alice and me.
Did she really have to announce her suspicious intentions in a voice so quiet you'd miss it if you weren't paying attention?
…Yeah, it seemed she'd taken quite a liking to Alice and me.
Was it my face? Greg did say it was close to mental contamination.
Even so, to think it could charm the worst of criminals. Its power was beyond imagination.
However, even if I knew she was plotting something, it wasn't particularly meaningful information.
I already knew her future plans. At most, it felt like a 99% probability had just become 100%. Not much of a difference, really.
‘But does one usually act this relaxed when they're supposed to be sneaking in to cause chaos? Just how whimsical is this person? …Still, this is a convenient situation in many ways. I should use it.’
Muttering this to myself, I waved enthusiastically at the departing Vespera.
Unlike Alice, I'm not the diligent type who can't forgive bad people.
If there's something to be gained, I'm the type to let things slide, even if they aren't good.
Therefore, I intended to use Vespera's favor toward us in any way I could.
Hmm, I suppose this might be a rather villainous way of thinking.
“Hehe, I'm off. Wait for me while eating something delicious.”
“…!”
Vespera returned my enthusiastic wave before disappearing into the airship.
Seeing as she's going right after I returned, the interviewer is likely Tempest…
Hmm, I'll skip eavesdropping this time.
Honestly, since getting on the airship, I haven't eaten a proper meal or even washed up.
Right now, recovering my stamina is a higher priority than gathering information.
After all, if I'm not in peak condition at the fourth assignment's testing ground…
I'm worried I won't be able to handle the situation properly.
As I pulled away from Alice's embrace and suggested we go eat, a question suddenly occurred to me.
Where is David right now, and what is he doing? He should still be alive.
“…?”
“Hm? Ah… are you talking about David? His interview is later, and he sent word that he'd be resting separately since he used up too much stamina during the Color War. He's probably sleeping in one of the cabins right now.”
I see. In the original story, David was the type to spend his stamina running around 24/7.
He must have decided to rest his body for the next assignment instead of joining us to talk.
No matter how skilled you are, it's hard to perform at your best if you're not in good condition.
In a way, it was an extremely wise decision. His interview is later, too.
Then I don't need to worry about David.
Nodding deeply in understanding, I took Alice's hand and headed for the dining area.
I hadn't eaten my fill during the third assignment.
I planned to stuff my constantly growling stomach until it couldn't complain anymore.
Kwahaha, you've met your match today. I'm going to eat you into submission!
“…!”
“Okay. Let's eat our fill and then rest! Oh, want to take a bath together later? I'll scrub your back for you!”
“…”
A bath… Do we really need to take one on the airship?
I feigned ignorance, looking off into the distance as if I didn't know what she was talking about.
Of course, Alice wasn't someone you could evade with such a simple trick.
But the real problem was that our group wasn't just the two of us this time.
After we devoured a mountain of plates, Vespera returned from her interview.
And suddenly, I found myself roped into taking a bath with Vespera, Alice, and Elizabeth, who had joined us in the dining hall!
“…!”
“Ah, Yuria! Where are you going!”
“Little one, why are you running away?”
“Does she not like baths?”
Any other time, maybe, but not now. Absolutely not.
Sensing danger, I practically rolled on the floor to break away from the group and fled to an empty cabin.
Well, there was nowhere to run on the airship, so I was caught quickly…
But perhaps my fierce resistance got the message across. The bath commotion was somehow settled without incident.
I hadn't restored the scar I'd made with the Tesseract yet, not wanting to waste the energy.
It was a relief I didn't accidentally give them any strange ideas.
***
I'm not sure how long we rested on the airship after the interviews.
After eating our fill and sleeping soundly, we found ourselves arriving at an unfamiliar island.
The examinees looked out the windows, trying to figure out where we were.
But the sight revealed by the rising morning sun left them stunned.
“This is…?”
“W-We were definitely in the sky just a moment ago… Why are we on an island…”
“No, we're still in the sky! The island is floating in the sky!”
An artificial floating island, the Sky Garden.
A massive island, several kilometers above sea level, floating alongside the clouds.
‘So this is where it really begins…’
At last, we had arrived at the Sky Garden, the location of the fourth assignment.
Just thinking about what kind of turmoil would unfold here was already giving me a headache.