Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: What Happened on the Airship (1)
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Stella Academy's 1st Year 1st Semester comprehensive evaluation period had begun.
Departure day.
There had been an announcement to assemble early in the morning, so I headed to the gathering point in a state that was pretty much zombie-like, completely drained.
‘Man, I’m dying of sleepiness.’
This body seriously has a bad case of morning grogginess…!
I hadn’t even gone to bed late last night—I’d turned in early—but getting up in the morning was still incredibly tough.
If I hadn’t asked Ker ahead of time to wake me up just in case, I probably wouldn’t have gotten out of bed at all and would’ve flunked the evaluation right from the start.
“Gasp! Jeron, are you okay?! You’ve got dark circles under your eyes…!”
On the way to the gathering point, I ran into Artel and Yuria.
Yuria was cradling Snow White preciously in her arms.
The little guy was sleeping soundly in her embrace.
Somehow, it made me envious.
“Ah. Nice to see you, Jeron.”
And Artel was wearing the [Fragment of Eternal Snow] necklace I’d given her as a gift.
But for some reason, she looked a bit tired too.
Maybe she’d had trouble sleeping last night from nerves about the exam.
“But how exactly are we supposed to get all the way to the Adelan Archipelago?”
Yuria tilted her head curiously as she asked.
The comprehensive evaluation test site was an uninhabited island located in the Adelan Archipelago.
The Adelan Archipelago was quite a distance from the capital region where the academy was situated.
Plus, since we had to cross the ocean, we couldn’t use something like a carriage for transportation.
But the moment we arrived at the gathering point.
Yuria’s question was clearly answered.
A massive airship shaped like a giant ship.
That was waiting for us.
“W-Wow…….”
Yuria couldn’t close her mouth at the grandeur of the airship.
In this world, airships were the ultimate luxury mode of transportation, on a whole different level from airplanes back on Earth.
If Earth terms were like a spaceship, high-tech vibe.
Moreover, this was the latest ultra-luxury model produced by the Magic Tower, which the academy had rented out entirely for this comprehensive evaluation.
It was money-burning on a scale only possible for Stella Academy, backed by the full support of the Empire.
“I-I’ve never been on an airship before…. Have you, Artel?”
Of course, Yuria from a small rural family.
“I’ve been on a few before…. But a cutting-edge model like this is a first for me too. It’s so much bigger.”
Even Artel from a great noble house was impressed.
I felt my chest swell with awe too, seeing in person what I’d only viewed as game CG before.
By the way, how does this thing even fly? I’m curious.
Maybe I could ask Ciel from the Magic Tower.
As I was thinking that, the airship’s boarding gate opened.
Cadets began boarding in line under the professors’ guidance.
‘Ugh. My legs hurt.’
With the entire 1st Year Combat Department boarding, the line was pretty long.
So I created a soft bench from shadow and sat down, then had Yuria and Artel—who’d been standing next to me—sit as well.
“Wow….”
“What kind of magic is that?”
Other cadets nearby looked on with eyes mixed with envy.
[Slothfulness +5!]
It was nice being able to wait in comfort like that, but the problem was how boring the wait was.
So I decided to tease Yuria, who had that half-excited, half-nervous face like a kid waiting in line at an amusement park.
“Hey, Yuria, did you know? You have to take your shoes off before boarding an airship.”
“Huh…? R-Really? I don’t know much about that kind of etiquette…!”
Yuria panicked and bent down to actually take off her shoes, but Artel, standing beside her, sighed and stopped her.
“Yuria, don’t fall for it. Jeron’s just messing with you.”
“Ah…. I-Is that so?”
“Kabee.”
I smacked my lips in disappointment.
Only then did Yuria realize I was joking, puffing out her cheeks slightly and glaring at me.
By that time, it was our turn, and we were able to board the airship.
The interior was just as flashy and luxurious as I remembered from the game.
Yuria’s eyes sparkled with wonder at the new sights as she looked around everywhere.
“Ooh.”
Even I couldn’t help letting out an exclamation upon seeing it for real.
It was incredibly spacious and comfortable, like arriving at a luxury hotel.
Here I was, getting to experience a cruise trip I’d never done even in my old world.
Once all the cadets had boarded.
We gathered in the central lobby to hear a brief explanation from the professors about safety rules and the schedule.
It would take two days to arrive, and until then, we had free time.
And shortly after—
Wooooong!
With a loud noise, the airship slowly began rising into the sky.
“Wow!”
“It’s flying!”
The cadets all rushed to the large windows at once to gaze at the sky outside.
We were heading off to take the comprehensive evaluation, but they were all just twenty-year-old kids after all. Everyone seemed excited like tourists on vacation.
‘They’re all so cute.’
Having flown on planes plenty back home, I wasn’t particularly thrilled by it.
If anything, I was so sleepy right now that I mostly just wanted to head to my room for a nap.
I tried to slip away to my room, but Yuria grabbed me right away.
“H-Hold on, Yuria….”
“Where are you going, Jeron! We have to go see it too!”
Yuria gripped my wrist tightly and dragged me excitedly to the window.
Karen and Ciel were already there staking out spots.
“Jeron, look at this! The clouds are right in front of us!”
Karen was practically glued to the window as she spoke in excitement.
Next to her, Ciel had her cheek pressed against the glass, mumbling to herself as she stared at the clouds.
“I wonder what clouds taste like—.”
…Probably like water?
As I was looking out the window with the others like that,
Sssslip.
Ker peeked out slightly from the gap in my uniform sleeve.
[Flying high in the sky……. For some reason, it feels familiar yet strangely nostalgic.]
Unlike her usual prickly tone, her voice carried a hint of melancholy.
She looked kind of lonely like that, so I reached out and gently placed my hand on her shadowy body.
[…….]
She didn’t make any sound of complaint.
If anything, it felt like she was pressing closer to my hand.
So I silently stroked her shadowy form.
[…Y-Your hands are too bold.]
A moment later.
Ker returned to her usual curt tone as if nothing had happened and slipped back into my sleeve.
But that subtle melancholy from before had definitely vanished.
‘Tsundere, for sure.’
I chuckled to myself.
By the way, staring at the clouds like this was making me think of the fluffy clubroom sofa.
I seriously wanted to flop down on one up there.
Sleepiness was making all sorts of random thoughts pop into my head.
I really wanted to close my eyes now….
It was right then.
Ding!
[A sudden quest has occurred!]
[Fun Airship Experience!]
Objective:
1. Lounge around in the special rest area
2. Eat the special rainbow 7-layer ice cream
3. Win the 1st place prize from the claw machine
[Reward: Slothfulness +200]
Oh, this one?
It was a quest from the game too.
A kind of bonus quest designed to let players experience the airship’s facilities.
But something felt off.
In the game, this quest randomly assigned various missions using the different facilities inside the airship.
I remembered it being pretty annoying because it often gave tedious grindy missions.
But the quest given to me now…
‘Way too slothful?’
Lounge in the rest area, eat ice cream, play the claw machine?
Every single one was inactive, purely comfy and slothful—nothing but sweet honey quests.
Was this the influence of my trait too…?
Anyway, there was no reason not to do it.
I accepted the quest immediately.
‘Hmm, what to do first.’
Honestly, the first mission appealed to me the most right now.
‘Alright then….’
Taking advantage of the others being absorbed in sky-gazing, I quietly slipped away from the spot.
***
Meanwhile, at that moment.
Saint Yustina wore a gentle smile amid the barrage of gazes directed her way.
“Saintess…! You’re truly beautiful!”
“Could I speak with you for a moment…!”
“Might I receive your precious guidance, Saintess?”
“Ahaha…. Slowly now, let’s talk one at a time.”
She responded kindly to each student surrounding her, making eye contact one by one.
But her inner thoughts were completely different from her smiling face.
‘Ughhh. I’m so tired….’
Especially right now, with the comprehensive evaluation looming, she wanted to carve out even a little alone time to collect her thoughts.
And above all…
She wanted to hurry up and read the little novel she’d secretly brought, hidden inside her nun’s habit—something she hadn’t told anyone about.
The new romance novel she’d gone to great lengths to obtain recently…!
[The Northern Grand Duke’s Obsessive Love]
Just the title alone made her heart race.
It was the latest work from her absolute favorite author.
However… she felt terribly sorry to the author, but!
Reading a book like this didn’t fit the saintess image at all, so it was a secret hobby she hadn’t revealed to anyone.
If she got caught, it’d be a huge disaster.
She’d even deliberately swapped the cover for something stiff like [Theory of Holy Magic] just in case, but she still couldn’t relax.
‘Is there somewhere quiet…?’
At that moment, a certain place popped into Yustina’s mind.
‘Ah! That’s right, there was that spot!’
A hidden place deep inside the airship that most people didn’t know about.
She’d ridden this airship once before on Holy Kingdom business.
She’d stumbled upon it by chance back then, and it was a very private, cozy space.
It would be perfect for relaxing there and savoring her novel slowly.
Some cadets might discover it eventually.
But at least on the first day today, no one else should know about it.
Everyone was excited sightseeing the airship, and they hadn’t even checked their assigned rooms yet.
Unless there was some weird cadet who went looking for a rest spot right after boarding, she should be able to enjoy some alone time undisturbed for a while.
“Hehe, brothers and sisters. Excuse me for a moment. I’m just going to the restroom.”
Yustina flashed her perfect saintess smile, made the excuse of needing the bathroom, and quietly slipped away from the group.