Chapter 10: In the Past, Men Had to Be Beaten Once a Day.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 10: In the Past, Men Had to Be Beaten Once a Day.
Mother didn't look too pleased, but Iris was so happy her mouth was practically splitting at the sight of the super-sized airship—it wasn't just twice, but at least four times larger than expected.
Holding our hands tightly as if we might bolt for the ship at any moment, Mother glared at the Vampire Sister. "...Is Hindel coming too?"
"How could I hide it from that beast? It's better they're with us than alone with her, don't you think?"
I flinched at the name Hindel. My "new mother (to-be)" who liked my mom more than me. Being on my second life, I was open-minded; I didn't mind having two or even five moms if I didn't have a father.
However, I didn't exactly want a mother who threatened her own son. "...There's nothing good for her in hanging around me."
"Well, what can you do? She's famous over there. They say she's an active-duty cop that an underworld boss loves so much she'd offer up her own heart."
I felt like I'd just heard something I shouldn't have, so I just stared at the airship, pretending I hadn't. It was truly massive. Like a skyscraper laid on its side.
It made the airships that had left my sister and me speechless before look like miniatures.
There were no large gas bags for buoyancy. Instead, two large blue stones surrounded by a strange membrane were attached to both the bow and the stern.
So, this is magitech, I thought in admiration. The sister who had threatened me earlier—whether she was mafia, a thug, or yakuza—slipped easily from my mind.
"Yong-hwan, do you like this airship?"
"Yes!"
As a cadet in a basic education institute with no sense of economics, I couldn't even fathom how expensive this thing was.
"Do you want it?"
"Yes~!"
"I'll buy you one when you become a fine adult. Not a selfish, pathetic man, but one who can do at least a tenth of what a woman can!"
Just how rich was this woman? I felt like the masculinity growing inside me was about to be castrated.
Being nice to a woman like this, supporting her, acting cute, getting an allowance, and doing some light housework... No, there'd definitely be a maid, so I could just eat, play, and maintain my physique all day. That life path started sparkling in my mind.
"Why don't you just say you don't want to give it to him?"
"Hehe, I'm serious. Have I ever lied?"
"...The problem is you always attach impossible conditions to impossible prizes."
Today's conversation was, as usual, rife with the casual misandry of this world. Mother started walking toward the airship, looking like she'd given up.
"By the way, I heard your oil company is being audited? And they're investigating the union busting?"
"Ah, don't worry about it. The kids I give pocket money to promised to smooth it over. If a mere Police Superintendent pokes her nose into this, she'll get on the bad side of the grandmas at the top."
"You sure have a lovely way of talking, even when I'm worrying about you."
Alicia giggled and reached out to me. Seeing how much she doted on me, I felt like if I grew up well as a clean, supportive husband, I might have a chance to secure the bag.
"Alicia Noona, your hand is cool and feels good."
"...I've never heard that before."
"But it feels nice to hold."
Was she weak to compliments? She seemed strangely calm. Or did she hate it? I walked carefully, watching the Vampire Sister, who had suddenly become very quiet and was just staring ahead.
The entrance was big, but the interior was jaw-dropping.
"How is it, kid? Do you like it?"
"Woah..."
I needed to say something nice to raise her affection, but the sheer amount of visual information was overwhelming my Wernicke's area.
"Your Noona is very rich, you know?"
The words of the rich sister—no, the chaebol sister—barely registered. The bottom floor was wide open. No, people were walking on it, so it must be a transparent wall.
I could see the orbital elevator stretching out, clouds passing below, and city buildings looking like dots.
"Want to go down? Let's see how much courage you kids have."
"Eek?!"
Iris, still afraid of heights, flinched. Alicia grinned mischievously like a brat. Looking at Iris's face, I knew going down together would be a disaster.
"Iris, you can stay here. You're scared of heights, right?"
"N-no! I... I have to protect Yong-hwan!"
Her effort was noble, but her legs were shaking like a leaf.
"I'm going with Alicia Noona, so I'll be fine. Someone needs to greet Mom when she comes, right? You do it! I'll go play first~!"
"Oh my~?"
Alicia's red eyes widened at my quick wit.
"Hehe, then I'll go look around with Yong-hwan. Wait for your mom, Iris. Shall we go?"
The Vampire Sister gripped my hand firmly and began to lead me down the stairs. It felt more like being dragged than escorted, so I walked ahead of her.
"Let's go down! Hurry!"
"Huh? Wait... aren't you scared?"
"No! Let's go! Hurry!"
"This isn't... Hey, don't run! You'll fall!"
An airship alone is enough to make a man's heart race, but one with a transparent floor?
"There's a pool too! Can I swim there?"
"Uh, well... no... aren't you scared?"
"It's cool!"
Alicia nodded, looking confused.
"Ah, swim after we put the luggage away. Diving while watching the clouds pass by during the flight feels amazing."
"Okay~!"
I wondered what kind of magic and engineering went into this material. I wanted to test its strength. But if a chaebol sister was riding it, it was definitely safe.
"Ahem, it's very safe here. It won't break even if a plane hits it. Even if it did, the spells would catch it from below, and there are sixteen safety devices..."
"Right. So it's safe."
"Y-yeah?"
I didn't know why she was suddenly talking about safety; I should hear that from an engineer, not her. Explanations from high-ranking people who only know the surface level lack the aesthetic of engineering.
In other words, I wasn't interested.
"Is there anywhere else?"
"The bow has the main bridge, and the stern has the sub-bridge. You can see the front and back through glass walls."
"Can I see those too?!"
"Normally no... but if you're with me, I guess...?"
The Vampire Sister seemed dazed today. Did her stocks drop or something?
"Alicia Noona! I want to see! Please take me!"
"Ahem, I'll take you specially! The captain of this ship is a retired commander I brought in from the Air Command."
This airship was designed to fulfill a man's fantasies. Or rather, a woman's fantasies. Whatever.
"What's the captain like?"
"An ace pilot and former Dragon Knight who served as an airship commander."
I expected a bearded veteran. But when Alicia opened the door...
"Young lady, you've arrived."
A pot-bellied grandma with no beard in sight walked toward us.
"This boy was curious about the bridge. What do you think, General?"
Her brown eyes had an intimidating quality. I met her gaze without flinching.
"...A boy? Even the girls usually avoid my gaze. Impressive."
"Right? Right? Is the voyage ready?"
Alicia seemed very happy.
"Preparations have been complete for a while. We can depart as soon as you say the word."
"As expected of the General. Reliable."
I stepped forward as their conversation ended.
"Hello, Captain! Thank you for letting me onto the bridge!"
"Oho..."
The Captain smiled, stroking her chin.
"Our guest... so..."
"I'm Yong-hwan! Jeong Yong-hwan!"
"Right, Yong-hwan. You aren't scared of this old lady?"
Her eyes were fierce, but not scary. Compared to my mom's friends who wanted to "eat" me, or that perverted teacher who was now a pet "sheep," she was like an angel.
"Your eyes are deep and clear. It's cool!"
"Hahaha! Yes, yes. You're bold and kind for a boy. In our day, they said boys needed to be beaten once a day, but if they were all like you, that saying wouldn't exist."
Shit. Curses boiled up inside me. I didn't want to find out that the modern saying "men need to be beaten every three days" was actually a softened version of the past.
"If you do something bad, you should be scolded! If you're kind and diligent, you should be praised!"
"Yes, yes. You'll live without being beaten, Yong-hwan. Here, have a candy. It's a reward."
I felt a surge of rebellion at the "blessing" being "you won't get beaten," but I managed to keep my expression neutral.