Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Aerial Garden (1)
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Monday morning.
Cleam Hall for College Board’s first quarter, week 4.
“...Yawn.”
Now, even when I show up at Cleam Hall, no one bats an eye anymore, but today’s scene is pretty unusual.
Kain and Esher were sitting apart from each other—probably after some fight—and Elise was buried in some fancy hardcover, scribbling notes as she read.
Curious what had her so hooked, I zoomed in with the SZX-9500 Mana Optics Microscope...
Isn’t that my [Bard] script?
“Greetings.”
Jedric appeared right then. Spot on 9 a.m., as always.
Does this guy have a clock implanted in his brain or what?
“College Board week 4. Let’s kick off with Monday’s assignment. Title: ‘Experience and Art’.”
Groans rippled through the room like a collective sigh. Looked like a real slog of a task.
“For today.”
Even worse, just for today.
From 9:03 a.m. right now until midnight.
A whopping 14 hours and 57 minutes—the seniors looked like they were on the verge of passing out.
“Travel around Edshilla and come back.”
The whole hall froze in confusion.
Travel?
“...”
I just sat there, dazed. Kain and Esher instinctively glanced at each other before growling again. Rae had her face planted on her desk, fast asleep. Elise was already propping her chin on her hand, mulling over destinations. And Soliet—the dawn cafeteria raider who’d finally escaped unscathed—flipped open her smartphone first thing.
Gerkken... pulled his Endex library card from his wallet.
Is he planning to pick a travel spot from a book?
“The travel you’re doing today covers the ‘Experience’ part of ‘Experience and Art’.”
What came next was the key.
Call it travel, but it could turn into hell real quick.
“ ‘Art’ means expressing that ‘Experience’ in a beautiful way. Essays or travelogues work, drawings are fine, compositions too, photos or videos—whatever. Turn your experience into any form of art and bring it back.”
In simple terms: go travel, then package your impressions all pretty.
Thankfully, no combat involved this time.
Jedric glanced at his wristwatch.
“It’s 9:20. Gather your own materials and head out. Submit to the Endex University Association office by Friday.”
The seniors eyed each other warily before standing one by one.
I stayed seated, thinking it over.
Travel.
Before my regression, I’d roamed plenty, but nothing you’d call a real trip. More like jobs.
So, where’s a spot I’d want to cherish like a work of art?
“Hmm.”
No matter how I racked my brain, nothing came up.
Instead, there was a place I desperately wanted to visit.
A place I craved so badly.
Where I could smash the ground, torch everything, lop off heads.
Libra’s main house.
Aerial Garden.
Yeah, nowhere else.
“Okay.”
I stood up. Locked eyes with Soliet by chance, but we ignored each other...
She gave me the tiniest nod.
A faint eye-greeting—or chin-greeting, really. Watching her head out, I thought to myself.
Isn’t this a contract breach?
Anyway, I left Cleam Hall too.
Ding—
My smartphone buzzed.
[Psycho: Where you headed?]
A text from the psycho.
“Yaa~ Sion~!”
Rae came barreling over, looking like she’d just woken up. She’d dyed her hair jet black again and was beaming at me, waving her printed script pages.
Why’s hers printed, though? Elise had a hardcover.
“This script~ Can’t you toss me just one more line~?”
“You’ve got plenty already.”
“Eiiing~”
Ding—another from Elise.
[Psycho: Go catch a play or something. I’ll hit up a musical or theater too.]
Probably the Bard thing. Suddenly feeling all buddy-buddy? Why’s she going so hard?
[Psycho: Galparam Opera House is my rec. Not that you’d know where it is.]
I texted back.
[OK]
[Psycho: Hottest play right now is Bella’s Lake.]
[Psycho: What? OK? You nuts?]
“C’mon~ Just one more line~”
“Outta the way.”
“Eek!”
I shoved Rae aside and bolted from Cleam Hall.
Then it hit me: no cash. Taxi fares had that night surcharge, but still.
I dug through my pockets.
“What’s this?”
Fished out a couple casino chips.
“Ah.”
Leftovers from the last assignment.
I glanced back sneakily. Rae was glaring at me, all pouty.
“...What. Why.”
“Lend me some cash. Transport money.”
“What?! No way!”
“I’ll give you one more line.”
“...”
She hesitated, then pulled out some bills. Three of them.
“Here! One more line, got it?”
“Obviously. I keep my word.”
I went to pocket them and froze. Expected 10 Ren bills—100 Ren each.
Rae was already gone. I muttered, dumbfounded.
“...She’s loaded for real.”
Guess I can cab it now.
Floating in the sky, so “Aerial.”
Looks like a massive garden from the ground, so “Garden.”
Put ’em together: Aerial Garden—Libra’s main house.
“Damn, it’s huge. As expected.”
I muttered, craning my neck up.
Truth be told, “main house” or not, Aerial Garden’s basically Libra’s private city—a territory in all but name. Edshilla forbids even the biggest nobles from owning land outright, but the law only covers the “ground.” So Libra built sky-land for a legal territory. 13 square kilometers, 40,000 residents strong.
Top of my bucket list.
Smashing this Aerial Garden right into the deep mantle.
...Minimizing civilian casualties, of course.
“Elevator fee is 50 Ren.”
To get into Aerial Garden, you ride the Libra Elevator skyward first.
50 Ren entry. No ID check.
“Alright. Everyone board.”
Waaah~ Ooooh~ I piled into the elevator with hordes of tourists.
A huge, transparent jobber holding 300 at a go.
Sky closing in, ground dropping away—parents with kids, couples, all beaming with joy.
Ding—
Doors opened; tourists surged out.
“...Back again.”
I stood still, staring into the distance. Sun and clouds right there. Day moon crisp as a biscuit.
3,333 meters up: scenery worth the hype.
“Five years?”
Aerial Garden’s always this open, but pre-regression, I rarely came.
Got busted mid-terror plot, blacklisted.
Overkill, right?
Anyway, it’s split into six zones: 5 through 1, plus zone 0—the Libra bloodline’s grand estate.
Shaped just like an onion.
Outskirts feel like any city; gets gaudier inward till zone 2, then secretive and mana-charged. Zones 1 and the estate? Zero media leaks.
Zone 0’s strictly “bloodline” turf—trusted retainers handpicked by Libra, elders, close kin only.
“...Crowded as hell.”
Me? Outermost zone 5—no ID, tourist central.
That’s why Aerial Garden’s a hot spot. Dizzying views downward, plus monorail, parks, eateries, cafes, clubs, hotels, pools—endless fun.
But I ain’t stopping at 5.
Hopped the monorail to zone 4’s gate.
“ID, please.”
ID checks start here, but student card should do.
“Endex student ID work?”
“Yes. Show me.”
Zone 4 guard scanned for fakes, nodded.
“Confirmed. Go ahead.”
Zone 4’s like 5 but classier. Luxury boutiques, department stores, 5-star hotel casinos, high-end apartments, mansions. Rich tourists flock here.
Most with Aerial Garden addresses live in 4, but not my target.
Kept trekking to zone 3’s entrance.
“Halt.”
Zone 3 guard was a knight. Sized me up top to bottom.
“Purpose?”
“Endex senior. Assignment.”
Flashed my Endex student ID. He blinked.
“...Assignment?”
“Yes. Experiencing Libra’s splendor—”
“Impossible.”
Cut me off cold. Shooed me with a flick. Stern as steel.
“Turn back.”
“...Yes.”
Eh, no point arguing. No shortcuts here—unlike Endex. Fence-jump and it’s instant lead poisoning.
Bummed, but I’d loiter in 4, sketch something, head down.
Shuffling off, a luxury ride whooshed past.
“Loyalty!”
Salute boomed from zone 3 gate. I peeked back.
Knight who bounced me was chatting up the car.
“Ah, yes! Says he’s from Endex on assignment!”
About me, sounded like. The stiff prick was now bowing to the dirt.
“Yes! Here to experience Libra’s splendor!”
Sweat dripping like crazy.
“Understood. Stu—student!”
Pointed my way.
“Over here!”
I trudged back, parked by the car. Royal-grade sedan: Cesrois.
Body gleaming so blinding in the sun, eyes hurt. Fluorescent bulb much?
“What’s this about?”
Asked me, rear window whirring down with a heavy hum.
Glanced in on reflex—spine went rigid. Eyes bugged. Dantian spasmed instinctively.
Backseat guy smirked faintly, pleased with my reaction.
“So it was you.”
Slicked-back hair, not a strand astray. Skin ghostly pale, like zero melanin. Features sharp as a honed blade, jawline chiseled.
A literal sculpture of a man.
“J-Jade Young Lord knows this student?”
That cursed name from the zone 3 knight.
Jade.
Rimto Mine owner. Libra’s second son.
“Yeah. At the mine...”
He trailed off.
Did Bellingham report my mine stunt?
I gulped. Jade pitied me, added a chuckle.
“Gave me the most enthusiastic applause.”
“...”
Of course not. Bellingham handled it solo.
“So. Here for Libra’s splendor?”
Jade asked.
“Yes.”
Short and sweet. He arched a brow, waiting for more. Like he expected it.
I knew exactly what he craved.
Obsessed with Libra, I’d scraped every scrap of intel—habits, traits, past, present, even “future.” Me and my [Notebook] knew it all.
“But...”
I wrestled hard.
Still, words I truly hated saying. Pure ass-kissing, heart screaming no.
...Looking back, that’s what did me in.
Orphan, no folks. Nothing to my name but trash pride—died worthless.
Torn apart like a fly.
No more of that.
“Phew...”
Deep breath. Purged the rot from my chest.
Pride’s dead weight. Ditch it to win.
So...
Time to mean it.
“That splendor’s right in front of me now.”
“...Ha.”
Jade huffed a laugh. Shook his head in disbelief. Sighed like, what a guy.
“Pathetic. In this grand Aerial Garden, you find splendor in me?”
Talk like that, but Jade eats up simple flattery. Loves praise for his looks and business most.
Looks: his one perfect trait.
Business: endless flops.
“Fair. I’m way better than that neat freak or the gambling addict.”
Neat freak: eldest Jedric. Gambler: big sis Zahanna.
Siblings who’d trash each other at the drop of a hat.
“Hop in. I’ll clear you to zone 2.”
Front passenger hopped out, ushered me into his spot.
“Get in.”
“No need—”
“Get. In.”
“...Yes.”
No ride planned, but whatever.
Slid into the Cesrois. Interior was insane. Backseat huge inside, ceiling studded with twinkling stars.
“We’re off.”
“Loyalty!”
Guard saluted; zone 3 gate swung open.
I stared hard at the Aerial Garden vista beyond the mana barrier.