Ways to Enjoy the Vacation (3)
Quite some time had passed when Instructor Esta, having taken a nap, climbed onto the coachman's seat. I slipped into the carriage, asked permission, and settled by the window as we continued on our way.
One thing they've really nailed is transportation.
In typical medieval fantasy settings, traveling between territories by carriage takes forever. Unless you're using spatial teleportation magic, the continent's size—comparable to the Korean Peninsula or Europe—means long journeys eat up days. If there's a ball in the capital, folks from provincial towns might call it "late" if they don't set off a full week ahead. Without cars or trains, most of your life would be spent just getting around. Even a horse-drawn carriage at full gallop tops out far below 80 kph, so arrivals are always delayed.
Breadcademy's different.
Listen to that miraculous whistle and thunderous roar—the magic train blazing across the land at that insane speed.
Still impressive no matter how many times I see it.
Vastly outpacing the golden carriage rumbling along the road, it streaks by so fast that if we'd taken the magic train to the resort, we'd probably be unpacked and relaxing by now.
"Phoenix, what're you looking at?"
"Unia's reflection in the carriage window."
"You're watching the magic train, right?"
"Both, kinda."
Unia scooted over to me, peering out the tail end at the magic train racing ahead.
"Y'know, our first meeting was on a magic train too."
"Yeah, it was."
The very first time Unia and I crossed paths was on the magic train heading to the academy.
"When I enrolled at the academy, I figured we'd always use magic trains for trips out."
"Normally, you can reach anywhere in a day on one."
Everything's relative, but magic trains run on dedicated rails with nothing else sharing the tracks, so they hit top speeds for the era. Some sections rival KTX velocities, and since every route funnels through Esdinas Academy, they're a staple ride in-game.
Moving from the academy to another city always flipped the map at the terminal.
In-game, the full world map opened up for inter-city travel, and players always headed to the terminal. We'd scour the shops for new items, stock up on wound salves and such to prep for random train events. Seasoned Breadcademy players always packed thoroughly before leaving academy grounds—trains go everywhere, and anything can happen aboard.
Unfortunately, we couldn't use that train. Boarding general seating would invite trouble immediately.
"Miss Unia, wanna ride a magic train sometime?"
"I'd love to try it once, but we'd need disguises, right?"
Our situation made casual train rides tricky. Even chartering the VIP luxury car, the crew managing it would tip off folks trying to infiltrate our special class in the Old School Building.
"Are we doomed to tool around in this golden carriage forever?"
"It takes longer, sure, but we get total freedom just cruising like this. Can't beat that, right?"
"True, but still."
"Unless we get our own custom magic train, we're stuck borrowing help from Silverstar Merchant Group."
Until we scored personal transport, a wide-area teleport mage, or a flying artifact, standard options were all we had.
"Who knows? Someday there might be a flying inn that whisks you to your destination mid-stay, dodging every obstacle."
"Something like that exists?"
"...Miss Unia. When I float hypotheticals like that, don't take it the wrong way."
"Wrong way how?"
"Like I'm saying, 'Something like that does exist somewhere in this world, but you lot aren't ready to hear the details or use it yet.'"
"Wha... isn't that exactly it?"
Unia tilted her head quizzically.
"Usually when you drop lines like that, Phoenix, it turns out there's something real later—but we're 'not prepared yet' or whatever."
"Even if so, a flying inn? Really?"
"Metaphor?"
"Nope."
"Not even a figure of speech?"
"No lie—wanna feel my heart? Am I fibbing?"
"Lemme check... Huh, you're serious."
"Of course. Why would I joke about this?"
Because it wasn't a metaphor.
A flying inn. Once we hit three S-ranks, securing one wouldn't be a bad idea. The facilities were dated, but the view from dragon-flight altitude was breathtaking.
"Fascinating story. An inn that flies?"
Yurha Silverstar piped up.
"That'd rake in cash as a tourism package. 'One Night in the Sky' or something."
"Couldn't we just enchant this golden carriage with float magic?"
"Eh... that lacks romance."
"Romance?"
"Premium pricing sells more than raw materials—it's the romance, the exclusivity. Hmm, guess you're not dangling bait for something real after all."
Yurha dismissed it as idle chatter.
"No way you'd hold out on me for a goldmine business idea like that—or the treasure itself. Right?"
"Naturally. Why hide a priceless gem like a flying inn, let alone pitch it as tourism?"
"...So, does it exist or not?"
"Miss Unia."
Rydmila Lionheart, who'd been listening, called out.
"Isn't it this?"
She tapped her temple, and Unia went "Ah!" with a nod.
"If that's it, sure."
"What's 'it,' Miss Unia? Care to clue me in?"
"It's just something from Phoenix's or our mental imageries. Doesn't exist in reality."
Did Unia and Rydmila think a flying inn was born from trials?
"Hmmm... so technologically impossible for now? That the takeaway?"
"Anyone keeping an inn airborne indefinitely would need sage-level knowledge."
"So we find a sage, make the inn fly?"
"Please, Senior Yurha—don't read hidden meanings into every word."
"But you always tempt us to."
"Fair point."
The curse of knowledge, I guess. Knowing too much blurs spoilers from hints sometimes.
Still.
"One thing I can say for sure: If a flying inn existed, we wouldn't have endured all those ambushes from the Old School Building's forest to here."
I never lie.
"...Like those guys charging on magic bikes, for instance."
Flying would've dodged ground-pounding biker gangs, at least.
"Ha, seriously."
"Hired by Silverstar's rivals? At this rate?"
"Even scumbags wouldn't be this blatant and persistent. Not against academy celebs."
Yurha pulled a wand from her bosom, peering out the window.
"Miss Unia? Care to assist?"
"Intercept them?"
"Yes. Crack the window, poke your staff out."
Unia and Yurha extended their magic tools toward the window, eyes closed in mana focus.
And outside.
"Kiyoooooot!!"
"Paraparaparabam!!"
Indescribable figures—ones I didn't want identified—raced along in bizarre poses. On two legs? No, magic bikes. These scooter-like two-wheelers had riders helmeted for face-concealment or safety, but shirtless. Correction: wrapped head-to-toe in bandages.
So tightly bound in white gauze that if you checked for protrusions, you'd swear any bumps were wing bones on their backs, not fronts. Helmets on, torsos bare save bandages, bottoms in shorts that could pass for undies or swimsuits. A bystander might call them biker sluts, but you'd have to unwrap to confirm the gender.
"How many ambushes is this now?"
Unia shook her head, channeling mana into her staff's tip aimed outward.
"Why are they so obsessed with slicing off women's chests?"
"Beats me."
With mana pouches over 100, their whispers didn't reach the dozen-plus attackers on bikes.
Tang!
Magic Missiles from the two golden-haired Breadcademy undergrads engulfed the assailants—the Binyu Group.
Yeah. Outside the academy, it wasn't just monsters to watch for—Binyu Group too. Especially for female students.
"Won't let you escape, titty monsters!!"
"We'll slice 'em off for sure! For the equality of all humanity!!"
Humanity's flatteners. The Binyu Group were villains spawned by society itself.