Chapter 236
I was wandering in a dream.
My body was stiff, unable to move as if paralyzed.
"One summer day, that man…"
A woman's singing voice was heard from within the fog.
It was a clear and beautiful voice, but the pitch and rhythm weren't very good.
Is it a nightmare?
A cool sensation swirled around my ears.
Gradually, my mind became clearer. Soon after, I woke up from sleep.
Zenia was sitting at my bedside, singing into my ear.
"Met a country girl—"
"Senior?"
"You're awake now. Did you know we're almost there?"
I tried to move my body but couldn't budge. Now I noticed I was tied up with ropes.
"There was a storm last night, so we tied up not just you but all the other kids too."
"..."
"How is it, being woken up by such a sexy siren? Look at you, enchanted and unable to come to your senses."
"Senior... are you tone-deaf?"
"What?"
"..."
Zenia's face instantly filled with mischief. She slapped my forearm with all her might and said, "How dare you call me tone-deaf!"
Then she ran out of the cabin, stomping her feet.
It was nice that they tied me up, but shouldn't they untie me too? Being tied tightly to the bed made me look like a prisoner being transported to a remote island.
Soon after, Lilith opened the door and came in. As soon as she entered, she seemed startled by the smell of the cabin and covered her nose with the back of her hand.
"Ugh..."
"..."
I completely understand that reaction. This cabin where male students stayed was unventilated and filled with a mix of salty sea air, moisture, and the smell of teenage boys who hadn't washed for three days. Women with sensitive noses would find it hard to bear.
Lilith stretched her neck from the doorway, looking at the faces of those sleeping, then spotted me and scurried over.
"I'll untie you."
"Have we arrived?"
"Almost."
Lilith paused while untying the ropes, opened the door wide, and then came back.
"...It smells."
"It's not my smell."
Lilith said casually, "Hmm... Damian's male scent is the strongest."
"..."
Then she put he nose close to my chest and sniffed while pausing from untying the knots.
"...Yes. It seems to be the strongest."
Then she focused on untying the knots again.
I was about to make an excuse that it couldn't be helped since we hadn't washed for three days, but seeing Lilith's appearance, that thought vanished.
Her skin was spotlessly white, and her hair and face were fluffy without any haggard look, with a faint flower scent. We both hadn't washed, but she looked like a noble young lady no different from the first day, as if she had used some magic.
Lilith sniffed my body odor again as if trying to confirm something.
"...?"
The corners of her mouth twitched faintly as if trying to hold back a smile. Why is she doing that?
"Can you... untie the others, Damian?"
Lilith freed me from the restraints and fled as if escaping.
When I got up and tidied the bedding, I noticed the clothes I had left at my bedside were missing. They must have slid somewhere when the ship rocked during the night.
As I came up to the deck, a blue sky that looked as if it had been painted with watercolors greeted me.
The members were admiring the landscape of the land that had appeared after three days in the distance.
"Wow."
I, too, couldn't take my eyes off the view of Claridium, the city of magic engineering.
It was exactly as I saw in books. It was a city densely packed in a conical shape as if carved out of a mountain. Buildings stretched like stairs along the hills towards the back. White stone and bronze-colored roofs glittering in the sunlight rise irregularly yet harmoniously.
And on the roofs of all buildings, unique magic tools resembling wind gauges spin round and round. The multicolored smoke billowing from chimneys was a sight that could only be seen in a city where magic engineering had become commonplace.
The white building stretched straight up to the sky like an inverted stake in the central highlands of the city was the city council in charge of administration.
And near the port was a huge bronze floodgate. It was majestic enough for ten sailships to enter and exit simultaneously.
While everyone was admiring, Haley was alone, leaning her stomach against the railing and bending over.
Wondering what was wrong, I approached. Seeing her up close, she was just unable to control her body because she was laughing so hard.
"Ah... Kuk kuk, Kruhehe."
"Senior?"
"Ah First-year, ah, I'm dying, I heard you asked Zenia if she was tone-deaf?"
"...Yes."
Haley was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
"Zenia got upset! Ah... This is killing me. Hehehe, kuk kuk kuk."
"Did I make a mistake?"
She struggled to catch her breath and said, "Hey, when someone sings to wake up their beloved junior, who would feel good if you ask, 'Are you tone-deaf?' Kuk kuk kuk. She is tone-deaf though."
I wasn’t sure if this was really that funny. Did it match women's sense of humor? I had a nightmare because of that song.
Zenia was sitting alone on the stairs leading to the bow, resting her chin on her hand with a sullen expression.
Haley finally regained her composure and shouted loudly, "Everyone, we'll have a preliminary inspection soon, so make yourselves presentable. Don't act suspiciously! We're the face of Eternia. Got it?"
Our ship slowly approached the majestic gate. The gate was so huge that its shadow covered our entire sailship.
Soon after, a small boat carrying three men rowed towards us from the gate control room.
As a sailor lowered a ladder, the men who had brought their boat alongside climbed up to the deck.
They wore stiff, white uniforms that looked like they might still smell new, carried short swords at their waists, and appeared to be in their twenties.
The first man to come up had a stern face, but the two who followed had goofy expressions when they saw the beautiful girls filling the ship. Then they started whispering to each other, but their voices were so loud that we could all hear.
"Wasn't it an Imperial ship?"
"Was Eternia a girls' school?"
When the stern-faced man cleared his throat, the whispering stopped abruptly.
Haley stepped forward and spoke in a composed voice completely different from her usual tone.
"It's a pleasure to meet the Guardians, protectors of Claridium, the greatest city. I am Haley, the student representative of the Eternia delegation."
Then she lifted her skirt slightly and gave a dignified greeting.
The men then straightened their backs and saluted with disciplined movements.
"It's a great honor to meet the talented individuals from Eternia like this."
"I heard that the list of our Eternia delegation and other materials were officially transmitted to the city council under the name of Erzsebet Tiers, and prior approval was granted."
"That's correct. This is just a formal procedure, so we'll be leaving right away. It will take some time for the gate to open, so please wait for a moment."
Claridium's security force was called the Guardians. I heard they were a private organization funded by donations from the city council, the merchant association, and several great families, not a direct agency of the city council that oversees city administration.
Although they were an organization in charge of public safety, their attire focused more on dignity than practicality, as if they kept their distance from the use of force.
After the Guardians left, soon after, huge gears connected to the gate began to move, making a ferocious sound.
The gate opened slowly, and the shadow cast on the ship gradually receded.
Before our eyes unfolded a view of seagulls, ships of various colors representing different countries, and a vibrant port scene.
I was so captivated by that wonderful sight that I completely forgot for a while that this was a city on the brink of destruction.
While the ship was docking at the pier, we hurriedly packed our luggage. I finished preparing by strapping Priscilla to my waist.
The deck was connected to the land, and the members disembarked, wobbling with their bags.
When Zenia came out carrying a bag as big as her body, I quickly approached her.
"Senior, let me take that."
"I'm fine."
Ignoring Zenia's grumbling, I snatched the bag and moved it to the land instead. This was much more effective in soothing someone who was upset than saying sorry a hundred times. It was my long experience.
Zenia put her hands on her hips and snorted, "Anyway. You're annoying."
A stranger was waiting for us on land.
Black, long hair. A height that was a bit shorter than Silveryn but still tall for a woman, and a Guardian wearing a white uniform.
"Senior Rosalyn!"
As soon as Haley saw her, she hugged her as if meeting a family member.
"Haley, is that really you? It's been so long. Has that little chick Haley grown up so much?"
Judging from their conversation... I thought she might be a senior who graduated from Eternia long ago.
Come to think of it, they did say a graduated senior would guide us here.
"Now I'm the president of the Art Club."
Zenia subtly pushed me and Lilith forward.
"How did the entire Art Club come here? Did the Dance Club and Drama Club make some big mistake and fall from grace?"
Zenia chimed in casually, "These two new students contributed a lot!"
Me and Lilith were suddenly pushed forward and received Rosalyn's welcome.
She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "So you're that amazing new student. Damian? I heard from Haley. Professor Silveryn's disciple. The public enemy envied by mages. Right?"
"...That's right."
"I also took classes when Professor Silveryn was on the faculty."
"How was it?"
She smiled meaningfully.
"It was legendary. All the men were crazy about the professor, except for girls their own age."
"That's understandable."
Silveryn was certainly someone who could attract that level of popularity.
"I'm really curious why she chose you. I mean, not in a bad way, just out of pure curiosity."
"Actually, rather than being a disciple, it's closer to her just taking me in for a while."
She winked and said, "That's what I'm curious about. Let's talk about it separately later."
"...Alright."
"And our mayor is someone who almost worships archmages, so he'll be very interested in you."
***
After having workers move our luggage to the lodgings, we followed Rosalyn somewhere.
Rosalyn gave us some precautions while leading us.
"Never ride the first-class stagecoach. It looks good on the outside, but they overcharge terribly. And don't go near the free development zone on the outskirts of the city. It's full of vagrants, homeless people, and petty thieves."
Just then, a carriage zips past us on a narrow road.
"Kyaa!"
Some female students screamed in surprise.
What was pulling the carriage wasn't a horse, but a tin doll that looked like Plantera.
Rosalyn explained, "That's a Vintera. It's made to imitate Plantera, but it's weaker and much dumber. Unfortunately, there's no mana in Claridium's land, so they need a separate power source. The magic stones used as fuel are rare and expensive, so it's not very efficient. Unless a trade agreement with the dwarves is reached, it will be difficult to commercialize."
Haley asked a question, "Then the person riding in it must be rich, right?"
"Yes. Probably one of the four great families of Claridium. And never go near a Vintera on rainy days. It's dangerous because the power source attracts lightning."
Zenia asked, "But where are we going?"
"We're going to the 'Street of Light'. You're really lucky. There's a big launching ceremony being held there."
"But we're already far from the port?"
Rosalyn smiled meaningfully.
"This isn't an ordinary launching ceremony."
***
The Street of Light was a main road that stretched along a crossroads lined with shops. Shops decorated with colorful stained glass. Unknown banners hanging on walls and huge metal gears. And the street was filled with citizens who came to see the launching ceremony and Guardians controlling them.
There are children riding ponies and nobles muttering words I can't understand. Their gazes are all directed towards the blue sky. It's a launching ceremony, but what on earth are they waiting for?
In the center of the street hangs a banner with phrases praising magic engineering.
The city was so full of vitality that I doubted whether Amaryllis might have been wrong this time.
I felt like I might be overwhelmed by the overflowing energy. My hair stood on end, and a strange discomfort made me feel queasy.
Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, "Oh, it's coming, it's coming!"
Fingers were pointing to the sky.
Soon after, something huge appeared from behind a distant spire.
"It's a sky sailship!"
"What?" I shouted without realizing it.
It was a sailship floating in the sky.
With its sails unfurled and something like swan wings attached, it was gliding slowly through the sky, flapping its wings.
Thunderous cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.
Wait, that's a sky sailship? Is that what Luna asked me to buy as a souvenir? No way, right?
"..."
Someone tugged at my clothes from behind.
When I turned around, Zenia was standing behind me.
"Can you see anything?"
"Yes."
"I can't see anything. I'm too short."
I turned my back to her and squatted.
"Get on."
"What are you doing?"
"Piggyback ride. Get on."
"Am I a child?"
"It's better than missing it, right?"
Zenia hesitated for a moment but eventually climbed onto my neck.
I grabbed her legs and stood up abruptly. Zenia gasped.
"Ugh, my crotch..."
"Senior..."
For a moment, I had a strong urge to put her down immediately.
Zenia patted the top of my head and said, "There was a line like this in the novel Haley brought, and I wanted to try saying it once."
"Can you see well now?"
Priscilla at my waist suddenly trembled. It flashed blue light inside the scabbard as if wanting to say something.
"I can see well. But hey, First-year. That looks strange."
Zenia pointed her hand.
The sky sailship that was flying well was now tilted halfway.
The spectating crowd also sensed something was wrong and started murmuring.
It didn't stop at just tilting but was gradually losing altitude. Like a sled going down a slope, it was quickly sliding diagonally through the air, unable to control its speed.
At that speed, it could crash into the city. No, looking at its fierce momentum, a crash seemed certain. If such a large ship crashed, it could cause a chain collapse of several buildings.
I quickly put Zenia down.
Soon after, sighs and screams rang out. As it got a bit closer, the crash trajectory became clearer. What's more serious was that the sky sailship was heading towards the Street of Light where we were.
This place instantly turned into chaos. The crowd, terrified, pushed and fell and got trampled in a hurry. The Guardians were helpless against the suddenly unfolding situation.
"Run away!" Rosalyn shouted loudly. Haley quickly pushed the members into a nearby shop.
I stood there, blankly staring at the falling sailship. My head felt hot. I think this accident might be one of the omens of destruction.
Haley shouted, "Damian! What are you doing!"
My heart was pounding as if it might burst. Looking at the trajectory, it would pass over our heads. The exact collision point wasn't where we were.
I started running ahead toward the expected collision point.
"Hey! Damian!"
Soon after, the street momentarily darkened. The huge sailship flew right above our heads, cutting through the sky.
Woong—
The gust of wind brought by the sailship sweeps the street, knocking down the fleeing crowd and breaking windows.
In the path of the sailship, a huge building like a temple and a tall bell tower were blocking the way.
And below were people who hadn't managed to evacuate in time. If left alone, they would surely die crushed under the debris of the building.
Realizing it was impossible to catch up by running, I hurriedly drew Priscilla.