The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 201

Titanic,

In my first life, this word represented the largest and most luxurious passenger ship in the world.

But then it sank, which was the problem.

The Titanic here was also impressively extravagant.

It was on par with the airship constructed for the royal family’s use.

The very idea of an airship is a money-drainer, so it’s not a common thing, and to see it this lavish made me realize just how wealthy Perda was.

Looking at its size, able to carry dozens, it seemed designed not just for the Perda family but to transport important guests.

Considering it also carried the likes of Cindy, a renowned warrior family member, it was quite credible.

They said it’s a short trip, but it was pretty obvious that was not the case.

If they invited me there, Perda’s intentions were clear.

‘You want to get close? It’s painfully obvious.’

It seemed that by the start of the semester, my image had elevated from just a fun guy to someone they wanted to bond with closely.

Among the five pillars, Perda, who managed knowledge, had amassed a great deal of wealth, though not as much as the golden Prigia.

With its proximity to the Elf’s Forest, there was lively interaction, serving as a bridge between elves and the empire.

They acted as intermediaries between the two races and collected crumbs falling from left and right.

I also recalled that somewhere along the line, there was a bit of elf blood mixed into their lineage.

Thanks to that, Perda often had human ears but mixed with shades of deep green in their hair.

Nivas sported green hair too, a remnant of his elven traits.

Typically, half-elves dislike such features, yet they actually embrace them.

They saw it as a way to show how tightly they are connected to the elves.

“Wow…! Atlas, look! It’s clouds!!”

“Aren’t clouds supposed to be soft like marshmallows?”

“Hey, those students over there look like ants.”

Was it their first time flying? River and Amy were enjoying it like children.

For me, as long as my companions were happy, that’s all that mattered.

—————————

The time spent on the Titanic felt both short and long.

The empire is vast, so even though the airship takes to the skies, it would still take about three days to reach the capital.

If it were as fast as a plane, it might have been shorter, but if it were that speedy, I wouldn’t bravely stand on the deck.

And this airship wasn’t just made for speed; it seemed mixed with a bit of a pleasure cruise purpose.

Three days from the academy to the capital might seem short for land travelers, but to me, it felt very slow.

It was slow compared to my usual one-step trips back and forth between the capital and the academy.

“Wow, the guest rooms are impressive.”

I didn’t even unpack my stuff, and after an hour of wandering outside on deck, I finally moved to my room.

Naturally, since we were going to stay for about three days, each person had a room assigned.

It really felt like a proper airship for welcoming important guests, ranking among the top three of the most luxurious places I had ever stayed.

Considering it was an airship, I might even give it first place.

When would I ever have the chance to ride on a ship more luxurious than this?

I doubt I would.

“Will I find my stuff left outside in the hallway? I heard lunch is ready in the cafeteria.”

Still being considerate, they almost placed my room next to those of River, Amy, Lucia, and Casey.

I half-expected them to keep a few people apart, but given the size of the airship, it seems like they didn’t play such tricks.

Yet, there felt like an ominous intent in the arrangement.

It was set up that all the other four rooms surrounded mine.

To my left was Amy, to my right was River, and directly opposite me sat Lucia, with Casey right next to her.

Everyone seemed to have gone into their rooms to unpack their bags.

Anyway, I hadn’t brought much, just some weapons, so I was sprawled across the bed that felt disproportionately large for my size.

Was this originally a room for two or more? The bed was king-sized.

But given my frame, it felt like a king-size bed; that was a bit annoying.

“Atlas.”

Just as I was getting ready to head out after looking around the room, someone walked in.

“Are you done already?”

“I only need to pack until it’s time to go back… and you’ve got even less.”

The sneaky River quickly shut the door behind her and approached me with quick little steps.

“It looks like all the rooms are the same.”

This was a thought that came as she entered and checked around.

I didn’t think she came in just to find that out.

But she didn’t ask me about it.

It was pretty cute how River was nervously glancing around, hesitating because she was too shy to say something.

She sat and stood up repeatedly, circling around me until she finally mustered up her courage and spoke with all her might.

“Atlas, can I come by at night…?”

As soon as River finished speaking, I kissed her softly.

Having to go on tiptoe to reach her while standing was a bit of a complaint, but what could I do?

At least I managed to do it.

As our lips parted, we felt each other’s warm breaths.

“When have you ever asked?”

“..!!”

Her face flushed red as if she had never expected that.

But it didn’t seem like she disliked it, as she silently leaned in for another kiss.

If we went any deeper, it felt like we’d hit the switch, so we should probably keep it moderate.

While exchanging kisses, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Is tonight the opportunity…?’

I doubted that such an opportunity would come again.

————————-

This airship was hardly recognizable as a ship.

The ships I’m familiar with feel a bit sturdier.

They usually shake often, built with minimal decoration and a focus on practicality and durability, but this place looks like something out of a high-end hotel.

And I had the same feeling in the cafeteria.

It seemed set up like a fancy restaurant.

You can’t see the kitchen, and there was even a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

In a place that sways like a ship every day, that chandelier would be ridiculous, but the sky route is definitely less bumpy.

Everything was fine, but something strange stood out in the center.

“What the hell is this arrangement..!!”

Lemnos, who had just entered and saw the scene, couldn’t contain his anger.

And it was certainly understandable… there was only one dining table.

A single large rectangular table, akin to a family dining table, stood starkly in the middle.

“Is there a problem?”

“There are many problems. What’s up with that? Are we expected to eat at the same table?”

“Yeah, we do that.”

“Lemnos doesn’t? We always use the same table for meals.”

“Ugh…!!”

Having mentioned how it’s always been that way in our clan, he just clenched his teeth and refrained from continuing.

While everyone spent their free time spread out, it likely meant they wanted to eat separately.

Further complaining could even be considered an insult to Perda, so it was wiser to hold back.

However, it wasn’t like the dining area was small, so why was there just one table?

It felt like a setup, but there was nothing we could do about it.

Sitting around one table isn’t unusual.

It’s only natural for family members to do that.

“Alright, let’s sit down.”

On one side, Perda and her ladies sat in a row, while on the opposite side sat my group.

To my left were Lemnos and Albion, and directly across was Shaara sitting elegantly by herself.

Since she was seated alone on one side, it felt like I should join her, so she wouldn’t be lonely.

When Nina tried to sit next to her, Shaara glared at her fiercely instead.

“Don’t worry about me.”

This airship mostly operated with golems, but there was one thing they couldn’t handle—the chef of the cafeteria.

While the golems managed navigation and cleaning, food meant for human consumption was prepared by human hands.

“Well, he might not be Perda’s personal chef, but nobody can beat him when it comes to making delicious meals at this altitude.”

Nivas was boasting, making the chef’s face light up.

I thought he was overly dramatic for something not that impressive.

But since the food was indeed delicious, I didn’t mind.

“Thank you all for coming aboard. Because of you, the journey won’t be boring.”

Perda raised her glass during the meal.

Not many were listening, but she seemed satisfied.

“I’ve got a question about this airship, Perda.”

“What is it?”

Something suddenly came to my mind.

“Can I do some exercise here?”

“If you want to feel free-fall while sinking like the ship, knock yourself out.”

She caught my drift perfectly.

I wanted to train Lucia properly here, but Perda answered without changing her expression.

“That’s too bad.”

“Is ‘light exercise’ okay?”

It seemed while some exercises were a no-go, other things might be.

Confidently, Perda spoke.

“Fufu, these guest rooms… are very soundproof, so don’t worry.”

“That’s not a detail I needed to know.”