Unexpected Guests on the Luxury Liner

“Young Master, you’re back!”

When Ai Ou returned, Maud had already finished feeding the rhino-carriage. The carriage, having reverted to its rhino form, stood docilely beside Maud. Maud had also found Elena, and the two were now patiently awaiting Ai Ou’s arrival.

Upon seeing Ai Ou, Elena became positively ecstatic, waving at him enthusiastically. Maud, observing Ai Ou’s return, stroked his beard thoughtfully and inquired:

“Young Master, have you secured the ferry tickets for tomorrow to cross to the other side?”

“No, I don’t have any tickets.”

“Ah! In that case, won’t we have to wait another week? Are they all sold out? Confound it! It’s all this old servant’s fault for driving so slowly, preventing the Young Master from getting tickets. If only I had been a little quicker, there surely would have been tickets available!”

Maud puffed out his chest with self-importance. Observing his demeanor, Ai Ou found himself hesitating, a multitude of words catching in his throat.

“No, actually, I didn’t even go to buy tickets.”

“Why, Young Master? Did the people on that ship look down on you? Do they not know that you are the eldest Young Master of the White family? This old servant will go and settle the score with them!”

“Well… actually, never mind. Just follow me.”

Ai Ou pondered for a moment, unsure how best to explain the situation. He decided it would be simpler to lead them there himself.

And so, they experienced a level of luxury they had never known in their lives. Guided by two mages who treated them with utmost deference, they stepped onto the opulent cruise ship docked in the harbor, their eyes wide with disbelief.

****

The cruise ship was immense. There were only about a dozen mages on this expedition, and even if each occupied two or three rooms, the vessel would still be far from full. Thus, there was more than enough space to accommodate Ai Ou and his companions.

Settling onto the pristine, plush bed, Elena bounced with delight before flopping down, taking a deep, contented breath. Then she exclaimed:

“Young Master, I’m not dreaming, am I? Are we truly going to take this magnificent luxury ship to the Imperial Capital? Ah! This soft bed feels like sinking into a cloud of marshmallows! If this is a dream, please, let me never wake up!”

Upon hearing Elena’s fervent declaration, Ai Ou walked over and flicked her forehead.

“Thwack!”

“Ow! Young Master, what was that for? It hurt!”

“Are you awake now? I was worried you were dreaming so foolishly that you needed a jolt of reality. You were doubting if this was real, weren’t you? Still doubting?”

“Young Master, can’t you be a little gentler? I am a beautiful maiden, after all.”

“Indeed. If you weren’t a beautiful maiden, Elena, I probably would have punched you. This is my unique brand of gentleness.”

Elena: …

After chatting with Elena for a while, Ai Ou returned to his own room. After locking the door, he made his way back to Dragon Island, wondering how Erza was doing after such a long time apart.

****

Due to the exhaustion of their journey, everyone had retired to their assigned rooms to rest after boarding the cruise ship. As evening fell, the two mages guarding the vessel finally welcomed back their companions, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Four or five mages, cloaked in black robes, arrived back at the cruise ship, each accompanied by a few diminutive figures.

“Reik, Aaron, what was the situation today? Any intrusions?”

Among the four or five mages, one who appeared to be their leader addressed the two mages guarding the ship.

“Teacher, today has been exceptionally peaceful. No one foolishly attempted to intrude upon the cruise ship, nor did any bandits try to steal its valuables. Everything is perfectly safe.”

Reik and Aaron, the two mages guarding the ship, responded respectfully to their teacher, fearful that any poor performance might negatively impact his assessment of them.

“Is that so? Today, we are preparing to leave this island and explore another location. Our harvest today was quite good; I never imagined such a remote, impoverished place could yield a few promising talents. Reik, take them down and get them settled.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

Hearing the words of the leading mage, Reik, a second-tier mage, approached the small figures. Their teacher had brought back four individuals—four children, two boys and two girls, aged roughly fourteen to sixteen. At this moment, they gazed with curiosity at the approaching mage, their hearts a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Though young, they were quite perceptive. They knew that the people before them were the legendary mages, a realization that filled them with awe. However, they also understood that they, too, would one day join this very group, which lessened their fear by half, leaving only a profound curiosity about the mystery mages represented.

“Aaron, did anything else happen today?”

Watching Reik lead their newly discovered talents away, the mage they called Teacher stroked his knee-length beard and turned to Aaron, who was awaiting his instructions.

“Well, something did happen today.”

“Oh? Something actually happened? Was it good or bad?”

“It should be considered good, I suppose.”

Aaron mused that Ai Ou’s enrollment in the Imperial Capital Magic Academy would enhance the academy’s strength, thus making it a good thing.

“Good, you say! That’s fine then. Tell me, what happened?”

“This… I arranged for three people to stay on our cruise ship.”

Hearing Aaron’s words, the mage teacher’s brow furrowed. He glared at Aaron, his tone exceedingly displeased as he stated:

“What? You arranged for outsiders to stay? Have you forgotten our principles? We are from the Imperial Capital Magic Academy! This ship is not permitted to host anyone other than us and the talents I select. How dare you allow others to stay? What audacity! It seems you’ve forgotten my teachings!”

Hearing his teacher’s apparent anger and displeasure, Aaron immediately knelt, saying:

“No, no, no. Among the group who moved in today, there is one individual who is exceptionally talented. Furthermore, he intends to enroll in the Imperial Capital Magic Academy. I believe he could enhance our academy’s national ranking and strengthen our reserve forces, so I took the liberty of allowing them to travel with us to the capital on our ship.”

After hearing Aaron’s explanation, the mage teacher felt a degree of relief. He detested being told what to do and loathed others acting on their own initiative; his words were absolute and not to be altered. This was why he had been so furious at Aaron’s initial statement, but upon hearing the explanation, much of his anger subsided.

“Is that so? Given that you acted to strengthen our academy, I will spare you this once. Remember, next time you must ask me before making such decisions! Now, tell me, since you claim there’s something special, what is unique about the people who moved in?”