Chapter 30 Miss Isumi’s Past
After a bumpy journey, the night-long attack finally ended. Young Lady Elusia did not adopt an overly aggressive approach, but merely raised the altitude of the ship, forcing the Headhunter Bats to abandon the hull. After all, at high altitudes, the air becomes thin, and the temperature becomes cold. Although the Headhunter Bats are monsters, they cannot escape the basic laws of carbon-based life.
…
“Captain Elusia, I didn’t expect your handling to be so decisive, it really opened my eyes.”
“Hmph, of course, after all, I am a Young Lady! Of course, I won’t panic.”
…
Although Elusia’s method was effective, it also came at a cost. When sailing at high altitudes, the Magic Ship needs to consume more energy than usual. Originally, the ship’s energy was enough for a round trip, and now, upon reaching the Boundless Research Station, there wouldn’t be much left. Moreover, the temperature inside the ship became slightly chilly, and the oxygen became thin. As a last resort, Elusia had to activate the wind crystals and fire crystals.
…
“Lonis, are you cold?”
“Huh, n-no, I’m not cold!”
Suddenly being cared for by Elusia like this made Lonis feel a bit overwhelmed.
“If you’re not cold, then tidy up the bedding on the bed and let Classmate Su Ling rest first.”
“Huh?”
“She hasn’t experienced such cold weather and is finding it difficult to endure?”
“N-no, no, it’s okay, Su Ling doesn’t feel cold… not… a-achoo!”
…
Despite saying so, for safety’s sake, Su Ling was carried to the bed by Lonis. Kept company by the bed sheets and plush toys, Su Ling’s complexion improved significantly. However, this meant that Lonis was the only maid left on the ship. It was daytime, so Elusia was piloting the ship. Besides taking care of Su Ling, Lonis also discovered something very strange. That is, although Senior Isumi could bark like a dog on the ground and say some strange things, she herself was a very disciplined person. When eating, her back was always straight, and her sleeping bag was always neatly folded. Especially after using the restroom, it was clean and tidy, leaving not even a drop of water on the washbasin.
“Senior Isumi…”
“What is it, Classmate Lonis?”
“Ah, I’m just a little curious, Senior Isumi, what kind of life do you usually live? Do you live in the student dormitory as well?”
Lonis and Elusia were not assigned to live in the student dormitory. However, seeing Su Ling’s daily life, she knew that the school’s requirements for personal living were not strict.
“No, I didn’t live in the student dormitory, because I have actually graduated.”
“Ah, graduated?”
“Yes, but because I haven’t fully repaid my loan points, I still need to work and study at the school until I have paid it off.”
“Ah, ah? Senior, same as us? About how long will it take to pay it off?”
“Probably, it will take another 100 years.”
“100 years!!!!”
With a plop, Lonis almost knelt on the ground. Isumi nodded slightly, as if saying something that couldn’t be more normal:
“However, helping the school with more missions will help me repay my loan early. For example, if this mission goes smoothly, it might offset 1-2 years of points.”
“Su-such a thing…”
If Lonis hadn’t seen Senior Isumi eat food with her own eyes, she would have almost thought that, like Dean Emerald, she was some kind of advanced robot. After all, 100 years is a lifespan where an ordinary person might not even be able to pay it off before dying! However, hearing Isumi say that, Elusia chimed in from the side:
“What are you talking about, don’t lie to my little maid. Senior Isumi, aren’t you the successor of the Temple of Clarity? So, aren’t these things all predetermined fates?”
“Haha, that’s not wrong.” Isumi smiled slightly, not refuting Elusia. Lonis, on the other hand, asked:
“Young Lady, predetermined fate… what does that mean?”
“As Isumi is the successor of Clarity, her fate actually doesn’t belong to herself anymore… Because successors possess immense power, even in modern warfare, they can overturn the entire battlefield.”
“Huh?”
“In short, the more strength there is, the more responsibility there is. The power of the Temple of Clarity is crucial to the Academy, so Isumi must be bound to the school.”
“I see… So, Senior Isumi’s disciplined life is also due to regulations?”
“No, these are just my personal habits.”
“Huh?”
“I feel that living this way does not cause trouble for others, and everything looks clean and tidy, making it easier to observe those hidden things.”
Senior Isumi nodded. Even though her eyes were covered, Lonis always felt like she was looking at her.
“Hidden things?”
“Yes, for example, cockroaches.”
“What?! Are there cockroaches on the Magic Ship?”
“I don’t know. After all, even the Temple of Clarity has discovered cockroaches, so no one can guarantee that there won’t be any here.”
“Isumi, you brat!!! Are you suspecting me?”
Hearing Isumi say that, if Elusia weren’t piloting the ship, she would have gone to fight her.
“Of course, I’m not suspecting you. Currently, Elusia is my master, how could I suspect her?”
“Hmph, don’t think I won’t ravage you. When the time is right, watch how I get revenge on you.”
And so, the ship continued on its way. Finally, after two days of sailing, the Magic Ship arrived near the destination. However, at this moment, the most difficult thing was placed before the girls. They were completely unable to make contact. No matter how many times Elusia called the communication console or tried different frequencies, she received no reply from any research station. Moreover, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and even by raising the ship’s altitude, they couldn’t get a wide view. The visibility of the girls was no more than 200 meters. In such an environment, searching for the location of the Boundless Research Station was undoubtedly like finding a needle in a haystack. And at times like these, it was necessary to…
…
“Hmph, Senior Isumi, are you still watching the show?” Elusia snorted coldly, looking with displeasure at the orange-haired girl beside her. However, the girl’s expression remained as usual, and she didn’t even move a muscle:
“Yes, I am watching the show.”
“Aha?”
“At an altitude of -1341.8 meters, bearing 347°, and a distance of 12509 meters, two giant ancient exotic beasts are fighting each other.”
“I asked for the location of the Boundless Research Station, why are you watching exotic beasts fight?”
“Considering that one of the exotic beasts is not a naturally born ordinary type, but an artificially cultivated combat type, let me see… Hmm, the serial number is axly-115 type, it can be confirmed to be a product of the Boundless Research Station.”
“…”
“Young Lady Elusia, my suggestion is to lower the altitude and cautiously move towards the target direction. Perhaps we can find some additional information there.”
“Hmph, I know. Lonis, go tell Su Ling to put on her eye mask quickly… We are going to lower our altitude and enjoy the monster melee.”
