Chapter 8: Santo Ellm Cruiser

Gray clouds obscured the view outside the window, casting a shadow over the room. Yusciel returned her eyes to the holographic display after a moment of contemplation. The virtual keyboard in the air felt unsatisfying to her touch; she preferred a physical, raised keyboard. However, aboard the Santo Ellm Cruiser, her options were limited.

Her fingers continued to tap on keys of her keyboard, gradually filling the holographic document displayed in front of her for a few minutes before coming to a stop. Furrowing her brows, she leaned back in her chair and gazed once more out of the window. Pondering to herself, ‘Why am I doing this? Though, understandably, I can’t seem to give up writing ideas even though I had agreed to attend the academy. What can I even do there? Learn Magic? History? Language?’

Without looking, Yusciel reached for a cup from the chair’s cup holder, feeling the wet drops that had formed on its surface. Ignoring the moisture, she took a sip of the cold, strong green tea, relishing the flavor that spread across her palate. Continuing her gaze out of the window, streaked with raindrops, the peaceful scene reflected the calmness of her mind.

Yusciel lets out a sigh, melting into the comforts of her chair, ‘The Seed… I need to accelerate its growth. But for that, I lack the many necessary tools, machinery, and more resources. Unfortunately, my current funds will never be enough. How should I approach this problem? Think, Yusciel, think… There must be a better and more efficient way to handle this. The Wanderland is stable, but it’s not enough—it doesn’t provide enough for the acceleration I seek.’

Lost in her thoughts, Yusciel’s tranquility was suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched ping followed by the gentle slide of a door. Swiveling her chair, Yusciel was startled at the sight of the shadowy figure, immediately squinting her eyes before recognizing Lexine. Still dressed in white in a white one piece outfit topped with a matching brim hat. Yusciel mused, ‘Is this another illusion?’

“Thought so,” Lexine muttered, barely audible as she stepped inside, “I was expecting to find you in the council room.” With gloved hands clasping the metallic door frame, Lexine’s fingers glided over a glossy black panel bordered by a dark blue. Tapping once, she brought the room to life, casting a soft light on the corners of the room and highlighting trails tracing on the floor.

Yusciel remained silent, her mind racing, ‘Oh, it’s the real one. But I never heard of them planning on using this room before.’

“We’re currently having lunch,” She said. “Is there something you want?”

Yusciel’s eyes lowered, tilting her head as she rested her chin on her hands. “You seem unusually attentive today. What happened?

“Eh?” Surprised, Lexine let out a dumbfounded noise. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t usually act this way.. You normally let me be and don’t bother to interact with me unless necessary—I appreciate that… But your behavior today feels a bit out of character.”

Hearing this, Lexine forced a dry, awkward laugh, “Ahaha,” as she entered the council room. Lexine started her approach to Yusciel with steady steps, skirting around the glass table at the room’s center, surrounded by chairs. Despite its considerable size, the table remained bare, save for the few decorations—flowers sprouting from metal vases. These flowers presented glowing petals of blue, standing tall and in bloom. With each echoing tap of her feet, she eventually reached the opposite end where Yusciel was seated in one of the chairs, facing the window. She reclined slightly, with one foot resting on the seat, and in front of her was a holographic display showing a document filled with letters.

“So?” Yusciel urged, still in her seat, looking up at Lexine’s towering face.

“Not much… I just thought it needed to talk a bit more, to you, I guess,” Lexine replied with a wry smile, pulling a chair and sitting facing the table. She continued, “I don’t really get the correct timing to talk with you—it’s always about me asking details of… well… the costumes.”

While Yusciel continued to listen, she tapped multiple times on her armrest, making the holographic display turn off, and her slim wrist terminal emerged from it with a click. Yusciel replied, “I suppose you have a point… But why? There must be a reason.”

“I don’t know. Do I need a reason to talk to you?” Lexine replied.

Yusciel’s eyes widened, and she averted them to steal a glance at Lexine’s face as she murmured, “Well… I mean, not really.”

Lexine smiled, placing the white brim hat on the table and silently fiddled with her wrist terminal that opened a holographic display. Turning her attention back to Yusciel, Lexine asked, “I’m going to message Kaine, is there something you’d like to eat?”

“Ah, no need. I will head down to the lounge.” Yusciel replied, picking up her wrist terminal from the chair and wrapping it around her hands. Standing, she added, “I need a break from writing.”

“Hou?” Lexine made a noise with a curious tone, then quickly stood up as Yusciel hurried off. Straightening their chairs, she asked, “What is it about?”

“I will tell you later once we get there. But first, I must talk to someone.” Yusciel replied.

As Yusciel arrived at the sealed door of the council room, she swiped her hands over the black panel with her wrist terminal, causing the metal door to glow in patterns before sliding open to the side. She tapped the panel once, turning off the room’s lighting. Before stepping out, Yusciel glanced over her shoulder inside, ensuring she hadn’t left anything behind.

There, she found Lexine finally caught up to her. But something behind the silver’s head caught Yusciel’s eye, frantically shifting her sight to the black figure seated in one of the chairs, blooming flowers in front of it. Her eyes widened in surprise, a chill running along her spine at the sight of the shadowy figure. Her heart raced, and her hands trembled as she clutched the door frame tightly.

“What’s wrong?” Lexine spoke, concern written across her face as she placed her hands on Yusciel’s shoulder.

Assured by Lexine’s presence, Yusciel took another glance to see the figure more clearly—it was Nemneseia, donning a lab coat partially stained in red, with black hair tied as it swayed animatedly. Nemneseia sat there, her fingers gently caressing the petals of blooming flowers, a soft smile on her face.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Yusciel gulped, turning her gaze away. She saw a familiar object and responded, “Your hat—you left it there.”

Lexine spun around quickly. “Oh, whoops!” She shuffled her feet away with a sheepish grin.

As if reaching her limit, Yusciel swiftly turned on her heel and hurried down the path of polished marble tiles. Each heavy step Yusciel took echoed across the corridor until muffled by the red carpet underfoot. A beam of light ran along the ceiling, brightening the ship’s corridors and casting a glow on the finely crafted walls. Porcelain potted flowers, arranged between the doors, sparkled in green as they bloomed a glowing blue petal.

Before entering the next section, Yusciel paused, scanning her surroundings with a puzzled expression. ‘Since when did this cruiser ship get upgraded for luxury use?’ she wondered.

Her eyes fell on the closed elevator door to her side. Glancing up, she noticed the number 2 displayed with an arrow pointing downward. ‘Occupied,’ she thought, continuing on her way.

As Yusciel exited the corridor, she stepped into a spacious area adorned with intricate designs and detailing. Stepping forward, she halted before the glass railing, gazing at the clear view of the second-floor balcony and the bustling ground floor below, where people passed by.

Elegant double staircases hugged the sides of the walls, leading downwards to the lower floor. Soft music echoed through the vacant space, adding to the atmosphere of idleness, accompanied by the faint sound of footsteps and whispers in the distance.

With her hands placed on the cold railing, Yusciel descended one of the spiraling staircases, reaching the second floor. She ventured deeper, the space enclosed around her, surrounded by circular metal walls that extended further inward. Ahead, a large circular frame came into view in the distance.

As Yusciel approached, the sealed circular frame door swung open wide, revealing a lively burst of activity. Voices of people mingled with distinctive clicks, creating a cacophony of sounds.

She stepped inside and was greeted by a brightly lit yet somewhat dimmed section of the ship. On her right, she noticed a glass-encased room housing pool tables, separated by another tinted wall of glass, featuring various arcade devices. ‘A pool?’ She thought as another set of clicks reached her ears.

To her left, a low fence divided the central path from the elevated area, drawing her gaze toward a counter adorned with shelves filled with colorful bottles. Behind the counter, the barmaster caught her eye, deftly shaking drinks for the two patrons seated on the tall stools.

Yusciel took a few steps onto the small stairs leading inside the elevated area. The floor was furnished with lustrous wood, glimmering by the dim lighting overhead. At the center of the room, a ground platform hollowed the floor, isolated by waist-level glass borders glowing in waves tinted dark gray and black hue. A single giant circular filled the center, surrounded by plush sofas melding into the ground. Some were already occupied with people enjoying their drinks inside. Around the isolated area, similar lowered areas hosted smaller tables and chairs but without being encased by glass. Many of which were filled with patrons. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol and the acrid aroma of cigarettes, assaulting Yusciel’s senses.

Suddenly, a blaring sound caught her attention, drawing her gaze to a large monitor screen hanging from the beam above, its display tilted towards the audience below. Unable to care less, Yusciel moved forward, her eyes were drawn to the glass doors along the walls across the room. Through the occupied doors, she saw people seated on chairs, watching another monitor display displaying nature images with words flashing across the screen.

‘Karaoke? What?’ Yusciel thought, her eyes widening in surprise.

Without warning, a booming female voice rang out amidst the noise, calling her name, “Oh, Yusciel! What a surprise to see you here! No wonder the world is raining!”

Turning towards the source, Yusciel spotted a familiar figure seated by the counter, a lady dressed in standard Wanderland employee uniform—a plain white shirt with a giant branding print of Wanderland, topped with a white name plate displaying ‘Prim’ in black lettering. Despite the distance, Yusciel’s sharp eyes could easily make out the name.

Yusciel smiled and waved without saying a word. A familiar voice then called out, “Over here!”

Halting in her tracks, she turned toward the center, where a hand raised into the air caught her attention. There, she found Kaine slouched on a sofa, nearly buried under an assortment of Wanderland plushies. As she surveyed the scene, others sitting nearby waved at her, some discreetly concealing cards in their hands or beneath the table as they greeted her. At the circular table, a tabletop game was set up, mapped with various items across the surface and fake money piled before the players. Along the sides, glasses filled with ice and alcohol, pitchers of various flavors with wetness dripping on its surface, and plates scattered with snacks, some already picked clean, surrounded the game.

Yusciel silently responded with small waves of her own as circled the glass borders to approach Kaine's position. Leaning in, she peered at his downcast face, his gaze focused on the card covering it. “Is Joseph here? I can’t seem to find him,” she asked.

Kaine, his hands busy with cards, glanced over his stacks with a raised eyebrow, peering at Yusciel through the gap, “Joseph? At the bridge with Noel. Why do you ask?”

“Ah, I see,” Yusciel mumbled, turning on her heel only to encounter Lexine’s figure standing nearby.

“I can call him for you,” Lexine suggested, lifting her wrist terminal into view. “He said if you need anything, I should let him know.”

“Please do,” Yusciel responded, pivoting on her heel once more before walking forward, settling into a vacant spot further in the room where it neared the wall filled with abstract paintings. She sank into a plush sofa surrounded by familiar character plushies and a tidy table, offering a clear view of the monitor displaying an animated film featuring two mice, a bear, a lion, and an alligator singing.

As she watched the film, Yusciel mused, ‘Isn’t this the movie Mr. Celton directed? Why does the lion’s voice sound like his?’

At that moment, Lexine entered her peripheral vision, taking a seat on the sofa beside hers. “Is there something you want?” Lexine inquired.

Yusciel, eyes fixed on the monitor, replied, “Any pizzas…”

“Got it. I also texted him, he should be here soon,” Lexine reassured.

Yusciel briefly glanced at Lexine’s face, only to find her focused in the holographic display in front of her. Translucent icons moved up the screen, seemingly scrolling through an endless menu before Yusciel returned her gaze to the monitor.

Unperturbed by Lexine’s activities, Yusciel hands found and took hold of a nearby plushie—a soft donut plushie to hug tightly. She pondered to herself, ‘What was the name of this movie again? Adventures of the Mischief Goat?”

“Uh, drinks?” Lexine suddenly interjected. “What do you want to drink? Alcohol?”

Hugging her plushie tightly, Yusciel tilted her head to gaze at the glowing ceiling lights hidden behind stacks of intricate plating designs above. She then turned to Lexine and replied, “No, thanks. Just something to energize me.”

“How about green tea?” Lexine suggested.

Yusciel repeated, “A cold, green tea, please” her voice slightly muffled by the plushie. Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization, ‘Oh, I left my green tea in the council room…’ She turned to Lexine, thinking, ‘I’m sure Lexine took care of it.’

Glancing at Lexine, she found her nodding and engrossed in the holographic display, scrolling through the selections. Yusciel’s view was slightly blurry, making it hard to discern the flipped words next to the flipped icons. Her attention wandered back to the monitor, where the characters on the screen had begun singing on stage.

Suddenly, something caught her eye. Turning to look, she saw Kaine abruptly standing up, slamming his cards on the table and energetically pointing across the table, shouting, “HAHAHA! FUCK YOU, BITCH! I WON THIS TIME!”

Yusciel, taken aback by Kaine’s sudden outburst and the ensuing claps and laughter that filled the room, then noticed a large figure—Joseph entering the bar through the entrance.