Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven

"Come on! We might have time to check out the ship if we're quick enough." Danya exclaimed with excitement as they neared the docks. She urged Sala to move faster. "I've never seen an airship before! I want to do a lap around it and see what the outside looks like!"

Sala chuckled at her antics and didn't resist as she pulled him along, continuing to babble excitedly.

"Well, I mean, I've seen them from a distance, like a really long distance. But I've never seen one up close! We'll have plenty of time to tour the inside during the week long trip, but this is probably the only chance we'll get to look at the outside!"

She stopped abruptly and frowned when the airship came into view.

"That's... Kinda disappointing... It's so plain." She mumbled dejectedly before visibly cheering herself up and exclaiming, "Maybe there's more on the other side! We'll have to be quick if we want to get through that line in time to board, though."

Sala smiled gently and placed an arm around her waist to prevent her from running off like an overly excited toddler. "You don't have to rush. There's still more than an hour and a half before departure. That's more than enough time to look around the ship."

Danya tilted her head with a confused expression. She pointed at a huge line in front sign labeled "Boarding" and asked, "Don't we need to line up early? It'll probably take forever to get through that line, and we don't want to be the last ones on the ship."

Sala sighed. "We definitely need to work on getting you used to your new status. You're a champion, someone destined to fight for the world's safety. Even unofficially, you have incredible political power. Even if you didn't count that, you're traveling with the son of a duke. We don't wait in lines. We'll use that separate entrance off to the side." He gestured to a smaller, less obvious entrance she didn't see at first glance.

"Ah! I didn't know about that. Well, that just means we don't have to rush!" Danya exclaimed, smacking her palm with her fist as she walked off. She moved at a slower but still brisk pace while looking all over the ship, taking in as many details as she could.

The ship was of a strange design, clearly only able to fly due to the presence of magic. Danya could feel the mana radiating off of it in massive waves.

It was enormous, easily over 1,500 feet long and 500 feet tall. The ship was shaped similarly to a blimp's balloon, appearing like a stretched-out sphere, but it was perfectly symmetrical and had no fins or wings. There were no windows, hatches, or other visible exterior features. The body was a single solid piece composed of a strange, silvery, metallic material.

Danya could see a small, relative to the ship, column of some sort on one end of the vessel, rising out of the top. However, it was too high for her to make out any further details.

Underneath, behind the boarding gate, was the dock. A circular room that the airship was resting on top of.

The pair spent an hour walking around the ship. Danya's enthusiasm waned further and further with every step around the massive vessel.

"Argh! That was such a major letdown! It's just a big stretched-out ball!" She exclaimed with a frustrated sigh.

Sala chuckled with a wry smile. "I was hoping you would have given up long before we made the entire trip around the thing."

Danya huffed. "We had to make sure that it was all the same. What if something was different on the ends?"

He chuckled, placed a hand on the small of her back, and gently steered her toward the entrance that he had previously pointed out. "All of the cool stuff is inside. Our cabin will probably be pretty interesting. Let's go ahead and board so we can take a look."

Danya looked at him with a pout before glancing around nervously.

They were receiving many glances from those that they were passing in line. While none were malicious, Danya was unused to people paying attention to her actions. She found that being watched like this made her anxious.

Sala squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "I know it's nerve-wracking, but we're going to be getting a lot of looks going forward. Try to get used to it as much as possible now while everything is benign. You'll be much more prepared for malice if you can manage that."

Danya nodded hesitantly, took a deep breath, and attempted to display confidence.

They received a notification, an indication that proof of identity and ticketing information had been exchanged, from their AI and VI as they reached the entrance.

"Welcome aboard, Lady Danya, Lord Sala. The ship's VI will link with yours and guide you to your quarters. If you have any questions or issues, please send a query to the VI, and a staff member will be with you as quickly as possible. Please enjoy your trip." The doorman greeted them with a bow after opening the door.

The pair nodded and entered the room. A spiral staircase was in the center of the room. It looked like a series of slabs had fallen off the ship and formed the entrance.

The stairwell opened into a simple corridor made of a similar material to the exterior of the ship. The duo's AI and VI displayed a softly glowing path leading to their assigned quarters.

"This is almost as bad as the outside! It's just a regular old hallway. It even looks like the same material, just less shiny." Danya complained with a sigh.

Sala chuckled, "Of course it's just a regular hallway. What were you expecting?"

"I don't know. I was hoping for at least something interesting. Something like moving floors or some other high-tech and magical stuff!" Danya responded, blushing in embarrassment.

"Well, as I said earlier, our room should be impressive, and I'd be willing to bet that if we talk to the Captain, we can get a look around some of the usually off-limits areas like the engine and control rooms. It can't hurt to take advantage of your status as a champion now and then, can it?" Sala said placatingly.

The pair approached an elevator while they were talking. It automatically opened and began moving without any input once they entered.

Danya mumbled under her breath while looking around. "It opened and started moving without any prompting from us, probably because of our AI and VI... How the hell is someone without one supposed to operate this thing? I didn't see any buttons outside, and there's nothing inside."

"Voice commands," Sala answered. "A series of listening devices are arrayed throughout the ship's public areas. Passengers who don't have a VI can use those devices to access the ship's VI and make full use of the facilities."

He paused for a moment. "Most places throughout the kingdom operate similarly. VI's are expensive, far more than the average individual can afford. A significant portion of those who can afford them also choose not to use them for one reason or another."

"That makes sense," Danya said with a shrug. "The orphanage only had a single terminal that the orphans were allowed to use. That terminal was dusty and super old. It barely ran, definitely wasn't capable of voice commands."

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She tapped a finger on her chin and continued, "I'm sure there was probably something at the school, but they didn't use them during classes, and I was always too busy trying to hide from bullies outside of class to notice."

Sala frowned deeply at the mention of bullying but could not voice his thoughts as the elevator stopped and confusion crossed his features.

The pair exited the elevator and entered a small chamber with three doors.

The door directly across from the elevator, which their AI and VI were leading them to, held a simple wooden plaque with the words 'Royal Quarters' written in golden letters.

The doors to the left and right both had 'Guest Quarters' written on a similar plaque.

"Uhh... I'm not very familiar with how things go on airships... But shouldn't something marked as 'Royal Quarters' be used by, you know, royals?" Danya questioned. "Do VIs make mistakes?"

"No, VIs rarely make mistakes," Sala answered absentmindedly while contacting a staff member through the ship's VI. "The person that assigned us to the room could have, though. Let's call someone to get this sorted out."

"It's going to take a few minutes to get someone with enough authority to sort this out." He said with a sigh after a short pause. "All the managerial staff are working on preparations for departure."

Danya chuckled sheepishly. "Maybe we should have boarded a little sooner than the last minute."

The elevator opened before Sala could reply, drawing their attention.

A rather portly man with a curly mustache stepped out and bowed in greeting. "Lady Danya, Lord Sala, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Robear, the Captain of this fine vessel."

He rose from his bow and glanced around. "I was told that there's an issue with your accommodations. Is the door refusing you entry?"

The pair hesitated for a moment, shocked that the Captain had come to them directly. Not even Sala's father received such treatment.

After a moment of hesitation, Sala answered. "Sorry, Captain Robear, we weren't expecting you to come yourself and were caught off guard for a moment." He gestured toward the Royal Quarters and continued, "As for the issue, we seem to have been assigned the wrong lodgings by mistake."

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry for the confusion. That was no mistake, however." He said and used his VI to send over a legal document before continuing. "Roughly an hour ago, the kingdom sent a new law referring to the champions. It lists several scenarios in which the champions are to be treated as if they are the king. Your stay aboard this vessel falls under those scenarios. The king himself contacted me directly to inform us that you would be present to allow us to adjust accordingly."

He gestured to the quarters and continued. "The Royal Quarters have been prepared for your party, and we've also hired a guard to accompany you during the duration of the trip. He and his companion are currently with my staff making last-minute changes to ensure the proper security measures are in place. They should be with you shortly."

"I've directed the ship's VI to connect you to me directly should you need anything. Please do not hesitate to call at any time. Is there anything else I can help you with?" He finished with a bow.

Danya just stared forward blankly while Sala shook his head and answered. "No, that was all we needed. Thank you for your assistance, Captain. If someone else comes up, we'll be sure to let you know."

Robear nodded and returned to the elevator.

A few moments passed in silence before Danya mumbled. "Did that man just say he was the ship's captain?"

"Yep."

"Did he just say there's a new law that says I'm supposed to be treated like the king?"

"Pretty much."

"Are you lying to me?"

"Nope."

"Am I dreaming?"

"I don't think so."

"... Pinch me so I can make sure."

Sala absentmindedly reached out, pinched Danya's nipple, and gave a firm twist, causing her to yelp.

"... What the actual fuck?!?!" Danya all but screamed. "Logically, I understand that I'm pretty important as a champion. And I know that the champions should be respected. But isn't it a little much to say that we should be treated the same way as the king?!? I mean, come on! Regardless of who I am, he's still the king!"

Sala was silent for a moment before chuckling and shrugging his shoulders. "I knew you'd be getting a lot of VIP perks... But I never would have imagined that it would reach this far."

He made his way to the entrance to their quarters with a wry smile. "Well, I guess we should go ahead and get settled in before the guard arrives."

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