Chapter 13 - I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

Episode 13 13 - Collector's Paradise <13 - Collector's Paradise> There were two common types of transportation: carriages and ships. Naturally, what came to my mind was one of these two. However, Jonah’s proficiency as a butler was far too exceptional. “What is this?” “It’s an airship.” A mode of transportation I had never encountered appeared before me. “I heard about it. You're going to take the entrance exam with the young miss.” “Our maid sure is diligent. That's the plan.” “Unfortunately, airship tickets are limited in number. The ones I've secured were the last available.” Jonah, flaunting three tickets he had taken out from his pocket, had a hint of mockery in his fierce gaze. “If you don't want to be late, you should try to find a carriage or a ship now.” The butler exuded satisfaction, having shaken off the disagreeable man. Upon arriving at the airfield, an old gentleman approached Giselle. “Here are your tickets.” “Thank you. I will pay you as promised, right away.” Giselle paid for two tickets and got one in return. Seeing Jonah's sour expression, this time it was Giselle who subtly sneered. “You wouldn't go as far as to ruin the pleasure of fellow candidates sharing the same airship journey, would you?” “I do not understand what you mean. I merely took care of the transportation for the young miss’s acquaintance to ensure they faced no inconveniences." “Seems like acting isn’t your forte. You might need more practice.” Jonah's face twisted. Leaf, who was following with a basket of snacks, added his voice in support of him. “Don’t be too relieved. Airships are prone to accidents. We are accompanying the young miss to protect her, but didn’t you send all your guards away, Mr. Giselle?” “How thoughtful of you. Both the butler and the maid are full of concern for the young miss’s acquaintances.” Don’t get cocky when you're powerless. Beg more abjectly if you need help. That’s what you should do, isn’t it? Despite Leaf's cold demeanor, Giselle's composure remained unshaken. “Ah, have I yet to introduce?” “…?” “Indeed, since our paths have diverged, I've sought out new protection.” With a gesture from Giselle, a familiar face approached. “Oh. Isn’t that the little bell ringer?” “Ugh. That’s the fuzzy brute from before.” An apeman. The man who had successfully fulfilled a material collection request from the fourth layer approached. As if to strike a final blow against the doubts of the maid, the apeman produced a ticket and said, “The employer who promised to pay for my airship ticket in exchange for my services as a guard is quite generous.” A single ticket to the region near the entrance examination hall would cost ten gold. That’s the price of a single silver exam ticket. Players strapped for cash could not even begin to think about such transportation. The NPCs weren't faring much better. To those burdened with the dream of fortune, just securing the ticket was challenging enough. No wonder the apeman had readily agreed to take on the role of guard if the ticket price was paid for him. “…” “…” Because of this, Jonah and Leaf, who disliked Giselle, now looked downright sullen. “That won’t do!” Hands on hips, I scolded Jonah and Leaf. “Last time with the bard and this time too; the two of you always treat people who try to get close to me with such rudeness.” “You misunderstand. We are merely eliminating potential dangers for the young miss’s safe journey…” Squeeze squeeze. I tugged on Jonah's sleeve, and, as he paused mid-sentence, I planted a finger firmly against his lips. “Shh!” Jonah stopped abruptly, startled. I pressed down on his cold lips with a finger, holding back a bit of spite. “Mr. Giselle is no cause for concern. He’s a mature student who hasn't given up on his dreams of academia despite his late start. He’s not afraid to keep learning!” "...Look here, young lady. Talking like that makes me sound terribly old." “Speaking like an old man expectant of money or ginseng candy, why be ashamed? Mr. Giselle, you are old, indeed! Don't be embarrassed to be a mature student!” Life must be lived with boldness. “There’s no shame in facing disgrace to become stronger. It’s an act of courage!” Jonah’s atmosphere, previously sharp as a knife, softened a bit. Even on Leaf’s frigid face, a hint of a smile started to emerge. It appeared that everyone became more tolerant after hearing about Mr. Giselle’s dedication to his studies at such a late age. “Man, I could really go for a super sweet honey treat right now.” “Hahaha! For a little one, you sure have a clever way with words!” Unintentionally, I also felt sorry. Giselle became a laughingstock for the apeman until they boarded the airship. * * <Boarding Event> The end of a long training is real combat! You, who have been diligently preparing for the academy entrance exams. The time has come to reap the rewards of your efforts. Choose your mode of transportation and head to the examination hall! Follow the random pop-up event and ticket test; it's the main event. The boarding event. Although Jonah unexpectedly ended up enjoying the benefits of securing airship tickets, such occurrences were far from common. “Mr. Jonah, airships are too expensive, aren’t they?” “Do not worry. The master was very pleased upon hearing about the young miss’s achievements. You can think of this airship as a reward given by the master himself.” “A reward?” This is a form of bounty unfathomable, even to rural nobility. The father of the character Oknodie must be not just a noble but an incredibly wealthy man. “What was my father’s name again?” “You will learn in due time.” I was worried I’d get reprimanded for not knowing my own father's name if I pretended to have momentarily forgotten it, but instead I was greeted with a reaction that it was normal for me not to know. What's going on? Was Oknodie meant to be a noble bastard in the storyline? If that's the case, it makes sense. It's understandable now why, distanced from her great noble father, she only received letters and a whistle. “Wow! Look at this. The location written in the letter and the one on the ticket are the same.” Upon remembering, I checked the letter – and to my surprise – I was right. Can nobility know the location of the entrance exam in advance? Even more than a month before the ticket exam starts? “Shh.” A hand clad in a leather glove covered my excited mouth. “Don’t talk so loud.” “Why? Is it against airship etiquette?” “You could be disqualified from the entrance exam for cheating.” “!!” Give it back, my entrance exam. Is there such a foolish player who gets disqualified from the entrance exam for cheating in a game where the goal is to graduate from the academy? That would be extremely inconvenient. Such a cruel future must not come to be! Even though I shut my mouth in fear, for some reason, the hand pressing my lips didn't seem willing to pull away. ...Could it be that he took offense to earlier incidents? “Mr. Jonah.” “Oh dear.” Only after Leaf’s remark did Jonah, realizing his rudeness, pull his hand away. Glowering with my lips pressed firmly together, his easy apology was typical of him as a butler. He’s really gentle in a way that his appearance does not suggest. “Young miss. Since it's a rare chance to travel by airship, why not enjoy the facilities on the way, so it's not dull?” The butler suggested nonchalantly, perhaps wanting a change of atmosphere. Of course, there's only one place I want to go. “Let’s go to the restaurant!” “Besides a restaurant, the airship also boasts an observation deck to view the scenery, a sky garden replicating natural landscapes, a theater with a dedicated orchestra, and tanning spots.” “I want to go to the restaurant!” “At night, some facilities transform into a lounge bar or casinos.” “Restaurant!” “...Understood. Let’s start with the restaurant.” Hooray, creature collection! How exciting! “You really do enjoy eating.” They're pitiful, not knowing the importance of a cooking codex. The ultimate cooking codex for growth efficiency. Thanks to the last one and a half months, the effects of my codex collection have increased significantly. If you were to see my list, it would feel somewhat like this. [Current Collected Dishes – 102 Types] [Collection Effects] Collect 10 Total Dishes - Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Collect 20 Total Dishes - Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. ... Collect 50 Total Dishes - Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Health Increase by 1. Collect 90 Total Dishes - Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Collect 100 Total Dishes - Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Health Increase by 1. Collect 10 Vegetarian Dishes - Additional Damage to Plants Increased by 1%. Collect 20 Vegetarian Dishes - Additional Damage to Plants Increased by 1%. Collect 10 Land-Meat Dishes - Additional Damage to Beasts Increased by 1%. Collect 10 Air-Meat Dishes - Additional Damage to Flying Creatures Increased by 1%. Collect 10 Seafood Dishes - Additional Damage Underwater Increased by 1%. Collect 10 Desserts - Gain the <Sweet Smile> Skill. Collect 20 Desserts - Gain the <Sweet Breath> Skill. ... Collect 10 Rare Dishes - Rare Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Collect 20 Rare Dishes - Rare Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Collect 30 Rare Dishes - Rare Item Drop Rate Increase by 1%. Collect Rare Dish [Snowflake Bingsu] - Ice Affinity Increase by 1%. Collect Rare Dish [Tri-Color Apple Juice] - Nature Affinity Increase by 1%. ... Collect Rare Dish [Divine Fresh Fish Over Rice] - Increase Underwater Breathing by 1 Minute. There’s too much information to remember. That’s why, after begging Jonah, I filled a purchased notebook with all the foods I’ve eaten and their respective anticipated effects, all written in Korean. To those who use the alphabet, Korean is an unfamiliar language. Even if someone finds it, there’s no worry they'll understand the contents. If I write things like “eating bingsu seems to increase ice resistance by 1%,” I’d worry about being locked up in a monastery on suspicions of mental illness in this world. “My goodness! This place is heaven!” “Do you really find it that pleasing?” Unlike the well-off young ladies I encountered on the way, who walked with purpose towards the auction house or the noble daughters walking elegantly towards the theater. My footsteps, crazy for collecting a cooking codex, led me to the restaurant, and it proved to be the right choice. [Airship Buffet] [5 courses each with 20 dishes, totaling 100 menu items] This is the jackpot. A note from the author (afterword) The rare teddy bear's killer move, advancing the reserved serialization by 12 hours!