On Anka's side, after getting ready as quickly as possible, she left the servants' quarters and headed toward the guest cabins.
Her dragon master had to be awakened by his servants and escorted to the breakfast gathering on the ship's open deck.
It was the first official event of the day.
Nothing could go wrong.
Stopping in front of the door, Anka took a slow breath before unlocking it with the special key.
The suite looked exactly as she had left it the previous night.
The entrance opened into a spacious sitting room designed for reading, conversations, board games, or simply relaxing. The furniture was elegant yet minimalist, reflecting the refined taste of dragon nobility.
A cabinet filled with rare wines and beverages stood against one wall. Beside it hung a calendar, a painting depicting an ancient military victory, and several shelves displaying golden ornaments.
Those treasures didn't belong to the guest. The ship's captain had personally lent them to decorate the room.
Everyone knew dragons loved anything that glittered.
Two sofas faced each other with a small table between them. Last night it had held tea and cookies.
Now, a fresh vase of flowers rested there instead.
The flowers had been specially selected by the head servant. Their fragrance helped races with exceptionally high magical capacity rest more peacefully in places saturated with mana.
A heavy curtain separated the sitting room from the bedroom beyond.
Anka glanced at the clock before walking toward it.
Dragons dislike strangers entering their nests. Even if it's only their bedroom. I'll have to wake him with my voice.
"Master, good morning. Please wake up. Breakfast will be served on the open deck at nine."
Silence. She tried again. Still nothing. A slight frown appeared on her face.
"Zero... what should I do? Should I go inside?"
[No, Anka.]
[To dragons, their territory is more precious than their own lives.]
[If you enter while he's simply choosing not to answer... he could kill you without hesitation. Wait.]
Anka obediently remained where she was. Several minutes passed. She called out once more. No reply. Her anxiety continued to grow until something behind her caught her attention.
The balcony doors stood open. Outside, the dragon sat comfortably in a chair, a book resting in his hands. He had been there the entire time. His mask still hid his face, but from the angle of his head, Anka could tell he was looking directly at her.
...So he was awake. He simply never answered.
For a brief moment, disappointment crossed her mind.
That feels a little unfair… Then she immediately shook the thought away. No.
He's a dragon. Not a human. Our training was very clear.
A master never needs to remind a servant of something that should already be obvious. If I had inspected the entire suite before waking him… I would have noticed he was already on the balcony.
This mistake is mine.
Without hesitating any longer, Anka walked over and bowed deeply.
"Good morning, Sir. Please forgive my ignorance... and for interrupting your reading."
The dragon remained silent.
"Mister, breakfast has already been prepared on the open deck, on the third level." She lowered her head a little further. "If it pleases you... I will escort you there."
Normally, I should encourage him to attend. But after making such a basic mistake... I don't have the right to insist. If he decides not to go... I'll accept the blame myself.
The dragon closed his book without saying a word. He placed it back on the shelf before walking toward the exit. Anka hurried ahead to open the door. She stepped aside and waited.
A servant always opens the door for their dragon master.
And never enters or leaves before them.
[You're doing wonderfully.]
[I'm really impressed that you've memorized all of these rules so quickly.]
"Thank you..."
The dragon eventually decided to attend. His elf friend, Tenin, was already waiting there. The morning event was simple.
Fishing.
Comfortable chairs had been arranged along the deck, each equipped with a peculiar fishing rod that extended far below the ship.
Although it was called a ship, its true body never touched the sea. Ancient magic kept it floating high above the water, allowing it to travel through the sky.
The fishing lines descended all the way to the ocean beneath. Anka stood a respectful distance behind her master. The elf's human servant waited beside her. Neither of them spoke.
If their masters needed anything, they would call. Until then… They simply waited.
Fortunately, these two young nobles demanded very little. They had clearly grown accustomed to servants constantly standing nearby and barely acknowledged their presence.
Instead, they quietly continued yesterday's conversation. Anka listened without allowing even the slightest hint of curiosity to appear on her face.
Tenin was staring at a floating communication window.
"Oh?" His eyes widened before he suddenly laughed. "Hahaha... It looks like my sister's meeting ended peacefully after all."
Fahim casually played with the small wooden doll resting on the table beside him.
"So she convinced everyone to choose the same optional class?"
Tenin stopped laughing and continued reading.
"Hm..." He frowned. "...Actually, I'm not sure."
He scrolled farther down.
"It says they reached a temporary agreement... but whether everyone actually follows it remains to be seen." He scratched his cheek. "So... was it a success? Or wasn't it?"
Fahim looked at him.
"Why are you asking me? I don't exactly have a spy inside the Academy."
"...Right." Tenin smiled awkwardly. "Sorry. I wasn't talking to you. I just said my thoughts out loud." He continued reading in silence before speaking again. "From what I can tell… It was both. A failure… And a success."
Fahim finally looked interested. "What exactly did they talk about?"
Tenin continued scrolling through the report.
"...Quite a lot. The Academy. The teachers. The noble families...Wow. There are so many different topics."
"They really discussed all of that?" Fahim asked. "Was someone trying to build alliances?"
"Not exactly." Tenin shook his head. "Apparently everything started because one student was perfectly happy doing nothing… and someone else tried to drag him into participating. After that..." He continued reading. "They began discussing the Academy's strange entrance examination. The way new students are isolated. The decisions made by the Heads of the Great Families. And even the school rules that seem to favor the teachers."
Fahim nodded slowly. "So they noticed. They also talked about the unusually small number of students?"
Tenin glanced back at the report.
"No. They didn't mention that."
Afterward, the conversation shifted toward several of their new classmates.
"I told you. That boy kept staring at me. It was honestly creepy." Tenin hugged himself dramatically. "It gave me chills."
Fahim couldn't help smiling. "That's the price of being popular. I warned you."
Tenin rolled his eyes. Then, almost absentmindedly, his gaze drifted toward Anka. For just a second.
"Even though I know it's impossible… I specifically asked whether that black phoenix attended the meeting." He sighed dramatically. "She did. So this human girl definitely isn't her."
He slumped deeper into his chair as though he had just lost an important bet. Fahim laughed quietly.
"But..." Tenin continued, his expression brightening again. "She apparently supported my sister throughout the meeting. And judging from the report… her position in our class has already become quite influential."
He grinned mischievously. "Maybe I should become friends with her."
Fahim raised an eyebrow.
"With the phoenix?"
"Of course." Tenin nodded as though it were the most obvious conclusion in the world.
"If she's close to Uituba now… she'll probably know more about my sister than anyone else. If she gives me an opportunity… I might finally figure out how to approach Uituba without making everything awkward."
Fahim stared at him for a long second.
"...How did you arrive at that conclusion?"
Tenin crossed his arms proudly. "It's simple. They're partners now. So if I become friends with her...I'll naturally learn more about my sister."
He smiled triumphantly. "I'm a genius."
Fahim burst into laughter.
Anka, standing only a few steps away, didn't know how to describe what she was feeling.
...This can't be a coincidence.
Who am I trying to fool...?
Everything they're talking about...
I heard it.
Last night.
Even if I don't remember every word...
Even if many of the strange terms still don't make sense...
The topics are exactly the same.
So… I really was inside that black phoenix's body.
And that elf really is Tenin's sister...
How is something like this even possible...?
Are they doing this to me...?
Or is there something connecting us...?
Her thoughts drifted back to Tenin's ridiculous plan.
...Although...
Maybe he isn't completely wrong.
A girl like Csendez really could manipulate the situation until those two siblings made peace again...
A chill ran down her spine.
...No.
Knowing her...
She'd probably drag both of them into something far more complicated.
Master Dragon...
Please stop him.
If he gets close to Csendez...
He's going to become part of a conspiracy without even knowing it.
As though he had somehow heard her silent plea, Fahim calmly poured cold water over Tenin's enthusiasm.
"Are you certain that phoenix won't use your relationship with Uituba against one of you?" His voice remained calm."Your sister has only known her for three days. Observe her first. Understand what kind of person she is. Then decide whether she's someone worth trusting."
Tenin blinked. Then he suddenly laughed.
"Fahim… You actually believed I was serious?" He placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "My own friend thinks I'd ask a phoenix for help. Have I really damaged my reputation that badly?"
Fahim simply looked at him.
Tenin continued grinning.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of dragging my sister anywhere near that colorful bird. Even her element makes me nervous. That girl doesn't look like that kind of friend… you introduce to people you care about."
The conversation gradually drifted toward other subjects.
Anka lowered her eyes. A strange pain settled quietly inside her chest.
...I don't know why...
But hearing that... hurts.
I know Csendez isn't exactly... frightening.
But still...
[Anka?]
Zero's gentle voice echoed inside her mind.
[Is something wrong?]
"Why do you ask?"
[I don't know… You're unusually quiet today. Normally you talk to me every few minutes. You ask questions. Or tell me stories about your old life. But today… You haven't said much at all. Did I do something that upset you?]
Anka's eyes widened.
"No! Of course not. I just slept badly last night. I'm still tired… And..." She hesitated. "I'm still thinking about the mistake I made this morning."
Zero immediately sounded relieved.
[You're an amazing host. So don't be so hard on yourself. How about I tell you another story from galactic history? That always cheers you up.]
A small smile finally appeared on Anka's face.
"You're so kind, Zero."
[Hehehe. Then let's begin.]
As Zero enthusiastically started another one of his endless history lessons, the day quietly continued.
Nothing particularly remarkable happened afterward.
At least... not for Anka.
Several of the other human servants weren't nearly as fortunate.
Some spent the day being scolded. Others were forced to endure impossible requests from demanding masters. A few simply tried their best to survive until evening.
Compared to them… Anka considered herself incredibly lucky.
Her dragon master rarely spoke. He demanded very little. And she had Zero.
A partner who patiently answered every question she asked and happily taught her about a universe she had never imagined existed.
Her future was still uncertain. She had no idea where her life would eventually lead.
Yet… A quiet warmth settled inside her heart.
...I'm really lucky.
Hehe...