Soon it was the Black Bone Forest Academy's turn; Duolote was the first to step through the hatch.
The apprentices hurried to follow. Leilin pressed down slightly with his foot, and a solid sensation came up through his boots, as if he were stepping on flagstone.
"What strange material! It looks like wood but sturdier — some kind of alloy?"
Leilin gazed at the grayish-brown, textured floor and couldn't help but wonder.
"We're here! Our Black Bone Forest cabins are along this corridor, numbers 13 through 32. Distribute them among yourselves. Remember, my room number is 14 — if anything comes up, come find me!"
With that, Duolote flicked his black-cloaked mantle and entered his cabin with two attendants.
"All right! I'll be assigning rooms now!" Kreweir stepped forward.
"Hmph!" Jiamen snorted coldly and casually picked a room marked with the number 18, disappearing inside.
Kreweir's face alternated between red and white. He clenched his fists several times, then let them drop. "Fine! Jiamen chose 18. Next — Beilu, you'll take 15. Lannuo, you get 16…"
Jiamen was gone. The remaining Beilu, Lannuo, and Leilin were all in Kreweir's circle. Gulicha and the others didn't dare object.
Leilin was assigned room 20. He said nothing and strode into his cabin.
The room was tiny — just a small cubicle barely large enough for a bed, with almost no space left to stand.
It reminded Leilin of the train bunk beds from his previous life — equally cramped, barely enough room to straighten one's legs.
"Having a bed is good enough — I used to sleep sitting up in the Death Prairie!" Leilin consoled himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome aboard this airship. I am your captain — Gegewu Kefate Linbovier. We wish you a pleasant voyage!"
"Here are some announcements. No one other than mentors is allowed on deck — unless you want to come flying out of the sky! … The dining hall is in Hall One, Hall Two is the washroom, and Hall Three is the lounge. You're all welcome!"
A deep male voice echoed through the room. Leilin looked around and realized it was coming through a brass pipe — he couldn't tell whether it served as an air duct or a speaking tube.
"We've taken off!" Leilin felt his body grow light as the ship swayed slightly. He quickly pressed himself against a small glass window.
The window was only about the size of a soccer ball, quite thick, and the view outside was somewhat blurry.
As the airship rose higher, the ground grew smaller and smaller. Gradually, the camp below shrank into a tiny black speck in Leilin's eyes.
Leilin set aside his Cross Sword and crossbow, then lay down on the bed.
"Duolote said the journey would take about a month — what a long haul! It's been more than half a year since I left home, and I still haven't reached the Academy!"
In a daze, Leilin closed his eyes.
"Ding… ding-dong…"
A melodious chime rang out, rousing Leilin from sleep. He sat up and glanced out the window — pitch black.
"It's already night!"
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! The dining hall is now serving dinner. Tonight's menu includes: foie gras with truffle, roasted whole chicken, white bread, squirrel meat…"
This time, the voice was replaced by a pleasant female tone.
Leilin rubbed his stomach, sprang up, straightened his clothes, and hurried toward the dining hall.
The dim corridor had a lamp at regular intervals, casting a faint yellow glow.
Wooden doors on either side opened from time to time as apprentices emerged.
Hall One was already packed with apprentices, but Leilin didn't see any of the mentors — he wondered if they had a separate dining hall.
At the top of the hall, a massive white stone emitted a bright white glow, as luminous as a small sun.
Long tables and white chairs filled the center of the dining hall, looking something like a university canteen.
"Hey! Leilin, over here!" Beilu called out loudly from a corner, where several other Black Bone Forest apprentices were already seated.
"Coming!" Leilin went to the serving counter, picked up a silver tray and utensils, thought for a moment, then took a piece of white bread, a fried chicken leg, and a fruit salad. He also grabbed a bottle of cider and sat down beside Beilu.
"You guys got here early!" Leilin greeted them.
"You're the late one — don't tell me you overslept?" Beilu chuckled.
Leilin sat down and drank half a bottle of cider in one gulp. "I did oversleep a little!"
He glanced around. "Are we traveling with these apprentices?"
At this point, besides the Black Bone Forest apprentices, there were apprentices from other academies in the hall. The young men and women sat in clusters by academy, somewhat cold toward one another.
"That's right — we, the Gothic Sage's Cottage, and a few other academies are all on the same route. As for the Nine-Ring White Tower lot, they're headed in a completely different direction, so they have to go separately," Lannuo said.
"Is that so?" Leilin said with some regret. "George and the others boarded the airship on the right — looks like they really are far from the Black Bone Forest Academy. It'll be a hassle to stay in touch from now on!"
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Each day, aside from eating and sleeping, there was almost nothing to do. This monotonous routine continued for fifteen days.
One evening, after dinner, no one wanted to return to their cramped cabins, so they gathered around the dining tables and began chatting.