Chapter 140 - VOL 2 Chapter 85: Arriving.
"It's incredible..." Martin exclaimed amid a sigh as he watched the impressive display of lights in the warp tunnel, something that made Erik smile, who soon after commented calmly.
"I thought the same thing the first time I saw it, though it loses its magic quite quickly once you get used to it and becomes a bit boring. But that's not important. What's important is that we're about to arrive at a rather special place, where there are a bunch of other disciples and university students.
"Moreover, there are also some very important figures of the order. Although at this point there shouldn't be many of them left there, it's better to be safe than sorry, so remember: be polite, but not servile, and try not to cause too much trouble. However, if trouble is unavoidable, don't be afraid of it and stand firm. In the worst-case scenario, you can call me."
"""Understood, Boss!""" The three siblings, Clara, Sofía, and Martín, answered in unison with firm voices, which made Erik nod in satisfaction.
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"That's what I like to hear." After speaking, Erik turned to look at Sigrún and asked with a smile.
"Master, more or less how long until we arrive?"
"In an hour, Boss." Sigrún answered with a mischievous smile, which made Erik roll his eyes before looking back at the siblings.
"Well, you heard her. We'll be arriving in an hour."
...
An hour later, Sigrún's beautiful cruiser docked at the space station orbiting the planet Eryndor, the place where the selection tournament was taking place for the Arcane Order's team that would explore the newly discovered ruin. The siblings looked at the station with bright, excited eyes.
Although interstellar travel was a reality, it was something the trio of siblings had never been able to enjoy. They hadn't even been able to leave their hometown, after all. With their meager earnings, they would have had to save for an entire year without eating anything just to pay for a single trip. That sort of thing was a luxury reserved for the wealthy in their backward system.
Upon entering the space station, Erik noticed there were far fewer older individuals than there had been when he went on vacation with his Masters. In their place, the station was populated by many students and disciples, who conversed among themselves or tended to their own affairs in small groups of no more than ten people.
As the group walked through the space station, they attracted the attention of practically everyone present. However, now instead of everyone's gaze focusing on Sigrún and Eleonora, quite a few looked at Erik. Some glared at him with annoyance, others nodded in understanding, some held a certain hint of admiration, while many eyed him with ill intentions.
For their part, the siblings did their best to maintain composed and serious expressions as they walked behind their Boss, doing everything they could to present a dignified image worthy of their boss's status in front of all those watching. It made them a bit nervous, after all, those looking at them were students of the prestigious Arcane University, where merely being accepted was an indication of ability and status. In a way, all of them were 'heirs of famous houses', although they would never dare be as crazy and ruthless as the ones they knew.
"Well, Erik, we're going to meet up with the old stinker and the others now, so if you want, you can take a walk around the station or wait for us in your private room." Upon reaching the VIP area of the station, Sigrún turned to Erik and spoke with a smile, to which the star-haired young man nodded calmly and replied in a relaxed tone.
"All right, then I'll go to the library to read something, and afterward I'll go to my room."
"Then we'll see you later." Eleonora said, bidding farewell with a small smile. Sigrún added with a cheerful tone.
"Have fun."
After saying their goodbyes, Eleonora and Sigrún headed to the station's meeting room, while Erik made his way to the library accompanied by Seraphina and the siblings, who followed behind him like faithful shadows. The siblings tried their best to imitate the behavior of the perfect maid so they wouldn't stand out.
The space station's library, although in reality less well-equipped than those in his Masters' mansions and much less than the university's library, still had interesting things. Many of its books focused on information related to previous ruin explorations, as well as on the construction and maintenance of space artifacts, intergalactic ships, and similar topics. They could serve to kill time for a while.
Before long, Erik arrived at the library, which was filled with wooden shelves packed with books as far as the eye could see. A young woman who appeared to be about twenty, with intellectual features, fair skin, slightly greenish hair, and dark eyes, was sitting behind a beautiful mahogany counter, engrossed in a book.
"Hi, Olivia. Is there a private room available?"
Reaching the counter, Erik greeted her in a calm, courteous tone, catching the young woman's attention. She looked up from her book, and upon seeing the handsome young man with starry hair and emerald-colored eyes, a lovely smile spread across her face. She replied politely and respectfully as she stood to offer a small bow.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Direct Disciple Erik, and yes, there are some private rooms free at the moment. If you wish, you can take the same one as last time."
"That's great, then I'll take it." Erik said cheerfully. He then pointed to the siblings, who were curiously looking around, and added.
"By the way, these are my assistants. Could you give them passes so they can read something?"
"Since they're with Direct Disciple Erik, it would be my pleasure to do so. However, I must remind you that they may only read within the library, and they can only take books from the first area." Olivia answered with a smile as she eyed the siblings with a hint of curiosity, which she quickly concealed by returning to her professional demeanor.
"I understand. Then I'd appreciate it if you gave each of them a pass." Erik offered Olivia a charming smile, causing her to blush slightly, though she hid it quickly and began issuing the passes for the siblings while speaking in as steady a tone as possible.
"Of course, Direct Disciple Erik. It will be my pleasure."
"Thank you, and sorry for the trouble." Erik took from his storage ring a paper bag containing a few specially made cookies meant to be given as gifts, and his student card, placing both on the counter with a smile before continuing.
"Just a small token of gratitude."
Although Erik didn't particularly stand out as sociable, he always liked to show appreciation for good work and tip those who deserved it. Also, in his 'long' life, he had learned that being generous with administrative staff anywhere often brought pleasant surprises. After all, it was often better to have a 'friend' in the right position at the right time than to have money.
Moreover, since he was now thinking of creating his own brand, having a few 'friends' here and there wouldn't hurt. He didn't expect them to grant him any special favors or anything of the sort; simply having them make things a little easier at certain times or explain the fastest way to meet a requirement, for instance, would undoubtedly be very useful.
The problem was that on top of monetary tips sometimes being frowned upon, the anti-corruption laws in the order were quite strict, with penalties that could include the death sentence. So, to get around that and avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings, he came up with the idea of giving away one of the best things in life: cookies.
Those cookies, though they were light-years away from his normal cookies—let alone his special cookies—were still very delicious, as they had been made by the chefs at his Masters' mansion, who were incredibly talented.
Although Erik himself had not yet been able to eat much of what they made—since Seraphina prepared all his meals—they were still Masters-level staff, standing at the pinnacle of their careers. They were capable of opening famous restaurants the moment they retired, which they would undoubtedly do, capitalizing on having once worked for a Master-level.
"It's no trouble at all, Direct Disciple Erik. It's my pleasure to be of service, and thank you very much for the gift."
Olivia took the paper bag and the crystal card with a delighted smile, then returned the card to Erik shortly afterward. Next, she handed each of the siblings a black crystal card with a beautiful golden book design on one side, explaining courteously.
"These are your passes to the library. With them, you can take books from the first zone. If you like, I can give you a short introduction on how the library works."
The siblings received their cards with somewhat awkward expressions, as it was hard for them to understand what the lovely librarian was saying. Although their Boss had taught them some Galactic language—the most widely spoken in the Arcane Order—they were still far from mastering it.
While there were artifacts in the galaxy capable of providing real-time translation, they weren't exactly popular. In the first place, they weren't cheap since they relied on wisdom runes, and second, because for mana users, learning a new language was relatively simple. After all, not only did they have long lifespans, but their mental capacities improved with each level.
For that reason, in the deeper levels of any field of knowledge, it was very rare to find translations. At that level, there was no one who didn't master the common languages of the galaxy or who found it difficult to learn a new one. Therefore, authors generally wrote their books and articles in whichever language they preferred or, failing that, whichever was best suited to the content.
"I'd appreciate that, Olivia. They don't yet know how things work around here, and for now, they only understand the Meridian language, so it would be a great help. And if it's not too much trouble, could you take them to my private room once they've chosen their books?" Erik said with a smile as he looked at the siblings, who were curiously inspecting the cards in their hands.
"It would be my pleasure, Direct Disciple Erik. Leave it to me." Olivia replied confidently as she gently patted her generous bust, which, although large, still fell short of being in the same league as his Masters or his maid. Erik then commented politely.
"Thank you. Next time, I'll remember to bring you a dessert as a token of gratitude."
"That's not necessary, Direct Disciple Erik. It's my duty to provide you with all the assistance you need, and besides, it's a pleasure for me to serve you." Olivia said sincerely, bowing respectfully to Erik, who responded with a pleasant smile.
"You're very helpful. Thank you." Erik turned to look at the siblings and added in the Meridian language.
"Well, you can look for something that interests you to read. Olivia will guide you, and we'll meet again in a private room."
"""Yes, Boss."""
The siblings replied enthusiastically in unison, and soon after, they split up. Erik headed toward the reserved areas to find something to read, accompanied by Seraphina, who followed him closely with a professional smile on her face, not saying a single word, like his faithful shadow.
***
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