I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 847 – Side Story 120: The Scent of Water (3)

Casey left the house with her lips sticking out.

"What's there to be so dissatisfied about?"

Rudger, who came out with his luggage, glanced at Casey and tossed out a remark. Casey flared up and shouted.

"Making someone who stayed up all night do the dishes. Don't you think that's too much?" 

"So that's what you were dissatisfied about. In the first place, with just a few hand gestures, you can make even a mountain of dishes clean all at once, can't you."

"You can do it too!"

"It's a matter of work efficiency. When it comes to handling water, you're far superior to me."

Casey's shoulders twitched for a moment at Rudger's acknowledgement. Though she cooled down again at Rudger's words that immediately followed.

"And didn't you promise that you'd always be in charge of washing dishes?" 

"Using high-grade personnel like me for something like washing dishes! That's never right!" 

"Who do you think makes breakfast every day?"

Their conversation continued even while moving to the vehicle.

"No, do we really have to go by car like this?" 

"Is it uncomfortable? It's a top-grade vehicle, so there should be no lack of space. The seats are softer than most sofas, and there are various snacks stocked inside." 

"I just think this time is a waste. I want to catch that phantom thief as soon as possible, but this is too leisurely." 

"Either way, the phantom thief will steal it after the ship has departed, and before the Black Diamond is officially introduced to everyone. That means we have plenty of time, very much so."

Casey's eyes widened.

"How are you so sure?" 

"The opponent is a phantom thief. They even kindly sent a warning letter about what they'd come to steal. And yet they succeeded without failing. Don't you feel anything from seeing that?" 

"Not really."

Rudger clicked his tongue with a look that said she was pathetic.

"It means they're overflowing with confidence and pride in their skills as a phantom thief. They have pride and firm conviction as a phantom thief, so the timing of the theft can be predicted." 

"......" 

"The host of this cruise party will think they absolutely won't be robbed and will reveal the Black Diamond in front of everyone to show a bold and confident appearance. There's also a kind of cunning intention behind it. With hundreds, thousands of people staring at the diamond, how could it be stolen?" 

"So what's the conclusion?" 

"Before revealing the Black Diamond to everyone, the phantom thief will try to intercept it. That's the most suitable time to exploit a gap. So no matter how early we arrive at the cruise, we'll have to wait until the incident occurs anyway."

At Rudger's gaze asking what she thought of his words, Casey let out a sigh.

"As expected of a former phantom thief, look at you speaking with such pride."

Rudger felt stung for no reason. He had predicted how the phantom thief would act from a phantom thief's perspective rather than a detective's.

"Hmph. Well, they're just an immature person living for their own vanity anyway." 

"Oh really?" 

"In the first place, if I were the phantom thief, there'd be no need to switch the item beforehand. At that moment when hundreds of invited guests are staring in fascination, I'd switch it boldly."

Rudger raised a black shadow like smoke from his fingertip, then erased it.

"......Just so you know, if you really do it, I won't let it slide?" 

"It's all in the past. I won't do it now. I haven't stolen anything since changing my identity."

Casey stared at Rudger with half-opened eyes.

"......There might have been once or so." 

"Once or so???"

"Well. Why are you staring like that? Anyway, we're going to enjoy a leisurely cruise, so don't be impatient and let's enjoy this moment."

Rudger changed the subject and naturally pulled out a bottle of champagne prepared in the vehicle.

"Want a glass?"

Casey stared at Rudger with a sullen face. Anyone could see he was blatantly changing the subject to avoid the situation. But she couldn't keep pressing him either.

"......I'll drink."

Especially since even she couldn't refuse free champagne.

-Screech. Screech

Along with the cries of seagulls, the sea breeze moistened their faces. The refreshing yet salty scent of salt could be felt all the way to their noses.

In the spectacular view of sunlight shattering like glass fragments above the sea surface, a giant cruise ship was anchored.

"Wow. It really is huge. How many people can it accommodate?" 

"According to what I've heard, it can hold over 5,000 people. Despite being that huge, it seems to maintain luxury grade. They say the dining hall alone can accommodate 1,500 people, and there's no facility inside that it doesn't have, which says it all."

"To be able to come to a place like this for free. Mm-hmm. As expected, my reputation is at this level."

Casey preened herself like that, tilting her chin up. The two people approached the anchored cruise.

There was a long line from the entrance, but that was the line for ordinary customers who purchased boarding passes.

For invited people, there was a separate pass designated.

As Rudger and Casey approached together, a guard checked them.

"Are you invited guests?" 

"Yes."

Rudger handed over the invitation he'd received. The guard immediately took out an artifact. It was an artifact similar to a kind of detector.

When he brought it smoothly to the invitation, the orb embedded in the artifact lit up.

"Confirmed. Please have a pleasant trip." 

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."

Just as Rudger was about to leave, the staff member stopped him for a moment.

"Oh. Excuse me, by any chance......"

Rudger and Casey stopped. The two made eye contact. Casey grinned. She turned around as if she couldn't help it and said,

"Ahem. Well, recognizing me is......" 

"Aren't you Mr. Rudger Chelici?" 

"......Eh."

Casey's expression crumbled. Conversely, the guard's face filled with joy as if meeting a fan.

"You really are Mr. Rudger. I'm pleased to meet you." 

"You know me?" 

"Of course I do. You're a teacher at Theon, but also the magician of the century who gave lectures on new magical theory at the Arcane Chamber. I, I have a son who wants to enroll at Theon. So I ended up looking into it." 

"I see. I don't know what to do with myself that you remember someone like me." 

"Ah. I'm sorry about this. I took up too much of your time, an honored guest. Ah, anyway, I'm truly glad to meet you."

His expression really was heated up like a fan facing an idol, not just empty words.

After finishing his greeting with the guard, Rudger looked at Casey. His lips were curved up. As if mocking her, Casey's mood twisted.

"It seems he recognized me."

It wasn't 'as if' - Rudger really was mocking her!

"Th-th-th-this is cheating! His son is enrolling at Theon! This is entrance corruption!" 

"No, calling something like this entrance corruption......" 

"Anyway, invalid! I'm calling it invalid!" 

"Heh. The excuses of losers are always ugly!" 

"You, damn...!"

Casey and Rudger boarded the cruise ship while bickering with each other.

Symphony of Life. That was the name of the ultra-large luxury cruise ship.

-HOOOOONK!

With a powerful horn sound, the ship departed.

Rudger and Casey unpacked their luggage in their assigned room. Since it was a special room, it was larger than expected. Every item provided was top-grade, showing signs of consistent maintenance.

"It's my first time in a place like this, so I'm excited."

Casey sat on the bed and swayed her body up and down. She was testing the bed's elasticity. Mm. Pass.

Casey was very particular about sleeping arrangements, so she was quite sensitive about such things. If she gave it a passing grade, it meant this Symphony of Life was a very excellent cruise.

Rudger hung his coat on a coat rack and sat in an empty chair. Wine glasses and premium cookies prepared in advance for guests were placed on the table.

"What should we do now?"

The cruise party would start at night after the sun set. Until then, they had to quietly watch this ship cross the vast ocean.

There were various entertainment facilities inside, but Rudger wasn't particularly satisfied with them.

"What does it matter? Since we're here anyway, let's just enjoy it."

Casey got up from the bed and sat in the opposite chair. She liked that the chair was also quite soft.

"What brand is this? Should I get it for home later?" 

"Do you remember how many items you've bought like that and ended up stuffing in a corner of your room?"

Even at Rudger's criticism, Casey shrugged as if it was no big deal. She naturally uncorked the wine bottle. It was a method using the delicate flow of water.

"Wow. It's a 40-year aged wine from the Kingdom of Durman. They put this in the guest room? Just how much money do they have?" 

"It's hard to obtain even with money. As expected, a cruise ship run by an ocean tycoon is different, really different. Even though we received a premium room, I didn't expect it to be this much."

Casey smiled at Rudger with her eyes and shook the wine bottle.

"A glass?" 

"It doesn't seem like it'll end with just one glass."

"What does it matter? You said there's nothing until evening anyway. Until then, let's just think of it as coming on vacation and enjoy ourselves."

Rudger chuckled. Looking at it this way, doesn't it seem like the phantom thief is secondary and pleasure is the main purpose? However, Rudger also valued rest as important.

"Let's do that."

The two filled empty glasses with red wine and lightly clinked their glasses. Outside the window, the ocean scenery was visible. Even the unchanging monotonous scenery felt quite different with good alcohol going in.

Casey kept gulping down wine as if she was enjoying herself. After emptying one bottle, she even rang the call bell to order another bottle.

The wine that came next was slightly inferior compared to the previous one, but it was also quite a luxurious wine.

"Hiya. I wish I could just keep drinking wine here and go."

Casey said with a flushed face from the alcohol. Rudger chuckled and agreed with her words. There was no one in the world who disliked playing or resting.

As they shared wine like that, Casey's body gradually became disheveled.

"One more glass?" 

"Aren't you too drunk? If you're like this, you won't be able to enjoy the cruise party in the evening." 

"Ahahaha. Are you worried? Did you forget who I am? I'm Casey Selmore~. The genius detective." 

"Hmm? Where is this genius detective? Right now, all I see in front of me is a drunkard." 

"A drunkard. That's too harsh~. And even if I'm a drunkard, I'd be the most lovely drunkard in the world~."

Casey stood up. Her steps were precarious, so Rudger immediately held her hand.

Casey giggled, then pushed Rudger's shoulder to sit him back down in the chair. Looking down at Rudger's gaze asking what she was doing, Casey smiled wickedly.

She faced Rudger and climbed on top of him. Then she tilted her head back and downed the wine glass in her hand, emptying its contents.

"If you're going to keep drinking......"

Before Rudger could say anything Casey pressed a fierce kiss upon Rudger.

Through their touching lips, wine was transferred to Rudger. The hot heat and the wine's sour yet sweet scent intertwined. Rudger thought he smelled the scent of water in the wine.

The fierce and hot kiss lasted about one minute.

-Haa. Haa.

Casey, having separated her lips, panted. Her face was more flushed than before. It probably wasn't just because of the alcohol.

Casey asked with a seductive smile.

"One more glass?"