As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a vast, grand hall. Round wooden tables were paired with matching stools, filling the space with a cozy yet lively atmosphere. The hall was packed with children; the oldest among them looked to be no more than eighteen. Some were playing cards or chess, while others sat in groups, lost in deep conversation. A small doorway led into the galley, making it clear that this was the main area for dining and socializing during the long journey.
"Wicked!" Kai exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement as he took in the lively scene. Just then, a boy dressed in a sailor's uniform approached the nearby groups, checking if everyone had been assigned a cabin. He was handing out heavy brass keys to those who were still waiting. When he reached Kai and Simon, he stopped and asked, "Got your cabin yet?"
"Nope!" Kai chirped.
The sailor handed them a single key. "Two to a room. You're in Cabin 58," he instructed before moving on to the next group. Kai snatched up the key, and he and Simon began making their way through the hall.
The ship's exterior was impressive, but it hadn't looked impossibly large from the docks. However, as they walked deeper into the corridors, the space seemed to stretch. Row after row of doors lined the hallways, far more than should have been able to fit within the hull they had seen from the outside. It was clear that magic was at work here—the interior was vastly more spacious and sprawling than the exterior suggested.
They made their way down the corridor, passing row after row of cabins. Through the open doors, Simon could see other children already settling into their rooms. The hallway was crowded with students, forcing them to twist and turn to avoid bumping into others.
"Forty-two, forty-three..." Kai led the way, reading the numbers etched into the wooden plates on each door. As they rounded a corner, Kai collided head-on with another boy.
"Oof!"
The sound of something heavy hitting the floor echoed through the hall. It was a thick, leather-bound book.
"Oh, sorry mate!" Kai apologized immediately, but the boy he had bumped into just glared at him, his brow furrowed in irritation. The stranger wore thick, round glasses, and the gray eyes behind them flashed with sharp intelligence. His light brown hair was perfectly groomed and neatly parted—a total contrast to Kai's wild, spiky red hair.
"Don't you have eyes?!" the boy snapped.
Kai stood there, stunned by the sudden scolding. The stranger looked at Kai's orange bear sweater and wild red hair with a look of pure disdain before picking up his book.
"Next time you walk, try keeping those bulging eyes of yours on the path ahead," the boy snapped.
"Excuse me?" Kai was officially annoyed now. Why was this guy being so rude when he had already apologized? "I said I was sorry!"
"Your apology was flippant. Do you honestly think saying 'Oops, sorry mate' counts as a proper apology after slamming into someone? If so, you're clearly an uncivilized brat with zero social graces."
"What? You're... you're the one being incredibly rude right now!" Kai's face began to turn as red as his hair. Seeing that a full-blown fight was about to break out, Simon quickly stepped in.
"I'm sorry. Kai was just focused on the room numbers and didn't see you coming."
"There is absolutely no reason to apologize to him, Simon!" Kai barked, his brow furrowed in anger.
The boy with the glasses turned his gaze toward Simon. Unlike Kai, Simon had deep onyx eyes and hair that was messy and curled. If Kai was the bright, loud flash of energy, Simon was the muted, quiet shadow. Sensing that Simon's apology was genuine and not boastful like Kai's, the boy finally backed down.
"Watch yourselves next time," he muttered, stepping around them and disappearing around the corner.
"Simon! Did you see that? Did you see how incredibly rude that guy was?!"
Kai exploded as soon as the stranger was out of earshot.
"I know, I know..." Simon said soothingly, trying to calm his friend down. "Come on, let's just go."
"Hmph. What a frustrating jerk," Kai grumbled, still fuming.
Kai kept grumbling about the boy with the glasses all the way to the door, while Simon followed quietly, checking the numbers. When they reached Room 58, Kai slid the key in and pushed it open.
The room was cozy and compact. A single bed lined each side of the wall, their quilts folded with military precision. Between the beds was an oval porthole window, sealed tight, offering a direct view into the depths of the ocean.
"No way! Are we underwater right now?" Kai dropped his suitcase and pressed his face against the glass. "Wait... is that a sea serpent?!"
"What?" Stunned, Simon rushed over and pressed his face against the pane next to Kai. Sure enough, a massive, serpentine creature glided past the ship, its scales shimmering in the dark water. Both boys stood there, mouths agape in total silence.
When afternoon arrived, the small bell inside their cabin didn't just chime; it actually began to speak.
"Cling! Cling! Lunchtime! It's lunchtime!!"
The sudden shouting startled Kai, who had been leaning against his pillow reading a manga. Simon, who was lying on his own bed engrossed in the first volume of Bleach that Kai had lent him, jumped in surprise as well.
"What the...? Did that bell just talk?" Kai asked, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.
Kai and Simon hurried back to the main hall they had seen when they first boarded. Inside, children were already gathered around the various tables, chatting and enjoying their lunch. The two boys quickly grabbed their trays and joined the line of students waiting to be served.
"I'm absolutely starving!" Kai groaned. Simon nodded in silent agreement, his own stomach growling. Despite the wonders they had seen, the hall felt surprisingly grounded—it looked more like a typical school canteen than a magical chamber. Groups of kids in ordinary clothes sat together, laughing and talking over their meals as if they were back in the human world.
When they reached the serving station, a sailor began dishing out food onto their trays. As he placed a sandwich on Kai's plate, Kai held up two fingers, shamelessly asking for a second helping. The sailor gave him a brief, annoyed scowl but ultimately tossed another one onto the tray.
The lunch was simple and hearty, free of any magical gimmicks. It consisted of large club sandwiches stuffed with fresh lettuce, thick slices of tomato, and layers of deli meat, served alongside a generous pile of golden-brown french fries. A steaming bowl of chicken soup and a glass of colorful fruit juice rounded out the meal. It was the kind of normal, comforting food they were used to back in the human world, but to the starving boys, it looked like a feast fit for royalty.
Carrying their trays, they headed toward an empty table and took a seat. As they began to dig into their meal, Kai couldn't help but start talking between bites.
"You know, this 'Lady' is seriously awesome. The scenery is beautiful, the food is great... honestly, I could live here forever."
Simon managed a small smile as he watched Kai eat with such enthusiasm.
"But there's one thing I don't get," Kai continued, leaning in slightly. "Why is this ship named The Lady Morotha Tulip? It sounds exactly like a real person's name. Do you have any idea what the story is behind it?"
Simon simply shook his head, having no answer for him.
"You haven't even bothered to research that much?"
At the sound of the sharp voice, Kai spun around while Simon looked up. There stood the boy with the glasses again, holding a food tray just like theirs.
"You—!" Kai started, but the boy ignored him completely, fixing his gaze on Simon instead.
"May I sit here?"
"No!" Kai blurted out instantly, shaking his head vigorously at Simon. "The table's full!" he added, even though there were only the two of them at a table meant for more.
"I wasn't asking you," the boy snapped, his brow furrowing as he shot back. He turned his attention back to Simon. "Can I sit? I can explain the history of the ship to you..."
Kai looked at the boy who was blatantly ignoring him and then at Simon, shaking his head so hard it looked like it might fall off. Simon looked from Kai to the stranger, caught in the middle and utterly torn on what to do.
"Um... Kai, let's just let him sit with us. The other tables look pretty full anyway..." Simon said softly.
Although Kai didn't want to agree, he prepared himself to relent. But before he could even utter a word of permission, the boy with the glasses sat down without waiting for an answer. Kai shot a frustrated glare at Simon, who could only respond with a silent, pleading expression that said, 'Please, just let it go.'
"I'm Jack Thistledown. And you are?"
"I'm Simon... and this is Kai," Simon said, gesturing toward Kai, who was currently pouting and eating his lunch with a sour expression. The moment Kai heard Jack's name, a mischievous idea flashed in his mind.
"Oh, Jerk? That's a lovely name," Kai said innocently.
"Excuse me? What did you just call me?"
Jack snapped, his face reddening instantly.
"What? I said Jack," Kai replied with a shrug, pretending to be confused while hiding a smirk. Simon sighed, a small, weary smile playing on his lips. Jack narrowed his eyes, shot a scathing glare at Kai, and turned back to Simon.
"Your friend eats like a starving hippopotamus."
Kai nearly choked on his food at the remark. "A hippo?!" He tried to protest, but Jack was already completely ignoring him.
"This ship is Lady Morotha Tulip herself," Jack began, his voice dropping into a storytelling tone.
"Thousands of years ago, she was a terrifying sea monster. Her lower half was that of an octopus, and her human-like torso was covered in poisonous spines, much like a pufferfish. When the Chosens finally defeated her, she pleaded with the gods to let her atone for her sins before she died. Taking pity on her, the gods transformed her soul into a bridge between the Chosens and Willowgate. This very ship."
Jack paused for effect before continuing.
"Over the centuries, she became the only vessel capable of delivering the Chosens to the academy. Because she is a living being, she doesn't break down like ordinary ships, nor does she succumb to storms or sea monsters. She knows the waters better than anyone, making her the safest transport in existence. She is paying off her debt by protecting us. That's why the ship moves on its own, and the voice you heard from the bell... that was her."
"Wait, wait... so you're saying we're actually inside her stomach right now?" Kai interjected. His eyes widened, and he froze with his sandwich only half-eaten.
"Yes," Jack replied coolly, adding a hint of warning to his tone. "And if you ever disrespect her, she'll kick you right off this ship, toss you into the ocean, and feed you to the sea monsters. She used to be a sea monster, after all....patience isn't exactly her strong suit. You could tell just by the tone of her voice when she shouted that it was lunchtime."
Kai sat there stunned, unsure whether to swallow his food or spit it out. Simon, sensing that Jack was mostly teasing Kai to get back at him, could only watch with a suppressed smile.
"It's amazing that you know all of this," Simon remarked.
Jack sat up a little straighter, looking visibly proud of himself as he took a long sip of his fruit juice.
"Oh, it's just basic general knowledge. One should really know something about the environment they're going to be living in, right?"
Simon nodded. "But how did you find out all of this?"
"My father told me some of it, and the rest I researched myself. Oh, did you guys know that there are thousands of monsters in this 'Deep Emerald' ocean? To put it simply, we are passing right through the heart of their territory. The only reason we're safe is because of Lady Morotha."
Simon could only shake his head in wonder, while Kai just sat there, his mouth hanging wide open in disbelief.
"Oi! Jack! What are you doing over there? Come over here!" two boys shouted from across the hall, waving him over. Jack rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"My cousins," he muttered. "I'd better go. It was good talking to you, Simon." Ignoring Kai completely, he stood up to leave. He briefly considered turning back to ask for their last names, but then he figured he'd find out soon enough once they reached Willowgate anyway. Without another word, he headed off toward his cousins' table.
"Hmph. Didn't even say goodbye to me. A jerk is a jerk, I guess!" Kai grumbled. Simon couldn't help but sigh, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Could you maybe take it down a notch?" Simon asked gently. "Neither of you is willing to budge, and that's why you're clashing. If both sides pull a rope too hard, it's bound to snap eventually. Someone has to loosen their grip for things to work out."
Kai frowned, thinking over Simon's words, though his grudge against "the Jerk" wasn't going to vanish that easily. Still, he chose to remain silent and simply let out a long, heavy sigh.
They spent the rest of the day in a blur of activity—playing cards in the hall, lounging in their cabin to read manga, and Simon listening to Kai's endless stories. Since they wouldn't reach Willowgate until the 31st, their next stop was Kolavanti Island tomorrow. It was there that they would finally receive their Sevan Glass Discs and exchange their currency to buy the necessary supplies for school.
They could hardly wait to set foot on that island.