There were forty crew members aboard the Universal Ship, but not a single one was injured. Everyone managed to escape safely. The parachutes I had made some time ago played a crucial role in the rescue. I wondered when they had started mass-producing those? Not that I was complaining, of course.
Once Lu recovered from the initial shock, she gathered local fishermen and members of the Sea Race to oversee the recovery of the submerged wreckage. The representatives from the Ifuls Academy headed back to their school to begin a thorough investigation into the cause of the failure. Since we would only be in the way if we stayed, the rest of us withdrew. The High Elves and Mountain Elves stayed behind with Lu to assist with the salvage operation, while Gatto returned to the Village of the Great Tree with me.
A week passed. Lu finally finished the cleanup and returned to the village, but ever since she got back, she’s been incredibly clingy. She was likely feeling depressed about the incident, but her constant affection was a bit embarrassing. To make matters worse, Kuro and the other wolves were watching us with envious eyes. Once Lu is satisfied, I’ll pamper you guys too, okay? Just let her have her turn for now.
Lu’s clinginess lasted for about three days. It only stopped because Hakuren finally pointed something out—not about the affection itself, but about the Universal Ship that had crashed.
"I think it’s about time you told us the truth," Hakuren said during our post-dinner relaxation.
I was sitting at the table with Lu, Tia, Draim, Dos, and Hakuren. I was the only one surprised by Hakuren's remark; it seemed everyone else was already in the know.
"What do you mean by the truth?" I asked.
"Ehehe," Lu giggled, trying to dodge the question.
She was cute, certainly, but I wanted an answer. What exactly was Hakuren expecting her to say? Tia was the one who spoke up.
"Lu-san builds a ship, it sinks, and that’s the end of it? There was no way that was the whole story."
Dos followed up, nodding. "Given that structure, the probability of the ship flying safely was roughly fifty percent. The flaws were so fundamental that any experiment would have revealed them immediately. I find it impossible to believe that someone capable of miniaturizing the Sun Castle’s flight system would fail to notice such glaring issues. In other words, there was a specific reason that ship had to sink right then and there. Is that correct?"
At Dos’s sharp observation, Lu raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"The truth is, the number of spies from the human kingdoms has been increasing lately," Lu explained.
Apparently, for some time now, there had been a surge in spies attempting to infiltrate Big Roof Shashato, the Ifuls Academy, and Village Five. The Ifuls Academy, in particular, was being watched closely. However, our counter-intelligence was flawless, and the majority of these spies were caught.
"If they were caught, isn't the problem solved?" I asked.
"Quite the opposite," Lu replied instantly. "Because they aren't getting any information back at all, their paranoia only grows. So, we decided to give them a public announcement of what we were doing—and then show them a spectacular failure."
"So the crash was intentional?"
"Dos-sama caught me, but I’d say it was fifty-fifty. It didn't really matter to me whether it succeeded or failed in the moment. Well, I personally believed it would succeed... but as expected, the structural integrity was an issue. We repurposed a hull that was still under construction, so I suppose it was inevitable."
Lu listed several points she was reflecting on, though most of the technical talk went over my head. I was concerned about one thing, though.
"Did the crash actually solve the problem of the human spies?"
"For the time being, yes. The story they’ll report back to the human kingdoms is that the Ifuls Academy tried to develop an airship and failed miserably. They'll report that all the profits from Big Roof Shashato and Village Five are being poured into a failed research project."
"And you intentionally leaked information to ensure they reached that conclusion, didn't you?" Tia asked.
"Of course. I made sure we looked like we were in a state of total chaos after the crash... and since some people who didn't know the plan actually were in a state of chaos, it was very easy to blend in."
"Based on the information the spies gathered, how large do they think the academy's research scale is?"
"About a tenth of its actual size. And the funding they see is about a twentieth."
"Won't they eventually see through it?"
"Actually, even at that reduced scale, they probably think the idea of an airship is a joke. I suspect they simply don't want to believe such technology is possible."
"Just what is going on at the Ifuls Academy?" I wondered aloud.
Well, I didn't fully grasp the details, but it seemed things were under control for now. That was a relief. So, Lu sinking the ship was a calculated move against espionage. I see.
"I understand the reasoning, but that must have cost a staggering amount of money. And you borrowed quite a bit from Village Five—how do you plan to pay that back?"
"Eheh."
She was being cute again, but I wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. If she couldn't pay it back, the village would have to cover it, and I’d have to find a way to earn that money myself...
"I’m joking! The money is fine. The research results from the Ifuls Academy will eventually be monetized. I should be able to repay the loan within ten years."
"Turn into money? But didn't the project fail?"
"We aren't only researching airships. And besides..."
Lu stood up and suggested it was time to head outside. Draim and the others followed.
"We've come this far," Dos said. "We might as well see this through to the end."
I followed Lu, wondering where we were going. The village dungeon? No, not the hot spring area either. Were we heading to the Teleportation Gate to Village Five? It was already late at night.
"It’s because it’s night that this works," Lu said.
Village Five was a town built upon a small mountain, with the Teleportation Gate located at its summit.
"Please, look over there," Lu said, pointing toward the night sky.
The Two Moons were beautiful. Then, the shape of one of the moons seemed to distort.
"Wait, what?"
A vessel appeared silhouetted against the moon. It was a massive sailing ship, and it was soaring through the air.
"The Completed Universal Ship. There’s no technical reason it has to look like a sailing ship, but sticking to that design made it much easier to hide the truth when we were ordering parts and materials."
On board were the High Elves and Mountain Elves who had been working with Lu. I had wondered why they hadn't come back with her; they had been up there the whole time.
"Since it's the completed version, does it transform like the other one?" I asked.
"Yes. It can travel on the surface or underwater just as easily as it flies."
"It doesn't have the mechanical arms?"
"There's no need for them to actually look like arms. I’ve made the propulsion limbs mimic the appearance of simple planks."
Lu began explaining the various features of the Universal Ship with great pride. However, she wasn't really explaining them to me. She was addressing Dos, Draim, and Hakuren—or rather, Dos specifically.
"I see," Dos nodded. "Impressive. As expected of a vampire who has lived through the ages. No, it is more than just your race. I have truly seen the depth of your wisdom."
"Thank you very much," Lu replied, bowing politely to the dragon.
"Then, do you grant your approval?"
"Umu. I shall permit that ship to traverse the skies."
"I am honored."
Wait, what was going on? Hakuren caught my confused expression and stepped in to explain.
"The dragon race acts as the self-appointed regulators of magical evolution. Long ago, technology developed too rapidly and the world ended up in a total mess."
Apparently, no one had officially appointed them; they just took it upon themselves to keep things in check. Flying ships were a concept from ancient times, and they weren't uncommon during the era of the Sun Castle. However, in the modern day, the only flying ships left were a few relics from that era—until Lu created this one. The ship before our eyes was the only one of its kind currently operational.
Listening to Hakuren, I realized once again just how incredible Lu’s achievement was.
"However," Dos added, "I cannot allow this technology to spread rapidly. A fleet of flying ships would drastically shift the balance of power between nations. In the current political climate, even the Demon King would struggle to maintain order."
"I understand," Lu said. "I will not construct another for at least several hundred years. This ship will be used exclusively for transportation between this village, the Sun Castle, and Village Four."
"Umu. That is acceptable. In that case... about this much?"
"If possible, I would like this much."
"No, no, that is far too much... please, meet me halfway at this much."
"Very well, I can agree to that."
Dos and Lu were holding up fingers, seemingly communicating in code. I looked at Hakuren for a translation.
"Since Lu is following the dragon race's decree and won't build more ships, they're negotiating the compensation for her compliance."
"Money?"
"Probably a trade for ancient magic tools. My father has mountains of them, so it won't hurt his hoard... though if he gives them to Lu, she'll probably just use them for some bizarre experiments."
I had a feeling she was right. The negotiations looked like they would take a while. Still, a flying ship... it was undeniably cool.
A signal was sent from the ship via hand flags, and then the vessel vanished into thin air, just as it had appeared.
"Illusion Technique," Hakuren explained with a small smile at my surprise. "The formula is very stable. She’s probably using one of the magic tools Father sent to the village a while back."
"You can tell just by looking at it?"
"I can see the Magic Power Flow. Ancient tools are robust and rely on brute force, whereas modern ones are a bit more fragile but highly precise. The multi-layered structure is a classic hallmark of the older style."
I didn't quite understand the mechanics, but I was satisfied. In the end, Lu’s research hadn't been a waste at all. It was a complete success, and knowing that was enough for me. I’m sure she’ll find ways to apply the technology to earn money later... but for now, she can keep using those funds at the Ifuls Academy.
The Completed Universal Ship was apparently going to fly back toward the Village of the Great Tree. I prayed for its safe arrival. Once it gets back to the village, I’ll have to make sure the children get a chance to ride it. I need to help Lu restore her dignity, since her reputation took a bit of a hit with that first crash.