In all things, the will to succeed was what mattered most. When one’s heart was truly in the work, progress came swiftly.
The repairs on the airship were finally finished. It was currently undergoing test flights and, so far, it was floating without a single issue. It was a magnificent sight, though it was a shame I couldn't be on board yet.
Lu, Tia, and members of the Angel Race were the only ones allowed on these initial flights. In the event of a disaster, they were the only ones who could fly and escape on their own power.
"Is it really not enough to use the parachutes you prepared, Village Head?" the Mountain Elves asked, clearly dejected about being left behind.
Unfortunately, parachutes were useless without sufficient altitude. If trouble occurred while we were still flying low, they wouldn't help. I promised them that once the first few rounds of testing were complete, everyone would get their turn to ride.
The airship’s design featured a massive central gas bag flanked by two smaller ones. It had once been the property of a royal family, but for reasons unknown, it had been sold off and repurposed as a passenger ship. Bell suspected it had been liquidated due to a lack of national funds. When their kingdom eventually fell, Aeplee and his group used the vessel to escape. Since then, it had been kept hidden and unused, meaning it had gone without maintenance for a very long time. It was in such a state that trouble was practically guaranteed. Seeing it floating safely now made me appreciate the incredible work that had gone into its restoration.
After completing a flight, the airship landed at the Village of the Great Tree Racetrack. I say "landed," but it didn't actually touch the ground; it hovered a few meters above the grass. Apparently, that was the standard for such vessels. While the gas bags dominated its profile in the air, the passenger section was the most striking part once it was stationary.
This section was divided into four decks, each with high ceilings to accommodate passengers of various races. Having four levels made the ship look as large as a four-story building. Unlike a water-bound ship, no part of its hull was hidden beneath the surface, which added to its imposing scale.
As for the interior: the topmost deck contained the cockpit, the crew's quarters, and the engine room. All the vital mechanisms were concentrated near the gas bags. The second deck held the special cabin and the first-class cabins. There was only one special cabin, which occupied the entire forward section of the ship. There were only two first-class cabins, one on the port side and one on the starboard.
The third deck consisted of the second-class cabins and the galley. Although they were labeled as second-class, they were actually a row of very cramped private rooms, barely two tatami mats in size. I wondered if we should just tear down the walls and turn them into a single large dormitory.
The fourth and lowest deck was the cargo hold. The ceiling here was taller than the other levels to allow for the transport of oversized luggage. I felt a bit anxious about whether the floor could support the weight, but the boards were exceptionally thick. This was likely because the bottom of the hold would be the first point of impact in an emergency landing.
I went up to the roof of the passenger section, but the view was underwhelming; the massive gas bags blocked almost everything.
The gas bags carried a considerable weight, yet the gas inside was nothing I recognized from my old world. It was simply called Levitation Gas. It was generated by applying a specific magical potion to a material similar to a Wind Demon Crystal, known as a Wing Demon Crystal. It was non-toxic and non-flammable, making it very safe. However, ordinary cloth or bags couldn't contain it. It required specialized containers or bags treated with another magical potion on the inside. The airship’s gas bags were packed with these containers, reinforced by struts and a network of pipes to feed the gas.
"I wanted to tidy up the piping a bit more, but we focused on restoration for now," Lu explained after the first flight. Meanwhile, Tia and the Angels were busy inspecting the interior of the bags for any potential leaks.
"The guest rooms were restored to their original state, but... what do you think? Should we get rid of the second-class cabins?" Lu asked.
That would depend on how we decided to use the ship—whether as a passenger liner, a sightseeing vessel, or a merchant trader. On that note, I wondered how many people it took to actually run the thing.
"If it’s just for basic flight, you only need three people: a navigator, a helmsman, and an engineer," Lu said. "Even with three shifts, that's only nine people total. The rest depends on its function."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, if it's a passenger ship, you'll need cabin attendants, cooks, and medical staff. And depending on the route, we’ll need to have an armed escort on board. There are plenty of magic beasts and monsters that claim the sky as their territory."
Selection of the crew would be vital. I decided I would settle on the ship's purpose as soon as possible.
"Understood. And one more thing..." Lu hesitated. "During the test flight, the Universal Ship was flying right beside us the whole time."
I told her not to worry; it was likely just watching over the newcomer out of concern.
"Even if you say that... if we use this for trade, won't the Universal Ship try to follow us?"
I assumed Tou, the captain, would stop it.
"Actually, Tou came to me for advice because the Universal Ship won't listen to a word he says."
Since Lu was the ship's creator, it made sense he would go to her. I told her I would speak to the Universal Ship myself.
"Please do," she said.
"I’ll do my best."
Next came the plan to build new airships. Technically, manufacturing the vessels wasn't a problem, but the Levitation Gas was a different story. The gas bags required an extra-large Wing Demon Crystal, which was incredibly rare. Furthermore, these crystals were consumables. The extra-large crystal we used for the test flight had already degraded into a large-sized one. While we wouldn't be draining the gas every time we landed, the supply was far from abundant.
"I don't think we can get more even if we ask the Goroun Company or the Dalfon Company," Lu noted. I agreed. Both companies had already informed me they had no stock and no timeline for new arrivals.
The crystal we used for this test had been purchased from Dos. I say "purchased," but the payment hadn't been money. Instead, the quota for the brooches Hiichiro made had simply increased. I felt like a pathetic father for using my son’s labor like that, though I made sure to pay Hiichiro a proper wage for his work.
Regardless, even if we built new ships, we couldn't use them without a stable supply of extra-large crystals. At this rate, we wouldn't even be able to fly the repaired one as much as we wanted. We either needed to find a new mine for the crystals or develop a new way to produce the gas.
I kept the requests active with the merchant companies, but I avoided the Adventurer Guild. If I bypassed the merchants and went straight to the guild, the price of the crystals would skyrocket. Oddly enough, despite their rarity, the crystals were currently cheap because they had no use other than producing Levitation Gas—which itself required a special potion most people didn't have. Since airships had largely vanished, the crystals were no longer in demand, prices had dropped, and people had stopped bringing them in.
"Do we really need new airships?" Lu asked pragmatically. "Isn't the repaired one enough?"
I still believed that sightseeing tours or dedicated trade routes would be beneficial, but the crystals were a major hurdle. I asked Lu if she could research a substitute for the Levitation Gas.
"I'm sorry, but I have a backlog of other requests right now," she replied. "However, why don't we ask Ifuls Academy in Shashato City? I can reach out to them on your behalf."
I asked if they would really take it on.
"Yes. But you’ll have to pay them appropriately."
Research was never cheap, so I suggested an initial budget of a hundred gold coins.
"Ahaha. I appreciate the generosity, but if you pay way above the market rate, it'll have the opposite effect."
I was surprised. Wouldn't that make them more motivated?
"If they were only motivated by money, they wouldn't be researchers," Lu explained. "They are lured by money because they need it for their work, but that's all."
"So, what's the best approach?"
"Give them just enough to get by, or maybe a tiny bit extra, and promise them a bonus only after they achieve a result. Researchers are creatures that prioritize what they want to study over the actual request."
Her words carried the weight of experience. I couldn't argue with that.
Researcher: "It feels like we're just a little bit away from finishing!" Lu: "That means they haven't made any progress at all."
Researcher: "It’ll be done very soon!" Lu: "It’s still going to take ages."
Researcher: "We’re almost there, but... we’ve run out of budget to finalize the results." Lu: "Don't give them a copper. Make them use their own money and tell them you’ll pay only when it’s done."
Researcher: "...Lu-sama, aren't you being too harsh? Aren't you a researcher too?" Lu: "That's exactly why I know all your tricks."
Universal Ship: "My younger sister is flying..." Tou: "That airship is from our era, so it's way older than you. Wouldn't that make it your older sister?" Universal Ship: "..."
Tou: "Lately, the Universal Ship and I just haven't been on the same page..." Lu: "Don't look at me..."
Village Head: "It's decided by the order you arrived at the village! It’s definitely the younger sister!" Universal Ship: "Exactly!" Village Head: "I'll make sure Tou understands that, too!" Universal Ship: "I’m counting on you!"