Chapter 384: The Dream of Conquering the Sky

"Quick! Load everything onto the cart! And the tools for assembly!"

Getting the Prince's permission, Alberto immediately greeted several craftsman apprentices in the shop, and together they lifted the goods, each wrapped tightly in thick canvas, onto the pack cart specially used for carrying goods parked at the shop door.

Afterward, he respectfully invited Luo Yan and his party onto his own carriage, which looked simple on the outside but was strong and spacious enough.

The motorcade left the bustling Craftsman Street, passed through the not-so-tall city gate, and drove slowly toward the boundless snowfield outside the city.

The motorcade finally stopped on an open snowfield.

The afternoon sun shone on the white snow, making it flash, and the towering Tower of the Great Sage in the distance, like a silent giant, quietly overlooked this land.

"We are here!"

Alberto rubbed his hands excitedly, jumped off the carriage first, and signaled the pack cart team following the carriage to stop.

Under his command, a group of guys worked together to untie the huge canvas bag, revealing the huge spherical air bag spliced together with tanned leather and thick canvas inside.

They carefully spread it out completely on the snow, and the scene was quite spectacular.

However, the most eye-catching thing was not the leather air bag spread on the snow, but a metal machine standing beside the air bag.

"Your Highness... please look! This is the core component we made according to your drawings!"

Alberto introduced this machine, which was about half a person high and made of brass, to the Prince in front of him like offering a treasure.

The whole set of devices looked rough, but when you walked closer, you could see the exquisiteness of its structure.

Not only that, its inside was covered with dense runes, using the rune technology of the Enchantment School to the extreme!

This is another enchantment system completely different from the underworld script of the Great Cemetery. Luo Yan, who was examining it, showed an interested expression.

"I named it 'Heart of Fierce Wind'! As long as you start here..."

Alberto didn't explain too much, and directly stuffed a fist-sized magic crystal ore into the slot of this device.

Accompanied by a violent roar, the heater was successfully started, and streams of scorching hot air were visibly surging from the nozzle, continuously pouring into the air bag spread on the ground.

The leather and canvas made an unbearable "creaking" sound under the filling of hot air.

Immediately afterward, the shriveled sphere began to gradually bulge, then stretched its own folds bit by bit, and finally expanded completely, turning into a huge sphere that shocked the eyes!

Under the strenuous pulling of several thick ropes, it swayed its clumsy body, got rid of gravity, and rose slowly from the golden snowfield like the sunrise!

When seeing the hot air pouring into the air bag, Ta Fu, who was squatting in Sarah's arms, opened her mouth in surprise, but not long after, that mouth closed again and turned into a look of deep disdain.

"Tsk, I thought it was something interesting; isn't it just a hot air balloon? At most, the coal used for burning was replaced by a magic device..."

Just as her voice fell, a strong wind from nowhere suddenly blew across the snowfield without warning.

The huge hot air balloon that had just risen swayed violently in the strong wind. A young apprentice exclaimed, and the rope in his hand almost slipped!

And the apprentice standing in the gondola under the hot air balloon was even more unlucky, almost thrown out directly by this not-so-violent bump.

"Damn! The wind above is too strong!"

"I'm holding on tight!"

"Quick! Throw the anchor chain down!"

Alberto's face changed drastically, and he immediately rushed up with his apprentices in a panic, pulling the almost out-of-control ropes together.

A group of people were dragged by this "colossus" and stumbled on the snow, and were thrown into a mess by the swaying cables. The scene was both funny and embarrassed.

Watching a group of natives being messed up by the hot air balloon, Ta Fu could no longer hide the mockery on her face, and "poof, poof, poof" sounds came from her mouth.

Luo Yan noticed this little brat who was secretly happy and said with a smile.

"Don't underestimate this thing. Although it is not as technologically advanced as your starship, it carries something that a starship cannot carry."

"Oh?"

Ta Fu was stunned when she heard this, raised her small head, and said in a provocative tone.

"I can't pretend I didn't hear this. You tell me, what is it that the Zeta Empire's starship cannot carry?"

Looking at Ta Fu, who was unconvinced, Luo Yan's mouth rose slightly, and his gaze crossed the swaying hot air balloon and looked at the boundless blue sky behind it.

"For example—"

"The dream of conquering the sky for all ordinary creatures on this planet."

Ta Fu was stunned when she heard this, and then "poof" sounds came from her mouth again.

It must be said that she is indeed first-class in provoking hatred, and the most commendable thing is "perseverance".

"Dream? Does this height that can't even touch the clouds deserve to be called a dream? You haven't seen how vast our star domain is!"

After a short pause, this little brat who had never lost in words quickly added another sentence.

"Also—I'll declare first! When I leave the Academy, I definitely won't take this thing! Don't even think about getting me on it!"

Based on her understanding of this hairless monkey, she had already guessed what this guy wanted to do with this hot air balloon... nothing more than making a big news in front of the natives of the mage tower.

But she wouldn't joke with her own life. What if this thing fell from the sky?

She can't fly yet!

Facing Ta Fu's swearing statement, Luo Yan just smiled and didn't commit. After all, whether to take a plane or a high-speed rail, is it something your pet can decide?

He only answered the first half of her sentence.

"Don't get excited, you were young too."

Although he hadn't admired the starship of the Zeta Empire, the mages of the Academy obviously saw it from behind the Void Realm.

However, no mage could truly understand the principle, nor could they imagine its use, and finally only recorded it in the research report as a large "toy" with an exquisite structure but no substance.

Actually, their description was also correct.

No matter how many star systems the Zeta people of another universe conquered with their technology, it meant nothing to the people of this world.

That is the legend of another world after all.

For the people of the Aus Empire, a hot air balloon made by their own hands and whose principles they could understand was far more meaningful than a "miracle" from another world.

Just while the man and the dragon were arguing, the north wind, which was only slightly naughty earlier, turned violent in an instant.

The whistling cold wind rolled up the snow on the ground, forming a "white disaster" that covered the sky and the sun on the open snowfield, violently whipping the huge hot air balloon that had just risen.

Everyone was like sailors struggling in the monstrous waves, and the roar of "Captain" Alberto was torn to pieces by the wind and snow.

"Steady! Hold on tight—!"

The huge hot air balloon turned into a giant sail out of control in the strong wind, violently pulling the several iron chains tied to the ground, making a metal wail that made teeth ache.

They had long turned off the magic heater, but the huge air bag was now filled with wind and snow, like a giant kite struggling desperately, ready to break free from the shackles at any time and be rolled into the out-of-control high altitude.

Several young apprentices held the ropes in their hands desperately, but were still dragged on the snow by the terrifying giant force, looking extremely embarrassed, and exclamations came one after another.

Just when everyone was on the verge of despair, Prince Kelin, who was watching all this, made a move.

He waved the wand in his hand gently.

No incantation, no dazzling light.

An almost completely transparent barrier unfolded in front of him instantly, and squeezed together with the wind and snow on one side of the hot air balloon, forming a white wall spanning hundreds of meters!

The unstoppable whistling cold wind hit this seemingly fragile barrier, and it was like hitting a mountain, perfectly blocked and diverted.

The world inside the barrier was calm and peaceful in an instant.

The huge hot air balloon swayed slightly, like a sailing ship entering safe waters, and settled back on the snow steadily.

Alberto and his apprentices also finally let go, one by one paralyzed on the snow, exhausted.

They had shock and awe in their hearts, and gratitude for surviving a disaster, looking at the straight figure in the wind and snow.

"Saved..." A young man who was still in shock adjusted the hat on his head, but soon a look of shame appeared on his face again.

They succeeded.

But obviously, they also failed...

Just when he was in a low mood, his master, Mr. Alberto, walked to the Prince in a daze.

He knelt on one knee, his weather-beaten face full of frustration and shame, no longer having half of the excitement and pride before.

"Your Highness... I..."

His lips trembled, and finally he lowered his head heavily, saying in a tone close to begging.

"Please forgive my incompetence! It was me who messed it up. I am willing to return the seven gold coins of the final payment you just paid, only begging you to give me another chance! I... I cannot accept that because of my mistake, your genius design was tarnished!"

Although he had invested a lot of materials and energy in this order, returning the final payment would make him lose everything, but he was more afraid of offending this Prince in front of him at this moment.

He had already heard from familiar magic apprentices that this Prince was not an ordinary Prince. The territory he ruled in the distant world was not even inferior to the Duke who ruled the northern border of the Luo De Kingdom.

Looking at the uneasy Alberto, Luo Yan just shook his head with a smile and didn't take the trembling money bag.

On the contrary, he took another heavier money bag from Sarah and placed it in Alberto's hand with a "ding".

"Mr. Alberto, your superb technology impressed me. You don't have to blame yourself for this... Besides, this is not your fault at all."

In Alberto's shocked gaze, Luo Yan continued in a gentle tone.

"On the contrary, you perfectly restored my design, and precisely because of this, the problems in my design were exposed."

"The gold coins in this money bag are my additional investment, together with the gold coins paid to you before, as the deposit for 'Heart of Fierce Wind No. 2'. I hope you can improve my design so that it can truly fly into the clouds and move freely above the clouds..."

"This, how can this be..." Alberto wanted to push the gold coins back in fear, but saw the Prince shake his head.

"Accept it. Compared to this insignificant gold, I would rather see an epoch-making work... I am optimistic about you completing it."

Hearing these heartwarming words, Alberto's eyes turned red instantly. He held the heavy money bag tightly, his voice trembling slightly because of gratitude.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness! I... I am willing to be a dog and horse for you!"

It seemed that mere thanks were not enough to express the emotions in his chest. He paused for a moment and continued in a voice excited to the point of incoherence.

"Your Highness, I must say, you are really different from other professors in the Academy! If they mess things up, they will only try every means to shift the responsibility to the people below. Only you are willing to admit... of course, I don't mean you are wrong, I just want to express..."

Looking at Alberto, who was stammering and didn't know how to express himself, Luo Yan waved his hand with a smile and skipped this topic.

His gaze returned to the hot air balloon that had deflated, his appreciative eyes like admiring a work of art.

"Perhaps, we should consider adding a 'rudder' and 'sail' that can control the direction, so that we can control it like operating a sailing ship."

Pausing, he said again.

"Also, I can try to add structures like flying fish fins to offset the unstable airflow at high altitude."

"Rudder, sail, fish fins..." Alberto's eyes lit up, and the instinct of a craftsman immediately walked out of the frustrated mood.

His brain ran rapidly, and immediately put forward further ideas following the Prince's train of thought—

"Your Highness, this idea is great! Please allow me to suggest, we can also design several partitions in the air bag, using canvas to divide it into several independent cavities! In this way, it is equivalent to stringing several small air bags together, which can not only greatly increase its stability, but also avoid the risk of the entire aircraft falling due to a single air bag being accidentally damaged!"

Luo Yan nodded with a smile.

"This is a genius idea, completing it is handed to you!"

Alberto patted his chest and said excitedly.

"Leave it to me, Your Highness! I am willing to swear to Saint Xisi that I will never let your generous investment go to waste!"

At this moment, he only felt that inspiration was surging like a tide in his mind, wishing he could return to his workshop immediately and present these ideas he discussed with Prince Kelin on the drawing paper.

"Go."

Alberto nodded excitedly.

At this time, he suddenly thought of something, a look of embarrassment appeared on his face, and he scratched the back of his head and said.

"By the way, Your Highness, there is a question I have always wanted to ask. Can you tell me, how did you think of using heating to make the air bag bulge? I don't mean to pry into your secrets, just a little curious... how on earth is this done?"

Luo Yan was not surprised by Alberto's question, smiled, and said gently.

"It's not how I thought of it, but because the principle of science is like this."

"Sci, science... principle?" Alberto looked blank.

He had heard that Prince Kelin seemed to have established a school called science, but he didn't know what the theory had to do with ordinary magic.

Luo Yan nodded lightly and continued in a chatty tone.

"That's right, the so-called principle of science is the general law in the natural world, just like an object thrown into the sky will eventually fall. It has nothing to do with extraordinary power; what it explores is how all things in the world operate without the interference of spiritual power."

Alberto nodded in understanding.

Although the mysteries here cannot be explained in a few words, these words reminded him of an old friend.

That person is none other than his former mentor, Mr. James Wali.

Before inquiring about Prince Kelin's background, out of curiosity, he also asked some old acquaintances about his mentor's recent situation.

That gentleman left the Academy many years ago due to ideological differences and went to the Luo De Kingdom. Now he seems to be a family tutor and court mage in the territory of a noble. 【38

This is the way out for many instructors with no hope of promotion.

When there is no longer a place for them in the Mage Tower, most people choose to try their luck in the territories of nobles, using their transcendent powers to exchange for worldly wealth.

This is always more reliable than taking risks in the labyrinth.

Alberto had always respected his instructor; the latter not only taught him everything he knew academically but also provided significant help for his career after leaving the Mage Tower.

Thinking that Prince Kelin seemed very interested in tinkering with these strange machines, Alberto's heart suddenly grew hot.

Perhaps—

This is an opportunity to repay his instructor's kindness!

"By the way, Your Highness, the ingenious structures you mentioned just now remind me of someone! It's my former instructor, Mr. James Wali!"

Controlling the excitement in his voice, Alberto continued with an eager expression.

"He also told us about similar things, but the other instructors and professors at the Academy didn't pay much attention to him, and later they even squeezed him out of the Mage Tower. But I think... you might be interested in his research. Moreover, he is most skilled at designing the very things you mentioned!"

Luo Yan looked at Alberto in surprise.

"Oh? Can you contact him?"

He hadn't expected that just coming to accept a hot air balloon would yield such an unexpected harvest.

"Of course!" Seeing that Prince Kelin seemed interested, Alberto nodded hurriedly and said in a certain tone, "I have already found out where he is now. It's not too far from the border between the Academy and the Kingdom of Luo De. If the letter goes through the border trade route, it should reach him in an estimated one or two weeks!"

Seeing that Alberto didn't seem to be joking, Luo Yan immediately made a decision and instructed with a smile.

"That's wonderful! Please write a letter to Mr. James on my behalf and tell him that the Empire's Prince and instructor of the Source Magic School, Luo Ke-Kelin, is very interested in his technology!"

"If he still harbors a shred of academic desire and is unwilling to sink into the mundane world, he can come to the Tower of the Great Sage to find me. I am willing to hire him as my laboratory assistant in my personal name..."

"Before I leave this snowfield."

Looking at Mr. Alberto, who was taking out a notebook to take notes seriously, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something else, so he casually took out a blank piece of memo paper.

His magic wand waved gently in the air, and a quill was drawn by invisible magic, writing a beautiful and complex formula on the paper like flowing clouds and water—

That was the embryonic form of the mathematical expression for the principle of least action that Ilana had derived under his guidance earlier.

For the vast majority of people in this world, this line of equations is no different from a heavenly book. But Luo Yan believed that for a scholar who had spent his whole life pursuing a mathematical explanation for magic, this was undoubtedly the most fatal temptation...

Even if this Mr. James might not be able to fully understand the true mystery of this line of formula.

He waved his magic wand, letting this memo paper written with the "heavenly book" fall gently into Alberto's hands.

"Help me pass this note to him as well."

"Tell him that if he is interested in the 'formula' on the note, please be sure to come to the Tower of the Great Sage to find me."

Night in the North always comes earlier than elsewhere; not long after noon had passed, dusk followed closely behind.

Although he failed to harvest a "hot air balloon" that could set off immediately, the unexpected clue of James Wali was a godsend.

Seeing that it was getting late, Luo Yan simply decided to take Sarah and Ta Fu for a stroll on the Artisan Street and solve dinner along the way.

Relying on Ta Fu's exceptionally sensitive sense of smell for gourmet food, they soon found a restaurant at the end of a small alley that was extremely popular among apprentices.

The restaurant's sign was a pig's trotter roasted to a charred yellow, featuring the local flavor of the Kingdom of Luo De.

As soon as they pushed the door open, a rich aroma mixed with roasted meat, spices, and mellow dark beer rushed toward them, hooking the gluttonous worm in the belly of a certain little mother dragon.

"Gurgle—"

Hearing that untimely sound, she hid her head in a bit of shyness.

Luo Yan found a quiet corner to sit down, and just as he was about to call the waiter to order, the whispering of several young girls at the next table drifted over.

Although they spoke in very low voices, for Luo Yan, who possessed Platinum-tier strength, as long as he wanted to, even the sound of a mosquito flapping its wings in the corner of the restaurant could not escape his spiritual tentacles.

"That Ilana is really too arrogant; just relying on having a bit of beauty, she sticks to Prince Kelin all day long," a girl with short brown hair said sourly.

"Exactly! I don't think that Prince Kelin is a good person either; the way he looks at me is always lecherous..." another slightly chubby girl immediately echoed, but before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a cold gaze from the same table.

"You are not allowed to slander that Highness!" a girl with a ponytail scolded coldly, the two ponytails hanging on her shoulders looking like drills.

"I-I'm sorry... Miss Lasi Tina." The girl immediately became like a frightened rabbit, hurriedly lowered her head, and apologized in a low voice, trembling.

In a place like the Academy where "grind-kings" emerge in large numbers, even in the smallest circles, there is order between superior and inferior, and classes are distinct.

The blonde girl named Lasi Tina didn't bully her, just gave a slight reprimand, and then moved away that gaze that looked like she was looking at a bug.

A pair of emerald eyes narrowed slightly, and she continued in an unfriendly tone: "A mere preparatory student being this arrogant, it seems I have to find an opportunity to give her a taste of color..."

"How about making a move during the labyrinth trial? 'Accidents' happen there every year," someone immediately suggested with a knowing look.

"But... she is a preparatory student; according to the rules, she can't participate in the labyrinth trial, right?" the slightly chubby girl said in a low voice, with a hint of fear in her tone.

The corners of Lasi Tina's mouth curled into an elegant sneer, and she said slowly.

"I've inquired about it; the rules only forbid preparatory students from signing up alone, but if you really want to go, as long as there is a senior mage willing to take you, it's fine."

Pairs of eyes lit up; they seemed to have reached some kind of consensus.

Because she heard a familiar name, Sarah looked at them twice more.

They were wearing blue mage robes and seemed to be senior students among the apprentices, currently sitting together, their expressions twisted by jealousy.

"I didn't expect you to be quite popular, you guy." Noticing that someone was jealous for Luo Yan, Ta Fu, who had heard the whole thing, laughed slyly and teased him.

"Did you just realize that?" Luo Yan replied unhurriedly, while giving Sarah behind him a meaningful look.

Sarah understood instantly.

A cold murderous aura flashed from her, so fast that the chattering mages at the next table didn't notice at all.

Her hand hidden under the cloak had already quietly grasped the cold hilt of her dagger.

In her view, any ant that dared to obstruct the Demon King's plan must be erased silently in the dark night.

No matter who it is!

Feeling the murderous aura spreading in silence, Luo Yan hurriedly glared at this crazy cat and stopped her impulse with his eyes.

Sarah was stunned, then realized she had misunderstood; those furry cat ears twitched uncomfortably, a faint blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and she whispered, "Sorry."

The murderous aura faded silently; the girls sitting not far away didn't notice at all that they had already wandered around the gates of hell.

Luo Yan knew that he had to make things clearer to Sarah.

He coughed lightly, picked up the dark beer on the table and took a sip, and said pointedly.

"Things between apprentices are best left for the apprentices to solve themselves; it's not suitable for us to participate. Speaking of which, Ilana has helped Miss Castellion so much, it's time for the latter to 'return the favor'."

"Find a way to let Orphea know about this 'inadvertently'."

That Miss Lasi Tina should be a noble from the Kingdom of Luo De, but in front of a true behemoth like the Castellion family, she is probably just an insignificant small character.

Having revolutionary friendship exploring the frontiers of science is not enough; it is time to add a little "bond" to the two of them.

With this experience, Miss Orphea should not be able to leave the Academy with peace of mind and follow him to the Principality of Campbell.

Thinking of this, a pleasant smile appeared on Luo Yan's face; this feeling of playing with chess pieces in the palm of one's hand is always so fascinating.

This time, Sarah finally understood the Demon King's intention completely.

So it was to let the chess pieces get along well.

She respectfully accepted the order and hid her sharpness in the shadows silently.

"As you command."