Chapter 417: The Prince Who Conquered the Sky

The Prince Who Conquered the Sky

With the return of the Grand Sage, the dark clouds over the high tower finally dissipated, and those uneasy scholars finally put down their hanging hearts.

With a demigod-level powerhouse sitting in town, it was thought that no petty people would bully them again.

During this period, the mages of the Academy Union were worried about being treated as Alistair's accomplices, and also worried about problems with their students or teachers, and also worried about being recognized as part of Prince Kelin's faction... even the twelve sages were uneasy.

For outsiders, this seemed somewhat difficult to understand.

Although in the previous storm of the Labyrinth Trial, the person who really stood up to clean up the mess for the Academy Union was Prince Kelin, this honest and loyal Prince was not the winner.

He was also a victim.

However, fortunately, this catastrophe finally settled down, at least for the vast majority of people who were not involved.

By the way, since the Grand Sage returned, even the weather in the Northern Wasteland had improved a lot; it was thought that it was the wisdom of that lord that awakened the sleeping sun...

Outside the Craftsman Street, the breeze on the snowfield was gentle, not as harsh and cold as a month ago.

Thanks to the grace of the Grand Sage, the warm sunlight shone on the white snow, reflecting a dazzling light.

I saw a behemoth with a strange shape lying quietly on a piece of open space cleaned by magic, like a sleeping giant beast.

That was the work of the Alberto Workshop.

However, unlike the previous "No. 1 machine," this "No. 2 machine" completely abandoned the bloated spherical design and changed it to a spindle shape that was more in line with "fluid mechanics."

A sturdy wooden keel supported a huge spindle-shaped air bag, and countless thick leathers tanned with special alchemy potions formed the skin of this giant beast. The "stitches" at the seams of the leather were dense and neatly tied with thick hemp rope, looking like a work of art from a distance.

A boat-shaped cabin was suspended under the air bag, and the cabin was equipped with a rudder and pedals, which could control the flow diversion device.

And on both sides of the cabin, several movable wing surfaces imitating the structure of "flying fish fins" were installed to maintain stability and precise steering in the wind.

These were all Prince Kelin's ideas.

By the way, the so-called "fluid mechanics" was also one of the concepts proposed by Prince Kelin, which, along with aerodynamics and thermodynamics, etc., served as the design guiding ideology of the Alberto Workshop.

According to that Prince, he got the inspiration from flying shells. As for how he got the inspiration, that was unknown.

Alberto was not curious enough to inquire about the Empire's military secrets, and even if Prince Kelin didn't mind, he didn't want to know anymore.

Knowing too much is not a good thing.

He was just a craftsman.

Just when Alberto was busy preparing around the airship with a group of apprentices, James Wali, a guest scholar at the Magic Science Laboratory, was also holding a notebook, nervously pacing back and forth around the airship.

The monocle on the bridge of his nose slipped from time to time, and was put back by him in a flurry.

"Alberto, are you sure the seams of the air bag can withstand the internal heat pressure? According to the Prince's empirical formula, the peak pressure after expansion cannot be underestimated!"

"Rest assured, mentor!"

Having just checked the last cable connecting the cabin, Alberto patted his chest, his rough palms full of machine oil and sweat, but his face was filled with a confident smile.

"I used the double-layer staggered stitching method, and also reinforced it with magic beast tendon glue. Let alone hot air, even if it were filled with magma, don't even think about leaking it out!"

When he said this, he suddenly changed the subject and spoke of the nervousness in his heart in a teasing tone.

"Compared to the Prince's empirical formula, I'm more worried about your calculations. To be honest, how long has it been since you touched those things?"

"You can rest assured about that. Let alone that I only left for less than a year, even if I hadn't touched those things for another ten years, I wouldn't forget!"

James grinned, and the tense atmosphere at the construction site eased a lot.

He looked at his former student, but his expression suddenly became a bit complicated and guilty, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

"Alberto... you'd better not call me that. I didn't manage to let you stay in the Academy Union back then; I really don't deserve to be your mentor."

Hearing this, Alberto was stunned. Obviously, he didn't expect that his mentor would still be brooding over such a small matter as not being able to stay at the school back then.

Looking at those eyes full of guilt, he suddenly laughed heartily twice, wiped his nose with his oil-stained sleeve, and grinned.

"Mentor, what are you talking about! You taught me so many interesting things, how could you not deserve to be my mentor?"

James said in a low voice.

"But... that was your dream after all."

"Dream? It doesn't count, that's at most one of the ways to realize the dream," Alberto waved his hand with a smile, looking indifferent, "And I'm doing pretty well now. I have my own shop, endless time, and can do what I like freely."

Saying that, he cast his gaze toward the man-made giant beast standing on the snowfield, looking at the masterpiece he and his mentor had created together, his eyes shining with pure light.

"If I had really stayed in the high tower back then, staring at a pile of moldy files, and forced to be hypocritical with those colleagues like you, I would definitely not have had the chance to make such interesting things."

James looked at his open-minded student, and the bit of guilt and regret in his heart was instantly replaced by a strong sense of being moved and resonance.

Yes—

This was the true pursuit of these "aliens."

He almost forgot that he only entered the Academy Union for the pure reason of chasing truth. How could he be disheartened as soon as he left the Academy Union and forget this original intention?

"I didn't expect that one day I would be educated by my own student."

Looking at those eyes full of purity, a relieved smile appeared on James's face. He took off his lenses, wiped them gently with a handkerchief, and then put them back on.

The moment he put on his lenses, his eyes became incomparably firm.

"Then... let's begin."

"Alright!"

Alberto shouted excitedly, then jumped into the cabin impatiently and pulled down a brass-colored control lever hard.

Accompanied by a low roar, the alchemy furnace under the cabin was instantly ignited, and a scorching orange flame sprayed into the opening at the bottom of the air bag like an angry dragon's breath! The huge air bag, which had been lying limp on the snow like a deflated skin, began to make a "ho-ho" breathing sound.

The leather was stretched tight, and the wooden keel made a "creaking" sound that made one's teeth ache. It trembled, squirmed, as if an ancient giant beast waking up from a deep sleep!

Under the breathless gaze of the two engineers and countless apprentices, it slowly and firmly straightened its huge body.

"It moved! It moved!" The craftsman apprentice standing next to the airship shouted excitedly, his glowing eyes looking as if he had witnessed a miracle.

James was the same.

Although he didn't shout out, his heart was already filled with shock. I'm afraid that even if Shengxisi descended in front of him, it wouldn't make him this surprised.

That was not power driven by magic—

Nor was it a god!

They used power that mortals could also touch to make a sailing ship that could originally only travel in the sea rise into the sky!

The cables of the airship tightened one by one, and after dragging for several meters on the snow, a slight friction sound came from the bottom of the hanging cabin, and then it suddenly lightened.

This creation, which mainly relied on natural wind and buoyancy rather than powerful magic, rose slowly into the blue sky like a giant who had broken free from the shackles of the earth!

"Hahahaha! Mentor! I'm flying!"

His hair tousled by the wind, Alberto, who poked his head out of the porthole, let out a child-like excited laugh. Until he was filled with wind, he honestly retracted his head, closed the porthole, and faced the dazzling control levers again.

"Let me see... it should be this one."

He held the steering wheel tightly, recalling the operating instructions attached to the bottom of the drawing page, just like a captain on his first voyage, and started his first "driving" in his life.

He tentatively pulled the steering wheel to the left, and the bow of the airship sank suddenly, turning at a precarious angle.

This scene scared James, who was standing on the snow, so much that his heart skipped a beat, and he almost pulled out his magic wand.

Shengxisi above—

If such a big ship really fell from the sky, his magic couldn't hold it! Looking at Alberto, who was messing around in the sky, he shouted loudly.

"Lightly! Alberto! Its keel is still very fragile!"

His voice couldn't reach such a high place at all.

Unlike the terrified Professor James, Alberto, who was high in the sky, had no fear at all, but let out an excited strange cry.

"Whoa whoa whoa! This is too exciting!"

He corrected the course in a flurry, clumsily adjusted the wing surfaces on both sides, and tested all the components again by the way.

The airship swayed in the sky like a drunk fat man, drawing a crooked arc in the sky.

Although the posture was embarrassed, it didn't fall down after all, and finally approached stability after reaching a certain height.

Alberto cast his gaze through the window toward the ground and was completely fascinated by the scene in front of him.

The houses on Craftsman Street became exquisite models under their feet, and the high tower of the Academy Union in the distance seemed to be within reach, like a lighthouse stuck on the snowfield...

The airship circled over the snowfield, and after confirming that all control systems could "respond," Alberto began to land with unfinished interest.

The wide ship belly plowed a deep gully in the snow like a sled, and finally stopped steadily.

The burning furnace was completely extinguished, and the air bag supported by hot air also relaxed. Along with it, James's heart, which had been in his throat, and his right hand, which had been pinching his magic wand, also relaxed.

Shengxisi above...

Fortunately, no accident happened!

"We... we succeeded! Mentor! We succeeded!"

Alberto jumped down from the cabin excitedly, rushed toward James, who had been waiting on the ground, and gave him a solid bear hug.

James was also flushed with excitement, laughing and patting his student's shoulder hard.

"Damn! You brat almost scared me to death!"

Alberto laughed and said.

"Hahaha! Didn't nothing happen?"

The two middle-aged men, who were almost eighty years old combined, were excited like two children who hadn't grown up.

Including the group of craftsman apprentices standing around, they also cheered excitedly for the victory, whistled, and high-fived each other.

This was not only the success of an airship, but also the best proof of the value of these scholars and craftsmen who were squeezed out by the mainstream academic circles! Perhaps for powerful mages, flying was not an amazing miracle, just a matter of waving a magic wand.

However, for mortals who did not possess extraordinary power, soaring above the sky was a dream that almost everyone had had.

Now they could finally straighten their chests proudly and answer with a confident voice—

We can do it too! Alberto wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned to the apprentices who were still excited, and shouted with unprecedented excitement.

"Quick! Go to the Grand Sage's Tower! Tell the Prince! Our 'No. 2 machine'... no! Our 'Voyager' can finally fly!!"

Unlike the glittering snowfield, the light in Professor Hector's office was dim, and the air was dull, like a gloomy dungeon.

On the towering bookshelves, the piled-up documents were almost overflowing, squeezing the entire room until only a narrow aisle remained.

Since the Labyrinth incident, the Grand Sage's lukewarm attitude toward him, and the exclusion of scholars from other factions, had made this professor, who had always been rigorous in his studies, feel overwhelmed.

Since the "servant of the Apostle of Chaos" appeared by his side, many mentors and professors who had worked closely with him had intentionally or unintentionally alienated him, and he could only face this mountain of work alone.

At the same time, perhaps worried that he would tire his body, the higher-ups of the Grand Sage's Tower suddenly began to cut the budget for his new project.

That was just a budget, not the Void; he really didn't understand what these people were reviewing, why didn't they just approve it for him? With the financial support of the Empire, when had the Academy Union ever been short of money!

Hector irritably threw a rejected research budget application on the table, and the papers scattered all over the floor.

He felt that the entire high tower was against him, and every gust of wind passing through the window lattice seemed to carry a mocking meaning.

"When people are unlucky, even drinking cold water gets stuck in their teeth..." He muttered an old-fashioned proverb, shook his head and waved his magic wand, letting the budget application that fell on the ground float back to the table.

Just then, a short and light knock on the door sounded, and Hector responded impatiently.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Koji the teaching assistant walked in. He still walked lightly, but the face that always had a smile on weekdays was somewhat heavy at this moment.

He placed a letter and an exquisite wooden box maintained at a constant temperature by magic runes gently on the only empty space on Hector's desk.

"Professor, Prince Kelin sent me to deliver this." Koji reported briefly, then stood by with his hands down, waiting for instructions.

Hector frowned, his heart full of confusion.

This guy who never played by the rules had always come to his place directly, just like returning to his own home; when did he become so flowery? He suspiciously waved his hand, signaling Koji to retreat.

After the office door was closed again, he cast his gaze on the two items on the table, then reached out and picked up the wooden box emitting a faint chill.

The moment the box lid was opened, a sweet, exotic fragrance mixed with pure magic power instantly filled the entire dim room.

Five round and plump fruits were lying quietly on the velvet lining, and the clear fruit shells were like transparent glaze, reflecting the brilliant luster like stars.

Hector froze, his eyes wide with disbelief.

This... this is "Star Fall fruit"?!

He subconsciously picked up one, and the cool and moist touch seeped into his heart through his palm. Just by lightly smelling the intoxicating fruit fragrance, it was enough to make him feel a sense of peace of mind.

Hector didn't hesitate and quickly closed the box.

Such good things must of course be savored slowly; from the fruit shell to the fruit flesh, everything must be fully utilized, and revealing even a tiny bit of fragrance would be a waste of heaven's gifts.

Hector took a deep breath, as if to inhale the little bit of fragrance that leaked out into his abdomen, and finally calmed his restless heartbeat.

However, not long after, the confusion that followed entangled him, making a puzzled expression appear on his face.

"Strange..." He muttered.

That Prince who always swiped things from him would actually kindly send him a gift? And it was such a valuable thing! Hector had only heard of it; even in the Grand Sage's garden, such top-level magic materials were rare.

It was impossible to buy it on the market at all.

With suspicious anxiety, Hector put down the box containing the fruits and reached for the unopened letter.

Although he hadn't seen the content of the letter yet, he could guess with his toes that that kid must have found him another big trouble.

Based on the principle of eating people's mouths and taking people's hands, Professor Hector pondered that he still had to help that Prince.

It's just a pity that he couldn't protect himself now, so he probably wouldn't be of much use...

It must be said that this honest professor might not understand that "Prince Kelin" better than his own teaching assistant Koji.

If that Prince had anything to ask him, he would never write a letter or send a message; he would always talk about it face to face.

The moment he tore open the envelope, that guy who never played by the rules once again exceeded his expectations, which was not surprising.

The letter paper had a faint ink fragrance, and the handwriting was as elegant and powerful as ever, writing down farewell and cherishing in a few lines of words.

【... I've been taken care of during this time, I won't say sentimental words, that's not my style. As for those five Star Fall fruits, let them be my return gift.】

Hector was stunned.

Kelin...

Is leaving?!

What's the situation?!

Thousands of emotions surged into his heart in an instant, and the most was still reluctance. It wasn't until this moment that he suddenly realized how good that guy who seemed to be holding him was to him; he had never realized it.

A hint of loss and confusion flashed in the old professor's eyes, and he sat at the table for a long time without speaking, finally turning into a long sigh.

This man from the Holy City was like a gust of wind, coming suddenly and hurriedly, and leaving in a way that caught people off guard.

However, he was not surprised.

A long time ago, he had this feeling that the scorching sun did not belong to this snowfield, and it would leave one day, just as the sun would eventually set.

"... Take care."

May you shine brightly in another sky.

In the Magic Science Laboratory, the afternoon sun was warm and bright, and everything in front of the huge window seemed orderly.

Bain and Hard were arguing fiercely around a drawing, Ilana was preparing for the next issue of Science at her seat, and even Ophelia, who was always active, was reading a thick book quietly for a rare moment.

The mystery of mathematics is fascinating, but it is also inevitable that those with mediocre qualifications will feel frustrated.

After realizing that she could not surpass Ilana in mathematics no matter what, Ophelia began to work hard in the field of magic.

This was a shortcoming that Ilana could not surpass her in no matter what; the young lady of the Castellion family only needed to work slightly harder, and the miracles of the gods would naturally descend beside her.

The world is so unfair, even in the Academy Union that advocates equality and pursues truth.

Just when everyone was enjoying that quiet daily life, Miller, Prince Kelin's teaching assistant, suddenly walked in from outside the laboratory.

On that face that was always full of vitality on weekdays, there was a seriousness that everyone had never seen before.

He didn't speak, just walked silently to the window of the laboratory, clapped his hands, and signaled everyone to come over and gather.

"Everyone, please put down what you are doing for a while. Our respected mentor is going to show us the... miracle he recently completed."

He didn't know what word to use to describe that incredible masterpiece, so he used the catch-all word miracle.

When all the students in the laboratory gathered curiously by the window, Miller slowly raised his arm and pointed to the distant sky outside the window.

Following the direction of his finger, everyone saw a huge spindle-shaped object rising slowly from the snowfield in the direction of Craftsman Street.

It was like a seed that had broken free from the shackles of the ground, flying toward the blue sky, planting an incredible dream in that field of clouds.

"What is that?"

Ophelia opened her eyes in astonishment. She tried hard to identify that strange creation and subconsciously said her first impression.

"A flying... walnut?"

She even seemed to see sails! The Castellion family had many, many ocean-going cargo ships, but she had never heard of any of her family's ships being able to fly into the sky!

This is too incredible! Her naive and off-the-wall metaphor made many apprentices couldn't help but laugh. As the atmosphere became active, excited discussions spread in the crowd.

Listening to the discussions of those young men and women, Miller's heavy expression had a hint of comfort, but the worry between his eyebrows did not dissipate because of this.

His gaze did not leave the miracle that was gradually rising, trying hard to use a flat tone to cover up the sadness in his heart.

"Prince Kelin said, it's called an 'airship'."

"Although its birth was accompanied by miracles imposed by magic, its ascent does not rely on any spells... but entirely relies on the most basic scientific principles he taught you in science class."

As soon as his voice fell, exclamations sounded from the side.

"Doesn't rely on magic?!"

"This... how is it possible?!"

Hard and Bain almost blurted out subconsciously, their young faces full of disbelief, as if this teaching assistant was joking.

But Miller was obviously not joking, just saying in an ordinary tone.

"The mystery of its ability to fly into the sky is hidden in the books he left behind."

When he said this, he suddenly paused, as if conveying an incomparably heavy proverb, and changed to a low tone.

"Besides that, he also asked me to tell you one thing—"

"Never give up the exploration of truth."

This thought-provoking sentence left many people stunned in place.

The first to come back to his senses was Ophelia. Her gem-like pupils were full of disbelief, and she asked eagerly.

"Wait... why did that guy ask you to tell us?! Why didn't he tell us himself?"

Because she was too anxious, she forgot about decency and elegance for a while, and even used the unrefined wording of "that guy."

Why did she come here?!

And now, he told her... he was leaving?!

Ilana, who heard this follow-up question, also came back to her senses. That face that was always calm was full of confusion and anxiety for the first time.

And a hint of reluctance that even she herself hadn't noticed.

Jamie and Ram quickly gathered by the window, looking at the airship flying further and further away, and exclaimed in a low voice.

"It doesn't seem to be coming back."

"Prince... mentor, is he really leaving?"

Those faces were full of confusion and reluctance, and there was also a hint of irrepressible sadness.

Although many smart apprentices had long felt that Prince Kelin had been preparing to leave the Academy Union, including establishing science journals that focused more on academics than status and authority, including encouraging them to lecture on the podium of science class, etc...

But none of them expected that this day would come so suddenly, catching them off guard before they were ready.

Without waiting for Miller to answer her question, Ophelia rushed out of the door without a word, her slender shoulders trembling slightly.

Ilana caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye that there seemed to be a few crystal water droplets hanging on her swollen eye corners... This young lady of the Duke's family didn't want others to see her shameful side.

Out of concern for her good friend, Ilana didn't hesitate and followed Ophelia's footsteps.

Even though her own heart was full of sadness at this moment, suppressing tears, wishing she could bury her face in the pillow and cry loudly...

Jamie and Ram looked at each other, unable to speak for a while. Hard and Bain were like eggplants beaten by frost, shoulders drooping, also silent.

The sadness of parting permeated the laboratory, and there were destined to be many sad people in this mage tower today...

Miller didn't want to look at their faces, because he was afraid of being infected by that sad atmosphere and shattering the strength he had built up in his heart with great difficulty.

Taking a deep breath, he restrained his full emotions and sent off the sails that were gradually disappearing into the horizon with a precious gaze.

"He said... this is the last lesson he gave us."

"He flew here, so he will leave in a flying way."

"He hopes that you will never give up the exploration of truth, and never forget why you came to this barren snowfield."

At the same time, at the top of the high tower, a kind gardener also watched the direction the airship left.

A smile curled at the corner of Duoliuke's mouth.

Although Novier's Chosen had ten thousand hearts and didn't do less small actions under his nose, he still honestly kept his promise.

The Academy Union doesn't need "science."

His servants only need to bury their heads honestly, keep their ears up, and complete his instructions step by step.

Of course, he allowed them to call themselves "scholars."

His thoughts drifted away with the airship, and Duoliuke suddenly thought of the apprentice he had sent to the south, and a playful smile couldn't help but curl at the corner of his mouth.

"I forgot to tell you."

He said to the blue sky, in a voice that was almost a whisper, "In the south, I also prepared a 'gift' for you."

Arrogance and conspiracy are not enemies.

And greed, naturally, is not either...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 418 =====