Chapter 233
“So you’re saying this thing is flying in the sky right now…?”
Facing the Magic Airship, Yusti-ah wore a blank expression. It seemed she couldn’t easily believe it.
“I have no idea how you plan to make this lump of iron float.”
“It looks like a bird, but I don’t think it can fly.”
Hera and Yuna’s reactions were not much different.
In a world where they couldn’t even make paper airplanes, let alone real ones, it was a natural reaction.
“I still can’t believe what I saw with my own eyes. How on earth does this huge lump of iron fly in the sky…”
If Arian, who had witnessed the test flight firsthand, was saying that, there was no need for further explanation.
The Magic Airship Franz created was truly the core of magic engineering. It was an item that could advance this world’s development by one, no, two or three steps.
“Don’t just stand there talking; get on and see for yourselves.”
Franz placed his hand on the airship’s hull and let his magic power flow into it. The magic power moved along the intricately drawn circuits, and the tightly closed door opened.
“Wow…”
“It’s incredibly luxurious.”
“Just how much money did you spend inside here?”
The women all let out exclamations of awe as they entered the airship. While the exterior was incredibly clunky, the interior, on the contrary, was quite lavish.
“I did spend a ton of money…”
From the smallest finishing materials to the leather used for the seats, and even the curtains covering the windows, everything was made of materials that couldn’t be bought even with money.
Naturally, materials from monsters that came out of the labyrinth were also included.
The reason Franz, who usually frowned at the mere mention of luxury, went this far was…
“How could I resist this?”
An airplane he had personally participated in developing was even something he could pilot himself.
For a man who would go crazy over even a small model glider, it was absolutely irresistible.
Of course, quite a lot of money had been spent.
They were all materials where the seller could name their price. If he hadn’t used the things he already had, it would have easily cost the price of a mansion.
But the result was satisfying, so the cost didn’t matter.
It was then. Yusti-ah suddenly tilted her head.
“Franz, I have a question.”
“Ask me anything.”
Franz answered calmly, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t settle down and kept twitching. He was quite happy that she took an interest in the airship he had poured his heart and soul into making.
However, the question that soon came from Yusti-ah ended up pouring cold water on Franz’s excited heart.
“If it’s about flying in the sky, couldn’t you just do that somehow with magic?”
Franz could understand her mindset. Women usually didn’t have much interest in this sort of thing.
It was also a valid point. If it was simply about flying in the sky, it was more than possible with magic.
In the end, there was only one thing Franz could say.
“It’s about the romance.”
The all-purpose word that made everything in the world rational is romance.
Yes, that single word could explain all of this.
“Ro…mance? In this piece of metal…?”
“Piece of metal…?”
“A-Ah, no. I didn’t mean to demean it.”
Yusti-ah hastily shook her head.
Thanks to that, Franz was able to calm his heart.
He had almost ended up giving a one-hour lecture explaining the airship before they even departed.
Just then, Yuna hugged Franz’s arm from the side.
“Franz, I think it’s cool.”
“A-Aren’t you two a bit too close?”
“Huh? Can’t we be a little close?”
Yusti-ah nagged, but Yuna slipped out of it like a sly snake.
Yuna had always been close to him, but ever since her confession that day, the boundary seemed to have completely crumbled.
In that situation, Franz just stood there blankly.
More accurately, he couldn’t move. A strange sensation was being felt at his elbow.
In the end, the one who sorted out the situation was none other than Arian.
“Miss Yuna, the Magic Tower lord has to drive. Could you step away for a moment?”
“Oh, Franz is driving this himself? Then it can’t be helped.”
Yuna smiled brightly and let go of the arm she had been hugging tightly.
Thanks to that, Franz regained his freedom and could breathe a sigh of relief.
Of course, Yusti-ah still seemed dissatisfied. The way she was glaring at him with sharp eyes was quite fierce.
“Anyway, Hera is…”
Thinking she was too quiet, Franz turned his head to look at her.
“Is this not it…?”
Hera was moving the seatbelt this way and that, trying to wrap it around her neck.
Surely she doesn’t think that’s a leash…?
No, if it was Hera, it somehow felt like she would. She had always been obsessed with leashes, after all.
“Hera, you use it like this.”
Franz personally fastened the seatbelt for Hera.
Thanks to that, they ended up at an oddly close distance, and her long ears flapped up and down as if she were happy.
“Everyone, watch closely. This is to keep you from getting hurt.”
Of course, it was safe to say there was no chance of them getting hurt.
Even if a bird were to fly at them from the front, the magic equipped inside the airship would handle it appropriately.
It even had anti-magic countermeasures, so it could easily deflect magic up to the 8th circle.
“We’re going to depart now. Everyone, take a seat and fasten your seatbelts.”
They immediately found suitable seats and sat down. But that was it. None of them fastened their seatbelts.
Watching them, Franz let out a short sigh.
“You saw me fasten Hera’s belt earlier.”
“I saw it, but I don’t really know how.”
Arian answered while looking at a random spot in the distance.
‘If you’re going to lie, at least try to make it believable…’
It was simply dumbfounding to hear that from her, considering she had already learned how to fasten a seatbelt earlier.
“Watch closely and remember.”
In the end, Franz approached Arian and personally fastened her seatbelt.
In the process, their bodies naturally ended up pressed close together.
Just as he was starting to feel embarrassed by the oddly close distance, Arian silently kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you, Magic Tower lord.”
“Uh… yeah…”
Franz looked at the others in a state of utmost tension.
They were all looking at him, but fortunately, they didn’t seem to know what had happened.
I thought my heart was going to drop…
“If you don’t know how, just be honest and say so. I’ll come over and show you.”
Afterwards, Franz had to fasten the belts for Yusti-ah and Yuna as well.
Whether he should call it fortunate or not, Arian was the last one to pull such a stunt.
“Then we’re departing.”
Franz sat in the very front seat, the cockpit. Straight ahead, the outside was visible through the transparent glass, and below that were numerous buttons and levers.
In truth, there was no need to make it this complicated, but…
‘It’s cool.’
Romance, that single word, explained everything.
Before long, Franz’s masterpiece, the Magic Airship, slowly began to move forward.
Franz snapped his fingers in time with it.
Snap-.
With a cheerful sound, a translucent runway leading up into the sky appeared.
If there were no runway on the Magic Tower grounds, he could just make one every time.
Of course, it was only possible because it was Franz; other mages couldn’t even dream of doing such a thing.
Whirrrr-.
The airship gradually increased its speed and advanced down the runway. The magic stones mounted on the wings emitted light, adding to the output.
After a short while, the airship reached the end of the runway and rapidly soared into the sky.
Sitting in the cockpit, Franz focused intently in preparation for any unforeseen situations.
His hands quickly manipulated the buttons and levers, adding stability to the flight.
Phew-.
Eventually, as the airship reached a certain level of stability, Franz let out a sigh.
Even though he was certain there wouldn’t be an accident, he couldn’t help but feel tense. It was especially so since he was carrying them on board.
Pressing a button to switch to automatic flight mode, Franz looked back.
“Is everyone okay?”
“I’m okay, but should I say my ears feel a bit muffled? It feels like water got in them.”
Yusti-ah said with a narrowed brow, as if she found it unpleasant.
The others were probably experiencing similar symptoms.
“Pinch your nose with your hand and try to blow air out through your nose. It’ll make it a bit better.”
It was a common method for equalizing pressure. There were various other methods, but this would solve it for the most part.
They all simultaneously pinched their noses with one hand and squeezed their eyes shut.
How were they so perfectly in sync?
Watching that sight made a laugh slip out for no reason.
“Oh? It got better.”
“Mine got better too.”
“I’m perfectly fine now too.”
“I was perfectly fine from the start…!”
Yusti-ah, Hera, Arian, and Yuna answered in order.
Anyway, does the Hero have strong eardrums too? I didn’t expect her to overcome the difference in air pressure.
“Everyone, try pressing the button on the wall. If you press that, a window will appear.”
In any case, if everyone was having fun, that was enough.