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Chapter 366 – Test Flight
It had already been a week since the death march began. The prototype airship was finally ready for its test flight.
“…I don’t know how you managed to build something like this in just one week.”
The airship is over 50 meters long, Sylphy muttered as she looked up at the majestic figure of the airship.
“I used an underhanded trick.”
My eyelids are heavy as I answer. Yes, I was just assembling this thing about an hour ago.
How did we manage to build the airship so quickly? The answer is simple: I used my inventory to move and arrange the components.
With my inventory, even the largest and heaviest components can be easily moved and placed. Following the instructions of the invited ship carpenter, who is also the designer of the airship―Lamia-san of the Sea Serpent species―I arranged the components by flying around inside the ship as it was gradually assembled. The ship was completed by having all the craftsmen of the R&D department work together to assemble the arranged parts.
All the equipment necessary for navigation has been installed, but the interior has not yet been completed. The maximum number of crew members is 300. Well, that’s just the maximum. In that case, you will have to hang hammocks in the hold and spend your time in cramped conditions, and the cruising range will also be shortened due to supply problems. If the ship were to sail long distances at full capacity, the maximum number of passengers would be about 150, half the number of passengers on board. In other words, the number of people on this goodwill mission would be about the same.
“This thing can fly? Really?”
“Theoretically, yes. A small ship flew with no problem using the same mechanism.”
Of course, the small airship that was the proof of concept―the airboat―crashed many times. It crashed more times than I can count on my hands and feet. The first prototype had no problem gaining altitude, but if it moved even a little, it would go into free fall. It was a strange story in terms of the magic nature of fall control, but the ship crashed anyway. If all the crew members had not been mages or the Harpies who could use fall control, there would have been a lot of deaths.
After conducting experiments under various conditions, sometimes with detection magic and sometimes with magic measuring instruments, it became clear that there must be no magical rupture in any part of the ship. Yeah, you don’t get it, do you? I don’t know, either. As far as I understand it, it means that every single part of the ship―down to a single floorboard―must be thoroughly imbued with magic power.
Is that even possible? I wondered, but we had already conducted technical research to overcome this problem. Yes, it was the special structure of the Adol Cathedral that we came up with and studied during the development of the mana trap.
The cathedral of the Adol religion was a large magic tool, with mithril-alloy magic transmission lines running throughout the structure. In other words, it is an object from a magical point of view. Therefore, we embedded mithril copper alloy magic transmission lines in each of the components of the airboat, and after assembling the air board, we connected the transmission lines with joints. As a result, the ship finally floated properly and was able to fly in the air.
Incidentally, as for the balancing device we had feared, the mages and alchemists were able to solve the problem by extracting a levitation device for the air board―in other words, a magic formula for maintaining equilibrium from the levitation magic―and adding a description to the fall control magic tool. It seems that Isla’s experience in developing anti-physical barrier magic was fully utilized in the method of extracting a part of an existing magic formula and redirecting it for use.
Subsequently, as a simplification measure for obtaining magical identity through the use of magic transmission lines, it was found that it was sufficient to construct the magic transmission lines after assembly rather than embedding them in each individual part and joining them together. The reason why the mithril-alloy magic conduits were hidden in the walls of the Adol religion’s cathedral was probably to hide the existence of the conduits themselves.
Well, the airboat crashed once to confirm that. It’s okay; I can recover it, put it on the crafting table, and fix it as many times as I want.
“Well, the result of all that hard work is the prototype of the magic airship you see before you.”
“I see. Not that I know anything about it.”
“Why… why…?”
I tried my best to explain it to you.
“More importantly, Kosuke-san, was the crash okay? Were there any injuries or other damages?”
“No one was injured, and there was almost no physical damage. However, some of the mages who were test pilots developed a phobia of heights or airships.”
“Is that safe?”
“It has no immediate effect on their daily lives.”
I don’t know if it will have an immediate effect on their daily lives, though, when the use of magic airships becomes more widespread, and people start riding them on a daily basis. Well, that will probably be a long time in the future, so don’t worry about it. If you seriously consider the cost of materials for this first prototype, it would be enough to make Melty and others scream and fall over. It is equipped with two magic sparkling stone furnaces, which use magic sparkling stones the size of clenched fists that require a national budget to purchase, and even pure mithril is used for some of the magic power conduits. Basically, all the wood used is magic wood as well.
“So you’re going to fly now, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Why does everyone look so unhappy?”
“I told you earlier. It should theoretically fly.”
“You mean there’s a chance it could crash?”
“There is always a possibility. That’s why I prepared this.”
Saying that, I took something out of my inventory. It was an ultra-compact paraglider made of extremely light, thin, and strong Wyvern wing membranes―the kind of equipment that an overly carefree hero might have, but this was my own fall-control equipment.
To my surprise, the magic of fall control does not work on me. I still don’t know why, but Isla said it was probably because I don’t have an ounce of magic. She said something scary about some kind of experiment, but I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.
I put it aside for now, but this is the problem. If the fall control magic doesn’t work on me when the time comes, I won’t be able to get on the airship. That’s why they made this thing.
“What is that?”
“It’s an emergency escape device for me. It is equipped with a Wyvern wing membrane, a handle, an ultra-compact wind magic propulsion system made of pure mithril, a fall control magic device, and a magic sparkling stone to generate magic power, so in an emergency, I can use it to glide safely to the ground. Theoretically.”
“That’s it again. What’s the problem?”
“Well, if I have to glide from a very high altitude, I’m not sure if my grip would hold.”
“Kosuke should be able to do it.”
“You’re a stubborn man, aren’t you?”
“Isn’t that assessment a bit disturbing?”
Well, I don’t have completely zero fall protection, either. Even if I lose my footing and fall, if I can get a straw block on the ground before I hit the ground, I have a chance. I love straw blocks; no matter how high I fall, they will catch me gently.
“Kosuke, the check is complete. No abnormalities in the magic sparkling stone furnaces or the magic path.”
“OK, then, let’s take the first flight.”
The members who volunteered for the test flight this time were 12 researchers from the R&D department, including Isla, myself, Grande, and the Harpies. All the members of the R&D department are mages who can use fall control magic, but just in case something happens, a harpy is assigned to accompany each of them. As expected, it is impossible for the Harpies to catch a person and fly, but they can make a soft landing safe enough not to die. In short, it’s a substitute for a parachute. Grande will be with me. Well, I also have this magic parasail, so if by chance―or is it a thousand? A hundred? I’m sure it won’t be one in a thousand, or one in a hundred, or one in ten, but anyway, even if the airship falls, I’ll be able to handle it.
“By the way, if we fail and this thing is wrecked, it will be difficult to use the airship for this goodwill visit because of the workload.”
“Yes… can’t you do something about that?”
“No. The interior and furnishings have not been completed. If it is wrecked, we will have to identify improvements, redesign it, repair it, furnish it, and equip it. We will never be able to do it in time. In fact, even if we could, it’s not even close to being ready in time.
First of all, it’s impossible to order something that’s still in the design stage to be built and flown in two weeks. Actually, it was a little less than a month, but as I said, it takes time to prepare the interior, add anti-aircraft guns from the current bare state, and prepare the arrival and departure supply decks for the Harpies.
In fact, we need to complete the development within a week, two weeks at the latest. That’s impossible from the start. It is a mission that can only be accomplished with my presence. Or rather, even if I were present, it would be difficult. It’s just barely possible.
“Well, we’re going to fly out now. Wish me luck.”
“Yes, I’ll wish you luck from here.”
“Please be careful. Kosuke-san’s life is worth more than anyone else’s in this country.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
I boarded the prototype airship with Isla. Unlike a ship, it lands on the ground, so we can normally enter from the ground through the hold.
Now, the small ship prototype has crashed many times; how about this one? I hope it flies well.