Chapter 383 The Dream of Conquering the Sky

"Hurry! Load everything into the car! And the tools for assembly!"

With the prince's permission, Alberto immediately called upon several apprentice craftsmen in the store to lift the goods, which were tightly wrapped in thick canvas, onto the specially used cargo cart parked at the door of the store.

Afterwards, he respectfully invited Luo Yan and his party into his carriage, which was plain in appearance but sturdy and spacious enough.

The convoy left the bustling Artisan Street, passed through the not-so-tall city gate, and slowly drove towards the endless snowfield outside the city.

The convoy finally stopped on an empty snowfield.

The afternoon sun made the white snow sparkle, and the towering Sage's Tower in the distance was like a silent giant, quietly overlooking the land.

“We’re here!”

Alberto rubbed his hands excitedly, jumped off the carriage first, and signaled the team of caravans following behind the carriage to stop.

Under his command, a group of young men worked together to untie the huge canvas bag, revealing a huge spherical air bag made of tanned leather and thick canvas.

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

However, the most eye-catching thing is not the leather airbag spread out on the snow, but a metal machine standing next to the airbag.

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

Alberto introduced this brass machine, about half a person's height, to the prince in front of him as if he were presenting a treasure.

The structure of the whole device looks rough, but when you get closer you can see its exquisite structure.

Not only that, its inside is engraved with dense runes, which uses the rune technology of the Enchanting School to the extreme!

This is another enchantment system that is completely different from the underworld text of the cemetery. Luo Yan showed an interested expression on his face as he looked at it.

"I named it 'Heart of the Fierce Wind'! Once it is activated..."

Alberto didn't explain much and directly stuffed a fist-sized piece of magic crystal ore into the groove of the device.

With a loud roar, the heater was successfully started. Streams of scorching hot air visibly gushed out of the nozzle and continuously poured into the air bags spread on the ground.

The leather and canvas creaked under the heat, as if they could not bear the weight.

Then, the shriveled sphere began to swell gradually, and then stretched its own folds little by little, and finally expanded completely, turning into a huge sphere that shocked the eyes!

Pulled by several thick ropes, it swayed its clumsy body, broke free from gravity, and slowly rose from the golden snowfield like the sunrise!

When she saw the hot air pouring into the air bag, Taf, who was squatting in Sarah's arms, opened her mouth in surprise, but soon her mouth closed again and turned into an expression of strong disdain.

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

Just as she finished speaking, a strong wind suddenly blew across the snowfield without warning.

The huge hot air balloon that had just risen was shaking violently in the strong wind. A young apprentice screamed and almost slipped out of his hand with the rope!

The apprentice standing in the cabin under the hot air balloon was even more unlucky. He was almost thrown out by this not-so-severe turbulence.

"Damn it! The wind up there is too strong!"

"I'm holding on tight!"

"Quick! Throw down the anchor chain!"

Alberto's face turned pale, and he and his apprentices immediately rushed forward in a panic, trying to pull the rope that was about to get out of control.

The group was dragged by this "monster" and staggered in the snow, and were thrown to the ground by the swaying cable. The scene was both funny and embarrassing.

Seeing a group of natives getting in a panic because of the hot air balloon, Tafu could no longer hide the ridicule on her face and made a "puff puff puff" sound with her mouth.

Luo Yan noticed the secretly laughing kid and spoke with a smile.

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

"oh?"

When Tafu heard this, she became unhappy immediately. She raised her little head and spoke in a provocative tone.

"I can't pretend I didn't hear you. Tell me, what is it that the Zeta Empire's starships can't carry?"

Looking at Taf with an unconvinced look on her face, Luo Yan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and his eyes passed over the swaying hot air balloon to look at the boundless blue sky behind it.

"for example--"

"The dream of all ordinary creatures on this planet to conquer the sky."

Tafu was stunned for a moment when she heard that, and then she let out that unique "pu pu" laugh again.

I have to say that she is really first-rate when it comes to attracting hatred, and the most commendable thing is her "perseverance".

"Dream? You are talking about dreams when you are so high that even the clouds cannot touch you? You have never seen how vast our star field is!"

After a brief pause, the kid who had never lost a word quickly added another sentence.

"Also - let me make it clear first! I will never ride this thing when I leave Xuebang! Don't even think about getting me on it!"

Based on her knowledge of this hairless monkey, she had already guessed what this guy wanted to do with the hot air balloon...it was nothing more than to make a big news in front of the natives of the Mage Tower.

But she would not joke with her own life. What if this thing fell from the sky?

She can't fly yet!

Facing Tafu's confident statement, Luo Yan just smiled and said nothing. After all, whether to take a plane or a high-speed train, is it your pet who has the final say?

He only answered the first half of her sentence.

"Don't get excited. You were young once too."

Although he had never seen the starship of the Zeta Empire, the magicians of Xuebang had obviously seen it from behind the virtual world.

However, no magician could truly understand the principles behind it, nor could they imagine its uses. Ultimately, they only contemptuously recorded it in research reports as a large "toy" with an ingenious structure but gaudy.

In fact, what they described is not wrong.

No matter how many galaxies the Zetas from another universe conquered with their technology, it meant nothing to the people of this world.

After all, that is a legend from another world.

For the people of the Oss Empire, a hot air balloon made by themselves and whose principles they understand is far more meaningful than a "miracle" from another world.

Just as the man and the dragon were arguing, the north wind, which had been a little naughty before, suddenly became violent.

The howling cold wind blew up the snow on the ground, forming a "white disaster" that covered the sky and the sun on the vast snowfield, violently lashing the huge hot air balloon that had just taken off.

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

"Hold on! Hold on tight!"

The huge hot air balloon turned into an uncontrollable sail in the strong wind, violently pulling at several iron chains tied to the ground, making a teeth-grinding metallic whine.

They had already turned off the magic heater, but the huge air bag was now filled with wind and snow, like a huge kite struggling desperately, which could break free at any time and be swept into the uncontrollable sky.

Several young apprentices held on to the ropes tightly, but were still dragged on the snow by the terrifying force. They looked extremely embarrassed, and screams rang out one after another.

Just when everyone was on the verge of despair, Prince Colin, who had been watching all this, took action.

He waved the wand gently.

There were no spells, no blinding lights.

An almost completely transparent barrier instantly unfolded in front of him, 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 howling cold wind hit this seemingly fragile barrier and was perfectly blocked and diverted as if it had hit a mountain.

The world within the barrier suddenly became calm.

The huge hot air balloon swayed slightly, like a sailboat entering safe waters, and landed safely back on the snow.

Alberto and his apprentices finally let go and collapsed on the snow exhausted.

They were filled with shock and awe, as well as gratitude for surviving the disaster, as they looked at the tall and straight figure standing calmly in the wind and snow.

"Saved..." A frightened young man adjusted his hat, but soon a look of shame appeared on his face.

They succeeded.

But obviously, it also failed...

Just when he was feeling depressed, his master Mr. Alberto walked up to His Highness Colin in a daze.

He knelt on one knee, his weather-beaten face filled with frustration and shame, without any of the excitement and pride he had before.

"Your Highness... I..."

His lips trembled, and he finally lowered his head heavily and spoke in an almost pleading tone.

"Please forgive my incompetence! I messed up. I am willing to return the balance of seven gold coins you just paid. I only beg you to give me another chance! I... I cannot accept that your genius design has been tarnished because of my mistake!"

Although he had invested a lot of materials and energy in this order, refunding the balance would make him lose everything, but what he was more afraid of at the moment was offending the prince in front of him.

He had learned from a familiar magic apprentice that this prince was no ordinary prince, and the territory he ruled in the distant world was not even inferior to that of the Duke who ruled the northern border of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Looking at Alberto who looked anxious, Luo Yan just smiled and shook his head, and did not take the trembling purse.

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

"Mr. Alberto, I am impressed by your superb skills and the fact that you don't feel guilty about it... Besides, this is not your fault at all."

Under Alberto's extremely shocked gaze, Luo Yan continued speaking in a gentle tone.

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

"The gold coins in this purse will be regarded as my additional investment, together with the gold coins I paid you before, as the deposit for 'Heart of the Gale II'. 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 coin back in fear, but saw His Highness Colin shaking his head.

"Take it. Compared to this insignificant gold, I would rather see a groundbreaking work... I am optimistic that you can complete it."

Hearing these heartwarming words, Alberto's eyes instantly turned red. He tightly grasped the bag of heavy gold coins, his voice trembling slightly with gratitude.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness! I...I am willing to serve you at my service!"

As if gratitude alone was not enough to express the emotions in his heart, he paused for a moment and continued in an excited and incoherent voice.

"Your Highness, I must say that you are really different from other professors in the academy! When they mess up, they will do everything they can to shift the blame to the people below. Only you are willing to admit it... Of course, I am not saying that you are wrong, I just want to express..."

Looking at Alberto who was hesitating and didn't know how to express himself, Luo Yan smiled and waved his hand, skipping the topic.

His gaze returned to the deflated hot air balloon, with an approving look as if he was appreciating a piece of work of art.

"Perhaps, we should consider adding a 'rudder' and 'sail' to it to control its direction, so that we can steer it like a sailboat."

After a pause, he continued.

"Also, I can try to add some structures similar to flying fish fins to counteract the unstable air currents at high altitudes."

"Rudder, sail, fins..." Alberto's eyes suddenly lit up, and his instinct as a craftsman immediately brought him out of his depression.

His brain started to work rapidly, and then His Royal Highness came up with a further idea -

"Your Highness, this is a great idea! Please allow me to give you a humble suggestion. We can also design a few more partitions in the airbag and use canvas to divide it into several independent cavities! This is equivalent to stringing several small airbags together, which can not only greatly increase its stability, but also avoid the risk of a single airbag accidentally breaking and causing the entire aircraft to fall!"

Luo Yan smiled and nodded.

"This is a genius idea, I'll leave it to you to finish it!"

Alberto patted his chest and said excitedly.

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

At this moment, he felt inspiration surge in his mind, and he wanted to return to his workshop immediately to present the ideas he and His Highness Colin had discussed on the drawings.

"Go ahead."

Alberto nodded excitedly.

At this moment he suddenly thought of something, an embarrassed expression appeared on his face, 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 you came up with the idea of using heat to inflate the airbag? I don't mean to pry into your secrets, I am just a little curious...how did you do it?"

Not surprised by Alberto's question, Luo Yan smiled and spoke in a gentle tone.

“Not because I thought of it, but because that’s how science works.”

"Science... principles?" Alberto looked confused.

He did find out that His Highness Colin seemed to have founded a school called science, but he didn't know how the theories there were different from ordinary magic.

Luo Yan nodded slightly and continued in a chatty tone.

"That's right. The so-called scientific principles are the general laws of nature, just like objects thrown into the sky will eventually fall down. It has nothing to do with supernatural powers. It explores how everything in the world will operate without the interference of spiritual power."

Alberto nodded, not quite understanding.

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

That person was none other than his former mentor James Wally.

While inquiring about His Highness Colin's background, out of curiosity, he also asked his old acquaintances about his mentor's recent situation.

That gentleman left the academy many years ago due to differences in ideology and went to the Kingdom of Rhodes. Now he seems to be working as a tutor and court wizard in a noble's territory.

This is the way out for many mentors who have no hope of promotion.

When there is no longer a place for them in the Mage Tower, most people will choose to try their luck in the nobles' territories and exchange their extraordinary powers for worldly money.

This is better than taking risks in a maze.

Alberto has always respected his mentor, who not only taught him everything he knew academically, but also provided him with considerable help in his career after leaving the Mage Tower.

Alberto's heart suddenly became excited when he thought that Prince Colin seemed to be very interested in tinkering with these strange machines.

perhaps--

This is a chance to repay his mentor's kindness!

"By the way, Your Highness, those ingenious structures you just mentioned reminded me of someone! It was my former mentor, Mr. James Wall-E!"

Restraining the excitement in his voice, Alberto continued eagerly.

"He also told us something similar, but the other instructors and professors in the academy ignored him and later pushed him out of the Mage Tower. But I think... you might be interested in his research. Moreover, he is the best at designing the things you mentioned!"

Luo Yan looked at Alberto in surprise.

"Oh? You can contact him?"

I didn't expect that I would have such an unexpected gain just because I came here to inspect a hot air balloon.

"Of course!" Seeing that His Highness Colin seemed interested, Alberto nodded quickly and said in a positive tone, "I have already found out where he is now. It is not too far from the border between Xuebang and Rhodes Kingdom. The letter can be delivered to him via the border trade route in a week or two!"

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

"That's great! Please write a letter to Mr. James for me and tell him that Roxel Colin, the prince of the empire and the mentor of the Source Law School, is very interested in his technology!"

"If he still has a little bit of aspirations for academics and doesn't want to sink into the world, he can come to the Great Sage Tower to find me. I am willing to hire him as my laboratory assistant in my personal capacity..."

"Before I leave this snowy plain."

Looking at Mr. Alberto who took out his notebook and took notes seriously, Luo Yan suddenly thought of something and took out a blank note paper.

He waved his magic wand lightly in the air, and a feather pen was pulled by invisible magic power, writing a line of beautiful and complex formula on the paper like flowing water -

That was exactly the prototype of the mathematical expression of the principle of least action that Ilana had derived under his guidance.

To most people in this world, this line of equation is no different from a divine book. But Luo Yan believes that for a scholar who has spent his entire life pursuing a mathematical explanation for magic, this is undoubtedly the most fatal temptation...

Even Mr. James may not fully understand the true secret of this formula.

He waved his wand, causing the note with "The Book of Heaven" written on it to fall gently into Alberto's hands.

"Give him this note for me."

"Tell him that if he is interested in the 'formula' on the note, please come to see me at the Great Sage's Tower."

…

Night always comes earlier in the north than anywhere else. Dusk falls soon after noon.

Although they failed to successfully obtain a "hot air balloon" that could take off immediately, the unexpected clue of James Wall-E was a surprise from heaven.

Seeing that it was getting late, Luo Yan decided to take Sarah and Tafu for a stroll on Artisan Street and have dinner at the same time.

Relying on Tafu's extremely keen nose for delicious food, they soon found a restaurant that was very popular among the apprentices at the end of an alley.

The restaurant's signature dish is a roasted pig's trotter, featuring the local flavor of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a rich aroma of barbecue, spices and mellow dark beer hit her in the face, arousing the appetite of a certain female dragon.

“Gu——”

Hearing that inappropriate voice, she hid her head a little shyly.

Luo Yan found a secluded corner and sat down. Just as he was about to call the waiter to order, the low voices of several young girls at the next table floated over to him.

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

"That Ilana is so arrogant. She just relies on her good looks to hang out with His Highness Colin all day long." A girl with short brown hair said sourly.

"That's right! I don't think Prince Colin is a good person either. He always looks at me with lustful eyes..." Another slightly plump girl immediately echoed, but before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by a cold gaze from her deskmate.

"You are not allowed to slander that prince!" A girl with ponytails shouted coldly. The two ponytails hanging on her shoulders were like drills.

"Yes, I'm sorry... Miss Lastina." The girl immediately lowered her head like a frightened rabbit, and apologized in a low voice, trembling with fear.

In a place like Xuebang where many top scorers emerge, even in a very small circle, there is a clear hierarchy and clear classes.

The blonde girl named Lastina didn't bully her. She just gave her a little lesson and then turned away her insect-like gaze.

Her green eyes narrowed slightly, and she continued in an unfriendly tone: "A mere candidate is so arrogant. It seems that I have to find an opportunity to teach her a lesson..."

"How about doing it in the maze trial? Accidents happen there every year." Someone immediately understood what he meant and suggested.

"But...she's a preparatory student. According to the rules, she can't participate in the maze trial, right?" The slightly plump girl whispered with a hint of fear in her voice.

Lastina raised her lips in an elegant sneer and spoke slowly.

"I've inquired about it. The rule only prohibits candidates from signing up alone. But if you really want to go, as long as there is a senior mage willing to lead you, you can go."

Pairs of eyes brightened up, and they seemed to have reached some kind of consensus.

Sarado glanced at them twice as she heard the familiar name.

They were wearing blue mage robes and seemed to be senior apprentices. They were sitting together at the moment, with expressions distorted by jealousy on their faces.

"I didn't expect you to be so popular." Noticing that someone was jealous of Luo Yan, Tafu, who had listened to the whole thing, smiled slyly and said jokingly.

"Did you just realize it?" Luo Yan replied slowly, giving Sarah behind him a meaningful look.

Sarah understood instantly.

A flash of cold murderous aura flashed across her body, so fast that the chattering mages at the next table were unaware of it.

Her hand, hidden under her cloak, had quietly grasped the cold handle of the dagger.

In her opinion, any ant who dares to obstruct the Demon Lord's plan must be wiped out silently in the dark night.

No matter who it is!

Feeling the murderous aura spreading silently, Luo Yan quickly glared at the crazy cat, using his eyes to stop her impulse.

Sarah was stunned for a moment, then realized that she had misunderstood. Her furry cat ears twitched uncomfortably, a slight blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and she whispered, "Sorry."

The murderous aura faded away silently, and the girls sitting not far away had no idea that they had been to the gates of hell.

Luo Yan knew that he had to make his words clearer to Sarah.

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

"It's best for the apprentices to resolve matters between themselves. We are not suitable to get involved. Speaking of which, Ilana has helped Miss Castellón so much, it's time for her to return the favor."

"Find a way to let Ophelia know about this 'accidentally'."

Miss Lastina should be a noble from the Kingdom of Rhodes, but in front of a real behemoth like the Castellón Family, she is probably just an insignificant little character.

A revolutionary friendship that explores the boundaries of science is not enough; it’s time to add a little “bond” between the two.

After this experience, Miss Ophelia would not be able to leave Xuebang with peace of mind and follow me to the Principality of Campbell.

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

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

It turns out that it was to get the chess pieces to have good relations.

She obeyed the order respectfully and hid her edge silently in the shadows.

"Yes, sir."

(End of this chapter)