The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 416 The Prince Who Conquered the Sky

With the return of the great sage, the dark clouds that had been hanging over the tower finally dissipated, and the anxious scholars were finally able to put their minds at ease.

With a demigod-level expert in charge, it's unlikely that any petty scoundrels will dare to bully them again.

During this time, the magicians of the Academy were worried about being seen as accomplices of Alistair, about their students or teachers getting into trouble, and about being identified as part of Prince Colin's faction... Even the twelve sages were uneasy.

This may seem somewhat difficult for outsiders to understand.

Although Prince Colin was the one who truly stepped forward to clean up the mess for the Academy during the previous maze trial, this honest and kind prince was not the victor.

He was also a victim.

Fortunately, this catastrophe has finally come to an end, at least for the vast majority of people who were not involved.

Incidentally, since the Great Sage returned, even the weather in the Northern Wastes has improved considerably. It seems that the Great Sage's wisdom has awakened the sleeping sun...

Outside the artisan street, a gentle breeze blows across the snow-covered plains, a stark contrast to the harsh cold of a month ago.

Thanks to the great sage's grace, the warm sunlight shines on the white snow, reflecting a dazzling light.

On a clearing that had been magically cleared, a strangely shaped behemoth lay quietly, like a sleeping giant.

That was a work from Alberto's workshop.

However, unlike the previous "Unit-01", this "Unit-02" completely abandoned the bulky spherical design and changed to a spindle shape that is more in line with "fluid dynamics".

A sturdy wooden keel supports the enormous spindle-shaped air bladder, and countless pieces of thick leather, tanned with a special alchemical agent, constitute the beast's skin. The "stitches" at the leather seams are fine and neatly tied with thick hemp rope, making it look like a work of art from a distance.

A small boat-like cabin is suspended below the airbag, and the cabin is equipped with a rudder and pedals to control the flow control device.

Several movable wing surfaces mimicking the structure of a "flying fish fin" are also installed on both sides of the cabin to maintain stability and precise steering in the wind.

These are all Prince Colin's ideas.

Incidentally, the concept of "fluid dynamics" was also proposed by His Highness Colin, and along with aerodynamics and thermodynamics, it served as the guiding principle for the design of Alberto's workshop.

According to the prince, he got his inspiration from flying cannonballs. As for how he got the inspiration, that remains a mystery.

Alberto wasn't so curious as to pry into the Empire's military secrets, and even if His Highness Colin didn't mind, he didn't want to know anymore.

Knowing too much is not a good thing.

He was just a craftsman.

While Alberto and his apprentices were busy preparing around the airship, James Wally, a visiting scholar at the Magic Science Laboratory, was also pacing nervously back and forth around the airship with a notebook in hand.

His monocle kept slipping off his nose, which he would hurriedly straighten.

“Alberto, are you sure the seams of the airbag can withstand the internal heat pressure? According to His Highness’s empirical formula, the peak pressure after inflation should not be underestimated!”

"Don't worry, mentor!"

Having just finished inspecting the last cable connecting the cabin, Alberto patted his chest, his rough palms covered in engine oil and sweat, but his face beamed with a confident smile.

"I used a double-layered, interlaced stitching method, and reinforced it with monster-derived adhesive. Not to mention heat, even if it were filled with magma, it wouldn't leak out!"

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject, using a teasing tone to express his nervousness.

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

"Don't worry about that. Even if I haven't touched these things for ten years, let alone just because I've been away for less than a year, I still won't forget them!"

James grinned, which eased the tense atmosphere at the construction site considerably.

He looked at his former student, his expression suddenly becoming complicated and guilty. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

“Alberto… you shouldn’t call me that anymore. I’m not worthy to be your mentor because I couldn’t keep you at the Academy back then.”

Upon hearing this, Alberto was stunned. He clearly hadn't expected that his advisor would still hold such a grudge about his failure to stay at the university.

Looking into those eyes filled with remorse, he suddenly laughed heartily twice, wiped his nose with his oil-stained sleeve, and grinned as he spoke.

"Mentor, what are you saying! You've taught me so many interesting things, how can you not be worthy of being my mentor?"

James said in a low voice.

"But... that's your dream after all."

“Dream? Not really, that’s just one of the ways to achieve a dream,” Alberto said with a smile and a wave of his hand, seemingly unconcerned. “Besides, I’m doing pretty well now. I have my own shop, I have plenty of time, and I can freely do what I like.”

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the man-made behemoth standing on the snowfield, looking at his and his mentor's masterpiece, his eyes shining with pure light.

“If I had stayed in the tower back then, staring blankly at a pile of moldy files, forced to be polite and perfunctory with my colleagues like you are, I would never have had the opportunity to create something so interesting.”

Looking at his magnanimous student, James felt a pang of guilt and regret that was instantly replaced by a strong sense of emotion and resonance.

Yes--

This is what these "outliers" truly pursue.

He had almost forgotten that he initially joined the Academy solely for the pure reason of pursuing truth. How could he have become so disheartened and forgotten his original aspiration as soon as he left?

"I never imagined that one day I would be lectured by my own students."

Looking into those pure eyes, a relieved smile spread across James's face. He took off his glasses, gently wiped them with a handkerchief, and then put them back on.

The moment he put on the glasses, his eyes became incredibly determined.

"Well then... let's begin."

"okay!"

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

With a deep rumble, the alchemical furnace beneath the cabin was instantly ignited, and a scorching orange flame, like the breath of an angry dragon, spewed into the opening at the bottom of the airbag!
The huge air sac, which had been lying limply on the snow like a deflated bladder, began to emit a "hoarse" breathing sound.

The leather was stretched taut, and the wooden frame creaked painfully. It trembled and writhed, like an ancient beast awakening from its slumber!

Under the breathless gaze of the two engineers and countless students, it slowly but firmly raised its massive body.

"It moved! It moved!" the apprentice craftsman standing next to the airship shouted excitedly, his shining eyes seeming to have witnessed a miracle.

The same goes for James.

Although he didn't shout out loud, his heart was filled with shock. Even if Saint Sith himself descended before him, he probably wouldn't have been so astonished.

That was not a magically driven force—

Nor are they gods!

With a power that even mortals could touch, they lifted a ship that could only sail on the sea into the sky!

The airship's cables stretched taut, dragging for several meters across the snow, before a slight scraping sound came from the bottom of the gondola, followed by a sudden drop in volume.

This creation, which relies mainly on natural wind and buoyancy rather than powerful magic, is like a giant who has broken free from the earth's shackles, slowly rising into the clear blue sky!

"Hahaha! Mentor! I'm flying!"

Alberto, his hair tousled by the wind, let out a childlike, excited laugh as he leaned out of the porthole. Only after a mouthful of wind filled his mouth did he obediently pull his head back in, close the porthole, and face the dazzling array of control levers once more.

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

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, recalling the operating instructions attached to the bottom of the blueprints, like a captain embarking on his first voyage, beginning his first "piloting" experience.

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

The sight startled James, who was standing in the snow, so much that his heart skipped a beat and he almost pulled out his wand.

Saint Sis above—

If such a large ship were to fall from the sky, his magic wouldn't be able to hold it up!
He shouted as he watched Alberto fooling around in the sky.

"Go easy, Alberto! Its keel is still very fragile!"

His voice couldn't travel that high.

Unlike the terrified Professor James, Alberto, high in the air, showed no fear and instead let out an excited scream.

"Wow! This is so exciting!"

He frantically tried to reverse the course, clumsily adjusted the wings on both sides, and tested each component again.

The airship swayed and rocked in the air, like a drunken fat man, drawing a crooked arc in the sky.

Although it was in a disheveled state, it did not fall and eventually stabilized after reaching a certain height.

Alberto looked out the window at the ground and was completely mesmerized by the sight before him.

The houses on Craftsman Street transformed into exquisite models beneath their feet, and the towering building of Xuebang in the distance seemed almost within reach, like a lighthouse planted on a snow-covered plain…

The airship circled over the snowfield for a week, and only after confirming that all control systems were responsive did Alberto reluctantly begin the descent.

The wide hull of the boat, like a sled, plowed a deep furrow in the snow before finally coming to a stop.

The burning furnace went out completely, and the air sac that had been inflated by the hot air relaxed. Along with it, James's heart, which had been pounding in his throat, and his right hand, which was gripping the wand, also relaxed.

Saint Sith above...

Thankfully, no accident occurred!

"We...we did it! Mentor! We did it!"

Alberto excitedly jumped out of the cabin and rushed to James, who was already waiting on the ground, giving him a big bear hug.

James, equally excited and flushed, patted his student's shoulder hard with a smile.

"Damn it! You little brat, you almost scared me to death!"

Alberto chuckled as he spoke.

"Hahaha! Nothing bad happened, right?"

The two middle-aged men, whose combined age was nearly eighty, were as excited as two children who had never grown up.

The surrounding apprentice craftsmen also cheered excitedly for the victory, whistling and high-fiving each other.

This is not only the success of an airship, but also the best proof of the value of these scholars and craftsmen who have been ostracized by the mainstream academic community!
Perhaps for a powerful magician, flying is not a remarkable miracle, but simply a matter of waving a wand.

However, for ordinary people who do not possess extraordinary powers, soaring through the sky is a dream that almost everyone has had.

Now they can finally stand tall with pride and answer with confident voices—

We can do it too!
Alberto wiped the sweat from his brow, turned to the still excited apprentices, and shouted with unprecedented enthusiasm.

"Quick! To the Tower of the Great Sage! Tell His Highness the Prince! Our 'Unit Two'... no! Our 'Voyager' can finally fly!!"

……

Unlike the shimmering snowfield, Professor Hector's office was dimly lit and stuffy, like a gloomy dungeon.

The towering bookshelves were piled high with documents that almost overflowed, squeezing the entire room into a narrow passageway.

Since the labyrinth incident, the Great Sage's lukewarm attitude towards him, along with the overt and covert exclusion from scholars of other factions, has left this professor, who has always been rigorous in his scholarship, feeling extremely overwhelmed.

Ever since the "servants of the Chaos Apostles" appeared by his side, many mentors and professors who had once worked closely with him have intentionally or unintentionally distanced themselves from him, leaving him to face the mountain of work alone.

At the same time, perhaps worried that he was overworking himself, the higher-ups at the Great Sage's Tower suddenly started cutting back on the budget for his new project.

That's just a budget, not a virtual realm. He really doesn't understand what these people are reviewing. Why don't they just approve it for him directly?
With the empire's financial support, when has Xuebang ever lacked money!

Hector irritably threw a rejected research budget request on the table, scattering papers all over the floor.

He felt as if the entire tower was conspiring against him, and every gust of wind that passed through the window seemed to carry a mocking tone.

"When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause you to choke..." he muttered an old proverb, shook his head, and waved his wand, causing the budget application that had fallen to the ground to float back onto the table.

Just then, a short, light knock sounded at the door, and Hector answered impatiently.

"Come in." The door opened, and the corgi teaching assistant walked in. He still walked briskly, but his face, which was usually always smiling, was now somewhat heavy.

He gently placed a letter and an exquisite wooden box, kept at a constant temperature by magical runes, on the only empty space on Hector's table.

"Professor, His Highness Colin sent me to deliver this," Corgi reported briefly, then stood aside with his hands at his sides, awaiting instructions.

Hector frowned, his mind filled with doubt.

This guy, who never plays by the rules, always comes over here and acts like he's at home. When did he become so formal and polite?
He waved his hand suspiciously, indicating that Corgi could leave.

After the office door closed again, he turned his gaze to the two items on the table, and then reached out and picked up the wooden box that exuded a faint chill.

The moment the box was opened, a sweet, exotic fragrance mixed with pure magic instantly filled the dimly lit room.

Five plump, round fruits lay quietly on a velvet cushion, their clear shells like transparent glass, reflecting a star-like brilliance.

Hector froze, his eyes wide with disbelief.

This...this is a "Starfall Fruit"?!

He picked one up instinctively, and the cool yet warm touch seeped into his heart and soul through his palm. Just a light sniff of its intoxicating fragrance was enough to bring him a sense of peace.

Without hesitation, Hector quickly closed the box.

Such a wonderful thing should be enjoyed slowly, making full use of everything from the shell to the flesh. It would be a waste to let even the slightest bit of its aroma escape.

Hector took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale even the last bit of fragrance that had escaped, finally calming his restless heartbeat.

However, it wasn't long before confusion enveloped him, leaving a puzzled expression on his face.

"That's strange..." he muttered.

That prince who always pilfers from him actually kindly gave him a gift? And such an expensive one at that!
Hector had only heard that even in the Great Sage's Garden, such top-quality magical materials were rare.

It's simply not available on the market.

With a mixture of suspicion and unease, Hector put down the box containing the fruit and reached for the unopened letter.

Although he hadn't seen the contents of the letter yet, he could guess with his toes that the kid had definitely gotten himself into big trouble again.

Based on the principle that "he who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding," Professor Hector figured he still had to help that prince.

Unfortunately, I'm currently in dire straits myself, so I'm afraid I won't be of much use...

It has to be said that this honest and unassuming professor probably doesn't understand "Prince Colin" as well as his corgi teaching assistant.

If His Highness had something to ask of him, he would never write a letter or pass on a message; he would always speak to him in person.

The moment he opened the envelope, the guy who never played by the rules once again surprised him, unsurprisingly.

The letter paper carried a faint scent of ink, and the handwriting was as elegant and powerful as ever, conveying farewell and best wishes in just a few lines.

[...Thank you for your care and support during this time. I won't go into any sentimental talk; that's not my style. As for the five fallen stars, consider them my return gift.]

Hector was stunned.

Colin...

Leaving?!

what's the situation? !

A myriad of emotions surged into his heart in an instant, but the strongest was reluctance. Only then did he suddenly realize how good the guy who seemed to be manipulating him had been to him all along.

A look of melancholy and bewilderment flashed in the old professor's eyes. Overwhelmed with mixed feelings, he sat at the table in silence for a long time, finally letting out a long sigh.

This man from the holy city came like a gust of wind, arriving suddenly and hastily, and leaving just as abruptly.

However, he wasn't surprised.

He had felt this way long ago: that scorching sun did not belong to this snowfield, and that it would one day leave, just as the sun would eventually set.

"...Take care."

May you shine brightly in another sky.

……

Inside the Magic Science Laboratory, the afternoon sun was warm and bright, and everything in front of the huge windows appeared orderly.

Bain and Harder were arguing fiercely over a drawing, while Ilana was preparing her manuscript for the next issue of Science at her seat. Even the usually active Ophia was unusually engrossed in reading a thick book.

The mysteries of mathematics are fascinating, but they can also be frustrating for those with average abilities.

After realizing that she could never surpass Ilana in mathematics, Ophia began to work hard in the field of magic.

This is a weakness that Ilana can never overcome, and the young lady of the Castellion family only needs to make a slight effort, and a miracle from the gods will naturally come to her.

This world is so unfair, even in a school that advocates equality and pursues truth.

Just as everyone was enjoying their peaceful daily routine, Prince Colin's teaching assistant, Miller, suddenly walked in from outside the laboratory.

That face, which was always full of energy, now carried a seriousness that no one had ever seen before.

He didn't say anything, but silently walked to the window of the laboratory, clapped his hands, and signaled everyone to come and gather.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please put aside what you are doing for now. Our esteemed mentor is about to show us a miracle he has recently accomplished."

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

As all the students in the lab gathered curiously at the window, Miller slowly raised his arm and pointed to the distant sky outside.

Following the direction of his finger, the group saw a huge spindle-shaped object slowly rising from the snowfield in the direction of Craftsmen's Street.

Like a seed that has broken free from the earth's constraints, it flies towards the azure sky, planting an incredible dream in that field of clouds.

"what is that?"

Ophelia stared in astonishment, trying to make out the strange creation, and instinctively uttered her first impression.

"A flying...walnut?"

She even seemed to see a sail!
The Castellion family owned many, many ocean-going freighters, but she had never heard of any of their ships being able to fly!

This is incredible!
Her naive and quirky analogy made many of the apprentices chuckle. As the atmosphere became lively, excited chatter arose from the crowd.

Listening to the discussion among the young men and women, Miller's heavy expression showed a hint of comfort, but the worry between his brows did not disappear.

His gaze remained fixed on the rising spectacle, and he tried to conceal his sorrow with a calm tone.

"His Highness said it's called an 'airship'."

"Although its birth was accompanied by a miracle performed by magic, its ascent did not depend on any spells... but entirely on the most basic scientific principles that he taught you in science class."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a gasp of surprise rang out from the side.

"Without relying on magic?!"

"How can this be?!"

Harder and Bain blurted it out almost instinctively, their young faces filled with disbelief, as if the teaching assistant were joking.

But Miller was clearly not joking; he simply spoke in a casual tone.

"The secret to its ability to fly lies in the books he left behind."

At this point, he paused suddenly, as if conveying an extremely weighty proverb, and adopted a low tone.

"Besides that, he also asked me to pass on a message to you—"

"Never give up the pursuit of truth."

This thought-provoking statement left many people stunned.

Ophia was the first to come to her senses, her jewel-like eyes filled with disbelief as she asked anxiously.

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

In her anxiety, she momentarily forgot about decorum and elegance, even resorting to the impolite term "that guy."

Why did she come here?!

And now, he's telling her... he's leaving?!

Upon hearing this question, Ilana snapped out of her daze, her usually calm face now filled with confusion and anxiety for the first time.

And a hint of reluctance that she herself was unaware of.

Jamie and Ram quickly moved to the window, gazing at the airship flying further and further away, and exclaimed softly.

"It doesn't seem to have come back."

"Your Highness...is our mentor really leaving?"

Those faces were filled with confusion, reluctance, and a hint of barely suppressed sadness.

Although many astute students had long sensed that His Highness Colin had been preparing to leave the Academy, including by establishing the journal *Science*, which focused more on scholarship than status and authority, and by encouraging them to lecture in science classes, etc...

But none of them expected that this day would come so suddenly, catching them completely off guard.

Before Miller could answer her question, Ophia rushed out the door without a word, her slender shoulders trembling slightly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ilana noticed that a few glistening tears seemed to be hanging from the corners of her swollen eyes... The duchess didn't want others to see her in such an embarrassing state.

Out of concern for her good friend, Ilana did not hesitate and followed in Ophia's footsteps.

Even now, she herself was filled with immense sorrow, suppressing her tears, wishing she could bury her face in the pillow and cry her heart out...

Jamie and Ram exchanged glances, speechless for a moment. Had and Bain, like wilted eggplants, slumped their shoulders, equally silent.

A sense of sadness at parting permeated the laboratory; today, this mage tower was destined to hold many more heartbroken souls…

Miller didn't want to look at their faces, afraid that the sorrowful atmosphere would shatter the strength he had painstakingly built up in his heart.

He took a deep breath, restrained his emotions, and bid farewell to the sails that gradually disappeared into the horizon with a farewell look.

“He said…this was the last lesson he would teach us.”

"He flew here, so he will leave by flying."

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

Meanwhile, atop the tower, a kind gardener also gazed in the direction the airship had departed.

A slight smile appeared on Dolph's lips.

Although the Chosen One of Norville was cunning and had done his share of underhanded tricks right under his nose, he still kept his promise.

Xuebang does not need "science".

His servants only needed to keep their heads down, listen attentively, and carry out their orders step by step.

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

As his thoughts drifted away with the airship, Dolph suddenly thought of the apprentice he had sent to the south, and a playful smile crept onto his lips.

"I forgot to tell you."

He looked up at the clear blue sky and said in an almost whispered voice, "I've also prepared a 'gift' for you in the south."

Arrogance and intrigue are not enemies.

And of course, it's not greed either...

(End of this chapter)