Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 406 Hot Air Balloon Test Flight

In the back garden of the lord's castle, there was a pile of things covered by a layer of rainproof tarpaulin - this was the magical creation that the Eye of Illusion said could allow mortals to fly into the sky, and it was also what the astrologer said was a "huge soft ball."

"It's still in the testing phase, so it hasn't been announced yet..." Harvey pointed helplessly, "There's no need to be so anxious. It won't be too late to come back once the finished product is manufactured."

Arturo said with a somewhat awkward tone, "It's because Mr. Eye of Illusion and the others piqued our curiosity. Lord, please forgive our recklessness and rudeness. We also want to see this incredible miracle as soon as possible."

"It's not a miracle, it's just a hot air balloon." Harvey raised his hand and asked the guards to lift the tarpaulin, revealing a pile of huge animal skins stacked in a somewhat disorderly manner.

"Uh... this, why is this a pile of leather? Wasn't it said to be a strange soft ball?" Sirius and Prall walked around the pile of animal skins, looking puzzled.

"It's like this when it's not inflated. Just wait a moment and let the guards prepare it in advance."

Harvey signaled to the captain of the guard, Tommy, who immediately led several warriors forward with an excited expression and began to fiddle with the pile of animal skins.

During the first flight test, Harvey asked Tommy and others to take the risk and of course asked Duncan to be on the side to act as a first aid worker in case of emergency landing. In case of an accident in the air, he could at least transform into a giant flying griffin to protect the experimenters and ensure their safe landing.

Soaring in the sky like a bird is the eternal dream of humans, an intelligent race that can only live on earth. From hot air balloons to airships, from airplanes to spacecraft, Harvey had witnessed in his previous life the huge sacrifices that humans made for flying in the process of exploration and challenges, and finally got what he wanted.

Although there are spellcasters in this magical world, flying is still a privilege of a very small number of high-level extraordinary people. Even those who stand at the top of extraordinary power cannot claim that they can freely conquer the sky - the magic power consumed by casting flying spells is far greater than any other type of spells. Even a shapeshifter like Duncan who can transform into a flying bird at will needs to accurately calculate his own magic power consumption during the spell to avoid accidentally falling from the sky.

The principle of hot air balloons is very simple, and the materials and techniques required for their production are not difficult. You only need to solve the source and continuous supply of gas fuel, as well as suitable airbag materials.

In the absence of high-pressure gas storage containers provided by the chemical industry, the use of magic energy instruments as combustion devices to heat the air can provide a continuous supply of heat energy for the balloons, which can more perfectly replace the modern technology of filling high-pressure gas cylinders with hydrogen.

The material of the airbag is relatively simple. It is a kind of social monster that is unique to the northern wilderness - a subspecies of the demon riding monster. It magically grows two layers of animal skin inside and outside. The outer layer is as hard as armor, and the inner layer is flexible and thin. Supplemented with rubber fruit coating, it can be made into a perfect airtight airbag. It is not only highly waterproof and leak-proof, but even a sharp knife can hardly cut it hard.

The guards carried out a huge wicker basket from the shed next to them, and deftly connected it to the coated animal skin with several thick ropes. Then they took out a simple metal cylinder, poured a test tube-sized amount of liquid magic power into it from the top, and pulled the starting lever on the side of the cylinder. Soon, hot steam began to spew out from the top of the cylinder.

The person in charge of the operation immediately stretched out the bottom of the animal skin airbag and aligned the air outlet of the metal cylinder with it. Then he saw the airbag slowly inflating, and it really looked like what the astrologer described - a huge, soft ball.

To ensure at least three people could be carried simultaneously, Harvey, along with fellow alchemists Chris, Benoit, and others, conducted repeated experiments before finally settling on a standard six-meter diameter at its widest point. Sewing this massive animal-hide airbag alone required the inner hides of twenty magical beasts. Add to that the repeated application and drying of the rubber fruit coating, and it took over two weeks to create this seemingly crude flying vehicle. "Without the caster's own magic power... just relying on this, this steam-belching alchemical cylinder, can make this giant soft ball fly?" the three necromancers from the Academy exchanged bewilderment, then asked Harvey.

Harvey sighed and hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Indeed, hot air rises, cold air sinks... This is a very common natural phenomenon. As research-oriented spellcasters... we should have long observed this simple common sense that underlies the workings of all things."

Arturo muttered, his tone a little bewildered. "Natural phenomena... simple common sense... contain the principles of how everything works. Shouldn't a research-oriented spellcaster constantly observe the generation and operation of magic power? Why would he need to understand hot and cold air?"

Harvey shook his head helplessly and closed his mouth without saying anything more. He thought that there would be a long way to go before these self-proclaimed extraordinary spellcasters could be exposed to modern scientific enlightenment knowledge... It would be better to start from the childhood and change the public imperceptibly through the popularization of basic education.

So, amid the bewildered expressions of a group of high-level spellcasters, the animal skin airbag finally fully inflated and slowly floated upwards. The traction rope that had been set in advance also gradually straightened. Four or five soldiers hurried forward and pulled it hard to control it, thus preventing it from flying away with the huge wicker basket.

“Wow! It really…it’s really flying!”

Harvey raised his hand in an invitation and said with a smile, "This half-finished hot air balloon can only carry three people at most. It's too heavy for an alchemical body like Dean Arturo's, so I don't recommend trying to ride it. The rest of you can take turns trying it out."

Before he could finish his words, Elder Sirius and Councillor Prall climbed in using their hands and feet - they were typical research-oriented spellcasters, and since the magic patterns in their bodies had not yet successfully engraved the magic of flying, they were most looking forward to experiencing the feeling of flying.

Then the Eye of Illusion also turned over and entered the basket, saying with a smile, "Although I know the magic of flying, I also want to try this method of flying that does not consume my own magic power. If necessary, I can also protect my two fellow mages."

With a slight shake, the guards who were pulling the fixed ropes tightly loosened their hands, and the hot air balloon, pulling the huge basket below, slowly left the ground, gradually climbed upwards, and soon passed the towering spire of the lord's castle.

The people on the ground squinted their eyes and could clearly see the three people in the hanging basket looking down with excited expressions.

"Oh no!" Harvey slapped his head. "I forgot to teach the three of them how to operate the alchemical heating device, Mr. Duncan..."

Duncan nodded helplessly, and the metal prosthetic limbs on his body made a violent friction sound against his bones and flesh. He quickly transformed into a huge flying griffin, soaring into the air and chasing after the hot air balloon that was flying higher and higher.

(End of this chapter)