A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 76 Topological Array

In the clear sky of the Holy Kingdom, a "giant beast" weaved through the clouds, appearing and disappearing intermittently. The white steam she exhaled became part of the cloud formations.

The airship's flight was extremely smooth; the takeoff and landing were almost imperceptible compared to airplanes. The first-class cabin here was more like a private dining room, with tables covered in pristine white tablecloths and soft, comfortable armchairs.

Like everyone else, Rorschach nestled on the sofa, watching the airship glide over the city and fields through the porthole. After a while, he pulled out the Red Butterfly newspaper he hadn't had time to read.

It turns out to be a story-collecting newspaper, and a few of the cartoons... well, the content is a bit suggestive. Looks like a popular magazine.

"Is there anything you need?" The flight attendant brought over a cup of citrus tea. Rorschach put down his newspaper. "I'd like to see the cockpit. Could you please ask Captain Ted if it's appropriate?" Guessing that the landing captain must have a lot to do, Rorschach didn't bother Ted immediately.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

After a while, the first-class cabin door opened, and Ted himself came in: "Come on, Mage Rorschach, I'll take you to tour the interior of the airship. I guarantee you'll get your money's worth, haha."

The windshield of the cockpit was enormous. Common sense dictates that the larger the glass, the more expensive it is. Rorschach observed that the size and transparency of the glass in the Sky Fortress were almost identical to those in his previous life. Whether it was tempered glass or not was unknown, so Rorschach did not dare to get too close.

"Everyone, this is Master Rorschach!" Ted introduced him to everyone in the cabin as soon as they entered.

The crew was indeed idle now, and many members gathered around, asking if he was that Rorschach mage who went to the lower plane. Thankfully, no one was consulting Rorschach about stocks.

"Our captain, Mr. Verne." The bearded man, who was steering the airship, nodded to Rorschach.

The cockpit at the front constantly parted the clouds, but as they got closer, they lost their shape, becoming only visible as tiny ice crystals and water vapor clinging to the glass. At the center was a massive compass, its surface glowing with magical markings. "Through the secret pact with the terminal, our compass can indicate the shortest straight line for us."

After Ted finished his introduction, he pointed out the altimeter, barometer, and other devices on the instrument panel, as well as a large crystal ball: "This is the most expensive thing in this cabin besides the glass—a crystal ball imbued with prophetic magic. When it lights up, it means there will be storms, thunderstorms, or other bad weather ahead. We will choose to hover or even land until the crystal ball goes out. Rorschach, you picked a good day to set off; the weather should be good throughout the journey."

"Does it not need charging?"

"Before departure, a professional mage will check the accuracy of the crystal ball's circuitry. After the check, it will be filled with ether—enough to guarantee operation for three days at a time. No other flight route across the entire continent has exceeded two days."

"We've seen the cockpit. Now, let's go see the really exciting parts. Is that alright, Captain?"

"Just don't touch or rub it indiscriminately."

"Alright, Master Rorschach, come with me."

The power room, a strictly isolated area, was filled with noise and smoke.

A dwarf covered in coal dust roared at Rorschach, "Young Master Rorschach, I've read your paper! The pressure-volume diagram is excellent, great stuff! But I still haven't understood the enthalpy diagram! You're amazing!"

It's not a matter of manners; it's simply that when the steam turbine is running, this is the only way to make yourself heard.

Ted's shout was much softer than his dwarf master's: "Rorschach Mage, after we finish looking here, let's go up—to the airbag!"

Beneath the cigar-shaped airship's skin lies a steel frame and a massive spherical gas chamber. The gas chamber is covered with engraved magical circuits.

The dwarf explained the filling material of the airbag—an extremely light phlogiston obtained by decomposing water element using electricity. When it comes into contact with air, it releases the input electrical energy in the form of an explosion and fire element, and finally returns to the water element. Only dwarves can manufacture this ultralight, highly explosive gaseous phlogiston, and their airship manufacturing and docking sites are indispensable.

"It really is hydrogen!" Rorschach suddenly realized he should have learned protective magic before boarding the ship. He also thought about the dwarves' problem: "Would the Holy Kingdom allow it?"

"These airships are mostly inflated within Istani and the Empire. There's only one franchise factory near the central port area, and they don't let us go out freely. If it weren't for the high wages, none of my brothers would want to go there," the dwarf engineer explained.

Ted proudly introduced the air reservoir: "The air reservoir is double-layered. If the inner layer is destroyed, or in the worst-case scenario—bang—the outer magic circle will be activated instantly. That's the theory."

"【Repair Spell】, 【Shield Spell】, 【Protection from Energy Damage】, 【Reverse Explosion】, all spell arrays are nested and engraved in three layers, the whole is designed as a unified whole through calculation, and activated in sequence."

This is the pinnacle of the Tower of Stars and the Tower of Arcane Arts. It successfully utilizes topological transformation to allow the magic arrays to perfectly conform to the sphere without affecting their operation; the nested magic arrays share a common cyclic energy storage block.

Rorschach's eyes lit up. These gas bags, protected by the magic array, had withstood a violent explosion and were currently under high pressure. Dwarves could even produce hydrogen; synthesizing ammonia was certainly not a dream! Furthermore, conventional magic arrays and scrolls required operation on a flat surface, so their effectiveness on a sphere was truly a remarkable achievement.

The dwarf returned to the power room, leaving the other two to continue their tour along the corridor inside the airship. The corridor ran along the center line of the entire supporting structure, and Rorschach and Ted were now standing in the center of the airship, where a lead tank with a level gauge showed a bluish-green liquid inside through a glass window.

"Thoth Alchemy Ink, a whole can." Ted patted the can; it was about eight-tenths full, so the sound was muffled. This special ink had been used to draw scrolls since the Old Empire era because it could hold ether: "The pipelines and the energy storage circuit of the magic circle are connected by mithril wires, and the ink in the can continuously circulates to replenish the magic circle with ether. You didn't expect it could be used like this, did you?"

One of my duties, along with those of the two accompanying mages, is to replenish the ink in this jar with ether every three hours. Oh, and there's another jar at the bow and stern. To be honest, this job doesn't require any magic at all—it's all already engraved! We just provide the ether, nothing more.”

After carefully examining the storage tanks and circulation system, Rorschach asked, "Will it be boring?"

"I really enjoy flying between cities and countries in this cool airship, soaring through the clouds. If you'd like, we can even go up and look out from the highest point, instead of just looking through the windows." Ted pointed to the iron frame ladder leading to the top of the covered structure.

"No need, it's already lunchtime." Luo Xia glanced at his pocket watch. "Thank you very much, Captain." Since he didn't know [Hovering] or [Feather Fall], and adhering to the principle that a gentleman doesn't stand on an airship, Luo Xia declined the invitation.

"It's the co-pilot. Let's go to the restaurant then."

The entire journey is expected to take a little over fourteen hours, which means we'll be spending the night on the airship.

Thanks to the airship's inherent stability and the mild weather, Rorschach slept much the same way he would on land. A sofa with the backrest reclined made a decent bed. He was unaware that the second-class beds were hardboards, and the lower decks only had cramped seats where passengers could be easily awakened by the noise of cargo as the airship turned.

At night, the aerial fortress is illuminated by small lights, outlining its entire shape. Night navigation, like daytime navigation, relies solely on a compass locked onto the destination. The cockpit is brightly lit, like the piercing eyes of a giant beast. The idling sound of the steam turbines is like the low moan of a whale, slowly slowing down in the ocean of gas, preparing to sink to the "seabed."

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(End of this chapter)