On the other side of the Ildren ocean, a distance. That would take four years to cross by the current best airship technology. A star was moving high overhead. The inhabitance of the region stood amazed at the sight. Reports had been heard of recently about such things over the last three years all over the world. A strange light in the sky that would vanish suddenly.

Then the following morning, traders would arrive with the finest merchandise one would ever find. The only problem was these merchants were almost always younger than twenty. And spoke languages that the natives had not heard the last long-distance attempts at communication thirty years ago. Looking at the night sky, an elderly-looking man looked through looking glass smiles.

"Lanthim Drathalkin, I only just know your name, and you send me a present."

Continuing to look at the star, the elderly man placed his hand on a small nob on the looking glass. Putting purified mana into it increased the magnification. To his surprise, he saw both frightened and amazed him.

"How can an airship be so high? Also, it is much larger than any I have ever seen."

Up to about one hundred eighty thousand feet up. Was the Drathalkin heavy freighter Pruvelt Kyn one of six long-range heavy freighters to sustain Lanthim's trade interests abroad. The captain for this mission was Nedan Coulger high templar. This mission would be his third long-distance run, and an important one in his hold was his master's wealth tribute to the Helgothma clan.

The ship itself was nothing like other levitation wind-driven airships. While the engineering ideas looked foreign, the technology used was already present in the world. All it took was Lanthim's out of box out of the world thinking. Then people who would make his mad ideas a reality. The most important and most secret component to the entire ship was the self-replenishing mana reactor which provided purified mana to all ship systems.

Using this kind of reactor the, engines worked in two modes. First, being atmospheric now how the engines produced thrust, was to take mana from the reactor. Run that mana through a large mana array underneath the engine. Then trigger the array that would propel the ship forward. In the outer atmosphere, the engines were altered. However, it took a great deal of trial and error to find the best array to produce thrust in a zero-gee environment. The most important attribute onboard these ships after the reactor was the mass nullification array. It was nice when everything works. But if you can move goods of various types, especially fruits, and vegetables, in the shortest amount of time the longest distance. There is substantial wealth to be had.

But while the ship had all these quirks, Lanthim only built them because he knew that others could do so. Most of the global ranked clans, while not as fast, use the same kind of engine idea. They didn't have the reactor technology, but that was a matter of thinking things out. Someone would eventually come up with something similar relatively quickly.

All in all, these great ships were the pride and joy that came from Lanthim's deep love of mana and how he could use it.

"Gentlemen, there will be no hiding today. Communications get in contact with airship control tell them our relative size and weight they should have a landing area large enough for us."

"Yes, captain."

"Helm decease our speed from two hundred forty thousand miles per hour to two thousand six hundred."

"Yes, captain, we are proceeding in decrease speed."

The ship began to decelerate, making the crew lurch forwards slightly.

"Captain, I have the tower. They are not pleased with our unannounced arrival. However, there is an open dock for us."

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Waving his hand over a mana stone on his captain's chair, Nedan spoke to the crew.

"All hands prepare for reentry everyone to stations."

Deactivating the intercom. Nedan watched as the reentry mana arrays activated, allowing the ship to descend.

On the ground, the group of frighted or amazed did nothing but grow. Women, screaming men, mumbling strange nonsense to themselves, everything was in an uproar. For the old man who had watched the ship from a distance, it was all worth it. Having come to the airship docks himself, finally, he could see the ship in its full glory.

Onboard ship, everything was going well.

"Helm current height and speed."

In a flash, the helmsman checked all his technical readouts.

"Captain altitude is eleven thousand feet speed is one seven five miles per hour."

"Slow boat."

Came from the communications officer as everyone laughed. As the ship made its way to dock, a transmission came through.

"Helm tower."

Hearing this, the helmsman deftly activates his comms line.

"Tower this is heavy freighter Pruvelt Kyn on approach confirm dock and any further instructions over."

Silently waiting for a, reply the helmsman continued to reduce the ship's speed.

"Pruvelt Kyn, you are unregistered! Please state your reason for being in the region and declare cargo."

"Tower we are present to deliver the wealth tribute of the Drathalkin clan to the Halgothma clan our cargo is said tribute."

On the other side of the line, there seemed to be some dispute.

"Pruvelt Kyn, we confirm, the beacon is active docking is authorized."

"Roger, that tower I have the beacon proceeding to dock."

With a collective sigh, everyone onboard prepared for the next hurdle.

The docking procedure went smoothly. The docking system, on the freighter, had been made to allow for different dock configurations. Within the cargo hold were chests and large crates that constituted the tribute that Lanithim had sent.

Planning, on making a good impression. Lanthim had sent four years' worth in tribute for the first payment. Forty billion Sulmian worth in gold earth equivalent would be around four hundred billion American dollars. There was silver, copper, also the finest quality in wool, cotton, silk. Over thirteen million tons in grain, barley, hops. The number of goods sent was massive, the hold of the freighter was near bursting. All of the grain was in storage cards. Similar to what he used when he had first travelled to the forest

As the crew began unloading all of the merchandise, the dockworkers looked on amazed. The ship itself was not anything special in its size or dimension. The fact that it just fell from the sky was not something people saw as normal.

"What are you all doing? Assist with the unloading."

The dock foreman arrived on the scene, looking over all the different things as crates were opened. Halgothma auditors were processing the tribute as it came off the ship. Overlooking the ship, Lyndel Sholnaer watched the unloading with a satisfied look on his face. Having just arrived, he marvelled at the look of the ship. But his purpose here was to collect and send the wealth tribute to his master.

"Collector Sholnaer, this tribute will take time to process. It is far greater than was originally thought."

Nodding, he had a satisfied grin on his face. For any other clan, the wealth tribute was thirty percent of a subordinate clan's total income for that year. That being the rate, the current payment was equivalent to seventy percent. Such a large sum of goods was a thing to behold.

"I hope that the payment will be sufficient."

Naden Coulger ascended the stairs to the catwalk both men looked at each other for a moment. The elderly man stood proudly with an interested but disheartened look on his face.

'This young man can not be more than eighteen strange he has command over such a large ship.'

The criticizing eyes of Lyndel were not something that Nedan had accounted for. He had been told directly by his master."To not cause undesirable friction with the Helgothma." So he took the glances as best he could.

"My master sends greeting to Collector Shoelner. I hope that you find the delivered good to be in order."

Putting on his best "I know how the game works" smile. Nedan gave a deep bow so to give a better impression.

"Yes, for a first-time payment, this seems to be excessive. But it should be sufficient for gaining recognition."

Hearing this, Nedan did not indicate excitement. Best to be calm than walk into a potential trap. Many had fallen into such traps during training. Few were able to control the manifestation of emotion.

"Emotion itself is not a weakness to be overcome. It is the expression of emotion that should be regulated and controlled"

Had been one of the first lessons he had learned when he arrives at the forest.

"Collector Shoelner, we have finished the captain may return to his ship and depart."

This whole time neither man looked away from the other.

"Well done. We thank you for your work getting all this here. May you have a safe journey home."

Being dismissed, Nedan bowed deeply then proceeded to turn and leave.

Watching the young man, Lyndel looked at a piece of paper he had just received.

*estimated worth of tribute exceeds six trillion Sulmains*

All the old man could do was stare at the note with a blank look on his face.