July 18th, 625
The once small airfield was now several times larger. There were a dozen other buildings, initially installed for construction, now temporarily used for accommodations. Nobles couldn’t be made to sit out on wooden benches in the sun, after all. Especially the ones that were here.
There were now three runways instead of just one, as well as two dozen hangars, all capable of holding two planes each. Most were empty but Sawn was already thinking about expansions, knowing the kind of orders that would be placed soon.
The airfield was as lively as it had ever been. Thousands of people were in the area, lesser noble and commoner alike, and hundreds more were within the three buildings providing accommodations. The congregation halls on the top floors of these three buildings now had glass dome roofs, allowing everyone to see the upcoming show outside. There were also tables full of telescopes to help see in the distance, none of which were being used at the moment.
On another wall of the hall were screens showing videos of previous flights, including various maneuvers that the star of the show had performed. The most popular was the pair of screens that showed his death-defying fly-by. They had made no small amount of posters with images of that to promote this event since everything during that first test flight was recorded.
What Sawn had initially been terrified by turned out to be unparalleled promotional material. Looking back on it, he was thankful.
Sawn gave a quick glance at them before turning back to various groups within the hall.
This hall was the largest and held the highest profile individuals. Several Dukes and Duchesses were here with their families. Even the owner of Gearworks was here. Sawn knew they would be one of his customers like everybody else. There was no reason to deny money. They couldn’t crack Cooper’s ‘encryption’ anyway.
Sawn didn’t stop at the Kingdom’s nobility either. Four of the seven families from the Holy See were invited, including some individuals from places like the Tavera Family, the Polaris Family, and a representative from the Black Spider Hotel. They had brought others with them, people Sawn couldn’t guess the affiliation of, but customers were customers, and he was selling the most coveted ability in the world.
Flight.
There were Grand Dukes here as well.
“Sawn.”
“Sir.”
Sawn turned to the oncoming man. Grand Duke Anselma, the head of the Magic Spire, considered the most versatile and powerful warlock of the Kingdom of Dragon Tongue. The two talked occasionally, not quite as frequently as they once did. Sawn, having learned his trade from Anselma, went off to start his own business. Since then they didn’t have as much time to interact.
The owner of Gearworks was similarly Anselma’s student, a man going by Seumas, considered Sawn’s rival. The two were always similar in accomplishments, one surpassing the other only when one managed to get their hands on a prodigious associate. For Seumas, his big break was Maxwell Albarain.
Now, Sawn got his hands on the golden goose, the student of Albarain, John Cooper. It was many years of waiting for someone this amazing but it would be paying off ten-fold.
Anselma sighed, looking around.
“You kids always impress me. Although I’m still not a fan of how you two like to fight over money, I have to admit that things like this are what keeps this Kingdom going. If everything is as you say it is, then this will be a weapon that can change the tide of the War.”
“Cooper frequently says the same thing. He insisted on weaponizing the aircraft for demonstration. We barely managed to get two built.”
“Well, he is currently in the military. Can you blame his eagerness to field a new weapon that might save his life?”
“I don’t, but money is the most important. Weapons can’t be fielded if we aren’t making the money to build and sustain them.”
“Ah, there’s the money talk again.”
Sawn didn’t respond to Anselma’s exasperation. Something the old man never understood was business. Not everyone could be as all powerful as him, nor as purely dedicated toward research as he was. Even then, money was no object to him and he had some of the greatest influence in the Kingdom. Nothing was beyond his reach and yet he couldn’t understand just what that afforded him and just how far below him others were. It was both a blessing and a curse for someone like Sawn.
He changed the topic, “Is the King coming?”
“He is,” Anselma confirmed. Sawn hadn’t been sure but Anselma had been in contact with the Royal Family, “He is coming with the Queen and the children who could spare the time.”
“I see.” Sawn felt his heart pound in his chest. He had prepared for this but being able to bring the King away from the Palace was no small feat. This event would go down in history just as he imagined it would.
His only concern was John. The kid had told him to help keep him away from the King, or at least keep him out of a situation where he had to engage in formalities. Sawn knew John had a bad relationship with nobility in general, ironic since he was also in a relationship with the daughter of a Duchess.
Either way, John had said to use any excuse. Nothing short of telling the King that John was an odd-ball eccentric who knew no respect or decorum was off limits.
Sawn mentally prepared what he might have to say before looking over, noticing a figure approaching. It was General Viskar, John’s superior. The man was only here for this event. He would be leaving right back for the Treehouse once it was over.
Anselma and Sawn turned to him, shaking hands.
“General Viskar, I’m glad you could make it despite how hectic things are on the front lines.”
“An event his big warrants an eye, especially when one of my Lieutenant Colonels is the cause. Since it’s possible that I may have to integrate new weapons into my battalions, I’ve decided to come personally. It’s a nice opportunity for some rest as well.”
“Of course. If you like what you see then I would be more than happy to discuss business. We will have the Royal Family here with us as well so financing can be arranged sooner rather than later. And as John’s superior, I intend to provide you with this new technology first and arrange training for some of your soldiers.”
“An attractive offer,” The general scratched his growing beard, hardly concealing a smile, “But we’ll see how things pan out today. I want to know by what form your ‘flight’ takes, and we will see how well it can be weaponized.”
“Of course.” Sawn nodded. The general was already liking the idea but ultimately it would come down to the performance. Sawn was suddenly glad John pushed for getting a weaponized model out for demonstration. They might be able to draw up a contract with the Kingdom’s treasury and military within a couple days.
Sawn continued to discuss things with Anselma and the General, but he didn’t miss anybody who walked into the hall. At some point a Sovereign showed up, another Grand Duke who Anselma went to talk to. Sawn decided to let the demigods have their own time, breaking off from General Viskar, and leaving the hall.
He went to the Tower, a new construction standing 100 meters in the air. John had helped them design methodologies for controlling air traffic, an increasingly big concern given how many planes they were going to be fielding. After that, Sawn slowly realized why he needed a Tower and just decided to build one.
It was multi-purpose. There were two main sections, the lower of which was dedicated to handling communications for all the ground crews. The higher floors, including the top of the Tower, were dedicated to handling air traffic and everyone within a plane.
Once he entered the top floor he could hear some communications.
“-back around. Prepare approach.”
“Roger. Preparing ground crew.”
One of the controllers pinged a few people to prepare a hangar, and soon enough Sawn could see a plane coming down.
He clicked his Aerial, tapping into the speaker channel that would send his words into every gathering hall.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you would turn your attention to the furthest runway. One of our planes is on approach and is about to land.”
Once his words finished the plane made its descent, gradually slowing and lowering its landing gear to the floor. It was a much smoother landing than the first time, the tires streaking across the ground before the wheel and air brakes activated, bringing it to a halt two-thirds of the way down the runway.
Then it started driving around, the propeller still spinning but gradually coming down in rpm. Eventually, the plane disappeared into a hangar.
Sawn went to meet the pilot.
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Once in a hangar he saw John climbing out of the cockpit and onto the wing. In the back seat was another man.
Maxwell Albarain, the genius behind the Steeds and Rails. Sawn knew of his notoriety in more ways than one, yet he was starting to seem overshadowed by his protege.
He was frowning, and John was all smiles as they climbed off. Sawn glanced at John’s clothes. It wasn’t his normal wear, but a new suit. It was a brownish green with a helmet that carried a dark visor, a mask clipped onto its side, a tube down the mask, and some bulky packs over his chest strapped down to a vest. It was all supposed to protect him inside a plane while providing some utility.
It was apparently a summons of his, but that made Maxwell wonder. How did he summon something made for a new invention? He had also often questioned where John had gotten the idea for the plane and how he was able to make the designs so quickly. It was like he already knew what to build.
Questions for another time.
John chuckled and pointed his thumb at Maxwell, “Hehe, that was fun. You should’ve heard this guy, screaming like a little girl.”
“Don’t talk out of your ass, boy. I will admit that it was an exciting flight but that’s the last time I ever do something like that with you behind the controls.” Maxwell chided.
The two bickered for a bit, Sawn scratching his head before interrupting, “John, how was everything?”
“Oh, it was fine. Same as always. There are so few moving parts and points of failure that it's difficult to even attempt to break something. The only thing we have to watch is the housing for the propeller shaft and the mounting points for the crystals. Otherwise it's just the control surfaces that can break.”
John kicked the wheel on the landing gear next to him, Maxwell scoffing.
“Is that why you were flying like a madman? Trying to break something?”
“It’s called a stress test and I was getting tolerances.”
“You don’t do that with a new passenger, brat!”
Sawn looked away as they started bickering again, finding Ovidius running over.
His breath was a bit labored when he stopped by them.
“Sir, the King is here.”
“So that’s what I saw,” Maxwell frowned, waving, “I’m leaving then. Don’t kill yourself in that death machine, boy. I’ve invested too much into you. And since you’ll be making so much money you can start paying me for all the Crystals I’ve used on you! I want 200 thousand before you leave again!”
“What?!”
John chased after Maxwell, Sawn sighing and walking out with Ovidius. John might try, but as the host Sawn wasn’t allowed to neglect his guests, especially the most esteemed guest in the world, only matched by someone like the Pope.
Before he left though, he yelled.
“John! Be ready for the demonstration!”
“Got it!”
He got the response from a distance, his steps continuing.
He arrived at the hall once more, looking around and quickly finding the King.
King Distrion Jealven Alphon. He was an Authority 11 warlock, a tall man standing at just over 6 foot, with jet black hair and a rough beard. He carried himself with imposition, the Queen at his side, a woman slightly taller than him with sheer white hair and black eyes.
They were at the head of the room, the King standing before an ornate chair placed specifically for him. He was talking with Anselma, and Sawn walked over, waiting for a handful of seconds for their conversation to close.
Once a sentence ended the King looked toward Sawn.
“Sawn Sverrir.”
“Your Majesty. It is my honor to host you on this historical day.”
“It is my pleasure to be here. You’ve made some bold claims and Anselma has told me that you’re not exaggerating. You’ve acquired my attention.”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty,” Sawn bowed a bit, “Your attention here will be well spent. I am confident that after today, the entire Kingdom will undergo a shift no less revolutionary than the creation of the Rails and ground vehicles.”
“If that is true,” The King smiled, “I surely look forward to it. When will the show start?”
“Soon, your Majesty. The pilot is preparing himself.”
“The pilot?”
“The man who will be flying the plane.”
“Ah, I’ve heard of him. John Cooper, yes? He was the summoner who won the Magisterium’s tournament a couple years ago. One of the few survivors in the Calamity Class.”
“That is so, Your Majesty.”
“Will he come greet me afterward?”
Sawn cursed in his mind, preparing his words, “I’m not sure, Your Majesty. John is quite dedicated to his work right now and, in all honesty, is a bit of an eccentric. I wouldn’t want to place either of you in an… awkward situation. He isn’t exactly taught in the decorated ways of the nobility.”
“Well that is surely no surprise. I don’t mind, and I find it hard to believe he can’t take a minute out of his day to make a greeting. Please relay my desires. I don’t wish to miss the man who will supposedly revolutionize my Kingdom.”
“...Of course, Your Majesty.”
Sawn sighed inwardly. He did what he could. John would just have to suck it up and meet the man.
After saying a few more words, murmurs were raised as images flashed across the front glass wall. Sawn turned around and realized the event would be starting soon.
He bowed once more to the King, “Your Majesty, the show will be starting shortly. If you’ll excuse me, I need to coordinate.”
“Of course.”
He waved, Sawn lifting his head and leaving. On the way to the Tower he glanced at one of the other buildings, the one holding lesser nobles, as well as the families from the Holy See. Sawn hadn’t wanted to place them in the same room as the King for obvious reasons.
He decided he would go meet them after the show as he made a stop by the hangar.
Inside was John, as well as another woman. Sawn narrowed his eyes and realized it was Duchess Talerria, the mother of John’s controversial girlfriend.
They were talking next to the plane, John still dressed in his flight suit as he motioned toward the plane.
“...for a ride if you want. If not in this then the helicopter. That thing’s not as crazy as the plane.”
“...Perhaps. How fast did you say it could go?”
“Around 400 miles an hour at its soft max speed.”
“How long?”
“At those speeds, probably 7 hours. If you drop to cruising speed it's about 320 miles an hour for 12 hours.”
“You’re saying you can cross over 3000 miles in a day in this thing?”
“Yup.”
The Duchess went quiet. Sawn could understand. It was quite obscene. Rails were lucky to achieve a third of those speeds and they cost hundreds of times more to build and run. This plane, nothing but a couple crystals and some metal, could go farther and faster while costing silvers. John had already drawn up other planes that could carry tons of cargo and hundreds of people, requiring no more than a few more Mana Engines and larger propellers to be attached. They were also developing modular Crystal housings so they could simply replace the Crystals in a Mana Engine to ‘refuel’ it.
Other people didn’t know that, but the possibilities were obvious. Sawn was sure the Duchess was tempted to ask for a favor. John was smiling, which probably meant he knew that too.
Sawn waited a small distance away, the Duchess noticing him and wrapping their conversation up.
“I’ll give you an answer after the show. I want to see these in action first.”
“Of course. I’ll wave as I go by.”
“Mm”
The Duchess nodded, John jumping on top of the plane’s wing and climbing in.
Sawn shouted, “I’ll be in the Tower! Stick to the plan!”
“Yeah!”
A succinct response, and he left for the Tower. The Duchess went back to the hall.
Before long, John was rolling out of the hangar. Once he was on the runway he drove by the buildings, waving to the glass halls as announcers within them spoke to all the guests.
Once he got onto the launching runway the propeller started spinning up. The announcers were drowned by chatter of impression. The screens across the walls were showing close up views of the plane, but some viewers preferred to use the provided telescopes personally.
Everyone watched as the plane started moving forward, picking up speed rapidly until it easily surpassed the top speed of a Steed or Hummer. Then it reached the best speeds of a Rail before angling up and catching air.
Gasps were heard throughout all the halls as the plane finally took flight, a few cheers erupting as the announcers excited the crowds.
The chattering continued as the plane climbed, going higher and higher with no end to its ability in sight. It gradually got smaller and smaller, the announcers tracking its approximate height.
“And now the plane is over 5000 feet in the air!”
“The pilot has crossed the 10 thousand foot boundary! He is 2 miles into the sky!”
“That, ladies and gentlemen, is the 3 mile mark! Look how small he looks!”
“4 miles! That pilot is 4 miles in the sky and still flying steadily! Remember, he can stay up there, flying over 300 miles an hour, for half a day!”
The plane got far harder to see over time until it looked like a tiny bird in the sky. It remained there for several minutes, and through the zoomed video feeds people could see it change course.
It started descending.
“The pilot is coming back down!”
Everyone focused back on the plane as it started getting bigger in their view. It was far away but coming back down, slightly angled their way and getting much faster.
They started hearing a whistle, then a roar as it got closer. It sounded like the oncoming screams of a thousand Scourge monsters, several former military and nobles feeling goosebumps rise on their skin.
Inside the Tower, Sawn frowned a bit. John had asked them to make slight modifications to the wings, saying it would make it a bit louder and ‘improve the feel’ of the plane. He hadn’t really argued since it was a simple change, but now, he was realizing what it was for.
The shock factor. The noise from the plane started screaming in everyone’s ears, drowning out the announcers as it got closer and closer, looking like it was going to crash right into them. Some started backing away from the window, but the surrounding glass dome provided no such respite.
The Families from the black markets, from the Holy See, nobles from all over the Kingdom, the King himself, all felt their adrenaline surge as the monstrous roar came flying at them with speed bordering on insanity. Nobody had ever witnessed anything else going so fast, hardly able to fathom it if it wasn’t right in front of their very eyes. They had never heard anything so loud, so visceral.
And then, coming down off the slope of its descent, the plane made its fly-by.
All the Magi in the area instinctively activated the power within their bodies as the plane flew within 30 feet of the glass domes. Every spectator could feel the sound through their bodies, sending shockwaves through their very bones and disrupting the air in their lungs. Their pupils dilated as they tracked the plane flying right in front of them, right next to the glass. They realized how big it was, how small the margin of error was, and the skill required to pull something like this off.
It zipped by, and then flew off at over 500 miles an hour, climbing back up into the sky. Everyone was dead silent, nothing but the sound of labored breathing echoing through the halls.
“AMAZING!”
Grand Duke Anselma proclaimed, staring up at the sky with stars in his eyes. It snapped others out of their daze, and roaring cheers erupted across every hall.
The thousands of people outside the buildings were just as loud, their cheers climbing when the plane came back around at slower speeds, cruising through the sky just above the airfield so everyone could see and revel in the magnificence of magic engineering.