[EN] Episode 13 - Genie's Palace

The design blueprints were completed by slightly modifying those brought by Zessler.
Since it was never intended for cruising but purely for high-altitude observation, requiring only ascent, descent, and altitude maintenance, the hull was made entirely as a flattened cylindrical shape.


Four engines Zessler had prepared were positioned at the four cardinal points, with the Golem Heart procured by Wingester serving as the primary power source.
Despite his slight appearance, Zessler was quite physically capable, so the construction work posed no difficulty.


“This way!”
“Ugh...!”


Wingester and the other two handled the detailed adjustments themselves, while the bulk of the hull was easily assembled using Romulus's magic.


Various magical devices were installed inside to maintain a comfortable interior environment despite the thin oxygen and low temperatures at high altitude.


“Where should we mount the thermometers?”
“One in the engine room and one inside. Position them slightly away from the entrance.”


After about ten days, the hull was complete.
All that remained was preparing the interior restaurant and magic tool sales counter, plus the test flight.


“Zessler. You can handle the test flight, right?”
"Of course. Leave it to me.“
”Then berett and I will handle procuring the items for the sales counter...“
”If you tell me the menu, can I handle procuring the ingredients?“


Wingester paused briefly at Romulus's words before nodding.


”That sounds good. Here's the menu.“
”Ah."


Romulus took the notepad Wingester had prepared in advance and left first. Wingester, who had been discussing the types of items to sell with Berett, also left with her.


“Well then…!”


Zessler entered the engine room, gazing at the levers on the instrument panel, savoring the overwhelming feeling.
It was the moment his lifelong dream of building and flying such a craft was finally realized.


Click.


Pulling the four engine levers to ignite the engines, the massive hull began to lift, albeit slowly, as it emitted a light boom and spewed mana outward.


“Alright... Now for altitude...”


Glancing at the altimeter, Zessler licked his lips.


Wingester, having explained things to his parents and received an armful of items, was returning to the Academy carrying the heavy sack.


Glancing up at the sky, a large, disc-shaped hull hovered above the Academy buildings.


“Huh.”


He was already looking forward to hearing what the students and external visitors would say when they saw that thing during the Academy Festival.


*


The academy festival was just two days away.
Internal construction was finished, and they were conducting several additional test flights.


Since it was planned to operate at extremely high altitudes, even the slightest mishap was unacceptable.


“How is it? The balance?”


Standing beside the engine room door, watching Zessler's adjustments, Romulus asked anxiously.


“Of course it's perfect! No issues with the level gauges. I guarantee the balance of all four engines.”


Satisfied with the confident reply, Romulus headed toward the kitchen area and gave a thumbs-up.
Meaning there was no worry about the hull tilting while cooking.


“Ah. That's good to hear.”


After hovering at that high altitude for a moment, the hull slowly landed in the spot assigned to the student council.


They'd worried it might be too big, but fortunately, it barely fit, landing without damaging the adjacent tent.


Only after Romulus opened the door, stepped out, and scanned the surroundings for any potential issues did the final exam conclude.


“No damage to the surroundings. A very stable landing. Zessler!”
“Heh heh... How many times did we practice? Finally avenged that wobble on the first day.”


Frustrated by the hull shaking during several test takeoffs and landings, Zessler had worked almost non-stop for the past few days. Thanks to his efforts to refine the balance of the propulsion systems even more precisely, the high-altitude airship cafe, named ‘Genie's Palace’, was now displaying astonishing stability.


“Wow! This is your entry? It's incredible!”


The Magitech Engineering professor overseeing the project visited, looked around inside, and marveled.


“To achieve this much in such a short time... Wingester, you truly are exceptional!”


Wingester shook his head and pointed at Romulus.


“Unfortunately, the credit for this project largely belongs to Romulus.”
“Huh?”
“Without his vision and financial backing, we would have faced numerous difficulties.”


Romulus's face flushed slightly at Wingester's praise and he turned his head away.


“Heh. To think two people who once dueled with magic have become partners working in such perfect harmony... This professor is truly pleased.”
“Partners... well, it's a bit...”


While the two avoided each other awkwardly, berett, dressed as a waitress, spun around proudly in front of the professor.


“Ooh! It suits you perfectly!”
“Hehe. Right?”


After being thoroughly satisfied for a while, the professor gave them a thumbs up, saying there was no need to worry, then set off.
Wingester brought tea from the kitchen, and the group took a short break together.


“Glad it worked out somehow.”
“Yeah. I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but somehow it worked.”


Zessler emerged from the engine room, wiped sweat from his brow, and collapsed into a chair.


“You okay?”
“I'm fine. I feel great. It's just... focusing on the instrument panel was mentally draining...”


He had been paying intense attention because failing to spot any anomalies on the panel in time could lead to a major accident.


“Don't be so tense. Zessler's propulsion system is reliable, right? Take pride in it.”
“Ha ha. I know that. It's just my first airship, so I keep getting nervous.”


After briefly sharing tea, they parted ways and spent the day before the Academy Festival preparing individually.


*


The day of the Academy Festival.


The Academy Festival, the Academy's largest event spanning three full days and nights, was also a crucial occasion for the Kingdom.


It was a significant event where not only relatives of Academy students but even high-ranking court officials attended incognito.


High officials would scout the festival, identifying promising students, then approach them for recruitment immediately upon graduation.


Beyond that, representatives from the Maritime Kingdom, the Mercenary Kingdom, and even the Demon King's direct territories would come seeking to recruit mages.


Contrary to the preconception that an academy festival would be extravagant, fireworks were not frequently used at the Magic Kingdom Academy's festival.


Except for the large-scale magic fireworks used during the final night's closing ceremony, no other fireworks were used at all.


However, the students' dazzling magic techniques more than made up for this, ensuring the festival lived up to its name.


The first day began with a simple yet far-reaching blast of a long horn.


Puuu-!


Hearing the horn echoing from the highest spire where the academy professors resided, the students setting up stalls in the plaza hurried their hands.
Soon, guests from all over would arrive upon hearing that horn.


The Magitech Club also bustled into action.
Due to the unique nature of the Airship Cafe, the number of guests it could accommodate at once was limited, and once aboard, patrons were required to remain aloft for one hour.


This meant the number of possible service cycles was also severely restricted.


“Food prep is all set... Zessler! How about your side?”
“Power and propulsion systems all clear! Ready to take off anytime.”
“Alright. From here on out, the waiters' job is crucial. Please handle the promotion well.”
“Don't worry!”
"Huh. Why so nervous with me here? This Romulus-sama, ranked in the top three school heartthrobs, is your waiter. I'll bring in every female student on campus I can find!“


Unlike the two who stepped out confidently, Haixian looked down at her skirt hem, seeming a bit embarrassed, lost in thought for a moment.


”Um...“
”It's okay. I'm just... not used to this sort of thing.“
”Ah."


She waved off Wingester's attempt to encourage her and walked out coolly.


We were starting to see a bit of who she was, but getting close didn't seem easy.
Unlike berett, drawing a clear line between herself and others was her way.


“Take care of it.”


Wingester returned to the kitchen and resolved to focus on preparing the food.


*


Soon, whether the solicitation worked or not, the first customers began to gather.


Once everyone was seated at their tables and had placed their orders, Zessler in the engine room, through the pipe connected to the cabin, asked them to be mindful of slight vibrations during launch before pulling the lever on the propulsion device.


The propulsion system ignited, powered by the magical energy transmitted from the golem heart embedded in the cabin's underside.


After a moment of very slight vibration, the entire large café structure began to rise into the air.


“It's really lifting off, isn't it?”
“Is it true that the Levitation Spell can reach such high altitudes...?”


The aircraft was securely tethered to the ground by four thick, long chains attached to its hull, ensuring it ascended only vertically without drifting off course.


As the rattling chains tightened, the cafe structure ascended into the sky above the clouds. The propulsion system reduced output, stabilizing at altitude before settling into position.


“Target altitude reached. Enjoy your comfortable viewing.”


As Wingester delivered the finished dishes from the kitchen, three waiters served them to the tables in turn, marking the start of the first service.


“To have clouds beneath our feet...”
“An indescribable feeling...!”


The exterior view, as if clouds lay beneath their feet, perfectly complemented Wingester's dessert menu centered around his signature fluffy cream puffs, earning enthusiastic applause from the guests.


For the next hour, guests sat in the shop enjoying tea time, then freely approached the display counters to shop for jewelry and magical tools, savoring this unique experience.


The use of high-quality glass procured by Romulus, covering most of both walls of the room, proved highly effective in showcasing the outside scenery.
Customers entering the shop all coveted the window seats.


As the first business day ended, the airship slowly landed, and customers left the shop, still holding onto their enjoyment.


“It's a success.”
“The items are getting better reception than expected!”


Just as they were convinced of their success, Wingester and Romulus's faces froze.
Among the second wave of customers were familiar faces.


“Hey—. Wingester! You're in charge of the kitchen? Is the cooking any good?”
“Romulus. I wondered what you were doing taking that extra butler's uniform...”


It was Koch and Romulus's family.


The two boys had to hurry back to their seats, their expressions complex in many ways.
Romulus, especially, was biting his lip nervously, his face tense.


He was already treated like a scapegoat at home since the magic duel, and now he was showing such an embarrassing side...


He discreetly turned his eyes and glanced sideways toward the window where his family sat. He could feel his mother's stern gaze fixed on him, making his heart ache.


-To be continued-