The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 175: Race Against Time(2)

At the mention that the hot air balloon was complete, Ghislain’s face lit up. A device that could fly in the sky had countless applications, so he had been quietly anticipating its completion.

“Great! As expected of the dwarves. See? I told you, didn’t I? That it was possible to make a machine that flies in the sky.”

“Indeed! The hot air balloon was completed based on what the Lord taught us! Hahaha!”

Galbarik laughed heartily. Though he had received help from Ghislain, learning a new technology was enough to fill him with joy.

In his excitement, he poured out compliments toward Ghislain. Giving a few words of praise didn’t cost a thing, after all.

“Truly amazing! To think you came up with such a remarkable idea!”

“Right, it’s impressive.”

“Be more excited! We’re the first on the continent to make a device that flies in the sky!”

“Yeah, yeah. We’re the first.”

Having seen countless hot air balloons in his previous life, Ghislain gave only dry responses to the exuberant Galbarik.

In his mind, achieving success in this development was a given, and there wasn’t much about it that he found impressive.

But for Galbarik and the dwarves, it was an entirely different story. The development of the hot air balloon was truly a monumental achievement.

“At last, humanity has escaped dependence on magic to soar into the sky by our own power! This can only be called a triumph of technology! Hahahahaha!”

In this era, the idea of flying was considered impossible. The only way to defy gravity was through the use of mana and magic.

So, to create a device that could rise into the sky purely through technology was a victory worth celebrating for the dwarves, who dedicated their lives to innovation.

All the dwarves cheered as they looked at Ghislain.

“As expected, the Lord is incredible! Such observational skill, catching even the smallest phenomena!”

“More than that, the thought of using that phenomenon to create a new technology is extraordinary! That kind of thinking is rare!”

“I will never doubt the Lord’s knowledge again! You’re a genius, a true intellectual genius!”

“Just how much studying must you have done since childhood to know something like this?!”

As the torrent of praise continued, Ghislain scratched his cheek awkwardly, looking away.

It hadn’t been long since people started calling him the kingdom’s greatest physician, and now they were throwing around titles like intellectual genius.

At this rate, they’d end up engraving “Great Scholar” on his gravestone.

‘Ah, this is kind of embarrassing.’

Ghislain’s true specialty was fighting, and everything else was just knowledge he’d cobbled together from his previous life.

Still, seeing how happy they all were, he couldn’t bring himself to dampen the mood.

“Hmm, it’s just something I found out by chance. It’s not like I studied or anything….”

“As expected! A true genius doesn’t need to study for long. They say a wise person can infer ten things from observing one!”

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

“Still, it’s a pity. If you had attended the academy, you’d definitely have graduated at the top of your class! Being the top graduate of the Royal Academy is held in high regard, you know?”

Well, I probably would’ve been at the top—but not for academics, more for causing trouble.

Feeling increasingly embarrassed, I waved my hand to change the subject.

“The tests were completed properly, right? No safety issues?”

“Rest assured! We loaded a sheep, a duck, and a rooster for a 20-minute flight, and then a mage boarded to verify everything afterward. It’s completely safe! The first model was a bit small, so we made the demonstration version larger and sturdier!”

I didn’t understand why they used a sheep, a duck, and a rooster, but if even a mage had tested it, there probably weren’t any safety concerns.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Good. Then let’s start the demonstration right away. Tell everyone to gather.”

Once the order was given, the retainers of the estate quickly assembled.

Gathered in a spacious clearing, everyone stared at the device sitting in the center with eyes filled with anticipation.

Rumors of the dwarves creating something amazing had already spread throughout the entire estate. With something floating in the sky, it was impossible to keep it a secret.

Particularly excited was Claude, who was practically spitting as he enthusiastically questioned me.

“Lord! Is it true that this was made for reconnaissance? The dwarves said so! It’s true, right? This would be great for spotting enemy positions during sieges!”

“Uh, yeah… that’s mainly what it’s for.”

“Ah! I knew it! I knew you’d change your mind! Right? Right? You can’t lead the sick and wounded into battle!”

Claude wiped the tears welling up in his eyes as he struggled to contain his overflowing emotions.

Based on what he’d heard from Galbarik, the hot air balloon was indeed an effective tool for siege defense.

One of the biggest challenges during a siege was that it was difficult to see what the enemy was doing beyond the castle walls.

But with the hot air balloon, tracking the enemy’s movements would become much easier.

To Claude, the fact that the Lord—who had once intended to march to war—had made something like this was as good as a declaration that his stance had changed.

As Claude celebrated on his own, I clicked my tongue and asked, “Happy now?”

“Of course, I am!”

Claude felt as though he had grasped a profound truth about life: no matter how stubborn someone might be, with sincere and persistent persuasion, they could eventually come around.

‘Our Lord has changed. He’s finally started listening to reason.’

Moved to tears, Claude began to sniffle, while next to him, Belinda’s eyes gleamed as she asked a question.

“Young Master, does that really fly? Can it go up into the sky?”

“Of course, it does. The tests have already been completed.”

“Wow! Then let’s take this for a trip! A trip! That would be so much fun!”

“That sounds great. Riding this really is fun. But first, let’s get through the demonstration. Alright, get started!”

At Ghislain’s signal, Alfoi approached the air balloon’s airbag. Enjoying the attention focused on him, he wore a smug expression.

As one of the participants in building the prototype, the interest in the hot air balloon felt like interest directed at him personally.

Using wind magic, he quickly filled the airbag with air. Once it was inflated, he immediately conjured flames from his hand.

Although there was a device to heat the air, using magic was faster for rapid heating.

Whoosh!

As the magically conjured flames heated the air, the airbag began to gradually rise.

“Ooooh!”

The gathered crowd let out gasps of admiration.

Alfoi, basking in their awe, shrugged his shoulders arrogantly and swiftly climbed into the basket. He then lit the fuel tank connected to the air vent.

Since a mage couldn’t constantly expend mana to keep the balloon afloat, materials like hay, wool, and oil were used as fuel to maintain the heat.

The hot air balloon, tethered to the ground with a long rope, ascended to about 20 meters before stopping. After a moment of silence, the people, seeing it floating steadily in the air, erupted into cheers.

“Wow! It’s really flying!”

“Amazing! How could they make something like that?”

“As expected of the Lord! And the dwarves, too!”

Amid the cheers, the dwarves stood proudly with their arms crossed, coughing modestly to hide their satisfaction, while Ghislain allowed himself a contented smile.

After about ten minutes of flight, Alfoi descended to the ground with a flushed face and announced excitedly, “Next, we’re going to cut the rope and do a free flight. Who wants to ride? It’s not very big, so we can only take one person!”

He spoke with the glee of a child showing off a new toy, his tone brimming with arrogance.

Watching him, the other mages sighed and shook their heads in exasperation.

Since the success of the test flights, Alfoi had stubbornly refused to give up his seat. He was utterly childish.

In truth, the hot air balloon could operate perfectly fine without a mage aboard.

Still, Alfoi insisted that having a mage onboard was better for quickly adjusting the temperature, ensuring that every launch included him.

In Ferdium, where entertainment was scarce, the hot air balloon was one of the few exciting diversions.

“Come on, decide quickly who’s going to ride! We’ve succeeded in multiple flights already, so I can guarantee it’s safe!”

I had just witnessed Alfoi riding the hot air balloon with my own eyes, so there was no room for doubt. People eagerly raised their hands.

“I want to go! Let me ride it!”

“My lord! Let me check if it’s dangerous first!”

But their shouts were drowned out by a single roar.

“What nonsense! As the next commander of the Fenris Knights, I should go first! If you don’t want to die, back off!”

The voice belonged to Kaor, who had been holed up in the training grounds for the past few days, immersed in practice.

As soon as he saw the hot air balloon, his eyes lit up.

This thrilling opportunity? He had to seize it first. It was a creed—a man’s principle to never back down.

“Let’s settle this with a duel! A duel will decide it! The winner rides first!”

At Kaor’s declaration, the crowd flinched and stepped back. No one wanted to deal with that lunatic, let alone cross swords or even exchange words with him.

But not everyone backed off. Belinda and Gillian immediately drew their weapons and approached Kaor.

At the brink of a showdown, Ghislain clicked his tongue and spoke.

“I’ll let everyone ride, so stop fighting. Kaor, you go first.”

It was better to let him go first and get him out of the way, given how openly he was flaunting his desire.

“Heh, as expected, my lord knows best.”

Kaor, grinning smugly, climbed into the hot air balloon. The others, envious, pouted in discontent.

The moment Kaor boarded, Alfoi launched the hot air balloon again. The only difference this time was that the ropes were cut, allowing the balloon to drift with the wind.

To avoid potential accidents, it was decided they would remain airborne only for a few minutes at a safe altitude before descending.

“Wow! This feels amazing!”

As the balloon soared quite high, Kaor looked down and marveled at the view.

The crowd followed the drifting hot air balloon, gazing up at it in awe. It was so fascinating that they didn’t even notice how tiring it was to walk.

Kaor, looking down at the people below, wore a smug expression. They looked like tiny dolls from up there.

‘So this is what it’s like to look down on others from a height.’

Only after going up did he realize—this was the place that truly suited him.

At that moment, an idea flashed through Kaor’s mind. He immediately shared his brilliant thoughts with Alfoi.

“This is amazing. Hey, let’s go even higher. Let’s see how far up we can go—right to the end of the sky!”

“What? Go higher?”

“Yeah, let’s climb higher and look down at those ant-like people! Right now, we’re the rulers of the sky!”

“That’s a great idea. No, wait—how about we just escape to the magic tower in this thing?”

With two like-minded individuals, there was no room for dissent.

Kaor’s words brought Alfoi to agreement. Letting go of his efforts to regulate the temperature, he looked down at his feet.

His expression was even more arrogant than Kaor’s.

‘Ah, looking down like this feels so satisfying! Indeed, the heir of the Magic Tower should be in such a position! Look up to me! Revere me!’

While those two fools grinned smugly, the hot air balloon, now out of control, began to rise endlessly.

As the balloon climbed higher and higher, the expressions of those following it began to show confusion.

But it wasn’t just the height. The balloon’s air pocket swayed violently as it was buffeted by strong winds.

“Why is it like that? It’s shaking too much.”

“Did something go wrong?”

“The height looks dangerous too…”

Behind the murmuring crowd, Ghislain tilted his head in puzzlement.

Something was definitely off. There was no clear reason for it to ascend so high.

Then, it happened. The balloon shook violently before beginning to descend. People watching were stunned.

“The air pocket is deflating!”

“Is it falling?”

“Huh? It’s getting faster!”

At first, it descended slowly, as there was still some air in the pocket.

But falling objects inevitably accelerate. As the air pocket deflated further, the balloon started plummeting rapidly.

Yet, no one could help.

The balloon was visible because it was high up, but in truth, it was far out of reach.

As everyone panicked, unsure of what to do, Alfoi’s scream echoed.

“Save—me—!”

Right after, Kaor’s voice boomed.

“You—idiot! We’re—screwed!”

Ghislain, who was staring blankly at the falling balloon, muttered.

“Ah, it’s defective.”

It was unfortunate, but there was nothing that could be done. After all, inventions aren’t perfected without failures.

Even as Ghislain clicked his tongue, the balloon continued to fall rapidly.

“Waaaah!”

Alfoi clung tightly to the balloon’s basket, screaming at the top of his lungs.

He’d come to this wretched estate, suffered like a slave, and now he was about to die. Anger and frustration coursed through him, making his grip tighten instinctively.

‘I should’ve stayed in the Magic Tower! I was happy back then!’

But that thought didn’t last long.

As the speed of the fall increased, the fear of death clouded his mind entirely.

At that moment, Kaor’s thunderous scream rang out.

“Hey! Get a grip! If we fall like this, we’ll really die! We’ll all die!”

“Waaaah! I don’t know! I’m scared!”

Alfoi shut his eyes tightly and trembled, screaming over and over.

Having spent his life researching in the Magic Tower, then working on construction projects in Fenris Estate, he had no experience in handling crises. He was utterly helpless.

In contrast, Kaor, who had survived countless life-and-death situations, had at least a bit more composure.

Forcing himself to stay focused, Kaor shouted.

“You’re a wizard, aren’t you? Can’t you do some flying magic? Just float for a moment before we hit the ground! That’ll save us! Think, damn it!”

“Huh? What?”

Hearing that survival was possible, a glimmer of hope returned to Alfoi’s eyes.

There was a way—3rd-circle levitation magic, Levitation.

While gravity magic required 7th-circle skills that were beyond him, a 3rd-circle spell was something Alfoi could manage.

Although it was a mana-intensive spell even for a 3rd-circle caster and couldn’t keep him aloft for long, it could reduce the speed of their fall.

“I-I can! I can float briefly!”

Kaor’s face lit up at Alfoi’s shout.

“Good! Listen carefully! We’re going to jump off this thing soon!”

At Kaor’s sudden declaration of what sounded like a suicide mission, Alfoi stared at him as if he were insane.