Chapter 206 - <13>
Franz was baking bread in the hearth.
It was the same hard, preserved bread he'd been eating every day since entering Zeum, a food he was not just tired of eating, but tired of even looking at.
"And that's the last of it…"
A sigh escaped him, but it couldn't be helped. They had no idea how long it would take to reach the Great Temple once that ship was complete.
Several days had already passed since Taisha had declared they would finish and fly her flying ship. During that time, Franz's workstation had been exclusively this earthen-floored room with its hearth.
The room connected directly to the back door of the house, and through it, beyond a field where various vegetables grew, he could see Ritz and Edward. They seemed to be peeling a large, spherically dried cloth from its mold and pulling on it to test its strength.
Taisha's creation, the Hikuusen, or flying ship, had been researched for nearly a century, and according to her, the three boat-like sections that formed the base and the giant cloth that sat on the central boat were already eighty percent complete.
Most of the ship's body was made of bamboo. There was a bamboo grove in a corner of this forest where she was confined, and she had apparently used bamboo primarily from there.
At first, even though she was in a position to receive supplies from the temple, she couldn't openly acquire large quantities of wood, so she began using it reluctantly. But because it was so light and strong, she changed her original plan and decided to use bamboo for all parts of the ship except for the important beams.
Indeed, looking closely at the ship's body, the bamboo was intricately woven together. It resembled the ivy shopping baskets commonly seen in Yuresla.
He was a little worried if it would be okay, but on second thought, this ship was meant to fly in the sky, not travel on water, so there was no need to worry about waterproofing like a wooden boat. Lightness was probably prioritized over sturdiness.
In the center of the main boat was a giant, spherically made cloth, attached to the ship's body with sturdy-looking iron hooks. Underneath was a metal pot-like object, firmly embedded in the ship.
This cloth was incredibly durable; even the strong Ritz couldn't tear it when he tried. In fact, a special glue that Taisha had developed through her research had been applied to this cloth.
To make more of the same, Franz had been put to work at the hearth on the first day. The main ingredient for this special glue was a type of potato, lumpy and seemingly inedible, but an ingredient nonetheless, according to Taisha.
Franz would peel the potatoes, Ritz and Edward would use brute force to mash them into a paste, and then it would be simmered with water for several hours. During this process, Taisha would mix in some kind of mysterious powder, and it would transform into a transparent, viscous liquid.
Then, the cloth, sewn into a circular shape, was placed over a mold also made of bamboo, just like the ship's body, and the glue was applied evenly to create this durable fabric.
Edward had been impressed, saying this technique could be applied to various things, but Franz was a little worried. If this was 'Science,' it meant they would be targeted by the Clan of Darkness.
But Franz couldn't for the life of him figure out what part of this primitive process would incur the wrath of a god.
Once the bread-making was settled for the moment, Franz went out into the garden for a break and a change of pace. The spherical cloth that Ritz and Edward had been holding earlier was now folded and tied shut with another piece of cloth. Taisha was holding it. A rope was attached to the cloth, which was tied to one of the small boats on the side of the main ship.
Beyond it was a strange object.
It looked like a well with two thin pipes made of interconnected iron sticking out of it. One of them was lit. Taisha took the spherical cloth, slightly opened the tied-off mouth, and attached it to the unlit pipe.
Slowly, the cloth began to inflate. It was like a paper bag being blown up with air. What's more, as the cloth filled with air, it gradually began to float.
"That's amazing."
"Indeed."
Like the deeply impressed Ritz and Edward, Franz also stared intently at the cloth. Eventually, it grew to a size that looked like Ritz alone could fit inside.
"Sorry, don't just watch, could you help me?"
As Taisha struggled with the floating bag, she called for help. Ritz and Edward snapped out of it and rushed to assist. The three of them worked together to tie off the tightly inflated cloth and secure it to one side of the attached boat. The side of the ship lifted slightly.
"All this power from just one of these?"
Edward folded his arms and looked up at the cloth with a groan.
"That's right. With four of them, it should be enough to lift all of you."
"What's inside this thing?"
Ritz asked curiously, and Taisha laughed proudly.
"Gas. It can also be used to make fire. You have it in your country too, don't you?"
"I've never seen anything that floats like this."
At Ritz's groan, Taisha nodded as if to say, Of course.
"I'm sure. People don't normally put it in a cloth bag."
"…So you're saying there's gas that floats if you put it in something?"
"That's right. There are different types of gas. This is also a result of my research. This gas was bubbling up for household use, but when I tried collecting it, it floated quite well."
"I see…"
Gas is for lighting fires. With that common knowledge, one wouldn't think to collect it in a bag. But because she realized it and collected it, she was able to inflate it like this.
"But my calculations showed that this alone wouldn't provide enough buoyancy to reach the temple."
"Buoyancy?"
Edward repeated the unfamiliar word, and Taisha nodded happily.
"That's right. Orphe taught me that the power to float is called buoyancy. If my God says it, there can be no mistake."
At the mention of his master's name again, he felt a mix of emotions. If God and Orphe were one and the same, then it was Orphe who was trying to kill him, Orphe who was giving Kuchiba assassination orders, Orphe who let Moegi escape, Orphe who saved Taisha, and Orphe who was Anna's father.
All Franz knew was Orphe as his master. He was beginning to lose all sense of who his master truly was.
Franz had only lived with Orphe for five years. But for Franz, he was a master with whom he had shared his public and private life for five long years. That was why he couldn't believe that his Orphe had another face.
When he thought of Orphe, the first thing that came to mind should have been his goofy smile after making a mistake. But during their journey, what he remembered was his lonely face as he occasionally gazed at the mountain range. And sometimes, he would hum songs Franz had never heard before.
Sad songs when he looked at the mountains, and cheerful tunes when he was in a good mood. For Franz, who grew up in an environment with a plethora of divas and dancers, there shouldn't have been many songs he hadn't heard. In hindsight, that was unlikely.
But Orphe sang such songs. Perhaps they were songs that were popular in a past so distant Franz couldn't even fathom it, from the long years he had lived as a god. According to Taisha, he had been living forever.
Yes, for over three hundred years, just in the time Taisha knew him.
He shivered involuntarily and snapped back to reality. The other three were already busy inflating the next cloth. As he watched them absently, Taisha turned around.
"Franz, could you bring your partner?"
Not understanding what she meant, he furrowed his brow. Taisha pointed towards the house.
"The Salamander child. It's the most important part of getting this ship to fly."
"Are you going to put it in the bag?"
"…If I did that, the gas would ignite and it would burn up. It's faster to show you than to explain. Bring it here."
He nodded to Taisha and hurried back to get Sara. Sara was inside the hearth where Franz had been working. He took the lamp hanging next to the hearth, called Sara to get inside, and hurried back out.
In that time, all four cloth bags had been filled with gas, and the ship was floating. Ritz and Edward were busy tying ropes to stakes to keep the ship from flying away.
"You're back. Now, please get on the central boat."
"Huh…?"
Am I going to be sent flying alone? His anxiety must have shown on his face, because Edward laughed.
"You're not going to be sent flying. It's an experiment, apparently."
"An experiment?"
"We'll be watching, so don't worry and get on."
If Edward told him to do it, he had no choice. With a sigh, Franz climbed the flimsy-looking ladder and boarded the floating ship. The unfamiliar,ふわふわ (fuwafuwa) feeling of instability made his heart race. Are we really going to the Great Temple in something like this?
"There's a brazier installed in the center of the ship. Please put the Salamander child in it."
"A brazier?"
Nodding at Taisha's voice, he peered into the hollow created beneath the deflated cloth. Inside was an iron pot snugly fitted into a ceramic container, piled high with a large amount of charcoal.
"Sara, I'm counting on you."
"Kii!"
Seemingly happy to finally have a turn, Sara descended into the brazier. The flames from Sara's body spread to the charcoal.
"Could you make the fire a little stronger? Enough to inflate the cloth, if possible."
"Yes."
He replied and lifted the limply deflated cloth. The cloth was fixed about fifty centimeters above the brazier by a ring made of bamboo.
"Sara, can you breathe a little fire straight up?"
"Kii, kii!"
Sara was raring to go, and he hastily warned her.
"Just a little. If you burn this cloth, it's all over."
"Kii~?"
"Got it?"
"Kii, Fra, kii."
It seemed she understood. Lately, he'd started interpreting Sara's words on his own, just like Anna.
"Hey, how's it going?"
Called from below, Franz gave Sara the order.
"Do it."
"Kii!"
Flames shot up from Sara's mouth. They blew into the cloth a little, but didn't touch it, so it didn't catch fire. Then, something strange began to happen. The cloth gradually started to inflate.
"It's inflating… why?"
He muttered in a daze, staring at the cloth as it grew larger before his eyes. At the same time, the ship lifted even higher and swayed.
"Whoa, whoa… I-Is this okay?"
He asked below, and Taisha nodded happily.
"Perfect. With this, the ship will fly! Once that balloon is fully inflated, you'll be able to steer, too!"
"Steer?"
That's right, if they couldn't steer, they couldn't reach their destination.
"That's right. First, the fin at the back. That's the primary rudder, which will catch the wind and change direction. And, that large air bag has a hole for adjusting altitude and another for changing direction. You'll change direction by opening and closing them."
"Can you really do that!?"
Ritz cried out in surprise, and Taisha answered.
"I don't know. This is the first time I've built a full-sized one."
"…Oh, right."
"But it will fly with this. Without a doubt."
At Taisha's confident words, he couldn't help but look up at the inflating bag before him. It was far larger than the four gas bags.
"It's best to keep the charcoal in there burning without letting it go out. The Salamander child will be useful there and can also rest. If the flying ship starts to descend, have the Salamander child breathe fire like before."
Taisha, nodding with satisfaction, looked up at Franz.
"If you inflate it any more, it will fly away, you know?"
She should have said so sooner.
"…Sara, come back."
"Kii?"
Not having had enough of breathing fire, Sara looked at Franz with dissatisfaction.
"It's okay. Once this thing starts flying, you'll have plenty of chances to shine, whether you like it or not."
"Kii-kii, Fra, kii."
"Yeah. I'll do my best too."
For some reason, he felt like Sara was happy.
Following Taisha's words that it was fine to leave it as it was since the weather was good this season, the three of them securely re-tied the ship and returned to the hut. Taisha, who had gone back ahead of them, was happily preparing tea. Though 'preparing' just meant boiling water; brewing the tea was Franz's job.
Franz, having experimented, put a blend of tea leaves that he found tasted best into the pot. He never thought he'd be putting the tea-brewing skills he'd honed under Orphe to use in a place like this.
He poured hot water from the kettle Taisha brought into the pot and brewed the tea. After serving everyone and taking his own seat, Taisha set down her teacup with a satisfied expression.
"With this, it is complete."
Taisha announced, then looked around at the three of them.
"Unfortunately, this place is too small for a test flight. I'm afraid it will have to be a trial by fire, but is that all right with you?"
Receiving her calm gaze, Ritz answered quietly.
"Yeah. I want to get to the Great Temple as soon as possible, too."
From Franz's perspective, Ritz was acting normal, but there was no way he wasn't anxious after being separated from Anna. He probably wanted to leave right this second.
"Then that's good. Even if you told me you were anxious, there's nothing more I can do. But I will give you all the help I can."
With that, Taisha stood up and opened the door to the altar. Inside was a map and a circular tool.
"Take these with you. They will be useful."
What Taisha placed on the table was a detailed map of the Zeum Divine Kingdom. Edward and Ritz exchanged surprised glances.
"…Will you not be in trouble for giving this to us?"
"It does not matter. It has been a hundred years since I was the highest authority in Zeum. This map, too, is a hundred years old. I do not know if those cities still exist."
"But with this much information, it could serve as a guide for another country's army to invade Zeum."
Not understanding, he glanced at Ritz. Perhaps being considerate of Edward and Taisha's serious conversation, Ritz explained in a low voice.
"It's a military map. It shows supply bases, army sizes, and places to procure materials."
"…Is that… amazing?"
"Of course it's amazing. If the enemy had one for Yuresla, they could easily march all the way to Sears. In Yuresla, this is something you'd find at the highest military command. It's used for strategic planning."
"I see…"
It was indeed amazing. He never knew such a thing existed. Looking at Edward and Taisha, it seemed they had reached some sort of agreement. The map had been handed over to Edward, and he was being taught how to use the other item.
It was a compass, something sailors used on their journeys.
"You can tell the direction from the movement of the sun and stars, can't you?"
At Ritz's casual comment, Taisha shook her head.
"You will be traveling in the sky, you know? The speed is different from a horse, and you may be swept off course and lose your sense of direction. At that time, this will be absolutely necessary. You should take it."
Something about those words caught his attention. Ritz must have felt the same way, because he asked.
"You're not coming with us, Taisha?"
Indeed, listening to Taisha's words, it sounded as if she intended to stay here. But Taisha smiled and stood up.
"That was delicious tea."
"Taisha?"
"Could you postpone the departure until tomorrow?"
She had deftly dodged the question, and her quiet tone made it difficult to press further. Ritz, too, seemed unable to ask and just shrugged.
"I don't mind, but…"
"Then let us prepare a feast today. From now on, you'll only be able to eat that preserved bread, after all."
With that, Taisha turned her back to the three of them.
"Could you leave me alone for a while? I wish to bask in the joy of my ship's completion."
At the gentle refusal, they were at a loss for words. Taisha placed her hand on the door.
"Thank you. Now, you may rest until dinner is ready."
As Taisha exited, Ritz sighed.
"She's thinking about something. It'd be nice if she was just crying tears of joy from sentimentality, but…"
Ritz deliberately trailed off.
"But what?"
Anxious, he asked. Ritz gave a small laugh and stretched.
"Well, I'm off to raid the pantry. Wonder what kind of feast we'll have today."
"Ritz."
As Ritz left, still deflecting, Edward patted his shoulder.
"What a person thinks when a hundred-year-old dream comes true… only they can know."
"A hundred-year-old dream…"
That's right, Taisha had been dreaming of completing the flying ship for a hundred years. A dream she had held for longer than a human lifetime had become a reality, so her emotions must be overwhelming. Perhaps Ritz, who had lived for a long time himself, understood that and didn't ask anything more.
"Now, let us look at the vegetable garden and prepare a Yureslan dish to show our gratitude to Taisha."
At Edward's cheerful suggestion, Franz nodded.