SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ISLAND IN OSERIN
"Ehehe… it feels like we're stranded on a deserted island!"
"I know, right?! It's like the whole ocean's ours today, Yomogi!"
"I really… missed the sea..."
"The wind velocity is ideal. Temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure are within optimal parameters. The air current is consistent and predictable. Suitable for extended outdoor activity."
"Mmm~… always good to be back home~..."
"Verily… this isle beareth no blemish. 'Tis not bad at all."
"Mmm~… it feels so breezy here~…"
"Kyuu!"
After we teleported to Oserin, Salacia led us to this island, the one she found earlier. Small, uninhabited, flat, no trees... exactly what I asked for. And Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, Manas, Lilith, and Puck seem to enjoy it. When Yomogi joked about being stranded, I think she might have been right.
Also, judging by the space, it might just be big enough. So without saying a word, I reach into my dimensional inventory and begin pulling the ores Kimberly bought: nickel, cobalt, titanium, and tungsten. Then some aluminum ores, glass sand, and finally, Pinna's carbon fiber. After that, I lay everything out on the sand and silently activate [Copier], duplicating them over and over again until the scattered handful becomes a mountain.
Pinna is the first to notice.
"Master, please confirm. What exactly is your intended output?"
I don't answer her and raise both hands instead, shutting my eyes tight and activating [Blacksmithing]. And I also activate [Temporary Boost] to set all my stats to infinity.
In my mind, I picture every sci-fi airship I've ever seen. Hulls, wings, interior corridors, wide decks, reinforced pressure seals, flooring, and cockpit glass.
Please work.
Please work.
Please work.
And then, I can hear Yomogi, Chantal, and Manas reacting.
"It's forming!"
"What the hell is that?! That's bigger than our whole house!!"
"What… in the heavens… is transpiring here?"
But still, I don't want to open my eyes no matter what.
Moments later, I take a deep breath again and open my eyes when I think it's over.
And there it is.
A massive airship with a silver-black hull, sweeping wings shaped like a vulture, and a glass cockpit that resembles a bird's eye. As the girls are all staring in complete silence, I can only murmur weakly.
"I can't believe this..."
What did I just do?
It's just surreal that this massive airship is built with my [Blacksmithing] skill.
Yomogi looks frightened.
"What... what is this monster, Motegi-chan?"
"Hahaha! This is not a monster. It's called an airship."
Chantal and Manas point dramatically at the massive structure, almost in sync.
"But this thing's bigger than griffins, Motegi-kun!"
"Bigger than ten winged dragons combined… mayhaps more!"
"I know that."
Kimberly and Salacia take a cautious step forward as they examine the structure.
"So… this isn't… a monster, Motegi-sama?"
"Nope."
"Is this really safe?"
"It is safe, Salacia."
Lilith stares, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.
"I… I honestly don't even know what to say, honey…"
With that, I look around at each of them.
"So, shall we enter?"
They all exchange glances. Nervous, curious, excited, and eventually... they all nod.
And then, we walk toward the airship. The moment we step inside, the girls freeze in place, staring at the unfamiliar interior as if they've walked into another world entirely.
Yomogi, Chantal, and Kimberly wander their gazes, spinning slowly and murmuring.
"There's so much stuff in here. I don't even know where to look…"
"Wow... this is different from Griffin Express..."
"Is this… a carriage? Or… some kind of… artifact? It feels so… unfamiliar…"
Salacia, Manas, and Lilith are the same as their eyes wide to try to take everything in.
"What is this place, darling? I can't describe any of this…"
"So 'tis true, we stand within the belly of a great vulture monster. Mine king, thou craftest a beast most fearsome…"
"Honey, this is so confusing to explore… but I can't help it…"
Except for Pinna. Despite her face being still expressionless and her voice monotone like usual, her steps are quick and almost bouncing as she moves from one display to another.
"This craft is… magnificent, Master. The layout is efficient. The materials are superior. Structural integrity is exceptional. This may be the pinnacle of non-magical engineering."
And she doesn't stop there, as she keeps drilling me with questions after questions, which I answer each time with the simplest explanation I can muster. But the more basic my answers are, the more excited she becomes. Her eyes glitter with curiosity every time I open my mouth.
Then, she turns to me again.
"Master, does this craft have a designation? A formal name for reference?"
"Ah! Name, huh?"
Honestly, this airship already looks like a giant metal vulture in the first place, so yeah... let's go straightforward with that.
"Hagetaka."
"Understood. I will log the designation Hagetaka immediately and store it for all future reference."
Then, her eyes shift to the four circular slots arranged in a row at the cockpit console.
"Master, are these four holes for the powering system?"
"Correct, Pinna."
I take out the Wind, Thunder, Cosmic, and Light magic stones and place them into each slot.
Let me tell you about the magic stones in this world. They represent all eight elements, and they're differentiated by colors. Red is Fire, brown is Earth, yellow is Lightning, green is Wind, blue is Water, violet is Cosmic, white is Light, black is Dark.
Also, here are the differences between Pinna and me when we're crafting machines. Take the microwave, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, and rice cooker, for example. She calculated everything piece by piece — energy flow, structural compatibility, heat resistance, and stability. Basically, she analyzed the whole complex mechanism.
As for me, I just picture the result. In this case, I only imagined an airship that uses Lightning magic to communicate, uses Wind magic to move instead of combustion, uses Cosmic magic to lift this thing up, and uses Light magic to fire a beacon. And I only relied on my infinite Luck to make it work.
Then, I turn to the girls.
"Alright, we're going to find Turivel with this."
And their reactions explode all at once as Yomogi and Salacia gasp.
"Eh?! What about Oserin?"
"Actually, that wasn't my real plan today."
"Then why did you need me to find an empty island, darling?"
"For this airship, of course. This thing wouldn't have fit anywhere near home."
Lilith and Manas are still overwhelmed.
"Honey, are you sure about this?"
"I hope so."
"And thou art certain this contraption can soar beyond the clouds?"
"Yes, I am."
Chantal and Kimberly are still amazed.
"You're absolutely insane, Motegi-kun."
"Thanks, I'll take that."
"I want… to see… how this thing… can fly, Motegi-sama…"
"Me too."
Then, I ask them once again.
"Alright, everyone ready?"
They all nod, still between nervousness and excitement as Puck chirps in delight.
"Kyuu!"
With that, I twist the Cosmic magic stone slowly, and the entire ship rises off the sand without a jolt. The next one, I press the Wind magic stone, and the ship glides forward, accelerating upward and cutting through the sky.
When we reach the altitude I want, I release my hand from the Cosmic stone and press the Light magic stone, and a pulse flashes outward, and another pulse flashes ten seconds later. This beacon will keep repeating like that.
As the world outside becomes white and the clouds swallow the windows until there's nothing but mist, Yomogi and Chantal are stunned again.
"Amazing! It's all clouds, Motegi-chan!"
"Whoa! I can't see anything down there, Motegi-kun!"
Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, and Manas press their hands to the window, but their reactions are different.
"This is… a little terrifying… to look, Motegi-sama..."
"Altitude level: extraordinary. Stability: exceptional. This craft is revolutionary..."
"It looks so dark, darling..."
"So this is how it feeleth to fly above the clouds…"
Lilith smiles faintly with wonder.
"Maybe... this thing really can bring us to Turivel…"
And all that's left is to wait for a miracle.
THREE HOURS LATER
Three hours in, and none of us can sit still.
We try, and we really do. But one of us always ends up standing again, walking to the cockpit, and staring through the glass at the endless clouds. Then we go back, sit down, and shift restlessly in our seats, only to stand up and do it all over again. Even we've lost count of how many times we've repeated this cycle.
It's like we're on a bottomless curiosity that bubbles when you're on the edge of something unreal, and we keep wondering if we will be able to discover this hidden nation.
Every ten seconds, the beacon pulses, and I think that's been over a thousand times now... but still, nothing. And yet, I'm not giving up, so that's why I stubbornly keep my Luck stat at infinity through constantly using [Temporary Boost].
Eventually...
"Hey! I see something coming!"
Chantal, the one who is currently on her feet, shouts to all of us. We all rush forward, gathering behind her as she points toward two winged shapes holding spears breaking through the clouds far ahead.
Lilith's eyes widen, and her mouth parts slightly.
"Those are… angels…"
And instantly, Yomogi and Kimberly gasp.
"Really?!"
"Amazing… truly… incredible…"
Salacia and Manas lean into the glass, trying to examine more.
"They've got wings like Lilith, but all white and glowing~..."
"Unbelievable, that angels wouldst appear before us so soon..."
"Master, observation confirms the aerial units are engaged in verbal exchange. Judging from their gestural language and spear positioning… an attack seems imminent."
"Got it."
With Pinna's warnings, I press the Lightning magic stone, and suddenly, we can hear the angels' voices through the cockpit.
"How can a massive vulture approach this place?"
"Should we attack it?"
With that, I shout clearly as I'm still pressing the stone.
"Excuse me! We apologize for the sudden approach! We're not here to threaten anyone! We only wish to visit Turivel, that's all! Please... if possible, open the way for us!"
I keep my voice steady, even though my heart's pounding.
Yes, this is why I use the Lightning magic stone. As long as I keep it pressed, it should let me hear and speak to whoever's outside. And it's working so far.
However, their reactions aren't what I expected.
"The vulture can speak?!"
"Look! It swallows people too!"
"Fear not! We shall save you from this abomination!"
"This creature does not belong to this realm! Prepare yourselves!"
And they're charging. They break formation and fly straight at us with spears raised and wings flared.
I take my hand off the stone and spin around immediately.
"Everyone, arms up and make a cross sign, now!!"
Without hesitation, all of us raise our arms above our heads and form an "X," which is somehow able to make the angels stop mid-air.
And I press the Lightning stone again.
"We're okay! This airship isn't a monster! And I swear, we haven't been swallowed! Please, stop whatever you're about to do!"
My heart is still pounding as I continue to speak.
"I repeat... we only want to visit Turivel, that's all, and we only need your permission!"
For a second, the angels exchange glances and nod.
"Very well."
"We shall guide you inside."
"Phew..."
Every one of us lets out a collective breath... some long, some shaky, some relieved. The angels don't lower their weapons, and they're still suspicious, but they turn and begin to fly as we follow them. And then, we can see a pair of glowing golden doors nestled in a bed of white clouds.
Then, the angels speak again.
"This is the entrance to Turivel."
"You are the first one to ever reach this place."
INSIDE THE SKY NATION OF TURIVEL
Once we enter the door, I land Hagetaka onto a golden platform. And the moment we step out of it, the two angels are shocked again.
"They really weren't swallowed..."
"What is this strange vulture?"
I told you, right?
Then, they quickly compose themselves again and gesture forward to us.
"Follow us."
We obey, moving in formation behind them. Another platform ahead stretches out like a golden bridge, endlessly long, bordered by clouds on either side with no railings or barriers. There are no buildings, no homes, and no people, unlike the other countries I've visited.
And yet, it's still beautiful.
"This is incredible…"
"Kyuu!"
Puck chirps delightfully on my shoulder, clearly agreeing with what I'm saying. Even Yomogi, Lilith, Chantal, and Kimberly also murmur in amusement.
"There are clouds everywhere, Motegi-chan…"
"So this is… Turivel…"
"I can't even put this into words..."
"This place… feels so… holy, Motegi-sama…"
Salacia lets out a laugh of awe to herself as she walks.
"It's so strange for a sea creature like me to set foot in this place…"
Pinna scans everything as usual, and Manas does the same with wonder.
"Confirmed: this terrain shares no architectural, geographical, or political resemblance to any known territory in Acrusse. This location is structurally anomalous. Floating, energy-stabilized… likely one-of-a-kind."
"Mayhap this be the reason none hath reached this land afore us. Hidden not by might, but by absence…"
After what feels like several minutes, we arrive at another set of grand golden doors guarded by two unicorns, which look like tall humanoid figures with white equine bodies and long, gleaming horns.
Then, the angels inform the unicorns about us.
"These are people from the lower world. They seek entry."
"Wait."
The unicorns step through the doors, disappearing into the light as we wait. Moments later, the unicorns return.
"You are permitted to enter."
With that, the angels nod and step aside.
"You go from here. These guardians will guide you."
"Thank you."
We bow lightly in thanks, and the unicorns lead us inside.
"Follow us."
The doors part, and we step into a grand hall that seems built for gods. Ahead, at the far end of the hall, a tall man with a pair of majestic wings and cloaked in white robes rises from his golden throne as he welcomes us.
"Welcome, people from the lower world. You have come far. And now, you stand before Turivel..."