“And I heard that Duchess Vandermir is quite a capable mage. If such a beautiful and wise mage created it, it’s certainly trustworthy enough to ride.”

Arasila, who had already grown accustomed to his playful flirtations after meeting only twice, showed no particular reaction.

The two of them took Lucas to the warehouse where the bluebird was stored.

They would have liked to take him on the airship to reassure him of its safety in advance, but unfortunately, it was currently out of operation, so that was impossible.

Instead, they let him thoroughly inspect the bluebird and explained its operating principles in detail, to which Lucas nodded seriously.

“Now that I’ve heard it, I certainly feel more confident.”

“Did you understand everything I said?”

“No, not a bit.”

Lucas broke his serious expression and smiled mischievously. Arasila, who had briefly hoped, felt deflated. But strangely, she didn’t dislike or resent him.

He seemed to have a knack for smoothing over any situation without causing offense.

Suddenly, she thought of Frederick, who, though gentle and kind, was quite stubborn and could freeze the atmosphere if things didn’t go his way.

‘He didn’t like talking about his brother much… But in my opinion, this one seems to have the better personality.’

Arasila, who maintained the ability to judge objectively even when it came to friends, thought quietly to herself.

After touring the magic airship, the three of them came outside. Lucas, who was humming contentedly, said to the couple:

“We’ll depart for the Kingdom of Sillin in four days. I’ll provide the passenger list in advance, so please prepare accordingly, my lord and lady.”

“Understood.”

“Good, then I’ll be on my way.”

Arasila and Demian bowed respectfully. Lucas turned to leave but suddenly approached Arasila and extended his hand.

“Might I have the chance for a farewell kiss?”

Demian frowned slightly at this. Just as he was about to intervene to prevent his wife from being put in an awkward position, a slender white hand was extended from beside him.

Arasila willingly offered her hand, which Lucas took and lightly kissed on the back.

“Next time we meet, I’ll prepare flowers. It was a pleasure meeting you today.”

“That’s alright, I’m not particularly fond of flowers. Take care on your way back, Your Highness.”

At her straightforward rejection, Lucas laughed cheerfully as he left. His guards quickly followed behind him.

Arasila quietly watched the prince’s retreating figure until he became a dot in the distance, then suddenly felt a gaze and turned her head.

Demian was staring intently at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…It seems you don’t mind strangers kissing your hand, my lady.”

“He’s not a stranger, he’s His Highness the Prince. And a hand kiss is a common greeting, so…”

Arasila shrugged nonchalantly. Being of noble birth herself, even with limited experience in social circles, such greetings weren’t unfamiliar to her.

Even when she was young, some mature noble boys would greet girls their age by kissing their hands.

But for Demian, who was sensitive to physical contact with others, Arasila’s casual reaction felt oddly unsettling.

He had only grown somewhat accustomed to skinship with her, but contact with others still made him uncomfortable, while Arasila seemed unbothered.

Of course, Arasila didn’t have trauma like his, so it was natural, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy.

‘If it were me, I would have refused anyone but my husband…’

Realizing he had unconsciously made an assumption that would only apply to a real married couple, Demian mentally slapped himself.

“Demian, are you crazy? Why are you suddenly hitting yourself?”

Arasila asked with a shocked expression. Rubbing his stinging forehead, Demian replied:

“I almost went mad for a moment, but I’ve come to my senses.”

“Are you sure you’ve really come to your senses…?”

“Yes, so let’s focus on the business at hand.”

Demian steadfastly looked ahead, avoiding eye contact with Arasila, who was still staring at him quizzically.

News that the First Prince would be using the magic airship for his diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Sillin quickly spread throughout the empire.

The Emperor initially opposed using the controversial airship for the delegation. But Lucas earnestly persuaded him.

“It’s an opportunity to show the Kingdom of Sillin how advanced our empire has become and to display our might. Shouldn’t they realize there’s an insurmountable difference so they won’t even dream of breaking the treaty? Besides, I personally rode it and it was safe.”

The Emperor softened at his eldest son’s words, which included a slight lie.

“Alright, Lucas. You haven’t disappointed me since you became an adult. I’ll trust you this once.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Though initially opposed, the Emperor soon gave in to Lucas’s persuasion and granted permission. However, the opposition from the nobles who were also part of the delegation was not insignificant.

“Your Highness, the safety of the magic airship is too uncertain and unclear! Using it is a reckless decision!”

“Not at all. I went to check it myself and found it quite sturdy and safe.”

“What if there’s a crash?”

“Then we’ll experience flying through the sky in life jackets for the first time, haha!”

Frustrated by the prince’s carefree attitude and refusal to listen properly, some nobles dropped out of the delegation.

This created vacancies in the magic airship’s passenger list. Lucas instructed the Vandermir couple to fill those empty seats as they saw fit.

“What shall we do? Shall we invite the nobles who previously showed interest?”

Arasila firmly shook her head at Demian’s question.

“If they dropped out once, that’s the end of it. Clinging to such people would only be pathetic. Let’s fill the remaining seats with family members.”

They had already been attacked with criticisms like “Would you have your own family ride it?” when controversy arose.

By actually having their family members board, they could silence those critics in one fell swoop.

As she sent invitations to her own family, Arasila told her junior colleagues:

“If you have friends or family you want to invite, go ahead. We have plenty of seats.”

“Really? Then I’d like to invite my mother and siblings.”

“I want to invite my grandfather and grandmother.”

Sally and Rudy said with sparkling eyes. They had a significant stake in the magic airship’s development, so they had every right to invite their families.

After filling the empty seats this way, all that remained was the actual flight.

People were intensely curious about whether the magic airship would successfully complete its flight and return.

Amidst the heated atmosphere filled with all sorts of speculation, worry, and ridicule, the day of the first flight of the magic airship “Bluebird” dawned, with all preparations complete.

From early morning, passengers gathered in small groups on the outskirts of the capital. The Bluebird, out of its hangar for the first time in a while, was undergoing a brief inspection for takeoff.

While Arasila went to check on the airship with her juniors, Demian greeted the passengers alone.

“Wow, so our Arilang’s son-in-law helped make this? Impressive. Hahaha.”

Duke Hugo exclaimed in admiration as he looked around the massive and majestic Bluebird. The Duchess smiled and greeted Demian.

“Thank you for inviting us today, my lord. You’ve gotten even more handsome since I last saw you. Hohoho.”

“Thank you, Duchess. I hope you have an enjoyable time.”

Demian bowed politely. The Duchess lightly patted his arm.

Iris, who was surprised to see her mother behaving so friendly towards him, whispered softly after moving a little away from Demian.

“Mom, didn’t you used to feel a bit awkward around him? What’s the occasion…?”

“I should cherish someone who loves my daughter so dearly.”

The Duchess answered with a pleased smile, still vividly remembering when Demian had passionately confessed in front of her.

After the Duke’s family went up to the cabin, the delegation arrived next.

“Haha, good morning.”

Lucas waved his hand like a picture, basking in the dazzling morning sunlight.

In contrast to his brightly smiling face, the nobles reluctantly following behind him looked grim.

Some nobles were already praying with clasped hands before even boarding.

“Ah, where should we load this? It’s a treasure to be delivered to the Kingdom of Sillin.”

Lucas pointed to a wooden box held by the attendant behind him.

Inside was a golden wolf head sculpture with red eyes, a treasure bestowed by the Setron Empire to the Kingdom of Sillin.

“You can load it in the cargo hold, but if you’re worried, you can bring it on board.”

“Hmm, let’s put it in the cargo hold. We should see how safely our Bluebird can transport cargo, shouldn’t we?”

While Lucas’s attendant loaded the box into the cargo hold, Demian went up to the cabin with him. The nobles followed behind with looks of impending doom on their faces.

The gondola of the magic airship was decorated in a clean and sophisticated manner.

Soft wool carpets, high-quality crystal chandeliers, plush leather sofas, and even food tables set up for light refreshments.

It was as if an entire reception room from a grand mansion had been brought on board.

This was possible because protective magic stones were attached throughout, preventing the interior from shaking or being damaged.

“It’s truly impressive, even seeing it again. It’s clear the couple put a lot of effort into the preparations.”

Lucas praised as he looked around the interior. The delegation nobles also murmured slightly. They were surprised to find it much better furnished than they had expected, contrary to their assumptions of poor conditions.

Although wariness hadn’t completely disappeared from their expressions, everyone seemed more relaxed than before boarding.

After confirming that all passengers were on board, the magic airship’s doors closed.

Since they were carrying none other than the prince and the delegation, Arasila decided to stay in the cockpit with her juniors today.

Soon, the bell signaling departure rang out.

As the Bluebird slowly began to rise, small exclamations escaped from people’s lips.

“It’s floating, it’s floating!”

“We’re, we’re flying!”

Terrified by the sensation of their bodies lifting for the first time in their lives, some clung tightly to furniture or walls with their eyes squeezed shut.

They intended to stay perfectly still until they safely arrived in the Kingdom of Sillin, but voices penetrating their ears forced them to open their eyes.

“Wow, you can see the whole empire at a glance!”

“Oh, it’s truly beautiful!”

“Everyone, come and see! I’ve never seen such a breathtaking view in my life!”

The sounds of people enjoying the view, pressed against the wide-open windows on both sides, stirred those who were scared.

People who had been hanging back slowly gathered towards the windows.

And just as they said, they gaped at the spectacular view of the entire empire spread out before them.

When they crossed the sea towards the Kingdom of Sillin beyond the eastern coast, they even let out cheers as if on cue.

“What? It’s incredibly calm. Even with all of us gathered here, it’s not swaying at all.”

“To think that I’m really flying through the sky… This is truly amazing.”

“So this is what the sea looks like from above. I’ll have to brag when we get back. That I flew through the sky to visit the Kingdom of Sillin!”

As they felt the safety of the magic airship, the atmosphere became gentle and relaxed.

By the time they reached the Kingdom of Sillin in a few hours – a journey that would take days by ship – to exchange treasures, no one was afraid of riding the airship anymore.

The return journey to the empire was much noisier and more cheerful than the outbound trip. This was thanks to people chatting away while enjoying champagne and food, their tension now released.

As those who had traveled to the Kingdom of Sillin on the magic airship left positive reviews, public opinion changed as quickly as flipping a hand.

In noble society, the nobles who participated in the delegation played a big role, while among commoners, the families of Sally and Rudy had a significant impact.

Just then, the imperial office lifted the operational suspension in light of the delegation, and as the magic airship began recruiting free passengers again, interest was further amplified.

As people selected through a lottery rode around the capital once, word of mouth spread even faster.

People became enthusiastic, quickly forgetting the days when they had doubted the magic airship. People of all social classes, genders, and ages flocked to try riding the airship.

Contrary to Travis’s wishes, it had ultimately achieved great success.

“Wow, Arasila. She really made this succeed?”

“She’s tough, really tough. That girl could probably survive even if you dropped her on a deserted island.”

“Didn’t she do it with her husband? Didn’t he help somehow?”

Magicians gathered in a rest area within the magic tower grumbled in unison. On the table between them lay a newspaper reporting the success of the magic airship.

“Damn, I thought we’d finally see it fail this time…”

“Disappointed you won’t get to see that?”

A clear voice suddenly cut in. Travis stiffened as he felt a hand gently grasp his shoulder.

His colleagues sitting around him also froze, looking behind him.

“Travis, how sad for you. Now we have to call our Bluebird a successful bird instead of a failed one.”