Reborn After A Death March

Chapter 48

"Here,"

At Mia's father's prompting, Satou and I got on the moving walkway, lit by footlights. We found ourselves in the midst of Bolenan Forest, making our way to the home of the Council of Elders at the foot of the World Tree. We made it to the tree using the same method we used to go from the tree village to the subterranean city: teleportation through fairy rings. Mia and her father shared a similar trait in that they both rarely explained things, and I surmised that this place could only be accessed by teleportation.

"Next. Jump,"

After receiving a few words of guidance from Mia's father, I stepped through a mysterious silver ring and began my journey. The atmosphere in the area had a contemporary feel, but the chill in the air gave the impression of taking a stroll through the woods. Adding to this was a tranquil noise, like the rustling of leaves gently moving in the wind.

The corridor ended with an automated door that opened with a hissing air sound. The first entrance opened, splitting into two segments that moved to the left and right. These doors revealed a second set that slid to the top and bottom. Beyond the pair of double doors lay a long hallway which stretched sixty feet to its end, where another set of doors awaited. It had the look of a passageway on a submarine. Beyond the large door was a tight corridor suspended above an immense hangar.

"What are...?"

"Outboard hulls,"

Mia's father answers Satou. The hangar was full of numerous silver vessels that resembled Hayato's interdimensional submarine, the Jules Verne. They were hanging in the air, with their noses pointed towards the ceiling. Toward the rear of the hangar were a pair of twin-boom aircraft, vessels of wood construction, and several traditional sailing vessels.

"Are these all airships"

"No. Just hulls,"

"They seem to be floating, though..."

"Dimension Pile,"

If my memory is correct, Dimension Pile was a Space Magic spell that allowed physical objects to be suspended in the air. He inferred that the numerous vessels in the hangar were secured by the Dimension Pile spell. I was becoming adept at completing the gaps for these elves. Surprisingly, all the ships were spotless. It was as if they had been kept away from any rust and dust.

"Fixed?"

Of course

"Mm. Practical. Protects,"

Once more, this was merely a supposition based on his few comments. Still, it is possible they employed Practical Magic to cover the outer hulls with an artificial coating that would prevent oxidation. I recalled glimpsing a description of a similar spell in the Advanced Practical Magic volume I had pored over at an aristocrat's residence in the old capital. It wouldn't work on weapons, but it could maintain an object in an unchanging state. Lords often kept items stored in their Item Boxes using this technique.

As I surveyed the ships, I noticed some elves who appeared to be engineers poking around the hulls as if they were pursuing something.

"Are you sure Traya really made a Void Ship?"

"How strange. I could've sworn it was here..."

"Jia, if it's not here, we'll have to wake Yua up from the sleep tank..."

"No, you know we can't do that,"

The quarrel between the two individuals left me puzzled. What was this mysterious 'sleep tank' they mentioned?

"Satou. Kura. Come,"

Mia's dad yanked on my sleeve, reminding me this was not our destination. After traversing the bridge and leaving the hangar, we were delivered to a luminous Floating Board that took us up an incline. Apart from us, no one else was present, and I noted several similar passages.