Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 55: The Best Entrance!

Kashi and the Maggots slowly set down their skycars on the skyboat's deck. The daeben helped Lunette off and then disembarked. The daeben then followed Otto, who climbed to the ship using the 'stairs' he mentioned earlier.

Otto proceeded to give the group a comprehensive tour of the skyship. The skyship comprised of four main sections. There was the top deck, which travelers could climb up to during a flight to bask in the breeze. Otto pointed to a crystal construct at the center of the deck. The crystal powered an array which was responsible for creating a forcefield just above the deck, but beneath the sails.

The forcefield blocked and then transformed incoming winds into a slight breeze, such that no matter how fast the ship was traveling, passengers could always stand on deck to enjoy the view.

The second section was the captain's quarters, which was connected to the deck on a raised platform. The door to the captain's quarters was a heavy iron door, opened by a specially crafted key. Otto explained that this was for security, to reduce the chances of a hijacking mid-flight.

Otto opened the door, leading the group into a small divided into two sections by a demarcating wall. The first, which Kashi saw upon entry housed a giant steering wheel, as well as some tall levers. A few Rinks were hung from the roof above the steering, allowing the captain to send a call to different portions of the ship at once.

The second portion housed two small beds and a dining table for the times when the captain needed to rest. The skyboat would have two pilots on board at all times, allowing the captains to switch out when either was tired or came down with an illness.

The two pilot system was especially important because the ship currently had a maximum cruising speed of about 150 km/h. At its current pace, a flight from Merriheim to Ederwood could take anywhere from 12-15 hours. That was a long time for a single pilot to keep vigilant.

However, Leila noticed a problem and asked, "How does the pilot see where they're going?" They were currently in a room with no window, which begged the question of how the pilots were supposed to navigate through the clouds.

"Jade-dono is currently working on that," Otto replied with a confident grin. "She said it should be finished by today or tomorrow."

"Oh, alright," Lunette muttered as she sent Kashi a questioning glance. 'Who is Jade, really?'

Kashi responded to her question with a shrug. He was just as clueless as she was. Initially, he thought he had an inkling of Jade's intelligence when she helped Suzuki design the skyboats and trains, but this was on a whole other level.

With the captain's cabin tour complete, Otto escorted the Maggots out of the room and then opened a trapdoor on the skyboat's deck. The trapdoor opened to a small, spiral staircase which Otto and the Maggots descended.

"Oh my," Lunette softly exclaimed as she admired the lavish lounge that occupied the skyboat's second floor. Guests could procure expensive drinks from a mini bar to the right, and then take a seat on beautiful couches and chairs, most of which could recline into a makeshift bed. Bookshelves with various novels and literature strategically placed around the room, and breathtaking paintings on the walls completed the feel-good atmosphere.

"This is the Premium Lounge," Otto explained with a bright smile. "Miote-san personally asked for this, and we decided to include it after Jade-dono's agreement." He then went on to explain that the Premium Lounge would belong to passengers who were willing to pay absurd amounts of money for pleasure.

Kashi's brows slightly furrowed. He had indeed given Jade full authority on the skyboat's construction, but he had also specifically said he wanted the passengers to be comfortable during the flight. He feared that in pursuit of profit, Miote might have squished the regular paying customers together like real life airlines.