Chapter 1070: The Glider (I)
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
They filed out of the training room and marched along the pavement toward the south.
There were brand new red brick houses along the road, some were just completed and some were half-done. According to Finkin, it had been a coastal wasteland here just a year ago, with nothing but a few tree trunks here and there. Now, the construction team had turned this place into a "city within a city".
The city was walled. Although the hedge was not high, it was tall enough to set a boundary between the city and the rest of the world. A warning sign which read "No climbing. Offenders will be shot down" was hung on the wall, keeping those who attempted to climb over the hedge away from this area.
There were several dormitories, cafeterias, playgrounds, training rooms and classrooms in this enclosure. It had actually taken Good a full day to completely understand what those weird words meant. In short, they lived and studied in here, cut off from contact with the outside world, leading an exclusive lifestyle which their instructor referred to as a "closed system".
The enclosure was pretty big. Good had been here for several weeks, but he still did not know where the edge of the hedge was. One of the reasons for this was that the trainees were confined within the area between their dormitories and the playground. They were forbidden to go anywhere else unless given special permission.
It should be noted that the construction of the school had been completed within just a year.
Good had known a long time ago that Neverwinter was famous for its monstrous speed of building houses. However, he had no idea how fast it actually was until he moved to the "city within a city" in the Western Region this winter.
It had only taken them one week to complete a red bungalow on the south side of the playground.
Compared to other cities, the work efficiency here was phenomenal.
After they crossed the playground, the group suddenly erupted into a loud murmur.
This was a restricted area normally forbidden to the students.
For the first time, they saw what this area looked like. Their view was filled with nothing but a vast open field. All they could see was the blue sky above dotted with puffs of white clouds. A short way farther on, they saw the endless Swirling Sea. A cold sea breeze brushed upon Good's cheeks, instantly reviving his spirit.
Used to the familiar view of dense red brick houses, Good felt the whole world instantly expand in front of him.
"Strange... I thought there would be something marvelous here," Hinds mumbled. "Isn't it just a clearing?"
He was right. It was a clearing with nothing but a few blackstone tracks, wider than the main street in Neverwinter, which stretched away to the east and west.
No wonder Hinds did not understand why it was a restricted area.
"Probably because they feared we'd be too absorbed in this beautiful view to pay attention to the road underneath and fall into the sea." Finkin grinned. "But I think I'll be more willing to learn if our classroom is here."
"But you have no desire to learn at all in the first place," someone jested.
"Hey, do you want to make a bet?" Finkin stared back. "Let's see who had a higher grade in the past exam?"
"Drop it. Look over there!" Good raised his brows. "Someone's already here."
"They're from the other class..." At these words, the whole group fell silent. Although they had not talked to the other class, they had heard a lot about them from their instructor, who constantly spoke highly of their performances. They not only completed all the tasks assigned to them during the day but also requested for more in the evening. Some of them insisted on sitting in the chair even though they had vomit all over. They were the so-called top students who simply beat them in every subject, making them look like a bunch of dunces.
They thus automatically viewed the students from the other class as their rivals.
"Raise your head."
"Stare right into their eyes. We don't want to lose to them!"
They started to encourage each other.
Meanwhile, the other group of students looked just as intense as them.
Sensing the glares, those students all gazed at them coldly, long-faced, looking nothing like model students.
The tension between the two groups was not reduced until they had parted.
"Alright, you all wait here," Eagle Face bellowed as he stopped at the blackstone track. "Remember, you're not allowed to leave your spot no matter what you see. Both His Majesty and Her Highness will be here. Any frivolous action would be viewed as a potential danger, and you know very well its consequence."
"The king... will come as well?"
"No, he should be here already," thought Good, as he noticed the shed on the other side of the clearing had been surrounded by soldiers from the First Army and the police. Apparently, only the presence of the King of Graycastle would require such seamless security.
It seemed that the king did highly regard the Aerial Knights.
Good started to look forward to the unfolding of the event.
For a second, he put Eagle Face's meaningful sneer out of his mind.
...
In the hangar, there was completely a different scene.
The first glider, the "Seagull" was ready for her virgin trip.
This was also the very first manned glider after Tilly learned how to operate the testing gilder. Compared to the testing glider, this one was larger with wider and thicker wings. The frame of the glider was covered with skins. It was equipped with various supplementary facilities such as portholes, chairs, an airtight door that could be opened from the back, etc. In short, the "Seagull" was a real plane.
The traditional gliders in modern society were used as a supplementary transportation tool to cargo aircrafts. They were made of low-quality materials such as wooden frames and holey canvas. However, the "Seagull" was the exact opposite of her shabby predecessors. It was made of aaluminumalloys and steels with high tensile strength. Most of her major parts were integrally molded, with minimal bolts and welding. As for the non-structural parts, there were numerous small holes in it to minimize the weight of the aircraft. The magic coating ensured no gas would leak upon a huge air pressure difference. The bottom of the aircraft was armored for force landing purposes. As long as the plane maintained its stability, the armor would protect the crew and passengers from injuries even if the plane crashed.
The glider would be used to carry witches.
As the "Seagull" would be the only plane in Neverwinter, Roland had to make sure it was absolutely safe.
"Well then... I'm boarding." Anna pressed a gentle kiss to Roland's cheek. "See you tomorrow."
"Stay safe. Don't force yourself," Roland reminded her. "If you encounter the demons, remember to protect yourself."
Anna smiled. "I know. You've said the same thing to me over and over again."
"Please don't worry. I'll protect her," said Phyllis, the God's Punishment Witch, solemnly.
Roland let Anna go reluctantly. After quite a while, he disengaged Anna and nodded slowly. "Off you go. I'll wait for you right here."
The First Army had actually built an airport at the edge of the forest, where the railways took a turn. Since there was no transportation tool that could complete a trip of over 500 miles within one day except Maggie, Roland had to invent a glider as an alternative.
The "Seagull" could carry 20 people at most. So, other than the pilots Tilly and Wendy, it could take 18 additional passengers in total, or cargo of 1,000 kilograms (when the chairs were removed). The speed of the glider depended on Wendy's magic power. Even if it flew at a "low" speed of 200 miles an hour, it could at least complete two round trips between Neverwinter and the front within a day, which was the fastest they could achieve at present.