#19 – Up in the Air
“Woah…!”
We could see the imperial city of Alekheim below.
And we were viewing it from the sky. From the windows of an airship.
“Ah, over there!”
Alnera, who was usually so quiet, said as excitedly as she pointed.
She was pointing at the great crowd along the main street. And the parade.
Lavishly dressed people were playing instruments in a storm of confetti, followed by a procession of floats. The participants ranged from large corporations to individuals. From the first day to the last, over a hundred teams would be represented.
I couldn’t help but smile at how happy the students were.
To be honest, even though I had been on planes in my past life, this was still exciting.
In the first place, an airship was completely different.
It was the kind of thing you saw in science fiction. I had no idea how it even worked… I was probably related to magic.
We were on a deck, like that of a ship, but all I could feel was a gentle breeze.
“Thank you. We were not expecting to be able to ride this.”
I bowed to the woman in military uniform, who stood next to me. She smiled with a, ‘It was nothing at all.’
“Still… I know we’re already here… But I heard the tickets were very expensive.”
“This ship is not used for sightseeing. It is a patrol ship. Officially, you can see this as part of recruitment. A tour of your future place of occupation.”
She said cooly.
Lieutenant Ada Evereen. She was in the air force, and had invited us to come aboard, once we visited the airport.
“Recruit?”
“If such promising students from my old school decide to join the airforce after this opportunity…well, the expenses are nothing.”
“Your old school…”
“Yes. I am also from Viskinel. When I heard that the students had advanced in every category this year, I could hardly contain my excitement.”
She laughed and said she was very proud.
The other studently looked a little embarrassed but pleased.
“Well, even without my personal feelings, we wanted as many brilliant personnel as possible.”
The empire was a military state.
But as their lands did not face the sea, there was no real need for a navy. Especially since the seas were so dangerous and unknown here.
And so even though they had an airforce now, the main army was on land, in the center.
The air force was not even one fifth the size of the army.
“However, considering how airships are becoming more widespread among civilians, we will likely become much busier in the future.”
“Civilians?”
Asked Ms. Iria. The lieutenant nodded.
“Within three years, we plan to have many more passenger ships in the air. The tourist ships are a test.”
The students seemed quite excited about this prospect.
I came from a world where every place had been explored. But to them, it must sound revolutionary.
“In the end, there will be privately owned airship companies. And then airships will become a very normal thing.”
“But I thought they were the results of military secrets…”
Even now, we were restricted as to what parts of the ship we were allowed to see. And there were guards to make sure of it.
The airport itself kept civilians out most of the time.
“Right now, yes. No matter how many spies we crush, more come crawling out. But the reality is, other countries already have this technology.”
During the dark ages of the empire, people had defected, and sold the secrets to other countries. And so there were already others with working airships.
“And so the importance of the air force will only grow. After all, its power was proven in the last war.”
“…The Ugrile war?”
She nodded.
That war had been expected to go on for a long time, but it ended in a year. This was because airships had been used to destroy the governing body of the revolutionary government.
“The empire is in its dawn. After the magic revolution, new technologies were born that changed the world. If the world changes, the battlefield will change as well.”
By air, you could invade enemy bases which magic and cannons could not reach.
It was a new way to fight.
The way they fought in my old world.
“It won’t be about land. People fight over the sky. Airships will clash, and whoever dominates the air will dominate the war.”
She sounded very sure of this.
And I had to agree. Because I knew that history.
“And our air force will be the frontrunners. The powerful shield for the empire. And we will need as many recruits as we can get.”
I could see it in her eyes.
The empire had not abandoned the possibility of war.
They were just waiting. Until no one could go against their stored up power.
(This is the empire, huh?)
Victor of the northern continent.
I had only seen a glimpse of its true nature, but couldn’t help but grimace.