It had to be said that the dwarves’ craftsmanship was truly exquisite. The gondola they had built was not only sturdy and durable but also displayed extraordinary ingenuity in its details.
Once the doors and windows were closed, the interior of the gondola became a quiet little world of its own. The noise and clamor of the outside world were completely shut out, to the point that even the thunderous roar from behind Iron Man No. 23 was barely audible.
Compared to the thrilling experience of riding a griffin, this mode of travel felt exceptionally stable and comfortable.
While its speed might not have matched Kite Claw’s full flight, the sense of composure and tranquility it provided was deeply pleasant.
Ronald had even added observation windows all around the gondola, though not long after takeoff, the scenery outside turned into a monotonous expanse of blue sky and white clouds.
Once her initial excitement faded, Aila began to enjoy the comfort. She had Midir rummage through his storage space for the various snacks and drinks they had bought earlier, and the two of them chatted happily while sampling the food.
Once the Iron Man had stabilized its flight at a certain altitude, a hatch suddenly opened on the roof of their gondola. Under their watchful eyes, Ronald, dressed in a leather suit, nimbly jumped inside and sat down beside them.
“Phew, it’s much more comfortable in here. It’s surprisingly cold in the cockpit at this altitude. I’ll have to think about installing a heating device in there in the future.”
After entering the cabin, Ronald rubbed his hands together. Seeing the pile of snacks laid out before him, he didn’t stand on ceremony and picked one up to eat.
Seeing this, Aila couldn't help but look out the window with some concern.
“Ronald, is it really okay for you to leave the cockpit so suddenly? Doesn’t No. 23 need you to control it in real-time?”
“Mmm... It’s fine, don’t worry, Aila. In my design, as long as it doesn’t involve combat or complex maneuvers, it can run on autopilot. Simple things like cruising through the sky aren't a problem.”
Ronald swallowed the pastry in his mouth and spoke with a laugh, gesturing for the two to put their minds at ease.
Unlike Aila, Midir appeared quite indifferent. He confidently stated that even if an emergency occurred, he had the ability to ensure everyone's safety. This composed attitude earned him a roll of the eyes from Aila.
However, after seeing that the mech didn't encounter any issues while flying without manual control, Aila finally relaxed and began discussing her thoughts on the upcoming journey to the Valley of Ice with the two of them.
The Valley of Ice was located in the dead center of the Leon Continent, surrounded by a ring of massive mountains. It was almost entirely isolated from the rest of the world—less a valley and more a world independent of the continent.
It was said that during the Age of Gods ten thousand years ago, the Valley of Ice served as the Holy Landing Site that connected to the God City high in the heavens. The sky-piercing Crown Peak in the center of the valley was the only passage connecting the mortal world and the divine realm.
During the catastrophe ten thousand years ago, the gods fell one after another, and the Age of Gods came to an end. The once incredibly prosperous Holy Landing Site transformed into the forbidden zone it was today: the Valley of Ice.
The area was shrouded in extreme cold and blizzards year-round. The temperature was so low that even the northern snowfields couldn't compare.
In such a harsh and extreme environment, countless powerful magical beasts were born. They roamed across the frozen land, making the Valley of Ice one of the most dangerous places on the entire continent.
The only entrance to the entire Valley of Ice was the Emerald City-State, located in the southern part of the ring of mountains—a place steeped in legend and mystery.
Rumor had it that the predecessor of Emerald City was just a tiny church located outside the Holy Landing Site. Although the gods no longer existed, the teachings of the God of Light had miraculously survived there, spreading outward with that church as the center.
After ten thousand years of development, the teachings of the Holy Church of Light eventually spread across the entire Leon Continent. The small town centered around that original church slowly grew into one of the largest city-states on the continent.
As a result, Emerald City held a very special status. It was the holy city in the hearts of all believers and the only city that was not under the jurisdiction of any royal family.
The Holy Church of Light, now a colossal entity, controlled the entire city while also taking on the responsibility of blocking the powerful magical beasts from the Valley of Ice that might emerge to cause chaos at any time.
After listening to Aila’s detailed explanation, Midir couldn't help but look surprised.
He had never imagined that the Holy Church of Light possessed such massive power and far-reaching influence.
Aila teased him with a grin. “Regretting not accepting Bishop Kavi’s recruitment now? If you had agreed, you might have soared to the top of the world by now!”
“You’re not wrong. Do you think it’s still not too late for me to join? By the way, where’s that token Bishop Kavi gave me before he left?”
Midir also caught the teasing tone in her voice and made a show of pulling out the communication stone he had received a few days ago, as if to contact Kavi.
“You! I was just joking!”
Aila hurriedly snatched the white stone from his hand, putting on a look of feigned anger.
“Haha, won’t you let me make a joke too? By the way, Ronald, what do you think of the Holy Church of Light?”
Rather than continuing to tease the pouting Aila, Midir turned to ask Ronald, who was busy eating snacks.
Ronald put down his snack, wiped his mouth, and after thinking for a moment, answered seriously.
“The Holy Church of Light... From my perspective, they are definitely very rich. Every time they come to our home to order equipment or materials, it’s always on a grand scale, and they never haggle. That’s quite impressive.”
“Furthermore, I feel that most of them are quite kind and take their work very seriously. Of course, that might be because they are constrained by their strict faith and teachings.”
“As for other aspects, I don’t know much. After all, the Holy Church of Light’s main area of activity isn't in the dwarves’ kingdom, and they don’t come to our lands to preach. So, my understanding of them is limited to that.”
“That’s true; it makes sense. Since we have to pass through Emerald City on this trip, should we have some interaction with the Holy Church of Light?”
Midir pondered for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly as he weighed the pros and cons.
However, his train of thought was quickly interrupted by Ronald and Aila.
Since Aila happened to be holding the communication stone, Ronald began discussing his experience using those wind goggles with her.
Midir then remembered that although both items possessed communication functions, they were used in completely different ways.
“Aila, do you have any other thoughts on the Multi-functional Magic Crystal Detection Eyepiece Type 11? You can tell me anything, and I’ll make the corresponding improvements.”
“As for drawbacks? It might be a bit too heavy and bulky. It feels a bit strange having it hanging on my head all the time. Also, it seems a bit too simple if it can only share basic information with teammates—it’s not much different from a communication stone. But the real-time conversation feature is good. Oh, and it might have too many functions; it takes a lot of time to get used to...”
Aila counted on her fingers as she spoke, clearly expressing her views.
Meanwhile, Ronald pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket and seriously recorded every point of Aila’s feedback.
“True, simplifying some functions should effectively reduce the weight. But improving the quality of real-time calls to match the distance-ignoring effect of a communication stone is a technical challenge. It’s difficult to achieve with current technology.”
While responding to Aila, Ronald skillfully operated the tools in his hands, performing on-site adjustments to the wind goggles.
Midir watched Ronald’s focused figure. Those complex mechanical parts and circuits seemed to come alive in his hands, making Midir feel a surge of admiration. But he soon felt a bit bored, so his gaze naturally drifted toward the window.
Outside was the vast, boundless blue sky and layers of white clouds. Iron Man No. 23 was cutting through them at a steady speed, heading toward Emerald City.
However, the distance from Azure City-State to Emerald City-State was vast. Even at their current speed, it would still take a significant amount of time.
Just then, Midir’s attention was caught by an anomaly in the distant clouds. It was a tiny black dot, exceptionally conspicuous against the pure white clouds.
It was currently weaving nimbly through the cloud layer, moving at a speed that was simply astonishing.
Rate on N.U.
