This flying vessel test was repeatedly extended as the dwarves scrambled to get on board.
Thanks to the short and heavy stature of the dwarves, Lin Gui's experience in controlling the vessel under a multi-person load accumulated rapidly.
It was just a bit "dwarf-consuming."
Lin Gui himself had lost count of how many dwarves had been thrown out during high-speed turns.
If it had been a normal three-person ride, it wouldn't have been like this.
But the actions of the first two dwarves had completely made the eyes of their fellow clansmen turn red with envy.
As a result, more and more dwarves jumped onto the vessel later on, causing a severe overload.
This wild aerial game finally came to a halt only when Lin Gui's mana was close to running dry.
The levitation of the flying vessel relied entirely on his Levitation spell.
Meanwhile, the wind pressure cannon was powered by pre-installed magic crystals.
With the test over, Lin Gui was extremely satisfied with the flying vessel.
It was almost custom-made for him.
Under the reluctant gazes of the dwarves, Lin Gui piloted the flying vessel alone, slowly drifting back to Balin's forge workshop.
Inside the workshop, Theia's eyes were shining with stars, her excitement yet to fade.
Grom clicked his tongue in amazement, shaking his head and sighing.
Balin smiled and said to Lin Gui,
“I reckon in the entire Akara Continent, you're the only one who can handle this thing.”
Lin Gui returned a smile.
“And only a master artisan like you could create such a masterpiece.”
Balin waved his hand, his expression turning a bit strange.
“No, if anyone asks who built this...”
“You'd better not say it was me.”
Lin Gui was puzzled. “Why?”
Grom burst into laughter from the side.
“Because this thing is basically a walking coffin lid out in the wilderness!”
“No concealment runes, no protective armor.”
“If anyone who knows their stuff sees it...”
He winked. “They'll definitely wonder if the artisan had a grudge against you and designed this thing just to get you killed.”
“A coffin lid?” Hearing that there was a catch, Theia quickly pressed for details.
After understanding the reason, she let out a sigh of relief instead.
“With Lin Gui around, who needs concealment runes?”
Her reaction was caught by Grom and Balin.
The two dwarves exchanged a strange look.
With Lin Gui around, they didn't need concealment runes???
Then, the two of them looked at Lin Gui again.
Indeed, a very standard High-tier High Rank mage.
With this strength... could he cast concealment magic that rivaled concealment runes?
Concealment runes were the most crucial component for vehicles traversing the wilderness.
They were extremely expensive, and their concealment capability was incredibly powerful.
There were even records of them successfully fooling Low-tier Legendary demons.
What could a mere High Rank mage do to compare with such top-tier dwarven creations?
Could he be harboring some legendary concealment artifact in his robes?
But as far as they remembered, the only artifact with a concealment function, the Veil of Eternal Silence, was in the hands of the Arcane Brotherhood.
The doubts in their hearts grew deeper, but neither of them voiced them.
Grom patted the hull of the flying vessel and said to Lin Gui,
“Alright, looks like you're very satisfied.”
“Let's complete the final step then.”
“Give your flying vessel a name.”
Lin Gui thought for a moment, his lips curving upward.
“Let's call it the ‘7-Copper Post Office Exclusive Express Flying Vessel.’”
As for why it was "express" and not "mail delivery"...
Wasn't his trip this time precisely to "deliver" an elf?
After all, not long ago, Lin Gui had even "delivered" a skeleton.
The welding torch in Balin's hand paused.
“...Isn't this name a bit too... down-to-earth?”
“Are you sure?”
Lin Gui asked back, curious,
“What is the name of the North Wind caravan's Wheelless Train then?”
Balin's expression became even stranger.
“It's called ‘Ullr’—the god of the winter hunt worshiped by the city-states of the far north.”
He looked at the compact flying vessel before him.
“Even though I'm reluctant to admit I built this...”
“Isn't this name a bit too careless?”
Lin Gui smiled.
“Let's stick with this.”
“Maybe when it flies over other city-states, it can even serve as an advertisement for me.”
Seeing his persistence, Balin stopped trying to persuade him.
After repeatedly warning him "absolutely do not say I built it,"
he raised his welding torch and neatly branded on both sides of the flying vessel:
【7-Copper Post Office Exclusive Express Flying Vessel】.
The vehicle was completely finished.
It was also time to set out for the Wall of Sighs.
When Lin Gui proposed leaving Shield City,
Grom began to rack his brains again, trying to think of a reason to make him stay.
Balin, however, was much more direct.
He looked at Lin Gui and said in a solemn tone,
“Sorry, kid.”
“If you wanted to go anywhere else, I wouldn't stop you.”
“But the Wall of Sighs—I cannot let you go there.”
Grom looked at him in shock.
“Boss, you're just going to say it outright like that?”
Balin gave him a speechless look.
“What's there to hide?”
“We're doing this for his own good. We should be open and honest about it, so why beat around the bush?”
Balin's interference was within Lin Gui's expectations.
And Theia had already learned from Lin Gui
that because of Copperhammer's request, the dwarves wanted to keep them here.
Recalling this past week, which felt like a dream,
Theia actually secretly hoped the dwarves would succeed.
There was no discrimination against half-demons here.
She could walk around freely without having to hide.
No banishment, no slander.
But she knew this was not a long-term solution.
Shield City was the most important defensive city-state on the western side.
Even if high-ranking officials like the Fortress Lord allowed it,
the Central City-States would never permit a half-demon to stay for long.
Hadn't Copperhammer, who was a member of the Heroic Clan, also ultimately chosen to leave?
Lin Gui sighed softly and looked at Balin.
“I am grateful for everyone's hospitality over the past few days.”
“But for the sake of my companion, I must go to Avalon.”
Balin pointed ruthlessly at Theia.
“Then why not go to a remote city-state? Like Caran?”
“Why insist on going to a place that might not even exist?”
Lin Gui's tone was calm.
“Theia lived in Caran for seven years.”
Grom was puzzled.
“Then why did she leave?”
Lin Gui replied,
“The previous City Lord of Caran coerced her with trumped-up charges—”
“forcing her to hunt a Legendary demon to obtain an Umbral Tree Flower.”
“I saved her, but she no longer had a place to belong.”
In fact, after the reforms, Caran City could now accommodate a half-demon like Theia.
It was already capable of hosting a half-demon like her.
But Lin Gui would not do that.
It wasn't just for the "rewards."
He simply did not want to drag Theia into his revenge.
From the moment he handed the Heavenly Star Registry to Elvia,
Caran City had already become a cog in his plan for vengeance.
Right now, in the eyes of the Alliance,
a city-state reformed by the Heavenly Star Registry was far more intolerable than a half-demon.
Caran's visible prosperity was a prosperity built on a powder keg.
Lin Gui knew full well the massive danger that likely awaited them, yet he had still pushed the citizens of Caran onto this high-speed train that could derail at any moment.
But this time, whether it eventually crashed or not, Lin Gui would go down with it.
To live together, or sink into eternal ruin together.
Lin Gui sat in the flying vessel.
Theia stepped aboard and sat down behind him.
She looked back at this city built inside the mountain, reluctance showing in her eyes.
Lin Gui gripped the steering wheel with both hands,
but suddenly turned his head to look at Balin and Grom.
“Aren't you... going to use force to stop us?”
Balin grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth.
“No need for that.”
He even walked over to the workshop's main entrance and made an exaggerated "after you" gesture as he opened the iron door.
He mimicked the posture of human nobles, yet it was filled with a characteristically rough dwarven playfulness.
Lin Gui's eyes narrowed slightly.
Without another word, he channeled his mana to propel the flying vessel forward.
Watching the flying vessel disappear down the end of the passage, Grom asked anxiously,
“Boss! You're just letting him leave like that?!”
Balin chuckled and patted his shoulder.
“Don't worry.”
“I activated that thing in advance.”
“As long as that kid is still inside Shield City—”
“he won't be able to get out.”
Grom was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock.
“You mean... ‘that thing’?!”
“But doesn't the Alliance dictate that it can only be activated when deep-sea demon lords attack?”
“They even installed sensors to detect Epic-tier demons to prevent us from faking it!”
Balin gave him a speechless look.
“I swear, do you have a screw loose?”
“Just throw the demon cores from those four Epic demon corpses we have in storage right onto the sensors. Wouldn't that do it?”
Grom was still a bit hesitant.
“But activating that thing... isn't the consumption too high...”
Balin slapped him on the back of his head.
“The Central City-States are reimbursing the expenses anyway!”
“Why the hell are you feeling bad for them?”
Grom opened his mouth, completely speechless.
Rate on N.U.
