Ghislain and Galbarik locked eyes, their shared ambition burning brightly between them. Both were eager to create something great, and the energy between them was palpable. The situation couldn't have been better for collaboration. Unable to contain his enthusiasm any longer, Galbarik fired off a string of questions. “So, where do we start? Should we upgrade the cosmetics equipment first? Or maybe we could enhance the housing complex? Since you mentioned the harvest season is near, how about agricultural tools? Just say the word, and we’ll get it all done within the timeframe you want!” “Wow, I’m impressed just listening to you. Of course, those things need to be done, but there's something more urgent right now.” “What is it?” “We’re going to build a flying machine.” “Huh? What did you just say?” “I said, we’re going to build a machine that flies.” After a moment of stunned silence, Galbarik asked, his voice trembling. “Did you... somehow get your hands on the legendary airship designs from the ancient empire?” “No, nothing that grand. Isn’t that just a legend anyway?” “Then how are you planning to make something fly?” Galbarik clicked his tongue in disbelief. Flight was the domain of creatures with wings or beings who could defy natural laws. A powerful archmage might be able to levitate something with great effort, but to call that a ‘machine’ seemed absurd. “There’s no way you could afford to hire an archmage... But fine, let’s hear this out.” With skeptical expressions, Galbarik and the other dwarves watched as Ghislain instructed a servant to light a small campfire. “Watch closely.” Ghislain tossed a piece of paper into the fire. As expected, the paper quickly turned to ash and floated up into the air. The dwarves watched, puzzled, as the ashes briefly floated upward before disintegrating. “What exactly are we supposed to be seeing here?” Galbarik asked, scratching his head. “Look at how the ash floated upward as the paper burned.” Ghislain tossed another piece of paper into the fire, and once again, bits of ash lifted into the air as it burned. Galbarik, still confused, asked, “So what? Isn’t that just because the wind blew it up?” “Then why did it go upward?” “Well... because it’s light?” Ghislain shook his head, a smug smile on his face. “I’m showing you this to explain a simple concept: hot air rises. That rising air lifts light objects with it.” The dwarves, unfamiliar with such an idea, tilted their heads in confusion. They had seen something similar before, having worked with fire often enough, but had never considered its significance. Still skeptical, Galbarik asked again, “Why does hot air rise? Are you sure about this?” How would I know? Ghislain thought. The flying machine he wanted to build was based on the hot air balloon technology from his previous life. Hot air balloons, with large bags filled with heated air, were often used for military reconnaissance back then. Ghislain didn’t know the precise science behind why hot air rose; he only knew the general concept. Answering these questions was starting to make him uncomfortable. “Ahem, that’s just how the world works. It’s a fundamental law. Do you understand why an apple falls to the ground when you drop it? Nobody really knows. It’s just how the world is. Right?” But Galbarik responded with an incredulous look. “What are you talking about? The great Dragon of Wisdom, Schwarzschild, explained that! There’s a powerful energy at the center of the world that pulls everything toward it. This force’s direction and magnitude are what we manipulate with gravity magic! That’s why demons are so powerful and live longer than humans—the energy is stronger in the Demon Realm than in the Middle Plane... Aren’t these things basic knowledge nobles learn at the Academy?” What the... Schwarz... what? Apparently, when it came to technical knowledge, dwarves could be even chattier than Vanessa. Ghislain had no clue about this Schwarzschild business. He never attended the Academy, and Belinda hadn’t taught him anything like this either. He understood gravity well enough, having used gravity magic in his training, but the intricate mechanics behind it? That was something for scholars and theorists. In his previous life, Ghislain hadn’t had the luxury to study. Most of his knowledge came from firsthand experience in the mercenary world. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞 But Ghislain had no intention of getting into a drawn-out academic debate, so he decided to do what he did best—ignore it. “Anyway, just remember this: hot air rises, and cold air sinks.” “...Fine. But how do you plan to build a flying machine based on that? I’ve never heard of anything floating near a fire.” “Think about it. Air is all around us. If you just heat a bit of it, it’ll quickly mix with the surrounding cold air. That’s why you need to trap the heated air, so it doesn’t escape.” “Trap air?” “Exactly. We’ll make a massive airbag, fill it with hot air, and the whole thing will lift off. Attach a basket for people to ride in, and there you have it—our flying machine.” “Oh... A flying machine!” The dwarves, now intrigued, nodded along. It was an entirely new concept, but the potential had piqued their interest. “Is this really possible? You don’t seem to have built one before... and there’s certainly no flying machine here in the territory.” “I’ve been busy with other things. But we’ll start small. Use the thinnest fabric we have, and we can use mages to fill and heat the air. I’ve given you the basic idea; you’ll need to handle the technical details yourselves.” “And how do we control its movement once it’s in the air?” “If you have a mage onboard, they can use a bit of wind magic to guide it. To keep it in place, just tie it down with a long rope. Simple enough, right?” “Understood! We’ll give it a try!” Despite their uncertainty, the dwarves were now visibly excited. If they could pull this off, they’d go down in history as the creators of the first flying machine. Though they hadn’t fully grasped the concept yet, the excitement of a new challenge was already fueling their motivation. Seeing their enthusiasm, Ghislain nodded approvingly. “Good. We’re on a tight schedule, so get started as soon as possible.” “Leave it to us!” Galbarik, his confidence now soaring, suddenly asked, “But what do you plan to use this flying machine for?” There were endless possibilities for its use, and Galbarik was sure Ghislain had thought of plenty. Still, he wanted to hear it from the young lord himself. Ghislain casually replied, “It’ll be great for reconnaissance during wartime. As long as we ensure it doesn’t crash, we can also use it to transport supplies. And if we market it for nobles’ entertainment, it could bring in a lot of money.” “As expected. Very well, Lord. Is there anything else you need?” There was plenty Ghislain needed. They still had to create new alloys and produce powerful weapons, but these were tasks that couldn’t be completed before attacking the Kavaldi territory. Producing enough alloy alone would require a large supply of iron ore. “There’s a lot to do. Since you’ll be working on the flying machine, tackle some of the urgent tasks alongside it.” “Just say the word. We’re faster and more precise than anyone else!” Pleased with Galbarik’s bold declaration, Ghislain gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s the dwarves for you. I knew I could count on you. Let’s start by upgrading the cosmetics equipment. We need to double production to meet our contract. You can handle that, right?” Though it was a significant task, the dwarves nodded. It would be difficult, but it wasn’t impossible for their skilled hands. “Understood. We’ll start with the flying machine and the cosmetics upgrades. We’ll finish it all as quickly as we can!” Galbarik, filled with determination, turned to leave. But Ghislain quickly grabbed his arm. “Where are you going? We’re not done talking.” “Uh?” “You said you could improve the housing complex too, right? Coordinate with the mages on the construction site and figure something out. You’ll need to work with them anyway for the flying machine. And build another village while you’re at it.” “Another village...?” “Of course! Dwarves are famous for their construction skills, aren’t they?” If the dwarves participated in the construction, the housing projects would progress at an incredible pace. After all, they were renowned for carving out homes in mountains and even building underground cities. It was well known, so Galbarik had no choice but to agree, albeit reluctantly. “Fine... we’ll handle that too.” But Ghislain wasn’t finished. “Oh, and the harvest season is coming up soon. We won’t have time for magical tools, so make regular farming equipment—metal, not wooden ones. We need to distribute iron tools across all the regions still using wood.” “Can’t the blacksmiths here handle that?” “There aren’t many blacksmiths in this territory. That’s why I brought so many dwarves. Besides, if we’re making tools, we might as well make them top quality.” “Uh... fine. We’ll handle it.” Sweat began to trickle down the dwarves’ backs. The workload was quickly piling up. But their pride wouldn’t allow them to back out after boasting about their speed and skill. “Then we’ll get started on—” Galbarik, sensing the overwhelming pressure of the tasks ahead, tried to redirect the conversation to work. It was his way of saying, Stop talking, let’s get to work! But Ghislain still had more to say. “Oh, and we’ve got some Blood Python hides. You can use them to make inner armor for the knights... Oh, and we’re also short on weapons. You’ll need to make those too...” Ghislain’s endless list of demands left the dwarves pale-faced, groaning under the sheer weight of their new responsibilities. “That... might be a bit much to handle all at once,” Galbarik muttered weakly. Ghislain tilted his head in mock confusion. “Why? Didn’t you say you were going to give it your all? And I promised to free you after ten years of loyal work. Didn’t you say you’d even stay slaves for the sake of learning new techniques? You get to learn, you get your freedom—it’s a great deal, isn’t it?” “Th-That’s true, but this is too much, too fast!” “This is normal in my territory.” Ghislain’s mind was already brimming with ways to effectively put the dwarves to work. The territory was chaotic, with an overwhelming amount of work to do. Time was short, and the tasks kept piling up. Now that the dwarves had arrived, they’d have to be worked to their limits to produce results. If they didn’t, everyone would be in serious trouble. Unaware of Ghislain’s inner thoughts, Galbarik took deep breaths and cautiously asked, “Then... what’s the deadline? Three months? No, we’ll need at least six months... maybe even a year to finish everything. Give us a year, and we’ll manage.” Galbarik’s tone had become unusually respectful, and he sounded desperate. The problem wasn’t the workload; it was the timeframe. With a year, they could get it done. If they worked nonstop, they could manage it all in about three months. But they needed to eat, sleep, and rest to survive, so he generously asked for a year. But Ghislain widened his eyes in surprise at Galbarik’s request. Then, with a sarcastic chuckle, he scolded the dwarf leader. “A year? What are you talking about? We don’t have that kind of time.” “Huh? Then how much time are you giving us?” Ghislain grasped Galbarik’s shoulders and smiled gently. “One month. That’s all you’ve got.”