Chapter 42: The Ruler of the Skies
There was a saying that if one wants to truly understand a country at a glance, one should visit its capital.
Ascal took advantage of a holiday to tour the empire's capital.
"Fresh bread for sale! Get your freshly baked bread! Warm and fluffy!"
The city was bustling with life.
Adults hurried back and forth, while children laughed and played in the streets.
But Ascal knew something they didn't.
The empire was destined to fall.
"Why is there an extra piece of bread?"
“Ah, that one’s a freebie. It's a new recipe, give it a try."
“Is business going well these days?”
"Indeed. I've never seen the economy this booming. Every day brings something new."
The baker, wearing a golden necklace, smiled brightly.
Stepping outside the bakery, Ascal noticed a street performer playing music.
'Quite skillful.'
Ascal pulled out a coin to give to the musician.
"Ah, I no longer accept copper."
The hat laid out for tips was overflowing with coins.
Was it just his imagination?
There was no hint of the impending doom.
In fact, the empire seemed more prosperous than before.
Yet, Ascal hadn't changed his mind.
Why would such a flourishing empire fall?
It was due to the festering issues within, coupled with a series of catastrophic events.
Events that would soon shake the empire to its core.
They would later be referred to as the Three Great Calamities of the Empire.
And the time for the first calamity was approaching.
"Look over there! It's the genius inventor, Bernstein!"
Someone shouted, pointing in a direction, and everyone turned to look.
It was a procession on horseback.
The strange thing was that the horses weren't real; they were machines powered by magic stones.
"Over here, Mr. Bernstein!"
“Please show us your face just once!”
The man riding the golden horse in the center, a long mustachioed man, turned his head towards the noisy crowd. He was the inventor, Bernstein.
His popularity was immense.
In the empire, Bernstein's fame was unrivaled, second to none.
His string of successful inventions had firmly engraved his name in the annals of the empire.
Some even went so far as to call Bernstein a divine being of the empire, the saint.
But Ascal knew the truth about Bernstein.
He was nothing more than a charlatan who had been lucky.
The empire, trusting him, handed over the grand project 'The Ruler of the Skies', which Bernstein spectacularly ruined.
The level of his failure was almost unprecedented, ranking as one of the Three Great Calamities of the empire.
"Wait a minute. Your face looks familiar. Could it be..."
Ascal hastily made his escape.
He had the feeling that his time in the city was getting shorter and shorter. Or was it just his imagination?
****
"Today, I have an important matter, Ascal."
It was a familiar face now.
The Crown Prince, with a document adorned in gold, entered Ascal's office.
And then, his eyes met Lia's.
"Um..."
"..."
Even the outgoing Crown Prince found himself at a loss for words in that moment.
"May I offer you some tea, Your Highness?"
"Oh, that's fine. I need to leave shortly."
Until now, Lia had avoided the Crown Prince whenever he appeared at the evaluation department, but after telling her truth, she seemed to have changed her approach to not avoiding him deliberately.
The Crown Prince handed Ascal the document.
[The Ruler of the Skies]
It had finally arrived.
Ascal felt a sense of relief upon seeing the title written on the paper.
"Ho, you seem to like it. Did you guess the content just by seeing the title?"
"The secret airship development project that's been rumored about?"
"Correct."
The empire had conquered land and sea, but the sky remained an uncharted territory.
Only monsters, high-level magicians, and the legendary Pegasus could venture into the sky in this era.
But the empire was eyeing the sky.
If the empire could dominate this unclaimed territory of the sky, it would significantly outpace others. That was the thinking of the empire's elite.
"What do you think?"
The Crown Prince gazed thoughtfully at Ascal, who was engrossed in the document. It was none other than Ascal Debrue, whose insight was certainly worth considering, even for the Crown Prince.
"Very good."
"I knew you'd recognize its importance."
The Crown Prince replied with a pleased expression.
"This matter is of great concern to the empire. That's why I've come to the evaluation department for a thorough check before proceeding. Do you see any potential issues?"
"This plan is flawless."
[ Chief Developer: Bernstein ]
Once he saw this part, Ascal felt there was no need to look further.
The Crown Prince chuckled pleasantly, noticing Ascal glaring at the name 'Bernstein.'
"Bernstein, a great inventor indeed. Aren't he and you currently the most talked-about names in the empire? Hahaha. The empire's hidden dragon and its divine being, together at last."
Knowing the outcome of this venture, Ascal couldn't help but wear a complex expression.
The airship demonstration, watched by the Emperor, the imperial family, royals and nobles from other kingdoms, journalists, and citizens, would end with the airship crashing spectacularly in mid-air.
The empire would suffer a tremendous loss of face in front of the entire world, squandering all the invested funds.
The incident would infuriate the Emperor to the point of worsening his pneumonia and shortening his lifespan.
It was indeed a disaster in every sense of the word.
'The empire's divine being, the saint, will literally lose his head, and I, having actively approved this, will likely be fired.'
Still, thanks to his accrued merits, Ascal doubted it would come to the beheading him. Perhaps just narrowly avoiding?
Ascal imagined himself lounging leisurely on the beaches of the Kelli Kingdom after being fired.
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Likewise."
The Crown Prince, reassured by Ascal's response, clapped him on the shoulder, visibly in a better mood.
"Then, I'll leave the pre-flight inspection of the airship entirely to you. The evaluation department will take charge and handle the on-site responsibilities. I'm counting on you, Ascal."
Having conveyed his message, the Crown Prince then made his way directly to the recreation room.
****
"I need to select the right person for the dispatch."
Ascal sat quietly, contemplating the personnel selection.
This required careful consideration.
Absolutely not someone too competent. Anyone with the acumen to realize the airship was a scam had to be thoroughly excluded.
"I'll prepare to go as well."
"You'll stay here."
"…yes?"
Especially someone like Lia.
'Thinking of going on a fool's errand, and then Zhuge Liang* wants to join? No chance.'
"While I'm away on dispatch, you're the only one capable of handling any issues that might arise in the evaluation department, Lia."
"Understood."
Ascal placated Lia with a suitable excuse. She nodded, seemingly understanding.
****
After much deliberation, Ascal completed the selection.
First, Ascal Debrue, the director of the evaluation department.
That was a given.
Second, Herben, the head of the Department 4. An artist of naps, a born genius of incompetence.
Third, the most recently recruited talent.
Arin Asht. A lady bringing misfortune wherever she goes, a troublemaker. One must never get too close to her.
And finally, Sushia.
'Even I'm impressed by this lineup.'
It was a lineup that wouldn't be outdone anywhere.
****
Ascal, Herben, Arin, and Sussia.
They were on their way to Bernstein's laboratory.
"Are we getting extra pay for this, Director-nim?"
Sushia was the first to ask.
Surprisingly, Bernstein's lab wasn't far away. The reason was simple: the more successful the inventor, the more money they had.
That was why they could afford to set up their lab in an expensive central area.
And then, visible from a distance, was the huge airship.
"Wow. That must be the airship in development."
Arin admired the airship visible through the carriage window.
Ascal was skeptical.
It looked more like a showpiece than an actual functioning airship.
In other words, needlessly fancy.
Even though it wasn't a functioning airship yet, the empire's emblem was already painted on the ship's head, and it was adorned with extravagant decorations.
It seemed like a tremendous amount of money had been squandered. It felt like all the funding from the empire had been poured into its exterior.
'Indeed. Worthy of being the first of the Three Great Calamities.'
As the carriage approached closer, guards emerged from a checkpoint.
"This is a restricted area. Identify yourselves."
"Ascal Debrue, Director of the Evaluation Department."
"Let them through!"
The fence blocking the carriage promptly disappeared.
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
[TL: Zhuge Liang: Zhuge Liang, a famous ancient Chinese strategist known for his intelligence.
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