Chapter 68 : Turning The Public Opinion Around
“And from what I’ve learned, Lady Vandemir is quite the capable magician. If such a beautiful and wise sorceress created it, then I can trust it enough to board.”
Having only met Lucas twice, Aracila was already accustomed to his playful flirtations and showed little reaction.
She and Damian led him to the storage facility where Bluebird was kept.
They would have liked to take him on a flight to personally confirm its safety, but since operations were currently suspended, that wasn’t an option.
Instead, they gave him a thorough tour of the airship, explaining its mechanisms in detail.
Lucas listened attentively and nodded seriously.
“Hearing all this definitely makes me feel more assured.”
“Did you understand everything I just explained?”
“No, not a word.”
Lucas dropped his serious expression and grinned smoothly.
Momentarily hopeful, Aracila let out a sigh, but strangely enough, she didn’t find him irritating or insufferable.
He had a talent for making everything feel lighthearted rather than offensive.
For a brief moment, she thought of Frederick—gentle and kind, yet so stubborn that if something didn’t align with his beliefs, he would turn icy cold.
‘He never liked talking about his brother… but honestly, I think this one has the better personality.’
Even with friends, Aracila had the objectivity to form independent judgments.
After finishing their tour, the three stepped outside.
Lucas, clearly pleased, hummed a tune before turning to the couple.
“I depart for the Kingdom of Silin in four days. I’ll send you the passenger list in advance, so make sure everything is prepared.”
“Understood.”
“Good, then I’ll be off now.”
Aracila and Damian politely bowed their heads.
Lucas turned to leave but suddenly walked toward Aracila, extending his hand.
“Would you grant me the honor of a farewell kiss?”
Damian’s brows furrowed ever so slightly.
Just as he was about to step in to spare his wife from any discomfort, a pale, slender hand reached out beside him.
Without hesitation, Aracila offered her hand, and Lucas lightly kissed the back of it.
“Next time we meet, I’ll make sure to bring flowers. I enjoyed our time today.”
“There’s no need. I’m not particularly fond of flowers. Have a safe trip, Your Highness.”
At her composed rejection, Lucas chuckled good-naturedly and walked away.
His knights promptly followed, forming a protective formation around him.
Aracila watched the prince disappear into the distance before suddenly feeling a gaze on her.
She turned her head.
Damian was staring at her intently.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Are you completely unbothered by strangers kissing the back of your hand?”
“He’s not a stranger; he’s the prince. And a hand-kiss is a common greeting. It’s nothing.”
Aracila shrugged indifferently.
Although she had little experience in social circles, she was still a noble by birth. Such gestures weren’t unfamiliar to her.
Even as a child, she had seen older noble boys greeting young ladies with a kiss on the hand.
But to Damian—who was sensitive to physical contact—it felt oddly unsettling.
He had only grown accustomed to touching her, while contact with others still felt uncomfortable.
Of course, Aracila had no such trauma, so her reaction was natural.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel strangely conflicted.
‘If it were me, I wouldn’t have accepted it from anyone except my spouse…’
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Damian smacked himself on the head.
He had unknowingly fallen into a mindset that was only expected between real married couples.
“Damian, are you crazy? Why did you just hit yourself?”
Aracila asked, startled.
Pressing his palm against his sore forehead, Damian answered,
“I nearly lost my mind for a moment, but I’m fine now.”
“…Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Yes. Let’s focus on the business.”
Without looking at her, Damian resolutely fixed his gaze forward.
***
News that the First Prince would be using the magic airship for his diplomatic mission to Silin quickly spread across the empire.
At first, the Emperor opposed using an airship that had been mired in controversy.
But Lucas was persistent in persuading him.
“This is an opportunity to showcase the empire’s advancements to the Kingdom of Silin and assert our dominance. If they see the sheer technological gap between us, they won’t even dream of breaking the treaty. Besides, I personally boarded the airship and confirmed its safety.”
With a touch of exaggeration, Lucas managed to soften his father’s stance.
“…Very well. Since you came of age, you’ve never disappointed me. I’ll trust you this time.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Having initially opposed the idea, the Emperor was ultimately convinced by Lucas’s reasoning and gave his approval.
However, the nobles accompanying the diplomatic mission were not so easily swayed.
“Your Highness, the safety of this magic airship is far too uncertain! Using it is reckless!”
“No, I checked it myself. It’s quite sturdy and secure.”
“But what if it crashes?!”
“Well, then I’ll get to experience wearing a life vest in midair for the first time! Hahaha!”
No matter what concerns they raised, the prince’s carefree and overly optimistic attitude left them exasperated.
As a result, several nobles dropped out of the delegation altogether.
This created vacancies in the airship’s passenger list.
Lucas left it to the Vandemirs to fill those empty seats.
“How do you want to proceed? Should we reinvite the nobles who previously showed interest?”
At Damian’s question, Aracila firmly shook her head.
“Once someone refuses, that’s the end of it. Trying to bring them back would just make us look desperate. Fill the remaining spots with family members.”
When the controversy first arose, one of the accusations they faced was, ‘Would you let your own family ride it?’
By actually boarding her own family members, Aracila could silence those critics in one move.
As she sent invitations to her relatives, she also turned to her juniors and said,
“You two can invite any friends or family members you’d like as well. There are plenty of seats.”
“Really? Then I’d love to invite my mother and younger siblings.”
“I’d like to bring my grandparents.”
Sally and Ludi’s eyes sparkled.
Since they had played a significant role in developing the magic airship, they more than deserved the right to invite their loved ones.
With the remaining seats filled, all that was left was the actual flight.
The public was deeply invested in whether the magic airship would successfully complete its journey.
Amid a mix of speculation, worry, and ridicule, the day of Bluebird’s maiden flight finally arrived.
Early in the morning, passengers began gathering on the outskirts of the capital.
After being stored away for some time, Bluebird was undergoing final checks before takeoff.
While Aracila and her team inspected the airship, Damian welcomed the passengers alone.
“Wow, so my dear Arie and my son-in-law built this together? Impressive! Hahaha.”
Marquis Hugo marveled at the grand and magnificent airship before him.
His wife smiled warmly at Damian and greeted him.
“Thank you for inviting us today, Sir Vandemir. It’s been a while, and you’ve grown even more handsome. Hohoho.”
“Thank you, Marchioness. I hope you have a pleasant flight.”
Damian bowed politely, and the Marchioness gently patted his arm.
Iris watched her mother’s unexpectedly warm attitude toward Damian with a surprised look.
Once they were out of earshot, she whispered,
“Mother, weren’t you a bit awkward around him before? What changed…?”
“A man who loves my daughter so much deserves to be cherished in return.”
The Marchioness smiled contentedly, recalling the passionate way Damian had once confessed in front of her.
After the marquis’s family boarded, the next to arrive was the diplomatic delegation.
“Haha, what a beautiful morning.”
Lucas strolled in, waving like a scene straight out of a painting.
Unlike his radiant demeanor, the nobles trailing behind him looked utterly miserable.
Some had their hands clasped in prayer before even stepping onto the airship.
“Oh, where should this go? It’s the treasure we’re delivering to the Kingdom of Silin.”
Lucas gestured to a wooden chest carried by his attendant.
Inside was the Golden Wolf Head with Red Eyes, a treasure from the Setron Empire to be gifted to Silin.
“You can store it in the cargo hold, but if you’re worried, you may bring it on board.”
“Hmm, let’s put it in the cargo hold. We should test how safely Bluebird can transport valuables, shouldn’t we?”
While Lucas’s attendant secured the chest, Damian accompanied the delegation to the cabin.
The nobles followed behind, looking as if they were walking to their doom.
The magic airship’s gondola was designed with elegance and sophistication.
Plush wool carpets, a luxurious crystal chandelier, soft leather sofas, and a table with light refreshments—all combined to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a grand manor’s drawing room.
Thanks to protective mana stones placed throughout the cabin, there was no risk of shaking or damage.
“This is truly remarkable. I can see the effort you and your wife put into this.”
Lucas praised as he observed the interior.
The noble delegates murmured among themselves, visibly surprised.
They had expected cramped, rickety conditions, but the reality exceeded their expectations.
Though their faces still carried traces of apprehension, they were noticeably more at ease than before boarding.
Once all passengers were accounted for, the doors of the magic airship closed.
Since they were carrying the prince and a diplomatic envoy, Aracila had decided to remain in the cockpit with her team to personally oversee the flight.
Soon, the departure bell rang.
As Bluebird began to ascend, murmurs of astonishment rippled through the cabin.
“It’s rising! We’re really flying!”
“I—I’m in the air?!”
For those experiencing the sensation of floating for the first time, fear took hold.
Tensed with anxiety, they shut their eyes tight and clung to furniture or walls, intending to stay put until they reached Silin safely.
But then, voices of excitement filled the air, forcing them to open their eyes.
“Wow, you can see the entire empire from here!”
“Oh, this is truly magnificent!”
“Everyone, come look! I’ve never seen such a breathtaking view in my life!”
As passengers gathered by the panoramic windows, admiring the scenery, even the nervous ones couldn’t resist peeking.
Their jaws dropped at the sight of the entire empire stretching beneath them.
When they later crossed the sea en route to Silin, cheers erupted in unison.
“What? It’s so stable! Even with all of us gathered here, it doesn’t tilt at all.”
“I—I’m really flying… This is incredible.”
“So this is what the sea looks like from above… I have to brag about this when I get back. I flew to the Kingdom of Silin!”
Once they realized how stable the magic airship was, the atmosphere relaxed completely.
The usual sea voyage to Silin took several days, but they arrived within mere hours.
By the time they exchanged treasures, no one feared boarding the airship anymore.
The return trip was far livelier than the departure.
Passengers, now at ease, indulged in champagne and conversation, filling the cabin with laughter.
***
After returning from Silin, passengers spread glowing reviews of the magic airship, flipping public opinion overnight.
Among the nobility, those who had participated in the delegation became strong advocates.
Among the commoners, Sally and Ludi’s families played a key role in spreading positive word of mouth.
At the perfect moment, the Imperial Office lifted the operational suspension, allowing Bluebird to resume free public rides.
The excitement only grew as passengers selected through a lottery took scenic tours around the capital.
The days of doubting the magic airship were soon forgotten, replaced by fervent enthusiasm.
People of all ages and social classes flocked for a chance to board.
Despite Travis’s wishes, the magic airship had become an undeniable success.
***
“Wow, Aracila… You really pulled it off?”
“She’s terrifying. You could drop her on a deserted island, and she’d still claw her way back to success.”
“I heard she worked on it with her husband. Maybe he had something to do with it?”
Inside the Magic Tower’s lounge, a group of magicians grumbled among themselves.
A newspaper lay open on the table, boldly announcing Bluebird’s success.
“Damn it. I really thought this time she’d fail for once…”
“You must be disappointed, then?”
A clear, confident voice suddenly cut through the conversation.
Travis froze as he felt a light yet firm hand rest on his shoulder.
His colleagues, seated around him, also went rigid, their gazes slowly shifting behind him.
“Travis, you must be heartbroken. You can’t call Bluebird a ‘failed bird’ anymore. Now, it’s a ‘successful bird.’”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
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