Chapter 1278 - Test Drive (Part 2)

"No one is going to believe me unless they see it with their own eyes." After facing an undead army and witnessing Lith's armies of beasts and shadows, the flying stagecoach was just icing on the cake.

"I should request to be transferred to a simpler job, like hunting Balkor." He said while using his contact amulet to scan the scene unfolding in front of his eyes and calling both of his supervisors.

"What the heck is that?" The Royals and Marchioness Distar said while looking at the DoLorean darting above the Trawn woods.

"A security nightmare." Locrias couldn't think of a better definition.

"That's a really interesting concept." Queen Sylpha sounded more intrigued than worried. "It could replace those boring, obnoxious stagecoaches, allowing us to give a breath-taking experience to our guests and a scare to our enemies."

"Indeed. Flight is the dream and the nightmare of normal people." King Meron nodded. "Unlike Warp Gates, only mages can experience it. At least until now. Yet I'm more interested to know if that thing can be weaponized."

"I don't think it's a good idea." Marchioness Distar shook her head. "It makes long-distance travel easier for the smugglers and roadblocks useless. Our soldiers already have a hard time patrolling the many roads of the Kingdom.

"Not even if we tripled their numbers could they also check the infinite skies!"

"Do you think we should outlaw its production?" Queen Sylpha nodded. Mages were rare enough to make smuggling by flight a minor issue and those who could use dimensional magic were even rarer.

'I'm proud of her. Mirim needed but a glance to see the dangers lying past the flying machine's l.u.s.ter that blinded us.' She thought.

"For the public, sure. I call dibs on the first commission, though. My daughter deserves to get a bit of freedom after being trapped home for most of her life." Just like the magicless Royal heirs, Brinja Distar couldn't move without a heavy detail.

Flight was impossible and Warp Steps could only lead to coordinates that a mage had personally memorized. Whenever Brinja wanted to visit a new place, it took the elite troops protecting her weeks of planning to not make her an easy mark.

"Then we'll get the one after that." King Meron sighed.

Meanwhile, Lith gave his family a tour of the Trawn woods, increasing the speed as soon as he felt the tension in the car fading and amazement replaced fear.

"I'll show you how quick it is to go to Lutia." He said after a full circle back home.

"This is nice, son." Raaz said while still clinging to his armrest, but not with so much strength to turn his hands white anymore. "Yet I'm not used to see the world from above. How I'm supposed to find my way around from the sky?"

"You can just follow the road at first. I did the same when I learned how to fly." Lith replied, following the same path they would use with their carriage but from several meters above the ground.

"Okay, fine. But how do I bring this thing down? I'm no mage and I don't want to waste your time and money with constant repairs." Even though his brain spun at full gear to find a way to never drive the DoLorean, Raaz couldn't argue with its results.

Reaching Lutia required half an hour by foot and twenty minutes by carriage, yet they had gotten there in less than five minutes even though Lith had kept the speed lever at the two the entire time.

"I thought about that too." Lith said with a confident smile that Raaz usually loved but that he now feared from the deep of his heart. "We are right in front of Rena's house. Now push that button, Dad."

Raaz did as instructed, pressing a button as big as an apricot with the word "Land" written in bright letters. The wooden wheels returned to their original position and the car descended slowly until they touched the ground.

Then, gravity gradually returned to normal as the system made sure that the DoLorean had a stable footing. It all happened in just a few seconds, but both Lith and the children found it boring nonetheless.

He could have sped up the process, but he knew that normal people would have found the process reassuring.

"What in the gods' name did you make me craft?" Zekell's tone didn't match his words.

The old Blacksmith was jumping with joy around the silver chassis that he had worked so hard to make, c.a.r.e.s.sing its surface like the face of a long-lost child. His body moved in such a frenzy that he seemed to be almost dancing.

"Did we really made this thing and can I get one? I hate when my granddaughter moves to your home in winter and I can't get to see my little fairy for months." Warm tears streaked down his face as Zekell cried on cue, like he had learned to do ever since he was an apprentice.

His father had taught him that even the cruelest merchant had a hard time haggling with a crying man, and Zekell had passed that creed down to Senton as well.

"No to both. I made it and you have no idea how much time and magic it cost me." Honest tears didn't faze Lith, let alone those of an old scoundrel. "I can lend it to Rena and you can use it, though."

The whole village of Lutia had been staring at the sky for a while, pointing at the unidentified flying object.

"Is it a bird?"

"Too small. It must be a mage."

"Nah, it's too big for a single mage. It must be one of Lith's wizardries." After unanimously agreeing on it, the citizens of Lutia took a break from their respective jobs to follow the car's movements from a safe distance.

Between the pure silver of its chassis and the smooth elegance of its movements, many foreigners believed it to be a chariot of the gods and fell to their knees, praying for mercy.

Once it landed and the Verhens came out of it, the Lutians and foreigners alike stared at the DoLorean in awe. Their amazement grew with each person that came down, realizing how many passengers it could carry.

It took people a few minutes of waiting and hearing the children begging for another ride before they dared to close in enough to see the DoLorean.

"Are you still with that Lieutenant? My daughter is single and she always asks me of you." Vexal the baker and Brina's father shamelessly asked, beating the competition to the punch.

"Kamila is a Captain and a Royal Constable now." Lith snarled in reply. "And yes, everything is fine between us. Thank you for asking."

Despite Vexal's valiant sacrifice, Lith had to endure several not-so-veiled marriage proposals, suggestions for one or more mistresses, maids, or any work a parent could think of that would offer their daughter the chance to get in his bed.

"Good gods, don't you guys have no shame? What kind of a man do you think my son is?" Elina's words snapped them out of their frenzy, making people realize how they were humiliating themselves in front of their neighbors.

"Get me out of here. Lutia's air stinks today." Elina took the passenger seat, wishing to study the dashboard from up close. The family quickly followed her back inside the DoLorean, Zekell included.