Chapter 293: The Drow Reemployment Plan
A small airship streaked through the sky at an astonishing speed.
It hadn't broken the sound barrier, but traveling at four to five hundred kilometers per hour was already far beyond anything ordinary airships could achieve.
Milena sat at the bow, arms spread wide as she embraced the roaring wind. The moment she opened her mouth, the gale forced out a jumble of nonsense sounds.
For now, her grand ambition of marrying Catherine had been completely forgotten in the face of something this fun.
Catherine, seated to one side, also stretched out her hand curiously, feeling the sheer force of the wind.
She had spent years flying atop a giant eagle, but she had never experienced such speed. Perhaps her mount could reach such velocity on its own, but not when she was riding it. It would surely slow down by at least half its maximum speed.
That made this airship all the more astonishing.
"How can this airship fly so quickly?" Catherine asked.
Ambrose sat at the rear, carefully inspecting the cluster of jet engines mounted at the stern.
An airship itself was simple enough to make: it was just a shell of thick steel plates welded into shape, with a few stabilizing fins. The real key lay in the engines.
This time, Ambrose had crammed ten jet engines onto the ship. Two had already failed.
At this rate, he estimated that, by the halfway point, either all the engines would be dead or the airship would have torn itself apart.
If anyone else were aboard, he wouldn't dare take such risks. If the ship exploded, they'd all die.
But Milena was a legendary death knight, her body forged from the remains of three orc legends. She was far sturdier than the ship itself.
As for Catherine, there was no need to worry. If the ship exploded, she could summon her mount instantly. There was no way she'd fall to her death.
Hearing her question, Ambrose replied, "Praise the God of Alchemy! This is yet another alchemical breakthrough. It can solve a lot of transportation-related problems. I'm planning to revolutionize the field of airship logistics. Want to invest? Massive profits, guaranteed."
The moment Ambrose started talking about money, Catherine grew wary. He was undeniably brilliant at business, but somehow, he always ended up the only one making money. She had yet to see a truly "win-win" deal involving him.
"Are you trying to scam me?" she asked. "Every country already has teleportation networks. What's the point of airship transport?"
"Cost," Ambrose replied immediately. "Large teleportation arrays are controlled by nations, and the fees are outrageous. Transporting one hundred tons of cotton over a hundred kilometers would cost the equivalent of five hundred tons of cotton.
"As for overland caravans, terrain, danger, and time all drive the cost far beyond the value of the goods. That's why people usually process materials locally first. Cotton gets woven into cloth before transport. But even then, low-value goods are expensive to move. Cloth that costs one gold for half a cartload at the source can easily be five times that elsewhere.
"Take grain, for example. Outside of wartime, no one uses teleportation arrays to move food. But if you rely on manpower, the losses are enormous. To deliver one pound of grain a hundred miles away, you'd consume two or three pounds' worth of grain along the way. Water transport is better, but how many of the Nine Kingdoms actually have waterways covering their entire territory?
"Teleportation arrays are only efficient for small, high-value goods like jewelry. My airships, on the other hand, are designed for bulk commodities. Once they're mass-produced, the cost will drop dramatically. They're fast, terrain-independent, and relatively safe: perfect for large-scale logistics."
Catherine listened carefully. It sounded convincing, but something still felt off.
"If it's such a profitable idea, why hasn't Alkhemia done it already? Don't they have plenty of airships?"
Ambrose glanced at her. She really was getting harder to fool.
"They do use airships, but mainly as luxury transportation for nobility. It's safe but slow.
"Alkhemia itself is rich in basic resources. Almost every city can produce its own food and cloth. Alchemy improves soil and crops, and provides efficient looms. Each city is largely self-sufficient, even during wartime. Most goods are produced locally, often in small workshops or alchemical factories, leading to overproduction rather than shortage.
"When other countries buy from them, they handle their own transport. Domestically, there's no demand. Internationally, access is tightly controlled. So they don't bother with logistics as an industry. I'm perhaps the one best-suited to monopolize this field across the entire continent."
"Monopolize?" Catherine asked. "How come?"
"I have connections across the entire continent. You've met the princess of the Ragetide Kingdom—she listens to me completely. Among the elves, I know you. I know the dwarven king. The Umbral Depths is my biggest client. Even Lyon's High Inquisitor begged to serve under me. With connections like that, building a continent-wide network is easy. I have a monopoly, and monopolies don't lose money."
"Fine. That all sounds very impressive," Catherine said. "But unfortunately, I don't have any money to invest."
Having stepped down as the elven queen, she had little personal wealth left. She was essentially living on support. Forget investing—even food was becoming an issue now that she'd left the Court of the Silver Moon.
Ambrose blinked in disbelief. "You're freeloading off me again?!"
While they journeyed together, she had eaten and lived entirely at his expense. He hadn't even recouped that cost yet!
"Father, I have money! I can pay for Catherine!"
Milena, having finished playing in the wind, climbed into the cabin and immediately pulled out her small purse.
Ambrose took one look inside. There wasn't much gold, but rather a dazzling collection of gemstones.
The Umbral Depths were rich in minerals. Gold and gems were abundant. As a princess, Milena didn't even carry copper or silver coins.
But Ambrose said sternly, "Who told you to spend money so carelessly? This is your mother's hard-earned wealth. You can't just give it away. I'll hold onto it for you, so you don't waste it."
Milena muttered, "But... Mother doesn't look tired."
Black Rose spent most of her time lounging in her palace. She certainly wasn't mining anything herself.
"You just don't see how hard your parents work. Be a good, filial daughter when we get back."
With that, Ambrose pocketed the purse. The child wasn't very bright, and carrying that much wealth would only get her scammed. He was keeping it safe for her own good.
After making a tidy profit, Ambrose turned back to Catherine. "I actually thought of starting this airship business for your sake."
"For my sake?" Catherine grew even more suspicious.
That line sounded awfully familiar.
Right. He had tricked the princess of the Ragetide Kingdom with the exact same words.
"Of course. You're going to become the queen of the drow. Have you thought about what to do with them afterward? Even if they truly change, are you planning to move them all into the Court of the Silver Moon?"
"Of course," Catherine said without hesitation. "If they sincerely repent, they are our kin. The Court will accept them."
Ambrose shook his head. "You might accept them, but will the others? The blood feud between high elves and drow spans centuries. You can't just declare it gone. Not every elf shares your pure heart. In fact, high elves are often described as fastidious, arrogant, and extremely vindictive.
"Even if you force them to accept the drow through sheer personal influence, would you really want to put your people through that? You can't favor the newcomers at the expense of your own citizens."
Catherine fell silent. She had never considered that before.
Ambrose continued, "That's where airship logistics comes in. It's perfect for the drow. It gets them out of their old environment, away from assassination and plunder, and into legitimate work. It's also an industry built on trust. If the drow can sustain it, that proves they've truly changed. Once that happens, the elves of the Court will be far more willing to accept them.
"Distance reduces conflict. If your former enemies are hundreds of kilometers away, the tension isn't as immediate. Once most elves grow accustomed to the idea, reintegration will become much easier."
No wonder the gods believed she couldn't accomplish this alone. In such a short time, Ambrose had already thought everything through.
"That's brilliant," Catherine said. "As expected, there's nothing you can't do."
Ambrose grinned. "Of course. I'd never lie to you. So, why don't you invest in the airship project on behalf of the elves?"
But the moment he finished speaking, the airship began to shake violently. Bolts snapped one after another. The hull started coming apart in midair.
By the time Catherine or Milena reacted, Ambrose had already cast Flight on them and pulled them out of the disintegrating cabin.
Moments later, the airship exploded into a storm of debris.
Eyeing the wreckage, Catherine couldn't help but ask, "You're not planning to have the drow do this job just to kill them off and make your task easier, are you?"
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