Chapter 11

The Conditions for Departure

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Stepping into the garage, we found ourselves surrounded by towering stacks of materials and parts. Engines that looked like they had been ripped straight out of old airships lay about, and tools were neatly arranged along the walls—well-used, but carefully maintained.

The smell of oil, the heat of forged metal, and the distant hum of machinery filled the air.
This was a craftsman’s world.

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“So, you kids want your own airship, huh?”

“Yes! It’s our dream to become fliers and travel the world!”

“Travel the world, huh…”

Grand—his gaze lingered on us with a spark of curiosity.
Then, his eyes shifted to my right hand.

“Before that, the little runt hiding inside your Starling—come on out.”

“What!? Who’re you calling a runt?!”

With a furious shout, Nocty burst out of the ring, landing on my shoulder with an unmistakably indignant expression.

(He really does know about the Starling Ring…)

“You… you know about the Starling, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Some girl from Sergio’s division had a similar one—a pink, noisy little thing.”

“That must be Captain Reina’s spirit… Misty.”

“Yeah, that was the name, I think,” he said with little interest, nodding curtly.

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“So anyway, about the airship—”

“Hold your horses. First, lend me your Star Crystal.”

I carefully removed the crystal I always wore around my neck and handed it to him.

Grand took it, pulled down the goggles resting on his head, and peered at the crystal through the lens, studying it closely.

“Hmm… looks like Rank VII, but there’s something… unusual about this one—”

“Hey, old man,” Nocty cut in sharply. “Knowing it’s Rank VII is enough for now.”

“…Yeah, you’re right. Not much point digging deeper right now.”

Grand dropped the subject and continued in a calm, measured tone.

“With a Star Crystal like this, you’d be able to handle a decent-class ship.”

“Really?!” I couldn’t hide the excitement in my voice.

“So. What’s your budget?”

“Um… we’ve got about three million zenny.”

“…Hmph. For your age, that’s impressive—but still far from enough.”

His tone was blunt, but the faintest trace of a testing smile played at the corner of his mouth.

“See, a ship isn’t just something that flies. There’s strength, propulsion, control, and—most important of all—compatibility.”

“Compatibility…?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what kind of adventures you plan to have, but an airship is your partner through all of them. That’s why, as the one who builds it, I can’t afford to compromise.”

Grand let out a deep sigh, folded his arms, and looked me straight in the eyes.

“So, three million won’t cut it. You’ll need at least three times that—nine million zenny.”

The words hit hard.
Nine million. There was no way we could come up with that right now.

“…That much money… we could never…”

My shoulders slumped. My dream suddenly felt miles away.

For a moment, Grand just stared silently at me, then leaned back in his chair with a creak and exhaled through his nose.

“Good grief… always the same story. Everyone wants the impossible.”

When I looked up, he was muttering to himself with a hint of exasperation.

“If you’ve got Sergio’s letter, I suppose there’s something in you worth testing. That man sure loves dumping trouble on me…”

He rapped a finger lightly against the workbench beside him.

“If you’re serious about this, then spend some time here and help me out.”

“You mean… work for you, Mr. Grand?”

“Yeah. I’ll have you help tune the engine cores.”

He stood and jerked his chin toward the back room.

“I’ve got a test running on one core right now—it’s a handful. I don’t have the time to adjust the others.”

“I’ve never worked on an engine core before… are you sure I can handle it?”

“It takes precise mana control. But since you can use the Starling, you’ll be fine.”

He turned his gaze to Nocty.

“So, what do you say, runt? Not scared, are you?”

“I’m not a runt! And I’m not scared of some engine tuning job!”

Nocty puffed out his chest in indignation.
Grand’s lips curved faintly into a smirk.

“Your partner seems confident. What about you?”

I laughed softly and nodded firmly.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

“One year. Got it?”

“Yes!”

I straightened up as I answered.
Then, beside me, Mile timidly raised her hand.

“U-um… what about me? What should I do?”

For a split second, Grand looked surprised. Then his face turned stern again.

“The help I need is just from this kid.”

“Wait, but we’re buying the ship together! Of course I’ll help too!”

Her eyes shone with determination as she spoke.
Grand averted his gaze, clearly caught off guard, then shrugged.

“…Do as you like. But the work’s tough. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Got it!”

Mile’s bright smile spread across her face. Somehow, it made even my heart feel lighter.

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◇◆◇

Afterward, we returned briefly to Haino Village to prepare for our new life at Grand Works.

At first, Mile’s father was against it, of course.
But with both Mile and her mother persuading him, he eventually relented.

The morning we left, Mile stood in front of her house, saying goodbye.

“Well, we’re off!”

“Sky—take care of yourself, alright? And please… look after Mile.”

“Yes, ma’am! You can count on me!”

I straightened up and gave my answer. Mile’s mother smiled, her eyes glistening faintly.

And so, with her family seeing us off, we set out once more—hearts full of both excitement and uncertainty—

toward the Grand Workshop,
and the next stage of our journey beneath the open skies.

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