It only took about an hour to install the Enchantments. The fast progress could mostly be attributed to meticulous planning. It had been a significant challenge to design the internal structure of the vessel in a way that maximized the effect of every single Enchantment.
Jettero had been unyielding in his insistence on precision, and the effort paid off. It was as easy as sliding the Enchantments into the prepared sockets. The metal frame of the Gondola had eight strategically placed slots that allowed for the Enchantments to become part of the structure.
The black metal plates fit seamlessly into the frame, allowing for a quick and easy installation. Most of the hour was actually spent on the Mana network. The distribution of mana was made possible through cables. Rigid, finger-wide cords were used for a vessel of this size. The cables were comprised of two parts: a dark outer shell that was soft and flexible, and a metal core that was made up of an alloy.
The shell was made from resin mixed with Voidiron dust. Its purpose was to keep the mana from dispersing. The metal cord was the part that actually conducted the Mana. This only made up a fraction of the thickness of the cable and was made from a blend of several materials. Gold was one of them, as it was one of the best conductors.
Even with the cords being made from mostly soft metals, the cables still couldn't be bent by hand. They needed a metal mage to connect the steering wheel with all the Enchantments. Since they only had a single Metal Mage, this step took up almost the entire hour.
No matter how excited Zeke was, Jettero wasn't willing to rush this step. According to the old man, cable management was one of the most overlooked causes of faulty products. Eventually, the man finished his work and after a final check, gave the green light for their test.
Zeke stood on the ship's deck, both hands on the steering wheel. Upon receiving the signal, he poured as much unattuned mana into the handles as he could. Nothing happened. This was not unexpected though, as the ship didn't have any method of providing thrust. Instead, several members of the crew began to lift the boat.
To the thundering noise of clapping and cheering, the Gondola left the ground. Even after the men let go of the vessel, it stayed in place.
"Push me," Zeke yelled.
Hesitantly, some of the men got behind the craft and gave it a shove. The hall was only about 50 steps long. Even so, it was enough space for Zeke to get a feeling for how it would feel to pilot the ship. A smile slowly spread across his face. This was magnificent. After returning the ship back to its original spot, Zeke immediately left. He wanted to create the Gust Enchantments as soon as possible.
What followed was an even more intense few days of work. Zeke only left his workshop for short periods every day, devoting the rest of his time to crafting. Having honed his skills, he was much quicker with this second Rune. Even so, he still needed to learn and practice the new design.
It was three days later, the first morning of the final week of his deadline when he emerged with the new set of Runes. This time, Zeke had to trudge his way to the workshop, carrying the full weight of the Enchantments. The floorboards of the stairwell creaked ominously under the weight. Even so, He managed to arrive in front of the workshop without any accidents.
The brief physical exercise reminded him of how much he had slacked in his training over the past weeks. He fondly remembered the exercises and sparring he and Leo would do. In the first month after the tournament, they trained together daily. Now, he had not seen Leo once since their arrival here. His brother didn't come home for days at a time and immediately left again. Zeke would have to do something about this as soon as their money problems were over. He was truly getting worried for Leo.
Eventually, he reached the workshop. With his hands occupied, Zeke had to kick the doors open. He strode into the room with a wide smile on his face. He felt like a parent bearing gifts for their children on their birthday. "Jett! I brought you a present!"
A bearded face popped out from the small office room to the side. "No need to yell, brat. My ears work just fine," Jettero responded. Despite his grumpy tone, there was a wide smile on his face as he rushed over. He promptly started another round of inspections followed by another round of astonished praise.
This time, the men didn't even waste time asking before immediately getting to work on installing the Enchantments. Zeke and Jett didn't even need to get involved in the process. The men were so familiar with their roles by now that they would only get in the way if they tried to help. Instead, the old man merely called out instructions.
"Listen up men! Four go to the stern. Those are our main thrusters. One plate goes to the prow, for deceleration. One on each side of the hull for steering, and one on the very bottom for lift. Got it?"
"Aye!" the men called back as they got to work.
Their immediate and energetic response made it clear that Jettero was well-regarded by the sailors. This was a noticeable change from when they had first toured the workshop. Many of the crew had disliked the idea of an outsider swooping in to tell them what to do. However, it was readily apparent that Jett had somehow managed to win the men over during the weeks Zeke had not been present.
After three hours, an exhausted figure approached. Zeke knew him as Franz, their one and only Metal Mage. The man looked dead tired, the wrinkles on the forty-something-year-old seemed to grow deeper every time Zeke saw him. Despite his age, Franz's below-average Metal affinity meant that he still had not yet advanced to Grand Mage. Furthermore, the only spell he knew was [Metal Manipulation].
Franz, same as many of the other people here, had dropped out of their academies. There were a lot of former Elmentium students here who hadn't made the cut. Most of them never got the chance to join a noble family to learn any advanced Magic. Usually, people like them would struggle to find work as Mages and turn to other pursuits, such as adventuring.
Zeke was utterly baffled by the fact that the empire would allow such hardworking men to go to waste. He had vowed to start a program that would allow each of them to study the most basic set of spells for their given affinities.
Same as he had done for Markus, he would have to start writing spell manuals. His knowledge of the basic spells was next to perfect, at least when it came to Elemental Magic. Zeke had dozens of hours of recordings for each of the four elements. At this point, it would be child's play for him to write his knowledge down.
"I am done," the man said after arriving in front of the duo.
"You sure look like it," Zeke joked, getting a forced smile in return.
"Aye, it has been a hard few weeks."
Zeke put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't worry, Franz. I am well aware of how hard you guys have worked. Your contribution will not be forgotten when the time for rewards comes. Starting next week, you'll get some time off with more money than you'll know how to spend. Sound good?"
His words managed to draw a genuine smile from the man. "Aye, sounds good. I'm sure the lads will be happy to hear that as well. Anyway, I am done with the cables. It was much harder to get everything to work properly with the new system Sir Jettero designed."
Jettero shot Zeke a dirty look. They had decided to credit all their inventions to the old man, but he wasn't happy about it. Same as Maximilian, Jettero was also vehemently against the idea of being credited for anything that wasn't his. Even so, it was necessary to continue the charade for the sake of keeping the extent of Zeke's abilities hidden.
Zeke ignore the glare and instead addressed the Metal Mage. "But you did it?"
With a proud expression, the man nodded. "Aye! I think I managed just fine." He looked a bit apprehensive as he continued, "I am not absolutely certain, but if it does what I think it does, then I would very much like to see it. If that is okay?"
Zeke exchanged a glance with Jettero, who immediately nodded. "Of course, you can come with us, Franz. In fact, I insist that you do. What if we need something fixed?" Zeke asked with a grin and a wink. He didn't waste any more time as he made his way over to the craft.
Compared to traditional transporters, the deck of the Gondola was much closer to the ground. At not even twice Zeke's height, it was by far the smallest vessel he had ever seen. They had invented a completely new system to get on board, but for now, it was not installed yet. Zeke extended a [Blood Whip] to wrap around the railing and with one smooth motion, swung himself on board.
Before anybody could protest, Zeke wrapped up first Jettero and then Franz and hauled them on deck as well. Zeke merely grinned when the two older men shot him dirty looks. He was too excited to wait for the others to bring over their makeshift walkway. With quick steps, he made his way over to the steering wheel. It was carved from a much darker shade of wood.
The dark gray color stood in stark contrast to the deep, earthy brown of the Irochian teak the rest of the ship was made of. Zeke's fingers gently brushed over the polished wood of the steering wheel. He could immediately recognize his father's handiwork.
Despite being called a wheel, there was nothing round about the contraption Zeke and Jett had designed. Instead of the traditional shape, this looked more like the horns of a bull. Two curved handles extended from a central axis, one for each hand. The grips were made from a thin layer of gold. This was necessary so the pilot could pour mana directly into the ship while steering.
Even so, the shape of the handles wasn't the most innovative part of the design. With clear eagerness in his eyes, Zeke checked on his other passengers. The two had taken a seat in the lounge behind him. Upon seeing them in position, he didn't waste any more time and immediately poured Mana into the handles. He let the unattuned mana flow through him and into the craft.
The slight creaking of wood could be heard, but nothing else happened. This was probably a sign that the Levitation Echantments were doing their job, reducing the weight of the ship. Ever so slightly, Zeke pulled back on the handles.
The reaction was immediate as the Enchantment on the bottom of the ship activated. With a loud whooshing sound, a gust of wind hit the ground below the craft. The light air pressure was already enough to slowly lift the now weightless vessel. Zeke was ecstatic at this result. Their calculation had been right. He, as a True Mage, was actually able to pilot the craft.
After gaining about a step in height, Zeke returned the handles to its neutral position and the ship came to a halt soon after. In the meantime, the crew had unlocked the giant gate of the workshop, opening the way for him. With a gentle push forward, the four Enchantments on the back were powered instead.
A smile slowly appeared on his face as the craft flew out of the workshop. Zeke returned the handle to its neutral position once more. This time, the Gust enchantment on the prow of the ship activated, turning off again once the ship had come to a full stop. Without letting go of the handles, Zeke turned around to grin at Jett. Their concept worked!
Compared to a traditional ship, this vessel was so much easier to pilot. Not only because of its vertical launch capabilities but also because all directional changes could be controlled from a central point. It felt more like pointing in the direction he wanted to go than the complex sailing techniques he had observed on other crafts. In addition to the elegant, lightweight design, this was the Gondola's most promising selling point.
Instead of hiring an entire crew, any single assistant would be able to learn how to fly the Gondola in no time. The more adventurous merchants could even learn how to pilot the craft themselves.
"What are you waiting for, brat? Take us up!" an excited voice yelled from behind.
A smile crossed Zeke's face and he was about to do just that. However, before he could do so, he noticed a silhouette approaching. It was a flying figure, closing in at great speed. Moments later, Margret landed on the deck. She had looked as if she had something important to say, but upon landing, she merely stared in awe.
Zeke let her enjoy the beauty of the vessel for a moment. Still, after a while, his impatience got the better of him when he saw no indication that she would speak up any time soon. He cleared his throat. "Margret?"
"…Yes?"
"Did you need something?"
This finally managed to snap her out of her trance. She turned to Zeke with an excited smile. "We found him, Zeke!"
"Found who?"
"Who else?"Marget said. "Ludwig Steffano, the former caretaker of our estate. He is being hidden by the Goldfingers."