Chapter 1193: A Wind Chaser (II)
The academy was empty, just as Finkin had said. They moved through the buildings without passing a soul and stopped at a towering wall.
“The west side of the airport,” Finkin said, propping a wooden ladder against it. “Follow me.”
Good hesitated a breath, then climbed.
When he reached the top, the sight stopped him. A swollen red sun sat low over the water, the ocean shattering into fragments of gold below it, the sky awash in sheets of blue and yellow. Layers of cloud sloped down to the horizon, and beneath that horizon lay the vast, open emptiness of the airfield — the emptiness that led to the sky.
The sea breeze struck him and the afternoon’s frustration dissolved. He closed his eyes, arms stretched wide, and imagined himself gripping the control lever, waiting for takeoff.
“Fine view, isn’t it?” Finkin said from beside him. “I found this spot myself. Watch you don’t fall.”
“So what’s next?” Hinds called from below.
“We go there.” Finkin pointed to the hangar not far off. The Seagull sat parked outside it; the hangar’s near edge was barely two meters from the wall. “But we take the ladder.”
Balance training had made them confident on the wall’s narrow top. They reached their destination within fifteen minutes.
The hangar rose two or three meters above the wall, so they couldn’t climb onto the roof. But its windows were level with where they stood — they could press their faces to the glass.
“Covered planes — covered planes — there they are!” Finkin’s voice cracked with triumph.
Good looked. His chest tightened.
One bay held four biplanes, canvas removed, their bodies smooth and elegant under the hangar lights. The knowledge that he would one day operate them hit him like a physical thing.
Who cared about knights? An aerial knight who flew the sky — nothing compared to that.
Finkin leaned the ladder against the window and dusted his hands. “Technically, we haven’t stepped into the airport. So technically, no rules broken.”
Good knew it was a thin argument. He climbed through the window anyway.
The moment his feet touched the hangar floor, something settled in him. For the first time since training had begun, he felt calm.
Finkin and Hinds rushed to the nearest plane. Good walked behind them, unhurried.
“It’s metal,” Hinds breathed, touching the fuselage. “Incredible.”
“Thin as skin — look,” Finkin said, pressing his fingertip into the surface. A small dent appeared immediately. “How do they make it?”
“Easy. Don’t break it.”
“It’s bouncy, actually. Here, try — ”
Good wasn’t listening. Some pull he couldn’t name drew him past them to the front of the aircraft, to the seat on the cover of Princess Tilly’s Flight Manual: the spot where she sat while soaring above continents and sea.
He climbed in.
So this was the world through an aerial knight’s eyes.
The upper wing and both sides of the fuselage cut his vision in half, forcing him to look straight ahead and nowhere else. The cockpit smelled of leather. The instruments sat behind clear glass. The control lever and pedals were metal; the top of the lever was wrapped in soft cloth, and it came to his hand at the right angle.
He gripped it. Pushed the gear down.
The lever creaked — and pushed back. Unlike the wooden mock-up in the training room, this resisted him: a quivering steel cable, a heaviness that climbed the lever into his palm. The sensation was real. Alive.
“Good Lord, what are you doing?” Hinds’ voice cut through.
Good released the lever as though burned. “I was just — ”
“Practicing?” Finkin said, delighted. “Who called us mental? Who’s sitting in the cockpit right now? I thought we agreed to just look.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t help it.”
“You won’t have broken anything — they tell us to do exactly that in training,” Finkin said. “But move fast. I want a turn.”
“Wait,” Good said, reluctant. “I only just geared down. Sit in the backseat first.”
“What about me?” Hinds protested, already climbing the wing.
A screech of metal — a lock opening.
The blood left Good’s face.
“Why would anyone be here now?” Hinds whispered.
“No time to run,” Finkin said, his voice surprisingly level. “Hide.”
But there was nowhere to hide in a hangar this size, and the cockpit held one. Before they could move, the soldiers were there.
“Who’s there?”
“Freeze!”
Three clicks. Good found himself looking up at the First Army from the ground, his cheek against the cold concrete.
A familiar figure approached through the lights. Princess Tilly Wimbledon.
“What happened?” she said. “Invaders?”
Finkin spoke before the guards could. “Your Highness, we’re sorry — we are students of the Aerial Knight Academy. Out of curiosity we came to look at the planes. Please have mercy.”
Good already knew they were in serious trouble.
Princess Tilly heard the account, then nodded expressionlessly. “I see. Under school rules: detention of no fewer than fifteen days, and disqualification from becoming aerial knights. You may choose between busboy and ground staff. Inform your officer.”
“As… as you command,” Finkin and Hinds said, their faces screwed tight.
Good’s heart sank. Then the guards began to move them toward the door — and something flared up in him, sudden and hot as a struck match.
“Your Highness.” He lifted his head. “Please. I want to be a pilot. I would do anything. I didn’t come only out of curiosity — I came because I’m lost in the training. I can’t find the feeling the Manual describes. I came to feel the actual thing.”
Tilly’s expression didn’t change. “A feeling?”
“Yes. My movements don’t match the instructions — I can follow them mechanically, but I can’t sense the wind. Or not quite that — it’s something else.” He groped for words that didn’t exist. “I can’t name it. I only know it doesn’t feel right.”
The guards murmured among themselves.
Blabbering. Nonsense. He’s annoying her.
Tilly studied him for a long moment. “You’re Good? Eagle Face told me you lead the class in every subject — first to adapt, hardest working.”
“I — ”
“So.” She cut across him without raising her voice. “What do you think of sitting in that plane? Do you think you could fly?”
Good’s hands clenched. “Your Highness. I think I can.”
“Then try it.” Tilly turned away, not looking back. “I’d planned to have you all train on real planes tomorrow anyway. But the other students are permitted to fail. You are not. Fail, and you’re expelled. Or you can take the punishment. Your choice.”
“I want to fly.”
“Very well.” A pause. “I’ll give the other two the same choice.”
Chapter 1193 - A Wind Chaser (II)
Translator: Transn | Editor: Transn
The academy was empty just as Finkin had said. The three thus passed through various buildings and stopped in front of a towering wall.
“This is…”
“This is the west side of the airport,” Finkin said as he brought a wooden ladder and erect it against the wall. “Follow me.”
Good hesitated for a moment before he climbed up the ladder. The moment he reached the top of the wall, an involuntary exclamation escaped from his lips. A swollen red sun was sinking low over the water. The glittery ocean splintered into flecks of gold in the sweltering sunset, and the sky was awash with sheets of blue and yellow. Layers of cloud sloped down to the horizon, below which was the vast emptiness of the airport that would potentially lead them to the sky.
Sea breezes dispelled the irritation that smote upon Good’s heart. He closed his eyes and, with his arms stretched, imagined himself clasping on the operation lever while waiting to take off.
“A very nice view, eh?” Finkin said while grinning. “I found this fabulous peeping spot. Just be careful not to fall off the wall.”
Hinds asked behind them, “So… what next?”
“Naturally we should go there, but we have to take the ladder with us.” Finkin said as he pointed at the hangar not far away. They first saw the “Seagull” parked out there. The hangar was actually not very far from them as its edge was only about two meters away from the wall.
Because of the intense balance training they had received, they could now easily walk along the top of the wall, and reached their destination within
fifteen minutes.
The hangar was two to three meters taller than the wall, so they could not clamber onto the roof. However, its windows and the wall were on the same level, so they could peep through the windowpanes while stretching themselves up on their tiptoes.
“Covered planes… covered planes… I saw them!” Finkin yelled.
Good’s eyes followed Finkin’s, and his chest constricted.
There were four uncovered biplanes in one of the hangars. Good’s eyes were glued to their smooth and elegant bodies. His heart swelled with excitement as the knowledge that he would one day operate them struck him.
Who cared about knights? They were nothing next to an aerial knight who could fly in the sky!
Finkin placed the ladder against the window and clapped his hands smugly. “Well, we didn’t step into the airport, so technically, we aren’t breaking the rules.”
Good knew that was a pretty tenuous argument, but he could not help crawling into the hangar through the window.
To his surprise, for the first time since his training, Good felt calm.
After they landed, Finkin and Hinds rushed to the closest plane while Good sauntered behind them.
“Whoa, this is… spectacular!” Hinds apostrophized as he touched the plane. “It’s metal.”
“Yes, and it’s as thin as skin. Look — ” Finkin agreed as he pressed his fingers on it, and a dent immediately appeared on the surface. “I wonder how they made it.”
“Oi, take it easy. You don’t want to break it.”
“Don’t worry. It’s quite bouncy.”
“Really? Let me try…”
Good did not marvel at the plane like his two friends. Instead, he crawled into it as if led by a mysterious force and proceeded to the front of the aircraft.
According to the illustration on the cover of the Flight Manual, this was the exact spot Princess Tilly was sitting at while soaring above the continent and the sea.
Good thus sat in the pilot seat.
So this was the world in an aerial knight’s eyes.
The wings above and the carriage on both sides obscured half of his vision, which forced Good to look straight ahead. He could even smell the leather chair. The flight instruments were encased in clear glass. Both the operation lever and the pedals were made of metal, the top part of the lever was wrapped in soft fabrics that afforded a nice, comfortable touch.
Good grabbed the lever and geared down. The lever creaked.
Unlike the wooden lever he had been practicing with, Good did feel he was pulling something. The quivering steel string and the increasingly heavy lever told him that the sensation was real.
“Good Lord, what are you doing?” Hinds’ voice cracked through the air like a whip that jerked Good out of his musings.
“Er…” Good stammered and instantly relinquishing his grip. “I’m just…”
“Practicing?” Finkin jeered. “Who said we were mental earlier? Now who has sneaked into the cockpit? Didn’t we agree to just take a look?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help…”
“Rest assured,” Finkin interrupted. “I don’t think you’ll break it because we’re told to do so during the training. But be fast. I want to try it out too.”
“Hang on,” Good said, a little reluctant. “I just geared down. Do you want to sit in the backseat first?”
“And what about me?” Hinds protested as he climbed up the wing.
While they were fighting for the seat, there was suddenly a screech of an open lock.
Good’s face turned white with great trepidation.
Terrified, Hinds said, “Why… why would they come here at this time?”
“What should we do?”
Finkin was the only one who seemed to be composed. He said, “We don’t have time to run. Hide first!”
However, there was not a single hiding place in the large hangar, and the pilot seat was too small for three grown-up men. Before they could get off the plane, someone had already arrived.
“Who’s there?”
“Freeze!”
With several clicks, Good found himself surrounded by the First Army.
Petrified, the three were soon pinned to the ground.
“What happened?” a voice came as they saw a familiar figure approach them. It was none other than Princess Tilly Wimbledon. “Invaders?”
Finkin shouted in exasperation before the guards could supply an answer, “Your Highness, we’re sorry. We are all students at the Aerial Knight Academy. Out of curiosity, we came here to have a look at the planes. Please have mercy on us!”
Apparently, Finkin also knew that they were not supposed to be here. Good had a feeling that they were in big trouble.
After hearing the full account, Princess Tilly nodded expressionlessly and said, “I see. According to the school rules, you’ll all receive detention of at least 15 days and be disqualified from becoming an aerial knight. You can choose what you want to be in the future between a busboy and ground staff. Let your officer know.”
“As, as you command…” Finkin and Hinds replied while screwing up their faces.
Good’s heart sank to the bottom. Suddenly, courage seared through him as the guards began to shuffle them out. He raised his head and shouted in earnest, “Your Highness, please! I want to be a pilot. I would do anything if you could spare me this time! I’m at a loss in the training sessions, so I came here to feel the actual thing, not only out of curiosity!”
“Really?” Tilly said, her brows raised. “Are you referring to… a feeling?”
“Yes, my actions didn’t coordinate with the instructions in the manual. Although I was flying, I couldn’t sense the wind… Well, that isn’t quite accurate. It’s something…” Good explained as he tried to find a proper word to describe his feeling. “I can’t put it into words. I only know that I didn’t feel it right…”
“He’s blabbering. It’s all nonsense.”
“Is this guy crazy?”
“Get him out of here. He annoys Princess Tilly.”
The guards conversed with each other.
Tilly took a searching look at Good and said, “You’re Good, right? Eagle Face told me that you’re doing pretty well in all subjects. You were the first to get used to the training and are also very hard-working.”
“I…”
Tilly cut across him haughtily, “So what do you think of riding on a plane?”
“Huh?” Good said, flabberghasted.
“Didn’t you say you needed to feel it? So what now? Do you think you could fly?”
Good hesitated for a second, his hands clenched, and replied, “Your Highness… I think I can.”
“Then try it out,” Tilly said as she turned around without looking at him. “In fact, I’m planning to train you guys on a real plane tomorrow. For other students, they’re allowed to fail but you aren’t. If you fail, I’ll expel you. Of course, you could also choose to be punished. That’s up to you.”
“I want to fly,” Good replied decidedly.
“Very well,” Tilly said. “I’ll also let the other two choose what way they want to go.”## Chapter 1193: A Wind Chaser (II)
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
The academy was empty just as Finkin had said. The three thus passed through various buildings and stopped in front of a towering wall.
“This is…”
“This is the west side of the airport,” Finkin said as he brought a wooden ladder and erect it against the wall. “Follow me.”
Good hesitated for a moment before he climbed up the ladder. The moment he reached the top of the wall, an involuntary exclamation escaped from his lips. A swollen red sun was sinking low over the water. The glittery ocean splintered into flecks of gold in the sweltering sunset, and the sky was awash with sheets of blue and yellow. Layers of cloud sloped down to the horizon, below which was the vast emptiness of the airport that would potentially lead them to the sky.
Sea breezes dispelled the irritation that smote upon Good’s heart. He closed his eyes and, with his arms stretched, imagined himself clasping on the operation lever while waiting to take off.
“A very nice view, eh?” Finkin said while grinning. “I found this fabulous peeping spot. Just be careful not to fall off the wall.”
Hinds asked behind them, “So… what next?”
“Naturally we should go there, but we have to take the ladder with us.” Finkin said as he pointed at the hangar not far away. They first saw the “Seagull” parked out there. The hangar was actually not very far from them as its edge was only about two meters away from the wall.
Because of the intense balance training they had received, they could now easily walk along the top of the wall, and reached their destination within fifteen minutes.
The hangar was two to three meters taller than the wall, so they could not clamber onto the roof. However, its windows and the wall were on the same level, so they could peep through the windowpanes while stretching themselves up on their tiptoes.
“Covered planes… covered planes… I saw them!” Finkin yelled.
Good’s eyes followed Finkin’s, and his chest constricted.
There were four uncovered biplanes in one of the hangars. Good’s eyes were glued to their smooth and elegant bodies. His heart swelled with excitement as the knowledge that he would one day operate them struck him.
Who cared about knights? They were nothing next to an aerial knight who could fly in the sky!
Finkin placed the ladder against the window and clapped his hands smugly. “Well, we didn’t step into the airport, so technically, we aren’t breaking the rules.”
Good knew that was a pretty tenuous argument, but he could not help crawling into the hangar through the window.
To his surprise, for the first time since his training, Good felt calm.
After they landed, Finkin and Hinds rushed to the closest plane while Good sauntered behind them.
“Whoa, this is… spectacular!” Hinds apostrophized as he touched the plane. “It’s metal.”
“Yes, and it’s as thin as skin. Look — ” Finkin agreed as he pressed his fingers on it, and a dent immediately appeared on the surface. “I wonder how they made it.”
“Oi, take it easy. You don’t want to break it.”
“Don’t worry. It’s quite bouncy.”
“Really? Let me try…”
Good did not marvel at the plane like his two friends. Instead, he crawled into it as if led by a mysterious force and proceeded to the front of the aircraft.
According to the illustration on the cover of the Flight Manual, this was the exact spot Princess Tilly was sitting at while soaring above the continent and the sea.
Good thus sat in the pilot seat.
So this was the world in an aerial knight’s eyes.
The wings above and the carriage on both sides obscured half of his vision, which forced Good to look straight ahead. He could even smell the leather chair. The flight instruments were encased in clear glass. Both the operation lever and the pedals were made of metal, the top part of the lever was wrapped in soft fabrics that afforded a nice, comfortable touch.
Good grabbed the lever and geared down. The lever creaked.
Unlike the wooden lever he had been practicing with, Good did feel he was pulling something. The quivering steel string and the increasingly heavy lever told him that the sensation was real.
“Good Lord, what are you doing?” Hinds’ voice cracked through the air like a whip that jerked Good out of his musings.
“Er…” Good stammered and instantly relinquishing his grip. “I’m just…”
“Practicing?” Finkin jeered. “Who said we were mental earlier? Now who has sneaked into the cockpit? Didn’t we agree to just take a look?”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help…”
“Rest assured,” Finkin interrupted. “I don’t think you’ll break it because we’re told to do so during the training. But be fast. I want to try it out too.”
“Hang on,” Good said, a little reluctant. “I just geared down. Do you want to sit in the backseat first?”
“And what about me?” Hinds protested as he climbed up the wing.
While they were fighting for the seat, there was suddenly a screech of an open lock.
Good’s face turned white with great trepidation.
Terrified, Hinds said, “Why… why would they come here at this time?”
“What should we do?”
Finkin was the only one who seemed to be composed. He said, “We don’t have time to run. Hide first!”
However, there was not a single hiding place in the large hangar, and the pilot seat was too small for three grown-up men. Before they could get off the plane, someone had already arrived.
“Who’s there?”
“Freeze!”
With several clicks, Good found himself surrounded by the First Army.
Petrified, the three were soon pinned to the ground.
“What happened?” a voice came as they saw a familiar figure approach them. It was none other than Princess Tilly Wimbledon. “Invaders?”
Finkin shouted in exasperation before the guards could supply an answer, “Your Highness, we’re sorry. We are all students at the Aerial Knight Academy. Out of curiosity, we came here to have a look at the planes. Please have mercy on us!”
Apparently, Finkin also knew that they were not supposed to be here. Good had a feeling that they were in big trouble.
After hearing the full account, Princess Tilly nodded expressionlessly and said, “I see. According to the school rules, you’ll all receive detention of at least 15 days and be disqualified from becoming an aerial knight. You can choose what you want to be in the future between a busboy and ground staff. Let your officer know.”
“As, as you command…” Finkin and Hinds replied while screwing up their faces.
Good’s heart sank to the bottom. Suddenly, courage seared through him as the guards began to shuffle them out. He raised his head and shouted in earnest, “Your Highness, please! I want to be a pilot. I would do anything if you could spare me this time! I’m at a loss in the training sessions, so I came here to feel the actual thing, not only out of curiosity!”
“Really?” Tilly said, her brows raised. “Are you referring to… a feeling?”
“Yes, my actions didn’t coordinate with the instructions in the manual. Although I was flying, I couldn’t sense the wind… Well, that isn’t quite accurate. It’s something…” Good explained as he tried to find a proper word
to describe his feeling. “I can’t put it into words. I only know that I didn’t feel it right…”
“He’s blabbering. It’s all nonsense.”
“Is this guy crazy?”
“Get him out of here. He annoys Princess Tilly.”
The guards conversed with each other.
Tilly took a searching look at Good and said, “You’re Good, right? Eagle Face told me that you’re doing pretty well in all subjects. You were the first to get used to the training and are also very hard-working.”
“I…”
Tilly cut across him haughtily, “So what do you think of riding on a plane?”
“Huh?” Good said, flabberghasted.
“Didn’t you say you needed to feel it? So what now? Do you think you could fly?”
Good hesitated for a second, his hands clenched, and replied, “Your Highness… I think I can.”
“Then try it out,” Tilly said as she turned around without looking at him. “In fact, I’m planning to train you guys on a real plane tomorrow. For other students, they’re allowed to fail but you aren’t. If you fail, I’ll expel you. Of course, you could also choose to be punished. That’s up to you.”
“I want to fly,” Good replied decidedly.
“Very well,” Tilly said. “I’ll also let the other two choose what way they want to go.”