Chapter 1195: Things I Want to Do
Good couldn’t remember the walk home.
By the time he reached the residential area, dusk had settled over the refugee quarter. Smoke threaded up from chimneys and neighbors called to each other across doorways. The air carried the sweet thickness of simmering porridge and the salt-iron smell of a day’s labor — voices loud and unguarded, the neighborhood raucous with the confidence of people who expected to eat tonight.
Nobody would have guessed this was a refugee settlement. The energy was wrong for misery. Residents who worked kept themselves fed; within half a month you could afford eggs, the occasional cut of pork. The whole place had the smell of hope — rough and unpolished, but genuine.
Everything here was full of color.
Except Good.
His neighbors smiled and he couldn’t meet it. His eyes burned. That voice was still circling inside his skull: Look at what you did, you thickhead. You ruined everything.
If he had accepted Princess Tilly’s punishment without demanding a trial, he would still be enrolled. Even without ever flying, he would have had a future — a decent post, steady wages, housing and medical benefits. Better than homeless. Better than nothing.
He’d had courage enough to make the demand. It had drained out of him the moment Tilly agreed.
Now there was only fear. And the arithmetic: if he failed, he lost everything.
Good pushed through the door.
“Good, you’re home! Look what I made for you.”
Rachel ran toward him, pulled him to his chair, and whipped the cover off a plate with a flourish. “Egg pancakes! Pretty good, right?”
It was two-layered — more accurately a pancake with scrambled egg laid over it — but it was undeniably beautiful. The egg white had gone thin and lacy at the edges, the rim curling gold, the yolk still soft and orange at the center. Melted butter ran to the edge of the plate and the smell of it rose rich and warm and slightly dangerous.
Rachel had put real effort into this.
“You bought eggs?” Good stared at the plate.
“Uncle Bucky took me to the marketplace.” She pressed a wooden fork into his hand. “Don’t worry — I still have savings. You almost never get a day off. It’s fine to eat eggs sometimes. And once you become an aerial knight, we’ll save up fast. I already worked it out.” She patted her own chest.
Good took the fork. “Y-yes. You’re right.”
“Eat it. Tell me if you like it.”
He hesitated, then put a small piece in his mouth. The yolk broke against his tongue, butter-rich, the flavor spreading through him like something previously forgotten.
Memory surfaced with it.
The road from the Kingdom of Wolfheart to the Western Region of Graycastle had been long and ugly, marked by a hunger that had made food like this unimaginable. Then Neverwinter. Then this: a clean room, meals, a future that looked like a corridor rather than a wall. If he stayed enrolled, Rachel could have egg pancakes whenever she wanted. All of it hinged on him continuing to study.
He wanted to fly. He genuinely wanted it.
But was it worth wagering his life? Their lives?
He’d had nothing to lose before. That was no longer true. He had Rachel, and Rachel had a future that depended on choices he made when he was angry or reckless or simply not thinking about her at all — like when he’d agreed to follow Finkin to look at the planes.
Selfish. He had been selfish. He hadn’t thought of her once.
“Is it bad? I haven’t cooked in a while — maybe I’ve gotten rusty.” Rachel studied him. “Say something. Oi — why are you crying? Is it that bad?”
“No.” Good pressed the back of his wrist against his face and kept eating. His voice came out thick. “It’s good. It’s really good. I just — I couldn’t help it — ”
Rachel crossed to him. She put her hand on top of his head, the way she sometimes did, and asked quietly, “Did something happen?”
“I’m sorry.” He swallowed. “I probably can’t stay at the Academy.”
He told her everything.
Rachel was quiet for a moment. Then: “I only have one question. Do you like flying?”
Good opened his mouth and stopped. There was no useful lie available with Rachel looking straight at him. He nodded.
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.” She smiled. “This is the first time you’ve found something you actually like, isn’t it? You’ve done so much for me since we left. I was the one who pushed us to leave the Kingdom of Wolfheart. You could have refused — you had every reason to — and you didn’t. How does that make you selfish?”
“But I — ”
“The worst that happens is we start over.” She tilted her head. “I’m literate. I can find work on my own. So just do your best.” A pause, then, with the brisk authority of someone closing the matter: “And you don’t have time to sit here worrying about the future. Think about how to pass the trial. And keep your temper next time.”
Good watched her for a long moment.
“Sometimes,” he said, “I think you understand the world better than I do.”
“I’m older. Naturally I know more.” She gave him a look of mild exasperation. “You’re the one who insisted I be your younger sister. If you get expelled, we’re switching. I’ll be your elder sister and you’ll have to listen to me properly.”
The next morning, at the Aerial Knight Academy airfield.
Sixteen students stood in a line at the runway’s end. They had passed the written portion first and earned the right to test first. Four planes came down the runway in sequence — sleek, polished, brand new — and halted in front of them.
Murmurs ran along the row. Every student leaned forward to study the machines.
Every student except Finkin and Hinds, whose faces had gone tight and closed.
Good shut his eyes.
The breeze off the field touched his face. He went back through his training in the darkness behind his lids — the officer’s instructions, the sequence of controls, the feel of each maneuver. Slowly, dim and fragmentary, images resolved: the cockpit, the instruments, his own hands.
When Princess Tilly appeared, everyone dropped to one knee. Finkin caught Good’s sleeve.
“Your Royal Highness!”
“Rise.” Tilly’s voice was level. She walked the line with her hands behind her back. “This is your first time seeing these aircraft, but they should already be familiar. All your textbook materials were built around the Unicorn. These are upgraded Unicorns — improved performance across every measure. Apply what you trained, and the trial is passable.” She stopped at the center of the line and addressed them all. “Because it’s your first flight, I’ll be present to observe and mark your performance. I would prefer not to have to offer instructions, but I will if necessary.
“However — in light of the errors you will likely make — I’ve invited Miss Nana to attend as well. As long as you don’t die outright, she can repair the damage. Be aware that requiring her services will cost you significantly on your score. If you cannot improve in subsequent training, you will be expelled.” A beat. “Furthermore: if the aircraft sustains substantial damage, you receive a zero. We do not have planes to spare. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness!” Sixteen voices in unison.
“Then we begin.” Tilly’s eyes moved to the first name on her list. “First examinant: Good.”
Good drew a full breath. He walked to the plane and climbed into the cockpit.
Chapter 1195: Things I Want to Do Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Good could not even remember how he get back to his residence.
By the time he arrived at his house, it was around nightfall, and everyone was on their way back home. Smoke curled up from the chimneys, and he could hear people greet their families. The air was soaked with sweet aroma of porridge and the salty odor of sweat. The neighborhood was so lively and energetic that nobody would believe that this place was actually a residential area for refugees.
Good could smell the hope that empowered the energy and liveliness of the refugees. Residents here would be well fed as long as they worked hard. Within half a month, people could afford eggs and pork. Everyone was hopeful about their future, with their voice confident and their spirit high. Although the residential area was untidy and raucous, it was by no means dismal and miserable like a slum.
Everything here was colorful.
Except Good.
As he saw his neighbors smiled at him broadly, his eyes started streaming, and a scathing voice kept ringing around his ears, “Look at what you did, you thickhead. You ruined everything!”
Had he not been so headstrong to request a trial from Princess Tilly but instead accepted the punishment, he would have still been a student of the Aerial Knight Academy. Even if he could not become a pilot, he could still have a decent job in the future, much better than being homeless.
His courage had soon ebbed away after Princess Tilly had agreed with his proposal. Now, he only felt fear and despair.
If he failed, he would lose everything.
Good pushed open the door and entered as he was crestfallen.
A silvery voice greeted him brightly, “Good, you’re home. See what I made for you.”
Rachel ran up to him in excitement and settled him in his chair. She uncovered the lid of the plate and pronounced triumphantly, “Tada — egg pancakes! Looks good, eh?”
The so-called egg pancake was divided into two layers. It looked more like a pancake topped with scrambled egg than an egg pancake. Nevertheless, it still looked delicious. Its egg white thin, and its golden rim slightly furled, with an orange yolk right in the middle while yolk was still runny. The melted butter trickled down to the plate, giving off a rich and devilish smell.
Obviously, Rachel had put a lot of efforts into this meal.
Stunned for a split second, Good said, “You bought eggs?” Eggs were not particularly expensive in Neverwinter, but we still could not afford to have them everyday.
“Yes,” Rachel said as she handed Good a wooden fork. “Uncle Bucky took me to the marketplace today. Don’t worry. I still have savings. You rarely have a break, so it’s okay to have eggs occasionally. Plus, once you become an aerial knight, we’ll soon have more savings. I already thought this through!” Rachel patted her chest in confidence.
Good took the fork stiffly and mumbled, “Y-yes, you’re right.”
“Now, eat it and see if you like it,” Rachel urged.
After a moment of hesitation, Good slowly put a morsel of the egg pancake in his mouth. Instantly, the flavor of the yolk mingled with the butter permeated his entire mouth.
Memories started to flow out from the deepest part of his mind.
He and Rachel had suffered a lot on the way from the Kingdom of Wolfheart to the Western Region of Graycastle. In the past, he would have never dreamed of having such tasty food. However, things turned better miraculously after they arrived at Neverwinter. They were fed and clothed in this city, and probably, in the near future, Rachel could eat this “egg pancake” every day, only if he continued to study at school.
Good did yearn to soar the sky, but was it really worth him to bet with his life?
He had nothing to lose before, but it was different now.
Good had to take care of Rachel.
Then why did he make such a selfish choice?
He had never thought of Rachel when he had agreed with Finkin to take a look at the planes.
He could not forgive himself for being so selfish!
“Do you like it? It shouldn’t be… that bad, right? I haven’t cooked for a while, and I’m not sure whether my cooking skills have got rusty or not,” Rachel said with uncertainty. “Oi, say something. Is it okay? Hang on, why are you crying? Is the food that bad?”
“No…” Good replied, his face glazed with tears, as he gulfed down the pancake. “It’s good, really good. I’m just… I couldn’t help…”
Startled, Rachel walked up to him, patted his head and asked quietly, “Did something happen?”
“I’m sorry… I probably couldn’t continue to study in the academy…”
Good then told Rachel everything.
“I see,” Rachel said at length. “I just have one question for you. Do you… like flying?”
“I — ” Good broke off, groping for words that did not come. He found it hard to lie in front of Rachel’s face, so he nodded.
“Then there is nothing to worry about,” Rachel smiled. “This is your first time finding something you like, right? You’ve done so much for me on our way here. I asked you to leave the Kingdom of Wolfheart, and you could have refused, but you still did. So how can you be a selfish person?”
“But I…”
“The worst scenario is to start all over again, right?” Rachel suggested with her head tilted on one side. “And I’m literate. Even if I don’t… well, I could find jobs by myself. So, just do your best.”
“R-really?”
“Anyway, you don’t have time to regret. It’s better to think about how to pass the trial than worrying about our future. Just make sure to keep your temper next time.”
Good stared at Rachel for quite a while until he said, “Sometimes, I feel you know much more about the world than me.”
“I’m older than you, so naturally I know more. You insisted me to be your younger sister, remember?” Rachel mumbled and smiled at Good. “If you’re expelled, then let’s switch it up. I’ll be your elder sister.”
…
The next day, in the airport for the aerial knights.
Sixteen students stood out in a line at the end of the runway. As these students passed the exam first, they got the chance to have the trial first.
Four brand new planes gradually glided over the runway and came to halt in front of them.
Mumurs instantly swept over the crowd. Everybody was studying attentively at the four beautiful machines with great interest.
Except Finkin and Hinds whose face was screwed up.
Good closed his eyes.
He felt the cool breeze blowing at his face, trying to revisit his training, memorize the instructions of the officer, and visualize each move. Gradually, a blur of images showed up in his mind.
When Princess Tilly appeared, everybody kneeled down on their knees. Finkin tugged Good’s sleeve to remind him.
“Your Royal Highness!”
“Rise,” Tilly said expressionlessly. “It’s your first time seeing these new planes, but you should have been familiar with them by now. All the materials in the textbook are based on the ‘Unicorn’, and these planes are the upgraded versions of the ‘Unicorn’, so they function better. Therefore, as long as you follow the instructions received in your training, you should be able to pass the trial. Considering it’s your first time flying a plane, I’ll sit you through the process and supervise you. I’ll also mark your performance. Of course, I would rather you not needing my instructions.”
Tilly paused for a second and went on, “However, in consideration of possible errors you would make in this test, I invited Miss Nana here. As long as you don’t die on the spot, you’ll survive, but it also means that you’ll get a really low mark. If you can’t improve yourself in the subsequent training, you’ll be expelled. So, I hope you’ll do your best. Also, if the plane sustains substantial damage, you’ll get a zero mark because we don’t have enough planes for you to crash. Understand?”
“Yes, Your Highness!” the sixteen students chorused.
“Now, let’s begin. First examinant, Good.” Tilly announced solemnly.
Good took a deep breath, walked up to the plane, and crawled into the cabin.