Chapter 89: Hot-Air Balloon (Patreon)

I had just spent a thousand mana to learn another book's language to find more information about familiars, when I heard Mahya cursing, "Stupid, archaic piece of junk!"

And when I heard Rue shouting in my mind, "Fix! Fix!" I went to investigate.

"What happened?"

"We were watching the Avengers movie, and the computer died."

Rue shouted telepathically, "Movie! Movie!"

Mahya and I both winced, and I said to him, "Rue, buddy, we're looking for a solution. Don't worry. And please don't shout so loud mentally."

He hung his head and shouted, "Sorry!"

Mahya and I winced once more. "No big deal, buddy, you'll learn," I said, scratching his chin.

"Maybe it ran out of power?"

"No; it's connected to the generator. It's just dead."

"Do you think it's the rising mana levels?"

"Yeah, and the fact that we're magical doesn't help the situation."

"I hope you didn't lose any data from the computer."

"Of course not; it's all on the crystalline disc."

I took out my computer and gave it to her. "We should buy a few more computers, just in case."

"Yeah..."

I returned to the deck and checked the book I learned the language of, but still didn't find an answer. I took out the next book, paid the mana, and looked at my regeneration, which was nine units per minute. There was no doubt about it; the mana level increased.

We all played CATAN Starfarers in the evening, and Rue won again.

This dog is a master cheater.

The next day, after seven books, I found something promising. I recognized the words Familiar and Wizard on the book's first page, so I kept reading until I understood the language. The Wizard's Crutch was the name of the book, and its tiny size made it impossible to call it a book, more like a booklet or pamphlet.

The author wrote the first chapter in a very flowery and complicated language, and after I deciphered it, basically the entire first chapter called Wizards that channel mana through their familiar, lazy, stupid, mediocre, and incompetent.

I told the book, "Tell us how you really feel."

Throughout the extensive second chapter, the author droned on and on about the "crucial nature of a wizard's skill in harnessing and utilizing external mana."

"Yeah, I got that. Move on with it."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Alfonsen.

"The book."

"Why?"

"Because it's annoying."

"So stop reading it."

"I can't; I need to find answers."

He shrugged and left.

I was really developing a hatred for magical books. Every single one of them exhibited a convoluted and ostentatious writing style. It was ANNOYING!

The third chapter explained in three, three!! Paragraphs that in order to channel through a familiar, one must possess the ability to channel directly, but it did not elaborate on the process of channeling directly or through a familiar. I got so annoyed I threw the book into the river.

After a second, I retrieved it using telekinesis and channeled Heat with low mana to dry it.

After it was dry and 99 percent of the text survived, I read the fourth and last chapter, the longest in the book, where the author explained how great he was because he could channel directly. This time, I threw it in the river, didn't bother to retrieve it, and said to the fish, "Bon appétit."

I heard Mahya laughing loudly behind me. I turned to her, and she said, "No wonder you and Lis are such good friends."

"What do you mean?"

"You should hear him curse at a math book sometime. It's a verbal masterpiece."

She saw my face, sobered, and said, "I know he's fine, and we'll hear from him soon."

I just nodded, sighed, and took out the next book to spend mana on.

_________

Three hours from Ma'anshan, we started seeing hot air balloons, blimps, and even a Zeppelin. Mahya and I looked at each other, and I asked, "Why did we never think of this?"

"We are thinking now."

"We definitely are." I agreed.

"You and Mahya are both weird," said Alfonsen.

"We'll need to stock up on gas for the hot-air balloon," I said.

"Why?" Mahya asked.

"So we don't run out!"

"We can buy gas on many worlds."

"We can?"

"Of course, it's a natural resource," she said, giving me a funny look.

"I thought all those societies in magical worlds were medieval or something."

"Of course not. Some are, but most aren't."

"Seriously?" I exclaimed.

"They can't develop technology because of the mana, but they're not idiots. Some are even more advanced than Earth, just on a different progression track."

"So how come Lis needed Earth's engineering?"

"The guilds guard the secrets of Magitech more diligently than any other form of magical knowledge."

"Why?"

"Money and control." She said, "Besides, if we run out, you can always channel [Heat] until we resupply."

"True." I nodded.

When we moored in Ma'anshan, we learned that a week-long lighter-than-air show was going on. Alfonsen wasn't interested, so I found him three workshops to attend, and me and Mahya went shopping.

We quickly discovered that we had delusions of grandeur. The cheapest blimp, with an open basket that seats six people, cost $2 million, and a nice one, with three bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, started at $12 million. On top of that, they needed helium, not regular gas to heat the air, which is apparently more challenging to come by in magical worlds.

We lowered our aspirations and looked for a hot-air balloon. We found a lovely, colorful balloon with an eight-person basket for $30,000, and after Mahya inspected the gas burner, she said we wouldn't have any problems with it in mana worlds.

To make sure, I took Rue up on a balloon, and he had no problem with it.

"How come you have no problem with an E-foil or a hot-air balloon but refuse to go on a boat, ah?"

"No! Boat!"

"I know, buddy, but why?"

"Wobble! No! Boat!"

"That's your problem? That it wobbles?"

"Yes!"

That surprised me; I thought the reason was more complicated.

They informed us they would deliver our hot-air balloon in five days, but we couldn't fly it without a license. When I asked how long it takes to get a license to fly a hot-air balloon, I found out that it takes six months!! In a special school. Mahya and I looked at each other; she pretended to look in her bag and showed them a hot-air balloon pilot certificate.

I organized five more workshops for Alfonsen, and just to be sure, Mahya and I alternated going up on balloon flights during the five days of waiting to witness the gas activation, the take-off process, and the landing. We also visited the exhibition area to witness the balloons' opening, initial filling, and folding. We didn't get an ability point, but both of us thought we understood the basics.

"When we sail to the US, we can train over the ocean on days without a strong wind," Mahya said.

"Good idea. I have no intention of spending six months on a course."

"Me neither."

Between balloon rides, Mahya and I walked around all the exhibiting companies and bought gas. We deliberately did it separately, each time at a different end of the exhibition, so that no one would understand how much we were buying.

The last day before we were supposed to receive the balloon, I went around the markets and bought $10,000 worth of food because my storage was almost empty, except for the meat of the mana beasts.

We finally got our balloon; they delivered all the gas we bought to the marina; Alfonsen finished the last workshop; and we were ready to go.

Next stop, Nanjing.