Chapter 9

Finding a Flying Ship Isn’t So Simple

“Wow, there are so many different flying ships!”

“Do you want to look too, Tee-chan?”

Nokti poked her little head out from the backpack to peek at the display of flying ships.

“Are you kids fans of flying ships?”

A friendly shop lady smiled and started a conversation.

“Yes! We came to buy one!”

“Oh my, did you come with your parents to look around?”

“No, we came to buy our own flying ship!”

At that, Main and the others who had been browsing came closer.

“Wait—just the two of you came?”

“Uh, well, three of us actually—but right now it’s just two.”

The clerk looked a little confused, but didn’t seem too concerned.

“Well, you know, flying ships are very expensive. Especially here—our products are a little pricier than other shops.”

She clearly didn’t think we could afford one. To be fair, that was the normal assumption.

“Oh, we’ve been saving up in our village, so we think we can afford a used one.”

I held up the pouch full of zenny for her to see. The clerk’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“In that case, would you like to take a look at our used models in the warehouse?”

“Yes, please! Oh, and we also have a letter of introduction.”

I handed her the letter Hans, the traveling merchant, had given us.

“Let me have a look…”

The shop lady turned the letter over, spotted Hans’s signature on the back—and her eyes widened again.

Maybe Hans was more important than we thought?

“And, um… is Mr. Gran here?”

“!? …You mean Chief Engineer Gran? Ah, um, I’m afraid he retired…”

“Oh, I see. That’s fine, then.”

“Th-then please wait just a moment! I’ll call the manager right away!!”

And with that, she dashed off toward the back room.

“She ran off…”

“Yeah…”

“What a frantic one,” Nokti muttered.

After a short while, the woman returned with a man in tow.

“Well, well, well! Welcome, young master and miss, to our illustrious Fourth Factory!”

The middle-aged man, with a thin mustache and a sticky smile, rubbed his hands together and crept in close.

“I am Gameln, the owner of this fine establishment. I hear you’re looking to purchase a flying ship today?”

“Y-yes…”

As soon as I said that, his grin widened and the hand-rubbing intensified.

“Well, if this is a direct introduction from Master Hans himself, then of course—we must show you only the finest flying ships in our collection!”

“Eh? Um… by ‘finest,’ do you mean…”

My heart skipped a beat. But we were here to see used ones, not the top of the line.

“Right this way then! We’ll start with our latest models—you can even take one for a test flight! You there, prepare the VIP room at once!”

“U-uh, actually, we probably can’t afford anything too expensive…”

At that, Gameln froze mid-hand-rub.

“…Oh? And what do you mean by that?”

“We saved up to buy a used flying ship.”

At that instant, his smile twitched, and his mustache gave a little jerk.

“…Ahhh, used, I see. I see, I see! My mistake, terribly sorry—got a bit carried away, hahaha…”

Then, dropping the smile entirely, he turned his back and very audibly clicked his tongue.

“Well then, the… ahem, Third Warehouse. Someone will show you there—feel free to browse at your leisure~”

His tone shifted completely—now flat and bored—as he mumbled about “urgent business” and began to leave.

“Did his whole attitude just flip?” Main whispered.

From the bag, Nokti muttered, “Wow, that was fast…”

The female clerk returned, looking flustered.

“Ah, um, this way please, I’ll guide you.”

Honestly, I was irritated, but I took a deep breath and followed her toward the warehouse.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Gameln said with a sleazy grin as he walked off.

“You’re welcome to look, but try not to touch things too much, alright~?”

And then he finally left for real.

“…”

“This is the Third Warehouse.”

Following the clerk, we passed through a large shutter door.

Inside was far bigger than I’d imagined—rows upon rows of flying ships lined up neatly under the high steel rafters. The air smelled faintly of oil, dust, and aged metal.

“Wow, I thought used ones would be all beat up, but these are actually pretty nice!”

Main’s voice bounced happily.

“They’ve all had basic maintenance before being displayed here,” the clerk explained.

“Can we take a look around freely?”

“Of course. Please call me if you need anything.”

After a polite bow, she stepped back, and we began wandering among the ships.

Each one had its own story—the faded paint, the patched metal seams, the mismatched parts—each told a tale of its past.

“Hey, what about this one? It’s all round and has little wings—so cute!”

Main pointed to a small, plush-looking ship.

“Uh… that one’s performance isn’t exactly…”

“Looks like a kid’s toy!” Nokti snorted.

“Aww, but it’s cute…”

Main pouted.

“What about this one? The performance specs look good, and it’s fairly new—though the cargo space is small.”

I pointed to another model.

“Hmm… not cute,” Main said flatly.

“This one’s no good either,” Nokti sniffed. “Too many custom mods—surprised it hasn’t exploded yet.”

Sure enough, when I looked closer, there were sloppy weld marks all over.

“Doesn’t seem like we’re finding much…”

“Yeah…”

We both sighed at the same time.

“The popular models and newer ones tend to sell fast,” the clerk explained apologetically. “So we don’t have as many in stock.”

“If you’re interested in new ships, we could perhaps make a special arrangement, considering your letter of introduction…”

“I see. We’ll think about it.”

With that, we left the warehouse.

“What do we do now, Sky?”

“There are other factories—let’s check them out.”

We spent the rest of the day visiting a few more, but they were all about the same.

“For now, it’s getting late. Let’s stay at a hotel tonight and start again tomorrow.”

“Yeah, no need to rush. Let’s relax and get something tasty to eat!”

“Now that I’m excited for!”

“You must be tired too, Nokti—being stuck in the bag all day.”

“Please. I used to live inside the Sterling—this is nothing.”

“Alright then, once we book a hotel, let’s go grab a good dinner!”

And with that, we hurried off to find a place to stay before heading into town.

“Wow, look at all these restaurants!”

“And the smells—man, I’m starving already!”

Before us stretched a cobblestone street lined with eateries.

Glowing signs flickered like neon lights, food stalls spilled onto the sidewalks, and the air was alive with sizzling sounds, savory spices, sweet bread aromas, and the smoky scent of grilled meat.

“Ahhh, there are too many choices! How do we pick?”

Main darted from window to window, her eyes sparkling.

“This one’s roasting whole chickens! That one’s grilling fish!”

“Hey, this place says they’re famous for hearty meat soup—looks incredible!”

Even though it was only evening, the street was packed with people, laughter, and upbeat music.
Overhead, a small advertising airship zoomed past, shouting, “Limited-edition meat pies—almost sold out!”

“Hmmm… I can’t decide…”

As Main looked around indecisively, a whiff of sweet, smoky sauce drifted from a side street.

“…Huh? That smell…”

“Oh yeah, that’s gotta be the one!” Nokti said.

We exchanged glances and followed the scent down the narrow lane.

At the end stood a small, old-fashioned diner with a simple wooden sign and warm light glowing from within.

From inside came cheerful chatter and the voice of what sounded like a friendly owner.

“The atmosphere’s nice too… should we go in?”

“Yeah!”

With our hearts fluttering in anticipation, we gently pushed open the door—