Father handed me the quest paper, and I read it eagerly.
For a moment, my expression froze.
The excitement inside me slowly drained away like water from a broken cup.
I looked up at Father.
"So… you brought me a chopping-wood quest?"
Mother covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Alistair avoided my eyes.
"It's not just wood. They're monster trees. Very dangerous ones."
I stared at the paper again, deadpan.
"Father… this is gardening with extra steps."
Mother finally burst out laughing.
"See? Even Solaris knows you're bullying him!"
Alistair sighed like a man betrayed by his entire household.
---
Then he raised his hand, ending the discussion with a firm voice.
"Okay—no more arguing. Do as I say."
His tone was strict, the voice of a household lord, not just a father.
But inside his mind, the words were completely different—filled with worry, a deep fear for his son's humanity.
"Solaris… my boy…
I know better than anyone what is best for you."
His gaze softened as he looked at his son, standing so confidently before him.
"I can't change your desire to walk the path of an adventurer.
But I must make sure you never find yourself in that same bloody situation again—at least not until your heart and mind are mature enough to endure such horrors."
For a brief moment, the image of that day flashed across his thoughts—the lightning, the screams, the empty yellow eyes of his own son.
Alistair exhaled slowly."
No matter what," he murmured to himself, "I will protect you from becoming a monster. "
---
Then—suddenly—
out of thin air, a blinding flash tore through the calm sky.
A wave of heavy wind rolled across the household grounds, making the trees bow as if greeting something ancient and majestic.
From within that light, a colossal metallic vessel emerged—dark as night, yet gleaming like forged obsidian. It didn't resemble the old wooden airships of the empire; its body was sleek, modern, almost otherworldly, carved with flowing rune lines that pulsed like living veins.
Sparks of blue lightning crawled across its surface, dancing along the armored plates.
Around the ship, countless monster cores of different colors floated in slow orbit—ruby red, emerald green, deep violet—each one humming with restrained power, as if they were the beating hearts that kept the giant alive.
And above its central deck—
three enormous magic crystals hovered in a triangular formation, glowing with overwhelming brilliance. Every pulse they released bent the air itself, sending ripples of mana across the sky.
It wasn't just a vehicle.
It was a moving fortress.
A masterpiece of arcane engineering.
We all—
I, the guards, the maids—
stood frozen, staring at its breathtaking beauty, completely speechless.
Then Alistair quickly broke the silence.
"Looks like your ride has arrived, Solaris."
---
My face instantly lit up with excitement.
"Father… are you saying this airship came for me?!"
Alistair gave a small, casual shrug, as if this ridiculous floating fortress above our house was nothing special.
"Oh? I don't think I mentioned—we have a personal Stargazer."
"Stargazer?" I repeated, completely forgetting about the quest, the guards, even Mother standing right beside me. "So you call it Stargazer… Hmm… that's a cool name."
The moment those words left my mouth, curiosity took over my entire body like a storm.
I turned toward him like a child seeing a new toy for the first time.
"So, so—Father, tell me! How does it fly? Are those monster cores? What are those big shiny thingies? How fast can it fly? And how did it just pop out of nowhere like that?!"
The questions poured out without a single pause.
Alistair looked at me with a mischievous smile—the kind of smile that meant he had just discovered a perfect way to control the situation. Like a veteran hunter who finally found the weak point of a wild beast.
"Okay, okay," he said, raising both hands. "I'll answer all your questions later. But first, go inside the ship. It wouldn't stay long here."
It was such an obvious lie.
Even the birds in the garden probably knew it.
But my brain was already floating somewhere near the Stargazer, so I didn't notice at all.
"It will take you directly to the capital city," Father continued. "Our household head butler, Wadsworth, will escort you."
In the distance, near a swirling purple space gate that connected directly to the ship, an old man in a perfectly neat formal suit stood waiting. His posture was straight, his expression calm and professional, like he had been preparing for this exact moment for years.
"Young Master, this way," he called gently.
I took the bait without even a second of hesitation.
"Ohh—okay Father! I'm off then!"
Excitement bubbling in my chest, I immediately started running toward the butler. The grass brushed against my legs, the wind from the hovering Stargazer messing up my hair, but I didn't care at all.
Wadsworth welcomed me with a respectful bow, then guided me toward the glowing portal.
Behind us, Mother let out a long, helpless sigh.
"So easily tricked by his father…" she murmured, shaking her head with a mixture of amusement and worry.
---
Inside the ship, I found myself standing in a luxurious hall.
A red velvet carpet stretched beneath my feet, soft enough that each step felt like sinking into clouds. Elegant chairs with golden patterns were arranged along the walls, and crystal lamps floated near the ceiling, glowing without any visible flame. Even the air felt different here—lighter, warmer, strangely comforting, as if the ship itself was breathing gently around me.
I looked around like a lost tourist in a palace.
Wadsworth noticed my curiosity immediately.
"Young Master," he said with a polite bow, "this Stargazer has three main cabins—the control room, the passenger hall, and the resting chamber."
"Hmm…" I nodded, pretending to understand everything while actually understanding nothing at all.
Then the question I had been holding in burst out.
"So… Grandpa Butler, how do you operate this thing?"
For a moment Wadsworth's serious face softened.
"Grandpa Butler… is it?" he murmured with a small smile. "Very well, Young Master. Follow me."
He guided me into another chamber.
The moment I stepped inside, it felt like I had crossed into a completely different world.
My breath stopped.
There were countless buttons, glowing panels, and strange devices I had never seen in my life. Screens—small and large—floated in the air like transparent windows, each showing different symbols, maps, and moving numbers. Lines of light connected them together, forming something like a giant web of information.
It looked nothing like the magic tools I knew.
This was pure technology—far beyond anything in our daily life.
I felt like I had just jumped straight into a sci-fi comic scene.
"Whoa…" the word escaped my mouth without permission.
Levers moved on their own. Crystals rotated inside glass tubes. Tiny sparks of mana ran through metal veins across the walls. The entire room hummed softly, alive and intelligent.
Wadsworth walked to the center console and placed his hand on a glowing panel.
"This is the heart of the Stargazer," he explained. "The monster cores outside provide raw power. The central crystals stabilize space. And this system converts mana into movement."
I stared at him with shining eyes.
"So… this ship is half magic, half machine?"
"Precisely, Young Master."
I touched one of the floating screens carefully. It rippled like water.
---
The butler adjusted his gloves and spoke calmly.
"This Stargazer can move ten times faster than light. Manually controlling it would be nearly impossible—so we rely entirely on voice commands."
Then, in a clear, practiced tone, he said,
"Stargazer—take us to the Capital City, South Dungeon Forest."
A mechanical voice echoed through the chamber.
"Voice command recognized: Wadsworth.
Request confirmed.
Destination: Capital City of Eldrathis, South Dungeon Forest.
Stargazer activating.
Launch in three seconds—
Three… two…"
At that moment something clicked in my head.
"Wait a second…"
I frowned.
"Father said this ship couldn't stay long at our house. Then why… why is there no passenger except me?"
A cold realization crawled up my spine.
I rushed to the side window—and I screamed for my father's betrayal.
"FATHER—!! YOU TRICKED ME!!!"
My voice echoed helplessly across the empty hall.
"—One."
Then—
with a blinding flash of light, the airship vanished from the sky.
---
⭐Next Time: [Reunion with the Crown Prince]