No Need for War

The people of the Silent Temple gazed at the distant fortress in wonder for a while, then noticed the sea beyond it. The azure water and damp sea breeze were especially pleasant. Many of them had never left the Northern Territory, let alone seen the waters of this southern land.

After marveling for a while, they finally looked up at Nini. "Lady Nini, where are we going to see the airship?"

Nini blinked and gave them a mischievous smile. "Right above our heads."

The priests of the Silent Temple raised their heads to look at the "station roof" above them, their expressions shifting from confusion to suspicion, then blank astonishment.

They were not in any station at all. This was merely the exit of the webway, and the enormous thing casting its shadow over them was—

"The Skyveil Behemoth, Castel's largest airship. It was built for a special mission, and no airships designed afterward were made this large. It may well remain the largest one in the future too."

Nini spoke unhurriedly.

Silence fell.

The Buriers of the Silent Temple seemed to have suddenly turned into stone statues. They stood where they were with their heads raised, staring blankly at the sky.

They had imagined airships before. Huge birds often crossed the skies of the Northern Territory, sometimes mistaken by ignorant farmers for the legendary dragonhawks. They were as large as two carriages, and even a fully armed scouting squad would not dare provoke one.

The priests' wildest fantasies of an airship had amounted to another giant bird at most—one capable of carrying more weight, perhaps with a few extra wings. That alone would have been an astonishing beast.

Only now did they realize how laughable their imaginations had been.

If those "dragonhawks" were giant beasts, then what was the