Does an Airship Have a Captain Too?

Frey had imagined many possibilities for how the people of Castel might cross the Wall of Despair.

The people of White Stone Fort had grown up here, and so countless legends and fantasies about the Wall of Despair had been born.

For instance, Transcendents growing six arms and climbing with the agility of apes.

Or turning into spider-men, able to spit silk and walk sheer cliffs as if on level ground. But he had never imagined that humans could set foot in the sky.

"We'll take an airship across and have a look at this little fellow. Unicorn Type 78—the 78 refers to its length. Among Castel's war airships, seventy-eight meters is nothing, but for crossing the Wall of Despair? Heh heh, it'll be effortless." Zoe smiled as she looked at the long, narrow airship in the sky.

Frey was completely dumbfounded. Only at times like this did he shed his slick manner and show the expression a boy his age ought to have.

"Wow..."

"Feels pretty good, doesn't it? It was produced by one of Gaia's factories. It's one of Castel Military Industries' latest products, balancing maneuverability and bomb capacity. It's quite capable at reconnaissance, surveying, and fire suppression. As for the Wall of Despair... that was just incidental."

The Wall of Despair, which the people of White Stone Fort saw every day from childhood, had become merely incidental in her words. Frey should have been offended, but instead he could only stare entranced at the slowly descending airship.

The oval hull curved beautifully, while the passenger cabin suspended beneath it had hard, clean lines that somehow carried a touch of elegance. It was Frey's first time seeing such a creation.

Most of what he had seen growing up were pitted stones and weathered walls. Even the residences of