What Ya'er was carrying on her back was indeed a modified version of the magical power supply unit once used by the steel half-orc girls rescued by Gavin Ward.
Originally, the device had been crafted by the Orc Empire, but their engineering was crude, especially in key areas like the stabilization core and power regulator. It was bulky, unbalanced, and its design could barely be called refined.
But once the Kingdom of Ross obtained these devices, everything changed.
Gavin personally ordered a team of engineers to rebuild and upgrade the contraptions. Within two days, they replaced every cheap and rough component with precision-made Rossian parts, developed through the kingdom's advanced industry.
Surprisingly, they didn't have to change the entire design. The device itself was sound — it only needed better hardware. Once they swapped out the shoddy orc materials with Ross's superior metal alloys and intricate craftsmanship, the device came to life.
When powered by magic, it worked — beautifully.
The half-orc girls had once struggled to use it because of its inefficiency. But now, any magician could use it to fly.
Ya'er, ever the adventurous soul, had borrowed one of these new prototypes from the laboratory under the pretense of "scientific testing." She channeled her magic into the pack, and the machine roared to life, lifting her off the ground.
"Wow! It actually works!" she screamed in delight as the air whipped past her face.
Angelina, who had tried to stop her, grabbed her hand at the last second — only to be lifted off the ground as well.
"Ya'er! Slow down! Not so fast!" Angelina shouted, her long golden hair fluttering wildly in the wind.
But Ya'er was laughing uncontrollably, spinning and looping through the sky like a carefree bird.
For most magicians, true flight was something only achievable once they reached the rank of Sky Mage — a distant dream. Yet here she was, soaring freely with a device powered by nothing more than mechanical ingenuity and a touch of magic.
It was exhilarating, liberating, and utterly thrilling.
---
Meanwhile, in the royal study of the Kingdom of Ross, Gavin Ward was busy signing documents when the door burst open.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
It was Stephens, the elderly chief minister, panting as he hurried in.
Gavin raised an eyebrow without looking up. "What is it this time?"
"Your Majesty, it's Ya'er!" Stephens gasped, clutching his back as he caught his breath. "She borrowed one of the magical flying devices from the research lab — and she's taken Angelina with her!"
Gavin sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I know."
Stephens froze. "You… you know? But, Your Majesty, those are devices made by beasts! Even if we've replaced the parts, the failure rate is still dangerously high! It's reckless to use one!"
He looked genuinely distressed.
It wasn't just because of the risk — Stephens had watched Gavin grow from a young strategist into a ruler who turned a small nation into the continent's most powerful kingdom. And in all that time, Gavin had never married.
At twenty-two, in this era, he was already considered an "old bachelor." The people whispered that the nation needed a queen, someone to stand beside their ruler.
Stephens had always thought Angelina, the gentle and noble elf princess, was the perfect match. She was kind, diligent, and had long harbored quiet feelings for Gavin.
Now both she and Ya'er were flying through the sky in a barely-tested prototype.
"Your Majesty," Stephens continued, "if something happens to them, especially to Princess Angelina—"
Gavin cut him off with a faint smile. "Don't worry, Stephens. I know the risk. That's why I prepared for it."
Stephens blinked. "Prepared…?"
---
Above the clouds, Ya'er and Angelina were still soaring — until the machine began to sputter.
A horrible clicking sound echoed through the air. The thrusters flickered, then coughed out smoke.
"Oh no," Ya'er gasped. "That doesn't sound good!"
The magical engine whined once… twice… then stopped completely.
Their speed dropped instantly. The sky tilted. The world spun.
"Ahhhhh! We're falling!" Ya'er screamed.
"Ya'er! Do something!" Angelina cried, clutching her tightly.
"I'm trying!"
The two girls plummeted, their golden hair streaming behind them as tears welled up in their eyes. Wind roared in their ears. The ground below loomed closer with terrifying speed.
"Ya'er! We're going to die!"
"Yaaaaaah!"
And then — whoosh!
A sudden jerk stopped their fall. The descent slowed, and a massive canopy of white silk blossomed above them.
They hung suspended in midair, drifting gently like a pair of dandelion seeds.
Angelina blinked through her tears. The blazing sun was now hidden by a great umbrella-like fabric — a parachute.
They were safe.
---
When they finally touched the ground, Angelina's legs trembled so badly she could barely stand.
"Ya'er!" she shouted, half in anger, half in relief. "You reckless fool! Gavin warned us that this thing wasn't fully stable — and you still went ahead and used it!"
Ya'er rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "But it had a parachute! I knew we'd be fine."
"You knew?! If it hadn't worked, we'd both be dead!"
Angelina's voice broke as she realized how close they'd come to disaster. If I had died, I'd never see Gavin again, she thought bitterly. He'd never even know how I felt…
Her cheeks flushed red, both from anger and embarrassment. She, a dignified princess of the elves, almost became a tragic joke — the royal who fell from the sky.
"Alright, alright," Ya'er mumbled, lowering her head. "I was wrong, okay?"
Angelina sighed, softening. She was small herself, but still patted Ya'er's head like a scolding sister. "Just don't do it again."
---
Then, a strange female voice echoed through the clearing.
"Two~ little sisters~ lost~ in the big~ wide~ world~?"
Both girls froze.
The voice was calm, lilting, and slightly mocking — yet eerily mesmerizing.
They turned toward the source and saw a figure standing not far away.
The stranger wore a long purple robe trimmed with gold, her face hidden behind a white mask etched with golden sigils. The mask was completely smooth — no mouth, no eye slits, nothing that should allow her to see or breathe.
Yet she stood there as if sighted, still and confident, as the wind gently lifted the hem of her robe.
Two long strands of violet hair spilled down across her chest, gleaming under the sun.
For some reason, both Ya'er and Angelina had failed to notice her until this moment — as if she'd been there all along, hidden from perception itself.
Angelina immediately tensed, her instinctive caution as a princess and mage kicking in. She raised her hand, ready to summon magic.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
The masked woman tilted her head slightly. "Ah, so this is the fabled Ross Kingdom, the land built by the mortal who tamed both machines and magic…"
Her tone was playful — almost amused — but there was something dark behind it.
Ya'er glanced nervously at Angelina. "She doesn't look friendly…"
Angelina took a step forward, shielding Ya'er behind her. "State your name. What business do you have here?"
The mysterious figure chuckled softly, the sound echoing strangely as if coming from everywhere at once.
"Oh, little princess," she purred, "I didn't come to fight. I came to meet the one your people call Gavin Ward."
Angelina's eyes narrowed. "And what do you want with His Majesty?"
The woman's golden mask gleamed as she slowly lifted her gloved hand, tracing invisible symbols in the air. The space around her shimmered faintly.
"Tell him…" she said at last, her voice turning low and cold, "…that the Tongsley Empire is stirring again. And the shadows he buried beneath his kingdom are waking."
The air trembled.
Before either girl could react, the mysterious woman's body dissolved into mist, vanishing without a sound.
Only the scent of lavender lingered in the breeze.
-------------------
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