The crowd had been organized into designated viewing sections outside the workshop, separated by red ropes and marked with small standing signs indicating which group belonged where.

At the front of the workshop entrance, a man in an orange vest held a pair of glowing blue batons, the kind used to direct airships on landing pads.

He raised one hand toward the cockpit, signaling Eduardo and Hayley to hold their position until everyone had been divided up properly.

It was at this moment that Bettie arrived.

She wore an elegant gown that fit her perfectly, and her hair had been styled neatly.

Her eyes scanned the area, searching, until they landed on Percival, who also noticed her almost at the same time and nudged Ethan, nodding in her direction.

Ethan looked over and saw Bettie waving toward them. There weren’t too many people clustered in their section, so it was easy to spot her.

He motioned for her to come over, mentally commanding his summons not to stop her as she crossed into their area.

"Hi, Ethan," Bettie said with a warm smile as she approached.

She turned to Percival and waved. The werewolf nodded at her in acknowledgment.

"You came at the right time," Ethan said.

Before Bettie could respond, a certain mechanical hum reverberated through the air and the crowd went silent.

Slowly, the Vanguard began to roll forward out of the workshop. Lots of people gasped at sight of the aircraft and how imposing it looked in motion.

Ethan had a proud smile on his face as he watched. While Percival and Bettie both had widened eyes, filled with awe.

The plane rolled out completely, then came to a stop, standing tall on its landing gear tyres. Inside the cockpit, Eduardo said calmly through the internal comms. "Engaging jet thrusters."

He pressed a button on the overhead panel, which made compartments beneath the plane opened with a soft hiss. Then a blue haze began pouring downward from the openings.

The jet thrusters were propulsion systems powered by the aircraft’s mana cores. They functioned as actual jet engines, using compressed thrust to generate lift.

A gentle wave of wind blew as the jet thrusters released more concentrated streams of energy, and plane began to lift.

The landing gear, still extended, held the aircraft steady as it rose a few feet off the ground. Then, slowly, the tyres folded upward and retracted into the aircraft, disappearing completely.

The crowd murmured in amazement as they watched the vertical takeoff, with no runway required.

The Vanguard continued to rise until it got to about forty feet midair. Then Eduardo glanced at Hayley. "Engaging forward propulsion."

He moved a lever forward, and Hayley’s hands gripped the control yokes tightly. Then he pressed another switch, and the turbine engines beneath the wings spun to life.

The plane began to move forward, slowly at first, while angling upward as it gained speed. Both pilots pulled back on their yokes simultaneously, and the nose of the aircraft lifted higher.

At a certain altitude, the jet thrusters beneath the plane simmered down. The blue haze faded, and the compartments closed .

Now, the turbine engines took over completely, propelling the Vanguard forward.

The plane flew like any conventional aircraft would, and the crowd watched in stunned silence as the Vanguard climbed higher and higher, gaining distance and speed until it became a dark silhouette on the evening sky.

"That is amazing," Bettie whispered.

Percival, still staring upward, shook his head in disbelief. "Whatever you and Lucy did, you did a damn good job."

Ethan smiled, his gaze fixed on the aircraft as it disappeared into the clouds.

For a few moments, there was nothing. Then, the Vanguard reappeared. It turned smoothly in the sky, arcing back toward the viewing area. As it approached, the engines slowed, and the plane began to decelerate.

Eduardo and Hayley adjusted the control yokes, balancing the aircraft mid-air as it hovered.

The jet thruster compartments opened once more, and the blue haze poured downward again, slowing the descent.

At a certain distance from the ground, the landing gear extended and locked into place as the plane touched down gently.

The jet thrusters deactivated, and the engines powered down. Now the vanguard was just standing still on the ground, exactly where it had started.

The crowd erupted into applause, with nods of approval coming from almost everyone.

Inside the cockpit, Eduardo and Hayley let out sighs of relief. They waved at the crowd through the tinted windows, and the applause grew louder.

To be fair, the flight system wasn’t overly complex. It didn’t require months of strict training to understand. And besides, these two had guts.

Slowly, they guided the Vanguard back into the workshop, and the crowd became chatty. Conversations broke out everywhere, voices rising with excitement and curiosity.

Ethan was engaged in conversation with Bettie, and part of it involved her confirming that she had been fine for the last two weeks, with no more dreams or visions troubling her.

"I’m glad," Ethan said sincerely. "You look well."

Then a familiar voice called out.

"Mr. Stark."

Ethan turned to see Ophelia Tudor approaching, with Princess Isabella and Rayleigh by her side.

Rayleigh extended his hand, and Ethan shook it with a nod.

Isabella smiled. "Hi, Ethan."

"Hi," Ethan replied, smiling too.

Ophelia’s expression was one of genuine admiration. "Congratulations, Mr. Stark. That was quite the showcase."

Ethan nodded. "Thank you, Madam Ophelia."

Ophelia’s smile widened, and a hint of amusement crept into her voice. "You were really specific in our contract, Stark."

Ethan’s lips formed into smile. "I gave you access to partake in my father’s legacy, but this one," he gestured toward the workshop behind him, "this one’s mine."

Ophelia chuckled. "No chance we draw a deal on this, eh?"

Ethan shook his head. "No chance, Madam Ophelia."

Ophelia laughed and nodded. Working with Ethan over the last month had brought her to a place where she could simply choose to respect his decision.

Then she extended her hand toward him. "You’ve done a fine job with this new aircraft. Say we talk over the week on how I would acquire one of those private jets?"

Ethan took her hand and shook it. "Certainly."

She patted his shoulder gently, then turned and began walking away. Isabella and Rayleigh followed behind her.

As they moved past, Isabella glanced sideways at Ethan and subtly raised her Arcphone, motioning toward it as if telling him to check his messages.

Ethan nodded.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, following the elegant sway of her gown and the graceful movement of bum. He smiled all the way, before pulling out his Arcphone.

The notification was already there.

Miss Berlene❤️: Rayleigh and I are coming by the manor later this evening.

Ethan’s thumb hovered over the screen, about to type a response, when he was suddenly surrounded by several other guests.

"Mr. Stark, a moment of your time?"

"I’d like to discuss acquiring one of the Vanguard models."

"How soon can production begin?"

"What about customization options?"

The questions came all at once, voices overlapping as CEOs, and nobles alike converged on him, eager to declare their interest in the new aircraft.

Ethan pocketed his phone and adjusted his posture into a more composed look.

"Let’s talk," he said.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

-

Check the highlighted paragraphs for pictures