Arcanum 167 Ashley's Brilliance

"Yeah it's really good! Compliments to the chef." I smiled enjoying the food.

"So Jun.. what sort of evil do u think spooked the Dark Elves to try and surface?" Grace asked making conversation.

"Sadly not much, we haven't sent a team down to investigate, but what we managed to extract form the survivors and the dead was some sort of ancient darkness.. It was hard to see and identify it but from what I saw, I can only describe it as some malformed giant grotesque baby that emits some sort of strange life sapping aura." He described looking a little concerned.

"What on earth could it be?" I questioned.

"We don't know either.. We've never encountered anything of the sort before." He answered.

"Nothing comes to mind either." Helen nodded pondering.

"To be honest it doesn't sound like an issue for us to worry about." Jun replied.

"But what happens if situations get worse?" I questioned.

"Then we'll just deal with them if they try and surface again. Aspa won't risk sending students and soldiers to solve an issue that clearly isn't our problem." He answered.

I wanted to argue with him on saving innocent lives, but ultimately decided not to since we are on his ship and being extremely hospitable.

"Hmm I wonder if Serra would know what it is, life draining seems to go against Serra's beliefs." Daisy pondered.

"So Emilia?... are you from the continent of Zaksara?" He questioned intently.

"Zaksara?" Jay questioned.

"Yeah it's a very distant continent.. Very dry and sandy, difficult to survive but it's the only known continent where the human inhabitants are browned skinned a little like Emilia." He answered Jay.

"Maybe?.. I was abandoned as a child." I lied to him answering his question with a question.

"Ohhh apologies for being disrespectful, forget I asked." He apologised immediately in shock.

"Are there any Elves in Aspa?" Helen questioned Jun.

"Umm there's hardly any in the sky cities... maybe one or two per floating city if you're lucky... they tend to be magical item traders. The normal cities on the other hand I'm not sure." He answered her question.

"If you don't mind could I ask you all a very private question?.." He whispered.

"Sure.." We all answered with a smile.

"Is it true that Paul the Black Dragon Slayer will be participating in the Grand Magical Tournament next year?..." He asked quietly.

"Yeah!! We've heard he might be." Jay answered.

"No way!! We're gonna be in trouble.. I'm defiantly paying front row seats." He relied in pure excitement.

"Is High Admiral Ruri an S rank?" I curiously asked remembering she was able to shift metal with just a touch.

"No No.." He replied with a small chuckle, "High Admiral Ruri Graduated last year youngest student to ever graduate Apsa." He answered.

"Ohh so she's technically not a student?.." I asked.

"No no... Everyone in the sky fleet has already graduated." He smiled.

"Wait so you're not a student either?.." I asked in shock.

"Sadly... not anymore I graduated last year also and she specially requested me to be her 2nd in command." He smiled.

"So Aspa's S-ranked students?..... do you have any?.." I asked.

"Yes we have many that are S-ranked equivalent before they graduated... but yes currently we have five. Aspa does it a little differently.. we have a specially selected team of five students that will compete in the games.. and every other student will be trained to man an airship." He answered.

"Interesting...." we nodded in understanding.

"Can I ask a small question.." I requested politely.

"Sure.." He smiled

"What did Paul and Ashley do to help Aspa?.." I questioned curiously.

"Well.... as you might have noticed Captain Ruri has a small liking to Ashley.. she said he's brilliantly intelligent. Paul on the other hand he's helped both High Admirals in certain situations where they was bound by duty and order." Jun explained.

"Like saving lives?" I questioned.

"Of sorts... you see Aspa is split into two sectors you have Hanna the Grand Artificer who manages the cities and the school, then you have the Gran Admiral who focuses on managing the sky fleet and maintaining peace." Jun answered.

"Officer Jun would it be possible to see the weaponry you assisted us with yesterday?" Grace asked politely.

"Hmmm.. it's abit of a security risk to do so.. But Ashely practically pioneered most the weaponry anyways so I see no harm.." He answered pondering on it for a few seconds standing up with his tray walking towards some bins.

"This is gonna be amazing!" Jay looked replied in excitement.

"Daisy are you okay? You're a little silent." Helen asked a little worried.

"Yup all is great! Just listening." She answered with a giant smile on her face.

As we slowly made our way to what felt like the sides of the ships, every few meters there was a small box with what looked some two cups on the end of a line, "Umm Officer Jun are those reporting stations?" I questioned.

"Yes.. if anything happens we can report it in as soon as possible." He answered.

"There seems to be less crewmen here." Jay commented as we walked through the corridors.

"Yes you should mainly see engineers here.. But everyone is on break while we're recharging.. There are some that should be patrolling and monitoring though." He answered still leading us through the corridors. "So behind this door is the gunnery ports." Officer Jun notified us opening hit large bulk doors revealing corridor of innumerable bulk doors on our left. "So this is what a standard gunnery port looks like." He said instantly opening a door on his left revealing a very big sizable room with a large cannon with a seat connected on it on top of some sort of mechanism.

"I guess this is the amplifier?" Jay asked touching a large lens on the side of the cannon.

"Yes that is a Spell Crystal Amplifier. It operates by having five students use their spells into the crystal amplifying it to devastating levels of power." Jun answered with a smile.

"Where are the spikes you used last time?." I questioned noticing there was some sort of huge loading belt on the other side of the cannon connected to the wall.

"So the spikes are here." He said walking towards the wall and opened a well-hidden latch pulling out the dial lock handle we saw earlier and plunged it back it after giving it a few turns. The sound of whirling mechanism activated causing the wall to slowly rise revealing the giant metal spike that was used to destroy shields.

"Just one spike?" Jay questioned in a little bit of confusion.

"No exactly.. As you can see this spike is larger than the loading bay so it wouldn't fit." He began to explain.

"So this technology Ashley solved and pioneered for us.. Otherwise it would be too heavy and impractical to store move and reload these giant anti shield spikes. So I can't really show you.. But with a press of this button it creates a small beam of super heat, he called it.. Plasma and this plasma will cut the spike to the correct size to fit on this belt which loads it into the cannon. So then our casters will use the "Repair." Spell..." He explained.

"The spell that repairs clothing and things?" I questioned remembering the use in class and jay using it sometimes.

"Yes that exact spell... as you may know it repairs damaged things.. So the spell will repair the stump of the spike to make it reusable again." He smiled.

"Woah.... that's genius to use the spell like that." Jay replied in complete shock.

"Yup.. Ashley really is amazing." Jun agreed.

"Wow that extremely amazing use of the spell.. Also it's even a low level spell so the casters can use this method many times and still have reserve to use proper spells in the amplifier." Helen agreed also amazed at Ashely's idea.

"He really is ahead of everyone else.. I only thought to use that spell to repair my clothes and things I break." Jay added making me see Ashley in a completely new light.

"Yes it really is.. The space and weight it save from just needing one spike per port has allowed us to strengthen the bulkheads with thicker plating all throughout the ship." Jun added.

"Are these guns fixed?.." Grace asked looking at it.

"Not at all... Ashley also pioneered this technology as well...." Jun answered pressing a button causing the wall to descend down hiding the spike. "Jump on." He smiled offering her to jump into the seat.

"Okay!" Grace smiled jumping on the seat.

"Nothing to worry about everything is disconnected so the turret isn't operational." He reassured her. "Now you see these pedals?..." He asked her.

"Yup." Grace nodded.

"Now left pedal makes the Cannon aim downwards and the right pedal makes the cannon aim up. "Your right hand goes here." He took her hand placing it on lever. "So this makes it go left and right. Finally your left hand goes here.. Placing her fingers on two buttons. This is the trigger to stop misfires both buttons need to be pressed simultaneously to fire." He explained to her. "Ohh and if you need to see further target we have magnifying lenses here above your head." He said pointing at a set of goggles hanging near her head. "Now give it a try." He said taking a step back causing us to also step back.

"Okay.." Grace answered pressing on a pedal slightly to cause the cannon to lower ever so slightly.

"Abit more." Jun smiled finding her hesitation a little humorous.

"Okay.." Grace nodded pressing a pedal little more causing it to raise up faster.

"Just move around abit in all directions." He instructed her politely causing Grace to move the cannon in all different directions showing us the shooting arc of the cannon.

"So unlike other sky ships or normal ships.. The Cannons are fixed so the pilot needs to manoeuvre the ship in dangerous positions. So from my basic understanding the platform sits on top of many cylinders which raise and drop with the controls giving our cannons a better shooting angles then conventional cannons giving us an advantage in battles and the a bility to focus fire." He explained.

"Wow this truly is impressive." Grace said enjoying the motion of movement in the gunner seat.

"Yes Aspa has been trying to poach Ashley for years now.. but with no luck sadly no matter how much we offer him in benefits and pay." He notified us. "It really is thanks to him the Apa fleet is as strong as it is right now and the lives he's saved with this technology." Jun smiled thankful for his contribution.

Chapter end