154 - Ayla

"I've calculated it! The planet's radius is 7,200 kilometers!"

"Nonsense! It should be 6,875 kilometers!"

.

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Due to the immense magnitude of the calculated values, similar discussions erupted quickly in various corners of Greenville. After repeated debates and disputes, data regarding the planet's circumference, diameter, and radius were soon recorded on paper.

The planet's surface area was an unexpectedly staggering number, 594 million square kilometers! Many people only now realise the vastness of the world beneath their feet!

In the heart of Alya, there arose a desire to explore a world so vast.

Based on the just-calculated circumference data, even the best alchemical ships could circumnavigate the world in just three months under the most ideal conditions. However, when he proposed this idea, it was met with laughter.

The vastness and danger of the open sea were beyond what someone like Alya, with no sailing experience, could comprehend. Even the most experienced sailors risked their lives when faced with storms, not to mention the fierce sea creatures.

"What if we use airships?" Alya didn't let the ridicule deter him; instead, he presented a new idea. Since crossing the sea was perilous, perhaps they could depart from the air.

Upon hearing Alya's words, those who had mocked him fell silent. They suddenly realized that while Alya's proposal might sound crazy, it undeniably had some feasibility.

Circling the entire planet was a truly magnificent feat that could be recorded in the annals of magic history!

"Maybe we can fly in the opposite direction. Didn't the Magic Daily say that our continent constantly rotates from west to east? So, if we depart from the east and fly west, we could return in a day," a tall, thin witch suggested with pride. However, he didn't notice the onlookers gazing at him as if he were a fool.

If it were that easy, they would have already traveled from the east of Greenville to the west when they jumped!

After some contemplation, an alchemist shook his head and poured cold water on the idea. "Even with airships, it's unlikely to achieve such a grand endeavor. If you can't determine your direction, you'll get lost at sea in no time. Perhaps you might even encounter attacks from sea dragons, feathered serpents, or bird spirits."

However, this time, there were quite a few people who supported Alya's grand idea. Some suggested mounting magic crystal cannons on airships to fend off flying magical creatures, while others proposed using the guidance of the stars to determine direction and location.

The discussion continued lively. Alya, on the other hand, deflated as he realized that a commoner like him could never own his own alchemical airship.

Meanwhile, in the city square not far from here, Raphael gazed at the heated debates and even the physical fights erupting over the accuracy of the measurements. He sighed and remarked, "Greenville hasn't been this lively in a long time."

Since Lynn had arrived in this ancient city of wizards, it was as if he had injected new life into the city. Every day, He expanded their understanding of the world and even got some commoners involved in academic discussions.

Raphael had never seen a scene where wizards and commoners jointly discussed a magical theory like this before!

***

The commotion in Greenville City lasted for quite a while. It wasn't until two days later that the returning airship appeared in the city's sky, reaching the peak of excitement in the atmosphere.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets and squares, eagerly awaiting the airship's descent. As the airship slowly descended, everyone craned their necks to get a better view, and some mischievous children even climbed onto rooftops for a better vantage point.

The first person to step off the airship was Lydia. As she saw the dense crowd in the city square welcoming them, she joyfully waved her hand.

Darren and other halflings were also excitedly shouting, "Lydia, I knew you could do it!"

"Lydia, you're the pride of the halflings! Our hero!"

The chorus of voices quickly spread from all corners of the square. Halflings, though a minority in the Wizard Lands, numbered in the thousands, and they were using their physical advantage to squeeze their way to the front, all shouting Lydia's name in unison.

"A non-magician halfling? How did she end up on this airship?" Some male witches who had arrived from a small town west of the Wizard Lands couldn't help but frown when they saw Lydia step off the airship. They couldn't understand why, at such a sacred moment of measuring the planet's circumference, they had to bring an ignorant halfling who couldn't learn magic.

Upon hearing this, Darren and the others immediately became displeased and spoke out. "What do you know? Lydia is now Lord Lynn's apprentice. She handcrafted all the core components of this airship. No one understands how to operate an airship better than she does!"

Several male witches found it hard to believe. In the history of the Wizard Lands, no faction had ever accepted halflings as apprentices. After all, it was an undisputed fact that halflings had no magical talents. Some shape-shifting witches even disdainfully referred to halflings as a group rejected by magic.

This meant that halflings were not well-received in certain cities in the Wizard Lands.

However, Lynn, who came from the Misty Sea, was willing to accept a halfling as an apprentice and even allowed her to participate in the intricate alchemical process of constructing an airship. This made the few male witches very surprised and even suspicious of whether Lynn had some special preferences.

"Can't non-wizards also join Lynn's Iyeta Academy and become his apprentices?" Alya excitedly remarked. The commoners who aspired to become wizards also looked at Darren with enthusiasm.

"Of course, Lydia is the best example!" Darren said proudly and then quickly added, "But you have to be exceptionally intelligent!"

Exceedingly intelligent? Alya hesitated, feeling he might not meet that standard. Still, he gazed at Lynn, who had just descended from the airship. Upon their first meeting, Alya's impression was that Lynn was young—very young, perhaps not even twenty.

Yet, this young wizard, who was a few years younger than himself, proposed a grand idea to calculate the planet's data and put it into action, achieving remarkable results.

At that moment, Lynn was engaged in a pleasant conversation with the legendary wizard Harof. Even from a distance, Alya could guess that they were discussing more profound magical theories.

However, it was all just his imagination. In reality, Lynn was explaining the complicated relationship between Newton and the apple.