落とし穴１５５堀：とびたい (Part2)
"Soel, that’s enough. I admit it does look like I’m just playing around. But Ruth, Dando, this kind of thing is what leads to new ideas and the future. Besides, I’m not exactly being reckless here."
As I said that, I showed the two of them the book I had been keeping hidden.
"Wait, this is... Japanese? ...What?! A collection of airplane blueprints!?"
"What is this? Why would you have something so precious?"
"Why? It’s just reference material. I’m not arrogant enough to think I can build an airplane from scratch."
I’m no genius. Well, I could probably make a paper airplane, but that’s about as far as it goes. At worst, I have the final resort of building a giant paper airplane, but that’s strictly a last-ditch effort. My goal is a glider—a sailplane.
"I’ve already found the blueprints for what I plan to build. Now, it’s just a matter of gathering the materials and assembling it."
"I see. In that case, it does seem like it could actually fly."
"Hmm, I see. But to think you managed to get Yuki to allow you to take such an important book out..."
"No, it’s not like reading this alone will let me build any kind of plane instantly."
If I could build something perfectly just by reading a blueprint, I’d be a genius. I’m fully prepared to crash many times before completion.
"Anyway, for the materials, I’ve already requested Treant trunks from the Adventurer Guild. I’ll process those for the frame."
"That’s quite luxurious. But they are light and sturdy, so it makes perfect sense."
"You’re right. I’m starting to feel like we might actually be able to build an airplane."
That’s right. This world has many materials that are lighter and stronger than those on Earth. Looking at these blueprints, I started to think that it might actually be easier to build a flying machine here than on Earth. ...Or maybe I’m just telling myself that. But this is all about trial and error—or was it trial and error? Well, it doesn't matter. I just have to try.
And so, with Airi and Soel at the center, I gathered blacksmiths and technicians from Ranks to begin the design and construction of the glider. As expected, reality wasn't so kind. Or rather, I wanted to scream, "How on earth did you do it, Wright brothers?!"
No, I actually did scream it.
And halfway through, I realized something. The processing technology here isn't very advanced, so just building the frame according to the blueprints was a struggle in itself. I realized I wouldn't have time to build prototypes and test flights. A one-month deadline was far too short. There was almost no time to learn from failure and rebuild.
In other words, the Birdman Contest would essentially be a maiden voyage with no practice...
This is bad. All I can imagine is the plane plummeting vertically the moment it leaves the ground. Just as I was about to convince myself it was impossible, a phrase I had heard before crossed my mind.
*"If you try, you can do it. If you don't try, nothing will be accomplished. Failure is the result of not trying."*
Was that from Yuki-san? Something about Uesugi... and Takeda Shingen? It meant don't give up without trying, right?
...I see. I was so afraid of the result—of crashing—that I was about to throw away my dream of building an airplane.
"No. I wanted to fly in the sky myself. No, I *want* to fly. In an airplane I built—no, one we all built together."
I’m not quitting because I can't do it. I wanted to build an airplane because I wanted to fly. I knew from the start that flying was difficult, didn't I? I’m no genius. It’s impossible to build it perfectly on the first try anyway.
"It’s okay if it crashes. That’s not the end."
That’s right. Crashing isn't the end. It’s the beginning. It’s always been that way.
"I want to fly!"
That’s enough. That’s all that matters. And so, my airplane construction accelerated...
"...Will this actually fly?"
"...Hmm. A novel design, indeed."
"I-I think it will! Maybe for five meters?"
"Isn't that just falling?"
In the end, the unnecessary parts were trimmed away, and we decided to rebuild, focusing only on the design necessary for flight.
"But the horn! You have to keep the horn!"
"It’s not like it’ll make it three times faster, you know."
"Well, if you insist..."
Even so, I managed to successfully protect the red horn design.
People fly because they want to fly. That’s all there is to it. The result isn't what’s important. What matters is aiming for the sky with that feeling in your heart. Well, it would be even better if the results followed, but it’s not like things go well from the very start. The important thing is knowing that and taking the first step!