Chapter Forty-Nine: Physics Is a Noble Discipline

Although Chu Yun had never actually tried a real glider before, he had seen plenty of them in movies and on television. The glider that Lysa had made was heavily dependent on magic and had many unreasonable aspects; the only reason she hadn’t crashed and died while gliding was because of her formidable magical power.

“You! What do you mean by that? If you don’t want to buy it, then don’t, but why insult Miss Lysa’s creation?” Before Lysa could respond, Ella, standing to the side, couldn’t hold back her anger.

Miss Lysa was noble yet approachable, treating her like a sister. She was also a prodigious mage and a genius alchemist, someone who had the courage to resist her family’s arranged marriage—an idol in Ella’s eyes, not to be disrespected by anyone.

“Wait, Ella, let’s hear what he has to say. If he’s just here to cause trouble, I’ll deal with him myself.” Lysa comforted Ella, calming her emotions.

She knew her creation had its flaws, but no one had been willing to discuss or study them with her; such products were exceedingly rare on the market, leaving her with little to reference.

The man before her spoke bluntly, but for some reason, she couldn’t help but feel that Chu Yun was trustworthy.

It wasn’t simply because of his handsome appearance—perhaps it was the unique aura that set him apart from others.

“I’m actually very interested in this product. I can offer you some suggestions. If you can improve the existing model based on my advice and I’m satisfied with the results, I’ll provide you with the skin of a Thunderwater Ray. Of course, as payment, you’ll need to give me a finished product.”

“If it’s only at this level, frankly, I’d consider it a waste of such rare materials,” Chu Yun continued, voicing his opinion without the slightest concern for Lysa’s feelings.

If she couldn’t even accept this sort of criticism, there was really nothing more to say. He had no need for a half-finished product.

Lysa took a deep breath, struggling to resist the urge to cut the man before her to pieces with a wind blade.

“Can you tell me, then, what exactly is wrong with this ‘flight wing’?” Lysa ground out the words, especially emphasizing the term “flight wing” with a touch of ire.

She was quite displeased that he kept calling it a “glider.”

Chu Yun pondered how to explain. The civilization of this world wasn’t backward, but its development had diverged significantly from that of Earth, leading to different emphases—a severely skewed technological tree.

“Your glider is modeled after a bird’s wings, but your principle of flight is entirely different from theirs. How can you simply copy their form?”

Lysa’s current flight wing had a pair of wings on each side. In Chu Yun’s opinion, it was closer to a parachute, relying on wind-element magic arrays to force it to glide.

In fact, when humans on Earth first began studying flight, they had similar ideas.

“Have you ever seen a ship?”

“Of course I have, but what does that have to do with flight wings?” Lysa was a little confused.

“Have you ever studied the shape and structure of a ship?”

“The shape… I suppose the front of a ship usually has an angle?”

Chu Yun nodded. “That shape helps the ship cut through the water more efficiently. The same principle applies in the air.”

As he spoke, Chu Yun walked over to the table and found a sheet of white paper. Lysa, thinking he was going to draw, handed him a pen. But instead, Chu Yun folded the paper, and soon a paper airplane appeared in his hands.

The nose of the paper airplane, just like the prow of a ship, was angled, matching his earlier explanation.

With a gentle toss, the paper airplane soared gracefully out the door. A light breeze picked it up, and instead of losing altitude, it climbed higher, gliding dozens of meters before finally settling gently in a puddle on the road outside.

Lysa’s eyes widened. Under Ella’s puzzled gaze, she rushed outside as if possessed, carefully retrieving the paper airplane from the puddle.

“Amazing! How can a piece of paper fly so far? Is it magic?”

“No, he used my paper just now, and I didn’t sense any magical fluctuations.”

Lysa tried tossing the damp paper airplane as Chu Yun had done, and even though it was a bit wet, it still glided freely through the air.

Lost in thought, Lysa returned to Chu Yun, her demeanor much improved. “Mr. Chu Yun, are you an alchemist as well? What magical principle did you use just now?”

Seeing her attitude change, Chu Yun felt a touch of pride—after all, this was a paper airplane folding technique passed down in his family, and he’d even won the kindergarten paper plane contest with it.

“This isn’t a magical principle, but rather the application of the laws that govern all things. You could call this discipline ‘physics.’”

“Physics is truly a great field of knowledge. If I structure my flight wings this way, I could save so many magic arrays!” Lysa was eager to learn more, though she knew such precious knowledge wouldn’t be easily divulged.

“This model can indeed fly farther, but it’s not suitable for carrying people. There’s still much room for improvement.” Chu Yun found another piece of paper. “Lend me your pen.”

“Of course!” Lysa, now the perfect attentive student, obediently handed over her cherished bone pen made from phoenix feather.

Using a simple ruler and drawing in perspective, Chu Yun vividly sketched out a three-dimensional diagram of an Earth-style glider before Lysa. She was fascinated by the drawing method, but even more so by the structure of the flight wing.

“This is a device that allows even ordinary people to glide from high places without relying on magic. It’s composed of a frame, a keel, a triangular structure, and harnesses, all connected by steel cables. With a suitable slope and a headwind, you only need to take five or six running steps to soar into the sky. As it moves through the air, lift and drag are generated on the wing, allowing it to carry a person aloft for a gliding flight…”

He wasn’t sure if every detail he described was perfectly accurate—he wasn’t a specialist, after all. But for Lysa, the explanation was more than enough; she listened in awe, nodding repeatedly, her eyes shining ever brighter.

“This is just a triangular glider made from ordinary materials, without using any magic. If you can enhance it with magic and develop a truly perfect flight wing that satisfies me, I’ll consider providing you with the materials.”

Lysa was the type to grow more determined in the face of setbacks. Rather than being discouraged by her earlier failure, Chu Yun’s patient explanation was like a gateway to a new world.

“I’ll start improving it right away! This time, I’m sure I’ll succeed!”

“Thank you—thank you so much!” Lysa saw hope, saw the dawn of victory, and was deeply grateful to Chu Yun.

“Rest assured, if the product is a success, I will put your name first on the alchemy patent!” Lysa declared solemnly.

Chu Yun smiled faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and left the workshop.

Before he left, Lysa wanted to ask for his address so she could contact him later, but Chu Yun himself didn’t yet know where he’d be staying. They agreed to meet here again once the Goddess Festival had ended.