"Three days to go," said the nightingale suddenly.

"Well, three days to go. Roland nodded, and at the current pace of marching, in three days the First Army would be in its predetermined offensive position—a small raised hill facing the outpost, which not only had a good view, but was also ideal for fortifications.

Once they are allowed to gain a foothold, it will be difficult for the devil to shake the gun defense.

However, in the next few days, the pressure on the sniper team's head will also skyrocket.

Their guarantee of silence is premised on the fact that they will unknowingly cut off the enemy's perceptual sight, and in the vast plains, without the ability to transmit information in real time, it is almost impossible to accurately grasp the location of the attacker.

But as the number of patrols increases, the Devils have the possibility to trade their numerical superiority for real-time information - just by witnessing the missing person being shot down, the search circle will be greatly reduced, and it will be risky for them to strike again.

The best result is that the enemy notices the presence of the sniper squad and is unable to locate the specific position, while the latter stops in time and turns around to join the First Army, which can not only involve the devil's flying troops, but also buy enough time for the main army.

It's just that they need to judge for themselves.

Sooner or later would have made the sortie uncertain.

"You should trust them," Nightingale seemed to see Roland's concern, "the Tachira Witch's judgment of risk should not be too bad, and the Ark of Magic can avoid most of the pursuits, even if you encounter a team of demons, it will not be easy to gnaw at them." ”

"That's right," Roland patted his cheek, after all, Neverwinter's strength was too weak to take the risk. The speed of the foot severely constrained the limits of the First Army, and if it could be equipped with wheeled vehicles, it would be possible to launch a blitzkrieg on such a large plain, even if the army marched under the nose of the dinosaur, the enemy would not have time to stop it.

Rather than worrying about nothing, he should focus on the task at hand.

"By the way, Wendy must have mastered the basics of flying, right?"

"Probably," said Nightingale laughing, throwing a piece of dried fish into her mouth, "she was asleep last night and still talking in her sleep, muttering that the runway was empty and the green light was on." ”

"That's good," Roland looked out the window, "the weather seems to be pretty good today, and it looks like it's time for the next test." ”

"Oh, are you going to officially test that thing...... Nightingale's eyes lit up.

"What, are you interested in it?"

"No one isn't interested!" she exclaimed, "to be able to soar through the skies without wings, to be freer than a hot air balloon, and to be able to ride it by anyone, sounds almost like a miracle - if you succeed, do you know what the people will think of you? I'm afraid the gods won't be able to shake your prestige." ”

When she said this, Nightingale's expression was even brighter than that of the Chaos Drink, as if she had won the admiration of all the people.

Roland couldn't help laughing, "It's still just a matter of exploration, and there's still a long way to go to achieve what you said." ”

At least the steam engine couldn't meet his needs, he needed a more powerful source of power.

"But it will happen, right?" said Nightingale as she walked to the door with her hands behind her back, smiling back.

"Well," Roland replied without hesitation, "it will." ”

......

One kilometer east of the shoal harbor.

The beachhead that outcrops from the water sinks into the sea, leaving only a stone ridge that stretches to the southeast, and it is this long stone ridge that forms the outline of the entire southern side of the Grey Keep Kingdom.

For the inland people living in the west, the boundary was only a part of the hilly landscape, and the gentle rise of the earth slope could lead to the view of the vast whirlpool sea, but for the traders at sea it was an impenetrable barrier, and the average height difference between the sea and the rocky ridge was more than 15 meters, not to mention that it was impossible to load and unload goods, and it was dangerous to even dock in close proximity. Therefore, before the shoals were opened, one-third of the western border was bordered by the sea, but there was no port to the sea.

It can be said that the overall economic level of the western part of the kingdom is not as good as that of the eastern and southern regions, and the main reason is the lack of seaports in addition to the damage caused by the evil moon.

However, this terrain is now an excellent test ground.

By the time Roland and his party arrived, the garrison stationed in Neverwinter had sealed off an area of one kilometer around it.

At the end of the concrete-poured runway, three identical test prototypes are being pushed onto the lifting platform by soldiers.

"Oh, is this what you call a new machine," Thunder commented, touching his chin, "and the appearance alone is indeed reminiscent of a seabird, but compared to the powerful steam engines...... It seems a little thin. ”

As the most reliable overseas allies, the fjord's eminent explorer Thunder, and the businesswoman Margaery were naturally among Roland's invitations. Roland was not surprised by the former's evaluation, and after smiling mysteriously, he turned his head to look at Margaery, "What do you think?"

"Back to Your Majesty," said the latter calmly, "to be honest, it is so different from your previous creations that I would have thought that it was a strange thing that would have been deceived under your guise if it had not been for your personal invitation." ”

"Strange Things?" Roland asked curiously, "what kind of organization is that?"

"A guild of delusional men between artisans and explorers," Margaery explains, "who were not content to be the mundane of the craftsmen, but who did not dare to plunge into the moody sea, focused on all sorts of quirky inventions." Two years ago, someone made something similar — a pair of wooden wings that were said to allow the wearer to fly. ”

"Wood...... Wings?"

"It's a little similar to yours, except it's much smaller, about the length and width of a person. ”

"Did he fly then?" Wendy couldn't help but ask.

"No," said Margaery, shaking her head, "he put on his wings and jumped down from a tower, and the wings soon flipped over and fell like a stone, and he fell to the ground and died. ”

Wendy swallowed.

Before that, the man claimed that he had succeeded several times, and he had also attracted the attention of several large chambers of commerce. So this scam not only made him a joke, but also made the already modest reputation of the Strange Things Society even worse. ”

Roland couldn't help but feel a little emotional when he heard this, and used wood to make wings, obviously realizing that the greatest possible lift is the key to flight, and only with a hard frame can a sufficient force area be supported - at this point, he basically got rid of the simple imitation of birds, and the prototype of the fixed wing was born.

It can be said that the other party can be regarded as a pioneer in exploring the sky, at least much more advanced than the artificial wings, umbrella flight, cloak flight and other historical brain holes.

Successful several times is probably not nonsense, but a close-range gliding experiment at low altitudes, but the wind is much stronger at high altitudes, and the wings lack a maneuvering surface, so it is expected that they will lose control instantly.

Unfortunately, the fjord admires explorers who can bring living space to the islanders, and it is difficult to get a fair evaluation for those who dare not go to sea.

"He's not a liar," Roland said slowly, "and it would have cost me a lot to break free from the earth's shackles and embrace the sky, and I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of witches." If the man has a name, write it down. ”

Margaery was stunned for a moment, then lifted the corner of her skirt, "As you wish, Your Majesty." ”

Roland set his sights on the "Glider 1", which was being prepared for the final flight - compared to the steam train and the steel sea ship, it really looked so thin that it could not even be called a complete aircraft.

There is no cabin, and the whole body is full of exposed skeletons, except for the long wings, the rest of the parts are omitted even the skin. In order to facilitate escape, the seats are installed directly between the wings, which at first glance looks even more modest than the model.

Unlike all the previous machines, Roland has a blank field of flight, and he can't build a real flying machine just by knowing the principle.

Therefore, the first thing to do is to write a "flight manual" first.

These seemingly rudimentary test prototypes already contain the basic control elements required for an aircraft.

It looks like a newborn hairless chick though.

But it is the starting point for human beings to spread their wings and fly.