Chapter 1087, The Glass House

Translator: Silavin

 

“I need a seat that is wide and large, and one that can keep out the wind and rain.” Su Bai smiled.

 

“Wide and large, and able to keep out the wind and rain. That sounds like a house.” What came to Sha Lan’s mind was a wooden house.

 

Houses were built for keeping out wind and rain. And the space inside was generous enough.

 

“Ha ha ha, more or less, you could say that. But it would be much simpler than a wooden house.” Su Bai openly laughed.

 

He did not think a wooden house could be mounted on a bird’s back. The weight alone would be too much to bear.

 

Though Ferocious Beasts could indeed carry loads many times their own body weight, anything too cumbersome would slow their flight.

 

What Su Bai wanted was speed. Speed meant time saved.

 

“Then I can’t quite picture it.” Sha Lan tilted her head.

 

“No rush. Head back to the Yong’an Building and you’ll see. But first I need to measure the Grey Feathered Giant Bird’s body, so I know what size these seats can be made to fit them.”

 

He said his piece, then turned and climbed into the carriage. He was eager to get the ideas in his head down on paper.

 

“Yes.” The girls all followed after him.

 

*Clop clop clop…*

 

The carriage moved quickly through the Tribe, and before long they had arrived at the foot of the Yong’an Building.

 

Su Bai wasted no time. The moment he was upstairs he had paper and a pencil out and had begun to draw.

 

The girls gathered quietly at his side and watched. They knew that too many questions would only disturb the Shaman.

 

Better to wait in silence until he finished, and ask then. They would get their answers faster that way.

 

The pencil moved quickly across the paper, filling it with the soft sound of friction.

 

Su Bai spent the better part of half an hour completing the drawing. He brushed the eraser shavings away with a satisfied sweep of his hand.

 

“Shaman, is this the seat you were talking about?” Yan Hua leaned in first to look.

 

“Yes.” Su Bai’s face went warm instantly. She had leaned in rather close.

 

Their faces were separated by the barest distance. He could feel her warmth clearly.

 

And there was a faint, pleasant scent coming off her. Very nice.

 

“I want to see too.” Sha Lan pressed in just the same.

 

Sha Lan came in from the other side, her face close by.

 

Neither she nor Yan Hua seemed to notice though. Their attention was fixed entirely on the drawing.

 

Yu Ying wanted to look as well, but there was no space left to squeeze into. She did not dare to lean over Su Bai’s back, even though it looked broad enough. She felt it was best to maintain a proper sense of distance.

 

“Come and look too.” Su Bai could feel someone’s gaze burning into him.

 

He glanced up and met Yu Ying’s eager pink eyes. He could not really leave her standing there, could he?

 

“Yes.” Yu Ying smiled at once and boldly draped herself over the Shaman’s back.

 

From a distance, the four of them looked perfectly at ease with each other.

 

But if Yan Jiao had seen it, he would certainly have criticised the girls for lacking propriety.

 

He was not here, though. So, the girls were relaxed, chattering with complete ease, because they knew the Shaman would not get angry with them.

 

“This seat really does look like a house. Only more refined than any house I’ve lived in.” Yan Hua murmured.

 

She could see from the drawing that it was a square structure. Inside, there were twelve seats in total.

 

They were arranged in full rows, not separated out individually, with three rows altogether.

 

The top of the structure was square, but the base was not. The base was shaped to fit perfectly against the Ferocious Beast’s back and the roots of its wings, so that it would sit firmly during flight.

 

Beyond that, the entire seat was enclosed. Windows and a door were still included, but once they were shut, wind and rain could not get in.

 

The drawing Su Bai had done included a full 360-degree structural diagram of the seat, as well as an illustration of how it would be strapped to the Grey Feathered Giant Bird’s back.

 

In short, anyone at all who looked at the drawing would understand it at once.

 

“Shaman, the seats look very comfortable. But what material would we use to make them?” Sha Lan had understood the drawing in a single glance. What she was uncertain about was the material.

 

“Wood is out of the question. Constant wind and rain would make it quickly go mouldy, and it gets very heavy once it’s wet.”

 

Su Bai’s expression made it clear he already had his answer. “I plan to use glass for the outer casing of the seat, and inside, I’ll use Ferocious Beast hide and dried grass.”

 

Using a bird as a transportation vehicle was already remarkable enough. He had thought, since they had come this far, why not make it even more remarkable?

 

What Su Bai had in mind was glass. That way, the seat on the bird’s back would be transparent. It would look as though the bird were carrying a crystal glass house on its back.

 

“Using glass as the outer walls? That would look beautiful.” Yan Hua could already picture it in her mind, especially since the drawing showed the seat mounted on the Grey Feathered Giant Bird’s back.

 

“Everyone inside will be able to see the landscape below. That is the perfect material.” Sha Lan’s eyes were starting to light up.

 

“Exactly. My thinking is that everyone should be able to look down and see the scenery from the sky. A transportation vehicle has to be appealing.” Su Bai gave a nod.

 

He had thought about it: the whole point of riding on a bird’s back was being able to see the landscape below. It would be a shame to add a seat and lose that entirely.

 

But if glass were used as the outer casing, it would enormously improve both the appearance and the practicality.

 

“Shaman, let’s quickly make it happen.” Yan Hua could barely contain herself.

 

“The concept drawing is done. All we need is for the glass workshop to begin production. I expect it won’t take long.” Su Bai smiled warmly.

 

He was just as eager to see the aerial transportation vehicle come together. That was precisely why he had rushed back to draw the plans.

 

“Shaman, once the seat is ready and the Grey Feathered Giant Bird makes a journey, how much do you think a ticket would cost?” Sha Lan thought about the exchange.

 

Transportation vehicles were meant to make life easier for people, but there was no such thing as a free meal. Taming Ferocious Beasts and crafting the seat were no small undertakings for the Flame Dragon Tribe.

 

“The ticket price will be quite high. This is something aimed squarely at the Large Tribes.” Su Bai’s mouth curved upwards.

 

The Grey Feathered Giant Bird transportation vehicle was something only those with real wealth and standing could afford from the start.

 

That had been his intention all along. He was not running a charity.

 

“That’s true.” Sha Lan agreed without reservation.