I Became a Witch and Started an Industrial Revolution

After the ground crew confirmed everything, they helped Aisha Fafner close the cockpit canopy and removed the boarding ladder. Only then did Aisha take a deep breath, lower her goggles, and begin calmly reporting her current operations to the ground control tower.

“Battery switch, inverter, and generator are all turned on. Fuel valve is confirmed closed and functioning normally.”

【Roger, the runway is cleared, airspace is clear, and weather conditions are good.】

“Roger, preparing to start the engine.”

Aisha pulled down the small yellow starter handle on her left to initiate the engine. At the same time, her right hand maintained the pull position while her left flipped open the red switch cover and pressed the tachometer button. The aircraft trembled as the engine ignited and began rotating slowly.

She watched the tachometer in front of her, waited a moment, then said, “RPM has reached 800, preparing ignition.”

Aisha slowly pulled the throttle ignition handle. The two jet engines at the rear of the aircraft began to vibrate. As the RPM climbed to 2000, a clear roaring sound echoed sharply across the empty runway.

The RPM surged to 3000. She released the throttle ignition handle and tachometer button she had been holding, then pressed down on the main wheel brakes.

“RPM 4000... 5000... 7000. Switching left and right engine fuel tank linkage, preparing for takeoff.”

【Roger, cleared for takeoff.】

Aisha took a deep breath. As she released the main wheel brakes, the powerful overload instantly pressed her firmly into the seat.

“Woohoo~”

Amid the thunderous roar of the engines, she gently pulled back the control stick. The deflected control surfaces generated lift, the aircraft’s nose rose, the main wheels left the runway, and it soared into the sky.

After a successful takeoff, following the prearranged test plan, Aisha proceeded step by step from simple to complex tests—high-angle rotational maneuvers, stretching climbs, and form-switching tests of the new Magitech package shield.

From the traditional spherical full-coverage protection to a structure-hugging defensive form, she calculated and recorded the magic consumption and aerodynamic resistance under different configurations.

【Tower calling Feiyan-1, initiate final test item. Exercise caution.】

“Feiyan received.”

Aisha secured the breathing mask hanging by her mouth and connected it, then pushed the control lever forward. The fighter aircraft, slicing rapidly through blue skies and clouds, began accelerating quickly.

“Speed 800... 850... 900... switching shield configuration.”

As the speed increased, Aisha could clearly feel the aircraft begin to shake violently. Turbulent airflow faintly appeared around the fuselage, wings, and tail, making control extremely difficult.

She pressed the third shield button and pushed the control lever fully forward. The magic shield clinging tightly to the aircraft’s surface shimmered with light. Amid the fierce roar of the engines, a conical barrier formed ahead of the nose.

“950... 1000.”

At an altitude of 6000 meters, thunderous rumbling echoed through the sky. The citizens of Sera City looked up toward the heavens.

“It’s thunder! It’s going to rain—quick, bring in the laundry!”

“What’s going on? It’s a clear day—why is there thunder...?”

The high-pressure liquid air cloud that had begun forming around the midsection of the aircraft was blocked outside the fuselage once the shield rose. The fighter’s speed increased even further.

“1100... 1200... 1250!”

Aisha gripped the control stick tightly. With a deafening roar, the engines finally broke through the invisible barrier, and a shockwave cloud appeared at the rear. The aircraft howled as it streaked across the mountains, rivers, and cities of the Subcontinent.

“Woohoo! Success!”

Aisha shouted excitedly inside the cockpit, reveling in the aircraft’s tremendous speed. Suddenly, several red warning lights lit up on the instrument panel, instantly dousing her excitement like a bucket of cold water.

Watching the rapidly decreasing magic reserves on the previously fully charged Magitech package display, Aisha quickly pulled back the control lever. The fighter exited supersonic flight.

Only when the speed dropped back to 800 km/h did Aisha, drenched in cold sweat, look at the reddening wings outside the cockpit. If she had reacted any slower, the aircraft would likely have been torn apart midair by the high-pressure front and low-pressure rear shockwave cloud—and she would have had to fly back on her own.

“Calling tower. Under supersonic conditions, the Magitech package consumption is too high. Estimated maximum duration is one minute before magic depletion, after which the aircraft loses shield protection. It currently has no practical combat value.”

“Understood... return to base.”

Ankargas State

Once a region of the Subcontinent Beastmen Alliance, this place had always been resource-poor. It had nothing but endless deserts, making it the poorest area within the alliance.

After the Subcontinent was unified, most of its residents were relocated by the Seris Federation to other regions. Only two desert-control construction corps, commanded by the Elven race, remained.

Half a year ago, however, this desolate and uninhabited region welcomed a secret unit. They possessed the highest level of confidentiality and authority to directly command the construction corps.

Even the secret unit itself did not know its mission. They were given only one instruction:

【Do not ask what you are doing. Do not ask where you are going.】

Yet in the hands of Secretary-General Anna, it had a project codename:

【Project 596】

They crossed mountains and ridges, traversed endless yellow الرمال, and wandered deep within the desert under the scorching sun.

Only the occasional arrival of massive transport airships, appearing unpredictably, proved that the outside world had not forgotten them.

【What exactly is this? Is this really feasible?】

Tina examined several Space Rings in her hands. Inside them were not only stacks of blueprints, but also a large number of hand-cranked mechanical calculators—and even a Magitech computer facility as large as a building.

She still remembered the expression of Mitia when handing them over—repeatedly emphasizing their importance. It was the first time Tina had seen the Empress act like that, and the way she looked at her carried a trace of guilt.

“Little Tina, I’m sorry to assign you such a task when your child needs you most. But after thinking it through, only you or Anna can reassure me, so...”

Tina had stood upright and answered firmly, “I guarantee to complete the mission!”

“In the outside world, a substitute will take your place on overseas assignments. As for you, you must turn the contents of this document into reality. All experts of the Alliance will be at your disposal, and any of your requirements will be met unconditionally...”

“But once you accept this mission, the best possible outcome will be reassignment to a classified research department—or staged death and retirement. This mission will not be recorded in your personal file. For 30 years, neither within the Alliance nor in the outside world will there be any trace of you.”

“To be nameless heroes for thirty years—many will become sacrifices of the state. This title may follow a person for life. Perhaps until the day of death, no one will ever know, and there will be no honors or medals.”

Tina replied again, “I understand. I will absolutely complete the mission!”

Mitia gently stroked her head, just like when she was a child.

The child from back then had already become a mother of several children. Time had truly passed quickly.

They carved out a secret base deep within the desert. To avoid drawing any attention, the site was chosen in the most barren region possible. The daily consumption of fresh water—for both drinking and mixing concrete—was astronomical.

Because these states had little resource exchange to begin with, transport airships could not arrive too frequently. The soldiers were forced to use their own drinking water to mix concrete.

Even the scientific experts sent there conserved their water, dedicating it to construction work.