The chaotic days, a swirl of conflicting emotions, motives, and incidents, had finally reached their end.
"So the reason Reiko struggled was indeed because of what we might call Gravity Magic."
"Meaning magic that actually manipulates gravity?"
Jin was in the laboratory on Hourai Island, working with Laojun and Reiko to analyze the magic used by Laldus the Jest.
Reiko could usually memorize a spell after seeing it just once, but she had failed to do so this time. It seemed the fundamental method of activation was different.
"It could be quite effective depending on how it's used."
"I don't doubt it."
Magic was not something that could be used through a simple chant alone. The power of the words in a chant served merely to support the mental image. The core of the problem was that the physical phenomenon of gravity was difficult for Reiko to visualize.
Furthermore, Jin himself did not possess a complete scientific understanding of gravity, which meant the analysis was proving to be a tedious process even for him.
"At any rate, Laojun, you have access to everything I know about gravity. I don't care if it takes a while, just keep working on the analysis of Gravity Magic."
"Of course."
If they could master Gravity Magic, it would grant them a significant advantage in any future clashes with the demon race. And if he could find a way to apply it... Jin envisioned the term "anti-gravity" in his mind, his thoughts racing with the possibilities.
"As for everything else..."
"Yes, I understand. You want to strengthen the security of Kunlun Island and Hourai Island."
It hadn't been confirmed that the "singularity" the demon race mentioned was Hourai Island, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.
"I have identified the mana signatures of not only Laldus but also the demon called Dogmaralud, which means they can be tracked with the magi-radar. According to the data, they have currently reached the northern part of the Leonard Kingdom."
"Right. Their claim of having no intent to invade might be true, but we can't afford to be careless....Besides, we don't know the range of that Gravity Magic. If our aircraft are caught in it, they'll fall out of the sky, and even the Land units would be pinned down."
"Yes, I will exercise the utmost caution."
Laojun issued new directives to the golems: for any future operations, including reconnaissance, they were required to bring backup. Furthermore, if they detected an incoming attack, they were to retaliate with maximum firepower without hesitation.
Whether a true confrontation between Hourai Island and the demon race would ever come—no one knew yet.
The leadership of the Klein Kingdom was wrestling with the question of what to do with Earl Walter's territory.
Pascoe Rush and the Fourth Ritter Order had rushed to Rakham following Lishia's news. They had since returned to the capital, Alban, having seized a mountain of evidence regarding the Earl's crimes with the cooperation of the head butler who had been Walter’s close aide.
The testimony and evidence were more than enough to strip Earl Walter of his status and title. Since he had no wife, successor, or immediate relatives, the disposal of the earldom became a pressing matter.
"I believe it would be best to place the territory under the direct control of the crown," one official suggested.
"No, no, it would be far better to incorporate it into the adjacent marquessate."
"What if we divided it and granted portions to the new nobility instead?"
In the Klein Kingdom, since most taxes were collected by the state regardless of the lord, there was little fiscal merit in making a territory direct-controlled. On the contrary, by letting the nobility govern, the kingdom could offset its chronic lack of administrative personnel.
"Very well, I shall adopt Chancellor Powell's suggestion," King Alois III declared. "We shall divide the land and grant it to members of the new nobility who have shown merit."
The assembled staff bowed their heads in silent agreement. That led to the next inevitable question: how to divide the land and whom to reward.
"I believe the primary contributor to this resolution is Lishia Fahlheit," the chancellor stated.
Though she had been involved in the incident where her pigeons were infected with a disease, it wasn't something she could have predicted, nor was it her fault. In the end, there had been virtually no actual harm.
Furthermore, the testimony of Earl Walter’s butler had revealed that the Earl had intended to spread the disease to Kaina Village regardless of whether Lishia had stopped there or not. The butler, who had experience raising pigeons, had played a role in conspiring with the "guest" to infect the birds. His punishment was still under deliberation, but it was expected to be severe.
Considering all this, it was decided that Lishia would be officially rewarded. And there was more.
"How about we grant her Toka Village as her territory? And as for Jin-dono, I propose we add Inado Mine to his leased territory in addition to Kaina Village," the minister of general affairs suggested.
Jin was owed a deep debt of gratitude for the medicine and the assistance he provided to Lishia and Pascoe. The move was also intended as a formal apology for the fact that a count of the Klein Kingdom had concocted such a heinous plot against him.
"I agree. In that case, it would be fitting to elevate Lishia Fahlheit to the rank of baronet."
By making Lishia the lord of the neighboring region, they also intended for her to serve as a diplomatic buffer for Jin. Thus, Lishia was set to become a baronet and the lord of Toka Village, though her formal appointment was still a short while away.
"And then there is Pascoe Rush."
Because the chancellor had wanted to ascertain Jin's true character, he had given Pascoe a specific, hidden instruction: "Assume Jin is a spy from an enemy nation and observe him with constant suspicion."
However, Pascoe Rush's reports showed not a single shred of such doubt.
"I ended up forcing him into the role of the villain," the chancellor mused.
Shortly thereafter, Pascoe was promoted from an apprentice to a regular knight.
Barrow and Belle had become completely settled in at Nidou Castle.
"The banquet the other day was a lot of work, but it was fun, wasn't it?" Belle said as she cleaned the Great Hall. Her partner, Barrow, was busy sweeping the entrance hall.
"Yeah, you're right. We've even been given our own private rooms. I'm really glad we came here."
Since Jin was usually away, their work mostly consisted of cleaning. Even then, the golem maids took care of everything from the third floor upward.
"I wonder who Jin-sama really is..." Barrow wondered aloud.
Belle laughed and gave a simple answer. "Oh, that's easy. Jin-sama is just an 'amazing person.'"
Elsa Randol was practicing the Craft Magic she had learned from Jin day and night.
Recently, she had been taught how to construct magic tools using magi-sequences, so she spent most of her time reviewing those principles.
"The key to a magi-device is efficiency....Um, the magi-formula here is..."
Of course, she never neglected her training in basic Forming. By producing pens and pen nibs out of phosphor bronze, she was contributing to the village's prosperity. Elsa had now reached the point where she could create up to three pen nibs simultaneously.
"But Jin-nii can..."
The image of Jin creating ten pen nibs in a single instant was burned into her mind. She had a nagging suspicion that even that was nowhere near his true potential.
"...I'll keep trying."
Occasionally, she visited the library on the third floor of Nidou Castle to read the textbooks on magi craft that Laojun had written. They were intended for beginners, but the irony was that a "beginner level" for a Magi Craft Meister was equivalent to a "mid-level" or higher for a typical magi craftman. Not even Laojun had realized this, simply because he had no standard for comparison.
However, it was a blessing in disguise. Thanks to those advanced materials, Elsa's abilities would continue to grow at an extraordinary rate.
In the northern region of the Leonard Kingdom—or rather, what used to be the kingdom—three shadows were speaking.
More accurately, two shadows were speaking, as one of them was unconscious and severely injured.
"That fool Laldus, acting on his own and ending up in this state."
"We'll need to find a place to treat him."
"Indeed. I have a place in mind. There are ruins in the north of this continent. Let us go there."
One of the shadows mentioned that there were ruins left behind by a race that had long since perished, which remained abandoned.
"Still... there's little point in expanding south. The free ether is far too thin. It's miserably difficult to endure without Elradrite."
"Agreed. We should be satisfied just knowing that the singularity is toward the sea. We have no use for anything in the ocean."
"...Yes. However, that automata was terrifying."
"Quite....If there were a hundred of those things, our race would surely be destroyed."
"It's a mercy that she didn't seem particularly bellicose."
"A mercy indeed."
And with that, the three shadows vanished into the north.