Since the Scarlet Trail was so fast that the transport ship carrying their luggage couldn't keep up, Reinhard decided to conduct several tests once they reached open waters.
He tested its maneuverability, acceleration, deceleration, and stability.
"Hmm. Aside from the stability, it’s more than sufficient."
Between the standard rudder and the control of the paddlewheels, the ship was quite nimble.
However, the stability was lacking—or rather, the side-to-side oscillation known as rolling was more pronounced than expected.
This was a side effect of the narrow hull.
When the force to right the tilted ship was too strong, it would overshoot and tilt to the opposite side, triggering the force again. It was a constant cycle.
"I’ve got it! I just need to add something to act as a damper for the ship."
Reinhard, lost in thought, arrived at a solution. As expected, his ideas regarding ships were quite flexible.
He planned to install projections called bilges or bilge keels diagonally downward on both sides of the hull below the waterline. These would increase resistance against rolling underwater and suppress the swaying.
"I'll get to work on that as soon as we arrive."
Regarding acceleration and especially deceleration, the paddlewheels were excellent.
And then.
"I guess without Lorelei's push, it only goes about this fast..."
When driven purely by the paddlewheels, the top speed was roughly twenty kilometers per hour—half of what they had achieved earlier.
It was a testament to just how extraordinary Lorelei's swimming capabilities truly were.
Between the various tests and stopping for a light meal on deck, they arrived in Koju only slightly ahead of the luggage ship. Given the time needed to unload the cargo, this timing was actually quite convenient.
Since they were able to enjoy the sights on the lake, Jin and the others—Berche included—had no complaints.
"The lodgings are this way."
Reinhard's butler, Claude, who had successfully seen to the transport of the luggage, guided the group to their accommodations.
It was a luxury hotel near the center of Koju, situated right next to the Guest House.
"The expo will be held at a multipurpose facility near the newly built port."
Since Koju was close to the capital of Loizart and was expected to develop as the gateway to Lake Tosmo, facilities like these had been constructed.
Jin was reminded of the massive complexes in Makuhari or Ariake, though he had never actually visited them.
Jin and Reinhard headed to the facility with their exhibits and arranged them in their designated spots.
By the time they finished, night had already fallen.
Returning to the hotel, the two joined Berche and Saki for a lavish dinner.
"It finally opens tomorrow."
Later, Jin muttered expectantly as he sipped his tea in his room.
Jin’s suite consisted of a living room and two bedrooms; one had been prepared for his assistant. Since both bedrooms were designed for two people, it was quite convenient.
He planned to bring Elsa over early tomorrow morning.
The night in Koju quietly deepened.
＊ ＊ ＊
The time difference between Koju and Kaina Village was about three and a half hours. 5:00 AM in Koju was 8:30 AM in Kaina Village.
Jin, accompanied by Reiko, used the Warp Gate inside the carriage parked at the hotel to travel to Kaina Village.
"Good morning, Jin-nii."
"Good morning, Jin-sama."
Since he had briefed them beforehand, Elsa and Mine were already dressed and waiting.
Elsa was wearing her best clothes, which she had made after arriving in Kaina Village—the same outfit she had worn during their visit to Alban, the capital of the Klein Kingdom. Mine was in her usual maid uniform.
"I'll give this to you as well, Mine."
He handed her a Protect Ring, identical to Elsa’s.
"And Elsa, wear these."
He produced a dark brown wig. Since magic dyes couldn't change hair length, he had opted for a wig this time.
Changing from semi-short to semi-long hair altered her impression significantly.
Then came the protective glasses. Her appearance was now quite different. However, since Saki was probably the only other person wearing glasses, it might actually make her stand out.
Realizing this, Jin decided to wear a pair of protective glasses himself.
"Alright, let's go."
"Okay."
"..."
The two women were clearly tense about returning to their home country. Jin gave their shoulders a light, reassuring pat, then stepped through the Warp Gate in the workshop’s basement. The two followed, with Reiko and Edgar bringing up the rear.
The group of three humans and two golems passed through the intermediate base and emerged in Koju, within the Shouro Empire.
"As I mentioned, this is Koju. We're in the carriage house of the hotel next to the Guest House."
"...Yes. I've... been here once before."
Presumably, she had visited during her previous travels. Seeing Elsa and Mine fall silent, Jin also refrained from speaking.
A single tear escaped from the eyes of both Elsa and Mine.
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Elsa spoke in a voice thick with emotion.
"Jin-nii, thank... you."
"...Jin-sama, thank you very much," Mine added, still teary-eyed.
"No, this is only just beginning."
Saying so, Jin guided them to his hotel room.
He assigned one of the two-person bedrooms to Elsa and Mine.
"Now then, the Technology Expo starts today. Elsa, Mine, please stay in the hotel as we planned. Elsa, it’s just a little longer, so bear with it."
"...Okay."
"I understand."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Reiko answered it to find Reinhard standing there.
"Jin, I see you brought them as planned."
Reinhard gave a quick wink.
"We head to the venue in two hours. Let's go grab some breakfast."
"Got it."
Since Elsa and Mine had already eaten in Kaina Village, only Jin left the room.
"It seems there are no changes to the schedule."
"Then today starts with the opening ceremony, followed by the introduction of the participants, right?"
"Exactly. They won't require the assistants to attend, so Elsa can stay here for now."
The two finished their breakfast while confirming the day's itinerary.
"By the way, where is Berche?"
Jin asked, curious because he didn't see Berche, who had been inseparable from Reinhard lately.
"Oh, Bell finished her meal early. She’s going around greeting noble acquaintances who are staying in the same hotel."
"Shouldn't you be with her?"
Reinhard replied with a wry smile.
"Come now, you know my role here, don't you? I am Jin's official host, after all."
Jin belatedly remembered that was indeed the case. Since he had been coming and going between Kaina Village and Hourai Island as he pleased, he had forgotten the formal arrangements.
After finishing their meal, Jin and Reinhard returned to their rooms for a final check of their belongings. Once that was done, all that remained was to wait for their escort.
With time to kill, Reinhard came over to Jin’s room to chat.
"By the way, where is Saki-nee?" Elsa asked, noticing Saki was absent.
"Ah, the alchemists were supposed to gather an hour ago. She had a quick bite and headed out early."
"I see."
Reinhard stared intently at Elsa’s face. Noticing his gaze, Elsa tilted her head curiously. "What is it?"
"No, it's just that seeing you look like that is refreshing. If you stayed quiet, I wouldn't even realize it was you."
With her dark brown semi-long hair and protective glasses, Elsa's appearance was quite different from her usual self.
"You're right. In that case, it might be better if Reinhard wore protective glasses too. That way Elsa won't stand out as much."
Jin took a spare pair of protective glasses from his bag and handed them to Reinhard.
"Ah, good point. Even though we do most of the work with magic, it never hurts to protect the eyes."
Reinhard laughed as he put them on. Including Saki, four of them would now be wearing glasses. That would surely halve the attention focused on Elsa.
Before long, a man who appeared to be from the expo executive committee arrived to call for them.
"Alright, shall we go?"
"Yeah."
"Have a safe trip."
The two men and two golems stood up to leave as Elsa and Mine saw them off.
Reinhard stopped by his own room to grab his hand luggage and emerged accompanied by the Schwarzritter, Noir.
It was finally time for the Technology Expo.