After circling over Lake Tosmo for about ten minutes, Jin’s airship made a slow, graceful landing in the center of the plaza.
Jin felt a wave of relief wash over him. He’d gone into the demonstration with no prior testing, but everything had worked exactly as intended. Tucked inside his pocket was the magi-crystal Laojun had handed him just before he left.
(He mentioned it was imbued with Super Lightweight magic, but I’m glad I didn't have to use it as a backup.)
While their analysis of Gravity Magic was still ongoing, they had managed to successfully reproduce its weight-reduction effect. It had been provided as a safety measure; even if the airship had plummeted, the magic would have reduced its weight to nearly zero, ensuring a safe landing without injury.
The moment the airship touched down, a thunderous roar of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Me next!"
"No, pick me!"
"I’m going up!!"
The Arena descended into total chaos as a mob of people clamored for a chance to ride.
"W-Wow, this is intense," Saki muttered, pulling back slightly as she climbed out of the gondola. It seemed that the dream of taking to the skies was a powerful lure for everyone.
"Order! Please, maintain order!" the venue announcers shouted, but their voices were drowned out by the din. Then—
"Be silent!"
The Empress’s voice rang out, clear and commanding. It was truly the word of authority; the venue fell into a hush so sudden one could have heard a pin drop.
"I understand your excitement. However, you must maintain order."
She announced that, due to time constraints, there would be only one more flight. While the crowd grumbled in disappointment, she managed to pacify them by promising another opportunity in the future.
Then, the person chosen for the trial ride was selected. The Empress named him directly, as it was the only way to pick someone without sparking further resentment.
The Empress designated an elderly noble. Jin didn't recognize him, but Saki clearly did. A look of surprise crossed her face for an instant before she quickly turned away, heading back toward the Arena. Even if they were acquaintances, she clearly didn't hold a high opinion of him.
Conversely, the noble looked as if he wanted to call out to Saki, but she ran off at a trot before he could speak.
The noble was bald and exceptionally tall, but he was terribly emaciated, and his complexion was sickly. He appeared to be quite light.
"I look forward to this," the noble said, bowing politely to Jin before slowly boarding the airship.
"W-Well then, here we go."
Jin made the airship ascend once more. Until they reached a certain altitude, the noble stared down at the ground in silence.
(This is awkward...)
Jin fretted over how to break the ice. Surprisingly, however, the noble was the one to strike up a conversation.
"Mmm. Jin-dono, was it? This is an exceedingly excellent vehicle."
"Y-Yes, thank you. I call it an airship."
"I see. You have been calling it that. Truly, a ship that flies in the sky. I heard that contraptions called 'hot air balloons' conducted a surprise raid on the Klein Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egerea, but they must surely be inferior to this."
"Excuse me, but are you involved with the military?"
Though his attitude toward Jin was relatively soft, the man projected an imposing, formal atmosphere that prompted Jin to ask.
"Mmm, I have yet to introduce myself. I am Marquis Gehren Teoderic von Eisen. I am retired now, but I served as a lieutenant general in the army."
"...!"
This was Saki’s grandfather—the very man who had demanded Elsa as his bride. Yet, the man before Jin was considerably different from the rumors. He seemed serious and didn't flaunt his authority.
"Pardon me, but how much speed can this achieve? Could you show me its maximum output?"
"Y-Yes, certainly."
Jin pushed the magi-propulsion units to their limit. The airship began to cut through the breeze. Helped along by a light tailwind, it reached a remarkable speed.
"Oh, how fast! Roughly one hundred kilometers per hour, I should say?"
In this world, very few vehicles could reach one hundred kilometers per hour. A horse at a full gallop might hit seventy. Despite his surprise, the Marquis was making remarkably calm, professional assessments. Jin wondered if the Empress had chosen him specifically for this insight.
"How far can it fly?"
"Well, I haven't tested its full range, but as long as the passengers are fine, it could fly indefinitely."
Since food and water would eventually become an issue, if one assumed a twelve-hour flight at one hundred kilometers per hour, it could cover twelve hundred kilometers. It was a staggering capability.
"Hmm. Then, how much weight can it carry?"
"Let’s see... it can carry six people, or roughly five hundred kilograms of cargo."
"Hmm, that is a bit underwhelming."
As expected, he was thinking of military applications. Hot air balloons could manage two hundred kilograms at most, but the Marquis didn't seem to be aware of that comparison.
"The cost per unit would be... no, that is a separate issue."
Having asked what he wanted to know, the Marquis told Jin he wished to enjoy the ride for a while. Jin obliged, taking a large, sweeping circuit over Lake Tosmo.
"..."
After another long silence, the Marquis spoke again.
"...Are you on good terms with Saki?"
"Huh?"
"Have you not heard from Saki? I am her grandfather. It is only natural to worry about one's dear grandchild, is it not?"
"I-I suppose so."
The Marquis rubbed his bald head and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"...It seems I do not have much longer, you see. As long as my grandchild is happy, that is enough....So, what do you think of Saki?"
"Um, I think Saki-san is an excellent alchemist."
The Marquis cut Jin off with a wave of his hand.
"No, no, not that. I am asking what you think of her as a woman."
"As a woman...?"
To be honest, since arriving in this world, Jin hadn't felt sexual desire for any woman in a direct sense.
"She is a good friend, but..."
Seeing Jin hesitate, the Marquis sighed.
"I see, just as I thought... That girl is half-baked as a woman. She has no charm, yet she isn't exactly a tomboy either. I had hoped to see the face of a great-grandchild while I was still among the living."
The Marquis had mentioned his limited time several times now, and it was starting to worry Jin. He decided to ask directly.
"Um, Your Excellency. Are you unwell?"
"Hm? Ah, yes. My weight has dropped by nearly eighty kilograms over this past year. I had a healer look at me, but it will not mend. This is fate."
The Marquis gave a thin, weary smile. Jin noticed that the whites of his eyes were yellowish and his palms were a distinct red.
"Um, by any chance, do you have veins bulging out on your stomach?"
When Jin took a shot in the dark, the Marquis’s expression shifted instantly.
"What! How do you know that?! I have told no one!"
Jin recalled reading about such symptoms in a manga about a rogue doctor. The symptom was commonly known as "Medusa's head."
"It might be liver cirrhosis..."
It was a liver disease that could be caused by viruses, alcohol, or medication. Jin had guessed a liver ailment because of the obvious jaundice.
"Do you know what this disease is?!"
The Marquis was visibly agitated, though he struggled to maintain his composure as he questioned Jin.
"Yes, most likely. If you'll excuse me, may I perform a magical diagnosis?"
"Hmm? You can do such a thing? If you are able, then I do not mind. Go ahead."
"Then, excuse me... Reiko, please."
Jin gave instructions to Reiko, who was operating the magi-propulsion units at the rear of the gondola.
"Yes. 'Diagnose'... As expected, there is a severe abnormality in the liver."
The Marquis’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Reiko again.
"Ooh, what is this child? Not human, surely? Might she be an automata?"
"Ah, yes."
"How adorable. Children are a wonderful thing."
The Marquis gazed at Reiko with unexpectedly kind eyes.
(He certainly seems to like small children, but this...)
Jin had a feeling that the rumors of the Marquis’s "preferences" had been relayed in a very distorted manner.
"Saki used to be attached to me when she was small as well... but I suppose I disciplined her too strictly. Now it seems she despises me entirely," the Marquis murmured quietly. He looked so lonely that Jin decided to ask the question he’d been holding back.
"Your Excellency, do you know Elsa Randol?"
Upon hearing Elsa’s name, the Marquis’s cheek twitched for a split second, but he quickly returned to a state of calm.
"...Elsa. I know her. She is quite a lovely girl. I wanted her as my bride, but I no longer have any time left."
(So it's true he wanted Elsa as his bride...)
The Marquis’s standing in Jin’s estimation dropped significantly.
"W-Why someone so young?" Jin blurted out, unable to help himself.
"Hm?...Well, many things happened. More importantly, what of my body?"
Though the conversation had drifted, the Marquis asked Jin to deliver the final verdict on his health.
"...Your Excellency’s body—I don't know the cause—but the organ known as the liver is failing."