Jin explained everything about himself, holding nothing back.
At first, the group was speechless.
"…Jin-nii, thank you. For… for trusting us."
Elsa was the first to speak.
"Heh, quite right. Jin, I thought I already knew you were extraordinary, but to think there was another level above even that."
Saki laughed as she spoke.
"Yes, indeed. Jin, I’ll prove myself worthy of your trust."
Reinhard nodded, his expression solemn.
Berche, on the other hand, seemed truly overwhelmed by the revelation. She gripped Reinhard’s sleeve tightly for a moment before finally relaxing her posture.
"…That is right. No matter what we hear now, Jin-sama is still Jin-sama. You are my husband’s friend, and therefore, my friend as well. Is that not so?"
Mine followed suit.
"I had no idea you were struggling so much behind the scenes, Jin-sama. From now on, I will offer whatever assistance I can."
Stearena, having known him for the shortest time, remained dazed until the very end. However, she eventually pulled herself together.
"Jin-kun, thank you for telling us about yourself. I’ll never breathe a word of this to anyone. To be honest, I’m even starting to think I don’t ever want to go back to that country."
She let out a truly explosive remark.
"Th-that would be a problem. For now, I’d like you to return home once before coming back here."
Jin wasn't joking when he said it would become an international incident if she went missing within the Shouro Empire. Since there was no need to invite unnecessary trouble, he had to ask Stearena to exercise some restraint.
Once everyone had settled down, Jin decided to show them some of his work in person.
"First, Daidara."
It was a heavy work golem designed for civil engineering, standing fifteen meters tall and weighing eight tons.
"W-woooah!"
"Kyaaa!"
"Th-this is incredible..."
Daidara appeared, making the ground tremble with every step.
Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it in the flesh was worlds apart. Even Reinhard, who was familiar with the giant golem artifacts of the Shouro Empire, trembled at its intimidating presence.
Even in its simplest movements, it was leagues ahead of the giant golem Marcus had unleashed. Its natural, fluid motion was nothing short of a marvel.
"J-Jin, you are without a doubt the world's number one Magi Craft Meister!"
"Thanks.…And one more thing. The transport airplane, Pelican 2."
Pelican 2 was brought out from the hangar at the corner of the laboratory’s front plaza. Among them, only Elsa had ever been inside it before.
"Now, everyone, please step inside."
"Oh? Jin-kun, is this the same as the vehicle we were just on?" Stearena asked, noticing the similarity.
"Yes. It's the same model."
"Hmm? It looks a bit like Jin’s carriage, doesn't it?"
Jin was the last to board. The pilot was Sky 2.
"All right, please sit down and fasten your belts..."
Jin went around explaining the procedure. Once he confirmed everyone had their seatbelts properly fastened, he sat down and buckled his own.
"Okay, Sky 2, take us up."
"Understood. Commencing takeoff."
Powered by three Magi Jet Engines, the Pelican was capable of taking off from a very short distance. However, since many on board were first-timers, Jin had the pilot accelerate gently and use plenty of runway to lift off slowly.
"W-waaaah!"
"W-we're flying!"
"I-it really flies..."
"To think Jin-sama possessed such power..."
Jin had explained that it flew, but actually being on board as it ascended left everyone—except Elsa—with expressions that transcended mere awe and reached pure shock.
Once they were airborne, Hourai Island shrank rapidly before their eyes, revealing itself to be a small island floating in the vast ocean.
"Th-this is amazing... I was thinking about asking for a ride on an airship, but this is far beyond that."
"Yes, truly. Jin, I'll say it again: you are incredible. I take my hat off to you."
Jin accepted the praise humbly.
"No, even this only exists because of the 'science' from my world."
When Jin said that, Saki chimed in with more praise.
"The fusion of science and magic—this is the masterpiece it creates!"
Berche remained silent, her face practically pressed against the window as she stared at the view outside.
"Right now, we're flying at an altitude of about ten thousand meters. From the ground, we'd look like nothing more than a dot."
"Hrm, Jin, is that the Elias Peninsula we can see below us?"
As expected of a former diplomat, Reinhard seemed to have a general grasp of the geography.
"That's right. Pelican 2 is currently flying west.…Sky 2, turn the heading slightly to the north."
"Understood."
As they turned north, a wide plateau came into view beneath the aircraft.
"Is that area perhaps Blue Land?"
"That is the city where your friend, Louis-sama, resides, is it not?"
Louis-sama was the given name of Count Kuzuma. Reinhard nodded to Berche before showing his side as an engineer.
"Jin, what kind of speed can this thing reach?"
"Right now, we're at about three hundred kilometers per hour. I think the top speed is around five hundred."
Reinhard was stunned by Jin's answer.
"Oh, Jin-kun, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life!" Stearena cried out. Her face was flushed with excitement. "To think such a world existed! My country only prides itself on its ancient history and refuses to try anything new. It's such a conservative nation that it even became a hotbed for the Unifilar. It’s not like I enjoy making nothing but crystal golems! It’s just that nothing else is permitted!"
Stearena was shouting her confession, letting it all out.
"I want to make things that are more and more useful to people! And yet, day after day after day after day, it's nothing but research into crystal golems and handsome automata. That's all they allow!"
This was likely a glimpse into the darkness harbored by the Celuroa Kingdom. It was the cry of Stearena's soul, expressed for the first time in an environment where she didn't have to worry about who might hear—high up in the sky.
"You've had a hard time too, Stearena-san," Jin said sympathetically.
Stearena puffed out her cheeks.
"No, Jin-kun. We’re 'comrades' now, aren't we? Please speak to me more casually, like you do with Reinhard-kun."
At those words, Berche looked at Reinhard, while Elsa and Saki both shot Jin slightly sharp glares.
Pelican 2 flew in a large arc, slowly turning back toward the east until the sea came into view once more.
"This is just a demonstration for today. Currently, the fastest craft on Hourai Island is my personal Pegasus 1, which has a top speed of eight hundred kilometers per hour."
The group fell silent once again at that figure.
However, Reinhard noticed that his cousin didn't look particularly surprised.
"Elsa, have you ridden in an airplane before?"
"Yes.…When I was rescued from the Unifilar. And recently, when we went to deal with the disease in the Klein Kingdom."
Upon hearing that, Reinhard looked so frustrated he seemed ready to weep tears of blood.
"Gaaaah!…Never before have I regretted being in the civil service as much as I do right now!"
Beside him, his wife watched him with a somewhat cold, detached gaze.
＊ ＊ ＊
After an aerial journey of about two hours, they landed back in front of the laboratory.
While the group was still finding their footing, Jin delivered one final shock.
"Next, please come to the back of the laboratory."
What greeted their eyes there was a massive Warp Gate.
"It's a Warp Gate that doesn't require a receiving unit on the other end. It's called a 'Transporter.' Regrettably, it's only one-way, though."
"WHAAAAAT?!"
In this world, where even a standard Warp Gate was considered a legendary artifact, Jin had improved upon the design to create something entirely new.
Reinhard was the only one who could even find his voice; the others were so overwhelmed they couldn't even make a sound.