In Kalts Village of the Shouro Empire, Reinhard began making arrangements on the night of the 19th to establish a production factory for desiccant.
However, the following morning, the 20th, brought an unexpected turn of events.
A royal ritter of the Shouro Empire arrived as a messenger, bearing a royal decree.
"Due to the urgent need for desiccant production, it has been decided that a factory shall be constructed in Ban as a national project. Accordingly, Reinhard Randol is hereby ordered to assist in this endeavor."
Their response was remarkably swift—so much so that one wondered where they had even heard the news.
But Jin was more concerned with the reason behind it. When he questioned the messenger, the knight replied:
"We received word that in the Klein Kingdom, grains have grown mold due to the prolonged rains, and the autumn harvest has drastically decreased. Her Majesty viewed this as a grave matter and arrived at this decision."
That was all the messenger said.
"I understand. I'll go as well," Jin declared.
The knight replied that he would certainly inform the Empress of this, then hurried back.
"..."
"Now then, what shall we do about the situation here?"
The plans for this location were mostly finalized, so things would likely proceed smoothly even without Reinhard and Jin.
"In that case, I shall oversee it."
Toa offered to stay behind as a technical advisor, and Reinhard gratefully accepted the proposal.
As for the administrative procedures, they would manage with Berche and Adberg on-site. Saki and Stearena also volunteered to stay and assist.
With the local arrangements settled, Jin, Elsa, and Reinhard hurriedly prepared for their journey.
After finishing a slightly early lunch, they set off in Jin's airship.
"Ah, the sky really is wonderful."
Reinhard was in high spirits as he took in the view from above, something he hadn't experienced in quite a while.
"If only I had the time, I'd love to try making one of these myself."
Reinhard grumbled that he was currently far too occupied with his duties as a fledgling lord.
Supposedly, there was an airfield for balloons in Koju, so they made that their first destination.
The journey took about an hour. Once they crossed Lake Tosmo, the Imperial Palace became visible in the distance.
"Oh? What are those...?"
Five spherical objects were floating around the perimeter of the palace.
"Ah, I'd heard talk of them, but those must be the hot air balloons our country developed."
Based on the designs Jin had provided previously, the magi engineers of the Shouro Empire had apparently constructed their own.
The envelopes were emblazoned with the same emblem as the Shouro Empire's national flag: three stalks of wheat.
"With those, you can tell at a glance which country they belong to."
"That's right. You should decide on your own crest as well, Jin."
Reinhard noted that there was nothing strange about an honorary baronet possessing one, so Jin took a moment to think.
"...In that case, I suppose it'll be the 'Maru ni Futatsu-biki'."
"Eh?"
"It's one of the family crests from the country I used to live in. You put two horizontal bars inside a circle. It's called 'Maru ni Futatsu-biki'."
It was also known by the nickname "Kettle Lid," and was famous alongside the "Maru ni Hitotsu-biki," or "Pot Lid."
The "Kettle Lid" was used by the Ashikaga clan, while the "Pot Lid" belonged to the Nitta clan. They were particularly famous in the Taiheiki, a work of historical literature covering the Nanboku-cho period.
Jin recalled the Orphanage Director telling him that it was a family crest that made clever use of the "Ni" for "Two" in his surname, Nidou.
"Ho, that is simple, but for that very reason, it is clear and recognizable at a glance."
"Mm, I think so too. Because it's abstract, it might actually stand out more."
Elsa nodded in agreement.
Jin decided that he would bring it up to the Empress when he met her later.
The soldiers aboard the balloons seemed to recognize Jin's face and offered a salute. They were all wearing protective glasses.
It appeared they were equipped to shield their eyes against the wind and dust while in the air.
Escorted by the five hot air balloons, Jin's airship landed in the plaza of Koju—the very site where the Technology Expo had been held.
Dedicated bollards for mooring balloons had been newly installed in the area.
"Welcome, Magi Craft Meister, Lord Jin Nidou."
The man who came to meet them was the Magic Technology Minister of the Shouro Empire, Degauss Fruit von Manischras, a man with a prominent aquiline nose.
"How do you find these hot air balloons? We created them by gathering the very essence of our nation's technology."
Scarcely waiting for the formal greetings to end, Degauss asked Jin for his impressions.
"Yes, they are quite well-made. I think they'll be a very promising form of aerial transport."
"Oh, I am pleased to hear you say so, Lord Jin....I believe you have heard the news, but I have been ordered to establish a 'desiccant' production factory near Koju."
"I am aware."
"Then, lodgings have been prepared for you. Allow me to introduce the others who will be working with us."
Upon entering the prepared lodgings, Jin, Elsa, and Reinhard were introduced to the factory personnel: Administrative Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Magi Technology Christoph Balde von Tarnat and three other engineers.
Aside from Christoph, they were all quite young, introducing themselves as Kiringer, Salzbach, and Badweit.
Jin and his companions first lined up the experimental tools they had brought and demonstrated the process of creating quicklime from limestone, showing how the resulting material possessed high water-absorbent properties.
"Hmm, this is fascinating. It resembles alchemy... no, this is 'science'."
"That is correct."
Christoph mentioned that they were currently learning scientific principles from the Fuhrer that Jin had gifted the Empire. The three juniors were doing the same.
"In order to manufacture this on a factory scale, we have refined the shape and materials of the furnace."
Reinhard began explaining the technical details to the four of them. Meanwhile, Jin supported him by spreading out the furnace design drawings he had prepared on parchment.
"I see. It doesn't appear that we can increase production simply by making the furnace larger."
"Indeed. It would be far more desirable to arrange these furnaces in parallel."
"We will also need airtight containers and storage rooms to prevent the finished quicklime from absorbing moisture before it's sold."
"And when you are excavating the limestone—or bauxite and other minerals—please ensure everyone wears masks. It's vital to avoid inhaling the dust."
The technical meetings continued in this fashion until the sun began to set.
When night fell, the lodgings were thrown into a sudden uproar.
Having heard that Jin was in town, the Empress had flown over immediately after finishing her official duties for the day.
"Lord Jin Nidou, I thank you for your cooperation."
"Yes, well... I heard that a mold blight has occurred in the Klein Kingdom, where I hold the title of Magi Craft Meister. I have no hesitation in assisting."
Jin could not speak in a casual tone since the guard ritter and the Mayor of Koju were also present.
"Yes, exactly. It will serve as aid to the Klein Kingdom, and it is a situation that could just as easily happen in our own country. I judged this to be a project worth the full weight of the nation's efforts."
Her administration was truly rich in decisiveness. Jin was impressed. He wondered how much time it would have taken to decide on a single thing in the Japan he had come from... While slow deliberation wasn't necessarily bad, Jin found the efficiency of the Shouro Empire more to his liking.
He performed the experiment to produce quicklime once more for the Empress, and with that, the day's work was concluded.
Taking the opportunity, Jin informed the Empress of his desire to use the "Maru ni Futatsu-biki" as his official crest.
"I think it is lovely. No other country possesses a crest quite like it. It is the very height of simplicity. In a way, I believe it is perfectly fitting for a Magi Craft Meister."
The Empress praised the design and promised to officially register it as the crest of Lord Jin Nidou.
"That aside, there is something I wish to show you, Lord Jin. I also want to present you with your reward from the other day. Once the work here has reached a stable point, would you come to Loizart?"
Finally, the Empress made her request. As for what she wanted to show him, she kept that a secret.
"It is a matter of national security," she added, a phrase that sounded a bit ominous to Jin's ears.
Jin replied that he would likely be able to visit in two or three days.
Since the order to establish the desiccant factory had primarily been given to Reinhard, Jin had a fair amount of flexibility.
"Jin, since Her Majesty requested it, I'll be fine here on my own."
Reinhard thoughtfully offered to handle things, but since Jin disliked leaving a job half-finished, he replied that he would stay until the prototype furnace was completed.
The prototype furnace was finished and they confirmed that quicklime could be successfully produced two days later.
As Jin had promised the Empress, he decided to head for Loizart immediately after breakfast on October 23rd.
"Jin, thanks for all the help. Elsa, I'll see you again."
"Yeah, Reinhard, I'll leave the rest to you. Good luck."
"Rai-nii, do your best."
The distance was less than twenty kilometers in a straight line, but Jin chose to travel by airship.
On the envelope, the "Maru ni Futatsu-biki" crest he had found time to paint stood out in bold black.
Jin and his companion set off on their short aerial journey toward the capital, Loizart.