"Hmm, knowledge and peace, is it?...That's a bit abstract. Care to elaborate?"
Crow took a sip of water from his cup before speaking.
"Yes. By 'knowledge,' I mean traveling through the unexplored lands of the west and seeing them for myself."
"I see, I see. That is something we would welcome as well."
"And by 'peace,' I refer to our relations with the nations to the east."
Daro reacted immediately to those words.
"Mayor, there are rumors in parts of the Shouro Empire that we're planning an invasion."
"What?...I have no idea how or why such a rumor would spread, but..." Crow looked John straight in the eye and stated firmly, "As far as I am aware, we of Mitsuho have no such intentions."
"Then what about the events from three hundred years ago?"
John explained that the stories of the foreign tribes attempting to invade the Shouro Empire after the Great Magic War were far too famous to be dismissed as mere fabrications.
"..."
Both Crow and Daro closed their eyes and fell silent, appearing deep in thought.
"Mayor, why don't you just tell him how it was?"
At Maya's prompting, Crow opened his eyes and began to speak slowly.
"You mean the events from three hundred years ago, when the free ether in the atmosphere plummeted....Back then, the magic tools we relied on stopped working. It was a matter of life and death."
Indeed, if the ether concentration dropped, the operation of magi-craft would become unstable.
"At that time, a radical faction did attempt an invasion....For now, I'll ask you to be satisfied with that. Once you've integrated a bit more with us, I believe I can speak of our inner workings in more detail."
"...Understood. I'll accept that for now."
For the time being, confirming that the foreign tribes had no intent for war was a major achievement. John—proxy for Laojun—decided he would report this to Jin immediately.
"You'll spend a few days in this town, and then you'll head to the capital, Miyako, to meet the Chief. I'd like you to decide your future through discussions with the Chief."
"The capital? And who is this 'Chief'?"
John was surprised to hear the name 'Miyako' among the unfamiliar terms, but his priority was understanding their political structure.
"I suppose I can explain the basics....Daro."
Crow turned to Daro and gave a slight nod, delegating the task.
"Understood....John-san, our country is quite different from yours. To start with, we have no King."
That was certainly a major distinction, but since the demon race also lacked a monarch, it wasn't particularly shocking.
"Three representatives are elected from each region to form an Assembly. That Assembly then elects the Chief."
"I see. That is indeed unusual."
"The Chief is the administrative leader and is elected every two years. Of course, they can be dismissed if deemed unfit during their term."
"...As an administrative leader, do the people follow them obediently?"
"Yes. While they lead the administration, the military is controlled by the Assembly."
Daro explained that power was divided. Although perhaps imperfect, a system of mutual oversight was in place.
In the Allied Kingdoms, kings still ruled, and absolute monarchies were the norm. There were no constitutional monarchies to be found. Yet these foreign tribes in Mitsuho had adopted a council system. Once again, the mystery deepened. Would the answers be waiting in Miyako? Laojun felt a surge of anticipation through John.
"Lastly, regarding your salary... since you've separated from Mr. Oliver, I'd like to discuss terms again. Do you have any requests?"
"Well, for now, as long as I don't have to worry about food and a place to sleep, I'll be fine," John replied casually, and Crow nodded.
In a foreign land where he was a total stranger, it was understandable that survival needs came before wealth.
"Understood. I'll take that into account. Well, that's enough for today. I've left the lodging arrangements to Maya."
"Which means, glad to have you, John-san."
"Ah, likewise."
『...That is the summary of the situation.』
That same night, Laojun provided a detailed report to Jin.
"Hmm, there are several interesting points here."
『Yes. The origin of their magic tools, and then there are the place names.』
"Right. It bothers me that there are names strikingly similar to locations on Earth... or rather, in Japan."
Kari, Seki, Miyako. And then Aaji and Seto. If Seto was Seto, then one had to wonder if Aaji was Awaji. Jin wondered if there had been some connection in the distant past.
As the successor to Adriana Barbora Tsetse, it had taken the automata that was Reiko's predecessor over a hundred years to develop the formula to find Jin. Perhaps because it had been used so excessively, the control core for that specific section had shattered and was no longer present.
Even Laojun, despite his superior capabilities, had not yet succeeded in developing a formula to link to an alternate dimension in a shorter timeframe. Was there something fundamentally missing? A specific material, or a foundational formula? Jin didn't consider the lack of progress a failure, so he hadn't pressured Laojun to pursue it.
Regardless, Jin couldn't shake the feeling that someone from his own world, or a very similar one, had been here in the past.
"It's not like that changes anything, though."
It was more a matter of intellectual curiosity. To be honest, "it's just been bugging me" was the closest reason.
"Well, let's take it slow. More importantly, how is their food production?"
『Yes, My Lord. Because Seki Town was close to the Harihari Desert, I saw no fields. We will see more as we move inland.』
"I see..."
He was hoping for a food surplus that might aid the Klein Kingdom.
『However, there was no sign of a shortage, so I believe we can remain hopeful.』
"Understood. Keep at it."
Jin shifted gears. The shipbuilding was finally entering the practical stage. Since the timber had been prepared, the hired smiths and magi engineers were processing it according to the blueprints. Once enough parts were ready, they would begin constructing the hull. After that, construction and component processing would proceed in parallel.
"The material is piine, since we can't get teak here..."
It was a wood resembling pine. It seemed to grow much larger than the pine Jin knew, as two forty-meter-long timbers had been prepared. Aside from those, a large quantity of five-meter pieces, likely standard stock, was piled up.
"I'm worried about its water resistance..."
Pine wood had decent strength, but its durability was usually only moderate. However, the pine of this world was widely used in shipbuilding, so it seemed to have a proven track record.
"Well, it finally starts tomorrow..."
Until today, they had been processing the components. Starting tomorrow, the assembly of the hull would finally begin. Jin was genuinely looking forward to it.
"Father, this is the first time I've experienced such a leisurely construction," Reiko remarked.
"I suppose so. But this is apparently the normal way."
It was no wonder Reiko felt that way. On Hourai Island, a ship of this class could be completed in half a day. Having jumped straight to world-class efficiency, Jin had never experienced traditional labor like this, and he was actually enjoying the process.
"It seems my new functions won't have a chance to shine, either."
Reiko was now equipped with a force generator. She could fly freely through the sky, but there seemed to be no call for that on this project.
"Well, that's fine. Having a tool you don't need is better than needing a tool you don't have. Besides, as they say, 'the clever hawk hides its talons.'"
As he spoke, Jin stroked Reiko's head. She nodded with a look of satisfaction.
"I suppose you're right."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Reiko opened it.
"Hey, Jin."
It was Reinhard... and Elsa.
"Good evening."
"I managed to get some good wine. I thought we might share a bottle."
Reinhard was a true wine lover.
"My favorite wine-producing area, the Olsen region, is on the western bank of Lake Wasu. This hotel had several Olsen vintages, so I picked one out."
The bottle he held was a white wine, an Olsen. Unfortunately, it wasn't the legendary 3450, but a 3455.
"The '50 is the best vintage, but this one isn't bad at all. Here, give it a try."
Reiko prepared glasses for the three of them.
"...Ngh, it's in there tight."
Reinhard struggled with the stopper. It wasn't a cork, but a stopper made of soft wood.
"Please, allow me."
Reiko took the bottle from Reinhard. Before it was even clear if she had applied any effort, the stopper came out with a satisfying pop.
"Oh, thank you, Reiko-chan."
Reiko proceeded to pour the wine for everyone.
"Well then, here's to the successful construction of the ship."
Reinhard raised his glass, and Jin and Elsa followed suit.
"Mm, you're right. It's delicious."
"It's very good. Rai-nii could be a sommelier."
"Haha, thank you. I'll take the compliment. But really, it doesn't count for much if I only know the brands I like."
The night wore on in a peaceful, companionable atmosphere.