"Ugh... my head..."
"It feels like my skull is splitting open..."
"I'm gonna be sick..."
Save for Jin, Reinhard, and Elsa, everyone who had overindulged during the previous night’s revelry stumbled into the meeting clutching their heads, deep in the throes of their hangovers.
Realizing the meeting wasn't going to get anywhere like this, Elsa took pity on them and stepped forward with her healing magic.
"Entgiften. Genesung."
"O-oh... that's much better!"
"Miss Elsa, you can even do things like that...!"
"As expected of a Reichsarzt."
Once the flurry of praise for Elsa finally died down, the morning meeting began in earnest.
"Now then, the Chancellor should have departed Loizart early this morning. He is expected to arrive by midday. I anticipate the launch ceremony will take place at approximately two o'clock this afternoon."
Christoph laid out the day’s schedule.
"After that, we will spend three days on Lake Wasu conducting various inspections. We are scheduled to head out to open water on December 8th."
Lake Wasu was connected to the sea by a waterway roughly twenty kilometers long. The channel was sufficiently wide and deep, posing no hindrance to the navigation of the new vessel.
"Furthermore, once we reach the sea, our planned maiden voyage will be a round trip to Port Rock, at the southern tip of the Kingdom of Elias."
This announcement drew surprised murmurs from everyone.
"We will be calling for volunteers shortly, but those who participated in the construction will be given priority."
"I'm going!"
Kleia was the first to volunteer. Zeneros followed suit immediately.
"I will go as well."
"Oh, it’s heartening to have magi engineers on board. Anyone else?"
Jin, Elsa, and Reinhard remained silent, and Kubalt, the shipwright from Shimos Town, didn't seem inclined to go either.
Then, one last person spoke up.
"...I would also like to go."
Rodrigo expressed his intent in a small, tentative voice.
"Understood. I shall add the three of you—Kleia, Zeneros, and Rodrigo—to the passenger manifest under my authority."
"Thank you very much!"
The next item on the agenda was the ship's name.
"Her Majesty has granted us, the builders, the right to name her. Does anyone have any suggestions?"
Jin stayed quiet. He was well aware that his aesthetic sense tended to be... unconventional.
Kleia was the first to speak up.
"Yes. How about Pioneer?"
"I see. Fitting for a new type of ship."
Zeneros was the next to raise his hand.
"I think Imperial Glory would be perfect!"
"Hmm, it is indeed a ship that will mark a milestone in the history of our Shouro Empire."
"I object! Such a stiff name is completely inappropriate!"
"What?! If you're going to say that, Pioneer is far too simplistic!"
"What did you say?!"
"What's it to you?!"
The rest of the group watched the two bicker with lukewarm gazes, thinking, Here we go again. Christoph quickly called for more opinions.
"...Er, does anyone else have anything?"
"...Yes."
This time, Reinhard raised his hand.
"How about Loizart?"
"I see, the name of the city. That would allow us to name the second and third ships after cities as well... Anything else?"
"Bernstein."
This suggestion came from Elsa. It was inspired by the ship's amber-colored exterior.
"Those are some quite good names. Are there any more?"
By this point, Kleia and Zeneros were tired of shouting and had settled down to listen to the others.
"How about Sea Dragon?"
This was Jin, who could no longer resist joining in. As expected, he went straight for a sea creature—or rather, a magical beast.
"Contessa."
"Undine."
Rodrigo and Kubalt offered their opinions as well. With that, everyone except the chairman, Christoph, had spoken.
"Then, let's take a majority vote."
Christoph decided to cast a ballot as well.
The result was unexpected.
Bernstein received three votes.
From Elsa, Christoph, and... Jin.
"Very well. The name of the new ship shall be the Bernstein."
"...Well, it’s not bad. No objections!"
"Mm."
Kleia and Zeneros agreed, and the name of the new ship was settled then and there.
"In that case, Miss Elsa, I’ll have you act as the naming official at the launch ceremony."
"!?"
Elsa was startled by the sudden, unexpected proposal.
"You can borrow a dress from the hotel. Miss Elsa, please come to see me later. We'll discuss the details."
"...Yes."
And so, unexpectedly, Elsa's suggested name was chosen, and she was simultaneously entrusted with the prestigious role of naming official.
＊ ＊ ＊
"..."
"Oh, Elsa. It suits you."
Elsa was dressed in a classic, frilly gown. Based in light blue, it was adorned with white lace and rills, featuring striking gold decorations as accents.
A silver tiara sparkled atop her head.
Furthermore, she wore a pannier under her skirt, giving it a voluminous, rounded silhouette.
Though called a pannier, it wasn't made of tulle or fabric, but was what was known in a past era as a farthingale. It was essentially a flexible "framework" attached to the waist to puff out the skirt.
"Does a traditional launch ceremony really require all this?" Jin asked, half-appalled and half-entranced by Elsa's unusual appearance.
"Hmm, to be honest, I didn't know either. Then again, a large civilian ship like this is being built for the first time," Reinhard replied.
"I suppose so."
"Though, they might have done something similar when those military ships were built in the past."
He was referring to the ten-meter coastal patrol vessels.
"They said... this will be the first protocol," said Elsa, repeating what she had been told about the ceremony's order.
"I see. So they've established a new ceremony based on old protocols. That makes you the glorious first official to perform it."
Jin only knew that on modern Earth, the tradition usually involved smashing a bottle of red wine or popping a decorative ball.
"But a dress like that really does suit you."
It wasn't quite Gothic Lolita, but to Jin, the design seemed to be of the same lineage. Since he had always thought Elsa looked best in simple, practical clothes, this was a refreshing discovery.
"...Don't look... so much."
Elsa herself felt awkward; she wasn't used to wearing formal gowns and didn't particularly care for the design.
"No, I'm complimenting you."
"Even so... it's embarrassing."
She clearly disliked being scrutinized while wearing an outfit she hadn't quite reconciled herself with.
"You won't be able to eat lunch in that outfit," Reinhard remarked with a dry chuckle.
"Mm. That's why... I'll change back after I practice."
It was an outfit that made even a trip to the restroom a monumental struggle, a relic of a bygone era. Jin couldn't help but think that modern clothing—by Earth's standards, at least—would have been a much more merciful choice.