Early that afternoon, the hot air balloon from the capital, Loizart, finally arrived.
Aboard were Chancellor Jung Fowles von Kebusler and the Magic Technology Minister, Degauss Fruit von Manischras—the man serving as the overall supervisor for the new ship project.
They had apparently departed Loizart before six in the morning and rushed here at top speed, eating portable rations while in the air. It was a grueling schedule, to say the least.
"Ho, so this is the new vessel. It is quite a sight to behold."
Such was the Chancellor's first impression. No sooner had they touched down than the two men were already walking around to inspect the ship.
"The name is Bernstein—'Amber,' then? A name taken from its appearance. It’s modest, which is quite refreshing," the Magic Technology Minister remarked with an impressed nod.
"Then it seems we can proceed with the launch ceremony without issue. Is the program the same as we planned?"
"Yes. It will follow the procedure we discussed previously."
"Good. Since this will serve as the standard for future launches, we must ensure it is carried out properly."
＊ ＊ ＊
At two o’clock as scheduled, the launch ceremony finally commenced.
The assembly included the Chancellor, the Magic Technology Minister, the various individuals involved in the construction, subcontracted laborers, and the escorting ritters and soldiers. Also present were the manager and assistant manager of the hotel where the team had stayed, along with the Mayor of Shimos Town—fifty-one formal attendees in total, surrounded by a massive crowd of onlookers.
Elsa, elegant in her luxurious gown, was the first to ascend the gangway and take her place at the ship's prow. She made her declaration in a voice that carried clearly over the water.
"As of this moment, I hereby name this ship the Bernstein!"
With a swift motion, she used a silver dagger to sever a single rope. This rope held the ceremonial banner draped over the side of the hull.
As the rope was cut, the banner fell away to reveal the name 'BERNSTEIN' emblazoned beneath.
Amidst a roar of applause from the crowd, seven people boarded the vessel: the Chancellor, the Magic Technology Minister, the Mayor, Reinhard, Zeneros, Kleia, and Kubalt.
Christoph, the on-site manager, remained on the shore along with Jin and Rodrigo. Aside from Christoph, those who boarded were primarily citizens of the Shouro Empire.
Furthermore, Christoph had one more vital role to play.
"The launch will now commence!"
While the applause continued unabated, the fixed ropes supporting the ship were released one after another.
As the final rope was cleared, Christoph barked an order to the working golems.
"Push the ship!"
Constructed atop a heavy-duty sled, the Bernstein was meant to be pushed down the gentle slope from the construction dock directly into Lake Wasu.
However, the unexpected occurred.
Under the sheer weight of the Bernstein, the sled's runners gouged into the earth. The ship refused to budge.
"Push!" Christoph shouted again. Still, the vessel remained motionless.
The three working golems pushing the ship were two-meter-tall mass-production models based on the Schwarzritter design. High-performance though they were, they simply lacked the raw power for this task.
While a giant golem like a Golias might have had the strength to move it, those units lacked the capacity for such delicate movements; one wrong move and the hull might be crushed.
Cold sweat beaded on Christoph's forehead as his face turned pale. If the launch ceremony failed at this final stage, the Empire's prestige would suffer a crushing blow.
(Reiko, help them out.)
(Yes, Father.)
Unable to stand by and watch the struggle, Jin whispered a command to Reiko.
Fortunately, most of the attendees were busy waving at the dignitaries on deck, who were waving back in return. However, if the ship didn't move in the next few seconds, people would realize something was wrong.
It was in that narrow window of time that Jin gave Reiko the signal.
Reiko activated Invisible and, cloaked in secrecy, approached the Bernstein. She wove between the three golems straining against the sled and ducked underneath the platform.
"Force generator, activate."
She directed the force upward to lift the sled. The displacement of the Bernstein was roughly 300 tons, and Reiko shouldered half of that weight herself.
"Oh, it's moving!"
With its effective weight slashed in half, the sunken runners finally began to slide. A cheer erupted from the crowd.
The ship gradually gained momentum. Even so, it moved at only four or five kilometers per hour—roughly the pace of a brisk walk. Reiko began to slowly lower the output of the force generator.
Though the momentum dipped slightly, the slope toward Lake Wasu grew steeper here; the ship was no longer in danger of stopping. As proof, the three golems that had been pushing let go and stepped back to watch it go.
"Good. Forty meters to go... thirty... twenty..."
Residents from the surrounding area and tourists alike lined both sides of the slipway, watching the new ship's progress with bated breath. The Bernstein slid past the spectators and finally plunged into Lake Wasu.
A massive spray of water erupted as the sled detached and bobbed to the surface. Beyond it, the Bernstein finally came to rest, its amber hull gleaming against the blue waters of Lake Wasu.
The crowd let out an especially loud cheer, followed by a thunderous round of applause.
(Father, was that sufficient?)
Amidst the celebration, Reiko slipped back to Jin’s side.
(Yeah, perfect. You did great, Reiko. Thank you.)
Jin reached out and gently patted Reiko’s head.
"No water leaks detected."
"Hull distortion within acceptable standards."
Inside the Bernstein as it floated on the lake, the temporary crew was frantic with checks. Kubalt inspected for leaks while Kleia verified the structural integrity of the hull.
"Alright, power check. Slow ahead."
"Understood."
In response to the order from the Chancellor—acting as temporary captain—Reinhard took his post as temporary engineer and activated the Jet Thrusters.
"Oh, we're moving!"
"Maintain this course. Move out about a hundred meters from the shore."
"Understood."
Zeneros, serving as the temporary navigator, gripped the control stick. The Bernstein carved a graceful arc through the water, slowly pulling away from the bank.
"She’s remarkably responsive!"
The control stick utilized golem technology to provide power assistance, making the rudder light and easy to operate.
"Good, that should be far enough from the shore. Slowly increase engine output."
"Understood."
These commands were relayed throughout the ship via a network of Aco-tubes.
Reinhard managed the mana tank in the central section of the vessel, monitoring the flow of mana being pumped to the Jet Thrusters mounted on the port and starboard sides.
"As expected of Jin. Not a single abnormality."
Under normal conditions, the Jet Thrusters on both sides were controlled by a throttle lever positioned next to the navigator's control stick. Zeneros gradually pushed the lever forward, increasing the output.
"...Fast. We’re nearly matching the speed of a golem boat."
Standing at the prow, Elsa estimated their speed by the strength of the wind against her cheeks.
"Ooh!"
A collective gasp rose from the spectators on the shore. The Bernstein was visibly accelerating.
"Yes, it’s functioning exactly as planned," Jin noted with a satisfied look.
The Bernstein continued to pick up speed, cutting through the water with precision.
"Ho ho, this is incredible!"
"We did it, Jin-dono!"
Christoph leaned over the safety railing on the shore, his eyes glued to the new ship's wake. Rodrigo clapped Jin on the shoulder, his face flushed with excitement.
Meanwhile, the wake produced by the Bernstein sent sizable waves washing up against the bank.
"I see... It was a good thing I had the other boats pulled out of the water," Jin mused. Smaller, less stable boats might have been swamped or capsized by those waves.
By now, the Bernstein was cruising at nearly twenty kilometers per hour.
"It’s a resounding success!" Christoph shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.
Jin felt an uncharacteristic heat in his chest—the realization that all their collective toil had finally borne fruit.