On the morning of January 2nd, Jin woke at 8:00 a.m. Hourai Island Time.
Since there was a time difference of roughly two hours and twenty minutes with Kaina Village, he had plenty of time to spare before he needed to go and see Hanna.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Elsa joined Jin to eat the breakfast Reiko had prepared.
The meal consisted of white rice, miso soup with fried tofu and okara, umeboshi, grilled dried fish that resembled horse mackerel, and hojicha.
"I am very sorry, but since I could not find any glutinous rice, I was unable to make ozoni."
When one thought of the New Year, ozoni was a staple, but the mochi essential for the soup could not be made with the non-glutinous rice Jin and the others usually ate—it required glutinous rice.
Because the starch in glutinous rice becomes highly viscous when cooked, it was indispensable for creating the texture of mochi. Incidentally, the term for glutinous rice refers to crops that contain little to no amylose, a specific type of starch.
"No, don't worry about it. I love this kind of breakfast anyway," Jin said, sipping the miso soup with relish.
"Jin-nii, I like this too."
Elsa also seemed to have taken a liking to the okara miso soup.
"I’m glad to hear that. Okara is full of dietary fiber and is apparently good for the skin."
As Jin said this, Elsa's eating pace seemed to quicken slightly.
Reiko, who had cooked the meal, watched the two of them enjoy it with a look of quiet satisfaction.
"My Lord, an idea has occurred to me."
After breakfast, with a little time still remaining, Jin went to consult Laojun regarding the analysis of the transporter they had received from No. 700672. The magi-brain had an intriguing proposal.
"Go ahead, let’s hear it."
"Yes. We send out a marker via the transporter, and then, using the transporter unit itself, we warp the entire assembly to that location. Could this not be considered a form of 'warp engine'?"
"I see..."
Laojun, the magi-brain Jin had created, occasionally hit upon ideas that Jin himself hadn't considered. It was, in its own way, a testament to the brilliance of the man who had designed him.
"You're right. It would effectively achieve a pseudo-warp engine."
"Yes. However, the drawback is that the transporter unit cannot be easily miniaturized, as it requires substantial space for the orientation equipment."
The orientation measuring device—the heart of the transporter—functioned similarly to a magi-detector, or magi-radar. It utilized triangulation, meaning that the greater the distance between the two sensors, the higher the accuracy at long ranges.
"Wait a second. If we give that marker the functions of a magic eye, we’ll be able to see exactly what’s happening at the destination."
Being able to verify that the destination was correct and free of hazards would be a massive leap forward in terms of safety.
"It might be worth installing this on something experimentally."
"Shall we proceed with the construction of a heavy transport aircraft, Condor 4, for that purpose?"
"Yeah, let’s do that. Give it a trial run."
"Understood."
If a warp engine could be realized, travel would become even more effortless. Jin found the method—even if it was technically a workaround—to be fascinating.
When the scheduled time arrived, Jin, Reiko, Elsa, and Edgar moved to Kaina Village.
By January 2nd, the festive mood of New Year's Day had already begun to fade in the village, and the people had returned to their regular routines.
(Maybe modern Japan just had too many holidays...)
Jin mused as he watched the villagers go about their work. In Kaina Village, where the concept of a "day off" didn't really exist, everyone seemed to feel that a normal life was the best life.
"Onii-chan!"
Hanna came running over.
Of course, the children were an exception to the routine. As their lives had become more comfortable, they had been largely freed from household chores, allowing them more time for play and study.
Since their study sessions weren't set to resume until the 4th, they were treating the first three days of the year as a winter break, playing together happily.
"Were you making snowmen?"
"Yeah! Look, look!"
Hanna had made snowmen in the style Jin had taught her—two snowballs, one large and one small, stacked on top of each other, with faces made from black stones.
"Oh, you did a great job."
"See, this one is Grandma, and this one is Onii-chan. This is Reiko-oneechan, and this is Big Sister Elsa. This is Auntie Mine. And this one is me!"
Six snowmen of varying sizes stood in a circle. Jin patted Hanna on the head.
"Good work. Aren't you cold out here?"
"Nope, I'm fine! I have the gloves you gave me, Onii-chan."
The gloves, made from Rock Ice Rabbit fur, were excellent at blocking out both the cold and moisture. On her feet, she wore boots made from Snow Tiger leather.
Hanna and the other children of Kaina Village were naturally resilient to the cold, and they were all running around with boundless energy.
The pleasant hours passed in the blink of an eye. By the time noon had passed, it was time for Jin and his companions to depart.
"Have a safe trip, Onii-chan!"
Hanna saw him off with a bright, cheerful smile.
To protect that smile, Jin vowed in his heart to do his absolute best again this year.
"What?! A forty-meter class ship!"
Richard Valois de Celuroa, the King of the Celuroa Kingdom, was incensed by the report he had just received.
Word had reached him regarding the events of December 12th, when the Shouro Empire's Bernstein and the merchant Eckart Techles's Bridget had crossed paths off the coast of Koup.
"A vessel of such magnitude, the likes of which even our Royal Navy does not possess, is already in practical use?!"
The great Azul and Torres rivers flowed to the east and west of the capital, Esaia, and the massive Azul Lake lay to the north. As the ruler of a nation defined by its waterways, the King’s pride would not allow Celuroa to be surpassed in shipbuilding.
"Immediately draft a national plan for the construction of a giant vessel. This year, Celuroa shall reign supreme over all other nations."
In the Celuroa Kingdom, the King's command was absolute. First Interior Minister Rambeau immediately convened a meeting to launch the project.
"What of the budget?"
"And the manpower?"
"Where shall we build it... perhaps at Azul Lake?"
"No, if we do that, how will we get it to the sea?"
"We have the Azul River and the Naudaria River, do we not?!"
After a fierce debate, it was decided that a dock would be constructed at Azul Lake, and the most skilled magi craftmen and shipwrights would be conscripted.
Extraordinary taxes were levied, and the dissatisfaction of the populace began to grow. However, fearing the King’s temper, no one dared to offer a word of protest.
Amidst this atmosphere:
"Father, this plan is far too hasty!"
Only the first prince—the crown prince—dared to voice his concerns.
"Cesar, is it? Do you have an objection?"
King Richard looked down at the prince from his throne.
"I have no issue with the plan itself. However, are we not rushing this? Haste breeds oversight, and oversight invites disaster."
The King merely snorted in derision.
"Hmph. Do you have so little faith in our nation's magi-engineering?"
"It is not a matter of faith. I simply believe we should minimize our risks as much as possible."
"You have a point. But consider this: the prestige of the crown is more important than some vague anxiety. Putting aside our rivalry with the Shouro Empire, do you truly think we can allow ourselves to be outdone by the private sector?"
The crown prince looked down for a moment, but he quickly raised his head to counter.
"No, rather than admitting defeat, perhaps we should simply propagate the idea that our private sector possesses such exceptional technology?"
"Ho... you've had an interesting thought. Koup is within the region governed by my brother, is it not? Very well. I shall instruct Alan to requisition the ship belonging to this merchant, Eckart."
Requisition. In other words, the state would seize it by force.
"Father! If you do that, the people will be outraged!"
"What nonsense. This land belongs to the royal family. Those who live upon it belong to the royal family. What is wrong with a man taking what is already his?"
"Father..."
"Cesar, if you are to be the next king, remember this: the secret to enriching a nation is to keep the people neither living nor dead. Finding that balance is the key to a wealthy state."
"...Please excuse me."
Crown Prince Cesar bowed his head and withdrew from the King's presence, his heart heavy with disappointment.