"Congratulations, Jin!"
"Congratulations, Jin-nii."
"Congratulations, Father."
After concluding their audience with King Blitzen Skala Elias XII of the Kingdom of Elias, Jin and his companions held a small, private celebration in a VIP room within the royal castle.
The occasion, of course, was to celebrate his official appointment as the "Lord of Kunlun."
"It's all thanks to Reinhard. I never could have steered the conversation that way without your advice."
"Haha, I'm glad to hear that, but you would have been recognized eventually even without my help, Jin. It was only a matter of timing."
"No, that timing makes all the difference. Now it'll be much easier to plan our future activities."
They were enjoying Klotzel Bianco, a specialty of the Kingdom of Elias. As a premium white wine from Zaus Province, it came highly recommended by Reinhard.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, all three were drinking while forgetting they wore magic tools with Detox effects. Consequently, none of them were more than slightly tipsy despite the volume consumed.
Since the Kingdom of Elias was footing the bill, the treasurer would likely grimace the next morning upon seeing eight empty bottles lined up on the table.
＊ ＊ ＊
The following day, the 8th, after bidding farewell to the Chancellor and Marchioness Firenziano, Jin and his group departed from the Kingdom of Elias via airship.
Their objective was to visit the Kingdom of Egerea and the Klein Kingdom to deliver the new maps. This plan had already been cleared with the Shouro Empire during their regular morning communication.
Having received word from the Chancellor to "cooperate with Lord Jin Nidou, Lord of Kunlun," Reinhard and Elsa were now able to accompany Jin officially and without reservation.
The distance from Borgia, the capital of Elias, to Asunt, the capital of Egerea, was roughly 150 kilometers—about a three-hour journey by airship.
The weather was fair, promising a comfortable voyage through the clouds.
"Jin, you were a massive help this time," Reinhard said, his voice filled with deep emotion.
"I should be saying that to you. Everything went smoothly because of your cooperation. Don't you think so, Elsa?"
"Mhm. Rai-nii is very reliable at times like this."
"Haha, thanks....Still, now that things have reached this stage, I assume you'll be putting more effort into developing Kunlun Island?"
"Yeah, that's the plan."
In terms of scale, Kunlun Island was roughly the size of Izu Oshima. If they truly put their minds to it, about ten thousand people could live there, yet the current population was zero. If one counted Jin and Elsa, the number was two.
There was still massive room for development and improvement.
"If there were people who wanted to live there—and they were the right sort—I wouldn't mind letting them move in, but..."
There was the significant drawback that travel between continents was difficult. After all, Jin had no desire to make the Warp Gates public.
"If the number of people using them increases, the secret will eventually leak out," Reinhard noted.
"Mhm. That's almost certain," Elsa added.
Jin, Elsa, and Reinhard were in total agreement on that point. For now, the question of when or if to reveal the Warp Gates remained an unresolved issue.
"I'd also like to have a proper, slow talk with Marcia again."
"Mhm. We came here for work this time, so we couldn't take it easy."
Jin was even considering the possibility of inviting Marcia and Rodrigo to join the Jin Family.
While they discussed these matters in the cabin, the airship moved out over the open water.
A lush, blue expanse of ocean stretched out below them. It was essentially an inland sea, sheltered by the Elias Peninsula and a chain of southern islands. Because of this geography, it was less affected by major ocean currents and the waves remained relatively calm. To date, no dangerous, large-scale magical beasts had been sighted in these waters.
"Eventually, sea routes will be established through here."
The success of the Bernstein was a major milestone. Other nations would likely begin building their own vessels, and the Celuroa Kingdom, the Kingdom of Egerea, and the Kingdom of Elias would surely focus their efforts on shipbuilding.
Jin had distributed the maps specifically with that future in mind.
Their conversation eventually shifted toward the famine.
"It seems the Kingdom of Egerea is also largely unaffected," Reinhard murmured.
"Yeah. It looks like the danger is concentrated in the inland areas."
The territory was simply too vast; even Jin's Quinta units had not been able to gather comprehensive data on every corner of the Allied Kingdoms yet.
"The eastern part of the Celuroa Kingdom is populated by many people who make their living through grazing," Reinhard explained. As a diplomat, he was well-versed in foreign affairs.
The eastern Celuroa Kingdom consisted largely of rugged grasslands unsuitable for grain cultivation. The inhabitants lived as nomads, and their wealth was measured in "muton"—the domesticated version of the sheepa.
Muton were herbivores very similar to Earth's sheep. Their primary purpose was wool production. While their meat was edible, it was reportedly less flavorful than that of the wild sheepa.
"Since they pay their taxes in raw wool, they're unaffected by the grain shortage. In fact, more rain means better grass growth, so the weather might actually be helping them," Jin analyzed.
"I see. In that case, the famine must be hitting the central part of the Celuroa Kingdom hardest."
The southern Corin region had a climate similar to the Shouro Empire, and there had been no reports of famine there. This meant the crisis was localized to the Klein Kingdom, the Kingdom of Franz, and the central regions of the Celuroa Kingdom.
"If only the food transport issues can be resolved..."
Jin believed that if logistics could flow smoothly, the famine could be overcome. There were Devil Bulbs and dried fish from the Kingdom of Elias, as well as wheat and dried fish from the Kingdom of Egerea. The Shouro Empire could also provide wheat as aid. Combined with mountain deer and sheepa from the highlands, the population should be able to hold out until the autumn wheat harvest.
Jin intended to intervene only if they couldn't make it in time or if some unforeseen disaster occurred. He felt a sense of relief, thinking they might navigate this crisis without his heavy-handed interference.
The Kingdom of Egerea would be coming into view shortly.
＊ ＊ ＊
Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of Elias, the King, the Chancellor, and Marchioness Firenziano continued their discussion.
"These maps are terrifyingly accurate!"
When shown to the ritter commander, the generals, and other military officials, the reaction was universal.
"...Lord Jin Nidou is a frightening man in his own right. To think of this technology being used for war... it makes me tremble," the Chancellor confessed.
"No, as Lord Reinhard Randol and Lady Elsa Randol mentioned the other day, he has no such ambitions. Apparently, he only wishes to live in peace," Marchioness Firenziano said, coming to Jin's defense.
"Indeed. It seems the King of Egerea and the Emperor of the Shouro Empire share that assessment."
Having heard the same through their diplomatic channels, King Blitzen Skala Elias XII made it clear to his staff that there was no need to be excessively wary of Jin.
"More importantly, we must address the issues he brought to our attention."
At the King's prompting, the officials turned their focus to the numerous challenges regarding maritime expansion, many of which had been highlighted by Marcia’s recent disaster.
The necessity of constructing lighthouses along the coast. The standardization of cargo containers. The development of international standards for signaling via flags and lights. The mapping of safe routes and the upgrading of ports. The establishment of a maritime search and rescue framework.
These were just the points that required international cooperation. More would likely surface as they delved deeper. Furthermore, the challenges would only multiply as they began to build and operate their own large-scale vessels.
"We must also consider the deployment and domestic mass production of hot air balloons."
If successful, hot air balloons could be a game-changer for maritime rescue. Aerial observation would be exceptionally effective over the open sea. If each large ship could carry one, they could be used for reconnaissance or for signaling distress.
"Goodness, it seems my plate is already overflowing, and the new year has only just begun," the Chancellor sighed.
"But it is work for the sake of peace and prosperity, not for war. It is quite worthwhile," Marchioness Firenziano said, soothing his mock complaint.
"Mm, exactly so."
The King nodded firmly in agreement. It seemed certain that the Kingdom of Elias would see even greater development in the year to come.