It seemed the Kingdom of Egerea had been eagerly awaiting Jin’s arrival.
A pair of hot air balloons met his ship, guiding him toward the Outer Palace Square within the Royal Castle. Prince Ernest was already there, and the moment he spotted Jin’s face, he came running over.
“Jin! It’s been so long!” the prince called out. “Elsa, Reinhard! It’s wonderful to see you all looking so well!”
“Your Highness is looking well also,” Jin replied.
“Hello,” Elsa said softly.
“It has been a long time,” Reinhard added.
They exchanged brief, informal greetings. Such unconventional behavior was only permitted because Ernest had not yet reached adulthood. Although the new year had only just begun, he would turn fifteen next year, which was when his Coming-of-Age Ceremony would be held.
(...I suppose his marriage to Princess Lieschen will follow shortly after that...) Jin mused.
＊ ＊ ＊
Once the unconventional welcome concluded, Jin and his companions were shown to the King’s office.
“It has been some time, ‘Lord of Kunlun’ Lord Jin Nidou. And Lady Reiko remains as adorable as ever.”
The unchanging King of Egerea, Harold Luan Autocrace, addressed Jin as the “Lord of Kunlun” right out of the gate. He also seemed well aware that Reiko served as Jin's squire.
“Yes, and Your Majesty also appears to be in good health.”
“Umu....Lord Reinhard Randol, it has been a while. and this is Miss Elsa... no, I should call you Lady Elsa Randol now. You look quite well.”
The King addressed Reinhard and Elsa in turn. The fact that the monarch himself initiated the conversation showed just how much importance he placed on these visitors.
Once the initial pleasantries were finished, the Chancellor, Marquis Boyd Norusu Galueri, offered a smile and a greeting before stating the purpose of the audience.
“Lord of Kunlun, I presume you are aware that our nation’s research team is currently stationed in the Former Leonard Kingdom?”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” Jin replied.
“They have taken several recently developed magic tools with them....Though, perhaps ‘reproduced’ is more accurate than ‘developed’? Regardless, we would very much like to hear your opinion on those tools.”
Despite Jin’s rank as an honorary baronet, the Chancellor spoke with the level of respect due to the “Lord of Kunlun,” a sovereign lord of his own territory, however small it might be.
The mention of magic tools immediately piqued Jin’s interest, and Reinhard and Elsa looked equally intrigued.
“Secondly, there is the matter of transport capacity regarding ships. Thirdly...”
Since Reinhard was also present, there were diplomatic matters to attend to as well. As the Lord of Kunlun, Jin intended to maintain a strictly neutral stance, but he suspected that might prove difficult.
The meeting began with the unveiling of the world map Jin had brought.
“Truly impressive, Lord Jin. To observe the world from the sky... it is a feat beyond imagination.”
In the Kingdom of Egerea, just as in the Kingdom of Elias, the officials were stunned by the map’s precision. The locations of cities, the winding paths of rivers, and the national borders were all visible at a glance. Because the scale was so large, small villages and settlements weren't depicted, but the primary highways were clear. Even without lines of longitude and latitude, it was more than practical enough for their needs.
The Chancellor accepted the map with a deep, respectful bow.
“We shall show our gratitude for this map together with the other matters we are to consult on later.”
Jin agreed that this was acceptable.
Next, the conversation turned to ships. At this point, the group moved into the Chancellor’s private office.
“Our kingdom is planning to build large-scale vessels for maritime transport. We are currently constructing a dedicated dock in Narnekka. Furthermore, we need smaller boats for river navigation.”
Narnekka was the port that had hosted the Bernstein. It was a small, calm bay, making it an ideal location for a shipyard.
“And so, we were hoping Lord Jin could provide...”
“The propulsion systems, right?” Jin finished for him.
The Chancellor looked slightly sheepish. “...Precisely.”
Jin decided to explain his own vision first. “Before we get into that, there is something I would like to confirm.”
“Hmph. By all means.”
“The Naudaria River is wide, but it’s quite shallow, isn't it?” Jin asked. He was basing this on Quinta’s survey results, but he wanted to be sure.
“Yes. I am told that even the deepest points are only about five meters.”
With that confirmation, Jin’s plan fell into place.
“I see. In that case, I believe it would be best to treat the river boats and the large sea-going ships as two separate projects.”
“That seems only natural.”
“For the river boats, I recommend using ‘poles.’”
“‘Poles’?”
“Yes, poles.” Jin began to explain. “The boatman—the one steering the vessel—uses a pole longer than the water’s depth to push against the riverbed. The boat moves forward from the resulting reaction. It’s simple, isn't it?”
Jin mimicked the motion of pushing a pole with his hands. The principle was so straightforward that they all understood immediately without even needing a diagram.
“If you use golems as boatmen, they can keep the boats moving through the night,” Jin added.
“I see. That is indeed well-suited for a river.”
“Yes. You use the poles in the wide, shallow sections. In the deeper areas, you can engage the propulsion systems.”
Jin further explained that for small-scale boats, an Aqua Thruster would be the ideal choice.
“Hmph. Rivers have fewer issues with seaweed or debris than the ocean, and since the boats are small, they can be cleaned easily even if they do get clogged.”
The Chancellor seemed to find the proposal sound.
“Shallow-bottom hulls are used frequently on Lake Tosmo in the Shouro Empire,” Reinhard added, taking over the explanation of the ship designs. “The versions used for transporting carriages are about twenty meters long, but the standard model is ten meters. They serve as ferries for people and small cargo.”
“Hmm. It would be safest to start with the standard model, then.”
They proceeded to iron out the details of the ship designs, working from the solid foundation of mastering the basics before moving on to specialized applications.
“If we are to combine Lord Jin’s propulsion methods with shallow-bottom boats, it might be wise to build a separate dock specifically for them,” the Chancellor mused.
He had correctly identified the danger of taking shallow-bottom boats out onto the open sea. Such vessels were highly susceptible to the influence of waves. A four-meter boat, like those used in the Golem Boat Race, might manage, but at ten meters, the structural integrity of the hull bottom would become an issue. While a racing boat could be built with expensive, high-grade materials, commercial vessels had to be cost-effective to mass-produce.
“It seems most realistic to carry cargo across the ocean in large ships and then transship it at the mouth of the Naudaria River,” the Chancellor concluded.
“Yes, I agree,” Jin said.
“In that case, we will need to build a second dock in the town of Okososo.”
Okososo was located at the mouth of the Naudaria River, near the border with the Celuroa Kingdom. This project would likely lead to the town's rapid growth.
“If we are proceeding with transshipment as the goal, wouldn't it be more convenient to standardize the size of the cargo containers?”
Jin then proceeded to lay out the same proposals he had given in the Kingdom of Elias:
The necessity of constructing lighthouses along the coast. The standardization of cargo containers. The use of flags and signals for information transmission, and the need for international standards for those signals. The establishment of designated sea lanes and the improvement of port facilities. The creation of a maritime rescue system.
After explaining the finer points and finalizing the details of the kingdom's support, the discussion regarding the ships came to a close. They then spent some time discussing matters related to Reinhard’s role as ambassador, and the day’s work concluded successfully.
＊ ＊ ＊
“I guess that ‘reproduced’ magic tool will have to wait until tomorrow,” Jin mused.
He was back at the Guest House, staying there for the first time since the Golem Party. He had been offered a suite in the Royal Castle, but Jin had insisted on this location because it felt less stuffy.
“Still, Jin, ‘poles.’ I’m surprised I didn't think of that myself. On a slow-moving river, a golem’s strength would be more than enough to propel a boat.”
Jin and Reinhard were relaxing in the bath, chatting about the day's events.
“Reinhard, I feel a bit bad that I’m the only one getting a reward for this...”
“Haha, don't worry about it. I’m strictly on official business for the Empire. You’re here voluntarily—or out of goodwill, really. And besides, you’re the ‘Lord of Kunlun’ now. You’re an independent power.”
It was true; for his help in the Kingdom of Elias, Jin had been granted a reward of five million Toll. For Jin, it was an extravagant dilemma—his money kept increasing, yet he had nothing to spend it on. He simply wasn't the type of person who could waste money for the sake of it.
“Father.”
When Jin finished his bath and stepped out into the hall, Reiko was waiting for him. Since he had gone in with Reinhard, Reiko had stayed behind to give them privacy.
“Ah, Elsa.”
“Jin-nii.”
He ran into Elsa in the hallway just as she was coming out of the women’s bath. They walked back toward their rooms together. Though they were staying in separate rooms, Jin invited her into his for a moment.
“Mm.”
Elsa followed him inside without hesitation.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Mm. Citran juice, please.”
The two sat down in chairs, enjoying the cold drinks after the heat of the bath.
“It’s already been almost a year since the last time we were here. When we stayed here before, I never imagined I’d be engaged to you, Elsa.”
“Mm. Me neither.”
“Back then, I just thought of you as a ‘slightly precarious younger sister.’”
Jin was unusually talkative tonight. Since he had removed his Detox magic tool for the bath and hadn't put it back on yet, the wine he’d shared with Reinhard earlier was starting to affect him.
“...And now?” Elsa asked, her eyes darting up to his, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“...Important family....No, that’s not quite right. You’re an important ‘woman.’”
At those words, Elsa turned bright red. She stood up so quickly her chair nearly toppled.
“...I’m going to sleep now. Good night.”
She hurried out of the room, though she paused at the door just long enough to whisper one last thing.
“...Thank you.”