Just before sunset, the Konron 2 carrying Jin and his companions arrived in Loizart, the capital of the Shouro Empire.
They landed directly on the roof of Jin’s mansion. Keeping the airship's dimensions identical to its predecessor proved convenient for situations just like this.
"Welcome back, Jin-sama, Elsa-sama, Reiko-sama."
Barrow and Belle were there to greet them.
After various adjustments, both had expressed a desire to remain at the mansion here in their homeland, the Shouro Empire. Jin had respected their wishes. As for the staff back in Kaina Village... that was a matter for another time.
"We’re back. Has anything happened while we were gone?"
"No, nothing in particular. However, a defector from abroad has arrived at the mansion across the street."
"A defector?"
"Yes. A man named Eckart Techles and his family. They supposedly fled from the Celuroa Kingdom."
Jin nodded. The mansion across the way belonged to Viscount Yorgens Hekelat von Paddock, the Undersecretary of the Shouro Empire's Ministry of Industry.
Jin figured it was a reasonably appropriate place for Eckart, formerly a prominent merchant in the Celuroa Kingdom, to take temporary refuge.
After a bath to wash away the sweat and dust, it was time for dinner.
The menu consisted of white rice, miso soup with Devil's Potatoes and marunegi, a fried egg, and fried aji (a fish very similar to horse mackerel).
"Yeah, this is cooked perfectly."
Jin preferred his rice a bit firm, but if it wasn't handled carefully, the grains tended to have undercooked cores.
The dashi for the miso soup had been properly made from katsuobushi, and Jin had no complaints. Elsa, whose tastes generally aligned with Jin’s, seemed to be enjoying her meal just as much.
"Thank you for the food."
After the meal, they enjoyed some hojicha. Sipping the tea slowly always helped Jin relax.
"I think I’ll head to the castle first thing tomorrow morning to finish the demonstration of the Konron 2," he murmured to no one in particular.
Elsa was the one to respond. "...I have a feeling Her Majesty will say she wants to ride it."
"Probably," Jin said with a wry smile. "Well, this airship is much safer than the last, and it has a higher capacity."
"...Is that so you can eventually take the world leaders to Kunlun Island?"
Elsa had seen right through the reason behind the Konron 2’s thirty-person capacity.
"You’re sharp. Though I don’t know when that will be."
Muttering that it would have to wait until the world was a bit more peaceful, Jin stared out the window into the darkness.
The next morning, at an appropriate hour, Jin set the Konron 2 in motion toward the Imperial Palace. His crew consisted of Reiko and Elsa.
It was nine o'clock.
As expected, Her Majesty the Empress was already waiting at Jin’s private landing pad in the plaza before the Imperial Palace.
"'Lord of Kunlun' Lord Jin Nidou, welcome! You’ve certainly built something spectacular! Tell me, might I be permitted a ride?"
Her words were just as predictable as her presence.
She had likely heard from Prince Ernest or Marchioness Firenziano via manaphone that they had already flown in it.
Smiling, Jin invited the Empress aboard. He also extended the invitation to the Chancellor—who was wearing a sour expression—and Flora, the female royal ritter who remained glued to the Empress's side.
The airship carrying them soared into the sky. The Empress was jubilant, while the Chancellor looked deeply impressed.
"Oh, this is marvelous! It’s so stable; there’s hardly any vibration at all!"
"...H-mush, this truly is incredible. I can’t even feel the wind. Lord Jin, just what kind of speed can this vessel achieve?"
Jin answered the Chancellor's question. "It can reach approximately 200 kilometers per hour."
Even Flora was taken aback by that figure.
"Th-then that means one could travel between the Shouro Empire and the Kingdom of Elias and back in a single day?!"
"That’s correct. I take it you’ve seen the map?"
Although the map lacked scale and coordinates, the relative positions were quite accurate. Consequently, it wasn't difficult to calculate the distance between any two points based on the known distance between two established locations.
Of course, the shape of the east-west lines became more distorted the further one moved toward the high latitudes.
"Yes. Everyone from the rank of officer and above in the Royal Ritter Order has seen it. That map is magnificent. I suppose only Lord Jin, with an airship like this, could have produced it."
Jin scratched his head at Flora’s praise.
"We, too, should follow Lord Jin’s example and strive to better ourselves," the Chancellor concluded.
The airship was already slowing as it returned to the Imperial Palace.
"Even if people call me naive... I cannot help but pray that we can better ourselves without resorting to war," the Empress murmured, and everyone on board nodded in agreement.
Once they had landed safely and stepped onto the ground, the Empress expressed her thanks to Jin.
"Jin-kun—no, 'Lord of Kunlun' Lord Jin Nidou, thank you. That was a very pleasant time. As a token of my gratitude, I shall host you for lunch."
The Empress gave a light nod and turned on her heel to return to the castle. The Chancellor and Flora flanked her protectively, and Jin, Reiko, and Elsa followed behind.
Lunch was shared by the four of them: the Empress, Jin, Elsa, and Flora.
The meal consisted of porridge, miso soup, and tea. To Jin’s surprise, the side dish was pickles.
"These are rare delicacies sent by the advance team that visited the land of the foreign tribes... Mitsuho," the Empress explained, pointing at the pickles with a smile. "They go wonderfully with porridge. Please, try some."
"Thank you, I will."
Taking a bite, Jin confirmed that they were eggplant-like vegetables pickled in rice bran—nukazuke. They made small batches on Hourai Island as well, but these were even more delicious.
"These are excellent."
"I’m glad you like them. Flora seems to find the taste a bit difficult."
Indeed, the tartness resulting from lactic acid fermentation wasn't for everyone. In that regard, Elsa seemed to share Jin's appreciation for the flavor.
The miso soup featured a vegetable similar to a turnip. The dashi, too, appeared to have been made from katsuobushi.
"And how is the soup? It’s made using the 'katsuobushi' you mentioned to me before, Jin-kun. We shaved it to make 'dashi' and boiled the vegetables in the broth."
"It’s delicious."
It was a plain response, but he couldn't think of any better way to put it; it was a taste of home. Whether it was due to the season or its rarity, John Dini had never mentioned this turnip-like vegetable to him.
Jin decided he wanted to obtain the seeds somehow. Simultaneously, Laojun was secretly plotting the same thing.
Because it was a small, private group, Jin was able to finish his meal without feeling stiff or formal. As he was slowly savoring his post-meal green tea, the Empress spoke up.
"Actually, Jin-kun, there’s someone I’d like you to meet."
"Who might that be?" Jin asked, looking puzzled. No one came to mind.
"May I call him in?"
"Yes, of course."
As Jin nodded, the Empress rang the handbell on the table.
With a clear chime, the door opened and a maid appeared. The Empress gave a nod, and the maid immediately withdrew, evidently following a prior arrangement.
a minute later, she reappeared, escorting a man. Jin recognized him instantly.
"Eckart-san!"
Yes, the man was Eckart Techles. He was the former prominent merchant of the Celuroa Kingdom who had built the massive ship, the Bridget.
"Lord Jin, it has been a long time."
Meeting him again after six months, Eckart looked a bit haggard.
"The large ship he worked so hard to build—one that was easily the equal of our own vessels—was confiscated by the Celuroa Kingdom. They even seized his household assets, forcing him to flee," the Empress explained.
"I see..."
Though he already knew the details from Laojun, Jin nodded while feigning ignorance.
"Since I had heard his name from Jin-kun before, I took him under our protection immediately. He is currently staying as our guest while we consult with him."
"Yes, it was a narrow escape. Thanks to the magi craftmen I hired, I was able to escape along with my entire family," Eckart said with a slightly lonely smile.
"And what became of those magi craftmen?" Jin asked, intentionally probing.
"Well, they vanished just before we were taken under protection by this country."
Their true identities were actually Regulus 50 and Deneb 30, automata Jin had created. Once they were certain their charges were safe, they had simply vanished.
"I haven't decided yet whether I'll enter government service or try to start a business again somewhere else," Eckart added.
The Empress continued, "I think it would be a terrible waste to let his connections as a merchant go to ruin."
Eckart’s network wasn't limited to the Celuroa Kingdom; it extended into both the Shouro Empire and the Kingdom of Egerea.
"I am thinking of having him serve as an associate cabinet minister for a few years. He can use the salary he earns during that time to eventually re-establish himself independently."
"Yes, I believe that is the direction I shall take," Eckart agreed, nodding to the Empress.