Jin and the others were still in the middle of their briefing.
"There is a possibility that factions supporting other princes might emerge," Anne suggested, pointing out one potential complication.
"If that happens, the turmoil within the country will only deepen. It could very well spread to the surrounding nations," Laojun added.
"Therefore, the restoration of order—starting with the Crown Prince's ascension—must happen as quickly as possible," Anne concluded.
"...I understand."
Hearing their analysis allowed Jin to re-evaluate the gravity of the situation.
"Depending on the circumstances, it may even be necessary for Maquina to appear once more to suppress any factions supporting rival princes," Laojun supplemented.
"I see... I’d prefer it didn't come to that, but keep the preparations ready just in case."
"As you wish."
The conversation then turned to the homunculus.
"So, Laojun, what did you find in the memories of the Arshel-lookalike homunculus that Elsa scanned?"
The data had been entrusted to Maquina when he returned to Hourai Island, and Laojun had been tasked with analyzing it.
"Yes. Regarding that matter, it appears she truly has no memories."
"What?"
"To be precise, her memories of even basic human functions are sparse. She is in a state of total amnesia."
"Hmm..."
They couldn't even determine if she had lacked memories from the beginning or if she had lost them in an accident.
"...Jin-nii, it's almost certain that she isn't the actual sister Belialus is searching for," Elsa said. Jin felt a lingering sense of unease.
"How does she compare to the Arshel who led the Gigantoavrum and attacked Gloria?"
"At the very least, those memories were not present in her mind."
"I see..." Jin muttered, crossing his arms. "Even if she isn't Belialus's sister, the question remains: who created her?"
"True."
"I have already dispatched Regulus 16, codenamed Hataru, to the Nubari Mine where she was found to conduct an investigation."
"Alright. Then we'll just have to wait for a report on that front."
Given the current lack of information, further speculation was a waste of time. Jin shifted the topic to the remaining concerns—namely, the golems of the Celuroa Kingdom.
"It seems most of the combat golems only obey King Richard."
"Yes, Master. While there are historical examples of golems customized for a specific individual's protection, they are usually few in number. It is quite abnormal for a country's entire force to have every command priority except the first one left blank."
"I agree."
The man known as King Richard must have truly trusted no one but himself.
"...A lonely way to live."
"...Mm."
On that point alone, Jin and Elsa felt a touch of pity for the man.
"...Still, that doesn't excuse his behavior."
"...No, it's unforgivable."
As Jin and Elsa nodded to each other, Laojun interjected to bring the conversation back to the point.
"My Lord, what do you intend to do with those golems?"
"Ah, right..."
Jin planned to overwrite the control cores of the golems he had stopped once the Crown Prince's ascension was finalized.
"Tomorrow looks like it will be a busy day."
While visiting each other's rooms wasn't strictly forbidden, the guest house was organized into wings for each country, making movement somewhat cumbersome.
Furthermore, after dinner, soldiers from the Celuroa Kingdom were stationed in the hallways as guards, making transitions between rooms feel intrusive.
Because of this, the "World Conference" held the previous day had taken place in shared common areas and recreation rooms.
The delegation from the Shouro Empire was currently holding their own internal meeting.
"Gaylen, what is your opinion?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I believe it would be best to have Crown Prince Cesar ascend the throne immediately, with our Shouro Empire serving as his guardians for the time being."
The Empress, Marquis Gaylen Theoderic, Magic Technology Minister Degauss, Lieutenant Colonel Fritz, Captain Mattheus, and Baron Reinhard were all present for this preliminary discussion.
"Regarding the guardianship, I believe it would be wise not to insist that our country handles it unilaterally," Reinhard suggested.
"I agree. I don't think we need to be stubborn about that. We could suggest sending an equal number of auditors from each nation."
"In any case, we must suppress any rebellions or riots that might arise during the transition of power. There's no guarantee that unrest would stay contained within the Celuroa Kingdom's borders," Fritz added with a grim expression. For those driven to riot, national borders meant very little. There was a strong possibility they would spill over into neighboring territories.
His opinion was born from a direct understanding of the precarious state of Celuroa's provincial cities.
"True. To manage that, we will likely need to dispatch troops from various nations and provide immediate food aid..."
Saying that it was all a massive headache, the Empress let out a weary laugh and couldn't help but let a complaint slip.
"Ah, yesterday's conference was so much more fun..."
The morning of February 23rd arrived.
After a quick breakfast, Jin and the others gathered in the great conference hall of the Guest House.
The Empress of the Shouro Empire, Gerhardt Hilde von Rubis Shouro, had called for all participants to assemble.
"...Is everyone here?"
As the highest-ranking person present, the Empress acted as the chairperson and performed a headcount.
"Your Majesty, it seems Duke Orange of the Kingdom of Franz is missing."
"...That is problematic. I had hoped to have every nation included in this discussion today."
However, they were short on time.
"It can't be helped. We shall proceed with those who are present. We will provide the minutes to Duke Orange at a later time."
The Empress then produced a stack of wood-paper and distributed one sheet to each representative.
"Before we begin the conference, I would like you to look at this."
The representatives were visibly impressed as they handled the wood-paper.
"Oho! Is this the paper that was presented to the King of Celuroa?"
"It certainly feels wonderful! And look how thin it is."
"This is called wood-paper—it is paper made from wood. I will skip the technical details for now, but I intend to use this paper to record the minutes of this meeting....To be honest, I had hoped to present this to you in a much more relaxed setting."
The Empress likely felt the need to add that last bit of personal sentiment.
With that, the emergency session of the World Conference began. This time, it was not an informal gathering, but a formal debate over urgent matters.
"The agenda is how to proceed with the succession of the Celuroa Kingdom's throne."
The representatives of each nation had clearly been contemplating this, as they all nodded in solemn agreement.
"First, I call upon our Reichsarzt, Lady Elsa Randol. Please explain the condition of the current King of Celuroa, Richard Valois de Celuroa."
"Yes. Understood. King Richard, as a result of drugs contained within his wine..."
Elsa gave the same explanation she had given Jin the night before, breaking it down into simple terms and stripping away the complex medical jargon.
"...Consequently, the brain cells—the brain tissue itself—has deteriorated. I have judged that recovery, even through the use of magic, will be extremely difficult..."
The room listened in heavy silence.
"...That is all."
"Thank you....Everyone, you have heard the report. It appears there is no hope for King Richard's recovery. Please offer your opinions based on this reality. You need not worry about being overheard. One way or another, the final results of this conference will be formally communicated to the Celuroa Kingdom."