"Now, Jin, I'd like to try acting as the facilitator, if that's all right?"
Reinhard made the rare proposal.
"Sure, I'll leave it to you," Jin agreed with a quick nod of approval.
"First, a question for Jin....Jin, regarding this theme, there's something I want to ask you first."
"What is it?"
"To start with, is there an option to use no magical technology whatsoever?"
Essentially, he was asking if Jin wanted to create something completely independent of magic, much like the technology of modern Earth. The various pumps Jin had crafted in the past fell into this category.
Of course, Craft Magic might still be used during the actual construction process.
"Hmm, for small tools it might be one thing, but for a project this size, it's impossible. So no, I don't intend to go that route."
Reinhard nodded.
"Understood. Then, moving on... should we proceed as an extension of existing magi-engineering, or should we introduce something entirely new?"
By "new," he was referring to things like the airships, which posed a difficult problem. The line between what counted as a "new" technology versus an "extension" was blurry. Nevertheless, Jin offered a tentative answer.
"I think it would be best to start by building upon what already exists."
Reinhard nodded again.
"I see. In that case, Jin, rather than you... let's see... Toa, shall we ask you to lead the discussion?"
"Hm? What exactly should I do?"
"We'll proceed with the discussion assuming that you, Toa, are the one designing the requested logistics method. The rest of us—Jin especially—will provide advice."
Reinhard explained that if Jin took the lead, the technology proposed would likely become too advanced too quickly.
"I see, that sounds like a fascinating approach. Toa, if you would."
"I'll give it a try....First, let's review the status quo. Currently, land transport relies primarily on horse-drawn carriages. That makes horses the primary power source. What happens if we use that as our starting point?"
"We could use golems instead of horses. However, since things called golem engines now exist, I think it would be fine to use those instead."
＊ ＊ ＊
They continued this exchange for over two hours, and slowly, a concrete concept began to take shape.
"So, you're saying you want to go with an elevated monorail, Jin-kun?"
"Yes."
By the end of the debate, they were settling on the idea of a monorail.
One drawback of a monorail is the difficulty of scaling it for heavy cargo capacity, but in a world with a relatively low population like this one, it was actually quite suitable.
The biggest advantage was that, by its very design, it would never intersect with existing roads.
"I see. So you reduce accidents by running the transport on a track completely separate from ordinary traffic," Toa said, confirming the logic.
"Exactly. As for the structural strength of an elevated rail, we have magic to reinforce it. Regarding the labor, the Celuroa Kingdom has the Lyon series, and the Shouro Empire has the Golias squads."
"True. Heavy labor will be much easier with them," Reinhard agreed.
"Carriages would then receive cargo at freight stations and distribute it to local destinations. That should alleviate concerns about mass unemployment."
In fact, if trade became more active because of this infrastructure, it was likely that local carriage drivers would prosper even more than they did now.
"Looking at the current economic state of the various nations, only our Shouro Empire and the Celuroa Kingdom could likely afford such construction. Our country's economy and national power are substantial; it's more than enough to undertake such a national project. As for the Celuroa Kingdom... though they took a heavy hit from the disturbances this spring, they still possess significant resources," Reinhard noted.
He added that the Kingdom of Franz, the Kingdom of Egerea, and the Klein Kingdom likely couldn't manage such a feat right away.
"The Kingdom of Elias might be able to handle it to some extent," Rodrigo added, speaking to the situation in his own homeland.
"It would be so convenient if a line were built heading north from Port Rock along the highway," Marcia chimed in. That highway was the very same route Jin had once traveled with Elsa and Reinhard.
"As Reinhard said, the main bottlenecks will be the construction timeline and the budget."
Still, the fact that they could mitigate the risk of accidents made the project worthwhile.
And since they had magic at their disposal, the actual work would be far less grueling than construction on modern Earth.
"I suppose we'll start by operating a short section as a trial and then extend it over time," Toa suggested. His reasoning was sound, and Jin thought they could iron out the finer details along those lines.
By the time the general plan was settled, evening had already arrived.
Since Hourai Island was located to the east, the time difference meant it was still before noon in the Shouro Empire, and not even 3:00 PM in the Kingdom of Elias.
Jin thanked the gathered group for their hard work and suggested they go soak in the hot spring.
Everyone had arrived with flexible schedules, so they readily agreed and headed off to the men's and women's baths.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Phew... this feels incredible."
Toa stretched his limbs in the steaming water.
"This place is paradise," Rodrigo said, his face a picture of relaxation.
"I'd like to make this kind of environment a goal for my own home," even Reinhard admitted.
A hot spring was, after all, the ultimate place for relaxation.
"Ah, this feels wonderful."
The women's bath was equally lively.
"Lina, are you and your husband getting along well?"
"Wh-what's with the sudden question?"
"Ufufu, haven't you lost a little weight? You look radiant."
"I'm no match for you, Vee..."
Stearena and Vivienne were catching up playfully after being apart for so long.
Berche stayed away from the noise, quietly soaking at the edge of the tub.
"Your belly has grown quite large. It's good to relax, but please be careful not to stay in too long; you don't want to get lightheaded."
Mine was looking out for Berche with maternal care.
"Thank you. I'll be fine."
"Everyone worries with the first one. But both Elsa and I are here for you. Please call for us anytime."
"Yes, I'll be sure to do that."
Watching Berche smile so radiantly, Elsa thought her friend looked truly beautiful. She soaked in the water a short distance away, lost in thought.
"Elsa, how are things going between you and Jin?"
Marcia came wading through the water toward her.
"Hehe, she already feels like the Young Mistress of the house, doesn't she?"
"S-Saki-nee!"
Saki joined in the teasing, and Elsa turned bright red.
"Ahahaha, I'm just glad you're happy....But it really is a strange thing. Back when we were entering races in Port Rock, I never dreamed a day like this would come."
Was the "day like this" Marcia spoke of referring to soaking in a hot spring together, or her current life living happily with her father?
"Are you happy now too, Marcia? Right now, I..."
With her biological mother by her side and a kind fiancé, Elsa was also blessed with wonderful friends. She told them she was truly happy.
"Yeah. My father came home, and the business is going great, you know?"
"I see. That's wonderful."
＊ ＊ ＊
After drying off from the hot spring, they held a simple dinner party.
This time, it was a full spread of Japanese food.
There was white rice, tempura made with whitefish, shrimp, and vegetables, and a seaweed salad. There was also cucumber—as they had named the vegetable—nukazuke, along with miso soup featuring tofu and aburaage.
It wasn't an extravagant feast, but the ingredients were carefully selected, and everything was a favorite of the Jin Family.
Everyone had become quite proficient with their chopsticks, and they enjoyed the meal with genuine delight.
"This year, I'm having rice grown in my territory as well," Reinhard shared. The central and southern regions of the Shouro Empire were well-suited for rice cultivation, and he had high hopes for the harvest.
"In Port Rock, the tea seedlings have been planted and the first cultivation has begun."
Since tea trees preferred warmer climates, they hoped it would become a new specialty of Port Rock.
As they shared updates on their lives, the night on Hourai Island deepened in warm companionship.