Jin closed the third volume of the diary and slid it back onto the bookshelf.
"So that was it. The Predecessor spent time among the demon race... well, they probably weren't known by that name back then, but she used the opportunity to research all sorts of magic tools."
It was a revelation that explained at least one of the reasons behind her peerless mastery of her craft.
"The reason the title 'Magi Craft Meister' was already known to the demon race when we visited them was because Mother had been there before," Reiko observed in a quiet voice.
"That certainly seems to be the case," Jin agreed, matching her subdued tone as he stepped out of the study.
While he was curious about the Predecessor's footsteps, he couldn't afford to spend the entire day lost in her journals. As he left the laboratory, he found the summer sun beating down from above.
"It looks like it's going to be another hot one today," Jin murmured to himself, squinting up at the brilliant blue sky.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...Now then, I still have a mountain of work to do."
Returning to the command room inside the laboratory, Jin sat down and began reviewing his future plans with Laojun.
『My Lord, what are your intentions regarding the Material Extractor mentioned in the Predecessor's records?』
It was a magic tool capable of extracting specific substances dissolved in seawater.
"Let's see. It might be worth building one as an experiment."
For the moment, Hourai Island wasn't facing any resource shortages.
"Besides, we're already getting a fair amount of resources from meteorites."
The base located on the far side of Ars's moon, Uni, regularly recovered meteorite clusters passing nearby to harvest materials. While most were stony meteorites, iron meteorites were captured occasionally, leading to abundant stockpiles of iron, nickel, and cobalt.
"More than that, I want to prioritize research into artificial magi-crystals."
Laojun had reported that magi-crystals were rarely found within meteorites. Since they were also scarce on Uni, Jin speculated that their formation required very specific environmental conditions.
"And yet Mityanite originated from a meteorite..."
Regardless of its origin, Jin wanted to see if he could transform low-quality magi-stones into artificial magi-crystals by exposing them to free ether under specific conditions.
『I agree. If we could refine magi-stones of otherwise useless quality into high-grade magi-crystals, it would be a significant achievement.』
Statistically, for every magi-crystal mined, one hundred magi-stones were extracted. Of those hundred, only about twenty were of usable quality, meaning eighty percent of the mined magi-stones were simply discarded. Jin’s goal was to find a way to recycle this waste.
『Additionally, we must finalize the prototype plans for the monorail requested by the Celuroa Kingdom.』
"Ah, right."
Fortunately, that project was already essentially complete in Jin's mind.
"The real problem is what to do about the wedding with Elsa..."
This was his most pressing dilemma at the moment. First, there was the ceremony itself. Should they hold it on Hourai Island? In Elsa's home, the Shouro Empire? Or perhaps in Kaina Village? Then there was the matter of the reception; he might have to travel to multiple countries to satisfy everyone.
"...It's a lot to think about."
『My Lord, it is an arduous task, but it is one necessitated by your standing.』
It was a struggle unique to Jin, known throughout the nations as both the Magi Craft Meister and the Lord of Kunlun.
"It's not exactly something I can keep putting off, either."
『Regardless of the ceremony itself, I believe it would be best to consult with Elsa-san regarding the reception.』
"You're right. I'll talk to her about it later today."
『Furthermore, I suggest you seek counsel from Reinhard-san as well.』
"Good point..."
Among the members of the Jin Family, Reinhard was likely the most well-versed in the social norms of this world, particularly regarding the intricacies of the nobility.
With that settled, Jin continued his consultation with Laojun until the lunch hour arrived.
＊ ＊ ＊
The Lauren Continent was comprised of several nations: the Klein Kingdom, the Kingdom of Egerea, the Kingdom of Elias, the Kingdom of Franz, the Celuroa Kingdom, the Shouro Empire, and to the west, Mitsuho and Fusou Island. Added to these was the fallen Former Leonard Kingdom, another land once inhabited by humans.
The Kingdom of Egerea was located in the southeastern part of the continent. It was an ancient land that had once been part of a superpower known as the Dinar Kingdom.
In the even more distant past, historical records had been severed by the Great Magic War—a conflict that had engulfed the entire known human world. While it was known that the Dinar Kingdom had been established shortly before that war, the present reality was that oral traditions had grown thin and written records were almost non-existent.
Regretting this loss of history, there were historians and archaeologists who dedicated their lives to researching this "blank period." They were not many, but they did exist.
And among them...
"Hmm. I can guess that the people who passed down the oral traditions were likely high-ranking magi, but it's a mystery why no written records survived."
Vivienne, a member of the Jin Family, had also embarked on a search for answers regarding this historical void. She had currently arrived in Nakarai, in the western region of the Kingdom of Egerea, an area surrounded by gently rolling mountains.
She had been collecting legends from the Shouro Empire and had found exactly one that referred to a nation from before the Great Magic War.
"'A land to the south, cradled by mountains, with a great city to the east.' Honestly, they could have left a few more clues."
With only that cryptic lead to guide her, she had been traveling through the Allied Kingdoms. However, towns completely surrounded by mountains were surprisingly rare.
"If there's a large city to the east, it implies a large plain must be in that direction..."
Checking the maps produced on Hourai Island, the only location that seemed to fit the description was the area around Nakarai here in Egerea. Of course, there was the possibility that a city that was once great had since fallen into ruin and obscurity.
However, her intuition as a storyteller told her that this was the place.
"Further ahead are Nikarai and Dairo... even the names sound ancient."
Vivienne felt a certain resonance from the phonetics alone.
"Mount Denan... I see. There are mines in the area, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were ruins hidden nearby."
"Hey there, Vivienne-san!"
A voice called out to her while she stood staring at the mountains, deep in thought.
"Oh, Lucol-san."
The man who approached was an elderly fellow with a bald head, a white beard, and gray eyes. He was a freelance archaeologist who had once been brainwashed into serving as a pawn for the Unifilar. He had met Jin, Reinhard, and Elsa at a set of ruins, where they had succeeded in breaking his brainwashing.
The fact that the Unifilar had targeted him in the first place was a testament to his expertise. After a chance meeting with Vivienne, the two had found they were kindred spirits and had traveled to this region together.
"So, Lucol-san, did you find anything?"
"Hmph. Not a single clue. How about your end?"
"No luck here either."
"Hmm. It might be time to move on to the next town."
"I agree. Let's head for Nikarai tomorrow."
Vivienne and Lucol. This unexpected pair had no way of knowing what awaited them further down the road. For now, the world remained—on the surface, at least—entirely peaceful.