On July 23rd, Jin arrived at the royal palace of the Celuroa Kingdom aboard Konron 3. He had come, of course, to deliver the prototype of the monorail.
King Cesar personally greeted the Lord of Kunlun.
"Lord of Kunlun, your efficiency is as impressive as ever."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I have brought the prototype monorail as promised. It was too large to transport as a single unit, so I have disassembled it and will be bringing it over in several trips."
"I see. In that case, let us designate a staging area for the materials."
"That would be a great help."
Since he had gained an audience with the king so easily, Jin decided to take the opportunity to propose the installation of the test track as well. Shown into the king’s private office, Jin handed over the project plan he had brought.
"I see..." Cesar scanned the document, his expression turning serious. "Constructing a track for testing is certainly a necessity. And I understand your point about using it as a demonstration for the citizenry. The problem, however, is the cost."
The Celuroa Kingdom was said to be the greatest power among the Allied Kingdoms. Its national budget was reportedly ten or even fifteen times that of the Klein Kingdom.
However, that wealth had been extracted through heavy burdens on the populace—a practice that could not be sustained. Since King Cesar’s coronation, tax rates had been lowered. Between that, the reparations for the scandals of the previous reign, and the emergency measures taken against this spring’s famine, the reality was that the national treasury had little to spare.
Laojun, anticipating these circumstances, had already formulated a counter-proposal.
"We will cover the costs on our end. In exchange, we would like temporary mining rights for the Ahi Mine."
"The Ahi Mine? If I recall correctly, that is an ancient site that is virtually exhausted."
Located in the western part of the Celuroa Kingdom, the Ahi Mine had a long history. Because of that, its major veins had been excavated to their limits, leaving it essentially abandoned.
"No, there should be further veins located even deeper underground," Jin stated with absolute confidence.
He had good reason to be sure. A Quinta unit, Deneb 23—alias Realis—had conducted a preliminary survey and reported back. There was, in fact, a massive deposit of bauxite in that vicinity.
Bauxite, the raw material for aluminum, was unfortunately scarce on Hourai Island. While the moon Uni seemed to have a decent stockpile, Jin wanted to take this opportunity to bolster his own supply. Naturally, once he had secured the necessary amount, he intended to notify the Celuroa Kingdom so they could eventually utilize the resource themselves.
"Hmm. If the Lord of Kunlun says it is so, it may very well be possible. If you are satisfied with those terms, then let it be done."
Cesar immediately began preparing the necessary documentation.
"It went well, Laojun."
Upon returning to Hourai Island, Jin reported that everything had proceeded according to Laojun’s plan.
"That is excellent news. Although the current applications for aluminum are limited, it is always wise to maintain a stockpile."
It was only natural for Laojun, who possessed a lifespan far beyond that of any human, to maintain an ultra-long-term perspective.
"True. Beyond pure aluminum and duralumin, there are plenty of uses for alumina as well."
Alumina, the common name for aluminum oxide, was useful as a heat-resistant material. Furthermore, the primary components of rubies and sapphires were also alumina. Generally, smelting aluminum required immense electricity, but in a world where one could use craft magic, the process was simple—provided one possessed the appropriate knowledge.
"It would be best to use Konron 3 to deploy a Smith squad to the Ahi Mine."
The Smiths were technical golems; they were craftsmen by nature and also served as sappers.
"We shall send approximately twenty units and have them transport the ore back via small Warp Gates."
"Right. Well, regardless, the formal permission for the Ahi Mine won't be granted until the monorail itself is finished."
"I understand."
Jin spent the next two days—a total of three—finishing the transport of all the components. At last, it was time to assemble the vehicle itself.
He began by crafting the track that would serve as the foundation. The work was carried out in the presence of the Celuroa Kingdom’s magi craftsmen, as they would be the ones responsible for the actual track installations in the future.
"Reiko, if you would."
"Yes, Father."
With Reiko acting as his assistant, Jin began the assembly.
"...Ohh!"
Gasps of astonishment escaped the watching magi craftsmen. It was little wonder, given that Reiko, for all her appearance as a young girl, was effortlessly hoisting steel beams weighing several tons.
"Good. Set that one down right here."
With Reiko’s help, Jin’s work proceeded at a blistering pace. As he joined the steel beams using Fusion, the track foundation took shape in an instant. Though it was a monorail track, it was fifteen meters long and stood about a meter high, resembling a giant balance beam.
"Alright, that looks about right."
Next, Jin set to work on the vehicle itself. The watching magi craftsmen had turned pale.
"Fusion... Fusion... Alright, Reiko, bring that section over here."
"Yes, Father."
Jin had started the work at 8:00 AM. Before noon had even arrived, the demonstration monorail was complete.
"Oho! Jin-dono, this is magnificent!" King Cesar said, arriving to check on their progress in high spirits. "I see. The model was one thing, but the real thing is quite a sight to behold."
Since it was a prototype, it consisted of two cars. Each car was approximately seven meters long, making for a total length of fourteen meters, fitting perfectly atop the fifteen-meter track.
"Please, have a look inside."
"Oh, most certainly."
Accompanied by the Royal Guard captain Kirk-at and the Chief of the First Ministry of Technology Latant, King Cesar followed Jin into the vehicle.
"Oho...!"
The seating arrangement was designed like an express train. Two-person seats faced forward on either side of a central aisle.
"The seats are quite comfortable," Jin explained. "I've used cushioned materials inside so that passengers won't tire even on long journeys."
"I see, I see."
"For safety, the windows cannot be opened all the way."
The windows were designed so they wouldn't open wide enough for a person to fall through.
"Magi-lamps are installed in the ceiling, so the interior should stay bright even in the dark."
"Hmm, you've thought of everything."
"As for the driver’s cab..." Jin explained that it was separated by a sturdy wall so that passengers could not interfere with the driver. "We will also have a separate steward on board to assist the passengers."
"Now, as for how to operate it..." Jin explained that the controls were based on starting and stopping, operated via simple levers.
"Ah, I wish to see it in motion soon!" King Cesar murmured, his voice filled with genuine anticipation.