August 21st.
Jin and Elsa were waving to the crowds from a hot air balloon.
It was the first day’s parade.
Their altitude was less than ten meters from the ground, allowing them to clearly see the faces of everyone waving back at them.
To ensure the balloon didn’t float too high, large Lyon golems held onto the tether ropes.
Five other hot air balloons floated around them—front, back, left, right, and above—forming a protective formation around the balloon carrying Jin and Elsa.
"Oh, wow, look!"
"Is that the 'Magi Craft Meister'?"
"I heard he's the 'Lord of Kunlun'!"
"Yeah, the Magi Craft Meister is the Lord of Kunlun."
"Wasn't he at the commemorative ceremony this year, too?"
"Oh, right! He's the one who made that girl-type automata!"
Reiko’s heroic display during the golem incident was still fresh in the memories of many citizens.
That very "girl-type automata"—Reiko—was currently watching over Jin and Elsa while concealed by 'Invisible' magic, flying alongside them using a force generator.
However, the Celuroan capital of Esaia was so peaceful that such precautions seemed almost unnecessary. For the past several days, knights and security guards had been busy rounding up any suspicious individuals.
In the end, only two people had actually been apprehended, and they were merely merchants who had been plotting to negotiate directly with Jin.
Naturally, the Quinta units stationed in the vicinity were also celebrating the couple while maintaining a vigilant watch.
"Congratulations!"
"We wish you happiness!"
Since parades were a standard tradition for the weddings of high-ranking nobles, the citizens were quite used to the festivities.
That said, this was the first parade they had ever seen that utilized giant golems and hot air balloons.
"This is... quite flashy," Jin remarked.
"...Mm," Elsa agreed softly.
Despite being the center of attention, the two of them felt somewhat overwhelmed by the spectacle.
＊ ＊ ＊
Fortunately, the first day’s events concluded with just the parade.
While the schedule was packed, the organizers had thoughtfully kept the duration short.
"Phew."
"Day one... finished."
Jin and Elsa were staying in a guest suite within the Royal Palace.
With Reiko and Edgar attending to them and two palace maids stationed in the adjacent room just in case, they were in a relatively private environment.
"Good work today."
"...Mm. But tomorrow is the real thing."
"Yeah."
The reception the next day would be held in the Great Hall of the Royal Palace. It was expected to be a gathering of the kingdom's major nobility and most influential figures.
"But it seems they've prohibited anyone from approaching us individually," Jin noted.
This was a considerate move by King Cesar, likely taking into account the chaos that had occurred in the Kingdom of Egerea.
"I was more surprised by how far the monorail construction has come, though."
"Ah, me too."
While still restricted to the palace grounds, approximately 100 meters of track had already been laid—enough for experimental testing.
Apparently, they intended to start with a shuttle service between the palace's main gate and the inner courtyard. Instead of using carriages, guests would be transported by monorail.
"If only we had one more month, the Lord of Kunlun and his wife could have been our first passengers," King Cesar had said with regret.
"I'm truly grateful for the reception. But honestly, my heart is kind of leaning toward getting involved with that construction..."
Jin’s words came from the bottom of his heart.
＊ ＊ ＊
Thanks to strict security (including the forces from Hourai Island), the night passed without incident. The sun rose on August 22nd.
A light luncheon was scheduled for that day, followed by a seven-hour reception starting at 2:00 PM and lasting until 9:00 PM.
As a result, they had a fair amount of free time in the morning.
However, since they didn't have many acquaintances in the Celuroa Kingdom, Jin and his group found themselves with nothing much to do.
Just then, a visit from Latant, the Chief of the First Ministry of Technology, was announced.
Since they were currently at a loose end, Jin welcomed him in without hesitation.
"Jin-dono, pardon the intrusion."
"It’s been since the Gonpetition, hasn't it? How have you been?"
The question came out instinctively because of the dark circles under Latant's eyes.
"Ah, yes. I’ve been a bit sleep-deprived lately... Actually, it’s regarding that."
"I’m listening."
"The truth is..."
Latant's problem concerned the monorail.
He was attempting to mass-produce identical carriages, but things weren't going well.
"What part is giving you trouble?" Jin asked. He wondered if something was missing from the blueprints and manuals he had left behind.
"No, it’s not the design. It's the material for the wheels."
"The material?"
To facilitate easier maintenance, the monorail Jin had built used metal wheels made of special steel.
Specifically, it was nickel chrome steel. Its composition was similar to stainless steel, but because the ratio of nickel and chromium was lower, it wasn't officially classified as stainless steel.
The sample Jin had provided contained 2 percent nickel and 0.2 percent chromium.
"Regarding this 'chromium' you mentioned in the manual, Jin-dono... can it even be mined in this country?"
"Ah..."
As for nickel, Jin had seen niccolite in various locations, so it should be easy enough to source in the Celuroa Kingdom. But chromium was a different story.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't really seen any chromite around here..."
Both nickel and chromium were vital rare metals. Jin had seen ore samples back in modern Japan, but he hadn't encountered much of them in this world.
(I have plenty on Hourai Island, so I completely overlooked that...)
The Predecessor Magi Craft Meister, Adriana Barbora Tsetse, had used stainless steel from an early stage and thus knew exactly where the nickel and chromium deposits were. However, the modern-day technicians of this era didn't even recognize chromium as a distinct material yet.
"Well, it'll be fine with just nickel, you know?" Jin advised.
While it was a problem if someone changed materials or structures based on their own flawed judgment, it was also problematic if the project ground to a halt because they were too obsessed with following every detail to the letter.
Jin decided it was lucky he had come to the Celuroa Kingdom at this specific time.
"You see, the chromium in this alloy is mainly there to improve hardenability during quenching. If you're using Craft Magic for the Finish, you don't necessarily need to add it."
When using water or oil quenching on simple carbon steel, the hardness often doesn't penetrate deep into the interior of large components. Adding chromium solves this issue.
While it also provides benefits like increased wear resistance, adding just nickel results in a material that is perfectly functional for practical use. Jin spent the next while explaining these technical points.
"I see! Yes, I understand perfectly now. You have my deepest thanks."
After two hours of detailed explanation, Latant, the Chief of the First Ministry of Technology, looked like a completely different man. The gloomy air he had arrived with was replaced by a bright, refreshed expression as he took his leave.
"I brought some reference books with me, but I didn't include anything about those specific materials. I'll have to add that next time."
"Mm, that would be good."
Having successfully passed the time, it was already 11:30 AM—nearly noon.
They were scheduled to have lunch with King Cesar and several of his close aides.
"Our escort should be arriving any minute now," Jin murmured. Almost the instant he said it, there was a knock at the door.
"Yes?"
Reiko opened the door to find one of King Cesar’s maids standing there.
Finally, the luncheon was beginning.