"I am forever in the debt of Jin-dono and his wife," King Cesar of Celuroa murmured, sipping his after-meal Te-e. "The monorail to Jin-dono, and my father's recovery to his wife."
"Please, think nothing of it," Jin replied.
Jin was certainly no saint. He didn't go around saving every person he met, nor was he so arrogant as to believe he even could. However, if a problem was within his reach—if he heard of it, or if it unfolded before his eyes—and if he felt so inclined, Jin would act. At his core, he was simply a good-natured man.
The king’s father, Former King Richard, had suffered a "hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage." Thanks to swift Behandeln and healing, he had recovered enough to speak, and lately, he had even begun moving a bit on his own.
"Of course, much is owed to Merfe's devoted care as well," Cesar added.
Merfe was Richard’s maid, but by now, she was practically his common-law wife. King Cesar shared these intimate family details freely with them.
"Merfe-san is wonderful," Elsa said, her voice soft. "I, too, wish to be that way for my husband..." She trailed off, her face turning bright red.
"Haha, how charmingly innocent," King Cesar chuckled. In truth, he was still single. As the king of a nation, marriage was not a matter he could enter into lightly.
"Does Your Majesty not have any marriage prospects?" Jin asked casually.
"We haven't quite found a suitable match," Balfaza Walker, the Chairman of the Ministry of General Affairs who was dining with them, interjected with a sigh. "Lord of Kunlun, do you happen to know of anyone?"
"Er... no one comes to mind, I'm afraid."
"I see. That is a pity."
Jin certainly knew many single women, but when he considered whether any of them were suited to be the Queen of Celuroa, he found himself tilting his head in doubt. More to the point, he suspected none of them would be interested in such a stifling position in the first place.
The luncheon, filled with private and occasionally sensitive topics, concluded without incident. By then, it was 1:00 PM. The grand reception was only an hour away.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...Sorry, but I really can't do this."
"I agree."
Jin and Elsa successfully maneuvered a secret swap with their Doppels. While they felt somewhat guilty given the event was being held for them, they had temporarily entrusted their roles to the dolls operated by Laojun. This allowed them to slip away while Laojun used the occasion to compile a nobility database. Even if individual contact with the guests was prohibited, official introductions and formal greetings in a public setting were unavoidable, making the Doppels a necessity.
Reiko remained with the real Jin.
"I wonder if I should have made a Doppel for Reiko too," Jin mused.
"True," Elsa agreed. "For those who know Reiko-chan, it might seem strange if she isn't by your side."
Furthermore, since Reiko held the rank of squire in the Shouro Empire, there were no legal issues with her appearing at official functions.
"What do you think, Reiko?"
"...To be honest, I have mixed feelings about it," she admitted.
It wasn't just the idea of an identical double existing; the concept of a "substitute" for herself sat uncomfortably with her.
"I see..."
Jin understood her sentiment, so he fell into thought once more. "In that case, should we have the Secret Mobile Unit disguise themselves?"
"If it is that... then I don't mind," Reiko said, nodding reluctantly.
"Then... ah, I have it."
Pensee and Viola, who were stationed on Kunlun Island, were the ideal candidates.
"How about moving the former guards Maron and Plum to Kunlun Island, and having Pensee and Viola act as Reiko-chan's body doubles?" Elsa suggested.
"Good idea. There isn't an overwhelming amount of work on Kunlun Island yet, so they can probably handle both roles."
"I am fine with that," Reiko agreed.
Since Pensee and Viola had originally been built to the same dimensions as Reiko, the disguises were prepared in no time.
"This should work. Laojun, can you provide them with instructions for their movements and dialogue at the key points?"
"Understood, My Lord."
With that, one concern was resolved. After all, they still had grueling wedding receptions waiting for them in the Shouro Empire, the Klein Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Franz.
Despite everything they had just discussed, only about thirty minutes had passed.
"Well then, what's next?...By the way, Laojun, how is the ship construction?" Jin asked, checking on the progress of the two honeymoon cruisers, the Azuma and the Edo.
"Yes, My Lord, it is proceeding well. Construction is approximately eighty percent complete."
"Good to hear."
Half of the remaining twenty percent involved the emergency propulsion system Jin was currently conceptualizing.
"I've finished the motor, but securing a power source is the issue..."
Using magic for power generation would defeat the purpose of an emergency backup. On the other hand, Jin lacked the specialized chemical knowledge to manufacture high-capacity batteries.
"I'll have to make do with the methods I have available. I suppose compressed air is the way to go."
Cylinders capable of withstanding 1,000 atmospheres were already in practical use. His idea was to equip the ships with several of these; in an emergency, they could vent the air backward, moving the vessel through the resulting recoil.
"It might be more effective to vent it into the water rather than the air," Jin thought aloud. Since the goal was to generate a reaction, he figured water might provide a better medium to push against than air. "Wait, but since it works on the principle of recoil anyway, does it really matter?"
Considering that the reaction from such a blast would be effective even in a vacuum, Jin ultimately decided there was no need to force the venting underwater.
"Instead of simple jet propulsion, I could use the air to turn a turbine and drive a generator. I wonder which is more efficient?"
Once the first spark of inspiration hit, ideas began to surface in a rapid chain reaction.
"But if you're using that system, would it be for a smaller vessel?" Elsa interjected.
She was right; trying to move a massive ship that way would be incredibly inefficient.
"Then let's make it for the lifeboats."
"Since there are no issues with free ether distribution in the ultra-high altitudes above the stratosphere or in space, rescue from those areas is possible," Laojun added.
"Right. So the lifeboats will be four-seaters. We'll equip them with compressed air propulsion and oars, then pack location-tracking markers, emergency rations, and water."
"...I think that sounds perfect," Elsa said.
"Though it's best if we never have to use them."
In truth, the fact that support was available from high altitudes meant the chances of them being genuinely stranded were almost zero.
"All that's left is energy transfer."
"Energy transfer?"
It was a concept often found in science fiction or anime—sending energy to a target from a remote location.
"...To have such an idea..." Elsa stared at him, her surprise turning into sheer amazement.
"If we can pull this off, we'll never have to worry about a lack of free ether."
The conceptual framework was already there. After all, they already possessed Warp Gates to link distant points and transporters to move physical matter.
"To put it simply, we just need to transport magi-crystals into a tank equipped with a marker."
"...That's true."
"But that isn't very elegant, so I want to explore other ways to refine the idea."
"That's so like you, Jin-nii," Elsa said with a smile. She found that particular "Jin-like" obsession to be one of his most endearing qualities.
Sensing that the greetings from the nobility were likely nearing their end, Jin and Elsa swapped back with their Doppels. They intended to attend the reception being held in their honor, at least within a reasonable limit.