"Whoa..."
"It’s amazing."
Within the lunar arsenal of Uni, three spherical ships stood in a row.
"Their basic structure is identical to the Vulcan," Jack, the management brain of Uni, began his explanation.
Since the fundamental design was the same, it was easy for Jin to follow along.
"The primary difference is that these are guard ships rather than construction ships."
In other words, they were built with a heavy emphasis on combat and defensive capabilities.
"I see. What are the specifics?"
"Certainly. First, we have the mass projectiles. We have a massive stockpile of iron-based meteorites, which we process into standardized shapes to serve as rounds. Each one weighs approximately five hundred kilograms."
Jin acknowledged the effectiveness of such weapons. A five-hundred-kilogram mass projectile would be formidable, making it particularly ideal for punching through magic-based barriers.
"Next is the Force Rod. This is an application of the force generator; you might think of it as an invisible staff. It can deflect or shove aside incoming objects."
"That sounds quite useful."
Hearing the principle behind it made Jin want to try crafting one himself.
"Additionally, they are equipped with the Magi Trans Cannons and lasers you use, Lord Jin."
"Understood."
"The key factor is that while they require high destructive power, they must also be capable of handling multiple adversaries at once."
"I see. That makes sense."
Since Jin had been working on upgrading the aviation units on Hourai Island until just recently, he understood Jack's points perfectly.
After receiving briefings on the lower-output armaments and defensive barriers, they proceeded to a test flight.
"Lord Jin, please provide names for these three vessels."
"Right... Hmm..."
Jin and Jin D both sank into thought.
The first thing that came to mind was the three stars of Orion’s Belt, but since Jin didn't know their specific names, he passed.
Next, he thought of the Summer Triangle: Vega of Lyra, Altair of Aquila, and Deneb of Cygnus.
Almost simultaneously, he recalled the Winter Triangle: Sirius of Canis Major, Procyon of Canis Minor, and Betelgeuse of Orion.
"Which one should I pick... Hmm."
After agonizing for a moment, he decided that since it was currently winter—
"Alright, let's go with Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse."
He settled on the names from the Winter Triangle.
"Thank you very much."
The Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse rose slowly into the air in sequence.
The three ships first came to a halt at an altitude of two thousand meters above Uni.
"No issues with engine output or control. Proceeding to flight testing."
The three ships began to move in unison.
Maintaining a perfect equilateral formation, they streaked through the void of space.
"Standard maximum acceleration is 20G. No problems detected."
There was one fundamental difference between these three ships and the spacecraft Jin had previously constructed: they lacked a pilot.
Or rather, they lacked a humanoid operator; there was still an intelligence controlling them.
Each ship was managed by a brain sharing its name, which oversaw every aspect of the vessel. Because of this, their tolerance for high acceleration was significantly greater.
"Everything is going smoothly."
"Yes, Lord Jin."
Further weapons tests were conducted, and with no issues found in any of them, the day's test flight concluded.
Elsa disconnected from her Doppel a step ahead of Jin to return home.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Lord Jin, Lady Milowina says she would like to see you."
"Yeah, since I'm here. Tell her to wait just a moment."
Beyond this point lay the underground facility of Uni. Jin D swapped places with the real Jin.
"Jin-kun, has it been... about half a month since we last met?"
"That’s right. I’m glad to see you’re looking so well."
Since their last meeting had been Mine's birthday on December 13th, it had been exactly thirteen days.
"My physical condition has been quite good lately."
Milowina’s complexion was healthy, and her physique had become more toned; she looked well.
"The gravity here is maintained at nearly 1G now, you know."
"That’s good to hear."
Weak gravity carried the risk of decreasing bone density, so living under 1G conditions was far more desirable.
Her diet had completely returned to normal food, and it seemed her immune system was functioning again. Eventually, she would likely be able to live on Ars even without a sterilization barrier.
"But this is still my home, after all," Milowina said with a soft smile.
"You seem busy, Jin-kun."
"Yes, though I've reached a stopping point for the time being."
The two of them relaxed in the room Milowina called the "Observation Room" within the Uni facility.
"Father."
Reiko arrived shortly after. As expected, she seemed concerned about the flesh-and-blood Jin. In her hands was a basket of sterilized Persica as a gift.
"Oh, thank you, Reiko-chan."
Persica from Hourai Island was Milowina's favorite.
"It’s eerie not knowing what’s happening on Hale."
"It really is."
"We’re continuing observations from Uni as well, but so far there haven't been any results."
"I see. Thank you."
The consensus among the Jin Family was that since the supply of materials and free ether from Ars had been cut off following the capture of the Disaster, the enemy would surely react if they found the situation suspicious.
"Even if they set out from Hale, it would likely take twenty days to a month to reach us."
Including the time needed for preparation, it might take even longer, Jin noted.
"That's why I was reinforcing our aviation units until just yesterday."
"I see. That’s just like you, Jin-kun... Oh, thank you."
Reiko had already begun peeling a Persica. Milowina brought a slice to her mouth, her face brightening with joy.
"Ah, it’s so sweet and delicious."
Jin also accepted a slice.
"Yeah, it’s perfectly ripe."
Moments like this provided Jin with a much-needed sense of peace.
"Jin-kun, please don’t push yourself too hard."
"Eh?...Yes."
"You mustn't stay wound so tight."
"Ah... Yes."
Milowina seemed to have sensed once again that Jin was on the verge of trying to shoulder everything alone.
"Because you aren't alone....If you ever forget, I will remind you as often as necessary."
"Thank you."
Jin gave a wry inward smile, realizing he could never quite hold his own against a composed, older woman.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Now then, time for a fresh start."
Having returned to Hourai Island, Jin went back to the mansion in Loizart with Elsa.
In the Shouro Empire, preparations for the World Conference were steadily moving forward.
"It looks like they've begun operating the airships, too."
High-ranking officials were taking turns boarding them to test the ride quality.
"I hope... a new era is beginning," Jin whispered, looking up at the airship drifting through the blue sky.