The second World Conference concluded successfully.
The participants each departed for their respective homelands by airship. Jin also returned to Hourai Island aboard Konron 3.
Then, on January 23rd.
"Well, shall we get going?"
Jin spoke as he looked up at the Vulcan. The ship had only just returned from its previous assignment the day before.
Jin was preparing to head into the demon territory. He chose not to use Konron 3 this time, as the winter weather in the demon territory was notoriously harsh and he needed the extra capacity to transport a large number of Golem horses.
His companions for the trip were Elsa, Reiko, Edgar, Anne, Maquina, and Rei.
Since he had already contacted Sion and Marikka, their first destination was the All-Creation clan territory—a small bay nestled along the southeastern coast of the Gondoa Continent.
It took a mere thirty minutes to reach the Gondoa Continent from Hourai Island.
"That was fast."
"It was originally built as a spaceship," Jin replied with a grin. "If I pushed it to a hundred kilometers per second, we would have been here in ten seconds."
Elsa gave him a flat look and interjected, "That is not a speed you should ever attempt within an atmosphere."
"Father, we will be landing shortly."
At Reiko's voice, Jin turned his attention to the magi-screen. The ground was already fast approaching.
The members of the All-Creation Clan stood in the distance to welcome them, though their faces seemed fixed in expressions of pure shock. Using its force generators, the Vulcan touched down softly without kicking up any of the accumulated snow. Its retractable landing legs adjusted to the uneven terrain, keeping the ship's hull perfectly level.
"The snow looks to be about twenty centimeters deep here," Jin noted.
Being a coastal area, the snowfall was relatively light.
"Alright, let's get this cargo unloaded."
Once the Vulcan came to a complete stop, it lowered its hatch and extended a ramp to create a path to the ground. Inside the lower warehouse were the Golem horses.
As Maquina and Rei mounted two of the Golem horses and led the way out, eight others followed in an orderly line behind them. The ten Golem horses walked down the ramp in perfect formation.
At the same time, Jin, Elsa, Reiko, Edgar, and Anne flew toward the clan members aboard Pegasus 1.
"Welcome, Magi Craft Meister."
Baldius, the Clan Chief of the All-Creation Clan, greeted them. The others who had come to meet the group also bowed their heads in respect.
"It’s good to see you again," Jin replied. "I'm sure you've heard from Sion and the others, but I've brought the first ten of the promised Golem horses."
Jin’s breath came out in white puffs; despite the sun, the temperature was well below freezing. Just then, the horses led by Maquina and Rei arrived at their position.
"Oh, they are magnificent! Truly, you live up to your reputation, Magi Craft Meister!"
The eyes of the onlookers sparkled with wonder.
"Let’s get them inside first," Jin suggested.
"Indeed," the Clan Chief agreed.
Jin and the others walked along a cleared path toward the All-Creation clan territory. The settlement was enclosed by a sturdy stone wall.
"This is quite impressive. When did you build this?" Elsa asked.
"Last autumn," Baldius replied. "It keeps out the freezing winds and prevents wild beasts from entering."
This was a feat possible only for the demon race, who possessed several times the strength of humans on the Lauren Continent. When combined with Gravity Magic, such civil engineering work became significantly easier.
"Even so, this is quite something..."
The wall surrounding the settlement was at least three meters high and just as thick, packed with earth and planted with shrubs.
"It was Sion's idea," the chief added.
"It's very sturdy and quite well-designed," Jin complimented.
It wasn't just a simple pile of stones; the greenery helped soften its rugged appearance. Once they stepped inside the enclosure, the area proved to be unexpectedly spacious.
"Exactly how much ground does this cover?"
"It’s a circle nearly a kilometer in diameter," Baldius said proudly. "We expect our population to grow, so we planned for the future."
"Good thinking," Jin said.
With the food situation improving, it was likely that the population would indeed begin to increase.
There was no snow inside the stone walls, so they gathered the Golem horses in the central plaza for the time being.
"Now then, to start—"
"Ah! Jin! Welcome!"
Sion’s voice cut through the air.
"Sion! Mind your manners!"
"Oh... R-Right. Welcome, Jin-sama," Sion corrected herself with a sheepish bow after being admonished by her grandfather.
Marikka arrived right behind her.
"Welcome, Jin-sama."
"Sion, Marikka, you both seem to be doing well."
"Yes, thanks to you."
After the round of greetings, Jin proceeded with the formal delivery of the Golem horses. Instruction on how to use them was handled by Maquina, Rei, Anne, and Edgar.
"If you do this, it starts walking. This makes it stop. Turning this changes your direction."
"There is a storage compartment here if you open this part. It’s good for small items or valuables. Of course, you can also strap larger loads to the horse's back."
"See? It's simple, isn't it?"
"I see, I see!"
"It responds to simple verbal commands too—'walk,' 'stop,' 'right,' or 'left.' It will be very useful for pulling sleds or carts."
"Incredible!"
"The main maintenance points are the joints and the hooves. If they wear down, they need to be repaired or replaced. Basic Craft Magic is more than enough for that."
"Understood!"
With such a simple lecture, the members of the All-Creation Clan were soon able to master riding the Golem horses.
"This is great!"
"It's so comfortable!"
This particular model had a top speed of 150 kilometers per hour, comparable to a motorcycle. Given the superior physical capabilities of the demon race, they were able to handle the machines with ease. The younger members immediately set off on their new mounts for a long-distance trial run.
＊ ＊ ＊
"No, Jin-sama, thank you very much."
Jin and the others were being hosted at the Clan Chief’s house.
"I plan to distribute the same Golem horses to the other clans as well," Jin mentioned.
"That is good to hear. Now then, I heard from Marikka—is it acceptable for the payment to be in cubic zirconia?"
"And furs, Grandpa! Don't forget the furs," Sion chimed in.
On the Lauren Continent, cubic zirconia was worth roughly its weight in gold, valued at 300 Tolls per gram. With Jin taking ten kilograms per trip, the market value was 3,000,000 Tolls—equivalent to approximately 30 million yen. It was more than enough to serve as a fair trade.