In preparation for his journey to Mitsuho, Jin approached Reinhard, the former diplomat, to ask for his help.
"Reinhard, I'm counting on you."
"I understand. Just give me one day. I need to wrap up a few things here first."
"Right. We're scheduled to depart the day after tomorrow, so I'll leave it in your hands. I'm going to go get official permission from Her Majesty."
Though the order felt a bit backward, Jin headed to the Royal Palace to formally request the Empress’s permission to visit the nation of the foreign tribes, Mitsuho.
As the Magi Craft Meister and an Imperial Honorary Advisor, Jin was entitled to request an audience with the Empress without a prior appointment. After waiting for about fifteen minutes, he was ushered into her presence.
"Jin-kun, welcome. What brings you here today?"
"Well, actually..."
Jin explained his desire to visit Mitsuho.
"Ah, so you're following up on that matter from before."
The Empress, sharp as ever, had already guessed his intent.
"Yes. And I was hoping to bring Reinhard along as a diplomat. Would you grant us permission?"
The Empress turned her gaze toward her chancellor.
"Your Majesty, Reinhard Randol has no pressing duties at the moment," Jung confirmed.
The Empress nodded.
"There you have it. Depending on the length of the trip, I don't see why not."
"We're planning for seven days, but I'd like to allow ten just in case."
"Wise. You never know what might crop up on the road. Very well, permission granted."
"Thank you very much."
"Come to the palace before you depart. I shall have a sovereign letter prepared for you."
"Yes, I understand."
Jin bowed and left the office.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I see, so she gave the okay."
Jin contacted Reinhard immediately to share the news.
"I'm looking forward to this! Who else is coming along?"
"Let's see..."
The group consisted of Jin, Elsa, Reinhard, and Reiko. Edgar would join them as the pilot of the Konron 3. Since it was an official visit, they couldn't justify bringing any more members. Saki, meanwhile, was deep into her research on magi-mercury.
"Understood. We depart the day after tomorrow, then?"
"Yeah, that's the plan."
If he visited now, it wouldn't be strange for them to be recognized as acquaintances when they met again later. Jin spent the rest of the day confirming he hadn't forgotten anything as the sun began to set.
＊ ＊ ＊
When the day finally arrived—January 25th—the Konron 3 set off for Mitsuho.
Their first stop was the Royal Palace, where the airship landed in the courtyard.
"Reinhard, please take this with you."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I have it."
"Well then, be careful out there."
Reinhard received the sovereign letter from the Empress, and after a brief, informal farewell ceremony, they took to the skies once more, bound for Mitsuho.
"Man, it feels good to get out like this after so long!"
Reinhard was practically beaming.
"I wish I could have brought Berche and Yuri along too."
He was already slipping into his roles as a devoted husband and doting father.
The Konron 3 rushed through the upper atmosphere at five hundred kilometers per hour. Before they knew it, they had crossed the Sahara and were soaring over Mitsuho.
"Oh, so that's Mitsuho! I see, the ground has been Hardened."
Reinhard peered down at the landscape below, his curiosity piqued. The Konron 3 began its slow descent.
Their first destination was Seki Town. To ignore this town, which served as a checkpoint and gateway, might be seen as a slight against Mitsuho's culture—at least, that was the advice Laojun had given Jin. Respecting those words, the Konron 3 touched down in a plaza to the east, just outside the town limits.
First Reiko emerged, followed by Jin, Reinhard, and Elsa.
"Ah, Jin-han! Elsa-han! Reiko-han too!"
Maya, a familiar face, spotted Jin and waved energetically. Crow, the town mayor, appeared behind her.
"Welcome, Jin-dono. That is quite a formidable vessel you've arrived in this time."
Crow looked up at the Konron 3 in sheer awe.
"It's an airship—the latest model," Jin explained.
"Is that so? I would certainly enjoy a more thorough explanation when you have a moment."
"I'd be happy to. This is Reinhard, a diplomat from the Shouro Empire. He is also a dear friend of mine."
"A diplomat, you say? Then I take it this visit involves matters of some gravity."
Crow, who was quick on the uptake, gave a brief explanation to the gathered townspeople. Satisfied, they began to disperse, leaving only Crow and Maya behind.
"Daro is currently at Kari Village," Crow explained as they walked. Up to this point, his manner was that of a friendly acquaintance.
Reinhard was visibly impressed by the stone walls and gates they passed. Once they stepped through the entrance, Crow’s demeanor shifted to that of a formal leader.
"Reinhard-dono, please, come inside."
When they arrived at the two-story town office, Crow prioritized guiding Reinhard.
"Oho."
Even for Reinhard, who had visited many towns as a diplomat and seen various architectural styles, the aesthetics of Seki Town were a novelty.
"This way, please, Reinhard-dono."
The group was ushered into a reception room. Reinhard took the seat of honor, with Jin and Elsa sitting on either side of him.
"It is only simple tea, but please, help yourselves."
Maya served tea to the three of them.
"Now then, Reinhard-dono, what kind of business brings you to us today?"
Reinhard, having already learned about Mitsuho and Crow from Jin, got straight to the point.
"We are planning to host a World Conference in the near future, and we would like to invite a representative from Mitsuho to attend."
He then proceeded to explain the nature and purpose of the conference.
"I see, I see... So this World Conference is like the 'United Nations' mentioned in the teachings of the Magus."
Jin nodded silently, leaving the diplomatic heavy lifting to Reinhard.
"Precisely. We hope that Mitsuho will eventually join this federation. For now, we wish to introduce you to the representatives of the other nations."
Crow nodded slowly.
"I understand. If that is the case, I shall contact the capital, Miyako, immediately."
"Thank you. We appreciate it."
With that, the meeting with Crow ended on a high note. From there, the conversation shifted toward lighter topics and general information.
"Wait, you're marrying Oliver-san in just one week? Congratulations!"
"Much obliged. It’s all thanks to the diplomatic ties with the Shouro Empire finally coming through."
Maya and the merchant Oliver had been harborng feelings for one another, but with no formal interaction between their nations, they had nearly given up hope. However, following the Shouro Empire's outreach last year and the formalization of their relationship, their dream was finally becoming a reality.
"Congratulations," Elsa added, offering Maya a warm smile.
Meanwhile, Reinhard and Crow seemed to have lost themselves in a fervent discussion regarding the differences in culture, customs, and protocol between their two nations.