February 25th was the day of the report meeting for Gloria and her investigation team.
Before the proceedings began, Jessica Norton paid a visit to Jin and the others in their guest quarters.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Jessica. Has something happened?"
"No, nothing like that. I simply thought I should let you know how yesterday's events concluded before the report meeting gets underway."
"Ah, I see. Thank you."
The "conclusion" she referred to was the interrogation and subsequent sentencing of the pickpocket Cabrera and his accomplice, the corrupt security guard Leder.
According to Jessica, the moment the interrogation began, the two had babbled incessantly, confessing to a litany of prior offenses.
"They used the same scheme in eleven other cases. Both have been sentenced to the mines."
Clad in criminal identification collars, they were to be sent to the Pigmold Mine, one of the kingdom’s most remote labor sites.
"We wanted to offer compensation to the residents they victimized, but since we couldn't identify them by name, we’ve been forced to forgo that for now," Jessica added with a regretful sigh before taking her leave.
"Well... I suppose that’s for the best?" Jin mused.
"Mm," Elsa agreed.
Time passed, and at last, it was time for the report meeting.
The grand conference room was filled with the kingdom’s heavyweights: the King, the Chancellor, various ministers, high-ranking military officials such as the Ritter Commander, and lords from throughout the lands.
Jin and Elsa attended as honored guests, while Lishia participated in her capacity as the Lord of Toka Village. From abroad, William Heks Sarde, the Minister of Internal Affairs for the Kingdom of Egerea—their closest ally—sat among the guests.
"The hour has arrived. We shall now commence the report meeting," the Chancellor announced, acting as the moderator.
At his prompt, Gloria Allstatt, the leader of the investigation team, rose to her feet.
"I am Gloria Allstatt, and I was entrusted with the command of this investigation team."
With a formal bow, she began her presentation.
"Our mission was to conduct a re-investigation of the Botzfa Ruins... Yes, the very same ruins where the incomplete weapon known as the 'Copy' attacked us last year."
A momentary stir rippled through the room.
"First, we conducted a thorough observation from the air. Once we confirmed there were no abnormalities, we made our landing. We maintained a detection barrier throughout our stay and established a camp."
Murmurs of admiration rose from the crowd. Many present knew that Gloria had suffered life-threatening injuries at that very site. That she could return there and even spend the night without being paralyzed by trauma was a testament to her fortitude.
"We encountered no magical beasts this time, allowing us to proceed with a calm and orderly investigation. However..."
Gloria went on to explain matter-of-factly that much of the site had collapsed during the previous incident, and they had found nothing else of note in the surrounding area.
"The only significant find was a single stone tablet."
Pascoe Rush, who was seated beside Gloria, stood up and walked to the corner of the room. He reached for a cloth-covered object and pulled the fabric away.
"Ohh!"
A collective gasp filled the room.
This was no mere slab of rock with carvings; it was a 'painted' tablet.
"As you can see, half the tablet is covered in text, while the other half depicts an illustration. I felt it was unwise to make an arbitrary judgment regarding its meaning, so I had it transported back for further study."
"Hmm. Does anyone here recognize this?" the Chancellor asked.
The assembled nobles and officials tilted their heads in unison.
Jin had already been informed of this discovery via Laojun’s report, but seeing the genuine article still took him by surprise. The image on the stone tablet was, unmistakably, an airplane. Specifically, it bore a striking resemblance to a Zero Fighter.
The fuselage was painted green and bore the emblem of a red sun, leaving little room for doubt. However, the drawing itself was crude—the sort of thing a child might sketch.
This is almost certainly connected to the Magus, Shuuki Tsetse, Jin thought.
But since the drawing was incomplete and he couldn't easily explain how he knew what it was, he chose to remain silent.
"...This must be another ancient Magi Machine. Truly, the past is a deep well of mystery," someone murmured.
Taking that as a cue to continue, Gloria addressed the room once more.
"Though we searched extensively, we could find nothing else of value. This investigation has made me keenly aware of my own lack of expertise."
Gloria looked truly disappointed.
"I sincerely hope that we can cultivate experts in the field of archaeological ruin investigation in the future. That is all from me."
With a bow, Gloria returned to her seat.
"Mm, good work. Now, let us hear from the other participants. Pascoe Rush, if you please."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Pascoe stood up next to Gloria, looking a bit more than just "a little" nervous.
"I-I am Pascoe Rush! I was unexpectedly selected for this team, and I must say, everything I saw and heard was a first for me!"
He was practically vibrating with tension.
"In the midst of it all, I believe Captain Gloria’s orders and judgments were flawless! As I am still inexperienced, I was tasked with safety checks rather than the investigation itself, but the experience made me realize how much further I have to go!"
His speech continued as more of a collection of personal impressions than a formal report.
"If there is a next time, I hope to be of even greater service! That is all!"
Pascoe sat down to a round of warm applause.
"Then, Tiffany Bardak, what are your thoughts?"
"Yes."
Tiffany, the team's healer, stood and spoke calmly.
"Thanks to Captain Gloria’s excellent leadership, we suffered no casualties. Consequently, I had no occasion to use my skills as a healer."
The fact that her services hadn't been needed was, of course, a blessing.
"Speaking for myself, after seeing the ruins firsthand, I humbly suggest that future teams include someone with knowledge of 'archaeology' to better understand such unknown sites. That is all."
Tiffany bowed and took her seat.
"Thank you. Now, having heard the reports, I would like to open the floor for questions. Gloria, are you ready?"
"I am, Chancellor."
"Good. Then I shall start. Regarding the aerial travel, did you notice anything of interest?"
It was a sharp question from the Chancellor. This was an area Gloria and the others had neglected to include in their formal remarks.
"My apologies, I failed to mention that in my summary," Gloria said, speaking for the team. "Traveling by air significantly reduces transit time, eliminates the threat of wild and magical beasts, and makes it remarkably easy to survey the geography. However, the disadvantage is that it's difficult to observe the specific flora and fauna on the ground while in transit."
"I see. That makes sense. Does anyone else have a question?"
"If I may."
Jin raised his hand, causing the Chancellor’s eyebrows to rise in mild surprise.
"Oh, Jin-dono! Please, go ahead."
"Thank you. Through this investigation, I’d like to hear your honest evaluation of the airship. Please, don't hold back."
"A natural question for a creator. Your drive for improvement is commendable, Jin-dono," the Chancellor remarked.
Gloria spoke first. "The speed is beyond reproach. Its utility is unquestionable. If I were to make a request, I would like it if it could carry a larger number of people."
Since the ship relied on helium for lift, the payload was naturally limited. Jin was well aware of this constraint.
"I see. Thank you. I will keep that in mind for the next model."
In truth, however, Konron 3 had already moved past the need for helium.
"May I add something?" Tiffany asked.
"Please."
"The ride was very smooth," Tiffany said. "But if I could be so bold as to make one request... it tends to sway when the wind is strong. While no one was hurt, some members of the team suffered from motion sickness."
"I see. So, improved stability. Thank you."
Incidentally, the one who had suffered from motion sickness was clearly Pascoe, who was currently staring at his lap with a bright red face.
"Well then, Pascoe-dono, since we're on the subject, is there anything you'd like to add?" Jin asked, throwing him a lifeline.
"E-Err, well..." Pascoe looked at Jin as if gauging his reaction. "I think... it would provide a greater sense of security if we could receive support from the ship while we're on the ground."
"Meaning you’d like to see weapons mounted on it?"
"Yes... that's right."
"I understand. I'll take that into consideration. Thank you."
Jin's questions concluded the session. After a few more exchanges, the report meeting for the day came to an end.
"That was very informative," Jin mused later.
Regarding helium-based airships, the key areas for improvement were stability and buoyancy. As for the weaponry, Jin felt that for the time being, that was a matter he would leave to each individual nation to decide.