On the morning of the 21st, Jin used Konron 3 to fly Princess Lieschen and Chancellor Powell to Toka Village.
"Good morning," Lishia said, greeting the party as they arrived.
"Morning, Jin."
"Good morning, Jin-sama."
Sion and Rolona had also come out to meet them. Ladeous, however, was already at the construction site.
"Progress seems to be coming along nicely," Rolona noted, having checked the site earlier that morning.
"Oh, I can hardly wait to see it!" Princess Lieschen exclaimed, her voice bright with anticipation as they walked toward the site.
It was a ten-minute walk from the plaza where Konron 3 had landed.
"Oh!"
When they reached the site, about a hundred meters of the road had already been hardened. Jin and Lishia crouched down to inspect the surface.
"Hmm, it's well-made."
"Yes, carriages should be able to travel over this without any issues."
The Chancellor gave the road a firm kick with his boot and was surprised to find it was rock solid. "My, this is quite impressive."
Everyone except Rolona and Sion expressed their satisfaction with the durability of the road. Just then, Ladeous came jogging up to them.
"Good morning, Your Highness, Your Excellency, Jin-sama."
"Good morning, Lord Ladeous. You've made considerable progress, I see."
"Yes. The golems never tire, so they worked through the night for us."
Since the experience and data gathered here would be utilized for future projects, the Chancellor made notes on the approximate labor requirements. After a moment of thought, he issued further instructions.
"At this rate... let's see. We will continue the work for two more days and then pause. Lishia, could I ask you to record the progress, efficiency, and any issues that arise during that time?"
"Yes, certainly. Leave it to me."
"After that, we'll move to a high-traffic section as planned. Since it’s best to keep construction periods short in those areas, how about the stretch between Soki and Riu?"
"Oh, the highway extending southeast from Alban!" Lieschen chimed in.
The distance between Soki and Riu was approximately ten kilometers. It was part of the highway that ran from Alban through Soki and Riu, eventually reaching the Town of Dekubo on the shores of Lake Manuse. It was a vital route for transporting aquatic products from the lake to the royal capital.
"Yes. There is a high volume of logistics there, making it ideal for a durability test."
"I agree."
After a brief discussion, the Chancellor and Princess Lieschen finalized their plan.
"In any case, would you be willing to visit the Royal Palace for a time?" the Chancellor requested politely of Ladeous and his family.
"Of course. That was our agreement, after all."
"I am grateful."
"Then I shall be the one to take them," Jin offered.
And so, it was decided that Jin would transport Ladeous, Rolona, and Sion to the Royal Palace aboard Konron 3. Naturally, Princess Lieschen and the Chancellor would accompany them. They were set to depart in one hour.
"Also..."
Before they left, Jin turned to the Chancellor with a proposal.
"Since we’ve already hardened the road this far, why don't we finish the stretch all the way to the Town of Charles? I’ll provide the manpower... or rather, the golem-power."
"That is more than we could have hoped for, but are you certain?" the Chancellor asked. He was wondering if Jin meant to do this for free. At present, the Klein Kingdom was short on funds and was forced to manage its various policies on a shoestring budget.
"Yes. This highway will make transport to Toka Village much smoother, which will also benefit Kaina Village."
"I... I see. Then we shall gratefully accept your help."
"Jin, let's make sure we put this in writing," Princess Lieschen suggested.
It was only natural, so Jin and the Chancellor decided to draw up and sign the agreement at Lishia’s place.
"The section is between Toka Village and the Town of Charles, correct?"
"Yes."
"The construction method will be the same as this trial, and the road width will remain the same."
"Indeed."
"And we'll use the rocks found here in Toka Village."
"Yes, that’s fine."
The Chancellor, Princess Lieschen, Lishia, and Jin worked together to finalize the contract. They didn't set a specific start date, but they agreed that the work should be completed within one year at the latest.
"Does this look correct?"
"I believe so."
While half of the process was a mere formality and the other half was to clarify the specifics, it was an official document, so they went through the proper procedure until the signing was complete. Thinking back on it, this might have been the first time Jin had exchanged formal contract documents under his title as the Lord of Kunlun.
Regardless, this gave Jin the opportunity to practice crushed stone Hardening in a location other than Hourai Island or Kunlun Island. Of course, "practice" didn't mean he would cut corners. If anything, Jin was the type of person to be even more meticulous when practicing.
Konron 3 departed Toka Village on schedule and headed for the capital, Alban. The general-purpose golems ceased their work on the current stretch and began moving toward the Town of Soki, the next site.
"Well then, we shall head for the Town of Soki tomorrow."
At the Royal Palace, they reconfirmed the schedule for the coming days. It was decided that Rolona would provide guidance for the first two days after construction began, but after that, the Klein Kingdom’s own technicians would handle the project themselves.
To that end, eight young technicians were selected that afternoon to learn the techniques for crushed stone Hardening. They were then introduced to Rolona and her family.
"Well then, I should be going."
Jin, who had been treated to lunch and stayed at the Royal Palace until the three o’clock tea hour, prepared to take his leave.
"Is that so? How lonely," Princess Lieschen said, her face genuinely sad to see him go.
"I’ll be back in three days," Jin reassured her, reminding her that he would be returning to pick up Ladeous, Rolona, and Sion.
"See you then, Jin! See you in three days!" Sion said cheerfully, having grown quite accustomed to him.
"Jin-sama, I look forward to seeing you again in three days," Rolona added with a bow.
"Jin-sama, thank you for everything," Ladeous said, offering his own parting greeting.
"Yeah, see you later."
Jin boarded Konron 3 and took off into the evening sky.
"And that's how things stand. Laojun, I want you to use the Smith units to handle the Hardening from Toka Village to the Town of Charles... let's see, set a schedule to finish it in about ten days."
『Understood.』
On the way home, Jin issued his orders to Laojun from inside Konron 3.
"I want to truly master this technique, after all."