“As far as I know, this is roughly how things stand,” Lordtoss began, explaining the geopolitical state of the world to Jin.
“To the north of Mitsuho is Fusou.”
That area didn’t seem to have changed much from the old days.
“To the east of Mitsuho is the Shouro Empire.”
The borders there apparently hadn’t changed much either.
“And then there are the Celuroa Kingdom, the Kingdom of Egerea, the Kingdom of Franz, the Klein Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Elias.”
These nations, once known as the ‘Allied Kingdoms,’ were all still alive and well.
“...What about the area furthest to the east?” Jin asked, inquiring about the subject he was second-most curious about: the Former Leonard Kingdom.
“I was just about to explain that. That region is currently under divided rule,” Lordtoss replied.
“Divided, is it?”
“Yes. Roughly speaking, it was split into four parts. The north is governed by the Klein Kingdom, the middle by the Celuroa Kingdom, and the south by the Kingdom of Egerea. Furthermore, the archipelagos—including Fusou Island—and a portion of the coastal region have been designated the ‘Kunlun Autonomous District.’”
“The Kunlun Autonomous District?”
“Yes. From that area all the way to Kunlun Island is considered an autonomous district, ruled by successive Acting Lords of Kunlun.”
“I see...”
While Jin felt like asking for more details, he decided to confirm his primary concern first.
“The village north of the Klein Kingdom... Do you know what happened to Kaina Village, which was supposed to be there?”
“Of course. That place is now the ‘Jin Nidou Perpetual Neutral Territory.’ In the first place, you can’t reach the Gondoa Continent by land without passing through it.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is.”
Jin felt a sudden, sharp desire to see Kaina Village with his own eyes four hundred years later.
“Also, the land north of the Kruger Mountains is being preserved as a place that belongs to no one. If I recall, it’s called a ‘Special Protected Area.’”
“Huh.”
“It’s for the protection and preservation of animals and the ecosystem. Anyone is allowed to set foot there, but harvesting resources beyond a personal scale is prohibited.”
Apparently, this had been decided by the ‘World Conference,’ and the ‘World Security Guard’ kept watch over the area.
Jin felt a vague sense of relief knowing that people were putting effort into nature conservation as well.
Deciding he could learn the finer details when they actually passed through those countries, Jin ended his questioning for the night and went to bed. In a room with tatami mats for the first time in centuries, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The following day, the 5th, Lordtoss went to Lake Sayama to retrieve the Golem horses.
Jin spent his time wandering through the city, sightseeing. There was no immediate danger, and since he was wearing a Protect Ring, he wasn't worried.
“Oh, right. If I can find some, I should buy a magi-crystal and make another Protect Ring. Plus, if I can get the right materials, I can reinforce Hope a bit more.”
With that in mind, Jin strolled through the streets, looking for a material shop while taking in the sights.
“This is a tool shop... and that one over there is...”
He continued down the bustling Central Thoroughfare until the street widened into a plaza featuring a fountain.
“Ah, so they have places like this too.”
A bronze statue stood in the center of the square.
“There wasn't a fountain or a statue here before... I wonder who it is?”
As he approached the pedestal to read the inscription, his eyes widened.
“...‘Mitsuho’s Benefactor, Magi Craft Meister Jin Nidou-sama’... Good grief.”
It was a statue of himself.
Jin beat a hasty retreat. The likeness wasn’t particularly accurate, so it was unlikely anyone would recognize him, but he didn't want to linger.
About two minutes away from the plaza, he found a material shop and stepped inside.
“Oh, this is quite a selection...”
Materials of reasonably good quality were lined up on the shelves.
“I suppose a steady supply of goods really is vital for maintaining a culture...”
Coming from the lawless territories, he felt that truth even more strongly. Since the shop clerk didn't bother him, Jin was able to browse at his leisure.
“Hmm, things seem cheaper than they used to be.”
Though Jin wasn’t an expert on historical economics, he recalled that magi-crystals used to cost anywhere from 10,000 to 1,000,000 Toll per korot—a unit of about one gram, roughly a six-millimeter sphere. The wide range had been due to variations in quality and the different values assigned to various elements.
“Now they’re 5,000 to 50,000 Toll... Well, they probably don’t keep the highest-grade items out on the shelves.”
Jin picked up a rainbow-colored magi-crystal.
“This one is 10,000 Toll...”
That was one gold coin, roughly 100,000 yen. He could easily afford it with the cash he had on hand. In terms of quality, it was sufficient to create a Protect Ring.
“Thank you very much.”
Jin purchased the magi-crystal and left the shop.
“Now for the metal... I wonder where I can find that.”
He doubted general stores would stock things like mithril or adamantite, as they weren't items ordinary citizens would ever buy.
“Maybe a blacksmith... Ah, wait. What about ‘the Factory’?”
The Factory was a facility Jin had repaired in the past. It had once produced nearly every tool and magi-device used in Mitsuho. Surely the metal he sought would be there.
“But I wonder if they’ll sell any to me...”
Jin decided it was worth a shot and started walking toward the northeast.
He hadn't noticed it when they arrived from the airport the previous day, but the building was still standing in its original location—a stone structure roughly the size of a gymnasium. It had simply been overshadowed by the larger buildings that had cropped up around it.
It seemed that entry and exit were still unrestricted.
“It’s almost exactly as I remember it.”
Upon entering the front entrance of the Factory, he found a reception desk. This was the place to place orders for products.
“Welcome. How may I help you today?”
An automata receptionist whom Jin did not recognize greeted him.
“Um, I’d like to speak directly with the Factory Manager. Could you arrange that for me?”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
His request was accepted without any pushback, and the receptionist disappeared into the back. She returned about a minute later.
“Welcome, Jin-sama.”
The Factory Manager recognized Jin the moment it saw him.
“Ah, it's you. How are you holding up?”
“Yes, thanks to you, I am fulfilling my duties.”
The Factory Manager Automaton that Jin had repaired didn't seem to find it strange that Jin was standing there.
Back then, it didn't even question it when the amount of materials in the storehouse suddenly increased...
Ultimately, because it was an old model of automata, its judgment regarding matters outside of its assigned work was limited.
“Now then, what is your business with me?”
“I’d like to get about fifty grams of adamantite. Is that possible?”
“Yes, it is possible, provided certain conditions are met....Would a spherical shape be acceptable?”
“...Ah, yes, that’s fine.”
“Then please wait a moment.”
Jin had a faint idea of what those ‘conditions’ were. Since this was a factory, it was a place meant to ship finished products. Therefore, it couldn't simply hand over raw materials. It had to be treated as a ‘product’—in this case, an ‘adamantite sphere weighing fifty grams.’
By that same logic, if he wanted two kilograms of steel, he would just need to order a ‘steel pipe weighing two kilograms’ or something similar.
“Thank you for waiting.”
Within five minutes, Jin had successfully obtained exactly what he needed.