As soon as the Blow Floater was complete, Hope took it for a test flight.
"Hmm, it’s not quite right yet."
Jin monitored the craft as it soared effortlessly, watching with both his naked eye and his Peeper, though a small frown tugged at his lips.
"What is it, Father?" Reiko asked.
"The shape of the main wing—or rather, the gas bag."
Since it was perfectly circular, the craft was stable, but its straight-line tracking left much to be desired.
"If I don't care about folding it up anymore, I could add a vertical... tail fin... no, not quite. Maybe a fuselage?"
Jin immediately set to work modifying the landed Blow Floater.
"Doing it this way makes it less of a gas bag and more of a main wing."
The new shape was circular... yes, it looked like a shallow dish turned upside down with a fuselage running through its center. It also increased the structural strength, killing two birds with one stone.
Jin had briefly considered a delta wing, but he decided against it, fearing it would deviate too far from the original design and draw too much attention.
"It looks a bit like an old pot lid."
The kind of pot lid a legendary swordsman like Tsukahara Bokuden might use, Jin thought, influenced by the Orphanage Director’s fondness for period dramas.
Returning to the task at hand, the modified Blow Floater soared back into the sky.
"Oh, this looks much better."
The improvement in straight-line stability was visible even from the ground.
"It might have lost some maneuverability in exchange, though..."
However, with Hope at the helm, Jin wasn't particularly worried. A human pilot would likely have their hands full trying to control it during landing, but the golem handled it with ease.
Furthermore, Jin had completely abandoned the idea of making it foldable.
"Now I just need to balance the overall livability and the proportions."
That part was second nature to him. While reviewing the structural integrity, he added reinforcements, which ultimately allowed for even further Air Leichtern.
Taking the seat shape and cockpit visibility into account, he crafted part of the disc wing out of a transparent material to ensure upward visibility as well. Finally, Jin and Reiko boarded the craft together to verify the results.
"Oh, this is quite comfortable."
Lordtoss’s version was a portable, folding type, but this was a dedicated transport. It was only natural that it felt different, given the leap in basic performance.
"Maybe I'll make about ten identical units and gift them to Sion."
Jin figured it would be a convenient excuse to claim they were simply the latest models from the Nord Federation. Of course, he wouldn't equip them with Warp Gates or force generators, but their performance would still be exceptional.
The day ended once Jin had finished building the ten additional units. He decided to head to the Nord Federation the following morning.
"Ah, what a nice soak."
There was nothing like a hot spring to wash away the day's fatigue, Jin mused.
"...Though, since my entire body is made of magiatoms, I shouldn't be susceptible to physical or chemical ailments."
Mental fatigue was a different matter, Jin reminded himself as he re-evaluated his own constitution.
"But I still feel tired."
Perhaps it was the equivalent of lactic acid buildup; just because magiatoms were stable didn't mean they functioned any differently than ordinary atoms in the context of his biology.
"Father, allow me to wash your back."
"Oh, thank you, Reiko."
And so, the eventful day drew to a close.
October 3rd.
After finishing breakfast, Jin began preparing for the journey at a leisurely pace. Naturally, this meant heading back to the Nord Federation—his first visit in two days.
The ten new Blow Floaters were piloted by Sky 11 through Sky 20. After the hand-off, the plan was for the golems to return via the Warp Gate installed on Jin's personal craft.
The eleven Blow Floaters flew at a steady 200 kilometers per hour.
"Yeah, even without using barriers, the stability is sufficient at this speed."
The increased wing loading seemed to make the craft more resistant to wind.
Since he had contacted Sion in advance, the All-Creation clan territory launched its own Blow Floaters to greet Jin and his group as they drew near.
[Welcome.]
Led by the escorts, Jin's group of eleven landed at the airfield without incident.
"Jin!"
"Jin-sama!"
Sion and Marikka were there to meet them.
"Sh-shuch an amazing thing you have built!" Marikka exclaimed, clearly moved by the sight of Jin’s custom craft.
"The controls are the same. However, it's a bit less maneuverable in exchange for much higher speed," Jin explained briefly.
While they spoke, the Sky units returned home via the Warp Gate. Since Sion and Marikka were in on the secret, there was no issue.
Lordtoss and Vita came running over shortly after.
"Jin-san!"
"Jin-sama!"
It seemed the siblings had settled on their own ways of addressing him.
"Is this... the Blow Floater you built, Jin-san?"
"Yeah. You've been a big help, so I'm giving these ten to the clan as a gift."
"Wow, that's amazing! I want to try riding it!"
"Jin-shama, thank you!"
Sion explained the situation to the gathered clan members and handed the crafts over to the appropriate personnel. Meanwhile, Vita was insistently begging for a ride.
"Great-grandmother, please let me ride it just once!"
Sion eventually gave in to the girl’s pleas. Turning to Lordtoss, she said, "...What an incorrigible child. Ro, take this craft for a test flight and take her with you."
"Is that all right?"
"Thank you, Great-grandmother!"
Sion was clearly soft on her great-great-grandchildren.
"Wow, this is great! It's so much faster than the old one!"
"The stability is incredible... Even if the maneuverability is slightly lower, it's a marginal difference. Stability is far more important for long-distance flight..."
Vita and Lordtoss both shared their honest impressions as they flew.
"...I see. First, you'll gather information by heading to Kaina Village. That sounds like a sound plan," Sion said as she watched the craft Lordtoss was piloting. Jin had been explaining his itinerary to her.
"In that case, I'll have Ro accompany you as a guide. I think it would be much more convenient for you, wouldn't it?"
"Are you sure? It would certainly be a help to me."
Sion smiled. "It's perfectly fine. He mentioned how much he enjoyed his journey with you, and I want him to gain as much experience as possible right now."
"I understand. If he's willing, then I'll gratefully accept his help."
"Yes, I would love to go with you!" Lordtoss shouted as they landed.
"Aww, Brother, I'm so jealous!" Vita added.
Both siblings had overheard the conversation; Lordtoss accepted the offer without a second thought, while Vita voiced her envy.
And so, Jin's traveling companion was decided.