"Regional revitalization, huh..."
It was a concept variously known as regional activation, town-building, or village-revival.
"The primary areas to explore would be agriculture, mining, and tourism," Jin mused.
Regarding agricultural products, they had kemeria oil, but it was hard to expect much growth there. The village's total arable land was simply too small to begin with.
"Mining seems equally unlikely."
The underground resources in Toka Village had been largely exhausted about two hundred years ago. Of course, there might be something if one ventured down more than a thousand meters into the depths, but that wasn't a realistic prospect for a village-revival project.
"As for tourism... well..."
The scenery wasn't particularly exceptional. Furthermore, the hot spring had dried up. They could try digging again, but there was no guarantee it would yield anything—and if it failed, that would be the end of it. Unlike Kaina Village, Toka didn't sit atop a natural spring source, making the endeavor even more difficult.
"That leaves creating some kind of specialty product, but..."
When Jin voiced this, Maya made a troubled face.
"It's not as if we have any particularly skilled craftsmen here, and most things we could produce would likely be made elsewhere anyway."
She was right. If there was no inherent necessity for a product to be made "here," it would be imitated almost immediately.
"Hmm..."
They were at a total impasse.
"Then all that's left is to find a specialty product unique to this land."
If they found something like that, it wouldn't be easily copied. Unfortunately, such things were rarely found so conveniently. They had hit a dead end.
"In that case, the only other option I can think of... would be to manufacture something using secret techniques."
There were plenty of techniques that could not be reverse-engineered from the finished product—at least, there should be. The problem was whether the village had any engineers or craftsmen capable of mastering such methods.
"All the truly skilled craftsmen have already left for the royal capital," Maya said with a sigh.
"..."
Jin felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. In the first place, if a single day’s worth of advice could solve everything, no one would be struggling.
"I suppose it comes back to agricultural products, after all," Maya continued, her voice heavy. "I’d love to find a high-demand crop that thrives specifically in this soil."
"I suppose that's the most logical path..."
Maya’s shoulders slumped. Through her discussion with Jin, she seemed to have reconfirmed just how few advantages her village possessed. Sensing her distress, Lordtoss offered a word of encouragement.
"Village Chief, please don't be too discouraged. Even we in the Nord Federation took many years before we achieved food self-sufficiency."
"Thank you..."
"Furthermore, cultivating and securing human resources is vital. Perhaps you could curb the outflow of talent by offering incentives, such as lower taxes?"
"I see... that's a thought."
While they hadn't reached a definitive solution, a vague sense of direction was beginning to emerge from their talk.
"One more thing," Jin added, an idea having just occurred to him. "Toka Village has a fair amount of wide-open space. How about building an airfield? Eventually, you could attract tourists with sightseeing flights."
"Oh!"
The Chief jumped at the suggestion.
"When that time comes, the Nord Federation can provide cooperation," Jin hinted, implying they could facilitate the acquisition of a new type of aircraft.
"I see. I will certainly ask for your help when the time comes."
When Jin designated the Clan Chief of All-Creation as the contact point, Maya was left wide-eyed with surprise one last time.
The next morning, Jin and his party departed for Alban, the capital of the Klein Kingdom, exactly as planned.
"Thank you for everything. Please, come visit us again," Maya said, seeing them off. She had even gone so far as to write them a letter of introduction for an inn called the Red Brick Inn.
"We fell about half a day behind schedule, but it turned out to be quite meaningful," Jin remarked once they were in the air.
Lordtoss nodded in agreement. "Yes, indeed. That Village Chief was quite a character. You could really feel how much she cares for her village."
"Even so..." Jin stared at the surveillance magi-devices in his hand. With Maya's permission, he had taken four of them. "Who installed these, and for what purpose? That's still a mystery."
"Indeed. I can't imagine anyone but the Magic Federation doing such a thing, but we have no evidence."
The straight-line distance between Toka Village and Alban was approximately one hundred kilometers. At their speed, they crossed it in less than an hour. Between their conversation and the view, the time passed in a flash.
"The airfield is located outside the city. We'll take a golem carriage into town from there," Lordtoss explained.
I see, it's a shuttle system, Jin thought.
Since it was still early morning, the airfield was relatively empty. The Taube landed smoothly, and Jin arranged to store it in a rented warehouse.
"Is this a new model?" a young warehouse official asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
The immigration administrator was equally welcoming. "Arriving from the Nord Federation? Welcome to Alban. May you have a pleasant journey."
It was 8:30 AM. They were told the free golem carriage wouldn't depart until 10:00, so they decided to use a paid transport service.
"Let's take that one," Lordtoss said, pointing toward a horseless carriage—specifically, an automobile powered by a Golem Engine.
(So these have become fairly common now.)
It was clearly an evolution of the technology he had originally developed, which brought a small smile to Jin's face. The six-passenger vehicle cost 200 Toll—roughly 2,000 yen. Considering it was essentially a taxi, Jin felt the pricing was quite reasonable.
"To the Red Brick Inn, please."
"Understood."
The Red Brick Inn was evidently a well-known establishment, as the driver pulled away immediately without needing further directions.
The distance between the airfield and the city was about two kilometers. While they could have walked, it seemed almost no one did. The reason became clear as they approached the city gates.
(Ah, those walls... how nostalgic.)
The fortifications surrounding Alban stood roughly eight meters high, presenting a truly imposing sight. Guards were stationed at the gates, carefully screening those attempting to enter.
"All right, move along."
"Thanks."
Surprisingly, those entering via public or private transport were granted what was essentially a free pass. Conversely, those attempting to enter on foot were subjected to the standard, rigorous inspections.
(Is security tighter than it used to be? No, I suppose it was always something like this.)
Jin recalled his previous visit to Alban with Elsa and Hanna. Did we need identification cards back then? he wondered.
"Travelers from the Shouro Empire, the Allied Kingdoms, and the Nord Federation are mostly given free passes these days," Lordtoss explained.
As they were all allied nations, border controls had clearly been relaxed.
"Thank you very much," Jin said, stepping out of the car in front of the Red Brick Inn.
"Heh, it certainly has a dignified look."
True to its name, the building was constructed of red bricks and reminded Jin of an old Western-style mansion from his original world.
"Let's get checked in first."
"Good idea."
Lordtoss handled the registration at the front desk, representing the group. Jin appreciated the gesture, as it made things much easier for him.
(Now that I think about it, Reinhard took care of me like this during our journey to the Shouro Empire, too.)
He found himself lost in a brief moment of nostalgia.
"I managed to get us a good room," Lordtoss said, returning to Jin's side. "It's at the end of the second floor—quiet, with a lovely view. It’s a suite with two rooms, so we'll have plenty of space to relax."
"Let's go drop off our bags, then."
The Taube was equipped with a Warp Gate, meaning they could have any supplies they lacked sent over instantly. However, since that was a closely guarded secret, they had brought enough hand luggage to maintain a natural appearance.
Reiko carried Jin’s bags while Hope handled Lordtoss's as they made their way to the second floor.
"Oh, the view really is excellent."
From their window, they could see the inn's inner courtyard, which featured a well-tended garden complete with a beautiful pond and vibrant flowerbeds.