December 24th. The qualifying rounds were held throughout the morning.
"Now then! The event everyone has been waiting for, the 'Remote-controlled Automobile Race,' is about to begin its qualifying session!"
The play-by-play announcer was once again Luckhart Randol. He had apparently taken quite a liking to the role.
"We have thirteen participants! Remarkably, Jin-sama, Marikka-sama, and Lordtoss-sama are also participating as guests!"
A stir ran through the massive crowd.
"Furthermore, we have Sion-sama here as our guest commentator!"
An even louder cheer erupted.
"It has been a while, everyone. I am delighted to be able to participate in such a fun event today."
The cheers rose again—further proof of how much Sion was beloved by the residents of Onogoro Island.
"The idea of a competition using miniature automobiles is quite novel, isn't it?"
"Indeed. It was a proposal from Jin-sama. He said, 'It keeps crafting time and costs down, yet requires high-level technology, and above all, it tests the driver's own piloting skills.'"
"I see."
"By the way, he also mentioned, 'I'm an amateur when it comes to piloting, so I'll be lucky if I can even make it into the top rankings.'"
A ripple of amused laughter broke out from the spectator stands.
"Ah, I can understand why he'd say that. When it comes to piloting, he has always left that to Edgar or Reiko-chan."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. No matter if he's a Magi Craft Meister, his reaction speed is still only that of a human. Golems and automata are far more reliable in that regard. Plus, they never get tired."
"You certainly have a point there."
"I'm looking forward to seeing if he can compensate for that with his crafting techniques."
＊ ＊ ＊
"Oh, so Sion came today too."
Jin muttered to himself upon hearing Sion's voice.
Sion hadn't been able to attend the previous boat race, so it seemed she had been looking forward to this one.
"Well then, time for one last practice run."
From yesterday's practice sessions, he had a rough grasp of his machine's performance. Since then, he had experimented with the handling and tweaked the gear ratios, searching for the best possible setup for his style. He had also reinforced the parts that had shown wear before facing today's qualifiers.
Jin wasn't the only one; every other participant was thinking the exact same thing.
"Thirty minutes left. Then practice is over."
Rubina whispered to herself as she glanced at the large clock by the side of the track.
"I think I've managed to set it up almost exactly as I wanted."
The car bearing Bib #10 sped across the track. The way it overtook Bib #12 from the inside was exceptionally smooth and stable.
"Ho, it seems Rubina's car is quite well-finished."
Lordtoss wore a defiant smirk.
"Ugh, this is so difficult!"
Marikka's car showed considerable speed on the straightaways, but she seemed to struggle with decelerating before the corners. She either turned too slowly or failed to drop enough speed and drifted wide. Her driving was far from stable.
"...Marikka is quite poor at driving vehicles in general, isn't she?" Sion remarked with a wry smile from the commentator's booth.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Now then, the time has finally come for the 'Remote-controlled Automobile Race' qualifiers to begin! Once again, your announcer is I, Luckhart Randol. And joining us as a guest is Sion-sama!"
At the re-introduction, an even greater cheer than before rose from the stands.
"The time is now 10:00 AM. The qualifiers will run until 11:00 AM!"
A bell rang out—ka-an, ka-an—signaling the start of the session.
"During this hour, the lap times for each automobile will be measured by the golems in charge. The results will be displayed on the dedicated magi-screen!"
At this point, eight cars were out on the track: Bibs #1, #2, #3, #4, #7, #10, #12, and #13.
"Oh? Jin isn't running yet. I wonder if he has some kind of strategy."
He was, after all, the one who had proposed the race. It wouldn't be surprising if he had a secret plan.
"First, let us introduce the drivers currently on the course. Bib #1 is Natalia, the winner of the previous high-speed boat race! While ships are her specialty, she has crafted a very novel car!"
"The body looks like an overturned boat. I'm sure it has very low air resistance."
Four wheels protruded from a body that resembled a slender, inverted canoe. The colors were red and white. It was a design reminiscent of early Formula One cars.
"Bib #2 is the third-place finisher from last time, Shu Nidou! His design is conservative, but he's quite fast!"
"He seems to be a very solid technician."
To call the design common might sound dismissive, but it meant it was reliable. Shu had opted for a steady approach rather than trying to be eccentric. His car was blue and yellow.
"Bib #3 is Eugene Foul! He finished sixth last time, but he's burning with a desire for redemption!"
Eugene also sported an orthodox design, colored white and green.
"Bib #4 is Greena Kuzuma, fifth place last time! It has a streamlined body design—very modern!"
The body had a pointed front. To put it simply, it looked like a carrot sliced in half lengthwise. The colors were orange and blue.
"Bib #7 is Werner Randol, ninth place last time! Can he redeem himself today?"
This, too, was an orthodox design, colored red and blue.
"And Bib #10 is Rubina Garrett, who finished second last time! Her car's body covers both the front and rear wheels—the only one in the competition like it! It's very eye-catching!"
The colors were red and yellow.
"Our guest participant, Bib #12, Lordtoss-sama! It's an orthodox design, but we have high expectations for its hidden performance!"
His colors were green and yellow.
"Marikka-sama is Bib #13! Her design is orthodox but has a rounded feel throughout! Let's cheer her on!"
Her car was silver and red.
The eight model automobiles were lapping the 400-meter track in approximately 40 seconds. This was faster than a human could sprint the same distance. In terms of speed, it was likely around 40 kilometers per hour.
Among them, Bib #10 and Bib #12 were exceptionally fast.
"Ro is fast, but that Number 10 is also quite quick," Sion remarked, sounding impressed.
"Bib #12, Lordtoss-sama, and Bib #10, Rubina, are competing closely right from the start of the qualifiers!"
Lordtoss's car held the lead, but Rubina was clinging to his tail. Their times were already dipping under the 40-second mark.
"Both of them are doing quite well."
Jin watched the qualifiers while keeping his car parked in the pit.
"Father, are you sure it's alright to be so relaxed?"
Reiko, acting as his technical pit crew, seemed concerned.
"Yeah. There are still fifty minutes left."
For Jin, the qualifying time was a secondary concern; his goal was a high ranking in the final race. Because of that, he was calmly observing the field. At the same time, he was analyzing the characteristics of each car.
Currently, the fastest time was 38.2 seconds by Lordtoss, Bib #12. He was followed by Rubina, Bib #10, at 39.5 seconds. Next was Shu Nidou, Bib #2, at 40.1 seconds, and Greena Kuzuma, Bib #4, at 40.9 seconds.
"I'll need to be careful of Rubina's car..."
Jin seemed to have noticed something specific.
About fifteen minutes into the session, a particularly loud cheer erupted. Looking over at the monitor, Jin saw that Lordtoss had just shattered the fastest time.
"36.9 seconds, huh... Impressive."
He was now the undisputed leader, with a gap of more than two seconds over second place. It was a record that highlighted the superior physical capabilities and reflexes of the Northern People. Having set such a strong time, Lordtoss concluded his qualifying run.
Rubina also finished her qualifiers, sitting in second place with a time of exactly 39.0 seconds. Shu Nidou, satisfied with his third-place standing at 39.1 seconds, also pulled off the track.
"Alright. It's about time I headed out."
"Yes, Father."
Jin had been waiting for the moment when the track was less crowded.