“In the Nord Federation, there isn’t even a custom for ‘New Year’s,’ let alone a ‘New Year’s Festival,’” Sion’s voice crackled through the bracelet.
“Wait, really?” Jin asked.
“You’ve never spent the holidays up here, so I suppose you wouldn’t know. Winters are so harsh in the Nord Federation that we have almost no outdoor events during the season.”
“Ah, right... that makes sense.”
In a place where snow piled high and daily highs stayed below freezing, people didn’t exactly go out for fun.
In Japan, there were traditions like the kamakura of Akita or the Sapporo Snow Festival, but the climate in the Nord Federation was far more brutal. Furthermore, until Jin had stepped in to help four hundred years ago, the region had been plagued by food shortages. The people simply hadn’t had the luxury of organizing festivities.
“Because of that, I can accompany you to Avalon. And as for New Year’s... I wouldn’t mind heading over to Hourai Island.”
“Is that so?”
Jin began to like the idea of spending the first few days of the year with Sion and the others.
But first, there was the trip to Avalon.
“All right. I’ll come to pick you all up via Warp Gate tomorrow. Then we’ll head to Avalon together.”
“Understood. Marikka and Ro have quite a bit of influence in Avalon, so it should be a smooth trip.”
“I’m counting on it. I’ll see you tomorrow at nine in the morning your time.”
“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”
“Jin-sama, we look forward to it!”
“Jin-san, leave everything in Avalon to us.”
With that, the communication cut off.
“That settles that. So, Laojun, should we take Konron 3 to Avalon?”
“Yes, My Lord. However, if I may offer my perspective, I would not recommend it.”
Jin was a bit taken aback by Laojun’s unexpected objection.
“Eh? Why not?”
“If the Third Generation arrives in a vehicle designed by the Predecessor, there is a risk you may be held in lower regard.”
“Ah, I see your point.”
To be a true Magi Craft Meister, one should arrive in a craft of their own making.
“Do I have... enough time?”
It was 1:00 PM. That was plenty of time to build a new vehicle—at least by Jin’s standards.
“I guess I’ll build Konron 4.”
Jin immediately began sketching out a concept.
“Let’s make this an airship like nothing seen before.”
Traditional airships featured a gondola or cabin suspended beneath a gas bag. For this project, Jin decided to integrate the cabin directly into the interior of the craft’s body.
His vision was that of a spaceship designed for atmospheric flight—though he wouldn’t bother making it vacuum-sealed for outer space. He had drawn inspiration for this layout from the airship Markitus had used.
Jin also had a unique twist in mind: while it would look like an airship, its primary lift would actually come from a blow floater system.
“My Lord, what sort of architecture do you propose?”
“I’m going with this structure,” Jin began, explaining his plan to Laojun. “The shape and dimensions will match the gas bag of Konron 3. I’ll build the skeleton first, but I’ll only apply skinning to the upper half.”
“I see. I understand now. You intend to generate lift within that ‘gas bag’ section using a blow floater mechanism.”
“Exactly, Laojun. Doing it this way allows us to build the cabin inside the main body.”
“That is just like you, Father!” Reiko, who had been listening quietly, offered her praise.
“The frame will be 64 light silver, and the skinning will be Ground Spider resin,” Jin decided.
In modern Japan, there were airship-style drones that flew by spinning propellers inside a skeletal frame; his concept was a magical evolution of that idea.
The Hourai Island Arsenal was in full operation.
Technically, an "arsenal" refers to a military munitions factory. Jin had simply taken a liking to the term and adopted it. Given that it was a factory for the Hourai Island "military," the name wasn’t entirely inaccurate.
Using Konron 3 as a baseline, Jin pushed the specs even higher. The new craft was 40 meters long with a body diameter of 10 meters. It was significantly slimmer and sleeker than Konron 2 or Konron 3.
The skeleton was assembled from hollow pipes of 64 light silver. Materials were plentiful, and thanks to the skeletal design, they didn't need to use nearly as much.
“For propulsion, we’ll use wind thrusters.”
Jin installed five high-output units. The primary thruster sat along the ship’s central axis, while four auxiliary units were mounted at the tips of the X-shaped tail fins at the stern.
Additionally, he installed twenty smaller thrusters for steering and stabilization. The nozzles were adjustable, allowing them to serve as backup propulsion in a pinch.
“The cabin goes in the lower half.”
This served to lower the center of gravity and improve flight stability.
“I want it to accommodate up to fifty people. For lift, let’s go with ten large-class blow engines.”
“Let’s also pack a force generator and a gravitioner as emergency backups.”
“My Lord, what should we do regarding armaments?” Laojun asked.
“Let’s see...”
After a moment’s thought, Jin decided to install Magi Trans Guns—weapons capable of firing specific spells with zero lag—as well as induction radiators and laser cannons. He also included various barriers, a Magic Canceller, and mana bombs.
Naturally, he installed a Warp Gate for emergency evacuations. The suite of electronics included a manacam, magi-radar, and a barrier projector.
Since these components were being assembled from Hourai Island’s standardized parts, Jin’s already legendary work speed was accelerated even further. Within half a day, eighty percent of the craft was complete.
After dinner, Jin returned to the workshop to finish the job.
“Since we have plenty of room in the payload, we can afford to make the living quarters more comfortable.”
“Father, will you be naming this one Konron 4?” Reiko asked.
Jin was about to nod, but Laojun intervened again.
“My Lord, I would advise against that name. You are no longer the ‘Lord of Kunlun,’ after all.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Four hundred years ago, Jin had been known as the Lord of Kunlun, so naming his ships "Konron" had been a matter of course. Now, things were different.
“In that case, I need a new name...”
Jin looked at the nearly finished airship, searching for inspiration.
“I want something related to the sky. A natural phenomenon, or maybe a bird...”
Since it didn't have any actual wings, he ruled out birds.
“What about a natural phenomenon? ‘Hurricane’ sounds pretty good.”
Since no better ideas came to mind, he made his decision.
“Alright, it’s settled. This ship is the Hurricane!”
Jin inscribed "Hurricane" on the hull and added his family crest, the "Two-Bar Circle."
“Hope, I’m putting you in charge of piloting.”
“Yes, Master. Leave it to me.”
By 9:30 PM, the work was done. Jin decided to run a test flight immediately and booted up the Hurricane.
“Laojun, run the safety diagnostics and confirm the top speed and maximum payload.”
“Understood.”
“Now, Father, your work for the day is done. Leave the rest to Laojun and go get some rest.”
Reiko practically dragged Jin away from the workshop and ushered him toward the bath.
“...Phew. There’s nothing like a good soak.”
Between the New Year’s preparations in the morning and building the Hurricane in the afternoon, Jin was exhausted. Reiko, sensing his fatigue, had firmly insisted on his rest.
The tests for the Hurricane concluded without a hitch. Its stability was excellent. Its standard top speed—without using the wind-shielding barrier or the force generator—reached 400 kilometers per hour. The planned fifty-person capacity was also well within its limits.
Upon hearing the results, a satisfied Jin drifted off into a deep sleep.