The Guest House was a structure of simple, rugged beauty, devoid of any ostentation.
Even during the World Conference, the dignitaries of various nations stayed here. Surrounded by lush greenery, it was a peaceful and quiet location.
Jin and his companions were currently in one of the building's smaller conference rooms.
They were gathered to hold their discussion at what was commonly known as the Round Table.
Chief Administrator Tomax Bartman presided over the meeting.
Seated counter-clockwise from him were Jin, Lordtoss, Sion, Marikka, Elena, Arietta, Wattes, and Deus Ex Machina III. Five additional Avalon executives rounded out the group.
"Then, to begin—Third Generation Magi Craft Meister Jin Nidou-dono, if you would," Tomax said.
"Very well."
Jin offered a slight bow while remaining seated and began to speak.
In a Round Table Conference such as this, discussions were typically held without anyone standing; it was an established protocol to remain seated unless an exceptional circumstance arose. In fact, the act of "standing up" was often used as a symbolic gesture for leaving the conference entirely.
"Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Jin Nidou, the one who has succeeded to the title of Third Generation Magi Craft Meister."
Reiko immediately spoke up to supplement his introduction.
"The Third Generation possesses the same mana waveform as the Second Generation. We recognize that waveform and serve him accordingly. For that reason, I address him as 'Father'."
Sion followed her.
"The reason Jin did not appear on the public stage for so long was due to the threat posed by the Magic Federation and its leader, Markitus. Specifically, it was said that Markitus could place the magi-devices and Magi Machines of others under his own Domination. The danger would have been immeasurable if Honorary Squire Reiko-kyou were to be controlled. Consequently, we were protecting him within our territory."
It wasn't the entire truth, but it wasn't a lie either. Everyone present wore expressions of understanding at this explanation.
Details regarding the evacuation of his family for fear of them being taken hostage were omitted, as such concerns were considered common knowledge.
"Jin-sama's skill surpasses my own, and I say that without a hint of flattery. I believe that becomes clear to anyone who sees the Hurricane," Marikka added with a firm, dignified tone.
Lordtoss then stepped in to summarize.
"I imagine some of you might wonder why he and Deus Ex Machina III appeared before the world at nearly the same time. The explanation is simple. Recently, Deus Ex Machina III took the lead in annihilating Markitus's forces. Thanks to that, Jin-san can finally venture out into the world with peace of mind."
"I see," the Avalon executives murmured, nodding in silent agreement.
Jin provided the final conclusion to his portion of the meeting.
"And so, through Lordtoss's arrangements, I traveled to the Shouro Empire. Though it differed slightly from the original plan, I received the title of Magi Craft Meister and the appointment of Imperial Honorary Advisor directly from Her Majesty the Empress."
Since Jin had been an honorary citizen of the Shouro Empire four hundred years ago, this progression was accepted by the listeners as perfectly natural.
"Then, I shall speak next," Deus Ex Machina III began.
"The name Deus Ex Machina is not a hereditary one; it is a title passed down to those who are deemed qualified."
He continued with remarkable simplicity.
"For this era, I am the one who obtained those qualifications."
However, he likely felt it would be inconsiderate to leave the explanation there.
"It is something of a family tradition for us to avoid interfering in world affairs as much as possible. However, when those who threaten the very order of the world appear—such as the Magic Federation—we could not stand idly by. Thus, I lent my hand."
He explained that this was also the reason why the Second Generation had remained in seclusion.
At this point, one of the executives raised a hand to ask a question.
"In... in that case, does this mean you will not cooperate with us in the future?"
Since one of the original founders of their city was the first Deus Ex Machina, the question was only natural.
"No. If the need arises, I have no objection to lending my assistance."
The executive was visibly relieved by this answer.
"Then it is our turn," Elena said, bowing slightly before she began.
"We of Nostalgia have been losing to the Magic Federation for a long time. The sole reason for this was the existence of Markitus, who could seize Domination over magi-devices and Magi Machines."
No one raised an objection to her statement.
"Now that the threat of Markitus was removed in the recent battle, we are rapidly reclaiming our foundation."
Elena paused, looking toward Jin and Maquina III.
"We of Nostalgia formally propose an alliance with Avalon."
A murmur of excitement rose from the Avalon executives.
"That would be most welcome," Tomax replied. He felt that Nostalgia possessed technology that was a step ahead of Avalon's current capabilities, so the proposal was a godsend.
Following this, Maquina III and Jin proposed that if Nostalgia and Avalon were to formally ally, the two of them would prefer to provide assistance from an independent position.
"Hrm... while I cannot force the matter... it is a bit of a shame. Maquina III-sama, Jin-sama—if the two of you were to fully cooperate, Avalon would become much, much more powerful."
"Tomax, what exactly do you mean by 'powerful'?"
Marikka, taking issue with Tomax's choice of words, questioned him with a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Eh? Er, well, Sensei... I simply meant that if we had more power, we could be of greater use to the world."
"Then say so clearly. You sounded like a military supremacist just now."
"I-I'm sorry."
Even as the Chief Administrator, he still found himself unable to talk back to his former teacher.
"In any case, can we consider the threat of the Magic Federation and Markitus to be a thing of the past?" Tomax asked, seeking final confirmation.
"You may. Markitus is no longer in this world," Maquina III asserted. Again, a stir of relief went through the executives.
"The Magic Federation can no longer hijack the Magi Machines of others, nor can they brainwash people. Brainwashing was essentially Markitus's personal specialty."
They had decided to keep the existence of the Magi Emulator a secret. It would be far too troublesome if that specific technology were to leak to the public. Even without it, the idea of hijacking others' machines seemed to have become deeply ingrained in the Magic Federation's tactics, as evidenced by the recent incident in the Shouro Empire.
"However, there is a possibility they may attempt similar incidents elsewhere, just as they did in the Empire."
"Hmm. That would be a matter for the World Security Guard."
As an aside, many people in the general public used "Avalon" and "World Security Guard" interchangeably. However, "Avalon" was technically the name of the megafloat and the organization that managed the city-state itself. The World Security Guard was an international organization that used Avalon as its headquarters.
Furthermore, besides hosting the Security Guard, Avalon also served as the permanent base for the World Conference. As the Chief Administrator of Avalon, Tomax Bartman was simultaneously the head of the World Security Guard. It was a convoluted arrangement, but that was how the system functioned.
"Regarding that World Security Guard... looking at the recent disturbance, it seems your equipment has become quite outdated, hasn't it?"
When Marikka pointed this out, Tomax leaned forward eagerly.
"That's exactly it, Sensei! We've been attempting to push forward with our own development, but we've somehow fallen behind. Is there any way you could help us?"
As he spoke, Tomax kept glancing toward Jin and Maquina III. He was far too easy to read.
"...Sigh. Though to be fair, the blame for that lies with Graham Derby."
Marikka noticed the confused looks on the faces of Jin and the members of Nostalgia, who clearly didn't recognize the name, and she paused to provide an explanation.
"Graham Derby was the man who served as Chief Administrator before Tomax. I taught him for a short while as well, but..."
Marikka trailed off, looking pained. Seeing her reaction, Tomax took over the explanation.
"It must be difficult for Sensei to say it. Graham Derby was clever, but he was incredibly dogmatic. He went so far as to return every single one of the Fuhrer units."
The "Fuhrer" units were teacher-use automata created by Jin four hundred years ago. They possessed scientific knowledge roughly equivalent to an elementary school level.
"Thinking back on it now, I suspect Graham Derby had a way of thinking that was dangerously close to that of the Magic Federation."
That had happened about thirty years ago, when Tomax Bartman was still a young man in his early twenties.
"The Fuhrer units are currently being stored at my place, so there will be no problem with returning them to service," Marikka said.
Tomax Bartman's face lit up instantly.
"Ah, Sensei, thank you!"
Looking truly overjoyed, the Chief Administrator bowed deeply to his former teacher.