“Jin-dono, I apologize for the wait. Word has finally arrived from the royal capital. You are officially to be treated as the Third Generation Magi Craft Meister.”
Near noon, Ernest XVII and Duke Blue brought the official news to Jin.
“Along with that, I have the documents appointing you as an Honorary Noble of the Kingdom of Egerea.”
Ernest XVII was blunt about the appointment, admitting the title was merely a formality to grant him access to the palace without the burdens of taxation or military service.
“I gratefully accept,” Jin replied, taking the certificate.
With this, his freedom of movement within both the Shouro Empire and the Kingdom of Egerea had expanded significantly.
A moment later, Princess Mimir arrived, accompanied by Tia.
“Magi Craft Meighter Jin-shama, thank you very much for fixing Tia-machu.”
The little princess gave a polite bow.
“Please, think nothing of it, Your Highness,” Jin said, smiling warmly at her. “An exceptional automaton like Tia is a treasure to all humanity.”
Soon, it was time for lunch. The spread appeared to be a standard meal for the nobility and royalty of the Kingdom of Egerea. The menu featured freshly baked white bread, Cowbull steak, Glass Boar cutlets, white fish meunière, white stew, and a vegetable salad.
While the number of dishes seemed modest, the portions were anything but—specifically the Cowbull steak. While Princess Mimir’s portion was a manageable seventy grams, the steaks served to Jin and the others were a staggering six hundred grams. The Glass Boar cutlet looked to be another four hundred grams on top of that.
Mimir aside, Ernest XVII and Lordtoss both polished off their meals with casual ease. Jin managed to finish his, but Tomax Bartman sat with a pale face, one hand pressed against his stomach.
“You shouldn’t push yourself if your stomach is upset,” Jin cautioned.
“Y-yes... I thought I would be fine since the recovery medicine you gave me earlier helped so much, but...”
Jin made a mental note to provide him with another dose of the medicine later. Illumina also seemed to be struggling with her steak, though in this social setting, leaving food behind was not considered an insult. Leftovers were traditionally given to livestock; it was a common belief, for instance, that feeding small amounts of meat to kokarisks improved their flavor. Ensuring that nothing went to waste was considered a point of virtue.
After lunch, Jin prepared for an immediate departure from Blue Land.
“Well then, thank you for your hospitality.”
“Jin-dono, the debt is ours. I am grateful to have witnessed your extraordinary craftsmanship firsthand,” Ernest XVII replied.
“Jin-shama, I want to see you again-dechu!” Princess Mimir waved farewell, looking genuinely sad to see him leave.
As a quiet aside, Jin had secretly slipped Tia a generous extra supply of konpeito.
Once inside the transport, Tomax Bartman sank into his seat with a look of profound exhaustion.
“You’ve had a long few days,” Jin said sympathetically, handing him a second bottle of recovery medicine.
“Ah, thank you...” Tomax took it weakly and downed it in one go. “Phew... I feel better already, even if it’s just my imagination.”
Since it was an oral medicine, it began soothing his irritated stomach lining almost instantly. For the remainder of the flight back to Avalon, Tomax remained leaned back against his seat with his eyes closed.
“Jin-dono, thank you for everything.”
After dropping off Tomax Bartman and Illumina Ratkin at Avalon, Jin took off again immediately. As Tomax stood watching the Hurricane shrink into the distance, a voice called out from behind him.
“Good work, Chief Administrator.”
He turned to find Maquina III standing there.
“I have a gift prepared for you.”
“A gift?” Tomax asked, looking puzzled.
Maquina III stepped aside to introduce the automaton standing behind him.
“This is the secretary automaton, Manon.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” the automaton said, performing a graceful bow.
“Jin and I prepared her together in the hope of reducing your burden, Tomax-dono.”
“O-oh! That is most welcome news!”
In reality, Jin had contacted Hourai Island and had Laojun handle the construction. The plan was to present her as a gift through Maquina III.
“She is capable of handling all basic administrative duties. Her memory is flawless, and she can serve as a guard if the need arises.”
“That is wonderful!”
To distinguish her from the "Blue-hair" series like Anne and Tia, her hair had been colored a deep forest green. Based on the 5-Color Golem Maids of Hourai Island but with her performance slightly de-tuned for the public, she was easily the equal of five human secretaries. Her features bore a subtle resemblance to Illumina Ratkin.
“Furthermore,” Maquina III added, “she is equipped to use Cure and Painkiller magic.”
“That is a lifesaver!” Tomax exclaimed.
She had been specially customized for Tomax to provide medical support. It would take about half a day to brief Manon on his specific requirements, but the result would be a two-thirds reduction in Tomax Bartman’s workload. She would handle everything from scheduling and drafting documents to proofreading, filing, and greeting guests. She would even manage his diet and provide fatigue recovery. Before long, Tomax Bartman’s health would begin to see a marked improvement.
“Now then, this is becoming quite the nuisance.”
Aboard the Hurricane as it headed back toward Hourai Island, Jin spoke to himself.
“I’d really like to drag the mastermind behind this out into the light.”
It rankled him that his New Year's holiday had been cut short.
“And Tomax looks like he’s at his breaking point.”
Deciding he needed to regroup and consult with his closest advisors, Jin used the onboard Warp Gate to return to Hourai Island ahead of the ship, accompanied by Reiko, Lordtoss, and Urgan.
“Hope, I’m sorry, but I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
Under Hope’s steady hand, the Hurricane would continue its flight back to Hourai Island. Meanwhile, Jin and his companions arrived at the base to plan their next move.
On Hourai Island, the management brain Laojun had already begun to act.
“It is intolerable that these remnants of the Magic Federation would instigate such a disturbance while My Lord is attempting to rest...”
Laojun had already tracked the coordinates where the Five-man group had fled via the magic circle. Its first move was to deploy the Shinobi Squad.
The Shinobi Squad was comprised of five-centimeter-tall mini-golems designed specifically for infiltration and reconnaissance. Laojun dispatched them via the transporter immediately. By the time Jin returned and called for a briefing, Laojun had already secured a wealth of intelligence.