Laojun was working day and night to redeploy the Quinta.
"This is the price of neglecting them for over a century."
Safe houses had been established all across Planet Ars, but the vast majority had become unusable. These safe houses—which Jin had once called "secret bases"—served as hideouts for the Quinta engaged in intelligence gathering.
At least two had been established in every country, each equipped with a manacam and a Warp Gate. However, following the Magic Federation Rebellion, all equipment had been withdrawn. Only the empty shells of these former safe houses remained scattered throughout the lands.
"Those that have become animal dens are the better cases..."
In the worst instances, three were being used as hideouts for criminals.
"I believe it is time to have them back....Extermination, then."
Two Quinta units neutralized the occupants with ease. They tied the criminals up, dumped them in front of a local security guard station, and moved on. (The word "extermination," implying a total massacre, was merely Laojun’s attempt at a joke.)
"Now they are usable again. First, I shall deploy barriers to ensure no outsiders can enter..."
From that point, it took only three days to complete the refurbishment of every safe house.
"It is finally finished. Now, let us deploy the remaining members to their respective countries."
Laojun had been operating with only the bare minimum personnel, but with the safe houses prepared, the entire Quinta force could be sent out. This would allow the network to catch any movement within the various nations immediately.
And soon enough, information began to flow in.
On Hourai Island, Jin, who had been busy with Freddie’s special training, headed to the command room with Reiko in response to Laojun’s request.
"What’s the matter, Laojun?"
"I apologize for the intrusion while you are busy, My Lord."
Laojun offered a brief apology before beginning the explanation.
"First, I have good news....Marquis Logres has returned to his duties."
"Oh, that certainly is good news."
Logres Win Kuzuma, a descendant of the former Jin Family members Beena and Louis, had been suffering from Mana Overload Syndrome. After receiving word through Sion, Jin had prescribed a specific medicine using a mental catalyst, which had resulted in a complete healing. He had been focusing on physical recovery since then, but it appeared he had finally returned to work. His primary duty was governing Blue Land as a proxy for the territory's patron, Duke Blue.
"Hey, Laojun, there's something I've been wondering about."
"What would that be, My Lord?"
Jin decided to take this opportunity to confirm something that had been on his mind for a few days.
"A marquis is a pretty high rank, isn't it?"
"Yes, My Lord. Above that, there are only dukes, such as Duke Blue, and the royal family. Furthermore, generally speaking, only those who carry the blood of the royal family are permitted to become a duke."
"Right. Then why is Marquis Logres treated as a subordinate to Duke Blue?"
"That is because..."
First, the five ranks of nobility—Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron—were adopted from ancient traditions. Using the systems of other worlds as a reference, the weight of titles often varied between nations, meaning they could not always be perfectly equated. Therefore, titles higher than a duke were often addressed as "grand duke."
"It seems that because the House of Marquis Kuzuma is a newly established noble house, Duke Blue placed Logres as a subordinate as a temporary measure, concerned about their lack of political backing. That being said, he is a subordinate in terms of his official post, not his social standing."
"I see."
"Whether there was a better way is difficult to judge, as the circumstances of that era are unclear. However, seeing as the governance of Blue Land is currently proceeding smoothly, we can conclude it was not a bad move."
"Got it. That's all I needed to hear for now. Sorry for interrupting. Please continue."
"Yes, My Lord. Second is a simple report: the redeployment of the Quinta is complete. We should begin seeing results within a few days."
"Oh, that's great. Information is vital, after all."
"Indeed. And finally—this could be considered slightly bad news—there has been a change of leadership in the Kingdom of Elias."
In other words, a new king had ascended the throne.
"His name is Adalbert Nemo Elias I, age thirty. I speculate he is a king who is neither particularly remarkable nor incompetent."
"Yeah. So, what's the 'slightly bad' part?"
"Yes....He is an individual who formerly provided support to the Magic Federation."
"Ah, I see..."
Jin agreed that this was indeed not very good news.
"So, what kind of person is he?"
He couldn't get a grasp on the man's character just by hearing he was unremarkable.
"We are currently gathering information, but he seems to be a person who does not assert his own will very strongly."
"Meaning he's easily swayed by the opinions of those around him."
"Precisely."
"Hmm..."
If the cabinet ministers were competent, it wouldn't be an issue, but if they weren't, there was a real risk of misgovernment.
"On that point, the Magic Federation has been dismantled and most of its members purged, so it is likely not an immediate concern."
However, given his history of support, there was a high probability that he held a philosophy of magic supremacy and would neglect magi-craft.
"Even if you tell me that, there's not much I can do."
"No, that is not necessarily true."
"What do you mean?"
"Yes. It appears the new king is extremely fond of golems."
Laojun stated that he was specifically collecting powerful golems.
"Therefore, if My Lord were to gift an appropriate golem to celebrate his coronation..."
Laojun suggested that the king might come to understand just how useful magi-craft could be.
"I see."
In that case, Jin wondered if it would be a good idea to gift him a magic-frame style golem, the type he had been researching lately.
"I believe that would be excellent."
Laojun agreed with the idea, and Jin made up his mind.
"Alright, let's go with that."
Returning to the workshop where he was conducting Freddie's special training, Jin gave a brief summary of what he had learned from Laojun. Marikka, Rubina, Greena, and Freddie listened intently. Eris, meanwhile, was being shown around Hourai Island by Laozi, Soleil, and Luna.
"So that's what was happening..."
Rubina and Greena were pleased to hear news regarding the House of Marquis Kuzuma, since they shared a common ancestry. Furthermore, when Jin added a small note about the daughters of the marquis, Rubina seemed particularly intrigued to learn they were around her own age.
Meanwhile, Marikka spoke up.
"So the King of the Elias Kingdom has been replaced. I had a brief acquaintance with the former king. He was a very kind person."
She shared her memories of the previous monarch for a moment. Then Jin explained his plan.
"I've been discussing it with Laojun, and it seems the new king was leaning toward the Magic Federation. However, he's also a golem lover. So, I'm thinking of gifting him a magic-frame style golem as a coronation gift."
"I see. You intend to use the golem to open his eyes to the wonders of magi-craft."
"That's the idea."
"Please let me help!"
To the enthusiastic Marikka, Jin replied, "Yeah, I'm counting on you." Then he turned his attention back to his student.
"Freddie, this is a perfect opportunity. I'll teach you the foundations of golem construction as we go."
He had decided to turn this diplomatic project into yet another chapter in Freddie’s education.