Making full use of her force generator, Mini Reiko descended through the hot spring's borehole.
"The inside of the shaft remains properly reinforced. As expected of Father."
About two minutes later, she reached the plug in question.
"So this is the 'plug'... Wait, this is..."
The material was not metal, but appeared to be quartz.
Whoever had placed it must have chosen a material resistant to corrosion from hot spring water and various dissolved ions. It had been worked into a clean cylinder, making it clear it was not a natural formation.
"I cannot pull it out as it is... I will have to alter its shape slightly."
Mini Reiko was also capable of casting magi-craft.
"Forming."
She reshaped the quartz plug, narrowing its diameter. Gripping it firmly, Mini Reiko began to back out.
She had to retreat immediately, as removing the plug meant hot spring water could come surging up at any moment.
Of course, the water posed no actual danger to Mini Reiko.
Her miniature maid uniform was crafted from the same rare materials as the original and did not tear, allowing Reiko to return safely to the surface where Jin was waiting.
"I have returned."
"Welcome back, Reiko."
"Here is the plug. It was somewhat thicker, but I narrowed it with magic before bringing it up."
"Good work."
Jin praised Reiko and took the plug from her hands.
Village Chief Yuzo stared at Mini Reiko in stunned silence, utterly wide-eyed.
Acting as though he had noticed nothing out of the ordinary, Jin murmured, "A quartz plug, huh... Who could have driven this in?"
Just then, the sound of rushing water echoed up from below.
"Oh, here it comes!"
It began with a low gurgle before swelling into a vigorous rush.
Only then did the village chief finally snap back to his senses.
"Th-This is...! Jin-sama, thank you so much! I-I cannot just stand around! I must gather our people and get the bathhouse restored at once! E-Excuse me!"
Overjoyed, the chief offered a hasty word of thanks before darting outside. Jin watched his retreating back with a wry smile.
"Well, it was a job left half-done anyway," Jin said, using magi-craft to clear the clogged drainage channels as well.
"Jin-san, thank you very much."
Having stepped out of the bathhouse, Lishia—in her guise as Lichia—offered her thanks as they walked through the village.
"...It is no longer my family's domain, but I still felt I had to thank you."
"Yeah, I understand how you feel."
Jin accepted her gratitude with a gentle smile.
Afterward, Jin and the others inspected the nearly completed inn and took a stroll through the revitalized town.
"The sewer system and Cleanup facilities are all running smoothly."
Since public sanitation infrastructure was vital, Jin had wanted to verify it firsthand.
"If they're going to bring in large crowds of visitors, it would be a disaster if these weren't in proper working order."
"Indeed," Lichia agreed with a nod.
"Now then, where should we check out next?" Jin asked, turning to Lichia beside him.
"Let's see. I have a good grasp of the village's overall state, but as for the records..."
"If you really want to see the ledgers, we can just use a Peeper later."
Lichia had been curious about the village's tax revenues and municipal budget.
"Though personally, I don't think we need to go that far."
"Y-You are right."
Flustered by Jin's slightly exasperated tone, Lichia nodded in embarrassment.
"In that case, shall we go see the air racing arena next?"
Seeing that Lichia was satisfied with the town tour, Jin made the suggestion.
"Ah, let's do that."
The quality of the air racing arena was crucial.
All the more so if they planned to hold recurring air races here in the future.
The air racing arena occupied an expanse of gently rolling grassland stretching out to the west of the village.
The hills had a maximum elevation difference of only around twenty meters, with the undulating terrain extending roughly twenty kilometers east to west and eight kilometers north to south.
Farther west, the land rose into rugged mountains harboring the Kutsudo Mine.
To the north lay a small mountain range separating Toka Village from the basin containing Kaina Village, while to the south, the elevation gently sloped downward toward the main highway, where the towns of Rakuno and Doppa were situated.
Being an inland area, winds remained mild on clear days, making it ideal for aircraft competitions.
"Ah, they've set up spectator seating on that hill."
Taking advantage of the natural slope, tiered seating capable of holding roughly a thousand people had already been built.
"There are VIP seats, too."
Jin figured those were likely reserved for royalty of the Klein Kingdom or other dignitaries.
"They've installed sunshades as well."
"Yeah. The races will probably be postponed if it rains anyway, so there was no real need for rain covers."
At that moment, workers were in the middle of mounting a large magi-screen.
"Looking at this layout, the main issue is going to be transport for the spectators."
In Jin's view, since this was an air race, running temporary transport flights seemed like the obvious solution.
"If Avalon provides airships on loan... wait, bringing that up will just pile more work onto Tomax-san. Maybe I should have Deus Ex Machina handle it."
Maquina's Aristotle was a massive airship measuring a hundred meters in length.
If they used that to shuttle visitors...
"...No, that won't do. That ship would end up stealing the entire show."
Deciding that the Aristotle would make a bigger splash than the air race itself, Jin scrapped the idea.
"In that case, a bus-type Golem automobile would make more sense..."
Fortunately, thanks to Kaina Village's presence nearby, the highway was well-maintained, meaning automobile transit should run without any issues.
"Maybe I'll have Maquina gift a few to mark the inaugural race."
"I think that would be a wonderful idea, Father."
Perched on Jin's shoulder, Mini Reiko had caught his quiet muttering and voiced her agreement.
"All right then, that's what we'll do."
Having finished their inspection, Jin and Lichia made their way back to the airfield where Konron 3 was parked.
"Lishi... Lichia, are you satisfied with everything?"
"Yes. Thank you so much, Jin-san."
"Glad to hear it. Well then, shall we head home?"
The time in Toka Village was 5:30 PM, and the evening sky had begun to dim.
Once Jin, Mini Reiko, and Lichia boarded, Konron 3 rose smoothly into the twilight sky.
"It's already dinner time back on Hourai Island....Sky 2, sorry to leave you to it, but I'm heading back ahead via the Warp Gate. Take your time returning."
"Acknowledged, sir. Please leave the vessel to me."
With that, Jin and Mini Reiko stepped through the Warp Gate installed aboard Konron 3, returning directly to Hourai Island.
Since Lichia was merely a Doppel, the artificial body remained aboard the craft. Lishia herself naturally stepped away from the remote cockpit, leaving the rest of the return flight in Laojun's hands.
Over dinner that evening, Jin and Lishia shared their report on the current state of Toka Village with everyone.