"The winner, by a narrow margin, is Bib #9! In second place, Bib #1! In third place, Bib #2!!"
A storm of cheers engulfed the venue...
"Ah, Ro was just one step short, wasn't he?"
Sion murmured with a hint of regret.
It had been an agonizingly thin margin—what one would call a "nose" in horse racing.
"Sion-sama, how unfortunate for your great-grandson," said Josephine Lumes Klein, Queen of the Klein Kingdom.
"Yes. But using this as a springboard, I'm sure he will grow even further."
"In fourth place is Bib #7! Followed by Bib #8, 5, 3, 6, 4, and 10, crossing the finish line one after another!!"
Once again, the venue was enveloped in thunderous applause and cheers.
"That was so close for Lordtoss-sama."
"Yes. In the end, the difference in machine performance... or rather, the fine-tuning of the craft, showed through right to the finish."
Rubina and Greena were analyzing the race together.
"Still, that final surge of his was incredible."
"Indeed. I suppose you could call it raw resilience... Ah, of course!"
Suddenly, Rubina raised her voice.
"Rubina, did you figure something out?"
"Yeah. Well, not completely, but... You know how Jin-sama works? I was thinking it might be better to factor in a larger 'margin' when building things."
It was a concept similar to a safety factor. The human body usually operates with plenty of reserve capacity, which is why a person can tap into hidden adrenaline-fueled strength in an emergency, or compensate with other limbs when an arm or leg is injured.
"In other words, you shouldn't build things right at the bare minimum of the required specs?"
"Exactly!"
"But isn't that something only Jin-sama can pull off...?"
Greena pointed out that creating something exceeding the required specifications by more than double was a feat unique to Jin. However, Rubina remained undaunted.
"If you give up there, it's all over!"
She maintained an utterly positive attitude to the end. As expected of the First Generation Magi Craft Queen.
"Mm, that was truly thrilling, Your Majesty!"
"Indeed, it was. Let us allocate a budget so that we can hold such races on a regular basis."
"A fine idea, Your Majesty. It would be wonderful to recruit participants as well as spectators from nations across the world to turn this into a grand tournament... Yes, just like the Golem Boat Race held in Port Rock Town."
"Mother, that was so much fun!"
"It truly was. It would be lovely to hold more events like this in the future."
The royals of the Klein Kingdom appeared thoroughly impressed by the spectacle.
"My, what a splendid race. Simple, yet profoundly deep, one might say."
Ernest XVII, Honorary CEO of the Royal Factory of the Kingdom of Egerea, spoke to his close aide, Kana.
"Yes, just as you say, Your Highness. It would be wise for our country to advance development as well, so as not to be left behind by the trends of the era."
"Do you think so as well?"
From this point on, the development of Blow Floaters would likely flourish in the Kingdom of Egerea as well.
"Ah, that was wonderful, wasn't it, Big Sister!"
"It truly was... Once we return, let's advocate for the necessity of developing small-class craft and secure some development funds."
"Yes, Big Sister!!"
The female engineers from Avalon—Zora Himmel, the deputy laboratory chief of the Aviation Lab, and her subordinate, Ciel Azur—nodded to each other in agreement.
Edda Eema, a technical specialist from Nostalgia, was equally inspired by the high level of technology demonstrated by the Nord Federation.
"Coming here was well worth the trip. I must draw up a detailed report," she said, her motivation thoroughly stoked.
"Ah, one step... no, half a step short, huh."
On Hourai Island, Jin and the others were excitedly watching the dead heat near the finish line.
"Lordtoss was so close, too... As for Bib #9, Kondak's tuning just happened to hit the mark, I suppose," Jin said.
"Weren't you the one who kept the race details secret until the very last minute, Jin? Isn't that why so many craft ended up with half-baked tuning?" Reinhard pointed out.
"Yeah, there's definitely that. I was torn on which approach would be better, but..." Jin replied.
"Well, you might be able to build a craft that could win under any circumstances, but isn't that asking a bit much for everyone else in this kind of race?" Reinhard continued. "Lordtoss tuned his craft to handle various situations. Bib #9 bet everything on pure speed. That was the difference, right?"
"That's true. I didn't anticipate that possibility beforehand. I really need to reflect on that."
Jin admitted to himself that he had indulged his own preferences a bit too much this time.
If it had been a race with a continuous series of technical courses, Bib #9 would likely have placed much lower.
"Next time, I'll announce the race details in advance."
"That would be the sensible approach, yes. Even so, it was a huge success. It was truly fun to watch."
As Reinhard offered his reassurance, Saki nodded along.
"Mm-mm, that's right, Jin."
"Jin-san, thank you so much for all your efforts on behalf of Toka Village's development!"
Lishia bowed her head in gratitude as well.
"My, that was quite the spectacle, commentator Maquina-san."
"Indeed. The next event is still undecided, but at this rate, it seems we could turn this into an ongoing series. In that case, varying the race format each time will surely make it even more thrilling."
"Oho, such as what, for instance?"
"Setting up rows of poles so they have to weave through them in a zigzag, flying through rings... things along those lines, off the top of my head."
"I see, that sounds delightful!"
"Still, I'm glad there were no accidents."
The only object caught in the barrier was the component that Bib #2 had jettisoned earlier.
"That barrier is designed to gently catch falling objects. It can handle up to roughly one ton without issue."
Hearing Maquina's explanation, those within earshot were astonished.
"This is managed strictly by myself. I have no intention of handing it over to any specific individual, organization, or nation."
He made sure to emphasize that point.
"What a shame," someone muttered.
Understandably so. A barrier capable of absorbing up to a ton meant virtually all physical attacks would be rendered useless.
"Now then, for the next forty-five minutes, we shall dedicate our time to preparations for the awards ceremony and the popularity poll," Yuzo Mayaka's announcement echoed over the grounds. "Please place your voting tickets into the ballot boxes numbered one through ten. This is entirely independent of the race rankings."
During these forty-five minutes, the spectators would cast their votes, visit the restrooms, and take care of other personal matters.
"Today's final event will be a demonstration flight by the Third Generation Magi Craft Meister, Jin Nidou-sama."
Placing Jin's demonstration flight at the very end was originally meant to keep the spectators from leaving before the awards ceremony, but even without such precautions, not a single person seemed inclined to head home early.
"Still, these restrooms are truly astonishing."
"Indeed they are."
"To think these are merely temporary facilities..."
"I am quite curious to know how they function."
"I hear they were built by Maquina-dono."
The temporary restrooms were yet another source of wonder.
The structure was actually quite simple.
A teleportation magic circle was engraved out of sight within the bowl's receiving basin, whisking the waste away directly to a disposal facility.
Unlike a Warp Gate, it was configured so that the waste appearing on the receiving end would fall away naturally due to gravity.
The toilet seats were inscribed with Cleanup magic circles, preventing stains from adhering.
Paper was not provided by default and had to be brought by the users, though it was available for purchase at stalls nearby.
While Jin had provided heated seats, he had refrained from turning them into full bidet toilets.
And so, time ticked by.
The scheduled forty-five minutes came to an end, and the ballot boxes were carried away by tournament officials. The tallying was about to begin.