As dusk settled over Kaina Village, a banquet was underway in the Great Hall of Jin Nidou Castle.
"Thank you all for your hard work today. There wasn't a single accident, and it turned out to be an immense success. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest to soothe your fatigue and gather your strength for tomorrow. And to those who are here through the bonds of fate, I hope you have a wonderful time as well."
Following Jin's simple, well-measured opening remarks, the room instantly came alive with excitement.
"Lordtoss-sama, you were amazing!"
"Haha, thank you. Next time, I'm aiming for victory."
"I'll be cheering for you!"
Rubina was chatting with Lordtoss.
"So you came to watch too, Freddie."
"Ah, yeah... I was traveling through the southern Kingdom of Egerea with my grandmother. When we got back, we found out this kind of event was taking place in Toka Village."
Greena was talking with Freddie.
Ernest XVII and his close aide had traveled from the Kingdom of Egerea for the air race, but since it was an inaugural event, word had barely reached the general public, leaving Freddie and his grandmother in the dark while down south.
"Still, even though the timing was down to the wire, I'm glad we caught it. Jin-sama even had Anne-san look after us."
Right on cue, Anne returned carrying a tray laden with drinks and snacks.
"Here you are, Eris-sama, Freddie-sama."
"Oh, thank you."
As the host, Jin was entertaining his most esteemed VIP, Sion.
"There were a lot of experimental aspects this time, but overall, I think it went quite well."
"Yes, indeed. The Klein Kingdom received it warmly, and the other guests of honor seemed thoroughly pleased."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"I do hope you'll host it again next year."
"If you'd like that, then of course I'll cooperate. The Klein Kingdom wouldn't have any reason to refuse, either."
"Yes... In that case, it might be a good idea to have a proper flight course built in Toka Village."
"...Well, I understand how you feel, but let's save that kind of talk for outside the banquet... alright?"
Jin's gentle chiding brought a rueful smile to Sion's face.
"Ah, you're right. My apologies."
Her wry expression softened into a genuine smile as she picked up her cup. Yes, a cup.
Neither a glass nor a mug, but a traditional drinking cup.
It was an urushi-lacquered vessel commonly used in Jin Nidou Castle, reserved specifically for serving "Japanese sake"—or rather, "rice wine."
And Sion loved the rice wine from Hourai Island.
"Ah, delicious."
It was a flavor refined over the course of four hundred years—the culmination of tireless selective breeding by Topaz and the Five-Colored Golem Maids, alongside Perido and her team's continuous brewing.
"...You're sounding quite poetic."
Seeing Sion uncharacteristically sentimental, Jin murmured softly.
"Perhaps I am. Maybe it's just the lingering rush of the race."
With a faint smile, Sion took another sip.
"...A 'Blow Plane,' is it?"
"Yes... A friend coined the term for me. It's a whole new genre, you could say."
As host, Jin couldn't spend all his time with Sion alone, so he made his way over to Lordtoss and the rest of the Nord Federation contingent.
The topic of conversation was, naturally, Jin's Taube Kai.
"The performance demanded versus the construction required to fulfill it... I've finally come to realize how crucial that balance is."
Speaking was Marikka's grand-disciple, Kondak of the All-Creation clan.
"Watching Lordtoss's pursuit gave me a vague sense of it, but watching Jin-sama's flight made me understand completely."
"Hmm..."
Jin folded his arms with a conflicted expression at the praise.
"I know I'm the one who built it, but the 'Blow Plane' actually deviates from Marikka's philosophy."
The "Blow Floater" was rooted in a concept closer to balloons and airships—one where "floating" and "propulsion" were kept completely separate.
A "Blow Plane," on the other hand, relied on aerodynamics for its maneuverability. One could even call it... an evolution of the tailless aircraft.
"Is that truly the case, though?"
Marikka's direct disciple, Imimir of the All-Creation clan, voiced her disagreement.
"Jin-sama's Taube Kai hasn't 'deviated.' It is undeniably the next step beyond the Blow Floater."
"You think so?"
"Yes... If Marikka-sama were here, I'm certain she would say the exact same thing."
"...I see."
With a smile that was half-amused, half-fond, Jin recalled a conversation he had shared with Marikka.
It had taken place earlier that day, while they were still on Hourai Island.
"Jin-sama, you have elevated the Blow Floater to an even higher level!"
Marikka—or rather, her homunculus—had declared with sparkling eyes.
"I had always wanted to address how maneuverability is fine at low speeds, but deteriorates the faster you go."
However, she had explained that an Air Jet lacked power during high-speed flight, yet mounting a larger one would only get in the way at low speeds.
"Even so, making the propulsion system movable tends to introduce structural weaknesses, so I wanted to avoid that."
The Blow Floater possessed a major advantage: the roles of each individual component were clearly defined.
The main wing and the Blow Floater engine handled lift. The propulsion system handled forward movement. The thrusters handled turning.
It was easy to understand, easy to operate, and easy to maintain. And, of course, easy to manufacture.
If you wanted to fly faster, you simply made the propulsion system more powerful; if you wanted to lift heavier loads, you simply enlarged the main wing and the Blow Floater engine.
However, no clever solution had been found to enhance its agility.
"To think you would utilize aerodynamics for that..."
"But I broke the rule of 'thrusters are for turning,' didn't I?"
At his words, Marikka had shaken her head.
"No, that division of roles was only ever a guideline; I have no intention of clinging to it stubbornly."
Refusing to adopt a genuinely necessary function out of mere obstinacy would be putting the cart before the horse, Marikka had firmly told Jin.
"I see. Well, if you say so, Marikka..."
...That was how their exchange had gone.
Marikka's disciples had undeniably inherited that very same mindset and were looking toward the future—a thought that brought Jin immense satisfaction.
Jin then walked over to Eris.
Freddie was deep in conversation with Greena in a corner, while Anne remained by Eris's side.
"Ah, Jin-sama."
"Eris-san, are you having a good time? Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes. Just soaking in the atmosphere is plenty of fun. Anne-san has been taking wonderful care of me as well."
"I'm glad to hear that, but..."
Jin glanced over at Freddie, who was chatting happily with Greena.
"Fufu, that boy looked after me throughout our entire trip. The least I can do is look the other way while he speaks with the girl he likes."
"I-Is that so?"
Seeing Eris smile warmly as she watched over her grandson, Jin turned to Anne.
"Anne, make sure to look after Eris-san, alright?" he reiterated.
"Hey, Jin-sama, about that Taube Kai..."
Rubina, having seemingly finished her discussion with the Nord Federation group, approached Jin.
"May I ask a few questions?"
"Sure, go right ahead."
"Um, are Blow Floaters inherently incompatible with aircraft technology?"
"Hmm..."
Jin understood what Rubina was getting at, and knowing the background behind why Marikka had created the Blow Floater in the first place, he found himself pondering how best to answer.