The Q&A session with Deus Ex Machina in Avalon's Aviation Research Lab was still underway.
"Um, well, regarding the Blow Floater... just how large can it possibly be made?"
To Zora Himmel's question, Deus Ex Machina replied without missing a beat.
"Jin-dono's Hurricane—that, too, is a Blow Floater."
"What?!"
Startled gasps rippled across the room... before the realization set in.
"I-Indeed!"
"That structure really is the same as a Blow Floater's!"
True to their expertise, the lab staff grasped the concept immediately.
"As long as the strength of the wings catching the wind allows it, you can make one as large as you like."
"I suppose that makes sense..."
"In that case, allow me to ask a question as well... regarding the danger of midair collisions."
As the number of aircraft increased, such accidents would naturally become a reality, carrying far greater risks than collisions on the ground.
"Quite right. Several countermeasures can be considered. First and foremost is outfitting them with barriers."
Deploying repulsive barriers while airborne would prevent craft from making contact with one another or colliding with nearby buildings and trees.
"Naturally, given the nature of the barrier, it would be designed to deflect gently."
Specifically, it would be configured so that as the relative distance decreased, the repulsive force would rapidly escalate—inversely proportional to the square of the distance, Maquina explained.
"Depending on the circumstances, it might be cubed or raised to the fourth power rather than squared," Maquina added, continuing:
"Incidentally, the barrier deployed near the ground during the air race possessed similar properties."
"However, this barrier could also be repurposed into weaponry. If Avalon is willing to place strict limits on its application, I can instruct you in its design."
A barrier capable of withstanding physical attacks, even if built for defense, could easily serve as a formidable combat asset.
"Though if we go down that road, almost any technology can be turned into a weapon," Maquina remarked, a trace of sorrow and regret crossing the construct's face.
"Aside from that, having a golem pilot or assist with controls is another viable method for reducing human error."
Using golems—which never fatigued or lost concentration—to detect nearby hazards or automatically take evasive action upon sensing danger was another path forward.
It was an approach much like collision-avoidance systems in modern automobiles.
"I see. That was very informative."
Time rolled back to October 20th.
"I see. So the technology transfer to Avalon went smoothly, then."
Over the course of several days, Deus Ex Machina had assisted Avalon with the development of small aircraft, and that effort had drawn to a close on this day.
On Hourai Island, Jin nodded in satisfaction as he listened to Laojun's report.
"...Still, seriously... almost any technology can end up being used for war, can't it?"
Jin muttered regretfully as well.
"My Lord, are you considering preventive measures?"
"Yeah, more or less... Maybe by providing all barrier magi-devices as pre-made units, rigged to self-erase if anyone attempts to analyze them, or something along those lines."
"That would indeed reduce the risk considerably."
"I'd think so....Though if they manage to develop it from scratch on their own, there's nothing we can do about that."
"Indeed."
"Well, we still have a bit of breathing room, so let's think about other security measures in the meantime."
"Understood."
"All right then, I guess this should do it."
Jin was currently modifying the Delta X02-1.
His guiding image was that of a mini-bike.
The concept placed a premium on agility and short-to-medium distance mobility over long-distance cruising.
"If it's long-distance travel, we have plenty of other ways to get around, after all."
"Indeed, Father."
Reiko, who was assisting him, shared his view.
"I wonder what kind of spin Lordtoss and Rubina will put on theirs."
Jin looked forward to the day they would compare their creations.
"Hmm... Somehow this feels half-baked..."
On Onogoro Island, Rubina was deep in trial and error.
She was well aware that one of her biggest weaknesses was a lack of experience. To compensate, she decided to try out a variety of configurations first, running repetitive tests with modifications skewed toward speed, stability, agility, or lift.
"The Blow Floater I'm really aiming for, huh..."
She had a vague vision, but it had yet to crystallize.
"There's still time, so all I can do is keep iterating."
Muttering to herself, Rubina set back to work on her modifications.
Meanwhile, Lordtoss was taking his own approach.
"As I thought, my focus should be on stability and safety."
He was methodically fine-tuning his craft in the Nord Federation.
Serving as his assistant and test pilot was the automaton Momoko.
"Lordtoss-sama, what settings should we try next?"
"Let's see. Let's lean a bit more toward speed this time."
"Understood."
As a core philosophy, Lordtoss prioritized stability, and within those bounds, he adjusted for higher speeds and improved handling.
While his process was similar to Rubina's, Lordtoss had a crystal-clear goal in mind, allowing him to make far more granular adjustments.
Then there were Freddie and Greena.
"Hmm, it's gotten quite stable, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. Next, it'd be great if we could squeeze out a bit more speed."
"But if you push for speed, you'll lose maneuverability, you know?"
"Yeah, that's the catch... I wonder if there's any reference material in the castle's library?"
"Shall we go check?"
The two took a classic, reliable approach: if they didn't know something, they researched it; if they still couldn't figure it out, they consulted Jin or Laojun through Butler B or C. Through these steady, methodical steps, they steadily brought their very own Blow Floater to completion.
"Next up are crash countermeasures."
"Right. No matter what, as long as we take to the skies, the risk of crashing will always be hanging over us..."
"Let's think this through carefully, too."
Talking things over as they went, the pair walked toward Jin Castle.
"Oho, this is even more fun than I expected!"
On Hourai Island, Reinhard was thoroughly enjoying a flight on his self-built Blow Floater.
"Reinhard-sama, Marikka-sama is also in sight," reported Leila, Reinhard's assistant automaton.
"Let's see... Ah, so she is."
They were cruising over Tatsumi Bay, about ten meters above the water's surface.
The altitude had been chosen so that even in the unlikely event of a crash, no fatal damage would occur.
That said, the machine boasted a high degree of refinement and flew with rock-solid stability; barring unforeseen circumstances, a crash seemed out of the question.
Elsewhere...
"Hmm... A Blow Floater, is it...?"
An unnamed magi craftsman had also begun to take an interest in the emerging trend.