On October 27th, the wind blowing through Kaina Village was growing noticeably colder.
"Mmh, looking good."
"Yeah, definitely!"
Freddie and Greena were flying around aboard their Blow Floater, the GFX-01.
"Since we prioritized safety, a north wind like this isn't a problem at all."
"Yeah, that's true."
The two of them repeatedly climbed, dove, and banked left and right, confirming both the craft's ride comfort and its safety.
"Hmm, that turned out quite well."
Watching them from the castle tower of Jin Castle was, of course, Jin.
"Having the two of them work together really is a good arrangement. It feels like they complement each other..."
"Mm. They'll make a good couple, for sure."
Beside Jin stood Elsa.
Having hit a wall in her research, she had come to Kaina Village for a change of pace over the past three days.
"They'll probably turn out to be solid engineers."
"Mm, agreed."
Jin and Elsa then moved over to the opposite side of the castle tower, which looked out toward the north.
"It will soon be time for snow in the Nord Federation as well, huh."
"Mm."
"Tomorrow is the day I promised to meet Lordtoss and the others. We're going to compare how our individual modifications to the Delta X02 turned out in Toka Village."
Large-scale competitions could wait for Planet Hehl, but for now, Jin thought it best to use this to help revitalize Toka Village.
"Mm, I heard. I'll go watch secretly."
Elsa meant she would go watch without letting Lordtoss, Rubina, or the others notice her.
Jin wanted to establish Toka Village as a sort of mecca for Blow Floaters.
To achieve that, he felt they needed to take the initiative in using the village's flight area themselves.
"According to Laojun's report, Blow Floater development seems to be underway across various nations."
"That in itself is a good thing. But..."
Jin easily anticipated what Elsa hesitated to say.
"Yeah. It could be repurposed for military use."
Even in Earth's history, the operational scale of aircraft differed vastly between World War I and World War II.
The growth had been so explosive that one could argue war had driven the technology's development.
"Still, for now, the development goals of each nation are focused internally."
Since population density remained relatively low, there was no immediate pressure to invade other countries.
"Besides, the World Conference is functioning properly."
Avalon now wielded power comparable to an independent nation, and the World Security Guard commanded enough military might to fight evenly against any single country.
As long as that balance held, it seemed unlikely that a major war would break out.
Furthermore, with Laojun operating at peak capacity, intelligence gathered via Peepers and the Quinta meant that any seeds of conflict could be nipped in the bud.
"Still, those mysterious engineers who showed up in the Kingdom of Egerea and the Kingdom of Elias bother me a bit."
Of course, even Laojun did not have a complete grasp of every single event on Planet Ars, but even taking that into account, their sudden emergence was simply too abrupt.
"But they aren't doing anything bad, right?"
"Well, yeah. But from what I've heard in the reports, something about it just nags at me."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's see..."
Jin began to explain slowly. Putting things into words for someone else was always an effective way to sort through his thoughts.
"First is their technological level. Apparently, Elena from Nostalgia assessed it as exceeding the standards from before the rise of the Magic Federation."
"That is..."
"Strange, right? It makes no sense for engineers of that caliber to suddenly appear out of thin air at this point."
"Mm, true."
As for the second point: the Quinta had run background checks on them, yet their origins remained completely unknown.
Because they were not acting with open hostility, heavy-handed measures could not be justified either.
"Even if they happen to be agents of a hostile organization, they haven't committed any wrongdoing so far."
For the time being, they would simply wait and see, Jin said.
"If we keep observing their actions, we'll probably figure something out."
Analyzing what they built would reveal their technical lineage, which meant it might be possible to track down who their master was.
"Mm, understood."
Seeing that Elsa was satisfied, Jin nodded.
"Well then, shall we get ready for tomorrow?"
With that, Jin led Elsa back down from the castle tower.
Inside the Royal Factory of the Kingdom of Egerea.
Ernest XVII and his close aide, Kanaji Barosopha, were having a private discussion.
"Your Highness, that Sanmarco Podium is quite... no, exceptionally capable, isn't he?"
"Indeed. While not knowing his background is somewhat unsettling, he has caused no problems so far."
In the four days since being welcomed as a guest, Sanmarco Podium had demonstrated his skills without holding back, serving as a great inspiration to everyone in the workshop.
"However, I cannot shake the feeling that something resembling ambition flickers in his eyes."
"I cannot tell, but..."
It seemed Kanaji, his close aide, had not noticed.
"Well, no matter. It is not as though it works to our nation's disadvantage."
Ernest XVII said with a confident, fearless smile.
In the Kingdom of Elias, there was not the slightest trace of the unsettling atmosphere found in Egerea.
At the State-Run Magi Workshop, Marukonen—or rather, his assistant automata Ruhf—was immensely popular.
"Everyone, the tea is ready!"
"Oh, thank you, Ruhf-chan!"
"Much appreciated, as always."
With the appearance of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl, Ruhf had instantly become the workshop's favorite.
Naturally, Marukonen, who had crafted Ruhf, was also the center of attention.
"Your skills really are incredible, Marukonen-san."
"Do you think we could make one too?"
The team members in charge of golems and automata showed tremendous enthusiasm.
"Let us work hard together to create wonderful automata."
Marukonen replied, displaying his techniques without hesitation....Or so it appeared on the surface.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magi Technology Citranella de Zaus Firenziano, who served as the Honorary Workshop Director of the Kingdom of Elias's State-Run Magi Workshop, was speaking with Workshop Director Donalot Maka Zowane, the woman who actually managed the facility.
"So, how is Marukonen doing?"
"Yes, Ma'am. The atmosphere in the workshop is excellent, and he is remarkably knowledgeable. If things continue at this rate, our nation's technology is bound to improve by leaps and bounds."
"I see. That is fine, then....Make sure you carry out your duties properly as workshop director."
"Yes! Having been entrusted with this post, I, Donalot Maka Zowane, will dedicate my very life to—"
"Ah, spare me the grandiose talk; just deliver results."
"Understood!"
From that point on, the Kingdom of Elias's magi-craft, which had long lagged behind other nations, began to advance at a rapid pace.
The only ones suspicious of this sudden leap were the upper ranks of Nostalgia.
"For now, we have no choice but to remain strictly watchful."
"Yes, Elena-sama."
"We must discern when he will show his true colors... or whether his cooperation is truly genuine."