And so, on November 20, the Hurricane, carrying Jin's Doppel Jin D, Sion's Doppel Sion D, and Reiko, touched down in Borgia, the royal capital of the Kingdom of Elias, with Hope at the controls.
The time was 9:00 AM, and the Hurricane landed at the airfield located within the Royal Palace grounds.
"Sion-sama, we are deeply grateful that you took the trouble to make the journey."
"No, not at all. Please don't let it concern you."
Greeting them was Magic Technology Minister Fiorina de Dorante.
After exchanging a brief greeting with Sion D, she turned toward Jin D next.
"Third Generation Magi Craft Meister Jin-dono, welcome!"
"It has been since the ceremony, hasn't it?"
The last time they had seen each other face-to-face was at the coronation of the current king, Adalbert Nimo Elias I.
"Lady Reiko, welcome to you as well."
Reiko silently offered a curtsy.
Following the pleasantries, Jin D and the others were escorted to the State-Run Magi Workshop in a Golem automobile.
Inside the workshop, Magic Technology Minister Fiorina, in her role as head of the ministry, introduced the personnel.
"Allow me to make the introductions. This is Honorary Workshop Director Citranella de Zaus Firenziano."
A woman bearing a striking resemblance to the Marchioness Firenziano of Jin's memory bowed.
"I am Workshop Director Raides Voek."
A middle-aged man in his forties gave a polite bow.
"And here we have..."
"My name is Marukonen....It is an honor to meet you."
Dark brown hair, brown eyes, of medium height and build. That was Jin's initial impression.
However, the look in his eyes whenever he glanced at Jin D and Reiko turned sharp from time to time, making it easy to imagine the myriad thoughts stirring beneath the surface.
Toward Sion D, on the other hand, he seemed to harbor no reservations whatsoever.
The group moved to the workshop's lounge to hold their discussion.
"Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Sion, wife and aide to Belialus, Clan Chief of the All-Creation clan in the Nord Federation."
"I am Marukonen....A disciple of Marcosius-sama... No, rather, his adopted son."
Jin, synchronizing through Jin D, was surprised, but Sion D did not appear taken aback in the slightest.
"Just as I thought....Sanmarco Podium, who entered the service of the Kingdom of Egerea, is likely one of his disciples as well, yes?"
"You knew of San Marco?...Yes, he is one of my adoptive father's disciples."
"I knew it."
Not many people name their disciples that way anymore, Sion D added.
"So, would it be possible for you to guide Jin-dono and me to Marcosius's place?"
"Yes, of course."
Marukonen agreed without hesitation. However, he quickly added a request.
"Though, if... if it is at all possible, would you permit my Ruhf to... test herself against Lady Reiko?"
Ruhf was an automata with crimson hair. In appearance, she looked like a girl of twelve or thirteen, standing around 145 centimeters tall—just slightly taller than Reiko.
"Test herself... in what manner?"
Jin asked.
Assuming it wasn't a destructive brawl, he wondered if they had a footrace or weightlifting in mind.
"I would like to request a mock battle with shortswords. Using practice blades, naturally."
"Reiko, what do you think?"
"I have no objections."
Reiko answered with utter composure.
"...W-Well then, let us borrow the Royal Palace's drill grounds."
Magic Technology Minister Fiorina de Dorante spoke with a slight hint of fluster before hurrying back to the Royal Palace to secure permission.
Those who remained were escorted to the drill grounds by Workshop Director Raides Voek.
Around ten apprentice royal ritters were in the middle of training with a mock battle of their own, but upon word from the returning Magic Technology Minister Fiorina, they temporarily broke off their drills and cleared the field.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"Word is it's a mock battle between automata."
"Those little girls?"
Amid the curious murmurs of the royal ritters gathering to watch, Reiko and Ruhf squared off, wooden practice swords in hand.
The instructor training the apprentice royal ritters was asked to officiate.
"The first to land a strike on the opponent's body wins....Now, begin!"
The word had barely left his lips when both figures vanished from sight, followed an instant later by a high-pitched metallic crack.
It was the sound of blade striking blade.
Rather than clashing head-on, they parried, deflected, and traded lightning-fast exchanges in continuous motion.
"H-Hey, can you even track them?"
"Y-Yeah, barely..."
Moving at speeds that even the royal ritters could hardly follow with their eyes, Reiko and Ruhf tore across the drill grounds, utilizing every inch of the space.
(Reiko is at... about fifteen percent right now, huh? To match her blow for blow, she really is quite an impressive automata.)
Through Jin D's eyes, Jin observed the duel from Hourai Island. He had instructed Reiko beforehand not to overwhelm her opponent, but to win by the narrowest of margins.
Reiko then dialed her output up to twenty percent.
An instant later, the sound of splintering wood rang out, and a heartbeat after that, the edge of Reiko's sword was resting lightly against Ruhf's neck.
Ruhf's practice blade had snapped clean off at the hilt.
"Halt! Lady Reiko is the victor!"
Rather than cheers, a stunned murmur rippled through the onlookers.
"Man..."
"Yeah..."
"...No matter how much we train, we're never going to reach that level, are we...?"
The watching apprentice royal ritters looked completely disheartened.
"I concede defeat. She truly is the automata my adoptive father has set his sights on."
Marukonen offered words of comfort to Ruhf, gently stroking her head.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Jin D asked, offering Reiko a nod of praise as well.
"Yes, it was a thoroughly convincing display of power."
A clear, refreshed expression washed over Marukonen's face.
"I feel like I finally understand why my adoptive father is so obsessed with her....You weren't fighting at full strength, were you?...Even though Ruhf gave it everything she had."
Jin simply offered a silent smile in place of an answer.
Now that Marukonen was satisfied, the plan was set: Jin D, Reiko, and Sion D, joined by Marukonen and his automata Ruhf, would depart to meet Marcosius.
"Well then, Your Excellency Magic Technology Minister Fiorina, we shall be borrowing Marukonen-dono for a short while."
With that farewell, Sion D stepped aboard the Hurricane.
"We are preparing for departure."
Under Hope's steady piloting, the Hurricane climbed gracefully into the vast expanse of the sky.
"As expected, a large-class craft offers a completely different level of stability."
That was the very first impression Marukonen voiced. Then,
"Please keep heading due north for now."
He gave their heading.
Their destination lay in the northern reaches of the Lauren Continent, further north beyond the Kruger Great Mountains.