On December 4, Jin was reporting back to everyone on Hourai Island.
"...And so, our proposal was accepted. Construction is scheduled to start next year."
"Does that mean you'll be hiring local contractors over there, Jin?" Reinhard asked, seeking confirmation.
"That's the plan. Well, I intend to leave just the foundation work to the Smiths."
The foundation work was literally the foundation of the entire project. Jin explained that this was the one part he didn't want to entrust to human contractors.
"Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?...Still, if humans are handling the rest of the construction, how long will it take to finish? Two years? Three?"
"For now, I'm thinking around six months by having the Smiths assist them."
At those words, Reinhard remarked, "Well, true enough, the construction timeline is important."
"No, that's not the only reason. I heard from the Magic Technology Minister that the civil engineering and construction industry has recently started using golems... Apparently, that began after the Magic Federation was gone."
"Kufu, so that means the construction time can be shortened, right?"
"No, it's not that simple."
"Huh?" Saki gave him a puzzled look.
"It's great that they've started using golems, but they don't seem very adept at operating them."
"Aha, I see....They're only using them to haul heavy loads and the like, aren't they?"
"Spot on, Reinhard. Apparently, that's the gist of it."
Because of that, the project also served the purpose of Jin teaching them how golems ought to be used.
"That sounds great, then."
"Yeah. And while we're at it, I thought it would be a good idea to craft magi-devices capable of civil engineering magi-craft and lend them out."
Jin explained that using magi-devices capable of casting Dig, Joint, and Toughening would dramatically increase the lifespan of the buildings.
These spells were the absolute basics of magi-craft whenever the Hourai Island faction built anything.
"Indeed. If they can't even use that much, it's hardly worth discussing." Reinhard seemed to agree completely.
"So, while dispatching golems or automata as on-site supervisors to provide education to the construction contractors, we'll build the—"
"Yeah, I understand your line of thought, Jin. Isn't that fine?"
"Right? The Shouro Empire was practically begging for it, too."
"Ah, is that so?"
The Shouro Imperial Family seemed to have heard tales handed down about the incredible feats accomplished by the previous Magi Craft Meister. And having heard that the current Meister was no less remarkable—well, naturally, considering he was the very same person—they were apparently hoping for that kind of guidance.
"Still, that means you'll have plenty of free time for the rest of the year."
"Yeah. The actual construction doesn't begin until after the New Year, after all."
Jin mentioned that in the meantime, he would make the supervisor golems and the civil engineering magi-devices.
"Making those won't even take you half a day, will it?"
"Well, that's true, but still."
Jin smiled wryly and nodded at Reinhard's retort.
"Jin-nii, what about aid for the other countries?" Elsa asked.
"Right. The Klein Kingdom is currently underway with the Toka Village project, and Marcosius's disciples have been dispatched to the Kingdom of Egerea and the Kingdom of Elias, so I'd rather not meddle unnecessarily."
"Um, what about the Celuroa Kingdom and the Kingdom of Franz?"
"Between those two, the Celuroa Kingdom has plenty of national strength, so for now, I'm more curious about the Kingdom of Franz."
Mitsuho had originally been outside the Magic Federation's sphere of influence, so there were no issues there.
"Come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever met the top leadership of the Kingdom of Franz."
Four hundred years ago, he had been acquainted with figures like Rotaro de Lafayette and Catherine de Lafayette—the king and the former duchess (who later became the Queen Mother)—but he realized he didn't even know the name of the current monarch.
"Laojun, what is the current state of the Kingdom of Franz again?" Jin decided to ask.
"Yes, My Lord. The present state of the Kingdom of Franz could be described as neither particularly good nor bad."
"I see."
"It seems the Magic Federation put that country on the back burner, so the damage and influence there were minimal."
"Kufu, so it was a rather unremarkable country, wasn't it?" Saki remarked bluntly.
"However, the interior of the country is peaceful, and the degree of technological decline is low. It was never a country that relied heavily on technology to begin with."
"From what I know, it was an agricultural country," Vivienne chimed in.
"Yes. The land has a gentle southward slope, and with the rich waters of Azul Lake to the south and snowmelt from the Kruger Great Mountains to the north, it appears well-suited for agriculture."
"Kufu, that's certainly true. There are mines too, though I recall the yield was barely enough for self-sufficiency."
"It is just as Saki-sama says. Recently, they have begun importing small amounts of resources."
Jin tilted his head at this report. "Laojun, is that because the extraction volume from the mines has decreased? Or has consumption increased?"
"Yes, My Lord. Following the departure of the Magic Federation's threat, their consumption has increased."
"Is that being used for technological purposes, I wonder?"
"At present, it seems to be utilized for the reconstruction of technological facilities destroyed by the Magic Federation."
"Oho."
The Kingdom of Franz seemed to have managed its domestic affairs quite solidly.
That in itself makes me a bit curious, Jin thought.
"In that case, I'd like to go take a brief look at the Kingdom of Franz."
"I thought you would say that, Jin-nii," Elsa said with a smile, well accustomed to his habits and personality.
"I'm thinking of visiting for a bit before the year ends."
"Will that be as a tourist?"
To Reinhard's question, Jin replied, "Yeah, that sounds best. How about we head to the Kingdom of Franz just as ordinary tourists?"
Jin turned to Elsa as he made the suggestion.
"Me too?"
"Yeah. Instead of just staying cooped up doing research, let's go out together once in a while."
"Mm, I'd love to."
And so, Jin and Elsa, accompanied by Reiko and Hope, decided to take a trip to the Kingdom of Franz.
They departed on December 5.
Of the three highways connecting the Klein Kingdom and the Kingdom of Franz, they chose the northernmost route—the most secluded of the three.
They picked this path because they wanted to enter the Kingdom of Franz while avoiding public notice as much as possible. Furthermore, the reason they hadn't simply teleported straight into the country was that they wanted to formally establish the fact that they had crossed at a legitimate border checkpoint.
"A long time ago, when we went to rescue Sion's older sister... Istalis, we took the middle highway, didn't we?"
"Mm, that's right. We crossed the border from Stolsk to Gilo."
"Ah, right, that's how it was."
Back then, they had traveled in a carriage pulled by a golem horse, but this time, they were in a golem automobile.
The town on the Klein Kingdom side was Naize, while the town on the Kingdom of Franz side was Coco.
Incidentally, the path between Naize and Coco ran through a dense coniferous forest, shielded from prying eyes. For that reason, they had used a transporter to teleport there along with the golem automobile.
"We'll be reaching the border on the Klein Kingdom side shortly."
In this era, border inspections were far more relaxed than they had been four centuries ago—a true testament to how peaceful the world had become.
"Things have definitely improved in that regard."
"Mm."
The border checkpoint lay just ahead.