On Hourai Island, Jin was continuing his meeting with Laojun.
"I see. So we will be supporting the Kingdom of Franz through 'automobiles.'"
"That's the idea. For the Klein Kingdom, it was the Toka Village airfield. For the Shouro Empire, the memorial hall for magi-craft. And for the Kingdom of Franz, an automobile race track."
As for the Kingdom of Elias, they already had the races in Port Rock Town as well as the headquarters of Nostalgia, so he was not considering anything for them for the time being.
"What about the Kingdom of Egerea?"
Jin was an acquaintance of the Third Prince, Ernest Elm Andrea.
"Maybe... magi-devices related to daily life?"
Since it was the birthplace of Beena, the Craft Queen, that was what naturally came to Jin's mind.
"At any rate, it's not a good idea to spread ourselves too thin right now."
Jin stated that he wanted to avoid overextending by taking on too much at once.
"That is very true."
"However, the mana stands across the various regions are beginning to malfunction, so I'd like to do something about that at least."
"Shall we deploy the Quinta?"
"For this matter, that should be fine. But let's limit it only to the ones I built and those derived from them."
"Understood."
Meanwhile, the Doppels were still in the Kingdom of Franz, where a dinner banquet was being held.
At that moment, Jin D and Elsa D were being piloted by Laojun.
"It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Oneca de Cleo, serving as the Minister of Finance."
Along with the Minister of Finance, numerous prominent figures were in attendance.
The meal this evening was served buffet-style, allowing guests to take whatever they liked onto their plates and chat pleasantly while dining.
Because it was only styled like a buffet, chairs had also been provided, and Jin D and the others were seated comfortably as they ate.
Naturally, Her Majesty the Queen was also present.
"I never imagined the day would come when I could sit face-to-face with you and enjoy pleasant conversation like this, Jin-dono."
Jin felt a touch of surprise at those words.
"Today has truly been a wonderful day. Our kingdom is relatively peaceful, but precisely because of that, I have felt our culture stagnate."
Apparently, while the Queen adopted a regal and lordly tone for official state matters, she spoke in her natural voice when among family or those she treated as close confidants.
"The cornerstone of a nation is its 'people,' is it not? I wonder, is our kingdom properly caring for its citizens?"
Queen Caroline de Lafayette asked Jin D in her unguarded, everyday tone.
"Well, while I don't know every single citizen, if I may be so bold as to speak candidly, I believe you are well above a 'passing grade.'"
A few of the officials' faces stiffened, but the Queen broke into a gentle smile at his assessment.
"My, what a relief to hear that. I have only been on the throne for three years, so everything is still a matter of trial and error for me."
The Queen has her own share of struggles, Jin and the others thought to themselves, keeping the sentiment unvoiced.
"May I offer a thought?"
When Jin D spoke, both the Queen and the Chancellor nodded.
"Of course, Lord Jin Nidou."
"Well, so long as the cornerstone of a nation is its 'people,' 'clothing,' 'food,' and 'shelter' become paramount. And when those needs are fulfilled, it leads to the saying, 'Well fed, well bred.'"
"Yes, I learned that when I studied abroad in Avalon."
The Queen nodded emphatically.
"Please, continue."
"Yes....I would like you to consider promoting the widespread use of magi-devices and convenient everyday tools."
"And what would that accomplish?"
"Using tools allows tasks to be completed much more efficiently than by human labor alone. That creates spare time, enabling people to take on more work and varied pursuits."
"Oh, being able to handle more work means that productivity increases."
This came from the Chancellor.
"Yes. What is more, that extra time is not just for labor; it also proves invaluable in the form of leisure."
Leisure was the time necessary for cultural development; as productivity rose, income increased, and as culture flourished, consumption grew. In turn, this stimulated broader economic growth—or so Jin D explained.
"Of course, it may not be quite that simple, and there will inevitably be times when things don't go smoothly. But on the whole, the general direction should not be mistaken."
At these words, the Queen, the Chancellor, the minister of general affairs, and the Minister of Finance all nodded in unison.
"I understand your meaning. Indeed, elevating the people's standard of living is of the utmost importance."
It could be said that this pleasant conversation sowed the seeds for several new policies within the Kingdom of Franz.
"My Lord, the leadership of the Kingdom of Franz seems quite passionate."
"Yeah, they really do."
Back on Hourai Island, Laojun and Jin were analyzing the flow of that conversation.
"Queen Caroline de Lafayette has only been on the throne for three years, so she likely wishes to achieve tangible results to prove she is no mere figurehead."
"She has those kinds of hardships to deal with, too, huh."
"Yes. According to my investigation, the former king was frail and passed away at an early age."
Her situation is a bit similar to the former Empress of the Shouro Empire, Jin thought.
"As the Kingdom of Franz is not restricted to patrilineal succession, the Queen also has a prince consort."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. However, as one might expect, domestic circumstances appear to be somewhat complicated."
Jin tried to imagine the difficulties of being the husband of Her Majesty the Queen, but he couldn't quite picture what that life was like.
"Jin-nii, prince consorts in these situations can rarely appear in high society. So stress builds up, and the marriage suffers... apparently."
Elsa added her own insight.
"Things like that happen, too, huh..."
"Mm. To put it harshly, you could say they exist solely to produce heirs for the royal family."
"Ah, that's got to be tough..."
Jin felt a pang of sympathy, realizing that royal authority was an arduous thing both to maintain and to exercise.
Then, Laojun brought up another intriguing point.
"Speaking of royal authority, roughly 120 years ago, the king of that era had a large golden golem constructed to flaunt his sovereign power... though that might be poor phrasing; in any case, to make his royal authority known."
"Huh? Even you don't know the full details, Laojun?"
"Yes, My Lord. That took place during the period when I was inactive... or rather, secluded within the barrier."
"I see."
Laojun replied that it had not conducted a follow-up investigation since reactivating.
"Maybe we should just ask the owners about it..."
"By the way, Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?"
"Oh, what might it be?"
"I heard a rumor that a long time ago, there was a large golem built exclusively for the king's use. Is that true?"
At this question from Jin D, Queen Caroline de Lafayette looked genuinely surprised.
"As expected of the Magi Craft Meister. To think you even know about that....Minister of Magic, would you explain?"
The Queen deferred the explanation to the Minister of Magic.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty....Jin-dono, it is true that in the past, a three-meter-tall golden golem named 'Sovereign' existed."
"In the past?"
"Yes....To be precise, it still exists today, but..."
Minister of Magic Jonas Tigrina trailed off hesitantly. However, from the flow of the conversation, it was easy enough to deduce the situation.
"...It no longer moves, does it?"
"That is correct."
This time, the Queen took over the explanation.
"Shortly after its construction, it broke down due to reckless misuse, and it has remained in that state ever since."
"That is... quite a shame."
As the Jin piloting Jin D, he was intensely curious to see this golem bearing the name "Sovereign"—a title denoting a monarch and supreme authority.
"It is a golem meant to serve as the nation's guardian, correct? If it can be fixed, I would certainly like to try repairing it."
"Oh! If the Magi Craft Meister himself would examine it, then by all means!"
"We would be most grateful, Lord Jin Nidou."
Thus, it was decided that Jin would examine Sovereign the following day.