From then until noon, they went over the detailed plans for their stay in Kaina Village.
Jin had assumed that since it was his own territory, playing things by ear would be perfectly fine, but her attendant lady-in-waiting, Flora, was not easily convinced.
"So, all I need to do is come here the day after tomorrow at eight in the morning, correct?" the Empress Emerita asked, seeking confirmation. Her face was brimming with anticipation, like a child right before a school trip.
"Yes. We'll head for Kaina Village aboard Konron 3."
At that point, Flora spoke up, sounding reluctant to drop the matter.
"Your Majesty, would you not reconsider taking a few more attendants? Lord Jin Nidou has already mentioned he wouldn't mind."
"That really won't be necessary. You'll be with me, and more than anything, it is Jin-kun's territory. It might very well be safer than inside the Royal Palace."
If she meant safety from outside threats, she was undoubtedly correct. Jin had gone to such great lengths to secure Kaina Village that it was practically a fortress—no, even more secure than a fortress.
Of course, that did not rule out tripping over a stone, getting into trouble while swimming in the Erme River, or coming back with scratches from picking Wylie berries...
"...I understand."
Flora gave a reluctant nod.
"Oh, I can hardly wait!"
In stark contrast, the Empress Emerita was positively beaming with excitement.
The morning of July 3 arrived without any trouble.
"Jin-kun, I've arrived."
At 7:50 AM, the Empress Emerita showed up at Jin's mansion.
"Am I a bit too early?"
"Not at all. You're perfectly fine."
In this era, daily life ran on sundials and clepsydras. Aside from the members of the Jin Family who carried pocket watches, keeping to a schedule down to the minute was essentially impossible.
Besides, Jin was naturally the type to stay slightly ahead of schedule anyway, so her early arrival was no issue whatsoever.
"Is your luggage in the carriage?"
"Yes, it is."
Jin instructed Topaz 102 and Aqua 102 to unload the travel bags.
It came out to roughly four large suitcases by modern Japanese standards.
Flora, her lady-in-waiting, brought out her own bag herself—amounting to a single suitcase.
Jin first showed the two of them to the parlor and had Perido 102 brew them some tea.
The plan was to load the luggage onto Konron 3 while they enjoyed their drinks.
"Right this way, please."
Once they finished their tea, Jin escorted the Empress Emerita and Flora up to the roof.
The rooftop of the mansion served as an apron, where Konron 3 was currently moored.
As a side note, whenever Jin stayed in Loizart in an official capacity, Konron 3 would remain moored on the roof, making it immediately obvious to anyone in the know that he was home.
Conversely, arriving via the Warp Gate meant an undercover, top-secret stay.
Elsa, Yuu, and Mio were already waiting on the roof, offering their deepest bows of respect as the Empress Emerita arrived.
"We have been awaiting your arrival, Your Majesty."
"Thank you. But please, there's no need to be so formal....In fact, while we're on this trip, I'd prefer if you treated me a little more casually."
Forgetting social standing was easier said than done.
Differences in status were not the sort of thing to vanish into thin air overnight.
Knowing this all too well, the Empress Emerita had simply asked that they dispense with the stiff, formal court honorifics.
"Understood. Thank you very much."
Jin figured that simply treating her the way one would treat a respected elder would strike the right balance.
Bathed in the morning sun, Konron 3 gleamed brightly on the rooftop.
"Konron 3 is always a magnificent sight, no matter when I see it."
While various nations, including the Shouro Empire, possessed balloons and airships of their own, the sheer level of craftsmanship in Konron 3—Jin's personal craft—set it in an entirely different league.
"Well then, please step aboard."
Jin stepped onto the gangway ahead of her and offered the Empress Emerita his hand.
It was proper etiquette when escorting an elder guest of honor, something Elsa had coached him on beforehand.
"Yes, thank you."
The Empress Emerita smiled warmly, took his hand, and made her way up the gangway.
Though called a gangway, it was merely a gentle ramp of about ten steps leading straight into the cabin.
Flora followed immediately behind her, carrying only her personal hand luggage.
Next came Reiko, followed by Elsa holding Yuu and Mio by the hand. With that, everyone was aboard.
Well, almost everyone.
"Serving as our pilot today is Edgar, an automata of my own creation."
The pilot had naturally boarded first to bring Konron 3 to standby. Elsa took the opportunity to introduce Edgar once again.
"Ah, yes, I remember seeing him before. Edgar, we're in your hands."
"It is an honor, Your Majesty. Leave everything to me."
Edgar rose to bow before settling back into the cockpit.
Outside Konron 3, Butler D cast off the mooring lines.
"We are preparing for departure. Please take your seats and fasten your seat belts."
Edgar prompted everyone to buckle up for safety.
Just to be thorough, Reiko made the rounds to check each one.
"Edgar-san, all clear."
"Thank you, Reiko-san. Initiating launch!"
Konron 3 lifted off with an effortless, gentle rise.
Looking down at Butler D and the 5-Color Maids bowing on the rooftop below, the craft climbed smoothly and rapidly.
Punching straight through the cloud layer, Konron 3 leveled out and set its course to the east.
"Oh, look, the clouds are beneath us!"
Once they reached cruising altitude and unfastened their seat belts, the Empress Emerita peered down through the transparent floor window, delighted as a child.
"What an astonishing altitude..."
Flora, too, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the wonder of flight. After taking it in, she spoke up with a question.
"When we rode aboard Konron 2 previously, you mentioned its top speed was two hundred kilometers per hour. How fast does this one go?"
Jin certainly couldn't tell her it could hit Mach 5, and he couldn't quite recall what official top speed he had claimed for it as an "airship."
So, he offered a safe estimate.
"It cruises at four hundred kilometers per hour."
The distance between Loizart and Kaina Village was just under eight hundred kilometers, meaning this speed would allow them to complete the journey in about two hours.
"Twice the speed of Konron 2... Truly remarkable."
Listening from the side, the Empress Emerita let out an admiring breath.
"Come to think of it, have you been getting good use out of the Empress?"
Jin casually brought up the airship he had presented to her a while back.
It was roughly half the size of Konron 3 and featured a twin-hull gas bag design, piloted by Flyer 1.
"Yes, of course. Though at the moment, I've lent it to my nephew... His Majesty the Emperor."
According to the Empress Emerita, the New Emperor, Weissberg Ernst von Shouro, had been using every spare moment since his coronation to make imperial progresses to various corners of the realm.
"So, I decided to lend him the Empress since it makes such good time."
"Is that so?"
"That boy... His Majesty insisted that, as the new Emperor, he needed to 'see the lives of the people firsthand to guide his future rule'..."
She explained that she simply couldn't stand by and do nothing—both as his aunt and as the Empress Emerita.
Through and through, she remained a truly kind and devoted soul.