Following Hope, Jin moved on to remodeling the Hurricane.
First came the control systems.
He serviced the Magi Jet Engines used for attitude control and replaced all their components with magi-type materials.
"That should give it roughly a ten percent boost in output and response speed."
This was intended to minimize latency whenever Hope took direct command without physically touching the controls.
Naturally, the manual controls in the cockpit remained fully functional.
"I need to add more magic eyes to monitor our surroundings."
Using fisheye and ultra-wide-angle lenses for a broader field of view, standard lenses, and telephoto lenses, he upgraded the optical array to make environmental checks much smoother.
With its newly expanded sub-processors, processing that amount of visual data was child's play for Hope.
"...I've set up a provisional link. How does it feel, Hope?"
"All clear, Master. Everything functions without issue."
"Good."
With the provisional connection verified, Jin completed the wiring and installation of auxiliary devices at a brisk pace.
Finally, he addressed the minor issues that had bothered him during previous flights.
Specifically, this involved reinforcing moving parts and improving interior comfort.
As an added touch, he also modified the hoisting winch.
To be precise, he replaced the winch mechanism with a simple passenger lift.
With this in place, passengers could safely descend to the ground even while the Hurricane hovered in midair.
It would prove invaluable when traveling to areas without an airfield or when conducting maritime rescues.
All the modifications were completed before dinner.
"Man, it's been a while since I've seen you get that serious, Jin."
Over dinner, Reinhard was in high spirits as he sipped his favorite wine.
"With this, we can set out on trips with even less hesitation."
Being able to disembark without an airfield was a massive advantage.
"Kufu, Jin never changes, does he?"
Watching Jin, Saki giggled with an amused sort of admiration.
"By the way..."
Sipping her post-dinner tea, Elsa spoke up.
"How is the investigation into the Jagus Principality progressing?"
Having worked tirelessly to help resolve the recent Revolutionary Party incident, Elsa was eager to know how things had developed.
"The investigation into that country is likely just getting underway. Though Laojun has already made a few moves."
"I see."
Jin personally felt that the people living in the current era should take the lead in handling their own affairs.
After living through four hundred years, he had come to realize that neither peace nor technology endured when simply handed down from above.
"So in the end, that so-called 'Revolutionary Party' was merely used as guinea pigs by the Jagus Principality... What a terrible nuisance to everyone involved."
Reinhard muttered with a scowl.
"That seems to be the case. I just can't fathom why they would go to such lengths."
"That's because your nature is completely divorced from the desire for power, Jin."
This time, Reinhard smiled warmly.
"If you put it that way, isn't everyone here the same?"
Jin retorted, but Reinhard shook his head:
"Well, I did serve as a feudal lord after a fashion, so I'm not quite on your level, Jin."
"If you're counting that, I'm the lord of Kaina Village—"
Before he could finish, someone chimed in from the doorway.
"Onii-chan only became our lord to protect the village. Everyone knows you never wanted power."
"Ah, Hanna, welcome back."
"We're home!"
It was Hanna and Martha, who had just returned from Planet Hehl.
"It was so comfortable over there that we ended up staying longer than planned."
"It was very relaxing. We even tilled the fields a bit."
"Martha-san, what are you doing working out in the fields...?"
Even so, Martha genuinely loved physical activity. Since becoming a homunculus, she had been entirely free from poor health, so Jin smiled, figuring that this sort of leisure was perfectly fine.
"Wheat fields on Planet Hehl... That sounds wonderful."
As Jin mentioned picturing the pastoral scenery, Martha shared an unexpected detail:
"The Elder helped us out a little, too."
"Huh... That's a surprise."
"Mm, shocking."
Jin and Elsa could not hide their astonishment, but Hanna explained:
"He said that being in such a pleasant environment makes you want to get up and move around."
"I suppose that makes sense."
Rouge and Neige had apparently lent a hand as well. Jin found the mental picture rather heartwarming, feeling a slight twinge of regret that he hadn't been there to see it.
"I guess it's still too early to build rice paddies on Planet Hehl..."
Jin felt a bit disappointed about that, but he imagined that golden fields of ripe wheat would make for an equally stunning sight.
"Are there any pests over there?"
When he asked, Reinhard answered with a touch of regret:
"To begin with, there were hardly any living creatures at all."
"Kufu, Goose has been wandering all over the place to see if he can spot any rare animals."
"Hmm... If that's the case, pollination is going to be difficult."
Many fruit trees relied on insect pollination, so Jin figured manual pollination would be necessary.
"Though that's no different from Hourai Island."
Even on Hourai Island, fruit trees like persica and apulul were pollinated by hand by Topaz and the other Golem Maids.
"How does rice get pollinated again?"
Elsa asked, to which Jin explained:
"Rice is self-pollinating and wind-pollinated."
"Wheat is the same, if I recall correctly."
Wind-pollinated plants produced large amounts of pollen carried on the breeze to achieve fertilization.
They could pollinate without insects, though many such plants were notorious for triggering pollen allergies...
(Come to think of it, I haven't seen anyone suffering from hay fever here...)
In fact, he couldn't recall ever seeing an allergic reaction at all. Jin wondered if the people of this world were simply built sturdier in that regard.
"Maybe it would be worthwhile to create golems dedicated specifically to pollination."
"Insect-type golems?"
"Mm."
Elsa had proposed an intriguing concept, and Jin began turning the idea over in his mind.
"Hmm, I wonder if there's any real point in making them bug-shaped, though."
According to Jin's design philosophy, if a human could perform the task, a humanoid golem would suffice.
"Though from a magi-craft perspective, it does sound fascinating."
An endoskeleton, micro-class scale, six legs, capable of flight...
Jin imagined that packing all of those features together would require quite a bit of ingenuity.
"Speaking of endoskeletons, beetles come to mind."
Rhinoceros beetles, stag beetles, drone beetles, longhorn beetles, ladybugs—they were all coleopterans.
"The way beetles fly is pretty interesting."
They opened their hard forewings and fluttered their large, folded hindwings to take flight.
According to one theory, an aviation researcher had once drawn inspiration for rigid main wings and propulsion systems by studying that very flight mechanism.
"Could we apply this to golems, I wonder?"
"Oh? That sounds like a fun concept."
Jin and Reinhard truly were engineering nuts.
Dubbing it the Beetle-Style Flight Unit, Jin and Reinhard became thoroughly absorbed in hashing out the details, until—
"Jin-nii, Rai-nii, leave the rest for tomorrow."
Elsa chided them gently, and they reluctantly complied.