Duke Keith Tennick de Norha, the sovereign ruler of the Norha Principality, fired off questions in rapid succession—evidently starved for outside information.
"This vehicle you arrived on called an 'airship'—are such crafts common in the 'outside' world?"
And,
"Many in our country trace their roots to Mitsuho. What sort of nation is it?"
And,
"I occasionally hear mention of 'Magus' or the 'Magi Craft Meister.' What kind of people were they?"
As the barrage of inquiries came one after another, Gajue Tsuga patiently answered each in turn.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Premus Hai Yasuna also chimed in with questions during the lulls.
"What is the adoption rate of magi-devices in the 'outside' world?"
And,
"What forms of government exist in the 'outside' world?"
Gajue Tsuga answered to the best of his ability, though he offered a polite caveat on one point:
"Regarding political systems, it cannot be summarized in a few words, so I would like to set aside time later to explain it in full detail."
About two hours passed in this manner.
"...Mm, I feel as though I understand a little more about the 'outside' world now. You have my thanks, Lord Tsuga."
"As do I. Thank you, Lord Tsuga."
"Not at all. I am glad if it proved useful to you."
With the time nearing noon, the talks were temporarily adjourned for lunch.
Since time was of the essence, lunch was served in an adjacent dining space capable of seating around ten people.
"This is an ordinary meal in our country. Well? Quite dreadful, isn't it?"
"..."
"......"
What was served consisted of barley porridge, scrambled egg "substitute," raw vegetables, and ham. The beverage was fruit juice diluted with water.
The seasoning was limited essentially to salt and sugar. To put it bluntly, it tasted awful.
Both the Duke and the Chancellor seemed well aware of this, eating it while openly remarking on how unpalatable it was.
It was a small scene that drastically altered Gajue Tsuga's and Fione Fias's impressions of the Norha Principality.
"And this is tea brewed from a certain wild herb."
Sipping the unusual tea, the Duke smiled. For some reason, he appeared to be in remarkably high spirits.
Once the meal concluded, the afternoon session began.
"Now then, shall we take your questions? What say you, Premus?"
"Yes, that seems entirely fitting."
And so, the floor opened for Gajue Tsuga and his companions to ask questions. However, since there were many topics too sensitive to probe into bluntly, choosing what to ask was no easy task.
Consequently, they decided to start with safer inquiries.
"Earlier, you used the term 'the outside' multiple times. Is there any particular reason for that?"
"Oh, that? Premus, if you would."
"Certainly....Our nation is conscious of essentially being a 'closed country.' Therefore, we primarily refer to any nation beyond the Four Principalities as 'the outside.'"
"I see....Then, if you will permit a somewhat more detailed question... What means of transportation do you use?"
"Walking, horses, horse-drawn carriages, as well as golem carriages and hot air balloons. On the water, we use boats, and golems row the oars."
The term "oars" in this context seemed to be a catch-all encompassing both oars and paddles.
Incidentally, a paddle is used without a fulcrum on the craft, while an oar is fixed to a fulcrum.
Furthermore, one generally rows facing forward with a paddle, whereas with an oar, one typically rows with their back facing the direction of travel.
Gajue Tsuga continued to pose safe, inoffensive questions, and the Chancellor answered every one of them diligently.
"...Understood. Thank you very much."
Throughout the exchange, Fione Fias remained entirely in the role of a listener, continuing to Analyze the situation in her own mind.
(What I can gather from those questions is that the adoption rate of magi-devices is low... especially among the common people.)
While magi-devices appeared to be allocated preferentially to the royal family, the nobility, and the military, they had yet to spread to the general populace.
Though Fione Fias had no way of knowing it, the country's development was roughly on par with the Allied Kingdoms of 400 years ago.
Through their continued back-and-forth, the reality of the Norha Principality gradually came to light.
The guiding ethos of the ducal family could be summarized in a single word: "rational."
Without being swayed by emotion, they weighed right and wrong with strict logic and prioritized domestic interests above all else.
Because of that uncompromising pragmatism, other nations often perceived them as arrogant or haughty.
(Putting domestic interests first is why there are disputes over boats on Lake Yato, then...)
Fione Fias kept turning the pieces over in her mind.
(Ideology and education aren't things that can be overhauled overnight, after all...)
A chasm that could not be bridged in a mere year or two had opened between the principalities.
(If we were to suddenly... yes, give them only technology, some might even run wild with it.)
Therefore, Fione Fias concluded in her heart that aid ought to be extended across a span of ten or twenty years.
"...I am not sure if it is appropriate for me to ask this, but..."
Gajue Tsuga finally decided to address the matter that weighed on him most.
"What is it? Speak."
The Duke gave a magnanimous nod.
"Thank you....What we wish to know about is the group calling itself the 'Revolutionary Party.'"
"I see. The 'Revolutionary Party,' is it...?"
For an instant, the Duke's expression stiffened.
After a brief pause, he turned the question back around on them.
"What do you know about the 'Revolutionary Party'? First, let me hear that."
"Understood....Well, we only know that the predecessor to the 'Revolutionary Party' was an organization called the 'Pioneer Revolutionary Corps.'"
"I see."
"Ah, and there is one more thing....Just last month, a faction claiming to be the 'Revolutionary Party' committed... acts of lawlessness on the Pandor Continent, which we suppressed with the cooperation of the locals."
Choosing his words carefully, Gajue Tsuga explained the situation.
"What did you say?!...Ngh, they have gone that far...? Truly, they have rotted to the core."
"Indeed, it is utterly lamentable, Your Majesty."
The Duke and Chancellor exchanged grimaces and nodded to one another.
After a heavy silence, the Duke muttered bitterly,
"To think matters had come to such a state... I never would have imagined it." He then gave the Chancellor a meaningful look.
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Taking the cue, the Chancellor said,
"In that case, let me tell you the truth regarding the 'Revolutionary Party'..."
With that, he began his account.