On June 15, 3901, the 1011th World Conference convened in Avalon.
Following the opening remarks, the session commenced with status reports on each nation's political and economic landscape.
There were no particular concerns raised in that regard.
The discussion then shifted to technological matters. Avalon introduced the three-dimensional magic circle to thunderous applause.
The Shouro Empire announced that construction of the Adriana Memorial Hall (tentative name) was underway, capturing the attention of the various delegates.
Likewise, the circuit currently being built in the Kingdom of Franz was presented, drawing keen interest from Avalon's Illumina Ratkin and Tomax Bartman.
Proceedings had followed the usual routine up to that point, but the atmosphere grew taut among the Councilors as the agenda turned to the Four Principalities.
"As the advance team and an official goodwill mission from Avalon, we recently visited the Four Principalities, and we would like to present our findings."
The speaker was Fione Fias. Gajue Tsuga was also present to provide supplementary details.
"I am Fione Fias, who served as deputy envoy."
After a brief greeting, she began her report.
"Our first stop was the Mimaka Principality. The national character there places immense value on honesty; they favor blunt, straightforward communication and look down on keeping secrets..."
The attendees listened intently.
"Next, we traveled to the Darato Principality, where we observed serious water shortages."
When she explained that the inland regions of the Four Principalities generally suffered from a lack of water, murmurs of surprise broke out, as this seemed to be news to the assembly.
"The soil itself, however, appears quite fertile."
Setting agricultural matters aside for the moment, she moved on to the third country: the Norha Principality.
"In order to deter potential invasions from the Jagus Principality, Norha relies heavily on golems as a deterrent force. As a result, its economy is in dire straits."
This also appeared to be new information to the room. While no one interrupted, the shock was evident on their faces.
"We learned that the vast majority of their agricultural output goes toward defense spending, primarily importing golems from abroad."
When Fione added that Manon had engaged those golems in a sham fight, a ripple of astonishment swept through the hall.
"Regarding the combat capabilities of those golems, I shall let Manon explain....Manon, if you please."
With that, the floor was briefly yielded to Manon.
"I am the secretary automaton Manon. My creator is the current Magi Craft Meister, Lord Jin."
After a brief introduction, Manon addressed the assembly.
"To put it simply, their output is roughly on par with combat golems from four centuries ago. However, their control brains have been replaced with considerably more advanced models. Because of this, they suffer from an imbalance where their physical frames cannot keep up with their cognitive functions."
"In that case, the golems of the Jagus Principality—which stand on equal footing with them—must be of similar caliber."
Realizing that the military strength of the Principalities was relatively modest, a collective sigh of relief filled the chamber.
"Now, moving on to the final nation: the Jagus Principality," Fione continued, taking the floor once more.
"...The situation in the Jagus Principality is both baffling and distorted. While their overall economy can hardly be called prosperous, the ruling class lives in lavish excess, and they possess the technical ability to develop comparatively high-performance golems."
However, based on Manon's combat assessment, the delegation concluded that Jagus posed no immediate threat.
"Even so, there are unresolved concerns."
When Fione mentioned brainwashing and narcotics, the chamber stirred with unease.
"Our party was able to return without being subjected to brainwashing or drugged, though the reason remains unclear. It is entirely possible they are playing a longer game, anticipating future contact."
The murmurs of concern intensified.
"Furthermore, they appear to harbor a distinct interest in the Magi Craft Meister."
After covering a few other minor observations, Fione brought her report to a close.
Deliberations began immediately.
"The core issue is how we ought to handle the Jagus Principality."
This sentiment represented the overwhelming consensus.
As a result, two distinct paths forward emerged.
The first was to grant provisional membership in the World Conference to the three principalities excluding Jagus, educating them on the council's ideals and fostering mutual understanding. Afterward, they could attempt to persuade Jagus to join as a fellow Conference Country.
The second proposal was to admit all four principalities into the Conference Countries simultaneously.
Either way, Jagus's reaction would undoubtedly be the deciding factor.
"In that case, wouldn't it be wiser to wait and see how Jagus responds before committing to a plan?" someone suggested.
"That is certainly one approach," another replied. "However, since we already have a clear picture of the problems in Jagus, shouldn't we focus on resolving those first?"
In short, they needed concrete solutions and countermeasures against brainwashing and narcotics.
"As for brainwashing, didn't we have specialized headgear for that?"
"Yes—the anti-brainwashing hat and the Weckener."
"Then the real issue is countering the narcotics..."
"Regarding that," Fione noted, "we know Manon can detect poisons through tasting, so it should be feasible to craft a magi-device with equivalent functionality. If worst comes to worst, we could commission the Magi Craft Meister to make one."
"Indeed. That may well be our best option."
With these precautions, the dangers of sending a delegation to Jagus could be significantly mitigated.
"I suppose all that remains is to have Manon accompany the mission again."
At this suggestion, Manon spoke up.
"Naturally, I will go. However, having my creator, Lord Jin, accompany the mission would provide even greater security. After all, Big Sister Reiko would be traveling with him."
"Reiko... Ah, that charming automaton."
Many present were familiar with Reiko, and most had witnessed at least a glimpse of her formidable power.
Tomax Bartman then chimed in.
"When I floated the idea to Lord Jin the other day, he indicated he would be willing to join the delegation."
"Oh!"
"In that case...!"
Visible relief swept across the chamber.
"Then how ought we proceed?"
The debate circled back to strategy.
"What if we divide our forces, sending one group to Jagus and another to the remaining three principalities?"
"A sound idea, but that would mean Lord Jin couldn't visit the other three."
Given that Jin's name carried immense prestige that would aid diplomacy with the other three principalities, dividing the team posed a clear drawback.
"Shouldn't our top priority be securing our friendship with those three nations first?"
"That seems the wisest course."
Solidify ties with the three principalities first, or engage all four at once—both options had clear merits and drawbacks.
In the end, the World Conference decided on a cautious approach: lay a solid foundation by forging ties with the three principalities first.
"If that is the case, I have a proposal," spoke up Elena, the representative of Nostalgia.
"How would it be if we were to visit independently of the World Conference?"