Winding the clock back one day to June 21st, the official goodwill mission of the World Conference departed from Avalon.
The vessel being used was Jin's airship, the Hurricane.
For this occasion only, instead of his family crest—the two horizontal parallel bars within a circle—it was emblazoned with the symbol of the World Conference: a pigeon.
"Thanks to Jin-dono, it's quite a comfortable flight," the guide, Gajue Tsuga, remarked.
The lineup of the mission delegation was as follows:
Chief Envoy: Marquis of the Shouro Empire and current World Conference Chairman, Theobald Theoderic von Grain.
Deputy Envoy: Mitsuho Representative, Tein Miyabe.
Deputy Envoy: Avalon Chief Administrator's Adjutant, Illumina Ratkin.
Deputy Envoy: Mimaka Principality Garrison Vice-Captain of the World Security Guard, Gajue Tsuga.
Technical Advisor: Magi Craft Meister, Jin Nidou.
Attendants: Manon, Reiko.
Pilot: Hope.
In addition to serving as a deputy envoy, Gajue Tsuga also fulfilled the roles of guide and advisor.
For official gifts, they had once again prepared an assortment of magi-stones.
Along with those were various fruits, alcoholic beverages, and spices—a substantial haul made possible only by the Hurricane's immense cargo capacity.
"In the Principalities, the primary crops are grains followed by vegetables, so it seems they rarely cultivate fruits."
Following reports like this from Gajue Tsuga and his team, they had brought along persica (peaches) and citran (oranges). Naturally, these had been harvested on Hourai Island.
The alcohol consisted of wines produced in the Shouro Empire, while the spices were safe, standard choices like black pepper, cinnamon, and red pepper.
The selection of spices was based on an observation from the earlier report:
"Their seasoning was quite monotonous."
Apart from that, just in case of an emergency, five standard general-purpose golems from Avalon were loaded aboard.
Even while carrying all that weight, the Hurricane cruised effortlessly at a swift five hundred kilometers per hour.
"As expected of Jin-dono's craftsmanship," Chief Envoy Marquis Theobald Theoderic von Grain said in admiration.
As his surname House Theoderic indicated, he was a relative of Saki, a member of the Jin Family. Though rugged in appearance, he was an affable and gentle gentleman.
"It is an honor to travel alongside the Magi Craft Meister!" exclaimed Tein Miyabe, the representative of Mitsuho, practically buzzing with excitement. Since Mitsuho lacked class distinctions such as nobility, he simply went by "Representative." He was slender and equally pleasant to interact with.
"At this speed, we'll arrive at the Mimaka Principality shortly past noon," said Illumina Ratkin.
She was Marikka's disciple, reasonably proficient in magi-craft, and an accomplished woman who had also mastered martial arts.
When they had covered more than half the distance to the Four Principalities...
The members of the goodwill mission held their final briefing.
Aboard the Hurricane, they received a transmission from Nostalgia.
"To think the Jagus Principality took Lady Elena hostage..."
"Given that their demands consist of magi-stones, magi-crystals, and magi-devices, they are likely aiming for regional supremacy..."
The fact that the captured Elena was actually a double had not yet been disclosed to the delegation. However...
"Seeing that a message from Nostalgia telling us 'not to worry' arrived, they must already have a solution in mind."
"Indeed. The reason they haven't shared the details with us here is likely to eliminate any chance of information leaking to that country."
"Most likely."
"In any case, this confirms that our planned course of action is the right one."
Their strategy this time was to focus first on forging friendly ties with the other three principalities, setting the Jagus Principality aside.
"That's right. While we don't know what will become of the Jagus Principality going forward, dealing with them will be difficult without the cooperation of the other three principalities."
"Does it look like establishing friendly relations with those three will go smoothly?" Jin, who had been listening quietly until then, chimed in with a question.
Gajue Tsuga answered him. "Well, having Jin-dono accompany us is part of that effort, but as long as they understand that forging ties with the Conference Countries serves the best interests of their nation and people, I believe everything will be fine."
The leaders of the three principalities were reasonable individuals with whom one could hold constructive discussions, Gajue Tsuga concluded.
"From what I hear, they haven't been able to develop their inland areas due to water shortages?"
"Oh, you have sharp ears, Jin-dono. That is correct," Gajue Tsuga replied.
"We can conduct experimental digs, if needed."
For exploratory boring purposes, they had brought along a simplified version of the Mini-Mole. This model was not designed for a Command unit—a five-centimeter mini-golem—to pilot from within, but rather operated via remote control.
"Oh, that is truly reassuring," Chief Envoy Marquis Theobald Theoderic von Grain smiled warmly. "Demonstrating practical examples of the technical assistance available upon joining the Conference Countries should prove quite persuasive."
As various ideas were exchanged and the general strategy took shape...
"Everyone, please have some tea."
Reiko went around serving cups of Kaina tea.
"Ah, what a soothing flavor."
"Mm, delicious."
The caffeine-free Kaina tea was also widely consumed in Avalon and enjoyed great popularity as a health beverage.
"Come to think of it, we might be able to enlighten them not just on raw ingredients, but on cooking techniques as well," Gajue Tsuga remarked. "After all, among food, clothing, and shelter, their culinary culture is still quite lacking."
Branching off that topic, Jin brought up a question he had been meaning to ask. "Ah, by the way, what ever became of the soil analysis?"
The request had originally come from the Norha Principality. They wanted to understand why their land was so fertile and never suffered from soil depletion or crop failure. However, that seemed to be a mystery all the neighboring countries shared.
"When we brought back samples and analyzed them in Avalon, we discovered that the soil contains an exceptionally high concentration of magi-stone powder."
"Oho."
"However, how that actually affects the crops is still under investigation." Illumina Ratkin explained that they were currently conducting experiments by mixing ground magi-stone powder into soil and observing plant growth.
"I see," Jin said with a nod of thanks.
According to the findings from Jin's side—specifically uncovered by Saki and Hanna—it had been determined that, in addition to the magi-stone powder, magi-crystals were buried deep underground at regular intervals.
A magi-sequence was inscribed upon them, proving they were intentional magi-devices. The exact function of the magi-sequence was still being decoded, but it was theorized to stimulate and activate beneficial microorganisms within the soil.
Because the magi-crystals were buried at a depth of about twenty meters and were only the size of an azuki bean, Saki and Hanna had reasoned that the locals simply hadn't noticed them.
(It's probably best not to mention this just yet...)
If they asked how he could possibly know about something buried that deep, he wouldn't have a good explanation ready.
(Once we're on-site, I can cast Grand Search to 'discover' it naturally, and I'll explain it to them then.)
Jin decided to keep the thought to himself for now.