What was supposed to have been a relaxing afternoon social gathering had suddenly taken a sharp turn, enveloping the interior of the Norha Principality's castle in tension.
This was because Madaim Luha, the vice commander of the 2nd Frontier Corps, had been brainwashed by what appeared to be agents of the Jagus Principality.
While Manon and Reiko cooperated to investigate his mental condition, it was decided to expose everyone in the castle to the waves of the Weckener.
At Jin's instruction, Hope detached one of the Weckener units mounted aboard Hurricane. Irradiating the castle at maximum output revealed that two soldiers from the 2nd Frontier Corps had also been brainwashed.
Meanwhile, Jin had Hope assist him in repairing the golems damaged during the sham fight.
In the Grand Conference Room, the prominent figures of the Norha Principality and all members of the goodwill mission had gathered together.
"This instance of brainwashing was localized—or rather, partial."
Manon reported the findings from her Diagnose of Madaim Luha.
"Ordinary brainwashing strips away emotional fluctuations, making the change easy to notice. However, what was done this time closely resembles a 'Seduce' suggestion that only triggers upon encountering specific keywords."
"Mmm..."
"With this method, it would almost certainly go unnoticed in everyday life."
In the past, Unifilar had utilized a similar method of brainwashing, and Laojun, having dealt with it before, had shared plenty of insight with Manon on the subject.
"Since we have already undone the brainwashing—or rather, the Seduce—the finer details remain unknown. Judging from the circumstances, however, I believe it is safe to assume it involved two things: 'overestimating the strength of their own golems' and 'launching into reckless battles.'"
"W-What would be the point of that?"
Minister of General Affairs Kaimu Law Hasta asked in surprise.
"For instance, if they were to clash with the Jagus Principality's golem forces, they might recklessly engage despite an overwhelming disadvantage in military strength, leading to their complete annihilation."
Manon's answer sent a shiver through Minister of Military Affairs Zonata Nictes Vecchio.
"How utterly treacherous...!"
"...Just when could such a Seduce have been placed on him?"
Gene Fulsort Raxeve, commander of the 2nd Frontier Corps, asked.
He had not been subjected to Seduce himself.
"Near the border, after all, I was by his side most of the time."
"That remains unclear, but several possibilities come to mind....Two soldiers were under Seduce. If someone stationed on the front lines like that was brainwashed, ordered to secretly cast Seduce upon the vice commander while he slept, and then had their own brainwashing removed afterward, no evidence would remain."
"Mmm... The Jagus Principality is truly a terrifying foe..."
Hearing the report, Duke Keith Tennick de Norha scowled sourly.
"Father, given the situation, shouldn't the three principalities join hands as quickly as possible to oppose the Jagus Principality?"
First Prince Zifola Movie de Norha proposed.
"That is true....Lord Theobald, what are your thoughts?"
The Duke asked chief envoy Theobald Theoderic von Grain.
"Now that matters have come to this, I agree that we should move the schedule forward....How shall we handle the signing ceremony with all three principalities present?"
They had to decide which of the three principalities would host it, and it was obvious that each nation would insist, 'By all means, in our country.'
"...In that case, how about holding it aboard the Aristotle?"
Jin offered.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had a vague memory of a historic signing ceremony taking place aboard a battleship or an aircraft carrier, which prompted the suggestion. It turned out to be a brilliant idea.
"Oh, that might be wonderful indeed!"
Theobald was the first to agree. He then explained to those who were unfamiliar with the Aristotle.
"The Aristotle is the vessel used by Deus Ex Machina-dono; it is a 100-meter-long airship. What would you think of holding the signing ceremony there?"
"O-One hundred meters...?"
"Such a massive vessel flies through the sky...?"
The Norha officials were astonished by its scale.
Even if not quite to Jin's level, the name 'Deus Ex Machina' also carried considerable weight, making this a remarkably timely proposal.
"That sounds splendid. Father, what do you think?"
The First Prince eagerly voiced his support.
"Indeed. I believe it is a location truly worthy of marking a historic moment....Lord Theobald, please coordinate things along those lines."
"Understood."
And so, it was decided that the agreement for the three principalities to join the World Conference would be signed aboard Deus Ex Machina's airship, the Aristotle.
Though matters had taken an unfortunate turn near the end, the negotiations in the Norha Principality could broadly be considered a success.
Due to the Seduce incident, the party moved their schedule forward instead of staying another night, departing the Norha Principality's royal capital, Resonare, at 4:00 PM.
Just like the outbound journey, Jin's Hurricane returned to the Mimaka Principality garrison in a single hour.
At 5:00 PM, the long summer daylight had not yet given way to dusk.
The party held a brief debriefing session that same evening.
During the meeting, Jin spoke up.
"In that case, I will handle contacting the Darato Principality."
After all, having received a 'free pass' from the Duke, he could visit without an appointment.
Contacting the Mimaka Principality would be left to Theobald Theoderic von Grain and his delegation.
"I will depart first thing tomorrow morning."
"Jin-dono, we leave it in your capable hands."
With that settled, the meeting concluded.
Having let the others know that he would be resting inside Hurricane for the night, Jin took Reiko and Hope and temporarily returned to Hourai Island via the Warp Gate.
"Welcome back, My Lord."
As always, Laojun's voice greeted him.
"I'm back....Has there been any news regarding the Jagus Principality since we left?"
"Yes, My Lord. It appears that Quinta's Spica 9—Lila, who is currently playing the role of the fake Elena—has won over several individuals with her cooking."
"Sounds like an interesting story....I want to perform maintenance on Reiko and Hope first, so tell me all about it once I'm done."
"Understood."
Accompanied by Reiko and Hope, Jin headed to the workshop.
"First up is Reiko....No damage anywhere, I see."
"Yes, Father. Golems of that caliber are no match for me."
"I figured as much..."
Holding back had probably been the hardest part for her, Jin thought wryly.
"Even so, let's do a recalibration."
With that, Jin meticulously performed fine adjustments on Reiko.
As a result, her output increased by approximately 0.8 percent, and her reaction speed improved by about 0.7 percent.
"Next is Hope."
"Yes, please go ahead."
Here, too, there were no anomalies to be found.
"No changes to the exterior or the frame either."
Jin felt a sense of satisfaction, having once again reaffirmed the sheer durability of Reiko and Hope, both crafted by his own hands.
Having finished the maintenance on Reiko and Hope, Jin headed to the dining room.
"Welcome back, Jin-nii."
"Welcome back, Jin."
"Onii-chan, welcome back!"
Elsa, Saki, and Hanna warmly greeted him.
"Well then, Laojun, let's hear about the fake Elena."
"Yes, My Lord."
Laojun began the report...