At 10:00 AM, the Hurricane rendezvoused with Deus Ex Machina III's Aristotle in the skies above Lake Kotsushi.
"O-Ohhh!"
"It's huge...!"
Just as expected, the delegation from the Darato Principality was completely awestruck by its massive 100-meter length.
"Well, that makes sense."
Jin wondered for a brief moment how they would react if he showed them the 300-meter spaceship Adriana. Of course, he had no intention of actually doing so.
Then, Jin, Reiko, and the members of the Darato Principality transferred from the Hurricane to the Aristotle via a dedicated magic circle.
While this magic circle could actually transport targets hundreds of kilometers, it had been explained to them as a short-range device limited to at most around 500 meters due to mana consumption constraints.
"Welcome aboard the Aristotle, His Highness the Duke."
Deus Ex Machina III greeted the Duke of the Darato Principality, followed by the Chancellor, the minister of foreign affairs, and the minister of internal affairs.
"Likewise, we are in your care today, Maquina-dono."
The Chancellor returned the greeting on behalf of the delegation.
"Well then, I shall head out to pick up the delegation from the Norha Principality."
When Jin said that, Theobald Theoderic von Grain, Marquis of the Shouro Empire and current World Conference Chairman, gave him a slight nod.
"Jin-dono, thank you for taking on the trouble."
With those parting words, he saw Jin off.
From the skies above Lake Kotsushi to Resonare, the royal capital of the Norha Principality, was roughly 120 kilometers.
The Hurricane arrived in about twenty minutes, touching down at an airfield on the outskirts of the city.
"Jin-dono, we have been expecting you."
Chancellor Premus Hai Yasuna hurried over to Jin as he stepped down from the Hurricane.
Gathered there were Duke Keith Tennick de Norha, First Prince Zifola Movie de Norha, Minister of General Affairs Kaimu Law Hasta, Minister of Military Affairs Zonata Nictes Vecchio, and Foreign Minister Bolagia Read Mihara, whom Jin was meeting for the first time.
"I will escort you to the Aristotle. Please, come aboard."
Jin guided the Duke inside.
Without any unnecessary formalities, the First Prince, Chancellor, Minister of General Affairs, Minister of Military Affairs, Foreign Minister, and Reiko boarded the Hurricane in that order.
After confirming that everyone was seated with their seatbelts fastened, Jin instructed Hope to take off.
"Hurricane, take off."
"Yes, Master."
"O-Ohhhhh!"
Even if they had flown in hot air balloons before, every single one of them was traveling in an airship—or rather, a blow floater—for the very first time, and they were astonished by its climbing power.
"It ascends at an extraordinary speed."
"Indeed, truly remarkable."
Since the Hurricane was a blow floater, it was capable of ascending while keeping its fuselage perfectly level.
Its initial acceleration was roughly two meters per second squared, or about 0.2 G. That made 1.2 G in total.
At that level, even first-time passengers could easily handle the ride.
In under two minutes, the Hurricane exceeded an altitude of 200 meters and leveled out.
Then, while keeping its hull level, it continued to climb higher.
"It certainly is fast."
If they engaged the barrier projector, the vessel was capable of ascending all the way into the stratosphere, but for this trip, they cruised at an altitude of around 500 meters.
Piercing through the low clouds, an azure sky spread out above them.
Seeing the clouds swiftly stream away behind them gave the passengers a clear sense of the Hurricane's true speed.
"How fast are we traveling?" the Chancellor asked Jin.
"Right now, it is about 400 kilometers per hour."
"Good heavens!"
The Chancellor gasped in astonishment at the figure.
"Flying like this, perhaps because of the distance from the ground, it doesn't feel as fast as you would expect, does it?"
"No, far from it..."
Jin had assumed the height would dull the sensation of speed, but for first-time passengers, that clearly was not the case.
The return journey also took roughly twenty minutes, bringing them back over Lake Kotsushi.
"H-How massive...!"
"To think such a colossal vessel could float in the sky..."
Their astonishment upon seeing the Aristotle was identical to that of the Darato Principality's delegation.
"Now then, let us transfer over."
Just like before, they crossed over to the Aristotle via the magic circle in an instant.
(If I don't establish beforehand that there are distance and mana limitations, things could get rather troublesome down the line...)
Jin reflected that while Warp Gates and magic circles capable of instantaneous long-distance travel would completely revolutionize transportation, they would also hinder the natural development of conventional transit.
"Welcome to the Aristotle. I am Deus Ex Machina, the Third Generation."
Deus Ex Machina III was the first to welcome the guests and introduce himself.
"We are truly grateful for your cooperation on this occasion."
Chancellor Premus Hai Yasuna stepped forward and shook hands.
Afterward, the other members of the Norha Principality formally introduced themselves as well.
With all the representatives assembled, the Three Principalities Peace Conference finally got underway.
First came the introductions.
Most of the people present were meeting face-to-face for the very first time.
"I am Keith Tennick de Norha, Duke of the Norha Principality."
"I am Gilberto de Darato, Duke of the Darato Principality."
"I am Gaspar de Mimaka, Duke of the Mimaka Principality."
Following the Dukes, the Chancellors and Ministers of General Affairs introduced themselves, and the discussions officially began.
The role of moderator was handled by Theobald Theoderic von Grain, Marquis of the Shouro Empire and current World Conference Chairman.
In addition, Gajue Tsuga and Illumina Ratkin were also in attendance.
Jin and Maquina III observed from the sidelines in an advisory and consultant capacity.
The main subjects of discussion were, of course, their stance regarding the Jagus Principality and their participation in the World Conference.
With the passage of years, the influence of the Pioneer Revolutionary Corps had almost entirely faded, and the three principalities were eager to avoid being left behind by the rest of the world; thus, they had no objections to joining the World Conference.
The issue was the Jagus Principality.
Though investigations were still ongoing, they clearly possessed technology distinct from the other three principalities, and the Conference Countries had determined that they were a force not to be underestimated.
When parties shared a common goal, cooperative relationships were easily forged.
After roughly an hour of aligning their positions, a framework for cooperation among the three principalities was established, and the signing took place.
With this, the three principalities were granted provisional participation in the Conference Countries.
The agreement signed on this day came to be known as the Three Principalities Peace and Cooperation Agreement.
The date was July 5. The Aristotle hovered serenely in the open sky.
It stood as the very embodiment of the people's collective wish for a peaceful future to come.