"Welcome, Your Highness the Duke of the Jagus Principality."
On the deck of the Hotaka Kai, the Magi Craft Meister Jin... or rather, his Doppel, greeted the party from the Jagus Principality.
Beside Jin D stood Reiko. Furthermore, twenty crew members—Marine 201 through 220—stood lined up in formation.
"Y-Yeah. So you are the Magi Craft Meister?"
"Yes. I am the current generation... the Third Generation Magi Craft Meister. I go by the name Jin Nidou."
Jin D and the Duke of the Jagus Principality shook hands. Next, Jin D did the same with Minister of Military Affairs Buena Haiti.
And just as Jin D was about to shake hands with Rokou B. Sihalo—
"Jin?...I remember now! You're that Jin who escaped with Lordtoss!"
Jin D casually laughed off the furious shout from the glaring Rokou B. Sihalo.
"Ah, something like that did happen, didn't it? Thank you for looking after me back then. It doesn't bother me at all, so there's no need to apologize."
He said this with total nonchalance.
In truth, Laojun was the one piloting Jin D right now. That was why he could adopt such an attitude.
Had it been Jin himself at the controls, his emotions might have swayed him a bit more.
"Rokou, do you know Jin-dono?"
Minister of Military Affairs Buena Haiti asked.
"Eh, ah, y-yes. Th-This guy is the man who previously fled the laboratory, and—"
Just as he began to speak, a breeze stirred across the deck.
"...Hm?"
"We have set sail. Time is precious right now, after all," Jin D stated. "We need to pursue the ships of the Neo-Magias."
"...Indeed."
The one who answered was the Duke of the Jagus Principality.
"What Jin-dono says makes complete sense....Rokou, you seem to have some history with him, but leave that for later."
"...............Understood."
Admonished even by his Duke, Rokou B. Sihalo bit his lip in frustration.
"Now then."
Jin D extended his hand to the last remaining member of the Jagus Principality delegation.
"I am Technical Officer Roa Temp."
With that, introductions with everyone were complete. Next, Jin D introduced the personnel on his side.
"This girl is my squire, the automata Reiko. The crew members of this ship are all from the golem 'Marine' series."
"I-I see."
Though somewhat overwhelmed, the Duke nodded while doing his best to maintain his dignity.
"And I will state this upfront: this fleet belongs to Deus Ex Machina. As for me, I suppose you could call me a guest commander, or perhaps a technical advisor."
Here, Jin D made sure to explain that the military force belonged to Maquina.
"Maquina should be arriving very shortly. Once that happens, I shall introduce you."
Thus, Jin D demonstrated his friendly relationship with Maquina while making it explicitly clear that the military might belonged to Maquina alone.
"Well then, please come this way."
Taking the lead, Jin D guided them toward the bridge.
The current Hotaka Kai had been fitted with a bridge designed specifically for Jin and his companions to board. Part of it had simply indulged Jin's personal tastes, of course.
Since an elevator was used to reach the bridge instead of stairs, even the Duke of the Jagus Principality was able to ascend without running out of breath.
"Ohh."
The bridge of the 250-meter-class battleship Hotaka Kai sat about 70 meters above sea level, offering a commanding view.
Even more so, the sheer presence and craftsmanship of the bridge, forged with Jin's knowledge and technology, were more than enough to astonish the delegation from the Jagus Principality.
"The captain is Marine 5."
Incidentally, the numbering system treated single digits as flag officers, early double digits as field officers, and late double digits as company officers. Three-digit numbers were designated for non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
"Please, have a seat."
Jin D gestured for everyone to sit at a table located slightly toward the rear of the bridge's center.
The seat for the Duke of the Jagus Principality was the only custom-made one... or rather, a special chair crafted in haste to accommodate his width, size, and weight.
"Marine 5, where are the Neo-Magias ships?" Jin D asked first.
"Yes. Northwest direction, approximately fifteen kilometers ahead."
"All right, full speed ahead. Let's catch up to them first."
"Understood."
Having issued the necessary orders, Jin D turned back to the delegates of the Jagus Principality.
"The owner, Deus Ex Machina, will also be arriving shortly, so I would appreciate it if you could hold off on discussions regarding the Neo-Magias until then," he told them.
"Mm, very well."
The Duke nodded.
He then glanced all around the bridge, letting out an impressed murmur.
"...Mmm, with a ship like this, I imagine overpowering that Neo-Magias would be a simple matter..."
Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus of the Jagus Principality had become quite knowledgeable through his dialogues with the magi-brain and Eiji 1. However, that was strictly theoretical knowledge and had never been paired with firsthand experience.
Therefore, now that he was aboard the Hotaka Kai, the Duke was brimming with intense curiosity about everything he laid eyes upon.
"It will likely take ten-odd minutes for Maquina to arrive. In the meantime, I apologize for the wait, but let us pass the time with some casual conversation. Please, have a drink."
Marine 550 placed glasses of Persica juice on the table and stepped back.
Jin D drank from his glass first to demonstrate its safety. Of course, since Jin D was a Doppel, him drinking it did not actually guarantee anything, but the Jagus Principality delegation had no way of knowing that.
Technical Officer Roa Temp, who had accompanied them as an escort, took a sip first.
"...Mmm, this is delicious."
Being Persica juice specially produced on Hourai Island, 9,999 out of 10,000 people would undoubtedly call it exquisite.
Seeing that, Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus drank his Persica juice.
"Mm, delicious!"
Rokou B. Sihalo and Minister of Military Affairs Buena Haiti drank theirs as well, smacking their lips in delight.
"Now then, with our throats refreshed, do you have any questions?"
At this point, Rokou B. Sihalo spoke up as if it were only natural.
"Jin... no, Jin-dono. Why back then... no, what you... ahem, I would like to hear an explanation of your circumstances. Otherwise, I cannot bring myself to fully trust you."
His argument was understandable in a sense. After all, when his country had tried to treat him as a researcher, Jin had fled the nation.
Of course, that was completely ignoring the fact that they had kept him under house arrest and essentially abducted him in the first place.
"Let's see... To begin with, back then, an experiment of mine failed and hurled me all the way to the Pandor Continent, which left my memories temporarily clouded. Then, I crossed paths with Lordtoss, who already knew me, and I escaped your country in order to be cured by a certain person residing in his homeland."
"His homeland... meaning?"
"The Nord Federation on the Gondoa Continent."
This explanation was delivered by Jin D under Laojun's control. Laojun was far more adept at handling these kinds of fabrications smoothly.
"...And what was that 'experiment'?"
"A magic circle for teleportation."
"I see."
Teleportation and spatial transfer were fields still shrouded in mystery. Rokou B. Sihalo found himself unable to pursue the technical questions any further.
"In that case, Jin-dono, could you tell us about this vessel within reasonable limits?"
This question came from Minister of Military Affairs Buena Haiti.
"Yes, certainly. This vessel is the battleship Hotaka Kai. Overall length is 250 meters, displacement is 30,000 tons. Maximum speed is 100 kilometers per hour. The crew consists entirely of golems."
"H-How terrifyingly formidable..."
"I must refrain from disclosing details regarding our armaments and propulsion mechanisms, as they are military secrets."
When Jin D asked if there was anything else, Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus of the Jagus Principality spoke up.
"...Why are you assisting our country?"