"Oh, this is comfortable."

"Wow, it's great. It's fast and it doesn't shake."

After several test flights to fine-tune the aircraft, Jin, Elsa, and Reiko were enjoying their walk in the air on the Conlon 2.

"...... I'm satisfied with this performance. But I wanted you to tell me something."

Erza said with a little bit of resentment. It must be complicated for the person who manages the inventory.

"Sorry. I just had to make it."

"That's the kind of person my brother ...... Jin is, so it can't be helped."

When Jin apologized, Erza laughed and forgave him.

"Father, would you like to try to reach maximum speed?"

Reiko, in the cockpit, asked when it was clear that they had gained enough altitude.

"Yes, please."

Jin and Erza put up the barrier and sat down near the emergency escape gate.

"Okay, let's go."

They put up a wind-shielding barrier and fired the jet thrusters to their maximum output.

There was a sudden acceleration. I look out the window and see a cloud of dust drifting behind me.

The old man called. The speed is the ground speed based on Horai Island.

"Is this the limit for jet thrusters? Reiko, the force field generator!

Yes, sir!

Now the acceleration is gone. The airship and its crew... every molecule of it is equally affected.

<

"Oh, we made it!"

Jin smiled happily as he realized that the speed was about 10% faster than he had expected.

"Brother Jin, that's great!"

"Father, you did it!"

Elsa and Reiko also congratulated him.

The rest of us leisurely flew westward. The island of Kunlun came into view.

"Okay, let's land."

Okay.

Reiko uses the force field generator to descend slowly.

<

"It's been a while..."

Elsa, who had just stepped off the airship, looked at the pavilion and muttered to herself with deep emotion.

The first time I came here was from the Blue Lands. I was with my brother Rai and Beena at that time.

"Oh, yes, that's right."

It was March 1 last year, Jin recalled.

It is now January 23rd, almost a year ago.

"It seems like it was a long time, but now that I think about it, it seems like it happened so fast.

Erza also heard him muttering.

"Hmm... Really. I met my brother Jin on February 9. It's been almost a year.

Oh, is that right?

Yeah. There was a golem boat race in Potrock. ......

Yeah, that's right. Seems like a long time ago.

Me too.

The two, who had spent unusually intense days together, were lost in their own thoughts for a while.

"Speaking of which, what happened to Edgar?"

Jin noticed that Elsa's automata, Edgar, was out of sight.

"Well,...... your mother is not feeling well, so I left him here to take care of you."

"I see. You should visit her often when you have free time."

"Hmm, thank you."

>

The old man asked the guests who had not said anything to him for a long time.

"Ah, ah... I'm sorry. I'm done. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, is that so?"

According to the report, the advance party left Loizart on January 12 and arrived at the town of Ismar on the 16th of the same month.

They arrived at the village of Kali on the 17th and at the town of Seki on the 18th.

Negotiations began in the town of Sekhi.

After three days of negotiations, the advance party was allowed to pass through the town of Seki.

.

"That's good news."

Even though we know that the inhabitants of Mitsho are not belligerent, thanks to <>, the old man's manipulations, it is good to hear that the attempts to open diplomatic relations are progressing well.

<

"We are almost on schedule here as well."

<

"Yes, that's right."

She had been burned from her face to her right arm with a corrosive solution similar to sulfuric acid, and had been transported by hot air balloon to a healing hospital.

"That's the only thing that helps. ......"

The prognosis for scars from exposure to the corrosive fluid is not good.

"It's hard for a woman to have her face burned off."

Elsa also muttered worriedly.

"Oh, yes. When you get a chance, Elsa, please examine her.

"Yes, of course."

Erza was also concerned about Gloria, even though they were more than acquaintances and less than friends.

"Oh?　What is it?

The old man had gone to a great deal of trouble to tell the good news. Both Jin and Elsa listened expectantly.

<

"What!"

Two seemingly unrelated items were found almost simultaneously.

<

Dinney urged him to explain the details.

<

This is a rough description, but it is exactly how washi is made.

<. I have also obtained information on the grass from which the juice is extracted, and am currently investigating.

"......"

I am very curious to know who was the wise man (Magus) and what kind of knowledge he had.

But that will come later. We can't find out in a hurry. It is necessary to gather information slowly.

It is possible to grow two or three crops on Horai Island. If all the rice harvested in the first season is used as seed rice, we will have a little in the second season and a large amount of glutinous rice in the third season.

The old man told Jin that he had obtained a small amount of yeast at the same time and that he should expect it.

"Well, it's getting more and more difficult to grasp the character of Mags, isn't it?"

"...... is he from Tosa?"

Jin suddenly remembered something he had read in a comic book.

"Tosa washi and dried bonito flakes....... Brewing is only possible with a little knowledge of chemistry ......."

Still, no image of the man came to mind.

"I don't have a choice."

Putting that on hold, Jin thinks about bringing new industries to Horaijima.

"Paper can be spread to Shogun via the Shoro Empire through trade, so Horai Island should be self-sufficient. The other products should be about the same.

.

The old man intends to follow Jin's instruction, but the level of self-sufficiency in Horai Island can be found at .......

"Well, first of all, let's visit each country to unveil this new airship.

In short, they are going to let people know that Jin's aircraft has been changed to this new model. We don't want to be suspected in the event of an emergency.

"Let's start with Kaina village, Klein Kingdom, Egelea Kingdom, Elias Kingdom, and Shoro Kingdom ...... in that order. Erza, of course, will go with me."

"Yes, I'll go with you."

Thus begins the unveiling of the new airship.