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Chapter 405

It was too early for them to be asked about that, so Jin urged them to look at his work instead for the time being .

“Ah, right… and what could that be?”

The empress had turned her attention to three small boxes on the table . They were silver-colored and they had a finely crafted surface, so at first glance they looked like jewelry boxes .

“Please take one in your hand . ”

Following Edgar’s encouragement, the Minister of Magic Technology, Degauss, took one of the small boxes and opened its lid .

“What is the name of the flower that blooms in the spring?

Though n.o.body tells me

I like those flowers of the field that bloom gently…“

A fine singing voice comes out of the box . It was the song Reiko had once sung for them, but that voice was Elsa’s .

After closing the lid, the song stopped .

“…What is this?”

Degauss couldn’t hide his curiosity as he asked Edgar .

“Sure . This is a ‘music box’ . Once you open its lid, it starts to play a song that has been prepared beforehand . ”

“I see… Since music starts playing as soon as you open its lid, it could be used to protect the box’s contents from burglary . ”

The empress seemed to have understood the purpose behind which Elsa had created the music boxes .

“That is correct . It’s not only for listening to a song, but to prevent theft . ”

“Can one change the song these boxes come with?”

The Magi Engineer Maestro, Gebalt, seemed interested in how the boxes were made .

“Yes, through a process called ‘recording’ . This is how you do it…”

Edgar starts explaining how to use the boxes . Both the empress and Degauss were impressed at how natural were Edgar’s movements and actions .

The Magi Engineer Maestro, Gebalt, also earnestly listened to Edgar’s explanation . Even though Edgar was an automata, it doesn’t mean one should make light of him or treat him like someone of lower status than them .

“… Now that you have finished recording, from now on, whenever you open the lid, you will be able to listen to the song you have recorded . ”

“Impressive! This ‘recording’ process, it’s amazing! It could be used for so many things!”

After listening to Edgar’s exposition, Gebalt turned to the empress and explained the music box’s usefulness .

“Your Majesty, say you were to record what you had said at a meeting, then you wouldn’t have to repeat yourself . It could even be more useful than writing a letter . ”

Gebalt then went on to say that it would be more useful than letters since they could be used to convey messages to even those who could not read .

“I see . Well, Jin, looks like you have done a great job with your apprentice . ”

“Thank you very much . ”

Jin thanked the empress, who then started to talk in a very calm voice, almost like a whisper .

“Ah, yeah, this morning we received some magical tools from some organization called “Nostalgia” in commemoration of our opening ceremony . They said it’s something you can use for speaking to other countries . ”

“Oohh… Is that so? That sounds amazing . ”

That was one part of Jin’s plan . He had sent Mana Phones to the Shouro Empire, just like he had once sent some to the other kingdoms .

“And there was a letter too, it said: ‘I’m bringing along two people from the Shouro Empire under my care who had been involved in some complications with the Unifiers’ . ”

“Ah, yes . ”

And then the core of the plan . It would have been disrespectful to keep talking to the empress while standing up, so he prepared a chair for her .

“Thank you . So, Jin, tell me… do you know this so-called ‘Deus Ex Machina’?

“Yes, though he’s just an acquaintance . ”

After nodding, the empress moved to her main question .

“‘Nostalgia’ handed these two persons to Deus Ex Machina . Then, Deus Ex Machina escorted them to you, Jin… Am I correct here?”

“Yes . ”

“And these people, Elsa Randall and Mine, are with you now?”

“Yes . ”

“Where are they?”

“They’re staying in my hotel room . ”

“Reinhardt, could you bring them here?”

“At once, Your Majesty . ”

Reinhardt left the hall, leaving Jin and the empress and her troupe behind .

“… According to the letter, the maid called Mine is Elsa Randall’s biological mother . Ikasanart… was it? At that place, Unifier kidnapped the two of them in order to try to capture Reinhardt . Then Nostalgia stepped in to protect them and took them in their care . ”

“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard . ”

The empress looked at Jin with great curiosity as he answered her question .

“And since Elsa had developed some interest in Magi Craft, Deus Ex Machina taught her a bit about it . And to see that her abilities have come this far!”

The empress looked at Edgar and the music boxes as she said that .

“Then you took her as your apprentice and brought her all the way to Koju, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct . ”

The empress seemed to be catching on the situation pretty quickly, just as Jin and Laojun had antic.i.p.ated .

“The letter also said that Elsa’s father, George Randall, was forcing her into an unwanted marriage . Is that so?”

“Ah, yes, so I’ve heard . ”

Jin answered a few more of the empress’ questions . So far, everything was going according to Laojun’s expectations .

Shortly after that, Reinhardt had returned with Elsa and Mine .

“Your Majesty, I have brought them to you . ”

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