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 .
âAh, right⊠and what could that be?â
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 .
âPlease take one in your hand . â
Following Edgarâs encouragement, the Minister of Magic Technology, Degauss, took one of the small boxes and opened its lid .
âWhat is the name of the flower that blooms in the spring?
Though nobody tells me
I like those flowers of the field that bloom gentlyâŠâ
A fine singing voice comes out of the box . It was the song Reiko had once sung for them, but that voice was Elsaâs .
After closing the lid, the song stopped .
ââŠWhat is this?â
Degauss couldnât hide his curiosity as he asked Edgar .
âSure . This is a âmusic boxâ . Once you open its lid, it starts to play a song that has been prepared beforehand . â
âI see⊠Since music starts playing as soon as you open its lid, it could be used to protect the boxâs contents from burglary . â
The empress seemed to have understood the purpose behind which Elsa had created the music boxes .
âThat is correct . Itâs not only for listening to a song, but to prevent theft . â
âCan one change the song these boxes come with?â
The Magi Engineer Maestro, Gebalt, seemed interested in how the boxes were made .
âYes, through a process called ârecordingâ . This is how you do itâŠâ
Edgar starts explaining how to use the boxes . Both the empress and Degauss were impressed at how natural were Edgarâs movements and actions .
The Magi Engineer Maestro, Gebalt, also earnestly listened to Edgarâs explanation . Even though Edgar was an automata, it doesnât mean one should make light of him or treat him like someone of lower status than them .
â⊠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 . â
âImpressive! This ârecordingâ process, itâs amazing! It could be used for so many things!â
After listening to Edgarâs exposition, Gebalt turned to the empress and explained the music boxâs usefulness .
âYour Majesty, say you were to record what you had said at a meeting, then you wouldnât have to repeat yourself . It could even be more useful than writing a letter . âÂ
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 .
âI see . Well, Jin, looks like you have done a great job with your apprentice . â
âThank you very much . â
Jin thanked the empress, who then started to talk in a very calm voice, almost like a whisper .
âAh, yeah, this morning we received some magical tools from some organization called âNostalgiaâ in commemoration of our opening ceremony . They said itâs something you can use for speaking to other countries . â
âOohh⊠Is that so? That sounds amazing . â
That was one part of Jinâs plan . He had sent Mana Phones to the Shouro Empire, just like he had once sent some to the other kingdoms .
âAnd there was a letter too, it said: âIâm bringing along two people from the Shouro Empire under my care who had been involved in some complications with the Unifiersâ . â
âAh, yes . â
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 .
âThank you . So, Jin, tell me⊠do you know this so-called âDeus Ex Machinaâ?
âYes, though heâs just an acquaintance . âAfter nodding, the empress moved to her main question .
ââNostalgiaâ handed these two persons to Deus Ex Machina . Then, Deus Ex Machina escorted them to you, Jin⊠Am I correct here?â
âYes . â
âAnd these people, Elsa Randall and Mine, are with you now?â
âYes . â
âWhere are they?â
âTheyâre staying in my hotel room . â
âReinhardt, could you bring them here?â
âAt once, Your Majesty . â
Reinhardt left the hall, leaving Jin and the empress and her troupe behind .
â⊠According to the letter, the maid called Mine is Elsa Randallâs 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 . â
 âYes, thatâs what Iâve heard . â
The empress looked at Jin with great curiosity as he answered her question .
âAnd 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!â
The empress looked at Edgar and the music boxes as she said that .
âThen you took her as your apprentice and brought her all the way to Koju, is that right?â
âYes, thatâs correct . â
The empress seemed to be catching on the situation pretty quickly, just as Jin and Laojun had anticipated .
âThe letter also said that Elsaâs father, George Randall, was forcing her into an unwanted marriage . Is that so?â
âAh, yes, so Iâve heard . â
Jin answered a few more of the empressâ questions . So far, everything was going according to Laojunâs expectations .
Shortly after that, Reinhardt had returned with Elsa and Mine .