"Do you see? Leave it like this, and people are going to call it a defective product."
"Th-then what should I do?"
"In a case like this, you should either pre-program how many hours the barrier should stay active, or slightly reduce its resistance to wind."
Beena tilted her head at the explanation. "I understand the part about specifying the time, but what do you mean by 'resistance to wind'?"
"This thing is deactivated by voice, right? Sound is just the vibration of air. If you don't allow light breezes to pass through, your voice will never reach the internal sensor."
Beena kept her head tilted, looking even more confused. "Sound is a vibration of air? What does that even mean?"
Jin let out a sigh. He had no intention of turning this into a science lesson. "Just take my word for it. Last point—if you deploy a barrier of this strength, a magi-stone this size will run out of mana in less than a minute. What’s the point of a barrier that only lasts that long?"
"Ah..."
"You can't just pursue performance; you have to consider things like usability and balance."
"Balance?"
"Yeah. It means doing things in moderation so they aren't lopsided."
"Hmm, I see..."
Though he had only given her advice on two items so far, Beena seemed to have finally recognized the flaws in her own work. She crossed her arms and sank into deep thought.
Just then, Reiko returned.
"Father, I have returned."
"Ah, good work."
"Father?! Did she just call you 'Father'?" Beena yelped, startled by the way the girl addressed Jin.
"Oh, didn't I mention it? Reiko is... well, she’s an automata I built."
"A-A-Automata!?" Beena froze, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
Jin didn't notice her shock and turned his attention back to Reiko. "So, what about the magi-stones?"
"Since the disposal site was buried deep underground, I have gathered only this many for the time being."
She handed Jin ten magi-stones, each roughly the same size as the ones he had seen at the market stall earlier.
"Oh, these will be just right. Well done. And the peach-lookalikes?"
"Yes. I have placed them in a basket outside."
Jin glanced out the workshop door and saw a large basket filled with about twenty of the fruits.
"Great, thanks."
When Jin turned back to Beena, she was still standing perfectly still, like a statue.
"Hey, Beena."
No response.
"There is no response. She seems to be just a corpse."
"Father, she is still alive," Reiko replied with a mercilessly flat tone.
"I know that. I just wanted to try saying it once."
Jin reached out and gave Beena’s cheek a light tap.
"Ah! Wh-what was that for?! That hurt!"
It seemed she had finally rebooted.
"Well, I've been calling you for a while now but you wouldn't answer."
Beena's words came out in a panicked rush. "Hah... That's right! An—an automata, you said?! That's artifact-class! How on earth did you get your hands on one?"
Jin realized things were about to get troublesome again and decided to play it safe.
"Erm, I found her in some ruins way further north and repaired her when she was broken. That's why she's so attached to me."
Reiko knit her brows slightly at the answer, but Jin didn't notice.
"H-Huh. You were lucky, then. I see, so that's why she was able to stop my staff so effortlessly. If she's an artifact, that makes sense."
Though he had first said he "built" her and then claimed he "repaired" her, Beena was so overwhelmed by the fact that Reiko was an automata that she didn't catch the contradiction. Since she seemed satisfied with the lie, Jin pressed on.
"Anyway, I had Reiko go pick some fruit. Do you want some?"
When he pointed toward the basket outside, Beena's eyes widened for a third time.
"Wh-Wh-Wh... Isn't that 'Persica'!?"
"Persica?"
Jin repeated the unfamiliar name, and Beena looked at him like he was crazy. "The person who brought them doesn't even know what they are? They're also called Royal Fruit—high-end luxury goods imported from an island nation in the east! They're delicious, incredibly nutritious, and even nobles rarely get a taste of them!"
Jin realized he had messed up again, but it was too late to take it back.
"Well, uh, there were a lot of them growing near the place where I found Reiko, so I just grabbed some. Just go ahead and eat."
"Is it really okay?! You could make a fortune if you sold these at a stall!"
Jin considered the idea for a moment, but explaining where he found a steady supply would be a nightmare. "I don't intend to sell them. Let your brother and sister have some."
Beena beamed at his suggestion. "Are you really sure? Then I'll take two!"
She snatched two Persicas from the basket and hurried into the house. Since leaving the rest of the fruit outside was asking for trouble, Jin picked up the basket and followed her in.
Beena carefully peeled the skin, cautiously sliced the flesh, and arranged the fruit on a plate before bringing it to her siblings.
"Here, we got some delicious fruit. Eat up!"
"Yeah!"
Nana and Raldo dug into the Persica with pure delight.
"It's so good!"
"That's right, you can eat it all." Beena watched them eat with a tender smile on her face.
When she returned to the kitchen with the empty plate, she found Jin in the middle of eating a Persica himself. Six seeds were scattered on the table. Beena assumed he had eaten a fair amount on his own until she looked at the counter.
"I've peeled your portion over there, Beena."
On a plate sat three Persicas' worth of sliced fruit. It turned out Jin had only eaten three himself.
"I-Is it really okay?" she asked tentatively.
"Of course. It's better to eat them before they spoil."
With that encouragement, Beena finally reached for a slice. She put it in her mouth and her eyes lit up.
"Delicious...!"
She had once been given a single slice at the home of her former mentor, the magi craftman Gladia Hampton, but this was on an entirely different level.
It made sense—the fruit sold in this country was harvested while green and ripened during the long journey. In contrast, the fruit Jin had brought was tree-ripened and freshly picked.
"I didn't think they could ever be this good!"
The Persica on the plate vanished in an instant.
"The rest are for you and your family, so make sure you eat them soon." There were still about ten left in the basket.
"Are you... sure?"
"I said it's fine. Please, eat them."
Only after Jin insisted repeatedly did Beena finally accept the gift.
"Thanks, Jin," she said softly.