"Welcome home, Father."
Reiko was there to greet Jin the moment he stepped back into the laboratory.
"It has grown quite dark, but the house is finished. Please, have a look."
"What? Already?"
Jin was staggered that Reiko and the golems had completed a house in a single day, though he failed to realize that if he had used his own magic, it likely would have been finished even sooner.
Setting that aside, he stepped outside the laboratory to find a Japanese-style house with a tiled roof standing before him.
"This is..."
"I searched your memories for a layout that seemed comfortable to live in, and this was the result."
It was a single-story wooden building with a tiled roof and plastered earthen walls.
"Please, look inside as well."
He stepped through the entrance into a genkan, where he removed his shoes. The hallway was made of polished wooden planks, and a dirt-floored kitchen area sat adjacent to it. There were four rooms in total. He expected wooden flooring there as well, but—
"...Tatami?"
The floors were covered with mats that looked remarkably like tatami.
"According to your memories, the original material is called 'igusa,' correct? I found a similar grass growing in the wetlands, so I used that."
Jin marveled at the effort she had put into the details. Reiko had built this house solely out of her devotion to him.
"Thank you, Reiko. You really are a wonderful daughter."
Jin beamed at her, and Reiko looked radiant at the praise.
"I think I'll start sleeping here tonight."
"Yes, please do."
That night, for the first time in a long while, Jin laid out a futon in a room of mock tatami and fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, after a breakfast of barley porridge, Jin gave Reiko her instructions.
"Reiko, I need you to sell some more small magi-stones to raise some cash. I want you to buy a stock of wheat, barley, seasonings, and other essentials."
"Yes, Father. I understand. Should I head to Beena's place once I am finished?"
"Yeah. If she isn't at her stall, she'll probably be at home."
"Understood."
The magi-stones harvested from Hourai Island were of high quality and fetched a handsome price. Reiko sold three of them for 5,000 Toll and used the funds to purchase wheat and barley.
In the vicinity of Blue Land, wheat cost 80 Toll per kilogram, while barley cost 90 Toll. Buying in bulk made the price slightly cheaper.
The clerk at the grain stall watched in stunned silence as the young girl walked away effortlessly carrying sixty kilograms of grain on her shoulders.
Upon returning to Hourai Island, Reiko gave a portion of the grain to Perido, the maid golem, to begin cultivation. The rest was placed in storage.
Since salt could be harvested from the sea around Hourai Island, Reiko only had to buy a small amount of pepper to complete her shopping list.
"I should earn a little more, just in case."
Reiko sold two more magi-stones for 3,200 Toll and then headed toward the city to find Jin.
"Morning."
"Morning, Jin."
"I brought more Persica today."
"Thank you!"
By now, Beena had stopped questioning where Jin sourced his fruit.
"You know, my brothers seem to be doing much better since they started eating these."
"That's good to hear. It's best if they can recover without needing a doctor."
Beena looked up at him with a knowing gaze. "Jin, did you know this would happen?"
"Well, I had a hunch. But I told you I wasn't certain, didn't I? That's why I kept quiet."
"Now that you mention it, you did say that. Hey, what was the illness called?"
"Scurvy."
"Scurvy?" Beena tilted her head at the unfamiliar term.
"It's a disease people get when they don't eat enough fresh vegetables or fruit. Beena, you usually turn your vegetables into soup, right? When you apply heat, certain nutrients in the vegetables are destroyed. That’s why it’s important to eat some of them raw."
Even after Jin's explanation, Beena still looked puzzled.
"How do you know all this, Jin? It feels like you're fundamentally different from me."
"Ah... well, I might have received a rather specialized education. That's probably why."
"Education? Jin, did you go to an academy?"
"An academy?"
"No? Then was it a private tutor? Were you rich? Or maybe a noble?"
Jin waved his hands dismissively. "No, no. It's not like that. How should I put it..."
He had been considering how much to reveal since his house was finished.
"I'm an orphan."
"Eh?" Beena was taken aback by the sudden confession.
"And the place where I live is a lonely island. My master has passed away, too."
"..."
"On that island, there's an artifact called a Warp Gate."
"W-w-w-wait, a Warp Gate!!??" Beena shrieked in shock.
"Calm down," Jin said, trying to soothe her. "Anyway, when I used it, I ended up in the forest near here. The rest is just as you know."
He had omitted and glossed over a great deal, but he hadn't technically told any lies.
The news was clearly a massive shock to Beena. It took a long time before she finally spoke.
"...I think I understand now. Why you're such a specialized magi craftman."
"The fruit and everything else grows on that island," Jin added.
"I see. Thanks. You trusted me enough to tell me, didn't you?"
"Yeah. Just don't tell anyone else, okay?"
"Of course not. Anyway, I was thinking of making more lighters today."
"Sure, I'll help."
They immediately set to work. Since they knew the demand was there, they produced forty units—double the previous day's batch.
With some time left over, Jin asked, "So, have you thought of anything else you want to make?"
"Oh, right! Listen, do you think we could make a magic tool that produces hot water?"
"Since you can easily start a fire with a lighter now, would we really need that?"
"No, that's not it," Beena explained, clapping her hands. "I don't mean boiling water for cooking. I mean warm water for things like washing your hands or wiping your body."
Jin nodded in realization. "Ah, I see. I get it."
She was describing something like the water heaters from modern Earth. It just needed to produce reasonably warm water.
"That doesn't sound too difficult."
"Right? My idea was to make something that generates heat when you submerge it in a container of water."
Beena laid out her concept, but Jin immediately shook his head.
"No, that won't work."
"Why not!?" Beena shouted, stung by the instant rejection.
"You said it yourself yesterday, Beena. You want to make tools that benefit everyone."
"I did."
"Which means you want to keep the price as low as possible, right?"
"Well, yes."
"In that case, you have to prioritize efficiency."
"Efficiency?"
"Yeah. The amount of work you get out of the effort you put in."
Beena fell silent, pondering the word, until the meaning finally clicked.
"I see! You mean using as little magical energy as possible to produce as much hot water as possible?"
"Exactly. You're quick on the uptake, Beena."
Jin was genuinely impressed by how fast she learned.