"Jin, sorry to rush you, but there’s somewhere we have to go right now."
Marcia grabbed Jin’s arm while he was still lost in thought.
"If we don’t register today, we can’t enter the race!"
"Oh, I see. That’s not good. Lead the way, then."
Realizing the deadline was today, Jin picked up his pace.
Marcia, Jin, and Reiko ran down the street in a single file. They soon reached an imposing stone building on the main thoroughfare that stood out from the rest of the port town.
"This is the Port Rock Town Hall," Marcia said as she pushed the doors open. Jin and Reiko followed her inside.
"Well now, if it isn't Marcia. Finally found yourself a magi craftman, have you?"
The voice belonged to a man around Marcia’s age or perhaps slightly older, with brown hair and gray eyes. He was dressed in pretentious finery and flanked by two guards, giving him the air of a minor noble.
"Yeah, I found one," Marcia replied shortly.
The man gave a small, derisive click of his tongue. Ignoring him, Marcia headed straight for a temporary reception desk.
"I’d like to register for the Golem Boat Race."
"Understood. I'll need to confirm the team members."
As the clerk spoke, Marcia beckoned Jin over.
"I'm the shipwright, Marcia. This is Jin; he’s the magi craftman in charge of the golem."
"I see. And do you have proof of your status as a magi craftman?" the clerk asked.
Marcia turned to Jin. "Jin, are you a member of the Mutual Aid Society or any other guild?"
"No, nothing like that."
The clerk chimed in at Jin’s answer. "In that case, you may either show us one of your previous works or complete a task we have prepared for you."
Hearing this, Reiko stepped forward. "If that is the requirement, then I—"
Jin hurriedly pulled her back. "And what does this task involve?" he asked, cutting her off.
"If you would just step into the next room and create something with the materials provided," the clerk said, gesturing toward a side door.
"Sure, I can do that right now," Jin said. He followed the clerk toward the room, pausing at the threshold to look back. "Marcia, Reiko—I’ll be right back."
As the door closed behind him, no one noticed the dark, smug grin spreading across the pretentious man’s face.
＊ ＊ ＊
Inside the room, a second clerk was waiting.
"Please use this to create something for us," the man said, placing a small lump of copper on the table.
"Got it. Now, what to make..."
The piece of copper was smaller than a fist. It wasn't enough to make anything particularly grand. A cup? A plate? A candlestick?
"Alright, let's go with this."
Having made up his mind, Jin channeled magical power into his hands.
Hmm?
He felt a faint sense of resistance, a strange discordance in the mana, but he pushed past it.
"Forming."
The magic took hold.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Honestly, Marcia, I'm impressed you managed to find a freelance magi craftman on such short notice."
Back in the hall of the Mutual Aid Society, the pretentious man continued to pester Marcia.
"I just got lucky, that's all."
"Luck only goes so far. If the Society doesn't recognize him, you won't be allowed to compete anyway."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Marcia snapped.
"Exactly what I said. What if the guy is just a smooth talker? What if he isn't a magi craftman at all?"
Marcia’s temper flared. "Don't talk about him like that! Jin isn't some fraud."
In her anger, she dropped her polite tone entirely, shouting at him with her usual rough energy. The man, however, didn't seem bothered.
"Heh, we'll see. It won't take long to find out."
Just then, the door opened, and the clerk and Jin stepped back into the hall.
"Well? How did he do?" the pretentious man asked.
The clerk said nothing. Instead, he simply held up the object Jin had produced for everyone to see.
"Hyah!"
"Oho?"
It was a copper statue, about ten centimeters tall. Or perhaps "figure" was the better word for it.
"Sorry, Marcia. I couldn't think of anything else on the spot, so I ended up making a figu... a doll of you."
During his time at the orphanage, Jin had once worked a part-time job helping a professional sculptor create prototypes for figures. While he wasn't particularly good at coming up with original designs, he was exceptionally skilled at replicating a model. That talent was now being put to full use through his magi craft.
"That—that's all well and good, but why is it wearing a swimsuit like this!?" Marcia cried, her face turning crimson. The figure was clad in a sleek one-piece swimsuit.
"Well, I was in a hurry. I could hardly make it naked, could I?"
"That’s not the point! How do you even know what I look like in a swimsuit, Jin!?"
"Pure imagination."
"As expected of you, Big Brother," Reiko added tonelessly.
As Marcia stood there glowing bright red and Jin gave his deadpan response, the clerk cleared his throat.
"V-Very well. I hereby certify Jin as a qualified magi craftman."
"We're in, Marcia!"
Relieved, Marcia paid the entry fee of 10,000 Toll.
"Please register your team name at a later date," the clerk added.
Marcia took the participation badge and clutched it to her chest. "Jin, thank you."
Jin offered a confident smile. "Save the thanks for when we win."
＊ ＊ ＊
Nearby, the pretentious man grabbed the clerk and dragged him into a shadowed corner.
"Hey! What the hell happened in there?"
"I-I don't know! I did exactly what you said and made him work at that table! But he finished that statue in the blink of an eye. The examiner saw it too, so there was no way I could fail him!"
"That table has a magic interference circle built right into it! Are you sure you didn't lead him to the wrong one?"
"I'm positive! I checked the mark myself!"
"Dammit... did they sell me a defective circle?" The man ground his teeth in frustration, but his expression soon shifted into a sneer. "Fine. Whatever. I still have other ways to deal with them."
＊ ＊ ＊
Extra:
The Port Rock Mayor, who also served as the Competition Committee Chairman, stared at the figure Jin had made of Marcia.
"Yes," he declared. "This will be the official race swimsuit for this year!"