"The preliminaries will consist of five boats per heat. They will head out from the port, circle around 'Isolated Rock,' and return. The top two finishers from each heat will advance to tomorrow's finals."
The announcer continued to explain the rules of the competition.
"Since we have thirty-five participating teams this year, the first group will consist of bibs 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29."
Jin and his team, MJR, were bib number 35—the very last group.
"And now, for the first heat of the preliminaries!"
This heat included the arrogant Valentino, bib number 1, and his boat, the Glory of Elias. Everyone in this group wore red swimsuits. It seemed the organizers had assigned different colors to each preliminary block.
From what Jin could see, all five boats had narrow, canoe-like hulls. This was logical, as all five were rowed with oars, but the golem powering the Glory of Elias was remarkably more robust than the others.
"He likely used his status or wealth to hire a master magi craftsman," Jin muttered.
His suspicion was likely on the mark. Then again, most teams were doing the same thing to some degree, so it wasn't particularly against the rules.
"Here we go, finally! Five, four, three, two, one—start!"
The moment the starting flag dropped, spray erupted as the golems began rowing in unison. In a flash, bib number 1 took the lead, followed by 15, 29, 22, and 8.
"Yeah, power really does talk in a race like this."
Just as Jin noted, the golem on the Glory of Elias was using oars with blades two sizes larger than its competitors. The gap between them only grew wider with every stroke.
"Bib number 1, Glory of Elias, has rounded the turn in first place!"
A boat carrying a magic eye for the broadcast was floating out at sea, transmitting footage to the magic screens so the spectators could follow the action clearly.
The distance to Isolated Rock was roughly one kilometer. By the time the Glory of Elias finished the two-kilometer round trip, it had established a lead of nearly five hundred meters over second place.
"About 1.3 times the speed of the others. Though it looks like they aren't even at full power yet," Jin analyzed, sizing up the rival's capabilities.
The second round featured bibs 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, but it was a lackluster race with no standouts. The swimsuit color for this block was orange.
Then came the third round.
"Now, keep your eyes on bib number 3, team Blue Marine! As you can see, a mermaid-type golem is a first in the history of this tournament! What kind of performance will she show us?"
The participants in this block wore yellow swimsuits.
"Five, four, three, two, one—start!"
Lorelei pushed the wide, shallow-bottomed boat from the rear. Her kicks were powerful, and she steadily pulled away from the other four vessels.
"Look at that speed! It's easily a match for the Glory of Elias!" the announcer shouted, his voice rising with excitement.
"The design matches the hull shape well," Jin observed. "But even a golem like that would work better if it were positioned between the hulls of a catamaran."
He also noted that Lorelei seemed rather vulnerable being exposed like that, but he kept the analysis to himself.
Before long, bib number 3 rounded the turn and crossed the finish line in first place. It was another runaway victory, leaving the rest of the field nearly five hundred meters behind.
The fourth and fifth rounds passed without any teams catching Jin's interest.
The sixth round featured the group with the Wing Golem. Their swimsuit color was light blue.
"Three, two, one—start!"
"Oh! Bib number 27 has spread its wings! It's flapping them!"
"The output is incredible! It's actually lifting the boat slightly!"
The Wing Golem generated propulsion with its wings while simultaneously providing enough lift to reduce the hull's drag.
"Too inefficient, though," Jin murmured.
Just as he predicted, bib number 27 held second place immediately after the start, but either the golem was overstrained or it lacked the mana capacity to sustain the effort. It began to lag, and by the time they reached the turn, it had fallen to last place.
"An interesting concept, at least."
It ultimately finished dead last.
Finally, it was time for the last heat of the day. This block featured pilots in dark blue swimsuits.
"And now, for the final race of the day! The seventh heat is about to begin!"
The crowd roared at the announcer's voice. Jin leaned forward. This heat included Marcia and the four-armed golem of bib number 28.
"As we noticed earlier, bib number 28 is quite a unique golem, wouldn't you say, Mr. Bernardo?"
"Indeed," the commentator replied. "But that golem was built by the master craftsman, Giordano."
"Wait! Wasn't he the one who built the golem for the championship team from two years ago?"
"Correct. Which makes them a team to watch. However, I'm personally even more intrigued by bib number 35."
The conversation turned to the Cygnus.
"Ah, you mentioned that during the parade."
"Yes. A golem built to be the spitting image of its pilot is a fascinating choice. Let's see what they can do."
Then, the final race began.
"Five, four, three, two, one—start!"
Surprisingly, bib number 28 took the early lead. Its golem lay flat against the boat, efficiently coordinating its four arms to row with incredible precision.
"Ho, that's a clever way to row. Interesting," Jin said, feeling a touch of genuine admiration.
Marcia was currently in second place. Jin watched her closely.
"Marcia seems to have a plan. Arrow isn't anywhere near full power yet. She probably realized it's better not to show her hand before tomorrow's finals."
"But she didn't say a word to you, Father," Reiko noted, her tone sounding a bit miffed.
"She probably just thought of it after watching the earlier races."
As they spoke, the boats raced toward Isolated Rock. Bib 28 held the lead, with Marcia trailing in second.
"What's your take, Mr. Bernardo?"
"Number 28 is using its oars remarkably well. That said, I'm waiting to see if number 35 makes a move."
On the magic screen, Marcia's Cygnus reached the turnaround point.
"Mm-hm, her turning radius is solid. Marcia should be getting serious right about... now."
Just as Jin spoke, the announcer cried out.
"Oh! Bib number 35 is making a spurt!"
The spray kicked up by the waterwheel at the rear of the Cygnus grew significantly more violent. The boat surged forward with a massive burst of speed.
"Bib number 35 is flying! It's closing in on the leader, number 28!"
The announcer's voice grew louder, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Bib 28 is picking up the pace! But number 35 is faster! And... there! It's the overtake! Number 35 takes the lead!"
The Cygnus maintained its incredible momentum all the way to the finish.
"GOAL!! First place goes to number 35, with number 28 taking second!"
"What an exhilarating race, Mr. Bernardo!"
"Indeed. A perfect way to conclude the preliminaries."
"But why do you think number 35 waited so long to unleash that speed?" the announcer asked.
"Purely speculation, of course, but perhaps the structure of the waterwheel can't handle that kind of load for long. She likely saved it to ensure she didn't break down before the finals."
It was a plausible theory, though completely wrong as far as Jin was concerned. Since he had reinforced the moving parts with adamantite, Arrow could have maintained that full-power sprint for hours without a single part failing.
Back in the announcer's booth, they seemed satisfied with the explanation.
"And with that, the preliminaries for the 10th Golem Boat Race have come to a close. Please be sure not to leave any personal belongings behind. Tomorrow's finals will begin at nine in the morning."
As the announcement echoed through the harbor, Jin stood up.
"Well, let's go find Marcia and congratulate her."
"Jin! My eyes didn't deceive me! Your boat's propulsion system is magnificent!"
Jin turned to see Reinhard approaching, his voice as boisterous as ever. Elsa was with him, still in her swimsuit.
"Our practice areas were different, so today was my first time seeing it in action. Rotating a waterwheel for propulsion—how innovative! I have so many questions! Say, why don't we all have dinner tonight?"
As Reinhard rambled on, Elsa looked at Jin and spoke softly.
"Sorry he's so loud... But Brother Rai means it. Will you come?"
"I don't mind, as long as Marcia is okay with it," Jin replied.
"Excellent! Then I must go find Lady Marcia at once!"
Reinhard started to dash toward the docks, but Elsa caught his hand and pulled him back.
"Brother Rai, wait. Marcia and I are still in our swimsuits. Let us change first."
"Huh? What about me?"
Just then, Marcia arrived, having already turned her boat over to the race officials. Jin explained Reinhard's invitation to her.
"Sure, sounds good to me," Marcia answered immediately.
Reinhard beamed. "Fantastic! Then let's head out!"
"Wait," Elsa sighed, tugging on his arm again. "I just told you—we need to change first."