The red-haired girl, led in by a maid, bowed nervously to Reinhard and his companion.
"N-Nice to m—no, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Beena."
Seeing Beena so stiff and formal, Count Kuzuma chuckled.
"Now, now, there’s no need to be so tense. This is Reinhard, an old friend of mine. And this is Lady Elsa, Reinhard’s cousin."
"I am Reinhard Randol."
"Elsa Randol."
Reinhard and Elsa offered their own introductions in turn.
"I-It’s a pleasure," Beena stammered, still unable to shake her rigid posture.
Count Kuzuma gestured for her to join them at the table. "This young woman, Beena, is a magi craftman I discovered recently. She’s quite talented, and she possesses a philosophy that aligns quite well with my own tastes."
"P-Please, Lord Count... I’m not anyone that special," Beena protested, her face flushing crimson.
Reinhard offered her an affable smile. "No, no, that’s not true at all. The 'refrigerator,' was it? I don’t know the specific magi-formula you used, but the concept itself is brilliant. To think it could be used for both preserving food and enhancing its texture."
Beena looked down at the table, her expression turning bashful. "……No, um, that refrigerator isn’t exactly my own invention."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Reinhard asked, leaning in slightly.
"It was…… a magi craftman who helped me for a short time. He developed almost the entire thing. I just helped him with the assembly."
Hearing her honesty, Reinhard’s opinion of the girl rose a notch. "And this magi craftman who assisted you…… was his name Jin?"
Beena’s eyes snapped wide. She lunged forward, nearly climbing onto the table. "Jin! You know Jin!?"
Amused by her sudden burst of energy, Reinhard nodded. "Yes, I know him well. He was the magi craftman for the team that won the Golem Boat Race held in Port Rock recently."
The Count and Beena reacted in unison, though with very different levels of surprise.
"Hoh, so it was him. When I heard the name Jin, I wondered if it might be the same man," the Count mused.
"Wha—What? Jin was in a competition like that!?" Beena cried. It seemed the news hadn't reached her. "Lord Count, why didn't you tell me?"
The Count waved a hand dismissively. "My apologies, my apologies. I could have sworn I’d mentioned it. Forgive me."
Beena puffed out her cheeks but fell silent, unable to press the matter further with her patron. The Count turned back to Reinhard.
"Was Jin’s technique truly that remarkable?"
"It was. Thanks to him, my team had to settle for second place. Right, Elsa?"
Elsa, suddenly drawn into the conversation, twitched slightly before speaking in her usual soft tone. "Mm. Jin-kun’s golem and his propulsion system were truly innovative."
Hearing Elsa use the "Jin-kun" honorific caused Beena to perk up immediately. "Jin-kun? Is that what you called him?"
"I did. He is a friend," Elsa replied. She looked down at her hand and smiled faintly, a trace of pride in her voice. "He gave me this ring, too."
She held up her right hand, showing off the ring on her middle finger.
At the sight of the jewelry and the implication behind it, the wind seemed to go right out of Beena’s sails.
"I-I see. So that’s where Jin ended up after he left here……"
Beena slumped back into her chair, leaning against the headrest and staring vacantly at the ceiling.
(……And here I was worried about him.……I haven't even had the chance to properly thank him.……Are they really close enough for him to be giving her rings?)
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Reinhard asked.
"N-No, nothing at all."
"I see. So he really was an exceptional magi craftman," the Count continued, oblivious to Beena’s inner turmoil. "I’d hoped he might settle down in this country, but unfortunately, he had a bit of a run-in with another count."
"Oh? What happened?"
Count Kuzuma gave a brief summary of the incident involving Earl Guarana. Beena looked increasingly uncomfortable as the story was told.
Listening to the tale, Elsa couldn't help but wonder to herself. (Is Jin-kun this kind to every girl he meets?) She kept the thought to herself, however.
"I see. Earl Guarana, then," Reinhard said with a nod of understanding. He had met the man once before at a welcoming party hosted by Duke Blue during his previous visit to Blue Land.
"I hate that man," Elsa stated flatly. Her disgust was palpable. The moment they had been introduced, he had looked her up and down and asked if she would become his concubine. Just remembering that oily, lecherous gaze made her skin crawl.
"Well, I’ve moved Beena’s workshop inside my estate now, so he won't be able to lay a finger on her easily," the Count said. "Besides, he’s likely set his sights on some other poor woman by now."
"That is a pity for whoever his next target is," Reinhard remarked.
"Indeed. But the mines in this region are almost all under Earl Guarana’s jurisdiction. His influence in Blue Land is significant."
"Ah, right. There were high-quality magi-crystal mines in that area," Reinhard recalled.
The mountains to the west of Blue Land belonged to Earl Guarana, while Count Kuzuma’s territory covered the rural plains to the east. The immediate vicinity of the city was under the direct control of Duke Blue.
"Well, I have no official business this time, so I should be able to avoid him entirely." Reinhard was wrong, of course, but he had no way of knowing that yet.
"You mentioned you were heading back to your home country, but how long can you stay here?" Count Kuzuma asked, reaching for a Persica fruit.
"Hard to say. One of our carriages broke down and needs replacing, and I’d like to take the opportunity to make a few improvements to the new one."
"Typical of you. In that case, I shall handle the procurement of materials. As for a workshop—"
"A-Ah, if you’d like, please use mine!" Beena interrupted with sudden fervor.
She wanted to hear more about Jin, and the prospect of watching a foreign magi craftman at work was too good to pass up.
"I might take you up on that," Reinhard replied casually. He then mentioned his schedule for the following day. "Actually, I have plans to head out tomorrow morning."
"Oh? Do you have somewhere specific to go?"
"Yes. As it happens, Elsa and I have been invited to Jin’s house."
"Whaaaat!?"
Beena let out a startled shriek. She practically climbed over the table again. "Y-You mean Jin is actually here!?"
Even Reinhard recoiled slightly at her intensity. "Y-Yes. He’s been traveling with us since we left Borgia, the capital of the Kingdom of Elias."
"I have been in the same carriage as Jin-kun since Port Rock," Elsa added helpfully.
"Eeeh…… Is that so……" A complex mix of envy and melancholy flickered across Beena’s face, but she quickly pushed it aside. "Please! Could you let me come with you!?"
She stood up and bowed so deeply her torso was perfectly horizontal.
Reinhard considered it. There was no doubt this girl was a genuine acquaintance of Jin’s. He saw no harm in bringing her along to the meeting spot; after that, whether she was invited into the house would be up to Jin.
"Very well," he decided. "I’m meeting Jin tomorrow. I don’t see any problem with you coming along to the rendezvous point. You can ask Jin directly if you can join us after that."
Beena’s face lit up with a radiant smile. "Thank you so much!" she cried, performing another deep ninety-degree bow.
Elsa watched Beena’s excitement with an unreadable expression. Reinhard, however, remained entirely oblivious.