"Hanna-chan will have a light blue one-piece dress. We'll cinch the waist with a white sash and tie it into a bow in the back."
Following Elsa's advice, Jin set to work on Hanna’s new outfit.
He opted for a design that was simple enough for a commoner, yet used a color scheme that exuded elegance. Since it was intended for spring, he gave the dress short sleeves.
The fabric was magisilk—lightweight and possessing a beautiful texture.
"Hmm, Onii-chan, I want an apron too."
Because Hanna pleaded for one, Jin decided to use a white apron instead of a sash, giving it slightly wider straps.
"Wow, amazing!"
The clothes were completed right before her eyes. Hanna's excitement remained at a fever pitch.
"There, it's finished. Want to try it on?"
When Jin asked, Hanna promptly pulled off her old clothes right then and there.
"Yeah!" she answered with a beaming smile.
"Wow, it feels so good somehow."
Hanna was a bit bewildered by the sensation against her skin, which was so different from the rough hemp clothing she had worn until now. But seeing herself reflected in the mirror, her eyes went wide.
"Whoa, is this really Atashi? Onii-chan, thank you!"
She began to skip and dance with joy.
Next was Elsa's turn.
"A young-leaf green dress suited Elsa well, didn't it?"
When Jin mentioned it, Elsa nodded.
"Nn. I like that color."
He fashioned a simple A-line dress out of the same magisilk. The design was identical to Hanna’s.
Commoners rarely wore clothing with elaborate designs. Furthermore, embellishments like lace or ribbons were almost never seen.
The skirt length for both dresses fell below the knee. He provided both girls with white socks that reached up to their ankles.
"Next are the shoes, I suppose."
He crafted moccasin-style shoes out of magical beast leather. They were dark brown—another commoner-friendly choice.
Thus, Elsa and Hanna were dressed in similar, simple outfits, with the only major difference being Hanna’s apron.
However, the materials were magisilk and magical beast leather—both exceptionally rare. Though they looked ordinary at a glance, their durability was roughly five times that of standard gear.
Since there was still time, Jin decided to make a necklace for Hanna. He used the opportunity to explain the process to Elsa.
Hanna peered in as well, though she didn't quite grasp the details.
"This should go with any color, so let's use magi-quartz."
Magi-quartz was a white-to-colorless crystal that possessed a weak light attribute. It was the same material used for Reiko's eyes. However, the main reason Jin chose it was that it was virtually indistinguishable from ordinary quartz.
Quartz was a common mineral that wouldn't look out of place on a commoner, but the value of magi-quartz was a hundred times greater. No one would be able to tell the difference unless they used Analyze magic.
He kept the design simple, shaping the crystal into a sphere. He secured it with a light silver clasp and hung it from a chain of the same material. He gave the light silver a slightly dull finish to give it—to put it bluntly—a cheap appearance.
If they wore something that looked too high-class, it would invite suspicion. If they were attacked by someone looking to steal it, it would defeat the entire purpose of their disguise.
Finally, Jin infused it with mana so it would serve as a marker when searching with a magi-detector, and the piece was complete.
"Hanna, this is a present for you as well."
"Wow, I can have this? Onii-chan, thank you!"
Hanna was overjoyed, having seen with her own eyes that Jin had made it specifically for her. She immediately put it around her neck and preened in front of the mirror.
"Hanna-chan, you're cute."
Elsa watched Hanna with a gentle, narrow-eyed smile.
Finally, Jin had Reiko bring over Lishia's short sword.
"Jin-nii, what's this for?"
In response to Elsa's puzzled question, Jin explained.
"Oh, this belongs to someone I know. Part of the reason I decided to go to Alban was to return this to her."
"I see..."
Elsa’s eyes turned slightly sad as she stared at the short sword. Jin had a good idea why.
"Elsa, were you thinking about that dagger?"
It was the one Jin had given her for her birthday. When she had rejected her unwanted engagement and cast aside her noble status, she had left it behind.
"...Nn. Since it was a gift from you, Jin-nii, it’s just..."
Elsa looked a bit lonely as she answered. Seeing this, Jin spoke up.
"In that case, I'll give you something appropriate for the Elsa of today."
"What kind of thing?" Elsa asked, her interest piqued.
"Commoners don't usually carry swords, so let's go with a knife."
"A knife. Nn, that works."
Elsa seemed to agree. Hanna, who had been frolicking in front of the mirror until then, skipped over to join them.
"Onii-chan, what are you two doing?"
"I'm about to make a present for Elsa now," Jin replied.
Hanna watched with an intrigued expression.
"Just watch. You watch closely too, Elsa."
With those words, Jin prepared some light silver.
"Forming. Forming. Forming."
He cast the spell in rapid succession. Jin was crafting what was known as a folding knife.
He had used electrician's knives for work in his past life, and the tools he had used to carve bamboo dragonflies and the like had also been Japanese-style folding knives. Since it wouldn't have a locking mechanism by default, he added a simple one.
"What an interesting shape."
It seemed folding knives of this style didn't exist in this world. Most were sheath knives, which were stored in a scabbard.
A light silver blade and a light silver handle. Feeling that was a bit too plain, he adorned it with Sham Dragon horn and scattered small magi-crystals across the surface. These magi-crystals would also serve as markers for a magi-radar.
"Alright, it's done."
After opening and closing it a few times to check the mechanism, he handed it over.
"Elsa, here is your present."
It was a gift of a blade, but since they were currently acting as siblings, he felt it wasn't an issue.
"Thanks, Jin-nii."
Having watched him make it, Elsa immediately tried opening and closing it. She gave him a bright smile.
"This is interesting. Very convenient."
"Haha, I'm glad you like it."
Jin laughed.
"Big Sister Elsa got a present from Onii-chan too, so we're the same!"
Hanna remained in high spirits.
While they were occupied, twilight began to fall. Kunlun Island was about an hour ahead of Kaina Village.
"Well then, shall we have dinner?"
Jin led the way out of the workshop. He washed his hands in the washroom, and Hanna and Elsa followed his lead.
In the dining room, Perido and Topaz had prepared the evening meal.
"Whoa, what's this?"
Tonight's menu was something Jin had requested in advance.
There was minced mountain deer meat, mixed with flour, kneaded, and grilled. Beside it were boiled and mashed topopo mixed with a little meat and corn, coated in flour and egg, covered in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried.
In other words, hamburger steaks and croquettes.
Since Worcestershire sauce didn't exist in this world, he had attempted to make his own. Having finally produced a batch he was satisfied with, tonight marked its debut. (Though it was Perido on Hourai Island who had put in the actual effort to make it, not Jin.)
"Wow, this is delicious!"
"Nn. Does this... use topopo?"
Hanna was delighted by the hamburger steak, while the discerning Elsa correctly identified the ingredients of the croquette.
"I didn't know topopo could be this tasty."
She ate with such gusto that one would never have guessed she used to be afraid of the plant.
After dinner, they spent time together while Jin told Hanna stories of his travels.
"And then, Jin-nii made a kite there and flew it with all the kids."
"Hmm, I want you to make one for me next time."
"Sure. Maybe we should make kite-flying popular in Kaina Village too."
That night, Hanna and Elsa shared a room.
"Wow, the tatami smells so good."
Hanna seemed to love the scent of the rushes, leading Jin to wonder if they could cultivate them in Kaina Village in the future.
"Well then, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Onii-chan."
"Goodnight, Jin-nii."
They decided to go to bed before it got too late, but the excited Hanna seemed unable to fall asleep for quite a while.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I couldn't set out today either..."
"That is unfortunate, sir."
Laojun was once again handling the scheduled communication with Reinhard that night.