In the end, Jin accepted the greetings, but any further conversation was postponed until they could settle into their lodgings.
"We have already made arrangements for your stay," Limer Gebalthoff announced.
Jin, Reinhard, and Mattheus put their heads together to consult, ultimately deciding to accept the hospitality.
The accommodations Limer had arranged were at the manor of the Mayor of Amberg, Salyut Belluci.
While most buildings in Amberg were single-story structures, the mayor’s residence stood a staggering three stories tall. Located in the heart of the city, it seemed to overlook the entire town with a watchful eye.
"It allows me to spot any trouble immediately," the mayor remarked as he welcomed them.
Indeed, the building functioned excellently as a watchtower.
Jin’s group was assigned rooms on the second floor, which offered a pleasant view. Jin shared a room with Reiko, Reinhard stayed with Claude, and Mattheus was given a private room alongside his messenger soldier.
Once they had dropped off their luggage, they were invited by the mayor for tea. It was just past three in the afternoon.
Since they were quite thirsty from the road, both Jin and Reinhard accepted the invitation.
As expected, Limer Gebalthoff joined them at the table.
Once the fragrant tea had been served and everyone was seated, the mayor rose.
"First, allow me to welcome you to the city of Amberg, Lord Reinhard."
Salyut bowed as he spoke. Upon raising his head, he revealed silver hair and striking blue eyes. He appeared to be roughly fifty years old, tall and lean.
"And you must be the Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea, Jin-dono? Welcome. We are honored by your presence."
He spoke with the air of one confirming a fact rather than asking a question. After greeting Mattheus as well, the mayor took his seat and turned his attention back to Jin.
"The one attending you is your automata, I assume? She is a magnificent piece of work!"
He spoke while staring intently at Reiko.
"If I were to ask, would you be able to craft an identical automata for me?"
This caught Jin off guard. Although he had received countless requests over time, this was the first time someone had asked him for an exact copy of Reiko.
While Jin hesitated, struggling for a response, Limer cut in.
"Mayor, please set such matters aside for now. Jin-dono, the reason I came to meet you today was to invite you to become an Honorary Member of the Shouro Empire Magi Engineer Guild."
It was Reinhard who let out a cheer at the news.
"Oh, that’s fantastic! Jin, honorary membership is only granted to those who have made exceptional contributions. More than that, I’ve never heard of it being awarded to a foreigner before!"
He spoke with as much pride as if he were the one receiving the honor.
Limer Gebalthoff, the head of the Amberg Magi Engineer Guild, produced a golden card. It was a thin metallic plate, roughly two sizes larger than a standard business card.
"We would normally wish to hold a grand ceremony for this. However, since you are in the middle of a journey—and the report from Coats Roadite in Hatata mentioned you aren't fond of ostentation—we settled on this simple presentation. Will you accept?"
"Yes, I would be honored."
Jin had no reason to refuse. His title as an Honorary Magi Craftman in the Kingdom of Egerea had already proven far more useful than he had anticipated back in the Klein Kingdom, so he gladly accepted.
He learned that Reinhard was also an honorary member. Holding the card apparently granted various privileges within the Shouro Empire's Magi Engineer Guilds, such as priority access to rare materials.
"I’m relieved you’ve accepted. Now, Jin-dono, I hear you crafted something called a 'pump' back in Hatata. Might you be able to craft something for us here in Amberg as well?"
Limer spoke in a tone that hovered between a serious request and a casual suggestion, but the mayor took the bait immediately.
"What?! You told me to wait, and then you jump in with your own request?!"
"Don't be absurd. I am talking about tools that would benefit the public. Your request was purely for your own amusement."
"Even so, the decision lies with Jin-dono! It’s foul play to try and skip the line like that!"
As the two began to bicker, Jin watched with exasperation while Reinhard gave a wry smile. Mattheus, meanwhile, sipped his tea with an expression that said he was content to let them settle it themselves.
Jin took the prompt seriously and gave it some thought. Glancing at Reinhard, he spoke.
"I think a 'vacuum cleaner' would be quite useful here."
Reinhard nodded in agreement.
"Ah, that! We could certainly transfer that technology to this guild."
Limer looked puzzled. "A... vacuum cleaner? What is that?"
Jin had decided to pitch the vacuum cleaner—a device he had previously co-developed with Reinhard—to the local guild.
The prototype they had built during their travels was still stored in Reinhard’s carriage.
"Oh, impressive as always, Reinhard."
Jin praised him, genuinely impressed that he hadn't discarded it along the way.
"Haha, well, I hate to see a functional tool go to waste," Reinhard replied with a laugh.
Jin then retrieved the prototype and demonstrated its utility. Since the region was dry and prone to dust, he felt a device that "inhaled" debris would be highly effective.
"Since we built this on the road, the quality isn't perfect. Especially the filter—the bag that collects the dust. If we used a finer, sturdier cloth and strengthened the Breeze magic used for suction..."
With the physical object in front of him, Limer was quick to grasp the concept.
"I see... To think such a magic tool existed! Lord Reinhard, Jin-dono, are you truly willing to sell the manufacturing process to our guild?"
Jin and Reinhard both nodded.
"Hmm. For a magic tool of this caliber... Hey, what do you think would be a fair price?" Limer asked a young man standing behind him.
"Let’s see... In my opinion, I’d say about 200,000 Tolls."
Roughly two million yen. It was a somewhat ambiguous price point. Selling the method to the guild was equivalent to granting them the right to mass-produce and sell it.
The manufacturing rights for the pump had sold for 1,000,000 Tolls.
Given their respective utility, 1,000,000 Tolls for a pump—a lifeline for water—seemed appropriate compared to 200,000 Tolls for a convenience tool like a vacuum cleaner.
Just as Jin was about to agree, Reinhard spoke up.
"I think we might need a little more than that. I'm not trying to be greedy, but this technology has broader applications."
"Applications?"
"Indeed. It’s understandable if you don't see it yet, but this method of 'applying Breeze magic' has many uses. For instance, if you used it simply to generate a breeze, during a heatwave..."
"Oh! I see your point!"
Limer clapped his hands in realization.
"In that case... 400,000 Tolls. How does that sound?"
Reinhard thought for a moment before looking at Jin. "I think that’s fair. What do you think?"
Jin had no reason to object and nodded.
"Then we shall transfer the rights for 400,000 Tolls."
With the contract settled, the young man hurried off toward the Magi Engineer Guild to fetch the funds.
The tea that had grown cold was replaced with fresh cups.
Jin, who hadn't had a chance to drink earlier, took a sip. It tasted exactly like green tea. Though he was sensitive to hot drinks, he enjoyed it slowly, savoring every drop.
Watching him, the mayor spoke up once more.
"Now then, Jin-dono, about my request from earlier... what do you think?"
"Due to the materials required, I don't believe I can make one exactly like her, but..."
"Oh! Then you'll do it?!"
The mayor’s voice was bright with delight.
"Yes. However, may I ask why you want an automata?"
At this, Salyut Belluci gave a heavy nod.
"Of course. I want a playmate for my grandchild."
"You have a grandchild?"
"I do. You see, the child is quite sickly and can rarely leave the house. As a result, they have no friends and are very lonely. I felt that if it were your automata, my grandchild would surely take a liking to her."
"I see. That makes sense."
If the goal was to provide a companion for a young child, Jin felt motivated to help.
He had no intention of giving the doll Reiko’s level of performance; something appropriate for its appearance would suffice. For that, common materials would do just fine.
"If it's for your grandchild, then the sooner the better, right?"
"Indeed. You can send it to us from wherever you happen to be on your journey."
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
The two men stared at each other, both looking equally confused.
Neither Jin nor the mayor understood what the other was implying.
(Naturally, no one would expect an automata to be completed in just a few hours...)