When Jin explained his new control theory for Automata and Golems...
"Hmm. I understand the logic, but I wonder if it will really work that smoothly?"
Reinhard harbored some doubts, whereas—
"I agree with your reasoning, Jin. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."
Saki offered her full support.
This highlighted the difference between Reinhard, who viewed things from the perspective of a manufacturer, and Saki, who considered the pure theory. Reinhard knew exactly how difficult it was to put theory into practice.
"Jin, I can follow your logic. But first, how do you intend to replicate a 'sense of touch'? I think that has to be the starting point," Reinhard questioned.
Jin already had something in mind.
It was a tiny element called a 'strain gauge.' These devices could detect deformations as small as one-millionth of a unit. While he would skip the technical details of the physics involved, they were indispensable components in modern mechanical control.
Jin intended to replicate this device using materials from this world.
If he could produce them, he could attach them to several points on a body and detect the strain to measure the pressure being applied. That was, in essence, a 'sense of touch.'
Jin explained the operating principle and added one final detail.
"I just need a material whose magical properties change significantly when it bends or deforms."
"Hmm, magical properties, you say..."
Actually, Jin did have one candidate: the wing membrane of a Sea Dragon. It was the same material used for Reiko's skin. However, it was far too rare to be practical for anything other than Reiko's own upgrades.
"...I have something that might work."
Saying that, Saki pulled a single crystal from a shelf.
It was a translucent crystal with a cross-section that was red in the center and green on the outer edge. It looked exactly like a watermelon.
"Ah, Watermelon Tourmaline..." Jin muttered in spite of himself. A girl he once had feelings for had worn a small pendant of that color.
"Watermelon?" Saki asked.
"Tourmaline?" Reinhard added.
They had each reacted to a different word. Predictably, it was Reinhard who responded to the mineral name.
"Ah, a watermelon is a fruit—well, a vegetable—that grows with a green rind and red flesh. And tourmaline is... well, it’s just the name of that kind of stone."
"I see, I see. So you call a shiika a 'watermelon,' Jin? Speaking of which, it’s almost time to plant the seedlings."
According to Saki, she planted shiika seedlings in the garden every year and harvested them in the summer.
Jin immediately decided he wanted to get his hands on those seedlings or seeds. That intent was instantly conveyed to Reiko, who contacted Laojun, who would in turn instruct the Quinta newly dispatched to the Shouro Empire to secure them.
Setting that aside...
"This stone is called elbaite," Saki explained. "When force is applied to it, it generates a tiny amount of magical energy. Could that be useful?"
Jin nodded. "Yeah. In that case, let's try slicing it thin and attaching mithril wires."
With Saki's permission, Jin immediately used Craft Magic to slice the elbaite into thin wafers.
"Mmm, it really is wonderful having a magi engineer around! I can hardly use magic myself, so I'm quite grateful." Saki added that while she could Analyze things or sense magic, she couldn't perform much active construction.
"Alright, Saki, hold these mithril wires. I'll try applying force to the elbaite slice on this end."
"I understand, Jin."
Connected to mithril wires about a meter long, the small piece of elbaite sat in Jin's palm. He pressed it gently with his finger.
"How is it?"
"Ooh! Magical energy was generated on this end."
"Excellent! That’s our first success!"
At that point, Reinhard, who had been watching silently from the sidelines, could no longer contain his excitement.
"Urgh! Jin, Saki! P-Please let me help too! I can't stand just sitting here twiddling my thumbs while a new technology is being born!"
He was a magi engineer at heart, after all.
From then on, the three of them worked together, repeatedly experimenting with the thickness and size of the elbaite to determine the optimal shape. Thanks to their joint efforts, they had completed a functional 'tactile sensor' by evening.
"Let's build an Automata using this. And I think we should give the first one to Saki."
Jin and Reinhard were of one mind on the matter. Saki couldn't bring herself to object.
"Well, if you two insist. Besides, there are plenty of things I want to test with it."
By the time they finished, it was already getting dark outside, so they decided to call it a day.
"Reiko, how much maple syrup did we manage to make?"
"Yes, Father. This is all of it."
The pot Jin had made was about seventy percent full. It was roughly one liter.
"Alright, let's split it into two jars."
Jin processed some crystal with magic to create two bottles and filled them with the syrup. They were quite expensive jars—even the lids were solid crystal. Normally, one wouldn't use such high-end containers for food, but given the current rarity of the contents, it seemed appropriate.
Reinhard took it in stride, and even Saki seemed to have grown accustomed to Jin's extraordinary capabilities over the course of the day, as she said nothing.
"Then let's take one of these back to Reinhard's place."
"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll need a sample to show my father anyway."
With that, Jin, Reiko, Reinhard, and Saki boarded Jin's carriage and headed for the Randol count's mansion.
"Welcome home, Lord Reinhard...?"
Berche came out to greet them, but her expression shifted the moment she saw Saki.
"Hey, Berche, it's been a while. Congratulations on your engagement to Reinhard."
Saki offered the greeting casually, seemingly oblivious to Berche's reaction.
"Wh—"
"Wh?"
"—What are you doing dressed like that!?" Berche cried out in genuine horror. "Your hair is a mess! Your skin is parched! Your clothes are filthy! You look absolutely disgraceful!...And you even smell a bit!"
After criticizing Saki's appearance from head to toe, Berche turned to Reinhard.
"Lord Reinhard, I'm sure you're hungry, but please give me one hour!"
Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Saki and dragged her away.
"Haha, Berche has known Saki for a long time. It seems Saki has a real weak spot for her." Reinhard laughed as he watched the two of them disappear. "Jin, it looks like it'll take a while for them to get back. Why don't you come to my workshop?"
Jin wasn't about to turn down an invitation like that.
Reinhard's workshop was an annex built in the courtyard of the Mansion. A covered walkway with walls connected it to the main building so they could travel back and forth without getting wet, even in the rain.
"Oh, it's spacious."
The room was about twenty tatami mats in size—a very respectable workspace.
"So this is where you built the Schwarzritter," Jin noted.
Reinhard gave a firm nod. "Go ahead and have a seat."
He invited Jin to a table in one corner and offered him a chair. "We won't be disturbed here."
He clearly intended to talk about something serious. Reiko, naturally, remained at Jin's side.
"I thought I should tell you this, Jin," Reinhard began. "Saki's mother—she's passed away now—was actually the eldest daughter of a marquis's family."
"Wait, what?" Jin was caught off guard by the sudden revelation.
"You know the marquis who suggested taking Elsa as his bride? Marquis Gehren Teoderic von Eisen. His territory is our neighbor to the west."
He explained that the eldest daughter and Saki's father had fallen in love and eloped, and Saki was the child of that union.
"Let me tell you a bit about Marquis Theoderic too....How should I put this? The marquis... well, he has a preference for very small women."
"Huh?"
Reinhard looked uncomfortable as he clarified that the marquis preferred immature girls—those just beginning the transition into womanhood.
"Currently, he has three—well, four if you include Saki's mother—children, but they're all daughters. He’s quite distressed about not having a male heir. With his wife passing away recently, he's started insisting on taking Elsa, whom he’s had his eye on for years."
It seemed Reinhard had been busy gathering intelligence since returning home.
"I see... and how does he treat Saki?"
"Ah, I got off track. Since Saki's father, Toa Eschenbach, has become one of the top authorities on alchemy in the empire, the marquis doesn't show any overt hostility. After all, he’s allowed them to live in the neighboring territory unmolested."
"I suppose that makes sense."
"But he apparently dotes on Saki as his granddaughter and frequently tries to bring her under his own roof. Saki refuses every time and insists on living where she is." Reinhard offered a somewhat lonely smile. "Compared to a marquis, a count's family like mine can't do much if it really comes down to a confrontation."
Such was the reality of a feudal society.
"The only people with the authority to challenge a marquis's house would be a duke or Her Majesty the Empress. And even then, since he isn't technically breaking any laws, they can't intervene too strongly—whether it's regarding his marriage to Elsa or his attempts to take Saki in."
The Empress wasn't an absolute dictator; she couldn't simply ignore laws and customs on a whim.
"I'm sorry to dump all this on you, Jin, but I wanted you to keep it in the back of your mind in case something happens later. I apologize for the burden."
Reinhard bowed his head.
Jin already had plenty of trouble following him around, but he had grown to like Saki in the short time he'd known her. He simply laughed and told Reinhard it was no trouble at all.