With the glasses complete, the group left the workshop and set out for Village Chief Giebeck’s house.
Today was the day for one of the village study sessions, and it wouldn't do for Elsa—one of the teachers—to be absent.
"Jin, what exactly is this study session?" Saki asked.
Jin gave a brief explanation. "Well, the village doesn't have a school yet. We’re teaching the children basic skills, mostly reading, writing, and arithmetic."
"I see. That’s quite intriguing. And Elsa and Mine act as the teachers?"
"Yeah, that’s the gist of it."
Saki’s curiosity was piqued, and she asked if she could observe. Jin saw no reason to refuse, so he and Saki joined the session as visitors.
"What is twenty-three plus eight? Patty."
"Yes!...It's thirty-one!"
"Correct. Then, how about fifty-seven plus six? Let's see... Mario."
"Um, sixty-three!"
"Yes, well done."
Today was a day for math. Everyone answered the two-digit plus one-digit addition problems without any trouble.
"Now then, we will begin subtraction today. Please open your textbooks to page twenty-one."
These textbooks were mass-produced by golems using high-speed writing. They were made of kyougi—thinly shaved strips of wood. The wood was then treated with the Craft Magic, Reinforce, to make the strips durable.
Jin had been wanting to produce actual paper, but pulp alone was too weak against moisture. He was currently searching for a binder similar to the sunset hibiscus used in traditional Japanese papermaking. Part of the problem was that he didn't know how to make Western-style paper; he had only ever tried making paper out of milk cartons once as a hobby. Back then, he had simply mixed in a bit of laundry starch.
I need something water-soluble that becomes water-resistant once it dries...
He hadn't found such a substance yet. If he could, it would become a major industry for Kaina Village.
"...Jin? Jin!"
Saki’s voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"Oh, ah, what is it?"
"Don't 'what is it' me! The session is already over, and the children have all gone home for lunch. Let’s head back as well."
Elsa and Mine, having finished tidying up their materials, walked over.
"Jin-nii, let's go home."
"Onii-hyan, let'th go home!"
Thus, Jin, Hanna, Saki, Elsa, Mine, and Reiko walked back to Martha's house in a group.
"Welcome back. Lunch is ready."
The golem Sara was waiting for them, having already prepared the meal.
It was a standard Kaina Village lunch: the local specialty bread, smoked meat, and a vegetable salad. Jin had introduced the habit of eating raw vegetables and fruits to ensure proper vitamin intake, and the practice had now become a staple of their diet.
"Mmm, this bread is delicious. It isn't pure white, but the lack of husks is impressive. You must have processed it thoroughly."
"Yeah. We use a sieve."
"I thifted today'th flour mythelf!" Hanna chirped.
"Is that so? Good job, Hanna."
Lunch proceeded in a warm, friendly atmosphere. Once they finished, Saki asked Hanna to show her the sieve.
"You put the flour in here, and then you thake it like thith!" Hanna demonstrated with some whole-grain flour.
"I see! I get it now. Thank you, Hanna-chan."
Saki seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration. She patted Hanna on the head, thanked her, and then turned to Jin and Elsa.
"Jin, Elsa, I’d like to discuss something with you."
The three of them moved to Jin’s workshop.
"Looking at that sieve gave me an idea," Saki began. "As I understand it, a sieve is used to separate the large from the small."
Jin nodded in agreement.
"If that’s the case, we can apply that concept to things other than flour. For instance, tea leaves."
"Ah, right."
Tea leaves inevitably contained fine dust or "fines." These were often created by the leaves rubbing against each other during storage, and they were difficult to remove entirely. These fines would mix into the tea, often adding a bitter or "off" taste to the brew.
"If you sift the tea leaves through a fine mesh before brewing, you can remove the dust and make the tea taste much better."
Jin was impressed. Saki had a broad vision that allowed her to see how a simple tool could be used in practical, diverse ways.
"There's more. If you sift soil to remove the fine silt, you'll likely create soil with excellent drainage."
That was a technique used by gardeners even on modern Earth.
"The key is the mesh. If you stretched a mesh over a window, wouldn't it keep insects out?"
In other words, a window screen.
"That's a brilliant thought, Saki. I'm impressed."
"Heh, being praised by you makes me quite happy, Jin. Though I suppose the real challenge will be how to manufacture the mesh itself."
In this world, "mesh" usually referred to fishing nets. The technology to create fine mesh from wire wasn't common, and since nylon didn't exist, neither did the concept of a screen.
"True. But everything starts with an idea. It's our job as engineers to figure out how to make it a reality."
"Jin-nii could probably make it, but then it wouldn't become widespread, would it?" Elsa noted perceptively.
"Yeah. Unlike pen nibs or ball bearings, there's no point unless we can mass-produce it."
"Exactly."
Jin began to think that Kaina Village really needed a resident merchant. This was a goal that would soon be realized through Laojun.
Changing the subject, Jin asked Saki if she knew of any natural substances that could act as a binder for papermaking.
"Hmm... I believe the fruit of a certain plant had that kind of viscosity..."
"Are you talking about Ogura?" Mine asked as she brought in some tea.
"Ah, yes, that’s the one. Ogura. I wonder if it’s in bloom right now?"
"No, I believe those flowers bloom in the height of summer."
"Mine, please tell me everything you know about it."
Jin listened intently to her description. It sounded very similar to okra on Earth. Since sunset hibiscus and okra both belong to the Malvaceae family, Jin figured it would work. He decided to instruct Laojun to secure some through Reiko.
"Reiko, a moment."
"Yes, Father."
"Listen, about that Ogura..."
Saki smiled as she watched Jin whisper his instructions.
"Jin really dotes on Reiko-chan, doesn't he? My relationship with Ar is a bit different. If anything, Ar is the one who takes care of me."
Elsa chimed in immediately. "Yes. Jin-nii has always doted on Reiko-chan. He even hugs her sometimes."
"Kufufu, I'm almost a little jealous," Saki teased.
"Eh?"
"Hmm?"
Elsa looked bewildered, while Saki looked like she didn't understand the reason for the confusion. Their reactions were similar, yet the underlying reasons were worlds apart.
"When you have a girl as cute as Reiko-chan, it’s only human nature to want to hug her, whether she’s a doll or an automata. I wouldn't mind hugging a cute girl like Reiko-chan myself."
"...Is that how it works?"
"Didn't you make a mascot doll and give it to Reinhard, Elsa? Dolls are meant to be cute, right?"
Elsa found herself speechless at Saki's point.
"It’s true that I hug Non sometimes. Is it the same as why Jin-nii wants to hug Reiko-chan?"
"Well, I find it a bit harder to understand why gentlemen are so driven by their love for girl-shaped dolls, though."
The girls' conversation was starting to veer into strange territory.
"You two..."
Jin, the subject of their talk, looked on with a sour expression, as if he had just swallowed a bitter pill.