June 18th, two days before the Technology Expo.
Jin adjusted his schedule to return to Banne in the Shouro Empire by noon. He planned to bring Elsa and Mine along later in the day.
Just before his departure, Laojun delivered a report and handed over a certain magi-crystal.
"I have finally completed a partial analysis of Gravity Magic. The details are recorded within that magi-crystal."
Jin’s face lit up as he received the crystal from Laozi.
"Great work, Laojun. I’m counting on you to continue the research. Well then, I’m off."
"Yes, My Lord. Have a safe journey."
Jin then stepped through the Warp Gate.
"Hey Jin, has it been three days already?"
Saki greeted him in front of her house. Jin had last seen her three days ago on Hourai Island.
"Yeah, that’s right. Is the thesis finished?"
"Yep, it’s perfect. I’ve even finished the golem transcription."
Golem transcription was exactly what the name implied: the technique of having a golem copy text.
Since printing technology did not yet exist, everything ultimately had to be handwritten. Because manual transcription was such an arduous task for humans, golems were frequently used for the job.
They wrote faster than humans and never made mistakes. Furthermore, they required no breaks, so they were reputed to be nearly three times faster than a person overall.
A golem scribe from Hourai Island would have been three times faster even than that, but Jin wasn't foolish enough to voice that thought.
Led by Saki, Jin entered the house and found it remarkably clean—it was almost unrecognizable. When he honestly said as much, Saki laughed bashfully.
"Heh, thanks to Ar, the walls, floors, and ceilings are all spotless now. She even replaced the damaged parts and repainted everything for me."
Then her expression turned serious.
"I really had no leeway, did I? I was so desperate to grow from an apprentice to a full-fledged professional that I became impatient. I was indifferent to what I wore or ate, and my lifestyle was a complete mess. Looking back, I was an idiot."
Saki took a breath. Just then, Ar arrived with tea. Saki took a sip and continued.
"I realized it after watching Elsa. That girl has learned how to cook, and she even teaches the children their studies. Yet despite all that, she’s showing such incredible growth as a magi engineer... as a magi craftman. Honestly, I can't compete."
In the end, it seemed Saki had been overextending herself in her singular desire to be recognized as a professional by the state.
"I managed to pay all the outstanding wages to the people who quit, too. I gave them a little extra as an apology."
"That’s good to hear."
"Thanks to that, I’m completely broke."
"Haha..."
After chatting for a while, the conversation naturally turned toward the Technology Expo.
"What happened to your luggage, Jin? Or rather, your exhibit?"
Jin smiled and answered Saki’s natural question.
"I loaded it onto the ship Reinhard built. It’s already floating on Lake Tosmo."
"Ho, that’s a surprise. You’ll have to tell me how you pulled that off eventually, won’t you?"
"Of course."
After their conversation, Jin pulled his carriage out. He intended to take the carriage equipped with the Warp Gate to Koju, where the expo was being held.
The entrance to Saki’s shed hadn't been large enough to move the carriage in or out, so Jin had previously dismantled and modified it so that the wall could be easily removed and reassembled.
Thanks to those modifications, he was able to pull the carriage outside simply by removing the wall section above the entrance.
"I wonder when our shed took on such a convenient structure?"
Jin bowed his head and apologized to Saki as she smiled mischievously.
"I’m truly sorry! I modified it without asking. My apologies. If you want me to fix it, I’ll put it back to normal immediately."
Saki laughed and waved her hand.
"Haha, I don’t mind. It was a shed I wasn’t using anyway, and we’re 'family,' aren't we?"
Jin laughed along with her.
"Thank you."
That afternoon, Jin and Saki, along with Reiko and Ar—two people and two golems—headed to Reinhard's home.
"Hey Jin, Saki. The expo is finally almost here."
Reinhard welcomed them with a bright smile.
The group moved to Reinhard's private room. His father, Wolfgang, had apparently already departed for Koju.
"Welcome, Jin-sama, Saki-san."
Bell brewed some fragrant tea for them.
"The paddleboat is already on Lake Tosmo."
"Yeah, I heard from Laojun. Thanks."
Jin had left a manacam with Reinhard for some time now.
Speaking of things he had left behind, Jin suddenly remembered that he still hadn't collected the medical magic tools, recovery medicine, remedies, and the Golem horse from Lishia and Pascoe.
(Well, knowing Lishia, she wouldn't misuse or abuse them, but I’ll have to recover them soon.)
They stayed at Reinhard's house that night, planning to head for Koju the following morning.
"From what I’ve heard, Prince Ernest of the Kingdom of Egerea is coming, and a magi craftman from the Celuroa Kingdom is coming as well."
Reinhard added that since the internal situation in the Celuroa Kingdom was still unstable, it was unlikely any royalty would attend.
"I’m looking forward to it."
"Yeah, absolutely. I wonder how many people will receive the title of Magi Engineer Maestro this year. Well, there’s no doubt you'll get it, Jin, but I'd like to earn it too if possible."
Magi Engineer Maestro was a title granted to the leading magi engineers in the Shouro Empire. It wasn't limited to one person; it could be given to as many people as were deemed exceptional. Of course, it was rarely granted.
(Father is someone far above such people, though.)
Reiko, who was waiting nearby, thought this to herself but remained silent.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day, the 19th, Jin’s party left the Randol estate at 8:00 AM.
It was the exact reverse of the route they had taken when they previously came from Koju across the lake.
When they reached Lake Tosmo via the waterway, the paddleboat Reinhard had built was floating there, guarded by Lorelei. On board was Regulus 41, one of the Quinta units assigned to the Shouro Empire.
Lorelei was a mermaid-type golem Reinhard had built. After participating in the Golem Boat Race at Port Rock, she had been unable to walk in her mermaid form and had been forced to travel as cargo in the carriage for the journey home.
She had been kept in a carriage loaded with food and water, but she had been partially damaged during the attack by the golem Albus—controlled by Valentino—just before they reached Rufart Village.
It was actually Elsa who had noticed the damage.
Having competed together at Port Rock, Elsa had wanted to see Lorelei move again. So, without telling Reinhard, she had taken Lorelei out and repaired her with Jin’s help.
When that was explained, Reinhard scratched his head and apologized to Lorelei.
"Sorry, Lorelei, I was late in fixing you. And after all that, I wasn't even the one to do it."
"No, Mia Schöpfer, please do not worry about it. More importantly, I shall hand over the ship."
"Lorelei, thank you."
After thanking her, Reinhard looked over the paddleboat.
It was fifteen meters long and three meters wide. For a vessel on Lake Tosmo, it was classified as medium-sized. The hull was a slender, streamlined shape—a high-speed model perfectly suited for the calm waters of the lake.
"Alright, Mac, Mick, get on board. Mac, you're in charge of the right paddlewheel. Mick, the left."
"Ja, Mia Schöpfer."
The twin golems boarded the paddleboat.
"Dear, what will you name the ship?" Bell asked.
Reinhard spoke the name as if he had been waiting for the question.
"I’ve already decided. Her name is the Scarlet Trail."
"Sc... Scarlet?"
Scarlet referred to a vivid, bright red—a color overflowing with vitality. It was also Bell's grant-name.
Nobles of the Shouro Empire were addressed by their name, surname, "von," and finally their grant-name. The grant-name was bestowed by the imperial family or a high-ranking noble upon reaching adulthood (sixteen for boys, fourteen for girls), making it an name of great honor.
Bell's grant-name, Scarlet, had been received from Her Highness Charlotte Arena von Linal Shouro, the sister of both the previous and current emperor.
Looking at it that way, the red paint on the bottom of the hull was likely for the same reason.
Reinhard reached out a hand to Bell, whose face had turned as red as the ship's name.
"Bell, I dedicate this ship to you."
With that, he stepped onto the Scarlet Trail.
"Heh, that’s just like Reinhard," Saki muttered with a wry smile.
"Jin, Claude will transport the carriage and luggage on a separate boat. You all should hop on as well."
At Reinhard’s call, Jin moved to board. In the process, he hesitated over whether or not to take Saki's hand, and consequently lost his balance on the pier.
"Father, that’s dangerous."
In the end, Reiko supported him, and he boarded the Scarlet Trail with her. He decided it was best not to try things he wasn't used to.
The hull was a flat-bottomed design, so it had good stability.
Reinhard, Bell, Noir, and Neon were at the bow. The paddlewheels were attached to the left and right of the center, driven by Mac and Mick.
At the rear were Jin, Saki, Reiko, Ar, and Lorelei. Lorelei was there as a rescue worker in case of emergency.
With this arrangement, the weight was roughly balanced.
"Alright, let's go. Scarlet Trail, set off!"
At Reinhard’s signal, Mac and Mick began turning the paddlewheels. Driven by their powerful arms, the wheels kicked up water vigorously, and the Scarlet Trail glided away from the pier.
"Oh, this is quite fast," Jin remarked, impressed. For a ship of this size, the speed was considerable.
The Scarlet Trail sliced through the surface of Lake Tosmo.
Once Reinhard saw that no other ships were in the immediate vicinity, he decided to conduct a top-speed test.
"Alright, full speed! Lorelei, you too!"
The performance of Mac and Mick—golems designed specifically for this purpose—was exceptional. The paddlewheels rotated in a spray of water, propelling the Scarlet Trail forward like an arrow.
Furthermore, Lorelei entered the water and gave an additional push from behind. There was no way it wouldn't be fast.
"Roughly forty kilometers per hour, I'd say."
It was faster than the golem boats at Port Rock. Considering the number of passengers, the speed was phenomenal.
"Though, well, we can't maintain this indefinitely."
Regrettably, the downside was that the mana tanks and mana drivers wouldn't hold out under such a load.
(With Jin’s technology, it would probably be possible, but there’s meaning in me building this with the skills I have.)
Reinhard had his own pride as an engineer.
Even so, the Scarlet Trail was a vessel of the highest caliber.
"It’s so fast, dear. Surely the fastest on Lake Tosmo."
That was undoubtedly true. Excluding Jin’s Hydro series, it was likely among the fastest ships in the world.
The crews of other ships passing by on the lake all stared in amazement at the incredible speed of the Scarlet Trail.