In a rare turn of events, rain fell over the Klein Kingdom.
In the eastern portion of the Lauren Continent, where the kingdom was situated, the plains typically saw very little precipitation. Instead, heavy rain and snow tended to concentrate in the mountainous regions. This moisture eventually became rivers and groundwater that nourished the lowlands, and the various cities secured their water supply by digging wells.
Last year, Jin had designed a pump that the Raglann Company subsequently brought to market; it had spread with remarkable speed for this very reason.
"Autumn rain, hm?"
Gloria Allstatt, the vice-captain of the Klein Kingdom’s Royal Female Ritter Corps, stood by a window gazing outside. It was her day off.
"I suppose it’s nice that things aren't so dusty, but I certainly don't feel like going for a run in this..."
She never missed her daily ten-kilometer training run, but even she couldn't find the motivation to head out into the chilling downpour.
"...On a day like this, I may as well maintain my blade."
Steel swords were vulnerable to moisture, and rust could take hold in an instant. To prevent this, she applied oil extracted from the seeds of the kemeria—a plant similar to camellia. It was a non-drying oil that was also commonly used as hair oil.
While an oiled blade would not rust, it tended to attract dust and gradually blacken over time. Thus, it was necessary to periodically wipe the sword clean and apply a fresh coat.
To some, this was a tedious and bothersome chore, but Gloria was a sword enthusiast and went about the task with genuine joy.
Gloria had bright brown hair cut into a very short style and amber eyes. She stood 168 centimeters tall, and her toned, athletic physique—boasting measurements of B83, W57, and H82—was practically ideal. However, perhaps due to her intense personality, she had reached the age of twenty-three without ever having a single romantic rumor to her name.
"The sword Jin-dono made for me really is in a league of its own..."
This was the weapon that had not yielded an inch against the Gigantoavrum, those giant earwig-like magical beasts. It featured a specialized construction where a thin plate of adamantite was sandwiched between layers of steel. Even the steel components were made of nickel steel, making them highly resistant to corrosion. It was a blade that required almost no maintenance.
Bathed in a rare sense of tranquility, Gloria devoted herself to the meticulous care of her sword.
"...It’s raining," Lishia Fahlheit, the Lord of Toka Village, murmured as she looked up gloomily at the leaden sky. "We won't be able to harvest the wheat."
Rain during the harvest season for spring wheat was an unusual occurrence. Since the grain required drying after being cut, clear weather was essential for the harvest. However, the rain had now persisted for five days straight.
"...The expected yield looks decent. For my first year, I suppose this counts as a passing grade," Lishia noted, furrowing her shapely brows as she looked over her ledgers. She reached for the teacup beside her, but the liquid inside had already gone cold.
"...I wonder if this 'tea' could be developed into a proper product as well."
The people of Toka Village drank tea made from peruhya, just as they did in Kaina Village. Lishia had been experimenting with adding various herbs to increase its commercial value, and she had finally reached a point where it was nearly ready for sale.
"Lady Lishia, the Village Chief has arrived."
"I see. Please, show him in."
Fred, her apprentice secretary, announced the visitor. Fred had originally been an apprentice ritter, but Lishia had noticed he had more aptitude for clerical work than martial arts. She had recruited him and was currently overseeing his education as a secretary. However, since Lishia herself was still learning the ropes, the two of them frequently made mistakes together.
"Pardon the intrusion, my Lord."
Braak, the Village Chief of Toka Village, entered the room. He bowed to Lishia and got straight to the point.
"It is regarding this year's spring wheat."
Lishia had been dwelling on that very subject, so she gestured for him to continue.
"The crop condition is excellent, but the prolonged rain makes it impossible to harvest. That said, I’ve judged that it would be dangerous to simply leave it as it is."
"What do you mean?"
When it came to agriculture, Lishia was a complete amateur. She didn't understand the implication behind the chief's words.
"If the rain continues like this, there is a high probability that mold will grow on the wheat, ruining the entire crop."
"Mold..." Lishia sighed, feeling yet another source of anxiety added to her list.
"In the past, we would have harvested while the weather was still clear, even if the yield was slightly lower..."
But this year, the rain had arrived so suddenly that they had completely missed their window.
"I will leave the final decision to you, Village Chief. You are far more knowledgeable about these matters than I."
Lishia could only offer that much. The Village Chief acknowledged her trust and took his leave. Outside the window, the rain showed no signs of stopping.
Rain was falling on Hourai Island as well.
Mount Hourai was shrouded in a misty downpour, and at its base sat Jin’s Mansion.
"Völlig Genesen."
"...Tch."
"Jin-nii, are you okay?"
"Father, are you alright?"
It had been eighteen days since they had begun the daily healing magic. Perhaps because the majority of his cells—which were composed of magiatoms—had finally been activated, the pain that accompanied the spell had been significantly reduced. Now, it was little more than a stinging prick.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The pain is much better than it used to be."
"...Two more sessions until you're fully restored."
"Yeah. Thank you, Elsa."
"Un."
Jin himself felt as though his body had become remarkably light. The sensation he had previously described—like wearing "high-precision prosthetic limbs"—was finally fading away. No matter how high the performance, a prosthetic was still a prosthetic, and it could never compare to one's original flesh.
As his cells were activated and integrated more fully with his body, Jin’s physical functions were steadily improving.
To begin with, the magi-mitochondria within Jin’s cells were of incredibly high quality. They were likely something he had absorbed during his summoning, but the origin mattered less than the result.
Once, while having his magic pattern measured at the Magi Craftman Guild in the Kingdom of Egerea, Jin had actually caused the circuits of Dona—the automata serving as the measuring device—to overflow because of his immense mana capacity. With his magiatom-based cells now active, those capabilities were increasing even further.
For now, however, no one had noticed. Since the changes were entirely positive and caused no inconvenience, there was no reason to investigate them. It would be a while longer before Jin realized the true extent of the change himself.
"Rain again today, I see," Jin murmured, looking out the window after his treatment was finished. "With this temperature and humidity... things are going to get moldy."
He watched the unusual weather with concern.
"Un. It’s a little damp," Elsa added. She clearly wasn't a fan of the humidity either.
"Let’s see... in that case..."
The warehouses on Hourai Island were equipped with climate control to maintain a constant temperature and humidity, but Kaina Village had no such luxuries.
"We need climate control... and maybe a desiccant would be good, too."
"Desiccant?"
Elsa understood the concept, but she had no idea how one would go about making such a thing.
"Since we're at it, I should call Saki and Toa-san."
"Short affirm... Un."
Unwilling to walk through the rain from the Mansion to the laboratory, Jin, Elsa, and Reiko used a small Warp Gate to transit directly.
"Oh, Jin-kun? What brings you here today?"
"And with Elsa and Reiko-chan, too. Is something the matter?"
Saki and Toa appeared to be in the middle of a discussion. Thin wooden boards used for notes were scattered across their workbench.
"The rain has been so persistent and damp lately that I thought we should try making some desiccants."
"Desiccants?"
"What are those?...Ah, I can guess from the name, but I’d like to know the specific application. Is it for drying out a room, or...?"
"It’s primarily for preserving stored food," Jin explained, cutting to the heart of the matter.
"I see. Food preservation during the rainy season is always a headache. That would be quite useful."
"Jin, is there anything we can do to help?" Saki asked enthusiastically.
"Of course. It would be easy enough to make them using Craft Magic, but that wouldn't be very accessible for the average person."
When Jin explained his reasoning, Toa nodded firmly in agreement.
"I see. You want to create something the general public can produce. That makes this a very worthy project."
And so, on Hourai Island, the development of a desiccant began while the rain continued to pour outside.