November 30, the final day of the month.
The day had finally arrived for the full-scale construction of the new ship to begin.
Since the monocoque structure Jin used for the Shark was impossible to replicate with these materials, they utilized the longitudinal structure proposed by Reinhard. Because the hull was so long from bow to stern, a longitudinal structure was necessary to ensure sufficient strength against bending; it involved using numerous structural members running lengthwise.
Specifically, one of the two forty-meter beams would serve as the keel, while the other would be split lengthwise to serve as the bilge keels. These bilge keels would be attached to the left and right sides of the ship's bottom, protruding into the water to dampen the ship’s rolling motion.
It was Reinhard who had devised this specific arrangement.
Furthermore, building a ship of this scale usually presented the problem of how to move it into the water once finished. To address this, Rodrigo had introduced a new innovation: constructing the ship on a specialized carriage and then transporting it, carriage and all, from the dock to the lake.
"Hmm, Rodrigo-san is actually quite clever," Jin muttered as he surveyed the workspace. He was already predicting potential issues, however.
The wheels of the carriage would likely sink into the ground and stall under the ship's immense weight. When that happened, Jin intended to advise them to lay down rails—wooden ones would suffice—and move the carriage along those.
Additionally, Jin suspected that boarding and disembarking might prove difficult given the ship's height, so he decided to design a unique boarding ramp on his own.
(A simple ladder... no, a staircase would be better. If I make it foldable and design it so that each step remains horizontal regardless of the ladder's angle...)
He felt confident he could produce something quite sophisticated.
The actual construction of the ship commenced.
A massive carriage was built from a sturdy wood similar to oak, and the processed keel and bilge keels were aligned on top of it. Two heavy-duty golems, the Golias units, performed the heavy lifting.
"Oh, it really is a relief to have someone handle the heavy labor!" Rodrigo exclaimed as he watched the work proceed.
Jin, accompanied by Reiko, checked the three main structural components. The grain of the timber was straight and high-quality. However...
"Reiko, the spacing on this side is slightly off."
"Yes, it is ten centimeters too narrow. Shall I correct it?"
"Yeah, please."
Reiko reached out and, with one hand, effortlessly lifted one end of the forty-meter bilge keel—which measured thirty by sixty centimeters in cross-section—and shifted it into the correct position. No one noticed Reiko handling the beam, which weighed over five tons, as if it were a mere twig.
Stringers were then attached to connect the keels, followed by the rest of the structural framework. In a remarkably short time, the ship's skeleton took shape.
"Having the Golias units around really makes the work fly by."
The large golems functioned as more versatile versions of heavy machinery. Even though their pace was slower than what Jin or Hourai Island could achieve, the entire skeleton was completed in a single day.
"Jin-dono, what do you think?"
"It’s excellent work."
By 4:00 PM, the skeleton was finished, and the day's labor drew to a close. Christoph, the site manager, performed a final inspection alongside Jin.
"The structural members are made from high-quality timber, and the joints are expertly handled. The dimensions are precise as well, so let's continue at this pace."
"It’s a weight off my mind to hear that from a Magi Craft Meister like yourself, Jin-dono. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
There was, of course, a reason for the high quality. Jin had been making rounds throughout the day, discreetly correcting any defects he spotted before they became issues.
"The outer planking should go on tomorrow. I can't wait to see it."
After one more circuit around the hull, Jin returned to his hotel.
The next day, December 1. Only one month remained in the year 3457.
This day began with the installation of the mechanical equipment, including the Jet Thrusters Jin had prepared.
"So this is the latest Jet Thruster..."
"It’s incredible. Jin-dono really is a man of remarkable talent."
A massive Jet Thruster, measuring one meter in diameter and four meters in length, was installed on each side of the hull. For auxiliary maneuvers, two smaller Jet Thrusters—twenty-five centimeters in diameter and one meter long—were placed at the bow and the stern.
These smaller units would handle dead-slow movement forward and backward. Their discharge direction could be adjusted, which would also make them highly effective for steering. Once the rudder mechanism was installed, the navigation systems were complete.
Next came the installation of the outer planking.
"Golias, a bit higher... right there. A little to the right. Perfect. 'Joint'!"
Christoph operated the Golias units to hold the components in place while the subcontracted magi engineers performed the permanent bonding. Reinhard supervised their progress.
"Alright, make sure that 'Joint' is secure. Especially there—that's a high-stress point."
Meanwhile, Elsa supervised the interior construction.
"...No, those floorboards have to be laid last, otherwise they'll just get in the way of the other work."
Elsa gave her orders without once consulting the blueprints. The entire design was already etched into her memory.
"Elsa-san, what about this area?"
"That will be the dining room. The tables and chairs need to be bolted down, or they'll slide around when the ship rolls. Do you understand?"
"I see. So we bring the furniture in later?"
"Exactly."
"And what’s the purpose of this?"
"That is an Aco-tube—a pipe for transmitting voices. Please finish the installation before the walls go up."
"Understood!"
"Hygiene is vital. On a long voyage, cleanliness is the first priority. We cannot simply dump waste overboard, either. Verify that the magi-formulae for 'Deodorant', 'Decomposition', 'Cleanup', and 'Sterilization' are inscribed correctly."
Jin circled the entire site, providing support and fixing any minor mistakes.
(Building something as a large team like this... it feels good.)
The experience suddenly reminded him of his middle school days, when his class had worked together on a project for the culture festival.
(I was put in charge of the props back then, too.)
Their project had been a puppet show—a performance of Chushingura. Jin had single-handedly crafted every prop, from the puppets' katanas to their intricate kimonos. Other students had been assigned to the prop committee, but they were so clumsy compared to Jin that it had been faster for him to do it all himself.
Eventually, he had been pulled in to help with the large-scale stage sets as well. Despite the extra work, the atmosphere of everyone striving toward a common goal had felt strangely wonderful. It was a memory Jin looked back on with fondness.
By the time the work stopped for the day, the ship was roughly seventy percent complete.
"The food at this hotel is actually quite good."
"Mm. No complaints."
"They have a decent wine cellar, as well."
The group was having dinner in the hotel’s dining room. While room service was an option, Reinhard preferred the dining room so he could sample the various wines.
Tonight’s selection was a white wine: an Ehrlich 3453 Auslese, a wine made from carefully selected, fully ripened grape clusters.
"Rai-nii, you really do love your wine."
Elsa watched with a look of slight exasperation as Reinhard emptied a bottle in what seemed like a heartbeat.
"Don't blame me if you have a headache tomorrow."
"What, Elsa? You won't heal me? How cold!"
A bit tipsy and cheerful, Reinhard looked at Elsa and put on a mock-crying face.
"I'm not falling for such terrible acting."
Watching the two of them, Jin realized—somewhat belatedly—that he should probably make Detox magic tools for himself and the others. When they finally retired to their rooms, he sent instructions to Laojun to create three of them.
"For the shape... let's see. For me and Reinhard, something like a business card case will work. We can keep them in our chest pockets. For Elsa, a pendant style would be best."
『Understood.』
A few days after he started using the tool, Reinhard was seen wearing a conflicted expression—somewhere between relief and disappointment—at the realization that he could no longer get more than slightly buzzed.