The next day, when Rodrigo brought up the subject of lifeboats during the morning meeting, the mood soured just as expected.
Until now, there had never been a ship large enough to necessitate lifeboats, nor had any of them ventured into the open sea. Consequently, safety consciousness regarding such emergencies was practically non-existent.
"However, once we reach the open ocean, we have no way of knowing what might happen. I believe the matter deserves consideration."
"Human life... must be respected, above all else. To that end... we should not, turn a blind eye... to such possibilities."
With Reinhard and Elsa speaking up in support, the rest of the group finally seemed inclined to give the idea some thought.
"At the very least, I think every crew member should wear a life jacket," Jin added. "And we should equip the ship with lifebuoys as well."
"Life jackets?"
"Lifebuoys?"
Jin proceeded to explain the two concepts to the puzzled group.
"A life jacket is a garment that allows you to float in the water without any effort. It’s designed like a vest. A lifebuoy is, as the name suggests, a ring made to float; if you slip inside it, there’s no danger of sinking."
To illustrate, Jin once again used magi-resin to craft a small doll and a lifebuoy.
"Like this... and like this. One would lean on the buoy with their arms over the sides while waiting for rescue."
Seeing the physical model, everyone seemed to understand and accept the utility of the lifebuoys.
"I see! We can easily make those out of wood!"
"They’re simple, they won't take up much space, and they’re light. They’re perfect for emergencies!"
While the group had been hesitant about the lifeboats, they welcomed the idea of lifebuoys with open arms.
"If I may, we don't necessarily have to think of them purely as lifeboats," Jin suggested. "In cases where we stop at a coastline with shallow waters or a place without a proper port, we’ll need small, shallow-bottomed boats for landing."
The practical necessity of this proposal resonated with everyone immediately.
"Oh!"
"True! There are bound to be beaches where a ship this large cannot dock. We can't rule out the need to land in such places to secure water or food."
And so, the plan to equip the ship with small boats that could double as lifeboats was accepted. As for rubber lifebuoys, they would likely be obtained through future negotiations with the Klein Kingdom.
As the final finishing touches were being applied to the new ship, the construction of the small boats began nearby. Rodrigo and Kubalt were put in charge of the task. They decided to prepare four vessels in total: two three-meter boats and two five-meter boats.
"Next is the matter of cargo," Jin noted.
Given the ship's scale, relying on manual labor to load and unload goods would be far too inefficient and could potentially destabilize the vessel’s balance.
"I’ve been thinking of building a large golem for that," Christoph replied.
It seemed he had already reached the same conclusion. A large golem would serve in place of a crane. Christoph explained that they would use a Golias as a temporary substitute to gauge the requirements before eventually manufacturing a dedicated unit. He also mentioned that a general-purpose golem would be stationed on board to act as a deckhand, handling night security and heavy labor.
Jin had no objections to the plan.
＊ ＊ ＊
By evening that same day, the new ship was finally complete.
The exterior had been coated in soft magi-resin. This material, which was also used for the internals of mid-level golems, was essentially magi-infused pine resin. This meant that if the hull sustained minor scratches or holes, they could be sealed in short order using Forming—provided a magi engineer was on board to perform the task.
Jin was genuinely impressed by the ingenuity of the idea.
Now, the new ship towered before them, radiating an amber glow from the soft magi-resin coating.
"It’s finished!"
"Yeah, we did it!"
"I’m deeply moved..."
"I'm so happy."
Each of them looked up at the ship, lost in their own thoughts and feelings.
"I intend to mount a plate on the stern engraved with the names of every person who contributed to this ship," Christoph declared.
The announcement was met with a roar of cheers.
"Tonight, I want everyone to let loose and celebrate!"
The energy reached a fever pitch. It seemed the hotel was also going to pull out all the stops to serve a magnificent feast. If this new ship proved a success, the promotional value of being the hotel that hosted the construction staff would be immense.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Cheers!"
"Cheeeers!"
Glasses clinked in response to Christoph’s toast, ringing out in a soft chorus. A moment later, the room erupted into lively conversation.
"I tell you, Jin-dono, it was an honor working with you!" Kubalt said, sipping wine beside Jin. "As a shipwright, this project made me realize how much I still have to learn. In that sense, I learned a great deal from Rodrigo-san as well."
The man in question, Rodrigo, was speaking with Reinhard and Elsa.
"This job has been a real education for me. Jin-dono, Reinhard-dono, Elsa-dono... you have my gratitude."
"Rodrigo-san... how is your... physical condition?"
After the toast, Elsa had noticed Rodrigo was drinking juice instead of wine and spoke up with a concerned look.
"Haha, I’m not going to keel over today or tomorrow, so please, don't worry."
He was smiling, but his complexion was sallow.
"...Behandeln."
"Eh?"
Unable to ignore it, Elsa cast a healing magic spell on him. It was a beginner-level spell designed for both internal and external ailments. Even for a beginner spell, its dual nature was the key; it was effective even when internal organs were bleeding.
"...I feel much better now."
Rodrigo’s face visibly regained some color.
"You said you had been drinking too much... so I thought your stomach might be the problem?"
Elsa had inferred his stomach issues from his gaunt frame. Since she hadn't performed a proper diagnosis, it was largely a hunch, but healing magic was harmless regardless of the target.
As it turned out, she had hit the mark. For a gastric ulcer caused by overindulgence, internal healing magic alone has limited effect. When the stomach lining is torn and bleeding, external healing magic must be applied simultaneously.
However, aside from Elsa, the only healer capable of making such a nuanced clinical judgment was likely Sally Mileshann back in Kaina Village. Furthermore, it seemed every healer Rodrigo had consulted in the past had been incompetent; not one of them had thought to attempt an external healing spell. It didn't help that Rodrigo had only been able to afford cheap healers—the kind whose lack of skill kept them from having a busy practice.
"It isn't completely cured yet... so please let me, perform a proper diagnosis, later."
"...Elsa-san, you truly are..."
Rodrigo’s eyes began to shimmer with tears.
"I had started to think that healers were all the same—people who demand a fortune but never actually fix anything."
"...That is..."
Elsa remained silent. She had heard from Sally that such healers were indeed common, so she had no defense to offer.
"...With this, I might finally be able to apologize to my family one day."
"Your family?"
Unlike Jin and Reinhard, Elsa hadn't been in the bath to hear his life story.
"Yes. They should still be in Port Rock City, in the Kingdom of Elias."
"Port Rock..."
It was a nostalgic name. After all, the place where she had first met Jin was Port Rock Town in Port Rock City.
"Oh, are you familiar with it?"
"Yes. I visited there on a trip... at the start of this year."
"I see..."
A look of deep longing for his home crossed Rodrigo’s face.
"That's why I'm telling you, safety is the number one priority for a ship!"
"No! A ship is a tool, and while you have to consider safety, you have to balance it with other functions!"
"People are the ones riding and using it! Safety must come first!"
"Then you can't expect any real progress! Technology requires a sense of adventure sometimes!"
A sudden outburst of raised voices drew their attention to Kleia and Zeneros. It seemed those two hadn't seen eye-to-eye until the very end. Since they seemed to be arguing more like spirited rivals than enemies, no one moved to intervene.
"That’s an interesting debate," Jin murmured as he listened from the side.
"What is Jin-nii's opinion?" Elsa asked immediately.
"No technology is one hundred percent certain. But that’s exactly why we engineers must always strive for perfection."
"Mm. I understand."
Reinhard joined the conversation as well.
"That's true. Although in Jin’s or my case, if a task looks a bit too dangerous, we always have the option of letting a golem handle it."
"Too true."
As he spoke, Jin glanced back at Reiko, who was standing quietly behind him. His dear daughter always took the lead in testing any new technology he devised.
As if sensing his thoughts, Reiko looked at Jin and gave him a gentle, knowing smile.