Jin had agreed to forge the sword without giving a single thought to the materials he would need.
"……That’s a headache for me, too," Elsa agreed, looking just as troubled.
"I could have some sent from Hourai Island, but..."
"……If anyone asks where we got them, we won't have an answer."
In that case, there would truly be no way to make a plausible excuse.
"……This is a problem."
The deadline was 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, and it was already 5:00 p.m. Since it was Jin and Elsa, the actual crafting time wouldn't be an issue, but the lack of materials was a fundamental hurdle that had to be cleared before they could even begin.
"Father, why not try asking Yalmar-san?"
"Eh, Yalmar?"
"Yes. It seems he returned from Dali just a short while ago."
Reiko explained that Yalmar Balts Gamma was a magi craftman of the Celuroa Kingdom and would certainly have a workshop within the Royal Castle.
"That’s…… true. I suppose that's my only option."
Going out into the castle town to buy materials would likely cause all sorts of other complications.
And so, Jin and Reiko decided to head over to Yalmar’s place first.
"Let’s see, it’s probably on the first floor."
"Yes, Father. There is a workshop building in the courtyard on the west side of the first floor."
"Oh, I see.……You’re quite well-informed."
Reiko nodded, looking pleased to be of use to Jin.
"Yes. Since the other day, the Shinobi Squad has been investigating the interior of the castle on Laojun's orders."
"I see."
"With the exception of a few areas protected by magical barriers, the investigation is complete."
"A magical…… barrier?"
"Yes, though only to the extent that an alarm will sound if one passes through it."
Upon hearing that, Jin tried to imagine how it was constructed.
"But if that's the case, wouldn't the alarm go off even if a mouse or an insect got in?"
"Yes. I suspect it likely does not react to anything below a certain size."
"Probably. In that case, wouldn't the Shinobi Squad be able to pass through?"
When Jin suggested that a squad of five-centimeter-long reconnaissance golems should be fine, Reiko countered.
"That is certainly possible. However, Laojun is exercising restraint, as there is a possibility they might react to material or mana as well."
"I see."
If it were Laozi, Laojun's mobile terminal, he would have the information processing capability to analyze the nature of such barriers, but it was too much to expect that from the tiny units of the Shinobi Squad.
"Besides, we have a general idea of what's inside about thirty percent of those rooms by peeking in when people enter or leave. Most of them aren't very important—changing rooms, the King's bedroom, and the like."
While having this conversation in hushed voices, Jin and Reiko arrived at the first floor.
There were guards at the western service entrance, but they let Jin and Reiko through immediately upon seeing them.
"It is over there."
Beyond the courtyard Reiko pointed to, there was a workshop about the size of a small gymnasium.
"It's huge.……But I suppose it's not unusual for it to be that size if he's building things like the Lyon."
As Jin and the others approached, Yalmar apparently spotted them from a window and came outside.
"If it isn't Jin-dono. What brings you to a place like this? Well, please, come inside."
Though Yalmar looked surprised, he invited Jin and Reiko into the workshop and offered them chairs.
"I haven't had the chance to invite you here before, Jin-dono."
There was a reception room at the back of the workshop. He explained that the facility also served as his residence.
"Welcome."
Cups filled with Te-e were placed before Jin and Reiko.
"Thank you. But Reiko doesn't drink."
However, an unexpected reply came.
"Yes, I am aware. But it is a matter of courtesy."
Jin looked at the person who had placed the cups—a beautiful woman with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes.
"This is my wife, Mabel."
She possessed a gentle, relaxed air and a well-proportioned figure. She looked to be around Jin's age, or perhaps slightly older.
"Ah, I'm Jin Nidou."
Jin introduced himself, and Mabel responded with a smile.
"Yes, I am well aware. My husband told me all about you the other day."
"Mei also serves as my assistant."
"Yes. It was through that work that we became husband and wife."
As Mabel smiled softly, Jin thought to himself that the two of them made a wonderful couple.
After a bit of small talk, Jin got to the heart of the matter.
"……And so, I've been asked to make a sword and an accessory. I was wondering if you could spare some materials."
Yalmar and Mabel chuckled.
"If that's the case, please, by all means. We don't have anything particularly grand, though."
However, even a quick glance at the storage shelves showed a plentiful selection. Along with magi-crystals and magi-stones, there were also stocks of magi-resin and various common gemstones.
"In that case, I'll come by again after dinner with Elsa."
Struck by Mabel's poise, Jin found himself speaking with more polite honorifics than usual.
"Then we shall be waiting for you."
Seeing off by the smiling Mabel, Jin returned to his room for the time being.
"I see, that's good."
Back in his room, Jin reported to Elsa over dinner that he had successfully made the arrangements.
"So, have you decided what you're going to make?"
"Mm. I think I'll make a pendant top."
Since they were in the middle of a journey, Elsa had concluded that something too bulky wouldn't be suitable for a gift.
Meanwhile, Jin was thinking about what kind of sword Gloria would like.
"Her collection consisted almost entirely of straight swords."
Jin recalled the collection he had been shown at Gloria's home previously.
"I guess it has to be a Japanese sword, then……"
That said, he intended to arrange the design specifically for this world.
While the Touka that Reiko possessed was a perfect Japanese sword based on Jin's memories, he planned to modify this one slightly.
"But still..."
If he was going to make it, he wanted to show a bit of his own personal flair somewhere.
However, he was still torn over how much of his technique he should reveal in front of Yalmar and his wife.
"For now, let's just go."
"Okay."
With that, Jin and Elsa, accompanied by Reiko and Edgar respectively, headed back toward Yalmar's workshop.
"We've been waiting for you."
Yalmar greeted the group.
"Are you Elsa-sama? I am Yalmar's wife, Mabel. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"I am Elsa Randol. The pleasure is mine."
Elsa and Mabel exchanged greetings, and since time was short, they immediately set to work.
"……Silver, and a little gold. Then, some blue-toned gemstones."
"In that case, please choose from among these."
Mabel pointed to one of the shelves.
"These are materials we have gathered personally, so please feel free to use as much as you like."
Indeed, using materials purchased with the national budget for personal projects would have been a major problem.
Since Elsa had begun her work while chatting with Mabel, Jin approached Yalmar to ask about the metal stock.
"I'd like some steel suitable for blades."
He made the request based on the fact that the steel skeletons of the golems Yalmar had built utilized extremely high-quality steel.
"Yes, if that's what you need, they are right here."
On the shelf Yalmar pointed to, several types of ingots were laid out. Jin began to carefully examine them to make his selection.