"Ah, what a nice soak."
Though it wasn't a hot spring, Jin stretched his limbs out in the tub, enjoying the warmth of the bath.
"This feeling... it seems they're using a magi-device rather than firewood to heat the water."
As expected of a specialist, Jin quickly deduced the mechanism behind the bath's boiler.
"And they even have soap."
Back in Ars, soap had only recently begun to spread through trade with Mitsuho and was still far from a common household item.
"A world so similar, yet so different..."
Jin pondered what his first move should be in this new world.
"Well, no need to rush."
It had been quite some time since his last proper bath, so he was grateful for the soap. Washing his hair left him feeling immensely refreshed. He soaked in the water once more, letting the heat seep into his bones.
He had forgotten to ask what month it was, but given the pleasant weather, he guessed it was neither the height of summer nor the dead of winter.
After drying off, Jin cast Cleanup and Deodorant on his undergarments before dressing himself again.
"Thank you. That was a wonderful bath," Jin said to Helga as he stepped out.
"Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed it....Wait, Jin-san, did you change clothes?"
"Eh?"
"Your clothes look... I don't know, cleaner somehow."
"Oh, I just used Craft Magic to get the dirt out."
Jin answered casually, but Helga’s reaction was far from nonchalant.
"Wha—?! You can do things like that too? Magi really are incredible."
"No, I’m not exactly a magi. I'm more of a magi craftsman."
Rather than calling himself a Magi Craft Meister, Jin opted for the term "magi craftsman," assuming it would be a more common and less conspicuous title.
"A magi craftsman?"
However, Helga didn't seem familiar with that term either. Jin offered a brief explanation.
"I suppose it's a technician who makes various things using magic."
"Hmm... Oh! In that case, could you make something like a chair or a table?"
"As long as I have the materials."
"I see!"
Helga seemed to sink into thought for a moment.
"Oh, I should get back to it. I need to start dinner. Jin-san, you look like you can handle a solid meal now. Is there anything you can't eat?"
"No, nothing in particular... I think."
"Good. Then dinner will be ready in about an hour. Just sit tight!"
With a cheerful spin, Helga headed toward what was likely the kitchen. Jin returned to his guest room.
"Phew... Now then..."
He sat on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes to organize his thoughts, but his peace was short-lived.
"Jin-san!"
Helga’s loud voice shattered his contemplation as she burst into the room.
"Hey, can you fix a chipped knife?"
"Eh?"
"I was trying to trim some meat and hit a bone."
Helga held out a meat knife for him to see. She was careful to keep the blade pointed toward herself rather than thrusting it at him.
"Let me take a look."
Jin took the knife and inspected it.
"Analyze... I see. Carbon content is 1.5 percent. That's way too high. And it's been quenched too much. It’s hard, but incredibly brittle."
"Huh? What did you just do?"
Helga tilted her head, having never seen Craft Magic in action before.
"Just a second....Decarburizing, Forming, Heat Treatment, Shaping. And I'll add Toughening for good measure. There, all fixed."
In a single, fluid sequence, Jin removed the excess carbon from the brittle blade, repaired the chips, re-quenched it, adjusted the edge, and even reinforced the structure with Toughening.
Helga watched the display with her mouth agape.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeh?!"
She looked as though she’d forgotten how to close her jaw. Eventually, she managed to snap out of it and hurried back to the kitchen with the knife in hand.
"...So that's what a magi can do..." he heard her mutter as she walked away.
＊ ＊ ＊
When dinner was finally served, Helga was still buzzing.
"...And then, it was amazing! The knife Jin-san fixed slices right through bone now! And the edge didn't even chip!"
"Goodness, calm down, child. Jin-kun, please forgive her."
The older woman sitting across from Jin offered a wry smile at her daughter's high spirits. This was Mina, Sergei's wife. She had a gentle air about her, with the same chestnut hair and eyes as Helga.
"It’s quite alright. I understand the excitement."
Jin recalled his own past; when he first inherited the knowledge of the Magi Craft Meister from the Predecessor, he had been desperate to test his skills on everything he could find.
"I had no idea Jin-kun was such a talented magi," Sergei remarked.
The village chief had begun calling him "Jin-kun," likely following the lead of his wife and daughter. Jin found the casual address much more comfortable.
The dinner menu consisted of barley porridge, stewed potatoes, grilled smoked meat, and a certain fruit. Jin noted with internal surprise that they called the potatoes "Topopo."
"What kind of fruit is this?" Jin asked, pointing to the egg-shaped, pale orange fruit.
"Those are loquats."
"Loquats, I see..."
They were identical to the loquats Jin remembered from his original world.
"The skin has been peeled for you, so just pick them up and eat them. Be careful, though—there’s a large pit in the center."
Following Mina’s instructions, Jin took a bite.
Yes, this is definitely a loquat.
It was the unmistakable taste of early summer—a distinct sweetness that set it apart from other fruits. Its only flaw was that the large seed left very little actual fruit to enjoy.
"Delicious, isn't it?"
"Yes, very."
Since there wasn't much flesh, each person was served three.
"They're easy to grow because they sprout right from the seeds. They're a specialty of this village," Mina explained while eating her own.
"Since these are in season, does that mean it's currently early summer?"
"That’s right. Today is July 2nd."
"Mother! You're hogging Jin-san all to yourself! No fair!" Helga complained, puffing out her cheeks.
"Oh, hush. It just feels a bit like having a son come home..."
At those words, a shadow of loneliness crossed Helga's face. Sergei simply watched his wife and daughter with a quiet, gentle smile. He seemed to be a man of few words by nature.
"Jin-san, tomorrow I’m going to show you around the whole village!"
"O-Oh, alright. I look forward to it."
Overwhelmed by Helga’s sheer energy, Jin could do nothing but nod.