"Excuse me, are you Jin-san? I am Lorenz, the leader of this caravan."
Lorenz called out to Jin as he was browsing the various stalls.
"Ah, hello. Yes, I'm Jin."
"Excellent. Could I trouble you for a moment of your time?"
"Sure, I don't mind. What's this about?"
"Nothing major. I simply heard you were a highly skilled magi engineer and found myself wanting to have a word with you."
With that, Lorenz invited Jin into one of the wagons.
The interior had been converted into a modest living space, furnished with a table and chairs suitable for business negotiations.
"Would you like something to drink? I have tea, juice, and even wine."
"Ah, tea would be fine, then."
"Understood."
Lorenz personally placed some tea leaves into a pot and poured in hot water. A nostalgic aroma tickled Jin's nose.
"...Is this green tea?"
Lorenz stared at Jin's face at the question.
"You're very well-informed. To recognize it by scent alone... you must be quite accustomed to drinking it. Where are you from? Somewhere in the south?"
"No, I'm not really sure myself..."
"Ah, that's right. I heard from the Village Chief that you were found collapsed near the spring."
Lorenz spoke smoothly as he placed the tea in front of Jin.
"So it seems. I don't remember any of it. When I came to, I was in the Village Chief's house."
"I see."
Lorenz took a sip of his own tea. Seeing this, Jin picked up his cup as well.
"Ah, this is delicious."
The familiar taste and scent of green tea. It had probably only been ten days since he had last had some, but to Jin, the flavor felt like a distant memory.
"I'm glad to hear it. Now then... let's get down to business."
"Sure."
"I am a merchant, so I am always on the lookout for 'marketable products.'"
"Yes, I understand," Jin nodded.
"That brings us to you, Jin-san. You say you don't know where you came from. To me, that suggests you might possess knowledge that doesn't exist in these parts."
"I see."
"To cut to the chase, I was wondering if you could provide me with any information on things that might sell. Of course, I'm prepared to pay an idea fee."
This wasn't exactly a godsend for Jin, but it was a welcome development. It seemed he could earn money while gathering information about this world.
Jin decided to ask about whatever occurred to him, checking to see what had already been invented.
Lighters, refrigerators, and insulated mugs existed, he was told. Water heaters and kettles existed as well, though they were luxury goods.
"Magi-crystals are rarely mined in this country, so they're quite expensive. Because of that, magi-devices that use them are also very costly," Lorenz explained.
"Hmm..."
Jin pondered for a moment, then decided to change the subject.
"In that case, you have some very 'impressive' golems."
"H-Huh?"
"How is it that you're using heavy-labor golems to pull your wagons?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
For a split second, Jin thought Lorenz's face stiffened, but he continued without a second thought.
"I mean exactly what I said. If magi-crystals and magi-devices are so expensive, just how much is a golem worth? I'd imagine you'd need a national budget for those."
"..."
"I assume they serve as escorts as well, but to own five of them instead of just one... I'd think you must have spent a fortune."
＊ ＊ ＊
Lorenz found himself utterly unable to make sense of the young man named Jin.
The man knew green tea. That meant he was either of high-class birth or had connections with people of such status.
However, despite Lorenz's reputation for having a keen eye for people, he had no idea who Jin was. Even if "Jin" was a pseudonym, he had no memory of anyone resembling this man.
With his rare features—black eyes and black hair—even a passing glance should have left a lasting impression.
As their conversation progressed, his bewilderment only grew.
He had baited the man with the mention of "marketable products," hoping to catch a glimpse of the extent of Jin's knowledge.
The result was unexpected.
Words like lighter, refrigerator, insulated mug, and water heater had tripped off his tongue. Every single one of them was something that could only be crafted by a high-level magi engineer.
Furthermore, every magi engineer in this country was managed by the state. Or, at least, they were supposed to be. Yet this man, who was clearly a magi engineer, was unattached. It was impossible.
Then, Jin dropped a bombshell.
He had asked why a mere merchant owned golems.
Until then, Lorenz had been explaining that magi-crystals were extremely expensive and that magi-devices were likewise costly. Following that logic, Jin had correctly deduced that the value of those golems was equivalent to a national budget.
This meant that Jin possessed at least a decent amount of knowledge regarding golems.
But his next words proved that he wasn't just "decently" knowledgeable—he was an expert.
He had mentioned them serving as escorts.
Golems capable of acting as escorts weren't the low-level variety that could only perform simple, repetitive tasks. To serve as a guard, a golem required enough autonomy to respond to commands like "drive them away" or "repel the enemy" when facing external threats.
A freelance magi engineer who knew that much... Just who on earth was he? Lorenz's guard went up even further.
＊ ＊ ＊
"..."
Jin was perplexed. Not by the merchant before him, but by the technological level of this world—or, more specifically, this country.
He decided to ask a major question that had occurred to him during their chat.
"That reminds me, Lorenz-san, do you know about any countries outside of this continent?"
"Wh—!? H-How do you know about that?"
For some reason, Lorenz's behavior became even more suspicious, leaving Jin baffled.
"Lorenz-san, did I ask something wrong?"
＊ ＊ ＊
Lorenz could only stare in bewilderment at the man who had just asked about lands "outside" the Pandor Continent.
The man's questions were completely inconsistent.
No, to be precise, it was the "level" of those questions that made no sense.
One moment he would ask something even a child would know, and the next he would speak with the authority of a master magi engineer.
Even with his decades of experience as a merchant, Lorenz could not figure Jin out.
The words that escaped Lorenz's mouth in the next moment were so blunt that even he wondered if he’d lost his mind.
"Jin-san... just where exactly did you come from?"