The day after his discussion with Lorenz—July 12th.
Jin noticed a restless energy humming through the village square. It wasn't long before the village chief, Sergei, approached him.
"Jin-kun, do you have a minute?"
"Ah, yes. What is it?"
Sergei led Jin toward the back of the workshop, ensuring they were out of sight before whispering his question.
"Jin-kun, tell me... can you repair golems?"
Jin hesitated for a heartbeat, weighing his response.
"I won't know for certain until I see it. Some malfunctions are impossible to fix without the right materials," he replied, opting for a noncommittal answer.
"That's fair. The truth is, it seems one of the five golems in Lorenz-san’s caravan has started acting up."
"I see."
Jin had been nearly certain that was the case. There were no other golems in the vicinity, after all.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Understood... Kachea, can you watch the shop?"
"Yes."
Entrusting the workshop to Kachea, Jin headed toward the square with Sergei.
"How are things, Jin-kun? Have you grown accustomed to the village yet?"
"Yes, thanks to your help. It’s a wonderful place."
"I’m glad to hear it."
Exchanging pleasantries, the two soon arrived at the square.
"Ah, Jin-san, thank you for coming!" Lorenz called out, rushing over to meet them.
"I heard the situation from Sergei-san," Jin said. "One of the golems is malfunctioning?"
"Exactly. We’re scheduled to depart tomorrow, but as it stands, we won't be able to move the cargo for one of our wagons... it’s a disaster."
The wagons were clearly loaded to capacity. For a merchant, being unable to transport even a single cart represented a massive loss—one that would hurt even if they returned for the goods later.
"Please! Given the potential loss, I don't mind paying a substantial fee!!"
"Let me take a look first."
Jin stepped forward to diagnose the failing golem.
"Is it this one? Let’s see... Analyze. Analyze... I see."
It was an endoskeleton-type golem. The design bore a slight resemblance to the Adriana-style. He also noted the presence of an ether converter.
"S-So? Can you tell what’s wrong?"
"I can. Lorenz-san, this golem’s joints—specifically the hips—are badly worn. It’s on the verge of a total dislocation. That’s why it can't exert any strength."
"Is that so? Can it be repaired?"
"I’ll need materials. Based on this golem's skeletal structure, I’ll need steel. Do you have any iron materials on hand?"
"Iron? Not as raw materials, no. For merchandise, I have machetes and iron pots."
Jin considered this for a moment and decided to use one of the machetes.
"Alright. First, I’ll need to disassemble it. Lorenz-san, could you have the golem lie down on a cloth and then shut it down?"
"Ah, yes."
Lorenz followed Jin's directions, spreading a spare display cloth on a flat patch of ground. Though it was outdoors, this wasn't high-precision work, so the location wasn't a problem. Once the golem was lying flat, Lorenz spoke the keyword.
"Stop."
The golem came to a Stand Still.
"Thank you."
Jin immediately set to work on the golem’s decomposition. By now, curious villagers had begun to gather, watching Jin's progress from a respectful distance.
"Whoa, look at him go."
"Jin can do that kind of work, too?"
"Huh, so that’s what the inside of a golem looks like."
Helga arrived shortly after, accompanied by Kachea—who was supposed to be watching the shop. Then again, there wasn't much worth stealing anyway.
"Wow, incredible."
"J-Jin-san really is an amazing person, isn't he?"
Jin began by disassembling the golem from the waist down.
It really does resemble the Adriana lineage... I suppose when you strive for human-like movement, you eventually arrive at the same structural conclusions.
While it possessed some unique characteristics of this world’s craftsmanship, it wasn't fundamentally different from the golems Jin knew.
"How is it, Jin-san? Can you fix it?" Lorenz asked anxiously.
"Yes, this won't be a problem."
Jin kept his voice intentionally bright to reassure the merchant.
"Now then... the muscles aren't biological material, I see."
Jin began removing the metallic magical muscles with a level of dexterity that captivated the onlookers.
"My, what a masterful performance."
Lorenz watched Jin’s every move with a mix of desperation for the repair and a sharp eye for information. (He is truly not to be trifled with... Just where on earth did he come from?)
"The wear is even worse than I thought..."
Jin had seen it with Analyze, but seeing the physical components revealed the severity of the friction damage.
"Look here. See this? There’s a massive amount of play in the joint."
Lorenz leaned in. "Aha, I see it....Can you actually fix that?"
"It’s simple enough."
Jin picked up the provided machete and began a rapid-fire sequence of magi-craft.
"Separation. Fusion. Forming. Carburizing. Hardening."
"Wh-wh-wha—"
"Whoa!"
"Wh-what in the world was that!?"
The spectators were stunned by the display of skill. The hip joint repair was completed in a mere five seconds.
"The knees are also quite loose."
The long-distance trekking had clearly taken its toll on the joints. Jin repaired those in the same manner.
"The rest of the joints just need their tolerances adjusted."
He proceeded to service every joint in the golem’s body.
"And... finished."
The entire process had taken approximately five minutes. Jin reinstalled the magical muscles and reassembled the exterior plating. He even took a moment to clean off some burgeoning rust spots before standing up.
"It’s done. Give it a try....Lorenz-san? Lorenz-san!"
Jin had to shout to snap Lorenz out of his daze.
"Ah—yes! Thank you! Move."
The golem stood up and began to walk. Its movements were fluid and graceful—a night-and-day difference from its previous state.
"Yes, that should do it," Jin said with a satisfied nod. He was personally pleased to have had the chance to examine this world's golem technology firsthand.
Lorenz, however, watched the young man who had just repaired a golem in the blink of an eye, and felt his suspicions grow deeper than ever.