A week had passed since Jin repaired Lorenz's golems, and his days had been a whirlwind of activity.
His workload consisted primarily of fixing various tools and magi-devices. However, after such a concentrated burst of labor, the backlog of broken items seemed to have finally vanished. At a certain point, the requests dropped off precipitously.
Now, he only received one or two simple repair jobs a day.
"Jin-san, what... exactly are you doing?"
"Oh, just working on a golem."
"You're building one!?"
"Eh?"
"Ah, Helga-chan."
Startled by Helga’s sudden, booming voice, both Jin and Kachea looked up in surprise.
"Hey, hey! Jin, can you actually build golems!?"
"Well, if you're asking whether it's possible or not, I can. But I don't have the materials right now, so it’s out of the question."
"Huh? But you just said you were building one..."
"No, I didn't. I was about to say I was preparing to build one."
"Isn't that basically the same thing?"
"It’s completely different."
In the first place, he couldn't get his hands on the magi-crystals needed to create a control core, which meant there was no way for him to construct a functional golem. Because of that, Jin had spent his downtime brainstorming various innovations for whenever he did get the parts.
How could he make a golem that wasn't just "barely functional," but "fully practical" using only a single control core?
How could he precisely control the movement of the limbs without using magi-nerves?
How could he achieve speed, strength, and accuracy without relying on magical muscles?
The list went on and on.
Even for someone with the skills of a Magi Craft Meister, these were incredibly demanding requirements. However, since he had been findining himself with more free time lately, Jin had thrown himself into the problem. He had never considered building a golem under such severe material restrictions before, making it a fascinating engineering challenge.
"A stone golem... is out of the question."
They were only good for simple labor; they had plenty of power but lacked any semblance of speed.
"Stearena's crystal golem logic is worth a look, though."
By using Softening to make the joint sections flexible, she had managed to achieve remarkably fluid movement.
"Even so, I can't do much without at least some magi-stones..."
When he had asked Helga and Kachea, neither knew of any local source for magi-stones or magi-crystals.
"I should have asked Lorenz-san while he was here..."
Jin suspected they were likely imported from elsewhere.
"I'll have to ask him the next time we meet... if I remember. And I need to ask about the currency, too."
He was curious about where the money in this world was actually minted.
"The designs are the same as in Ars... Is it because this is a parallel world, or is there another reason?"
It was a question for another time—three weeks away, he figured.
The turning point, however, arrived sooner than expected.
On the 19th of July, under a relentless sun, a visitor arrived at the workshop.
"Are you the one called Jin?"
A middle-aged man stood in the doorway. He had dark brown hair, blue-grey eyes, and a rugged, sun-weathered complexion. Four lightly armed soldiers stood at attention behind him and to his sides.
"Yes, I'm Jin."
"I see."
The man stared intently at him, as if measuring his worth.
"Um... may I help you?"
"Ah, forgive me. My name is Jed Alamold. I am the secretary to Master Paerova Sondvik, the Regional Administrator of this province."
"And what would the Regional Administrator’s secretary want with me...?"
"Well... this isn't exactly the place for a long talk. Is there somewhere more private where we can speak?"
"Ah, then please, come inside."
Jin invited the man who called himself Jed Alamold into the shop. Two of the guards stayed outside to keep watch, while the other two followed them in.
"Jin-san?"
Kachea was inside, currently busy cleaning.
"Ah, sorry, Kachea. We need to have a bit of a private conversation. Would you mind stepping out for a moment?"
"Y-Yes, of course."
Sensing the heavy atmosphere brought by the armed guards, Kachea quickly retreated outside, still clutching her broom and dustpan.
"I apologize for the intrusion."
"No, it's fine... sorry I can't offer you a drink."
"Do not worry about that. Let us get straight to business."
Jed Alamold began to speak in a measured tone.
"I heard from a traveling merchant named Lorenz that you are a magi. Is that correct?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"I see... Well, you see, magi are incredibly valuable to this country."
"I suppose."
Jin gave a non-committal reply, starting to see where the conversation was heading.
"I have already spoken with the Village Chief before coming here," Jed continued, pausing for a moment. "I apologize for the sudden request, but would you be willing to meet with the Regional Administrator? You can decide what to do after you’ve spoken with him."
He offered a slight bow.
"Naturally, we guarantee your safety for the duration of the journey and your stay."
It didn't sound like they were planning to take him by force, which allowed Jin to breathe a small sigh of relief. He couldn't help but recall the chaos that had erupted back in Kaina Village.
"And where exactly is the Regional Administrator?"
"In Rofon, which is about a three-day carriage ride south of here. I have a carriage ready for you."
"Is that so..."
Jin hesitated. If he stayed in this village, his search for information would hit a wall. He also wouldn't be able to acquire the materials he needed for his magi-craft. On the other hand, a remote village was a much better place for a secret base than a major city. Moreover, he felt a debt of gratitude to the people here for saving his life.
Seeing Jin's hesitation, Jed Alamold spoke up.
"Please, take the day to think it over. We won't force you."
With that, he and his guards left the shop.
"Hey, Jin! What are you going to do?"
While Jin sat alone in the shop to think, Helga burst in, her voice as lively as ever.
"I heard everything! Do you have a plan?"
She must have heard it from her father, Sergei. The Village Chief certainly couldn't keep a secret, Jin thought, though he didn't say it aloud.
"I'm not sure. I'm still weighing it."
Helga looked at him with an expression of genuine surprise.
"Wait, really? But this is a huge chance! It might be exactly what you need to fix those fuzzy memories of yours, Jin."