Rewinding time slightly to June 1st—while Elena and the rest of Nostalgia were busy developing their waterproof golems—a request had also arrived at the newly renovated Marcia Workshop in Port Rock Town.
"A fast, large ship, you say?"
The specifications required a total length of twenty to thirty meters and a top speed exceeding fifty kilometers per hour. The crew was to consist of at least ten but no more than twenty golems.
Naturally, the intended purpose was explained to them.
"Is this for hunting Death Sea Serpents?"
Rodrigo was the one handling the negotiations.
"Shouldn't we consider making them smaller to boost their agility?"
It was a stroke of luck for the Kingdom of Elias that the official in charge of the project was a highly capable man. Rodrigo had personally seen the Hydro series Jin had built on several occasions. Those vessels were powered by a Magi-Water Jet and could reach speeds of seventy kilometers per hour despite being only six meters long.
Rodrigo had adapted those concepts into the Egretta, which he had shown to Jin only recently. He proceeded to explain his ideas to the official.
"I see... Hit-and-run tactics and diversionary maneuvers using small, high-speed boats. Provided we can guarantee speed and maneuverability, that might indeed be effective."
The official fell into deep thought for a moment before looking up.
"Understood. Could you give me a day or two? I'll consult with my superiors."
With that, he took his leave.
"Hmm, sounds like an interesting challenge. Well, I know I shouldn't call it 'interesting' given the situation, but still..."
That night, Marcia jumped at the topic after hearing the details from her father.
"Right? That's why I thought our workshop should offer the kind of specialized cooperation only we can provide."
"Hehe, that's just like you, Father."
"Still, I've heard reports that the damage caused by Death Sea Serpents is particularly high this year."
"I wonder what they'll do for weapons?" Marcia asked.
"It would be ideal if they could fire Flame Lances or Thunder Javelins in rapid succession."
"Jin could probably manage that... I'll try consulting him about it."
Though both Marcia and Rodrigo were artisans to the core, they never let pride get in the way of seeking help for things outside their expertise—especially when human lives were on the line.
＊ ＊ ＊
"And that's the situation," Rodrigo finished.
"I see."
Later that night, Marcia and Rodrigo were discussing the matter with Jin on Hourai Island.
"Death Sea Serpents, huh... I remember a whole swarm of them migrated south a few years ago."
That had been the year of the Golem Boat Race in Port Rock Town—or rather, the year Jin and Marcia first met.
"I wonder if they're being driven out by Sea Dragons again? Laojun, what's the status?"
"Yes, My Lord. At present, no such external factors have been observed."
"Is that so? Then is this just a natural occurrence?"
"It is likely that they have simply multiplied during a natural cycle, and having depleted their food supply, they are heading south in search of more," Laojun explained.
"I see. In that case, is there anything we can do to support them?"
"Indeed. We could provide high-efficiency Jet Thrusters or develop weapons specifically effective against Death Sea Serpents."
"Personally, I'd rather push for thrusters over weapons," Jin said. "Just to give the project a little extra 'push,' you know?"
"Eh?" Marcia looked at him blankly.
"Strike that. Forget I said anything."
Jin had been trying to lighten the mood, but the joke had fallen completely flat.
"...Ahem."
Jin cleared his throat pointedly to reset the atmosphere.
"But wouldn't it be a bit suspicious if the support came directly from me?"
Rodrigo answered his concern. "Hmm, Jin-dono is quite the famous figure now. It probably wouldn't be wise to openly favor a specific country or individual."
"I figured as much." Jin shrugged, thinking that having a public standing was quite a hassle.
"Then how about this? To assist in the Death Sea Serpent extermination, we provide the aid under the name Maquina instead of mine."
"If it's from Maquina, I doubt anyone would have a reason to complain," Rodrigo agreed.
"Alright. Let's move forward with that plan."
"This is going to be great!" Marcia cheered. "If we can mount a high-performance propulsion system on the high-speed boats we're building...!"
"Okay, I've got it. Leave the rest to me."
With Jin's assurance, Marcia and Rodrigo left Hourai Island, feeling satisfied.
＊ ＊ ＊
The following day.
"You say a new type of propulsion system has arrived from Deus Ex Machina!?"
The Royal Palace of Elias was in an uproar.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It included a message stating: 'It would please me if this could be of use in the extermination of magical beasts within your kingdom.'"
"Hmph... Master Maquina certainly has sharp ears. But we shall gratefully accept his assistance."
The new king, Alphons Alba Elias, nodded firmly.
＊ ＊ ＊
Four days later, on June 6th, the long-awaited news reached the Marcia Workshop.
It was the formal request to develop the small high-speed boats. They were also informed that the propulsion systems would be delivered shortly.
"We did it, Marcia!"
"Yeah, Father! Our proposal actually went through!"
Development of a trimaran design began in earnest at the Marcia Workshop. The three-hulled design offered excellent lateral stability while remaining highly maneuverable. Marcia and Rodrigo based the hull on the Egretta, refining it for even greater high-speed stability and handling.
"For the materials, should we go with a 64 light silver frame and 64 light silver plating?"
"Yeah, I think that's best."
By this point, the price of 64 light silver had dropped to 200 toll per kilogram. (For context, the price of aluminum ingot in modern Japan is roughly 230 to 270 yen per kilogram.) Back in the year 3456, it had cost two to three million toll per kilogram, making this a staggering price collapse. However, since the various nations had carefully managed the adjustment, no merchants or speculators had been ruined by the change.
"I doubt anyone besides Jin is building ships made entirely of metal!"
"Haha, you're probably right."
The new vessel began to take shape based on Rodrigo's designs. Two days after construction began, the propulsion units arrived.
"Oh, these look incredible."
They were the new Aqua Thrusters Jin had custom-built. According to him, they boasted double the performance of previous models.
"The best place to mount these would definitely be here," Rodrigo noted, pointing to the central hull of the trimaran. "Positioned here, the thrust will keep the ship's movement stable."
"You're right, Father."
Marcia and Rodrigo threw themselves into the work with joy. There was only one week left until the ship's completion.