"Hmm, this is an impressive laboratory."
Jin voiced his genuine admiration.
"Th-thank you very much."
Marikka replied, stumbling over her words in her nervousness.
"To-to tell you the truth, I built this place using the laboratory on Hourai Island as a reference. Although, Testa, Helente, and Direk were the ones who actually supervised the construction."
"I see."
That explained why it felt so familiar.
"I did change the interior a bit. There is no private study for you, Jin-sama, and Laojun isn't in the basement, either..."
"Well, that’s only natural."
There was no reason to copy those specific details.
"There are several workshops inside, but only technicians I've personally approved are permitted to use them."
"I see."
Marikka’s skills were now among the world’s elite. Any technician who met her standards was undoubtedly a master of the craft.
"Does that mean they’re all...?"
Jin asked, gesturing toward the group of servant-holder descendants.
"No, unfortunately not."
It seemed not everyone made the cut. Even among the direct line descendants who inherited servants, the talent for magi-craft wasn't always something that could be passed down through the blood.
"Besides, there are plenty of talented children who aren't servant-holders."
"I suppose that's true."
Jin and the others headed for the dining hall. Its location within the building was identical to the one on Hourai Island.
A maid golem was waiting there and brewed green tea for everyone.
"Oh, this tea is excellent."
"Thank you very much."
When Jin praised the brew, the maid golem bowed.
"This tea was harvested here on the island, and I rolled the leaves by hand myself."
Green tea is made from the fresh buds of the tea plant, but if left alone, they begin to ferment and eventually turn into black tea. To prevent this, the leaves are steamed immediately after picking to halt the fermentation process.
Then, while the leaves still contain plenty of moisture, they are rolled while being dried with hot air. Finally, they are dried even further—that, in a very broad sense, is the manufacturing process for green tea.
"I see. This is quite a deep-steamed tea, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is as you say."
The flavor profile changes based on the steaming time. Light-steamed tea has a lovely aroma but carries a certain astringency and a light body. On the other hand, deep-steamed tea tends to have a slightly weaker aroma but is rich, full-bodied, and less bitter.
Jin personally preferred deep-steamed tea.
"Um, Jin-sama, if we could move on from the tea discussion..."
Marikka spoke up tentatively, looking a bit sheepish.
"Ah, my bad, my bad. Well then, shall we get started?"
If they just talked aimlessly about the past, they would run out of time. Jin planned to take requests and share specific episodes regarding their respective ancestors.
"Marikka, you decide who goes first."
Rather than choosing himself, Jin deferred to her.
"Yes. In that case, let’s go in the chronological order of when Jin-sama met them—"
"Wait right there!"
Just as Marikka was about to nominate someone, an intruder burst in.
Jin looked toward the entrance of the dining hall, where the voice had come from. A girl of about ten years old was standing there.
"I’m going to be the next Magi Craft Meister!"
"..."
Trihart and Susanne both lowered their heads into their hands in unison.
"...Rubina... Honestly, that girl..."
Marikka let out a heavy sigh as well.
The child, apparently named Rubina, clearly carried Beena's blood; she had the same vibrant red hair and hazel eyes.
"Rubina, you're as reckless as ever..."
Edith Kuzuma, who also shared Beena’s lineage, sounded utterly exasperated.
"The girl is far too impulsive. She has no sense of composure," Trihart added apologetically.
"W-well, at least she’s energetic. That’s a good thing."
At this point, that was all Jin could really say.
"You troublesome child. We’re in the middle of a meeting right now. We were just about to hear stories of the old days from our Ancestor," Susanne said in a chiding tone, though a wry smile played on her lips.
"Wait, really? I thought for sure this was a meeting to appoint the next Magi Craft Meister."
"You’re jumping to conclusions. Besides, the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister is alive and well, so there’s no need to choose a Third Generation yet, is there?"
"Be quiet!"
Rubina laughed even as she snapped back at Edith. It seemed the two of them were quite close, likely due to their similar ages and shared ancestry.
"Well, since you're already here, I suppose it can't be helped. Here, sit down."
"Okay!"
Following Susanne's lead, Rubina took an empty seat—diagonally across from Jin.
"Well then, since you're so eager, Rubina, why don't you be the one to ask a question?"
Jin secretly noted that Marikka knew exactly how to handle the girl by letting the most boisterous person go first.
"Really? I can?...In that case..."
Rubina stared at Jin with eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Are you really, truly our Ancestor?" she fired off.
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The one who finally broke it was Reiko.
"Rubina-san, was it? I shall guarantee it. Father is Father."
"...Hmm. And you... based on how you look, you’re Reiko-chan... right? But you know, there’s always the possibility that you’re just a fake made to look exactly like Reiko-chan."
"Then what must I do to make you believe that I am the real Reiko?"
"Let’s see. How about you battle the golem I made? If you win, I'll believe you."
"Very well. I shall crush them, regardless of who or what they are."
Jin could sense it immediately: Ah, Reiko is angry. He decided to give her a gentle warning.
"Reiko, don't overdo it."
Reiko nodded silently.
"...I really mean it, okay? Keep it reasonable."
Whether she realized the weight of Jin's concern or not, Rubina simply gestured for Reiko to follow her.
"Step outside."
"...Good grief, there’s no stopping her. Ancestor, everyone, would you mind heading back outside for a moment?"
Trihart stood up with an apologetic look.
Jin and the rest of the group followed him out.