The group moved to the small meeting room to begin their review of the ship’s design.
"Hmm, the rudder and the turning radius, then..."
Marcia started by laying out the two major points for improvement she had identified.
"Ideally, the rudder should provide both straight-line stability and high maneuverability," she added. "Is it possible to make a rudder that does both?"
"Simply increasing the surface area would improve its effectiveness, but..." Jin said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
Tiberio spoke up as well. "There is also the option of increasing the number of rudders."
"True. However, the problem is that if you increase the surface area, the weight increases, and the controls also become heavier."
When Jin pointed out the hurdles they needed to overcome, Marcia and Rodrigo nodded. Tiberio thought it over for a moment before nodding in agreement as well.
"As for the handling, we can manage that with a power-assisted system. I believe we can mitigate the weight increase through our choice of materials, too."
"Oh!" Rodrigo let out a cry of admiration at Jin’s suggestion.
"Regarding the turning radius, I’d like to solve that with side thrusters."
"That makes sense..."
They already had experience using those on the Egretta, so there were no issues there.
"We can place a Magi Jet Engine in the lead hull and draw the jet stream for the side thrusters from there."
"In that case, if we run the pipes for the jet stream through the connecting beams for the trailing hulls..."
Marcia and Rodrigo were already beginning to visualize the internal structure.
"That leaves the rudder, then. Assuming the cockpit is in the lead hull, we'll probably need one rudder on each of the trailing hulls."
At this point, Tiberio raised a question.
"Would it be out of the question to mount a rudder on the very tip of the lead hull? I imagine it would be quite effective for changing the ship's direction."
Jin nodded to acknowledge the idea before pointing out its fatal flaw.
"Yes, it would likely be effective. However, there's a disadvantage we can't ignore."
"What is it?"
"It’s too fragile."
"Ah."
Indeed, the bow of a ship was the part most prone to damage, whether from accidental impacts or collisions. Jin explained that if they attached a rudder there, it would likely be broken constantly—especially during docking. To prevent this, they would need to add protective covers or shift the position, both of which would defeat the original purpose of the design.
"It really is quite difficult, isn't it..." Tiberio said, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"No, that kind of creative thinking is vital," Jin encouraged him. "As a designer, you want to avoid getting stuck in conventional wisdom."
Hearing Jin say that, Tiberio regained some of his spirit.
After various discussions and a tea break at three o'clock, the meeting continued until five in the evening. By the time they finished, the general specifications had been finalized.
Following the meeting, they took a bath to wash away their fatigue before sitting down for dinner.
That night’s meal consisted of rice, Glass Boar cutlets—essentially tonkatsu—croquettes, Kurumu miso soup, vegetable salad, hiyakko, and oshinko. Marcia was particularly fond of the Glass Boar cutlets, while Rodrigo took a liking to the croquettes. Tiberio seemed to be eating Kurumu miso soup for the first time; he remarked that he never knew shellfish could be so delicious and went back for three refills.
Jin watched with quiet admiration, noting that Tiberio was surprisingly skilled with his chopsticks. They finished the meal with cups of hojicha.
"Thank you for the meal."
"Ah, the food at your place is always so delicious, Jin. Is it because the ingredients themselves are different?" Marcia asked with a look of pure satisfaction.
"Let's see... in the case of shellfish, you don't really need to make a complex dashi. The shellfish themselves provide an excellent broth. At our house, we only add a little kombu-based dashi as a secret ingredient."
"I see. Maybe that secret ingredient is what makes the difference."
"My... Jin-sama is even well-versed in the culinary arts," Tiberio said solemnly as he sipped his tea.
"No, it's not so much that I'm well-versed as it is that I simply enjoy eating good food," Jin replied.
Jin believed that, ultimately, that was the root of it all. People put in effort because they want to eat something delicious. They search for better ingredients. They experiment with seasonings. They invent new cooking methods and tools. It is all for the sake of a better meal.
"In the end, crafting is much the same, isn't it?" Jin said, voicing his personal philosophy. "Whether it’s because there's something you need, something you want, or something that would simply be convenient to have—those desires are the engine of invention."
"That is certainly true."
"I know exactly what you mean," Rodrigo and Marcia agreed.
"And I suppose people who can't make things themselves either spend money to buy them or ask someone else to build them," Tiberio added, appearing to understand.
"Exactly."
"Still, it really is a wonderful thing to be able to make things with your own hands."
"You think so too, right?"
As far as Jin was concerned, it was always a pleasure to find someone who shared his love for craftsmanship.
"...So, what do you think?" Jin asked Tiberio, seeking his impressions after their two days of work.
"Well, I’ve come to understand that shipbuilding is difficult in ways that theory alone can't describe. But even so, I’ve decided that I truly want to build ships."
"I see. That's good to hear."
Satisfied with Tiberio's answer, Jin smiled. Marcia also reached out her hand to Tiberio with a grin.
"Glad to have you. Welcome to the world of shipwrights, Tiberio."
"I look forward to working with you, Marcia, Rodrigo."
Tiberio gripped her hand, looking a little shy.
"Well then, Marcia, I'll leave the rest to you."
The following day, the 19th, Jin left Tiberio in Marcia's care. He departed Kaina Village and returned to Hourai Island immediately after receiving word that Yuu and Mio had come down with a fever.
"Yuu! Mio! Are you all right!?"
"Ah, Dear."
When he arrived at the House, he found Elsa nursing the twins, who were tucked into their futons.
"I believe it's measles. There's a chance they caught it in Loizart during our visit."
However, Elsa assured him that it would be fine, as she had already cast Healing magic on them. When Jin checked on them, he saw that neither child had a rash and both were sleeping peacefully.
"If I had healed them completely, they wouldn't have developed the necessary antibodies. I mitigated the symptoms until they were very mild."
Since they couldn't exactly manufacture vaccines yet, Jin understood and supported Elsa's logic. Having contracted the disease as a child himself, Jin didn't need to worry about catching it.
"I'm sorry," Elsa said softly after explaining the twins' condition. "I didn't mean to make you worry."
Jin spoke to her gently.
"No, I think we were able to handle this so quickly precisely because you were here, Elsa. More importantly, are you okay?"
"Mm. I had it when I was little, so I'm immune."
"I see... Aren't you exhausted from nursing them? Let me take over for a while."
"It's okay. Soleil and Luna are helping me, too."
"I see. But please, don't push yourself too hard."
"Mm. Thank you."
Following this incident, a measles outbreak began to spread, centered around Loizart. However, because Jin and Elsa had acted so swiftly to prepare, it was said that not a single life was lost.