"Marcia, thank you."
Once back at Jin Castle, Jin formally thanked Marcia for completing the commission and paid her fee. He also covered the costs for Barbara and the other girls on their behalf.
"No, thank you. It was a wonderful learning experience," Marcia replied with a smile.
With this, the current set of requests was officially complete.
"Will you be heading back to Port Rock now?" Jin asked.
Marcia gave a slightly wistful smile. "Yeah, I suppose so. Though it feels a bit lonely." She added that she was also concerned about her shop. "My father went back occasionally, but still."
As a member of the Jin Family, she could easily travel back and forth using the Warp Gate.
"He told me business seems to be running as usual for the most part." Marcia laughed, noting that Arrow, Arco, and Veil were proving to be quite capable. "But saying goodbye to the village children I've grown close to is a little sad."
Jin understood that feeling well. "It’s not as if you can never see them again. We have the Warp Gate, so please come and visit whenever you like."
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Jin."
Marcia concluded that she would stay just long enough to see the navigation golems Jin had prepared in action before returning to Port Rock.
"Understood."
Jin immediately set about creating the navigation golems. He already had the design in mind, and the materials were ready. With Reiko acting as his assistant, Jin began the construction in earnest.
Since navigation golems were most effective when lightweight, he decided to build them using 64 light silver. He designed the skeletal frame with a hollow core to further reduce weight. For the musculature, he used a base made from the silk of ground spiders. Compared to the magical beast hides typically used on Hourai Island, this was roughly forty percent lighter. While this limited their maximum power output to less than half of a standard build, they were still several times stronger than a typical golem.
To keep them light, he finished them as androgynous, boy-type golems, standing approximately 140 centimeters tall and weighing about 35 kilograms. He produced two units—one specifically for the trimaran and one for the pleasure boat.
Jin finished both units in a mere twenty minutes.
"Your speed is as terrifying as ever, Jin," Marcia remarked.
"That's Jin-dono for you..." Rodrigo added.
Tiberio, still unaccustomed to such feats, could only stare in stunned silence.
＊ ＊ ＊
"There, that should do it. As for names... let's call them Sailor 1 and Sailor 2."
To make them easy to distinguish, Sailor 1 was finished in a reddish-gold hue, while Sailor 2 was a whitish-gold.
"Jin, what about the names of the ships?"
"Ah, I’d actually be happy if you named them, Marcia." Jin felt it was only right for the shipwright to provide the names.
"Hmm, let's see. In that case, how about Halcyon for the trimaran and Anatra for the pleasure boat?"
"Those are perfect."
Halcyon referred to a kingfisher, while Anatra meant duck. Jin thought the names suited the sharp, sleek trimaran and the stout, steady pleasure boat perfectly. He promptly engraved the names Halcyon and Anatra onto the respective vessels.
"Now, I just need to set up a pier and a warehouse at a suitable spot along the Erme River."
Jin decided that a location near the bridge would be ideal and made the arrangements immediately. Ten Smith golems arrived from Hourai Island and set to work.
"By the way, Marcia, what about your side of things?"
"What do you mean?"
"The golem to row your experimental boat."
"Oh, that. No, once I'm done with this job, I'll call Arrow over to help me out."
"So you'll be staying here a little longer?"
"Yeah, for about two more days. I want to make sure the boats I've delivered are performing their duties properly and that no unexpected issues pop up," Marcia said with a smile.
"I see." Jin admired her sense of responsibility and felt truly grateful.
Then, Jin turned his attention to Tiberio. "Tiberio, how was it working with Marcia and Rodrigo-san?"
"It was wonderful," Tiberio replied, blushing slightly. "I'd like to keep working with them for a long time."
"He really is quite diligent," Rodrigo added, offering his own praise. "He has a good eye and can use a bit of magi-craft, so he’s been a real help."
Seeing how well they got along, Jin made a suggestion. "I see... In that case, Tiberio, why don't you go work at Marcia's place?"
"I would love to!" Tiberio agreed instantly, his voice full of enthusiasm.
"That would be a lifesaver," Marcia said. "To be honest, we were short-staffed." She explained that with summer approaching, their orders were bound to increase, and they might have struggled to meet deadlines otherwise. "Besides, I enjoyed working with Tiberio too."
"I'm glad to hear it. It sounds like the perfect arrangement." Jin nodded, satisfied. "In that case, I'll give you a bit of personal instruction in magi-craft. That way, you can be even more of an asset to Marcia's workshop."
The offer was accepted immediately. Jin decided they would begin a special training session on Hourai Island starting the next day.
＊ ＊. ＊
"Yay! This is so much fun!"
"This is amazing!"
On the Erme River, children riding in the Anatra piloted by Sailor 2 were cheering with delight.
"The handling looks excellent," Jin noted.
"Mmhmm. As expected of your work, Jin. Sailor 2 is navigating perfectly."
Meanwhile, the Halcyon returned from upstream under the command of Sailor 1, carrying a load of magi-sand. Barbara and Luu were on board.
"Jin-san, Marcia-san! It’s running perfectly!"
"Barbara, don't let yourself get too cold. It’s not good for the baby!" Jin called out.
"I'll be fine! I haven't even touched the water, and Luu-chan is right here with me."
Luu, who had originally come from Lario Village, had been adopted by Village Chief Giebeck and the healer Sally. She was currently training to be a healer herself.
"Well, if Luu is there, I suppose it's alright. Just be careful, okay?"
"I know. Since this is the boat we commissioned, I’m just on board today as the representative. From now on, I'll be leaving the work to Kana, Sema, and Berta."
With a graceful movement, Barbara stepped off the Halcyon and onto the shore.
A refreshing breeze blew through Kaina Village under the vast blue sky. Summer was almost here.