Jin completed the repairs on the repair golem shortly before three in the afternoon.
As a bonus, he used "Trans Info" to grant Merine, the Chief Golem Maid, the necessary maintenance knowledge. From now on, the estate's golems could be serviced and repaired using a two-unit system.
"The quality of the control core was excellent, so there was more than enough room in the memory banks."
Since Blue Land produced high-quality magi-crystals, Jin mused that Beena must have used a premium grade for her creation. He found himself thinking fondly of his old friend.
"Shin-sama, tea is ready," Merine called out to him. She had apparently prepared the refreshments while he was finishing up. "Justa-sama, would you care to join us?"
"...Ah, yes, if Shin-dono is amenable."
"Of course, I don't mind at all."
And so, they gathered in Jin’s room for tea.
"Ah, this is delicious."
"I am delighted it is to your liking."
The brew was Te-e, a specialty of the Kingdom of Egerea.
It was an exquisite tea, easily comparable to the black teas found in modern Japan. It possessed a natural sweetness that required no sugar. Jin preferred tea leaves with low astringency, and he felt the same way about sencha.
In that regard, the tea Merine had brewed was exactly to his taste. The temperature was also perfect; she had apparently brewed the Te-e with boiling water and then allowed it to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature.
"...Phew... Shin-dono, you truly are remarkable. Is everyone in the Nord Federation as skilled as you?" Justa asked, having settled down after a few sips.
He clearly believed Jin to be a magi craftsman from the Nord Federation.
"Well... I suppose I am among the higher-ranking ones."
Jin felt a bit sheepish calling himself "high-ranking," but he figured that telling an outright lie would only lead to complications later, so he gave a slightly vague answer.
"Oh, I see. Then it's true that Sion-sama sent us an exceptionally talented individual."
Justa added that he had heard as much from the steward, Question.
"By the way, do you know what kind of people the visiting nobles are?" Jin asked, hurriedly changing the subject. He was worried that lingering on his own background would eventually lead to a slip-up.
"Let's see... we have the House of Viscount Guarana, the House of Viscount Rasahn, and the House of Count Setena. I am personally familiar with House Guarana and House Setena."
"Oh? Could you tell me about them?"
"I don't know all the details, but..." Justa began to explain. "The House of Count Setena rules the Town of Phantol to the south and the Count is a close friend of His Excellency the Marquis. I believe he has come to check on the Marquis's health."
"I see."
Contrary to the rumors, it seemed Count Setena was not an ambitious political climber, Jin thought.
"The House of Viscount Guarana holds a small village to the south as their territory, and the head of the house is... well..."
"?"
Justa trailed off, looking uncomfortable. Jin wondered why, but the next words made the reason painfully clear.
"...The rumor is that he has a particular fondness for very young girls."
"...That’s disturbing."
"Young" was an understatement; the daughters of the House of Marquis Kuzuma were ten, eight, and seven. By Jin’s standards, this was absolutely abhorrent.
"...How old is Viscount Guarana?" Jin asked, just to be sure.
"I believe he is nearly sixty."
"...That is truly disgusting."
If the ages were sixty and ten, they were talking about a grandfather and a granddaughter—or at worst, a great-grandfather and a great-granddaughter.
"That is certainly..."
Jin couldn’t even find the words to finish his sentence.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and the Marquis's Wife entered with her three daughters: Irene, Mavis, and Pamela.
"I apologize for disturbing your rest. We wanted to thank you for the wonderful gifts you gave the girls."
"Thank you very much." "Thank you very much." "Thank you very much."
It appeared the pendants Jin had crafted had already been distributed. Despite her busy schedule, Anna had brought them along so they could thank Jin in person.
All three girls, though young, had clearly been well-schooled in etiquette and offered their thanks properly.
None of them stammered this time. It seemed they had simply been nervous during their initial meeting.
"You are very welcome. They look wonderful on all of you."
Pamela had light brown hair inherited from her mother and blue eyes from her father. Her clothing preference seemed to be light blue. The magi-crystal Jin had used was light-attribute—a transparent stone with a slight blue tint—so it matched her tastes perfectly.
Mavis had blonde hair and blue eyes like her father. Her dress was a shade of young grass green.
And Irene was the image of her mother, with light brown hair and brown eyes. She favored pink clothing.
Anna, the Marquis's Wife, then made a request. "If you wouldn't mind, could we chat for a moment?"
Jin, of course, readily agreed. "Madam, young ladies, please, come in."
"Thank you."
"Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you."
Merine changed the tea leaves and brewed a fresh pot of Te-e, placing it before the Madam and her three daughters. The children's portions were heavily sweetened with sugar.
"I hear you have already finished the maintenance on Merine. Your skill is truly breathtaking."
"Madam, it’s more than that! He even fixed the repair golem!" Justa added.
"My!" The Madam’s eyes widened in surprise.
"That is... truly, I cannot thank you enough. Since there is currently no one in our house capable of upholding our ancestor's legacy..." she said in a soft, lonely voice.
"Um... it is possible that Lady Pamela may possess a talent for magi-craft," Lise offered in a reserved tone. Having sensed the girl's mana reactions during the diagnosis, she was able to make such an assessment.
"Oh? Is that true?" The Madam’s face brightened considerably.
"Yes. It hasn't been officially tested, so I cannot say for certain, but it would be wise to have her properly examined once she is a bit older."
"Thank you. Hearing that gives me a spark of hope."
With no male heir to succeed the family, the possibility that the Craft Queen Workshop might have a future mistress brought undeniable joy to the Madam.
Pamela herself didn't seem to grasp the weight of the conversation and was happily preoccupied with her sweet Te-e.
"Would you like a refill?"
In the Marquis's household, tea was served in small cups, so refills were the standard.
At this point, Jin came up with a plan.
(Reiko, ask Laojun to transfer some Persica juice into our luggage.)
(Understood.)
Following the silent exchange, Jin reached into his belongings and pulled out a bottle of Persica juice as if he had just remembered it was there.
"I almost forgot, but I have some juice made from Persica here. Would you like to try some?"
"Oh, Persica? By all means."
"Then, here... Also, this is a milder version of the medicine for Mana Overload Syndrome. Please, give this to the young lady."
"Eh?"
"It may not be as potent as the one I gave the Marquis, but it is likely more suitable for a child."
In reality, the potency was exactly the same, but by framing it as a possibility, he wasn't technically lying. If she drank this, Pamela’s Mana Overload Syndrome would be completely cured before it ever manifested.
The Madam didn't know the full extent of the medicine's power, but she had no reason to refuse.
"Yes, of course! Shin-sama, you have my deepest gratitude." She accepted the bottle as if it were a holy relic.
In the meantime, Merine prepared glasses for everyone, poured the Persica juice, and used "Cooling" to chill it to the perfect temperature.
"Oh, how delicious!"
"This is wonderful flavor."
"It's good!" "It's so yummy!" "It's delicious!"
As a high-ranking noble family, they had surely tasted Persica juice before, but the variety from Hourai Island was in a league of its own. Not only was the flavor incredibly rich, but because it contained free ether, it served to activate the flow of mana within the body.
With the pendant Jin had crafted, there was no danger to Pamela. In fact, just as Elsa had drunk Persica juice on Hourai Island to help her condition, activating the flow of free ether would have a beneficial effect.
In Elsa’s case, she was fine as long as her biological mother, Mine, was nearby. This was likely because the ambient free ether was influenced by Mine, making it harder for Elsa's body to produce surplus mana than when she was alone.
Since Pamela also spent most of her time with her mother, Anna, her situation was remarkably similar to Elsa's.
Regardless, the medicine she had just taken should result in a complete cure. Even then, the pendant magi-device Jin had made would do her no harm.
With this, one of the major concerns regarding his descendants had been cleared away, and Jin felt a profound sense of relief.