"Whoa, that was incredible, Jin!"
Eira, having just watched the mock battle between Kaela and Reiko, was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Jin-san, about that spar... how much of her true strength was Reiko-san actually using?"
Beside her, Kachea had entered her analytical mode, suppressing her excitement to focus on the data.
"Hmm, let's see. About three percent, I’d say."
"Yes. It was approximately that much," Reiko confirmed.
"Th-three percent...?" Eira’s voice trailed off in disbelief.
"Matching three percent of Reiko's current power is an incredible feat in its own right," Jin added, driving the point home.
"Yeah, I get that. But for Reiko-chan to move like that at only three percent..."
Evidently having imagined the true extent of Reiko’s strength, Eira stared at her with a gaze that mingled deep respect with a touch of fear.
(I’ll keep it to myself that since she didn't use her force generator or any magical assistance, it was probably closer to one percent overall,) Jin thought.
He then moved to conduct a check on Kaela.
"Good, not a scratch on her."
Sapphire had a Mohs hardness of 9. As it was an exceptionally hard mineral, it wasn't easily damaged. Furthermore, because Jin had applied Toughening (Tafun), her inherent brittleness had been overcome. Her clothing was in similar shape; while not quite up to the standards of the fabrics produced on Hourai Island, the GSS was remarkably durable.
Next, he checked Reiko. Naturally, there were no issues whatsoever.
"Right, you both did a wonderful job!" Jin praised them both once more.
"Thank you, Father."
<I am honored, Master.>
By the time they finished, it was nearly noon.
"All right, let's have Kaela prepare a meal."
This, too, was a test of Kaela’s capabilities. They decided to use the simple kitchenette attached to the research wing.
"Now then, as for the ingredients..."
Jin checked the storehouse and let out an exasperated cry. "There’s nothing here!"
"Ah, that can't be helped. Since everyone is away, they ate everything that might spoil before leaving to make sure nothing went to waste," Kachea explained.
Jin’s shoulders slumped as he grumbled, "You could have told me that sooner..."
"In the end, all we have is flour, salt, sugar, pepper, baking soda, and a tiny bit of vegetable oil..."
Apparently, they had decided it wasn't necessary to finish off the flour since it still had plenty of time before its expiration date. The oil, however, was old and had begun to turn. According to Kachea, they had simply 'missed the chance to throw it out.'
"Is there a place nearby where I can pick up supplies?" Jin asked.
"Yes, there’s a shop at the end of the research wing," Kachea replied. "I think you can get most common items there."
"All right. Hope, go buy some eggs, milk, and maple syrup. And make it quick."
Jin sent Hope off on the errand. Kachea provided the funds from the laboratory budget, noting that she’d file a requisition form for the materials used later.
"Understood."
Prompted by Jin’s request for haste, Hope dashed off at a light run. He returned a mere three minutes later. While travel time could be minimized, the time spent actually shopping was a fixed variable.
"Master, I have returned with the items."
"Good, thanks for the hard work."
Jin took the eggs, milk, and maple syrup, offering Hope a word of appreciation.
"Now then, we can make hotcakes with this."
Jin handed the ingredients to Kaela. With pans, spatulas, and bowls all accounted for, they were ready to begin.
<Understood. Please leave it to me.>
Kaela immediately set to work. Meanwhile, Jin used Deoxidization (Diokishidaizeishon) and Purification (Pyuari) to restore the old oil to a usable state.
Kaela mixed a bit of baking soda into the flour, then blended in the eggs and milk. All that remained was to grease the pan with vegetable oil and cook the batter. While the steps were simple, getting the ratios and the temperature control exactly right was surprisingly tricky.
However, Kaela handled the task with professional ease, cooking enough for Jin and the two girls.
<Thank you for waiting.>
The hotcakes were served on plates and set upon the table. They were finished with a spread of butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.
As for the butter, Jin had realized they’d forgotten to buy it and sent Reiko to the shop, only to find it was sold out. Consequently, Jin had quietly retrieved some from Hourai Island.
"Yeah, this is great!"
"It’s delicious."
"It really is delicious," the three of them agreed, offering their sincere compliments.
Finally, there was the cleanup. Kaela performed the task flawlessly.
"Yes, this is excellent work."
"Yeah, we can present her with pride."
"Well done, everyone."
With the final tests complete, Jin decided it was time to head to the Chief Administrator’s office to showcase the amphibious vehicle and Kaela. Naturally, this meant traveling there in the amphibious vehicle itself.
"Ohhh! Th-this is...!"
At 1:00 PM, Tomax Bartman let out a cry of genuine astonishment upon seeing the amphibious vehicle and Kaela.
"This is more than enough to make a statement! Jin-dono, you have my gratitude. Eira, Kachea, you both did an excellent job."
Tomax was in a fantastic mood.
"In that case, we shall depart in one hour."
"Understood," Jin replied.
With the schedule set, Jin bid his farewells to Eira and Kachea.
"It was a bit of a whirlwind this time, but I had a lot of fun."
"So did we. Make sure you come back and see us, okay?"
"That's right, Jin-san, please visit again soon."
"Thank you. I will. Definitely."
After exchanging these brief but heartfelt farewells, Jin boarded the Hurricane, with Hope at the helm.
"Well then, until next time."
"Safe travels!"
Meanwhile, Tomax Bartman and his party boarded the Avalon airship, the Bronte 1. The amphibious vehicle and Kaela were loaded into the Hurricane’s cargo hold. Without a handicap of that scale, the Hurricane would simply be much too fast.
After departing Avalon, they traveled roughly two hundred kilometers across the sea toward the Kingdom of Elias. Following a flight of about two hours, the two airships arrived at the capital, Borgia, without incident.