Marikka coordinated the schedule with Avalon, and they settled on May 25 as the date for their departure.
It was currently the 20th, leaving them with five days to spare. Jin decided to give Freddie and the others their instructions.
"We might perform a demonstration in Avalon, so I want you three to build a golem using the magic-frame style."
"Understood!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yeees!"
Freddie, Greena, and Rubina had been feeling a bit restless lately, so they welcomed Jin's task with enthusiasm.
"Should we aim for higher performance than the Tempo we built before?"
"I wonder. Would it be a problem if it outperformed the royal family's golems?"
"Logically speaking, isn't it only natural for a newer model to be better?"
"Hmm, I suppose that's true."
"Right?"
"Then let's go all out!"
"Agreed!"
After that exchange, the three of them threw themselves into crafting the golem with great gusto. Jin watched them with a faint smile.
"We can use much better materials than we did last time!"
"..."
"There's no need to install limiters, either."
"..."
"We can use high-grade materials for the exterior, too, so we can really boost the power."
"..."
Listening to their conversation, Jin felt the energy drain out of him. He shook his head and retreated to the House.
"Father, is something the matter?" Reiko asked.
"...No, nothing."
"Jin-sama, you look exhausted. Is something wrong?" Marikka added, her expression full of concern.
"...No, I just watched those three making things without an ounce of self-restraint, and it occurred to me that maybe I'm the same way..."
"Ah, you're only just realizing that?"
"!?"
Jin was more than a little shocked by Marikka's blunt response.
"Jin-sama, you have been like that for as long as I've known you... No, you are even more unconventional. In a good way, of course."
"...Well, I'm glad it's in a good way." Jin managed a wry smile. "I see. So that's how I look when I'm focused on crafting."
"Father is much more refined about it, though," Reiko added.
"Haha, is that so? Well, it's not as if I can change who I am at this late stage."
Jin tried to look on the bright side, figuring it was a good thing he could finally reflect on himself with some objectivity.
Though I don't exactly have anyone around to stop me, either...
A surge of nostalgia washed over him as he thought of his beloved wife, Elsa, and his old friends.
Maybe I should start seriously considering retiring to Hale?
Regardless, he had to finish his lecture in Avalon first. Jin forced his thoughts back to the task at hand.
"I suppose I should get started on the explanatory materials."
"I shall assist you," Laojun offered.
"I will help as well," said Reiko.
"Jin-sama, let me help too," Marikka chimed in.
And so, while Freddie and the others were engrossed in building their golem, Jin and his team focused on preparing the lecture documents. Jin didn't bother to ask what kind of specifications the students had ultimately decided on.
Two days passed in a flash, and Jin finished the materials. Marikka announced that she would return to the Nord Federation briefly to report to Sion.
"Now then, I wonder how Freddie's group is coming along."
Jin had purposely refrained from interfering this time to let them work freely, but his curiosity had finally gotten the better of him. Rather than going to check in person immediately, he consulted Laojun.
"Yes, My Lord. They are producing something far more sensible than expected."
"Is that so?" Jin felt a wave of relief.
"Yes. It is roughly eighty percent complete, so it should be perfectly fine for My Lord to go and observe their progress."
"Oh, good. I think I'll do that, then."
With Laojun's assurance, Jin made his way to the workshop. Inside, he found the three of them in the middle of a debate.
"...What should we do about the surface treatment?"
"I think a matte finish would look best," Rubina suggested.
"But Rubina, don't you think scratches would be too noticeable on a matte surface?" Greena countered.
"I imagine the same would be true for a mirror finish..." Freddie added.
The three were deep in a discussion about the exterior.
"Ah, Jin-sama! Welcome!" Rubina was the first to notice him.
"Hey there. You're working hard, I see."
Jin stepped closer to examine the golem in progress. It stood 180 centimeters tall with an average build—a classic general-purpose silhouette.
"This one is a male-type. We prioritized versatility over combat performance," Freddie explained, acting as the group's spokesman. "We purposely used common materials for the construction. However, we've applied several technical refinements, so the power output should be comparable to high-end models."
"Oh, I see."
Jin was genuinely pleased. They were thinking for themselves. By using common materials, they were making a design that was suited for mass production. Jin wanted his lecture in Avalon to provide a foundation for the advancement of industrial and manufacturing golems, and this fit that goal perfectly.
"The control core hasn't been installed yet. We haven't quite reached a consensus on what knowledge set to load into it."
"Ah, fair enough."
"For the exterior, we moved away from an armored look and tried to give it a silhouette as close to a human's as possible."
"I see."
Jin appraised the work as being quite high quality, though a bit of inexperience showed in the joint construction. Still, the shape was such that it could easily be dressed in clothes.
"If you can produce work of this caliber, you've certainly passed. Well done, all of you."
"Ehehe, I'm so happy!" Rubina chirped.
"Thank you very much," Greena added with a smile.
"You've come this far, and we still have time. Try to see it through to the finish yourselves."
With those encouraging words, Jin left the workshop.
Yes, all three of them have really grown. I can feel confident taking them to Avalon now.
Jin returned to the House in high spirits.