"Haaah, it's finally over."
Jin and Marcia let out a collective sigh.
Up until now, Jin had been busy repairing the scorched rental dock, while Marcia had been going around explaining the situation and apologizing to the neighbors.
"Is it evening already...?"
"We couldn't get a single thing done today."
Between the chaos of the fire and the aftermath, the sun had set before they could make any preparations for the race, let alone tune the ship.
"Well, we still have all of tomorrow. Besides, my helping out with the fishing was only through today anyway."
"I see. Then we can focus entirely on the Cygnus starting tomorrow morning."
A thought suddenly struck Jin, and he voiced it aloud.
"By the way, Marcia, is there a boat Reiko and I could use?"
Since Marcia and Arrow would be aboard the Cygnus, it would be far easier for Jin to run checks and make adjustments if he were out on the water alongside them.
Grasping his intent immediately, Marcia replied,
"Oh, yeah, there is. The small boat I've been using to help with the fishing. Will that do?"
She told him it was moored at the fishing pier, so they decided to use it the following day.
That night.
"Reiko, sorry to ask, but could you keep watch over the Cygnus at the dock? It'd be bad news if someone tried to sabotage it again."
"Understood. I shall summon Luna from Hourai Island."
With that, Reiko stepped into the darkness and crossed through the Warp Gate leading to Hourai Island, where she called upon her subordinate girl golems, Soleil and Luna.
"Big Sister, did you call for us?"
"Yes. By Father's orders. Luna, you will accompany me. Soleil, you are to remain and guard Hourai Island."
"Understood."
Teleporting back to Port Rock Town, Reiko turned to Luna.
"As I explained, Luna, you are to protect this ship at this dock."
She then addressed the other golem standing nearby, Arrow.
"Arrow, this girl is also your senior, created by Father. She will help guard the ship and the dock."
"UNDERSTOOD."
Arrow was a golem built with reinforced leg strength, but her combat capability was modest at best—in truth, low even by this world's standard. Because of that, she was vulnerable against external threats.
"So you're the newest little sister created by Father. Don't worry, just leave the rest to me."
"YES."
Having seen the arrangements through, Reiko returned to the inn.
Reiko had no need for sleep. Once Jin drifted off, she simply stood in quiet vigilance, sensing the presences in the surrounding area. Normally, she would remain in that exact state until morning arrived.
"...Intruders, is it?"
Two figures had pried open the locked back door of the Sea Roar Pavilion and slipped inside. Even so, Reiko did not act immediately. As long as her absolute master, Jin, came to no harm, she saw no reason to intervene.
"...They have ascended to the second floor."
Slipping out of the room without making a sound so as not to wake Jin, she stepped into the hallway. The owner of the footsteps appeared to be heading up toward the third floor—the floor where Marcia was staying.
Remembering how much Jin was looking forward to competing in the Golem Boat Race alongside Marcia, Reiko determined that if anything were to happen to her, his plans would be ruined. Silent as a shadow, she followed the intruders up to the third floor.
Upon reaching the landing, the intruders checked the nameplates on the doors before stopping in front of the room labeled "Herin." It was plainly obvious this was their target—and it was precisely where Marcia was staying.
"What business do you have at this hour of the night?"
"!?"
Addressed so abruptly from behind, both figures froze. The fact that neither of them shrieked was perhaps worthy of praise.
Whirling around, they found themselves facing a black-haired beauty in a light-blue one-piece dress and a white apron.
"What the...? In a place like this? Who the hell are you, you little brat?"
One of them hissed in a low whisper. Reiko merely looked at them.
"Which of us is the suspicious one? A woman is staying in that room. Do you intend to break in?"
Without a word, the second man brandished a knife and lunged straight at her. It seemed he had chosen to silence her rather than waste breath on words.
"!"
In a single instant, the knife vanished from the man's grasp.
"Please refrain from touching me with such a crude object."
Before either of them realized what had happened, the knife was resting in Reiko's fingers. With a casual flick of her fingertips, she snapped the blade in two—and then snapped those halves in two once more.
"Eep..."
Evidently terrified by the display, the first man let out a stifled squeak. Meanwhile, the other man was frantically picking the lock of the "Herin" room in an attempt to force his way inside.
Seeing this, Reiko decided that efficiency was paramount and raised her output from her usual ten percent to twenty percent.
"Guh!"
A fist driven straight into his solar plexus instantly stripped the consciousness from the man in front of her. In the very next breath, she brought the edge of her hand down against the nape of the man picking the lock.
"Gah!"
Both intruders crumpled to the floor.
"...Phew."
Reiko let out an uncharacteristic sigh. Subduing a target without killing them at twenty percent output required an exceptionally delicate touch.
Tucking a man under each arm, Reiko stood straight. To any onlooker, it would have been an utterly surreal sight.
Gliding soundlessly down the stairs, Reiko exited through the back door the men had picked open. There, she once again swept the surrounding area for presences, but detected nothing out of the ordinary within a one-kilometer radius.
She judged that safety was assured for the time being.
"Shall I go dispose of them somewhere?"
With that, Reiko kicked off the ground.
Running without making the slightest sound, she sprinted at full speed for about fifteen minutes before dumping the two unconscious men on the pavement. She had no idea where she was, only that it was a secluded back alley in some distant town.
Having completed the task, Reiko turned on her heel and returned to Jin's room.
"Ahhh, that was a good night's sleep."
When Jin opened his eyes the following morning, Reiko was standing there just as she always was.
"Good morning, Father."
"Morning. Looks like the weather's going to be great today, too."
"Um, Father, there is a matter I must report."
"Hm? What's up?"
Reiko recounted the events of the previous night. After listening to the whole story, Jin crossed his arms in thought.
"Hmm... how should I put it? It's all so clumsy."
He began connecting the string of suspicious incidents in his head.
How they hadn't been able to find a magi craftsman until the very last moment.
How all the magi-stones had been bought up.
How the bronze they purchased was of abysmal quality.
How the dock had been set on fire.
And now, the intruders last night.
He remained completely unaware of the magic interference magic circle at the town hall, or that the Security Guard Captain had been targeting him personally.
"Is Marcia being targeted...? No, if that's the case, their methods make no sense."
Every sabotage attempt so far seemed aimed at preventing Marcia from entering the race. Yet he couldn't imagine why anyone would bother going to such lengths.
It wasn't as though she were favored to win, nor was she a renowned shipwright.
If Reiko had kept the intruders restrained so they could interrogate them, they might have learned something, but there was no use crying over spilled milk.
Expecting that level of foresight from Reiko would simply be asking too much.
"Well, whatever their reasons, we can't afford to let some petty sabotage stop us."
Reaching that conclusion for the moment, Jin took his time getting ready and headed downstairs. After washing his face at the courtyard well, he made his way to the dining hall, where he found Marcia already waiting.
"Good morning, Marcia."
"Morning, Jin. I'm counting on you today."
After a quick breakfast, the two gathered their belongings and headed for the harbor together.
Luna had already left the rental dock a short while earlier, sparing them any unnecessary commotion. With the Cygnus safely floating in the water, Marcia turned to Jin.
"Alright, Jin, head over to the pier on the other side. That's where my little boat is."
With that, Marcia had Arrow take the oars, and the ship slowly drifted away from the dock.
"Right. Reiko, let's get going too."
"Yes, Father."
Having Reiko carry the half-melted lump of bronze that had been left behind at the rental dock, Jin made his way toward the harbor used by the local fishermen.