On May 24, Jin visited the construction site of the provisional Adriana Memorial Hall in the Shouro Empire.
"It has come along quite nicely, hasn't it?"
"Yes, and it's all thanks to the power assist for civil engineering and construction."
The foundation work was already complete, and construction on the superstructure was underway.
"They can carry heavy blocks of stone with ease, putting our work efficiency on a completely different level."
The Berlich Workshop is doing fine work, remarked Gradin Haronad von Istear, Director of the Technology Department in the Ministry of Magi Technology and the on-site supervisor.
Gradin was thirty-two years old this year. A capable mid-career engineer, he had been chosen to oversee the site primarily because of his boundless enthusiasm.
"This is the memorial hall you so strongly advocated for, Jin-dono. Once completed, it will undoubtedly be of immense benefit to future generations!"
"I certainly hope so."
Jin replied as he watched the bustling work site.
The power assist suits for civil engineering and construction were performing to their utmost potential, dramatically streamlining the entire operation.
"Has anything troublesome cropped up? Any problems at all, including budgetary matters?" Jin asked.
"No, everything is proceeding without a hitch for the moment. The structure itself should be finished by next month—sometime in June—and I expect we can move straight on to the interior work."
"That's wonderful news."
Relieved to hear that no issues had arisen, Jin let out a breath.
With Laojun keeping an eye on things through the Peeper, Jin already knew there were no major complications, but hearing it directly from the site supervisor provided a unique sense of reassurance.
After receiving several more reports and holding a few brief meetings, Jin took his leave of the Shouro Empire.
On May 25, Jin was in the Kingdom of Franz.
His purpose was to inspect the construction progress of the racing circuit.
"It's practically finished, isn't it...!"
Indeed, the circuit was almost entirely complete.
"Yes. However, the surface hardening is not quite done yet," replied Jonas Tigrina, the Minister of Magic.
He explained that they had settled on using crushed stone throughout, adopting what was essentially macadam paving.
"That approach has its own advantages, after all."
When it came to asphalt paving, partial repairs were difficult, and uneven bumps inevitably tended to form.
Crushed stone paving suffered from no such drawback.
(I suppose it'll end up being an on-road course leaning slightly toward dirt...) Jin mused. He had never personally witnessed an automobile race on such a surface.
On the other hand, with nothing else to compare it to, this would simply establish the standard.
"Just make sure the surface hardening is carried out thoroughly."
"Of course." The Minister of Magic nodded.
"Once that's taken care of, we can move on to the ancillary facilities—the grandstands, rest areas, infirmary, and concession stalls."
Jin found himself looking forward to the finished product.
"Indeed. I'd like to have everything wrapped up before the peak of summer."
In this world, people also observed a customary period of summer vacation.
Holding an event during that window would surely generate a tidy sum in entertainment revenue.
"I'll have sample automobiles ready by June," Jin promised.
The Minister of Magic smiled broadly. "Oh, I am truly looking forward to that!"
"The construction is progressing smoothly on both fronts, which takes a huge load off my mind."
Aboard the Hurricane as it made its way back to Hourai Island, Jin was speaking with Laojun.
"Yes, My Lord. Confirming the progress with your own eyes naturally brings the greatest peace of mind."
"It really does."
Just then, Reiko brought over a cup of tea.
"Here you are, Father."
"Oh, thank you."
As Jin sipped his tea and sank comfortably into his seat, Reiko asked, "Why did you decide against using the Warp Gate this time?"
Normally, Jin preferred returning to Hourai Island via the Warp Gate.
"Well, from the Kingdom of Franz, it only takes about two hours to fly back. We're in no particular rush."
Besides, he wanted a little quiet time to sort through his thoughts, Jin added.
"Your thoughts... Would this be regarding what Elsa-sama consulted you about the other day?"
"Spot on."
The matter she had brought up after their return from Avalon was the critical shortage of healers in the world today, and her desire to find a solution.
"If I just built assistant automata and dispatched them across the globe, that would solve the immediate issue, but I can't help wondering if that's truly the right approach..."
It felt far too simplistic, Jin thought.
"If an unfamiliar healer suddenly showed up out of nowhere offering free treatment, people would naturally be suspicious..."
"That is certainly true, but..."
Laojun chimed in with an assessment.
"My Lord, even once the members of the Medical Unit currently training in Avalon become fully qualified, the shortage will remain severe."
"Yeah, that's the trouble..."
"Therefore, I believe our best course of action would be to first project how long this deficit will persist before settling on a long-term policy."
"Makes sense. That sounds like the right approach... So, what's the forecast?"
Jin decided to adopt Laojun's suggestion and asked for the estimated duration of the shortage.
"Very well. It will take two years for the trainees currently studying in Avalon to become full-fledged healers. It will take another five years for them to instruct their own juniors and bring them up to a respectable level. And then those juniors will in turn... Accounting for this cycle, I calculate that three full generations will be required."
"I see. And how long does that translate to in actual years?"
"Twelve to fifteen years. Even then, the overall numbers will likely remain slightly below ideal levels."
Jin was caught off guard by the timeline; it was far longer than he had anticipated.
"What about private healers and the Reichsarzts appointed by each kingdom?"
"Yes, that timeframe already accounts for them. As a rule, they do not train large cohorts of apprentices."
"I see your point..."
In that case, manufacturing a certain number of assistant automata would serve a genuine purpose after all.
"We could just have those assistant automata train human apprentices as well, couldn't we?"
"Precisely. If we implement that measure, we should be able to reach an adequate number of healers within ten years."
"Right... Does that estimate factor in the restoration of public hygiene infrastructure?"
"Yes, My Lord. It accounts for three key elements: public bathhouses, sanitary latrines, and widespread adherence to hand-washing and gargling."
The lingering scars left behind by the Magic Federation ran deeper than he had imagined, Jin thought, slumping his shoulders.
During his visits to various cities, while toilets were generally present, public bathhouses had almost completely vanished.
"I hear most of them were torn down because the upkeep costs were simply too high, wasn't that it?"
"Indeed, My Lord. The magi-devices used for heating water were particularly exorbitant."
That was yet another revelation that left Jin disheartened.
"Heating magi-devices being too expensive to maintain, huh..."
In Jin's mind, heating implements were among the simplest, most economical magi-devices one could possibly make.
"Consequently, re-educating the populace in foundational magi-craft will likely prove necessary as well."
"Yeah, you're right about that..."
Jin was reminded once more that a quiet retirement on Planet Hehl remained a distant dream.