Magi Craft Meister

January 21st.

With the recent turmoil behind them and a moment to breathe, Jin decided to visit Port Rock, accompanied by Elsa and Reiko. Since he wasn’t making an official state visit, they traveled using the Warp Gate located in the sea cave.

“Ah, the scent of the sea breeze here feels different from Hourai Island.”

“Mm, I can tell.”

Perhaps because it was a bustling hub of daily life, the sea air in Port Rock felt vibrant. To put it less charitably, it was a bit fishy.

Jin and his companions took a leisurely stroll toward Marcia’s workshop. Located even further south than Hourai Island, the breeze in Port Rock was pleasantly warm.

“Ah! Jin-san!”

Jeremy, who was sweeping the road in front of the workshop, noticed them.

“Hey, good morning.”

“Oh, g-good morning!”

Clutching her broom, Jeremy dashed into the shop. A few moments later, Marcia and Rodrigo came bursting out.

“Jin! Elsa! Reiko-chan!”

“Master Jin! Lady Elsa!”

Less than a month had passed, but since the new year had begun, they exchanged the customary greetings: “I look forward to working with you again this year.”

Soon after, Jin was asked for advice regarding a recurring issue at Marcia’s workshop: the drive mechanism for her ships.

“So, the belts don’t hold up once you scale them up, huh?”

“Exactly, Jin.”

When Marcia had been stranded at sea, one of the primary causes was the load snapping the drive belt, leaving her vessel dead in the water.

“…I understand. In that case, would you like to purchase the parts from ‘Kunlun Island’?” Jin proposed.

“Oh, right. I heard you’ve become ‘Kunlun-kun’ or something now?” Marcia asked as if just remembering. “Whatever you become, Jin is still just Jin, right?”

At Marcia’s words, Jin nodded firmly.

“Of course. Just keep treating me the way you always have.”

Marcia let out a small, relieved sigh and smiled. “Thanks. I’m happy to hear that. So, what are you going to sell me?”

“Chains and sprockets (gears for the chains),” Jin replied.

“?”

Belt drives relied on friction, which caused them to slip and lose efficiency under heavy loads. On the other hand, gear trains were somewhat disadvantageous when it came to weight for driving two axes set far apart. Moreover, Jin was currently the only one capable of manufacturing high-precision gears. Even Jin himself had struggled immensely during the development phase of his own gears.

On the other hand, chains—specifically roller chains—were already present in this world, used for bicycles in the distant Mi-tsu-ho Kingdom. It was no surprise that Jin, the Magicraft Meister, could replicate them.

Jin drew a simple diagram to explain the concept to Marcia.

“Hmm, so something like this exists…”

“Only Master Jin could build something like this,” Marcia and Rodrigo said, looking thoroughly impressed.

“With this, it won’t snap or slip even when significant force is applied. Also, by changing the diameter of the front and rear sprockets, you can control the gear ratio to increase rotational torque.”

Marcia’s face lit up at the explanation. “Yes, yes! That’s it! There are things like ‘jet thrusters’ out there, but our workshop really wants to stick with waterwheel propulsion!”

“In that case, we should standardize the specs,” Jin suggested.

This was a necessity, not just for building in her own workshop, but for outsourcing parts in the future. Jin consulted with Marcia and Rodrigo, determined the size of the waterwheel, and calculated the necessary sprocket diameters. The chain length naturally followed within a set range.

“Yes, yes! This is exactly what I wanted! When I consult with you, Jin, it’s like… you just get it. It’s like you can scratch that itch I didn’t even know I had. You always grasp exactly what I need immediately!”

The fact that she didn’t realize how abnormal that level of service was suggested that Marcia had been heavily influenced by Jin’s style. Rodrigo watched his daughter with a gentle smile, saying nothing. Elsa looked on, completely fascinated by the structure of the roller chain, which she was seeing for the first time. Jeremy and Bacchus stared at Jin with looks of profound respect.

They signed a contract for sets of chains and sprockets—20,000 tor for small, 30,000 tor for medium, and 40,000 tor for large. However, since Marcia’s workshop was short on budget, they agreed to a deferred payment plan.

“All right then, I’ll deliver two small sets and two medium sets by tomorrow.”

“P-please do. Thank you!”

Marcia nodded, slightly surprised that he could have them ready by the very next day.

The conversation eventually shifted to casual talk, and someone brought up the idea of going for a swim.

“I’ll stay behind and watch the shop, so you all should go,” Rodrigo said.

“Dad, are you sure?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

With Rodrigo and Arrow remaining to guard the shop, Jin had Reiko go fetch their swimsuits. When she returned about five minutes later, Marcia looked at her with a knowing expression.

“…I probably shouldn’t ask where she went to fetch those, should I?”

The group changed clothes at Marcia’s house.

“Wow, Elsa-san, that swimsuit is the one from back then!” Jeremy cheered.

Indeed, it was the same swimsuit Elsa had worn during last year’s Golem boat race. Marcia wore one as well. Jeremy was wearing a similar one-piece design in orange.

“That design has been all the rage since then,” Jeremy noted.

“H-huh, is that so?” Jin, the man responsible, just nodded silently.

Port Rock had its own public beach, so it only took them about three minutes to walk to the sandy shore. It seemed it wasn’t very crowded yet.

“Ah, it’s been a while since I went swimming,” Jin remarked, apparently having forgotten that he had also swum when he visited with Reinhard and the others at the end of the year.

“By the way, what’s happening with this year’s race?” Jin asked while bobbing in the water.

Marcia looked disappointed as she replied, “Oh, it’s happening, of course. I’m not participating, though.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s a shame, but the shop is just too busy. Instead, I’ve been tasked with providing technical support for Rieche.”

“Rieche… ah, you mean that girl who was on Valentino’s team last year?” As Jin recalled that she was a petite girl with a great physique, he didn’t notice Elsa narrowing her eyes at him, having somehow sensed something.

“Exactly. The regulations are the same this year, so our workshop handled her ship.”

Marcia explained that they had built an upgraded catamaran based on the *Cygnus*. It had already been delivered, and it seemed Rieche was busy practicing.

“But still… nobody can build a Golem with the performance of Arrow. …Well, I suppose that’s expected, since there’s no way anyone else can compete with a ‘Magicraft Meister’ like you, Jin.”

Marcia laughed, adding that she felt incredibly lucky to have found Jin back then.

“I suppose you’re right… because of that, I was able to meet Elsa and Reinhard, too.”

Elsa’s cheeks turned a light shade of red upon hearing that, but Jin, as usual, remained completely oblivious.

Even though it was winter, the southern sky was blue, and the breeze already carried the scent of spring.