Chapter 626
Magi Craft Meister 626
18 King Klein’s Treatment Arc
19-13 Enhancing Edgar
Elsa’s face brightened after receiving the intermediate scientific knowledge from Jin.
“I’ve found the answer to some questions I had until now. I was able to understand things that I couldn’t before. And… I realize that this world is still full of things I don’t understand.”
Hearing those words, Jin smiled back at Elsa.
“That’s right. Whenever there’s something unknown to us, we’ll want to learn more about it, and that makes us want to work hard precisely so that we can learn. And that is the gateway to our future as a species…”
Realizing that he was speaking in a weird way yet again, Jin scratched his head in embarra.s.sment. But Elsa continued to look at him with a serious look on her face.
“I will dedicate the knowledge I gain from now on to you, Brother Jin.”
As soon as Elsa finished saying that, she instantly felt embarra.s.sed as well, and turned her head down as her cheeks became red.
Reiko looked at the two with a complicated look on her face and tried to open her mouth several times, but in the end she remained silent.
“Now, Elsa, let’s upgrade Edgar.”
“Huh?”
“This is only a guess, but it’s possible that only Edgar will be able to go with you to see the king. So I thought it would be better if we could copy the Nurse Golems’ knowledge onto his memory as well…”
As if she had been able to see how Jin’s words made evident just how much he cared about her, Elsa felt her cheeks heating up even more.
“…Yeah, thank you, Brother Jin.”
So they decided to set the “Edgar Upgrade Plan” into motion right away.
Hanna seemed to be enjoying Hourai Island for the first time in a while, running around the garden and playing, so they sent Soleil and Luna to join her as well.
Once Jin and Elsa arrived at the laboratory’s workshop, Edgar’s remodeling began.
First of all, the most important thing was to copy the knowledge of the Nurse Golems into his memory. This would allow Edgar to use a great deal of Healing Magic.
The upgrade also included enhancing both his abilities in martial arts and swordsmanship.
“Now, let’s improve his visual system.”
This was so that he could be of further a.s.sistance during the king’s examination. The Magi Crystals used for Edgar’s eyes were upgraded, giving them fluoroscopic and magnifying capabilities.
A link between Edgar and Laojun was also established so that Laojun could help a.n.a.lyze anything Edgar would see or hear.
“Let’s remodel the energy system as well.”
Jin then decided to teach Elsa how to make a Magi Reactor.
“… Brother Jin, this is too difficult. I can’t do it.”
But Elsa’s Magi Crystals failed to merge during her first attempt.
“It’s okay. You can do this, Elsa. Try it again.”
However, it fails a second time, and then a third time.
“Brother Jin…”
Elsa was about to finish that by saying “I knew it, I can’t do this,” but then it dawned on her. She was still trying to rely on Jin at this very moment.
(…I swore to myself that I would work hard to be able to support Brother Jin. So I can’t keep asking him to solve everything for me…)
“…Let me try again.”
Hearing those words, Jin smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, keep trying and trying again. I know you’ll be able to do it, Elsa.”
“Okay.”
She got another set of Magi Crystals from Jin, and started fusing them again, refining their shape to change their structure. She had a model to work with: the twinned crystals, which looked like a crystalline b.u.t.terfly spreading its wings.
(Brother Jin was able to make this without a model. I have a model in front of me, so it should be much easier for me. There’s no way I can’t do it.)
Elsa focused her mind, sharpening her magical powers, and activated the Engineering Magic “Transform”.
“You did it!”
Elsa heard Jin’s voice praising her.
In her hands was a beautiful, perfectly finished twinned Magi Crystal.
“It was all thanks to you, Brother Jin…”
“Oh, come on, I didn’t do anything. Right, Reiko?”
“…Yes.”
Reiko’s answer was short, and although there was a hint of respect in her voice, no one seemed to notice.
Jin and Elsa also furnished Edgar with a Barrier, Magi Radar, Magi Jammer, and Paralyzer.
And by adding a Magi Device which allowed him to use intermediate-level offensive spells, he was more than well equipped to serve as Elsa’s guardian.
Furthermore, he was also given the function to communicate with Elsa’s Mana Comm pendant.
“Okay, this should be enough to keep you safe.”
Happy with Edgar’s upgraded capabilities, Jin was finally able to relax.
＊ ＊ ＊
The sky over Hourai Island was dyed in madder, and Hanna, who had been playing outside, had finally returned.
“Big Brother, did it get dark so early because of that ‘time difference’?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Hanna seemed to have a good grasp of the concept of time difference, which Jin had explained to her a few days prior. Jin was surprised about how quick she was at understanding new things.
They had barely gone over breakfast time back on Loizart, but it was already dinner time on Hourai Island. Judging from the time difference, it was actually time for lunch for them.
Jin and the others headed to Jin’s house to have dinner.
“This is called a ’tiled roof’, right?”
Hanna asked this as she looked at Jin’s house. When had she studied this?
“That’s right, Hanna.”
Impressed, Jin stroked Hanna’s head, and she smiled happily.
“Ehehe, I read it from a book I found in your castle, Big Brother.”
Hanna then proudly said that she had read all the books that the Laojun had prepared for the children.
Perhaps he was being partial to his family members, but Jin thought that maybe Hanna was truly a gifted kid.
Dinner was white rice, miso soup with nameko mushrooms and tofu, grilled fish, pickles, and roasted green tea.
All three of them really liked j.a.panese dishes like these. Elsa hadn’t been having much of an appet.i.te since she was a bit nervous, thinking about the following day, but seeing a meal this succulent changed that.
“…Delicious. Can I have another?”
“Ah, me too!”
“Hanna, make sure you chew your meal well!”
“Mm-hmm!”
It was a friendly dining atmosphere.
Elsa felt that this warmth would give her strength for the big day tomorrow.
After dinner, it was time for a refreshing bath at Hourai Island’s onsen.
The men’s and women’s baths were separated, so Jin went to the men’s bath while Elsa and Hanna went to the women’s.
“…Hanna has really grown up in such a short amount of time.”
“Yes, Father. Hanna is a smart girl.”
“Do you think so too?”
Jin was immersed in the hot water while thinking about whether not only Hanna, but also every child in Kaina Village, should receive special education for gifted children.
Meanwhile, on Elsa and Hanna’s side…
“Big Sis Elsa, let me wash your back.”
“…Thank you. I’ll do yours after that, okay?”
“Yeah!”
The two of them happily washed each others’ backs, and then Elsa also washed Hanna’s head.
“Let me wash your head next, Big Sis!”
Saying that, Hanna filled the wash basin with hot water and lifted it up… but her hand slipped.
The wash basin fell to the floor with a thud.
Due to Jin’s fixation with the material, the wash basin had been made with Alumite, that is, aluminum covered with an oxide film.
“Ah, I’m sorry…”
Since its base metal component was aluminum, it was rather malleable. It seemed that the moment it touched the floor, the wash basin got a dent on its side.
Seeing this, Elsa gently stroked Hanna’s head.
“It’s okay, Hanna. Don’t worry. I can fix it right away. ‘Forming’.”
Elsa’s Engineering Magic quickly restored the dented wash basin.
“Wow, thank you, Big Sis!”
Hanna gratefully rubbed the repaired wash basin with her hands.
“Magic is amazing. Big Brother also knows how to do this, but I wonder how you can change the shape of things just like that…”
“Huh?”
Hearing Hanna’s casual words, Elsa felt something connected in her head.
“Big Sis?”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Hanna. But thanks to you, I think I’ve figured out how to solve something that has been bothering Brother Jin…”
“Big Brother? …That makes me happy.”
After that, Elsa quickly finished washing her head, and continued to be deep in thought while enjoying her hot bath together with Hanna.