Chapter 664: Bath-Time Conversations
The second day concluded smoothly.
According to Reinhardt, the examination of the hull is almost complete,and they are now contemplating how to integrate it with the propulsion system. It seems they are coming to a good point by refining the details.
“Tomorrow, we can finally make a decision.”
Jin will also partic.i.p.ate in the hull examination tomorrow.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
Jin and Reinhardt, once again, head to the bath together.
Upon entering, they find Rodrigo already there.
“Ah, Lord Jin, Lord Reinhardt.”
Rodrigo greeted them with a raised hand from the bathtub.
(He seems quite thin…)
Seeing Rodrigo’s body, Jin became a bit concerned. Despite his height, Reinhardt maintains a relatively light and slender appearance. However, Rodrigo is even more so, he’s not just slender but downright skinny, to the point where it could be described as pathological.
Moreover, Reinhardt, perhaps due to marrying Berthie or the increase in desk work as a feudal lord, has recently gained a little more flesh. Some might humorously say his belly is starting to show.
“Haha, my body? …I was bedridden until recently.”
Seeing Jin’s slight frown as he examines his own physique, Rodrigo chuckles in a somewhat self-deprecating manner.
“No need to apologize.”
Jin offered an apology, but Rodrigo waved it off.
“It’s okay. Anyone would have the same thought seeing this body. Honestly, it was because of gambling, alcohol, and women… but I’ve quit now, though.”
“Haa…”
While they engaged in this conversation, another person arrived for a bath.
“Oh, you guys came before me?”
It was the local magic technician and engineer, Zeneros Fort. In contrast to Rodrigo, Zeneros has a robust physique.
“Lord Jin and Lord Reinhardt are from the capital area, right? Do they have the custom of bathing there too?”
Zeneros asks while pouring water over himself.
“Well, yes, it has become more common lately.”
Reinhardt responds and Zeneros asks another question.
“Bathing customs aren’t widespread, I presume?”
“Well, yeah. It’s not possible without abundant water, and heating it also involves costs and effort. You also have to consider the disposal of used water.”
“You’re right.”
In this world with magic, the ‘Purification Cleanup’ type of magic can manage it, but even that isn’t free.
For a while, Reinhardt and Zeneros shared trivial stories.
Meanwhile, Rodrigo conversed with Jin about various things.
“…It seems like they’re crafting quite a remarkable ship. It’s a pity they didn’t go for the catamaran design.”
“For a smaller ship, the advantages of a catamaran design could have been more efficiently exploited.”
It may not provide much consolation, but Jin offered this perspective.
“Haha, thank you. It’s even nice to receive such flattery from you.”
Jin found this man’s straightforward personality appealing. So, he decided to ask him something more detailed.
“They mentioned you’re from the Elias Kingdom.”
However, that word seemed to be a sensitive topic, as Rodrigo’s expression tensed.
“Yes… My homeland is the Elias Kingdom. Back there, I did something… well, something I can’t face my family about. Oh, it’s not anything criminal, you know?”
“I-I understand. I apologize for prying.”
As Jin apologized, Rodrigo shook his head.
“No, it’s natural to be curious when you’ve traveled all the way from such a distant land.”
As if rea.s.suring Jin not to worry, Rodrigo waved his hand in front of his face and continued.
“…As I mentioned earlier, I got lost in gambling, acc.u.mulated debts, got involved with women, neglected my wife, and eventually, I deserted my family, ran away, drowned my sorrows in alcohol… That’s how it is.”
Rodrigo, his ribs visible on his chest, gave it a light tap and laughed with a melancholic expression. Jin was concerned about his health.
“Rodrigo, your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, has it?”
“Well, yeah. But even if I consult a healer, it seems it won’t improve, and it costs money, you know? More than that, right now, I want to leave behind something, at least one job that I can be proud of to others.”
Saying only that, Rodrigo left the bath, leaving a voice saying he’ll go ahead.
When Jin glanced in that direction, it appeared Reinhardt had wrapped up his conversation with Zeneros. Or rather, if they lingered in the hot water any longer, they would risk overheating.
The two decided to exit.
“…We spent a bit too much time in there.”
Jin and Reinhardt, still sweating even after getting out of the water, took a moment to cool down in the changing room. After dressing, they headed outside.
In the view from the window overlooking Lake Wa.s.s, the lights of boats for night fishing could be seen here and there.
When they returned to the room, Elsa was standing in front of the door.
“…You’re late.”
“…Ah, I got a bit caught up in conversation.”
“I see.”
Since being alone in the room is boring, Elsa explained that she came to hang out until mealtime. So, the three of them decided to enter Jin’s room.
Reinhardt asked Jin about the completed propulsion system.
“Yeah, I arranged it so that it is compatible with the ship… “
Jin provided a concise explanation. Reinhardt and Elsa grasped the concept easily.
“I see, as expected of Jin.”
“Really. I think it’s not something you’d easily come up with in ordinary circ.u.mstances.”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll integrate the propulsion system with the ship and make the final adjustments.”
Reinhardt said with enthusiasm. Achieving milestones is always gratifying.
That night, a message arrived from the Old Man.
“Master Mylord, as planned, John Dini has departed with Oliver.”
“I see. What’s their destination?”
“At the moment, it’s uncertain. Approximately, it appears to be a location roughly two days away.”
“Understood. No need to rush. Let’s take our time.”
“Understood.”
＊ ＊ ＊
On the 25th, lively opinions were exchanged in the meeting from early morning.
With the propulsion system settled, the focus shifted to determining the final shape of the ship. Simultaneously, decisions were to be made regarding additional facilities.
Would they prioritize habitability or cargo capacity?
“Should we prioritize speed or range?”
Heated discussions and arguments clashed in the meeting.
After a whole morning of debate, a conclusion was reached.
As it was the first ship, they decided to prioritize habitability and range.
“If there are no objections, let’s proceed with this plan. In the afternoon, we’ll delve into the details further.”
There were no objections to Christoph’s announcement.
Everyone had high expectations for this new type of ship.
So, after a quick lunch, the group gathered again in the meeting room, including Jin, to work on the details. Though the basics were already in place, the focus was on fine-tuning the specifics.
And now, it was time to craft the blueprints.
“A length of 40 meters should be good.”
“Then, the width would be 10 meters, right?”
With the essential dimensions settled, they only had to take measurements from the model and transfer them to the blueprints.
Jin and Elsa measured, while Rodrigo and Kubalt worked on the drawings.
By the 3 o’clock break, the overall drawing was completed.
“Lord Jin’s proposed three-view drawing is quite clear.”
Using the third-angle projection, a common mechanical drafting technique. In this world, they hadn’t attained the level of precision in drawings seen in our world, possibly due to the absence of advanced paper.
After a short break to refresh with tea, they resumed the drawing process.
This time, it was for the detailed parts. Starting with the final drawing, they created various part drawings. However, this turned out to be quite time-consuming.
“Hey, there, the dimensions seem off.”
“Oh, darn. I need to rewrite this.”
“There’s no need to use a new parchment. ‘Purification Cleanup’ will do.”
All the drawings were completed two days later, on November 27th.
Finally, it was time to start construction.