Chapter 3 – FIGURINE
「Jin, I’m sorry, but there’s somewhere we have to go immediately.」
Marcia grabbed the pondering Jin’s arm,
「We won’t be able to participate if we don’t register by the end of today.」
「I see, that would be bad. Alright, let’s hurry.」
Jin couldn’t help but to hurry also after hearing the deadline for registration.
Marcia, Jin, and Reiko ran down the street. Reaching the centre of the port city, there was large eye catching stone building.
「This is the town hall of Port Lock」
Marcia said as she opened the door and entered, followed by Jin and Reiko.
「Oh, if it isn’t Marcia. I guess you found a Magi Craftsman?」
The person who called out appeared to be older than Marcia with grey eyes and brown hair. Dressed in pompous clothing and followed by two escorts, he was probably a noble.
「Yeah, I found one.」
When Marcia responded, the man let out a small click of his tongue. Ignoring that,
「We’d like to participate in the golem boat competition」
Marcia made an application at the reception desk.
「Sure, then please identify the members.」
When the reception clerk said so, Marcia beckoned Jin over.
「The shipwright is I, Marcia. The Magi Craftsman in charge of manufacturing the golem is him, Jin.」
「Understood, then is there any identification that he is a Magi Craftsman?」
Since that was said, Marcia asked Jin
「Jin, have you joined a Magi Craftsman Guild?」
「No, none at all」
When Jin answered as such, the clerk,
「Then you can show us something you’ve made, it’s fine if you complete the challenged we’ve prepared too」
said. Hearing that, Reiko stepped forward.
「If so, then I’ll……」
Jin hurriedly pulled Reiko back,
「The challenge is?」
He somehow managed to ask. The clerk then,
「Be able to make something with the materials prepared here」
He said and pointed at the door to the next room. Jin,
「Oh, then let’s do it immediately」
He said and headed to the room together with the clerk. On the way, he turned his head back,
「Marcia, Reiko, I’ll be back in a bit.」
The door then closed. At that time, no one saw that the man who called out to Marcia had a dark smile appeared on his face.
＊ ＊ ＊
In the room, there was another clerk,
「Then using this, please show me you can make something」
The clerk placed a lump of copper on the table and said to Jin.
「Understood. Now, what shall I make」
The lump of copper is smaller than a fist, he probably couldn’t make much from it. A cup, or a dish, or a candlestick or……
「Okay」
Having decided what to make, Jin immediately poured magic
「Hm?」
Doing so, he felt a slightly unpleasant feeling,
「《Forming》」
He invoked the magic without minding it.
＊ ＊ ＊
「Marcia, you did sure well finding a freelance Magi Craftsman」
Meanwhile, the pompous man from before began to talk to Marcia in the Guild Hall.
「I was lucky.」
「However, you won’t be qualified to participate in the competition if he isn’t recognised by a Guild.」
「What is that supposed to mean?」
「It’s as I said. What would you do if that guy is just a man who’s just talk and not a Magi Craftsman?」
Saying that, Marcia was angered.
「Don’t joke with me! Jin isn’t that kind of guy!」
Forgetting to even use honorifics, Marcia yelled loudly. However the pompous man didn’t care,
「Hmhmm, I wonder about that. You’ll know soon」
While saying that, the door opened, Jin and the clerks came out.
「How was it?」
The pompous man asked.
「……」
The clerk stood in silence and then placed down the object in his hand.
「!!」
「Oh?」
It was a bronze statue of about 10 cm in height. No, it should be called a doll.
「Sorry, Marcia. Since I couldn’t come up with something, I made a figuri… a doll of you.」
When Jin was still in the orphanage, he had a part time job where he helped manufacture the prototype figurine moulding.
Jin was bad at making original designs, but he did better than others if there was something to copy from. That skill was completely exhibited with Magi Craft.
「Well it’s fine but, why in such a swimsuit!?」
Marcia complained with her cheeks dyed red. It was dressed in a one-piece swimsuit.
「Well, that’s because I didn’t have time. There’s no way I would leave it nude.」
「Still, why do you know my swimsuit appearance anyway!?」
「No, this was with my imagination」
「As expected of Onii-sama.」
Marcia was still red, Jin answered indifferently. Reiko earnestly praised Jin.
「W-Well then, I recognise Jin-san is a Magi Craftsman.」
「I did it, Marcia.」
Thus Marcia paid the participation fee of 10,000 torr.
「Since a later date is fine, please also register a team name」
Receiving the participation medal, Marcia embraced it against her chest.
「Jin, thank you」
But Jin,
「You can thank me if we win.」
He boldly laughed.
＊ ＊ ＊
Off to the side, the pompous man pulled the clerk over to the shadows,
「Oi, what was that?!」
「W-Well, as you said, I made him work at the table! But that guy had made that bronze statue in no time. The guy in charge of the test also saw it, he couldn’t have cheated.」
「That was the table with the built-in magic circle of magic invocation disturbance right? It wasn’t changed with a different table was it?」
「That is impossible. Since I properly confirmed the mark.」
「Damn, did I get a defective product?」
The noble man seemed mortified, however thinking back, a disgusting laugh appeared,
「Well it’s fine, I still have a hand to play.」
＊ ＊ ＊
Bonus.
The mayor of Port Rock who was the competition committee chairman was looking at the Marcia figurine Jin had made. Then a brief remark.
「Yeah, I’ll go with this as the official swimsuit for this year’s competition!」