06-45 The Day of Departure
Early spring, 18th of March. The disorder in Egelia Kingdom’s royal castle has settled.
“Jin, you’ll come back, right? Next time you can teach me how to build golems without hurrying!”
The third Prince Ernest said.
“Jin, I want to see you again later. At that time I want to show you Beana cradling a cute baby in her arms.”
Earl Kuzuma said.
“Jin…It’s a trite thing but I can’t say anything else…Thanks for everything. I’ll never never forget these few days. Nor about the visit to Kunlun Island.”
Beana said.
In addition there were great many people like maids who were reluctant to part and a castle sentinel who was looking worshippingly at Reiko.
He and the maids saw Jin’s group off at nine in the morning, and the group departed from the capital Asunto.
＊ ＊ ＊
“King, was it really alright to let them go?”
The Prime Minister, who was between the thrones, said.
“That person is dangerous. His technology, knowledge, abilities, and that Automata following him. Any one of those would be a great threat by itself.”
“We know. But you know, that Jin fellow didn’t seem to have any ambitions. Ernest took to him too.”
“Even so…!”
“If We would imprudently antagonize him and he turned against us, what then? Couldn’t that Automata called Reiko take on all of Our soldiers by herself?”
The King said, and looked up at the ceiling,
“As that’s the case, wouldn’t there be many more benefits to just treating him as amicably as possible?”
“…”
Withdrawing from between the thrones,
“Naive.”
The Prime Minister muttered.
“There’s no such guarantee that he won’t turn against us. And to say nothing of the possibility of him getting abducted by the enemy and made their subordinate. Even though it’s late now, I should dispatch someone…”
At that moment a man called out to him.
“Prime Minister, is something wrong?”
It was the Minister of Magic, Kelhidore. The Prime Minister then told Kelhidore of his worries and,
“Hmm, Prime Minister, in the grand scheme of things I agree with you. Not long ago someone came to report to me, and it seems like that Jin possesses outrageous Magic Energy. You see, he converted all of the destroyed and scrapped golems into materials all at once.”
The other day, Jin turned the scrap into materials with the [Fusion] magic. He said he had used an Elradrite, but even with that without supplying Magic Energy there would be no effect.
For example, a transistor amplifies the power of an electric signal, but it needs an adequate power source. Never does it produce something from nothing.
Elradrite is the same. Without a Magi Crystal working as a base supply of Magic Energy, things like casting amplified magic cannot be done.
As the operation procedures of Elradrite are state secrets, Jin who had no such knowledge didn’t realize it. Of course, neither did Stearina.
There was also a motive like this behind not informing anyone of how just Elradrite couldn’t amplify Magic Energy.
“But personally, I dare say he’s someone I’d like to get along with.”
As even the Minister of Magic evaluated Jin so highly, the Prime Minister Marquis Boyd North Galueri said,
“Hmm, even so, there’s no way we can just not do anything. For now, let’s at least have him monitored.”
And that being the case, he gave orders to a subordinate.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Oooh, it really is very comfortable, this carriage.”
“Mm. From now on I want to only ride in this one.”
Elsa seemed to be extremely pleased, and was sitting in the seat next to Jin as if it was only natural.
“I can certainly see why the Prince would want this.”
That’s right, yesterday, that is on the 17th of March, it had taken Jin the whole day to build Prince Ernest a private carriage of his own, and in addition teach the Guild about the structure of and how to utilize and install golem arms to carriages as suspension devices.
Of course, even though it was called the Prince’s private carriage, it didn’t have an air-conditioner. The horse golems were limited to ten percent output, it was an inferior version of Jin’s carriage.
Regardless, the manager of the materials had turned ghastly pale and had looked pitiful.
It was the same with the structure taught to the Guild.
Even so, with regards to carriages it was innovative, and may perhaps become mainstream from now on.
“Moreover, autonomous-type horse golems, huh. They’re great.”
Now after leaving the capital and sightings of people becoming more rare, Reiko had also returned into the cabin, and the horse golems were pulling the carriage independently.
Leaving the capital, for a while the scenery looked rural, but carrying on gradually the houses became more sparse.
And then, they could see a row of red poles, after which not a single silhouette of a house could be seen. Not even a single shack.
Although the environment didn’t seem particularly bad, there being grass-covered plains and forests.
“This area north of Asunto belongs to the royal family.”
Reinhardt explained.
“There were red poles, right? Starting from there, precious medicinal plants and unusual flowers grow, so I’ve heard there’s various limitations imposed.”
In other words, it’s a nature preserve.
“Can people enter?”
Jin asked and,
“Individuals can without a problem. Even if the intention is gathering medicinal plants, it’s allowed for private people.”
It seems gathering them would fine as long as you didn’t take too much.
“However, cultivating the land or grazing on it is forbidden.”
If it was a nature preserve then that was obvious.
“So living there is forbidden too.”
That’s why there weren’t any people.
The carriage moved while they were looking a looking scenery that had been kept natural.
Then near noon, they could once again see red poles.
“Oh, we’re finally leaving the reserve.”
Reinhardt said.
“It’s going to be noon soon, let’s find some good place to have lunch in.”
Normally there’d be a village or a town nearby, but because of the preserve they were surrounded only by nature.
“To tell you the truth, this course isn’t the main road. On the main road there’s lodgings at intervals.”
Reinhardt spoke.
“So, why?”
Jin asked the natural question and the one who answered was Elsa.
“Jin-kun. You’ll understand once we go on a bit longer.”
“?”
For now as Elsa said so, Jin put off hearing the answer for later, and had the carriage travel a bit longer.
After ten minutes had passed and the field of view grew wider, a vivid purplish red filled Jin’s eyes.
“Ooh?”
To Jin who reflexively let out a voice, Elsa said,
“Hehe, astonished? When I first saw this, I was suprised too.”
Before his eyes spread a purplish red carpet. On a second look, it was a field of flowers.
“I wanted to have lunch here, so I had us travel this way.”
Apparently many years ago during a trip, they came across this place by chance and the scenery was etched into their memories.
“And, I wanted to show Jin-kun this scenery. So I pestered Rai-nii and we took this route.”
“Oh, so that’s how it was. Uh-huh, it’s a pretty scene. Thanks, Elsa.”
“Mm. I’m glad you like it.”
A little farther there was an open space, and the carriages were stopped.
“Alright, let’s have lunch.”
Under unusually good-tempered Mine’s leadership the lunch preparations advanced.
She spread a rug right next to the field of flowers and said,
“Here you go, everyone.”
They ate slices of hard bread similar to French bread and warmed soup.
The same bread was also grilled a little, with thinly-sliced meat that was also grilled on top of it.
Salad that was prepared in the morning.
Teee.
Even though it was the first day of travel, the important preliminary preparation seemed to already have been done.
“Mm, tasty.”
Reinhardt also gave his compliments.
“Mine, this is, delicious.”
“Thank you very much.”
The soup was seasoned to Elsa’s liking, so of course she found the taste delicious as she ate it.
This time even Mine didn’t give rise to any problems, so the lunch ended peacefully.
“The next town is less than an hour away, so let’s take it a bit easy.”
Reinhardt said while gazing at the flower field.
“Mm, agreed.”
Elsa had rushed into the field of flowers in delight.
Jin also tried getting near the flower field. He sat down there, plucked a single flower and held it in front of his eyes.
The small purplish red petals formed a single group. One-by-one the small petals very much resembled the petals of a soy bean plant.
“It’s similar to a Chinese milk vetch.”
There had been a small field behind the orphanage, and in the spring seeds of Chinese milk vetches were sown to fertilize it.
For the first time in a while Jin reminisced about his previous world.
He felt as if he could hear the young children’s merry voices and see them bustle about.
“Father?”
Maybe Reiko had noticed him acting unusual, as before Jin knew it she had sat down next to him and was examining his expression.
“Is something the matter?”
“…No, it’s nothing. I was just reminiscing a bit about the past.
“The past, is it. Do you mean the world you previously lived in, Father?”
“Mh-hm.”
Jin nodded and Reiko’s expression turned to one of concern,
“Um, Father, do you find it a bother that I summoned you here?”
She asked looking nervous. Jin shook his head,
“No, not at all. If you had not ‘summoned’ me I’d be dead, so I’m grateful, there’s no way I’d be bothered by it.”
He answered and Reiko was relieved,
“That’s good then. It’s just that Father looked lonely.”
She said and softly held Jin’s left hand.
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin and Reiko had sat there like that for a while when he suddenly thought of something and picked several of the Chinese milk vetches(?) that were at his feet and began to make something.
“Father?”
Reiko looked doubtfully at that, and Jin one by one picked up, twisted, and weaved the Chinese milk vetches(?) then,
“Alright, it’s finished.”
Jin had made a flower wreath. Then,
“Here you go, Reiko.”
He placed it on Reiko’s head.
“F-Father?”
Reiko was confused by Jin suddenly placing the flower wreath he made on her head, and Jin said to her,
“Ah, it’s cute, Reiko.”
Jin said with a smile that was just a little lonesome yet kind.
“Father…”
Reiko looked a little downwards and,
“Thank you very much.”
She smiled and thanked Jin.
“Ah, what’s, that?”
Turning towards the voice, there stood Elsa who had come back at some point. She was holding the hem of her skirt up just a little, and it held the flowers she had picked.
“Hey, Elsa. Oh, you came back with some different flowers.”
In addition the Chinese milk vetches(?) there were white and yellow flowers among other ones mixed together.
Jin saw it and,
“Elsa, do you want a flower wreath too?”
He tried asking and Elsa immediately nodded. Jin then at once began making another one.
He made the wreath mostly out of Chinese milk vetches(?), and as an accent in just one spot he arranged some of the yellow flowers Elsa had picked.
“It’s done. Here you go, Elsa.”
Jin then put it on Elsa’s head. Elsa blushed just a bit and,
“Thank…you.”
She embarassedly thanked Jin.
The rays of the spring sun shone warmly, it was the early afternoon.