At Hourai Island
The following day, Jin took Reinhart, Belche and Saki to Hourai island as planned . Needless to say, Elsa and Edgar also went along with Aal, Noir and Neon .
Hanna refused to come herself and stayed in Kaina village, because there were guests .
The reason why Jin directly took them to Hourai island before Kunlun island was none other than because he trusted Belche and Saki .
Of course, he also had confidence that Hourai island won’t be shaken no matter what happens .
“This is the place I’ve inherited from my master . Hourai island . ”
Jin said as soon as they reached the hall just in front of the warp gate .
[Welcome back, my lord . And to our guests, welcome to Hourai island . ]
Laojun’s voice welcomed them .
“Jin, whose voice is that?”
Saki asked with a perplexed expression . Belche also had the same expression as she restlessly looked around, searching for the source of the voice .
“It’s the magic brain unifying the whole of Hourai island, Laojun . A really high performance autonomous golem brain, so to speak . ”
When he explained that far, it seemed Saki at least understood the concept of it but the same couldn’t be said for Belche .
Reinhardt couldn’t just watch Belche like that without doing anything so he was explaining it to her in a low voice . Thinking they shouldn’t just be standing in the warp gate room like this, Jin called out to the group and lead them outside .
“Welcome . ”
They came out to the entrance hall .
There, in front of them, Laojun’s movement terminal Laozi, Soreiyu, Luna, 5 leaders of the 5 color golem maids, LSA (land, sea, and air) forces’ leaders, Smith 1 and Butler 1 had lined up to welcome them .
“Uwaa…”
Belche and Saki were at a loss for words . And although Reinhardt had come to Hourai island before, it was his first time seeing this many golems gathered like this .
“You’re something else, Jin… This is way above a kingdom’s level at this point . ”
Reinhardt had grasped that Jin’s latent military power easily surpasses that of a kingdom .
“I’m glad from my heart that you’re a friend, Jin . ”
Afterwards, they had passed through the entrance hall into the front garden .
“Uwaah, so spacious . So this is Jin’s research area, huh… I’m so jealous, really . ”
Saki said, walking up in front, looking around her .
“Jin-sama, what’s that?”
Belcha asked, pointing at Jin’s house . It was a single-storied Japanese-style house .
“Ah, that’s my house . When I am at Hourai island, I live there . It’s a Japanese style house . ”
“It’s quite different, huh?”
“We shall be staying there for the night so I could give you a tour of the house later on . ”
And hearing that, Belche asked Jin to stop with the incomplete formal style of talking and to talk to her like he talks to Reinhardt .
Jin looked at Reinhardt, laughed and nodded .
“Got it, Belche…… Is this alright?”
“Yes, that’s perfect . Treating me alone formally is a bit lonely . ”
Jin answered with a smile .
“Well then, let’s get this started like a sightseeing tour . ”
Jin asked Reiko to bring out the automobile from the garage .
It was the automobile he developed before going on the trip with Elsa and Reinhart, the one which runs on 4 golem engines .
“O-ohhh!! Jin, what’s this?!”
Equipped with rubber tires and aluminium body, a 6-seater vehicle . It has been upgraded quite a bit since production — now with golem arm suspension and a control core which makes it possible to autopilot .
“This is an automobile . ”
Jin had thought of using the aircraft first but after thinking that that might just be a bit too high tech, he refrained himself, which is rare in itself .
Besides, it can be said that the surface is better to tour Hourai island at ease .
“Now then, please hop on . ”
As it is a 6-seater, Aal, Edgar, Neon and Noir had to take another one . Jin had made 3 of these to move around the island .
He let Reiko drive that one . Neon seemed happy about it .
“Father, your lunch . ”
Soreiyu and Luna kept loading the food into a large basket . Looks like it’s going to be a feast . They left Kaina village at around 8 in the morning and the time difference is 2 hours so it was about 10 AM at the moment .
The distance between the research lab and the destination, Tatsumi bay, is about 25 kilometers . Just the right amount of distance to drive at 30 kmph .
“Well then, let’s go . ”
Driving on the well prepared soil which had been hardened was easy . The curved road leading to the destination ran alongside the river .
“Ara, there’s a wheat field around this area . ”
“Ohh, there’s an orchard on the other side, huh? I can see a lot of pelshika like fruit growing!”
The landscape was a bit rural, perfect for a drive . They could also see several golem maids working in the field .
“Oho? Are these wetlands?”
They were approaching the wetlands . Rice-plant–Nogi, was just planted not long ago there .
“I haven’t seen such a fruit… wait, is that…?”
Reinhardt realized what was planted there .
“Jin, are those nogi?!”
“Correct . That’s rice-plant, in other words, nogi . ”
“When did you exactly… Nah, it’s you we’re talking about, after all . ”
Reinhardt came to an understanding by himself .
The road became a gentle downlope and they could see the ocean in less than an hour . Saki was most excited seeing the sea .
“Oo-ohhh! Jin, that-that’s the sea, right?! Yes, yes, it’s so wide! So blue!”
Saki leaned outside the vehicle as she looked at the sea .
“That’s dangerous . We will reach soon so sit down . ”
As Jin warned her, Saki’s face turned red and she sat back down .
“Ahem, how embarrassing . I haven’t really gone outside the country, you see . Well, there are seas in my country as well but I didn’t really go that far either . I only know the outskirts of Tosmo lake . ”
Saying that, Saki recalled her past memories .
“Elsa, you participated in the golem boat race in Potlock, didn’t you?”
“Yeah . That was fun . With Rei-nii’s boat and Loreilei… and I was steering… But we still lost to Jin-nii’s team . ”
Elsa said with a nostalgic expression . Jin also remembered the events in Potlock . It seems it was the same for Reinhart as well .
“Ah, makes me feel nostalgic . Now that I think back on it, if not for that competition, I wouldn’t have met Jin either, huh?”
Reinhart said as he looked at the sea .
While they were looking back on the past like so, they had reached close to the seashore . Reiko’s car also reached soon after .
“Aah, there’s some kind of a scent here . Is this the sea’s scent?”
Saki trotted to the seashore . Aal also followed her . Jin and the others did the same .
“Reiko, good work with the drive . ”
Jin thanked Reiko and stroked her head as they walked . Reiko seemed happier than usual . Probably because she can feel Jin closer after having the sense of touch installed .
“I was happy having Reiko-san drive us here . ”
Neon was having such a conversation with Belche . Similarly, Edgar was also conversing with Elsa about something .
Schwarz Ritters Noir was silently walking beside Reinhart .
Saki, who had ran off earlier, sank her feet in the sandy beach and… slipped . It seems her feet got stuck in the sand .
“Saki-sama!”
Aal was able to hold Saki up just a moment before her face touched the sand .
“Aal, thank you . Kufu, it seems I got a bit too overexcited . ”
“Oii, Saki, are you alright?!”
Reinhardt also called out sounding worried . Saki answered, waving her hand .
“Yea, I am fine . Aal saved me . ”
And then she looked back at the sea . She had a completely satisfied smile on .
“Yep, as I heard, the horizon is spherical . This world really is round, huh…”
Jin, Reinhardt, Saki, Belche and of course Elsa too knew that the world was round . However, knowing that it is round and feeling it are two different things .
“It really is round…”
It seems it was the first time for Belche as well, as she muttered with deep emotion .
“Yeah, I now want to make the paddle steamer quick . ”
Living up to his reputation of a construction-idiot, Reinhardt let out such a remark .