The season transitioned from spring into early summer.
"It’s been almost two months..."
Jin had been in Kaina Village for nearly two months now. During that time, he’d been busy: first with the pump, then digging the hot spring, and finally installing a sewage system. He’d also built handcarts and wheelbarrows.
The handcarts were a response to how much Hanna struggled with carrying water. Then, thinking a wheelbarrow might also be useful, he had crafted one as a trial; it proved unexpectedly popular, eventually leading to every household being equipped with its own.
At the moment, Jin was in the middle of a game of tag with the village children. In this world—or at least in this village—the game was an entirely new concept. Since it could be enjoyed by everyone regardless of gender, it had quickly become the most popular activity around.
"It’s Jin-niichan's turn to be 'it'!"
"Alright, here I come. I'm going to count to ten! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..."
The children scattered all at once.
"Nine, ten!"
"Ready or not, here I come!"
"Eek!"
Martha watched the scene with a warm smile.
"She was so withdrawn after she lost her parents, but since Jin came along, Hanna-chan's found her spark again. Honestly, when she first dragged him home, I didn't know what to make of him."
"Got one! You're 'it' now too!"
They were playing by the rules of infection tag, so the number of people who were "it" steadily grew. Once every last person had been caught, the round would end.
"Hanna-chan, caught you!"
"Kurt, gotcha!"
"Mario, wait up!"
"Jessie, I’ve got you!"
They played until the sun began to set. After working up a sweat, they all washed off in the hot spring, eventually heading home with refreshed, clean faces.
Lately, Jin had noticed that Hanna’s hair seemed to have more luster. It had shifted from a dull, flat shade to a vibrant, shimmering gold. Perhaps it was the effect of the hot spring? Jin pondered this as he followed the girl while she hurried home at a trot.
"We're home!"
"I'm back."
"Welcome back, Hanna, Jin."
Martha greeted them as she prepared the evening meal.
"You must be starving. Dinner will be ready in just a moment."
"I'm sorry to always be a burden on your pantry," Jin said.
"Don't you worry about that. Life's been much easier since you arrived. It's actually less of a strain than it used to be."
It was true. Between the pump drastically reducing the effort needed to fetch water and the hot spring providing hot water for chores like washing up, their daily lives had become much more convenient.
"Alright, here we go."
"Wow, that looks great!"
Tonight’s menu was fried eggs and stir-fried vegetables.
"We’ve run a bit short on salt, so it might be a little bland, but you’ll have to make do," Martha said apologetically.
"Oh, is that so? That’s a bit of a problem. Salt is essential."
"Oh, it's fine. Roland should be by tomorrow or the day after. We'll just buy some then."
"Roland?"
Jin repeated the unfamiliar name, prompting Martha to explain.
"Roland’s a traveling merchant. He visits about once every two months to sell salt, sugar, dried ogi, and other foods. He also brings things like fabrics and clothes."
"I see."
Even here, complete self-sufficiency was apparently impossible.
"Then we'll need money."
Before Jin could suggest using one of his rubies to cover the cost, Martha waved him off.
"It's not about money; we barter. In a remote place like this, there’s no way for us to earn coin."
Roland understands how it works, Martha said with a chuckle.
The next day at noon, just as Martha had predicted, a single carriage arrived. It was large and pulled by a team of two horses. Two men were on board.
Giebeck, the village chief, went out to receive them.
"Ah, Mr. Roland, welcome back! And Mr. Erik, you’re looking well."
Roland was a burly man nearing forty, while Erik was a slender youth not yet twenty. Their similar hair color and facial features made it obvious they were father and son. Both wore short swords at their waists, likely for protection on the road.
"Hello there. You’re looking healthy as ever, Chief."
"Thanks to you. My niece has been counting down the days until Mr. Erik arrived."
Erik’s face turned bright red at the mention. He clearly had a crush on the chief's niece. Roland ignored his son's embarrassment and turned back to Giebeck.
"We made it a day or two earlier than planned. I brought plenty of salt this time."
"Oh? That’s wonderful news."
With summer on the horizon, the village’s need for salt was peaking.
Roland and his son immediately parked the carriage in the village’s central square and set up a simple table to display their wares.
"Starting with the foodstuffs! We have salt, sugar, and dried ogi. I also have black-eyed peas; they’re quite hardy in the heat, so you can still plant them now."
"Salt for me, please."
"Of course. For one bag of wheat, that’ll be two hundred grams."
"I’ll take some sugar."
"Right. For twenty pelts, that’ll be two kilograms."
"Could I get a few of those black-eyed peas?"
"Oho, this is a fine-looking rough stone. I'll give you a little extra for that one."
The villagers traded wheat, pelts, and the occasional gemstone. Erik worked diligently, keeping a close eye on the transactions.
Once the food sales were finished, Roland and Erik swapped their inventory for the next round: fabrics, clothing, and various tools.
Jin watched from a short distance, curious to see what kind of tools were for sale.
"Hmm. Fabrics and clothes aside... is that a lantern? And they even have pens and ink."
As it turned out, it was the village chief who purchased the pen and ink.
"I hope I can talk to them later," Jin thought.
He was desperate for news of the outside world—and, if possible, more information about this world in general. He would get his wish the very next day.
Once the business for the day was finished, Roland packed his wares and the table back into the carriage.
"Now then, allow me to show you somewhere special," the village chief told them.
"Somewhere special?" Roland asked.
"Yes. Right this way."
The chief led them to the hot spring.
"What is this? This wasn't here the last time we visited."
"No, it was only finished recently. We call it a 'hot spring'."
"A hot spring, you say?"
"Go ahead, give it a try."
It goes without saying that Roland and Erik were stunned by the sheer comfort of the spring, which was far superior to any simple bath of hot water.