"...You've had a difficult time, haven't you?"
Jin was currently stroking the head of the automata clinging to him.
"Look, it seems like you're in the middle of something, but how about an explanation we can all understand?"
Rock, finally losing his patience, called out to them. At the sound of his voice, the automata pulled slightly away from Jin.
"My apologies. I have been searching for my Father, who had been missing for quite some time."
She was about to say more, but Jin cut her off.
"No, not here... Right, let's talk at the Village Chief's house. Rock, is that alright with you?"
"A-Ah, yeah, that's fine....But wait, what about the danger from the mountain?"
"If you are referring to the mountain I came from, there is no longer any danger. A Hekatonkheir was there, but it got in my way, so I disposed of it."
"Oh, I see. Then that's fine... A HEKATONKHEIR!!??"
In Rock's experience, a Hekatonkheir was the kind of monster that usually required a company-sized unit to subjugate. The other villagers didn't know enough to be horrified, so they simply cheered at the news that the danger was gone.
"Not just Jin, but even his daughter—if that's what she is—is absolutely terrifying..."
Muttering this, Rock followed after the group a moment later. Jin looked down at the automata.
"You... That's right, you never had a name, did you?"
"No, Father."
"Listen, about this 'Father' thing..."
"Since you are the man who created me, I believe it is appropriate to call you Father."
"Ah, I thought as much."
Jin had suspected as much, but having it stated so clearly made him fully accept the role.
"Which would make my predecessor your mother, then?"
"Yes. Adriana Barbora Tsetse-sama is my Mother."
Jin felt that the automata had become remarkably human-like. This was undoubtedly because his own knowledge had been transferred into her. Jin had a faint inkling that this was the cause.
"In that case, we definitely need to give you a name..."
After thinking for a moment, Jin made his decision.
"Alright. From now on, your name is Reiko."
For Jin, it was a surprisingly decent bit of naming.
He had once been told that his own name, Jin, had been taken from the Five Constant Virtues—Jin, Gi, Rei, Chi, Shin—by his orphanage director. Following that logic, he had searched those same five virtues for a character suitable for a girl and landed on 'Rei.'
"Yes. Thank you very much. From this moment on, I am Reiko."
While they were talking, they arrived at the Village Chief's house. Jin made sure to lean in and whisper one final instruction to her.
"Listen, Reiko. Keep the Warp Gate a secret."
He gave the order in a low voice so that none of the surrounding villagers could overhear.
Just then, Giebeck, the Village Chief, stepped outside to see what the commotion was about.
"What's all this fuss about, everyone gathering like this?"
Rock, who had been walking at the very back, stepped forward and gave a brief summary of who Reiko was, concluding that they had come there to discuss the details.
"I see. If there is no more danger, then that is well and good. Come, get inside."
"Thank you very much."
Jin, Reiko, the Village Chief, Rock, and the men like Tom filed into the house. They were followed by a stream of other villagers who happened to be free at the moment. Within minutes, the living room of the Village Chief's large house was packed to the gills.
"Now then, shall we hear the story?" the Village Chief prompted.
"I'll start," Jin said, opening the discussion.
"This girl, Reiko, is an automata made by my predecessor and repaired by me. It seems she has been searching for me ever since I was blown here by a Warp Gate malfunction."
"Yes. Once I lost track of Father's whereabouts, I..."
Following Jin's lead, Reiko gave a brief explanation of her journey. Naturally, she glossed over the technical details regarding the Warp Gate. Even so, the tale captivated everyone in the room.
"...And that is how I arrived here."
Even after Reiko finished her long explanation, no one spoke for a while. Everyone was deeply moved by her loyalty, sympathized with her hardships, and was utterly floored by her sheer strength.
"I see. So those mountain deer were stampeding toward us because that Hekatonkheir had moved into their territory," Jin mused aloud, which seemed to snap the others out of their trance.
"S-So that means there really isn't any more danger?"
"Yes. The Hekatonkheir had already eaten all the forest bears."
"Ah, what a relief. In the end, we got a huge haul of mountain deer meat, so we're the only ones who gained from this."
"Even so, Reiko, was it? You're no different from a human girl. But to take down a Hekatonkheir looking like that... that's incredible."
"To come all this way looking for the man who made her... it's enough to make a grown man cry."
As the villagers began talking all at once and the situation threatened to spiral into chaos, the Village Chief brought the meeting to a close.
"All right, everyone! If you've heard enough, then disperse. Go back to your homes and let your families know they can sleep soundly."
With that, everyone went their separate ways. Jin, naturally, took Reiko back to Martha's house.
"We're back."
"Welcome home, Jin... My, who is this child?"
"Welcome back, Onii-chan...!?"
Both Martha and Hanna stared at Reiko in shock. Jin introduced her to them.
"This is Reiko. She's my automata. She finally found me after searching all this time."
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the automata Reiko. I thank you for the kindness you have shown my Father."
"Father!?"
The two were taken aback at first, but after hearing the story of Reiko's long search, Martha was deeply impressed. Hanna, on the other hand, watched Reiko with a somewhat anxious look in her eyes.
Just then, Jin's stomach gave a loud growl.
"Oh, it's already past noon. I'll get lunch ready right away. Now then, Reiko-chan, is there anything you don't like to eat?" Martha asked as she headed for the kitchen.
"No, thank you. Since I am an automata, I do not consume food," Reiko replied.
Martha looked surprised all over again.
"I-I see. Well then, three portions it is."
She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Jin, Reiko, and Hanna alone. Hanna looked up at Jin and asked tentatively,
"Onii-chan, are you going to leave us...?"
"Eh?"
"I mean, Reiko-san came to get you, didn't she?"
Hanna's eyes began to well up with tears. Jin quickly reassured her.
"No, I'm staying here until at least springtime."
"Really?"
"Really. And even if I do eventually leave, it doesn't mean I won't come back. I'll come visit as often as I can."
"Really? You promise?"
Hanna's mood brightened instantly.
"I promise."
"I'm so glad..."
Hanna gave a genuinely happy smile. Just then, Martha returned with bread and soup for lunch.
"Come now, let's eat. Reiko-chan, you're sure you don't need anything?"
"Yes. Thank you for your consideration."
Jin, Hanna, and Martha sat down for a slightly late lunch. While they ate, Jin explained that the threat from the mountains had been completely neutralized.
"Is that so? If the danger is gone, then I can finally breathe easy," Martha said, clearly relieved.
After the meal, while Hanna was taking her afternoon nap, Jin took Reiko out to the workshop.
"Alright, Reiko. I'm sorry to rush you, but could you go and retrieve the materials for the Warp Gate? I'll tell everyone you're doing a final scouting run to confirm the mountains are safe."
"Yes, Father. I shall go at once."
With those words, Reiko set off like a bolt of lightning, her black hair streaming behind her.
"Now then, I should get the site ready to house the Warp Gate."
He summoned Gon and Gen from where they were waiting out back and had them dig a hole in the corner of the workshop. This time, he wasn't building a shelter, but a small room—roughly the size of an eight-mat room. It was finished in no time.
He used magic to apply Hardening and Reinforce to the walls, floor, passage, and stairs, then installed a hidden door that wouldn't be easily found. Eventually, he planned to set up a magical barrier, but that would have to wait until he had returned to the laboratory. Once he could travel back and forth, crafting would become much easier.
"I have returned."
In about an hour, Reiko was back, carrying the materials. Hanna was still asleep; her speed truly was incredible.
"Good work. Let's get it installed."
He wanted to finish before Hanna woke up and came to the workshop to play. Jin hurried down into the newly finished basement.
"Connect this part here, assemble that, and then integrate it with this..."
Reiko took the lead on the installation since she had done it many times before.
"This is a mana-self-sufficient model, so it is ready for use immediately. I have installed a simple barrier so that it will only activate if the magic wavelength matches Father's."
"You're able to use it, though, right?"
"Yes. Since Father provided my initial activation mana, my wavelength is identical to yours."
"What about taking other people through?"
He asked just in case. Jin technically had the knowledge for this, but searching his own mental archives often took time.
"It is possible as long as there is physical contact with Father or myself."
"So as long as we're holding hands, it's fine."
"Yes."
"Alright. I'll go back tonight for a visit. There are some materials I want to pick up."
When Jin said that, Reiko looked up at him.
"In that case, Father, I have a request. Could you please further improve my mana detection function?"
"Hmm? Ah, because you had such a hard time finding me. I understand. I'll take care of it as soon as we get back."
In this manner, Reiko continued her evolution into an even more extraordinary automata.