A map of the island where the laboratory stood lay spread out before Jin, the result of the glider golem's hard work.
"I see. The island is almost a perfect circle, except for this large indentation in the southeast that forms a bay."
"Father, we should give this island a name," suggested Reiko, the automata, as she studied the map alongside him.
"You’re right..." Jin murmured, falling into thought. "Yamato... Akitsushima... Yashima..."
He listed off several names that sounded suspiciously familiar. That was Jin for you.
"I’ve got it. Let's call it Hourai Island."
In ancient Chinese legend, Hourai was a mythical island in the Eastern Sea where immortals were said to dwell. For Jin, it was actually a fairly respectable choice.
"As for the bay, since it's in the southeast... and since the southeast is also known as the direction of Tatsumi, we'll call it Tatsumi Bay."
After all, Jin would always be Jin.
"That makes the peak in the center of Hourai Island 'Mount Hourai.' It looks to be a little over three thousand meters high. If we manage it well, we should be able to cultivate plants from colder climates as well."
"The laboratory is situated on the mountainside of Mount Hourai at an altitude of approximately one thousand meters," Reiko added. "The surrounding area is a broad, flat expanse—a remnant of how the island looked a thousand years ago."
"Right, and there are wetlands and ponds here too. Let's call this the Hourai Island Central Plateau."
Jin’s signature naming sense was in full swing.
"For now, let's establish orchards and fields in this area so we can become self-sufficient."
"Understood. I shall relay those instructions to Perido and Topaz."
Reiko agreed with Jin’s decision and immediately began issuing efficient orders.
"The northern side is primeval forest. That should be good for forestry. To the east, we have shrubs and rolling grasslands... it would be great to set up a ranch there. Then to the south, there are wetlands, meadows, and a river. We might even be able to manage some rice paddies."
"Father, what is a 'rice paddy'?" Reiko asked, looking puzzled. The knowledge she had inherited from Jin was still incomplete.
"Ah. A rice paddy is a field specifically for growing a crop called rice. In my old world, that rice was my staple food."
Seeing the distant look in Jin's eyes, Reiko nodded. "I understand. You wish to eat this 'rice' again."
"Exactly. I don't know if it even exists in this world, but I’d like to search for it. Though I suppose that can wait for later."
Jin turned his attention back to the map.
"The west side is wasteland. It looks like a combination of debris from Mount Hourai’s collapse and ancient lava flows. There might be mineral resources buried there."
"I agree. We shall mark it for investigation, though at a lower priority."
"Now, about Tatsumi Bay..." Reiko said, changing the topic. "When I warped out to search for you, Father, I eventually reached the sea. This bay was where I made my landing when I returned. The seabed in that area is teeming with coral."
"Coral, huh? It might be worth collecting some. Wait, if there are coral reefs, doesn't that mean there are plenty of fish too?"
Jin vaguely recalled from nature documentaries he had seen long ago that coral reefs supported a vast diversity of marine life.
"Yes, that is correct."
"Then it wouldn't be a bad idea to build a preserve and start aquaculture."
"Shall we create specialized golems to handle the fishing and farming?"
They were trying to do a lot at once, and they lacked the hands for it. However, Jin and Reiko possessed the perfect means to solve that problem.
"Good idea. At the same time, I want to build a port in Tatsumi Bay and get a ship in the water."
"A ship, Father?"
"Yeah. Eventually, I want to build a massive one—maybe two hundred meters long."
The two-hundred-meter requirement was entirely born of Jin's personal whim.
"It would be nice to travel the seas... though I suppose developing a power source has to come first."
The road ahead was long, but Jin found himself looking forward to it.
"Well, that's enough for now."
Having grasped the general geography and set their future course, Jin took a breather. He muttered to himself as he bit into a fruit that resembled an orange.
"Looking at it like this makes it easy to see what's high priority and what isn't."
Regardless of his grander schemes, the absolute top priority was securing a steady food supply.
"Regarding the fruit trees, we have already successfully transplanted species similar to the peaches, oranges, apples, lemons, chestnuts, and walnuts you described," Reiko reported.
"That was fast. Nice work."
Since Perido and Topaz had used magic alongside their subordinates, the task had been completed in a mere two days.
"In that case, the next step is securing grain."
The staple foods in this world were wheat and barley.
"We need to buy enough to eat and enough to use as seeds. But I wonder where the best place to go would be? Besides, we don't have any money."
While the laboratory was filled with countless treasures, it didn't contain a single coin of modern currency.
"I know of a town where we might be able to make purchases. It is the location I reached on my fifth warp attempt."
"Is that so? Then let's go together. As for the money... I wonder if it’s better to sell magi-crystals, or if I should make something and sell that instead?"
Reiko tilted her head, unable to offer an answer. Since neither she nor Jin knew much about the local economy, it was a difficult call to make.
"Hmm. I guess we’ll just have to bring a few magi-crystals with us and decide what to do once we're there."
"I agree. That seems like the most practical course of action."
"Alright then, let's go."
"Yes. The corresponding Warp Gate is over here."
Reiko had thoughtfully labeled the destinations on the Warp Gates she had established. The one she pointed to was marked 'Blue Land.'
"Is this Blue Land the town you mentioned?"
"More of a city, really. I have a Warp Gate hidden in a forest about three kilometers outside of it."
"Got it. Let's head out."
With that, the two of them stepped through the gate and warped toward Blue Land.
Was it finally time to interact with people again?