Later that afternoon, while the sun was still high, the carriage arrived at the village where they would be staying the night. Its name was Flathead Village.
"So we're stopping here for the day? I thought we might push on a bit further."
There were several villages and settlements surrounding Port Rock, and they had passed many more along the way. Jin assumed there would be others further ahead as well.
It was a far cry from the area around Kaina Village. He remembered how it had taken two days just to reach Toka Village to deliver wheat. This place looked large enough to be called a town rather than a village.
"The Kingdom of Elias didn't suffer much damage during the Great Magic War," Elsa explained. "So this is normal."
"I see. So there wasn't a sudden drop in population?"
"No. The population was halved here as well. Because of the troops sent to the battles in the center of the continent, and because of the Ether Stampede."
"Then why... Ah, I see. The damage to buildings and infrastructure was minimal."
"Yes."
The carriage came to a halt in a plaza.
the butler opened the door to the passenger compartment. Both Jin and Reiko hopped out. Elsa followed, skillfully holding down her skirt as she jumped down, just as she had done before.
Once everyone was on the ground, Jin turned to Elsa.
"Hey, why is it called Flathead?"
In response, Elsa pointed toward the mountain towering to the west of the village.
"Look at that."
"I see. It really is a flat head."
The peak of the mountain was flat, looking as if it had been shorn off.
"So that's Mount Flathead, and the village took its name from the mountain?"
"So I've heard."
The four attendants and two coachmen approached, having seen to the carriage.
Of the three men among the attendants, one was a guard, one was a butler, and the last was a manservant. The only woman in the group was Elsa's wet nurse.
The names of the servants were not introduced.
"Well, well, Lady Elsa of House Randol. You've arrived quite early."
Turning toward the voice, they saw an elderly man standing there, flanked by two younger men.
"He's the Village Chief. He looked after us on the way out, too," Elsa whispered to Jin. Since this was a round trip, it made perfect sense.
"We'll be in your care," Elsa said. The Village Chief bowed and gave instructions to the men beside him. He then stepped toward Elsa with one of the men.
"Lady Elsa, this way, please."
Elsa and the wet nurse followed him.
"The rest of the party, this way."
The other man stepped forward to lead the way. As Jin started to follow the attendants, Elsa beckoned to him.
"Jin-kun and Reiko-chan are with me."
"Lady Elsa, and these guests are...?" the Village Chief asked.
"Jin-kun and Reiko-chan are guests of House Randol," Elsa replied.
The Village Chief's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oho! Is that so! Jin-dono, Lady Reiko, please, right this way."
And so, the five of them—Jin, Reiko, Elsa, the wet nurse, and the Village Chief—headed toward the large house in the center of the village. This was evidently the Village Chief’s residence.
"Welcome, welcome."
Several servants greeted them at the entrance. Having stayed here on her way to Port Rock, Elsa seemed accustomed to the hospitality and nodded with a small smile.
Jin, however, was bewildered by the unfamiliar level of ceremony.
"Now then, please, make yourselves comfortable in these rooms."
Jin and Reiko were shown to a suite of two adjoining rooms, each roughly the size of eight tatami mats. The inner room held two beds, while the outer room featured a relatively luxurious table and chair set.
"This must be a fairly wealthy village," Jin remarked.
Comparing it to the Village Chief’s house in Kaina Village, the difference was clear. Given the larger population alone, it stood to reason they were better off.
"It's close to the port town, after all."
As he spoke, Jin noticed that something was wrong with Reiko.
"Reiko, what's the matter? You've been quiet for a while. Are you feeling unwell?"
"...Father."
Reiko spoke his name, her eyes pleading.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"...Please, do not discard me."
"Huh?"
"I will work harder! I'll do better, I promise!"
"Wait, why? What's brought this on?"
"I... I was of no use to you, Father!"
"Hold on, what are you talking about?"
Jin was caught off guard by Reiko's unusually frantic and incoherent outburst.
"I failed to notice that you were suffering! I was outdone by that woman!"
"You mean the motion sickness? That was my first time; it couldn't be helped. Elsa only realized it because she's seen other people with it before."
"But... but still...!"
As Reiko continued to fret, Jin gently pulled her into a hug.
"Reiko, you're my daughter, aren't you? I would never discard my own daughter. Besides, you don't have to worry so much about being 'useful' all the time."
"But..."
"Just having you by my side makes me feel at ease."
Jin stroked her head as he spoke.
"I was... born to be of use to you, Father... If I am not useful... then I have no reason to exist..."
"Like I said, just being with me is already enough. You're helping me more than you know."
As he held her and stroked her back, Reiko finally began to calm down.
"Truly... am I... actually of use to you...?"
"Yes, of course. You're the daughter I'm proud of."
"Thank you..."
With a soft whisper, Reiko gently returned the embrace.
Reiko's emotions are certainly becoming more complex, Jin thought, continuing to pat her back.
"Jin-kun, are you there?"
At that exact moment, Elsa pushed the door open. Seeing the two of them embracing, her expression shifted.
"...I'm sorry."
She apologized immediately and pulled the door shut. The sound of her hurried footsteps receded down the hallway.
"Wait, was that Elsa? Didn't she need something?"
Jin remained completely oblivious.
＊ ＊ ＊
A short while later, Jin stepped out into the garden of the Village Chief’s house.
"Ah, what a beautiful view."
The evening air of the southern region was warm. The garden was filled with flowering trees, some of which were covered in white blossoms whose name he didn't know.
The sky was beginning to glow with the colors of dusk as the sun dipped toward the horizon behind Mount Flathead. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him.
"?"
Jin turned around to find Elsa standing there. She was dressed in what looked like loungewear—a loose, gown-like garment.
"...I'm sorry about earlier."
She lowered her head in apology.
"Hmm? About earlier?"
Jin couldn't think of anything she needed to apologize for. However...
"I mean... I had heard that there were people who did... that sort of thing with dolls."
Jin felt a sudden, vague sense of dread.
"...That sort of thing?"
"The hobby of taking a doll as a partner instead of a person of the opposite sex."
"...Wait a minute."
"Reiko-chan is very cute. I feel like... I can understand why someone might feel that way."
Even as dense as he was, Jin finally understood exactly what Elsa was implying.
She had misunderstood. And in the worst possible way.
"It's okay. Even if you have that kind of hobby, Jin-kun, I won't hold it against you."
You're clearly holding it against me! Jin screamed internally.