The following morning, Jin finally decided to depart from Alban, the royal capital of the Klein Kingdom.
He had been away from Kaina Village for quite some time, and Hanna was starting to feel homesick.
It was a shame he hadn't been able to stop by the Raglann Company where the traveling merchant Roland was based, but that would have to wait for another time.
After breakfast, the princess personally escorted them to the city gates in her own carriage.
Royal ritters on horseback provided an escort at every side of the vehicle.
Gloria rode inside to serve as a guard, but with the parting so near, very little conversation passed between them.
The princess spoke just one quiet sentence.
"I wouldn't have minded had you stayed longer."
That was all she murmured.
Once they passed through the city gates, the carriage came to a halt. The escorting ritters considerately moved a short distance away to maintain their watch.
In contrast, the Secret Mobile Units (SP) guarding Jin, Hanna, and Elsa were vigilantly scouting the perimeter of the carriage—though they remained unseen.
Jin and the others stepped out of the carriage slowly, reluctant to say their goodbyes.
Hanna was wearing her ordinary clothes today. However, there was no need for concern; as expected, the day remained peaceful.
The princess and Gloria stood with their backs to the city walls, while Jin and his companions turned to face them.
Everyone was silent. They all had much they wanted to say, but when the moment finally came, the words wouldn't quite come out.
Gloria was the first to break the silence.
"Jin-dono, I hope we may meet again someday."
She offered those words first, followed by Princess Lieschen.
"Jin, what will you do now?"
The usually energetic princess wore a lonely expression.
"Yes, I'm heading to Kaina Village for a while," Jin replied. He, too, felt a twinge of sadness.
"Now that I think of it, you mentioned you had a carriage of your own."
"Yes."
Nodding, Jin let out a sharp whistle. Before long, a single carriage came racing down the highway leading from the forest.
"O-Oh? What is that carriage?!"
The princess, seeing a golem carriage for the first time, was astonished. Gloria was equally surprised.
"It's my carriage. It's pulled by golem horses."
The carriage came to a smooth halt beside Jin. With a single glance, Jin recognized that it was identical to the one he had built in the Kingdom of Egerea. It seemed Laojun had done a thorough job.
"Prince Ernest of the Kingdom of Egerea has one just like it," Jin informed her.
He hoped this would increase Princess Lieschen's interest in the Kingdom of Egerea. As expected, the princess raised her voice.
"Oh, is that so! Now I have even more to look forward to when I meet Lord Ernest!"
She then added, "Actually, a magic tool called a manaphone arrived yesterday. It seems we can now speak with the Kingdom of Egerea, the Celuroa Kingdom, the Kingdom of Franz, and the like. Ah, and the Kingdom of Elias, too."
Jin had already heard about this from Laojun during their talk last night. He smiled inwardly, glad the technology was being put to good use.
"It seems Father has already spoken with many people. According to him, next month—though tomorrow is already May—an... an... arranged marriage interview between myself and Lord Ernest might be taking place."
As usual, the princess was offhandedly mentioning significant matters of state. Though she spoke with a hint of bashfulness, she was as careless with secrets as ever.
"T-That is... congratulations."
Jin felt obligated to respond that way.
"Hmph, nothing has been decided yet," the princess replied, her face flush. Jin thought they might actually make a surprisingly good match.
"Well then, though it is hard to say goodbye..."
"Thank you for everything."
"Princess, thank you so much!"
"Umu, stay well. We shall meet again."
"Jin-dono, until next time."
Their words were brief but heartfelt. With those final goodbyes, Jin and the others climbed into the carriage.
The door closed, and the golem horses began their steady pace.
"Take care out there!"
Despite her status as a princess, Lieschen shouted at the top of her lungs.
Jin sank into his seat, thinking that despite the chaos, it had been a good encounter.
"And there they go," the princess murmured softly. Seeing Gloria preparing to walk back, she told her to get into her carriage.
"You can guard me just as well from inside as you did on the way here, can't you?"
Gloria was hesitant, but she was eventually overcome by the princess's persistence and joined her.
As the carriage began to move, the four royal ritters naturally closed in to provide an escort back to the Royal Palace.
"He was a mysterious man," the princess noted. Inside the carriage, she and Gloria continued to discuss Jin and his companions.
"Yes. He was introduced as the Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea, but he was certainly a man of many mysteries."
"Umu. But I felt that he is not a man who would ever bring harm to our country."
"I agree."
The carriage proceeded down the cobblestones of the Central Thoroughfare. Gazing absently out the window, the princess was reminded of the recent golem incident.
The buildings and the road before her were currently undergoing repairs.
There were the holes Jin had opened to drop the golems, and walls cracked by the aftermath of the Flame Lance Jessica had unleashed.
"We have paid the compensation, but Jessica's disciplinary measures are still pending... I suppose a three-month pay cut will suffice."
In such cases, custom dictated that a pay cut usually meant receiving only half-pay. Gloria could practically see Jessica's teary-eyed face.
"If only the Captain didn't have that one flaw, she would be perfect."
"Umu. She possesses leadership, judgment, and first-rate swordsmanship. On top of that, she is popular. However, her poor control over magic is quite a problem."
Because it was a flaw that rarely mattered on the battlefield, Jessica was able to remain a captain.
"Talented people are truly precious," Princess Lieschen murmured thoughtfully.
The carriage carrying Jin and the others sped down the highway.
"As I thought, the ride in Jin-nii’s carriage is in a league of its own."
Elsa wore a satisfied expression.
"It feels so good," Hanna added, enjoying the smooth ride.
Once they had traveled a fair distance, Jin contacted Laojun through Reiko.
"Father, I am informed that Condor 3 is on standby overhead, maintaining Stealth."
"Yeah... Wait, 3?"
There were supposed to be two Condors, but the number had increased to three before he knew it.
"It seems Condor 3 is equipped with a Large-scale Warp Gate. By using that, we can return to Kunlun Island while remaining in the carriage."
The reason it wasn't a direct link to Hourai Island was likely a precaution in case of an emergency.
"I see. As expected of Laojun, his preparations are thorough."
Jin, satisfied with his subordinate's work, considered whether to blindfold Hanna but decided against it.
He wanted to take Hanna out like this in the future, and he intended to gradually reveal his true identity to her.
"Hanna, from here, we're going to Kunlun Island while staying in this carriage."
"Eh? O-Okay."
Hanna was momentarily taken aback by Jin's words, but she nodded immediately. If Jin said it could be done, it could be done.
The carriage veered off the highway and began to travel over rough terrain. However, thanks to the active suspension powered by the golem arms, they felt almost no vibration.
After driving over the uneven ground for about ten minutes, they emerged into a wide-open meadow.
"It is Condor 3," Reiko announced. At her word, Condor 3 deactivated its Stealth and appeared.
"Wow! It's huge! What is that?"
"...Did you make this too, Jin-nii?"
Hanna was honestly impressed. Elsa immediately thought of the Pelican 1 she had flown on before, but upon closer inspection, the two looked nothing alike.
Even so, the overall design—the very essence of it as a magic tool—made Elsa feel that Condor 3 and Pelican 1 were of the same lineage.
It was a testament to Elsa's growth as a magi craftman.
The carriage slowly entered the Large-scale Warp Gate suspended beneath Condor 3.
To those inside, it only felt as if their vision had darkened for an instant. But in that single heartbeat, the carriage traveled hundreds of kilometers and arrived on Kunlun Island.