The carriage did not emerge at the Mansion on Kunlun Island, but rather inside a garage built at the edge of the plaza in front of it. A Warp Gate had been installed within the structure.
"When on earth did he build this...?" Jin muttered to himself.
The last time Jin had visited Kunlun Island was the 26th; today was the 30th. It appeared Laojun had been busy upgrading and maintaining various facilities in that remarkably short window of time.
Deciding he would praise the golem later, Jin stepped out of the carriage along with Elsa and Hanna.
"Wow! This is Onii-chan's house! It's so big! How did we get here so fast?"
Hanna was wide-eyed with shock at the instantaneous change in scenery.
"Hanna-chan, Jin-nii is incredible. That is why he can do things like this," Elsa explained, stepping in to satisfy Hanna’s curiosity before Jin even had to think of an answer.
"Yeah! Onii-chan is the best!"
"Alright," Jin said with a smile. "Let's head back to Kaina Village."
"Okay!"
Next, they used the Warp Gate located in the basement of the Mansion to travel to Hourai Island. There, Jin noticed that the number of Butlers maintaining and guarding the gate had increased to ten.
Finally, they traveled from Hourai Island to Kaina Village. It was a tedious series of jumps, but necessary for the sake of security.
They emerged in the basement of Jin's workshop.
Hanna practically sprinted up the stairs and dashed out in front of her own home.
"Yay! I'm hooommme!"
She had been welcomed and celebrated by a princess in the capital, but her birthplace was clearly still the best place in the world to her. Hanna’s joyful frolicking made that much clear.
She threw open the door and dove inside.
"Grandma, I'm back!"
Hearing the commotion, Martha came out to greet her.
"Welcome back, Hanna. Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah! Listen, I met a princess! And she gave me clothes!"
"Wait, what?"
The mention of a princess caused Martha’s face to twitch in disbelief.
"I'm home, Mother," Elsa said as Mine emerged to greet her.
"Welcome back, Elsa."
"Outrageous things always seem to happen when I'm with Jin-nii, but it was fun," Elsa reported with a small smile.
Jin was the last to emerge, slowly climbing the stairs from the basement.
"Welcome back, Jin-sama."
"Welcome back, Jin."
"I'm home."
Being greeted with those words warmed his heart. It was in moments like these that he felt most certain that this was where he belonged.
However, Jin had important business to attend to first.
"I need to speak with the Village Chief, and I'd like you to be there too, Martha-san."
"Oh? Did something happen?"
Jin told them he would explain everything at the Village Chief’s house. Accompanied by Elsa, Hanna, Martha, Mine, and of course, Reiko, he headed over to the chief’s residence.
"What is it, Jin?"
The Village Chief, Giebeck, was home and ushered them all inside.
"I have a report to make," Jin began.
He recounted the events of their trip to Alban, the capital of the Klein Kingdom. He glossed over the details regarding Lishia's sword and Gloria's request, focusing instead on his meeting with the Princess, his work repairing the automata, and the formal request he received from the King.
Finally, he explained that as a reward for his services, he had been granted Kaina Village as a leased territory. He finished by spreading the official contract out on the table for them to see.
"I... I see..."
Even Giebeck’s face tightened as he processed the information. Martha and Mine were equally stunned.
"S-So, for the next fifty years... the practical ruler of this village is Jin...?"
Jin immediately shook his head.
"No, I have no intention of acting like a ruler. To be honest, I only thought of this because of the news about the conscription taking away the village's manpower."
"...You're well-informed. It’s true; a conscription order arrived the day before yesterday. Rock, Jeff, Dave, Howard, and Rick—five men in total—were taken from the village."
Just as I suspected, Jin thought.
"But it's alright now. The conscription order has been revoked, and you won't have to worry about that happening again."
"Well, that's a relief, if true."
The Village Chief brought the conversation back to the main point. "So... what do you plan to do with us, Jin?"
"Nothing in particular. I think everything should stay exactly as it has been... Oh, except you don't need to pay taxes anymore."
"Hrmm, now wait just a minute. That won't do. Whether it's a fief or a leased territory, a ruler who doesn't collect taxes is unheard of."
Jin looked troubled and waved his hands dismissively.
"Like I said, I'm not a ruler. If anything, I'm just... a temporary owner, I guess?"
The Village Chief let out a long sigh.
"Changing the title doesn't change the reality of the situation. But fine, I think I understand what you're getting at. So, Jin is the owner of this village, and I will serve as the bailiff and continue my duties as village chief. Does that sound right?"
Jin was relieved that the chief understood his intent. "Yes, that's perfect."
"However, you must take taxes. And you must use those taxes to do things for the benefit of the village."
Put that way, Jin finally felt he could agree. Using the village's contributions to build things that would improve everyone's lives—that was a role he could accept.
"I understand. In that case, let's keep the taxes at the same rate they were before."
"Umu."
"I'm the only one receiving them, though, so it might get a bit awkward," Jin added with a wry smile. "I'll be living in Martha-san's house, handing the tax money over to her so she can cook for me—even though part of that money would be the taxes Martha-san paid herself."
Martha burst out laughing.
"What's this? You were actually worrying about something like that? That is so like you, Jin!"
Hearing her laughter, Jin felt the lingering tension finally leave his body.
"I don't care what title you have, Jin. Even if you became a high-and-mighty noble, you'd still be you! Right, Hanna?"
"Yeah! Onii-chan is just Onii-chan!"
Jin felt a lump in his throat. Martha and Hanna hadn't changed at all.
"Alright. Then, Village Chief, I'll leave the management of the village in your hands, just like always."
"Very well. From this day forward, I shall look after this village as Jin's bailiff," Giebeck said with a hearty laugh. "But still, for little Jin to rise so high in the world... the ways of the world are truly a mystery. No, perhaps it’s exactly because it's Jin that this happened."
"I have to admit, even I was surprised," Martha said later.
The group was currently enjoying lunch at Martha's house. Hanna was eating with gusto, savoring the familiar taste of home.
While she had been treated to every delicacy imaginable at the Royal Palace, the food in Kaina Village was by no means poor in comparison. It was the kind of familiar, comforting home cooking that one always ended up craving.
"Well, with the tax situation becoming easier, it means that if everyone works hard, they can keep more for themselves. It gives the men something to strive for," Martha laughed.
While they talked, Jin was already mentally sketching out plans. Now that the village was officially his, he could finally begin installing a serious defense network for Kaina Village.
"...And that is the situation. See that you remember it."
At the Royal Palace, Earl Walter had been summoned by Gara to receive a formal notification from King Alois III himself. Kaina Village was being officially severed from his territory.
"W-Why?! What have I done to deserve this?! To have my territory reduced, even by a small amount...!" the Earl sputtered, practically shouting at the King.
"What have you done, you ask?"
Alois III’s eyes flashed with a cold, sharp light.
"You have the gall to ask that? It was your hasty assumptions and your overreaching that nearly drove such a brilliant magi craftman into the arms of another country!"
"T-That..."
"You understand? For the next fifty years, Kaina Village is the leased territory of Jin Nidou. Furthermore, see to it that the men you conscripted are returned to the village with all possible haste."
"Y-Yes, Sire..."
Earl Walter backed down for the moment, but no one noticed the murderous, dangerous glint that had taken root in his eyes.
Oh? Something seems to be brewing with Earl Walter...