Jin teleported back to the carriage he had hidden in the forest on the outskirts of Banne, within the Shouro Empire.
"Steward, were there any changes while I was away?"
"No, Master."
Both the carriage and its guardian, Steward, were exactly as Jin had left them.
"Right then, let's head out."
With Reiko and Steward working together to clear the camouflage covering the vehicle, they were ready to depart in less than a minute. They began retracing the path they had traveled two days prior.
When they pulled up in front of Saki's house, the woman herself was already waiting for them.
"Ah, welcome back, Jin. You’re right on time," Saki said, glancing at the sundial in the garden. Though it was late in the afternoon on an early summer day, the world was still bathed in bright light.
"I’ve just returned."
"Seriously, being able to see so clearly is a wonderful thing. I’m truly grateful to you, Jin," Saki said, adjusting her glasses with a finger.
"I’m just glad they're proving useful," Jin replied as he began unloading his luggage from the carriage.
Reiko stepped down after him, cradling the mascot doll Elsa had entrusted to her. Because it was wrapped so securely, the package was rather bulky.
"Oho, is that your gift, Jin?" Saki asked with interest, eyeing the bundle in Reiko's arms.
Jin shook his head. "No, this was a request from El—an acquaintance of mine."
"El? Who’s El? Jin, could it be...?"
"Ah, well..."
Jin had been considering whether he should invite Saki to Kaina Village eventually.
Though only a few days had passed since their first meeting, he enjoyed her frank, refreshingly honest personality. Furthermore, she had no interest in politics and clearly wanted to distance herself from her family, the House of Marquis Theoderic. In that regard, her situation was somewhat similar to Elsa's.
Given her passion for research, she was exactly the kind of person he might eventually want to bring to Hourai Island.
Having made up his mind, Jin spoke.
"I think you’ve mostly guessed the situation, but I’ll explain it properly in due time. Please don't press me on it for now."
He left it at that as a firm reminder.
"Kufufu, I understand, Jin. I’ve heard about her circumstances as well....Honestly, that perverted old man of mine is truly a piece of work."
Saki didn't hesitate to call a Marquis an "old man," even if he was her own grandfather.
When Jin entered the house, he noticed the interior had been cleaned from top to bottom.
"It’s all thanks to Ar. She did everything for me."
The automata, Ar, possessed the same skills as the Five-Colored Golem Maids. It was no wonder she could accomplish so much in such a short time.
"That’s good. It makes building her worthwhile."
Just then, Ar herself approached them.
"Welcome back, Jin-sama. Saki-sama, dinner is prepared."
"It really is a luxury to have proper meals prepared for me three times a day. Reinhard shared plenty of ingredients, so I have more than enough. I don't think I'll be going hungry for a long while."
"I think you'd be fine if you just managed your household budget properly..." Jin said with a sigh of exasperation as they walked toward the dining room.
"Well, I'll just have Ar handle all of that from now on," Saki declared with total confidence. Jin sighed again, giving up on the argument.
"Oh, that's right. Saki, could I leave this gift somewhere until tomorrow?"
"Hmm? Sure. In that case, the guest room I’ve prepared for you would be best."
Jin and Reiko placed their luggage in the room. This area, too, had been tidied beautifully.
Dinner consisted of a menu similar to what Jin usually ate on Hourai Island: barley porridge, a hearty meat and vegetable soup, salt-grilled river fish, and a fruit salad.
As they ate, Saki laughed and looked at Jin.
"Haha, the food Ar makes is delicious. Jin, is this the result of your education?"
"Yes, it is. Knowledge like that can be stored and transferred."
"I see, I see. I watched Ar's construction process, and I suppose the... what did you call it? Right, the 'control core.' That must be the key, isn't it?"
After seeing it only once, Saki seemed to have grasped the fundamental concept of automata construction.
Following dinner and right up until they went to bed, Jin and Saki continued to discuss the theory behind automata.
"Father, what time would you like to wake up tomorrow?" Reiko asked, confirming the schedule before they retired.
"Right. Wake me up at six."
After giving Reiko her instructions, Jin lay down on the futon. As he closed his eyes, he recalled Saki’s earlier words.
"Small... and I don't mean a child, you know? Like, is it impossible to make an automata that could literally fit in the palm of your hand?"
Those words were a stark reminder to Jin that he, too, had been trapped by his own preconceived notions.
(A doll that literally moves on its own, huh? That sounds like a fun project.)
With those thoughts drifting through his mind, Jin eventually fell into a deep sleep.
＊ ＊ ＊
Awoken by Reiko at six the next morning, Jin stepped quietly outside.
True to the plan, a cart stood waiting, loaded with a packaged futon and bed.
Knowing it would cause an uproar if he suddenly had these items delivered to Reinhard's estate, he had arranged for them to be brought here first. Jin hadn't even specified a cart; that had been a thoughtful addition by Laojun.
"Father, Falcon 3 delivered them late last night," Reiko reported.
"I see. Then our preparations are complete."
Jin looked up at the sky. It looked like it would be another beautiful day.
They were scheduled to head to Reinhard's estate at nine o'clock. At seven-thirty, Saki, having been woken by Ar, emerged while rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her hair was a total mess—it was hard to believe she was the same person who had looked so polished after Bell had helped her.
"Morning, Jin."
"Good morning."
Saki splashed her face with water Ar had brought for her. That seemed to wake her up fully, though her hair remained a disaster.
"Saki, today is Reinhard's wedding. You need to look presentable, okay?"
The words left Jin’s mouth before he could stop them.
"Yeah, I know, I know."
After eating the breakfast Ar prepared, Jin went to change. He intended to attend the ceremony in his official capacity as an Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea.
He wore pants made from black-dyed ground spider silk. Since the fabric was thin and breathable, it was comfortably cool even in the early summer heat.
By eight-thirty, his preparations were finished. When he went to check on Saki, he found her door wide open as she bustled about.
She wasn't in her underwear or anything of the sort, but Jin still felt hesitant to just walk in. Instead, he asked Reiko to check on her.
"Oh, Reiko-chan, what's up?"
"Father was concerned that you might be having difficulty with your preparations, Saki-san, so he sent me to assist."
"Ah, that’s helpful. Tell me, what kind of outfit should I even wear for this?"
Saki opened her wardrobe and pointed to the dresses hanging inside. It seemed even Ar hadn't been able to offer much guidance here.
"Let's see. Since your hair is a reddish-brown, Saki-san, a calm lavender-toned color would suit you best."
This advice was the fruit of Jin's efforts to program Reiko with feminine sensibilities. To be precise, the Quinta units had been the ones who had done the heavy lifting of gathering that specific data.
"Lavender?" Saki asked. Since the word came from Jin's world, she didn't recognize it.
"Um... a bright blue-purple, I mean."
"I see....This one, then?"
There was indeed a dress of that color in the wardrobe, but Saki hesitated to take it.
"Is something the matter?"
"...No, it's just that this dress has a bit of a history. Or rather, it's because it was a gift from my grandfather."
Saki clearly harbored very few positive feelings toward her grandfather, Marquis Theoderic.
"But the clothes themselves are not at fault. Isn't your hesitation merely a matter of your own feelings, Saki-san?"
"I see... My feelings, huh? Thank you, Reiko-chan. In that case, I'll go with this one."
It seemed Reiko had received an unexpected "power-up" in the realm of feminine intuition.