"Father, lunch is ready."
Reiko’s voice drifted from behind the group as they relaxed and gazed out at the sea.
It was just before 1:00 PM—a time chosen to account for the time difference between Kaina Village and Hourai Island.
A sitting sheet had been spread across the sandy beach, and a basket rested upon it. To their surprise, a tarp had even been erected to provide shade. Unlike a standard beach parasol, this tarp was a broad cloth supported by simple poles and the tension of ropes.
It was already June, and on Hourai Island, situated near the Tropic of Cancer, the sun beat down from almost directly overhead.
"Oh, this is quite comfortable."
The shade beneath the thick tarp was refreshingly cool. With the high humidity of the seaside, such cover was a precious luxury.
"Everyone, we have prepared a variety of dishes. Please, help yourselves to whatever you like."
Reiko opened the lids of the baskets.
"Oh..."
One basket held sandwiches. Another was filled with smoked meat. A third contained boiled eggs, while a fourth was overflowing with fruits like persica and citran.
And in the final one...
"Onigiri?"
They were rice balls, seasoned with salt and wrapped in nori.
"Jin, what are these?" Reinhard asked, looking at the black lumps with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, they're called 'onigiri.' They're made from cooked rice and wrapped in a type of seaweed called 'nori.'"
Answering as he went, Jin was the first to grab one and take a bite. Seeing this, Reiko poured tea from a magic bottle and offered it to him.
After the first mouthful, Jin sighed. The onigiri, seasoned with seaweed salt from Hourai Island, was delicious enough on its own.
"Yeah, this is the stuff!"
Seeing Jin stuffing his cheeks with a truly blissful expression, Saki was the next to reach out. She took a bite and paused.
"Oh, this really is wonderful. It’s simple, but the flavor is remarkably deep."
Encouraged by her reaction, Elsa, Reinhard, and Berche followed suit. Though the exterior was black from the nori, the inside revealed pristine white rice.
"Jin-nii, this is delicious. It has a lovely aroma."
"Wow, this is great! This is... nogi... no, it’s 'rice,' isn't it!"
"Jin-sama, despite its unusual appearance, the texture and flavor are quite excellent."
None of the three seemed to be offering mere polite praise. Jin was genuinely pleased that they could appreciate the taste of nori.
"Thank you. It’s a taste of my homeland....Reiko, Laojun was the one who planned this, wasn't he?" Jin asked with a knowing smirk. He felt a mix of gratitude for the surprise and a slight, playful frustration at being so well-read by the AI.
"Yes, Father."
"I thought so. Still, it’s delicious."
Jin proceeded to devour four onigiri in rapid succession.
"These sandwiches are lovely as well," Berche remarked, clearly enjoying her meal.
"Even the boiled eggs are excellent with just a bit of salt. This salt is different, isn't it?" Reinhard noted, surprised by the quality of such a simple snack.
"Let me see... Hmm, Jin, this isn't just ordinary salt, is it?" Saki added. She was quite perceptive.
"Right. It’s called seaweed salt. It’s actually made right here." Jin pointed toward Tatsumi Bay. "We collect seaweed from these waters, burn it, dissolve the ash in water, and then dry the clear liquid that remains."
"I see. So that means the minerals and nutrients within the seaweed are concentrated in the salt?"
"Exactly. It results in a salt infused with what you might call 'umami' from the sea."
While the flavor could become muddy if used incorrectly, seaweed salt seemed to be a perfect match for boiled eggs.
"For that matter, the salt used for the smoked meat was also harvested from this sea."
"It is such a beautiful ocean," Saki mused.
As she gazed at the water, Aqua suddenly emerged from the waves. It was unit number 33.
"Whoa!"
Startled, Saki tumbled backward onto the sheet. The others were also surprised, though not quite as dramatically as her.
"That’s Aqua, one of the maid golems. She’s in charge of maritime development. It looks like she just finished harvesting some nori."
Since she had just brought in the very ingredient they were eating, everyone watched Aqua 33 with interest. She held a large quantity of something resembling Asakusa nori.
"So that is the nori?"
"It really is just seaweed."
"How do you process that into something edible?" Saki asked, her curiosity piqued by the manufacturing process.
"You wash it with clean seawater and dry it. Once it's dry, you chop it up and rehydrate it, then filter it through a wooden frame and a bamboo mat before letting it dry again."
It was a condensed explanation, but Saki seemed to grasp the concept.
"I see. So you break it down and then spread it thin to dry? How fascinating."
As they spoke, Jin decided he would consult Saki later about the papermaking project he had been considering.
While they were finishing their meal with some fruit, Marine 2 and 3 returned from the water. Reinhard had ridden a similar craft during the incident with the Unifilar, but this was a first for Saki and Berche.
"J-Jin-sama, what is that vessel?! It’s moving without any oars or paddles!"
As someone knowledgeable about ships, Berche was stunned by the Hydro's propulsion system.
"It uses a Magi-Water Jet. It moves by forcefully ejecting seawater from the stern."
Jin offered a simple explanation, though Berche still looked largely baffled by the concept.
"Marine 2, 3, is the patrol finished for the day?"
The two golems responded in the affirmative. "Yes, Master."
In truth, Laojun had subtly managed the schedule to ensure they arrived at just the right moment, even without the Marines knowing the full plan. It was actually quite strange for them to return directly to the beach when there was a proper pier nearby. Jin noticed the discrepancy but decided not to point it out.
"In that case, could you take us out for a quick run?"
"Certainly, Master. We are at your service whenever you wish."
Each Hydro could carry four people. Leaving the piloting to the Marines, the group split up. Jin, Elsa, Saki, and Reiko boarded Hydro 2 (Reiko was small enough that they could fit a fourth). Reinhard, Berche, and Neon took Hydro 3.
Unfortunately, Ar, Edgar, and Noir had to stay behind to watch over their belongings.
"Alright, let's go."
"Understood. Moving out."
Hydro 2 and 3 surged forward.
"O-o-oh! Look at this go!" Saki cried out, startled by the sudden acceleration.
"Eek! What is this speed?!" Berche squealed in delight and shock.
"Even seeing it again, this really is incredible!" Reinhard shouted, unable to hide his excitement. "I want to build something like this eventually, but I suppose I should start with a paddleboat first..." He was well aware of the gap between his current skills and this technology.
The two vessels roared out of Tatsumi Bay, exceeding speeds of 50 kilometers per hour.
"Jin-nii, it’s so fast. It's amazing." Elsa narrowed her eyes comfortably against the salt breeze.
The tides in this world were minimal due to the small size of the moon, and storms were rare, meaning the sea remained calm most days. Today was no exception; the water had only gentle swells, allowing the two trimaran-style Hydros to maintain a stable, high-speed plane.
"Jin, this feels incredible! This ship is wonderful! I know it’s a cliché, but I can’t find any other words for it!" Saki shouted over the wind.
Hydro 2 and Hydro 3 raced across the vast, unobstructed blue ocean, leaving long, white wakes in their path. After an hour of exploring the open sea, the two vessels veered back toward Tatsumi Bay.
"Welcome back," Edgar greeted them, having walked down to the water's edge.
Looking around, Jin saw that Ar was busy making seaweed salt alongside Aqua 33. Noir remained perfectly still, standing guard over their luggage. It was amusing to Jin how much their roles reflected their individual personalities.
They took chilled persica juice from their supplies and drank. The cold liquid parched their dry throats and seemed to cool their bodies, which had grown warm under the afternoon sun. After finishing the last of the fruit, the group climbed back into the automobiles and began the drive back to Jin’s laboratory.