The bright blue sky did little to lift the group’s spirits. Only one among them remained unaffected: Hanna.
"Onii-chan, is everyone feeling sick?"
Hanna looked up at Jin’s face with concern, reaching out to press her palm against his cheek.
"Cheer up, Onii-chan."
The warmth of her hand was a soothing comfort.
"…Right. You’re right, Hanna. It’s all in the past now."
With a forced smile, Jin scooped Hanna up and hoisted her onto his shoulders.
"Kyah!"
The sudden movement startled a small cry out of her, but she was grinning a moment later.
"Wow! Thanks, Onii-chan!"
Watching the two of them, Elsa, Saki, and Stearena finally let their expressions soften.
"Heh, I suppose so. There’s nothing we can do about it now," Saki agreed with a chuckle.
"Exactly. We’re here to see the sights, after all," Stearena added.
Elsa looked up at the sky. "…I’m sure Jin-nii will find a way for us to reach the moon ourselves someday."
Reiko watched them all in silence, her expression unreadable.
"Well then, shall we move on? The Royal Palace is just ahead," Regulus 45 said, resuming his role as guide now that the mood had shifted.
"The palace, huh? Let’s go."
Shaking off the gloom, the group headed toward their next destination. Hanna remained perched atop Jin’s shoulders, frolicking as she enjoyed the elevated view.
The Royal Palace was likewise shrouded in thick vines.
It, too, had clearly been picked over by scavengers; several entrances stood wide open. Since it made their entry easier, Jin and the others didn't pay it much mind.
"Hmm, it has a very classic feel to it," Saki remarked.
"…Yes. The design feels a bit antiquated," Elsa agreed.
Stearena, however, tilted her head. "Really? It doesn't look much different from the palace in the Celuroa Kingdom."
If anything, that simply highlighted how deeply rooted in tradition the Celuroa Kingdom was.
"Onii-chan, what’s that?"
Hanna had climbed down from Jin’s shoulders and was walking beside Reiko when something unusual caught her eye to the right.
"Hmm?"
"Oh my."
Stearena followed Hanna’s gaze and let out a soft exclamation. "It’s a cat figurine."
"A cat?"
Hanna didn't seem to know what a cat was. In this world, the concept of keeping animals purely for companionship was rare.
Horses were work animals; cows and goats were livestock. While dogs were kept in some regions, they were almost exclusively used as guard dogs rather than pets. The only real exception was small songbirds kept for their melodies—and, of course, pigeons for communication.
The Earth-like culture of keeping cats for comfort didn't exist here. Another factor was likely the lack of a rat problem; pests could be easily repelled with magic tools like the beast-repelling bells Jin had used previously to protect grain shipments. Without a need for mousers, the habit of keeping fickle cats had never taken root.
However, there were exceptions to every rule.
"I see. So the Leonard Kingdom had a custom of keeping cats as well," Stearena said, sounding impressed. Her comment implied that at least some people in the Celuroa Kingdom kept them.
"Many people find them charming precisely because they’re fickle and don't try to win your favor," Stearena explained, before adding with a shrug, "…Personally, I’m not a fan. I’m a dog person, if I had to choose."
"Ah, me too," Jin agreed.
Back at the orphanage, they’d had a well-behaved mixed-breed dog. Jin had taken it for walks now and then, though the younger children had handled most of its care.
He gazed at the figurine, lost in thought. It looked exactly like a cat from Earth. Based on the statue, if it was meant to be life-sized, the cats here were roughly the same size as the ones he remembered.
"Yes, that’s almost exactly the size of the real thing," Stearena confirmed.
Then, Hanna spoke up with an unexpected request. "Hey, Onii-chan? Could you make something like that?"
"Eh?"
She probably wasn't talking about a simple figurine. A cat-shaped golem… Jin thought the idea had potential.
The room where they found the figurine had a door that stood half-open. Peering inside, they saw a space choked with dust and littered with broken dolls and toys. It looked as though it had once belonged to a prince or princess.
Like the rest of the ruins, anything of value had long since been looted.
"…This isn't very much fun," Hanna said, her shoulders slumping.
Exploring ruins certainly had a way of turning one’s thoughts toward the melancholy.
"…Shall we head back outside?"
When Jin suggested it, Hanna gave a silent, solemn nod. Elsa, Saki, and Stearena followed suit, turning back toward the entrance without a word.
The group eventually left the remains of the capital behind, driving the Tortoise along the riverbank. They’d had a light lunch inside the vehicle.
Everyone was still feeling a bit deflated. Jin had considered just heading home, but since they’d come all this way, he wanted to stay for at least one night. They were currently scouting for a good campsite.
"Oh, that spot looks perfect."
On a terrace overlooking the river, there was a wide, open meadow. The view was excellent. Jin gave the order to Steward, who steered the Tortoise toward the slope.
Powered by Jin’s masterpiece 12-golem engine, the vehicle climbed the nearly 40-degree incline without a hint of struggle.
"Yes, this is great."
The grass was short, requiring only a little clearing to create a comfortable space. While the interior of the vehicle was spacious enough, Jin was adamant about eating outdoors—it wasn't a proper "auto-camping" trip otherwise.
"Whoa…"
"Oh dear."
As Jin went to unload the folding tables and chairs, he realized that the unsecured cargo had all slid to the back of the vehicle during their steep climb.
"…I’ll have to fix that design flaw later."
After reorganizing the luggage, they finally sat down for tea. They set up a sunshade tarp, and despite it being summer, the breeze coming off the river was cool and pleasant.
"Ah, I finally feel like I can breathe again," Saki sighed contentedly.
"This is delicious!"
The Te-e was served with a generous amount of sugar—a thoughtful touch from Reiko, who knew that sweets were good for mental fatigue. For a snack, they had dried Wylie. The sweet and sour flavors were concentrated, making for a delicious treat.
The moments of relaxation began to heal the hearts frayed by their trek through the ruins.
"The secret of the barrier will have to wait for another time, I suppose…"
From the sky, the illusion barrier made it look as though a living nation still stood there. Jin wondered if he could replicate it. He could probably achieve the same effect, but he wasn't sure if he could do it using the same method.
I might need to increase the number of Quinta units to look into this, he thought.
As the sun began to dip, they started preparing dinner: a classic barbecue. They built a stone hearth and topped it with a pre-prepared iron plate. Rather than dealing with the hassle of a wood fire, Jin used a magi-stone for Heat.
The main course featured mountain deer meat and vegetables. To round it out, Jin added noodles made from wheat flour—specifically, udon. He seasoned it all with a Worcestershire-style sauce to make a "sauce yakisoba-style fried udon."
He hadn't quite mastered the science of kansui yet, so he used thin udon as a substitute. The idea had come to him after seeing "Pashta" back in Toka Village.
"Wow! It’s a bit unusual, but it tastes great!"
"He’s right. Jin, this is actually really good!"
The dish was a hit.
They finished their meal before the summer sun vanished completely. The dishes and the iron plate were washed in the river, then further sanitized with Cleanup magic before being packed away.
Stars began to dot the sky. The wind off the water was refreshing.
The group retired to the second floor of the Tortoise. Once again, they had to fix the futons, which had shifted during the steep climb.
Finally settled, they lay down on their bedding and gazed at the sky through the open skylight.
One by one, they drifted off—first Hanna, then Elsa, followed by Saki, Stearena, and finally Jin.
Reiko, who had no need for sleep, closed the skylight and took up her post alongside Steward to stand guard through the night.
"Sleep well, Father."
Reiko’s whisper was lost in the vast, glittering expanse of the starlit sky.