Applying the magical skin to Selene proceeded without a hitch.
After Jin made minor adjustments to her power source to include an ether converter, she was capable of semi-permanent operation. To protect against Master-Slave Rewrite Magic, he equipped her entire torso with a thin suit of mithril armor.
"That should put my mind at ease," Jin said.
Finally, he added a barrier generation function. Out of all the attendants joining the journey, Selene had the lowest defensive capabilities, so this was intended to compensate for that weakness.
"Thank you, Jin-kun, Reinhard-kun," Stearena said.
Following the modifications, Elsa and Stearena set to work making clothes for the golem.
"I will... make her proper underwear, too," Elsa added.
"That’s a good idea. Thank you, Elsa. I’ll leave that to you."
While the two female magi craftsmen handled the attire, Jin and Reinhard prepared her hair and shoes. The shoes were crafted from magical beast leather, which was both lightweight and durable. For her hair, they used a wig made of synthetic fibers derived from ground spider silk, matching it to Stearena’s copper hue.
By the time they finished, Elsa and Stearena had returned with the finished outfit.
"My, she looks wonderful!"
Selene, formerly a Blue Topaz Golem, had undergone a total transformation. With her voluminous copper hair, she looked like Stearena’s own sister.
"Now then, let's help her into her underwear."
"……"
The undergarments consisted of a modern Earth-style bra and short drawers. Jin and Reinhard instinctively averted their eyes.
"For the outfit, it has to be this," Stearena declared.
Since she was an attendant, they had chosen a black one-piece dress paired with a white apron—a classic maid look. Coincidentally, Reiko, Ar, Neon, and Selene all ended up in black-themed apron dresses.
Edgar was dressed in a black blazer and trousers, while Noir, the Black Knight, looked every bit the professional bodyguard.
"This is going to be a rather conspicuous group..." Jin muttered, only just realizing the impression they would make.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Dinner is served," Berche called out shortly after 6:00 PM. "Saki helped me today, so I’m sure it will be delicious."
Saki’s hands were covered in small nicks and scratches.
"Saki-nee, give me your hands.……Behandeln."
Elsa applied the surgical healing magic. She was quickly becoming the group's dedicated healer.
"Thank you, Elsa."
"Mm. It's important for a girl to keep her hands clean. Mother taught me that."
"The one Elsa calls 'Mother' is Marlene, right?" Saki asked. "Since she calls Mine 'mother'."
"Yes.……Saki-nee is of marquess blood. You should pay a bit more attention to your grooming."
"Kufu, that stings a little." Saki scratched her head sheepishly.
"Now, now, please eat.……Here you go, dear."
Ignoring the exchange, Berche poured wine for Reinhard.
The menu featured steak, soup, bread, and salad, along with tempura made from fish caught in the Naudaria River.
"I’ve been practicing," Berche noted.
Frying tempura batter to a perfect, light crisp is no easy feat. Berche mentioned she had undergone special training with Perido and her team. Instead of tempura sauce, they used seaweed salt from Hourai Island. Jin, a fan of the crunch, preferred the salt method.
"Mm, you’ve improved, Bell."
"Do you think so? I’m so happy."
"……Thanks for the meal."
"Oh? Saki, are you finished already?"
"Yes, it was delicious."
It was a peaceful evening for Jin and his companions.
＊ ＊ ＊
The following morning, on the 25th at 7:20 AM, the group departed Hourai Island exactly as scheduled.
Stearena had prepared bread as a gift and had Selene carry it. It was soft, fluffy bread made with yeast, accompanied by several other food items. Additionally, every member of the party wore a ring produced in haste by Laojun—a magic tool that generated Air Leichtern magic to lighten their load.
Falcon 1, which had been sent ahead the previous day, was waiting on a sandy beach. The group stepped through the Warp Gate and onto the shore west of Koup.
The local time was 3:00 AM, and it was pitch black. Since it was summer, the air wasn't cold, but the darkness made it impossible to do much. Jin considered napping inside the Falcon while its Invisible barrier was active, but that felt like wasting the opportunity of their early arrival. They decided to walk slowly toward the town instead.
Since Reiko and the other automata and golems could see perfectly in the dark, they each walked hand-in-hand with their respective masters. This ensured no one would lose their footing in the soft sand.
After two hours of walking with occasional breaks, the sky began to lighten with the sunrise. The town of Koup came into view under a slightly cloudy sky.
"The west side is sandy and shallow, so it's not good for fishing," Stearena explained. "The east side is rocky, so that's where the fishermen's boats will be."
Listening to her, Jin briefly thought of Marcia, the shipwright he had met in Port Rock within the Kingdom of Elias. He remembered how she would head out to fish early every morning to earn enough for her living expenses and boat repairs.
"We finally arrived. Good work, everyone."
At Stearena’s voice, Jin snapped back to the present. The ground beneath his feet was no longer sand, but firm, packed earth.
"A friend's house is just a little further."
Following Stearena’s lead, the group entered the streets of Koup. The town was filled with stone houses that reminded Jin of Port Rock. He assumed the stone was a countermeasure against the salty sea breeze.
"Is this... sandstone?" Jin wondered aloud as he looked at the masonry. "Doesn't that crumble easily?"
Sandstone is formed from accumulated sand; its coarse, soft nature makes it easy to work with but prone to weathering. Still, it was a warm, inviting material. Jin recalled hearing that the old streets of Florence were famously built of sandstone.
When he reached out to touch a wall, expecting the weathered surface to turn to grit, he found it surprisingly solid.
"It has a proper Toughening spell applied to it," Stearena clarified.
Jin nodded, satisfied.
"It’s this one. I wonder if they’re awake yet."
It was now around 5:30 AM. They stood before a house in an alley just off the main street. It was a substantial size for a commoner’s home—two stories, roughly a 5LDK layout.
A wooden board hung at the entrance to serve as a door knocker. One was expected to strike it with the attached wooden mallet to announce their presence. Stearena swung the mallet, and a dry thwack echoed through the alley. The door opened almost immediately.
"It's been a long time, Vee!"
"Well, if it isn't Stea! It really has been a while! What brings you here today?"
The woman who appeared looked to be about Stearena’s age, perhaps slightly older. She had bright platinum blonde hair that was almost white and dark brown eyes. She was shorter than Jin.
"I’ve brought some friends along. Is now a good time?"
"Of course!……Welcome to Koup. Any friend of Stea’s is more than welcome! Come on in."
The woman, Vivian, ushered the group inside. A delicious aroma filled the house; she had evidently been in the middle of preparing breakfast.
"Everyone, this is Vivian. She’s my childhood friend."
As Stearena started the introductions, Vivian held up a hand.
"Hold that thought for a second. Let me finish getting things ready.……Now, what should I do? I can make the soup go further, but I’m short on bread..."
"Oh, I brought plenty of bread as a gift," Stearena said.
"Really? That’s a lifesaver. Well then, please have a seat and wait."
The spacious kitchen featured a large table that easily accommodated Jin’s entire party. Stearena took the bread from Selene’s pack and sliced enough for everyone.
"Sorry for the wait."
Vivian set a large pot of soup on the table with a heavy thud.
"Oh?"
Jin looked at the soup and blinked in surprise. It was a vibrant red with a very specific, familiar scent.
No matter how he looked at it, it was tomato soup.
Had he just discovered tomatoes?