"It's a local specialty of this region. We sauté vegetables and then simmer them in tometru juice."
Vivian gave a brief explanation of the dish, adding that the seasoning varied from house to house.
"I hope it's to your liking," she said as she skillfully portioned out servings into small bowls for everyone. Her movements were remarkably efficient.
Once everyone had their soup and bread had been passed around, Vivian introduced herself properly.
"Well then, allow me to introduce myself again. I'm Vivian. I'm Stea’s childhood friend, and I work as a storyteller."
"Then let me introduce my friends," Stearena said. "Starting from here, we have Saki-san, Jin-kun, Elsa-san, Berche-san, and her husband, Reinhard-san. And their attendants… the automata Ar-san, Reiko-san, Edgar-kun, and Neon-san, plus the golem Noir-san."
"My, how impressive… it’s quite a sight! One doesn't often get the chance to see so many automata and golems at once."
Vivian spoke with an entranced expression, but then, realizing they were about to eat breakfast, she quickly added, "Oh, how rude of me. Everyone, please, help yourselves."
The group offered their thanks and took their first tastes of the soup.
"It's delicious."
The flavor was built on a base of acidic tomatoes—or rather, tometru, as they were called in this world—heightened by the kick of various spices.
"I'm glad," Vivian said, smiling as she saw from their expressions that the praise wasn't mere flattery. She tore off a piece of bread, dipped it in the soup, and brought it to her mouth.
"Oh, this is wonderful!"
This time, it was Vivian who raised her voice in surprise.
"I felt it when I tore it, but this bread is so fluffy, and it has such a mysterious, pleasant aroma. It's truly delicious."
The aroma she mentioned was likely the scent produced by natural yeast. In this world, yeast was not yet used in baking.
Since Jin and the others had only eaten a light breakfast earlier, they were just hungry enough to enjoy the unfamiliar flavors to the fullest.
After a breakfast filled with the enjoyment of new tastes, a drink called kahyi was served.
This is coffee, isn't it?
Since the Quinta had only recently been dispatched to the southern part of the Celuroa Kingdom, Jin hadn't encountered this flavor yet. The same applied to the tometru.
Following this trip, the cultivation of kahyi and tometru—coffee and tomatoes—would soon begin on Hourai Island.
"So, about our main objective," Stearena began while sipping her kahyi. "Jin-kun, Reinhard-kun, and Elsa-san are magi craftmen like me, and we're planning to build a cat golem."
"Heh, a cat, is it? So you've come to observe the movements of real cats?"
Vivian nodded understandingly.
"If we're talking about houses nearby that keep cats, I suppose that would be the place?" Stearena asked, her tone suggesting she already had a location in mind and was seeking Vivian's confirmation.
"Yes, House Techles might be best."
The two seemed to reach an agreement and nodded to each other. Vivian then began to explain.
"House Techles belongs to the wealthiest family in town. They're merchants, and it seems they've made a fortune trading with the Kingdom of Egerea and the Kingdom of Elias by ship."
Stearena added a supplement to the explanation.
"But they're very approachable. They especially love hearing stories from guests from abroad, so they'll probably be overjoyed if we all go together."
"Well, even if we do go, it's still a bit too early."
The time was roughly six-thirty. While the residents of Koup were said to be early risers, it was still far too early to visit a merchant house.
"Um, you mentioned earlier that you were a 'storyteller,' didn't you?"
Jin, who had been curious ever since Vivian introduced herself, finally voiced his question.
"Yes, that's right. I'm the thirty-second generation storyteller. I'm still quite inexperienced, though," Vivian replied with a slightly bashful expression.
"That was actually our other objective. Vee, would you mind sharing a few old tales with Jin-kun and the others?"
Jin was secretly delighted by Stearena’s unexpected request.
"Jin-kun in particular is very interested in those kinds of ancient stories. Please."
"Well, since it's Stea asking, of course. So, what kind of story would you like?"
Caught off guard, Jin thought for a moment before replying.
"A story about the ancestors who came from beyond the sun… if possible, that is."
At that, Vivian gave a bright smile.
"Oh? How interesting. Usually, the requests we storytellers get are for tales of heroes who command dragons, or tragic romances between princesses and ritters. I've hardly ever told that story—it's from so long ago that no one even knows if it's true."
Vivian explained that storytellers were essentially those who taught stories and history to the common people who could not read.
"But I intend to pass on even those precious stories that haven't been written down. That is the pride of a storyteller."
With a smile, Vivian began to speak in a slow, rhythmic cadence.
"…Once, in the very, very distant past…"
It is said that the ancestors of humanity lived in a different land.
That place was a paradise.
Humans could fly through the sky and move objects without lifting a finger.
They were served by attendants nearly identical to themselves; the masters never had to perform any labor.
There was no disparity between rich and poor, and therefore, no conflict arose.
There was no sickness, and no injuries.
People devoted themselves to their hobbies, and a vibrant array of cultures blossomed.
It was thought that those days would last forever.
However.
After several hundred, or perhaps several thousand years had passed, the population began to dwindle.
This was because the number of children being born decreased.
Though people lived long lives, those who passed away still outnumbered the children being born.
And another few hundred years passed.
Paradise was no longer a paradise.
The population had fallen to less than a thousandth of its peak.
A portion of the remaining people made the decision to abandon paradise.
They built a giant ship that could soar through the sky and set off on a journey to find another world.
After a long, long journey, they found a new land.
The people chose one of the continents as their new home. The continent was uninhabited, possessing lush nature and abundant resources.
Leaving the ship floating in the sky to look down upon the new world, the people began their lives on the ground.
Life in the new world was not easy, and a certain percentage of people chose to return to the ship and live there.
Another few hundred years passed, and the people began to enter a new era of prosperity in the new land.
They took the past as a lesson, vowing not to follow the same path.
As their numbers grew, the people began to spread to adjacent continents.
Another few hundred years passed…
"…That's as far as the story goes," Vivian said in an apologetic voice. "What happened to the people after that has not been passed down."
"Thank you, Vee."
"…That was fascinating."
"Ancient stories really spark the imagination, don't they!"
"Hmm, how should I put it… the interpretation is quite difficult."
"It was a very intriguing tale."
Everyone seemed to have their own impressions.
"Of course, it's just a legend," Vivian added. "There's no telling if any of it is actually true."
However, there was one person who didn't think so.
…Could the moon be that spaceship? Jin wondered silently, the thought escaping him as a quiet murmur.