Setting aside the utter culture shock Rita experienced upon seeing the facilities in Kaina Village, Jin bypassed Nidou and headed straight for his actual home.
Hanna accompanied him, of course. Jin's private residence sat directly across from Martha’s house.
"I'm home, Grandma!" Hanna chirped, ducking into her own house first to let Martha know she had returned.
Jin, Elsa, Reiko, and Edgar continued on to Jin’s house. The first floor was dedicated to his workshop, and Jin stepped inside to survey the space for the first time in a long while.
"It’s been ages... but there isn’t a speck of dust anywhere."
Reiko offered a quiet observation. "Father, I believe Martha and the others have been keeping it clean for you."
"Ah, I see. I’ll have to make sure to thank them."
Just then, Martha and Mine came over to greet them.
"Welcome back, Jin. You too, Elsa-chan."
"Welcome back, Jin-sama. Elsa, welcome home."
After exchanging greetings, Jin and Elsa formally announced their engagement.
"Is that so? Jin, Elsa-chan, congratulations to you both," Martha said warmly.
"Elsa, congratulations. Jin-sama, please look after my daughter," Mine added.
Both women offered their heartfelt blessings. Moments later, Hanna returned, having washed her hands and carrying something in her grip.
"Onii-chan, Big Sister Elsa, congratulations on your engagement!"
With a bright smile, Hanna held out a small gift: a branch from a query tree, heavy with buds.
"I really wanted to give you a branch with flowers in full bloom, but even the earliest query trees haven't opened yet."
Despite that, the pale pink buds were swollen and plump, looking as though they might burst open at any second.
"Thank you, Hanna. The query tree is my favorite flower," Jin said.
"Thank you, Hanna-chan. Even as buds, they're beautiful," Elsa added.
They thanked her and accepted the branch. Elsa immediately looked for a way to display it, but realized she didn't have a vase on hand. However, they were in Jin’s workshop, and materials were plentiful. She picked up a silver ingot.
"Forming."
Using Craft Magic, Elsa shaped the silver into an elegant vase. Hanna watched the process with an admiring grin.
Though it was a bit early, the group gathered in Martha’s dining room for three o’clock tea.
"There we are. All finished."
"Wow, it smells amazing!" Hanna practically skipped with joy. It was her favorite treat: hotcakes. These were served with a generous dollop of Wylie jam.
Jin and Elsa opted for maple syrup, while Martha and Mine chose brule jam—a fruit similar to blueberries.
"Delicious!"
By using a small amount of baking soda, the hotcakes turned out light and fluffy. This recipe had become quite popular throughout the Klein Kingdom, and as a result, the baking soda produced in Kaina Village was selling well as a local specialty. Since too much baking soda could leave a bitter aftertaste, the measurements were tricky, but Mine had already mastered the precise ratio.
"Mother, this is wonderful," Elsa said.
"Yes, it really is," Jin agreed.
"I am glad you enjoy it." Mine shared a knowing nod and a smile with Martha. It was a peaceful, heartwarming afternoon.
Later, Jin decided to visit the Village Chief's house to catch up on everything he had missed while away. Elsa stayed behind, having much to discuss with Mine.
"Oh, in that case, I'll go with you!" Hanna said, clearly wanting to spend as much time with Jin as possible. Jin agreed with a smile.
"Hey, hey, Onii-chan! While you were gone, another baby was born!"
"Everyone says it was an easy winter because there wasn't much snow."
"The other day, I saw cress sprouts in the Erme River! Spring is almost here!"
Listening to her excited chatter, Jin made his way to the Village Chief’s house.
"Oh, Jin! Welcome back."
"Jin-dono, welcome home."
Giebeck and Sally, now a happily married couple, came out to greet him.
"Nothing too unusual has happened, though Rock and Molly’s child was born on March 1st. It’s a girl—they named her Jenny."
"Ah, that’s wonderful news. Congratulations to them."
Life in Kaina Village had grown quite comfortable, which seemed to have sparked something of a baby rush. To maintain a population, a community generally needs at least two children per couple, and it seemed the village was finally meeting that threshold.
"Though things seem a bit harder for our neighbors," Giebeck noted.
"Neighbors? You mean Toka Village? Did something happen?" Jin asked. Since Lishia Fahlheit was the lord there, he was naturally concerned.
"Well, word is that several young people abandoned the village and moved to the royal capital."
"Ah, I see."
Jin supposed that whether it was Earth or here on Ars, the youth would always yearn for the city. Realizing he was thinking like an old man, he let out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle.
Hanna caught his expression. "Onii-chan, you’re making a funny face."
Jin blinked, realizing he'd been caught, and playfully ruffled Hanna’s hair to hide his embarrassment.
That evening, they were treated to dinner at Martha’s house. Sara, the golem maid, helped out, efficiently laying out the meal. Jin learned that Sara had been working in the communal fields lately to cover for Martha, who had recently been suffering from back pain.
"...You really should have told us," Elsa said, her voice laced with worry.
"It’s fine, dear. I’m almost completely better. I was even planning on going back to the fields tomorrow," Martha said with a laugh.
Elsa wasn't convinced. "In that case, all the more reason to let me examine you."
"Is that so? Well, I suppose I shouldn't refuse."
Since they hadn't eaten yet, Martha lay face down on her bed for an examination.
"Diagnose."
Elsa focused her magic on Martha’s lower back.
"...Your spine has begun to slightly deform. Heilung. Heilung."
Martha was showing signs of early-stage osteoporosis, and Elsa spotted slight compression fractures in the vertebrae. She worked carefully to mend the bone and improve Martha’s calcium metabolism. While Sally was a skilled healer in her own right, Elsa’s medical knowledge was technically superior.
I really should see if Sally-sensei would like to join the Jin Family... Jin thought as he watched Elsa work.
A conflict immediately arose in his mind regarding what to do about her husband, Giebeck. He decided to set the matter aside for the moment, planning to consult with Elsa, Reiko, and Laojun later.
"Ah, thank you, Elsa-chan. That feels so much better," Martha said, sitting up with a refreshed smile.
"Big Sister Elsa, thank you for fixing Grandma!"
"You're very welcome, Hanna-chan." Elsa replied with a bashful smile.
They finally sat down for dinner.
"...And you know, this year's wheat crop looks promising."
"We've expanded the fields, too. Everyone is excited to try growing rice and buckwheat starting this year."
"Oh! And Rock and the others were talking about making the ranch bigger!"
Listening to the flood of updates, Jin felt a bit overwhelmed, but immensely happy. Kaina Village was his second home. It was his village, after all.