"Look, that’s the desert."
"It really is nothing but rocks and sand!"
"...A fascinating view."
Jin, Hanna, and Elsa stood atop the wall, gazing out at the Harihari Desert.
They were in Ismar, a town on the western frontier of the Shouro Empire. Stone walls roughly five meters high encircled the settlement, protecting it from the sandworms that prowled the desert sands. The walls were about 1.5 meters thick, wide enough for people to walk along the top during the day.
Jin, Elsa, Saki, and Hanna had been traveling west in the automobile Jin had built. While it was slower than Konron 2, it offered the distinct advantage of allowing them to take their time and observe the towns they passed through. Reiko, Edgar, and Aaru accompanied them, with Edgar serving as their driver.
Because Ismar sat at the southern edge of the Harihari Desert and possessed a unique environment, they had decided to stay for a few days.
"Father, Saki-san and Aaru are approaching," Reiko said, her sharp eyes spotting two figures in the distance.
Ten minutes later, Saki and Aaru arrived at the base of the wall.
"Kufu! Jin, look at this. Isn't it an interesting plant?"
Saki had just returned from a brief desert exploration near the town gates with Aaru.
"...A cactus?" Jin asked.
Aaru was holding a succulent plant bristling with thorns. It appeared to be a species of cactus, or at least a plant that had adapted to the arid climate.
"Hmm, I’m not quite sure yet. I’d like to make a specimen and classify it properly," Saki said.
Saki had acquired a level of knowledge equivalent to a modern Japanese high school student from Jin. However, that knowledge didn't always translate perfectly to the flora and fauna of this world.
"Well, that kind of research is part of the fun!" Saki added.
Jin had equipped the automobile with an exceptionally small Warp Gate—just large enough for a person to crawl through if necessary. By using it to send materials back to Hourai Island, they could have Laojun process and store specimens immediately.
"But man, it’s hot in this gear!" Saki complained, flipping back her hood.
Everyone in the group was wearing hooded cloaks to keep the sand out. However, under the direct sun, the heavy fabric became stuffy and sweltering. It was bearable if they stayed still, but Saki was drenched in sweat from her walk.
The afternoon sun beat down relentlessly, and the temperature was around 25 degrees Celsius. Because the air was dry, it was pleasant enough in the shade, but the sand-resistant long sleeves and pants—tied tight at the cuffs and ankles—trapped the heat inside.
"Shall we head back to the inn?" Jin suggested.
"Yeah."
"I’m for it!"
They were staying at the Sand Rose Inn, currently the largest establishment in Ismar. While they had no complaints about the rooms or the food, the water situation was another story. Being so close to the desert, the town’s water supply was poor. There were no baths, not even a shower. At best, they could wipe themselves down with a damp cloth.
"If it gets to be too much, we can always pop back to Hourai Island," Jin said.
"Kufu, I suppose this is the kind of experience you only get when traveling with Jin," Saki remarked.
Saki had once been indifferent to personal grooming, but ever since she had discovered the bliss of hot springs, she had become a dedicated enthusiast of bathing.
Today was April 5th. The last time they had enjoyed a proper soak was on the 3rd, when they had returned to Hourai Island to celebrate Reiko’s birthday. Since it had only been two days, they decided to make do with a sponge bath for the night.
"Kufu, this brings back memories," Saki murmured as Aaru wiped her back.
"...Saki-nee, that is nothing to brag about," Elsa said with a look of mild exasperation while Hanna wiped hers.
"But hot springs feel so good!" Hanna chirped.
"Mhm. Hanna-chan, I agree," Elsa replied, taking her turn to wipe Hanna’s back.
They had rented two rooms: a large one for the group and a smaller one. Jin and Reiko took the small room, while the others shared the larger one.
After Jin finished cleaning up, he sat down to brush Reiko’s hair.
"Thank you, Father."
Reiko was in high spirits; it had been a while since she had spent time alone with Jin like this.
"And thank you again for celebrating my birthday recently."
Even while on the road, Jin had taken Reiko back to Hourai Island to perform a full maintenance overhaul on her.
"Of course. I’ll be counting on you from here on out, too."
"Yes. I devote my existence to you, Father—and to the children you have yet to sire."
"H-Hey now."
"Fufu. Father, please let me hold your children soon."
Hearing her say that made Jin feel a sense of relief; it seemed she had completely accepted Elsa.
Early the next morning, Jin went out for a walk through Ismar. Only Reiko accompanied him. Since the other women were still asleep, he had quietly slipped out of the inn to avoid disturbing them.
Perhaps because of the nearby desert, the morning air was sharp and cold. It felt a bit chilly even with his hood up.
"Father, just ahead is the shop belonging to Mr. Oliver, the man who provided the katsuobushi."
"Ah, that's the place?"
It was quite an impressive storefront. Jin had heard that Oliver had been part of the diplomatic mission during the first negotiations with Mitsuho. He wanted to take a look inside, but since it was far too early for the shop to open, he passed by and continued toward the town walls.
"Oh, what’s this...?"
Near the base of the wall, on a raised earthen bank, he spotted a nostalgic plant. He gently plucked a piece with his fingertips. The small leaves were covered in dense, fine hair and looked similar to chrysanthemum leaves.
"No doubt about it. This is mugwort."
Looking around, he saw it growing in abundance. Jin had Reiko help him, and they gathered two large handfuls. He stopped there, not wanting to overharvest the patch.
"Father, what do you plan to do with this?"
"It's a taste of spring... I’m going to make kusamochi."
He had heard that in ancient times, people used Jersey cudweed, but nowadays, mugwort was the standard. The recipe Jin had learned from the Orphanage Director went as follows:
- Wash the mugwort and boil it with a little salt and a pinch of baking soda.
- Soak the boiled mugwort in cold water, then grind it into a paste using a mortar.
- Knead joshinko—non-glutinous rice flour—with hot water and boil the dough.
- Combine the dough with the mugwort paste and mix thoroughly in the mortar.
- Roll the mixture into bite-sized pieces and serve with kinako or anko.
There were methods that involved pounding it into glutinous rice, but the orphanage hadn't owned a mortar and pestle, so this was the version Jin knew best.
"How nostalgic," he muttered.
Jin had been made to help with the process many times. The younger children were sent to pick the mugwort, while Jin was usually assigned to the heavy work with the mortar.
"It won't be ready for breakfast, but we can have it for lunch. Reiko, please arrange for some joshinko, anko, and kinako to be sent over."
He meant from Hourai Island, of course. The island had plenty of red-eyed peas and round beans in stock. Jin considered asking to use the inn’s kitchen to prepare it.
"Father, if you are going to do that, why not simply have lunch on Hourai Island?" Reiko suggested.
While he could argue that the joshinko was something they had been carrying with them, the fresh anko and kinako would be harder to explain. Reiko pointed out that instead of struggling with the logistics in town, they could just pop back home for a bit.
"True... but you know, there’s something special about eating while you're on a trip."
It was that classic feeling—even food you ate all the time tasted better when enjoyed as a picnic outdoors.
"Then how about you make it on Hourai Island and bring it back here to eat?"
"Ah, that works."
He wasn't even sure if the inn’s kitchen would have a proper mortar, and they certainly wouldn't have baking soda. For now, baking soda was a specialty of Kaina Village and hadn't seen much wider distribution. Following Reiko’s advice, Jin decided he would prepare the kusamochi on Hourai Island.