"Man, Jin, that was delicious!"
Green tea was the perfect follow-up to the sweets.
Jin and the others took a moment to relax, sipping the tea Reiko had brewed for them.
"We didn't have those in my village, so it was my first time eating one. It was so good!" Hanna added, looking quite pleased.
They could have lingered longer, but as clouds began to gather overhead, they decided it was time to move on. The distance from the uninhabited rest house to Kari Village was roughly twenty kilometers.
"I’d like to get there before the rain starts. Edgar, pick up the pace."
"Yes, Jin-sama."
The automobile the group was riding in was the Improved Prototype Model 1. It featured an engine capable of reaching speeds of up to one hundred kilometers per hour. However, because Jin had installed a limiter, they usually capped their speed at forty.
The hard-packed road provided a smooth ride, and they covered the distance quickly. Just over thirty minutes later, Kari Village appeared before them. The rain had held off.
The houses were constructed from stone and clay. Seeing several newer structures, Jin wondered if the village’s population was on the rise. As the automobile drew closer, curious residents began to gather.
"What in the world? It’s moving without a horse!"
"Is it something like those bicycles?"
"To think they have things like that in the East..."
A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his early forties stepped out from the crowd. He had a sturdy build, sharp eyes, dark brown hair, and gray eyes, finished with a short beard.
His skin tone...
Jin didn't say it aloud, but he could sense that this man shared the same ancestry as the servants of the demon race, like Lucas and Netros.
"Welcome, travelers. I am Daro, the chief of this village."
Jin recognized the name from what John Dini had told him.
"I am Jin. This is Elsa, a Reichsarzt of the Shouro Empire. Next to her is Saki, an alchemist from the same empire. And this is my younger sister, Hanna."
"I am Elsa."
"I am Saki."
"And I'm Hanna!"
"Furthermore, this is my automata, Reiko. Over there is Saki’s automata, Aaru. And the one driving is Elsa’s automata, Edgar."
The moment Jin mentioned they were automata, Daro’s eyes went wide.
"What! Automata, you say? I have never seen any that looked so much like real people! Lord Jin, you must be a magnificent magi engineer."
"That is incorrect," Reiko interjected. "Father is the Magi Craft Meister. He is the one who stands above all other magi engineers."
Jin was caught off guard by Reiko’s boastful tone, but the explanation seemed to have a positive effect. Daro looked entirely convinced.
"Ho, so that is the sort of person you are."
"Here are our papers."
Jin presented the identification card and the permit to visit Mitsuho that he had received from the Empress. Daro took them, looked them over, and offered a deep bow.
"Magi Craft Meister, Lord Jin Nidou, you are most welcome. We are honored to receive you."
The Empress's letter certainly carries a lot of weight, Jin thought.
"What’s all this then? More guests?"
A woman pushed through the crowd. She spoke with a distinct accent, which immediately gave Jin a hunch. She looked to be in her early twenties, with slightly tanned skin, dark brown hair, and bright brown eyes. She was of average height and possessed a fine figure.
"Uh... would you be Maya-san?"
The woman looked surprised to hear her name.
"Eh? How’s a young man like you know who I am?"
"Ah, well, I heard about you from Oliver-san."
Technically it was via John Dini, but the result was the same. Maya beamed at the news.
"Is Oliver doin' well for himself then?"
"Yes, he told me quite a bit about this place."
"Is that so?...Daro-san, is it all right if I take charge of these folks, too?"
"Yes, please do, Maya. They are important guests."
"You got it!" Maya replied playfully before turning back to the group. "Well then, I’m Maya. I act as a guide of sorts here in Kari Village. It’s a pleasure to meet ya."
"Likewise. I’m Jin, this is Hanna, this is Elsa, and that’s Saki. Then we have the automata: Aaru, Reiko, and Edgar."
"That’s quite the crowd. Will one big room be enough for ya? This is a small village, so our lodgings aren't exactly top-tier. Aside from the big room, we only have two singles."
As Jin was marveling at her interesting dialect, Elsa gave his sleeve a little tug.
"...Shall we go?"
"Ah, right."
Maya had already begun leading the way. The village was compact; a straight two-minute walk brought them to their destination.
"Here we are. Sorry, but you’ll have to handle your own cookin' while you’re here."
"That’s no problem. We’ll bring the car over. Edgar, if you would."
"Yes!" Edgar answered and ran off to fetch the vehicle.
"What an incredible automata," Maya said, watching him go with genuine admiration. "He’s just like a human."
She seemed intrigued by them, eventually asking, "So, do ya’ll have any plans for the rest of the day?"
"No, nothing in particular," Jin replied.
Maya smiled brightly. "Then I’ll show ya around the area."
Seeing no reason to decline, Jin and the others accepted her offer.
"The first person I ever guided was about five years ago—a magi engineer named Tenkunhan," Maya started as they walked.
"I’ve heard that name before," Jin remarked. He recalled an avant-garde statue at an inn in the town of Hatata that was supposedly made by him.
"I heard he was an artisan, though," Elsa noted.
"Yes, I've heard the same," Saki added.
"Me too."
Since everyone except Hanna seemed to know of him—and specifically as an artisan rather than a magi engineer—Maya nodded as if everything finally made sense.
"I figured as much. He wasn't really much help with practical things." She paused, her expression turning nostalgic. "The next one was a man named John, back at the end of last year. Now, that man was something else. He even fixed our bicycles for us."
"Bicycles, huh?"
When Jin reacted to the word, Maya looked impressed and turned to him.
"Oh? You know what a bicycle is?"
"Yes, I do," Jin answered honestly. He was actually quite keen on seeing an actual bicycle in this world.
"I see! Well, I’ll show 'em to ya later....And then since the start of this year, two delegations have come through from the Shouro Empire. I reckon diplomatic ties will be official soon enough."
Chatting as they went, they arrived at a small, solitary rocky hill on the edge of the village. A path had been cleared, making for an easy climb. It served as a natural observatory.
"Take a look. You can see right out toward the Harihari Desert from here."
"Wow, you're right."
Looking north from the village, Jin saw the desert stretching out beyond a belt of scrubland. It was a gravel desert rather than a sea of sand, with massive boulders jutting out of the ground here and there. It was quite different from the typical image of a 'desert.'
To the east, he could see the highway winding through a gently sloping valley. That area was much greener, dotted with shrubs, grass, and moss. He had seen these views many times through images sent by the Watcher, but seeing it with his own eyes felt entirely different.
"The sunrise and sunset are real pretty from up here, too," Maya said proudly. "We only just finished fixing up this path this year. Ya’ll are the very first guests to come up here and see the view."
That explains why it wasn't in John Dini's reports, Jin thought.
"Right then, on to the next spot!"
Maya took the lead and began heading back down the hill. Jin and the others followed close behind.
"Next is... something special!"