The automobile carrying Jin and his party continued its journey across the plains.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, a mass of rock appeared in their path.
"Oh? What’s that?"
It was a protrusion that seemed out of place on the gently undulating terrain. As they drew closer, it became clear that it was a building.
"Is it stone construction with more stones piled on top?"
Its exterior looked like a small rocky mountain. The group stopped the automobile to get a better look.
Towering against the backdrop of the twilight sky, the structure was roughly the size of a two-story house. The entrance stood wide open. It felt like a large kamakura or igloo made entirely of stone.
"Maybe it was an ancient rest house, Jin?" Saki suggested.
"Yeah, I think your guess is spot on, Saki."
"Jin-nii, are we staying here?" Elsa asked.
"No... the inside looks a bit sketchy."
While the construction seemed solid enough, Jin didn’t like the idea of trying to sleep if he had to worry about the ceiling collapsing in the middle of the night.
"Oh?"
Saki, who had been peering into the shadows of the entrance, seemed to have spotted something.
"Saki, what’s wrong?"
"I think... someone’s in there."
"What?"
Jin peered in as well. In the gloom, he could just make out what looked like a human figure.
"They aren't dead, are they...?"
"No, they have a body temperature, so I believe they are alive," Reiko said. Since it was already dim outside and even darker within, there was no reason to doubt her; she had already switched her vision to infrared mode to observe the occupant.
"Hey! Are you alive in there?" Saki called out from the entrance.
A faint, thin voice drifted back. "Ooooh..."
"Jin, they're definitely alive."
Saki stepped inside, followed by Aaru. Jin went in as well, bringing Reiko along. As he entered, he ordered Reiko to monitor the condition of the ceiling and instructed her to be ready to deploy a solid barrier or use her force generator to prevent a collapse at a moment's notice.
"Jin-nii, aren't you worrying too much?"
Elsa's comment didn't sway him. Considering the worst-case scenario, Jin couldn't be at ease unless he took every precaution—especially since Saki, Elsa, and Hanna had all followed him inside. To protect his precious family, Jin was always willing to be overly cautious, putting aside his own comfort for their safety.
"Hello? What happened to you?" Saki asked the figure. When they lit a Light Ball to see, they found a young man slumped on the floor.
"H-hun... gry..."
"Eh?"
"So... hungry..."
"Huh?"
The artificial stone chamber felt unsettled, so Jin had the man carried outside.
The man wore clothes similar to those of Jin's group, but his features were closer to those of a resident of Mitsuho, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Outside, the sun had already set, and stars were beginning to twinkle in the cooling air.
"The car is a bit cramped... what should we do?"
"Father, let’s ask Laojun to send a tent," Reiko suggested.
On Hourai Island, materials were often stored temporarily outdoors, so they had tents of various sizes ready for deployment.
"Yeah, let’s do that. Have him send one of an appropriate size."
True to form, a tent was sent via warp just two minutes later.
Though called a tent, it wasn't a flimsy camping shelter but a house-shaped structure similar to the pavilions used for dignitaries at events. It featured a frame made of 64 light silver and fabric woven from ground spider silk. With full walls and a high ceiling, it was spacious enough to walk around in comfortably. The floor was covered with thick mats cushioned by Gula Schwamm, making it soft enough to sleep on directly.
"Well, this is certainly... something," Saki muttered, looking slightly exasperated by the luxury.
"Wow, it's amazing!" Hanna’s eyes sparkled.
"Laojun really does have a personality just like Jin-nii's," Elsa added with a sigh of resignation.
"H-hey, let's just get inside."
"In a situation like this, I suppose Persica juice is the standard," Jin said.
"Mm."
After checking with Elsa, Jin helped the man into the tent and handed him a cup of Persica juice.
"Can you drink this?"
The man drained the cup in a single gulp. His desperation was such that he likely would have swallowed it even if he thought it was poison.
"...More."
Having regained a flicker of energy, the man requested a refill. Jin smiled and poured him a second cup. After finishing a third, the man let out a long, deep sigh.
"Thank you....By the way, who are you people?"
"Starting with the basics, I see," Saki said with an exasperated laugh.
"I’m Jin Nidou. This is Hanna, that’s Elsa, and the one laughing is Saki. She's the one who found you."
"I see. I am Goose Minakata. I specialize in natural history."
"You said Jin Nidou?" Goose asked, looking at Jin. "I assume Nidou is the family name?"
"Ah, yeah, that’s right."
To Jin's surprise, Goose had not only pronounced "Jin Nidou" with the perfect accent of a native, but he had also correctly identified the naming order.
"Well then, Mr. Nidou, you've saved my life. I set out on a research expedition to the Great Sahara Desert, but I ran out of food. I finally managed to make it back this far, but I haven't eaten a bite in four days. I was at the end of my rope."
"It’s lucky we happened to be passing by. What did you plan to do if we hadn't?"
"Who knows? I suppose I would have just shriveled up and died right here. So, I truly am grateful. Thank you."
Goose spoke of his near-death experience with startling casualness. "I completely botched this expedition. I’d halfway given up, thinking I had no choice but to accept the consequences of my failure."
"I see..." Jin thought the man was quite unusual—a type he hadn't encountered before.
"So, where are you all coming from, and where are you bound?"
"We came from the town of Miyako and we’re heading north."
Goose’s eyes lit up. "Is that so! Then that's perfect. Would you take me along with you? I know the way well enough. From the looks of you, you aren't exactly locals from Fusou, are you?"
"Fusou?"
"Just as I thought. You don't even know the name of the country. Fusou is the land you’re heading toward. You lot came from Mitsuho, didn't you?"
Goose was clearly a quick thinker. He had deduced a significant amount of information from just a few sentences. "I don't know what your business is there, but I admire your spirit for seeking the unknown."
As Goose prattled on, Saki, who had been listening with a strained smile, finally spoke up.
"You've got a lot of nerve acting so high and mighty when you were just about to die because of your own poor planning."
"H-hey, Saki," Jin tried to interject. Her tone was uncharacteristically sharp.
"Hmm? Are you mocking the pursuit of knowledge?" Goose countered.
"No! I don't know who you think you are, but I don't like the way you're talking down to Jin. What's with that attitude after he just saved your life?"
"I said thank you, didn't I?"
"You call that a thank you?!"
"Saki, take it easy," Jin said, surprised by how heated she was getting. Elsa’s eyes were wide with shock as well.
"Onee-chan, you mustn't fight!" Hanna cried, looking worried.
"Ah—sorry, everyone. I just... it just made me angry. Mr. Minakata, my apologies."
Saki bit out the apology and marched out of the tent. Aaru immediately followed after her.
"Elsa, look after things here."
Worried, Jin hurried out of the tent to go after Saki.