On the morning of the 25th, Jin’s first stop was to see Hanna.
"Ah, Onii-chan! Good morning!"
"Good morning, Jin."
"Jin-sama, good morning."
"Good morning."
After exchanging morning greetings with Hanna, Martha, and Mine, Jin got straight to the point.
"I’m holding a farewell party tonight for the girls who came from Lario Village. I’ve already spoken to the Village Chief about it."
"My, has that time come already?" Martha mused, sounding a bit sentimental.
"Only three are heading back. It seems the rest of the girls have decided to settle down here in the village."
"They certainly have. It looks like spring has finally arrived for Rick, Jeff, and Sley as well."
"Huh? Grandma, summer's almost here, isn't it?"
Hanna tilted her head adorably. Jin watched her with a fond, warm smile.
"Anyway, I’m free this morning. I was thinking of holding a test flight session for the Konron 3."
Hanna had ridden it several times already, but the other children hadn’t had the chance yet.
The whole village knew that Hanna was 'special' to Jin, so he figured it was time to do something nice for the other children as well.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful. I’m sure plenty of adults will want to ride it too."
Martha’s prediction was spot on.
Nearly ninety percent of Kaina Village's residents gathered at the Nidou Castle Square.
"This is incredible..."
"Hey, Jin! I heard you’re letting us ride that thing!?"
"I’ve always wanted to see what it's like to fly!"
Even the fathers, like Rock and Linus, had their cheeks flushed with excitement like young boys.
Flight, it seemed, was the eternal dream of mankind.
"Well, I can't take everyone at once, so we’ll have to do a lottery."
Jin’s foresight in having the Five-Color Golem Maids prepare a lottery box paid off.
The box contained slips of paper numbered one through three, and the villagers would board the Konron 3 in that order.
"Yeah! I got a one!"
"A two, huh? Well, better than nothing."
"Ah... I’m in group three..."
After a boisterous lottery, the villagers were divided into groups of about thirty people each.
"Alright, group number one, please step aboard."
The villagers boarded the Konron 3 in an orderly fashion, without any unseemly rushing. Watching them, Jin was impressed.
(Is 'civility' the right word? The people of Kaina Village really are exemplary...)
"Is everyone on? Then, let’s head out!"
Once Jin, the last to enter, closed the door, Reiko stood by his side and issued instructions to the pilot, Heath, via her internal manacam.
"Ooh! We’re floating! No, we’re flying!"
The Konron 3 gently lifted off the ground and soared easily into the sky, carrying its thirty passengers. It gained altitude rapidly, leveling off at about a hundred meters.
It was the perfect height for taking in the view.
"Look, Dad! That's our roof!"
"Look, you can see the Erme River so clearly. It’s beautiful."
"The wheat fields are shimmering like gold."
Both adults and children were glued to the windows, completely enthralled.
Seeing their own village from the sky offered an entirely new perspective.
Jin found himself remembering the time he had climbed the small hill with Hanna to pick wild vegetables.
"Jin-niichan, can't we fly any higher?"
Patty, Jonas's daughter, spoke up while Jin was lost in thought.
"Hmm? Of course we can. Shall we try going higher?"
Jin called out toward the cockpit.
"Increase altitude!"
"Whoa!"
In response to Jin's command, the Konron 3 climbed rapidly. Thanks to the force generator, the passengers felt no acceleration G-forces at all.
"Amazing!"
They reached an altitude of four thousand meters—higher than the mountains towering behind Kaina Village.
"Wow, the clouds are beneath us!"
Once they broke through the cloud layer, an endless blue sky stretched out before them.
Since the Konron 3 didn't rely on helium gas for buoyancy, it was possible for passengers to move about freely within the hull.
"Alright, take turns going up to the top."
"Okay!"
An observation deck was situated on the upper part of the ship's hull. It had a capacity of about ten people, so Jin had them rotate through in shifts.
From there, they could see the deep azure sky—a sight impossible to witness from the ground—stretching out into infinity.
"This is incredible..."
Even Jin, who had seen such things in photographs back in his old world, had been moved when he first saw this view with his own eyes.
The feelings of children flying for the first time in their lives could only be imagined.
"Now then, once you’ve settled in, please have a drink."
"Oh, thank you very much."
Jin distributed chilled citran juice from the built-in refrigerator.
Usually, citrus was a poor choice for those prone to motion sickness, but since the Konron 3 hardly swayed at all, there was little cause for concern. In fact, not a single person felt unwell.
After a two-hour sightseeing flight, the Konron 3 returned to the ground.
By taking three groups in turns, Jin continued his service to the residents of Kaina Village for about six and a half hours.
They had started at nine in the morning, and with a one-hour break for lunch, it was now 4:30 PM. It was just in time for the Five-Color Golem Maids to finish the preparations for the banquet.
"Alright everyone, let's gather in the Great Hall."
Without letting any exhaustion show on his face, Jin called out cheerfully.
At 5:30 PM, as dusk began to fall, the lights were lit in the Great Hall of Nidou.
"Everyone, the three girls who came from Lario Village are returning to their families in their hometown. Today, we’re holding a farewell party for them, which also serves as a celebration to honor everyone's hard work before the wheat harvest begins."
The mention of the pre-harvest celebration was a pretext to ensure the girls didn't feel like a burden.
"Soon we'll be busy with the harvest. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest before the work starts!"
In response to Jin's speech, cheers of "Yeah!" rose from all sides. Jin didn't like to keep people waiting, so he kept his address brief.
"Everyone, thank you for your hard work every day. And to the girls from Lario Village, thank you for everything you’ve done."
And so, the banquet began.
Wine that Jin had purchased from various countries was served generously.
Smoked meat prepared last autumn was brought out.
Freshly prepared meat and fish dishes were laid across the tables.
Sweets like hotcakes, crepes, cotton candy, and ankoromochi were also served.
Everyone quenched their thirst with their favorite drinks and savored the feast.
Jin first went to offer words of appreciation to the three guests of honor.
"Fena, Laluu, Juni—thanks for all your hard work. Stay healthy."
"Jin-sama, thank you so much for everything!"
"You even taught us how to read and write. Thank you for everything!"
"Thank you for saving us!"
All three were the youngest children in large families. That appeared to be the reason they had chosen to return home.
"I’m just happy there are girls who chose to stay in this village."
"Indeed, dear."
Village Chief Giebeck and the healer Sally watched the bustling banquet from a short distance away while Lou, whom they had adopted, poured drinks for them.
"Berta, I’m truly glad you decided to stay."
Berta, one of the eight staying in the village, had grown quite close to Sley. And there was another pair.
"Sema, I promise I’m gonna make you happy."
"Yes, Jeff-san."
A girl named Sema had already exchanged a promise of marriage with Jeff.
"Everyone, take care of yourselves!"
"Yeah, it’ll be fine. Jin-sama said he’d take us back to Lario Village to visit every now and then."
"That’s right! If we ask Jin-sama, we’ll be able to see each other again!"
Today's sightseeing flight had also served to show the girls that future travel was possible. Because this wasn't a final, permanent separation, the girls remained cheerful despite the bittersweet occasion.
"Luluna is so quiet and cute, isn't she?"
"...Are you eyeing her, then?"
"I’m more interested in Kune."
"I wonder... what Rita will decide."
The three remaining younger associates of Rock—Bill, Tom, and Jan—also seemed to have girls they were interested in.
Watching the lively banquet, Jin hoped that they would all find their match.
And then there was Rita. Whether she chose to stay in this village or follow Fritz...
Whichever path she took, Jin simply wished for her happiness.
In the night sky above Kaina Village, the moon and stars shone brightly.