The day after the peaceful conclusion of the banquet—the 26th—was the day Fena, Laluu, and Juni were to return to Lario Village.
"Fena, take care."
"Laluu, stay healthy."
"Juni, let's meet again someday."
After finishing their bittersweet farewells with the villagers and the girls remaining in Kaina Village, Konron 3 soared into the sky.
"...I'm going to miss them," one of the girls murmured.
"Yeah. Everyone was so kind."
"But I still missed home, after all."
The three of them alternated between nostalgia for Kaina and longing for their birthplace.
In the midst of their chatter, Konron 3 reached Lario Village in about thirty minutes.
Jin had intentionally pushed the ship to high speeds to instill the impression that the two villages weren't actually that far apart. If the distance felt manageable, it would give them hope that they could see their new friends again soon.
Even the decision to bring them back to Kaina for a single day after their initial homecoming was a calculated move suggested by Laojun to emphasize how easy the trip could be.
Konron 3 landed on the outskirts of the village, in the same spot as before.
This time, the villagers weren't startled; they gathered immediately, with the Village Chief leading the way.
"Village Chief, I've come to return Fena, Laluu, and Juni to you today."
"It was Jin-dono, wasn't it? Thank you."
"Well then—Fena, Laluu, Juni, I'll see you later."
Jin bid them farewell with deliberate casualness. This, too, was part of the effort to cultivate an atmosphere of "we can meet whenever we like."
"Jin-sama, thank you for everything!"
Konron 3 quickly vanished from the sight of the three girls and the waving people of Lario Village.
In the homes that welcomed them, there was an outpouring of joy. The daughters who had been sold out of desperation because the families could not pay their taxes had returned safely.
The girls understood why they had been sold and harbored no resentment. After all, had they truly hated their families, they likely wouldn't have chosen to return at all.
"Welcome home, Fena."
Fena was the youngest of six; she had four older brothers and one older sister. Her eldest brother had already started his own household, and her sister had married into another family within the village, but both had rushed to the family home the moment they heard Fena was back.
"I'm home, Father, Mother... everyone."
As the family stood together for the first time in years, a few tears escaped Fena's eyes. Her relatives watched over their youngest with warm, gentle gazes.
"Here, I brought a souvenir."
Laluu pulled out a magi-stone stove to show her parents. Jin had given one to each of the three girls.
However, since magi-stone sand would be difficult to procure in Lario, these units were the mana tank type. A single charge would last roughly six months. While they would eventually need to visit a nearby town to have them recharged, the convenience was undeniable.
"Heh? You mean to say you can cook with this thing?"
"Yes, that's right! Jin-sama made it himself!"
"Is that so? Well then, let's try boiling some water right away."
"Haven't you grown a bit, Juni?"
Juni was currently being smothered by her four sisters and her brother.
"Stop it! Big sisters, don't treat me like a baby!"
At thirteen, Juni was still the "child" of the family. While she was indeed still a minor, the basic education and experiences she had gained in Kaina Village made her seem far more mature than other girls her age.
"Look, I even brought home wages," she said, handing a leather pouch to her father.
"Oh?" With a smile, her father accepted the bag.
"...Wages?" Fena's mother was the first to look inside, her hands trembling as she took the pouch.
The daughter they had sold to pay taxes had not only returned safely with a rare souvenir, but she had brought money home. And the surprise didn't end there.
"...Silver coins?"
They had expected copper at best, but the bag was filled entirely with silver. It totaled ten thousand Tolls—one hundred silver coins.
A single gold coin would have covered the amount, but Jin (following Laojun’s advice) had realized that a gold coin would be impossible to break in a small village.
In terms of purchasing power, it was a significant sum. To the families, the idea of an employer who would take in an unskilled girl, provide three meals a day, teach her to read and write, and then pay her a salary was unheard of.
"I can read, write, and do math now," Laluu told her parents while discussing her future. They were astonished to hear she had gained such skills under Jin’s care.
"In that case, the Village Chief mentioned he needed a hand with the books. You should go see him."
"Yeah, I'll do that."
Thus, Laluu took up the post of cashier under the Village Chief.
"I learned my letters too, but I'd rather do handiwork," Juni decided. She had always been dexterous and had focused on sewing during her stay.
"Well, Granny Mig said she was looking for a needleworker. Why don't you try there?"
"Okay, I will!"
In time, Juni would become known as the finest seamstress in the village.
"I'm going out to look for herbs."
"Be careful now."
Fena had studied medicinal plants under the healer Sally Mileshann. She wanted to use that knowledge to help her village, which lacked any medical professional.
Though her training had lasted less than half a year and her knowledge was limited, it was far better than having no help at all. Medicine for digestion, stomach tonics, salves for wounds, and remedies for fevers—even these basic items were a godsend to Lario Village.
Fena eventually committed herself to further study and became beloved by the people as the village apothecary.
The developments in Lario Village were reported in detail by the Quinta unit Regulus 25, also known as Draw.
"I see. My Lord will be pleased to hear this," Laojun noted upon receiving the report.
Given Jin's current schedule, the fewer lingering worries he had, the better.
"And the spaceship will be finished tomorrow..."
Jin was currently in Kaina Village with Konron 3. After departing Kaina tomorrow, he planned to return to Hourai Island ahead of the ship via a Warp Gate.
"I hope he finds it to his liking."
In the spaceport behind the laboratory, a massive metallic sphere sat in silence. The maiden flight of the newly constructed, three-hundred-meter diameter spaceship was only a day away.