The Toka Village Harvest Festival concluded with the setting of the sun.
Since it was June and the summer solstice was fast approaching, the sun didn't dip below the horizon until after half-past six. As the evening glow faded behind the mountains, Braak, the village chief of Toka, made his formal announcement.
"The sun has set! This marks the end of our spring Harvest Festival. We’ll handle the cleanup tomorrow. Everyone, let’s keep working hard together from here on out!"
A chorus of cheers and shouts of "Ooh!" rose in response, signaling the end of the festivities. All that remained was for the fire watch to make their rounds and ensure every flame was properly extinguished.
Jin and the others—Jin, Elsa, Hanna, Reiko, Edgar, Giebeck, Sally, and Lou—were invited back to Lishia’s manor house.
"It’s called a manor house, though it’s really only one in name," Lishia said modestly.
She led them to a two-story residence, a rarity in Toka Village. The grounds were quite extensive, and the fresh color of the pillars and walls made it obvious the building was brand new.
"It was just completed in May," Lishia explained with a shy smile. "Last year’s harvest was poor, and many households were left without income. I decided to have this house built specifically to create jobs for the villagers."
"I see... Still... no, never mind. May we see the inside?"
"Of course! I’m hoping you’ll all stay the night, after all. Please, come in."
"Then, excuse the intrusion."
The structure was primarily wood, with stone utilized at key structural points. The entrance hall was designed to be wide, featuring a solid stone floor.
"This is quite a grand structure. It’s spacious and feels very pleasant," Giebeck remarked.
"Do you think so? Considering the village's population, I worry I might have made it a bit too large."
"You think?"
Jin tilted his head and did a quick mental calculation. Toka Village had about fifty households. A standard family structure consisted of three generations—grandparents, parents, and usually two or three children. That meant roughly six or seven people per household. Since households with both grandparents alive were about half the total, the population was likely around three hundred.
By the standards of a high-ranking lord’s manor, this place might be small, but relative to the size of Toka Village, it was certainly substantial.
"Elsa, what do you think?"
Realizing he didn't have a firm grasp of the local standards, Jin passed the question to Elsa.
"A lord's manor is the face of the land," Elsa replied. "It needs to stand out to a certain degree."
"Ah, I suppose that’s true..." Lishia nodded, looking somewhat relieved.
Having been raised in a viscount’s house, Elsa possessed a much sharper instinct for the social expectations of the nobility.
"First, let me show you to your rooms."
Lishia personally guided the party to their quarters.
"Giebeck-san, you and your family can have this suite."
"Thank you very much."
Giebeck, Sally, and Lou were given a suite consisting of two rooms connected by an internal door.
"Jin-san, would this be alright for you, Elsa-san, and Hanna-chan?"
They were led to an identical two-room suite.
"Yeah, this is perfect. Thanks."
"I want to stay with Onii-chan!" Hanna chimed in.
Per Hanna's request, Jin and Hanna were assigned to one room, while Elsa took the other.
Next came bath time. Everyone had been outdoors all day and felt covered in dust, so the opportunity for a soak was a welcome one. Though the baths were on the smaller side, the manor was properly equipped with separate facilities for men and women, leaving no one dissatisfied.
Hanna joined Elsa, Sally, and Lou in the women’s bath.
"The water here is colorless and transparent," Sally murmured. "There’s almost no scent at all."
"Jin-nii said these are 'simple springs,'" Elsa answered.
"A simple spring? Does that literally mean the hot water just wells up simply? If so, I wonder what the spring in Kaina Village is classified as." Sally scratched her head, realizing she had soaked in it countless times without ever thinking about its properties.
"Um, Onii-chan called those 'hydrogen carbonate springs'!" Hanna offered.
She explained that Kaina’s water was rich in baking soda, making it a "beauty spring" that left the skin silky smooth. Sally’s eyes went wide with surprise.
"Hanna-chan, you’re amazing. You’re more knowledgeable than I am."
"Ehehe, I've studied a lot!" Hanna beamed, clearly delighted by the praise.
"Hanna-chan really is smart, isn't she?" Lou added, looking impressed.
"...Mhm. Hanna-chan is very studious," Elsa agreed. "She reads many books at Nidou."
"Because I love books!"
The women’s bath was lively and full of chatter. Meanwhile, in the men’s bath, Jin and Giebeck soaked in silence. Reiko waited outside the door since Giebeck was inside. Naturally, conversation didn't exactly flow between the two men.
Since they had been grazing on various stews until late afternoon, dinner was a light affair. Lishia prepared Pashta for the group.
"I tossed the boiled Pashta in soybean oil and added some chopped mountain leek roots," Lishia explained.
She invited them to season it with salt and pepper to their liking. The dish was remarkably similar to a peperoncino. Jin, Giebeck, and Sally used a generous amount of pepper, while Elsa was more moderate. Hanna and Lou skipped the pepper entirely, sticking to just salt.
"This is delicious."
Elsa seemed to enjoy it, so Jin made a mental note to have the variations researched back on Hourai Island.
"It might be tasty with some chopped cress on top," Jin suggested.
"Oh, that’s a great idea!"
"And instead of pepper, maybe some red chi—" Jin caught himself, wondering if chili peppers existed on Ars. "Actually, adding some chopped mushrooms might give it a nice texture, too."
At that point, it might no longer be a peperoncino, but the beauty of pasta was its versatility.
The evening continued with pleasant conversation as the hours ticked by. Eventually, Hanna’s head began to nod, and the gathering came to a close.
"Good night, everyone."
Lishia walked them to their guest rooms, gave a polite bow, and retired for the night.
"Well then, good night."
Glancing at Hanna, who was already asleep in Jin’s arms, Elsa moved to close her door.
"Oh, Elsa, wait a second."
"What is it?"
"Thanks for all your hard work today. You really were impressive."
Jin wanted to express his appreciation for the way she had handled the medical consultations for the villagers.
"Mhm... I only did what I could." Elsa seemed a bit flustered by the unexpected praise.
"Even so, I wanted to say it. Good night."
"Good night."
Jin tucked Hanna into her bed, then took off his coat and lay down on the other bed. Between the morning's projects and the festival, he was exhausted. As he drifted off, a stray thought crossed his mind.
(I feel like there’s a difference between the people here in Toka and the people in Kaina...)
Kaina Village was far more isolated, so a difference was only natural, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
(Thinking about it won't give me the answer tonight...)
Before he could solve the mystery, Jin was fast asleep.