On the morning following the Toka Village Harvest Festival, Jin and his companions enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Lishia’s manor.
Since they were simply waiting to return via Konron 3, everyone was in a relaxed mood. The villagers were busy tidying up after the previous day's festivities, but Jin’s group remained onlookers. Whenever they had offered to help, Lishia had stopped them, insisting that she couldn’t possibly allow guests to perform such chores.
At the moment, Lishia was treating them to some juice that she hoped might become a new local specialty.
"Mm, this is delicious. The aftertaste is quite refreshing."
"It’s good. I think people will love it," Elsa added.
"This is yummy!" Hanna cheered.
"It is quite tasty," Giebeck noted. "I expect it will please everyone from adults to children."
"It’s wonderful," Sally said. "It seems nutritious as well."
"It’s very delicious!" Lou chimed in.
As the group shared their impressions, Lishia’s face lit up with a happy smile.
"Is that so? Thank you all so much! That gives me a lot of confidence."
"What kind of juice is this?" Elsa asked with interest. She felt as though she had tasted something similar before, though she couldn't quite place it.
"These are Lamber berries," Lishia explained, bringing out a basket overflowing with the fruit.
"A lingonberry... no, wait. It’s similar, though."
To Jin’s eyes, they looked exactly like cranberries from Earth. While lingonberries and cranberries share certain similarities, they are distinct plants. Both belong to the Ericaceae family and the genus Vaccinium, but lingonberries typically grow in the mountains, whereas cranberries thrive in wetlands. The latter is also easier to cultivate.
Commonly known as cranberries, the fruit was quite tart, making it more suited for jams and juices than for eating raw.
"These are Lamber berries. They naturally grow in mountain marshes and wetlands, but I’ve discovered that with the right cultivation, we can harvest them all year round."
During the famine caused by the mold last year, Lishia had ordered a search for edible wild plants. They had eventually discovered these berries in a small wetland deep in the northern mountains.
"They seem to thrive in the cold. When I tried cultivating them on the outskirts of the village, they bloomed even in the dead of winter and bore fruit by spring."
"Heh, that’s impressive," Jin said, genuinely struck by her initiative.
These Lamber berries appeared to become quite sweet once they reached a deep, dark red ripeness.
"I’ve been making jam with them as well," Lishia said, producing a small jar. "Please, give it a try."
Jin opened the lid and took a small spoonful. It was a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
"It’s delicious," Elsa agreed. "The refreshing aftertaste makes it very light."
"Onee-chan, I love this flavor!" Hanna exclaimed.
Giebeck and Sally also sampled the jam, echoing the sentiment of its excellence.
"I’m certain this will be a successful local specialty," Jin declared.
"Mm," Elsa nodded in agreement.
Lishia laughed happily. "I’m so glad to hear you all say that."
"Lishia-san, you're incredible," Elsa said somewhat abruptly.
"Eh?"
"You identify problems yourself and then work to solve them. You take the first step on your own."
"E-Elsa-san?"
"That is a very difficult thing to do. To see you practicing that as a woman... you are truly remarkable."
Sally offered her own praise as well. "I quite agree. It would have been so easy to rely on or lean on someone else, yet you have proven yourself a magnificent lord."
"O-Oh, please..."
Lishia was visibly flustered by the unexpected accolades. Her face turned bright red as she glanced toward Jin.
(Is this really the same Lishia...?) Jin wondered.
"J-Jin-san?"
The Lishia who had once looked so lost, asking if it was okay for her to remain as she was, had clearly found her own path.
"U-Um...?"
"Oh, sorry. Lishia-san, I think you’re doing a wonderful job walking your own path."
"I... I’m embarrassed."
For some reason, Elsa began to pout slightly as she looked at Jin, but Edgar was the only one who noticed.
"If you're making jam," Jin advised, "simmering it slowly will help it keep longer, but if you want to preserve the fresh aroma, you might want to shorten the cooking time a bit."
He shared these tips based on his memories of the orphanage. He recalled buying up uneven, cheap strawberries that were past their prime and boiling them in a massive pot over a charcoal brazier to make jam for everyone.
"Jin-san, I’ll make sure to use the pressure cooker you gave me and report back on how it works," Lishia promised.
"Ah, I’d appreciate that."
For a magi craftman, feedback from actual use was invaluable. Jin expressed his sincere gratitude for her offer.
＊ ＊ ＊
Around 10:30 AM, Jin and the others returned to Kaina Village aboard Konron 3. As expected, the sight of the airship left the people of Toka Village in awe.
Back in Kaina Village, Jin headed toward his home—the building across from Martha’s house. Since Sara, the maid golem stationed at Martha's, cleaned the place every day, there wasn't a speck of dust to be found.
"Welcome back, Jin, Elsa-chan, Hanna."
"We're home, Granny."
"We're home!"
Jin and Elsa decided to join Hanna and the others for lunch. Since Elsa went to help with the meal preparations, Jin found himself with a moment of free time. He decided to take a walk through the village to inspect the infrastructure. Specifically, he checked the pumps installed in the wells and the condition of the hot spring.
"Mm, no signs of wear. The condition is perfect."
The pumps were in excellent shape. After all, they were made of bronze and reinforced with Jin’s best Toughening and Hardening magic, making them incredibly durable.
"The hot spring is fine too."
The outlet wasn't clogged with mineral scales, and the settling pond—which collected and performed a Cleanup on the water—was functioning perfectly.
He also checked the cold storage room. It was packed with snow, with vegetables and meats preserved safely in the chill.
(That reminds me... maybe I should invite Milowina-san to the hot springs?)
Lost in thought, Jin returned to Martha’s house just as lunch was served.
"Oh, Onii-chan, perfect timing! Lunch is ready!"
"Freshly baked bread," Elsa added.
"Oh, that looks good."
Jin could finally try the Lamber jam Lishia had given him.
"Ah, it really does go well with bread. This is great."
"It’s so yummy eating it like this!"
Elsa and Hanna had clearly taken a liking to it.
"Oh, it really is delicious," Martha agreed.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Jin decided to see if they could cultivate the berries on Hourai Island. Along with the Lamber jam, they enjoyed the tastes of maple syrup and Wylie jam, and the lunch hour passed in pleasant conversation.