"It's over."
Jin and Reiko emerged from the hole and reported the news to Milowina.
"……Thank you, Jin-kun."
As the last scion of the Leonard Kingdom, Milowina expressed her genuine gratitude.
"……Shall we head back?"
"Yes."
The magi-brain deep underground was in such a state of ruin that even Jin couldn't have restored it. The Messenger, too, would never speak again.
They returned to a surface flooded with sunlight.
"Ah, it’s so bright. One truly appreciates the light at times like this," Milowina murmured, her voice thick with emotion.
The carcasses of the Giga Ants and other monsters slain by the Land squad still lay scattered across the area. High in the blue sky, Konron 3, which had temporarily withdrawn to a safe distance, began its slow descent.
Milowina watched the airship listlessly for a moment before suddenly speaking up.
"Jin-kun, I just remembered something. There should be ruins at the old capital as well. I recall reading about them in the records."
"The old capital…… you say?"
"Yes. The current capital is Diaa, but the old capital was…… let me see…… yes, I believe it was called Karnag."
The old capital, Karnag. Hearing that name, Laojun realized that it matched information he had cataloged in the past.
<My Lord, if the information gathered previously is correct, there is indeed a place called Karnag. It is located further inland from your current position in Diaa—to the west, to be precise.>
Laojun added a supplementary note that because the city was now a ruin, there had been some initial confusion over which location had served as the true capital.
"I see. Thanks for the info."
Jin turned to Milowina. "Shall we go take a look?"
Milowina nodded. "Yes, it’s been weighing on my mind."
"Understood. However, seeing the state of things here, there’s no telling what we might find at those ruins. Let's return to Hourai Island for now and set out again once we've made proper preparations."
"Mm. Jin-nii, that’s a good idea. I think Milowina-san is tired, too."
Elsa agreed that a temporary return was for the best, so the group boarded Konron 3 and headed back to Hourai Island.
＊ ＊ ＊
"This is such a lovely place."
Milowina emerged from the hot spring and sat on the veranda, murmuring with a flushed face. "……Kaina Village was a wonderful place, too."
"It really is, isn't it? It’s a fine village."
Milowina gazed off into the distance, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You know, Jin-kun, this isn't certain—it's just a theory of mine—but……"
"Yes?"
"……I believe the people of Kaina Village carry the blood of the Leonard Kingdom."
"What?"
As Jin stared in surprise, Milowina gave a soft chuckle. "I told you, it’s just a theory." She continued her thought. "When that plague broke out, most of the people who didn't go to Uni fled south, but some must have fled west. Across the mountains."
Milowina suggested they might have hoped the mountain range would act as a barrier against the plague.
"Whether they settled in that land or perhaps mingled with the people already living there, I don't know."
Knowing the open-hearted nature of the Kaina villagers, Jin felt it was likely they had integrated with the existing population. After all, that village had welcomed even him, a literal stranger from another world.
Hearing this, he felt he finally understood why Kaina Village and Toka Village felt so fundamentally different. Kaina Village was likely inhabited by descendants of the former Leonard Kingdom.
For a fleeting second, the wild thought of installing Milowina as queen and leading the people of Kaina Village to rebuild the Leonard Kingdom crossed his mind.
He shook the thought away immediately. Milowina had stated clearly that she had no desire to be a queen, and the people of Kaina Village likely wouldn't want to relocate. Besides, Jin loved Kaina Village exactly as it was—the land and the people together.
Thus, he kept Milowina's theory tucked away in his heart as nothing more than a possibility.
＊ ＊ ＊
They decided to have dinner at Jin’s house.
Milowina had congee, while Jin and Elsa had white rice. The meal was rounded out with miso soup made with clams (or at least, a very similar shellfish), umeboshi, agedashi tofu, and simmered itopo.
"My, Elsa-san, you're a wonderful cook. This is delicious."
Though she only ate small portions, Milowina smiled and finished everything.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
For the after-dinner tea, they served hojicha.
"Ah, what a lovely aroma. This place truly is a paradise."
Jin was pleased to see Milowina so happy.
"By the way, Jin-nii."
Elsa seemed to have struck upon an idea.
"What is it, Elsa?"
"Is it correct to say that spoilage is caused by the multiplication of bacteria?"
"Yeah, that sounds right," Jin replied.
Elsa thought for a moment before continuing. "……In that case, wouldn't items placed inside a Sterilization Barrier be immune to rotting?"
"Hm?……I suppose they would."
Elsa gave a bright smile. "Then, if we restricted the range of a Sterilization Barrier to the inside of a container……"
"Oh! The contents wouldn't spoil!"
While the flavor of fermented foods or wine might be affected, it would be undeniably effective for fresh produce. All that remained was preventing chemical degradation, which could likely be handled through vacuum sealing or low temperatures.
"I think this would allow us to transport Lishia-san's juice."
"You're right!"
The concept of the Sterilization Barrier had proven useful in an unexpected direction.
"We should add this function to the storage facilities on Hourai Island as well."
Laojun responded to the suggestion instantly.
<Understood. I shall begin the implementation at once.>
This would dramatically extend the shelf life of vegetables, fruits, and grains. It promised to be even more effective if combined with an ether stocker.
"As expected of you, Elsa."
"……Mm."
Elsa looked pleased to be praised by Jin.
"Fufu, you two make such a lovely couple."
"Eh?"
Jin and Elsa both turned bright red.
"Oh, my apologies. You aren't a married couple quite yet, are you?"
Milowina giggled playfully while Jin fidgeted with embarrassment and Elsa’s face burned scarlet. Above them, the moon in the sky looked down silently.