After spending a night with the Azure Sky Clan, Adriana set out toward the north once more. She carried letters of introduction from Hamuntasu and Sheeramari.
"Give my regards to Father," Sheeramari had told her. It turned out she had married into the Azure Sky Clan from the All-Creation Clan.
The sea was calm that day, allowing Adriana to make steady progress northward.
"If I recall, the marker was a large rock jutting out into the sea."
She had been given the specific shape of a prominent rock to look for—a landmark for the beach where she was meant to land.
"They were such kind people..." Adriana muttered to herself, stifling a yawn.
They had hit it off so well the previous night that they had stayed up talking until quite late. Thanks to that, she had learned a great deal.
My biggest takeaway was the golem mechanics, she thought. To think the golems here operate on magic similar to Forming. I think I’ll call it "Form Drive."
It’s only possible because they have such a surplus of free ether to work with. Still, the fact that there’s almost no wear and tear is impressive.
The greatest advantage of this Form Drive was that it was virtually maintenance-free. A golem could continue to operate until the material itself reached the end of its lifespan—potentially for thousands of years.
It makes delicate movements difficult, but depending on the application, that longevity could be a huge advantage.
In the far future, the golems mining resources deep beneath Hourai Island would adopt this Form Drive system, all because of the insights Adriana gained at this moment.
Besides, they gave me so much food...
The materials from the three Death Sea Serpents had apparently been a massive boon for the Azure Sky Clan. In exchange, they had loaded her ship with a vast quantity of food, albeit mostly dried goods.
The seasoning is different from what I’m used to, which is a nice change of pace.
The flavors were distinct from those in the Leonard Kingdom. Adriana figured that by alternating between her old supplies and the new ones, she wouldn't grow tired of her meals.
While she was lost in thought, the ship continued its northward trek until the landmark rock finally came into view.
"That looks like it. I’m turning toward the shore."
Adriana slowly brought the ship closer to the coast.
"I need to watch out for reefs around here."
Rocky outcrops near the shore usually signaled hidden dangers beneath the surface. Moving at a literal walking pace, she carefully navigated the vessel. Around three in the afternoon, Adriana’s ship reached a small sandy beach nestled between two rocky points.
She had her golems haul the ship halfway up the beach.
"There. Even if the tide comes in or the waves pick up, it shouldn't wash away."
Leaving M-002 and M-003 to guard the ship, Adriana headed inland with F-002 and F-003 as her companions. She let the two golems carry her luggage.
"I heard there was a path leading inland... Ah, is that it?"
A faint trail of footprints led away from the beach and into the grass. As she followed it, the path became increasingly distinct.
"This must be the way. They said it would take about thirty minutes..."
The path continued through tall grass and thickets of shrubs. It was narrow but well-defined. Eventually, she emerged from a small grove, and a field of wheat tinged with brilliant gold spread out before her.
"Wow, it’s beautiful."
Heavy with grain, the ears of wheat swayed in the breeze, seemingly ready for harvest.
"So that grove acts as a windbreak."
Recalling the lessons she had learned from her father, Shuuki, she realized the trees likely protected the crops from salt damage as well.
"And who might you be?"
While Adriana was lost in admiration, five men surrounded her.
"I don't recognize your face. And you’ve brought golems with you."
Three of the men were young, while two were older. Among the younger men were those with dark skin. Realizing these were likely members of the All-Creation Clan, Adriana hurriedly introduced herself.
"My name is Adriana. Are you the All-Creation Clan?"
"Hmm?...We are."
The man who appeared to be the eldest stared at Adriana with a suspicious expression.
"Um, I have letters of introduction from Solamaris and Sheeramari of the Azure Sky..."
The moment she mentioned the names, the man’s face transformed with surprise.
"From my daughter? I see. So you’ve come from the Azure Sky, young lady."
"And you are?"
"I am the chief of the All-Creation Clan, Saitos."
Saitos had silver hair and light blue eyes.
"I’m Bashako."
He was apparently Saitos’s son-in-law. The other member of the clan present was named Melardos. The two dark-skinned men were indeed servants, named Florutasu and Temperotos.
"If you have a letter of introduction from those two, then you are welcome in my home."
With that, Saitos turned on his heel and began walking down the path through the wheat fields. He was a bit blunt, but Adriana didn't sense any ill will from him.
The middle-aged man who had introduced himself as Bashako spoke to Adriana with a friendly smile.
"My wife is Father-in-law Saitos’s eldest daughter. The woman you met back there must have been her younger sister."
Bashako seemed very personable and easy to talk to.
"Well then, we’re going to finish the patrol before heading back," Melardos called out.
"Right, I'll leave it to you," Bashako replied.
Melardos and the two servants set off in the opposite direction from Adriana and the others.
"Well, shall we?"
"Yes, thank you."
Saitos was already quite a distance ahead. Adriana followed him, led by Bashako, with her two golems bringing up the rear.
After ten minutes of walking through the wheat fields, a settlement came into view.
"That is our village."
Much like the Azure Sky Clan's home, the village was comprised of sturdy stone houses. It appeared the residences and the farmland were kept entirely separate. In the center of the cluster of homes stood a single two-story building.
"That is the chief’s house."
It was exactly as she had expected. Bashako guided Adriana between the houses and toward the chief’s residence—which was more of a manor than a simple house.
"Welcome."
Since Saitos had arrived ahead of them, the servants and family members were already there to greet her.
"Welcome, Adriana-san. Was my daughter doing well?"
The question came from a woman whose features bore a striking resemblance to Sheeramari.
"This is my mother-in-law, Zamia," Bashako explained.
"Yes, she was wonderful. And your grandchild was in high spirits as well."
As she spoke, Adriana handed over the letter of introduction. Zamia accepted it with a radiant smile.
"Oh, how wonderful to hear! Please, come inside."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Zamia took Adriana by the hand and led her into the manor.
"Wow..."
The exterior had resembled the Azure Sky architecture, but the interior was a different world. Where the Azure Sky had felt light and airy, this place had a heavy, dignified atmosphere. The floors there had been wooden planks, but here they were covered in furs so thick that her footsteps were completely silent.
"You’ll be using this room."
Zamia, the mistress of the house, personally showed her to a bright, spacious room facing south. It was about the size of ten tatami mats and featured a bed that looked incredibly inviting. It was more than large enough, even with F-002 and F-003 standing by.
"Thank you very much," Adriana said with a bow before setting down her luggage.