"……Lishia-san, you're impressive."
Even Elsa was filled with admiration.
"You truly embody the term 'independent woman.'"
"Please, don't. It’s embarrassing to hear you say that, Elsa-san."
"……That isn't true. Compared to me, you're working so hard all on your own. You're much more admirable."
Elsa admitted that, from beginning to end, she had lived her life relying on the help of others.
"But Elsa-san, you have accomplished things I could never dream of."
She had become a first-rate magi craftsman and a Reichsarzt.
(And you support Jin-san. You're the one who stands by his side.)
"……Eh?"
"No, it’s nothing.……I suppose everyone is just doing 'what they can' in their own way."
Lishia, appearing a bit more spirited than before, wore a smile that still held a trace of loneliness.
"If you'd like, would you care to join me for lunch?"
She asked.
"This is delicious."
"I tried to be a bit creative with what we had."
Jin and Elsa were eating lunch with Lishia.
The menu clearly showed the effort she had put into it.
In particular—
"Is this, by any chance……?"
Jin was pointing at a bowl of porridge, though it was more of a savory ojiya.
She had used barley to create a seasoned porridge, simmering it into a hearty meal.
Normally, such a dish would be simple—salted at best, or boiled with meat and vegetables—but this seemed to use a savory stock made from something like poultry bones.
"Yes. I used the bones of our village-raised kokarisks for the stock, whisked in some of their eggs, and then topped it off with mountain leeks and kryptona."
"I see…… It's very tasty."
"Thank you very much."
The other dishes were similar, featuring locally gathered wild plants prepared in ways that accentuated their natural flavors.
"This simmered dish with river fish and ornuts is excellent, too."
Small fish caught in the river had been simmered in a sweet and savory sauce, then tossed with nut-like fruits similar to walnuts. It tasted much like tsukudani, and Jin found himself quite fond of it.
"I like this salad."
"I put some extra thought into the dressing for that one."
It was essentially a dressing that substituted the squeezed juice of citran fruit for vinegar, with a few choice spices mixed in.
On modern Earth, it would have been close to a yuzu dressing.
Elsa seemed to have taken a particular liking to its tartness.
"I think it’s truly remarkable that you’ve managed all of this by yourself."
"……Jin-san."
Lishia spoke, looking up at him tentatively.
"Um…… you see……"
"Yeah?"
From her expression, Jin thought she was about to bring up something serious.
"……Could you... speak to me a bit more casually?"
"Oh…… I see."
Perhaps because Lishia's own speech was so polite, Jin had found himself using a somewhat awkward, semi-formal tone with her.
"Got it, Lishia."
＊ ＊ ＊
In Toka Village, they also drank tea brewed from Peruhya leaves.
Afterward, while enjoying the flavor—which was subtly different from the tea in Kaina Village—Jin decided to make a suggestion.
"Lishia, can you take a day off tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? Well, it's not impossible, but..."
Jin nodded.
"That's good. I'd like to invite you to Kunlun Island tomorrow."
"Eh? M-me? Wh-why?"
Lishia knew that the World Conference had been held on Kunlun Island, and the sudden invitation to such a significant place took her by surprise.
"Why, you ask……"
"Is it because…… he wants to show his appreciation for your hard work, Lishia-san?"
Elsa stepped in to help him out.
Jin thought to himself that it would have been better if she hadn't made it sound like a question, but he kept the trivial thought to himself.
"Exactly. Look, our territories are neighbors, so I thought it would be a good chance for us to deepen our friendship."
"……Is it really alright?"
"I'm telling you, it's fine."
Lishia had hesitated several times, but under the joint invitation from Jin and Elsa, she finally gave a smile and a nod.
"……The truth is, I’ve really wanted to go."
"Then it's settled. Shall we say tomorrow morning around six?"
Factoring in the time difference, Jin suggested a slightly early hour.
"Yes, I'll be looking forward to it."
Lishia agreed with a happy laugh.
"I'll come back to get you tomorrow morning, then. We'll have breakfast together over there."
With that, Jin and Elsa boarded Konron 3 and left Toka Village behind for the day.
As an aside, Jin completely missed the right moment to give her the reference books and ended up handing them over at the very last second.
Naturally, Lishia was so delighted she nearly jumped for joy.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next morning at six o'clock sharp, Konron 3 landed in Toka Village.
Most of the villagers were already up and about, but since the ship had visited just the day before, it didn't cause a stir this time.
"Good morning, Jin-san."
"Morning, Lishia."
Elsa wasn't with him; she was back on Kunlun Island preparing to host their guest.
"Now then, please, come aboard."
"Thank you."
In Elsa's stead, Steward escorted Lishia onto the ship.
They departed immediately.
"……Th-this is incredible!"
Lishia was moved by the sight of the world receding below her; it was her first time aboard Konron 3.
For Lishia's benefit, Jin had the ship fly at a relatively low altitude while they were over land.
After all, the ship featured floor windows.
"I was terrified at first, like I might fall through, but it’s breathtaking once you get used to it!"
Lishia’s gaze was pinned to the world beneath her feet.
"Wow, so this is what mountains look like from above!"
And,
"The clouds are below us! Just how high are we flying!?"
And,
"……Jin-san, you really are amazing! To be able to build such a wonderful vessel!"
She continued to chatter away, brimming with excitement.
Before long, they reached the sea.
"Whoa, the ocean is so blue! And so vast!"
Jin led the enthralled Lishia to the observation room on the upper deck.
"Oh! Is the sky really this color!?"
There was a term Jin knew: "Piikan."
While there were many theories about its origin, the one Jin had heard from the Orphanage Director was that "Peace" brand cigarettes used to be sold in fifty-count cans.
Because those cans were a deep navy blue, the color of a dark blue sky was supposedly called "Piikan" after the "Peace-kan." (Though it was just one of many folk etymologies.)
In essence, the color of the sky at high altitudes appears much darker than it does from the ground—dark enough to be compared to the color of those navy cans.
This is because the air is thinner and contains less dust, resulting in less diffuse reflection of light, which makes the sky look darker.
In the vacuum of space, it becomes total darkness.
Regardless.
Having moderated their speed, it took about thirty minutes for Konron 3 to reach Kunlun Island.
Throughout the journey, Lishia experienced the wonders of air travel with pure, unadulterated awe.