The morning of the second day was equally clear, though the sky appeared somewhat paler than the day before, almost tinged with white.
The air also felt a touch more humid. Perhaps it was because they were drawing closer to the equator.
The morning passed without incident, and Reinhard stopped by shortly before lunch.
"Hey, Jin."
"Welcome, Reinhard."
"I had a bit of free time, so I came to see how things were going."
With that, Reinhard stood at the bow of the Edo, gazing out at the vast ocean.
"Wow, what a magnificent view! To my right and my left, there's nothing but the horizon. We really are in the middle of the sea."
Since navigation based on celestial observation had not been established, ships in this world generally did not venture far enough offshore to lose sight of land. Witnessing a view like this was a privilege unique to those traveling with Jin.
"It’s wonderful. I’d love to stay on board, but I have work to do."
Reinhard enjoyed the Edo’s smooth ride for about an hour before departing with a look of lingering regret.
＊ ＊ ＊
"It's about time we change our course to the west."
The Honeymoon Fleet, which had been sailing southwest, had eventually reached a point south of Port Rock Town, near the equator.
If they took a westward course from here, they would arrive at a still-unnamed archipelago.
"Heh-heh, we’re finally heading for uncharted islands," Saki said, her eyes sparkling.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it! There’s never a dull moment when you're with Jin!" Goose added, his excitement matching hers.
That sentiment was shared by every member of the group.
"But Jin-nii, are the free ether levels alright?" Elsa asked, sounding a little concerned.
"Yeah, it’s fine for now."
They were sailing while recording the distribution of free ether, and so far, the rate of decrease had been gradual.
"There might be a line somewhere where it drops off sharply, though."
"...Will it be okay?"
To reassure the increasingly worried Elsa, Jin explained further.
"The four escort cruisers are more sensitive to a decrease in free ether than the special cruisers Azuma and Edo. As long as they're sailing, there’s nothing to worry about."
He added that even if the levels did drop too low, the escort cruisers could withdraw using their emergency magi-crystals. He had no intention of sacrificing a single ship.
"I see. I'm relieved then."
"By the way, Toa and Stea should be joining us this evening."
Jin said this to Elsa while they watched the sea from the deck.
The couple—or rather, Toa—had been unable to join from the first day because the Empress had read the report he wrote about their recent visit to Mitsuho and had summoned him for a direct inquiry.
"He said they would leave shortly after noon."
The time difference between the sea area where the Honeymoon Fleet was currently located and the Shouro Empire's capital, Loizart, was about two and a half hours. If it were 1:00 PM in Loizart, it would be around 3:30 PM here.
"It will get lively again. I'm looking forward to it."
"Yeah. I also want to hear in detail about what they saw in Mitsuho."
"I agree."
"Jin-niii!"
Just then, Hanna's voice called out. When Jin turned around, he saw her waving from the bridge.
"It's tea time!"
"Got it! I'm coming!" Jin replied, waving back.
"...This trip certainly won't be boring."
"Mm," Elsa nodded, taking Jin's arm as they began to walk.
"I think we'll see the silhouette of an island by tomorrow."
While drinking tea, Jin began his explanation.
They were gathered on the bridge. The reason they were having tea in such a place was simply because the view was excellent. In a world where the horizon was visible, height provided a distinct advantage for seeing as far as possible, which was why the bridge was set at a high elevation.
In the case of Hourai Island's ships, since long-range scouting was handled by the aviation units and satellites, they weren't strictly limited by height. Nevertheless, the view from a bridge set roughly fifteen meters up was exceptional.
Of course, precisely because it was the bridge of the special cruisers Azuma and Edo, the interior had been furnished specifically so that such tea parties could be held.
"According to observations from the Watcher, we should reach the first island in about three hundred kilometers."
At cruising speed, it would take six hours, but they would drop to half that speed during the night to ensure safety.
"I plan to adjust our speed so that we see the island tomorrow morning."
"Heh-heh, I'm so excited I don't think I'll be able to sleep!" Saki exclaimed after hearing Jin's explanation.
"Indeed. I'm looking forward to tomorrow," Goose added, clearly exhilarated.
"Ah, it looks like we've arrived at just the right time."
"It really does. I'm so looking forward to this."
When they turned toward the voices, Toa and Stearena were standing there.
"You're early."
The time was exactly 3:00 PM.
"Yes, our preparations were already finished, and we were told we wouldn't need much luggage," Stearena said with a smile. "...So, we arrive at the first island tomorrow morning?"
"Mm, that's the plan," Jin confirmed as Stearena sat next to Elsa.
"Oh, I'm glad we made it in time."
Since everyone who could participate for now was gathered, Jin started his explanation once more.
"Right, anyway, we should see the island tomorrow morning. First, the Mermaid unit and Stream unit will approach. The Raptor squad will watch from the air. We'll check for the presence of indigenous people and whether there are any dangerous animals or magical beasts."
By that time, the Azuma and Edo should be anchored very close to the island. In reality, preliminary research had already been conducted, and Jin knew there were no major threats. However, just in case, he intended to verify everything one more time before landing.
"This isn't an exploration expedition, so even if we land, I don't intend to go very far inland from the shore."
"Heh-heh, it is Jin and Elsa's honeymoon, after all."
"Yeah, that's true."
"Just the shore sounds fun!"
"I don't approve of any recklessness, now."
Saki agreed, Goose nodded, Hanna was high-spirited, and Martha offered a grounded, maternal opinion.
"If it comes down to it, we have the barrier functions of the Fellowship Bracelets."
Since it was possible to deploy a barrier via remote operation from Laojun, the danger level was remarkably low.
After that, they continued to go over precautions and discuss things they wanted to do once they reached the island, and so the day drew to a close.
"Ah, that's an eerie sunset."
"Mm..."
The sunset that day had dyed the clouds a reddish-black, casting a garish, unsettling light over the horizon.