At 1:00 PM local time, the Hourai Island Honeymoon Fleet arrived at Electra Island.
The survey had indicated that a particular cliff on the southern side of the island was ideal for docking, so they made that their destination.
"It's a natural harbor. If not for this, we would have had to call in a Stream to serve as a barge," Jin remarked.
By a stroke of luck, the height of the ledge was roughly level with the cruiser's deck, allowing them to disembark without any difficulty.
"Ooh! Unknown lands! Unknown nature! I can't wait!"
As Goose looked ready to bolt off at any moment, Jin offered a word of caution.
"Goose, even with the barrier, don't go off on your own, all right?"
Jin glanced at the Land squad he had brought along for support.
"Make sure you take one of the Land units with you," he told the group. Naturally, Reiko was by Jin’s side, carrying Touka.
Even though they had confirmed that no ferocious creatures inhabited Electra Island, wandering alone was still risky. Since the initial survey had been brief, there was always the possibility of overlooked threats or dangers lurking underground.
However, only Goose and Saki seemed intent on heading deep into the interior; the rest of the party appeared satisfied with exploring the coastal area.
The top of the cliff was quite desolate, with almost no grass or trees, so the group made their way down to the sandy beach.
"This tree is interesting."
Goose looked up with fascination at a tree growing near the shore.
"Oh? It's bearing fruit."
As he spoke, he suddenly kicked the trunk. The tree shook, and a fruit dropped down. It hit the beach with a heavy thud, embedding itself in the sand.
"Whoa, that looks like a heavy one."
"Goose, it would have been a disaster if that fell on your head," Jin warned.
"No, I'm not quite that imprudent," Goose replied.
"Heheh, I wonder about that..." Saki said skeptically.
Setting that aside, Jin looked at the fallen fruit and instructed Reiko to slice it in half with Touka.
"Understood."
Reiko swiftly drew Touka and split the fruit in two in a single instant.
"Oh, impressive."
Goose immediately picked up one half to observe it.
"Hmm. A fibrous husk on the outside, and a seed... inside, perhaps?"
Jin picked up the other half.
"Inside the seed is... flesh? And liquid... Just as I thought, it’s a ringer for a coconut."
Indeed, the fruit was the spitting image of the coconuts Jin knew from his old world.
"Coconut milk... was it? I think it can be used for cooking or sweets?" Jin’s memory was a bit fuzzy, as he hadn't used coconut-based ingredients very often. "Well, whatever. I'll have someone look into it."
He decided to secure samples and have Perido and the other maids research its potential applications. He did remember, however, that the fibrous material around the husk could be used to make scrubbers or mixed into soil for conditioning.
When he mentioned this to Saki and Goose, they both looked intrigued.
"Mm-hmm, sounds like a useful plant!" Saki noted.
"Yeah, that's helpful. Thanks for the tip, Jin."
"Well then, I'm going to look for even more interesting trees."
"Heheh, me too."
Jin assigned two Land units to accompany the pair as they set off.
"Dear, look! There are such beautiful fish swimming here."
"Ah, you're right. It would be interesting if we could keep them, but I suppose that's impossible."
Reinhard and Berche were peering into a tide pool. Just watching the colorful tropical fish darting about seemed to bring them joy.
"Since the fish here are saltwater, it would be difficult. But if they were freshwater fish, we could make vessels out of glass or crystal and let them swim inside..."
Reinhard seemed to be contemplating how one might keep fish for decoration.
"Whoa, the water is so warm! Ah, a fishy!"
Hanna had changed into her swimsuit and was swimming to her heart's content in the shallows. She was wearing goggles, giving her a clear view of the underwater world as she played at chasing the small fish.
Martha watched over Hanna from the shade of a tree with a gentle smile.
"Martha-san, Hanna-chan is just adorable, isn't she?"
Mine was sitting beside Martha, and the two were chatting relaxedly.
"This is the first time in my life I've ever been so far from home," Martha said. "I'm doing nothing but being surprised."
"Fufu. For saying that, you don't look all that surprised to me."
"I suppose that's because I've known Jin for a long time."
"Fufu. That might be it."
Nearby, Elsa approached Lishia. "Lishia-san, you should apply this."
"Thank you....What is it?"
"Sunscreen."
"Sun-screen?"
"Mhm. It makes it harder to get sunburnt."
"Wow, such a thing exists!" Lishia immediately began applying it to her arms and face.
"The southern sun is quite intense," Elsa added. Since Lishia had arrived later than the others, Elsa hadn't had the chance to give her any until now.
"Wait, is this perhaps...?"
"Mhm. Jin-nii made it using kemeria oil."
"That's amazing..."
Next, Jin approached the other couple. "Beena, Louis, please take this. It's called sunscreen."
"Oh, sunscreen? So if we apply this, we won't get sunburnt?" Beena asked.
"Yeah. Though you'll still burn a little."
"Still, it's a big help."
Beena went to apply it immediately, but first handed the container to her husband, Louis.
"Haha, thank you. You should put it on first, dear," Earl Kuzuma insisted.
"Thank you very much."
Beena used the sunscreen first, followed by Louis.
"Truly, being associated with Jin-dono is a series of constant surprises," Louis remarked.
"It certainly is, Louis-sama," Beena agreed.
"Are you two not going to swim?" Jin asked.
"U-Uh, yeah. I can't swim, so..." Beena admitted.
"I'll just relax here with Beena. We've been quite busy lately, after all," Louis said.
"That's right, Louis-sama."
It seemed the Count and his wife had been leading hectic lives until the start of this trip, so they were content to simply lounge in the shade. That, too, was a perfectly valid way to enjoy a southern island.
"Father, it's nice to have moments like this once in a while, isn't it?"
"Yeah, you're right. It's good to relax away from work."
Marcia and Rodrigo were busy swimming and lounging on the sand.
Each in their own way, everyone was savoring the wonders of the southern island.