"So this is the copy of the control core. Good work, Reiko."
Jin decided to begin the analysis immediately.
"Laojun, I'm leaving the rest to you."
"Yes, My Lord. Please leave it to me."
Laojun set to work at once, parsing the information stored within the duplicated control core.
However...
"My Lord, I have finished."
"Eh? That was fast."
"Yes. Unfortunately, there was very little to be gained."
"What?"
"This control core contains no records whatsoever regarding 'Helente' or 'Onogoro Island'."
"You're kidding..."
Jin felt the tension leave his body in a wave of disappointment.
According to Laojun’s explanation, no such tactical or geographical data existed within the core. Its primary directive seemed to be a simple reconnaissance mission: investigating the culture, technological level, and military strength of various nations.
"It possessed a minimum level of autonomy, but it appears an operator was issuing direct commands for its specific actions."
It was a remote-controlled model, similar in function to Jin's own Doppels.
"I see..."
It was a fail-safe system. Even if the unit were captured, no information about the mastermind would be leaked.
"They're certainly playing it safe."
"Indeed. Furthermore, the enemy is likely already aware that this automata has ceased operations or has stopped transmitting data."
"I suppose so."
There was no telling what their next move would be.
"Step up the alert level with the Quinta."
"Understood. The Watcher will also maintain its surveillance."
"Thanks."
The intelligence haul had been a letdown. Resigned, Jin returned to managing his own Doppel.
Sion and Marikka were thoroughly enjoying life in Kaina Village.
Since the grain harvest was over and the village had entered a quiet spell in the agricultural calendar, they spent their time gathering nuts with Hanna and the other children.
Of course, Gon accompanied them as an escort, so there was virtually no danger. Additionally, the cat-type golems Jin had created were keeping a watchful eye on the village perimeter.
"This one is a kemeria nut, and this over here is a maruon," Jessie explained, acting as their guide.
"Hmm, what an interesting shape," Sion remarked.
"We press the kemeria for oil, but we eat the maruons. They’re delicious!"
"I'm looking forward to that," Sion replied.
Rita and Luluna, the girls from Lario Village, were also part of the group.
Their primary target was the maruon nuts. After the strong winds last night, they had correctly guessed that the forest floor would be littered with them.
"Look, there's some!" Hanna pointed.
"W-What!?" Sion cried out, sounding panicked. It was no surprise; the objects were covered in sharp, wicked-looking thorns. They didn't look like food at all. In fact, she didn't even see how one could pick them up.
"That's why we use these."
Hanna reached into the basket on Gon’s back and pulled out a pair of fire tongs.
These long metal pincers were typically used to handle embers or small logs in a fire. Depending on the person, they were also called trash pickers or metal tongs.
Using the tongs, Hanna expertly picked up the maruon burrs.
The maruon was essentially a chestnut, nestled inside a protective spikey shell. When they ripened, the burrs would normally split open and the nuts would fall out. However, after a heavy wind, they often fell while still encased. These were actually better to find, as they were less likely to be infested with insects.
"Gon will peel them for us later."
Since Gon was a golem, the sharp thorns of the chestnut burrs wouldn't prick his fingers.
"If you find any nuts that have already fallen out of their shells, put them in your individual bags."
The loose ones were more likely to have bugs, so the rule was to boil them as soon as they got home.
"If they're still in the burrs, bring them over to Gon."
"Got it!"
While the demon territory had its own mountain bounties, they were scarce. Sion had never participated in such a festive, communal gathering before.
"I found one—!"
Marikka was having just as much fun. The two of them spent the day in high spirits.
And then...
"Alright, everyone! I’m going to cook up some chestnut rice for you all!"
They gathered in Nidou Castle Square. Using the mountain of harvested maruons, Jin set out to make a large batch of chestnut okowa.
He blended glutinous and regular rice in a seven-to-three ratio. The chestnuts were meticulously peeled, right down to the inner astringent skin. The golem maids had handled the bulk of the prep, but Martha had offered her own professional tip.
"If you score the tips with a knife, give them a quick boil, and then toast them briefly over the hearth, the skins come right off," she had demonstrated.
With a pinch of salt and a spoonful of cooking sake, Jin placed the chestnuts atop the rice and set it to cook. Before long, the chestnut rice was ready.
"Alright, it's done!"
"Yay!"
Jin began serving the steaming rice to all the children of Kaina Village.
"Hey, Jin, is it really okay to let the children who didn't go gathering eat too?" Sion asked, looking puzzled.
"You don't like the idea?"
Sion shook her head quickly. "No, quite the opposite. I'm happy to see it. But normally, wouldn't the food belong only to the people who did the work?"
She mentioned that was how things worked in the human towns she had heard about.
"I'm sure there are towns and villages like that. There might even be many of them. But in Kaina Village, this is just the way we do things."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Everyone does what they can to contribute to the village. We share the harvest, and we face our hardships together."
"Hmm... That's actually very similar to us."
The demon race, with their small population, shared a similar sense of deep-rooted solidarity. Sion felt a renewed sense of kinship with Kaina Village.
"Jin-nii, the soup is finished. Taste it."
"Oh, thanks."
In Jin's mind, okowa required a good soup to go with it.
Today’s soup featured matsutake-modoki, a highly fragrant mushroom occasionally found near the village. He had made a broth with soy sauce, kombu, and katsuobushi, adding a splash of cooking sake as a secret ingredient.
"Yeah, that’s the stuff."
Since the rice was already lightly salted, he kept the soup's seasoning delicate so as not to overpower the aroma of the mushrooms.
"Alright, everyone, let’s eat!"
"Okay!"
"I'm starving!"
"Wow, it smells amazing."
Because of a wind-blocking barrier, they were shielded from the autumn chill, and a series of Light Balls kept the square as bright as day.
"This is delicious, Jin."
"Jin-sama, it'sh delicioush."
"Haha, glad to hear it. But Marikka, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full."
Autumn was in full bloom in Kaina Village. High in the darkening eastern sky, the moon, Uni, looked down on them with its usual, unchanging face.