“Oh, I’m starving...”
By the time Jin and the others had finished their zoni, Saki's group—Saki, Goose, and Vivienne—had finally emerged.
“Good morning. The zoni is ready whenever you want it.”
“Eh? ‘Zoni’? What was that again?”
Saki tilted her head, clearly unfamiliar with the dish. Goose and Vivienne, however, showed no such confusion, appearing to know exactly what it was.
“I see, so this is zoni,” Vivienne remarked. It seemed she was familiar with the name, though this was her first time actually eating it.
“Hmm, so this is how you season it here, Jin.”
Goose had apparently eaten zoni during his time in Mitsuho, but the flavor profile was a bit different. “I remember eating it with heaps of mountain vegetables,” he added.
“Oh, that sounds delicious too!” Hanna’s eyes sparkled at the idea. “I wonder what else would taste good in it... Mountain leeks have such a strong scent, so maybe Karis or Koroko would be better?”
Karis was a mountain vegetable similar to licorice, while Koroko resembled butterbur.
“Kaina Village-style zoni... that has a nice ring to it,” Jin mused. He recalled that back in his old world, zoni was famous for its regional variations. Some used miso—varying between white and red—and the mochi could be either round or square-cut.
While he was lost in thought, Sion and Marikka finished their own bowls. The sunlight pouring down over Hourai Island was pleasantly warm.
“It’s so nice not to be cold for once...” Sion murmured poignantly.
“I hope this year marks the beginning of true reconciliation with the demon race,” Jin said.
If that happened, the demon race might finally be able to leave the frozen Northern Continent and migrate to warmer lands. However, Sion didn't seem particularly eager to move.
“I still have a deep attachment to the land where I was born and raised.”
“In that case, maybe you could just visit during the cold seasons?” Jin suggested.
Treating it as a winter retreat might be the perfect compromise.
“Yes, that might be for the best. Thanks to you, Jin, we aren’t struggling for food anymore—we even have a surplus—and with the heating magic tools, the cold isn't an issue.” She explained that for many, there was simply a sense of novelty in leaving a land locked in snow and ice.
“I see... In that case, do you think having vehicles for transportation would make life more enjoyable?”
“Vehicles? Do you mean like Capricorn 1?”
Capricorn 1 was a four-legged ground vehicle. It had been used during the exploration of the demon territory, and since Sion had ridden it many times, she was quite fond of it.
“That’s an option, but mass-producing it is difficult,” Jin explained. The issue was primarily the materials required. “But I might be able to manage one for each clan if I make them a bit smaller. They could be used year-round to transport resources.”
Jin lowered his voice as he mused to himself. “Actually, what I’m currently considering is a ‘snowmobile.’”
“A snowmobile?”
“Yeah. ‘Snow’ refers to the white stuff on the ground, and ‘mobile’ means a vehicle.”
“Is that another word from your world, Jin?”
“That’s right.”
Jin was envisioning a vehicle that used large tires instead of tracks to navigate snow and ice. That way, it would remain functional even after the snow melted. He planned to dive into the project in earnest once the Hale situation was resolved.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Sion said with a smile.
“Hey, Onii-chan, so you’re basically making a car that can handle rough roads?” Hanna, who had been listening quietly until now, chimed in.
“Yeah, that’s the gist of it.”
“And you’re aiming to build it using relatively basic technology, right?”
“Exactly.”
Jin was trying to achieve with a ground vehicle what was already possible by flying through the air with a force generator. Hanna’s intuition for such things never failed to impress him.
“Hey, Marikka-chan, how deep does the snow get in the demon territory?” Hanna asked.
“Pardon?” Taken aback by the sudden question, Marikka blinked before quickly catching on. “In the residential areas, it’s usually about a meter or so, even at its worst...sh. Though I’ve heard it can reach up to ten meters in the northern mountains...sh.”
Jin had visited areas near those mountains in Capricorn 1, so he could easily picture it.
“Then we just need a vehicle that can handle a meter of snow!” Hanna concluded.
“That would be the goal,” Jin agreed.
Hanna had a knack for boiling down technical needs into simple requirements. Then, she added a new perspective: “Wouldn't a Golem horse work just as well?”
“Hmm, I see. A Golem horse, huh...”
It was a valid point. Golem horses were versatile enough to be used in all seasons. When comparing the cost per unit, there wasn't much of a gap between a Golem horse and a snowmobile. Jin had to admit that his fixation on the snowmobile was driven more by his own desire to build one than by necessity.
“Maybe I’ll stick with Golem horses for now...” he conceded.
They could be built with significant cargo space in the torso. Using bronze treated with Toughening (Tafun) for the frame would be cost-effective, and the horses could even assist with farm work.
“We use them in Kaina Village, so we already know how useful they are.”
“Exactly, Onii-chan!”
Guided by Hanna’s advice, Jin decided he would gift Golem horses to the demon territory soon.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Sion said. She had seen the Golem horses in Kaina Village and knew exactly how much of a difference they could make.
“Alright, I’ll start on them once I have a little breathing room.”
“Oh, can I help when you do?” Hanna asked, her eyes full of curiosity.
“Sure, why not?”
“Yay!”
Watching Hanna, Jin felt a mix of anticipation and a touch of dread about what the future held once she truly mastered these techniques.
“But Jin, what about the payment? I doubt the demon territory can offer anything of equal value yet,” Sion said, her voice tinged with worry.
It was a fair concern; the demon territory had very few exports at the moment. Their primary goods were magical beast pelts and cubic zirconia recovered from ancient ruins. While Jin appreciated them, they were admittedly a bit meager as an exchange for Golem horses.
“Hmm, I’ll think of something... Oh, wait. Marikka, couldn't you source something from Onogoro Island?”
“Ah, y-you're right...sh!” It seemed the thought hadn't occurred to her. “I-I’ll try consulting with the others...sh. But I don't think that place really belongs to the demon race; I think it’s... another guardian of Ars...sh.”
One was Hourai Island, and the other was Onogoro Island. Two islands situated in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, positioned on exact opposite sides of the planet.
“Yes, it’s quite a mystery, isn't it!” Vivienne added, jumping into the conversation. Saki and Goose were nearby as well, listening in.
January 2nd on Hourai Island was proving to be a very peaceful day.