“Memories... right. That was the reason, wasn’t it?”
As Jin replied with a casual indifference, as if it were someone else's problem, Helga looked at him with an exasperated expression.
“What? Had you forgotten?”
Jin panicked inwardly. He had, in fact, completely forgotten.
“N-no, it’s not that. It’s just that I’ve settled into this village so well that I sort of lost track, you know?”
“Ah, I see.”
Helga remembered that Jin had been spending his time lately traveling all over the village for repair requests, becoming quite friendly with the locals.
“As the village chief’s daughter, I’m happy you’ve taken a liking to the place, but I still think finding yourself—or at least getting some clarity—is important.”
Helga spoke with a serious, maternal tone as if trying to talk sense into him. If Jin had pointed out how unusual that was for her, she likely would have gotten angry.
“And after that, if you could tell us you want to stay in this village of your own accord, that would make me the happiest of all.”
“Helga-chan, you’re... so cool.”
Kachea praised her friend's speech.
“Right!? Did I sound like a future village chief’s wife?”
“...Yeah.”
Jin thought she could have done without that final bit of theatrics, but he kept the thought to himself.
“Well, I’ll take the day to think it over slowly.”
...Jin gave his answer, but his mind was already made up.
If he wanted to move forward, he had to start by going to Rofon and meeting the administrator.
“Hey, if there’s anything you know about the... Regional Administrator, could you tell me?”
For now, information gathering was the priority.
“Hmm, I haven't heard any bad rumors,” Helga said.
“Y-yes....Um, I’ve heard he’s over forty and has two children,” Kachea added. “A son and a daughter, aged nineteen and sixteen, or so I’ve heard.”
“...Thanks.”
Jin suppressed a wry smile at the vast difference in the amount of information the two provided. He then took a look around his workshop.
“It’s safe to say there’s still nothing here...”
To an outsider, the place hardly looked like a workshop. Jin realized with a dry chuckle that even if he left it vacant, it wouldn't be much of a loss.
“The repair requests have settled down for now, too...”
“...Jin, does that mean you’re planning to go?”
“It hasn't even been... a full day yet...”
Jin nodded anyway.
“Yeah. I was hoping I might be able to get some information there...”
“That makes sense.”
“But...”
Kachea looked as if she wanted to say something more. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up.
“The... Regional Administrator is either the Duke's cousin or second cousin, and the Duke is certainly...”
She suddenly bit her lip and fell silent.
“Certainly what?”
“...I-I don't know!”
Kachea turned her back to him. Jin found it strange, but then he noticed one of Jed Alamold’s guards standing outside the shop.
However, the man spun around and walked away the moment Jin looked his way.
He had a rather unpleasant look in his eyes, Jin noted.
＊ ＊ ＊
That night, Sergei invited Jin to join them for dinner.
Since Jin had been cooking for himself lately, it was a welcome return to home-cooked food.
After the meal, they chatted over cups of the wild grass tea unique to the region. Eventually, the conversation turned to the inevitable topic.
“Jin-kun, what have you decided regarding the summons from the Regional Administrator?”
I knew it, Jin thought with a wry smile.
“Yes. I want more information right now, so I think I’ll try going.”
“I thought you might. Well, do as you wish. If you need anything or have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Sergei nodded, his expression a mix of regret and simple acceptance.
“Thank you. Um, I still don’t have a good grasp of the geography around here, so I was wondering if you could fill me in on that.”
“Hmm, that’s only natural for a traveler. Wait a moment.”
Sergei stood up, went to the back of the house, and returned with a sheet of paper.
Jin realized then that wood-paper was actually quite common here.
Since he had been so accustomed to using wood-paper for writing on Hourai Island and in the Shouro Empire, he had overlooked the fact that it was widespread in this world as well.
“It’s hand-drawn, so it might be a bit messy.”
Sergei spread a simplified map across the table.
“This is Taji Village. As you can see, it’s the dead end of the highway. A bit further north is Noriji Lake, which is the source of the Noshina River.”
“I see...”
Despite being hand-drawn, the map clearly showed the relationships between the rivers, highways, villages, and towns.
“The highway follows the Noshina River. If you head south, the next town is Fan Village. It’s about a day’s journey away.”
About thirty kilometers, then, Jin estimated.
“Another day from Fan Village gets you to Nobera Village, and one more day after that brings you to Rofon.”
From Nobera Village, the highway split into three: the western road led to Koshisu Village, while the eastern road led to Rihoto Village. Rofon was situated on the middle path.
“Taji Village, Fan Village, Nobera Village, Koshisu Village, Rihoto Village, and Rofon. Plus Rireazu Village and Sogyon Village across the river. All of this falls under the Regional Administrator’s jurisdiction.”
“I see. That’s very clear.”
From both Koshisu Village and Rofon, highways extended all the way to the capital, Mahalig. That journey was apparently another three days.
“So it’s six days by carriage from here to the capital.”
“Yes, that’s how the math works out.”
“Thank you.”
Jin thanked him sincerely. He now had a much better understanding of the country's layout.
“If you want to learn more about this nation, going to Rofon is your best bet....Though I personally find it a shame.”
“It’s true. I really wanted Jin-kun to stay in this village for good, but... there’s no helping it if you’ve been summoned by the Regional Administrator.”
Not just Sergei, but Mina also looked genuinely saddened.
“Well, your talents would likely be wasted in a tiny village like this, so it can't be helped.”
“No, it’s not as if I’m leaving forever...”
But Sergei shook his head.
“What are you saying? A summons from the Regional Administrator usually implies a permanent arrangement.”
“Eh? Is that so?”
“Well, your case is a bit special, so to be honest, even I don't know exactly how it will play out.”
As village chief, Sergei seemed to have at least some insight into how these things worked.
Jin suspected that if he were to refuse the summons, the four men acting as "guards" would likely have been ordered to take him by force.
Perhaps that was the reason behind the guard's hostile glare earlier in the day.
“……”
With his current lack of resources, Jin realized he couldn't do anything if the state decided to come for him. He decided to move forward on the assumption that he might not be coming back for a long time.
“I’m sorry. You’ve done so much for me.”
Jin started to bow his head, but Helga stopped him.
“Stop that. We didn't help you because we wanted your gratitude....If you really feel that way, then just come back and visit us every now and then. That would make us happy.”
Jin stopped his bow and gave a firm nod instead.
“Yeah... right. I’ll definitely do that.”
At this rate, who knows when I’ll ever have a proper base of operations, Jin sighed inwardly.
Given the sudden turn of events, Jin’s plans were being thrown into complete disarray.