The Blow Floater soared across the vast expanse of Azul Lake.
(I wonder if the submersible base is still down there on the lakebed.)
Jin had no way of confirming it at the moment.
(That will have to wait too, I suppose...)
The Blow Floater soon crossed the border into the Kingdom of Franz.
While it didn’t rain in the Kingdom of Franz that day, the land was draped in a heavy fog. With visibility limited to about two hundred meters, they were forced to reduce their speed. Even the automata Hanako and the golem Hope could only see about a thousand meters ahead at best.
Consequently, their arrival was delayed.
"We’ll have to stay the night in the Kingdom of Franz," Lordtoss said, noting that their destination was Loloon Town in the east.
"Loloon Town, huh..."
"Do you have memories of the place?" Lordtoss asked, his interest piqued by Jin’s mutterings.
"Yeah. I visited here once with Sion."
Lordtoss let out a loud cry of shock. "What? Great-grandmother was here?!"
"Didn't you hear about it from her?" Jin asked.
"No, I’ve never heard that story before."
In truth, the purpose of their visit back then had been to rescue Sion’s sister, Istalis. She had been subjected to horrific torture and humiliation, and at her own request, Jin had erased those traumatic memories using the forbidden spell, Amnesia.
Sion likely avoided telling her descendants about the trip because of those circumstances, Jin realized belatedly. He decided to provide a harmless alternative.
"I had only just met Sion back then. We visited as part of a journey to see the various countries in this region."
"I see."
"Lucas was with us, too."
"Wait, Lucas-san as well...?"
"That reminds me, how are Lucas and Netros doing these days?"
"Netros-sama? You mean Great-aunt Istalis's husband?"
"Yeah, that’s him."
Jin fondly recalled the time Istalis and Netros had eloped, but he managed to keep that detail to himself this time. If he spoke of it, he would eventually have to mention how the other party involved—Belialus of the Puppet Clan—had once proposed to Sion. If he let that slip, a bashful Sion would likely give him an earful later.
"Both of them are still quite healthy."
Surprisingly, they were both still alive. It was likely due to the significant advancements in nutrition and environmental hygiene.
"And Lucas?"
"Lucas-san married Madler-san, a woman from the same clan. I heard they’re living quite a distance away now."
"Is that so..."
Jin felt a sense of satisfaction at hearing what had become of those familiar faces. Seeing the look on Jin’s face, Lordtoss didn’t press any further into the details of Sion’s past.
Loloon Town still served as the primary gateway to the Klein Kingdom. Just as it had centuries ago, a stone Gate loomed through the mist. However, there was no need for them to pass through it this time.
The fog finally began to lift as evening approached. The Blow Floater headed toward the airfield north of the town and touched down. An official greeted them, registered their names, and took charge of the craft. Once again, Hanako and Hope were required to stay behind and watch over the vehicle. It felt a bit heartless, but there was no other choice.
"Now then, where should we stay?"
"Let's see... The place I stayed at before was called Hotel Lenore."
"Hotel Lenore? Let me go ask about it."
Lordtoss went to a small information booth at the main intersection. When he returned, he looked pleased. "It’s still in business."
They walked straight down the Central Thoroughfare and turned right at the next major crossroad. This quarter on the north side of town was still lined with high-end residences, just as Jin remembered.
"Ah, yes. This is the place."
Even the large park adjacent to the area remained virtually unchanged. Situated right next to that park was the grand Hotel Lenore.
"Right, this is where I met the former duchess, Catherine de Lafayette."
Back then, Catherine had remarked that Jin had "quite a discerning eye" for choosing to stay at such a place. Visiting a location with such personal ties naturally brought the past rushing back. While Jin was lost in his memories, Lordtoss handled the check-in at the front desk.
"We’re in Room 3 on the third floor."
Lordtoss explained that it was a four-person room, as nothing else was available. They rode a Golem elevator up to the third floor.
While inside the elevator, Jin finally offered his thanks. "By the way, I’m sorry for making you cover all the lodging expenses."
Lordtoss waved it off. "Don't worry about it. It’s only natural that you’d be short on cash under the circumstances, Jin-san."
Jin thanked him again. "I appreciate it."
The room was equipped with a private bath, and Lordtoss let Jin use it first. Soap was provided, and the wastewater was treated by magi-devices for Deodorant, Cleanup, and Sterilization. Seeing that public health and infrastructure were so well-developed brought a smile to Jin’s face.
Dinner was served buffet-style. Jin selected his favorites, focusing primarily on rice, while Lordtoss chose bread and a meat-heavy assortment. The sight of a single serving of vegetable salad mixed in with all that meat was oddly amusing.
"I’d like to reach the Nord Federation tomorrow," Lordtoss said.
"Yeah, I agree."
The two of them discussed the next day’s itinerary. Since there were no high mountains near the border between the Klein and Franz kingdoms, it would be an easy flight heading north.
"If the weather is clear, I’d like to head out early."
"Sounds good to me."
At the thought of finally seeing Sion again, Jin felt a flutter of excitement that was quite uncharacteristic of him.
"The distance is about five hundred kilometers. If the weather holds, we’ll have no trouble getting there."
"I’m looking forward to it."
"Yes. I’m sure Great-grandmother will be delighted to see you."
"I hope so."
Jin looked out the window. The night view of Loloon Town was beautiful. When he had visited centuries ago, the wealth gap had been extreme, and the back alleys had been filthy, but that was no longer the case. While it was likely still far from a utopia, he could feel that the world had moved in a positive direction, and that realization pleased him.
(But I guess monorails never caught on...)
They weren't widespread in the Celuroa Kingdom, either. They had likely ended up as nothing more than a novelty vehicle. Jin tried to analyze the reason for their failure to spread. Perhaps it was the prevalence of Golem automobiles, airships, and Warp Gates. He couldn't know for sure.
Visible through the glass were the stars of the earth and the flowers of the heavens.
(Was it Kenji Miyazawa? If I recall, he wrote something like, 'The flowers in the heavens are called stars, and the stars of this world are called flowers.')
Gazing out at the night sky, Jin reached back into his fading memories to find the words.