After leafing through the nostalgic album, Jin picked up another volume and opened it.
It was a notebook filled with his own crafting memos.
"……Hmm. I think I’ll keep this closed unless I absolutely need it."
For Jin, having a reference guide took the fun out of the creative process.
He glanced at the other books and found they were things like the latest maps or documents summarizing the current state of various countries. However, one volume in particular caught his eye.
As Jin looked through it, his expression shifted to one of pure shock.
"……But why……?"
What surprised Jin was a research report on a magi-device that could be considered the prototype for the Magi Emulator.
"This was definitely written by me… The handwriting is unmistakable."
Assuming it was from somewhere between three hundred and four hundred years ago, Jin flipped to the back cover.
"Ah, there it is."
He’d known his former self wouldn't have left out the colophon.
"June 10, 3506…… I see."
That would have been when the Jin of that era was seventy years old.
"Hmm……"
He examined the contents once more.
"Oh……?"
On the first page was a scrawled heading: Expanding the Potential of Trans Info.
"The potential of Trans Info……"
As he read further, he found notes stating that while Trans Info was a beneficial spell, it was a pity that it was not accessible to everyone. To make it available for more general use, the notes suggested that it might be possible to temporarily imitate a person's mana wavelength.
"Perhaps Golbart Marukitasu completed the Magi Emulator by using this as a reference."
It was only a guess. Looking at the records left by his "past" self, the "present" Jin speculated that the idea for the Magi Emulator might have originated from a desire to make Trans Info more widely applicable.
Of course, there was no way to confirm it now.
"But if that's the case, it’s quite ironic……"
Something he had developed with the best of intentions had ended up causing him so much grief. Jin could only manage a wry smile at the bitter irony of it all.
Just then, a voice called out to him.
"Jin-sama, Lordtoss-sama is waiting for you."
It was Butler C. Incidentally, Jin had instructed the Butlers and Golem Maids not to call him "Master" while in the presence of others.
"Ah, right."
He had become so absorbed in his reading that he’d forgotten he had company. Reiko and Hope would wait for him forever if need be, but it would be rude to keep Lordtoss waiting any longer. Jin hurried downstairs.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?" Jin apologized, scratching the back of his head.
"No, not at all. Since it’s been so long, I assumed you would find things nostalgic, Jin-san."
"……Thanks."
Grateful for Lordtoss's consideration, Jin offered a sincere word of thanks.
"Well then, shall we go see the village?"
There was still plenty of time before evening. Jin wanted to see Kaina Village after four hundred years.
"In that case, allow me to show you around," Butler C offered.
Apparently, the golem had been providing this service to the very rare guests who visited the castle over the centuries.
"All right. Lead the way."
＊ ＊ ＊
"This is the Erme River."
The Erme River flowed alongside Jin Castle. In the spring, the banks were a spot for gathering wild vegetables, and in the summer, they served as a place to play in the water. It was a playground for the village children, and Butler C mentioned that the collection of magi-stone sand was still carried out there to this day.
Jin fondly remembered the children he had once played with—Kurt, Mario, Patty, and Jessie.
From there, they headed north along a well-beaten path.
"The shelter is still in good condition, though it hasn't been used once in these four hundred years."
Since it was an emergency facility, the fact that it had remained unused was something to be celebrated.
"A shelter, huh? This is quite a well-prepared village," Lordtoss remarked, clearly impressed.
The atmosphere of the village itself was a landscape that stirred old memories.
"Ah, it really is nice here, after all."
Seeing that Kaina Village remained largely unchanged even after four hundred years, Jin felt his eyes grow misty.
"Father, look. A well," Reiko said, pointing.
Under a small roof stood a well equipped with a suction pump.
"Huh…… let's see…… wait a second?"
"Father, what is it?"
"This…… this is a pump I made."
It was one of the very first pumps Jin had constructed in Kaina Village. He was both delighted and stunned to realize it was still in active use.
"We perform regular maintenance, such as Hardening and Surface Treatment, so it remains fully functional."
"I see."
The parts that wore down, like the piston packings, could simply be replaced. Butler C explained that they prevented wear on the sliding parts with Hardening, and if anything did wear down, they repaired it by adding material through Fusion.
"There's no greater joy for a creator than this."
Jin felt the heat behind his eyes once again.
"This is the Village Chief’s residence."
The site where Giebeck’s house once stood was still the home of the village leader.
"The current Village Chief is a man named Gaizak."
Listening to Butler C’s commentary, Jin continued walking until he finally reached a certain spot.
"This is the workshop of the Magi Craft Meister."
"……Wow."
A hedge surrounded the perimeter, making it obvious at a glance that the building was being preserved as a memorial. The grounds even included the old Martha residence.
"Tradition holds that the residents here were the Magi Craft Meister's 'family' in Kaina Village, as well as his benefactors."
Hearing Butler C’s explanation, Jin was overcome by a wave of emotion.
"Martha-san…… Hanna……"
For some reason, it was Hanna’s smile that came to mind—a smile lost to the distant past long ago.
"……It really is lonely, being the one left behind."
The ones who remain suffer more than those who leave. Jin felt as though he had heard those words somewhere before.
Lordtoss kept a respectful distance, remaining silent out of consideration for Jin. Reiko and Hope followed his lead.
Jin stood outside the hedge, gazing at his old workshop for a long time before finally turning away. He shook off the heavy mood and resumed the tour.
"Over there is the cold storage room."
"Oh, you've added more."
"Yes. We built a second one exactly like the first so that we could chill drinks in addition to food."
Butler C noted that it was an easy addition since it required only labor, not capital.
They passed by the hot spring next.
"This is the oldest hot spring in the village."
Though it had clearly been rebuilt over the years, the design of the building was almost identical to the one Jin had originally designed.
The site of Erik's Shop had been transformed into a small supermarket-like store. It sold a variety of goods, including daily necessities, groceries, clothing, and magi-devices.
Next was the orchard.
Due to the local climate, apulul trees were the most numerous, but about twenty percent of the area was planted with kemeria. They harvested the seeds to press for kemeria oil. Additionally, while not a fruit tree, they had also planted "tea trees"—known as Peruhya in the Shouro Empire—which were sold under the name "Kaina tea."
It had earned a reputation for being good for one's health and had recently become a best-seller.
Adjacent to the orchard were the regular fields. Wheat, barley, leafy vegetables, beans, potatoes, and corn were all growing there. The leaves on the beans, potatoes, and corn were beginning to wither, a clear sign of the changing seasons.
The people working in the orchards and fields were all smiles and appeared to be in good health, a testament to the comfortable life provided by the village. Jin was deeply moved to see that Kaina Village remained as peaceful as ever.
As they walked, a cat-type golem scampered across the path in front of Jin.
"Oh, is that……?"
"Yes, those are the ones you created long ago, Jin-sama. We maintain them regularly, so not a single unit has been lost. They protect the crops from mice and other small vermin. When they aren't working, they also serve as playmates for the village children."
Finally, they headed to the north of the village. This area had been converted into a ranch where horses, pigu, and cowbulls were kept.
"Pigu were introduced to the Allied Kingdoms from Mitsuho about three hundred and fifty years ago, and we began raising them in this village about three hundred years ago."
"I see."
"Their smoked meat is now a local specialty. The scent of the query tree is particularly popular."
Jin was genuinely happy to hear that the smoking technique he had taught them had become a source of local pride.
To finish the day, Jin headed to the cemetery in the northwest of the village, taking only Reiko with him.
The graveyard, where simple stone markers stood in neat rows, was surrounded by conifers. It was the quietest place in all of Kaina Village.
Jin and Reiko came to a stop in a corner of the grounds.
"……"
Jin closed his eyes and pressed his hands together in a silent prayer. Reiko offered a bouquet of flowers she had picked in the fields.
The two of them stood there in the stillness, wrapped in a profound and lingering silence.