As the sun dipped low and the wind turned chilly, Jin decided to return to Jin Castle with Reiko.
"Oh, visitors?"
"How rare. There isn’t much to see in this village, but please, make yourselves at home."
The villagers, finishing their work in the fields, called out to Jin and Reiko with genuine warmth as they passed. These brief interactions reminded Jin so much of the old days that he felt a lump forming in his throat.
(This is exactly why I was trying to avoid talking to people as much as possible.)
Jin’s intention to keep his distance had been thwarted by the villagers' easy geniality, yet the defeat brought with it a touch of melancholy and a profound sense of peace.
Back at Jin Castle, the Five-Colored Golem Maids on duty were busy in the kitchen. At Jin’s request, they had prepared a traditional Kaina-style dinner using local ingredients. The spread included fresh bread, barley porridge, vegetable and bacon soup, wild vegetable tempura, and salt-grilled river fish.
For Jin, every bite tasted of nostalgia.
"This is quite delicious. Especially these wild vegetables," Lordtoss remarked.
The meal was clearly to his liking as well, and the two of them thoroughly enjoyed their dinner.
That night, Jin stayed in his own bedroom. Surrounded by the familiar walls and the comfort of a nostalgic futon, he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. He felt as though he had dreamed of something, but the memory vanished the moment he opened his eyes.
He woke up early the next morning, the 3rd, and climbed up to the sixth floor. The weather was perfect. On this autumn morning, the air was crystal clear, granting him a view that stretched for miles.
"Ah, what a nostalgic sight."
High mountains loomed in the far north. Beyond them lay the Pazdext Great Isthmus and the Nord Federation. To the east, the sky was stained a deep crimson as Star Celane began its ascent. The coniferous forest to the west was bathed in the morning sun, turning a rich ochre that seemed to go on forever.
To the south, the surface of the Erme River sparkled with light. Beyond it lay the Togo Pass and, eventually, Toka Village. Jin stood there for a long time, quietly watching Kaina Village as it was painted by the rising sun.
Once Lordtoss had joined him, they sat down for breakfast: toast, bacon and eggs, vegetable salad, and citran juice. While the portion was perfect for Jin, Lordtoss found it a bit light and went back for a second helping of bacon and eggs.
"What is the plan for today?" Lordtoss asked over a cup of post-meal Te-e.
"Let’s see... I’d like to stop by Toka Village nearby, and then we’ll head for the capital of the Klein Kingdom."
"The capital would be Alban. I believe there is a large airfield there, so we shouldn't have any trouble," Lordtoss noted.
"Yes, that is correct. There is an airfield located to the south of Alban," Butler B added, confirming the information.
"Alright, let’s go with that."
Having settled on their destination, the group prepared for a leisurely departure from Jin Castle.
"Please come again," Butler B, Butler C, and the Five-Colored Golem Maids said in unison as they saw them off. Jin’s Blow Floater slowly rose into the vast sky.
"Father, why don't you give this Blow Floater a name?" Reiko suggested during the flight.
"Yeah, that’s a good idea."
Jin always named his favorite machines. After a moment’s thought, he smiled. "Hmm... let’s call it 'Taube'."
It was the German word for pigeon. Jin likely felt the name suited the craft's leisurely pace, though pigeons are actually surprisingly fast. In races, they can fly over a thousand kilometers to return home, maintaining average speeds of seventy kilometers per hour and reaching top speeds of over a hundred and fifty.
Regardless, once they landed in Toka Village, Jin immediately used magi-craft to engrave the name "TAUBE" onto the hull.
"...So, this is Toka Village."
The place looked even more untouched by time than Kaina Village.
"Oh, it seems we have guests," a voice called out from behind them.
Jin turned to see a man about thirty years old with a sturdy, powerful build.
"I am the Village Chief, Yuzo Mayaka."
"Uh, I'm Jin. This is Reiko, and this is Hope."
"I am Lordtoss."
"I see, I see. Traveling with golems, are you? What brings you to our village?"
"We are simply stopping by on our way from the Nord Federation to the Klein Kingdom," Lordtoss replied, sticking to their cover story.
"A stopover, then? I see. Well, I wish you a pleasant journey."
It seemed he had only come over to satisfy his curiosity about the new arrivals, or so Jin thought. However...
"...We shouldn't let our guard down around that Village Chief," Reiko whispered.
"What do you mean?"
"Father, his movements were flawless. Even when he approached us, he had almost no presence and his footsteps were silent."
"Ah, now that you mention it..."
Reiko, of course, had sensed him from the very start.
"Well, let's take a look around the village for now," Jin suggested, and Lordtoss nodded. Reiko and Hope followed suit.
"Jin-sama, I will stay here and watch over the Taube," Hope said, opting to remain at the airfield.
"Alright. I'll leave it to you."
With Hope guarding the craft, Jin, Lordtoss, and Reiko began their walk through Toka Village.
"This place has changed even less than Kaina Village," Jin remarked. Reiko, however, didn't seem to agree.
"Father, it is not as it seems. There are magi-devices hidden all over the place."
"Magi-devices? What kind?"
"One moment... They appear to be almost entirely recording devices."
Reiko used her built-in Peeping Telescope to scan the area. Over ninety percent of the signatures were recording devices.
Surveillance cameras... like dashcams? Jin wondered.
Not knowing their purpose, Jin wanted to avoid being recorded as much as possible. After a moment of consideration, he decided on a countermeasure: jamming. He would use magical power to interfere with the recordings.
The method was simple enough. An extremely low-output magi-jammer would do the trick. The smaller a magic eye for observation was, the lower its output and the worse its image quality tended to be—much like the resolution of a digital camera. If he introduced even a small amount of noise, the resulting footage would be indecipherable.
While a magi-jammer was typically used to dissipate the mana used in incantations, its ability to influence magical power wasn't restricted to the moment of casting.
With Reiko emitting a minimum-output magi-jammer pulse in all directions, the group continued their tour of Toka Village in peace.