"W-Wait, just a moment!"
Jin and his companions were called to a halt by the village chief of Toka Village, Yuzo Mayaka.
"Um, do you think there might be more surveillance devices like that one elsewhere?"
"Eh? Yes, well..."
Jin and the others had noticed at least ten. If they conducted a thorough search, they might find twice that number.
"If it’s possible, would you mind showing me where they are?"
"Well..."
Jin fell into thought.
"What do you two think?" he asked, seeking the opinions of Lordtoss and Reiko.
"Let's see... It’s not as if we’re in a desperate rush to reach Alban today," Lordtoss suggested, implying they might as well cooperate.
Reiko agreed. "Toka Village is Kaina Village’s neighbor. It might be best to offer them a little assistance, Father."
"Yeah, you're right."
Jin himself was curious about who had installed the surveillance magi-devices, so he nodded.
"All right. I’ll help you for the rest of the day."
Yuzo Mayaka beamed at the news. "Thank you so much! Please, stay at my home tonight."
With that, the issue of lodging was settled.
"I’ll see to it that your aircraft is looked after," the chief added.
"Much appreciated."
Jin was allowed to store the ship in a hangar managed by the chief—free of charge, of course. This also meant that Hope could leave the ship and accompany the group.
"Now then, please show me the locations."
"Understood."
They found them on the lighting poles at the airfield, tucked inside the roof of the village well, and at the base of the ranch fence. They were at the entrance to the highway, right in the center of the crossroads, and on a stone monument at the edge of town. They were hidden in the soldiers' barracks, under the eaves of shops, and in the garden of the inn.
Indeed, the devices were scattered all throughout the village.
"...This is absolutely preposterous."
Chief Yuzo was clearly indignant. Watching his reaction, it was easy to tell that he had nothing to do with the surveillance magi-devices. If this is an act, it's worthy of an Academy Award, Jin thought with a hint of admiration.
By the time they had circled the entire village, the number of recovered magi-devices had reached twenty-one.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I can't thank you enough!"
That night, a modest banquet was held at the chief's residence.
"I had heard the people of the Nord Federation were skilled in magic, but you certainly live up to the reputation!"
"Yes, well..."
Jin had been worrying about how to explain their ability to detect the magi-devices, but he felt a wave of relief when Yuzo came to his own conclusions.
"I examined a couple of them; they appear to have been installed about thirty years ago," Lordtoss explained.
"That long ago? That was before I even became the chief. But who on earth would do such a thing...?"
"We can't say for certain. However, since they haven't been retrieved for thirty years, either the culprit has forgotten about them, or they're no longer in this world."
Without proof that it was the work of the Magic Federation, they couldn't make a definitive accusation.
"Regardless, as the village chief, it’s quite unsettling," Yuzo said as he offered Jin some red wine. "We started producing this in the village recently. This is a three-year vintage. If you’d like, I’d be honored to hear your thoughts on it."
Jin was suddenly reminded of his friend Reinhard, who was quite the wine connoisseur.
I wonder what he would say, Jin thought as he tasted the wine.
"Yes, it’s delicious."
That was the first thought that came to mind.
"The balance of acidity and tannins is quite good."
He added that bit of praise as well. While a detailed critique was beyond him, Jin had tasted enough wine over the years to know what was good and what wasn't.
While they talked, a middle-aged servant brought in more food. According to the chief, Yuzo Mayaka was a bachelor and lived with only two servants.
"...What was Toka Village like in the old days?" Jin asked, casually steering the conversation toward his curiosity.
"The old days?...From what I gather, the village has always been more or less like this."
Yuzo’s father was from this village, and his mother was from the neighboring Rakuno Village.
"I heard that Kaina Village, our neighbor, became the direct territory of a great figure called the 'Magi Craft Meister' a long time ago. Even now, it’s technically not part of the Klein Kingdom."
"Ho..." Jin took a sip of wine and nodded.
"Kaina Village seems to have developed in many ways, but their way of life hasn't actually changed all that much. From my perspective, they've always seemed like a village of slightly eccentric people." Yuzo laughed heartily. "Ah, but we were talking about this village, weren't we? Let’s see... we don't have any particularly remarkable specialties. We used to have a dish called 'Pashta,' but it’s so common now that the big cities produce better versions than we do."
"I see. That’s how it is, then?"
"Kemeria oil isn't quite a 'specialty,' but it is one of the village's main sources of income."
It was primarily used as hair oil and for maintaining blades.
"At the end of the day, we’re just a small village in the mountains. We don't have any natural resources to speak of."
"That sounds like a difficult situation."
They were self-sufficient in food, but many daily necessities had to be purchased from the outside, which required money.
"Do peddlers visit often?" Jin asked, remembering Roland.
"Yes, once a month. Though lately, the Erik Company in Kaina Village actually has a better selection than the traveling merchants."
"I-Is that so?"
Jin felt a pang of regret for not taking a closer look at the local commerce while he was there.
"If only we had a few more ways to generate income... Ah, listen to me. I'm just grumbling now. I shouldn't be boring a guest with such things. Please, forget I said anything."
Flushed with a bit of drink, Yuzo Mayaka gave an embarrassed smile.
"What about the hot spring?" Jin asked. He remembered digging a hot spring there long ago. He wondered if it could still be used to draw in visitors.
"The hot spring?...I heard that it dried up ages ago. At least, that’s what’s in the village records."
"Dried up...?"
Whether the source had been too weak or something had shifted underground was unclear, but it seemed Toka Village no longer had its hot spring.
"Hmm..."
Toka Village had once been the territory of Lishia Fahlheit, a member of the "family."
Seeing the young chief struggling to keep the village afloat, Jin felt the urge to lend a hand.
Regional revitalization.
Jin began to contemplate what he could do to help Toka Village prosper once again.