Kunlun Island floated in the sea east of the Lauren Continent.
The territory belonged to the Lord of Kunlun, Jin Nidou, and had been opened to the public as a resort.
"It’s so peaceful here."
"It is... I mean, yes, it is, Nest... Dear."
The newlyweds Prince Ernest and Princess Lieschen were visiting Kunlun Island for their honeymoon.
It was currently June 3rd. More than half a month had passed since their wedding reception, but as members of the royal family, they had various ceremonies and official procedures to attend to first, so the delay had been unavoidable.
They were staying at the Jade Pavilion. Loll, a blue-haired automata from the same production lot as Anne, served as the General Manager.
Loll was also the older sister of Tia, the blue-haired automata who was Princess Lieschen’s personal favorite.
Tia had accompanied them on the trip and could be seen chatting with Loll from time to time.
Ernest’s attendant golem, Lotte, had also come along; she appeared to be having a wonderful time socializing with the golem maids who worked at the mansion.
The couple’s room was on the second floor, offering a clear view of the ocean through the window.
Since it was still early in the season, there were few other guests, allowing the two to relax in private.
On the morning of the 4th, Jin paid them a visit. He was accompanied only by Reiko. Since his purpose was to formally greet the royal couple, he felt it wouldn't be appropriate to bring the twins along.
"Your Highnesses, how are you enjoying the island?"
"Oh, Jin! It’s a wonderful place... isn't it!"
It seemed Princess Lieschen was making a conscious effort to correct her old-fashioned, noble way of speaking.
Apparently, her older brother, Prince Arthur, had cautioned her about it before she married Ernest.
Jin suspected Ernest wouldn't actually mind either way, but he conceded that her original speech style might cause issues in formal high society.
(That kind of thing sounds like such a hassle...) Jin thought honestly.
"Say, Jin, I heard a rumor. Is it true we can go out on a boat?" Ernest asked with a look of intense curiosity.
"Ah, the sightseeing boat. I’ve been thinking of running a trial operation for it."
In reality, the service hadn't officially started yet.
"...Would you like to take a ride?"
"Yes, definitely! Lies, you’ll come too, right?"
"Y-Yes, Nest—... Dear."
"All right then."
Jin calculated that having Ernest and Lieschen as the very first passengers would make for excellent publicity. With that slightly opportunistic thought in mind, he used Reiko to send instructions to prepare the vessel.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Oh! This is magnificent... isn't it?"
"Wow, Jin really can make anything, can't he?"
The prepared sightseeing boat was a wooden vessel based on the Shark, measuring ten meters in length and four meters in beam. The crew consisted of a pilot and two golems acting as guides, with a maximum capacity of ten passengers.
While its specs were lower than the original Shark, it still boasted a top speed of fifty kilometers per hour.
It wasn't equipped with a Warp Gate, but it did carry a small force generator for emergencies.
"Please, step aboard."
At 1:00 PM, the boat was waiting at the pier in front of the Jade Pavilion.
Jin boarded alongside them in his capacity as the Lord of Kunlun, with Reiko at his side.
The sightseeing boat set off slowly.
"Wow, this feels wonderful."
The weather was perfectly clear with a light breeze, leaving nothing but gentle swells on the surface of the sea. It was a perfect day for a cruise.
"It truly is lovely... isn't it?"
They cruised at about forty kilometers per hour. The early summer wind blowing across the water felt refreshing.
"The horizon is curved... isn't it?"
Because Planet Ars had a relatively small diameter of approximately 2,400 kilometers, the horizon and the skyline appeared as visible arcs.
"Seeing it like this really makes me realize the world is round....By the way, Jin, have you ever traveled all the way around the world?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I’ve made the trip once before in the Konron 3."
"Heh... I should have known. That’s Jin for you."
Prince Ernest sounded genuinely impressed.
The boat continued to circle the coast of Kunlun Island.
"This side of the island is also covered in thick forest... isn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose the climate suits the trees here."
Jin continued to answer Princess Lieschen’s questions as they sailed.
(I should probably create a golem or automata specifically to act as a tour guide for this.)
The boat rounded the island until it reached the point exactly opposite their starting location.
"Your Highnesses, would you like something to drink?"
The boat featured a small refrigerator stocked with cold beverages.
"Oh, in that case, I’ll have some citran juice. What about you, Lies?"
"Um, if that’s the case, I... I will have the same."
"Certainly."
Jin poured the juice into glasses and handed them over.
"Mmm, it’s nice and cold. Delicious!"
"It really is."
Since there was no cloud cover, the sunlight on the open water was quite intense. Jin had actually projected a barrier over the boat that filtered out harmful ultraviolet rays, but since it didn't block heat rays, it was still quite warm.
(Maybe I should add a light air conditioning system to the cabin.)
He hadn't turned on any cooling today because he thought it would be a shame if they couldn't feel the sea breeze, but he reconsidered.
(I feel a bit bad for Their Highnesses, but this is proving to be a very useful test case...)
The circumference of Kunlun Island was roughly eighty kilometers. At forty kilometers per hour, the trip took about two hours. They had now rounded about three-quarters of the island.
"Father, there is a Bowall ahead."
The sharp-eyed Reiko spotted a magical beast far in the distance.
A Bowall was a massive creature resembling a whale. While they typically inhabited northern seas, they occasionally migrated south.
Large ones could reach twenty meters in length, though ten meters was the norm. They were generally considered docile for magical beasts, but they had an instinctive habit of ramming into large floating objects they perceived as enemies. Marcia had once been shipwrecked by such an attack.
"Let me see... Oh, there... I see it now."
Princess Lieschen, who possessed the Far-vision Magic Eye, also spotted the creature.
"It’s quite far away, so we should be fine if we just maintain our course."
"True. But just to be safe—full speed!"
The boat accelerated from forty to fifty kilometers per hour. It was no longer a leisurely sightseeing speed, but it was necessary to avoid any risk.
(Reiko, contact Laojun just in case,) Jin whispered.
(Yes, Father. However, Laojun is already aware.)
(O-Oh, I see.)
Thanks to the Watcher surveillance satellite, Laojun already knew a Bowall was in the vicinity and had dispatched a squad of aircraft as a precaution.
Since the units were using Invisible, neither Ernest nor Lieschen noticed them.
Despite the precautions, the Bowall remained calm. The sightseeing boat completed its circuit around Kunlun Island and returned to the pier without further incident.
"Ah, that was wonderful! Jin, thank you for today!"
"It was very enjoyable... thank you so much."
"Welcome back, Your Highnesses."
Tia and Lotte had come down to the pier to meet them.
"I’m back, Lotte."
"Tia, thank you for... coming to meet us."
Both Royals wore satisfied smiles as they stepped off the boat.
Following this successful trial, the sightseeing boat service would soon begin its full, official operation.