The Golem automobile carrying Jin and his companions rolled along the gravel-paved road. Lush broad-leaved forests lined both sides of the path.
"Fresh greenery... That's right, it's spring in the Southern Hemisphere."
Even with its position on the Tropic of Capricorn, the island clearly experienced its own distinct seasons.
Hourai Island has seasons too, Jin mused as he took in the scenery.
Eventually, a village came into view.
"This is the Village Area. It's for people who prefer this sort of lifestyle," Susanne explained.
The place had an atmosphere reminiscent of Kaina Village. At the same time, it bore a striking resemblance to Kalts Village, Reinhard's former territory.
When Jin pointed this out, the response was: "Indeed. Many descendants of those very people live here."
The car came to a stop in what appeared to be the village's Central Plaza.
Residents flocked to the vehicle almost immediately. Trihart picked up a loudspeaker—a magi-device integrated into the vehicle—to address them.
"As I mentioned before, our 'Ancestor,' Jin Nidou-sama, has arrived! This is just a brief introduction, so there's no need for individual introductions today."
He then turned toward Jin. "Ancestor, a few words for everyone, if you please."
"Eh?"
Jin was caught off guard by the sudden request, but Marikka whispered an encouragement.
"Jin-sama, please."
Jin stood up in the car.
"Hello, everyone. I am Jin Nidou. Due to a bit of an accident, I've come to this era from four hundred years in the past. I am truly happy to meet you all."
He then added an introduction for Reiko.
"And this is Reiko. I hope you'll treat her well!"
Reiko gave a silent bow.
"Ancestor!"
"Jin-sama!"
"It's an honor!!"
The crowd waved enthusiastically, clearly moved. Jin felt a wave of relief, but at the same time, his eyes grew a little misty.
"Well then, on to the next one. Until later, everyone!"
With those parting words, Trihart set the Golem automobile in motion. The villagers cleared the way, continuing to wave at the departing group until they were out of sight.
"How was it? Everyone is welcoming you, aren't they?"
"Yeah, they are."
Jin felt as though a heavy weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next place they visited was a bustling town. The simple stone walls surrounding it were reminiscent of Blue Land in the Kingdom of Egerea or Alban in the Klein Kingdom.
However, the city gates stood wide open, and there was no Gatekeeper in sight.
"It's just for show," Trihart explained.
After passing through the gates, the Golem automobile proceeded down the Central Thoroughfare. Ahead lay the Central Plaza, complete with a fountain.
"There's even a Royal Palace."
"It's just for the atmosphere. There is no king, though some folks enjoy living out a knightly roleplay."
Cosplay... or rather, roleplaying, Jin thought.
"There are shops, too. It has a large population, doesn't it?"
"Ah, that's because about seventy percent of them are automata."
"What?"
"It would be lonely with just humans. It's for the atmosphere—just the atmosphere."
"I see..."
Jin imagined they were like NPCs in a video game.
The car stopped in the Central Plaza. Once again, following Trihart's introduction, Jin gave a brief greeting. The reception was just as warm as it had been in the village. Since this was merely a preliminary introduction, they moved on quickly.
"Everyone looked truly happy," Reiko remarked.
"Is that so? If you say so, Reiko, then it must be true."
With eyesight far superior to his own, Reiko would have been able to discern the expressions of every single person in the crowd.
＊ ＊ ＊
Next, they visited a port town-like area facing the Inner Sea of Onogoro Island. It reminded Jin of places like Port Rock Town in the Kingdom of Elias or Narnekka in the Kingdom of Egerea.
They stopped the car in a plaza overlooking the harbor and gave another greeting.
"Ancestor!"
"We're so happy to meet you!!"
Jin was welcomed here just as enthusiastically. Any lingering fears he had about being an unwanted intruder had completely vanished.
"Ah, I'm truly relieved."
More than that, he was impressed by how developed and livable the towns and villages were.
"The resident automata were modeled after the Quinta," Marikka explained.
"Ah, that makes sense. The Quinta spent their lives embedded in various towns, after all."
"Yes. Laojun cooperated with us as well."
"I figured as much."
Jin realized they had utilized the vocational expertise and social data gathered by the Quinta to populate these areas. He felt a quiet pride knowing that their work was being put to use in such a positive way.
Jin went on to visit three more towns, offering similar greetings in each.
"Is that the last of them?" Jin asked.
"No," Trihart replied with a smile. "We've saved the best for last."
"The best?"
"Yes—your direct descendants, Jin-sama."