"We have been awaiting your arrival, Master, and everyone."
As Jin and the others disembarked from the Adriana, the gathered Fores units stepped forward to greet them.
The Fores were golems of the same model as the Land and Smith squads, clad in 64 light silver armor. Their coloration was moss green, hinting at their forestry duties.
"Ah, they were called Fores, right?"
Reinhard was the first to recall.
"Jin sent them out to develop Planet Hehl about 340 years ago, didn't he?"
"Ah, did that happen?"
"Yes, it did."
The other members began to remember as well.
Indeed, aside from the present Jin, and Lordtoss and Ludmila who lived in the modern era, everyone knew what had taken place 300 to 400 years ago.
Including Sion, of course, who had been alive since that time.
"Development has come along quite a bit, I see."
"Yes. For now, we leveled the ground at the spaceport and applied Hardening. It is now capable of handling the arrival and departure of even larger spaceships."
Fores 1, speaking as their representative, answered.
"Looks like it. Good work, all of you."
After thanking the Fores units, Jin asked, "Is the Elder at home?"
"Yes. He occasionally goes out in the airship-type Blow Floater Ciel, but he is home today."
"I see."
"Shall we guide you?"
"No, that's fine. We'll take the Konron 3."
"Understood."
Following that brief exchange, Jin and the group headed toward the Elder's residence aboard the airship Konron 3, which was stationed on-site.
There was also a Sparrow designed for Planet Hehl, but since it only seated seven and could not accommodate the whole group, they opted for Konron 3 this time.
Incidentally, Konron 3 was stored in a hangar at the edge of the spaceport.
Hope, who had been brought along for this very purpose, served as their pilot.
"Hope, I'd like everyone to be able to see the surface, so please maintain an altitude of around 200 meters."
"Understood. Would a speed of around 300 kilometers per hour be acceptable?"
"Yeah, that'll do."
With that, everyone boarded Konron 3 to enjoy their journey over Planet Hehl.
"Oho, the greenery has increased considerably."
"Come to think of it, Reinhard, have you been to Planet Hehl before?"
"Yeah, about 340 years ago."
"Right, makes sense."
Still, this was their first time seeing Planet Hehl in its present state, and they were delighted to watch the land thriving with new vegetation.
"Ah, that's the Elder's house over there."
In the distance past a corundum dome, small windows carved into the rock face came into view.
Konron 3 smoothly touched down on a level clearing.
"Ah! It's Jin-san! And so many guests, too!"
Having noticed Konron 3 landing, Rouge came running outside.
"No matter how many times I see her, she's the spitting image of the Arshel of old..."
Sion narrowed her eyes and murmured with fond nostalgia. Rouge was a homunculus modeled after Arshel.
And since Arshel was the younger sister of Sion's husband, Belialus, she was also Sion's sister-in-law.
Hearing the voices, the Elder, No. 700672, peered out from inside the house.
"Oh, Marikka-sama!"
Spotting Marikka, he bowed deeply.
"I have brought our companions along with Jin-sama today."
"So it seems. They appear to be the same individuals I met long ago. Welcome."
No. 700672 had been deeply involved in Crafting the Jin Family homunculi, so it was only natural that he remembered their faces.
"Oh, it's pleasantly warm in here."
Jin and the others were guided into the annex.
It was a hemispherical dome made of transparent corundum, measuring 10 meters in diameter and 5 meters in height.
The entrance lay below ground; they had reached it by walking through an underground passage from the Mansion.
Although Planet Hehl's seasons were synchronized with Planet Ars, this highland was situated directly on the Equator, enjoying a warm climate year-round.
While it was around 22 degrees Celsius outside, the interior was climate-controlled to roughly 25 degrees Celsius, with humidity kept around 60 percent.
Furnished with sofas and tables, it was a space made for leisure.
To their surprise, there was also a six-mat tatami area where one could take off their shoes and stretch out.
"This is the first time since building this place that I have welcomed such a large gathering of guests."
The Elder was in high spirits.
Just then, Rouge and Neige arrived with freshly brewed tea.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
Jin watched with quiet admiration at how genuinely human the two of them had become. The change in environment had clearly worked wonders.
The tea was sencha.
"Is this from Onogoro Island tea leaves?"
"Ah, yes. How did you know?"
At Jin's deduction, Neige looked up in surprise.
"I figured if it wasn't from Hourai Island, it had to be from Onogoro Island."
Tea bushes did not grow in cold climates, so they were rarely cultivated in the Nord Federation.
Greenhouses existed, but their space was prioritized for staple foods rather than luxury goods.
"I see, so you deduced it through logic."
Neige murmured, clearly impressed. Her expression was now worlds apart from the hollow, blank look she had worn back in the "White Room."
"Marikka-sama, will you be able to relax and stay for a while today?"
"Ah, no, today is just a day trip..."
"That is unfortunate."
"I'll come visit again soon so we can take our time."
Marikka chatted warmly with the Elder, No. 700672.
"Jin-sama, did Rubina-chan not come today?"
"Yeah, not today. But look over there—she's Rubina's distant ancestor."
"Wait, me?!"
Beena was caught completely off guard when Jin suddenly steered the conversation her way.
"Eh? Big sister, you're Rubina-chan's ancestor?"
"Now that you mention it, she does have a similar vibe..."
Rouge and Neige eagerly bustled over to Beena's side.
"E-Eh?"
"Yeah, her hair is the same as Rubina-chan's."
"Yeah, her eyes are the same color, too."
"A-Ahaha..."
Beena could only laugh awkwardly, thoroughly overwhelmed by how quickly and warmly they took to her.