Without any incident along the way, Konron 3 arrived in the skies above Kaina Village.
It then began a slow, steady descent.
The weather here was crystal clear, without a single wisp of cloud, offering an unobstructed view of the ground below.
"So this is Kaina Village. I'm so glad I could finally come."
Back when she was Empress, traveling abroad at a whim had been utterly out of the question, which had always been a source of immense regret—the Empress Emerita reflected on this with a wry smile.
To let her take in the scenery at her leisure, Konron 3 banked into a wide circle as it lost altitude.
"Ah, is that your castle, Jin-kun? I had heard stories, but it certainly is unusual."
"Yes. It's called Jin Castle."
"Would you show me around later?"
"Yes, of course."
As they exchanged words, Konron 3 touched down in the plaza before Jin Castle.
Lined up there to welcome them were Butler B, Butler C, and the 101 series of the 5-Color Maids: Amez, Ruby, Aqua, Topaz, and Perido.
Before disembarking from Konron 3, the Empress Emerita spoke up.
"Jin-kun, just while we're here, could you call me by my name?"
"Huh...?"
"You too, Flora. Please don't call me 'Your Majesty.'"
Jin understood where she was coming from, so he hesitated.
"Uh, well..."
"...Would addressing you as Lady Hilde be acceptable?"
In place of the hesitating Jin, Reiko spoke up.
"Yes, that will do....Though if possible, I'd prefer if you dropped the 'Lady' as well..."
"...That would be a bit much..."
Jin pleaded for her to spare him from that.
"Very well, 'Lady' it is. Please address me that way from now on."
"Your Maj—Lady Hilde... is that truly all right?"
Flora clearly found the words awkward on her tongue.
"Please, Flora, I insist....Right, let's establish our cover story."
With that, they settled on their roles: the Empress Emerita Hilde was an acquaintance of Jin's, a retired noblewoman from the Shouro Empire.
Flora was her personal attendant. Having set this up, Hilde offered a mischievous smile.
"Welcome, Lady Hilde, Lady Flora."
"Welcome home, Master, Madam, Young Master, and Ojou-sama."
Upon stepping off Konron 3, the welcoming party of butlers and maids bowed and greeted them in unison.
Hilde was momentarily surprised that the new form of address had already been relayed, but quickly thought, Well, it is Jin-kun, after all.
"First, please make yourself comfortable inside."
Jin guided Hilde into Jin Castle.
Leaving the securing of Konron 3 to Butler B, Edgar had Amez 101 and Ruby 101 unload Hilde's luggage.
Incidentally, Flora had stubbornly insisted on carrying her own bags to the very end.
Hilde and Flora were shown to the reception room, while the luggage was taken up to the guest quarters.
Flora had brought along a large suitcase herself, but after some persuasion from Perido 101, she finally handed it over.
Elsa retired to the living quarters with the twins.
Jin was left to attend to Hilde and Flora.
"Ah, this tea has such a gentle flavor. It's delicious."
"It's Kaina tea. It's brewed from the leaves of the 'tea tree'—the 'gutta-percha'—which is harvested near this village."
Gutta-percha trees also grew in the Shouro Empire, but drinking it as tea was rare.
Furthermore, in Kaina Village, the leaves were thoroughly sun-dried during processing, allowing the savory umami compounds to mature under the sunlight.
Since the gutta-percha was similar to the Eucommia ulmoides of Earth, the tea brewed from its leaves possessed many of the qualities of a herbal health tonic.
"Now that you've had a moment to catch your breath, let me show you to your rooms."
As the host, Jin led the way for Hilde and Flora.
For this stay, they would be using the guest rooms located on the second floor, down the hall from the reception room.
The southeast corner room was assigned to Hilde, and the room adjacent to it was Flora's.
"Oh my, there's tatami here as well."
While the hallways and reception room had wooden floorboards, these rooms were laid with tatami mats.
Hilde had previously experienced tatami at the Five Constant Virtues on Kunlun Island.
"Ah, what a wonderful fragrance. It truly puts one at ease."
"Please feel free to change into something comfortable. I will return for you shortly."
Fifteen minutes later, when Jin returned, Hilde and Flora had changed into casual attire.
"Lunch is ready."
Due to the time difference, it was already 1:30 PM in Kaina Village.
While a bit late for lunch, it was not quite tea time, so Jin had prepared something light: hotcakes.
It served as a perfect middle ground between an afternoon snack and a proper meal.
"Oh my, this is delicious. It might even surpass what they serve at the Royal Palace."
"Yes, it is exquisite, Your Maj—Lady Hilde."
"Thank you for the kind compliment."
Incidentally, Hilde had opted for maple syrup, while Flora preferred honey.
Joining them at the table, Jin proved to be in the maple syrup camp.
For their beverage, black tea was served.
"My, this flavor is rather familiar."
"It truly is. This is... ah, Lady Hilde, it's the exact same tea we drink at the Royal Palace."
Flora possessed a remarkably sharp palate, which thoroughly impressed Jin.
"Right on the mark. The tea leaves we brewed today were purchased in Loizart."
Jin explained that he had bought them directly from a merchant who supplied the imperial court.
After finishing the meal, they took some time to relax and digest.
Taking advantage of the pause in conversation, Jin brought up a subject that had been on his mind.
"Lady Flora, I heard you were getting married and retiring from your post..."
At this, Flora's cheeks flushed, and she cast her eyes downward in embarrassment. Seeing her hesitation, Hilde spoke up in her stead.
"Her betrothed is Meinrad Augus von Bergmüller, who serves as the captain of the 2nd Unit of the Royal Ritters. He is an earnest, dependable man, so I think he will make a wonderful match for Flora."
However, because the crown had only just changed hands, the court could ill afford a sudden drain of talent. As such, retirements were being staggered. Flora was scheduled to step down at the end of the year, with their wedding planned for early in the new year.
"Which is why she will remain my attendant for the rest of this year."
"I see, so that's how it is."
"And because of that, the automata Aruru you were so kind to make for me is staying behind to look after the residence this time."
"Understood."
Jin had been hoping to hear her thoughts on the Aruru he had gifted her, but for now, Hilde seemed intent on prioritizing Flora.
Afterward, the group continued to chat about pleasant trivialities.
With a gentle smile, Hilde asked,
"Say, Jin-kun, from what I saw from the sky, this castle is quite tall, isn't it?"
"Yes. You can get an unbroken view of the entire village from the top floor."
By this point, Jin already had a clear idea of what Hilde would ask next.
"I'd love to go up."
"...Allow me to guide you."
The request arrived precisely as expected.
"Well, it requires climbing the stairs..."
Before Jin could suggest having a golem carry her up, Hilde cut in.
"A few stairs are no trouble at all. My body has felt considerably lighter lately."
Jin shot a questioning glance at Flora, wondering if that was truly wise, but Flora offered a reassuring nod.
"Indeed. Lady Hilde walks up and down the stairs within the palace every day, and her legs and hips have grown quite strong."
Even so, still wary of a potential misstep, Jin summoned Aqua 101 to provide support.
"My, what a splendid view!"
Hardly out of breath after climbing to the top floor without any trouble, Hilde marveled at the panorama stretching out before them.
"Over there to the north, far beyond the mountain range, lies the Great Isthmus of Pasdext, and beyond that is the Nord Federation."
"Ah, is that so? Looking from here, it feels comparatively close."
Next, Jin turned her attention southward.
"The river flowing to the south is the Erme River. Magi-stone sand can be gathered there; it serves as the energy source for magic stoves and is one of the village's primary local specialties."
"Ah, so that is what the people wading into the river are gathering."
Jin went on to explain the sights to the east and west, leaving Hilde thoroughly captivated and satisfied.