"Haaah, that was so much fun."
Having thoroughly enjoyed her boat ride for about an hour and a half, Empress Emerita Hilde smiled with deep satisfaction.
"Lady Hilde, shall we get some lunch soon?"
It was 11:30 AM. Returning to Jin Castle now would put them right on schedule for the midday meal.
"That sounds wonderful."
Noticing a faint trace of fatigue on Empress Emerita Hilde's face, Jin called for a "golem rickshaw," or "golem-rickshaw" for short.
In essence, it was a rickshaw pulled by a golem.
Jin had seen them used in Mitsuho and decided to introduce them to Kaina Village as well.
The unit pulling it was Land U, who was more than capable of serving as a bodyguard.
It was said that a foreigner who once visited Japan saw a rickshaw and remarked, "A human pulls a cart carrying another human. I can't tell whether this country values human life or not."
At any rate, with a golem doing the pulling, no such criticism would arise.
The tires were made of rubber harvested from gutta-percha trees. While they were tubeless, the vehicle body compensated by utilizing a high-performance suspension system and dampers.
The seat was also crafted for maximum comfort, ensuring that as long as it was pulled at a brisk walking pace, the ride would be remarkably smooth.
"This is lovely."
"It's very comfortable."
Fitted with a sunshade that blocked the harsh summer rays, the vehicle left both Empress Emerita Hilde and Flora thoroughly pleased.
Lunch consisted of "Pashta," the specialty of neighboring Toka Village. It was a popular dish that was also served in Avalon.
This time, Perido Leader of Hourai Island had adapted the seasoning to mimic the Japanese-style pasta that Jin so enjoyed.
The recipe featured butter, soy sauce, salt, pepper, round onions, bacon, and green laver.
"Oh my, this is delicious."
"This is...! It's my first time tasting seasoning like this, but it's wonderful!"
And for good reason.
When Empress Emerita Hilde had previously been hosted at the Five Constant Virtues and Jade Villa on Kunlun Island, all data regarding the ingredients and flavor profiles she favored had been transmitted to Laojun, and today's seasoning was specifically tailored around that information.
Because of this, there had been no need to prepare an array of different sauces.
The accompanying fruit was Persica grown on Hourai Island.
Because they were harvested only when fully ripe, they were intensely sweet and rich in sugar.
Chilling them beforehand made them go down even more pleasantly.
Most importantly, they carried a hidden fatigue-recovery effect.
This was true of fruits from Hourai Island in general; owing to their high free ether content, magic could be imbued into them.
Of course, the concentration of free ether was not potent enough to trigger a full spell activation, so it remained at the level of "feeling like it vaguely has that kind of effect."
Even so, it was no mere placebo. It produced a genuine, if slight, physiological benefit, making it the perfect dessert for Empress Emerita Hilde after a tiring outing.
"Ah, that was delicious. Thank you for the wonderful meal."
Seeing how pleased Empress Emerita Hilde was, Jin spoke up.
"You must be tired from your time on the river. Please, get some rest."
He escorted her to the Great Hall, where a futon had been laid out and enclosed by folding screens.
With its high ceilings and excellent ventilation, the Great Hall stayed refreshingly cool. It was the ideal setting for an afternoon nap.
"Yes, perhaps I shall do just that."
Thanks to the properties of the Persica she had eaten for dessert, the risk of indigestion or developing acid reflux from lying down after eating was virtually nonexistent.
The pleasant scent of rush grass drifted from the fresh tatami mats, and before long, Empress Emerita Hilde was breathing softly in slumber.
On the other side of the partition, Flora remained on high alert, determined to fulfill her duty as a guard.
"Flora-san, there's really no need to be so tense. Jin Castle is protected by a barrier, so please relax and take a load off."
At Jin's gentle prompting, Flora sat down on the floor chair offered by Topaz 101 and leaned back against the support.
A little before 1:00 PM.
"Ah, I slept so well," Empress Emerita Hilde murmured as her eyes fluttered open.
Jin, who had been debating whether or not he should wake her at one o'clock, breathed an internal sigh of relief.
"Jin-kun, what time is it?"
"It's almost one."
"Oh dear... Old habits die hard, it seems."
She explained that she made a regular habit of taking an afternoon siesta in an armchair after lunch to help digest her food.
"I would have loved to sleep a bit longer, though."
Hearing that, Jin offered a word of advice.
"Your Majesty, sleeping for too long during the day can make it hard to fall asleep at night, so they say fifteen to twenty minutes is usually best."
Empress Emerita Hilde gave him a gentle reprimand.
"Jin-kun, it's Hilde, not Your Majesty."
Then she nodded. "Well, is that so...? Then I suppose my usual routine isn't bad after all."
"If you lie down right after eating until you're stuffed, the contents of your stomach can flow back into your esophagus and cause acid reflux, so it's generally better to take post-meal naps sitting upright in a chair."
He added that if one kept their meals to around eighty percent full—or rather, sixty percent—lying down on a futon was generally safe.
"I see. I'll keep that in mind....By the way, where is Flora?"
"Huh?"
Wondering why Flora had not shown herself despite their conversation, Jin and Empress Emerita Hilde quietly peeked around the folding screen together.
"...She's asleep."
"...She really is."
Slumped comfortably against the floor chair, Flora was fast asleep, breathing in gentle, rhythmic puffs.
"(What should we do?)" Jin whispered, careful not to wake her.
"(Well... She attends to me constantly, so she must be carrying a lot of fatigue. Let's let her sleep a little longer.)"
"(Understood.)"
Physical exhaustion could be alleviated with Persica juice and a quick nap, but mental fatigue was a far tougher challenge.
It might be worth developing a spell specifically for relaxation, Jin mused.
"In that case, perhaps I'll browse the books in the Library."
"Yes, please do....I'll come fetch you a little before three o'clock."
"Understood. I'll leave it to you."
With that, Empress Emerita Hilde eagerly made her way to the Library. Jin assigned Aqua 101 to accompany her just in case.
Meanwhile, Flora remained sound asleep.
"She probably won't catch a cold, but... what's the best move here?"
Should he wake her, or let her rest?
Empress Emerita Hilde had instructed him to let her sleep, but Jin figured that if he did, Flora would be utterly mortified the moment she woke up.
"All right."
Coming up with an idea, Jin asked Reiko to fetch Elsa and the twins.
"Right away, Father."
Two minutes later, Elsa arrived with Reiko.
"What's... the matter? The two of them are down for their afternoon nap right now, though."
"Ah, right..."
Unlike adults, toddlers kept to a strict nap schedule—a simple fact that had completely slipped Jin's mind.