Carrying Jin and Kachea, the Hurricane took thirteen hours to reach the Pandor Continent.
It had been a reasonably long journey, but since neither of them minded sitting quietly, it is enough to simply say that peace reigned throughout the cabin.
"We're finally here..."
"Are we here already?"
For Jin, who had traveled without using a barrier projector or a Warp Gate, it felt like "finally."
For Kachea, who had arrived in about a third of the time her previous trip home had taken, it felt like "already."
This gap in their perceptions was simply unavoidable.
"We will soon be over Taji Village."
Hope's voice resonated through the cabin. Reiko called out to the two of them as well.
"Father, Kachea-san, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts."
"Got it."
"Yes."
Once the two buckled up, the Hurricane began its descent.
Unlike an airplane, it was capable of coming to a dead stop in midair and lowering its altitude vertically.
5,000 meters, 4,000 meters, 3,000 meters...
"Ah, the ground is coming into view."
Having broken through the clouds, the land below was now in full view.
2,000 meters, 1,000 meters, 500 meters...
"Wait, this isn't Taji Village, is it?"
"Yeah. It's the flatlands along the shore of Noriji Lake, north of Taji Village."
"How do we get there from here?"
"Let's take the Eagle Unit 1."
"Ah, the Blow Floater that was loaded on board alongside the Southern Cross, right?"
"That's the one."
Jin, Reiko, and Kachea gathered their baggage and souvenirs, then climbed down the ladder into the Eagle Unit 1. Reiko took the controls.
As for the Hurricane, Hope was assigned to look after it.
There were many wild animals in the area, making a caretaker essential.
"Well then, Hope, keep an eye on things while we're gone."
"Have a safe trip, Master."
Seen off by Hope, the Eagle Unit 1 took flight.
"There are a lot of new houses, aren't there?"
"Yes....Most of the houses burned down during that invasion, after all."
They had been set ablaze during the Markitus raid.
However, there had been no casualties, and with aid provided by the World Conference afterward, reconstruction had progressed quickly.
Even so, a few scars from that time still lingered.
"Ah, right. Sorry."
"No, it's not your fault at all, Jin-san..."
While chatting about such things, the Eagle Unit 1 touched down in a vacant lot in Taji Village.
A few curious villagers had come out to watch, among them Sergei, the Village Chief of Taji Village, and his daughter Helga.
Kachea was the first to step down from the Eagle Unit 1.
"Kachea!"
Helga came running up to her.
"Welcome back!"
"I'm back, Helga-chan!"
The two took each other's hands. Then, Helga spotted Jin getting off right behind her.
"Jin-san! It really is you, Jin-san! Wow, long time no see!"
Her face broke into a broad smile of delight upon seeing him.
"Jin-kun, so you've gotten your memories back. Look at you, all grown and respectable."
Sergei, the Village Chief, also gave Jin a warm welcome.
"A lot has happened since you left back then. Well, no need to stand around talking out here. Why don't you come over to our place?"
"Yes, by all means."
And with that, Jin headed for Village Chief Sergei's home.
"Dad, I'm heading over to Aunt Sonya's shop with Kachea."
Helga took one of Kachea's bags as she spoke.
"All right."
With that, Kachea headed off toward her aunt's shop alongside Helga.
Incidentally, Mini Reiko was secretly keeping watch over the Eagle Unit 1.
Jin, Sergei, and Reiko walked along the path leading to the Village Chief's house.
"...Jin-kun, who on earth is that child?!"
Along the way, Sergei finally asked about Reiko. It seemed he had meant to wait until they reached his house, but seeing Reiko carry a massive load of luggage without breaking a sweat was simply too much for his curiosity to bear.
"This is Reiko. She's an automata I created."
"A-An automata?!...I see, you're a top-notch magi engineer, aren't you, Jin-kun? Ah, that explains why she's so strong, being an automata and all."
He seemed reasonably convinced.
Before long, the group arrived at the Village Chief's house.
"Come right in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
The floor plan appeared to be almost identical to the old one. Jin and Reiko were ushered into the reception room.
"It looks completely new."
"Indeed. After that time, a terrorist named Guillermo Marukitasu attacked us, and most of the village was burned to the ground."
"Y-Yeah. I've heard."
"I imagine you have. That incident was quite a major ordeal."
Just then, Sergei's wife Mina walked in carrying tea.
"Jin-san, it's been so long. Or perhaps I should say, 'Welcome home'?"
"Ah, it's been a while."
Jin stood up to greet her.
"Still, I'm glad to see you've figured out who you are. What a relief."
"Thank you for everything you did for me back then."
Jin bowed his head.
"Mina, sit down too. Let's listen to Jin-kun's story, shall we? You don't mind, do you?"
"Yes, of course."
And so, Jin gave the Village Chief and his wife a brief summary of everything that had happened since he left Taji Village.
"Hmm, so you caught the eye of Lord Paerova Sondvik..."
"...And after that, you were summoned to the royal capital..."
"And then went on to the Jagus Principality..."
"There you met a person named Lordtoss, and that's how you finally discovered your true identity, Jin-kun..."
Jin explained the path he had actually taken, keeping only a few facts hidden.
The Village Chief and his wife listened with rapt attention.