Once the hubbub caused by Jin’s return had settled some.
The village headman Gheebeck spoke to Jin as their representative.
“Jin, welcome back. The village has been waiting for your return.”
“Chief-san…”
“Of course, it would be a great loss to the world to have a Magi Craftsman as excellent as you remain in our village. However, when you’re tired, when you’re sad, when you want to come back, this village will welcome you always.”
He said and took Jin’s hand. Jin squeezed his hand back vigorously.
“Thank you very much.”
The village chief then turned to everyone and,
“Come now, everyone. This is enough. You’ll surely have a chance to talk to Jin later. Let’s let him relax now, no?”
He said and gestured for everyone to disperse.
“Jin, see you later then.”
“Jin, later I’ve got something to tell you.”
“Jin nii-chan, let’s play again later~”
Everyone exchanged a word with him, some returned to their homes and others to the fields.
Remaining were Jin, Reiko, Hannah, Elsa, Barbara, Martha, and Gheebeck. Gheebeck then told Jin something.
“Jin, you probably aren’t aware of it but you’re not a wanted man or anything like that. After what happened Fahlheit-sama came around and told Earl Walter that he had acted rashly. Quite the contrary, apparently His Majesty the King wanted to employ you.”
Jin felt relieved after hearing that. At the very least him being here wouldn’t cause the village any trouble.
Gheebeck then added,
“Now Jin, you can go to Martha-san’s place. Barbara, get in the house.”
Gheebeck opened the door and retired indoors.
“Yes, uncle. Elsa-san, see you later.”
Barbara also went inside the house.
“Come on, we should also go home.”
Martha said and took Hannah’s hand. They began slowly walking but immediately stopped, and turned back to look at Jin who was standing still.
“Hey Jin, what are you doing. Let’s go home.”
“Martha-san…”
“Sister and Reiko-chan too, come on. If you’re coming back then you’re coming home.”
Martha said and then Jin began walking with Elsa and Reiko.
After a short walk they were at Martha’s house.
“Come on, Jin. Aren’t you going to show your sister your home?”
Being told so, Jin looked back towards Elsa and held out his hand.
“Mm.”
Elsa made a little nod and took Jin’s hand.
“So that you could come back any time, I’ve kept your room as it was, Jin.”
Martha said.
It had been kept clean, not a single speck of dust was in sight.
Looking at the room’s state, tears welled in Jin’s eyes.
“Welcome back, Jin.”
Martha said once again and finally Jin’s tears spilled out.
Reiko quietly handed him a handkerchief.
Seeing Jin like that, Elsa simply grasped his hand tightly in silence.
＊ ＊ ＊
Martha brewed tea and Jin drank it. Hannah and Elsa were also seated around the round table. Reiko was standing behind Jin.
“Ahh, it’s been a while since I last tasted this.”
The place where the tea plants were harvested from affected the taste after all. Not to mention how lately Jin had been drinking only Egelia Kingdom’s specialty Teee, so he had missed the taste of Kaina Village tea which was like green tea.
“Sigh…”
Jin took a deep breath. In front of him were Martha and Hannah.
“Excuse me…”
Jin was about to say something, but Martha spoke before him as if interrupting.
“Jin, I’ll say this first. I have no intention of questioning you in detail about anything. It’s the same with everyone in the village. We all know you’re not an ordinary person. We also know you can do things that usually can’t be done. So unless you want to talk about how you got came here or such, you don’t have to talk about it. Remember that.”
Martha went and said, then Jin was at a loss for words.
Because he had been worrying about how to explain things.
“Thank you very much. If I spoke frankly it might cause trouble for the village instead, so you saying that makes me feel at ease.”
If it was kept to just villagers it’d be fine, but starting with the feudal lord the kingdom’s officials would probably come to know it too. Jin wanted to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
At that moment Hannah spoke, like she couldn’t bear it any more.
“Hey hey onii-chan, let’s go gather herbs in the mountains!”
Hearing that, Jin remembered how last year he had gone picking herbs with Hannah to pick.
“Hmm, okay. Shall we go after I see Elsa off?”
Thinking that Mine was probably worrying about her, Jin replied but he got an unexpected response.
“Eeh? Let’s go together with Elsa onee-chan.”
“Jin-nii, I want to go too.”
Jin smiled awkwardly and nodded.
“Got it, let’s go together. …We’re not walking, right?”
Hannah quickly nodded and,
“Yeah! Me, I’m riding on Mint!”
She replied. Hearing that, Jin thought.
“Hmm, I wonder if the other golem horses are free?”
Right now it was the beginning of farming season. The golem horses were surely used in clearing and cultivating the land, transporting materials and such.
“Ah, that’s right. All the horses are probably taken out, right?”
Martha guessed based on the current situation.
“Eeh, can we not go then?”
After seeing Hannah’s disappointed face, Jin briefly left his seat.
Then outside the room he took the ManaCom from his pocket and contacted Hourai Island for something. He then returned to the room, turned to Hannah and said,
“Hannah, it’ll be fine. More importantly don’t you have to prepare the lunch boxes?”
Hearing that made Hannah very happy.
“Really? We’re going? Ya~y! Granny, I’ll help you so make lunch boxes!”
“Yes yes, wait a moment.”
Martha got up while smiling and took Hannah with her to the kitchen.
“Jin-nii?”
Jin explained to the puzzled-looking Elsa what he had done.
“I instructed horse golems to be sent here from Hourai Island.”
And then after calling somewhere again, he handed the ManaCom to Elsa and,
“Mine is worried. Apologize to her properly.”
He said. Elsa took the ManaCom.
“Umm… Mother? …Mmh, I’m sorry. Um, now, I’m with Jin-nii. And so, I want to, look around here a bit longer and come back after that. …Mm, I understand. Thank you.”
After talking about something with Mine, she returned the ManaCom to Jin.
“Jin-nii, thanks. Mother, she said ‘oh well’ after I told her I’m with Jin-nii, and she gave her permission.”
“I see, that’s good.”
Jin then faced Reiko and said,
“Reiko, give that thing to Elsa please.”
“Yes, Father.”
Reiko took a bracelet out of her pocket. It was the bracelet that protected from the excessive Magic Energy disorder.
In the first place, to hand this over Reiko was called back and this fuss happened.
Although maybe it should be called a fortunate error as thanks to that Jin returned to Kaina Village.
“This is a bracelet to protect you from the excessive Magic Energy disorder, Elsa. It also stockpiles the surplus Magic Energy. When using magic, if you cast it with the sense of pushing the Magic Energy through the bracelet, it prioritizes using the Magic Energy stored inside the bracelet first.”
“Really, now?”
Elsa stared fixedly at the bracelet. She had no idea there existed such a Magi Tool. Actually, it would probably be unmakeable if it weren’t for Jin, Elsa thought intuitively.
“Yeah. By wearing this as much as possible, you won’t have to worry about the excessive Magic Energy disorder anymore.”
“Thank, you…”
Her defect called the excessive Magic Energy disorder could be kept at bay with this bracelet. She no longer had to mind the illness that she had always worried about. Elsa thought it was like a dream.
At that moment, Reiko looked outside as if she had noticed something.
“Father, it appears that the horses have come.”
“Huh, that’s fast.”
Jin stood up and went outside. Elsa rubbed her eyes and followed him.
Jin, Hannah, Elsa, and Reiko went outside and saw Jin’s favourite horse golem Koma, and the horse golems made for the time Elsa and Reinhardt were invited to Kunlun Island.
Most likely one of the SP had brought them along, but whoever did it was nowhere to be seen.
“Ah, it’s Onii-chan’s horse-san~”
Hannah seemed to remember Koma.
Elsa too recognized the horse golem she had previously ridden on and quickly straddled it. …Wearing a skirt.
Well, this time she wasn’t wearing a dress so by holding down the front she seemed to be able to manage.
“The lunch boxes are done. Oh my, if it isn’t Koma, and this one is? Did Jin call you? As amazing as ever, I see.”
Martha came from the house holding a basket with the lunch boxes in it and said. As she finished with ‘As amazing as ever, I see’ you could probably say she was used to it.
“Thank you very much. Well then, let’s go.”
Reiko took the basket and a flask.
Then the three horse golems and one Automata headed towards the mountain.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Ah, it’s been a while since I last saw this scene.”
“It’s a nice view.”
Jin was gazing at the view of Kaina Village he hadn’t seen in a long time, and Elsa was enjoying the view for the first time.
Afterwards, it turned out that the herb-picking was in name only and the four enjoyed a picnic.