Although the transit checking in the Serroa kingdom was strict, in the Shouro empire, it was very simple.
Which was natural, as the country’s Imperial Guard squad 3’s leader was with them.
After safely crossing the Shouro empire side’s checkpost, they kept advancing for about five more minutes.
In front of their eyes, lied an unconventional city. It was the border city of Shouro empire, Banmu.
Just before getting to the city, Reinhart got off the carriage. Jin also followed him.
And then, Reinhart held out his hand and said,
“Welcome to the Shouro empire!”
It seems like he remembered how Jin also welcomed him the same way to Kunlun island.
“Looking forward to it, Reinhart.”
Jin also grabbed the hand and they both smiled.
Shouro empire’s skies were a clear blue.
＊ ＊ ＊
“…A landslide?”
It was at Doppa village. A village consisting of about twenty houses, which lied between Shalulu city and Toka village along with Rakunoo village. It was a storage depot as well as a rest spot beside the highway.
A peddler’s carriage was brought to a standstill. About 5 kilometers away from it, there was a landslide from the top of a cliff, blocking the narrow road with boulders.
The road was one of the few narrow passages on the highway but during these past several decades, there were no landslides.
But since it has happened now, there is no point in talking about the past.
“When will the road open again?”
When he tried asking the soldier who was keeping watch so that no civilians enter the area,
“Don’t know. We don’t have the manpower to move that many boulders and there is also a possibility of further landslides. As of now, I can’t say for sure.”
Replied the soldier.
“You can’t be serious…”
This happened at the time when Rakunoo village, Toka village, Inado mine and Kaina village were in need of the necessities of life, such as salt, spices, clothes, etc.
“Well, we can’t really do anything here so let’s go back to Shalulu for now.”
“…Yes, conductor.”
And so they went back — Roland, who was in charge of fieldwork of the Raglan company, and a newcomer merchant.
＊ ＊ ＊
The Quinta in charge of Shalulu city was Deneb 2. And Capela 2 was at Rakham and Spica 1 was at Prentz. And although temporary, Deneb 29 was also there to keep watch on earl Walter.
These cities were the major cities which connected Kaina village to Kurain kingdom’s capital, Alban, so Jin, as well as Laojun, gave importance to them.
And it goes without saying that earl Walter was on Hourai island’s blacklist of people requiring special attention.
[…This is weird, since there has been no heavy rain recently either.]
After hearing the report, Laojun immediately understood that humans were involved with this.
[Is it the ‘next plan’ which came up in Deneb 29’s report, I wonder.]
The cunning earl Walter only used pronouns such as ‘that’ or ‘there’ but didn’t use any proper nouns so even Laojun couldn’t grasp the whole plan.
[There’s no mistake.]
After thinking about whether he should report it to Jin immediately or not, Laojun decided against it as it wasn’t necessarily an emergency and he could just report it during the regular contact at night.
He decided to also put in the details he finds out during this time.
[I wonder where this person is right now. Investigate and report.]
Laojun ordered.
[Although, measures needed to be taken are extremely simple.]
He said. If he had a face right now, it would have surely been grinning while he thought,
[If we’re going to crush them, it should be thorough, and with one go, of course. If we could get concession from Kurain kingdom while at it, that would be even better.]
Laojun was properly (and darkly) growing.
＊ ＊ ＊
“I have returned.”
Lithia Farrheit had finally returned to her house.
During the repair of Tetrada’s castle walls, there was an accident which injured some people. She had remained there to treat them.
Owing partially to her sense of duty and partly because of her own judgement as the relief knight squad leader.
“Welcome back, Lithia. Glad to see you’re doing well.”
She had reddish-brown hair and light-brown eyes. It was Lithia’s mother, Miria.
“You got tanned.”
It seems she was a bit surprised about her fair-skinned daughter returning home pitch black.
“Well, yea, since I was under the sun day after day.”
“…My daughter won’t be able to get a husband…”
“M-Mother?!”
Lithia would turn 16 this year, meaning she will be of marriageable age soon.
However, that was not even on Lithia’s mind.
It was only recently that they had been able to have confidence as new nobles after the recent dispute.
“I feel like my role now goes with my nature. So I don’t plan on becoming someone’s bride anytime soon. Moreover, what are you going to do about the heir?”
Lithia was an only child. If she went to another’s house as a bride, they wouldn’t have any heirs.
“Ah, that’s fine. If you give birth to 2 kids, I will just adopt one.”
“Mother!”
Interrupting her mother’s words, which she couldn’t understand were serious or not, Lithia ran away to her room to change.
“…What’s this?”
After returning to her room and having finished changing clothes, Lithia sat down to relax a bit and that’s when she realized that there was a sword on top of the side table.
“…My sword? Why is my sword, which I lost at Tetrada, here?”
It wouldn’t help no matter how much she thought about it so she decided to go ask her mother.
“Ah, you’re just in time. I just poured some tea so I was about to go call you.”
She showed the sword to her nonchalant mother and said,
“More importantly, this sword! How is this in our house?”
“Eh? Ah, that. An unknown woman came and left it there saying Makina left it with her.”
“A woman? Did Al receive it?”
Al was a maid working in the Farrhait house.
“Yes. It seems that woman just left that there and left without naming herself.”
“I see…”
She was quite disappointed when the sword she cared so much about was lost. But there were other soldiers and knights in Tetrada who lost their equipment so she couldn’t complain either.
She was honestly happy about finding the sword again but she couldn’t help but think ‘why only me?’.
“Makina… is that mysterious person who appeared in Egelia kingdom, right?”
How did a person like that come to know Lithia and her sword? The only possibility which could be thought of was…
“Jin…san?”
That Jin had some kind of a connection to Makina.
(We might have been able to talk if not for that…)
Lithia went to the royal castle to report this but upon arriving, she found out that someone named ‘Jin’, who is the Honorary magi craftsman of Egelia kingdom, had built them golems and swords.
Gloria, the vice-leader of Imperial Guards women knight squad, told her about it. Gloria, who was also Lithia’s instructor, showed Lithia the sword which Jin had made with great interest.
(But, I am glad. Jin-san seems to be doing well.)
It was a bit later, when they officially got to know that Jin had received the Kaina village for the next 50 years as leasehold land.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Ohhh, what’s this?”
At Kaina village, on the bank of Herme river.
There was a mysterious arrangement of stone. If Jin had seen it, he probably would have instantly understood that it was the stone wall of a Japanese castle.
Laojun had decided that the ruler Jin’s mansion shall be a castle.
That too, a castle like Osaka castle and Matsumoto castle. In other words, he was trying to build a castle tower.
“That’s an enormous stone. I wonder how they carried it here.”
The stones which he had already piled up, climbed more than 8 meters high.
The idle villagers from the village had come to see it after hearing of it from a girl who had come to the river to get some magi stone for fuel.
At the moment, the Smith golems were cutting trees to make pillars. As one would expect, you can’t hope to build a whole castle overnight. (Although Laojun was restraining himself).
“Hello everyone, from now on, this will be Jin-sama’s official castle.”
Butler A, who was in charge when Jin was absent, explained it to everyone.
The villagers, who were now used to the golems talking and moving exactly like humans, understood from that alone.
“I see. Well, it’s Jin, after all.”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that one sentence is an example of the clear bond between the residents here and Jin. However, that doesn’t change the fact that it is not normal.
“W-w-w-w-what exactly is Jin-samaaaaaaaa!?!”
Only Barou, who was still not quite used to it, raised a voice close to a shriek underneath the blue, clear skies.