The following day, Jin took Reinhart, Belche and Saki to Hourai island as planned. Needless to say, Elsa and Edgar also went along with Aal, Noir and Neon.
Hanna refused to come herself and stayed in Kaina village, because there were guests.
The reason why Jin directly took them to Hourai island before Kunlun island was none other than because he trusted Belche and Saki.
Of course, he also had confidence that Hourai island won’t be shaken no matter what happens.
“This is the place I’ve inherited from my master. Hourai island.”
Jin said as soon as they reached the hall just in front of the warp gate.
[Welcome back, my lord. And to our guests, welcome to Hourai island.]
Laojun’s voice welcomed them.
“Jin, whose voice is that?”
Saki asked with a perplexed expression. Belche also had the same expression as she restlessly looked around, searching for the source of the voice.
“It’s the magic brain unifying the whole of Hourai island, Laojun. A really high performance autonomous golem brain, so to speak.”
When he explained that far, it seemed Saki at least understood the concept of it but the same couldn’t be said for Belche.
Reinhardt couldn’t just watch Belche like that without doing anything so he was explaining it to her in a low voice. Thinking they shouldn’t just be standing in the warp gate room like this, Jin called out to the group and lead them outside.
“Welcome.”
They came out to the entrance hall.
There, in front of them, Laojun’s movement terminal Laozi, Soreiyu, Luna, 5 leaders of the 5 color golem maids, LSA (land, sea, and air) forces’ leaders, Smith 1 and Butler 1 had lined up to welcome them.
“Uwaa…”
Belche and Saki were at a loss for words. And although Reinhardt had come to Hourai island before, it was his first time seeing this many golems gathered like this.
“You’re something else, Jin… This is way above a kingdom’s level at this point.”
Reinhardt had grasped that Jin’s latent military power easily surpasses that of a kingdom.
“I’m glad from my heart that you’re a friend, Jin.”
Afterwards, they had passed through the entrance hall into the front garden.
“Uwaah, so spacious. So this is Jin’s research area, huh… I’m so jealous, really.”
Saki said, walking up in front, looking around her.
“Jin-sama, what’s that?”
Belcha asked, pointing at Jin’s house. It was a single-storied Japanese-style house.
“Ah, that’s my house. When I am at Hourai island, I live there. It’s a Japanese style house.”
“It’s quite different, huh?”
“We shall be staying there for the night so I could give you a tour of the house later on.”
And hearing that, Belche asked Jin to stop with the incomplete formal style of talking and to talk to her like he talks to Reinhardt.
Jin looked at Reinhardt, laughed and nodded.
“Got it, Belche…… Is this alright?”
“Yes, that’s perfect. Treating me alone formally is a bit lonely.”
Jin answered with a smile.
“Well then, let’s get this started like a sightseeing tour.”
Jin asked Reiko to bring out the automobile from the garage.
It was the automobile he developed before going on the trip with Elsa and Reinhart, the one which runs on 4 golem engines.
“O-ohhh!! Jin, what’s this?!”
Equipped with rubber tires and aluminium body, a 6-seater vehicle. It has been upgraded quite a bit since production — now with golem arm suspension and a control core which makes it possible to autopilot.
“This is an automobile.”
Jin had thought of using the aircraft first but after thinking that that might just be a bit too high tech, he refrained himself, which is rare in itself.
Besides, it can be said that the surface is better to tour Hourai island at ease.
“Now then, please hop on.”
As it is a 6-seater, Aal, Edgar, Neon and Noir had to take another one. Jin had made 3 of these to move around the island.
He let Reiko drive that one. Neon seemed happy about it.
“Father, your lunch.”
Soreiyu and Luna kept loading the food into a large basket. Looks like it’s going to be a feast. They left Kaina village at around 8 in the morning and the time difference is 2 hours so it was about 10 AM at the moment.
The distance between the research lab and the destination, Tatsumi bay, is about 25 kilometers. Just the right amount of distance to drive at 30 kmph.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Driving on the well prepared soil which had been hardened was easy. The curved road leading to the destination ran alongside the river.
“Ara, there’s a wheat field around this area.”
“Ohh, there’s an orchard on the other side, huh? I can see a lot of pelshika like fruit growing!”
The landscape was a bit rural, perfect for a drive. They could also see several golem maids working in the field.
“Oho? Are these wetlands?”
They were approaching the wetlands. Rice-plant-Nogi, was just planted not long ago there.
“I haven’t seen such a fruit… wait, is that…?”
Reinhardt realized what was planted there.
“Jin, are those nogi?!”
“Correct. That’s rice-plant, in other words, nogi.”
“When did you exactly… Nah, it’s you we’re talking about, after all.”
Reinhardt came to an understanding by himself.
The road became a gentle downlope and they could see the ocean in less than an hour. Saki was most excited seeing the sea.
“Oo-ohhh! Jin, that-that’s the sea, right?! Yes, yes, it’s so wide! So blue!”
Saki leaned outside the vehicle as she looked at the sea.
“That’s dangerous. We will reach soon so sit down.”
As Jin warned her, Saki’s face turned red and she sat back down.
“Ahem, how embarrassing. I haven’t really gone outside the country, you see. Well, there are seas in my country as well but I didn’t really go that far either. I only know the outskirts of Tosmo lake.”
Saying that, Saki recalled her past memories.
“Elsa, you participated in the golem boat race in Potlock, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. That was fun. With Rei-nii’s boat and Loreilei… and I was steering… But we still lost to Jin-nii’s team.”
Elsa said with a nostalgic expression. Jin also remembered the events in Potlock. It seems it was the same for Reinhart as well.
“Ah, makes me feel nostalgic. Now that I think back on it, if not for that competition, I wouldn’t have met Jin either, huh?”
Reinhart said as he looked at the sea.
While they were looking back on the past like so, they had reached close to the seashore. Reiko’s car also reached soon after.
“Aah, there’s some kind of a scent here. Is this the sea’s scent?”
Saki trotted to the seashore. Aal also followed her. Jin and the others did the same.
“Reiko, good work with the drive.”
Jin thanked Reiko and stroked her head as they walked. Reiko seemed happier than usual. Probably because she can feel Jin closer after having the sense of touch installed.
“I was happy having Reiko-san drive us here.”
Neon was having such a conversation with Belche. Similarly, Edgar was also conversing with Elsa about something.
Schwarz Ritters Noir was silently walking beside Reinhart.
Saki, who had ran off earlier, sank her feet in the sandy beach and… slipped. It seems her feet got stuck in the sand.
“Saki-sama!”
Aal was able to hold Saki up just a moment before her face touched the sand.
“Aal, thank you. Kufu, it seems I got a bit too overexcited.”
“Oii, Saki, are you alright?!”
Reinhardt also called out sounding worried. Saki answered, waving her hand.
“Yea, I am fine. Aal saved me.”
And then she looked back at the sea. She had a completely satisfied smile on.
“Yep, as I heard, the horizon is spherical. This world really is round, huh…”
Jin, Reinhardt, Saki, Belche and of course Elsa too knew that the world was round. However, knowing that it is round and feeling it are two different things.
“It really is round…”
It seems it was the first time for Belche as well, as she muttered with deep emotion.
“Yeah, I now want to make the paddle steamer quick.”
Living up to his reputation of a construction-idiot, Reinhardt let out such a remark.
