The next morning, before the castle gates of Blue Land.
“Ah, they’re here.”
Jin who had arrived just moments before saw a carriage come through the gates. It was Reinhardt’s four-horse carriage.
The carriage stopped in front of Jin, its door opened, and Reinhardt and Elsa came out.
In addition, Elsa’s butler Adberg and her nanny Mine also stepped off the carriage.
And finally in addition to that, a person who Jin didn’t expect appeared. Namely the red-haired girl Beana.
“Jin! I wanted to see you!”,
Beana said, immediately rushing over to Jin after stepping off the carriage.
“Back then, you disappeared after just a one-sided talk with me! I didn’t even get to thank you properly…!”
Beana was a tiny bit shorter than Jin, but she stood tiptoed and pressed Jin while meeting his gaze. Because of her intensity,
“So, sorry.”,
Jin could only reflexively apologize. Unable to remain indifferent to Jin’s reaction, or perhaps considering Beana’s behaviour,
“Jin-kun apologizing is strange. And you, keep your distance.”
Elsa got between the two and separated Beana from Jin.
“Uh, I know… Jin, no need for you to apologize. I just wanted to thank you
Three people observed the situation.
Reinhardt thought Elsa’s actions were endearing.
The butler Adberg was staring at the changed Elsa as if he was looking at something dazzling.
The nanny Mine was scowling at Jin.
“Now then, Jin, Miss Beana said she wants to meet you at any cost so I brought her along, but was that unwanted?”
Nothing of the sort, Jin replied, and continued,
“Although, the Warp Gate’s configuration lets me take only two people along with me…”
“Oh, I see. You know, Earl Kuzuma also said he’ll at least come to greet you, but in the end he couldn’t come because of government affairs. And Adberg and Mine are just escorting us.”
But Mine interjected,
“Reinhardt-sama! You really intend to go to an incomprehensible place like that with just the two of you!?”,
With grumblings like such. She didn’t notice the look in Reiko’s eyes.
Reinhardt stopped Mine’s tirade,
“It’s fine. I’ll be there, and you also know how Jin took care of Elsa during the trip, right?”
“That’s true but…”
Mine still didn’t seem convinced, but Adberg said something to Mine and she calmed down.
“Ji-Jin! Um, could I… That is… Is it okay if I also come to your home…?”
Throwing a sidelong glance at Reinhardt and the others, Beana asked the question she wanted to ask the most.
“I’ve been interested since the time you helped me. Please!”
What to do, Jin worried.
The reason Kunlun Island’s house was originally built was a plan for when he’d bring Beana along to visit.
But he just said he can’t bring more than two people, so what now, he thought.
As if she had read Jin’s thoughts,
“Father, I think I should be able to take at least one person with me.”,
Reiko gave him timely help.
“I- is that so. In that case, we should be able to make do.”
Jin turned towards the group.
“Let’s see, the Warp Gate only reacts to my Magic Energy. So, if you hold my hand I can take you with you. That’s why I said only two people, but it seems like Reiko is able to take someone else along.”,
Jin explained. It was an explanation with many holes in it, but to Jin’s pleasure everyone thought something like “it’s an Artifact, so…” or “I guess Warp Gates are like that, so…” and they didn’t particularly poke holes into his story.
“If it’s like that, then surely I can…”
Mine started complaining again, but Adberg tactfully pulled her into the carriage and it became quiet.
“Now then, shall we go?”
Jin began to walk while Reinhardt, Elsa and Beana followed. Reiko was in the rear.
Elsa soon got next to Jin and locked her left arm with Jin’s right one. Beana clung to Jin’s left arm after seeing that.
From behind, Reinhardt looked at them and smirked,
“Your father is no joke, huh.”,
and called out to Reiko who was walking in the back. Reiko seemed to rather displeased.
After ten minutes of walking, Reinhardt, Elsa, or Beana were obviously not yet tired, but Jin still stopped,
“Koma!”
and called for his favorite horse golem.
The horse golem Koma and two others of the same type came out of the forest. Due to that,
“Wha- what’s this?”
Beana’s face twitched when she saw them.
“…Looks interesting.”
Elsa was delighted.
“Horse golems, huh! Just what I’d expect from Jin!”
And Reinhardt admired greatly.
“They’re golem horses alright. This is how you mount them.”
Jin was freed from Elsa’s and Beana’s grips, and straddled Koma to show how.
“You grab this and twist here to move. Since they’ve got some autonomy, as long as you properly give directions to the destination all you need to do is ride.”
Truth be told, Jin realized this morning that having Reinhardt and the others walk all the way to the Warp Gate was a waste of time, and hurriedly made the horse golems other than Koma.
“Um, I’m wearing a skirt though.”
Beana’s blushed and said.
“Oops.”
Jin hadn’t noticed it. On the other hand, Elsa didn’t seem to care and was already straddling one of the horse golems.
“Jin-kun, this is fun.”
As she turned the handle expertly, Elsa’s horse clip-clopped around the place. It seemed like she was looking down on and sneering at Beana.
“Hmm, I hadn’t thought of this.”
Reinhardt had also mounted one, and was driving it around to try it in various ways.
Since he had originally planned to bring just two people along, there were only two extra horse golems.
(Should I have her ride with Elsa or… No, no matter how you look at it, it would be dangerous with Elsa who’s not accustomed to riding.)
He had installed a speed limiter just in case, but he still couldn’t help but worry about something going wrong by chance.
And so the only option came to be Jin’s Koma.
“I guess there’s no other way.”
That decided, Jin moved Koma next to Beana.
“Come on, Beana, get on.”
Jin held out his hand.
“Eh?”,
At first she was puzzled, but then understood what Jin meant and said,
“Um, yes!”
She grasped Jin’s hand tightly, and lifted herself on top of Koma. She then sat sideways in front of Jin.
“…”
Beana clinged to Jin as she sent out a triumphant look towards Elsa, who was looking at the two.
“Let’s go. I’ve wanted to see Jin’s house for a while!”
025
They moved to the depths of the forest with Jin in the front, Elsa second, and Reinhardt third. Reiko moved in a defensive position while eyeing the surroundings.
Even though they knew there’s nothing more than small animals and birds in the forest.
They continued on at a speed slightly faster than normal walking speed.
In under 30 minutes they had arrived at the foot of a great boulder in the depths of the forst.
“Now then, this is where we get off the horses.”,
Jin said and first got off himself, then helped Beana off the horse too.
Reinhardt promptly got himself off the horse, and said,
“Come on, Elsa.”
And was about to offer her a hand when,
“It’s fine. I can get off by myself.”
Elsa sulked a bit and said, then jumped down.
Jin went around the huge boulder and led everyone down into a cave behind it.
“Here is the entrance. Take my hand. By doing so, you won’t be caught in the barrier.”,
He said and held out his hands. Beana took the right hand, and Elsa quickly took hold of the left hand.
“Oh, Reinhardt, take Reiko’s hand. Reiko, please.”
“Yes, Father.”
Reiko had a very unpleased look on her face as she held out a hand to Reinhardt, who took it with a strained smile on his face.
Reinhardt was deeply surprised when Reiko’s hand was softer than he had expected, and he could also feel her body temperature.
“Well then, shall we go?”,
Jin said and passed through into the cave. Beana and Elsa went along with him.
“So bright.”
The two were suprised to find the inside brighter than expected.
“The Warp Gate produces some illumination, you see.”,
Jin said and gestured towards the Warp Gate. Because both his hands were occupied, he pointed with his jaw while wondering if it’s bad manners.
“Ooh! So that’s the Warp Gate!”
Reinhardt was slightly excited to see the real thing for the first time, but Jin just said,
“Okay, let’s go.”
He stepped into the Warp Gate after saying so.
Elsa and Beana hesitated, but since they were holding hands with Jin, they were led into the Warp Gate and teleported.
＊ ＊ ＊
In an instant the scenery changed, and the group appeared in a stone basement.
A little while later, Reiko and Reinhardt also came out of the Warp Gate. Finally, Koma and the other horse golems appeared.
Jin let go of the hands of the two, bowed his head slightly and said,
“Welcome to Kunlun Island.”