373 – Invitation
Although some things happened, the banquet ended peacefully and all the attendees were separated into groups–those who were staying at Randall’s place, those who were staying at the city’s hotel and those who returned.
As for Jin and Saki, they were to stay at Randall’s place tonight.
Now that the attendees were gone and serenity had returned to the Randall house, Reinhart and Belche went around looking at the congratulatory gifts they received.
“This is from Matheus, huh?”
Reinhart muttered, looking at the mythril short sword. It’s a present for Belche.
“And this is from Ms. Karen, right?”
A solid office table and chair with wonderful ornaments attached. It would perfectly fit into a land lord’s room.
“This is…… from Jin, right?”
A firmly made bed and pure white Japanese-style mattress. He remembered that feel. The mattress was made from magi silk. He wasn’t aware of anyone who could make such a thing other than Jin.
“Master Reinhart, this mattress, it feels wonderful!”
It seems Belche also fell in love with it at once.
“Bell, we are already married, so… you know… do you want to try and change the way we call each other?”
“Eh? ……Ah, yes…… that’s right, ‘dear’…”
“Yes, you… I will actually go with Bell.”
“Yes, I also like it when you call me Bell.”
It was such a scene which would make his heartburn if someone saw it.
And then they reached the mascot doll.
“Wah, such an adorable mascot! Dear, look! This mascot’s arms and legs also move!”
“Let’s see, let’s see…… Hoho, this is amazing! The structure is similar to an automata!”
As expected of Reinhart, it seems he has seen through the mechanism of the mascot doll Elsa built.
“Hmm, there aren’t many people who can make such elaborate doll… But I don’t know anyone who makes it in this style… No, it resembles Jin’s a little but… it isn’t Jin…”
Having seen countless products made by Jin, Reinhart came to the conclusion that while the doll certainly resembles Jin’s style, it’s outline is different.
(Can it be? No…)
Someone who’s close to Jin, can use engineering magic and would send Reinhart a gift. There’s only one person he could think of. However, he couldn’t quite believe that that person was this skilled.
(Even if I assume that she has started learning, can one really create something like this in just a month and a half…?)
It was so elaborate that Reinhart wasn’t sure if he himself could make it or not. That cousin of his, whom he thought of like his own little sister.
(Well, I can find out if I ask Jin.)
Telling himself that, Reinhart moved on to the next gift.
Belche realized Reinhart was thinking about something and so she let him be and went on to look at the other gifts.
“Dear, this jewel box is from Ms. Saki.”
She said happily, holding it up, as Reinhart came closer.
In another room, Jin and Saki were having a conversation, looking all exhausted. Saki had taken off her glasses. If you’re not used to it, your eyes can get tired having it on all the time.
“Ahh, it’s over……”
“It’s over, huh?”
“I came because it was Reinhart’s marriage ceremony but I wouldn’t like coming to something like this frequently.”
“Kufufu, it seems you’re not good with things like this, huh?”
In response to Saki’s banter, Jin asked “Well, do you like them, then?”.
“I don’t really like them either.”
To which Saki replied readily.
“Soon after my mother passed away, I was taken in by the marquiss family for a while. They taught me etiquette there. But I hated it, hated it so much that I couldn’t stand it. My father was still a novice in alchemy so he didn’t have the leeway to raise me as well so I had no other choice.”
“Hmmm.”
Saki began talking about her upbringing. Jin shifted to the listener’s role and gave appropriate responses in between.
“By the time I was 16 years old, my father was finally recognized as a respectable, full-fledged alchemist. I ran away from that house and went straight to my father.”
“It must have been tough.”
“Yeah. And right around that time, aunt Karen’s mother, Ms. Ema, passed away. The marquiss probably couldn’t bother worrying about me.”
“A lot has happened, it seems.”
“Yep. And well, I also followed in my father’s footsteps and started learning about alchemy. I was dumbfounded when I got to know that in this world, there are way more things that we don’t know about than things we actually know of.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
‘The more you learn, the more you find out about how ignorant you were…’–Jin remembered someone saying that.
“I, for one, think that learning is done to make people happy. So I also think alchemy should also be doing that and so I am making an effort to do just that.”
‘So that is why she was researching saps which could come in handy the other day’ — Jin thought.
“Although, for my father, it was more to fulfill his thirst for knowledge.”
Saki said with a laugh.
“I also want to make tools and magic tools which help the people.”
Jin also stated his thoughts.
“Really? That makes me happy. Jin, will you cooperate with me on things from here on out as well?”
“Yeah, I’d be happy to.”
Having willingly accepted Saki’s request, Jin decided to ask about one thing that was on his mind.
“Hey, Saki. In this worl…… country, is there something like a marriage vacation trip-type of thing?”
“Marriage vacation? Judging from the wording, you mean a vacation the married couple goes on? No, not that I have heard of. Newly wed couple can forget about work for a week to 10 days and that’s about it. If I were to call it something, it would be ‘newly-wed holiday’, I supposed. Well, they do go out around the neighborhood, I guess.”
“I see…”
‘If so, then I could invite Reinhart, Belche and Saki…’ – Jin started thinking.
“Saki, have you ever been outside the country?”
“Mm? I have never been outside of Shouro empire. My father is always going around from place to place, though.”
“I see. So, would you like to visit some foreign country, then?”
Hearing Jin’s question, Saki answered after an impish laugh.
“Kufufu, Jin, will you take me? If so, I would like to go. Unfamiliar land, products. Even more so now ‘cause I heard about Reinhart and your travel stories the other day.”
“Hmm, yeah, someday.”
Saki was somewhat satisfied hearing Jin’s ambiguous answer.
“Someday, eh? Hmm, I will be waiting. I don’t think I will be needing to wait long, though, since it’s you.”
That night, after dinner, Jin had a private talk with Reinhart. At Reinhart’s workshop.
“Well, Jin, what is it? This secret talk you wanted to have?”
“Ah, yeah, it’s actually about honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?”
And there, Jin told him about the custom of honeymoon in Earth.
“Hmm, that’s interesting.”
As he thought, Reinhart took the bait.
“And so, I wanted to invite you and Ms. Belche, and Saki, to Kaina village or Hourai island.”
“Kaina village, eh? That’s the village you have as a leasehold land, right?”
Reinhart decided immediately.
“Sounds good! I would like to go!”
“Alright, then let’s decide on the schedule.”
And so, Jin and Reinhart discussed about what to do with the schedule and how to gloss over their absence while they are in Kaina village.
And as a result of that discussion, they decided that first, Jin and Saki will head to Saki’s home tomorrow and head to Kaina village from there.
And the day following that, the morning of the 4th, Jin will come back to take Reinhart and Belche.
“Well, they probably won’t ask much if I just say we’re going to have a long carriage ride together.”
‘It is inside the territory as well so’ – Reinhart was optimistic.
He couldn’t leave Belche alone for too long either so the private talk came to an end there.
“Well then, I will keep the destination and method of travel a secret to Belche.”
“Yeah, I will leave that to you.”
Saying that, both of them grinned at each other.
“And so, I invite you to Kaina village of Kurain kingdom tomorrow.”
“I don’t know how or what this came to be so quick, but I will gladly accept.”
Jin talked to Saki after returning to the main building.
“Kufu, I had thought you wouldn’t make me wait long but to think it would be this fast, huh?”
Saki said with a joyful smile.
