âAh, this too is exceptional.â
After the girls got out, Jin and Reinhardt took a bath.
âJin, youâre really mysterious.â
Reinhardt chatted while stretching in the bath.
âItâs almost as if you werenât born in this world.â
When Reinhardt said so, Jinâs heartbeat was set racing.
âNo, itâs not a figure of speech.â
Reinhardt continued while looking at the steam-covered ceiling.
âYou may not know of it, but thereâs a legend in my country.â
Jin began to listen attentively after hearing that word.
ââŚItâs said that beyond the sun in the sky there is an another world.â
Jin asked again to confirm if he had heard correctly.
âIt might sound unbelievable and you might ask how a world could exist in a place like that, but, well, itâs a legend after all.â
Reinhardt waved a hand in front of his face as if to say he doesnât believe in it himself, and continued,
âItâs said that our ancestors came from that world.â
âMh-hm. Whether it was to pioneer a new world or to run away from the old one, the legend doesnât say.â
Since Jin wasnât familiar with such a legend, he was a little interested.
So he said that itâs an interesting legend, and Reinhard replied,
âThatâs unexpected. Are you interested? If so, there should be a storyteller who can tell you about it in Celuroa Kingdom which Iâm planning to pass through after this.â
After saying so, his attitude suddenly changed.
âBy the way Jin, on a different topic, what do you think about Miss Beana and Elsa?â
Jin couldnât keep up with the sudden 180 degree turn in the conversation and was befuddled.
âI mean, even as her cousin I think Elsa doesnât look so bad, and that Miss Elsa is also not just a little cute, donât you think?â
After clarification Jin finally wrapped his head around it, and thought about the two.
âI suppose so, Beana is kind of like⌠a troublesome younger sister?â
âSheâs⌠Well, like a slightly unreliable younger sister.â
After the reply, Reinhardt wore a smile that looked worried, happy, and also bitter.
âI see, so the girls are like little sisters for Jin.â,
Itâs a bit of a digression, but Soleil and Luna heard what Jin had said, and when they told Reiko about it afterwards she had the finest smile of relief and joy on her face.
The evening menu was a stew with vegetables and chicken, fried fish, plain omelette, salad, and baked Applele for dessert.
âOh, this is good. Fried, you say?â
âYes. The fish is covered with wheat flour, dipped in beaten eggs, coated with bread crumbs and fried in oil.â
âHuh, so thereâs such a way of cooking too.â
It seemed like it was Reinhardtâs and needless to say Beanaâs first time having the ever-popular fried food.
Elsa looked to be enjoying the baked Appleles, and casually asked Reiko for another serving.
Jin was wondering if something happened to Reiko, since she seemed to be in a good mood.
âSo this is baked Applele. It really is delicious.â
Some time ago, Jin mentioned making baked Appleles but wasnât able to as there wasnât enough sugar.
âIt sounds easy to make. Iâll try making it for my siblings once I go back home.â
âSpeaking of them, how are the conditions of your younger brother and sister?â
Beana explained that they were already in good health, and currently were helping clean Earl Kuzumaâs garden.
âIâm indebted to the Earl for many things.â,
And she finished the conversation so.
Meanwhile, Elsa was having her third plate of baked Appleles.
âHey Elsa, are you going to be fine after eating that much?â,
Reinhardt said, as expected, after he saw what was going on.
âIâll be fine. Because this will be the last one.â,
She said and ate some baked Applele.
âHaha, Iâm very happy that you like it.â,
Jin said with laughter and he too stuffed his mouth with baked Applele.
âEven though itâs a bed, the futon is the same!â
The guest rooms had Western Style beds, but the mattresses were futons made with devil silk wadding. Beana was jumping with joy.
âOoh, this sleepwear is made out of a Ground Caterpillarâs silk too, right? It feels really good to the touch!â
Ruby-100 left the room quietly.
âI wanted to sleep on a tatami mat.â
Elsa muttered, and Aqua-100 carried a spare tatami mat in and laid it on the floor for her, making a make-shift Japanese-style room.
Elsa said, and Aqua-100 bowed and made her exit. Elsa threw herself down on the tatami mat,
After enjoying the tatami matâs sense of touch, Elsa got into the futon and fell asleep with a satisfied look on her face.
âThank you, this is already enough.â
Reinhardt faced Amethyst-100 who had folded the taken-off clothes and said.
Even in the Earlâs mansion, Reinhardt was in the habit of taking care of as many of his own things as he could, and so would dress himself in the devil silk sleepwear, he explained to excuse himself.
âUnderstood, if anything comes up please call for me.â,
Amethyst-100 said and left. While looking at her retreating figure, Reinhardt felt a bit interested in Jinâs golems that behaved entirely like humans.
âI want to absolutely never make enemies of Jin.â
Those were Reinhardtâs honest feelings.
ââŚItâs a story like that.â
Meanwhile, in his room, Jin told Reiko about the legend he heard from Reinhardt.
âIâm very sorry, but I havenât heard of such a story.â
Reiko said she doesnât know of it either.
Then, was it a legend that was known only in some places?
âIf Iâve got a chance to hear about it, Iâd like to hear about it in more detail.â
He had learned recently from Reinhardt that the common knowledge was that the world was round, but that such an old legend would tell of another world beyond the sun, or rather, in space, there was no way he wouldnât be interested.
âMaybe a long time ago people flew in the air.â
If one day he could go to space, he would try it, Jin thought while remembering the picture books and television clips he had seen as a child.