Volume 6 - Chapter 2 – Kunlun and Blue Land

06-02 Kunlun and Blue Land

The first thing to do after going to Kunlun Island was setting up the Warp Gate.

“Alright, next is setting up and pairing the Warp Gate at Blue Land.”

“I’ll handle it, Father.”

Before Jin could even say yes, Reiko had jumped into the Warp Gate and returned to Hourai Island.

She then warped to Blue Land carrying the materials, set up the Warp Gate and linked it to Hourai Island, and came back.

It took about 15 minutes for her to get back. Reiko’s handiwork was good, as usual.

Now that the Warp Gate preparations were in order, Jin finally got time to look around Kunlun Island.

Soleil and Luna were the guides. The two were in charge of the development of Kunlun Island.

“First is this basement of the mansion where the Warp Gate resides.”

The stone basement looked very old and gave off an atmosphere that it wouldn’t be strange to find an Artifact here.

“After opening the door and going up the stairs to the first floor, we arrive at the entrance hall.”

The bronze door looked heavy and was coated in a verdigris patina, really making it seem like the door to a secret room. Both Jin’s and the precedessor’s knowledge agreed on this.

The entrance hall was of course also of stone and spanned 10 meters in every direction. The walls had frescoes painted and complicated formulas engraved on them.

If you looked closely, you could see there were paintings of the five-colored golems and Magi Formulas for security, and…

“What’s this?”

A certain poem was written in Japanese on the wall. To be exact, they were lyrics. It was a pop song that was popular some five years ago that had stayed in the back of Jin’s mind.

“Well, there’s no one who can read it so I suppose it’s fine.”

Jin moved on without thinking about it too deeply.

“The next room is the workshop. Please see that it is to your liking.”

There were metallurgy tools like anvils, a forge, hammers, et cetera.

For woodworking there were saws, chisels, planes and such.

In the middle of the room there was a large heavy-looking workbench.

Everything had seen years of use (or so it seemed).

On one shelf there were a few Magi Crystals and various Magi Stones.

On another shelf there was a bit of silk from a Ground Spider.

In the adjanced storeroom there was copper, bronze, cupronickel, nickel, iron, tin, and also Light Silver, Mithril, and a small amount of Adamantite.

It felt like it was imitating the workshop at Hourai Island, except at a smaller scale.

“Hmm, this should be enough. Soleil, Luna, good work.”

Jin then gave the two Guard Rings he made as a reward for their efforts.

“Thank you very much. I will take good care of this.”

The two accepted the rings with pleasure.

On the first floor there was also a dining room, toilet, and a bathroom. They gave off the impression that they had been recently renovated. Incidentally, the toilet is Western-style.

Because the waste is disassembled to its chemical elements using magic, it’s both sanitary and odorless.

The bath was made into a hot spring by drawing water from 50 meters undergound. It was pleasant news to bath-loving Jin.

It’s a bit of a digression, but after this a hot spring was made in the same way in Hourai Island.

The dining room was wide. It was large enough to fit at least ten people. In the kitchen four gas stoves Jin had built were installed. Of course, there was also a refrigerator.

Water could be drawn with a pump.

“Hmm, there seems to be no problems here.”

The second floor seemed to have the living spaces.

“The living quarters are set up as follows.”

There were eight rooms, each around ten tatami mats in size. Two of them had been taken, seemingly one for Jin and one for his late teacher.

To be precise, since Jin’s room had a two tatami mat closet his living space was only eight tatami mats.

Jin’s and his (dummy) teacher’s room were side by side, and on the opposite side of the hallway there was the library and a storage room.

The remaining four rooms were Western-style, and had wooden floors and stone walls. Muscovite was fitted in the windows. There were beds, tables, chairs, and fixed closets, all with an antiquated design.

Because the designs were those that were popular during Jin’s predecessor’s era, they were without doubt actual (fake) antiques.

Three of those rooms were for guests, and the final room was the waiting room of the golem maids. Near the guest rooms there was also a toilet.

The third floor was more of an attic, and was used as a storeroom.

There were dozens of copies of common grimoires from Jin’s predecessor’s times, and robes that looked like those of a very old-fashioned magus lying around.

Parts of broken Magi Tools from Hourai Island had also been brought. Only parts that didn’t seem to have any use were selected though.

“Mm-hmm, even to me it seems like a house where a magus has lived since the olden days.”,

Jin admired.

“Next is the outside. A tentative outline for a map has been painted on the wall.”

Jin didn’t notice it in the entrance hall last time.

“Let me see. Oh, is this it?”

Jin could intuit that Kunlun Island was about half the size of Ooshima of the Izu Seven. That was plenty for people to live on. The coastline was almost circular.

In the middle was the Kunlun Mountain, and the mansion was located at the southern foot of the mountain.

“The east and north sides of the island are forests. The west side is grass-covered wilderness. The south side is wetlands, with some grasslands and sparse woods.”

“In that case, have you been able to mine the west side for resources and such?”

“Yes. Land units from 80 to 100 have assisted in excavating several mining pits, and are currently extracting minerals.”

The arrangements were fairly good.

“Alright, I’ll leave the guiding of the guests to you two. I’ll be relying on you then.”

“Understood.”

＊　　　＊　　　＊

“Has it been three months since then?”

Meanwhile, Reinhardt and Elsa had arrived at a friend’s house in Blue Land.

“Indeed, something like that. When we departed for Elias Kingdom it was around the end of last year.”

“Since we last met, even Miss Elsa became prettier.”

“No need for flattery.”

“No, it’s not flattery. She seems somehow more adultlike, or should I say profound.”

“Compliments won’t get you anywhere.”

The friend was Earl Kuzuma.

They both spoke to each other informally. Because they were close in age with each other and lived in the same house, they’ve been friends since two years ago when Reinhardt became a diplomat and first arrived at Blue Land.

“You can take it easy now, right?”

“I guess so. Now that all the official business is done, I can return to my homeland at leisure.”

A lady attendant brought in some fruit.

“Oh, it’s here. Try some of this fruit.”,

The Earl said and recommended the plate of Pelshkas.

Reinhardt and Elsa both had a mouthful and were astonished.

“Oh, it’s cold and good!”

“Delicious.”

Earl Kuzuma responded with pride,

“Right? The fruit’s exceptional when it’s been moderately cooled with a refrigerator.”

Reinhardt reacted to that word, ‘refrigerator’.

“What? A refrigerator, you say?”

“That’s right, it’s a Magi Tool I obtained after you departed from here. It’s barely spread anywhere else apart from Blue Land.”

“A while ago, I saw a single one in Bolgia.”

“Huh, is that so. It must’ve been brought there by a quick-witted merchant.”

Earl Kuzuma then smiled impishly and said,

“As a matter of fact, I know the Magi Craftsman who made that refrigerator.”

Reinhardt was surprised. After all, in Elias Kingdom’s capital Borgia, in a Magi Tool shop Jin had said he made the refrigerator himself. He then said,

“Oh, I’d like to meet them.”

“I thought you’d say that. You’re a Magi Craftsman too, after all. Hey, invite her here.”,

The Earl said and the lady attendand next to him left to summon the Magi Craftsman.

In his inmost heart, Reinhardt was looking towards to finding out what kind of a person would come.

He hadn’t known Jin for even a month, but already understood his nature and talent.

If that Jin said he made something himself, then those words were true, and he’d soon find out just what kind of a swindler this Magi Craftsman would turn out to be.

For Jin’s honor he’d expose them, is what Reinhardt’s secret motive was.