Wait a minute!

Jin and the others were stopped by Yuzo Mayaka, the chief of Toka Village.

"Excuse me, do you have any other surveillance devices like this?"

"Yes.　Yes, well, ......."

There are at least ten places that Hitoshi and the others have noticed. If we search properly, we might find twice that many.

If you could, could you tell us where they are?

"Well, ......."

Jin thought about it.

"What should we do?"

Then he asked Rhodes and Reiko's opinion.

"Well, it's not like we're going to ...... go to Alban today. ......"

Rhodes said he would be willing to help.

Reiko did the same,

"Toka is a neighboring village of Kaina. We should help them a little.

She said.

"Yes, okay."

Jin himself was curious to know who had installed the surveillance equipment, so he nodded his head.

"Okay. I will cooperate with you for the rest of the day.

Yuzo Mayaka was pleased to hear this.

"Thank you!　Please stay at my house today.

Now there would be no problem to stay overnight.

I will take care of the plane.

"Thank you very much."

The chief of the village let us stay in his hangar. Free of charge, of course.

Now Hope could follow Jin and the others.

Now, please tell me where it is.

I know where it is.

The light post at the airfield, the attic of the well, the base of the fence at the ranch.

At the entrance to the road, in the middle of a crossroads, a monument on the outskirts of the village.

Soldiers' camps, under the eaves of stores, in the yard of inns.

They were scattered all over the village.

"......This is a total joke!"

The village chief, Yuzo, is furious. Looking at him, it was easy to imagine that he had nothing to do with this magical tool of surveillance.

If this were an act, it would have won an Oscar, Jin says with a strange admiration.

In the end, he found 21 magical tools in the whole village.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Oh, thank you very much!

That night, a small party was held at the village chief's house.

"But I heard that many people in the Nordic Federation are skilled in magic.

"Yes, well..."

Jin was a little relieved when he wondered how he had been able to find the magic tools of surveillance and how he should explain it.

"I checked a couple of them, and it looks like they were installed about 30 years ago," Rhodes explains.

Rhodes explained.

"That long ago? Before I became mayor. But who in the world would have ......?"

"I don't know. But if we haven't recovered it in 30 years, that someone has either forgotten about it or is no longer in the world. ......

< did this, we can't be sure.

"I'm totally displeased as a village chief."

With these words, Yuzo offers Jin a glass of red wine.

"We have recently started making this wine in the village. This is three years old. I would like to know what you think of it.

Jin suddenly remembered his friend Reinhardt, who used to be a wine connoisseur.

He tasted the red wine that had been poured, wondering what he would say.

"Yes, it's delicious.

That was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"It also seems to have a good balance of acidity and astringency.

So I added my impression.

It is impossible for me to give a detailed critique, but I have tasted many wines in the past, so I am capable of giving my opinion on whether a wine is good or bad, plus a few other comments.

Then, a middle-aged servant brought the dishes.

When I asked, I was told that Yuzo Mayaka was single and that there were only two servants in the house.

"......What was it like in the old days in Toka village?"

Jin asked, curious about what was going on.

"In the past, you mean. It seems that ...... this village has always been like this.

Yuzo's father was from this village and his mother from the neighboring village of Lac Noh.

"The neighboring village of Kaina was once under the direct rule of a great man named Magecraft Meister, and it is still not part of the Klein Kingdom.

"......Ho."

Jin took a sip of wine and nodded.

"The village of Kaina has developed in many ways, but the way of life has hardly changed at all. From my point of view, it seems to be a village of slightly different people.

Yuzo laughed.

"......Oh, yes, yes. Now we are talking about this village. Well, we don't have any special products of note. In the past there was a dish called , but it has become more common now, and the larger cities produce better food.

"I see, I see."

"Kemeria oil is one of the financial resources of the village, even if it is not a specialty.

It is used as hair oil and cutlery oil.

"In any case, it is a small village in the mountains and there are no underground resources.

"It's difficult."

The village is self-sufficient in food, but many daily necessities have to be purchased from outside the village, and that requires money.

"Do the peddlers come?"

Jin asked, remembering the old Roland.

"Yes. "Yes, once a month. Sometimes Eric's shop in the village of Kaina has a better selection.

"I see.

Jin regretted a little that he had not looked there carefully.

"I wish I had a little more means to earn money," he said. ......Ah, this is a complaint. This is not for customers to hear. Forget it."

A slightly drunken, red-faced Yuzo Mayaka smiled shyly.

"What about the hot springs?"

I remember digging my own hot spring a long time ago. Jin wondered if that was not enough to invite people.

"Hot springs?　I heard that it stopped running...... long time ago. ...... No, there is a record of it in the village records."

"No, there is a record of it in the village.

The source may have been too small, or there may have been some underground fluctuation. I am not sure, but it seems that the hot spring is no longer running in Toka village now.

"Hmmm ......"

This village of Toka was once the domain of the <, Lycia.

Seeing the young chief, Yuzo Mayaka, struggling, Jin wanted to help him a little.

Community development.

Jin began to think about what he could do in this Toka village.