Volume 9 - Chapter 24 – With Hannah-Chan (1/2)
09-24 With Hannah-Chan
“Woow, it’s wide. So this is the sea…”
Everyone had gone to the coast of Kunlun Island.
Hannah had grown in a village deep in the mountains called Kaina Village. Seeing the sea for the first time in her life, she simply stood stock still.
Jin placed his hand on Hannah’s shoulder and they walked all the way to the water’s edge.
The spring sea’s waves gradually approached them. Seashells were scattered about on the sandy beach.
“Oh, it’s pretty. Is it a seashell?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Hannah was in high spirits as she searched for the small and pretty pink seashells that resembled cherry blossoms.
“Hannah-chan, there’s more over here.”
Elsa also joined her in collecting seashells.
“If it was a little warmer we could go swimming, but…”
Kunlun Island was approximately at the Northern Tropic. Unlike in Port Rock where it was everlasting summer, the water was still a little cold.
“Onii-chan, then let’s go swimming in summer!”
Hannah spoke back and Jin’s expression became softer.
“Yeah, let’s.”
Memories of swimming in the Elume River last year were brought back, and Jin thought he’d also make a new swimsuit for Hannah.
At any rate, for the children of Kaina Village swimsuits were largely the same thing as underwear, and furthermore they swam wearing nothing but the lower halves.
Although for someone like Barbara a cloth was wrapped around her chest.
“Port Rock, was fun.”
Elsa had come to Jin’s side without him noticing. Hannah could be seen making a mound out of the sand together Mine.
“Yeah. Come to think of it, that was the time I met with Elsa and Reinhardt, huh.”
“Mm. I miss it.”
Only two and a half months at most had passed, but still it felt like something from the distant past. That was probably because of just how packed every day had been.
“Father, the sunlight on the beach is intense so please have this.”
Suddenly Reiko called out to Jin, and came to present him with a straw hat. Of course, she handed ones for Elsa, Hannah, and Mine too.
“Oh, thanks Reiko. Where did you get these?”
Jin didn’t have any memories of making straw hats.
“It appears that Mine-san made them.”
“Eh? Mine did?”
He looked at Mine’s direction and lowered his head a little embarrassedly.
“Thank you, Mine.”
Jin gave his thanks and put on the straw hat. The straw hat smelled nice.
Jin was watching the sea as the salty winds blew. The waves were gentle. He then soon turned to face Reiko who was behind him and,
“Reiko, do you think one of the Hydros could come around here?”
He tried asking. Reiko nodded and replied,
“Yes, I will arrange for it at once.”
Then she contacted Laojin through her ManaCom and,
“He says it’ll arrive soon.”
She said. Just as stated, five minutes later Hydro-2 arrived. Steering it was Marine-2.
“Master, you called?”
As the beach was sandy Marine-2 beached Hydro-2 on the shore as it was.
“Yeah, sorry for the trouble. That was fast, huh.”
“Yes, this is because I was just patrolling around this area.”
While Jin had a conversation with Marine-2, Hannah got immensely curious about Hydro-2.
“Onii-chan, this, is this a boat onii-chan made? I wanna get on it!”
Jin smiled and assented.
“Of course. That’s why I called for it. Elsa can also come. Mine, sorry, but it’s only got room for four people so could you stay here?”
Mine smiled and said,
“Yes, of course. I will be waiting here.”
And so Jin, Elsa, and Hannah boarded Hydro-2. Reiko sat on Jin’s knee like the other day… or so you’d like to think, but she sat next to Hannah.
As the boat was for four people the front and back each had seats for two, with Jin and Marine-2 in the front. In the back sat Elsa, Hannah, and Reiko. As all three of them were small they could somehow sit there.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Marine-2 put Hydro-2’s Magi Water Jets full on reverse. The force moved Hydro-2 which had been grounded, and the boat slipped out to the sea while spraying water into the air.
And then Hydro-2 changed directions and without pausing moved ahead to the open seas. Everyone had their straw hats in hand so they wouldn’t get blown away.
“Wow, fa~ast!”
“…Amazing.”
Leaving aside Hannah for whom this was her first time boarding a ship, it was apparent that the ship’s ridiculousness sunk deeply into Elsa’s mind even though she had taken part in the golem boat contest in Port Rock.
“Not just twice. It’s three times as fast.”
The cruising speed of the boat Elsa had been on back then was estimated to be about 20 kilometers per hour. Right now Hydro-5 was going at a speed nearing 60 kilometers per hour.
“Ammaazi~ng!”
Hannah was screaming with excitement. Elsa also let herself relax, thinking that if anyone got ill she would cure them.
At that time, Jin gave Reiko a signal only she recognized. After noticing it Reiko stealthily cast [Soothe] on Jin. In other words, Jin was starting to feel seasick.
Spraying water and kicking up waves, Hydro-2 did a lap around Kunlun Island.
“Ah~, that was fun. Onii-chan, thanks!”