The next morning, the men of the village gathered in front of the chief's house. They were carrying wheat, the tax, to the village of Toka.

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"Well then, please take care of it!"

Locke, the leader of the men, said,

"Oh, leave it to me. This time we only have to do it once, so it will be easier.

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Yes, we are going to use the wheeled cart that Jin has built to carry them in one trip. Until now, they had to be carried by horseback or on horseback, which required several round trips between the villages of Kaina and Toka, which was not an easy task. This time, however, they used 12 carts to carry about 5 tons of wheat in a single trip. Moreover, it is a gentle descent to Toka village, so it should be very easy to get there and back, even though it is an ascent, since the village will be empty on the way back.

"Do you have food and water?"

"Yes.

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And you didn't forget anything?

You take care.

Dad, have a good trip.

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Okay.

He waves to his wife and children to see him off, and then he's on his way.

"Okay, ......, Mr. Tax Collector, we're ready to go."

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Locke calls out to Licia, who says,

"Then we're off!"

The group started to move out with the cart in tow.

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"Bye, Jin!

Jin had joined the group. He wanted to take this opportunity to see the outside of the village of Kaina.

Licia leads the group on horseback. She looks back from time to time to make sure they are following her. Licia is followed by Locke and Jin. Because of the narrowness of the road, they are moving forward in single file.

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After crossing the Herme River and crossing a small pass, the road continues gently downhill for the rest of the day.

"It's so much easier going downhill..." was Jin's true feeling.

This was Jin's true feeling. Although all the backpacks are equipped with bearings, they still get tired.

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Licia was hoping to have more time to talk with Jin during the transportation.

After three hours of driving, they found a clearing and a spring of water, so they took a break.

"Ah, I'm tired after all," she said.

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"Ha-ha-ha, Jin is still weak.

"I'm not as strong as you, Mr. Rock."

Rock is over 6 feet tall and weighs 80 kilograms. Jin is 160 centimeters tall and weighs 52 kilograms. Physically speaking, he is no match for Jin.

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"Well, you know, but Jin can do things we can't. I envy you more."

"...... May I have a word?"

Licia interrupted them.

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"Mr. Tax Collector, is something wrong?"

Locke asked,

"No, no, just let me forget about work during my break," says Licia.

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Licia says. She continues,

"Mr. Jin, right, I heard you came from far away, is it true?"

Yes, it is true.

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"I see. ....... You also made this RIYAKARU, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

"Tax collector, this gin is amazing!　He's been making one thing after another to make life easier in the village!　My son is happy!"

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Locke said, and the other men who were resting around him started to talk,

"Yes, I know!　My wife's skin is so soft and smooth since she started soaking in those hot springs.

"Your wife's skin is beautiful, isn't it?

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"What do you mean?　You repeated it twice."

The men were in a lively mood. But Licia seemed to be interested only in Jin,

"So, Jin-san, you are a magecraftsman, right?"

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"Yes, well, I suppose so."

"Oh, um, so you'll be living in Kaina village for the rest of your life?"

"......"

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Jin could not answer that question immediately. But,

"Well, we can't keep such a talented guy in the village forever, can we?"

Locke said.

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"Besides, I'm sure Jin would like to go back to his hometown.

Licia heard this and said,

"Uh, Jin-san's hometown is in a country called Japan?"

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"How did you know ...... Oh, you asked Barbara, didn't you?"

"Yes, yes. Barbara told me about it at the hot springs. Those hot springs are so nice!　It made my skin so smooth!"

"Ha, that's good to hear. ...... So, Mr. Tax Collector, have you ever heard of this <>?"

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"...... Lycia."

"What?"

"I told you my name yesterday. My name is Licia.

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But I'm in the middle of my official work. ......

No problem!　Please don't call me "tax collector", call me "Licia"!

She insisted that everyone call her Ms. Licia.

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"So, Licia-san, do you know the name Nihon?"

"No, I'm sorry, I don't know.

"I see."

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Well, since it was a different world, it would be strange for her to know about it, so Jin was not so discouraged. However, Licia seemed to think that Jin was overreacting when she saw him like that,

"Well, Jin-san, I didn't know about this, but there might be someone in Wangdu who knows about it!　I'll ask my acquaintances when I get back, so please don't give up hope!

I'll ask my acquaintances when I get back, so don't give up hope! Jin said,

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"Oh, thank you very much.

Jin could only reply, "Oh, thank you.

The group started walking again.

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After crossing a small pass and a long descent, they arrived at the campsite at sunset. There was a simple hut that could be used by anyone traveling between the villages of Toka and Kaina.

"Well, we managed to get there before it got dark.

Rock breathed a sigh of relief. It would be dangerous once it was dark. It was worth the early morning walk on this short autumn day.

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I hurry to prepare dinner. We put out the stove and pots we had brought in the cart along with the barley. Some cook porridge, some roast dried meat, and some boil water. Each person is assigned a task and prepares it quickly.

Licia looks at the stove,

"Don't tell me this stove is also ......?"

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"Oh, Jin made it for me."

She said,

"Oh, I knew it. I won't be surprised if anything else comes out.

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He let out a sigh.

After the meal, there was nothing more to do, so they took out their blankets and made a bed for each of them. Then, just to be safe, we decided to take turns taking the night shift, and decided on the order.

We decided to take turns taking a nap, just to make sure we didn't doze off. First, we'll go to ......."

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"I'll do it."

Licia said.

"Yeah, but there's a sign ...... that Licia doesn't have to do it ......."

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Locke said, and Licia shook her head,

"No, I've been riding the whole time and you've been pulling the carts.

"Is that so?　Well, let me guess, Jin, you're the one.

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Okay.

"Okay?"

No, no, I got it.

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In two hours we'll have Jonas and Linus, then Bill and Jeff. Then Dave and Howard, Rick and Tom, and finally me, Jan and Sulley.

"All right. Okay, I'm going to bed.

With that, they all wrapped themselves in blankets and started to sleep, leaving Jin and Licia alone. Jin and Licia wrapped the blankets around themselves and sat down on a bench by the entrance of the hut.

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The sky was already dark, and the moon was about to rise from the edge of the mountain in the east. The moon in this world is smaller than the moon on the earth. Therefore, no moonlight was expected.

However, it is an important celestial body in that sense, since the time is measured by the movement of the moon.

Jin and Licia sat in silence for a while, and then Licia began to speak in a few words.

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"I told you that my family is a new noble family, didn't I?

"Yes, yes.

So I grew up as a commoner until I was 10 years old. But after my father was taken away by the knights (Ritter), my environment changed drastically, and to be honest, I'm still in a state of selflessness.

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"......"

Jin can only listen in silence.

"But the current prime minister is an honorable man, and he is trying to run a government for the benefit of the common people. Knowing that, I decided to become a knight (ritter), thinking that if I could, it would be for the good of the common people and the people.

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Licia's story continues.

But what do you mean by 'for the people'?　If it is for the people, Jin-san is much better than me. Pumps, hot springs, backpackers, stoves. I thought this is the kind of work that will benefit the people."

"......"

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"Jin-san, am I going to stay the way I am now ......?"