06-31 Approach
“In that case, I’d like you to not investigate matters regarding Reiko.”
Jin had decided what favor to ask.
“Hmm, wasn’t Reiko the golem, no, the Automata girl who repelled the other golems in a flash? …Very well. It is most exceedingly unfortunate, but We shall grant you your wish.”
Hearing that, Jin let out a sigh of relief.
The King gave some instructions to an aide who was waiting nearby,
“We have seen to it that the Prime Minister and the other cabinet ministers respect your wishes. But We cannot settle it with just that. We will bestow you something later.”
“Thank you very much.”
And then, Jin brought up the matter he was currently most concerned about.
“By the way, have you found this time’s culprit or the crime golem?”
The one who answered the question was the commanding officer of the Imperial Guard knight troops, Kelly.
“Your concern is natural. The magi knights are devoting all of their power to searching. In addition, according to reports the last one of the rampaging golems was suppressed not long ago.”
“Is that so.”
The current situation was that after having the guest of a guest Jin perform such a great service the Imperial Guard knight troops wanted to at least bring the matter to conclusion by themselves.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness, it looks like the danger has already passed. Please, feel free to go rest in your room.”
The King was relieved by the report of the commanding officer of the Imperial Guard knight troops, Kelly, and said,
“In that case, Ernest, shall we take a rest? …Minister of Domestic Affairs, We shall leave the rest to you.”
With those words the King and the Prince retired to their room while escorted by guards.
“All of you who came to attend, I cannot apologize enough for a result such as this.”
The Minister of Domestic Affairs who was left behind to handle things one by one bowed and apologized to each one of the remaining nobles and invitees.
“This place is in disorder and as it seems the guest house is safe, let us move over there.”
The minister said, and themself took the task of leading the way towards the guest house.
En route they all noticed that the thick iron gate separating the inner and outer palace was crooked, and most were struck with terror at the thought of golems rampaging to this extent. A few people however had an idea of just who did the deed, and didn’t regard it as particularly threatening.
Gathered in the hall of the guest house were the invitees and the nobles excepting those living in the royal capital. There the Minister of Domestic Affairs once more apologized.
“I know that just an apology isn’t enough, but nevertheless as the representative of the royal capital I must express my apologies.”
With that preface the minister continued,
“The dinner here should be prepared shortly, so please feel free to rest and enjoy yourselves.”
In this time of crisis they put aside their rank for the oncoming dinner, and so seating etiquette and wasn’t followed.
Among the participants there were people who were felt dissatisfied regarding this incident, but as everyone was more or less mentally worn out they decided to leave that for tomorrow. Such a mood filled the room.
The Minister of Domestic Affairs thought about taking a bath, but thinking that as the attack occurred during lunch and when it was over it was evening they decided to prioritize having a meal.
Nevertheless, because of the hasty preparations there weren’t enough chairs or tables, and the meal again took the form of a stand-up meal. Because the heavily injured people were sent to the sickbay, Elsa and Beana were relieved that they could go without meeting Earl Guarana.
“Ah, come to think of it, I’m starving.”
“Me too. Immediately after I began to eat the already-late lunch, that disturbance started.”
Next to Jin, Beana kept close. From a little distance away Earl Kuzuma stared at them.
Jin noticed his gaze and,
“Beana, about the Earl’s proposal. How did you take it?”
He tried asking her. When Beana heard him, she seemed to nearly spit the food out of her mouth, but,
“S-stop it! I, I don’t know yet!”,
Eventually she managed to only answer like so.
Elsa then arrived at the scene too. She held a plate in her hand that had a pile of Citrans on it.
“Jin-kun, once again… Thank you.”
She said and bowed so that it looked like if she leaned any further with her body the Citrans would spill over and fall off her plate.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. It’s good that you were safe though.”
“Mm. That time was really scary.”
No matter how protected by a barrier, if golems crowded 30 centimeters in front of your eyes it no doubt be very scary.
“I’m grateful for Jin-kun and…Reiko-chan.”
She said and looked around,
“Speaking Reiko-chan, where is she?”
She asked. Jin smiled and said,
“She’s here. …Reiko!”
“Yes, Father.”
“!!”
Reiko cancelling her [Stealth] and suddenly appearing surprised not only Elsa but Beana. No matter how much experience they got they didn’t seem to get used to her.
“The enemy in the mountain pass used [Hide], right? I studied it and made a more effective version. …That’s all, Reiko.”
Jin said and Reiko once more disappeared.
“I see. After all, Jin-kun’s amazing.”
“Eh, [Hide]? What’s that?”
Elsa and Beana showed different reactions.
“An enemy who attacked us earlier had an item charged with that magic.”
Elsa explained. Hearing that, Beana said,
“Oh yeah. …Elsa’s travelling with Jin, right, and they’re experiencing many things together, right.”
“…?”
Elsa thought that Beana who suddenly seemed disheartened was suspicious,
“Beana, does your stomach hurt?”
“Eh? N-no. I’m fine.”
“Oh? Alright then. …Ah, Rai-nii.”
Looking where Elsa was looking, Reinhardt was there. And next to him was a beautiful woman with blond hair reaching all the way to her back.
“She’s…If I’m not mistaken, Dominique-san?”
That woman was indeed Celuroa Kingdom’s special envoy Dominique. She was thick in the right places and skinny in the others, the type of woman Reinhardt seemed to prefer.
“But flirting doesn’t really float for Reinhardt.”
Jin said, to which Elsa replied,
“Flirting? Float? Rai-nii can’t fly in the sky. Or are you talking about swimming?”,
A natural-airhead-like remark came and Jin explained to Elsa the misundertanding and what flirting is. And then surprisingly,
“Rai-nii has a fiancee back home.”
Such a fact suddenly came to light.
“Oh…really, Reinhardt does.”
Elsa explained that it wasn’t unusual for male nobles to be married by the age of 20. There’s even people who get married as early as at the age of 18, she said.
“Hmm, how about the women?”
When asked that, Elsa looked surprised for a moment but soon returned to her usual expression and replied,
“There’s girls who get married as early as at the age of 13. Most usually get married when they’re between 15 and 19 years old.”
“Is that so?”
As expected this world’s age of marriage is low, Jin sincerely felt.
“Jin-kun’s how old? I’m 16.”
Elsa asked and peeked at Jin’s face. She even told her own age without asking.
“Me? I’m only 20. Oh, very soon I’ll be 20.”
Jin answered, and,
“Eeeeh?”
Beana who was listening to the conversation next to them raised a hysteric voice.
“Hey, mind the occasion.”
Jin cautioned Beana who said somewhat agitatedly ,
“Jijiji-Jin’s 20 years old!? I was certain you were my age or at most a year or two older.”
“Me too.”
Elsa also agreed, and Jin felt a little sad.
“…Do I really look that childish?”
He said subduedly, and Beana said in a hurry,
“Th-that’s not it. You’re just, uh, how should I say it…”
“Young-looking.”
Elsa gave a helping hand to Beana, but saying that didn’t make Jin much more pleased.
Certainly it’s said that Japanese people look younger compared to Western people.
However, formerly when he went to to high school his classmates used to say “Nidou-kun is kind of like an old man” or some such, so Jin was shocked greatly, so,
“Child on the outside, old man on the inside, huh.”,
His self-deprecating muttering was understandable.
“Is it impolite to call you Jin-kun?”
It seems Elsa didn’t think he was four years older than her so she decided to call him Jin-kun, however after being called that until now changing it would feel strange, and above all Elsa’s social standing is higher than his so the same manner as before would be fine, he said.
“Sorry for interrupting your talk, Jin-dono, wasn’t it?”
Just then Celuroa Kingdom’s leading Magi Craftsman who built the crystal golem Ceres, Stearina, came and greeted him.