Early the next morning, the group departed from Moft Village. Even though it was quite early, Jin was moved to see a large crowd of children gathered to see them off.
"Big brother, here!"
"Big sister, stay healthy!"
"Reiko-chan, see you later!"
Farewells were called out from every direction, and some children even pressed pretty stones—likely their own personal treasures—into Jin's hands.
"See you later. Stay well, everyone."
"I'll definitely come back. Until then, take care."
Feeling a lingering sense of attachment to the place, Jin and the others finally left Moft Village behind.
"In the end, I never did get to make those dampers..." Jin muttered, feeling a little dejected.
"Jin-kun, I think you'll be able to do it once we meet up with Brother Rai."
"You think so?"
"Mm. Despite how he looks, Brother Rai is a total crafting nut."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"Really?"
Today, Elsa spoke with her usual succinctness, but her tone felt slightly more familiar than before.
"My family consists of my parents and two older brothers. My father is the younger brother of Brother Rai's father."
She was even sharing her family structure with him.
"I see. That's why you have the same family name."
"Yes. But actually, my mother is different from my brothers'."
"W-Whoa."
She had just casually dropped a significant personal fact. Jin wondered if it was really okay for her to tell a commoner something like that.
"It's fine. I want you to hear it, Jin-kun."
Elsa continued her story.
"My mother is gone now. Apparently, my father met her while he was stationed abroad for work."
"..."
Jin could do nothing but listen in silence.
"But my current mother is kind to me. My brothers doted on me too. So for a long time, I didn't even know we had different mothers."
Elsa said she had found out by chance when she overheard a conversation between her parents. She had heard her father thanking her current mother for treating Elsa no differently than her own children.
"When I heard that, my world went dark."
However, she continued.
"Brother Rai was the one who helped me through it."
As it turned out, Reinhard's mother was not the primary wife either. Elsa recalled being surprised when she first heard that. The always-cheerful Reinhard also had a different mother, just like Elsa.
"But Brother Rai told me it didn't matter."
Reinhard had also asked Elsa if she intended to change her attitude toward her parents now that she knew the truth. When Elsa said she didn't want anything to change, he had told her:
"Then there's no problem, is there? You can just keep calling them what you always have. You are you. Nothing about you has changed. And if that's the case, then nothing has changed about your parents either."
It was a method of consolation very much like Reinhard.
"Brother Rai is the fourth son. They're all boys, four brothers."
Reinhard was apparently more than ten years younger than his older brothers.
"So Brother Rai, being somewhat closer in age, played with me often."
"Ah, so that's why you call him 'Brother Rai'."
"Yes."
It was clear that Reinhard was the relative Elsa trusted and cared for the most.
"Speaking of which," Jin said, bringing up a point of curiosity, "what kind of person is your wet nurse?"
"Mine always puts me first," Elsa replied. "Sometimes she goes too far and gets glared at by the people around us, but Father never says anything, so I suppose it's fine."
The wet nurse's name was Mine. Jin had been curious about her attitude from the other day, but if Elsa's father didn't object to her behavior, Jin—who didn't really understand the social intricacies of serving nobility—decided it must be acceptable.
"Then, what about your milk siblings?"
"Eh? What's that?"
Since the term didn't seem to register, Jin re-evaluated. His understanding was that a wet nurse was a woman who breastfed a child in place of a mother who couldn't. In reality, there were those types of wet nurses and those who served as governesses. It seemed Mine was the latter.
"Ah, sorry. I thought that person might have breastfed you instead of your mother, Elsa."
"Oh. I was told that I was given Mine's milk," Elsa clarified.
"Eh?"
Normally, a woman who hasn't had children shouldn't be able to produce milk. Was it possible to achieve that with magic in this world? When Jin voiced his confusion, Elsa tilted her head slightly.
"I've never heard of that. Jin-kun, you certainly know a lot about... milk."
Feeling like he was about to be misunderstood in a strange way again, Jin decided to end that line of conversation.
The carriage slowly climbed a steep slope. Looking out the window, the sky was opening up; they were nearing the pass.
"We'll take a break at the pass. We'll let the horses rest before we start the descent."
True to her words, the group took a short break at Hanbarf Pass. A wide, flat area had been cleared at the summit, large enough to accommodate five or six carriages.
From here onward was Nord Province, where the capital was located, so a small detachment of three guards was stationed there. They had a simple barracks and seemed to stand guard in shifts.
Jin saw the butler showing a set of identification papers to receive permission to pass. Nearby, one of the guards was stretching his torso to loosen up, while the coachman fed the horses lumps of what looked like sugar.
"Ah, it really is cold on top of the mountain."
Jin stepped out of the carriage and stretched. His breath was white in the air, and the wind was biting. The temperature was likely around five degrees Celsius. Mountains towered around them, several with peaks painted white with snow.
The elevation of Hanbarf Pass was about 2,500 meters, and patches of frozen snow were visible on the ground. While Moft Village had felt cool, this was outright cold. Jin felt he needed another layer to be comfortable.
Elsa, however, seemed resistant to the cold. She stepped out in her dress and spun around happily, her skirt fluttering as she played. As Jin watched her rare display of playfulness, someone approached.
"Jin-sama, might I have a moment of your time?"
The elderly man who had been introduced as Elsa's butler spoke to Jin for the first time.
"Eh? Oh, yes."
At the butler's invitation, Jin followed him to the shade of a rock a short distance away. Reiko followed them, keeping a respectful distance. Once they were out of sight of the carriage, the butler bowed deeply.
"First, I wish to thank you for being so kind to the young lady."
"Eh?"
Jin was taken aback by the sudden gratitude.
"It has been a long time since I have seen the young lady with such a bright and happy expression."
The only thing Jin could think of was their time in the village. "Um, are you talking about Moft Village?"
"Yes. Since the young lady only ever played with her older brothers and male relatives, she was quite a... well, she was quite an active child in her youth."
The butler had almost said "tomboy" but stopped himself out of respect for his employer's family.
"She herself loves small children. At garden parties, she would love to look after the little ones who came along. However, she often ended up making them cry, and she would always look so troubled, not knowing what to do."
"Is it really okay for you to tell me things like that?" Jin asked. He wasn't sure if the childhood stories of a viscount's daughter were meant for his ears.
"Yes, please listen. Because those things kept happening, she gradually became... well, taciturn as she grew older."
Jin could see how that would happen once she was no longer at an age where she could just play with boys. The impact of finding out about her birth mother likely added to it.
"The one she was most attached to was Lord Reinhard of the main house, but he could not always be with her."
He explained that Reinhard was a brilliant magi engineer who was frequently sent abroad as a diplomat due to his outgoing personality.
"This time, it happened that there was a boat race in Port Rock. Lord Reinhard invited her, and so she came all this way."
The butler paused, looked down, and sighed heavily.
"If I had known she would be exposed to the public eye in such a swimsuit, I would have stopped her at all costs!"
His fists were clenched, suggesting he was truly indignant. "To think the young lady's skin was exposed to the curious eyes of the riffraff!"
"Ah, hahaha." Jin, the one responsible for the design, could only offer a strained laugh.
The butler raised his head and took a deep breath. "...I digress. She came all this way, but once Lord Reinhard had to leave for official business, she looked so lonely that it was worrying to see. But," he prefaced, "yesterday she was smiling happily. Even last night, she spoke to us about many things regarding you, Jin-sama."
"About me?"
"Yes. How you said that to get along with children, one should play with them at their level. Or how you let her be the first to fly the kite you had worked so hard to make."
"Well, that's true."
"Even today, she has been in high spirits since morning. I believe this is thanks to you, Jin-sama. I called you here to offer my sincere thanks."
He bowed deeply once more. "I now understand why the young lady wished to travel with you, even if it meant placing us in a separate carriage. Please, during the journey—no, from now on as well—I ask that you look after the young lady. Please be her friend."
Jin waved his hands hurriedly. "Please don't bow so low. Even if you didn't ask, Elsa and I are already friends. She's been helping me by teaching me all sorts of things, too."
"Thank you very much."
As the two returned to the carriage, Reiko remained silent, though she had undoubtedly heard everything. Before they could board, Mine, the wet nurse, approached them.
"Jin-sama, might I have a moment of your time?"
Using the exact same line as the butler, she pulled Jin into the shadows.
"First, I would like to thank you for keeping the young lady company."
She also bowed with a similar script, but what followed was entirely different.
"The young lady was originally a very active person. But since she reached a certain age, she hasn't been allowed out much, spending all her time within the mansion."
"I see."
"It seems she is excited to be out for the first time in a long while. Since outings are rare, I decided to let her have her way, even allowing her to ride in the same carriage as you instead of with us. But just because of that, if you lay a hand on the young lady... you understand, don't you?"
"Right, I'll be 'twisted off,' was it?"
"As long as you understand. I expect a moderate and respectful attitude from you."
Immediately after Mine finished speaking, a voice thundered.
"You fool!"
It was the butler's angry shout.
"Adberg-san..."
So the butler's name was Adberg, Jin noted, even as Adberg turned on the wet nurse with a formidable gaze.
"Mine, what do you think you're saying?! Jin-sama is an important guest invited by Lord Reinhard himself! Lord Reinhard trusted the young lady to act as a hostess. And yet, look at you! How many times must I tell you that your attitude reflects poorly not just on the young lady, but on the dignity of the entire main house?"
Mine simply looked away with a sulky expression, letting the scolding slide.
"Jin-sama, I apologize on Mine's behalf. Please, do not take offense." Adberg offered a ninety-degree bow in the most formal apology.
Mine watched him and scoffed. "Hmph. It's not like you didn't think Jin-sama was suspicious at first too, Adberg-san."
"You...!"
"I am thinking of the young lady in my own way," Mine continued. "If I am fired for it, so be it. You say the young lady's dignity will suffer? Fine. Being a noble is a cramped, suffocating life anyway. She'd be better off quitting. If that happens, I'll be the one to take care of her."
"Why, you...!"
Adberg looked ready to strike, his hand rising in anger. But at that moment, a voice interrupted.
"Jin-kun, we're leaving soon. Adberg? Mine? What is everyone doing?"
The coachman was ready to go, and Elsa had come looking for the group.
"Oh, we were just looking around at a few things," Jin said.
"I see. Then get in."
Without pressing further, Elsa climbed into the carriage first. The others followed suit, boarding their respective vehicles.
The carriage lurched into motion, finally crossing the pass and beginning the long descent down the highway toward the capital.
"The slope is a bit steep at first," Elsa noted.
"Because we don't have brakes," Jin added.
"Brake? What's that?" Elsa asked, her face full of curiosity.
"Ah, a brake is a braking system. It's a device used to slow down and stop things like carriages or other moving objects."
"Such a thing exists?"
"Yeah. For this carriage, for instance, if you had a device that could grip the wheels to slow them down, a descent like this would be much easier."
It seemed they had wheel blocks for when they were parked, but no actual brakes for use while driving.
"I see. Since we don't often travel mountain roads, it was neglected. Please discuss that with Brother Rai as well."
"Yeah, I plan to."
Jin smiled, thinking it would be fun to discuss new inventions with Reinhard.
Just then, the carriage gave a sudden, violent jolt. A moment later, there was a sharp knock on the carriage door. Elsa opened the window to peek out and saw the butler, footman, guard, and wet nurse all gathered outside.
"Young lady, it's bandits," Adberg reported grimly. "Please, do not step outside under any circumstances."