Having woken early the next morning, Jin stepped out onto the balcony located in the center of the second floor.
It was the beginning of March. The sea breeze blowing from the distance carried the fresh scent of spring.
"Jin-kun, good morning."
At the sound of the voice, he turned to find Elsa standing there. She was still dressed in her magisilk pajamas.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
"Mm," Elsa nodded. "The tatami. The futon. They were very comfortable."
Jin felt a sense of relief, but then he blinked in surprise. "Wait, tatami?"
Elsa gave another firm nod. "I made a selfish request, and the maid golem laid them out for me."
"Aqua did? Heh, she’s quite thoughtful."
Jin was impressed, even though he was the one who had created her. Since the golems shared a connection with Jin and Reiko through their Magilink, they seemed to be maturing little by little.
"This is a wonderful place," Elsa said, standing beside Jin and looking out at the landscape from the balcony.
"Haha, thank you."
As he replied, Jin noticed that Elsa was still only in her pajamas. "Aren't you cold?"
Without waiting for an answer, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Elsa’s cheeks flushed slightly as she accepted the warmth. "...Thank you. You draped your coat over me once before, too, Jin-kun."
"Once we’ve had breakfast today, I’ll take you back to Blue Land," Jin said.
"Mm. I truly wish I could stay longer, but it can't be helped."
As she spoke, she leaned her body closer to Jin’s.
"Morning, Jin!"
A cheerful voice rang out. Elsa quickly pulled away and turned around. Jin did the same.
"Good morning, Beena. You're up early."
"Yeah, commoners start their days early."
Beena glanced at Elsa, who was still wrapped in Jin’s coat. Beena, already changed into her everyday clothes, muttered under her breath.
(I should have come out in my pajamas too...)
"Eh?"
Since she had whispered, he didn't quite catch it.
"I-it's nothing! The view from here is great, isn't it?"
"Right? Look, you can see the ocean in the distance."
"Oh, you're right. So that’s the ocean."
It was a peaceful moment in the morning sun.
＊ ＊ ＊
After breakfast, Jin teleported back toward Blue Land, bringing Koma and the other golem horses with them.
Since everyone was wearing pants today, they each rode the same golem horses they had used the day before. In less than an hour, they reached the edge of the forest.
"Sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to dismount here."
Jin remembered Reinhard’s advice from the previous day: he needed to avoid any unnecessary displays of advanced technology.
"It’s a pity, though," Reinhard remarked. He was the first to dismount, followed by Elsa and Beena.
"Koma, thanks for the hard work."
Jin dismissed Koma and the others, sending them back home. "Well then, let’s go."
He began walking toward Blue Land. Reiko followed behind carrying the luggage, while Elsa and Beena immediately rushed to cling to either side of Jin’s arms.
Watching the scene, Reinhard walked along slowly by himself.
As spring drew near, the grass in the outskirts of Blue Land was beginning to sprout, and the scent of the season seemed to rise from the earth with every step.
"Jin, will you stay at my house today? I want you to see how healthy Nana and Raldo are now," Beena said, tugging on Jin’s arm.
"No," Elsa cut in, refusing to back down. "Jin-kun is Rai-nii's guest. He’s staying with us."
"Now, now. Jin will be staying at Count Kuzuma’s estate regardless. Beena-dono, there will be plenty of time for you to introduce your brother and sister to him," Reinhard said, stepping in to soothe the two girls.
Surprisingly, Reiko did not look displeased. She likely felt secure in her position now that Jin had described the other two as being like sisters to him.
After walking a short while longer, the city walls of Blue Land came into view.
"Oh, they’ve already come to meet us."
Two carriages were waiting in front of the walls. Standing beside them were the butler, Adberg, and the wet nurse, Mine.
As soon as Mine spotted the group, her face turned pale and she came charging toward them.
"My Ladyyyyyyy!"
Running at a speed that would put a sprinter to shame, Mine reached them and pulled Elsa away from Jin’s side to embrace her.
"Are you safe?! He didn't do anything to you, did he?! Why would you stay out overnight without permission?!" she shrieked in rapid succession.
Reinhard gave a wry smile. "Hey now, Mine. It’s hardly 'without permission' when I was right there with her, is it?"
But Mine shook her head, refusing to yield. "No! It is absolutely unthinkable for an unmarried young lady to stay overnight in a house where men are present!"
"Mine, saying that is the same as saying you do not trust the Young Lady or Lord Reinhard. How many times must I tell you?" Adberg interjected.
He continued firmly, "Jin-sama is a guest of Lord Reinhard. To disparage him so much is the same as showing total disregard for Lord Reinhard himself."
Rebuked so thoroughly, Mine looked down with a frustrated expression.
"...Yes. My apologies, My Lady, Lord Reinhard..." she murmured.
"Mine, if you’re going to apologize, apologize to Jin-sama as well."
Prompted by Adberg, Mine bit her lip. Trembling slightly, she bowed her head toward Jin and whispered a tiny, "My apologies."
Jin had been watching Reiko, who had been radiating a murderous aura for the last several minutes. He was relieved that Mine had apologized before Reiko decided to pounce on her.
"Jin, Mine doesn't mean any harm. Please forgive her. She just has a bad habit of losing her head whenever Elsa is involved," Reinhard explained.
"Mm, that’s right. Mine is just always worried about me," Elsa added, speaking up to defend her nurse.
Jin wasn't particularly bothered by it anymore. "I don't mind, so let's get going."
He started walking again, with Beena still stuck firmly to his right arm.
Seeing that, Elsa shot a resentful look toward Mine.
＊ ＊ ＊
Reinhard, Elsa, Adberg, and Mine took one carriage, while Jin, Reiko, and Beena took the other as they headed into the heart of Blue Land.
Seeing the interior of the city for the first time, Jin looked around at everything with deep interest.
Noticing this, Beena spoke up. "That’s right—this is your first time inside the walls, isn't it, Jin?"
"Yeah, it is."
"The city is divided into districts. To the right of the main street is the noble district, and to the left are the wealthy residents and high-end shops."
As she explained, Jin took another look at the townscape.
The carriage was currently traveling down the main thoroughfare. Just as she said, the right side was lined with grand mansions, while shops were scattered along the left.
"Count Kuzuma’s mansion is quite close to the center."
From that fact alone, Jin could infer that Count Kuzuma held a very influential position within Blue Land.
"Ah, there it is. That’s Count Kuzuma’s estate over there."
In the direction Beena was pointing, a particularly magnificent mansion came into view.