"Now then, last but not least, there’s something I want to ask Elsa."
"What is it?"
"It’s about Mine."
Elsa leaned forward eagerly the moment Jin spoke.
"Mine! Is she better already!?" she asked in a rush. Jin, caught off guard by her intensity, nodded.
"Yeah. She’s regained consciousness."
Elsa slumped back down in relief.
"Thank goodness..." she whispered.
"Elsa, one could say Mine manipulated you and put you in harm's way. Are you still worried about her?" Reinhard asked. There was a palpable edge of anger in his voice.
"Mm. But Mine used her own body to shield me when I was in danger. I’m still worried."
Reinhard let out a heavy sigh at her reply.
"Haa, I thought so. I suppose that’s just the call of blood."
"Rai-nii, what do you mean by that?" Elsa asked, catching his murmur. Reinhard looked at her with a serious expression.
"I believe Mine is your biological mother."
Elsa kicked her cushion aside and stood up.
"Rai-nii! Is that true?"
"Yes. She said so herself," Jin confirmed.
Elsa tried to sit back down, but since her cushion had been kicked away, she landed flat on the floor—and promptly toppled over backward.
"Oof."
"A-Are you okay?"
Jin and Reinhard rushed to her side. Because Elsa and Reinhard weren't accustomed to sitting in seiza, Jin had provided them with stacks of five cushions, making the sudden drop quite a distance.
"...My bottom hurts... but I'm okay."
Rubbing her backside, Elsa stood up, pulled the cushion back, and sat down properly. There were tears in her eyes—perhaps from the pain of the fall, or perhaps from the joy of finally knowing who her mother was.
"I want to see Mine."
Elsa looked Jin in the eye as she spoke. Jin considered the request for a moment before reaching a decision.
"Alright. Elsa, you and Mine should live together on Kunlun Island. It’s safe there, and you can come and go easily through the Warp Gate."
Reiko voiced her approval.
"I agree. Keeping her on this island would present various issues, but Kunlun Island was originally designed to serve as a dummy for Hourai Island. I believe it is the right choice."
"The environment is good there, too," Reinhard added. "I’d feel much better knowing she's there. It isn't as if I can hire her back now, anyway."
With everyone in agreement, they decided to bring Mine to Kunlun Island shortly.
"In that case, I’ll head back to Telurus for a while."
"Right, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m taking the carriage, so please find a convincing way to explain why I've left the group."
"Of course. I’ll just tell them you wanted to avoid the Celuroa Kingdom's Special Vigilance Area and took a detour to meet up with us later."
Jin then handed a manacam to Reinhard.
He had recently succeeded in synchronizing the magical frequencies, allowing for nearly a thousand channels of interference-free communication. While it wasn't many compared to radio channels, it was more than enough to cover every member of Hourai Island.
"You can use this to reach Laozi on Hourai Island. He can forward your calls to me, or if I’m busy, you can just leave a message with him."
"I see, this is excellent. I'll make sure to check in regularly. Evenings would be best, I think."
As expected of Reinhard, he recognized that constant communication would make their eventual reunion much smoother.
"Well then, I’m going to pick up Mine. Let's head to Telurus together."
"Jin-nii, please look after Mine."
With Elsa seeing them off, Jin, Reinhard, and Reiko warped back to Telurus.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I think it’s best if I don’t see Mine myself. Give her my regards."
"Understood."
Reinhard returned to the inn while Jin made his way to Sally Mileshann's clinic.
"Hello."
The clinic was quiet, with no other patients present at the moment.
"Ah, it's you. Your patient is doing much better. That recovery medicine of yours is truly incredible," Sally said, greeting Jin warmly.
"Glad to hear it. Is she well enough to be discharged?"
"Hmm? Well, physically she should be fine. But make sure she doesn't overexert herself."
"I understand. I plan to let her recuperate at her new home."
Sally seemed satisfied with that answer.
"Good. Then she'll be in good hands. If she stays quiet for another two days, she should be completely recovered."
Jin headed into the patient's room.
"Ah, Jin-sama."
Mine tried to sit up, but Jin gently motioned for her to stay still.
"Mine, are you feeling a bit better?"
A small smile touched her lips.
"Yes, thanks to you, the pain is gone. My body still feels a bit weak, but I’m alright."
"Actually, the recovery period is the most critical time. I’ve decided to move you somewhere else today."
"Not here? Then where?...Could it be?"
A spark of hope lit up Mine’s face.
"Yeah, I think you've guessed it. To where Elsa is."
"Oh, Elsa!...B-But, will she ever forgive me?"
Mine looked down, her expression full of anxiety. Jin was struck by how much she had changed; it was as if her inner demons had finally vanished.
"It’ll be fine. Besides, Elsa knows you're her biological mother."
Mine’s eyes widened in shock.
"It's time you two finally acknowledged each other. Let's go."
"Y-Yes."
With that, Mine was discharged. Since she was still unsteady on her feet, Jin summoned Elm and Ash from the Secret Mobile Unit to carry her.
"Doctor, thank you for everything."
Jin bowed to Sally before they left.
"Don't mention it. I've learned a lot from this as well. I’m going to start researching that recovery medicine myself—I'll start by testing it on my own blood."
"Good luck."
They headed to where the carriage was stored, ensuring no one was around before climbing inside.
Jin assisted Mine through the carriage's Warp Gate, and the two of them warped to Hourai Island. Elm and Ash stayed behind to guard the carriage.
Reiko remained with the rest of the Secret Mobile Unit; her task was to drive the carriage to the ruins of the Unifilar fort and set up a forward base there before returning.
"Now then, let us finish this quickly for Father."
Reiko hitched the golem horses to the carriage and took the coachman's seat. She started the carriage at a breakneck speed, with the Secret Mobile Unit following while remaining invisible.
"H-Hey, did you see that?"
"Was that a carriage? It was moving way too fast."
A few bystanders were left baffled, but Reiko ignored them, reaching the fort ruins in a mere two hours.
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin brought Mine back to Hourai Island. She was wide-eyed with astonishment, having never experienced a Warp Gate before.
They exited the laboratory and walked toward the Mansion. The sun was already beginning to set.
A lone figure stood in front of the building. It was Elsa.
Mine caught sight of her and froze, her body trembling, her voice failing her.
Elsa also stood perfectly still, her gaze fixed on Mine.
Jin quietly stepped away to give them space.
"Mo...ther."
Elsa was the first to break the silence.
She took one slow step after another toward Mine.
Mine, overwhelmed, looked flustered and even began to shrink back.
"Mother!"
Elsa suddenly broke into a run. She threw herself at Mine, pulling her into a fierce embrace.
At first, Mine’s arms hovered uncertainly, but then she finally wrapped them tightly around Elsa.
"Elsa!"
"Mo...ther."
They were both crying.
"...To think you were so close to me all along. I wasn't alone."
"I’m so sorry... for being such a terrible mother. I don't expect you to ever forgive me."
"No... it’s okay. It’s okay now."
They stayed like that until the sky turned pitch black. Worried about Mine’s health, Jin finally called out to them, and they reluctantly let go of each other.
＊ ＊ ＊
Afterward, the two went through the Warp Gate again to the mansion on Kunlun Island.
There, Jin entrusted their care to the five-color maid golems: Amez, Aqua, Topaz, Perido, and Ruby.
Elsa was familiar with them, but Mine’s expression was quite stiff with shock at the sight of the golems.
"Well then, if anything happens, contact me through the manacam. Take good care of your mother."
"Mm. Thank you for everything."
"Jin-sama, I can't thank you enough for all you've done."
"Just focus on getting your strength back, Mine."
With that, Jin prepared to head back to Hourai Island.
"A mother, huh. I’m happy for you, Elsa."
The thought escaped him as a quiet murmur.
As he walked toward the Warp Gate, he happened to look up at the sky. It was a magnificent sight, blanketed with a sea of stars.
Back on Hourai Island, Jin prepared to move his plans into full gear.
It was finally time for a military buildup.