"I suppose she isn't in Blue Land either..."
On Hourai Island, Jin was still searching for Elsa.
"What am I going to tell Mine?"
It was currently 8:00 PM on Hourai Island. With the one-hour time difference, it was only 7:00 PM on Kunlun Island, but it was already past the time Elsa should have returned.
"I have no choice but to be honest with her."
The memory of how Mine used to be was burned into his mind; he could only imagine her flying into a rage. Nevertheless, Jin warped to Kunlun Island to face her.
"Jin-sama, Elsa seems to be running late. Did something happen?"
Seeing Mine’s worried expression, Jin’s courage wavered. He steeled himself and spoke truthfully.
"Elsa... she’s gone missing."
"What? Missing? Elsa? What happened?"
Thankfully, Mine didn’t lose her temper or grab him by the collar. She accepted the news, though her face twisted with concern. Jin explained the situation, including his theories. After listening to the whole story, Mine murmured quietly.
"That child... I’m certain she was peering into a Warp Gate out of curiosity."
It was a perceptive guess, but it didn't change their current predicament.
"At any rate, we’re doing everything we can to find her," Jin said, his words slightly disjointed. "So please don’t worry... Well, I know that’s impossible, but try not to worry too much."
"Yes. You are the one who rescued both that child and me, Jin-sama. If you are searching for her, I will believe in you."
Jin felt the weight of that trust but nodded firmly without letting it show. "Leave it to me."
With that, he left Kunlun Island and returned to his workshop.
"Mathter, how wath Elsa-than able to teleport?" Anne asked. It was less a question and more of a prompt to help him find the cause.
"Hmm, either the authentication failed, or..."
"She mutht have been carrying thomething imbued with your mana, Mathter."
Jin clapped his hands together as the realization hit him. "That’s it! That has to be it! Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
He had clearly been panicking since Elsa's disappearance. He immediately turned to his magi-brain.
"Laojun, just like when we looked for her before, track my mana—"
Jin cut himself off.
"My Lord, what is the matter?" Laojun asked.
Jin looked enlightened. "I see! That's it! Elsa was wearing the brooch I gave her! Right, Reiko?"
Jin generally didn't pay much attention to clothing—not even his own.
"Um, let me see... Yes, I believe she definitely had the brooch pinned to her chest," Reiko replied. She hadn't been paying much attention either. In that regard, they were very much father and daughter. Or perhaps Reiko simply had no interest in anyone other than Jin.
"Laojun, there’s no doubt. It’s the same brooch from the last time. Use that as the target."
"Understood."
Laojun activated the magi-radar to begin the search, focusing on locations with Warp Gates: Port Rock, Blue Land, the 8th Fort Ruins, and...
"My Lord, I have a reaction in Kaina Village."
Thirty minutes after beginning the search, the report came in.
"Kaina Village!"
Jin breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't a dangerous place.
"She must have stepped outside carelessly and then been unable to get back through the barrier."
The barrier was designed so that one could easily leave from the inside, but entering from the outside was impossible. It was a matter of mana flow, though the technical details were complex.
"Still, Kaina Village, huh..." Jin’s gaze drifted toward the distance. "I left Kaina Village last December, and it’s April now... so it’s been about four months."
He couldn't decide if four months felt like a long time or a short one. So much had happened in that span. Now that he was an Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea, he doubted anyone in the village would try to harm him. However, he desperately wanted to avoid causing the villagers any trouble.
"I'll have to go there tomorrow morning."
He was still worried about Elsa, though. No matter how kind the people of Kaina Village were, she must be feeling lonely. He contacted Gon, Gen, and the Secret Mobile Unit assigned to Hanna.
"This is Iris," the unit's representative answered.
Jin briefly explained Elsa’s disappearance and asked if they had seen her.
"Yes, a young woman matching that description has indeed arrived," Iris reported. "A girl of about sixteen or seventeen calling herself Elsa is staying at Chief Giebeck’s house. She has platinum blonde hair."
It was definitely her.
"She is being hospitably received by Barbara, the chief’s niece. Hanna-chan is with them as well."
Jin finally felt the tension leave his shoulders. "I understand. I’ll go to pick her up tomorrow. Until then, make sure nothing happens to either of them."
"Understood. I will have Gon guard the perimeter of the house."
The communication ended. It was just past 9:00 PM on Hourai Island. With the two-hour time difference, it was about 7:00 PM in Kaina Village. It was already dark, and the households would be heading to bed soon. Going now would only be a nuisance and might cause a scene. Jin calmed his heart and turned to Reiko.
"Reiko, Elsa definitely ended up in Kaina Village."
"Kaina Village, Father?"
"Yeah. I'll go pick her up tomorrow morning. 8:00 AM local time should be fine."
Jin spoke with a face full of determination.
"Are you really going back to Kaina Village, Father?" Reiko asked.
"Yes. At the very least, I want to show everyone that I’m okay, and then we'll go from there."
With his current strength, Jin didn't fear any nation, but he still wanted to avoid conflict—especially in his old home.
"I think I'll go dressed in my official Honorary Magi Craftman attire."
It was a small assertion of his status.
"I see. I shall bring Touka and a magi-cannon, then."
"No, I won't be needing either of those."
He didn't think he would need weapons in Kaina Village, and he prayed it would stay that way. Half-anxious and half-excited for the next day's reunion, Jin finally went to sleep.
"So, you were brought here by a Warp Gate malfunction, Elsa-san?"
Over at Chief Giebeck’s house in Kaina Village, it was evening. Barbara and Elsa were chatting after a slightly early dinner. Barbara did most of the talking, while Elsa provided the answers.
"Mhm. Though 'malfunction' might not be quite right."
"Is that so? Still, a Warp Gate... I wonder if that sort of thing happens often."
"What do you mean?" Elsa asked, puzzled.
"Well, last year, another person was sent here by a Warp Gate malfunction."
Elsa’s heart skipped a beat. "A-And what happened to that person?"
"He isn't here anymore. It was all a misunderstanding, but the local lord, Earl Walter, placed some false accusations on him, so he had to leave the village. The misunderstanding was cleared up later, but since he hasn't come back, we've had no way to tell him."
"And that person was—"
Before Elsa could finish, Giebeck entered the room with a little girl.
"Oh, Hanna-chan? What are you doing here at this hour?" Barbara asked. It was nearly 5:00 PM.
"I was worried about Big Sister Elsa," Hanna said.
"Me?" Elsa looked at her in surprise.
"Yeah. I thought you might be lonely, being all by yourself in a place you don't know."
Elsa smiled warmly. "Thank you... Hanna-chan, right?"
"Yeah! Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you my name earlier!" Hanna bowed politely.
Elsa giggled. "It's alright. You're the one who saved me, Hanna-chan."
Barbara brought over another chair. "Hanna-chan, why don't you sit down? I was just asking Elsa-san some questions. You should join us."
Hanna nodded brightly. "Okay!"