Before he knew it, the sun had set and the world outside was pitch black.
Jin’s office, much like his laboratory, had a ceiling lined with a luminous material that glowed as long as free ether was present. He had dubbed it "Ether Light," or AL. Since the ceiling began to glow automatically as darkness fell, it was only by glancing out the window that he realized night had arrived.
Lishia and Pascoe were left speechless, staring up at the glowing ceiling. Observing their reaction, Jin thought to himself.
(Ah, even this Ether Light was a common material back in the Predecessor's day, but the technique has been lost to time, hasn't it...)
At the same time, he considered that he might be able to be a bit more proactive about reviving such lost technology.
But first, he had to bring the two of them back to their senses.
"Er, I received this from Deus Ex Machina as a gift to celebrate the completion of the castle," Jin said, blurting out the first excuse that came to mind.
After finishing dinner in the dining hall downstairs, Jin advised Lishia and Pascoe to get some rest, as he wanted to depart early the next morning. He then informed them that he was heading to his home workshop in Kaina Village to prepare the medicine and other supplies.
"I understand. I have many things I want to ask you, but the priority right now is dealing with the disease," Lishia said.
"Lishia-san is right," Pascoe added. "I will also do my best to assist her."
With that, the two retired to their bedrooms.
"Now then, I have work of my own to do."
Jin mounted Koma and headed for his home workshop. Since Koma was equipped with a Light spell and possessed high autonomy as a golem, the night journey posed no danger.
"Welcome home, Jin-nii."
Elsa greeted him at the house.
"I'm back. Elsa, did you hear the news?"
"Mhm. Butler A told me."
Since Elsa was proficient in Shouro Empire-style healing magic, Jin had instructed Butler A to give her an overview of the situation after his meeting with Laojun.
"Elsa, how far does your healing magic go again?"
"Up to Heilverfahren."
Since the name of the spell didn't tell him much, he decided to have her imbue the magic into some Persica juice from the refrigerator.
"Into this?"
Elsa looked skeptical, but she obediently followed Jin’s request.
"Heilverfahren."
The Persica juice momentarily emitted a faint, hazy glow.
"What was that just now?"
"Well, liquids containing a high concentration of free ether can be imbued with magical properties."
Elsa seemed to grasp the concept, at least partially.
Jin used Analyze on the juice Elsa had enchanted. To his delight, he found that her Heilverfahren was equal to or perhaps even more effective than the high-level healing magic, Medicare.
Thrilled, Jin shared the discovery with her.
"This is amazing, Elsa."
The praise caused a slight flush to creep into her cheeks. She looked at him curiously.
"Is that... alchemy?"
"Exactly. Do you know much about it?"
"Mhm. Saki-san liked that sort of thing."
A name Jin didn't recognize came up. "Saki?"
"Saki Eschenbach. She's the daughter of an alchemist living in Rai-nii's family territory."
"Wait, do you mean Toa Eschenbach's daughter?"
Jin was surprised to hear the name Eschenbach from Elsa.
"You know him?" Elsa asked, tilting her head. Jin explained that he had read about him in a book when he was shown the library in the Shouro Empire.
"Saki-nee played with me a lot when I was little. She taught me many things back then."
"I see."
While he wanted to hear more about the Eschenbach family, there was no time for that now.
"In that case, Elsa, will you come to Hourai Island with me? I could really use your help making the medicine."
"Mhm. I'd be happy to."
The two of them used the Warp Gate in the workshop basement to travel to Hourai Island.
On the island, Laojun had already finished the preliminary preparations as discussed.
"My Lord, all preparations are complete."
"Good. I'll get to work on making the Golem horses as planned. Laojun, Elsa can use a spell called Heilverfahren. It seems to be even more effective than what we have. Please have her help you mass-produce the recovery medicine—or rather, the treatment medicine."
"Understood. Elsa-san, we look forward to your assistance."
"Mhm. I'll do my best."
Jin left the task to Laojun and Elsa. Elsa went to the research lab on the second floor with Laozi, Laojun’s mobile terminal. It was directly above the workshop where Jin worked.
Jin then began constructing the Golem horses that would carry Lishia and Pascoe.
The base was the same as Ein and the others, but he added custom tuning. Specifically, he focused on "reducing fatigue while riding."
Horseback riding requires significant balance from the rider, as they are constantly jostled by the animal's movements. Staying seated requires constant muscle engagement in the core, which leads to exhaustion. Furthermore, the rider must use their legs to hold the saddle while communicating their intentions to the horse.
The muscles used for this are entirely different from those used in daily life, making it grueling for those who are unaccustomed to it. Even for experts, riding at high speeds for long periods is taxing.
Considering these factors, an off-road bike might have been better, but there was no way Lishia and Pascoe could master one overnight. Plus, there was the issue of maintaining appearances.
So, Jin adjusted the golems' gait to minimize the vertical movement felt by the rider even at a gallop. He also used Gula Schwamm as a shock-absorbing material for the saddles.
The shape ended up looking slightly less horse-like, but he prioritized a form that was easy to sit on. He also enhanced their autonomy so they could perfectly understand the rider's speech, allowing for verbal commands. However, he chose not to give them vocal functions. A talking horse would be a bit too eerie.
Instead, they could communicate by nodding their heads for "yes" or shaking them for "no."
"It's probably best not to tell Lishia and the others too much about them..."
Jin didn't want to arouse unnecessary suspicion by making the horses too high-spec.
With the help of the smith golems, ten Golem horses were finished in about an hour. He made ten because, with the help of his assistants, the effort required for ten was nearly the same as for two. He figured the extras would be useful later.
He planned to lend two of them to Lishia and Pascoe, so he colored them in inconspicuous shades of brown.
"Alright, that takes care of the transportation."
Curious about the medicine, Jin headed up to the second-floor laboratory.
"Genesung!"
Just as Jin entered the room, the drug base in front of Elsa emitted a brilliant blue light and turned into a perfectly transparent liquid. At that same moment, Elsa collapsed.
"Elsa!"
Startled, Jin rushed to her side. "Laojun! What did you make her do?!"
Jin’s sharp, rebuking tone was cut off by Elsa herself.
"No... Jin-nii. This is... what I... wanted... to do."
Elsa explained breathlessly, her face pale. From her condition, Jin realized she had exhausted her internal mana.
Even though she suffered from Mana Overload Syndrome, completely depleting her mana still took a physical toll. Jin gave her some of the plain drug base and helped her drink it slowly.
The free ether in the liquid was absorbed into her body at the cellular level and converted into mana. Vitality quickly returned to her pale face.
"Phew..."
As Elsa let out a long breath, Jin spoke to her in a slightly stern tone.
"Elsa, I appreciate the help, but don't push yourself to the point of collapsing."
"I'm sorry for worrying you. But... I wanted to be of use to you, Jin-nii."
Jin stroked the head of the apologetic girl and whispered a thank you. Elsa looked up, a happy smile spreading across her blushing face.
Once Elsa had settled down, Jin turned to Laojun. "So, Laojun, what was that magic?"
"Yes. Surprisingly, Elsa-san has become capable of using top-tier healing magic in this incredibly short time."
Laojun stated the shocking fact.
"What?! Was that 'Genesung' just now?"
"Yes. At first, she was using Heilverfahren, but after we had a short discussion regarding the theoretical application of magic..."
"That’s incredible, Elsa."
Jin looked at her again, offering his genuine praise. Elsa’s cheeks flushed even deeper at the direct compliment.
"It’s because of Jin-nii. You taught me that image is the most important thing in magic."
Jin had indeed repeated that a clear mental image was the key to Craft Magic. Naturally, the same principle applied to general magic as well.
Having realized that, Elsa had taken a massive leap forward to become one of the few first-class healing mages in the world.
The treatment medicine Elsa had created was as clear as crystal.