According to the Analyze results, the medicine Elsa had made was three times more effective than conventional recovery medicine.
"With this much, we should be able to treat about a hundred people. Laojun, I'm sorry for shouting earlier without knowing the circumstances."
『No, it was also a failure on my part for not considering Elsa-san's mana capacity.』
The master and servant exchanged these words. Jin looked at the medicine once more.
There were about five liters of the colorless, transparent liquid. Jin began portioning it into ampoules made of muscovite.
It was then that Laojun's voice rang out.
『My Lord, Reiko-san is struggling.』
Jin stopped his work and asked for a detailed explanation. "What do you mean?"
『Yes. As expected, the mysterious man, Laldus, was of the demon race. Furthermore, it appears he uses magic that manipulates gravity.』
Laojun shared his deduction that the man's ability to cross the Great Shama Marshland without sinking was due to that power.
『...Currently, several thousand Gs are being applied to Reiko-san.』
"Several thousand Gs!?"
Elsa, who was listening nearby, likely didn't understand the gravity of that number, but Jin could vividly imagine the scene of Reiko being crushed flat.
"And!? What happened to Reiko!?"
In response to Jin's frantic questioning, Laojun continued to explain in a characteristically calm voice.
『Reiko-san is using her full power and enduring it....She has stood up....She is alright. He shouldn't be able to sustain magic like that indefinitely.』
It seemed that while Laojun was explaining things to Jin, he was also giving advice to Reiko. Finally, the stalemate broke.
『The Elradrite in Laldus’s hand has shattered.』
One might have thought it would be Reiko’s one-sided victory from then on, but it seemed that two more demons had appeared.
However, those two did not seem hostile. After disclosing all the information regarding this magical consumption fever, they carried the unconscious Laldus back to the land of the demons.
『Laldus's mana is traceable....However, it seems one of the two new demons uses Teleportation Magic. They moved to a distant location instantly.』
"Teleportation Magic?"
Since Warp Gates existed, it wasn't strange for there to be individuals who could use magic of a similar nature.
"...And Gravity Magic, huh."
They were fearsome opponents if they could make even the current Reiko struggle.
Jin felt deeply glad that he had made Reiko's body out of magi-adamantite. At the same time, he resolved to stop letting Reiko face such dangerous situations.
But for now, there were things to be done. Jin returned to his work.
Twenty minutes later, Laojun spoke again.
『My Lord, Reiko-san has returned.』
"I see!"
Jin stopped his work on the ampoules. Soon, Reiko came running up the stairs.
"Father, I have returned."
Jin welcomed Reiko with open arms. "Welcome back, Reiko. You aren't injured anywhere, are you?"
Reiko nodded. "Yes, thanks to this body you gave me, Father, I was able to return safely."
Jin hugged Reiko as she gave that answer. "Good work."
"...Father?"
"Reiko, I'm just glad you're safe....Really, from now on, I won't let you face such danger—"
But Reiko interrupted Jin just as he was about to say those words.
"No, Father. Please allow me to say this, though it may be presumptuous....I will protect the things that you wish to protect. Your joy is my joy. Your sorrow is my sorrow. Your anger is my anger. And your happiness is my happiness. I am Father’s shadow. A shadow merely follows its source wherever it may lead."
Jin hugged Reiko even tighter as she stated her conviction.
"...Thank you, Reiko. In that case, there is only one thing I must do. I will make it so that no matter what happens, you will never be hurt, and you will never lose to any opponent."
Jin added with a wry smile, "And I'll make sure you're a lady who isn't inferior to any other girl, too."
"Yes, I believe in you."
Watching this exchange between father and daughter, Elsa muttered a single word in a tiny voice that no one could hear.
"...I envy them."
Once things had settled down, Reiko reported the information about the magical consumption fever. Naturally, Elsa was also present.
"...I see. For the most part, it seems the measures we've taken so far have been correct. However, performing Medicare for several minutes is quite a task."
Jin fell into thought with his arms crossed, but he reached a conclusion in less than a minute.
"...Elsa, I know you're tired, but I have a favor to ask."
Elsa gave a gallant reply to the apologetic Jin. "Mm. If I can be of use to Jin-nii, that is my wish."
"Thank you. I want to create a magic tool that can activate Genesung."
Jin then taught Elsa the Magi Language, the magi-formula, and the flow of magic control—the magi-sequence.
Since he had been teaching her the basics little by little, she was able to understand most of it in about an hour. Then it was time for the real thing.
"『Write In』."
Even though it was her first attempt without practice, Elsa's first production was generally successful. There were parts where the control and activation were a bit weak, but it was a start.
"Sorry for making you do something so difficult all of a sudden. But with this, I can mass-produce them."
Indeed, while Jin himself could not cast Heilverfahren or Genesung, once he saw the magi-sequence of that magic, he could reproduce it as a magic tool.
"...Jin-nii really is amazing."
Elsa remembered how, shortly after they had left the Kingdom of Elias, Reiko had immediately become able to use the Heal <Verheilen> that Elsa had used to treat Jin's carriage sickness.
"As your sister figure, I have to work even harder."
Elsa made this secret resolution, unaware that making a high-level healing magic tool on her first try was already beyond standard norms.
Unaware of Elsa's determination, Jin continued to Write In magi-formulas into magi-crystals one after another right before her eyes, mass-producing the high-level healing magic tools.
The following day, the 18th.
Early in the morning in front of Nidou Castle, Lishia and Pascoe were preparing for their journey.
"Jin-san, you're telling us to use these horses?"
Before the two of them stood two Golem horses that Jin had made the previous night.
"Yes. These don't need water or food, and they don't know exhaustion. Furthermore..."
Jin showed them by opening a hatch in the torso. Since the horse's body was large, he had included a storage space.
"You can keep valuables in here. By setting the mana registration, it can be made so that only the rider can open it."
"I-Is that so?"
Lishia was slightly surprised by the non-standard features.
"Also, I've put in enough treatment medicine for a hundred people and five of the latest-model healing magic tools, so please use them as needed. The instructions are as I explained earlier."
Inside the castle, Jin had explained the magical consumption fever and its treatment methods to Lishia and Pascoe. Of course, he had done so under the guise that the information had been provided by Maquina.
"In addition, I've put in some Persica juice. Please drink it if you get tired. It will give you energy."
It was, of course, a special product of Hourai Island, adjusted to be effective for recovering from fatigue.
"...Yes, I understand. There are many things I would like to ask, but for now, dealing with this disease comes first."
"Indeed. I shall protect Lishia-san. Rest easy, Jin-dono," Pascoe Rush said, puffing out his chest. Jin nodded, but in reality, he intended to attach Deneb 30 of the Quinta to them.
She would be their practical guard. Against humans rather than demons, Deneb 30 had no equals, provided the opponents were few in number.
Furthermore, he had Falcon 6 through 10 flying overhead, establishing a system where support could be provided at any time. Only Lishia and Pascoe were unaware of this.
After performing thorough healing on the one remaining pigeon, they decided to have it carry a report briefly summarizing the disease. It would likely reach the kingdom's intelligence bureau before noon.
"Well then, we're off."
Having done everything they needed to do, Lishia and Pascoe mounted the Golem horses. Since they had ridden Ein and Zwei the day before, there were no issues with operating them.
"Lishia-san, please be careful. Pascoe-dono, stay safe."
"Yes!"
Jin saw them off as the two departed.
Surprised by how much more comfortable and easier to handle these were compared to Ein and Zwei, Lishia and Pascoe crossed the Erme River and galloped toward Togo Pass.
"Right, I should do what I have to do as well."
Muttering this, Jin returned to Hourai Island via the Warp Gate in Nidou Castle.
"Laojun, what is the status of the disease outbreaks in each region?"
『Yes, My Lord. According to reports from the Quinta...』
He had ordered the Quinta units scattered across the Klein Kingdom to investigate the occurrence of patients suspected of having magical consumption fever.
Jin intended to do everything in his power to stop this pandemic.