"Jin-dono, I am Baron Yalmaani. I reside in the castle town. A toast to our new acquaintance."
"Lord Jin Nidou, I am Nareef. I run a business here in Blue Land."
Once the banquet began, a steady stream of attendees approached Jin to introduce themselves and forge connections.
"Elsa-san, those glasses were lovely. It is wonderful that both you and your brother are so skilled in magi craft."
"Elsa-sama, I am the wife of Strohen. We run a shop in the neighboring town of Crossgo. I look forward to your acquaintance."
Naturally, a swarm of female guests had descended upon Elsa as well.
"Is Jin-dono married?"
"I have a daughter who turns fifteen this year..."
"Does Miss Elsa already have a suitor?"
As the evening progressed, the dialogue eventually shifted toward the inevitable topics of marriage and status.
It was then that the bride and groom arrived.
"Jin, thank you for today."
"Elsa, thank you."
The couple had been making their rounds to greet the guests and stopped beside Jin and Elsa.
"As always—no, I mean this in the best way possible—your skills are truly incredible," Count Kuzuma said, pouring white wine from a bottle he took from a wine cooler held by his butler into Jin’s glass.
"Elsa, when did you become such a magi craftman? Those glasses were breathtaking," Beena added, offering Elsa a sweet cocktail from a tray held by a maid.
Since the two guests of honor made it obvious that they wished to speak with the pair, the crowd that had gathered around Jin and Elsa quickly dispersed.
"You saved me, Louis."
"Haha, you looked like you were struggling, Jin. You’ll exhaust yourself if you try to give everyone a serious answer. You should just put them off with 'another time,' or 'should the opportunity arise.' Just make sure you don't accidentally say 'thank you,' or they'll think you've agreed to something."
"I see..." Jin murmured. Such social niceties evidently varied by country.
"...I’m learning," Elsa added.
She was equally unfamiliar with such superficial social interactions. Her biological mother, Mine, had kept her away from high society as much as possible during her time as a wet nurse and maid. Elsa was visibly relieved that the couple had come to their rescue.
"But really, Elsa, when we last saw each other, you couldn't do anything regarding magi craft, right?" Beena asked.
"Un. I left my family and relied on Jin-nii, and he taught me everything."
"It's only been a bit over six months... It makes me lose my confidence."
"I feel the same way," Elsa countered. "Beena, you’ve become so wonderful. We’re speaking casually now, but your conduct is already that of a noble lady. You wouldn’t look out of place in any court. I couldn’t do that."
"A-Ah, thank you."
Being praised by someone who was a noble by birth made Beena blush and grow flustered.
"I can tell how much effort you’ve put in. Louis-sama, please make Beena happy, okay?"
"Yes, of course I will."
"Louis-sama..."
In response to Elsa’s words, the Count drew Beena close by the shoulder. Beena’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
(Beena looks so happy. Marriage... huh...)
As Elsa watched Beena’s radiant smile, a small twinge ran through her chest.
(...?)
She did not yet understand what that twinge meant. Before she could dwell on it, another voice diverted her attention.
"An anniversary letter and a gift have arrived from Lady Berche, the wife of Lord Reinhard Randol of Kalts Village in the Shouro Empire."
"...Wasn't it sent with Rai-nii's carriage?" Elsa asked.
"Maybe there was a delay, and the arrival dates got mixed up?" Jin suggested.
That seemed the most likely explanation. Regardless, both Elsa and Jin were curious to see what had been sent. They hadn't known Berche was preparing a gift; when they had spoken via manacam, Reinhard hadn't mentioned it.
Two maids carried a package forward.
"From Reinhard’s wife? I wonder what it is. This is quite exciting," Count Kuzuma said, his curiosity piqued.
The package was opened to reveal four crystal bottles, each roughly five hundred milliliters, filled with an amber liquid.
"There’s a note. Let’s see... 'I am sending maple syrup, a specialty of our region.'"
Just as I thought, Jin realized. He recognized that dark amber hue immediately.
However, he was impressed that she had managed to secure such a large amount of maple syrup during the off-season. Ordinarily, the sap of the sugar maple is collected from winter to spring; autumn was the season when the sap was at its lowest.
"Oho, 'a sweet nectar made from the sap of a local specialty,' it says," the Count read aloud.
"Ah, I’ve tried a prototype before. It was sweet and delicious. To send two liters of it is quite generous," Jin added.
"Un. Sweet and delicious," Elsa confirmed.
"I’m delighted to hear that. Beena, I’ll look forward to trying it later."
"Yes... dear."
Beena replied with a shy, youthful blush. Seeing the couple so enamored, the attendees once again offered a round of applause.
"Phew..."
Jin stepped out of the Great Hall to clear his head.
"Father, are you all right?" Reiko asked.
"Yeah, I’m fine. But... I’ve certainly become easier to get drunk."
His cells had become more susceptible to alcohol since they were activated. Although he sobered up quickly, his new lack of tolerance was a distinct disadvantage. In the past, no matter how much he drank, he had never been more than slightly tipsy. That was because the majority of his body’s cells had been inactive, preventing the normal biological reactions to alcohol from taking place.
"Jin-nii, are you okay?" Elsa asked, following him out.
"Yeah, I’m fine. But I really need to do something about this..."
He tried to brainstorm a solution, but his drunken mind struggled to connect the dots.
"...Let’s try this. Entgiften."
"O-Oh?"
Elsa cast the detoxification healing magic on Jin, and the effect was instantaneous.
"My head cleared in an instant. I see... so being drunk is treated as a 'poison' status."
His sobered mind began to process the logic. Jin belatedly recalled that the healer Sally Mileshann had once used Detox to sober up. Since alcohol in the blood was technically a foreign substance, it made perfect sense that Entgiften would work.
"...In that case, an accessory with a permanent detoxification effect would be a good idea."
With a tool like that, he could choose when he wanted to feel the effects of alcohol and when he needed to stay sharp.
"...As I thought, Jin-nii is Jin-nii." Elsa giggled at his immediate shift back to research and development.
"I guess you’re right. Today is a celebration, after all."
Scratching his head, Jin patted Elsa on the shoulder.
"Shall we go back?"
"Un."
Jin, Elsa, Reiko, and Edgar returned to the Great Hall. This time, they decided to stay near the walls to avoid drawing too much attention. They watched as Count Kuzuma and Beena walked together through the hall, continuing their rounds.
"It looks exhausting."
"Un. But Beena looks happy."
As she spoke, Elsa moved half a step closer to Jin, leaning against the wall so their shoulders nearly touched. Reiko stood on Jin’s other side, leaning into him as he rested a hand on her shoulder.
Watching them out of the corner of her eye, Elsa hesitated, wondering if she should take Jin’s arm as well. Ultimately, she decided to take a cocktail glass from a passing maid instead.