“Father, it is nearly time.”
An hour had passed since Jin, keyed up by the discovery of katsuobushi, had started his nap. Following his instructions to wake him after exactly an hour, Reiko went to his side.
“Mmm...”
Jin sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He let out one long, massive yawn.
“Ah... that cleared my head a little.”
After splashing some water on his face in the washroom, Jin looked much more refreshed.
“...Is it lunchtime already? I suppose I should call Elsa and Hanna over here for lunch.”
Jin was already looking forward to the miso soup made with the katsuobushi.
“Father, about that...”
“Hmm? Did something happen?”
“Yes. Actually, Hanna-chan has brought a friend along.”
“Oh? A friend she met in Loizart?”
“Yes. She said her name is Shiide.”
“Huh? Shiide?”
That name sounded familiar to Jin.
“Wait, is she a girl about Hanna’s age with fluffy blonde hair and blue eyes?”
“Yes. She is a girl you are already acquainted with, Father.”
They had first met her at a mine in the Kingdom of Egerea’s Yada Village, and then again in the city of Telurus in the Celuroa Kingdom. Since Reiko had been with him both times, she remembered her as well.
“I see...”
Since Hanna had gone to the trouble of bringing a friend she had hit it off with, Jin wanted to make her feel welcome.
“Serving a guest nothing but rice and miso soup would be a bit much, wouldn't it?”
Jin decided to save his personal treat for later and prioritize welcoming Hanna’s friend.
“Let’s save that for dinner. For now, let’s head back to Loizart immediately.”
＊ ＊ ＊
When Hanna returned to Jin’s mansion with Shiide, Elsa was there to receive them.
“Welcome, Shiide-chan.”
Iris, Hanna’s guardian, had returned to the mansion a step ahead to announce the guest's arrival.
“Ah, it’s the older sister from back then.”
“Elsa-oneechan, look, I want you to fix Shiide-chan’s injury.”
“Eh?”
“Actually, Elsa-sama...”
Belle stepped in to explain the situation—how the two had been so absorbed in gathering kastany nuts that they bumped into each other and fell on their backsides.
“I was okay, but Shiide-chan scraped her palm.”
“I see, I understand....Come over here, won’t you?”
“Yes, I will.”
Elsa led Shiide to the washroom.
“This might sting just a little bit.”
She washed the wound with clean water, removing the dirt and grit.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am fine.”
“...‘Sterilization’. ‘Behandeln’.”
She disinfected the area and applied healing magic. The wound closed instantly, leaving the girl’s palm clean and smooth.
“Wow, thank you, big sister!”
Shiide gave a polite little hop and a bow. Elsa offered a warm smile.
“You’re very welcome.”
When they returned to the drawing room, the butler who had accompanied them, Hauro, thanked Elsa.
“Elsa-sama, thank you for treating the young lady’s injury. You have my gratitude.”
“N-no, it was nothing much.”
Just then, Jin arrived home.
“I’m back....Hello there, Shiide-chan.”
“Ah, it’s the big brother!...I am sorry for intruding.”
“Jin-nii, welcome back.”
“Onii-chan, welcome back.”
“My name is Hauro. I am visiting along with the young lady.”
After exchanging greetings, Jin extended an invitation to lunch.
“You are very welcome here. Please, stay and eat with us.”
Hauro expressed some hesitation, asking if it was truly acceptable, but Jin led them to the dining room regardless.
Perido 102 had prepared the meal without any panic despite the sudden guest.
The menu consisted of white bread, vegetable soup, plain omelets, and fruit juice. To that, they added "roasted potatoes" made from itopo.
Much like sweet potatoes, when itopo are heated slowly, their starch turns to sugar, increasing their sweetness. Stone-roasting is the quintessential way to prepare them.
“Is it truly acceptable for me to join you at the table?”
Hauro the butler seemed humbled to be invited to the same table as everyone else.
“Of course, please....By the way, are you visiting Loizart on a trip?”
Shiide’s father, Viscount Terence Odeo Sekat, was the assistant to the lord of Dizier, a regional city in the Kingdom of Egerea. He wasn’t in a position to travel lightly.
“Yes. The Madam’s younger sister married into the Shouro Empire. Since her second child was recently born, the Madam brought Shiide-sama here to visit.”
Her older brother, Edem, had apparently returned to Dizier. Shiide had traveled to the Shouro Empire with her mother, Marilia.
“That is wonderful news. Congratulations.”
Jin offered his congratulations as a matter of social etiquette. Meanwhile, Shiide and Hanna were eating slowly while chatting happily.
“This ‘potato’ is delicious!”
Shiide had a look of pure bliss as she ate the roasted itopo. Watching her from the corner of his eye, Jin felt satisfied.
In Jin’s mind, girls and roasted potatoes went hand-in-hand. It was an old-fashioned sentiment, but it seemed to hold true.
“Mm, it’s good.”
Elsa also loved roasted itopo. Hanna was stuffing her cheeks as well.
The girls were devouring the roasted itopo, practically ignoring the bread. Jin let out a chuckle as he put a piece of itopo into his own mouth.
While drinking their post-meal te-e, Jin spoke with Hauro, while Hanna and Elsa talked with Shiide.
“I see, so the Kingdom of Egerea wasn’t affected much by the long rains?”
“That is what I have heard. However, it seems the eastern part of the Celuroa Kingdom was hit hard.”
Since Dizier was a regional city in Egerea close to Celuroa, they were concerned about the situation in the neighboring country.
“It seems the situation is even worse in the Klein Kingdom.”
“...”
Jin had known the general outline from Laojun’s reports, but hearing it in a way so closely tied to actual daily life made it feel far more vivid.
He began to consider whether he needed to organize some form of food aid.
“...And then, you see, it took half a month to get from Telurus to Jiron!”
“Whoa.”
Meanwhile, Shiide was telling Hanna about her travels.
It seemed her trip had coincided with the chaos in the Celuroa Kingdom following the battle with the Unifilar, and crossing the Naudaria River had taken quite some time.
Elsa focused on listening, leaving the questions mostly to Hanna.
“What happened after that?”
“...After we crossed the river, things went smoothly. We passed through Skavia, Tansten, Astan, and places like that. I couldn't remember all the towns, though.”
“But it sounds like so much fun!”
“It was actually very hard. Even Shiide got a fever once along the way...”
The conversation showed no signs of stopping, but before they knew it, the clock had passed two.
Hauro the butler bowed to Jin and stood up.
“Young lady, I know you are in the middle of enjoying yourself, but we must be taking our leave soon...”
“Ah, is it that time already?”
Shiide looked disappointed.
“Shiide-chan, are you leaving?”
Hanna also looked sad.
“Hanna, Shiide-chan and her companion have their own schedule. You can just have her come over to play another time.”
Jin said this to comfort Hanna.
“...Yeah, you’re right. Shiide-chan, come play again soon!”
“Yes, Hanna-chan, I will come again, I will.”
Looking back over her shoulder as if reluctant to leave, Shiide was led away by the hand by Hauro.
Hanna stood at the gate and watched them until they were completely out of sight.
As for the kastany nuts Hanna had gathered, Belle decided she would soak them in water and process them so they would be ready to eat.