They boarded the airship on Hourai Island and used the transporter to travel to the Klein Kingdom in an instant.
Of course, appearing suddenly in the skies above Alban would have been far too suspicious, so they teleported to the airspace above Lake Cedrolia on the border with the Celuroa Kingdom. The sky was overcast.
From there, they flew north toward Alban. By 2:00 PM local time, Jin and the others were positioned above the capital.
"That hot air balloon is the one I gifted them."
A single hot air balloon was floating above the Royal Castle. It was clearly the same one Jin had presented to the kingdom. Unlike the Shouro Empire, it seemed they had not yet been able to mass-produce them.
Currently, Jin's airship bore his coat of arms—a circle with two horizontal bars—which should have already been officially communicated to the surrounding nations.
As expected, a soldier aboard the hot air balloon performed a Klein Kingdom-style salute—extending his right arm horizontally at shoulder height, bending the elbow upward at a right angle with fingers straightened and palm facing outward—indicating that they had recognized Jin.
The soldier operated the hot air balloon to follow Jin's slowly moving airship, and they landed in the square in front of the Royal Castle almost simultaneously.
Jin observed that while they might not be able to mass-produce the vessels yet, the crew had become quite proficient at operating them.
"Welcome, Magi Craft Meister Jin-dono. And Reichsarzt Miss Elsa."
There to greet them were the Third Princess, Lieschen, and Chancellor Powell. There were also several faces Jin did not recognize.
After mooring the airship with several ropes to ensure it wouldn't be tossed about by the Wind, Jin turned to face the group.
"Jin-dono, you are most welcome," Chancellor Powell said, taking Jin's hand to express his hospitality. He then turned to Elsa. "Reichsarzt Miss Elsa, I am truly grateful for your coming all this way." He bowed his head politely.
Meanwhile, Princess Lieschen was rejoicing at her reunion with Hanna.
"Hanna, it is good to see you. Have you been well? It seems you have grown a little taller, have you not?"
"Hello, Princess. It has been a long time." Hanna had become quite adept at curtsying while holding her skirt.
Jin and Elsa also exchanged greetings with the princess in turn.
"Hmph. They sent quite a young healer. A Reichsarzt, you say? A grand title, at the very least."
The one who spoke was a young man in his mid-twenties. He had blonde hair and grey eyes, and his features somewhat resembled Lieschen's.
"Brother, that is rude," another man interjected. "This is a healer dispatched by the Shouro Empire, a Reichsarzt no less. Furthermore, is she not the sister of the Magi Craft Meister, Jin-dono?"
"Hmph. Arthur, you are far too soft-hearted. That country owes us nothing. They may very well have sent an inexperienced novice as a mere diplomatic formality."
"Brother!"
However, the man Arthur called "Brother" turned away and refused to engage further.
"My brother, Edmond, spoke rudely. I am Arthur, the second prince of this country. My brother Edmond is the first prince."
After introducing himself and apologizing for his brother's discourtesy, Arthur turned to Elsa.
"Miss Elsa, please do not take offense. Dozens of our nation's healers have examined our father the King, yet not one could identify the cause of his illness, let alone cure it. Because of that, my brother has become somewhat cynical toward healers."
Arthur bowed his head. He had dark brown hair and grey eyes, his hair color a perfect match for Lieschen's.
"Now then, it is a bit sudden, but Miss Elsa, may we ask you to perform the King's examination immediately?" the Chancellor suggested, attempting to mediate. Elsa nodded silently.
"...I apologize, but I would like to request that either Lord Edmond or Lord Arthur be present during the examination."
"Understood."
Elsa nodded again. Jin then spoke to the Chancellor.
"I have brought free samples of desiccant entrusted to me by the Shouro Empire. Please have someone transport them."
"Oh, is that so! In that case... Ivan, carry these to the Minister of Industry."
"Yes, sir!"
By order of the Chancellor, the soldier named Ivan picked up three bags—each containing twenty kilograms of desiccant—and carried them off with ease.
"Jin, come with me. Hanna as well."
Lieschen, who had been keeping Hanna company, called out to Jin with an apologetic expression.
"Only the healer is permitted to be by my father's side."
Elsa, who had already begun walking, stopped and looked back at Jin.
"Jin-nii, I'm going. Don't worry," she told him briefly before starting to walk again. Only Edgar was permitted to accompany her. Steward remained behind to guard the airship.
Jin brought Reiko along and followed Lieschen. They headed toward the Detached Palace, the same residence where he had stayed during his last visit.
"...I am sorry."
As soon as they entered the room, Lieschen apologized.
"Eh?" Jin was taken aback, as he couldn't think of anything she needed to apologize for.
"...About earlier. Brother Edmond said those rude things to Elsa, and yet I could say nothing in return. I am sorry."
"No, it's not your fault, Lies."
When Jin hurriedly said this, Lieschen finally looked relieved, the tension clearing from her brow.
"You called me Lies. I thank you for that....I may be the Third Princess, but I am shunned by my brothers."
Jin had heard about this before, so he nodded and suggested they stop dwelling on the matter.
"Fufu. You are as kind as ever, Jin."
Lieschen invited Jin and Hanna to take a seat. Once they were settled, Tia—an automata of the same model as Anne—brought out tea.
"Welcome, Jin-sama, Hanna-sama."
"Hey Tia, you look well."
"Yes. This body you repaired for me is in excellent condition. Thanks to you, I can serve the Princess with all my heart."
Tia was Lieschen's wet nurse and nanny. She had been unable to function due to aging until Jin had repaired her.
The tea was a herbal blend with a fragrance like roses and strawberries; it was quite delicious. After taking a few sips, the Princess resumed the conversation.
"A year ago... yes, since around autumn of last year, my father has not been feeling well. He complained of becoming easily fatigued." Lieschen began explaining the King's condition to Jin. "Then, since around summer of this year, his health suddenly declined. He is now unable to even properly conduct state affairs."
Jin had gifted the hot air balloon to the Klein Kingdom at the end of July. She mentioned that by then, he was already bedridden.
"His face is turning yellowish, and his belly seems to be swelling... I am worried sick."
Hanna patted Lieschen's shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay, Princess. Big Sister Elsa is amazing. I'm sure she'll cure the King's illness too."
Lieschen managed a weak smile at Hanna. "Fufu, you are so kind, Hanna. Is that so? Is Elsa really that incredible?"
"Yeah!"
Seeing Hanna's bright smile, Lieschen felt her heavy heart lighten just a little.
"...This is..."
Meanwhile, in the innermost chamber of the Royal Castle, Elsa was performing an examination on King Alois III.
His eyes were yellowish. His complexion had become sallow, turning more dark-grey than yellow. His fingernails were also yellowish; these were clear symptoms of jaundice. It was obvious that his liver was in poor condition.
"Excuse me."
Elsa pulled back the futon and loosened the front of his clothing.
"...!"
There was noticeable abdominal distension, making Elsa even more certain that the cause lay with the liver.
"I will perform an examination with magic. 'Diagnose'."
After giving a brief warning, Elsa cast her spell.
"...As I suspected, it is the liver."
The results confirmed that he was suffering from liver cirrhosis.
"The liver?"
"The liver, you say? Does that cause such symptoms?"
They seemed to know that there was a large organ called the liver in the abdomen, but they were ignorant of its function. Of course, this lack of knowledge wasn't unique to them.
"The liver is a vital organ that performs essential functions within the human body. Your Majesty's liver is in a very poor state."
Elsa provided an easy-to-understand explanation to the Chancellor and the Prince.
"And the cause...?"
They said that Alois III could not handle alcohol well and only drank during formal ceremonies. As for other foods, according to the maids serving him, his diet did not seem to be the issue.
"It does not appear to be an accumulation of arsenic, either."
Unlike the case with Marquis Theoderic, this was not liver cirrhosis caused by the accumulation of arsenic.
"...?"
If the cause remained unknown, the condition would likely recur even if cured with magic. Elsa used the 'Diagnose' spell repeatedly to investigate the source of the ailment.
However, she could not find it.
"...It seems it is impossible after all."
Prince Edmond watched the troubled Elsa with cold eyes.