Jin and Elsa stayed in the Klein Kingdom for three days following Alois III's successful surgery. This was necessary to monitor the King's recovery.
During this time, the two of them secretly transferred to Kaina Village to reassure a worried Hanna that the treatment had been completed without issue.
"Is that so? I'm so glad the King is going to be healthy again! The Princess must be so happy. Onii-chan, Onee-chan, thank you!"
Just seeing Hanna's smile made Jin feel as though all the trouble had been worth it.
"Miss Elsa, Jin-dono, I truly cannot thank you enough."
Alois III’s complexion had improved significantly, and he was now able to offer his gratitude in person. Though he was still confined to his bed while he regained his strength, by the third day he was able to sit up.
Jin and the others were granted an audience with the King in his chambers. The monarch had insisted on personally thanking the benefactors who had saved his life.
Also present were three members of the royal family: Prince Edmond, Prince Arthur, and Princess Lieschen. From the cabinet, Chancellor Powell, Minister of Magic Clarot Bados Keris, and Minister of Defense Fadas Lofus Fairgram were in attendance.
The Chancellor and his ministers provided a brief status report before the King, followed by an explanation regarding the illness.
"...I see. So, eating raw fish is detrimental to one’s health..."
Alois III looked visibly disappointed. He must have been quite fond of the dish.
"Father, your health is far more important. Please, look after yourself," Princess Lieschen chided. The King was left without a rebuttal.
"Apulul and persica juices are beneficial for your recovery, so please consume them regularly," Elsa advised.
Jin had brought ten apulul harvested from Hourai Island. He had picked them while they were still firm to ensure they would last. If they were made into fresh juice for the King, the effects would be noticeable soon enough. All fruit grown on Hourai Island had an exceptionally high concentration of ether, which acted almost immediately on the sick.
In truth, a proper recovery medicine would have been more effective, but Jin had opted for fruit instead, fearing that this tradition-bound country might be wary of unfamiliar concoctions.
"Thank you. I shall have them squeezed for me later." Princess Lieschen accepted the fruit on the King's behalf and handed them to his personal maid.
As it was unwise to let a patient overexert himself, the group soon departed and relocated to a small conference room.
"Now then, Jin-dono, Miss Elsa. It is entirely thanks to you that this crisis has been averted," the Chancellor began, bowing his head. "I should report that over the last three days, we have successfully identified and removed five foreign agents who had infiltrated our ranks."
While he did not name them, the purge of five spies in such a short time had clearly done much to clear the air. Though not explicitly stated, it seemed Bodeman—the healer from the ward—had been among them.
"These agents used various methods to sabotage us."
Intentionally delaying the treatment of the injured or slipping spoiled ingredients into meals were among the pettier acts; others had been working to incite economic collapse. The Chancellor’s face soured, as if he had swallowed a bitter insect, clearly finding the memories loathsome.
"However, I doubt it ends with those five. There are undoubtedly more lurking among us. I have no intention of letting our guard down."
It seemed the Chancellor’s work was far from finished.
Regarding the former Minister of Industry, Delight, he had indeed been an agent for the Celuroa Kingdom. It was framed as "likely" because there was no physical evidence—only circumstantial—and the man refused to confess.
"He insists he was a member of the Unifilar," Powell explained.
That was likely true, given that he knew of Elena.
"He managed to marry into House Hanks and become its head. After his wife passed away, he began funneling information to the Celuroa Kingdom with impunity, though we lack the proof to convict him of treason."
His attempt to extract the desiccant manufacturing process from Jin had apparently been part of that agenda.
"The crime of embezzling three hundred tons of wheat alone is a capital offense. Once we have interrogated him for all he knows, the execution will be carried out," the Chancellor concluded grimly.
"Regarding the golems Delight obtained through that embezzlement, we have decided to modify them for our own use," added Clarot Bados Keris, the Minister of Magic. He was a man of medium build with red hair and brown eyes.
He was referring to the heavy-duty golems, not the general-purpose golem, Leker. Reiko’s strike had destroyed Leker’s control core so thoroughly that it couldn't even be analyzed. While Jin lacked solid proof and kept the thought to himself, he suspected Leker had been the one to cast Hypno on the servants.
"Jin-dono, we are grateful that you neutralized them so effectively. You have our thanks."
"Not at all. I am simply glad I could be of assistance," Jin replied diplomatically.
"Ah, and regarding his hot air balloon—since it was inferior to the one you gifted us, we decided not to bother with repairs."
That was only natural, considering it lacked a propulsion engine.
"The implementation of the dehumidifiers and desiccants seems to be proceeding well," the Chancellor continued. He was personally overseeing matters until a replacement for the Minister of Industry could be found. "We have ordered one hundred tons of desiccant from the Shouro Empire. They will be shipped in installments."
"I see. To repeat, please be extremely cautious regarding moisture. A fire or chemical burns would be a disaster."
"Understood. We shall take every precaution."
The floor then shifted to Elsa, who spoke regarding the nature of the King's illness.
"The parasite His Majesty contracted is known as the 'liver-sucking worm'."
"What sort of creature is that?" Prince Arthur asked.
"It is the worm I removed from the King and the other two patients. I believe he consumed fish that was infested with either the larvae or the eggs."
"Good heavens!"
Elsa paused, taking a moment to choose her words carefully before continuing.
"Princess Lieschen informed me that His Majesty visits the shores of Lake Manuse almost every year. There must be locals there who suffer from this same affliction."
She stopped again, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the room.
"The responsibility for His Majesty harboring this parasite lies, in part, with all of you."
A wave of tension swept through the officials.
"The fact that you failed to inform His Majesty of the local outbreaks... if you did so under the naive assumption that he alone would remain unaffected, then it was a grave dereliction of duty."
The room fell silent. Eventually, the Chancellor spoke up.
"...You are correct. That responsibility lies squarely with me." He lowered his head, appearing even more listless than usual. "It was I who ordered the local residents to be kept at a distance during His Majesty’s retreats."
"No, the soldiers were the ones who enforced that order," Prince Arthur said, trying to console the dejected Chancellor. "If there were sick people, Powell wouldn't have known. The blame belongs to us—to me. Our father went every year, and I accompanied him many times. Despite that, I failed to realize such a disease even existed."
"Hey, are you implying I'm too insensitive to notice something like that?" Edmond cut in.
"Brother, if you didn't say things like that in a setting like this, I wouldn't have to imply anything," Arthur shot back.
Ignoring her brothers' bickering, Princess Lieschen bowed her head.
"...More than anything, if this disease is prevalent around Lake Manuse, the fault lies with the governors who ignored it. It is the responsibility of those of us who turned a blind eye to local suffering, closed our ears to their voices, and failed to offer aid. That negligence has come full circle and struck my father."
"Her Highness is right. That truth hits home," the Minister of Defense, Fadas Lofus Fairgram, spoke for the first time. "Defending a nation is not merely about facing visible enemies. Disease is an enemy as well."
Silence settled over the room once more until Princess Lieschen broke it.
"Elsa, Jin... I suspect there are many around Lake Manuse suffering just as my father did. To ask you to treat them all... I suppose that would be asking too much."
Jin understood her plight. He wanted to help, but...
"Elsa is a citizen of the Shouro Empire, after all. Forgive me, please forget I mentioned it."
Seeing the Princess look so dejected, Elsa considered what could be done.
"First, you must ensure that fish from that area are never eaten raw." Prevention was key; they had to stop the spread. "Cooking the fish will kill the parasites. If they must be eaten raw, they must be processed correctly first."
"Elsa, what sort of processing?" Lieschen asked quickly.
"Basically, Craft Magic cannot be applied to living tissue. We can use this to our advantage. It should be possible to check dead fish before they are prepared to see if they contain living parasites or eggs."
"Oh, I see! Then my father can still enjoy his beloved trout in the future!" Prince Arthur exclaimed.
"The priority is to prevent any further infections," Elsa continued, speaking as if she hadn't heard the prince.
"I understand. Thank you, Elsa. Rather than relying on others, we will start by doing what we can ourselves." As she spoke, Princess Lieschen looked a little more mature.
"Regarding the food shortage," Jin added, sharing a thought he'd been holding. "It might be wise to consult the Kingdom of Elias. Being further south, they can increase food production with relative ease."
"That is true. Perhaps we could have them send dried fish and the like."
Jin was actually thinking of the Devil's Potato. He had learned through Laojun that Marchioness Firenziano had spread the crop throughout the Kingdom of Elias, not just in the capital of Borgia. However, he kept that specific detail to himself, merely suggesting that they seek aid in the form of seafood. He gave similar advice regarding the Kingdom of Egerea, which also had a coastline.
Now that Elsa’s medical business was concluded, it occurred to him that there was no need to be strictly obsessed with grain. This suggestion seemed to lighten the Chancellor's burden, if only slightly.
"Chancellor, if you find yourself feeling fatigued, you should drink the fruit juice as well."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Jin was subtly recommending the apulul from Hourai Island for its restorative properties. After offering a few more pieces of advice, Jin and Elsa concluded their business for the visit.
Jin and Elsa prepared for their departure.
On the surface, there wasn't much to pack. However, it took time for the Sam units scattered around the castle to be retrieved and stored, and for the Secret Mobile Unit to move outside the city walls.
"...Jin-nii, is there really nothing we can do for the sick?" Elsa asked quietly while they packed.
"You're very kind, Elsa. Even after everything that happened here—being mocked, the poisoning attempt... even if the poison was weak—you still want to help."
"Yes. But that has nothing to do with the people suffering from the disease."
"True. Let's think about it once we're back on Hourai Island."
"This is why I like you, Jin-nii."
Reiko chose that moment to step between them. "Father, it seems the airship is ready."
"Oh, is it?"
"..."
"Jin, Elsa, you have been a great help. Let us meet again."
"Jin-dono, Miss Elsa, please give our regards to the Empress."
"We shall meet again someday."
Under the watchful eyes of Princess Lieschen, the Chancellor, and the others, the airship ascended into the sky.
The sky above the Klein Kingdom was clear and blue for the first time in days, appearing to herald the coming of winter.