With the day reserved for the temporary crew's initial trials, the newly built ship, the Bernstein, returned to its newly established port after a brief navigation test.
Calling it a port was a slight exaggeration; it was actually a pier dedicated to large vessels. The site had been chosen for its deep waters, and the pier had been constructed as a temporary measure. A full-scale port would likely be built there in the future.
"Slowly, slowly..."
The auxiliary Jet Thrusters made moving forward and backward at dead slow speed relatively easy, and the Bernstein was moored at the pier without incident. Once the gangway was lowered, the temporary crew began to disembark.
Reinhard was the first to step off, followed by Kubalt, Kleia, and Zeneros. Then came Mayor Barial, the Chancellor, and the Magic Technology Minister. Finally, Elsa appeared at the top of the gangway.
The applause and cheers had been thunderous from the moment Reinhard stepped onto the pier, but they reached a fever pitch when Elsa showed herself. Back during the Golem Boat Race in Port Rock, Elsa had ascended the podium with a stony, expressionless face, but even she seemed a bit taken aback by this level of raw enthusiasm.
Jin stepped forward to meet her as she descended. Just before she reached the final step, Jin offered his hand, and Elsa took it. When she—the final member of the crew—set foot on solid ground, the launch ceremony could truly be called a success.
"...Phew."
Having finally changed out of her heavy ceremonial dress, Elsa let out a long sigh.
"...The Bernstein is a wonderful ship. It shows that Jin-nii had a hand in it."
Elsa, who had stood at the ship's prow throughout the trial navigation, had felt the vessel's excellence with her entire being.
"Elsa-sama, your clothes," Edgar said.
"Thank you, Edgar."
She slid her arms into the everyday attire Edgar held out for her. The familiar touch of magisilk against her skin was a comfort.
"Edgar, let's go to Jin-nii's room."
"As you wish."
In Jin's room, they found Reinhard and Rodrigo already waiting.
"Hey, Elsa. Good work out there."
"Jin-nii, Rai-nii, Rodrigo-san... you all did well too."
The four of them shared a warm laugh.
"Those Jet Thrusters were incredible!" Reinhard exclaimed, speaking with a rapid-fire intensity as if the excitement of the voyage hadn't yet faded. "I bet they'll become the standard from now on!"
"Indeed! Jin-dono, you are amazing! Those Jet Thrusters will bring a revolution to ship design!" Rodrigo added.
"About that... for the time being, it seems the Jet Thrusters will only be installed on ships built directly by the Empire," Jin tempered their expectations.
The Chancellor had informed him of this unofficially before they returned to the hotel.
"I expect they'll announce it at the party tonight."
It seemed it would be quite some time before the technology trickled down to general merchant vessels.
"Is that so... how disappointing."
Rodrigo's shoulders slumped. Seeing his weary profile, Elsa decided it was time to address his health.
"Rodrigo-san, this is a good opportunity to properly treat your body....Jin-nii, is that alright?"
Elsa looked to Jin for permission, as it was his room. He had no reason to refuse.
"Yeah, of course. Use the sofa over there."
"Thank you, Jin-nii....Rodrigo-san, please lie down."
"Eh?...No, I've been feeling much better since yesterday's treatment..."
However, Elsa persuaded him by explaining that her previous effort had been a mere stopgap, not a true cure. Eventually, Rodrigo relented and lay down as instructed.
"...Edgar, if you please. Check the esophagus, the stomach, and the duodenum."
"Understood, Elsa-sama."
Edgar activated his X-ray Vision, a function that allowed him to examine the internal structures of the human body much like a CT or MRI scan.
"There is an ulcer in the lower right portion of the stomach, near the pylorus. The bleeding has subsided, but the lesion is quite large."
"...I thought so."
Because she hadn't pinpointed the exact location during the previous day's emergency treatment, her efforts had been insufficient.
"I can see it clearly now. Völlig Genesen. Heilverfahren."
The hand Elsa held over him glowed with a soft light, and that warmth seemed to sink deep into Rodrigo's abdomen.
"...Edgar, confirm."
"Yes....The ulcer has vanished."
"...Good. Diagnose... His liver is a bit weak as well. Heilverfahren."
Upon a second examination, Elsa discovered his liver was struggling and treated that as well.
"...There, you're all set. No more irregular eating habits, please. And keep the alcohol to a moderate amount."
Having used healing magic so frequently of late, Elsa's mana reserves had grown, and her proficiency allowed her to cast more spells than before. Even so, Jin played it safe and handed her a glass of Persica juice he had brought from Hourai Island.
"Thank you, Jin-nii....If it's alright, could you give some to Rodrigo-san too?"
"Good idea. Here, Rodrigo-san. This is excellent for your health."
His complexion looking significantly better, Rodrigo accepted the juice and drank it down in one go.
"...Thank you, Elsa-san....With this, I feel like I might actually be able to face my daughter again."
"...Your daughter?"
Jin remembered their conversation in the bath, recalling that Rodrigo had said he had abandoned his family when he fled.
"Forgive me for being blunt, but what is your daughter's name?"
"Her name is Marcia."
As Jin suspected, it was the name he knew.
"Marcia..."
"Marcia-san?"
"Eh? Do you all know her?" Rodrigo asked, his face a mask of bewilderment.
It was a natural reaction. He couldn't fathom how these people knew a girl who was supposed to be living in Port Rock, at the far southern edge of the Kingdom of Elias.
"Yes, we know her very well."
With the monumental task of building the ship finally complete, Jin decided it was the perfect time to share what they knew. He and Reinhard took turns explaining their history with her.
Rodrigo listened in silence, but when they reached the part about Marcia entering the boat race and using the prize money to rebuild the shipyard, tears began to stream down his face.
"...Marcia said that the catamaran she used was something her father had built as a bit of a whim," Elsa added gently.
"...I see... that girl did that..."
When he heard that his wife had passed away, his grief redoubled.
"...I put my wife... through nothing but hardship..."
"But you still want to return, don't you?" Jin asked. "When Marcia spoke about her father, she looked so genuinely nostalgic. I'm certain she'll forgive you."
"Do you... truly think so?"
Rodrigo sobbed, his face buried in his hands.
"You share a bond of blood. That is not something that can be easily broken," Elsa said, her voice filled with conviction. "There were times when I felt betrayed by my own father. But in the end, a father is still a father."
"..."
Rodrigo sat with his head bowed, soaking in her words.
"Besides, you were a vital part of developing this new ship. Your name will be recorded in its history. You can return with your head held high," Reinhard added.
"Is that... truly so?"
Muttering the same question, Rodrigo looked up at the three of them. Seeing the sincerity in their eyes, he reached a decision.
"...I want to go home. I want to go back and see Marcia's face... even if it's just to say one word of apology."
"Then you should ride the Bernstein home in triumph. I'm sure Port Rock will give you a hero's welcome. When that happens, Marcia will surely..."
"..."
Rodrigo nodded silently. Jin and the others watched him, secretly wishing that the father and daughter would be able to live together as a family once more.