Jin and his companions returned to their quarters after taking their leave of Gloria and her father.
Laozi and Anne were in attendance as well. The room had already been swept by the Shinobi Squad to ensure it was free of magical eavesdropping devices or other surveillance equipment.
Jin, who had a particular fondness for baths, decided to wash up first. He headed toward the bathroom on the first floor of the Guest House. Between his meetings with the crown prince and his time with the Allstatts, the hour had grown late, and no other guests were in sight.
"It’s nice that it’s empty."
Since the facility was deserted, Reiko accompanied him inside to act as his guard and attendant.
"This is a relatively large bath."
The tub, crafted from stone resembling marble, was expansive—easily large enough to accommodate ten people at once. A soak in a hot tub was a common custom in the Celuroa Kingdom, a fact Jin found quite agreeable.
However...
"...It's lukewarm."
The water was far from hot. He estimated the temperature at roughly thirty-eight degrees Celsius. For someone like Jin, who preferred a scalding soak to truly warm his bones, this was hardly satisfying.
"I think I’ll turn it up a bit."
With no other bathers around to complain, Jin invoked the engineering magic Heat. The water temperature rose instantly.
"Ah, that’s more like it."
Jin settled in to enjoy a leisurely, solitary soak.
Meanwhile, Elsa had headed to the women’s bath. Finding it equally deserted, she was able to enjoy a quiet, peaceful wash of her own.
Once they had finished the dinner served to their respective rooms, Jin turned to Elsa with a question that had been weighing on him.
"Elsa, is it just my imagination, or has your attitude been a bit off since you performed the Diagnose on the girl who might be Arshel?"
"...Jin-nii, you noticed?"
"Well, we’ve known each other for a while now. Besides, you’re important to me, Elsa. Of course I’d notice."
"..."
Jin felt a flush of embarrassment as soon as the words left his mouth, while Elsa turned bright red. A heavy silence settled between them.
"Father, Elsa-san, please enjoy some juice."
As if to break the tension, Reiko placed glasses of chilled juice before them.
"Ah, right. Thank you, Reiko."
"Thank you, Reiko-chan."
The two of them took a sip, composed themselves, and resumed their talk.
"She isn't Arshel," Elsa said plainly.
The unexpected declaration caught even Jin off guard. "What makes you so sure?"
"...Mm. I have a few reasons." Elsa slowly began her explanation. "...If that girl were truly Arshel, she should have something... specific."
Jin thought for a beat before catching her drift. "The Agujha?"
"Yes. Back on Hourai Island, when we heard about her, they said her memories were muddled because of an error while inserting her Agujha."
Jin nodded in recollection. "Right, I remember that."
"...And that girl didn't have an Agujha. There are two ways to look at that."
"Either it was already removed, or..."
"The possibility that it was never there to begin with."
Jin nodded again. "But many members of the radical faction didn't have an Agujha because they already harbored a hatred for humanity, right?"
"Yes, I’m aware," Elsa answered in a cautious tone, choosing her words carefully. "That leads to the other reason. The 'flow' inside her body is abnormal. It didn't feel human."
"In what way?"
Elsa shook her head, a hint of frustration on her face. "I can’t explain it well, and I have no proof, but her internal composition felt distinct from a human’s. I wish I could have performed a more thorough examination."
She added that going any further in front of the crown prince would have looked suspicious.
"Neither human nor demon, then..." Jin mused. "Then who is she?"
"I don't know. We simply don't have enough information. If we could get her to Hourai Island... or perhaps ask No. 7006—"
Jin paused as a realization struck him. "...A homunculus?"
A homunculus—an artificially created magi-creature. No. 700672, the very being Jin was about to name, was one such entity.
"But who would create one? And why?"
There was no one to answer. In the modern world, was there anyone even capable of such a feat?
"It's still just a theory, though."
"...But it’s a strong possibility. It would explain the discrepancies I felt during the Diagnose."
"We could settle this easily if we used Trans Info to copy her memories and analyze them," Jin remarked.
That would reveal whether her amnesia was genuine or a facade. However, even for Jin, using such magic in the presence of the crown prince was out of the question.
"...Yes, I thought about that. If she really has lost her memories, that method might have helped restore them, provided they were still present in her brain."
"True."
Since memories and personality are distinct, it was uncertain whether the process would truly return her to her former self, but it was undoubtedly a valid option for treating amnesia.
Jin and Elsa continued their discussion, but with the Founding Anniversary Ceremony tomorrow, they decided to avoid making any rash judgments. Any follow-up would likely have to wait until after the festivities.
Anne, who had been waiting for a lull in the conversation, finally spoke up.
"My Lord, Elsa-sama, might I offer a word?"
"Hm? Of course. If you’ve noticed anything, let us know."
"Very well. If that girl truly is Arshel, have you accounted for the possibility that she might turn hostile the moment her memories return?"
"Ugh..."
Jin winced. To be honest, he hadn't considered that. He’d seen so many demons lose their aggression once the Agujha’s influence faded, but this situation was an unknown. Anne was right to point it out. Even with Reiko and Edgar on guard, his lack of caution was a point for reflection.
"I see. Thank you for the warning, Anne. I’ll keep that in mind."
"Not at all. In fact, I apologize for the lateness of my advice."
Anne bowed and retreated.
Refocusing, Jin turned his thoughts to the other mystery: the iridosmine sword Gloria had purchased.
"I wonder who forged it, and what for..."
The mountings weren't ancient; they looked quite similar to contemporary designs. It didn't seem to be an artifact from the distant past.
"...Perhaps the fact that it doesn't melt was the key?" Elsa murmured.
Jin’s eyes lit up. "That’s it! It would make sense as a countermeasure against magical beasts with potent acid, like Giga Ants. Adamantite would work too, but its distribution is limited."
On the Lauren Continent, the primary production areas for adamantite were concentrated in the east. It was plentiful on Hourai Island and in the Former Leonard Kingdom, which is why adamantite had been used so lavishly for the containers sealing the Copies. Conversely, Hourai Island had almost no iridosmine.
"If it was made here in the Celuroa Kingdom—or the Dinar Kingdom that preceded it... no, that wouldn't explain why the hilt and scabbard look so modern."
"Could they have been swapped out later?" Elsa asked.
"It’s possible, but from what I saw, the blade and its fittings looked like they were made in the same period."
Laozi cut in politely. "My Lord, I apologize for the interruption, but it is nearly eleven o’clock. With the ceremony tomorrow, I suggest you get some rest."
"...Ah, is it that late already? Right. Let’s call it a night."
Jin nodded and brought the talk to a close. There were no definitive answers to be found tonight anyway.
"I shall continue to gather information regarding these matters," Laozi promised.
Jin felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "Good night, Elsa."
"Jin-nii, good night."
The two retired to their separate bedrooms, accompanied by Reiko and Edgar.
Inside the magi-brain on Hourai Island, Laojun needed no sleep. Throughout the night, Laojun remained busy, utilizing the mobile terminal Laozi, the Shinobi Squad, and the Quinta to scour for information.
The Founding Anniversary Ceremony of the Celuroa Kingdom was only a day away. Outside, the moon hung in a clear sky, shining down alongside a particularly luminous star.