Once Edgar left to retrieve the wine, Cesar turned to Elsa with a questioning look.
"Lady Elsa, what exactly... what did you mean by that?"
Elsa simply shook her head.
"I cannot speak on mere uncertainty. Please, wait just a little longer."
While they spoke, Edgar returned. He had moved with incredible speed, returning in just over a minute.
"Elsa-sama, I have brought it."
"Thank you. Analyze."
Elsa immediately began her examination of the wine. As she did, her brow furrowed.
"What is it, Elsa?"
Jin had been watching in silence, but he spoke up when he saw Elsa’s unusual distress.
"I thought there might be poison, but that isn't it."
"Ah, I see."
Jin recalled how Saki’s grandfather, Marquis Theoderic, had been fed wine laced with arsenic until his liver was failing. Elsa was likely remembering the same thing.
However, Elsa’s expression did not clear. She soon explained why.
"There is something mixed in... it seems to be some kind of unknown plant-based alkaloid."
"Wait a second."
Jin held up a hand at Elsa’s words.
"A plant-based alkaloid?"
Alkaloids were a broad category of naturally occurring organic compounds, most of which were basic—or alkaline. Morphine and nicotine were both alkaloids. Jin knew well enough that the category also included many narcotics.
"Some alkaloids act as stimulants or anesthetics," Jin noted.
The magic of Analyze was not omnipotent. It could only provide understanding of substances known to the caster. For Elsa—and even for Jin—the most they could conclude was that it appeared to be an alkaloid.
"I do not know what this 'alkaloid' is," Cesar interjected, "but my father often remarked that his mind felt remarkably sharp whenever he drank this wine."
"His mind felt sharp...?"
"Usually, alcohol dulls one's judgment and reflexes," Jin mused. "For it to make him feel sharper instead..."
Jin and Elsa shared a look, reaching the same conclusion simultaneously.
"It can only be some kind of narcotic component."
The first plant-based substance that came to mind with such an effect was caffeine.
"Analyze. Analyze."
Jin examined both the wine and the Te-e that had been prepared for their refreshments. Even without knowing the exact structural formula for caffeine, he hoped to identify any common substances between the two.
"It doesn't seem to be caffeine."
There were no commonalities between the drinks.
"Jin-nii, does that mean it's a stronger drug?"
"Yeah. Or perhaps a narcotic unique to this world that I'm unfamiliar with."
Feeling a bit thirsty, Jin took a sip of the juice sitting nearby.
"Come to think of it, people used to complain about additives in juices back home too..."
On modern Earth, juices were full of synthetic substances. Jin remembered how the Orphanage Director had gone to great lengths to ensure the children only drank juice made from natural ingredients.
"I never really drank much cola, did I?"
Back when he was in vocational high school, he’d been startled by the taste of a cola he’d bought from a vending machine. It wasn't that it was good or bad, exactly; it just felt... wrong.
I've definitely tasted worse things, though.
He recalled certain soft drinks that smelled so much like medicine he couldn't even finish them.
Wait... cocaine?
The word suddenly flashed through his mind. He remembered reading that while it wasn't used as an additive anymore, it had been part of the original recipe for certain drinks.
If I remember right...
He thought back to a television special he'd seen about drugs.
Sherlock Holmes was a cocaine user, wasn't he?
It acted on the central nervous system to induce euphoria. Back then, people hadn't realized how addictive it was, and it had been easily accessible to the public. Actual cocaine was usually inhaled or injected, and Jin wasn't an expert on the specifics. Regardless, the substance in this wine seemed to take effect when ingested, which set it apart from pure cocaine.
"More words I do not know," Cesar said. "I cannot say what this 'cocaine' is, but I know this wine is made by steeping various medicinal herbs in a high-proof spirit."
"I see..."
Hearing Cesar’s confirmation, Jin and Elsa were nearly certain that these plant-based components had been eroding King Richard’s mind and body.
Elsa spoke plainly.
"Some of those herbs were toxic. They may have sharpened his mind temporarily, but they were destroying his body in the process."
"That fits," Cesar said grimly. "Over the last six months, my father had become unnervingly thin."
"The immediate cause of his collapse was a brain hemorrhage brought on by high blood pressure," Elsa added. "I stopped the bleeding and stabilized his circulation, but I cannot restore the brain cells that have already died."
Even magic could not regenerate necrotic brain tissue.
Seeing Elsa’s sorrowful expression, Crown Prince Cesar nodded solemnly. He likely didn't understand half of the medical terminology, but he grasped the weight of her words.
"Do not blame yourself, Lady Elsa. You have done everything in your power. I know this better than anyone. If my father does not wake, it is no fault of yours."
"Your Highness..."
Elsa had been looking downcast, but the Crown Prince’s gratitude seemed to lighten her burden.
"If we had the actual herbs," Jin suggested, shifting the conversation to the future, "could we find out more?"
"Yes," Elsa replied. "If we have the raw materials, I can identify which ones carry the toxicity."
"Very well. I shall have them brought here with all haste," Cesar promised. "We must ensure no one else suffers this fate."
With samples, they might be able to develop a treatment or a preventative measure. Jin and Elsa agreed wholeheartedly.
"The sun is beginning to set," Cesar noted. "I shall have our guests escorted back to the Guest House."
With the King incapacitated, the Crown Prince was forced to take command. The leaders of the various nations, looking weary from the day's events, followed him toward their accommodations.
At the Guest House, baths and dinner had been prepared.
The diplomats, exhausted both mentally and physically by the day’s chaos, hurried through their baths and barely touched their food. Jin, however, soaked leisurely and finished every bit of his meal. It was a clear demonstration of his superior mental fortitude. Elsa followed suit.
Later, in their assigned rooms, the two received a report from Laojun via Laozi.
『Maquina has fulfilled his role. All units have successfully withdrawn.』
While they had used transporters to arrive, returning to Hourai Island required a different route. They had traveled to the submersible base installed in Azul Lake during the conflict with the Unifilar, utilizing the large-scale Warp Gate there to return home.
"At the very least, we've proven that Maquina and I are separate people," Jin said.
『Indeed. I have one more report, My Lord.』
"Go ahead."
『Regarding the basement that Anne and I discovered.』
He was referring to the structure found a short distance from the Detached Palace.
『It was protected by a seal that could only be bypassed by a 'key' held by the royal bloodline. I have deactivated it. However, there is a sub-basement further down that likely contains artifacts.』
"Interesting..."
The Celuroa Kingdom was an ancient nation; it wasn't surprising that relics from the Great Magic War might remain. Jin felt a flicker of curiosity.
"I'll ask the Crown Prince about it tomorrow."
『The matter is not urgent, so that should be fine.』
Then, they turned to the political situation.
『Cabinet ministers and military leadership will likely arrive from the capital, Esaia, tomorrow.』
"I expect so."
『The issue is that this country currently lacks a leader. While the Crown Prince is present, it is unknown if he possesses enough political capital to maintain order.』
"That reminds me... Elsa, is there truly no hope for King Richard?"
Elsa nodded sadly at Jin's question.
"None. It’s impossible."
Between the delay in treating the hypertensive brain hemorrhage and the resulting necrosis, the damage was irreversible. Furthermore, the addiction to the narcotics in the wine and the resulting damage to his liver and kidneys were severe.
『In that case, the best course of action would be to have the Crown Prince ascend to the throne tomorrow, even if only tentatively, while the foreign representatives are present.』
"Ah, right..."
In a kingdom, a king was the cornerstone of order.
"Though I'm not sure it's my place to say anything..."
Anne spoke up to counter him.
"No, My Lord. You are already considered an equal to the heads of state present. Your opinion carries immense weight. Please, be mindful of that."
『Anne is correct. One of the other representatives will likely suggest it, but if they do not, My Lord should take the initiative.』
"I don't know... wouldn't that be meddling in their internal affairs?"
For Jin, who still saw himself as a simple craftsman, the burden felt heavy.
"My Lord, this matter does not end with the Celuroa Kingdom," Anne pointed out. "Think of the 'Lyon' units, the combat golems, the massive airships, and the warships. What do you believe those were built for?"
Jin understood immediately. "War."
"Exactly. Coercive diplomacy at the very least. That was King Richard’s intent."
Jin fell into a deep pensive silence. Elsa watched him for a moment before speaking softly.
"Jin-nii, I am here too. Don't forget that."
Her words brought back the memory of their conversation the other night. She had reminded him then that he wasn't alone.
"Right. You're right."
Just as a heavy burden is easier to carry between two people, Jin felt that with Elsa by his side, he could find a way to navigate his role as the Lord of Kunlun.