"This is magnificent, Jin!"
Jin turned to find Reinhard standing behind him. It seemed he had rushed over the moment he heard the news from Berche.
"Hmph, presenting a statue or a likeness of your bride-to-be... what a splendid idea! I should have done the same myself!"
Reinhard was full of praise for both the concept and the execution of the piece.
"Still, is this truly glass? If so, it must be unimaginably valuable."
While glass had a long history in this world, colored glass was virtually unheard of in general circulation.
Jin recalled seeing stained glass in a church he had visited with Reinhard and Elsa once, but they had been told that current technology could not reproduce it. In the present world of Ars, colored glass only appeared when impurities happened to tint a batch by chance.
"The face is the spitting image of Elsa. And this color... it's simply beyond words."
"Rai-nii, please don't stare so much. It's embarrassing."
Even if it was just a statue, Elsa blushed at having her likeness scrutinized so intently.
"Haha, quite right. My apologies....So, Jin, this is to be your engagement gift?"
"That's the plan. And for that, I'll need you to—"
"Say no more. Leave everything to me."
Reinhard thumped his chest with confidence.
＊ ＊ ＊
Slightly before three o'clock in the afternoon, Fritz arrived. He was a bit early, showing his punctual military nature.
"Jin-dono, Elsa, I'm ready if you are."
"We were waiting for you. This way, please."
Jin was already prepared and led Fritz up to the roof. Elsa had advised him that her brother wouldn't care for the pleasantries of tea and would be much happier if they headed straight for the family estate.
"Haha, Jin-dono knows me well! Once I've decided to move, I like to get going immediately."
Fritz laughed as he climbed the stairs, proving Elsa's insight correct.
Elsa and Edgar were already waiting on the roof. Elsa wore a formal gown, while Jin was dressed in his formal attire as the Lord of Kunlun—essentially a suit modified to fit the style of Ars. Reiko wore her squire's mantle.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's head out."
"Fritz-sama, please step this way."
Guided by Edgar, Fritz boarded Konron 2. Jin and Elsa followed close behind.
"Traveling through the sky... I've been looking forward to this."
Fritz took a seat by the window, his excitement plain to see.
"Very well, we're departing."
At Jin's signal, Butler D cast off the mooring lines, and Konron 2 rose into the air. Lily was at the helm for today's flight.
"Oh! We're flying!"
Fritz let out a cheer like a young boy. To soar through the sky was, perhaps, the eternal dream of all mankind.
The straight-line distance from Loizart to the town of Ekishi was only about forty kilometers; Konron 2 completed the trip in under twenty minutes. They landed in a meadow on the outskirts of town, just a stone's throw from the Randol family home.
"I wish the flight had lasted a bit longer," Fritz remarked with a grin as he disembarked.
Two carriages were waiting there, with Reinhard standing beside them. Fritz caught on immediately and smiled.
"Ah, Reinhard....I see. You're acting as the intermediary. You're certainly the right man for it."
"Fritz-dono, it is a joy to see you return safely. Please, enter the carriage."
Reinhard's tone was stiff and formal. He had clearly already stepped into his role. As if to prove it, he addressed Jin and Elsa with the same rigid formality.
"Lord Jin, please place the luggage in the rear carriage. You and your fiancée will ride in this one. Lady Reiko, please join them. Edgar, it would be a great help if you could guard the cargo."
"I appreciate the consideration."
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Jin matched his tone. As instructed, the gift was loaded into the second carriage under Edgar's watchful eye. It was wrapped in cloth, but they couldn't risk any mishaps.
The carriages set off, though it was only a slow five-minute drive to the estate. Inside, Reinhard gave Jin a brief rundown of what to expect.
"Just act as though you're on a steady ship and leave the rest to me....Oh, and one more thing. Try to think of a few formal words for when you announce the engagement to Elsa's mother."
"Wait, what? Right now?" Jin was taken aback.
Reinhard looked apologetic. "Yes, sorry for the late notice. I'll follow up and smooth things over as long as it isn't a total disaster....Elsa, you won't need to say much at all."
"Mm."
"Haha, sounds like you've got your work cut out for you." Fritz laughed, thoroughly enjoying Jin's predicament.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the Randol Mansion. The servants were already lined up to receive them, likely thanks to Reinhard's prior arrangements.
Elsa stepped down first, followed by Fritz.
"Welcome home, Elsa-sama, Fritz-sama."
In this house, Elsa was the head of the family as a Female Baronet, meaning she formally outranked her older brother.
"I'm home. Is Mother here?"
"Yes, she is waiting for you inside."
"Good. We are joined today by Lord Jin Nidou, the Lord of Kunlun. See that you treat him with the utmost respect."
"Understood, my Lady."
Reinhard stepped down next and gestured for Jin to follow.
"Lord Jin, if you please."
With Elsa in front and Reinhard and Fritz flanking him, they welcomed Jin as he descended. Reiko hopped down first to assist her master.
Following the procedure Reinhard had explained in the carriage, Jin stepped onto the ground in silence. Reinhard had advised that saying too much only increased the chances of a blunder.
Led by the servants, they entered the mansion and proceeded to the small hall at the rear of the ground floor—a space used for minor rituals and ceremonies. Standing there was Elsa's foster mother, Marlene Randol von Nephra.
"Mother, I have returned." Elsa bowed.
"Aunt, it has been too long," Reinhard added with a greeting. Then, he straightened his posture. "I have come here today to propose a favorable union for your daughter, Lady Elsa Randol."
"My, how wonderful. I am truly grateful."
Marlene gave a slight bow. At this, Reinhard ushered Jin forward.
"Allow me to introduce him: the Lord of Kunlun, recognized by many nations, and the Magi Craft Meister, Lord Jin Nidou."
Reinhard's formal re-introduction was a necessary part of the protocol.
"I am Jin Nidou."
"Lord Jin, this is the mother of Lady Elsa, Marlene Randol von Nephra-sama."
"I am Elsa's mother, Marlene."
"The day is most auspicious, and as a connection with your daughter is a blessing far beyond my station, I have taken the liberty of presenting myself today in the hopes of entering into a formal engagement."
"..." "..."
The air in the room turned slightly awkward at the sound of the archaic, flowery phrasing.
Wait, did I mess that up? Jin felt a cold sweat run down his back. He had tried to assemble the most formal greeting he could imagine, but perhaps it had been a bit too much.
"E-Err, and this is the engagement gift from Lord Jin Nidou."
Four servants carried the wrapped object in from the carriage, with Edgar leading the way.
"It is here."
The gift was placed before Marlene. Edgar carefully began to unwind the protective cloth.
And then...
"Oh...!" "My word...!"
Marlene let out a soft cry of wonder. The servants behind her gasped in unison.
"This is a sculpture crafted by Lord Jin Nidou himself," Reinhard announced.
It was a statue of Elsa in a floor-length gown, carved entirely from a rare, sky-blue quartz glass. It was impossible not to be moved by such a sight. The appearance of the masterpiece seemed to instantly sweep Jin's slightly awkward speech into the depths of everyone's memory.
"Thank you, Jin-sama. I gratefully accept this likeness of my daughter. She is still young and has much to learn, but I ask that you cherish her for all the years to come."
"I will, with all my heart."
Marlene took Elsa's hand—the girl was blushing a deep crimson—and placed it over Jin's.
"Elsa, you must love Jin-sama, support him, and be his strength."
"Yes, Mother."
As those words were spoken, Reinhard and Fritz began to clap. A moment later, the servants joined in with a round of applause.
"With this, the engagement ceremony has concluded without incident."
Reinhard made the official declaration as the intermediary, and thus, the engagement of Jin and Elsa was successfully finalized.