"So, what exactly caused it?"
As the organizer of the gathering, Jin sat in a room within the Jade Pavilion, listening to the details of the incident. He had summoned Fritz and Gloria to join him; Elsa and Reiko were also in attendance.
"I only stepped in to stop it," Fritz explained. "By the time I arrived, a fight was already on the verge of breaking out."
Then Gloria spoke up. "...Ultimately, the fault lies with me."
She began to explain her actions. "I had heard that they use exceptional swords in the Kingdom of Franz. I simply called out to them, hoping for a chance to see one, but..."
Gloria faltered, her voice trailing off.
"And they took offense to that?" Jin asked, filling in the blanks.
Gloria nodded silently.
"I see... Gloria-dono, there are many soldiers who are reluctant to show their equipment to others without a good reason—especially to those from other nations. You should be more cautious," Fritz advised.
Gloria nodded once more. "...I understand. However, I suppose I was caught up in the atmosphere here. I felt almost as if we were old acquaintances..."
"Well, I can't say I don't understand that sentiment."
A World Conference was just that sort of environment.
"The rest comes down to the subordinates... No, it's likely a matter of national sentiment as well," Jin muttered with a somber expression.
"Probably," Elsa agreed.
"There's an aspect of it that simply can't be helped," Fritz said. "Our Klein Kingdom and the Kingdom of Franz have been at odds for many years. Even if they're only small-scale skirmishes, soldiers still die. That's been the reality for over a century."
The anger of families and comrades naturally turned toward the opposing nation. It would likely take decades after the end of a war for such grudges to truly fade.
Jin recalled that even in Japan, where he had lived before his summoning, there were neighboring countries that constantly brought up past wars. Human resentment ran deep.
"Well then, is it alright if we take our leave?" Fritz asked, half-rising from his seat.
Elsa spoke up before he could go. "A-Ani-sama, why don't you have dinner with us? Gloria-san, you're more than welcome to join us as well."
＊ ＊ ＊
Thanks to Elsa's invitation, the four of them—Jin, Elsa, Fritz, and Gloria—ended up sharing a meal. Since tonight's dinner was being delivered to individual rooms upon request, there would be nothing unusual about the two of them being absent from their own quarters.
"...What is this?"
While everyone else in the building was presumably ordering whatever they liked, the menu Jin had devised sat before all four of them.
"...It looks a little daunting..."
What lay before them was "sushi."
The spread included tamago, kappa-maki, kanpyo-maki, Japanese tiger prawn, sweet shrimp, medium-fatty tuna, lean tuna, spear squid, and flounder. While the names of the toppings—with the exception of the egg—carried footnotes stating they were merely "equivalents," they were nonetheless delicious.
The meal was served with soy sauce for dipping and, of course, green tea. This was a dish developed just before the World Conference, and these two were the first people outside of the Jin Family to taste it. Jin had considered serving it to all the delegates, but he had ultimately demurred, fearing it might be too polarising. Instead, his two acquaintances were serving as his test subjects.
"Ani-sama, you eat it like this."
Elsa demonstrated by picking up a piece of sushi with her fingers, dipping it in the soy sauce, and eating it in a single bite.
"Ho, that's an interesting way to eat."
"But isn't using one's bare hands a bit ill-mannered?"
Fritz looked on with amusement, whereas Gloria's brow furrowed slightly.
In response, Jin explained, "This is called 'sushi.' You pick it up with your fingers so that your tactile sense can contribute to the overall flavor profile."
He argued that it was about experiencing a texture that couldn't be felt through chopsticks, spoons, or forks. Of course, this was merely his personal theory.
"That's an intriguing philosophy."
"Mm, this is delicious!"
While Gloria and Jin were conversing, Fritz had already popped several pieces into his mouth.
"Ani-sama, do you like the taste?"
"Yeah, it's great!"
Judging by Fritz's reaction and the variety of toppings he was clearing, he had no particular dislikes; he was heartily enjoying the fish, squid, shrimp, and the rest.
On the other hand, after seeing Fritz's appetite, Gloria hesitantly reached for a piece. She started with the tamago.
"...!"
After taking the bite, her face lit up with surprise. She chewed quickly and swallowed.
"Jin-dono! This is wonderful! There's a delicate sweetness balanced against a perfect amount of acidity! To think rice could be prepared this way!"
Surprisingly, it seemed Gloria had sampled rice before during her journey to the Celuroa Kingdom with Fritz.
"I'm glad it's to your liking," Jin said. By then, Fritz had already finished most of his platter.
"Ani-sama, would you like seconds?"
"Oh, definitely. That white fish was excellent. And the sweet yellow one, too."
He seemed to have taken a particular liking to the flounder and the tamagoyaki.
"Umu... Is it truly safe to eat fish raw?" Gloria asked.
It was a fair question; she knew that her own monarch had once been infested with a parasite—a Distoma Copy—so her caution was understandable.
"It's perfectly fine. I've treated everything with magic."
As a precaution, Jin had performed magical scans for such organisms and had the Golem Maids perform a full visual inspection of every piece before it was served. To prove his point, Jin ate some Tuna Copy and Flounder Copy right in front of her.
"...I see."
Seeing that Gloria was still eating quite slowly, Jin wondered if heat-treated toppings might have been better received. Since the Klein Kingdom was landlocked, the people there generally didn't have a custom of eating raw fish; King Alois III was the exception to the rule.
In contrast, the Shouro Empire had a coastline, and since Elsa and Fritz's family home was near Lake Tosmo, they were accustomed to eating fish, which made the dish much easier for them to accept.
(That's right, I suppose no one in the Jin Family is actually from the Klein Kingdom,) Jin mused as he watched Gloria eat at a snail's pace.
"Come to think of it, Gloria-dono, you're growing your hair out. You have beautiful hair, so I think it suits you better this way."
"Ngh!"
Startled by Fritz's sudden compliment, Gloria choked on her sushi.
"Here, have some tea."
Jin offered her the tea, which had cooled to a drinkable temperature. Gloria drank it down in a hurry.
"...Phew."
"Are you alright, Gloria-dono? Why were you in such a rush?"
Gloria couldn't very well admit it was because he had suddenly complimented her, so she simply glared at Fritz, her eyes still a bit watery from the coughing fit.
"I-It was nothing. I'm fine," was all she said.
Watching the two of them, Jin—oblivious to his own similar lack of romantic tact—let out a silent sigh.
＊ ＊ ＊
After dinner, Jin took a moment to relax before heading to the baths. He went to the large communal bath rather than a private one. According to the reports, no one had been using it yet; everyone seemed to prefer the en-suite baths in their guest rooms.
Fritz followed behind Jin, rubbing his stomach contentedly. Elsa and Gloria were with them as well. Naturally, the baths were separated by gender, so they parted ways at the changing rooms.
"Fritz-san, what about your guard duty tonight?"
"Ah, Her Majesty personally told me I could have the evening to myself. Over the past few days, I've realized just how safe it is here. And besides..."
"Besides?"
"...I heard this was the island where Elsa was sheltered."
Fritz looked a little bashful as he spoke. He was likely remembering how poorly he had treated Elsa in the past.
Hearing that, Jin felt a surge of understanding; he could see why Elsa looked up to the man Fritz had become.