After the reception in Kaina Village, they rested for a day, and on August 14th, Jin and Elsa flew to Borgia, the capital of the Kingdom of Elias, aboard Konron 3.
"Welcome, Lord of Kunlun."
The minister of general affairs, Marchioness Firenziano, greeted them with a warm smile. Her escort was small, consisting of only five retainers and ten guard knights. Having known Jin for quite some time, the Marchioness was well aware of his distaste for flashy ceremonies, so she had kept the welcoming party to the bare minimum required for receiving a state guest.
"Allow me to offer my congratulations on your marriage to Lady Elsa."
"Thank you very much," Jin and Elsa replied in unison. Reiko, who was accompanying them as a squire, offered a silent bow.
"Please, come this way."
They were escorted to the First Guest House adjacent to the Royal Palace, a facility reserved for entertaining first-class state guests. It was 2:00 PM. After dropping off their sparse luggage in their suite, Jin and Elsa headed to the drawing room to discuss the banquet arrangements with Marchioness Firenziano.
There, they were served the Elias Kingdom's specialties: Kuhe and topopo chips. When Jin tried the chips, he found them several times more delicious than the ones he had purchased from a stall in Port Rock a few days prior. The potatoes were no doubt carefully selected, but it was the salt that really made them shine. They were lightly seasoned, making them impossible to stop eating.
"These are delicious," Jin remarked honestly.
The Marchioness smiled happily. "Thank you. I am glad to hear that from the Lord of Kunlun."
After relaxing over their snacks and Kuhe, the meeting for the banquet began. For the most part, it consisted of the Elias officials explaining the schedule they had prepared and Jin and Elsa suggesting minor adjustments.
The itinerary was as follows: On the 14th, a dinner party would be held at 5:00 PM for introductions to the King and the nation's dignitaries. The 15th was the day of the main reception. In the morning, Jin and Elsa would lead a carriage parade through the royal capital, followed by a grand banquet in the Great Hall of the Royal Palace from noon until night. The 16th would serve as a post-celebration, featuring a quiet lunch in the palace courtyard for the royal family and select nobles.
Aside from the parade, everything was going exactly as Jin had anticipated; the scale was modest enough that he felt a wave of relief.
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"Lord Jin Nidou, Lady Elsa Nidou, Lady Reiko, you are most welcome."
In a reception room—rather than the formal audience chamber—the King of Elias, Blitzen Skala Elias XII, welcomed the trio. He appeared to be in his early sixties, with white hair and gray eyes, though his complexion was poor as he was still recovering from an illness. He sat not on a throne, but in a plush chair that resembled a sofa-bed.
Beside him stood the First Prince, Alphons, a middle-aged man who radiated vigor. Various high-ranking officials flanked them, though the only one Jin recognized was the Chancellor, Marquis Godfar de Toves Rossi.
After the customary greetings, the dignitaries withdrew, leaving only the King, the Prince, the Chancellor, and Marchioness Firenziano with Jin’s group. It became an informal dinner party, much to Jin's internal relief. Nevertheless, he remained a bit tense in the presence of royalty he barely knew.
During the post-meal Kuhe service, Elsa was the first to speak up.
"...Your Majesty, how is your health faring?"
Prince Alphons was the one to answer. "It has been a cycle of improvement and relapse, Lady Elsa. I have often thought of asking you, a Reichsarzt, to examine him, but given the timing..." The Prince trailed off, likely intending to say he didn't want to bother her immediately after her wedding.
"...Please, allow me to perform a Diagnose," Elsa replied instantly. She had a suspicion about the nature of the King's illness and felt it required urgent attention.
"Is that quite alright?"
"Of course."
"Lord of Kunlun, may we rely upon your wife?" Prince Alphons asked, looking to Jin for final approval.
"Yes, certainly. Elsa, if you would."
"Yes." Elsa rose and walked to the King's side. "Excuse me," she murmured politely before placing her hand over his chest. "Diagnose."
As she channeled her magic, her brow furrowed.
"How is he?"
Elsa didn't answer immediately. "Diagnose," she cast again, confirming her findings. "...Pulmonary tuberculosis."
"Tuberculosis, is it?" Jin muttered.
"Yes. But the lesions are not yet large."
On Earth, before the advent of drugs like streptomycin, the standard treatment was the "rest, air, and nutrition" method—helping the patient's natural healing power by having them convalesce in areas with clean air. The King of Elias was suffering from symptoms slightly more advanced than that. He had likely been trapped in a loop: resting until he felt better, returning to his grueling government duties, and then relapsing.
When Elsa explained this, the Prince and the Chancellor hung their heads.
"...It is exactly as you say," the Prince admitted.
"Because he relapses before completing his recovery, a total cure has become difficult to achieve. The responsibility for this lies entirely with those around him," Elsa said sternly.
"I have no excuse..." the Prince murmured, looking even more dejected, while the Chancellor wore an embarrassed expression.
"However," Elsa added, her tone softening to reassure them, "at this stage, he can be cured."
In truth, she could have cured him even if the condition were much worse, but she kept that to herself.
"I-Is that true?!"
"It is." Elsa placed her hand back on the King's chest and began her Healing magic. "Heilverfahren."
At this stage, the disease could be beaten simply by bolstering the patient's own immune response.
"Diagnose." She checked one last time, confirming that the affected areas had vanished. "He will be fine now. However, even though he is cured, he must not overexert himself."
"O-Of course," the Prince replied on the King's behalf.
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by tubercle bacilli. When the bacteria enter the lungs, the body's immune system attempts to wall them off, forming small "nuclei," which gave the disease its name. These bacteria can also infect various other organs, a condition known as extrapulmonary tuberculosis.
Elsa's Healing magic did more than just improve the patient's natural recovery; it temporarily hyper-activated various bodily functions. Simultaneously, using a specialized "Sterilisierung" spell she had devised, she completely eradicated the bacteria that had begun to spread to his other organs.
"...Furthermore, there is a possibility that the infection has spread to those close to His Majesty."
"W-What?!"
Elsa's intuition proved correct. The Prince, the Chancellor, and several maids had also been infected. Naturally, Elsa treated them as well. The Elias royal family's gratitude was overwhelming; later that evening, the Queen, the Second Prince, and even the princesses came in person to offer their deepest thanks.