On January 5th, the installation of the Large-scale Warp Gates at Hale and the relay base was completed.
At the same time, Elsa returned from her family home.
"Welcome back. I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you," Jin apologized.
Elsa shook her head, indicating it was no matter. "It's all right."
"How were your father and mother?"
"Mm, they’re fine. Father has recovered quite a bit; he can manage his daily life on his own now."
"That’s good to hear."
However, Jin sensed that Elsa’s expression was somewhat clouded. "Did someone say something to you?"
"Eh? You can tell?"
"Well, I know you well enough, Elsa."
"……Thank you?" Elsa murmured, a faint blush warming her cheeks. Jin felt like something was slightly off, but he pressed her again.
"So, what happened?"
"Um, it’s about Ani-sama."
"Fritz-san?"
"Mm.……His Majesty mentioned the 'World Security Guard,' and Ani-sama said he wants to join."
"I see."
The World Security Guard was the organization Jin intended to launch under his pseudonym, Deus Ex Machina. From what he had heard, there had been a flood of applicants.
"When Mother heard that Ani-sama wanted to join……"
"Ah, I see."
Jin thought that as a mother, Marlene would naturally want to fulfill her son's wishes, but perhaps she was torn. Or perhaps Elsa didn't want to show favoritism by making recommendations.
"Fritz-san is capable, though. I think it’ll be fine to leave the selection to the leaders of each nation."
When Jin said that, Elsa hurriedly clarified.
"Ah, no, it’s not that. It seems Mother doesn't want Ani-sama to join at all."
"Oh, it's that way……"
Perhaps she didn't want to put him in danger, or perhaps she simply felt lonely at the thought of him being posted somewhere far away.
"I think…… I can understand that, in a way."
"……You can?"
Jin changed the subject slightly. "Tell me, how is Moritz-san doing?"
"Moritz-niisama is doing his best as the head of house."
"And does he have a madam yet?"
"He doesn't."
"I see……"
"Why do you ask?"
To the puzzled Elsa, Jin explained his reasoning. "Well, I just thought that maybe Mother is feeling lonely."
"Lonely?"
"Yeah. You're here with me, Fritz-san is a soldier so he’s usually away and rarely comes home, and Moritz-san is likely too busy with his duties as head of house."
Jin suggested that things might change if Moritz got married and Marlene had grandchildren to look after.
"E-Eh, um, if it’s grandchildren…… we could……" Elsa turned bright red and added to Jin's statement.
"Eh? Elsa, could it be?"
Elsa shook her head vigorously. "N-No.……Not yet, it seems."
"I see……" Jin looked a little disappointed to hear that. "In that case, maybe we should think of something so Mother won't be so lonely."
"……What should we do?"
"Let's think about it together."
"……Mm."
And so, Jin and Elsa put their heads together.
"What about a pet? A small animal?" Jin suggested. "A dog, a cat, or maybe a bird?"
"She isn’t very good with living things……"
"I see." Some people weren't suited to keeping animals, and Elsa's stepmother, Marlene, seemed to be one of them. "Then how about flowers?"
"Ah, she might like that."
"Right. Okay, then……"
"Jin-nii?"
"Let's build her a greenhouse."
Greenhouses were already common in the demon territory, and the Klein Kingdom used them to cultivate high-end fruits. Jin thought it would be wonderful to grow subtropical flowers and herbs there for her.
"You should choose the plants to go in it, Elsa."
"Mm."
She would select varieties that Marlene would enjoy, picking from the southern flora found on Hourai Island or in the Kingdom of Elias.
"Once the Hale situation settles down, I'll visit her to apologize for my long absence. Let’s prepare everything so they can be planted then."
They would transplant the selections into pots and planters for the time being. Topaz, the member of the 5-Color Maids, would be the one to consult for the specifics.
"White flowers, blue flowers, red flowers, yellow flowers, purple ones. Seeing all those colors in bloom will make her happy."
Elsa began drafting a list with visible excitement.
Jin, for his part, began sketching out the dimensions, materials, and heating methods for the greenhouse. Since he had been struggling to make progress with the metallic magical muscles, the greenhouse served as a perfect change of pace.
＊ ＊ ＊
After dinner, a new report arrived from Laojun.
『My Lord, I have a report from the Sky squad sent to Hale via the newly installed Warp Gate. Please listen.』
Laojun prefaced the report by noting it was something that could be discussed right there in the dining room.
『Fifty "Skylark" units have scouted Hale. There are no animals or insects on the planet. Only a few specific types of plants remain.』
"As I suspected……"
In the end, Jin mused, it must have been a world where even the natural environment was strictly controlled.
『Regarding those plants, it is our speculation that they were highly engineered to be drought-resistant, prolific, and to maximize oxygen production through photosynthesis.』
"Ah, they went that far," Jin murmured, feeling a twinge of melancholy. "Even after all that effort, they still ended up on the path to extinction."
『That appears to be the case.』
"But, just as there is no life that lasts forever, perhaps there is no civilization that lasts forever either. If that's the case……"
"Then I want to lead a life I can be satisfied with," Elsa said, finishing his thought.
"You're right. If the accumulation of our present creates our future."
"Then we should ensure our present is a good one," Reiko added, following Jin's sentiment.
『We shall do our utmost to ensure that the lives of My Lord, his family, and his friends remain good ones.』
"Thank you, Laojun."
Though the mood had turned a bit somber, Jin whispered his resolution for the new year.
"May I, and everyone connected to me, find happiness."