“Jin-san is truly a kind person,” Lishia said, her voice tinged with admiration.
“Mm. Jin-nii cherishes golems and automata very much,” Elsa added.
“Doesn’t he? Onii-chan always counts them as ‘one person, two people’ rather than just things.”
“Mm.”
“Ah, so he doesn’t refer to them as ‘units.’ That is very like him,” Lishia noted.
“Exactly. Onii-chan is just that kind.”
Unbeknownst to Jin, his reputation was currently soaring among the group.
“Mm. Jin-nii has always loved dolls,” Elsa remarked flatly.
“...”
With that single comment from Elsa, the stock Jin had just gained came crashing back down.
＊ ＊ ＊
Once the emotional—or perhaps confusing—reunion with the sister units had concluded, everyone settled into their seats.
Rianna brought out some Te-e for the group.
“Elsa-sama, it has been a long time.”
At the sound of the voice, Elsa looked up to see Kate, a member of the Royal Secret Maids who had once been assigned to her. She was carrying a tray with something special on it.
“Please, enjoy.”
“Oh, what’s this?”
It was baked apulul.
The core of the apulul fruit had been scooped out, filled with sugar and cinnamon, and then heated in a pan or oven. As the fruit lost its moisture, the sweetness became more concentrated, resulting in a soft, tender texture that was a favorite among many.
“...Or so I’m told,” Prince Ernest explained. “Earl Kuzuma from Blue Land taught the recipe to us.”
“H-Heh... I see...” Jin stammered.
It was a dish Jin had taught Beena back when he was helping her get her family’s finances in order. Earl Kuzuma had likely tasted it after Beena made it and then brought the idea here. It even carried a fragrance very similar to cinnamon, suggesting they had put considerable effort into finding local substitutes.
“Mmm, this is quite delicious.”
“It’s so sweet.”
“The aroma is wonderful.”
“It’s yummy!”
“Today’s batch turned out particularly well,” everyone agreed.
The drink served was, naturally, apulul Te-e.
“Yes, this has a lovely fragrance as well.”
“Nest-sama, how do you brew this?” Princess Lieschen asked.
“This?...Um, Lotte, do you know?”
“Yes,” the golem answered. “You boil the peeled skins of the apulul in hot water. The fragrance steeps into the water, allowing you to enjoy a Te-e like this.”
“...So I’ve been told,” Ernest finished.
Princess Lieschen giggled and finished her cup. “Apparently so.”
“Would you like another cup?”
“Oh, yes, please.”
At that moment, Lyla—who had been promoted from the Royal Secret Maids to serve as the Prince’s personal maid—arrived with popcorn.
“Yeah, it’s good to have something savory to balance out all the sweets,” Prince Ernest said, reaching for the bowl.
“Your Highness, if you eat too much now, it will spoil your appetite for dinner,” Lotte chided him.
“Right... I’ll keep it in moderation,” Ernest replied obediently.
＊ ＊ ＊
The dinner party consisted of the same familiar faces, served by the same staff.
“The menu has been expanding lately,” Prince Ernest noted during the meal. “The food at Jin’s place was so good that it inspired our chefs.”
The spread included white rice, a soup resembling consomme, various types of tempura, steak, and a vegetable salad.
Jin felt the combination of dishes was a bit eclectic, to say the least, but he held his tongue, knowing they were doing their best.
“But they still haven't been able to recreate the flavors we had on Kunlun Island,” Prince Ernest said with a hint of disappointment.
Jin offered some comfort. “Anne, Loll, and Refa are all here today. I’m sure they can provide some pointers to your kitchen staff.”
Even if the specific ingredients couldn't be perfectly matched, they could provide technical advice—like how to properly cook the steaming mess in front of them that was somewhere between rice and porridge, or how to fix the tempura that was soggy despite being fresh out of the oil.
But first, they had to finish their meal.
“...This ‘rice’ always turns out like this. They’ve apparently experimented with the water levels and the heat, but...”
“Hmm, it really is a soggy mess,” Jin said with a wry smile. It would have been better if they’d just made porridge from the start.
Then there was the tempura. It consisted of white fish and vegetables, but the batter lacked any crunch whatsoever, feeling heavy and thick. Jin could tell they had definitely over-mixed the batter while preparing it.
On the other hand, the soup and the steak were absolutely exquisite.
“Thank you for the meal.”
After the food was cleared, hojicha was served.
“It must be quite a challenge to import all these different ingredients,” Jin remarked.
Princess Lieschen nodded in agreement. “Indeed. That is why our country is focusing so heavily on maintaining and improving the roads.”
“Ah, since Lies’s home is landlocked, you rely on land transport. My territory is focusing more on maritime transport. We’re planning a tie-up with the Kingdom of Elias,” Ernest explained.
“I see. That sounds like a solid plan.”
“Building a massive ship like Jin’s is out of the question for now, so I think we’ll start by increasing production of twenty-meter class vessels.”
Rather than jumping straight to large ships, they intended to take it one step at a time.
“They’re a manageable size, and the transport efficiency will be significantly higher than what we have now.”
It would also have the added benefit of creating more jobs for sailors.
“The Kingdom of Elias already builds ships of that size,” Jin noted.
As a maritime nation, the Kingdom of Elias already possessed several docks capable of constructing vessels up to the thirty-meter class.
“I’d really like to see them,” Prince Ernest murmured.
Jin felt this was the perfect opening. “Your Highness, why don’t you seek permission to take Her Highness the Princess with you on an official visit to the Kingdom of Elias?”
“That’s a great idea! I’d love to go,” Ernest said, his eyes lighting up.
“I would very much like to see it as well,” Princess Lieschen agreed.
With that decided, Prince Ernest and Princess Lieschen excused themselves to use their manaphones, intent on securing permission from their respective nations before the night was over.