Jin returned to Elsa’s family home at 8:00 p.m. local time, having completed the round trip in just four hours.
Though it was remarkably fast, no one knew the precise distance to Avalon, so his quick return drew no suspicion.
"Welcome back, Dear."
Elsa was waiting at the entrance to greet him.
"Where are Yuu and Mio?"
"They were waiting up for you until a little while ago, but they eventually fell asleep."
"I see."
Between the time difference from Loizart and their active day of play, the children simply hadn’t been able to keep their eyes open any longer.
The two of them went inside and headed straight for the living room.
"Good work today."
A bottle of wine had been prepared for them.
"Oh, thank you."
It was an Auslese, Ehrlich’s 3454—a sweet, smooth wine that was easy on the palate.
"This is the brand Reinhard likes, isn't it?"
"Yes. It’s produced on the shores of Lake Wasu."
"Was it?"
Jin thought he had heard where it was made before but couldn’t quite recall, so he asked Elsa for the details.
"The Olsen region covers the west bank of Lake Wasu, and the Ehrlich region covers the east bank."
"Ah, that’s right."
"...And that entire area is my uncle's territory."
"Uncle?"
When Elsa mentioned an uncle, Jin initially thought of Reinhard’s father, but he was her paternal uncle. Jin asked for clarification.
"Um, my maternal uncle. Mother’s younger brother."
The one Elsa called "Mother" was her adoptive parent, Marlene. She referred to her biological mother, Mine, by a different variation of the word.
Thus, there was no blood relation, but her uncle, Viscount Barrows Richter von Alabath, had remained childless for a long time. He had reportedly doted on Elsa whenever Marlene took her back to her family home for visits. Now, he was apparently head over heels for the child he had finally been granted.
During the world tour following their wedding on Hourai Island, only close acquaintances had attended the various receptions, so Jin and Elsa's uncle had never met. They supposedly had an opportunity to meet after they returned from their honeymoon.
"I haven't met him yet, have I?"
"...No. It was... while you were missing."
"Ah... I see."
It had happened during the time Jin had been caught in a space vibration and cast into extra-dimensional space.
"I'm sorry about that," Jin said, apologizing for the worry he had caused.
"No, I didn't mean it as a reproach," Elsa explained, not wanting him to feel guilty.
"I know."
Jin gave a gentle smile and finished his glass.
"Well, I’ve got a pleasant buzz going. Let’s head to bed for the night."
"Yes."
Reiko, who had been standing silently nearby, cleared away the bottle and the glasses. Then, Jin and Elsa retired to the guest room.
On the 11th, Elsa decided to visit Cedric, Moritz’s former steward. Since it was only about a thirty-minute carriage ride, she planned to go alone, accompanied only by Edgar.
Jin remained at the estate to watch over Yuu and Mio with Reiko, though Georg and Marlene were more than happy to look after the twins themselves.
Elsa arrived at Cedric's house exactly as scheduled.
"...It hasn't changed at all."
Stepping down from the carriage, she was struck by a wave of nostalgia.
"Elsa-sama...!"
Cedric's wife, Polly, looked up with a start. Despite her surprise, a wide smile spread across her face as she welcomed Elsa.
"I heard that Cedric had retired due to poor health when I returned home for a visit, so I came to see him."
"Oh my...! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Polly bowed deeply.
"E-Elsa-sama...!"
Cedric, who was resting in bed, tried to sit up in shock at her arrival, but Elsa gently stopped him.
"Stay as you are. Please, stay lying down."
"...Your complexion is quite poor."
Polly nodded sadly at Elsa's blunt assessment.
"It is. His appetite has completely vanished lately."
"..."
Elsa observed Cedric’s condition in silence for a long moment before finally exercising her magic.
"Diagnose."
Magic was not omnipotent; a clear mental image was paramount. With analytical magic, the precision of the results increased in proportion to how vividly the caster visualized what they wanted to discover.
Elsa had first performed a visual inspection to narrow down the symptoms before casting the spell.
"...It's his liver."
Noticing his general malaise and the yellow tint in his palms and the whites of his eyes—telltale signs of jaundice—Elsa focused her investigation on that specific organ.
"Diagnose."
She cast the spell again, searching for the underlying cause.
"...This is likely viral hepatitis."
Even with her skills, Elsa couldn't identify the specific strain of the virus, but she had successfully pinpointed the source of the inflammation. Unless the virus was eradicated, any temporary relief from standard Healing magic would soon fade.
When she explained this, Cedric confirmed her theory. He noted that whenever he visited a clinic, he would feel better for about a week, only for his health to plummet again afterward.
"...I understand. Healing. Detox. Sterilization."
Elsa revitalized his liver while simultaneously neutralizing the toxins produced by the virus and eradicating the pathogens themselves.
The Sterilization magic Elsa had developed was effective not just against bacteria, but against microorganisms in general, including viruses, protozoa, and rickettsia. It was the same magic she had once used to cure the King of the Kingdom of Elias of his tuberculosis.
"...Diagnose. There. You’re cured."
"I-Is it true?!...Ah, no, I didn't mean to doubt you, Elsa-sama..."
"It’s alright. You’ll be fine now. Just focus on eating nutritious food and gradually getting your strength back."
At her words, both Cedric and Polly were moved to tears of joy.
"Oh, Elsa-sama, thank you! Thank you so much!!"
Elsa simply shook her head.
"It is a healer's duty to care for the sick. Besides, you served our family for many years, Cedric. Please, think nothing of it."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"Once you’ve recovered, I would be very happy if you could return to work for us."
The couple’s faces lit up.
"Oh, Elsa-sama! Thank you! To be able to serve House Randol once more would be the greatest joy of our lives!"
They both bowed deeply to her.
"That's wonderful to hear. I'll be counting on you."
With that settled, Elsa bid them farewell and returned to her family home, where Jin was waiting for her.