Reiko spoke up quickly as Jin’s shoulders slumped at the news that no mental catalyst remained.
"Bro... Brother, we still have the medicine for Mana Overload Syndrome itself."
"What?"
"Mana Overload Syndrome is a disease that could potentially manifest in people other than Elsa-sama."
"That’s true."
This meant his and Elsa’s descendants might be affected as well.
"The amount required is one-millionth of a gram per person. That was the dosage, correct?"
Jin nodded.
"Therefore, by using one hundred thousand millionths of a gram, medicine for a hundred thousand people should be stored on Hourai Island. What you used in your experiments was merely the remainder."
"Is that so!"
It was wonderful news. Then again, thinking about it properly, it wasn't surprising that his past self would have taken such precautions. His current self would have done the same.
"In that case, we can use that to heal the Marquis's Mana Overload Syndrome."
"Yes. However, we must first confirm that the diagnosis is correct."
"Right you are."
A misdiagnosis during treatment had to be avoided at all costs.
"So... would it be better to offer treatment formally?"
For the time being, he was an acquaintance of the current royal family of the Kingdom of Egerea. Jin figured his best route for contact would be to reach out to Ernest XVII or the current Duke Blue via Avalon. Alternatively, he could use the letter of introduction from Sion.
"That part is settled, then."
Jin decided to spend the rest of the day confirming if there were any other underlying issues.
"All right, Reiko. Let’s go gather some information."
"Yes."
＊ ＊ ＊
Jin and Reiko spent the remainder of the day gathering intelligence.
"It wasn't just the House of Viscount Guarana, was it?"
"No, it wasn't."
It turned out that along with the House of Viscount Guarana, both House Setena and House Rasahn were targeting the House of Marquis Kuzuma.
Since Jin had never heard of either family, he assumed they were houses that had risen to prominence during the last four hundred years. Both seemingly hoped to marry a son into the family to secure the succession.
"Well, if the partner is suitable, I won't have anything to say about it."
After staying the night at the Silver Moon Inn, Jin and Reiko returned briefly to Hourai Island on the nineteenth.
"The situation has become much larger than I expected."
"So it seems, My Lord."
He couldn't simply ignore someone suffering from Mana Overload Syndrome.
"We have the medicine, right?"
"Yes, we do. It is available for use at any time."
"Then that’s fine."
The immediate issue was the examination. He would likely need to bring Lise, the healer automata, with him.
"And then..."
What weighed on his mind were the people on Onogoro Island: Edith Kuzuma, Greena Kuzuma, Rubina Garrett, and Amanda Garrett. They were descendants of Beena and Louis, making them more closely related to the direct line than the current House of Marquis Kuzuma. In fact, Edith and Greena were undoubtedly of the direct line.
"But still..."
There was no way to prove their lineage, and he doubted they had any intention of coming forward now.
"I suppose I'll check with them just in case..."
＊ ＊ ＊
Fearing that a direct visit might overcomplicate things, Jin asked Marikka to check on the group's stance for him. The reply soon arrived:
"Jin-sama, the consensus among everyone is: 'If you can help them, please do,' but 'We have no desire to come forward and identify ourselves now.'"
"Just as I thought."
It seemed they had developed a preference for seclusion, or perhaps they had simply grown completely detached from the secular world. They were happy to visit for leisure, but they wanted to avoid any formal trouble.
"...So it’s up to me after all."
Jin’s true feeling was that he also didn't want to do anything too overt, considering his own future. While Ernest XVII and Duke Blue were acquaintances, he guessed that bringing the matter to them would turn it into a diplomatic ordeal.
"Maybe it’s better to do this quietly," Jin concluded. "In that case, I'll take Lise and Reiko with me to Blue Land, and..."
"My Lord, what will you do about an alias?" Laojun asked.
"Ah, there’s that, too."
"It would be even better if you could dye your hair color."
Jin remembered that a long time ago, when he took Hanna to the Klein Kingdom, everyone had dyed their hair to maintain their cover.
"...I'll go with dark brown."
He didn't like hair colors that were too far removed from his own; they felt unnatural to him. He decided Reiko, who was set to be his younger sister, would also have dark brown hair.
"Now for the name..."
He thought for a moment.
"Shin will do."
He remembered hearing that if an alias was too different from one's original name, it was easy to slip up and make a mistake. He figured that with "Shin," even if he accidentally started to say "Jin," he could play it off.
"I'll make Reiko 'Reko' as well."
"............Yes."
And so, the aliases were decided as Shin and Reko.
"Now for Lise..."
Since her name wasn't well-known, he decided to leave her as Lise. However, she would be disguised with dark brown hair to match.
"This should do it."
Preparations were complete. Since there was still plenty of time, they decided to head back to Blue Land. The time difference from Hourai Island was minus two hours and forty-five minutes. Since it was currently 10:30 AM on Hourai Island, it was 7:45 AM in Blue Land.
It would take about forty-five minutes to reach the city from the Warp Gate in the forest. He calculated that the gates should be open by then. However, since they had changed their names and appearances, Jin decided to enter through a different gate than they had used previously.
He circled around to the south gate, and...
"...It’s open, but... what’s going on?"
Soldiers were lined up on both sides of the road leading to the gate, and the ordinary citizens were being held back. When Jin quietly asked someone nearby, he got an answer.
"It seems the procession of Viscount Guarana is arriving."
(Yikes, the timing couldn't be worse...)
Jin felt a bit gloomy.
Nevertheless, there was nothing to do but wait. After about fifteen minutes, a procession led by cavalry arrived.
"Hmm..."
Mounted soldiers carrying the Guarana family flag, escort cavalry, a carriage, another carriage, an escort Golem, and more escort cavalry passed before Jin’s eyes. While he couldn't tell much about the horses, he took a moment to critique the escort Golem.
"Hmm, that’s actually quite well-made."
Once the Viscount's party had passed, ordinary citizens were finally allowed through.
Because a noble had just arrived, the travel passes were checked somewhat more strictly than before, but Shin, Reko, and Lise were able to pass through without issue.
As they did, the gatekeeper noticed the word "Healer" written on Lise's travel pass. Jin didn't miss the look on the man's face—it was as if he desperately wanted to say something.
He probably wanted to consult a healer regarding the Marquis's illness, Jin thought. Just like the resident of Blue Land he had met previously, it seemed the people here genuinely cared for Marquis Kuzuma.