Having finished his consultation with Laojun on Hourai Island, Jin returned to the Hurricane. Naturally, this was done by switching places with his Doppel.
After examining the eleven rescued villagers, Elsa gave them a clean bill of health.
"They're fine now."
They no longer required any special healing; they had recovered to the point where proper nutrition and quiet rest were all they needed.
"Thanks, Elsa. Good work."
"Mm."
To be frank, the medical facilities aboard the Hurricane were far better equipped than the infirmary in Avalon, which was why she had kept them under her care here the entire time.
If an emergency arose, any necessary medicine could easily be sent through the Warp Gate.
That said, Elsa's healing had been so thorough that all the villagers truly needed was to regain their strength.
Physical stamina, after all, was not something that could be restored in an instant with a simple dose of medicine.
With that settled, the Hurricane touched down at Port Nadef.
There, they handed the rescued villagers over to the Avalon officials in charge.
The villagers had originally been abducted from various settlements across the Pandor Continent, so returning them home was the ultimate goal. However, because they had yet to fully regain their strength and the authorities wished to interview them, Avalon took temporary custody.
"Well then, I leave them in your care."
Elsa, who had acted as their attending physician, gave a polite nod as she handed over their medical charts to the official.
"Elsa-sama, thank you so much."
"You saved our lives."
"We will never forget your kindness for as long as we live."
The eleven villagers bowed deeply to her.
"Take care of yourselves."
Offering a small wave, Elsa returned to the Hurricane.
"Well then, what should we do now?"
Only Jin, Elsa, Reiko, and Hope remained aboard the Hurricane.
"We left Kachea back in Mahalig, right?"
"Then we have to go pick her up."
"Yeah. It's probably time to wrap up our inspection tour anyway."
The situation on the Pandor Continent had become far too chaotic for casual observation, and Avalon would likely welcome every spare hand it could get.
With that in mind, Jin set the Hurricane's course for Mahalig.
Only Jin and Reiko headed to the inn in Mahalig to rendezvous with Kachea.
Once there, Jin gave her a brief rundown of everything that had transpired.
"...It sounds like returning would be best, then."
Kachea had no objections to cutting the inspection trip short.
"It feels a bit abrupt, but we've achieved most of our objectives."
"That's true."
Jin prepared to escort Kachea back to the Hurricane, but she hesitated.
"Um, Jin-san... would it be all right if I went back alone using the Warp Gate at Port Nadef?"
She explained that she simply felt that would be the better choice.
"Sure, that shouldn't be an issue."
If Jin put in a good word for her, permission would be granted without question.
"In that case, please do."
"Understood."
Jin used Eagle Unit 1, which was carried aboard the Hurricane, to transport Kachea to Port Nadef, with Reiko acting as the pilot.
In the meantime, he sent the Hurricane ahead on an eastward course back toward Avalon.
The official justification was that this route would save time on their journey home.
"Jin-san, thank you so much for everything."
"Of course. See you back in Avalon."
"Yes!"
With that, Jin and Kachea parted ways, returning to Avalon by separate means.
Part of the reason Jin chose not to take the Warp Gate directly to Avalon was his desire to travel alongside Elsa.
In truth, however, he also wanted to relax on Hourai Island for a little while.
That meant leaving Hope to pilot the Hurricane while Jin, Reiko, and Elsa slipped back to Hourai Island.
"Hope, you're cleared for full speed. Head back to Hourai Island at supersonic speed."
Whatever his underlying reasoning, Jin gave the order.
"Yes, Master."
The Hurricane's top speed was Mach 2. Designated as an emergency maximum, it was a speed only permitted when no prying eyes were around.
The distance between the Pandor Continent and Hourai Island was roughly 1,800 kilometers. Flying at Mach 2—a little over 2,400 kilometers per hour—meant the vessel could cover the entire distance in just forty-five minutes.
"Welcome home, My Lord, Elsa-sama."
"We're back....Though I was just here a moment ago."
It was all a matter of framing.
"Welcome back, Jin, Elsa."
"Welcome back. Good work out there."
Reinhard and Saki were there to greet them as well.
"Hey, Reinhard. Thanks to you too, Saki, for making the anti-brainwashing hats."
"Kufu, looks like the enemy didn't end up using Brainwashing Magic after all, though."
Saki laughed, wondering aloud if their hard work had gone to waste.
"No, not at all. We might end up facing someone who uses it down the line."
"Most likely....Besides, if someone were truly trying to conquer this world, brainwashing Jin would be their smartest move."
Reinhard delivered the observation with a dry smile.
"Hmm... I wonder about that."
Jin tilted his head.
He couldn't help but wonder: if he were to be brainwashed, would Reiko and Laojun truly follow his orders without question?
"What do you think, Reiko, Laojun?"
Laojun was the first to respond to the inquiry.
"Yes, My Lord. Should we determine that My Lord has been brainwashed, Hourai Island will dedicate all its resources toward dispelling it."
Reiko followed immediately after.
"I will eliminate whoever brainwashed Father with everything I have."
Hearing their responses, Reinhard let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha, as expected of you, Jin! Your children don't offer blind obedience—they possess the will to choose the best path forward!"
Saki chimed in with warm praise of her own.
"Kufu, Jin, this Hourai Island you've built really is a true paradise in every sense of the word."
"You think so?...I suppose it is."
Feeling a bit bashful, Jin accepted the compliment.
Above them, the skies over Hourai Island stretched out in a flawless, brilliant blue.