08-19 An Ending

“Last but not the least, I’ve got something I want Elsa to hear.”

“What?”

“It’s about Mine.”

Jin said, then Elsa vigorously inclined forwards and,

“Mine! Is she alright!?”

She asked, sounding agitated. Despite being surprised by her energy,

“Yeah. She’s already awake and recovering.”

Jin told Elsa who sat back down with a thump.

“I’m glad…”

She whispered.

“Elsa, it could be said that Mine was the one who tempted you and made you go through that dangerous experience. Despite that, you’re worried?”

Reinhardt asked. Jin felt some anger coming out of him and it wasn’t probably just his imagination.

“Mm. But, when I was in danger Mine protected me with her body. Of course I’m worried.”

Elsa answered and Reinhardt sighed and,

“Sigh, of course indeed. I guess that runs in the blood.”

He muttered as if giving up. Elsa found some fault with what he said and,

“Rai-nii, what do you mean?”

She asked. Reinhardt’s face became serious.

“Mine is your real mother, I think.”

He then informed her. Elsa kicked away the cus.h.i.+ons while getting up.

“Rai-nii! Is that, true?”

“Yeah. Mine herself also said so.”

This time Jin answered.

Once more Elsa tried to sit down but having kicked off the cus.h.i.+ons by accident, she kept going and fell on her behind on the floor…And then toppled over on her back.

“Ow.”

“A–are you okay?”

Jin and Reinhardt both worriedly ran over to her. As Elsa and Reinhardt were poor at sitting in seiza, five cus.h.i.+ons had been stacked for each of them and so the height difference had been large.

“…My b.u.t.t hurts…But I’m okay.”

Elsa said and stood up while rubbing her b.u.t.t, pulled the cus.h.i.+ons towards herself and sat down. She had tears in her eyes but you couldn’t tell if it was from the pain of falling on her backside, or from the happiness of knowing her real mother.

“I want to see Mine.”

Elsa looked Jin in the eyes and said. Jin pondered her request. Then he came to a conclusion.

“Alright, got it. Mine, you can live together with Mine on Kunlun Island. That place is secure and you can easily come and go with the Warp Gates.”

In addition, Reiko also approved of that.

“That’s right I suppose, this island would have a lot of problems but Kunlun Island was originally a dummy for Hourai Island. So I think it’s a good idea.”

“The environment’s also good there, right? If you lived there then I’d be relieved too. Also there’s no way Mine would be employed again either.”

Reinhardt approved of it too, so they decided to invite her to Kunlun Island later.

“In that case, I’ll go back to Tellurs for now.”

“Mh-hm, please take care of the rest. Just leave the carriage for me to handle, and tell them that I dropped out in the middle of the trip and it should go smoothly.”

“Of course. Because you don’t want to come in the Celuroa Kingdom’s region of special precautions, just tell me when to take a detour or something so we can meet up again.”

Then Jin gave Reinhardt a ManaCom.

Lately, the tuning for Magic Energy wavelengths reached great successes, so that they could make calls on around 1000 channels without interference. Compared to radio waves the amount of channels is not at all that much, but as it could cover all the members of Hourai Island it was a very important thing.

“With this you can contact Hourai Island’s Laozi. Laozi can convey it to me, and in the case that I’m not around you can just leave a message to Laozi.”

“I see, that’s good. Right, I suppose I’ll make contact regularly. I wonder if nights would be okay.”

As expected, the reunion would probably work out easily if Reinhardt kept in contact secretly.

“In that case, I’ll also go meet Mine so let’s go to Tellurs together.”

“Jin-nii, please get Mine here.”

And so, Jin and Reinhardt along with Reiko were seen off by Elsa and they warped to Tellurs.

＊ ＊ ＊

“I probably don’t particularly need to see Mine. Give her my regards.”

“Got it.”

Reinhardt returned to the hotel, while Jin headed to Sally Milsson’s clinic.

“Good day.”

This time, there were no patients in the clinic.

“Oh, it’s you. The patient’s condition has improved greatly. Your medicine is really amazing.”

Sally said and greeted Jin.

“Is that so? In that case, would it be alright for her to leave the hospital?”

“Hm? That’s probably okay. But she can’t work too hard, alright?”

“Yeah, okay. The side receiving her wants to have her recover, so.”

Jin said and Sally looked relieved.

“Really? If so, that’s a relief. She’ll probably be healed and back to normal as long as she takes it easy for two more days.”

She said. And so Jin went to sickroom.

“Ah, Jin-sama.”

Mine tried to sit upright but Jin stopped her and,

“Mine, you’re a lot better now I hear?”

He asked. Mine smiled and said,

“Yes, thanks to you my wounds have disappeared. I’m still a little weak in the body, but I’m all good now.”

However, Jin replied,

“No, your recovery is the most important thing. Today I was thinking I’d have you change beds.”

“If not here, then where? …Could it be?”

Mine’s face sparkled with antic.i.p.ation.

“Ah, you’ve already got a faint idea? To where Elsa is.”

“Oh, Elsa! …Bu, but, will Elsa forgive me?”

Mine said and hung her head in unease. Good grief, is this really Mine, Jin thought due to the large change. Maybe the evil spirit in her came out or something, Jin thought.

“It’ll be fine. Also, Elsa knows that you’re her real mother.”

Jin said, and Mine stared at him in wonder.

“Come on, the mother and daughter should introduce themselves. So, let’s go.”

“Y, yes.”

And so Mine was discharged from the clinic. Her walking was still unsteady so Elm and Ash of the SP were called and made to carry her.

“Doctor, thank you for your help.”

As he was leaving Jin turned to Sally and bowed.

“What, you also helped me a lot. I too will try researching restorative medicine. First I’ve decided to test with my own blood.”

“Go for it.”

Soon after they went to where the carriage was, and after confirming no one was around got in. Only at the moment of going through the Warp Gate in the carriage Jin supported Mine, and instantly they warped to Hourai Island. Elm and Ash guarded the carriage.

For now, Reiko also stayed behind with the SP to move the carriage to the ruins of the Unifilers’ stronghold in order to prepare for building the advance base, and she planned to return after that.

“Come on, let’s finish this quick for Father.”

Reiko connected the golem horses she had brought along to the carriage and immediately sat on the driver’s seat, and had the carriage start off at a recklessly fast speed. The SP invisibly followed her.

“O, oi, what is that?”

“A…carriage? How can it be that fast.”

Some bystanders were surprised or doubtful but no more than that, and in two hours Reiko had moved the carriage to the ruins.

＊ ＊ ＊

Bringing Mine along, Jin returned to Hourai Island. Mine’s eyes darted around in confusion after her first Warp Gate experience.

They left the research laboratory for the mansion. It was already dim outside.

And, in front of the mansion there was the figure of a person. Of course, it was Elsa.

Noticing her Mine was startled and began trembling. She stood there petrified as if she couldn’t speak.

Elsa also froze when she saw Mine.

Jin quietly stepped away.

“Mo…ther.”

The first one who moved was Elsa.

One step, then another, slowly step-by-step she approached Mine.

On the other hand, Mine was panicking a little and was even starting to step back.

“Mother!”

Suddenly Elsa broke into a run. Then she energetically leapt towards Mine and embraced her.

At first Mine’s arms wandered about in the air as if she didn’t know what to do, but eventually those arms held Elsa tight.

“Elsa!”

“Mo…ther.”

They both cried.

“…I had no idea my real mother was this close all along. I wasn’t alone.”

“Sorry, I’ve been a bad mother…But I don’t think that’s something forgiven with just an apology.”

“Mm, it’s…fine, already.”

The two wanted to stay there like that until it was pitch black, but Jin was worried for Mine who was still recovering and called out to them in the end, and finally the two separated.

＊ ＊ ＊

Afterwards, the two once more went through a Warp Gate and to the mansion in Kunlun Island.

Here the five-colored golem maids’, Amethyst’s, Aquamarine’s, Topaz’s, Peridot’s, and Ruby’s number 100 models were entrusted to look after them.

Elsa who had come here earlier already knew, but Mine had a little, nay, a very strained look on her face.

“So, if you need anything then please contact me with the ManaCom. Take care of your mother.”

“Mm. Thank you for everything.”

“Jin-sama, I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”

“Mine, get better soon.”

Jin then decided to return to Hourai Island.

“Mother, huh. Lucky for Elsa.”

Unintentionally a soliloquy escaped from his lips.

On the way to the Warp Gate, suddenly he looked up at the sky and the whole sky was full of stars. And then, after returning to Hourai Island Jin finally began to go all out.