Chapter 373
Number One
It was now evening in Kaina village, and so Jin decided that they should hurry on back .
As Elsa had not been given permission to use the warp gate by herself, Edgar took Reiko’s hand and Jin took Elsa’s hand and they went through it .
“Ahhh, older brother…Sister Elsa . Welcome back . ”
Hanna welcomed them with a toothless voice . Hanna saw Edgar being pulled by Reiko and looked surprised .
“…Who is that?”
“Hanna, this is Edgar . The automata that Elsa created . I guess you could say that he is Reiko’s cousin . ”
Hanna seemed to have understood this explanation .
“Really? So he is called Edgar . I’m Hanna . Nice to meet you!”
“Yes, Miss Hanna . It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance . ”
Hanna scowled at these formal words .
“Edgar, I don’t like it when you call me ‘Miss . ’”
Elsa agreed .
“Edgar . Hanna is Hanna . That’s what you should call her . ”
“Yes, I understand . …Hanna . …Is that alright?”
“Yes, that is fine . ”
Hanna and Elsa nodded at the same time .
“Welcome back, Master Jin . And Elsa…who is this?”
“Ah, this is the automata that Elsa made . Edgar . ”
Mine’s eyes widened at this . Her own daughter was now able to make such an advanced automata .
“I think Elsa has a gift . ”
Jin added .
“I-is that true?”
“Yes . It might have been better had she started earlier, but she can still learn so much even now . ”
“…Elsa’s father only had her educated as a n.o.ble, ever since she was little . He had no intention of nurturing any gifts she might have had . ”
Mine looked very sad . Then Elsa called to her .
“Mother . Brother Jin . What is it? Hurry up and come inside . ”
Aside from Jin and Mine, the others had all gone into the house .
After dinner was over, Jin and Elsa introduced Edgar once again .
“I barely did anything . I only gave a few suggestions and watched to make sure that there was nothing strange . And so Edgar is definitely Elsa’s creation . ”
“Wow! Sister Elsa!”
Hanna praised her without restraint and Martha also looked impressed .
“That means that Sara can focus more on helping Martha and Mine now . ”
Currently, Mine was working the most, and so there was less for Martha, the house golem maid, and Sara to do .
Well, they were also guards in a way, so Jin meant to maintain the current structure .
* * *
It was now the thirtieth of the fifth month .
Reinhart and Belche’s wedding would be on the following day . And so Jin planned to return to the Shouro empire in the evening . But he intended to play with Hanna as much as possible until then .
“Brother! Over here!”
Hanna rode on Mint and Jin rode on Koma as they went to the mountains . Reiko rode in front of Jin .
It was the same mountain they had gone to before to collect herbs .
“It’s been a while since we came here . ”
“Yes, that’s right . ”
Kaina village looked small from here . And the summer breeze felt very good .
Jin and Hanna lined their golem horses together and enjoyed the scenery in silence .
“…Sister Elsa did so well . ”
“Huh?”
Jin was surprised at this sudden declaration .
“She didn’t seem so reliable when she first came to the village . And she was a bad cook . ”
Well, it wasn’t too surprising, since she had lived as the daughter of a viscount up until then .
“But she learned how to cook and can now clean and draw up water . ”
“…”
“And she teaches me and can use magic . And recently, she practices in the workshop late into the night when you are not around . ”
It was a side of Elsa that he hadn’t known . And now Hanna was telling him . Jin listened carefully .
“You know, it was her who said that we should let you do what you want . ”
He had had a feeling about it . But he was still happy to hear it from her directly .
“…And so…”
Hanna stopped, as if organizing her thoughts . Then she started again .
“I decided that I need to do my best as well . ”
“You?”
“I can’t just be spoiled all the time . I need to be able to help you . ”
Hanna said . Then she smiled like a flower .
“I don’t know what I can do, since I’m still small, but after I study a lot and grow up…”
Hanna’s eyes had a serious light in them .
“…So I can become your number one . ”
Hanna said with red face . Then she jumped off of Mint and ran away . Jin sat there in surprise .
“Father, please run after Hanna . ”
Reiko said . And so Jin dismounted Koma and chased after Hanna .
There was a great field of gra.s.s near the top of the mountain . Hanna was running in it .
“Hanna!”
Jin called as he chased after her . Hanna turned around and stopped .
“Brother!”
Then she ran towards him and jumped into his arms . And like that, they fell onto the soft gra.s.s .
“Brother…”
Jin patted her gently on the head . Hanna’s cheeks turn red . She looked happy .
“Hanna, thank you . ”
Jin was a little sad that he couldn’t say anything else . But they stayed there and enjoyed the smell of the gra.s.s and the early summer breeze for a while .
From afar, Reiko watched over them .
* * *
There was a time difference of about three hours between Kaina village and the Shouro empire . And so Jin needed to leave Kaina village at nine in the night in order to return on the promised time .
That was why Jin played with Hanna as much as he could during the day .
And now it was nearly nine .
Jin had finished his preparations and was standing in front of the house .
“Well then, take care of things while I’m gone . ”
“Master Jin, please give my regards to Reinhart . ”
Reinhart knew that Jin was helping Mine, but Belche didn’t know . Reinhart would probably tell her later .
As for Jin, he hoped that they would come to Kaina village as part of their honeymoon .
“Brother Jin . Please give them my present . ”
The mascot doll that Elsa had made had been wrapped up neatly and given to Reiko .
“Master Jin, you are leaving so soon again?”
Barou and Belle had also come out to see him off . He had decided to tell them of the existence of the ‘warp gate . ’
Along with the information that it could only be used with him and could only take them to select locations .
“Jin, be careful . ”
Martha looked at Jin and laughed .
“Brother, please take care . ”
Hanna also laughed as she saw him off . A new tooth was starting to grow in place of the one that had come out .
“Good bye . ”
And then Jin jumped into the warp gate and arrived in Hourai island and then teleported to the carriage in the Shouro empire .