I was the day after Jin had his first taste of rice in a long while.
“Reinhart, I have a favor to ask.”
Jin was having a private conversation with Reinhart.
“The thing is…”
Jin explained about his achievements in the Cline kingdom and how a certain village had been leased to him.
“And so an amba.s.sador from the Cline kingdom has gone there. It would be bad for me to not show up, and it seems that there was some sort of incident. Though it is currently resolved.”
“I see. And so you wish to go there for three or four days.”
“Yes. Do you have any good ideas?”
Reinhart folded his arms and closed his eyes in order to think hard on the matter.
“…I suppose, faking an illness is the only way.”
That was what Reinhart said after he opened his eyes once again.
“Faking an illness, huh.”
It was a standard method used when you didn’t want to go to school or to work.
“Still, it would be fine for just one day, but people might try and visit you if it is three to four days.”
Reinhart did not forget to point out these possibilities either. However, Jin had a way around that.
“Oh, then I could just use a ‘subst.i.tute puppet.’”
The subst.i.tute puppet he had used before had been turned into a Deus Ex Machina. However, they were easy to make, and as long as they just lay in bed, no one would be able to tell.
He could leave the answering of simple questions to Laojun.
Jin explained this to Reinhart.
“Hmm, I see. A subst.i.tute doll. This is a method that is only possible with your skills.”
A normal automata would have been easily caught but the risk of that happening is next to none if it’s Jin’s automata.
And since he was supposed to be sick, all it had to do was lie in bed, and no one would stay too long if they visited.
Now that they were finished discussing it, it was time to act.
First, he would need to get out of the Shouro empire’s palace. This was easily done with the excuse that Reinhart wanted to show Jin around the city.
After that, Jin would be free to use the carriage which was equipped with a warp gate. And he could then travel to Hourai island.
“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
Jin said as he teleported to Hourai island. He would bring back the subst.i.tute doll from there. However, since the previous doll had had its appearance modified, he would have to make a new one.
“Preparations have been made, my lord.”
He had sent word on ahead through Reiko, so the necessary items were already prepared by Laojun. Thanks to this, he was able to complete the new subst.i.tute doll within thirty minutes. This one could be controlled from a long distance away.
“…It is a little creepy.”
br>It had the same face as him. No matter how many times he saw dolls that looked like him, he could never get used to it.
“…Then it’s just Reiko, I guess.”
It would be strange for Reiko to not be by Jin’s side, and so he needed a subst.i.tute for her as well.
For this, he would call a Mira 10 and just disguise it.
And this would be very easy, as the Quinta already had such capabilities.
“Good, time to go back then.”
He left the general controls of the subst.i.tute doll to Laojun as he took the Mira 10 with him back to the carriage.
“Oh, oh!?”
Reinhart’s eyes widened. There were two Jins.
“Wo-wow! He looks just like you!”
He was becoming very excited now, but time was precious, and so Jin ignored that remark.
“Sorry, Reinhart. Now, could you return with this doll? …Reiko, I am counting on you.”
“Yes…father.”
The Mira 10 who looked like Reiko answered. He had not even told Reinhart that this Reiko was a subst.i.tute.
“Jin, so it will be just as we discussed? You will return in four days?”
“Yeah. I’ll leave the rest to you. …I will pay you back for this eventually.”
“Haha. I look forward to that. You know, I wouldn’t mind going to visit that village as well. Could I?”
Kaina village, where his cousin Elsa was. Reinhart seemed very interested. Jin nodded, then waved before entering the warp gate once again.
＊ ＊ ＊
Reinhart returned to the castle just as they had planned. Of course, the driver of Jin’s carriage was the steward.
And so the subst.i.tute dolls went to Jin’s room and prepared his bed.
This was where Reiko’s strong claim that ‘he does not need maids because he has me,’ came in very handy.
“Reinhart, they say that Jin has fainted! Is he alright?”
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The empress was immediately informed about Jin becoming bedridden, and as was expected, the friendly empress took time between governing to come and see him.
“Yes, but, it is only that he is tired from the journey.”
Reinhart explained, which was how he hinted that she should not stay for too long. The perceptive empress caught his meaning, and so she said only a few words to Jin(the subst.i.tute doll), and left.
br>Everything went according to Jin and Reinhart’s plans.
＊ ＊ ＊
Now that Jin was back in Hourai island, he first listened to a report from Laojun.
“…Illness, huh.”
“Yes. That is, if the mystery man really did do something to the pigeons, just like in Deneb 29’s report.”