“Hmm, doesn’t look like she’s in Blue Land either…”
Jin was still in Hourai Island looking for Elsa.
“What will I say to Mine…”
It was now 8 o’clock on Hourai Island. The time difference between here and Kunlun Island was one hour. As it was 7 o’clock on the other island, it was about time for Mine to find Elsa not coming back strange.
“Well, I guess I have to tell the truth…”
Jin had an image of the old Mine burnt in his mind, so he couldn’t imagine any other result than getting yelled at.
Despite that Jin warped to Kunlun Island and met with Mine.
“Jin-sama, it seems that Elsa is late, has something happened?”
Seeing Mine’s concerned expression, Jin got cold feet. But he braced himself and,
“Elsa has… gone missing.”
Jin told her the truth.
“Eh? Gone missing? Elsa has? What happened?”
Thankfully, Mine accepted the truth without flying into a rage and grabbing Jin. Of course, she looked worried.
“As a matter of fact…”
Jin explained his conjecture of what went on earlier. After hearing the basics, Mine muttered a few words.
“That kid… She surely was curiously peeking into the Warp Gates, wasn’t she?…”
The guess was rather on point but it did not change the current situation.
“Anyway, since I’m searching for her with all I can, don’t worry… That’s probably too much to ask, however, I’d like you to at least not worry too much.”
Jin said. His remark had a somewhat confusing feel to it but that was unavoidable.
“Mh-hm, Jin-sama is the person who saved her and me. As you’re once more searching for Elsa, I trust in you.”
Being told so Jin could feel the pressure, but without showing that on his face he nodded in a big way,
“Leave it to me.”
He said and left behind Kunlun Island.
“Master, why do you think Elsa-san was able to warp?”
Ann came and asked him. More precisely, she wanted to confirm something to find out the cause.
“Hmm, maybe the authentication didn’t work well, or perhaps…”
“She was wearing something with Master’s Magic Energy in it, don’t you think so?”
After hearing that Jin sharply clapped his hands together.
“That’s right, that has to be it! I wonder why I didn’t think of that sooner?”
He couldn’t think of any other reason than panicking after Elsa’s disappearance.
While reflecting, Jin gave instructions to Laojin.
“Laojin, like when you looked for Elsa earlier, look for my…”
His instructions tapered off.
“My Lord, what’s wrong?”
Laojin seemed puzzled and asked. Jin looked like he had understood something and said,
“Right, that’s probably it! Elsa was wearing the brooch I gave her to as a present! Isn’t that right, Reiko?”
Jin basically wasn’t very mindful of people’s attire. That included his own.
“Let’s see, that’s indeed the case. If I recall correctly I think that she had the brooch on her chest.”
Reiko hadn’t paid much attention to it either. Like father, like daughter, you could say.
Well, in Reiko’s case she was probably just barely concerned with anyone except for Jin.
“Laojin, that appears to be the most probable one. The same brooch Elsa had last time she was searched for. Please look for it.”
“As you wish.”
Laojin used the Magi Radar and began searching for Elsa.
The search locations were the places where Warp Gates had been established.
Port Rock, Blue Land, the ruins of the eighth subdivision, and then…
“My Lord, there is a reaction from Kaina Village.”
Some 30 minutes after Laojin began the search, he reported of a discovery.
“So it was Kaina Village!”
Jin was relieved for the time being as she wasn’t anywhere dangerous.
“Surely she carelessly went outside and the barrier kept her from coming back, huh.”
The specialty of this sort of barrier was that it was easy to get out from the inside, but you couldn’t get in from the outside. It mainly had something to do with the flow of Magic Energy used to cast spells, but let’s not go into details right now.
“Even so, Kaina Village, huh…”
Jin sighed and had a faraway look in his eyes.
“I’m certain I left Kaina Village on December last year, and now is April so it’s been about four months since then…”
He couldn’t tell whether four months was long or short. A lot of things had happened during that time. No, too many things.
Now that he had received the title of Egelia Kingdom’s Honorary Magi Craftsman, he could probably return to Kaina Village at a moment’s notice without any harm.
However, he wanted to avoid inconveniencing the village by all means.
“Anyhow, I don’t have any option other than going there tomorrow morning, do I?”
But, she was worried about Elsa too. No matter how good the people of Kaina Village were she was probably feeling lonely.
Then Jin got in touch with Gon, Gen, and the SP dedicated to Hannah.
“Iris speaking.”
Iris of the SP spoke as the representative. Jin briefly told her of Elsa’s disappearance and asked if she had by any chance happened to see Elsa around there. Her reply was,
“Yes, a young lady thought to be her did indeed come here.”
“A lady named Elsa of around 16 or 17 years of age is satying in the village headman Mr. Gheebeck’s house. She has platinum blonde hair.”
She was unmistakably Elsa.
“She seems to have received a warm welcome from the village headman’s niece Barbara. Hannah-chan is also with her.”
Hearing that, Jin felt relieved.
“Got it. I’ll go meet her tomorrow. Until then, take care that nothing happens to Elsa and of course Hannah.”
“Yes. I shall have Gon guard the house’s surroundings.”
And then the call was over.
Now it was past nine PM on Hourai Island. The time difference between here and Kaina Village was a little over two hours so there it was seven PM. It was already total darkness. It was time for the households to go to sleep.
Even if he went there at this time it would be useless. Or rather it would probably cause trouble and maybe even an uproar.
Jin calmed his inner conflict by thinking such thoughts. Then he spoke to Reiko.
“Reiko, there’s no doubt Elsa warped to Kaina Village.”
“Kaina Village, is it?”
“Yeah. Tomorrow, let’s see, at 8 AM local time should be fine. I was thinking of going to meet her.”
Jin said with a determined look on his face.
“Father, you’re returning to Kaina Village, right?”
Reiko asked as if to confirm.
“Yeah. At the very least I have to show everyone I’m safe, and the rest I’ll decide afterwards.”
Right now Jin wasn’t even afraid of taking a whole country on. But he wanted to avoid strife. More so because of Kaina Village.
“I was thinking of going there as Egelia Kingdom’s Honorary Magi Craftsman.”
Just in case he’d be assertive.
“Yes, I’ll bring Peach Blossom and the Magi Cannon with me.”
“Um, you won’t need either.”
He thought those things won’t be needed in Kaina village, and he wished they wouldn’t become needed.
Jin fell asleep half-anxious and half-expectant of tomorrow’s reunion.
＊ ＊ ＊
“So Elsa-san was in a Warp Gate malfunction?”
This was Kaina Village headman’s, Gheebeck’s house. It was evening.
After a slightly early dinner, Barbara and Elsa were chatting. Although it mostly composed of Barbara talking about various things and Elsa responding.
“Mm. Although malfunction may not be exactly what happened.”
“That right? But, a Warp Gate, huh. Are those things common?”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
Barbara explained to Elsa who looked puzzled.
“Last year too, a person who was warped by a malfunctioning Warp Gate came.”
Hearing that Elsa was a little bit startled.
“A-and, that person is?”
“They’re no longer here. It was a misunderstanding but the feudal lord of this area, Earl Walter distrusted them groundlessly and they ended up leaving the village. Although the misunderstanding has been cleared already, they’ve not returned so we can’t tell them that.”
“And then that…”
Elsa wanted to say something, but at that moment Gheebeck came. By him was a small girl.
“Oh my, Hannah-chan, what are you doing here this late?”
It was nearly five PM. It was no wonder Barbara asked that.
“You see, I was wondering about Elsa onee-chan.”
“Me?”
Elsa was slightly surprised and looked at Hannah.
“Yeah. I thought, isn’t it lonely after appearing here by herself?”
Hearing that, Elsa smiled.
“Thank you. …Hannah-chan, right?”
“Mh-hm, ah, that’s right, I never told onee-chan my name, sorry.”
Hannah said and quickly bowed her head. Elsa giggled and smiled as she saw that.
“It’s okay. I was saved thanks to Hannah-chan, after all.”
The two had a conversation like that, then Barbara brought them another chair and,
“Hannah-chan, sit here. I already asked Elsa about many things. Hannah-chan, you also want to talk with her, right?”
She said. Hannah nodded in a lively manner.
“Yeah!”