Magi Craft Meister 332
11-34 Intrigue?
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 ambassador 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 ‘substitute puppet.’”
The substitute 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 substitute 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 substitute 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 substitute doll within thirty minutes. This one could be controlled from a long distance away.
“…It is a little creepy.”
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 substitute 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 substitute 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 substitute.
“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 substitute 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?”
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 substitute doll), and left.
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.”
“…Unforgivable.”
Infectious diseases were a fearsome thing in this world. It was one of the reasons that the population distribution of Kaina village was disproportionate.
“But, the safety of the village should be a priority, not revenge.”
Jin realized that it was possible for the illness to enter through a different route as well.
After all, they had no idea who this ‘mystery man’ even was. Even with the abilities of the Quinta.
After thinking about this for a while, Jin came to a conclusion.
“Fine. I will first meet Lishia and the others in Kaina village. I will give them and the others in the village some kind of excuse like… I know, how about a completion ceremony for the castle?”
Jin was trying to create an opportunity to have everyone in the village drink a vaccine for the disease.
Jin was boiling with rage at the moment, but he understood that keeping those that were close to him safe was more important. And so he came to this decision after controlling his anger.
“Pelshika juice that has been long stored in an ether box will not be as effective as drug base, but it should be more than enough, right?”
“Yes. As for what I can currently prepare, it would have a 10% ether thickness. It is also possible to add medicare to this.”
Pelshika juice without magical enchantments still helped heal the body, but it was also possible to use the magic of medicare with it as well.
As the amount of ether contained in it was very low, they had no plans of using it at Hourai island when they had pure serum, but it was good for making them drink it without telling them anything.
And even if the ether content was low, it could be drunk in large quantities as juice, which would also make it more effective.
Jin had decided that it would only result in chaos if everyone suspected that there was a disease when they were not even sure yet.
“Alright, then please make the preparations. …And continue to search for this mystery man.”
Jin made the order to Laojun.
“Understood. I am also devising a method of revenge towards Earl Walter.”
“…I will also leave that to you then. The only thing left to do, is to follow Lishia and find out if similar symptoms haven’t shown.”
It wasn’t only about saving Kaina village from the disease.
However, Pascaud was with her and had not shown any symptoms, so it was difficult to determine if it was contagious. And so they decided to give it a day and see.
“Father, everything has been prepared.”
“Thank you.”
Reiko said after she had prepared all of the tools that looked useful from his office. And so Jin and Reiko together went to Kaina village.
This time, Jin used the shelter warp gate.
It was currently midday at Kaina village.
Jin decided to head for the castle first.
“Ah, I have to think of a name for the castle too…”
Kaina castle, Jin castle, Nidou castle…He considered the different names that appeared in his head.
“Nidou Castle… I like it. It reminds me of Nijou Castle.”
Just as Jin thought of this.
“Master, my lady, welcome home.”
A voice rang.
When he looked, it the was the golem maids of five colors, Ruby, Aqua, Peridot, Topaz, Amethyst. The 101 versions, and Butler B and C that had greeted them.
“Oh, you are all here. Thank you.”
Jin nodded and stepped foot into the castle.
“Where are Barou and Belle?”
He asked Butler B who was following him and was told that they had gone to the village chief’s house to take care of Lishia and one other noble who was her guard.
“I see. Well, it is just midday after all.”
Jin assumed that they had gone to help with cooking and other things, and so he headed to his office.
“Three stories, eh? I wonder if I can make it with all this stuff?”
He said this to himself, and then Butler C, who had overheard this, explained to him:
“Master, there is a secret elevator installed in the central pillar.”
He had wondered why there was a central pillar that seemed like a tower inside the castle. And apparently, it was because there was an elevator inside.
Hearing this, Jin wondered why Laojun had not told him of this before.
As for the reason:
“The truth is, Belle is in charge of cleaning, and it was very tiring to climb the stairs, and so this was constructed immediately last night.”
It was a most shocking explanation.