Chapter 648: “The Klein Kingdom Afterward”
Three days had passed since King Alois III’s successful surgery, and Jin and Elsa remained in the Klein Kingdom to monitor the king’s recovery.
During this time, Jin and Elsa discreetly teleported to the village of Kaina, where they informed a concerned Hannah about the successful treatment.
“Oh, really? The king is recovering well, isn’t he? Princess, you must be so happy! Big brother, big sister, thank you!”
Seeing Hannah’s smile, Jin felt that all their efforts had been worthwhile.
And then…
“Lady Elsa, Lord Jin, words cannot express our gratitude.”
King Alois III’s health had significantly improved, although he was still bedridden due to his lack of strength.
Jin and Elsa had an audience with the recovering king to personally express their gratitude for saving his life. Present at the meeting were three members of the royal family: Prince Edmond, Prince Arthur, and Princess Lieschen. Three ministers were also in attendance: Prime Minister Powell, Minister of Magic Clarot Bados Caelis, and Minister of Defense Fadas Lofus Feargram.
The Prime Minister presented a concise report to the King, followed by an explanation of the illness.
“…So it turns out that consuming raw fish is detrimental to one’s health,” King Alois III lamented, visibly disappointed. It appeared he had a fondness for such dishes.
“Father, your health is paramount. Please take good care of yourself,” Princess Lieschen urged, rendering the king momentarily speechless.
“Drinks like Apururu and Persica juice are beneficial for your health, so I recommend consuming them regularly,” Elsa advised.
Jin had brought Apururu fruits from Penglai Island, handpicking ten of them while they were still firm with the intention of making fresh juice. These fruits were known for their high Aether content, a potent magical substance that proved particularly effective for the ailing.
In an ideal scenario, they would have offered healing potions, but given the traditional nature of the country, there was a risk that such gifts might not be well-received. Hence, they opted for fruit instead.
“Thank you. We’ll have them juiced later,” Princess Lieschen accepted the fruits on behalf of the king, passing them to his devoted maid.
To avoid further straining the king’s health, everyone left the room and convened in a smaller conference room.
“Well, Lord Jin, Lady Elsa, thanks to you, we have resolved this crisis,” the Prime Minister said, bowing his head before continuing.
“Over the past three days, we’ve managed to identify and eliminate five spies who had infiltrated the kingdom,” he added, without disclosing their identities. However, the discovery of five spies within such a short timeframe had evidently improved overall security. Though unspoken, it seemed one of them was Boedeman, the healer in the convalescent ward.
“These spies employed various methods to obstruct us,” the Prime Minister explained. “Some of their actions, such as deliberately prolonging the treatment of injured individuals or tampering with food, were relatively mild. However, some of their actions had the potential to wreak economic havoc.” The Prime Minister’s expression soured as he recounted their deeds.
“But this isn’t the end; there are undoubtedly more spies out there. We will not relent in our pursuit,” he emphasized, suggesting that the Prime Minister’s troubles were far from over.
Delight, the former Minister of Industry, had also been revealed as a spy for the Kingdom of Celroa. This conclusion rested solely on circumstantial evidence since there was no physical proof, and Delight hadn’t confessed.
“He claims to have been a member of the Unified Party Unifyer,” the Prime Minister said, a claim likely true since he appeared to have knowledge about Elena.
“He cleverly married into the Hanks family, became its head, and after his wife’s death, openly transmitted information to the Celroa Kingdom. However, we lack concrete evidence to support this,” the Prime Minister continued. “Even for smuggling 300 tons of wheat, he could face the death penalty. If we manage to extract information from him, his execution will undoubtedly follow.”
Defense Minister Fadas Lofus Feargram then spoke up. “We have decided to repurpose the golem Delight obtained while smuggling wheat for our own nation.”
This time, it was Clarot Bados Caelis, the Minister of Magic, who spoke. He was a middle-aged man with red hair and brown eyes. It was a Heavy Golem, not a Le Carre. The Le Carre had been severely damaged by Reiko’s single blow, rendering the control core unanalyzable, and thus, it remained unmentioned. Nonetheless, Jin suspected this golem was responsible for using “Hypno” on the servants.
“Lord Jin skillfully neutralized it, and for that, we are grateful,” Princess Lieschen conveyed on behalf of the king.
“No, I’m pleased to have been of assistance,” Jin responded modestly.
“As for that man’s hot air balloon, we’ve decided not to repair it, as it pales in comparison to the one Lord Jin provided us,” Prime Minister Powell added.
It also lacked an engine, making the decision logical.
“We’ve been employing desiccants and dehumidifiers in combination, and it appears to be effective,” the Prime Minister continued. They had yet to find a replacement for the Minister of Industry.
“We’ve placed an order for 100 tons of desiccants from the Showlo Empire, and they will gradually deliver them to us.”
“I understand. I must stress the importance of handling moisture with great care, as improper management could lead to fires or burns.”
“Yes, we will exercise caution.”
Jin and Elsa then took their turn to speak. Elsa began by addressing the recent illness.
“This time, His Majesty suffered from a parasitic infection known as ‘liverworm.'”
“What is that?” Prince Arthur inquired.
“This is the parasite that was removed from His Majesty and two other patients. We believe they ingested fish that contained the eggs or larvae of this parasite.”
“Is that so?” Elsa paused briefly before continuing.
“His Majesty frequents Lake Manuze annually, as I learned from Princess Lieschen. It is likely that others in the vicinity have also suffered from this ailment.”
Elsa paused again, scanning the room’s occupants.
“His Majesty’s harboring of this parasite also partially rests on your shoulders.”
Tension filled the room among the kingdom’s officials.
“Not informing His Majesty about the prevalence of this disease in the area was irresponsible. Assuming that His Majesty would be the only unaffected party was a truly negligent assumption.”
A somber silence fell upon everyone.
Finally, the Prime Minister spoke up. “What you say is true. The responsibility is mine, without a doubt.”
He lowered his head, appearing even wearier than usual.
“I was the one who issued the order to keep the locals away when His Majesty went to recuperate.”
“In reality, it was the soldiers who carried out the order, so even if there were sick people, Powell wouldn’t have known,” Prince Arthur consoled the dejected Prime Minister.
“Rather than placing blame on me, it should be us, the siblings… No, it’s me. Father has visited every year, and I’ve accompanied him many times. Yet we were unaware of the existence of such a disease,” Prince Edmond confessed.
“Are you suggesting I couldn’t have shown such consideration?” Prince Arthur retorted.
“Brother, if you’re going to make such statements in this setting, I won’t hold back either,” Prince Edmond responded.
Ignoring the siblings’ exchange, Princess Lieschen bowed her head.
“More than anything else, the blame falls on us for not informing Father about the onset of this illness. Deeming Father the sole exception to the illness was a truly irresponsible assumption.”
The kingdom’s officials remained speechless.
Finally, Defense Minister Fadas Lofus Feargram broke the silence. “Your Highness is correct. It pains me to hear that.”
“National defense encompasses more than just dealing with visible adversaries; diseases are also formidable foes,” he added.
Another silence enveloped the room.
Princess Lieschen broke the silence once more. “Elsa, Jin, I believe many people around Lake Manuze are afflicted by the same parasite as Father. It’s impossible to cure them… isn’t it?”
Jin understood her sentiments. He too wished to do something…
“Elsa is not from the Showlo Empire, so please disregard her words,” Princess Lieschen said, bowing her head.
Observing the princess’s gesture, Elsa pondered her capabilities and spoke.
“First and foremost, refrain from serving live fish that may contain the parasites.”
This advice was focused on prevention; they could not afford any more patients.
“If you must serve them live, ensure they are properly processed.”
“What do you mean by processing, Elsa?” Princess Lieschen inquired.
“Basically, engineering magic cannot be applied to living creatures. Instead, we utilize it the other way around. You should be able to inspect dead fish for live parasites or eggs before cooking them.”
“I see, that makes sense. So Father can still enjoy his favorite trout,” Prince Arthur remarked with a chuckle.
“Above all, we must prevent further infections,” Elsa continued.
“I understand. Thank you, Elsa. Rather than relying on others, let’s start by doing what we can ourselves,” Princess Lieschen replied, appearing a touch more mature.
“As for the food situation,” Jin added, broaching a topic he had been considering.
“You might consider consulting the Kingdom of Elias. Being located to the south, they can easily increase food production.”
“That’s a valid point. We could request dried fish and similar products from them,” Jin suggested, thinking of Topopo at this juncture. He had learned from the Elder that the Marquis of Firenza had disseminated it not only within the Borgia capital but throughout the entire kingdom.
However, he kept this information concealed and simply recommended seeking seafood assistance.
Similarly, he hinted at seeking aid from the Kingdom of Egeria, which had access to the sea.
With Elsa’s matter addressed, Jin realized there was no need to focus on grains.
Perhaps the Prime Minister’s concerns had alleviated somewhat.
“Prime Minister, if you ever feel fatigued, consider consuming fruit juice,” Jin remarked casually.
“Is that so?” the Prime Minister responded.
Jin recommended Apururu from Penglai Island for its therapeutic properties.
After offering a few more pieces of advice, Jin and Elsa completed their mission during this visit.
—
Jin and Elsa prepared to take their leave.
Superficially, it was merely a formality.
They waited for the scattered “sams” to return to their various locations within the castle and then packed them into boxes. They also dispatched the Special Operations Unit S.P. outside the castle. These tasks consumed time.
“Jin, Elsa, I owe you both a great debt. Let’s meet again,” Princess Lieschen expressed.
“Lord Jin, Lady Elsa, please convey my regards to Emperor Majesty,” Prime Minister Powell added.
“We will undoubtedly reunite in the future,” Jin replied.
They bid farewell to Princess Lieschen, the Prime Minister, and the others, watching as their airship ascended into the clear Klein Kingdom skies, heralding the arrival of winter.
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