Magi Craft Meister

Magi Craft Meister 622

18　King Klein’s Treatment Arc

19-09　Reinhardt’s Peerage

On November 7th, a visitor came to Jin’s mansion.

“Hey, Jin, what a nice mansion!”

It was Reinhardt. It seemed that the Empress had summoned him.

“Congratulations on your appointment as Honorary Advisor to the Imperial Family, Jin.”

Berthie hadn’t been present during their meeting where the Family had debated about the “Recoil Elimination Magic”, so she took this opportunity to congratulate Jin.

“Thank you.”

Jin accepted the congratulations without any particular mannerism.

“I heard that you’ll be receiving the title of baron, Reinhardt?”

“Yeah, and it’s all thanks to you.”

He would be given the rank of baron for his great achievements in the country, such as the desiccant plant he had set up together with Jin.

Jin had heard the news about it the night before.

“Though it’s actually you who should be credited for most of these achievements, Jin. It feels a bit wrong to accept this title…”

“What do you mean? Rather than the technology itself, what’s being rewarded here is the fact that you have paved the way for the common folk to be able to produce it, right?”

“Ah, but that is also mostly thanks to Mr. Toa…”

Reinhardt was a very humble man. Jin could see a little bit of himself in him as well.

“So, what are you doing today?”

“Oh, don’t you know? There’s going to be a peerage conferring ceremony today at the Imperial Palace.”

“Huh?”

Jin looked at Elsa.

“Yeah, I know about that?”

“…Am I the only one who didn’t know about this?”

“The Imperial Palace sent us a message about it yesterday. Barrow properly informed us of it, so I assumed you had heard the news as well…”

“Umm…”

Two days before, since Shide had come to visit, Jin hadn’t been able to enjoy his miso soup with bonito flakes on Hourai Island, so he had postponed it to yesterday.

And since Jin had been so restless, looking forward to it since the morning, he seemed to have completely ignored Barrow’s report.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“Well, that’s Jin for you.”

Reinhardt had a bitter smile on his face as he said that.

“So, I took this chance to come take a look at your new mansion, Jin.”

“Oh, is that so? Great timing, then. I’ve been wanting to tell you to feel free to use this house whenever you have to come to Loizart.”

Jin then went on saying that he could use any of the empty guest rooms, and laughed.

“I see, I’ll take you up on your kind offer then. I’ve been stopping by my father’s mansion so far, but this place is also very convenient.”

Reinhardt also laughed after saying that.

“Then how about you show Berthie and me around the mansion?”

“Topaz, please show them around.”

“Understood.”

As Reinhardt and Berthie were guided by Topaz to take a look inside of the mansion, Jin whispered to Elsa.

“…I have to prepare a gift to congratulate Reinhardt.”

“Yeah. What should we do, Brother Jin?”

After thinking about it for a while, Jin and Elsa decided to give him a hot air balloon.

As a special feature, its air sac would be made using Grand Spider Silk, a very sturdy material which Jin also referred to as “GSS” for simplicity’s sake.

It would look like a normal hot air balloon, but it would have its own things that set it apart from the rest. Jin thought about decorating the air sack with Reinhardt’s family crest, but…

“I think we should make a new crest for the Family and use that one instead.”

At Elsa’s recommendation, Jin decided to leave the crest for last.

＊　　　＊　　　＊

At 1:00 PM on the same day…

“Okay then, we’ll get going.”

Reinhardt, the main guest of today’s event, would have to be at the Imperial Palace earlier than everyone else, so he left earlier together with Berthie.

Jin and the others would be departing about an hour later.

At 2:00 PM,. Jin, Elsa, and Hanna went to the Imperial Palace. Of course, Reiko and Edgar were also with them.

The invitation sent by the Imperial Palace stated very clearly in the Empress’ own handwriting that they expected Hanna to be present as well.

Jin and Reiko put on the cloaks and robes they had received from the Shouro Empire. Hanna was wearing a dress.

Meanwhile, Elsa was worried.

She would be seen in public around other nobles, such as Marquis Theoderic, and Reinhardt’s father, Earl Randall, so she was concerned about what to do regarding her position.

Would she be introducing herself as Elsa Randall, the Magi Engineer? Or as Elsa Nidou, younger sister of the Magi Craft Meister Jin Nidou?

Her father, Georg, had been stripped of his viscountship, but the Empress had told her that if Elsa wanted to set up a family line of her own, she would consider it.

However, Elsa had lived her life until today without ever replying to that.

(…I guess I could establish a branch family and revive the Randall house, but… rather than that…)

Elsa wanted to be by Jin’s side. If she could, she would like to be more than a little sister.

“…I’ve made up my mind.”

Muttering in a low voice, Elsa opened her closet and started picking clothes for the event.

＊　　　＊　　　＊

“Are we going to the castle, Big Brother?”

Hanna was in high spirits after hearing that she had been invited to the Imperial Palace by the Empress, whom she met the other day.

On this occasion, Jin and the others would be traveling in a Golem carriage brought from Hourai Island. This one was pulled by two Golem Horses.

It was a brand new Golem carriage, and although it hadn’t changed much in terms of design, it had on it both Jin’s crest and the crest of the Shouro Empire, just like the cloak that Jin received.

The coachman would be Butler D. Steward was to stay on Hourai Island.

“Is Elsa still not ready?”

“Ah, there she is!”

Elsa finally appeared from inside the mansion at a quick pace, accompanied by Edgar.

“Wow, Big Sis, you look so pretty!”

Elsa’s outfit was her favorite bright green dress. She had matched her clothes in a very refined way, and even Jin honestly thought that she looked gorgeous. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel that something was out of place.

Not knowing what it was, Jin and the others got into the carriage, and left for the Imperial Palace.

A carriage drawn by two Golem Horses was definitely a very conspicuous thing, but it soon made sense for everyone who saw it arrive once they realized that it belonged to Jin, the Magi Craft Meister.

“This way, please.”

“Thank you.”

Jin already had a status higher than that of an Earl –although only in name– as an “Honorary Advisor to the Imperial Family, so he can walk around the castle without reserve.

While politely responding to the servant who welcomed them, Jin and the others headed to the venue.

The venue was a large hall.

In addition to Reinhardt, there were several other nobles who had been conferred peerage, and a banquet was to be held to commemorate them.

“Oh, if it isn’t Lord Jin.”

Jin turned around at the familiar voice.

“Ah, Umm… Lady Karen, was it?”

Platinum blond hair, and gray eyes. Her name was Karen Theoderic von Banners, the fourth daughter of Marquis Gehlen Theoderic. She was Saki’s aunt.

“It’s really been a long time. I know it’s late, but congratulations on being officially recognized as the Magi Craft Meister, as well as on your appointment as Honorary Advisor to the Imperial Family.”

“Thank you very much.”

Karen then found Hanna, who was holding Jin’s hand.

“Oh, what a pretty young lady. Are you Lord Jin’s younger sister?”

“Yes, my name is Hanna.”

Karen smiled as Hanna greeted her with a curtsy.

“If my father sees you, he might not be able to help himself and end up taking you with him… Oh, I’m just joking, just joking…”

Seeing Jin’s stiff expression, Karen hastily corrected herself and laughed it off…

“Well, she’s a little bit too small even for my father. We won’t know until maybe five more years or so.”

…though she added yet another uncalled-for remark.

“Long time no see, Elsa. …Huh?”

Karen’s eyes widened when she saw Elsa.