Chapter 5 – Trip Preparations
10-05 Trip Preparations
“Lithia did say she lived in the royal capital of Cline Kingdom but…”
Jin remembered how she had said ‘If you happen to come to the capital…’.
“Cline Kingdom’s royal capital, that is, the capital city. …What was it again?”
“It’s Alban, My Lord.”
Laojun told Jin.
“Ah, that was it. Alban, right. I wonder what kind of a place is it?”
Previously he had been thinking he’d like to sooner or later visit there, but that plan fell through because of the Earl called Walter or some such.
“Hmm, I suppose I’ll try asking Elsa. …Oh, right, let’s take Elsa along too. Hannah too, now that I think about it!”
Gradually Jin’s voice got louder which surprised Reiko.
“Father, that’s a…”
Still, Laojun seemed to have a different opinion.
“My Lord, if you do, then I would like to recommend changing your hair colors with magic dyes.”
“Magic dyes… Ah, I see. Simply by doing that the impression we give off would change completely.”
A part of the magic dye was made out of something collected from a magical beast that resembled a chameleon. The color of a dye like that could be freely changed using Magic Energy.
Since cleaning it off was possible using Craft Magic it was a good idea.
“However, since Elsa-san and Hannah-chan are a part of the study group they can’t be gone for more than a few days.”
Hearing Laojun’s words surprised Reiko. She realized that his intention by guiding Jin like this was to shorten the time of Jin’s outing. Laojun was several levels above Reiko with regards to plotting(?) like this.
“Ah, you’re right. Alright, a two-day trip starting from tomorrow. That should be fine, right?”
“That is so, Father.”
“I think it good. It seems to me that we better then have one of the SP follow Elsa-san too.”
Reiko agreed, and another suggestion came from Laojun. Jin accepted the proposal.
“That might be good. Alright, Like with Reinhardt and the others, let’s get two of them to do it.”
Jin at once built two SP golems. Since he had repeated the work countless of times finishing them was quick.
“Your names are ‘Marron’ and ‘Plum’.”
Before he knew it, about three hours had passed since he left Kaina Village.
“Oops, if I don’t go back soon Hannah will get angry again.”
Jin said and decided to first of all go back. Next to him, Reiko was smiling.
“Ah, onii-chan. It’s already lunchtime, you know.”
The time in Kaina Village was half past eleven. Hannah who had returned from the study group had just come to call Jin for lunch. Barely made it, Jin thought deep down.
“Got it, let’s go.”
And so Jin headed to the dining room of Martha’s house. Elsa and Mine had also returned.
“Although Jin-nii disappeared in the middle of it all, I think today went quite well.”
Elsa told Jin. Mine added,
“Today after meeting and introducing everyone, we explained the purpose of studying and in what kind of situations it is of use.”
Jin listened and nodded.
“I see, that’s good. I’ve got something to talk to you about after lunch.”
Jin said and first started with the lunch in front of him.
“…So, I was thinking of about a trip to Cline Kingdom’s capital city Alban for two days. Elsa, are you familiar with Alban?”
After a simple explanation, Jin tried asking Elsa. That’s because Elsa was the one most knowledgeable about nations in the group.
“Mmh, I’ve never been there so I’m not. Sorry.”
Elsa replied a little dispiritedly. Jin gently spoke to Elsa.
“No, don’t worry about it. If that’s the case then it’s all the more reason to go, isn’t it?”
“Eh?”
“You see, I was thinking of going together with you, Mine, and Hannah.”
Jin said, then Hannah raised her voice in delight.
“Really? Onii-chan, you’re taking me with you?”
“Yeah. It’s just two days though. You’ll probably learn something too. Martha, are you okay with it?”
Jin asked Hannah’s grandmother Martha who replied with a big nod,
“It sounds good. She can see many things she wouldn’t if she stayed in the village.”
She wasn’t at all concerned about just how they would go to Alban. You could probably say that was distinctive of Martha who had known Jin for a long time.
“Yeah! Thanks, granny!”
And at the same time Hannah was very happy.
“Alright, in that case since we’re leaving tomorrow you can spend the night on Kunlun Island. Oh yeah, Martha, would you like to stay overnight too?”
Jin said but Martha shook her head,
“No, I’ll stay in the house. You youngsters go on ahead.”
And she clearly refused. Mine then said,
“Jin-sama, Elsa, I’ll stay here house-sitting with Martha-san. You three, please enjoy yourselves.”
Jin tried convincing the two to come with, but in the end only three people would be going.
“Well then, let’s stay overnight on Kunlun Island and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Yeah!”
“Mh.”
And so, Jin warped to Kunlun Island with Hannah and Elsa. Hannah was again blindfolded. This time, although Hannah didn’t see them, her personal SP ‘Iris’ and ‘Azalea’ followed them.
“Ya~y, it’s onii-chan’s house~! Ah, it’s the maids~! Good day!”
As soon as Hannah got to Kunlun Island she began frolicking around merrily. And once she noticed the maid golems who had previously looked after her a little, she greeted them.
“Elsa, I’ve got something to talk about.”
Jin first left Hannah to frolic and began talking to Elsa about the disguises.
“Even if it’s just a little bit, I think that disguising ourselves will help us avoid trouble in the future.”
“Mm, got it. Is it alright if I just change my hair color?”
“Yeah. Surely, just changing your platinum blonde hair to light brown will greatly change the impression you give? I’ll change mine to brown too. And… what about Hannah?”
Neither Hannah’s name or face were known, so there was no worry about her being recognized. But, after all, just in case they decided to have her hair be similarly brown too.
“Hannah, come over here for a bit.”
Hannah who had been playing with Peridot-100 came along as soon as Jin called out to her.
“Wha~at is it, onii-chan?”
Jin explained the matter to Hannah.
“I was thinking of trying to change the color of our hair in preparation for tomorrow’s trip.”
“Eh?”
As you may have guessed, she didn’t quite understand. Jin then decided to show her in practice.
They went to the washroom and to wet their hair with water that had magical dye already mixed in it. He then used Craft Magic. First was Elsa.
“[Change Color].”
Elsa’s hair turned to a bright tawny color in front of their eyes.
“Wow! Ama~azing! Cool!”
Hannah was so amused she clapped after seeing it. Next was Jin himself. He changed his hair to dark brown.
“Onii-chan didn’t change a lot, did he.”
Since his looks didn’t change much when his hair color went from black to dark brown, Hannah had a weaker reaction than she did to Elsa. But Jin didn’t mind it. Or rather, it wasn’t something to worry about.
“Alright, next is Hannah. May I?”
“Yeah!”
“[Change Color].”
He tried and Hannah’s hair changed to a chestnut brown. Even though it was the same brown color, Elsa’s hair became a subdued light brown, Jin’s became dark brown, and Hannah’s a bright chestnut brown.
Hannah once again got in high spirits once she saw the three of them in the mirror.
“Co~ol! I can’t wait for tomorrow!”
As insurance just in case Hannah got lost, Jin thought he’d present her with a necklace with a Magi Crystal with his Magic Energy inserted in it.
Also, the clothes for going out. Since Jin wasn’t a good designer, she planned to also consult Elsa.
There was no worry about the sizes since there was Reiko who could tell them at glance like back when he had made clothes for Beana and Elsa.
“Alright, then let’s make the clothing.”
Jin said, and indeed as they were girls the faces of both Hannah and Elsa seemed to shine.
“Elsa, please give me some design advice.”
“Mm, Jin-nii.”
And so the three headed to the mansion’s workshop.