The day was limited to a simple navigational test for the temporary crew, and the new ship returned to the newly built harbor.

The port is a pier for large vessels only. The pier was temporarily built in a deep water area.

A full-fledged port will be built later.

"Slowly, slowly ......"

The Bernstein was safely moored to the pier, with the auxiliary jet thrusters making it relatively easy to move forward and backward at a slight speed.

The ramp is hung, and the temporary crew gets off.

Reinhardt is in the lead. Couwald, Kreia, and Xenelos follow.

Then came the mayor Barial, the prime minister, the minister of magic and technology, and last of all Erza.

The applause and cheers had been intense since Reinhardt came down, but reached a climax when Erza appeared.

Erza, who had been on the podium with a blank expression during the golem boat competition in Potrock, seemed to be a little surprised at the enthusiasm.

Jin stepped forward to greet Elsa as she descended the ramp.

Just before descending the last step, Jin held out his hand and Elsa took it.

And when the last crew member, Erza, stepped on the ground, the launching ceremony seemed to have gone without a hitch.

* * * *

"...... wind."

Elsa let out a sigh as she took off her dress.

"......Bernstein is a good ship. It's a good thing my brother Jin took part in it."

Standing at the bow of the ship during the test run, Erza was literally experiencing the beauty of the new ship firsthand.

"Miss Elsa, your clothes, please."

"Thank you, Edgar."

Edgar offers me a pair of his everyday clothes, which I put on and put them on.

The familiar feel of the magi silk is pleasant to the touch.

"Edgar, let's go to my brother Jin.

"Yes."

In addition to Reinhardt, Rodrigo had arrived at Jin's room.

"Hi, Erza, thanks for coming.

Jin, Rai, and Rodrigo, thanks for coming.

The four of them laugh at each other.

"The jet thrusters were awesome!　I think that's going to be the mainstream from now on."

Reinhardt spoke rapidly, as if the excitement of being on board had not yet cooled off.

"You are absolutely amazing!　The jet thrusters are going to revolutionize the ship!"

"About that, for the time being, the jet thrusters will be installed only on ships directly built by the Imperial Government.

Before returning to the hotel, the Prime Minister informally told us.

"I think it will be announced at the party tonight."

It would be a little while before the ship would be available to the general public.

"I see... ...... I'm sorry to hear that."

Rodrigo's shoulders slump a little. Elsa looks at his tired profile and thinks about treating him.

"Rodrigo, it's just as well, let's treat your body. ...... Jin brother, okay?"

Elsa checks with Jin, the owner of the room. Jin has no objection.

"Yes, of course. You can use the sofa there.

"Thank you, Jin. ...... Mr. Rodrigo, please lie down there.

"What?　......No, I feel better after yesterday's treatment. ......

But Elsa convinced Rodrigo that the previous day's treatment was a stopgap measure, not a cure.

Rodrigo did as he was told and lay down on the couch.

"...... Edgar, please. Esophagus to stomach, duodenum."

"Yes, Miss Elsa."

Edgar activated the fluoroscopy function, which allows us to look inside the human body like a CT or MRI.

"There is an ulcer in the lower right part of the stomach, near the pylorus. The bleeding seems to be under control, but it is quite large.

"...... after all."

Yesterday's treatment was inadequate because the site of the ulcer had not been identified.

"This makes sense. <>"

Elsa's hand glowed faintly as she held it up, its warm light absorbed into Rodrigo's abdomen.

"...... Edgar, please confirm."

"Yes. ...... ulcer is gone."

"......Good. <>...... liver is a little weak. >"

After another examination, Elsa also found a liver disorder and treated it as well.

"......This is all right. No more irregular eating habits. And don't drink alcohol in moderation."

Erza, who had used healing magic many times, had grown in terms of magic power and the number of times she could use healing magic had increased a little.

However, Jin took a precaution and offered Erza the Persica juice from Horai Island that he had brought with him.

"Thank you, Jin. If you want to ......, you can give some to Mr. Rodrigo."

"Sure. You can have one too, Rodrigo. It's good for you."

Rodrigo, now looking much better, took Jin's Persica juice and drank it down.

"......Thank you, Elsa. ...... now I will be able to see my daughter's face."

"...... miss?"

Jin remembered the conversation they had had in the bath the other day.

"Excuse me, I don't know what to ask you, but what is your daughter's name?"

"Yes, her name is Marcia."

As expected, that was the name.

"Marcia. ......"

Marcia?

What?　Do you all know her?

Rodrigo's face was filled with wonder. It was natural that he should wonder how I knew the name of his daughter, who was supposed to live in the distant kingdom of Elias, and even more so in Potrock, at the southern tip of the kingdom.

"Yes, I know her name very well.

Now that the big job of building the new ship was over, Jin decided to take the opportunity to dig deeper into Marcia.

Jin and Reinhardt took turns talking and explaining how they knew Marcia.

Rodrigo listened attentively, but finally burst into tears when Marcia told him that she had raced and used the prize money to rebuild her store.

"......Marcia told me that her father built that catamaran just for fun, didn't he?"

"......So that's what he did. ......So that's what she did. ......"

Then he cried again when he heard that his wife had passed away.

"I've put my ...... wife through a lot of hardship ...... too."

"But you still want to go home, don't you?"

Jin called out to her.

"Marcia looked really nostalgic when I told her about your father. I'm sure she will forgive you."

"I'm sure she will. ......"

Rodrigo put his hands over his face and sobbed.

"A father and son by blood. That bond is unbreakable."

Elsa advised him to chew every word.

"There were times when I felt betrayed by my father. But he is still my father."

"......"

Rodrigo remained silent.

"And now that I'm part of this new shipbuilding project, my name will remain on it. You can go home with your chest out."

Reinhardt also offered words of encouragement.

"So ......?"

Muttering the same words again, Rodrigo looked up and looked around at Jin and the others, knowing that they truly felt the same way.

"I want to ...... go home,...... go home and see Marcia's face and apologize,...... if I could just say one word."

"You can get on the Bernstein and go home with a big smile on your face. I'm sure you'll be very welcome in Potrock. Then even Marcia will ......"

"......"

Rodrigo nodded silently.

Jin and the others hoped that this father and daughter could live together again as a family.