After Edgar went in search of wine, Cesar asked Elsa a question to the contrary.

"What did you mean by that, Elsa, ......?"

But Elsa shook her head.

"I can't ...... say anything uncertain at this moment. Please wait a little longer."

While this is going on, Edgar comes back... a little over a minute, very fast.

A little over a minute, very fast. "Miss Elsa, I've got something for you."

Thank you. Thank you. ......<"

Elsa quickly analyzes the wine. Her face is frowned.

"What is it, Elsa?"

Jin, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, interjected when he saw the unusual expression on Elsa's face.

"I thought ...... it was laced with poison, but it wasn't."

"Oh, I see."

Saki's grandfather, the Marquis Theoderic, had been poisoned with arsenic wine, which had destroyed his liver. He must have remembered that.

But then, why did Elsa's face not clear up? The reason was immediately given.

"...... but there's some kind of vegetable alkaloid in it that I don't understand."

"Wait a minute."

Jin waited for Erza to say something else.

"Vegetable alkaloids?

Alkaloid is a general term for naturally occurring organic compounds that are usually basic (alkaline). Morphine and nicotine are alkaloids.

Jin knew that alkaloids include narcotics.

"Some alkaloids have stimulant and anesthetic effects."

< is not universal. It can only be understood if it is a substance known to the magician. Elsa, or even Jin, would not be able to get more information than that it seems to be an alkaloid.

"......I don't know what this alkaloid thing is, but my father always said that drinking this wine makes you clear-headed, didn't he?"

"Clear-headed, you say? ......

"Normally, when you consume alcohol, your judgment and reactions become sluggish. That's what you mean when you say <. ......"

Jin and Elsa pondered. They came to a conclusion.

"I can only think ...... that it contains narcotic ingredients."

Caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind as a plant-derived substance that could have such an effect.

"<><>"

Jin examined both taeyeh and wine, which had been prepared for drinking. The idea was that even without knowing the structural formula of caffeine itself, the common substance would be recognizable.

"...... doesn't sound like caffeine."

But there was no common substance.

"Brother Jin, is it a stronger drug then that?"

"Yes. Or maybe it's a unique drug that I don't know about.

Thirsty Jin drank a glass of juice that was lying near him.

"Come to think of it, they say there are various additives in juices too. ......"

In today's earth, various synthetic substances are used in juices. Jin also recalled that the director of the orphanage took pains to prepare juices for the children to drink, which were made from only natural ingredients as much as possible.

"You never drank Coke, did you? ......"

When I was attending a regular high school, I was surprised at the taste of the cola I bought from a vending machine. It was not that it tasted good or bad, but that it felt strange to me.

(There were tastier drinks, too. ......)

There was also a soft drink that smelled like medicine and was not suitable for Jin to drink.

"...... cocaine!

And suddenly the word comes to mind. I also heard that it was added in the early days, though it is not added anymore.

"......" as I recall.

It reminds me of a TV special on drugs and narcotics.

I remember that Sherlock Holmes was addicted to cocaine. ......

Cocaine is said to have an uplifting effect on the central nervous system. At the time, it was thought to be non-addictive and easily available to the general public.

Cocaine is actually powderized and inhaled through the nose or injected intravenously in an aqueous solution, but Jin is not that familiar with the details.

In any case, the ingredients in this wine seem to work orally, and in that respect it seems to be different from cocaine.

"There's another word I don't know. I don't know what cocaine is, but I do know that the wine is not only high in alcohol content, but is also made by soaking various medicinal herbs."

"I see. ......"

Hearing Cesar's words, Jin and Elsa were almost certain that the plant-derived ingredients had poisoned King Richard's mind and body.

Elsa clearly states this.

"Some of the herbs were toxic. It might make him clearer, but it was even more damaging to his body.

"...... Indeed. In the last six months, my father had lost an unusual amount of weight."

"And a brain hemorrhage caused by high blood pressure, this is the direct cause of His Majesty's collapse. The treatment I just gave you stopped the bleeding and regulated the circulatory system, but the brain cells that have already been damaged will not return. ......"

Even magic cannot regenerate brain cells.

Seeing Elsa's sad state, the crown prince Cesar nodded his head with a somber face. I didn't understand half of what was being explained.

"......Don't blame yourself so much, Erza did the best she could. I know that very well. It is not your fault if my father is not conscious again.

"Your Highness ......"

Elsa was downcast, but she seemed to feel a little better after hearing the words of thanks from the Crown Prince Cesar.

"...... if we had that herb, would we know more about it?"

And a few words about the future.

"Yes, if there are many kinds, we can find out which of them are toxic by examining the real ones."

"Yes. Then let's order them as quickly as possible. We don't want to have the same victims."

If we have the samples, maybe we can take countermeasures or even prevent them. Elsa and Jin agreed without hesitation.

"Well, it's getting dark soon. Let's have our guests return to the guest house.

With the king in such a state, it was inevitable that the Dauphin would take command.

The heads of state headed for the guest house, looking a little tired.

* * * * * * * * * * *

At the guest house, preparations were made for bathing and dinner.

All of them were mentally and physically exhausted from the daytime disturbance, and they had already finished their baths and left dinner behind.

On the other hand, Jin soaked in the bath slowly and ate his dinner without leaving any leftovers. This is the difference in their mental capacity.

Of course, the same goes for Elsa.

In the room they were assigned, they received a report from Lao Kun through Lao Tzu.

The transporter was used to send them out, but not so to return to Horai Island.

However, there is a floating base in Lake Asur, which was set up during the battle against the Unification Party (Unifiler), and there is a large warp gate inside it, so we returned to the island via the warp gate.

"At any rate, we have proved that Makina and I are different people, haven't we?"

<<< I guess so. And I have one more thing to report.

"Yes, let me hear it."

<

<>.

"Fuun ......"

The Kingdom of Cerroa is an old country and it is not surprising that there are still relics from the time of the Magic War. Jin is also a little interested.

"I'll ask the Dauphin tomorrow.

The next question is what to do next.

"I'm sure they will."

"That reminds me. ...... Erza, is there any hope for King Richard's recovery?"

Elsa nodded sadly when Jin asked her.

"......Yes. Impossible."

He had suffered a hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, and the necrosis of his brain cells due to the delay in treatment was irreversible, Elsa said.

In addition, he was suffering from intoxication from the narcotic component of the wine he had been drinking. Liver and kidney damage is also not to be overlooked.

"Oh, I see. ......"

As a kingdom, the presence of a king is essential for the maintenance of order.

"It's not my place to say anything about that. ......"

Anne objected to this.

"No, Your Highness. You are already the equal of the representatives of each country. Your opinion has become a weight that cannot be ignored. Please be aware of that.

"Oh, yes, ......, but isn't that interfering in our internal affairs?"

Jin, who is originally a mere engineer, is a little bit burdened. But...

"No, this is not limited to the Kingdom of Cerroa. You saw the Lyon and other battle golems, large airships, and large ships. What do you think they were prepared for?"

Anne's words gave Jin an idea.

"War, or ......."

"Yes. Was it called "pressure diplomacy"?　At the very least, that's what King Richard had in mind."

"......"

Again Jin thought about it. Seeing Jin, Elsa called out to him.

"...... Jin, I'm here too. Don't forget."

Elsa's words reminded him of the other night. She had told me that Jin was not alone.

"......, right?"

Just as two people can carry a load that one cannot carry alone, Jin felt that with Elsa's presence, he would be able to make it as a somehow.