Reinhard led the group to the most high-end restaurant in the noble district, located in the center of the port town, Port Rock.
"Um, I’ve never stepped foot in a place like this before," Marcia muttered.
Jin felt exactly the same. The choice of venue drove home the fact that Reinhard and Elsa were truly members of the nobility.
However, having been raised in modern Japan, Jin’s reaction didn't go beyond that simple realization. Since his understanding of "nobles" was limited to what he’d read in books, his outward composure remained unshaken.
On the other hand, Marcia clearly hadn't expected such a luxury establishment.
"Hey, um... since you're a count’s son and she's a viscount's daughter, do I need to follow some kind of strict etiquette?" she asked, her voice wavering with hesitation.
Reinhard laughed warmly at her concern.
"I’d prefer it if you spoke to me just as you have been. Besides, I’ve reserved a private room for us, so you don't need to worry about manners."
"Is that so! That's a relief. Honestly, I was about to turn tail and head home."
She glanced over at Jin.
"Jin, you're surprisingly calm. Have you been to places like this before?"
"No, this is a first for me too."
Back on Earth, Jin had once accompanied a supervisor to a high-end traditional restaurant to entertain clients, but that was the extent of it. He wasn't actually calm; he simply didn't know what the proper procedures were, so he was staying perfectly still to avoid making a mistake.
"Well, since it is a private room, please just act as you have been," Reinhard said, leading the way into the restaurant. Jin, Reiko, Marcia, and finally Elsa followed him inside.
"Welcome, Master Reinhard. This way, please."
The staff seemed to have been expecting them; the moment they entered, an attendant moved to guide the group toward their private room.
"Please, take your time and enjoy yourselves."
With those words, the man who had guided them bowed and departed.
The room featured a magnificent table and chairs. Despite the sudden nature of the reservation, there were exactly five chairs waiting for them. And then...
"We have been waiting for you, Young Master, My Lady."
"Good work."
Two women in maid uniforms stood inside. They were evidently the personal maids of Reinhard and Elsa. At their signal, a group of waitresses appeared.
"Welcome. Shall we bring the food out immediately?"
"Yes. Please."
At Reinhard’s word, several waitresses came and went in a flurry of activity. In no time at all, the table was laden with an array of dishes.
"We shall take over from here."
The two personal maids ushered the waitresses out of the room and closed the door firmly.
"Now then, let's start with a toast."
Reinhard raised his glass, and everyone except Reiko followed his lead. The maids moved around the table, pouring sparkling wine for each guest. Then, Reinhard gave the call.
"To our meeting."
The glasses clinked together, a delicate ring echoing through the room. After taking a sip of the sparkling wine, Reinhard set his glass on the table.
"Mm, the wine of this country is quite good as well."
Then, Reinhard turned his attention back to his guests, his tone shifting to one of serious professionalism.
"Now then, Miss Marcia and Master Jin. I would like to hear more from you both, if I may."
Jin took a sip of the slightly sweet wine before listening.
"The person who interests me most is you, Master Jin. Between Miss Reiko, that golem, and the waterwheel on your boat, it is clear you are no ordinary man. If it wouldn't be an imposition, could you tell me more about your background?"
Jin took another sip of wine and began his story.
"I was an orphan. I never knew my parents. Everything I know was taught to me by my master. Though my master has since passed away."
It was the same cover story he had used before—it wasn't a lie, though it certainly wasn't the whole truth.
"I lived on a remote island, and there was an artifact there called a Warp Gate."
"A Warp Gate?! That is rare indeed!"
Reinhard, unable to stay quiet, let out a cry of surprise, his tone slipping back into his usual casual style.
"I used that Warp Gate to come to this continent, and I've been traveling around to see the sights. I only arrived recently, so I'm still quite ignorant of the ways of the world... Well, I hope that's enough to satisfy your curiosity."
Jin cut his explanation short before he could make any slips, but since his words were rooted in truth, his listeners seemed convinced.
"I see! That explains why your perspective is so unique! What was your master's name?"
Jin hesitated for a heartbeat but decided to use the name he had already established.
"Adriana."
Upon hearing that, Reinhard tilted his head in thought.
"Hmm, it sounds familiar, yet I can't quite place it."
Elsa, who had been silent until then, spoke up softly.
"Brother Rai, it is the same as the name of the legendary magi craftman from ancient times. Adriana Barbora Tsetse."
Jin was stunned. To think that the name of his predecessor, who had lived over a thousand years ago, was still known today.
"Ah, that’s right! That was it! I heard she was a magi craftman so unique she was considered a heretic in her day. I see, so your master was named after her."
"P-Probably."
Jin wasn't foolish enough to admit that his master was the person in question. Beside him, Reiko’s opinion of the two improved significantly upon learning they respected her mother’s name.
"I see. Well, since I've been doing nothing but questioning Master Jin, I’d like to ask you next, Miss Marcia. That ship’s design—did you create it yourself?"
Reinhard's tone had returned to its formal edge.
"Y-Yes... I did."
Marcia was still a bit stiff. Reinhard laughed and reverted to his casual way of speaking.
"I told you, you can speak as you usually do. That's why we're in a private room."
He gave her an encouraging nod.
"W-Well, if you say so. That ship—Jin calls it a 'catamaran'—my father built the prototype, and I was the one who finished it."
"Oh, so your father was also a shipwright."
Marcia nodded.
"You could say that, but he wasn't very diligent. He was a gambler through and through, and eventually, he ran off with some woman and disappeared. But that catamaran he built on a whim was the one thing of his I really loved."
She drained her glass of wine in a single draught. A maid immediately stepped forward to refill it.
"At first, the hulls were a bit thicker, but I figured it would be faster if they were narrow, so I trimmed them down."
"I see, I see. Narrower hulls certainly yield more speed. However, they also become less stable. The catamaran design is an excellent way to compensate for that."
As he spoke, Reinhard also finished his wine and signaled the maid for a refill. He turned back to Jin once more.
"In that case, Jin, I imagine you aren't very familiar with the geography of this continent, are you?"
Jin nodded in agreement.
"Then, before I talk about my own country, let me give you a brief overview of the current state of the continent."
Reinhard took a sip of wine and continued.
"About three hundred years ago, the Great Magic War broke out. At that time, the Dinar Kingdom was the center of human resistance. After the war, it fractured into smaller nations, which became what we now call the Allied Kingdoms."
Jin didn't actually know this, but he nodded along to keep appearances.
"The Celuroa Kingdom is established where the royal capital of the Dinar Kingdom once stood. It boasts the highest level of culture among the Allied Kingdoms, primarily because it inherited the legacy of the old Dinar Kingdom."
Jin listened intently, finding the historical context quite fascinating.
"There are rumors that the Celuroa Kingdom has been making some suspicious moves lately, but that's a topic for another time."
Though he had technically already broached the subject.
"On the other hand, the Shouro Empire, where I come from, was founded in the west by the younger brother of Dinar I. So, strictly speaking, it isn't considered a direct successor of the Dinar Kingdom."
"I see."
Jin offered a brief response to keep the flow of the conversation.
"Meanwhile, the Klein Kingdom, the Kingdom of Franz, the Kingdom of Egerea, this Kingdom of Elias, and the Leonard Kingdom at the eastern edge of the continent are all former territories of the Dinar Kingdom."
"Hmm."
"As for why the brother of Dinar I founded the Shouro Empire, it's said it was to defend against invasions from further west."
"Invasions?"
"Exactly. To the west of the Shouro Empire lies a vast desert, and beyond that desert live foreign tribes."
"Foreign tribes, huh."
"Yes. It's said that after the Great Magic War, their advance guard launched an attack. They must have seen us as easy prey while we were exhausted from the conflict."
That was a logical conclusion to draw.
"However, the Shouro Empire at that time possessed an artifact passed down from before the Great Magic War."
"An artifact? What kind?"
Reinhard laughed at the question.
"I can't tell you that here. Unless, of course, you come to our Shouro Empire as our guest, Jin."
With that, Reinhard skillfully steered the conversation away.
"Now, let's eat."
He signaled the two maids to begin the proper service.
For the rest of the evening, the conversation remained light and casual.
There was no doubt, however, that Jin had become deeply interested in the artifact said to be hidden within the Shouro Empire.
That night, at the docks managed by the Tournament Committee. This was where the ships and golems participating in the finals were being kept under guard.
The golems had all been temporarily deactivated to conserve their magi-stones or magi-crystals.
A single suspicious shadow approached the area.
Just as the figure began fumbling with the lock to the dock...
"What do you think you are doing?"
"What? Who the... wha— Gaaaaah!"
The next morning, a man was found lying in front of the dock, bound tightly from head to toe.
To everyone's surprise, the man was a member of the Port Security Guard. He was slated for interrogation to find out what he had been doing there while off-duty, but he was in a state of mild delirium. He kept babbling that the one who had caught and bound him was a little girl.