Following the destruction of the Gigas, Jin and his companions searched for Lucol on their return journey, but his whereabouts remained a mystery.
Perhaps Unifilar’s surveillance was still active in the area. Regardless, the man was no child, so his disappearance wasn't a cause for much concern.
Beneath Lucol's hut, they discovered fragments of the box that had apparently sealed the Gigas's magic core. According to the ancient script inscribed upon it, the artifact had been left as a trap in case the ruins were discovered by the demon race. Should someone pour mana into it out of mere curiosity, the Gigas would awaken.
Since Unifilar likely knew about the ruins, Jin reverted all the remaining golems into their raw materials to ensure no other secrets were uncovered. There were no particularly rare materials among them, so he felt no regret in doing so. He also sabotaged the magic circle of the Warp Gate; even if someone attempted to replicate it, it would never function correctly. In fact, it might very well spiral out of control.
Should members of Unifilar follow Lucol’s information and arrive here later, they would find nothing—or rather, they would leave with one hell of a parting gift.
With their minds finally at ease, Jin and the others made their way toward Yada Village.
"The greatest prize of this trip was Anne," Jin remarked.
Reinhard nodded in agreement, patting his coat pocket. "And these records of the Great Magic War. They’re quite the treasure as well."
Jin looked back at Anne and murmured, "At any rate, I have to get her repaired."
"Yeah, only you could manage that, Jin. Please, do whatever it takes to fix her," Reinhard said.
However, Yada Village lacked the necessary facilities.
"We should look into fixing her while we're still within the Kingdom of Egerea," Reinhard suggested. He added that since the situation in the Celuroa Kingdom was growing suspicious, Jin, as an Honorary Magi Craftman, should be able to borrow a workshop somewhere while they were still in Egerian territory.
If he took her back to Hourai Island, Jin could repair her perfectly, but that remained a secret from Reinhard and the others. The burden of his secrets was beginning to weigh on him, and he found himself wanting to come clean to his friends.
Though the roads were in poor condition, it was all downhill on the way back. They managed to reach Yada Village by evening. As expected, Mine came rushing out to meet them.
"Milady! I was so worried because you were late!"
This time, that was the extent of it; she spared Jin any snide remarks. Perhaps she was finally learning some restraint.
"Ah, I'm exhausted."
Feeling a wave of fatigue, Jin went to his room at the inn and collapsed onto the bed.
"Father, I will wake you when it is time for dinner. Please, get some rest, even if only for a short while."
Accepting Reiko’s offer, Jin closed his eyes and let the day's events drift through his mind.
Anne.
The Gigas.
The mana-absorption system. That had been a close call. If Reiko hadn't been able to push her output that far...
Thoughts continued to swirl in his head until, before he knew it, Jin drifted into a deep sleep.
＊ ＊ ＊
The sound of a knock echoed through the room, pulling Jin from his slumber. He looked up to see Reiko already heading toward the door.
"Yes? Who is it?"
Elsa was standing in the hallway when the door opened. "I came to get Jin-kun."
Jin realized it was already pitch-black outside; it must be time for dinner. He sat up and walked toward the door, finally noticing Elsa’s appearance. She wore her favorite emerald green dress. Unusually, she had decorated her hair with flowers, and the brooch he had given her was pinned to her chest.
"Elsa?"
Jin couldn't quite fathom why she was so dressed up just for dinner at the inn. Elsa reached out her right hand to him.
"I said I came to get you. Come on, let's go."
"O-oh, alright."
Still groggy from sleep, Jin took Elsa’s hand—or rather, she took his and led him toward the dining room.
When they arrived, Jin was greeted by a chorus of applause. Reinhard was there, along with his butler Claude. Elsa’s butler Adberg was there too. Even Mine was present, joining in the applause.
"Jin-kun, happy birthday," Elsa said, her hand still in his.
For a moment, Jin stood in stunned silence as the situation slowly sank in. "Everyone... thank... you," he managed to say at last.
Elsa was the first to notice a single tear rolling down his cheek. "Jin-kun?"
She peered into his face with concern, but Jin simply shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I just realized... it's been so long since I've had my birthday celebrated like this. It just hit me."
Elsa smiled and pulled him along. "I've seen an unexpected side of you today. Now, come this way."
She led him to the head of the table, seating him in the place of honor before taking the chair beside him. Reinhard’s maids immediately began making the rounds, and once everyone’s glass was filled, Reinhard stood up to give the toast.
"Now then, let us celebrate the twenty-first birthday of my dear friend, the Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea, Jin Nidou. Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The others joined in enthusiastically.
"Jin, I'm sorry we couldn't do more on such short notice, but happy birthday," Reinhard said.
Tears welled up in Jin's eyes again. "Thank you." It felt inadequate, but they were the only words he could find.
"Here, Jin-kun." Seeing his glass was empty, Elsa personally refilled it for him.
"Thank you, Elsa."
"Mm. You're always taking care of me, after all."
Elsa seemed strangely mature as she spoke.
Reinhard stood up and approached him. "Jin, we didn't have much time to prepare a proper gift, but I've brought this on behalf of everyone. Please, accept it."
He held out a flat case, slightly larger than a business card.
"It's a case for your Guild registration card."
It was the perfect size, crafted from silver with elegant gold inlay on the surface. Jin's name was inscribed in decorative script. It was clearly Reinhard’s handiwork.
"Thank you. I’ll treasure it," Jin said, tucking the case into his breast pocket.
While they spoke, Elsa had been portioning out fruit for him. "Here, help yourself."
"Thank you."
Jin felt like he was doing nothing but offering thanks tonight, but the feeling was surprisingly pleasant.
That night’s dinner was one of the most enjoyable meals Jin had ever experienced in his twenty-one years of life.
A warm breeze, characteristic of a spring evening, drifted through Yada Village. April had arrived, and spring was in full bloom. From somewhere outside, petals from a query tree floated in, resting upon the windowsill and adding a single touch of pale pink to the room.