The following day, the 27th, Jin and his companions departed for Alban after finishing breakfast.
Spica 7 of the Quinta was in charge of the Alban region. She had discovered a set of suitable ruins nearby and renovated them into a base of operations. Naturally, she had installed a Warp Gate, making the journey a simple matter of a single step.
As a precaution, Jin had Hanna wear a blindfold before they transitioned. Although they remained invisible, the Secret Mobile Unit followed close behind.
"I have been expecting you, Chief, Sister. And Elsa-san, Hanna-chan."
Spica 7 was there to meet them. Her physique was roughly the same as Elsa’s, though her bust was slightly more generous. Her hair was styled in a brown bob similar to Jin’s group, and her eyes had been changed to grey. She wore the plain hempen clothes of a commoner.
"Yeah, good work," Jin said, acknowledging her efforts.
Hanna, having just removed her blindfold, looked up at her curiously. "Onii-chan, who is this?"
"Ah, she’s... well, think of her as Reiko’s younger sister. Though she looks older than Reiko," Jin explained. Hanna made a conflicted face, looking as if she only half-understood the situation.
"We’ve come to see the sights of Alban, the capital of the Klein Kingdom. I also have to deliver this sword."
"Understood, Chief. I shall be your guide."
Jin held up a hand to stop her. "Actually, drop the 'Chief' for now. No calling Reiko 'Sister' either. Let's see... just call me Jin, and call her Reiko. No honorifics, either."
"I understand, Jin."
"Good. And what should I call you?"
"In this city, I go by the name Bargo."
"Got it, Bargo. Lead the way."
They stepped out of the ruins. While it had been clear on Kunlun Island, the sky here was slightly overcast. Jin donned his half-coat, the garment that served as proof of his status as an Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea.
The ruins were evidently protected by a barrier; Jin felt a faint ripple of discord as they passed through. It was a remarkably powerful field. The surrounding area was a small forest, also protected by a simple barrier designed to lead intruders astray. Spica 7 was clearly a cautious one.
After a ten-minute walk, the capital city of Alban finally came into view.
Like many others, it was a fortified city, with stone walls standing roughly eight meters high. While lower than the ten-meter walls of Asunt in the Kingdom of Egerea, the heavy grey stone still projected a sense of imposing weight.
They had left Kunlun Island just after 8:30 AM; with the hour-and-a-half time difference, it was only shortly after 7:00 AM in Alban. The city gates had only just opened.
"Is there an inspection to enter?" Jin asked.
"Yes. Things have settled down, but because of the recent conflict with the Kingdom of Franz, visitors must present identification. In your case, Jin, your Honorary Magi Craftman certificate should be more than enough."
Jin was glad he’d had the foresight to wear the coat.
"What about Hanna and Elsa?"
"Hanna-chan is small enough that she can pass as your younger sister without much trouble. Elsa-san is a bit more difficult. It would be simplest if we had some proof that you are family."
Hearing this, Jin remembered how he had once proven his status as a magi craftman back in Port Rock.
"Elsa, you’ve gotten pretty good at 'Forming,' right? Let's go with that."
Jin patted his pockets to see if he had any materials on hand. He found a few scraps of light silver—leftovers from when he’d built the carriage in the Kingdom of Egerea. He had likely stuffed them into the pockets of the half-coat during the test drive and forgotten about them. They were small, but sufficient to make something like the pen he’d crafted recently.
"Alright. If they ask for proof, use this to make a pen."
"n," Elsa replied with a nod.
With that concern settled, Reiko used Stealth to vanish from sight. The group then proceeded toward the open city gates.
"Hey there, Bargo! Looking lovely as always."
"Thanks! Good luck with the shift."
Jin had wondered if Bargo would need identification, but she seemed to be on familiar terms with the guards and was waved through on sight.
"And who are these people?"
"Oh, just some acquaintances of mine. This is Jin, a magi craftman, and his sisters."
Jin and the girls gave a polite bow.
"I see. Do you have any identification?" The guard was relatively polite, likely due to Bargo’s introduction. In the background, another guard was conducting a much more rigorous search of a man who appeared to be a merchant.
"I am an Honorary Magi Craftman of the Kingdom of Egerea," Jin said, indicating the crest on the left breast of his coat. "If this isn't enough..."
He started to reach for the mithril certificate, but the guard stopped him with a wave of his hand.
"No, that’s quite alright. I see it. And the little miss?"
"I'm Onii-chan's little sister!" Hanna chirped energetically.
"Right, right. And finally, the young lady over here? My, aren't you a beauty."
The guard seemed to have a bit of a flighty personality, offering the comment as he turned his gaze to Elsa.
"I am Jin-nii's sister. I will provide proof," Elsa said. She held up the piece of light silver to ensure the guard saw it. "Forming."
She used Craft Magic to shape the metal into a pen in an instant. The guard’s eyes widened at the speed of the construction.
"Wh—That's incredible! Very well, you may pass. Here are your temporary permits."
He handed over three wooden tags.
"Keep these on you. They prove you passed inspection at the gate."
Jin, Elsa, and Hanna each took one.
"Be sure to return them when you leave. If you're caught without them, you'll be treated as a suspicious person."
"Understood. Thank you very much," Jin said as they stepped through the gate. They were finally inside Alban.
"That went smoothly, Jin," Bargo remarked.
"Yeah. Bargo, are you close with that guard?" Jin asked, curious about their friendly rapport.
"Yes. His name is Balt. Believe it or not, he’s a newly minted ritter. As you can see, he’s a bit of a flirt, so when he’s bored, I chat him up and he spills all sorts of information. He's quite useful."
"I... I see..."
Jin was struck by a strange sense of admiration. The Quinta had become remarkably resourceful in the short time since their creation.
"Now then, I’d like to deliver the sword first. Reiko, show yourself."
Jin called out to Reiko in a secluded spot between two buildings.
"Yes, Father."
She appeared and handed the sword to Jin. It was wrapped in cloth so its nature wasn't immediately apparent; it wouldn't look out of place if he carried it as it was.
"Good. Bargo, do you know where House Fahlheit is?"
However, she didn't seem to recognize the name. "My apologies, but I do not," she said with a bow.
"No, don't worry about it. I'll ask around... For now, do you know where the lower-ranking nobles, like the ritters and baronets, live?"
"Yes, I know that area."
"Great. Hanna, Elsa, what do you want to do? I’m going to deliver the sword, but you don’t have to come if you don’t want to. We could split up for a while."
Both girls shook their heads immediately.
"I want to stay with Onii-chan!"
"Me too. We came together, so we should stay together... right?"
"Alright then. Let's go."
The five of them—including Reiko—set off down the main thoroughfare of Alban. The street was lined with two- and three-story stone buildings, many of which had shops on the ground floor. Jin made a mental note to browse them properly later.
After about ten minutes of walking, they reached a large sundial at the Central Intersection. They turned right, heading into the East Area.
Near the intersection, the buildings were large and grand, but they gradually became more modest as the group progressed.
"The ritter residences begin around here," Bargo explained.
Most of the homes were two-story houses with small gardens. From the street, it looked like each was allotted about seventy square yards of land. Given that Alban was a square roughly two kilometers on each side, this was actually quite generous.
The streets were quiet; in fact, there were no other pedestrians in sight. Jin realized he had no one to ask for directions to the Fahlheit residence.
"Now, what should we do...?"
Just as Jin began to ponder their next move, he saw someone running toward them from the distance.
"Ah, perfect. Let's ask that person."
He stepped aside to wait for the figure to approach. It appeared to be a young woman.