Fritz and his group managed to round up the horses that had bolted, but by then, Deus Ex Machina and Rei were nowhere to be found.
"Maquina... Who on earth are they?"
It wasn't until two in the afternoon that the group finally regained their composure—already too late in the day to make significant progress.
However, no one wanted to linger in a place where Rock Wolves and Saber Boars prowled, especially not after being attacked by that monster.
"We’re moving out!"
Bernardo, captain of the Klein Kingdom investigation team, and Bruno, captain of the Kingdom of Egerea investigation team, were both utterly exhausted. Consequently, Fritz was forced to take command of the group.
Since Golias 4, which had sustained the most damage, seemed capable of at least walking, they decided to have it trudge along as far as possible.
That day, they traveled about ten kilometers before pitching their tents to rest. Everyone was spent, but Fritz took it upon himself to volunteer for the night watch.
Shortly before midnight, just as the shift was about to change, Cynthia arrived to relieve him.
"Master Fritz, aren't you tired?"
"This much is nothing."
"But you look quite pale."
"Do I? It must be the darkness."
"I’ll take over a little early. Please, get some rest."
"Thank you. I’ll take you up on that."
With a single nod to the worried Cynthia, Fritz returned to his tent. Watching his retreating back, Cynthia let out a soft sigh.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Jin-nii, thank you."
Back on Hourai Island, Elsa sat in the command room, staring at the magi-screen. She let out a long sigh of relief. She had watched as Deus Ex Machina rescued her brother, Fritz, from a dire situation.
"Yeah, I’m glad they made it in time," Jin replied with a nod.
『My Lord, Maquina and Rei have returned.』
"Right, good work."
Maquina and Rei appeared in the command room. This time, Maquina had been operated by Laojun. As for Rei...
"Father, I am home."
Reiko had been inside, operating the disguise.
"Welcome back. How was it? How did 'Rei' feel?"
"Well... it is difficult to say... but not very good."
"I see. As I thought..."
The true identity of Rei was Reiko. She was wearing Extension Gauntlets on both arms and Secret Boots on both feet, all while clad in a suit of armor and a full-face helmet. Jin had used this gear to alter her height by about twenty centimeters, so it would have been stranger if she had found it easy to move in.
"But please bear with it for now. It’s the only way to act without your true identity being discovered. I'll make something a bit better next time."
"Yes, I look forward to it."
The gear had been a makeshift solution Jin prepared in roughly five minutes after learning of the investigation team's crisis. He had then sent Maquina and Rei to the scene via the transporter. They had barely arrived in time to save Fritz. To return, Pelican 1—equipped with a Warp Gate—had been dispatched to a nearby location to bring them back to Hourai Island.
"Laojun, Anne—did you find out anything about that monster?"
『Yes. It is undoubtedly a relic of the Great Magic War... a failed product.』
"Like a subspecies of the Gigas?" Jin murmured.
Anne agreed. "I believe so as well. Much like the Gigas, it was likely created but proved too difficult to handle. Perhaps they felt it was a waste to simply discard, so they stored it away until a use could be found."
The conclusion was the result of weighing various possibilities. The object that had looked like a stone was likely a specialized magic core. Jin nodded, agreeing that it was the most probable answer.
"But we wiped it out without leaving a trace."
"Yes, I believe that was unavoidable given the circumstances."
While the attack had been disguised as the craft magic Heat, it was actually Overheat—the polar opposite of Absolute Zero. It was a spell that raised a target's temperature until its atoms entered a plasma state. Because of this, the target was rendered completely harmless, regardless of its original composition.
"There is a possibility that similar relics are still sleeping within the Former Leonard Kingdom," Anne added.
"That's true. Laojun, there might be more to find regarding those ruins, so conduct a follow-up investigation."
『Understood. In light of this incident, I shall also arrange to investigate other known ruins.』
Laojun had been using the Quinta to survey the Former Leonard Kingdom, but he had prioritized searching for unknown sites, leaving those known to locals for later. After this near-disaster, he intended to revise his strategy.
"I’ll leave it to you," Jin said.
Anne offered one more piece of advice. "Master, I think we should also pay close attention to the Celuroa Kingdom. That country is bound to have many relics, and there is no guarantee they won't cause an accident during their research."
"Understood. Laojun, inform the Quinta in the Celuroa Kingdom. Increase their numbers if you need to."
『Understood.』
Jin then asked about a detail that was still bothering him.
"Oh, and what’s the word on Gloria?"
『After receiving first aid, she was transported to the nearest town by hot air balloon. We haven't tracked her since. Shall I look into it?』
"Well... if it's not an emergency, there's no need to rush. There's no danger to her life, right?"
The response was optimistic. 『Correct. Since it was essentially a burn from corrosive fluid, it should be treatable with advanced-level healing magic.』
"In that case, just keep track of her location so we can visit her later."
『I shall see to it.』
＊ ＊ ＊
After a night's rest, the investigation teams prepared to go their separate ways as planned.
The Klein Kingdom team headed south toward the Kingdom of Egerea, while the Kingdom of Egerea team headed north toward the Klein Kingdom. Each group was slated to travel to the respective capitals for an audience with the kings.
"Fritz-dono, you have been a great help. I hope we meet again someday."
"Thanks to all of you, the path to the Klein Kingdom has been opened. You have my gratitude."
"Take care. Until we meet again."
Without further incident, the Kingdom of Egerea investigation team continued north. The Klein Kingdom team followed suit, and two days later, on January 18th, they crossed the border, passed through the Yorkjam Mine, and reached Lighton Village.
"So this is where my duty ends..." Fritz murmured to himself.
His mission to assist the Klein Kingdom team was over, though it had been anything but a smooth success.
"Master Fritz, you truly did a wonderful job."
"Ah, Cynthia-dono. It must have been hard for you as well, being on an expedition you weren't used to."
"Yes, it certainly was. We had only ever done overnight trips before. We aren't like Vice-captain Gloria."
At the mention of Gloria, Fritz’s expression clouded slightly.
"Gloria-dono, huh? Speaking of which, I still have to return this sword."
Two short swords hung at Fritz’s waist—his own and Gloria’s.
"I wonder where she's receiving treatment?"
"Are you... worried?" Cynthia asked, a hint of loneliness in her voice.
"Yeah, I suppose I am."
"I see..." Cynthia looked down.
Fritz noticed her mood and asked dubiously, "Hm? Is something wrong? You seem a bit down."
Cynthia forced a wry smile. "Really, I can't tell if you're considerate or just oblivious."
"Eh?"
"No, it's nothing. Regarding the vice-captain, she was likely taken to the Town of Glowri. From there, I imagine she went to the capital, Asunt."
"I see. Well, I have to go to the royal capital eventually anyway. I can return the sword then—and visit her, too."
"In that case... we can stay together a little longer."
Cynthia seemed a bit happier as she spoke.
"Yeah. We aren't an investigation team anymore, but I’ll be in your care until we reach Asunt."
"Likewise."
The two-nation joint unit continued their journey together. It was mid-January, and the cold persisted. The footsteps of spring were not yet audible. Will spring ever come for Fritz?