"...And that is the account of Shuuki Tsetse's life up to that point as written here."
Jin closed the notebook and placed it gently on the desk.
Within its pages, the life of the Magus, Shuuki Tsetse, had been chronicled in Japanese.
"After burying his beloved wife, Adriana, beneath the laboratory, it seems he set out on a journey with his disciples."
Nothing beyond that had been recorded.
"So the Magus had a past like that..."
"The Tierra clan must have carried the blood of the Origin quite strongly," Saki murmured, her voice thick with emotion. Jin echoed her speculation.
Reading the life of Shuuki Tsetse had cleared up several mysteries, but it had deepened others as well.
"...But Father. Mother Adriana passed away in the laboratory on Hourai Island. There is no mistake about that."
Reiko spoke in a quiet voice, and Jin nodded.
No matter how one looked at it, the Adriana in the story they had just read and the first Magi Craft Meister, Adriana Barbora Tsetse, seemed to be different people.
"There's no doubt about it. It says here: October 22, 2231. If that was Adriana's date of death, it would be over 1,200 years ago."
"...Adriana Barbora Tsetse was 1,000 years ago."
"Right. Just as Elsa said, there's a 200-year gap."
"...So most likely—no, definitely—a different person with the same name."
"Probably."
A brief silence followed before Elsa spoke up.
"...Was Jin-nii's body the same as Shuuki-san's?"
"Yeah, it might have been..."
As the servant created by the Origin, No. 700672, had perceived, Jin's body when he was first summoned to this world was—like Shuuki Tsetse's—largely supplemented by magi.
"If it had stayed that way, I wouldn't have been able to father children, either."
"...Mm."
But now, thanks to No. 700672's advice and Elsa's cure, Jin's body had returned to normal.
"...I'm glad," Elsa whispered, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Kuhu, you really do want children, don't you, Young Mistress?"
"...Yes....Wait, Y-Young Mistress!?"
Elsa had instinctively nodded at Saki's teasing, but the moment she processed the words, she turned crimson.
"Come on, Saki, don't tease her so much."
"Fufu, her reactions are just so fun, I couldn't help myself."
The group shared a moment of lighthearted chatter.
"I don't really get it, but did you find out something amazing?"
Hanna seemed to follow only about half of what was being said.
Actually, there was one more.
"...Jin, from what I'm hearing, you..."
"Ah."
They realized, all too late, that they had been speaking freely while forgetting Goose was present.
"Um... Reiko-chan called her 'Mother Adriana,' right? And your body was the same as Shuuki Tsetse's?...Wait, what?"
"..."
It was a bit late for the realization, but Goose fit in so naturally that they had begun to feel like he was a companion from long ago.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...And well, that's how it is."
Since things had turned out this way, it became impossible not to disclose a certain amount of the truth.
Jin explained that he was the Magi Craft Meister who had succeeded Adriana Barbora Tsetse. This much, at least, was safe to reveal.
As for coming from the same place as Shuuki Tsetse, the flow of the conversation allowed Goose to accept that as well.
Beyond that... regarding Hourai Island and the Jin Family, Jin kept the explanation vague for the time being.
"Yeah, well, we've only just met. I don't expect you to tell me everything, so I'll be satisfied with this for now," Goose said, though he looked a little disappointed. "Still, it helps me understand what kind of person you are and why Reiko-chan is so incredible."
Goose nodded to himself in total agreement.
(I feel like Goose and I have been friends for ages... I'm sure the day will come when I can tell him everything.)
They decided to spend the night in tents outside. Jin deployed a barrier against solids, liquids, and magic around the perimeter. Since it allowed gases to pass through, they wouldn't run out of oxygen, nor would the humidity skyrocket.
"Now then, what should we do next?"
In terms of the schedule, it was about time to head back to Hourai Island, but Jin felt it would be a waste to stop now when they were so close to understanding the Magus.
"Shall we go just a little further north?" Jin suggested.
Shuuki's records included a hand-drawn map. According to it, if they continued north, they would reach a town called Naminte, the hometown of Adriana—maiden name Tierra. He felt they might find more clues regarding the Magus there.
"Hmm, yeah. I'm in favor of that."
"Mm, me too."
"I'll go wherever you go, Onii-chan!"
"I'm interested as well. I'd like to visit this country called New El," Goose added.
The group's decision was unanimous.
"It should be about a day's journey from here."
Since it was only about a hundred kilometers away, they could easily reach Battalf in a single day.
"Kuhu, I hope the town is still there."
"Yeah, I hope so too."
Jin remained silent, but he knew from the observations made by the Watcher that the towns and villages north of Battalf were still standing, so he was at ease. Furthermore, he had copied the map found in Shuuki Tsetse's records.
The night passed as their hearts swelled with anticipation.
The group departed early the next morning. They had covered the entrance to Adriana's laboratory with soil, restoring it to its original state. As a precaution, Jin had installed a marker for Teleportation inside.
"...Until next time," Jin whispered in a voice no one else could hear, bidding farewell to the laboratory.
The automobile proceeded at fifteen kilometers per hour. With short breaks every two hours and a stop for lunch, after about seven hours, a town that appeared to be Battalf came into view.
"It's a town, not just a village."
"Yeah, it's quite large. It must have developed significantly since those days."
As they drew closer, the state of the town became clear.
"...It's more advanced than the Allied Kingdoms."
The orderly rows of buildings made it look almost like a modernized city. That said, most were two-story structures; there were no high-rises or skyscrapers.
"...So they're stone houses."
Then, when they were about fifty meters from the outskirts of the town...
"Danger! Edgar, stop!" Reiko shouted.
Edgar slammed on the brakes. However, the automobile's inertia carried it forward several meters until it came to a halt with a light thud against something invisible.
"Wh... What on earth!?" Goose tumbled from his seat, shaking his head. The others had managed to cling to their seats.
"...A barrier?" Jin muttered.
"Yes, Father," Reiko answered. "A barrier has been deployed to cover the entire town."