"...I knew it. You really are from that other continent, Jin. I brought you here thinking it might make you nostalgic, and it looks like I hit the bullseye."
Seeing Jin’s reaction, Eira threw back her glass of ginjo sake.
"This stuff goes exceptionally well with fish, you know."
Eira punctuated her point by popping a piece of sashimi into her mouth.
"Yeah, it’s delicious."
Jin’s own chopsticks moved with purpose, spurred on by the nostalgic pairing. Kachea didn't seem to have any aversion to raw fish either.
"This is wonderful," she said, happily munching on the sashimi.
"...I've had a feeling lately that you’ve been brooding over something, Jin," Eira remarked as she poured herself another drink. Despite being a woman, her gestures carried a certain masculine charm.
"...Is that so?" Jin replied noncommittally, taking a slow sip of his ginjo sake.
"It is....And I figured you probably want to go home. So, I thought you might just take a liking to the food and drink here."
"Yeah, it’s a taste of home. Thank you."
Jin picked up a piece of sashimi that looked like a cross between squid and octopus.
"Seeing you eat that without batting an eye, you really must be from somewhere around Mitsuho."
"Mitsuho... I see."
The thought that he might find a way forward if he could just reach that place was certainly on his mind.
"...You've probably sensed it, but the government's grip on this country is tight. It’s not so bad as long as you're delivering results, though."
"I suppose so."
"I mean, the moment they tried to reel you in—even though you could easily be some high-ranking official from another country—well, you can pretty much guess what their priorities are."
"...Hmm, true."
In any other context, such an action could have sparked an international incident.
"They only get away with it because they think their policy of national isolation will keep anyone from finding out."
Perhaps loosened up by the alcohol, Eira was even more talkative than usual.
"I’d almost bet they abandoned the rest of this continent because they decided colonizing it wasn't profitable enough."
Is she a cynic as well as a talker? Jin felt a flash of concern. If anyone were eavesdropping, Eira’s loose tongue could land her in serious trouble.
Unless he understood the true intentions of the ruling class, Jin couldn't decide on his next move.
This was reality, and he was an engineer, not a warrior. One wrong step and he might never see Elsa, Hanna, Reiko, or Laojun again.
(Don't rush it. Stay calm.)
At times, he was tempted to hijack Paerova’s Golem, steal an automobile, and just make a run for it.
But he couldn't see what lay at the end of that road.
How would he cross the sea? Where would he find food? What was waiting for him on the other side? Could he truly avoid every danger?
When it came to his own skin, Jin was perhaps a bit too cautious to act on a whim. While he was prone to being overly bold during the creative process, he couldn't help but be prudent when his safety was on the line.
With his worries weighing on him, the alcohol seemed to hit Jin much faster than usual. Since he wasn't wearing his Fellowship Bracelet, there was no detox effect to mitigate the intoxication.
"Hey, Jin, don't go to sleep in a place like this. Kachea and I aren't strong enough to carry you back."
"Uuuh..."
He only groaned, showing no intention of waking up.
"It's rare to see Jin-san get this drunk."
"True. Though we've only been working together for about half a month."
Eira watched Jin, who had curled up and fallen fast asleep, with a wry smile.
"Exposing himself like this, completely defenseless... I suppose it means he trusts us, in a way."
"I-I suppose... so."
"But still, why would a man like Jin ever end up in this country...?"
"U-Um, he said it was a Warp Gate accident..."
Eira smiled faintly and shook her head.
"Jin's story is full of holes. It’d be foolish to just take everything he says at face value."
"Eh? What do you mean by that...?"
"I mean, the part about Jin coming from somewhere very far away is almost certainly true."
"Yes, I agree. The gaps in his general knowledge are quite extreme."
"Then why does he dodge the subject by saying his memory is fuzzy?"
"Wait, is he dodging it?" Kachea looked surprised.
"I don't know the truth either, but for someone who claims to be confused, he never hesitates for a second when it comes to technical matters. Is it really that convenient to forget only specific types of information?"
"...That's... a good point..."
"I can understand it to an extent. Jin's knowledge and skills are extraordinary. He's probably being cautious. Although, for someone trying to hide his true abilities, he’s doing a pretty terrible job of it."
"Ah, I have to agree with you there."
"I even thought he might be a spy at one point, but he’s just way too... not a spy."
Just then, Jin rolled over, bumping his arm against the low table.
"Ah, Jin-san, are you awake?...Jin-san!"
"...Nn... El... just... a bit more..."
"...El? I wonder what an 'El' is?"
Kachea tilted her head, and Eira looked equally puzzled.
"Given the context, it's probably a person's name."
"Ah, that makes sense."
"...I'd like to ask him about it when he wakes up, but... maybe it's better if I don't."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Without even needing to say it, the two women implicitly agreed to stop prying into Jin's secrets.
"But Kachea, your head for calculations and logic is really something else."
"D-Do you really think so?"
"...Yeah. If you could find an even better master, you might become a scholar who could change the world."
Kachea turned bright red.
"T-That's taking the joke way too far!"
"I'm not joking, though."
Eira drained another glass.
Kachea also seemed to be feeling the effects of the alcohol, as she let out a sentiment she would never normally voice.
"...Then I'll say something too....Eira-san, I used to think you were such a difficult person~"
"Hmph, I am difficult, aren't I?"
But Kachea shook her head.
"Nooo. The real Eira-san is someone who cares about her friends, is passionate about research, and is so good at looking after her juniors~"
"...Hmph."
"Why someone like Eira-san ended up in a place like this... that's... even more... mysterious... to me..."
With a soft thud, Kachea collapsed. The alcohol had finally claimed its second victim.
"...Hmph. Every last one of them is a lightweight."
Eira continued to pour her own drinks for a while, staring at the ceiling.
"...'Why I came to a place like this,' huh... talk about minding your own business..." she muttered. Then, she whispered softly to the empty room.
"A country, huh... I wonder what a 'country' even is anymore..."