“And so, I was finally able to hear the things I’d been wondering about from Sion...”
Jin began to recount his tale for the third time.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“I’m home, Sion.”
Welcomed by Sion, Jin was invited directly into the mansion.
First, he was offered a bath. As a lover of baths, Jin accepted immediately. Even so, he didn’t indulge in his usual long soak and finished relatively quickly.
“Jin-sama, please come this way.”
A maid working at the mansion guided him to the Great Hall.
Waiting there were Sion and one other person.
“It really is Jin-sama...”
The woman was an elderly lady with silver hair and yellow eyes.
“...Marikka...?”
“...Yes, that’s right! You remembered me!!”
Marikka’s back was still perfectly straight, and she carried herself with a dignified air. Jin narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, thinking, So this is the Marikka I knew.
“U-Um, Jin-shama?”
(Ah, she tripped over her tongue.)
Jin felt a sense of relief; some things never changed, no matter how many years passed.
Sion, Marikka, and Jin sat around a circular table in the Great Hall, served by three maids.
“These three are also my great-great-grandchildren,” Sion said with a carefree laugh.
The gesture reminded Jin of her in her younger days, and he couldn't help but smile.
“Now then, let us start with a toast.”
A maid poured sparkling wine into glasses crafted from cubic zirconia.
“Jin, please do the honors.”
“Wait, me?”
“Of course. You are the head of the Jin Family, aren’t you?”
As Sion smiled, Jin saw the Fellowship Bracelet on her wrist. There was one on Marikka’s arm as well...
Jin raised his glass, feeling a pang of regret that his own bracelet had been lost to time.
“To our reunion.”
“To our reunion.”
“To our reunion.”
The glasses clinked together, producing a clear, crystalline ring.
“Ah, to be able to meet Jin again like this... I had heard it would happen, but it still feels like a dream.”
As Sion spoke with a soft smile, Jin decided to ask the question he needed to confirm above all else.
“Sion, I could infer this from Lordtoss’s words, but... will I be able to return to my original era?”
Sion answered with a bright smile.
“Yes—at least, as far as I know.”
“I see...”
The strength left Jin’s body, and he slumped into his chair. It wasn't out of despair, but because the thread of tension had finally snapped under the weight of his relief.
“Hearing that... hearing that makes me so much more at ease.”
“It sounds like you’ve had a difficult time, Jin.”
“Difficult... I wonder. Physical hardships are one thing, but the biggest struggle was the uncertainty. Everything hinged on whether I could go back.”
Sion smiled again, and in that expression, Jin saw the unmistakable traces of his old friend.
“I’ll take one more weight off your mind. Elsa-san will give birth safely. Both mother and children will be healthy.”
“Is that true?!”
This time, Jin practically shot out of his chair with excitement.
“I won’t tell you any more than that. In fact, it’s better if you don't ask. You should confirm the rest for yourself once you return,” Sion said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“A-Ah. Yeah, you’re right. That’s probably for the best.”
Jin understood her point. Just because he was in the future didn't mean he should spoil everything; it would take the meaning out of the life he had yet to live.
“The Jin who returned four hundred years ago said it himself: keep information to the absolute minimum.”
“...I said that? Hmm.”
He could see himself saying it. After all, they were apparently the words of his future self.
(It’s probably better not to ask what happened to everyone else in the Family, either...)
He was deathly curious, but Jin reminded himself that his top priority was simply getting back.
“I have a feeling I know what’s on your mind. You’re curious, aren't you?” Sion asked, reading the look on his face.
“...Yeah. It’s like taking a test and seeing a sheet with the answers right next to you. It takes a lot of willpower not to reach for it.”
Sion giggled at the analogy.
“...I’m sorry. It’s just... talking to the old—well, the young Jin like this makes me so happy.”
“...I see.”
Jin realized that Sion also knew him in his later years. He didn't quite have the courage to ask what kind of old man he eventually became.
“Marikka, I’m glad to see you’re doing well too.”
“Jin-sama...”
“Those Golem horses and Hanako—they were excellent work.”
“I’m unworthy of such praise.”
Marikka blushed deeply at the compliment.
“No, I mean it. Hanako was modeled after Reiko, wasn't she? But she wasn't just a copy; you added your own unique touches.”
“E-Eh? You noticed?”
“I could tell. Especially during combat. She used magi-craft to attack—specifically targeting the enemy golem’s joints to disable them. Reiko can do that too, but Hanako seemed specialized for that exact style of combat.”
“Jin-sama truly is incredible.”
Marikka explained that she had built Hanako to be an expert in magi-craft applications. Even her high power output was intended for transporting materials.
“Her appearance was modeled after Reiko-san, though.”
“I see. That makes sense.”
Jin nodded, and the meal continued in a warm, relaxed atmosphere.
Rice, miso, and soy sauce were served as a matter of course, which made Jin happy. He enjoyed the sashimi, sampled the pickles, and ate the umeboshi. For the first time in a long while, Jin savored a meal to his heart's content.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Now then, I’ll give you the information you need most right now, Jin.”
As they sipped their post-meal tea, Sion’s expression became more serious than it had been all evening.
“You must liberate Hourai Island.”