On October 8th, Jin traveled to the Nord Federation, accompanied by Reiko and Lordtoss.
Hope piloted Pegasus 2.
"Jin, welcome!"
Sion was there to greet them, just as she always was.
"I have a report for you today, Sion."
"Oh? What is it?"
Tilting her head slightly with a charm that hadn't changed since the old days, the "cute grandma" Sion invited Jin and his companions inside the mansion.
"So...?"
"Right. Well, the truth is..."
Jin explained that he had officially welcomed Lordtoss into the 2nd Period Jin Family. Lordtoss himself looked a bit bashful as the story was told.
"My, is that so?! Lordtoss, congratulations."
Sion rejoiced as if it were her own success to hear that her great-great-grandson had been recognized.
"Whaaat! Big brother, that’s so unfair!"
At that moment, Lordtoss's younger sister, Vita, burst into the room.
"Now, Vita, don't be so unrefined. Offer your greetings first."
"...Yes, Great-great-grandmother....Jin-sama, welcome."
Rebuked by Sion, Vita apologized obediently and gave Jin a proper greeting. Then, she immediately turned back to her brother.
"Big brother, you got that thing, didn't you? Show me, show me!"
"That thing? What are you talking about?"
When Lordtoss tried to play dumb, Vita pressed him further.
"Oh, come on! You know what I mean!...What was it called again... right, the Fellowship Bracelet! The proof of being in the Jin Family!!"
Sion watched Vita’s restlessness with a wry smile.
It had been a while since Jin had been in such a lively family atmosphere, so he watched with interest to see how Lordtoss would handle his sister.
"If that's what you wanted to see, you should have just said so clearly."
"Ugh, you're so mean, Big brother."
Just as Jin was thinking it might be time to stop the teasing, Lordtoss gave in.
"My bad, my bad. Here, look."
As expected of siblings, Lordtoss yielded to her wishes and held out his Fellowship Bracelet for her to see.
"Oh, so it's this color."
Sion leaned in from the side, showing the bracelet she wore on her own left arm.
Sion's bracelet featured a silver and light blue marble pattern.
Lordtoss's bracelet was a marble of white and light blue.
"Ah, it's matched to Big brother's hair and eye color."
Sion’s was the same. Though they both had silver hair, they had chosen different base colors to avoid confusion; since Lordtoss's hair was a brighter shade, his had been made white.
"...And that's how things stand."
Jin gave Sion a full summary of recent events. Vita listened along with them, her eyes sparkling.
"So, what do you plan to do next?"
"Well, for my part..."
Jin explained that he intended to clear up various small matters that had been on his mind but which he hadn't been able to confirm until now. Sion nodded silently in understanding.
Then, she spoke up.
"By the way, have you learned anything more about Golbart Marukitasu's origins?"
"No, nothing definitive. According to Elena, a man named Guillermo Marukitasu—who she suspects is either a descendant or the man himself—is currently leading the Magic Federation."
"Guillermo Marukitasu... hmm. I've never heard that name."
"Right. More importantly, he apparently uses the spell 'Divieniunschiavo.'"
"What?"
This information seemed to catch Sion off guard.
"It's true, Great-great-grandmother. I saw it myself," Lordtoss confirmed.
"Hmm..."
Sion fell into deep thought.
"'Divieniunschiavo' isn't a spell that just anyone can use."
"Exactly."
"I believe there was someone in the Jest clan who was particularly skilled with it... but surely it couldn't be them."
In the modern Nord Federation, there weren't supposed to be any such radicals left among the Northern People.
"But what about two hundred years ago?"
Sion shook her head at Lordtoss's question.
"You'd have to go back more than four hundred years. We were all united as one thanks to Jin, after all."
"Ah, you mean the Negadoll incident," Lordtoss said, apparently familiar with the history.
"Yes. During that time, the radicals who refused to listen to Jin's warnings were mostly wiped out by the Ether Stampede."
Sion's gaze turned distant for a moment.
"Because of that, as far as I know today, there are only about five users left in the world. And every one of them is a person I trust completely."
It seemed this line of inquiry wouldn't solve the mystery of the Marukitasu Family either, so Jin set it aside for now.
"The rest will have to wait for more intelligence from the Quinta units."
Unless someone had simply manifested out of thin air, no one could perfectly erase their own origins. Jin believed that some kind of information would eventually come to light.
"...Well then, I should be going."
Having finished the lunch he was treated to, Jin drained the last of his post-meal tea and stood up.
"Oh, leaving so soon?" Sion asked regretfully.
"Yeah. I want to settle a few more things before the day is over. Lordtoss, you're welcome to stay here if you like."
Currently, Vita was gripping Lordtoss's left arm tightly and showed no sign of letting go.
"...Besides, my next destination is Tsetse Island."
Upon hearing that name, Lordtoss, who had looked like he wanted to follow, decided to hold back.
"I understand. Please, be careful."
Lordtoss knew that Tsetse Island was the final resting place of Shuuki Tsetse, the magus and foster father of Jin's predecessor, Adriana Barbora Tsetse. He figured that Jin likely wanted to visit such a place without extra company.
"I'll come back when I'm finished."
"We'll be waiting for you."
"I'll be waiting, Jin."
"Have a safe trip, Jin-sama!"
With Lordtoss, Sion, and Vita seeing them off, Jin and Reiko boarded Pegasus 2.
They headed south-southeast, toward Magus Cape.
"I wonder how it's faring. Reiko, do you know?"
Since there was no reason to hesitate about this particular topic, Jin turned to Reiko.
"Yes, Father. The last time I visited was approximately three hundred years ago. At that time, it remained unchanged from its original state. Since then, Laojun has been periodically dispatching Quinta units to monitor the area."
"Then it probably hasn't changed much since then."
Jin murmured as he looked down at the Blue Marine spreading out beneath them.
Pegasus 2 was swift. Within an hour, Magus Cape, their destination, appeared on the horizon.