"Where should I start?" Jin asked, slowly opening the conversation.
"To give you the gist of what happened after we parted ways... it turned out Lordtoss had been searching for me. We managed to escape the Jagus Principality together. We used a Blow Floater that Lordtoss had kept hidden and made it back to his homeland—the Nord Federation."
Jin was skipping a significant portion of the story, but his listeners were none the wiser.
"Once we met with the All-Creation clan, my true identity was finally confirmed."
"So your memory came back!" Kachea said, her face lighting up with joy.
"Yeah, sorry for worrying you all. My name is Jin Nidou. I'm the successor to the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister."
"So you inherited both the name and the title," Eira said, her expression relaxing into one of relief.
"That's how it turned out."
"And your memory returned while you were in the Nord Federation?"
"..."
Jin hesitated. He debated whether he should reveal the full truth. After a moment of consideration, he made his decision.
"...Actually, I never lost my memories to begin with." He bowed his head deeply. "I'm sorry for deceiving you!"
Jin remained bowed, bracing himself. If they couldn't forgive him for this, he was prepared for their friendship to end then and there.
"...Oh, is that all? Honestly, I figured as much."
The first voice he heard was Eira’s, sounding light and unbothered.
"I suspected it too. Well, toward the end, at least," Kachea added with a smile.
"Yeah. If your master was searching for you, I figured there were circumstances involved. I don't intend to hold it against you," Groma said, clearly unconcerned.
"...Thank you." Jin straightened up and offered his gratitude. "That's a weight off my mind."
"I'm sure you had your reasons," Kachea said.
"True. If the Principality had found out Jin was the Magi Craft Meister back then, there's no telling what they would have done," Groma noted.
"Well, there's no doubt that the teleportation accident did drop me in that village," Jin said. Eira nodded.
"That much is clear. If you're dropped into a strange land with nothing but the clothes on your back, the first thing you think about is self-preservation." Eira went on to explain that protecting your identity while gathering intel was only natural. There was an air about her words that suggested she spoke from experience. Jin privately thought that Eira must have faced many hardships herself.
"And so, here's the thing. As the Magi Craft Meister, I have my own laboratory—one I inherited. I was wondering... if you'd like to come visit for the New Year holiday?"
"Whoa, sounds great!" Eira chirped.
"...But is that really okay?" Kachea asked, sounding a bit doubtful.
"Hm? About what?"
"Well, I mean... for the Magi Craft Meister to show us such favoritism..."
"...Ah, I see. Don't worry about it. A Magi Craft Meister isn't some saint or sage, and I don't have any specific public duties." Jin explained that since he wasn't a public official, there was no reason for his actions to be restricted.
"I'm sure it'll draw some eyes, though." Jin laughed it off. If he worried about every pair of eyes, he'd never get anything done. Besides, he had plenty of ways to move around unnoticed.
"...If you say so, Jin-san, then that's fine."
"I already said I was going!" Eira declared.
"May I come along as well?" Groma asked a bit reservedly. Jin smiled at him.
"Of course. You're Lordtoss's friend, and more importantly, it was your advice that led me to find him in the first place."
"Hearing you say that makes me feel like I actually helped my master."
Jin then began to iron out the specific schedule.
"Right. I'm planning to leave tomorrow at noon, so you can come with me then. Get your things ready. Oh—the Hurricane has plenty of space, so feel free to bring your golem, Groma."
The last part was directed specifically at Groma.
"...Huh?...Oh! Thank you!" Groma beamed, touched that Jin had remembered his wish for a rematch. "Even if I'm not in the same league, I already said I'd do it." Groma grinned.
"...Anyway, back to the plan. We'll leave tomorrow at noon and head for the Shouro Empire. I have a mansion there."
"The Shouro Empire! I've always wanted to see it! I can't wait. Honestly, we could leave right now!" Eira was practically bouncing.
"Are you a child?"
"Sh-shut up! I'm just that excited!"
Jin watched the banter between Eira and Groma with nostalgia. It had been less than four months, but it felt like much longer. He intended to take them to Hourai Island via a Warp Gate once they reached the Empire, but he kept that to himself for the moment.
They spent the rest of the evening catching up, hearing about what Eira and the others had been doing and their experiences since arriving at Avalon. Just after 9:00 PM, they called it a night, as the students needed to return to their dorms.
"See you tomorrow," Jin said.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!"
"Tomorrow, then. Thank you for the invitation, Jin-san."
"Much obliged, Jin-dono."
The three departed with their various goodbyes. Jin returned to his room and then went to visit Lordtoss.
"...So that's what we decided," he explained.
"That sounds fine. I'll tell my great-grandmother myself."
"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Jin preferred not to have this specific conversation over the Fellowship Bracelet, so he left it to Lordtoss.
The next morning, the 29th, dawned.
Jin met with the Avalon executives, accompanied by Maquina III.
"...And so, if anything comes up, please contact Maquina." Jin reiterated that he was strictly a private citizen and wished to avoid any institutional entanglement with Avalon.
"...Very well." They accepted, albeit with some reluctance.
After the main business was concluded, one official asked, "I've heard that Jin-dono's predecessor and the first Maquina-dono were fellow disciples. Is that true?"
"Yes, they studied under the same master." It was the truth—they had both inherited the legacy of Adriana Barbora Tsetse.
"And the current generation are fellow disciples as well. Maquina and I are both connected to the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister." Maquina III nodded silently.
"Avalon must continue to push its technological limits," Tomax Bartman said.
"Marikka-sensei said she'd be lending you the Fuhrer models again, so look forward to that." Jin felt a sense of relief at those optimistic words.
As he prepared to depart, Jin informed them that he was inviting his friends from the Mercana Principality to the Shouro Empire for the New Year.
"Oh? Those three?...I must admit, I'm a bit envious," Chief Administrator Tomax Bartman said, sounding quite sincere.