"What? You’ve located Graham Derby?"
In Avalon on January 5th, Chief Administrator Tomax Bartman shot up from his chair.
"Yes. We received word from Jin-dono just a moment ago. He apparently found him in Florenz, in the Kingdom of Elias, while he was visiting."
"Happened to be there, did he..."
Tomax Bartman suspected that was a convenient half-truth. However, he wasn't foolish enough to press for details on exactly how the discovery had been made.
"He said that more details will follow soon."
"I see."
Tomax looked at the secretary who had brought him the news.
He glanced at Manon, the automaton gifted to him by Maquina III.
Thanks to her meticulous schedule management and her skill in sorting through paperwork, Tomax’s workload had been cut in half.
Going forward, as they standardized their procedures, the administrative side of things would likely become even easier.
For the first time, Tomax felt like he could finally see the light at the end of a very long tunnel.
"It’s been a while since I was last in Florenz."
Jin recalled his previous visit back in October, just before the liberation of Kunlun Island.
"It has indeed," Lordtoss, who was accompanying him, nodded in agreement.
"That was when we reclaimed Taihaku in that lightning strike operation..."
Back then—and even now—recruitment signs for the Magic Federation were posted everywhere.
However, their numbers seemed to have thinned compared to his last visit, and many of the remaining signs were noticeably filthy or falling apart.
"Only about two months have passed, but it looks like the Magic Federation’s influence is waning."
"It certainly seems that way."
Exchanging these observations, Jin and Lordtoss followed behind Reiko as she led the way.
Reiko walked at the front, followed by Jin and Lordtoss, with Lise, dressed in a white coat, bringing up the rear.
"It is this way."
Reiko turned a corner off the main thoroughfare and headed down a medium-class street.
She was aiming for an old two-story brick house. That was apparently the clinic.
However...
"Where do you think you’re going?"
Two men with short swords hanging from their waists stepped out to block their path.
"We are heading to the clinic at the end of this road," Reiko answered calmly.
One of the men scoffed. "That clinic is useless. If you’re looking for treatment, you’re better off going somewhere else."
"No, we have business with a patient who has been admitted there," Reiko clarified.
At those words, a sword was thrust toward her.
"Kugh!"
The blade stopped a mere five centimeters from Reiko’s throat. She had caught it, pinching the steel between her left index finger and thumb.
Whether the man had intended to stop short or had truly meant to run her through was unclear.
"I—It won't move! What is this?!"
The man poured all his weight into the sword. But whether he pushed or pulled, the blade held between Reiko’s fingers didn't budge an inch.
Seeing this, the other man drew his own sword and swung it down toward the crown of Reiko’s head.
"You’ve got to be kidding..."
But that sword, too, was caught by Reiko’s small hand.
"If you interfere any further, I will show no mercy."
As the two men turned pale, Lordtoss addressed them.
"Are you with the Magic Federation?"
The men’s expressions changed instantly. It seemed he had hit the bullseye.
"There is a man named Graham in that clinic, isn't there?"
"Wh—!"
"How do you know that...!"
Their reactions were as good as a confession.
"We’ve come here to cure Graham."
Sensing that these two were likely attempting to protect Graham Derby in their own way, Jin decided to take a gamble and state his purpose.
"What?!"
"...Is that the truth?"
The two men looked skeptical, though they didn't let go of their swords just yet.
"You might not believe me, but it is the truth."
"..."
The hostility vanished from the two men—or rather, it would be more accurate to say their fighting spirit withered away.
"Reiko, let them go."
Jin deployed a barrier just in case before giving Reiko the instruction.
"Understood."
Reiko released her grip after confirming that Jin’s barrier was active.
"Whoa!"
Startled by the sudden release of tension, the two men nearly stumbled as they dropped their swords.
"You see? If we wanted to force our way into the clinic, we could have done so easily."
Jin pointed out that they were choosing to negotiate instead.
"Hrmmm..."
As they continued to hesitate and mutter to themselves, Jin gave another order.
"Reiko, take care of those swords."
"Yes, Father."
Reiko picked up both swords and slowly twisted them together into a knot.
"W-Wha?!"
"These are poor quality. Since the tempering is insufficient, they are easy to twist like this."
"Now do you understand? Please accept that we have no ill intent. If we did, we wouldn't be standing here talking," Lordtoss added.
"A-Alright."
Having finally grasped the situation, the two men fearfully stepped aside.
"Thank you."
Jin gave a brief nod of thanks and started walking again.
The two men watched in terror as Jin and his companions passed by.
Upon closer inspection, the clinic was a rather dilapidated building.
"Well, appearances aren't everything."
Reiko took the lead and opened the door.
The entrance led into a small lobby, but the interior was every bit as run-down as the exterior suggested.
"...It’s quite a wreck in here as well," Lordtoss said, sounding somewhat exasperated.
"If it’s a clinic, they should at least keep it a bit cleaner," Jin remarked.
At his words, Lise, who had been following silently until now, immediately set to work.
"Cleanup. Sterilization."
She promptly cast her purification and sterilization magic.
"The air inside the building was quite stagnant, so I have purified it."
"Y-Yeah, good work."
Just then, a young woman in a white coat, presumably a healer, appeared.
With a dark gold bob and amber eyes, the woman looked absolutely stunned.
"W-What just happened?!"
She seemed completely overwhelmed by the lobby, which had suddenly become pristine.
"Um, we have business with a man named Graham Derby. He’s been admitted here."
When Jin stated his business directly, the woman’s expression immediately shifted to one of extreme caution. She took several steps back.
"...And who are you?" she asked.