Overnight.

Bina was still troubled. Or rather, she couldn't sleep all night, and the next thing she knew it was morning.

Bina's royal secret maid, Lisa, was asleep, leaning back in her chair.

"...... morning, huh?"

She muttered to herself and left the room to wash her face.

The washroom at the end of the corridor. There was a dug-out well with a constant flow of water.

In spring March, I rinsed my mouth and washed my face with water that was neither cold nor warm, but just the right temperature. Then he realized that he had forgotten to bring a towel.

At that moment, a new towel was offered to him from the side.

"Thanks for ......."

I took it without checking who it was, probably one of the maids of honor, and wiped the water from my face. Only when he opened his eyes did he realize that it was Jin.

"...... Jin."

"Good morning, Bina."

"Oh, good morning."

For some reason, things got awkward. Beena waited for Jin to rinse out his mouth and wash his face.

"Jin!"

"What's wrong, red eyes. Didn't you sleep well?

Bina hesitated for a moment,

"...... I've been proposed to by Count Kuzma."

She confessed. Jin responded,

"Yes, I heard so.

Jin replies, "Yes, I heard so. In response, Bina said,

"Jin, you knew?"

"Yes, Erza told me last night."

"Yes, Erza-sama told me."

Bina looked down and tried to speak again and again, and then stopped,

"Hey, what do you think about ......?"

She finally said, "What do you think, Jin?

The Count proposed to me. I ...... congratulate ...... you."

"Yes,......."

"Count Kuzma is a good man. He doesn't discriminate unfairly and he cares about his people. His servants are not strange from what I've seen. I don't think he'd be insulted if Bina were to marry him."

"............"

"He has the passion to say such lines to a prince. I'm sure he would make Bina happy."

"Jin ......"

I could sense Jin's feelings for Bina in every word of these lines. However, these are not romantic feelings. It was the kind of love that one would show to one's family, even one's younger sister.

I realized it. I was made aware of it.

"Hey, Beena?"

Beena looked down for a while, but when she looked up, she was smiling. And then..,

"Thanks, Jin. I've made up my mind. I accept the Count's proposal.

He said. Then she suddenly hugged Jin,

"Jin, I love you."

Jin said one word and immediately pulled away,

"Thank you for everything you've done for me. I hope we can be good friends in the future.

With these words, he ran away.

The remaining Jin was stunned, not understanding what Beena had just done.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meane was deep in thought.

She wondered what she should do now that she knew that Erza, whom she had thought of as a child, had become an adult before she knew it.

She told Erza that they had become man and woman, but in reality, it was a more forceful and one-sided development. I forced myself to do it even though I didn't want to. Over and over again.

When I remember that, my distrust of aristocrats and men comes back to my mind.

And what Elsa is going to do now.

As a daughter of a nobleman and with two older brothers in the family, she is destined to marry someday.

I hope the man is a good man, I hope he loves Elsa.

"She's ......"

The words just fall out of my mouth.

"He only sees ...... Elsa as a tool."

* * * *

"Well, then, Mr. Reinhardt, Mr. Jin, please.

Jin and Reinhardt explain the countermeasures against < to the people in charge of the magical institutions, including the Minister of Magic, Kellichdorre.

First, Reinhardt explains how to protect magi-devices by using materials that are difficult for magic power to penetrate.

He explained that the shell of an armored turtle is effective so far.

"Well, I see, if you don't think about the materials, it can be done easily.

Although it uses materials that attenuate magic power to a certain extent, it does not require much time and effort to modify. And since the size of a mass-produced Magi Device and the enclosure (case) to surround it are fixed, it can be mass-produced as well.

Jin then explained.

"The shield case was developed with the idea of not allowing magic power to pass through to the inside.

Jin took out a sample he had prepared and placed it on the table.

"The surroundings are made of mithril silver, which is easily permeable to magic power. The easy passage means that it is also difficult to release the captured magic power.

I see. That makes sense.

"If we leave it as it is, it will be saturated and we don't know what will happen, so we have engraved a magic formula (Magi Formula) to convert magic into magic power and also to return it to the air.

"Mmm."

The magic minister, Kelihidore, raised his voice in admiration.

"And as an insurance policy, we can also give them magic tools that absorb the magic that is released.

Kelihidole applauded Jin as he concluded by showing the magic recording stone (magi recorder).

"No, that's brilliant, Jin-dono. Jin-dono's method is reliable but time-consuming and expensive. Reinhardt's method is easy and effective. I think that we should use Jin-dono's method for important golems and golems with high combat power, and use Reinhardt-dono's method for other golems, what do you think?"

No one objected to Kellichdole's proposal.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jin and Reinhardt, who had been instructing the golem remodeling until nearly evening, were relieved to finally be released.

"Jin, let's go sweat it out."

Reinhardt said and invited Jin to take a bath. Jin, who loves taking a bath, agreed without hesitation. He went to the bathroom.

There are always towels in the changing room, and if you ask, the maid of honor will wash your clothes and even dry them with magic.

"Ah, I feel so tired.

After almost a full day of teaching, one is tired in one's own way.

"Yes, indeed. But I'd rather be in a korontoh's bathtub.

Reinhardt says that the hot spring water coming out of the ground feels better than the boiling water. Jin agrees. The feel of the water is different.

"Bina, I hope you will be happy.

Reinhardt said to Jin as he soaked in the hot water.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes, during the day, Lewis did."

Louis is Count Kuzma's name.

"I'm sure Count Kuzma will make Bina happy. I hope so.

"I agree."

Jin and Reinhardt laughed.

"By the way..."

Reinhardt continued.

"Tomorrow is Elsa's birthday."

"What?　What? That's very sudden."

Jin was surprised to hear Reinhardt suddenly say that. I think he had mentioned that her birthday was coming soon in Borgia, the capital of the Kingdom of Elias.

I'm sorry. I got mixed up in the Golem garden party and all that, so I didn't get around to telling you.

"I'm sure Reinhardt will be fine with the rocks he bought back then. ......"

Jin thinks. Then he remembered that Erza was interested in something like a beautiful dagger.