Time goes back a little.

The warp gate room after Reiko was summoned by Jin.

Until Reiko returned, Erza was looking at the warp gates standing in a row.

They are marked "Kunlun Island," "Potlock," "Blue Land," "Ruins of Fortress 8," and so on, but Erza cannot read them because they are all written in Japanese.

"......This is all warp gates. ......Where can we go?"

She looks around with such thoughts in her mind. Sometimes I even look inside. Inside there is a magical formula written in unreadable characters.

The interior structure is also interesting. On the ceiling, there is also a pattern of some kind that I cannot make out.

I wonder if I will be able to make something like this someday.

I wondered that, and as I was looking up, I caught my foot on something.

"Ah!"

And he falls down. The place where I fell down was inside the warp gate.

All the warp gates that Jin has need his magic pattern for authentication.

And on Erza's chest was a brooch given to her by Jin.

Yes, it was the one that Lao-kun (called Lao-Tzu at that time) had used as a target when he searched for Erza with the magi radar when she had disappeared before.

In other words, Erza was approved and moved alone.

When Reiko returned 10 seconds later, Erza had already been transferred.

* * * * * * * * *

When Jin was told by Reiko that Erza had disappeared, he rushed to the warp gate room.

"Check the other rooms just to be sure.

Yes, I'll order the maids to do so.

Jin then looked around the warp gate room. The most likely possibility is that he was transferred by the warp gate, but how did he pass the authentication of the magic power pattern?

Putting that aside for the moment, I check around the warp gate, but find no clues.

The warp gate does not generate heat even if it is activated, and it is self-sufficient in magic power, so there is no evidence of a decrease in magic power.

"Hmmm, if the warp gate had an operation counter or something, we would be able to know immediately which one of the warp gates was activated.

Jin grumbles, but it's too late.

Soon after, the maid golems report that Erza is not in the institute or within a 50 meter radius around it.

"Oh, if this is the case, I should have registered not only Reinhardt's but also Erza's magic power!

"Father, please calm down."

"Goshujin-sama, I heard what happened."

Reiko calm down and Anne came in.

"Let's take a look at what has happened so far. It is most likely that you have been transferred by the warp gate. Then where are we going?

Anne reminded Jin to think in a logical way.

"Yes, that's right. First, the island of Kunlun. I quietly asked the maid golem there, but she hasn't returned. Then, the most likely place to look is the warp gate next to it.

It was a warp gate to Potlock.

"Can you contact Cattleya and Lotus who were attached to Marcia, Reiko?"

"Yes."

Jin and the others search for Erza.

Erza was still dressed in the same clothes she had fallen into.

Erza appeared at another warp gate in a collapsed state.

"Where am I?

You have to go out of the warp gate before you can go back in. Otherwise, if you are too slow to get out of the gate, you may be sent back to where you came from.

Slowly, Erza got up and went out of the warp gate.

The room was like a basement, and was relatively large. The dimly lit room must have a magic lamp somewhere.

As far as I can see from the light, there is only one warp gate, the one that Elsa just came out of.

We knew that we could return to the warp gate from which we came if we entered it. So at this point we are not too worried about it.

There is a staircase at the end of the basement. I was a little curious about it. Erza thinks that it is not a dangerous place, since Jin has installed it.

She would probably be scolded if she went back there now. So, as if she were a tomboy again, Erza walked toward the staircase.

She climbed the stairs and found a simple door. Gently opening it, she found that it was still daytime outside. It was already dusk on Horai Island.

?"

I wondered, and I couldn't help but go outside. It was an empty meadow, and a big river was flowing nearby.

Elsa takes a step or two toward the river. She wanted to go there for some reason, but she almost stopped herself.

"I have to go home or I'll get in trouble.

She felt bad that Reiko had already returned and was probably looking for her, so she turned around to hurry back and was shocked.

"The door is not ......."

The doorway from which I had just emerged was nowhere to be found. I had opened the door from a slightly raised pile of earth, but no matter where I looked, the door was nowhere to be found.

In a panic, I poked my hand out and dabbed around the area, but could not touch anything that looked like a door.

"...... lie."

Elsa probes further. Her hands and knees were covered with mud, but she had no time to worry about that now.

After half an hour of this, I have no idea where I am. All I could see were my footprints. I don't even know where I came out first.

"What should I do? ......"

When I was kidnapped before, Jin found me. I wonder if he will find me again. What if he gets mad at me for using the warp gate without his permission and doesn't look for me?

"I'm sorry. ......"

Erza's pessimistic thoughts made her feel like crying.

"Hey, sweetie, what's up?"

A voice called out from behind her.

It was a girl of about eight or nine years old. She had slightly dark blond hair tied up in a pigtail and a basket of wildflowers in her hand.

"Where did you come from?"

Elsa answers, regaining her composure.

I, Elsa. I don't know where I came from.

Then the girl says,

"Hmm?　Are you lost then?"

And Elsa said yes. And Elsa said yes.

"Really?　Then follow me. Let's go to Mr. Soncho."

The girl said and started to walk slowly. Having no other choice, Elsa followed the girl.

They soon arrived at a small village. The boundary of the village was marked by stakes and a simple fence.

"Come here, Elsa, come here!"

With the basket in her arms, the girl walked down a small path that led to the center of the village. Erza, who had stopped to look around, hurried after her.

There were strange things standing in various places that Erza had never seen before. It seemed to be made of bronze with a simple roof over it, and the fact that the surrounding area was wet suggested that it was a facility related to water.

I wondered what it was, but my first priority was myself. Erza followed the girl as she walked.

"This is Soncho-san's house," she said.

The girl stopped at a building that was a little more magnificent than the other houses.

"Souchou-san!

the girl shouted loudly through the door.

A few moments later, the door opens and a girl comes out. She is about the same age as Elsa. She was about the same age as Elsa, except for one part of her that was significantly older.

"Oh, what's wrong?　My uncle hasn't come home yet. I think he's probably out patrolling the wheat fields.

The girl pointed at Elsa and said.

"Is that so?　You know, this little girl is lost."

"Lost?"

The girl looked a little doubtful, then turned to Elsa and asked.

"Is that so?　I'm Barbara. I'm the niece of the village headman Giebeck.

I'm Elsa.

Elsa, is that you? Where are you from?　I see you have no luggage. ......"

When asked, Elsa almost says Kunlun Island, but swallows her words in haste.

I don't know. I found myself here. And then I met the girl."

Barbara tilts her head when she hears this,

"That's a strange story. Well, I guess that's one way of putting it."

She doesn't seem to think much of it. Then she looked up at the sky,

"The sun will be setting soon, if you would like to come to my house.

He beckoned Elsa to come to his house. Looking at the darkening sky, Elsa decided to take him up on his offer.

"Thank you. Thank you for your hospitality."

Barbara said and called out to the girl.

"Thank you, Hannah. Don't worry about Elsa, she'll be taken care of at home.