The time was about 10:30 p.m. Stearina was walking through the streets of Gore with Jin and his friends. She was accompanied by Aal, Edgar, and Reiko. Serene, who is a bit too flashy, was away from home.

"This is a relatively new town. The buildings are new, aren't they?"

True to her word, the stone surfaces are smooth. The surface of the stone used is smooth, a far cry from the weathered buildings of Leonard's kingdom.

"But the plots aren't very tight. I think first-timers might get lost."

In the case of new towns, the streets are either laid out horizontally and vertically like a grid, or the streets radiate out from the lord's castle and the town is built in concentric circles. These two are the most common.

Here in Gore, however, the streets are not straight, but rather they are not straight, but rather they are curved like a key or in an arc, making them very difficult to recognize.

"The reason is that the lord ...... Duke Hubert Bertin de Marchand did not like the streets to be too neat."

He is a dictatorial lord, Stearina added at the end.

"But I like it better when the streets are like this."

Jin's honest impression. The streets are cluttered with a sense of life. A townscape that is neat and tidy, but still somewhat reserved. Jin prefers the former.

"......I understand what Jin says, I think."

"Well, I like the chaotic atmosphere, too.

Even Saki agreed, but Jin interrupted.

"Ha, Saki's room is a messy place, isn't it?

"Ugh!　......Ji, Jin, it's not like that now!　Aalu cleans it every day!"

"...... Saki, it's not something to be proud of."

The group moves along the main street in harmony. As a few more people arrived, Jin joined hands with Hannah.

"Don't get lost, okay?"

"Yes, thanks, honey!"

Stearina looked at Jin with a sideways glance and murmured.

(...... she can be so attentive to little kids, but she has no clue about girls. ......)

Jin and Hannah walk through the crowd, holding hands.

"Jin-kun, Hannah-chan, it's getting crowded, turn right!

Stearina called out, and the group turned from the main street into an alley. A little further on, they came to another street.

Away from the hustle and bustle, it was a quiet street.

"This street is called . There are various stores selling everything from foodstuffs to magi crystals.

"Wow, that sounds interesting!

Saki seemed to be interested.

"Look, that's the store I always go to. Let's drop by."

The store was a little smaller than the surrounding stores, but once inside, it was surprisingly deep.

"Hello, Mr. Stearina, welcome. Can I help you?

The elderly owner greeted me politely.

No, I'm just showing my friend around. She's an alchemist. ...... Do you have any rare materials in your store?"

Saki looked around the store with a wry smile on her face and asked the owner.

"Are you an alchemist?　That's unusual. Yes, I have something like this that I just dug out of the mine the other day.

The owner brought out a black, flat stone from amongst his still unorganized baggage.

"It's interesting. It can be peeled off in thin layers."

"...... biotite?"

It was, as Jin had said, biotite. Biotite mica from north of the village of Kaina is white to transparent, while biotite is black and opaque.

Other than color, their properties are very similar.

In this region, this mineral is like a toy that a child can peel off thinly and play with.

"And then there's this..."

"Oh, this is amazing!"

Orange, purple and other colorful stones. They are almost octahedral in shape.

"This is a fluorite. I like to collect them, too.

Saki also knows fluorite from her scientific knowledge. He has many fluorites in his collection.

Saki bought a small purple crystal as a souvenir.

"Next, how about ......, ......, how about over there?"

Stearina pointed to a store selling jewelry. There were some items on display outside the store.

"Hey, honey, I'm thirsty.

Hannah said something unusual like that. She had just had a glass of juice at Stellina's house, but she had only drunk a little.

It was a summer day, and the closer one was to the ground, the hotter it felt.

"Okay, let's go somewhere and buy a drink.

Jin-kun, then the store at the end of the street is a little far from here. We're just looking at trinkets.

"Okay. I'll catch up with you later."

Hitoshi, Hannah, and Reiko went to the store recommended by Stearina, while Elsa, Edgar, Saki, Aal, and Stearina went to the accessory store.

Elsa was the first to enter the store when she was confronted by a girl coming out of the store.

"Kya!"

"Ah!"

They both stumbled but did not fall.

Watch out!

"......Sorry!"

Neither of them was at fault, but the girl's bravado pushed Erza into a slight bow.

Something fell at her feet.

"Ah!"

It was the folding knife that Jin had given her before. The blade is made of light silver, and the handle is made of a thinly processed horn of a Siamese dragon, with fine magi crystals scattered on it.

The object was in an inside pocket of his clothes, and seems to have fallen out when he bumped into it. Erza hurriedly picks it up.

"What?　Is that ......?"

The girl stared at the knife that Erza picked up.

"Hey, hey, let me see it!

"What?　Yes."

The girl snatched the knife from Elsa's hand with a half-snatching motion, and looked surprised.

"...... maybe ...... the same author?　No,......, not so conveniently,...... but this is definitely,......."

She mumbled something, then suddenly turned to Erza,

"You!　Where did you get this knife?　Who is the author?　Tell me now!"

She came at him in a high-handed, commanding tone.

The girl was somewhat smaller than Elsa, but she had an indescribable force, and Elsa was unable to speak as she was taken in by the girl's pace, not knowing what was going on.

"You, let's calm down a little."

Saki intervened between the two.

"What are you doing?"

The girl stares at Saki.

"My name is Saki. What's your name?　Why are you asking me that?

"Shut up!　You said your name is Saki.　Are you ordering me, Beatrix?　I'm looking for the creator of a certain dagger. This knife was made by the same creator, wasn't it?"

Now the girl is going to attack Saki. She is still using her own name, I wonder. Saki is inwardly stunned and impatient, but on the surface she responds calmly.

"Beatrix, could you give her back the knife for now?

I don't take orders from you!

The girl, who identified herself as Beatrix, took Elsa's knife in her arms.

"...... Beatrix?　...... blonde hair, green eyes...... could it be ......<!"

Stearina, who had been pondering the name since the girl had said it, thought of it and let out a small cry.

"Heh, <>, that's what they call you. Well, I don't deny it.

Beatrix turned to Stearina and glared at her.

"Yes, I am Beatrix Bertin de Emmerode. I'm sorry for being so selfish. You've got some nerve. You have the nerve to say that to my face and to my ears.

"No, no, no, I mean..."

Stearina flinched at the glare.

She was the daughter of a lord, the tenth or twenty-second in line to the throne of this country. And there are many rumors that are even more troubling than that. I don't want to be stared at too much.

"Beatrix, what are you doing?

A young man came out of the store and spoke to Beatrix.

"Brother, I found a clue about the dagger!"

"What?"

"Here, look at this."

Beatrix held out the knife she still had in her hand to the young man.