As the Dauphin Cesar said, the checkpoints between the walls were mostly face-passing.

"This is the only way I can use my power!"

Cesar laughed, but there was a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"But, Your Highness, is it safe to go out at night with only two guards?"

Fritz wondered if the crown prince of a country was being careless.

He is the crown prince, but he is only the eldest son. I have two younger brothers, so my father will not be bothered by my absence.

There was a hint of self-mockery in these words.

We walked for about 20 minutes to the Torres River.

It was pitch black, so Fritz used a ball of light.

The area was illuminated by a faint light. From the looks of it, <> is not in the vicinity.

"Maybe a little further downstream."

We moved about 5 minutes further downstream, and found no <> there, so we moved another 5 minutes further downstream.

"What?　What is that?"

< floating in the light of the .

"Ah, that's it. !　Come here!"

And then a huge body appears.

The Dauphin Cesar looks up in astonishment as five appear before him.

"Well, I've heard about this, but this is spectacular. You must have walked them all the way here, but did they stop you or suspect you along the way?"

Fritz answered the question, checking 's condition.

Yes, I was on my way back from a trip to the Kingdom of Klein. Yes, I am returning from a trip to the Klein Kingdom, so I have been there on my way there as well. So there was no suspicion.

"Oh, yes, that's right."

"I also have a letter from the Emperor, so as long as I talk to him properly he has never complained."

"Yes, that's true. Thank you, Mister Fritz. You have shown me a good thing."

And then... Out of the darkness a flame bursts out.

"Your Highness!"

Fritz is the first to notice and pushes Cesar away.

"What?

In the nick of time, the firebullet flies past Cesar's face.

"Who the hell are you?

Fritz turns around to find that the firebullet had been cut down by the Dauphin's bodyguards.

(That's pretty quick. ......)

The reaction of the two guards was also quite good: one of them stood to protect the Dauphin, and the other one defeated the culprit.

<

He had been cut in a vital spot and was no longer breathing, so we could not ask him about his motive, but we assumed that he had taken a shortcut to avoid informing the Marquis of Ulaanbaatar.

He was not able to ask about his motive because he had not breathed his last breath. Please be careful.

Cesar chuckled as Fritz spoke.

"...... I understand. I owe you a great debt of gratitude, my Lord Fritz. ...... Kirk, Scaife, let's go home. As for the body of the senior soldier, we'll send someone out as soon as we get back to the house."

* * * *

Around the same time, on Horai Island.

Saki, who was in the laboratory, noticed that Jin's house, which she could see from her window, was still lit.

The time was around 11:00 p.m., close to midnight.

"......It's rare that you go to bed later than me, a night owl. Or is he trying to cook something again?"

Basically, Jin is an early riser. Except when he is not engrossed in trying to make something.

Saki was not yet sleepy, so she somehow found her way to Jin's house.

(Kuhuh, what if Jin and Erza are in the middle of .........)

She was in a strangely high state of tension, probably because she had been sleep deprived for a long time.

As I quietly approach the house, I see a shadow sitting on the porch facing south.

"...... Jin?"

I couldn't help but shout out.

"Saki? What are you doing here so late at night?"

"It's Jin, isn't it?　You usually go to bed early, what's wrong with you tonight?"

Jin then let out a slightly pained laugh.

"...... a little, you know. I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"......Where's Reiko?"

"I'm sure she's around somewhere, but tonight I wanted to be alone and think about it."

"I see. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I saw the lights were still on in the window. Good night, Jin.

Saki was about to return to the laboratory when Jin stopped her.

"Saki?"

"Hm?"

Saki stops and turns around.

"...... just in time. Can I ask you something?

"I don't mind, but you wanted to be alone, didn't you?　And you don't want to leave Erza out of it, do you?

"Yeah, I've been feeling a little stuck thinking alone and I'm not sure if Elsa is the right person to ask."

"Yes. ...... well, if you just want to ask."

Saki turned back and sat down on the porch alongside Jin.

"......I've been thinking that I can't go on like this."

Slowly, Jin began to speak.

"I thought that I could live here on Horai Island doing what I wanted.

Jin spoke without hesitation.

"My knowledge and skills are far from the current standards of this world. It's unnatural."

"......"

"If I rewrite this world as I please, ....... It would be a ."

Half to himself, half to Saki.

"<> is a phrase left behind not by me, but by a wise man in the Land of Mitsuho (Magus)."

"...... Jin, are you sure you want to just listen?"

Saki asked, unable to bear the silent listening.

"Yes, but if you have any questions, just ask."

Jin then began to speak again.

"So I thought about it. <, what I should be doing is not an invasion of cultures, but a fusion.

"Fusion, huh?"

Saki nodded deeply several times as she parroted back.

"I guess you're right. So, what's bothering you so much?"

Saki had not been bothered by any of the things she had heard so far in the conversation.

"Oh. Here it is. How can we fuse ...... then?"

Jin breaks off. Saki thought that he was asking her what she thought.

"Yes, I think so. Not forced. And not too sudden. And ...... not cause friction. ......?"

Jin smiled and nodded.

"Right. I would add, in a way that makes people happy and is good for the world."

"That's so like Jin."

"Thank you for ....... Then, what should I be?"

Saki was convinced after hearing that. Jin had lost sight of where he stood.

Saki asked herself what she could say to Jin.

And the answer he got was.

"Kuhu, Jin gets depressed in a funny way sometimes. Well, I guess that's what makes him a person, isn't it?

He prefaced his answer with.

"Jin, you shouldn't worry alone. Don't worry about Erza, me, and Reinhardt. You should talk to ......<. That's what friends are for.

Saki concludes.

"Jin, you seem to be trying to carry everything by yourself. You don't have to."

"...... is that so?"

Saki smiled and nodded.

"Yes. <, even , is a djinn.

What the hell is that?

"It means that djinn don't have to carry the burden. Jin's mistaken.

I'm mistaken?

You're mistaken? Jin's knowledge, his skill, his power, he didn't get them by seeking them, did he?　But maybe that's why he has so much of it.

Jin still didn't understand what Saki meant.

"I can say that because I'm close to Jin in that respect. Jin, don't get swept away by what you've got."

"You're being swept ...... up in it?"

"Yes, that's right. The powers that be will want to take advantage of you. They will try to use it. But I don't care.

Saki broke off, took Jin's hand, looked him straight in the eye, and said

"Jin, go ahead and do what you think is right. I, or rather we, are always on Jin's side. If Jin makes a mistake, we will stop him.