10-07 Capital City Alban
After breakfast on the next day, the 27th, Jin’s group departed towards Alban.
A base had been established at some ruins nearby that Spica-7 of the Quinta who was responsible for the whole area had found.
Of course a Warp Gate had been set up there too, so using it they could arrive there at once.
This time too just in case Hannah eyes were blindfolded before they warped. The SP were also following after them although they couldn’t be seen.
“I welcome you, Chief, Sister. And Elsa-san and Hannah-chan too.”
Spica-7 came to greet them. She was just about the same body shape as Elsa. Although her chest was a bit larger.
Her bob cut hair was similarly brown as that of Jin’s and the others. Her eyes had been made gray. She was wearing brown linen clothes fitting for commoners.
“Ah, thanks.”
Jin thanked her for coming to greet them, then Hannah who had just taken the blindfold off asked,
“Onii-chan, who’s this?”
“Oh, Reiko’s younger sister, I suppose. Although she looks larger than Reiko.”
Jin explained and Hannah made a complex expression of not being sure if she understood.
“It’s a little sudden, but we came to see the sights at Cline Kingdom’s capital Alban. Although I’ve also got the goal of returning this sword. ”
“Please let me help, Chief. I am acquainted with the area.”
Spica-7 replied and Jin said to her,
“Please stop calling me Chief now. Don’t call Reiko Sister either. Right, just call me Jin and Reiko Reiko. Don’t add ‘-sama’ afterwards either.”
“I understand, Jin-san.”
“Mmh, that’s good. Alright, what should we cal you?”
“In this town I’m called Virgo.”
“Alright, Virgo. Well then, please show us the way.”
They left the ruins. The weather had been clear at Kunlun Island but here it was slightly cloudy. Jin put on the half coat that signified him being an Honorary Magi Craftsman of Egelia Kingdom that he had brought with him.
It looked like the ruins were protected by a barrier, as when they went out they felt a slightly uncomfortable feeling. It was a rather powerful barrier.
The ruins were surrounded by a small forest where a simple barrier to make one lose their sense of direction had been spread out too. Spica-7 seemed to have been rather careful.
After walking some ten minutes the capital city Alban came to sight.
This too was a Fort City with walls about eight meters in height. Although they were shorter than Egelia Kingdom’s capital Asunto’s walls which were ten meters high, the stone walls still gave off a dignified feeling.
As it had been half past eight when they left Kunlun Island, here in Alban where the time difference was about an hour and a half it was just past seven. The gates seemed to be simply left open.
“Is there an inspection or something when entering?”
“Yes. It has already calmed down, but since there was a dispute with Frantz Kingdom it’s necessary to present identification papers or something equivalent. In Jin-san’s case I think the proof of being an Honorary Magi Craftsman is enough.”
Jin thought it was good he put it on just in case.
“What about Hannah and Elsa?”
“Hannah-chan is small so I think she could pass as Jin-san’s sister. Elsa-san’s matter is more complicated, isn’t it. But if there was some proof of you being related it would be simple.”
When told so, Jin remembered how once in Port Rock he got verified as a Magi Craftsman.””
“Elsa’s also become able to use [Forming] pretty well, hasn’t she? Let’s go with that.”
Jin said, then felt around his pockets just in case to check if he had any materials with him. And he found some Light Silver scraps. They were probably remnants of when he built a carriage back at Egelia Kingdom.
He had probably put the half coat on and the remaining scraps in a suitable pocket back when he took the carriage for a test drive. They were small, but there was enough to make a pen just like the one from earlier.
“Alright, if you’re asked to prove your identity then let them see you make a pen out of this.”
“Mm.”
Jin now felt relieved. Reiko disappeared using [Stealth].
The group then headed towards the open gates.
“Hey Virgo, you’re as pretty today as ever.”
“Thank you, keep up the good work.”
Just when Jin was thinking whether Spica-7=Virgo needed ID papers or something, she was admitted in since the guard seemed to be an acquaintance.
“Who are they?”
“Well, this is my acquaintance Magi Craftsman Jin-san and her sisters.”
Jin and the others quickly bowed their heads.
“Huh, is that so. Just in case, have you got anything to prove that?”
Since Virgo was an acquaintance, the guard seemed to be treating them comparatively courteously. On the other side another guard was rigorously checking a man that seemed to be a trader.
“I’m an Honorary Magi Craftsman of Egelia Kingdom.”
Jin said and showed the badge on his left breast.
“If that’s not enough then…”
Jin was about to take out the Mithril plate that had the certificate carved on it, but the guard stopped him and said,
“No, that’s enough. How about this little lady?”
“I’m onii-chan’s sister!”
Hannah replied cheerfully.
“Alright, got it. And this young lady? …She’s also a beauty, huh.”
Maybe because of the guard’s light personality, he added his opinion after seeing Elsa.
“I’m Jin-nii’s sister. I’ll prove it with this.”
Elsa said and first made sure to show the Light Silver in her hand to the guard then,
“[Forming].”
She formed a pen using Craft Magic. The guard was surprised by the speed of the work.
“T-that’s amazing. I understand, go on in. Here’s your temporary passes.”
He said and presented them with three wooden tokens.
“If you hold on to these you can prove that you’ve been properly inspected at the gate.”
Jin, Elsa, and Hannah accepted them.
“Please return them when you leave. If you don’t carry them then you may be treated as suspicious.”
“I understand. Thank you very much.”
Jin said and the group passed through the gates. Finally they were inside Alban.
“That went smoothly, didn’t it Jin-san?”
“Yeah. Virgo, are you close friends with that guard?”
The guard seemed friendly so Jin tried asking.
“Yes. He’s called Bart, and despite how he seems he’s about to become a knight, you know? He’s got an easy personality as you can tell, and whenever he’s got spare time he comes to talk with me on his own volition and leaks out all sorts of information so he’s very convenient.”
“I–I see…”
Jin felt a weird sense of admiration of how before he knew it, even the Quinta had become rather resolute.
“Well then, first I’d like to return the sword. Reiko, show yourself.”
Between two buildings, in a place where no one saw Jin called out to Reiko.
“Yes, Father.”
She then handed the sword she was carrying to Jin. Since it had been wrapped in cloth so that you couldn’t tell it was a sword carrying it around should be fine, he thought.
“Alright. Virgo, do you know where the Fahlheit house is?”
But apparently she didn’t know as,
“I do not, my apologies.”
She said and shook her head.
“No, it’s fine if you don’t know. I’ll try asking someone. …For now, do you know if there’s an area where knights, baronets, or lesser nobles live?”
“Yes, I do know where that is.”
“Alright. …Hannah, Elsa, what do you want to do? I’ll go return the sword, but you don’t have to force yourselves to come along, you can go off on your own if you’d like.”
Jin tried asking, but the two shook their heads.
“I’m fine with being with onii-chan!”
“Me too. We came here together so let’s move together, shall we not?”
“Got it. Well, let’s go together then.”
And so, now including Reiko who had become visible the five walked together on the main street of Alban. Both sides of the street were lined with stone buildings two or three storeys high.
There were lot of buildings which had the first floors serves as shops too. Jin thought they’d go look through them at ease later.
After walking straight down the main street for about ten minutes they arrived at an intersection in the middle of which was a huge sundial. There they turned right towards the eastern area.
Immediately after making the turn there were a lot of large buildings, but as they walked gradually the size of the buildings went down.
“Around here are the houses of the Ritters”
Most of them were two-storey houses with small gardens. From outside the land seemed to be divided into lots of about 20 tsubo each. Considering that Alban’s shape was a square with edges two kilometers long these were probably on the larger side.
Far from there being little pedestrian traffic, there was no one else but Jin’s group walking there, so even if he asked where Lithia’s house was no one could tell.
“Well then, what should we do?”
Jin though, and then a person running at the front came to sight.
“Ah, that’s good, let’s try asking them.”
They then waited for the person to come closer. The person in question seemed to be a young woman.