On the same afternoon that Jin had promised Sion he would do everything he could for her, he sat down once again to speak with her and Lucas.
"Pardon me, but there is something I simply have to ask."
"Yes, of course. What is it?"
Replenished by a lunch and the Persica juice that had restored much of her magical power, Sion looked quite invigorated.
"It’s about the magic used by the demon race."
"!...A great deal of that is kept secret."
Jin could understand her hesitation. Laying all one's cards on the table was a fool's errand.
"No, you only need to answer within the scope of what I already know. The ones I'm familiar with are Gravity Magic, Explosion Magic, Teleportation Magic, and Master-Slave Magic."
"T-That’s...!"
It was Lucas, not Sion, who cried out.
"Those are the most guarded of secrets! How could you possibly know about them!?"
"Lucas, you are being rude. My apologies, Jin-sama."
Sion calmed the agitated Lucas and turned back to Jin with a bow.
"No, it’s fine. As for how I know, it’s because the demons I’ve encountered used them."
"...I see. Just as the stories said..."
Sion nodded to herself, as if confirming a suspicion.
"Hm? What stories?"
"Oh, ah, yes. There is a saying passed down among us: 'Do not give even the slightest hint to a Magi Craft Meister.'"
In short, it was a warning regarding a Magi Craft Meister’s terrifying capacity for analysis and adaptation.
"The saying goes that if given the slightest opening, a Magi Craft Meister will unravel the entire mystery."
While Jin felt that "the slightest opening" was a bit of an exaggeration, looking at his own track record, it wasn't exactly wrong.
"Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far."
Jin scratched his head, feeling a bit sheepish.
"...The use of those magics is limited to specific clans. Neither I... nor Lucas... can use them."
"My lady! You mustn’t go that far!"
"No, Lucas. My priority now is earning his trust. I will share whatever needs to be shared."
She didn't touch upon things like the total population of the demon race, as that didn't directly concern Jin at the moment, but she was willing to discuss their magic.
Jin didn't know what her specific criteria were, but this was enough for him.
"And... regarding the reward..."
"Right."
Jin had no intention of being used unilaterally. He expected a fair return for his assistance.
"If slaves... would be acceptable... then... about ten of us, including myself..."
"Rejected."
Jin cut her off instantly.
"I don't need anything that troublesome. Do you people actually have a custom like that...?"
Slavery did not exist in the modern world. He couldn't speak for the criminal underworld, but at least publicly, it was a relic of the past. One reason was that the global population had dwindled too far.
Societies preferred the labor of free servants over slaves. But more than that, an economy cannot function with slaves.
An economy moves when workers receive wages and use that money to purchase goods.
Simply put, "money moving" is what creates "good economic conditions." If people just hoard money and keep it out of circulation, the economy stagnates.
It seemed the rulers of this world understood at least that much.
"T-Then, perhaps materials from magical beasts..."
"Yeah, I'd take those."
Jin thought he would certainly like some rare materials. However, Reiko wore a sour expression.
"Father, if it is materials you require, we can gather those ourselves. I believe it would be better to demand something else."
Lucas glared at Reiko, but she remained perfectly composed, ignoring him entirely.
"T-Then..."
"Is there any magic you've kept secret, or perhaps some artifacts?"
"Eh? Artifacts...? We do have some, I suppose."
"You do! What kind? You only have to tell me what you're comfortable with."
"Let's... see..."
Sion thought for a moment before speaking slowly.
"There is something called... an image transfer machine. It is a magic tool that transfers landscapes or portraits onto paper."
(A camera, perhaps?)
If so, it was something Jin had not yet managed to replicate.
"Other than that... oh, there is a magic tool that tells the time."
(A clock!...I could never quite figure out the internal logic for a clock.)
"Also, a magic tool to see small things in a larger size."
(Probably a microscope? Well, that would be useful for reference.)
Sion peered into Jin's face as he listened, nodding silently to himself.
"Um...?"
"Hm? Oh, those sound good. I assume you can't show me weapons or armaments?"
Jin asked just in case. It seemed they were hesitant to release information regarding military matters or anything related. He could understand that.
"Er, well, yes. That is difficult."
"That's fine. Think of one or two more things. Let's leave it at that for now."
"Eh? A-Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
In truth, it wasn't as if he was just being a pushover.
Geographically speaking, Kaina Village was relatively close to the Pazdext Great Isthmus. That meant if an invasion by the demon race ever occurred, it was likely to be the first place hit. Jin could not ignore such a threat.
Naturally, he intended to increase the surveillance and security of the region north of the village after this.
"Th-Thank you very much!"
Sion bowed so deeply her head nearly touched the floor. It was a gesture bordering on a dogeza.
"It’s fine, really. I'm expecting a fair return, after all."
Jin used those words to convince Sion to stop her display of gratitude.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Now then, that brings us to the specifics."
Jin glanced at Sion.
"How are you feeling? Do you think you can continue talking?"
"Y-Yes! I am fine. Please, continue!"
Sion waved her hands, insisting she was much better. Seeing her enthusiasm, Jin moved the discussion forward.
"Stopping the radical faction, then. Do you have any specific plans?"
"Yes, these are the thoughts of the clan chief—my grandfather."
Sion began to explain.
To stop the radical faction, they had to eliminate their justification for conflict.
That justification, at its core, was the food crisis.
First, they needed to secure immediate food supplies, and then they needed to establish a source for continuous procurement.
It would be even better if they could become self-sufficient.
"...Or so my grandfather says."
"I see, that makes sense. But will that be enough?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, they're called the 'radical faction' for a reason. Will they really stop meddling with humanity? There was a demon named Raldus who seemed to be attacking people half for sport, and he caused several deaths. Marcosius, too, nearly killed a high-ranking official of a major nation."
Upon hearing Jin's words, Sion curled her small body even tighter.
"T-That is..."
"I wasn't the one who suffered the damage. It was the Klein Kingdom and the Shouro Empire. For all I know, the Celuroa Kingdom might have been targeted too."
Jin explained to Sion that from the perspective of those nations, a simple "sorry about that, we won't do it again" wouldn't be enough to settle the score.
"If you're thinking about food, buying it from the Klein Kingdom would be your best bet, but..."
"..."
At this point, Jin had a tentative plan in mind, but he thought it was still too early to voice it.
"Oh, one last thing. What kind of position do you hold among the demon race regarding this matter?"
"My lady is the granddaughter of the clan chief of the All-Creation clan, the largest group within the moderate faction!"
Lucas, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a booming voice.
"You! I hope you didn't just give a casual promise without having the skill to back it up!"
"Lucas, you are being rude."
"No, my lady. Please let me speak....You, duel with me! If you defeat me, I will acknowledge your worth!"
Quite the troublesome attendant—or rather, guard.