Jin was taken aback when Netros requested to have his own memories erased.
"Yours as well?"
"Yes. I have... some idea of what Lady Istalis was forced to endure. If Lady Istalis no longer carries those memories, then it is only right that I do not either."
"Is that really how it should be?...Memories are experiences. You’re a guard, aren't you? It might be dangerous if you can't learn from what happened."
"That may be true, but..."
If the memories of this incident were wiped entirely, there was every chance they would fall into the same trap again.
"...In that case," Netros said after a moment of reflection. "I was the first to be broken. Because I refused to speak, those men targeted Lady Istalis... Therefore, if you could simply erase the memories of the treatment Lady Istalis received, that would suffice."
"Hmm..."
Jin offered several counterarguments, but Netros remained firm. While Jin couldn't bring himself to agree with the principle, he understood the depth of the knight's devotion to his master.
"I’ll ask one last time. Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
"Fine. If that is your wish."
"You have my gratitude."
At Jin's direction, Reiko used her magic to stun Netros. He was placed back on the stretcher carried by Nurse Alpha and Beta, and Jin promptly returned to Hourai Island.
"And that’s the situation. Laojun, I’m leaving this to you."
"Understood, My Lord."
Laojun welcomed the task, as it provided more data regarding the magical frequency of the demon race.
The process involved measuring the subject's frequency, identifying the relevant memories, erasing them, and performing a final verification. Since this was the second time, the procedure went smoothly and efficiently.
"The process is complete. I have preserved his memories up until the morning of August 5th and erased everything thereafter."
"Good work....Still, I really hate doing this. Laojun, even if I give the order, don't just agree to it right away. Always ask for the reason, judge the situation yourself, and if anything feels off, double-check with me."
Jin felt an instinctive revulsion toward the act of tampering with a person's mind.
"Memories are the evidence of a person’s life. They aren't something others should meddle with so casually..."
Laojun caught those whispered words and recorded them deep within his core.
During the memory check, Laojun had grasped the general overview of the abuse the two had suffered and what information they had surrendered.
(It is a relief that no acts trampling upon a woman’s dignity were committed... for the sake of both parties.)
By "both parties," Laojun meant not only for Istalis’s well-being, but for the sake of the Kingdom of Franz. Had Jin learned of such a violation, his retaliatory measures would likely have been catastrophic.
Once Netros was returned to Nidou Castle, there was nothing left to do but wait for them to wake up. Sion watched over the two of them, her brow furrowed with anxiety.
Eventually...
Thirty minutes passed, and Istalis’s eyelids fluttered open.
"Sister?"
"Sio... n? Is that you?"
"Yes, Sister, it’s me! Are you all right?"
Still lying down, Istalis blinked slowly, trying to clear her vision.
"Yes. I believe... after we ate, I began to feel ill, and my limbs went numb... I remember nothing after that."
"You were deceived and poisoned, Sister. You and Netros were captured... but you're safe now."
Jin watched her from the side. So far, there were no signs of the previous panic. It seemed the procedure had been a success. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"Did you save us?"
"Yes. Well, I asked for help, and this person..."
Sion turned to introduce Jin.
"This is Jin Nidou-sama. He is a Magi Craft Meister, and he’s the one who saved me. When he heard that you had been taken, he came to the rescue."
"I am the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister, Jin Nidou."
Jin gave a polite bow.
"Oh, you are a Magi Craft Meister?"
Upon hearing his title, Istalis looked at him with a gaze full of reverence. Jin was curious about the history between the demon race and the Predecessor, but he felt it was too soon to pry. Besides, Istalis clearly hadn't recovered her strength yet.
"Sister, don't push yourself. Please, just lie still a while longer."
"...Yes, I understand."
Yielding to Sion's request, Istalis gave a faint smile and closed her eyes once more.
By that evening, she had recovered enough to hold a proper conversation. Netros had also regained consciousness, and once Jin confirmed they were both able to sit up on their futons, he decided it was time to talk.
"Thank you for saving our lives."
Though she remained seated on her futon, Istalis bowed deeply to Jin.
"I am Istalis 'All-Creation,' Sion’s elder sister. Sion has told me everything. I am truly sorry for the great burden we have placed upon you."
Istalis possessed the same refined, elegant air that Sion had shown when they first met. Jin wondered if this was her true personality.
"Jin-sama, I presume? As a Magi Craft Meister... I expect you are already aware of our circumstances. Please, we implore you to help us."
Netros, sitting nearby, also spoke up.
"...I am Netros, Lady Istalis’s guard. I also ask this of you. Please, lend us your strength."
Because his memories from August 5th onward had been erased, Netros had no recollection of his previous interactions with Jin and introduced himself formally. Unlike Lucas, his manner was exceptionally polite.
"I’ve intended to help from the start, but is there any other information you can share beyond what I’ve heard from Sion?"
Istalis grew thoughtful at Jin’s question, but eventually, she seemed to find her resolve.
"It would be improper to ask for aid without disclosing the size of our population."
"Sister!"
"...It’s all right, Sion. If we are to receive food, we would have to speak of it sooner or later."
After quieting her sister, Istalis looked Jin straight in the eye. It was a logical point; Jin couldn't plan for relief efforts without knowing how much food was required.
"...Our clan numbers roughly fifty. The demon race as a whole consists of just over a thousand people."
"That few?"
Jin was shocked. This was undoubtedly a supreme-level secret for their race.
"Yes. We were never a vast population to begin with. It is said that before your 'Great Magic War,' we numbered twenty thousand."
That meant the Ether Stampede had claimed nearly the entire race.
She went on to explain the food situation in detail. Last year’s wheat harvest had been only sixty percent of a typical year, and this year’s crop was projected to be less than half of that.
"No matter how we ration, our stores will be empty by the end of September. And with this year's harvest, we will not survive the winter."
Whether one saw this as a desperate crisis or a situation with a small amount of breathing room was a matter of perspective. However, for the demons themselves, it was undeniably dire. Once the food was gone, they had no way to replace it. They were trying to find a solution while they still had something left to eat.
"I know the history of conflict between our people and humanity. But right now, we must bring back a ray of hope, no matter the cost..."
"Hmm..."
Jin crossed his arms, lost in thought. Seeing this, Istalis’s expression filled with dread.
"Um, Jin-sama? Are you... reconsidering your offer of aid?"
Startled by her words, Jin shook his head and looked at her.
"Oh, no, that's not it. I was just thinking how strange it all was..."
"Strange?"
"Yeah....Look, Istalis, I understand why you and Sion split up. Negotiating in two places at once increases the odds of success."
"Yes."
Istalis—and Sion as well—looked at him blankly, not following his train of thought.
"But wasn't it a bit reckless to just announce 'I’m a demon' to the first person you met?"
"What?"
"Was it?"
Both sisters looked utterly stunned.
"In Sion’s case, I was the one who figured it out, but you introduced yourself as a demon right away, didn't you, Istalis?"
"Yes, I did."
"You must have known about the history of hostility. Why would you do that? Even someone as bad at diplomacy as I am wouldn't be that blunt."
"That was... on the instructions of our grandfather, the clan chief. He told us that we must never tell a lie during negotiations."
"There’s a difference between not lying and being suicidal. Didn't you think it was dangerous?"
Jin was more than a little exasperated. He wondered what the moderate faction's leader could possibly have been thinking.
"In reality, your gifts were stolen, you were poisoned... and you were on your way to a dungeon, you know?"
When Jin spoke with such harsh honesty, Istalis slumped her shoulders.
"...I... I thought it was a bit strange myself. But since it was my grandfather’s command..."
"I'm not saying you should have lied. I just think you should have waited until you knew who you were talking to before revealing you were demons."
"..."
Istalis looked down, unable to find an answer.