As the group stepped out and approached the cave, the man standing with Netros offered Jin a respectful bow.
"Welcome, Magi Craft Meister. I am Alectas, the steward of the Gospel clan."
Alectas was slender, yet he possessed a resilient, wiry build—what some might call lean and muscular. His hair was white and cropped short, and his eyes were a striking yellow, a color Jin had never encountered before.
"I am the Magi Craft Meister, Jin Nidou. These are my automata, Reiko and Anne."
"I am Istalis of the All-Creation clan."
"I am Sion of the All-Creation clan."
"And I am Lucas, Lady Sion's guard."
After Jin introduced himself, Istalis and the others followed suit.
"Well, we can hardly speak comfortably out here. Please, come inside."
Guided by Alectas, the group stepped into the depths of the cave. The interior was illuminated by a faint, hazy light, and the air was surprisingly warm.
"Is this something like an Ether Light? It’s a bit dim for that, though..." Jin muttered to himself.
"It is usually much brighter," Alectas replied with a wry smile. "It only became this dark because of something you did."
Jin was momentarily flustered by the remark. "O-oh... My apologies for that."
"Haha, think nothing of it. One could say that because of it, I was able to confirm that you are indeed the Magi Craft Meister."
As they walked and talked for a few minutes, they eventually emerged into a vast open space.
"This is our entrance hall, so to speak."
They crossed the hall and passed through a door on the far side, which led into a standard-looking corridor.
"We hollowed out the rock mountain to create our living quarters," Alectas explained.
With magic at their disposal, such a feat was well within their capabilities.
"Here we are."
Alectas opened a wooden door to reveal a room arranged like a conference chamber. Seated at the far end was an elderly man, also with white hair and yellow eyes. It seemed these were characteristic traits of their clan.
"I am Fabius, the clan chief. Welcome, Magi Craft Meister."
The first meeting was brief.
It served primarily to establish why Jin’s group had sought out the Gospel clan and to verify Jin’s identity as the Magi Craft Meister.
The reason for their visit was clear: Jin wanted to know if it was true that they were inciting other clans to wage guerrilla warfare against humanity and, if so, what their true intentions were.
To prove he was the Magi Craft Meister, Jin presented Reiko and Anne. When he demonstrated a glimpse of their capabilities—specifically their tactile sense—the clan believed him without reservation.
"There is no doubt. You are truly the Magi Craft Meister... It is an honor to meet you," Fabius said, bowing his head to Jin.
However, when asked if they were inciting the other clans, the chief gave a cryptic response.
"It would be accurate to say that is both correct and incorrect."
Before Jin could press further, Fabius brought the session to a close.
"It will be a long story to explain. Night is already upon us. Let us speak at length tomorrow."
With that, Fabius ended the meeting and had them shown to their quarters. Alectas acted as their guide once more.
"Master Jin, please use this room."
The room was located deep within the complex; it was simple but elegantly appointed. It was hard to believe it had been carved directly into the rock. Since there were no windows, the lack of natural light was the only reminder that they were inside a mountain.
Jin—or rather, his Body Double—was shown to the same room as Reiko and Anne.
"Lady Istalis, Lady Sion, yours is here."
They were placed in the room next to Jin’s, along with their guards, Netros and Lucas.
"Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes....Oh, and the flour you provided will be shared among the clan. You have our gratitude."
With those final words, Alectas departed.
"Jin, what do you think?" Sion asked, having entered Jin’s room with Istalis.
"Hmm. I can't say for sure yet," Jin replied. That was his honest assessment.
"The fact that we don't know their goal—or rather, their reason—for inciting the other clans is what bothers me," Sion continued.
"I agree. No matter how I look at it, I can't see how this benefits the demon race..." Istalis added.
As a matter of practical reality, the demon population was around a thousand, while humans numbered roughly a million. With a population ratio of a thousand to one, a conventional war was unthinkable.
"Well, it's not as if there aren't ways to cause problems, which is the worrying part..." Jin muttered.
He recalled the magical consumption fever and the Gigant Peeders. It wasn't hard to imagine the catastrophes that would have occurred if he hadn't intervened.
"...Speculating won't get us anywhere. We'll just have to hear the details tomorrow."
"I suppose you're right. That's all we can do."
"Also..." Istalis, who had been quiet until then, spoke up. "This situation... it reminds me of that time."
She was referring to the incident in the Kingdom of Franz when she and Netros had been poisoned and captured.
"Yeah. Let's be as careful as possible," the Double nodded. Though, in truth, poison had no effect on the doll's body.
Just then, Alectas arrived to announce that dinner was served. Jin decided to attend; he felt that the dinner table might offer new insights in more ways than one.
"We have very little to offer, but please, eat your fill."
Led to a room resembling a parlor, Jin and the others were served by Alectas and a woman.
"This is my wife, Mironia."
"I am Mironia. It is a pleasure to meet you."
She appeared to be in her mid-thirties—a refined woman with a slender, graceful air.
"I prepared today's meal," she said, explaining the dishes primarily to Jin. "This is called Non. It is wheat flour kneaded, rolled thin, and baked. Please enjoy it with these sauces as you like."
The name reminded Jin of Indian naan, though it was closer to chapati in practice.
There were two sauces: one made from crushed and simmered frape, a berry-like fruit, and another made from boiled-down seawater thickened with ground leafy vegetables.
The latter did not look particularly appetizing to Jin, nor did the recipe sound appealing, so he chose the frape sauce without hesitation. Of course, being a Double, he couldn't actually taste it.
However, just like Reiko, the Double’s mouth was equipped with an analysis function. It detected no toxins, which allowed Jin to relax for the moment.
"Oh, what a nostalgic flavor," Istalis remarked. She and the others were spreading the murky green sauce on their bread and eating with apparent relish.
Jin wondered if the saltiness was too intense, but it seemed the high volume of leafy vegetables balanced out the sodium.
The accompaniment was roasted meat. Apparently, it came from an herbivore called a Snow Gazelle that lived in the northern mountains. The flavor was said to be light and similar to mountain deer.
"I am embarrassed to say this is the best we can manage. Having the flour you brought was a great help."
Hearing that, Jin had his Double eat sparingly so as not to appear unnatural while being mindful of their limited supplies.
After the meal, they were served a type of herbal tea.
"It is made from fragrant herbs that grow on the mountain above us," Mironia explained.
Again, the Double couldn't taste it. Jin limited himself to offering polite, generic comments while observing Sion and the others.
Once dinner was over, there was nothing left to do but retire to their assigned rooms. During this time, Jin—feeling a bit guilty—used Decomposition to process the food the Double had consumed and disposed of it in the washroom.
"What shall we do with them?"
"A Magi Craft Meister, you say? Is he the real thing?"
"Yes. I am nearly certain of it."
"Hmm. If that is true, I would prefer not to make an enemy of him."
"Indeed. As the legends say, the Magi Craft Meister possesses technology far beyond our own."
"If we can put that to use, then good. If he turns out to be an adversary..."
"Then disposal is the only option?"
"It would be a pity, certainly."
"However, he seemed quite manageable."
"Do not underestimate him. A Magi Craft Meister can produce world-changing results from the smallest of hints."
"I understand. Everything depends on tomorrow."
"Indeed. Tomorrow."