September 7th.
Having successfully established a friendly rapport with the neutral clans, the Capricorn 1 set out for its next objective.
To prevent any unnecessary friction, a messenger had been dispatched ahead of them from the Erosion clan, sent in the name of their chief, Domenikos.
Their destination was the primary settlement of the radicals: the Jest clan. This was the group to which Raldus belonged. With a population of roughly one hundred, it was the largest of the clans.
Accompanying the group were Belialus of the Puppet clan and Raldo from the Erosion clan. Entrusting the successor of the clan to join the journey was a clear testament to the trust they now placed in Jin.
Since the Jest settlement was just under eighty kilometers away, the Capricorn 1 maintained a steady pace of twenty-five kilometers per hour. It would be a journey of about three hours.
"I see... so that is what transpired..."
"As a member of the human race, I imagine such a thing would be difficult to forgive."
With time to talk during the transit, Jin—via his Body Double—explained the actions Raldus had taken.
"Spreading a lethal pathogen is truly beyond the pale," Raldo of the Erosion clan remarked with a grim expression. "Actually... that man, Raldus, is my cousin."
He followed this with an even more unexpected revelation.
"Your cousin?" Reiko asked, seeking clarification. She was the one who had confronted the man directly.
"Yes. His mother was from our clan... specifically, she was my mother's younger sister."
An unexpected blood tie had come to light.
"So... with that in mind, Jin-dono. If you were to encounter Raldus again... what do you intend to do?"
Raldo confessed honestly that he was bringing this up because he would find himself in an incredibly painful position if Jin found the man's actions utterly unforgivable.
"...Well, he certainly caused a great deal of trouble, and lives were lost. It's a complicated issue."
Since Raldo had been forthright, Jin, currently operating the Double, shared his unvarnished thoughts on the matter.
"Under human law, it would undoubtedly be a capital offense. How is it viewed among the demon race?"
"...Killing one's own kind is a capital crime; that much is the same for us."
"And if it is a human who is killed?"
"..."
Raldo fell silent. From that lack of response, Jin could roughly guess the reality of their culture.
"...Is there any chance Raldus was being manipulated by an Agujha?"
Jin asked this as a test, but Raldo shook his head regretfully.
"The likelihood is slim. Even as a child, he was fascinated by humans—always imagining different ways he could meddle with them for his own amusement."
"I see..."
In addition to Raldus, there were others of concern: Marcosius, whose clan was unknown, had facilitated the poisoning of a Marquis in the Shouro Empire; conversely, there was Anne the Frenzy, who had been killed by a pair of spoiled siblings.
Negotiations with the radicals promised to be a difficult path to walk.
＊ ＊ ＊
On the same day, back on Hourai Island.
After breakfast, as Mine was clearing the table, she noticed her daughter Elsa was acting strangely.
Normally, Elsa would head straight to the laboratory workshop as soon as the washing was done, but today she stayed by Mine's side even as the dishes were being returned to the shelves. It was as if she were actively avoiding the workshop.
"Elsa, you don't need to help anymore, you know?" Mine said, testing her.
"...Un. I'll help until the end."
With that, Elsa continued carrying the dried plates to the cupboard.
"Once those are put away, we're finished."
"...Un. Then I'll help prep for lunch."
Mine's intuition flared; something was definitely wrong.
"Don't you have to go assist Jin-sama?"
At the mention of his name, Elsa's face turned a vivid shade of crimson.
"...What happened?"
"N-Nothing."
Mine let out a soft chuckle and reached out to poke Elsa's cheek.
"How can you say 'nothing' with a face that red? Come on, tell me."
"...Said..."
"What?"
"...He said... I was cute."
"Oh, my."
Mine let out a long sigh. At seventeen, Elsa was at an age where some girls were already married with children. And yet, the girl's innocence was staggering.
Mine reflected on her own actions. Before she had revealed herself as Elsa's mother, she had spent years by her side as her wet nurse, doing everything in her power to keep "bad bugs" away from her ward.
On the other hand, she considered Jin.
The people around him were predominantly women, most of them young and beautiful. More importantly, they all seemed to hold a great deal of affection for him.
"But..."
As she thought about them as romantic prospects, none of them seemed quite right. Hanna was still a child, and Saki felt more like a research colleague. Stearena seemed to be in a good place with Saki's father, Toa, while Vivienne hadn't fully integrated into Hourai Island yet and had little contact with Jin.
"And then there was Lishia-san..."
The woman who had joined Jin, Elsa, and Hanna at the Kaina Village summer festival. She was the Lord of Toka Village and a member of the new nobility. She was roughly the same age as Elsa, and it was obvious even to a casual observer that she harbored feelings for Jin.
However, in terms of sheer proximity, Elsa had the clear advantage. She could essentially be with him at all times.
"But then again..."
Mine knew all too well that being together didn't necessarily translate to a romantic advantage.
(Well, it's not as if my own past is something to be proud of, either.)
Swallowing that self-deprecating thought, Mine decided to give her daughter a push.
"A gentleman complimenting a girl is often just a social courtesy. Besides, if you're happy to be praised, there's no reason to hide."
"B-But..."
"..."
Mine felt a sudden, sharp pang of regret. If Elsa had been raised as a proper noble lady, she would have debuted in society at thirteen and been thoroughly accustomed to empty flattery.
But Elsa's life had been different. Between her Mana Overload Syndrome and Mine's own overprotective devotion, Elsa had been kept away from social circles under various pretexts.
Her cousin Reinhard had managed to take her out a few times a year, but it was a far cry from the kind of experience needed to navigate the nuances of male-female relationships.
"Then again, Jin-sama..."
Jin, on the other hand, was an enigma.
There were no whispers of romance around him. It wasn't that he preferred men; she had once worried he might be a "doll-sexual," but she had eventually realized that wasn't the case either.
"...Perhaps he's simply... withered."
Mine felt that this was likely the closest to the truth. She sensed no "raw desire" in his attitude toward the women around him. It wasn't logic; it was a woman's intuition.
If that was the case, she knew exactly what to say to Elsa.
"Elsa, you are his sister figure, aren't you? It's only natural for an older brother to call his younger sister cute. You're family, after all. You're overthinking it."
"...Do you think so?"
"I do. Now, go on. Go and help him."
Mine gave Elsa a light nudge toward the kitchen exit.
Elsa trotted forward a few steps, then paused to look back.
"Thanks, Mother."
Then, she hurried off toward the workshop where Jin usually worked.
Watching her daughter's retreating back, Mine let out a small sigh.
"...It looks like there is still a long road ahead."
＊ ＊ ＊
"..."
"Elsa? What's wrong?"
Mine was startled to see Elsa return a few moments later, looking utterly dejected.
"Did Jin-sama say something else to you?"
"...No....Jin-nii wasn't in the workshop."
At this hour, Jin was actually in the command room, focused on operating his Body Double.