"……Even though it happened during the reign of my predecessor, I find it truly regrettable."
King Rotaro de Lafayette bowed his head in a display of contrition.
"What manner of people were they, this demon race?"
A question came from Crown Prince Alphons, one of the representatives of the Kingdom of Elias.
"……In form and figure, they were no different from us. The man was said to be somewhat dark-skinned with dark brown hair and eyes. The woman was fair-skinned with silver hair and light blue eyes."
"And you were able to communicate with them?"
"According to the records, there were no obstacles to mutual understanding whatsoever."
"How were they captured?"
This question came from Prince Arthur of the Klein Kingdom.
"Their food was laced with poison."
"Poison…… I see. But the fact that they ate without suspicion implies they trusted us—or were trying to, does it not?"
Rotaro gave a bitter smile at Prince Arthur's words.
"Precisely. And we betrayed that trust."
"Since those two, has there been any further contact from the demon race?" Crown Prince Alphons asked again.
"No.……Unfortunately not," Rotaro de Lafayette answered briefly, his expression clouded with grief.
Several more questions followed, and King Rotaro addressed each one in turn.
"……Then, let us bring the questioning to a close. I believe this issue is a topic truly worthy of the World Conference," the Empress declared in her role as chairperson. "We cannot continue to avoid the matter of the demon race. I would like to discuss how we shall proceed from here. Does anyone have a proposal?"
"Yes, Chairperson."
Crown Prince Alphons of the Kingdom of Elias raised his hand and began to speak.
"I believe it would be best to first have each nation present all the information they possess, and then we may prioritize those points for further debate."
"Quite right. It seems I was being a bit too hasty. Now then, does the Kingdom of Elias have anything to share?"
"Yes.……My father, the current King Blitzen Skala Elias XII, had been confined to his sickbed for the past four years due to poor health. While the Lord of Kunlun’s wife was able to heal his illness last year, his physical decline cannot be hidden. Therefore, I wish to announce that I will formally ascend to the throne on March 1st."
"Oh, is that so?"
Blitzen Skala Elias XII suffered from a frail constitution rather than a specific disease, and Crown Prince Alphons was his only child. Since it was not an illness, the healers’ Behandeln was ineffective, and because the King could no longer sufficiently attend to his royal duties, he had decided to abdicate.
"I see. In that case, we must certainly attend the coronation!"
When the King of Klein, Alois III, spoke up in a cheerful voice, the other delegates followed suit, expressing their intent to participate.
"As for the Kingdom of Egerea……"
King Harold Luan Autocrace-Egerea began, glancing briefly at King Alois III. After seeing the other monarch give a small nod of confirmation, he continued.
"It is my pleasure to officially announce that the engagement between my son, Ernest, and Her Royal Highness Princess Lieschen Physis Klein, the Third Princess of the Klein Kingdom, has been formally settled."
"Oh!"
"That is wonderful news!"
Coming after a string of somber topics—though Alphons’s coronation was positive, it carried the underlying context of the current King’s failing health—this announcement served as a refreshing tonic for the room.
Jin was also deeply moved, thinking that those two had finally made it official.
"Oh, this flavor! It is truly excellent."
"I simply cannot replicate this taste back home."
"The bread must be the secret."
Lunchtime had arrived. The menu consisted of sandwiches and pasta. The sandwiches, with a variety of fillings that ensured no one grew tired of them, were once again a great success.
"This Pashta is a specialty from a certain region."
It was a flavor originally created by Lishia and the others in Toka Village. The dish Jin served this time was a pseudo-peperoncino. Since he could not obtain olive oil, he used a blend of butter and round bean oil. For the rest, he used the roots of mountain leeks—specifically victory onions—instead of garlic, and pepper in place of chili peppers. Finally, he added a dash of soy sauce.
It was a recipe that might have invited a scolding from a purist—"In what world is this a peperoncino?!"—but he had chosen pepper simply because he felt it suited the palate better for this particular combination.
"Oh, this is delicious!"
"Such a sophisticated flavor."
Despite the creative substitutions, the dish was a hit. The citran juice and apulul juice were also highly praised. For a brief moment, the participants were able to set aside their worries and fully enjoy the paradise of Avalon.
After a two-hour break, the afternoon session commenced.
"First, I would like to begin the discussion regarding the demon race," the Empress of the Shouro Empire declared. "We require information. If anyone has knowledge regarding the demon race since the Great Magic War, please speak."
"Then, if I may."
Jin raised his hand.
"In 3457, there was a magi engineer named Marcus serving under Georg Randol, who was a viscount at the time and is the father of my wife, Elsa. Marcus was manipulated by a demon and used poison to harm both Georg Randol and Marquis Gaylen Theoderic."
Many present were already aware of this, as it was not a secret. However, to ensure the information was precise, Jin judged it best that he, being closely involved, should be the one to present it.
"The name of the demon who manipulated him is Marcosius. He managed to escape and has not been captured."
Jin paused for a moment. Since this was the first time some had heard the details, he gave them time to process the weight of the information.
"I will share one more thing I know," Jin said, opening his mouth again once the murmurs had subsided. "The shadow of the demon race also appeared in the Klein Kingdom. A demon made contact with Earl Walter and used messenger pigeons to spread magical consumption fever."
"Ah, I remember that well. I also received reports of the great efforts made by Lishia Fahlheit and Pascoe Rush during that crisis," Alois III said, confirming Jin’s statement.
"Yes. At that time, we learned from a butler that a mysterious man had tampered with the pigeons. It appears that man was a member of the demon race."
"To think that was the truth of it."
Since Jin was a lord in the Klein Kingdom, it was natural for him to have conducted inquiries. Regardless, Alois III was impressed by Jin's information-gathering skills and his attention to detail.
"……That is the extent of my knowledge."
As Jin finished speaking, the opinions of the national leaders began to diverge.
"Hmm. Are they bellicose, or do they desire friendship?"
"Could it be…… an internal schism?"
"Is it possible they are merely trying to lower our guard?"
"Perhaps they have several factions, much like our own nations?"
Seeing that the discussion would go in circles indefinitely, Jin stepped forward with a proposal.
"……Regarding this matter, would you be willing to leave it to Maquina and me?"
He looked across the room.
"I will travel to the demon territory with Maquina to confirm the truth and report back to this council."
"Hmm…… if it is Jin-dono and Maquina-dono, I am certain there will be no issues."
"We shall leave it in your capable hands."
"We are counting on you."
Thus, Jin was formally tasked with acting as the bridge between the human nations and the demon territory.