"Really? Thank you, Jin!"
"Yeah, just leave it to me," Jin said with a nod before heading toward the laboratory.
Elsa, Sion, and Reiko followed close behind him.
"Laojun, do you know where Istalis is?"
『Yes, My Lord. Please wait a moment.』
"What!? How does Laojun know that?" Sion cried out in shock.
Jin turned to explain. "Do you remember when Istalis was injured and brought here before?"
He was referring to the time she had been deceived and captured in the Kingdom of Franz.
"Y-yes."
"I treated her then, so her magic pattern is already on file."
"Uh...?"
Seeing that Sion still hadn't quite grasped the concept, Jin continued his explanation. He told her that Hourai Island was equipped with a Magi Machine capable of tracking magic patterns, and Sion's face instantly brightened.
"What is that?! Jin, you really do make the most incredible things! As expected of the Magi Craft Meister!"
"Sion, didn't you know about the magi-radar?"
"Eh...? Um, I feel like I might have heard something about it..."
Essentially, because her interest in technical magi-craft was so thin, she hadn't bothered to remember the details.
"Well, that's fine."
It wouldn't hinder the search for Istalis. The real issue lay elsewhere.
"The problem is what we do after we find her."
Specifically, whether they should take her back to the demon territory even if it went against her wishes.
"You're right..." Sion admitted, her expression turning somber.
『My Lord, I have located Istalis-san,』 Laojun reported.
"Where?! Tell me where!" Sion practically pounced on the news.
『Yes. She is in Kaina Village.』
"Eh?"
『She is in Kaina Village. It appears Netros-san is with her as well.』
＊ ＊ ＊
"...That was a blind spot."
Sion and Lucas had visited Kaina Village once before when they had come to request aid during a food shortage. It seemed Istalis and Netros had followed a similar route to the one Sion’s group had taken.
"Ah, it feels like it's been a while."
Jin, Sion, and Reiko emerged from the private Warp Gate located in the basement of Jin's workshop.
"It's snowing here, too."
The snow was deeper than when Jin had visited a few days prior, with an accumulation of about thirty centimeters. However, most of the paths had already been cleared, making them easy to traverse.
The sky was a thin, hazy grey. To prevent snow blindness, Jin slipped on a pair of sunglasses.
"Oh? Jin, what are those?"
"Glasses to protect my eyes. I have a pair for you too, Sion."
Jin handed her a pair of sunglasses.
"Oh, thank you."
These sunglasses were crafted from processed muscovite, making them light and shatter-resistant. Since they had been reinforced with Toughening, they were also quite durable.
Furthermore, mica possessed natural birefringent properties; with the right processing, it could serve as a substitute for a polarizing plate. By coloring the lenses with magic dye to block ultraviolet rays, Jin had succeeded in creating highly effective sunglasses.
"Ah, Onii-chan."
Having heard the sound of voices, Hanna poked her head out of her house.
"Hey, Hanna. I heard some travelers arrived. Do you know where they are?"
"Yeah. They're staying at the Village Chief's house."
"I see. Thanks, Hanna. I'll head over there."
"Okay."
Perhaps sensing the gravity of the situation upon seeing Sion, Hanna unusually refrained from asking to come along and simply returned inside. Jin and the others proceeded toward the Village Chief’s residence.
"When did you make these 'sunglasses'?" Sion asked as they walked.
"Just the other day."
"Hmm, they make things so easy to see. Usually, a snowy field is just a wall of white where you can't see any of the bumps in the ground, but these make a huge difference."
Because the glasses had polarizing properties, they cut out a significant amount of reflected light, clearing the wearer's vision. Even on modern Earth, polarized sunglasses were essential for activities like fishing, skiing, or driving to ensure a clear view by eliminating glare.
"Village Chief, are you in?"
They reached the house shortly after, and Jin knocked on the door.
"Oh, Jin. What brings you here?"
Giebeck, the Village Chief, answered the door almost immediately.
"Well, I heard you had guests—travelers staying with you."
"I see. So, as the Lord, you were concerned?"
"No, it's not exactly that. Well, that’s part of it, but..."
"At any rate, come in....And this girl is? Let's see... ah, right, if I recall, it was Sion-chan, wasn't it?" Giebeck asked, noticing the girl standing behind Jin.
"Yes, that's right. We think the travelers staying here might be acquaintances of hers."
"Ho."
Jin and the others were invited inside.
"Hello there, Jin-kun."
In the living room sat Sally—the healer and now Giebeck’s wife—along with two others.
"Jin-sama!? Sion!!"
"How did you find us?"
There sat Sion’s older sister, Istalis, and her servant, Netros.
"Sister!"
Sion rushed to Istalis's side.
"I was so worried about you!"
"...I'm sorry, Sion. For leaving without saying anything."
"No, as long as you're safe, Sister, that's all that matters."
"Jin-kun, would you mind explaining what's going on?"
Watching the reunion between Sion and Istalis, Sally and Giebeck turned to Jin for an explanation.
"Yes, of course. To tell the truth..."
Jin proceeded to give the two of them a summarized version of the situation. Naturally, he kept the fact that they were members of the demon race a secret for the time being.