Jin, Elsa, and Reiko quietly stepped out of the room, leaving Sion and Belialus alone with Maximus and Baldius.
They felt it best to leave the matter to the primary parties and their kin.
"That certainly was a surprise."
"Mhm."
"Father, the way one person grows to like another is quite a complicated thing, isn't it?"
Jin, Elsa, and Reiko each voiced their own impressions.
"...Maybe Belialus just has a thing for younger girls."
"Eh?"
Elsa tilted her head at Jin’s suggestion.
"I mean, look at how desperately Belialus was searching for his younger sister, Arshel."
"Ah, that’s true."
"Um... I believe that is what they call a 'sister complex'?"
Reiko spoke with her usual lack of filter.
"...W-Well, yes, but don't say that in front of those two—or rather, in front of Maximus and Baldius."
"Understood."
"...And Sion might prefer reliable, older men herself."
Elsa offered her own analysis of the situation.
"Ah, I see."
If that were the case, Jin thought their compatibility might actually be quite high.
"At any rate, it looks like we’ve mostly achieved what we came here for."
"Mhm."
Following Ladeous and Rolona, Sion and Belialus would take up the mantle as the successors of the All-Creation Clan. With that settled, Istalis and Netros could be together without any further obstacles.
"By the time Sion and the others actually become clan chiefs, the walls between the various clans might have vanished entirely."
"You have a point there."
Elsa agreed with Jin's vision of the future.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Ah, my apologies for showing you such an embarrassing display."
When Jin and Elsa returned once things had settled, they found a bashful Belialus, a bright-red Sion, and smiling faces on both Baldius and Maximus.
"Not at all. If anything, it’s wonderful that a new bridge has been built between your two clans."
"We are humbled by your kind words."
Maximus spoke with a look of pure joy. Baldius, meanwhile, looked slightly regretful.
"Now that it has come to this, I find myself feeling pity for Istalis... I wonder where she is and what she is doing now."
"Ah, if you mean her, I’ve already found and secured her. She’s currently aboard Konron 3, along with Netros."
"What!"
"As expected of Jin-sama."
Jin then asked Reiko to go fetch the pair.
"Yes, Father."
With a nod, Reiko vanished in an instant. She returned shortly after, bringing Istalis and Netros with her.
"Oh, Istalis!"
"Grandfather..."
"I am sorry for moving forward without any regard for your feelings."
Seeing Baldius apologize to Istalis, Jin noted that the man didn't seem to share the rigid, family-first mindset often seen among the nobility of the Allied Kingdoms.
"I was wrong to ignore your wishes. From here on... you are free to do as you please."
"Eh? Is it truly all right?"
Baldius stole a quick glance at Sion.
"It's fine, Sister. The role of future clan chief has been accepted by me and... th-that is... Be-Belialus."
Sion’s face remained a deep crimson as she forced out the stuttered explanation.
"Eh? Sion... you..."
"It’s okay, Sister. I... I’m actually happy with this."
As she spoke, Sion leaned against Belialus, who was sitting beside her. Her face turned even redder, if such a thing were possible.
"Sion..."
Jin spoke up.
"That's the gist of it, Istalis. A lot happened, but I suppose everything has finally settled where it belongs."
"B-But, I feel so bad for Sion..."
"Sister, becoming a clan chief isn't a bad thing, is it? In fact, I want to do all sorts of things for everyone in the clan, and have them do things for me, so we can all grow together."
Sion remained positive to the end. Jin silently cheered for her, thinking she was a true member of the Jin Family.
＊ ＊. ＊
"Seriously, though. To me, being a clan chief sounds like nothing but a headache, but it’s something someone has to do. For Sion to choose it herself... she really is impressive."
"Ehehe, you think so?"
Once the dust had settled, Jin was relaxing inside Konron 3 with Elsa, Reiko, Sion, Istalis, Netros, and Belialus. Baldius and Maximus were currently elsewhere, deep in discussion.
Since the intended fiancé had changed, there were apparently a great many external formalities to address. To Jin, that sounded like the most tedious part of all.
"By the way—and forgive me if my memory is failing me—didn't Sion and Istalis have an older brother?"
"...Ah, you mean Big Brother Kleydos."
Sion answered first, and Istalis picked up the thread.
"Um, Big Brother Kleydos is set to marry into the Jest Clan. We actually have different mothers, so..."
The Jest Clan was the one whose population had been decimated to around twenty members during the Failure incident. He was apparently engaged to a woman from that clan named Doneicia.
"Things really are complicated."
Jin had no intention of prying too deeply into the inner workings of the clans; this mission had been an exception.
"But..."
Jin turned his gaze back to Sion.
"You really might be suited for leadership, Sion."
"P-Praising me won't get you anything, you know!"
Sion blushed and puffed out her cheeks. She had spent most of the day with a red face.
"Yes. Even from my perspective as her sister, I think Sion is amazing."
"B-Big Sister..."
"Maybe that's exactly why she's attracted to a man she can rely on."
Jin said this while looking at Belialus.
"Haha, I'll work hard to make sure I live up to that."
Belialus smiled sheepishly as he pulled Sion closer by the shoulder.
Jin was glad to see them getting along so well. Elsa apparently felt the same.
"Sion, I'm happy for you," she added simply, offering her congratulations once more.
Just then, Baldius and Maximus arrived. Their meeting had evidently concluded.
"Jin-sama, thank you for all your assistance in this matter."
Maximus bowed deeply. Baldius followed suit.
"Thanks to you, the bond between our two clans has been re-forged in an even better form."
"No, I only acted because Sion asked me to help Istalis find happiness. The one who deserves the most credit is Sion."
"Indeed. Sion, I am sorry for many things."
"G-Grandfather... please, stop. Not to me."
Baldius even bowed to his granddaughter. Sion was left completely flustered.
"And, Istalis, Netros. I must apologize to you two as well."
"Grandfather..."
"Lord Baldius..."
Baldius offered a warm smile.
"A growing family is a wonderful thing. Now then, Belialus. I’m counting on you to look after Sion."
"Yes, sir!"
In that moment, the authoritative Clan Chief Baldius was gone, replaced by the face of a grandfather who truly doted on his grandchildren.
The demon territory was still locked in the depths of a freezing winter, but Jin felt that for the All-Creation and Puppet clans, an early spring had finally arrived.