Jin met with Eira after lunch. Kachea hadn't been invited, so she decided to spend the time doing some light cleaning on her own.
At Jin's insistence, the meeting took place in his room.
"There's nothing in this room," Eira remarked.
"I only just moved in today. So, what did you want to talk about?"
Eira smirked.
"Heh. I'm interested in your knowledge. I'm looking forward to working with you—and not just for today."
"Well, we are neighbors, and... comrades? Colleagues? We live in the same research wing, after all."
Eira let out a short, mocking laugh.
"Colleagues, huh? Sounds nice enough. But tell me, haven't you noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
"The true nature of this country."
It was an unexpected comment from Eira.
That last bit was a whisper, so it probably wasn't picked up by any bugs, but...
Jin's mind raced as he quickly weighed the situation.
"...Actually, since you're my senior here, Eira-san, there was something I wanted to consult with you about."
"Hmm? What's that?"
"Well, it's about the bedding. Could you come back here for a moment?"
"Bedding? Who cares about that? As long as you can sleep, it's fine."
Despite her grumbling, Jin had already moved toward the bedroom, so Eira stood up and followed him.
Jin sat on the bed and offered Eira the single chair that had been brought in.
"Hmph. Inviting a woman into your bedroom—I wonder what you're thinking."
Eira made the remark without a hint of bashfulness.
"There's no ulterior motive. I just felt that if we were going to talk about things like criticizing the state, it would be better not to do it out in the open."
The bedroom had no windows. If the door was closed, it was a sealed room. Furthermore, with Hope acting as a sentry, they could react immediately if anyone came to visit.
"Hmm. So you're not just some airheaded research nut," Eira observed.
"I wouldn't know about that, but I'd like to avoid being used as a convenient pawn."
Hearing Jin's words, Eira smirked again.
"Hmph. So you've sensed something. Just who are you, anyway?"
"I am..."
After a brief hesitation, Jin decided to stick with the same explanation he had used previously.
"...Hmm, a 'Teleportation accident,' you say? Interesting. And your memories are jumbled because of it. It's frustrating that I can't entirely dismiss that as impossible."
Eira seemed to half-believe and half-doubt Jin's story.
"Well, whatever. As long as you let me hear about your knowledge, that's enough for me."
"On my end, I'd like to know more about this country."
"A trade, then. Very well. I'll start the talking."
From there, Eira lowered her voice even further.
Even though this room was supposedly protected against surveillance, it wasn't perfect, and Jin didn't trust Eira enough to tell her about the bugs he had found, so he simply listened.
"This country... people tend to think the Mercana Principality is a dictatorship ruled by the Duke, but that's not actually the case."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"The ones who actually hold power are the Assembly."
"The Assembly?"
"The Assembly is made up of ten 'Councilors.' Each one is the head of a sector, like the economy, magic, or the military."
"I see..."
"The Duke is just a figurehead....However, the one who isn't satisfied with that is the administrator of Rofon, Paerova Sondvik."
Jin was surprised—not by the political intrigue, but by the fact that Eira knew so much.
"Paerova is the Duke's older cousin. He's older than the Duke himself. So it's no wonder he harbors ambitions of one day supplanting him. The Duke has no queen, let alone an heir."
"..."
Jin wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to know all this.
He wasn't fond of political talk, but since he was already caught up in it, he felt he ought to know.
"Well, that's why he wants capable pawns."
"And you're saying this confinement is for that purpose?"
"That's about it. 'The state manages the magi'? No, he's the one managing them. Well, given his position as a regional administrator, I suppose he isn't technically lying."
"............"
Jin had absolutely no idea what to do with the information he had just received.
As if seeing through his confusion, Eira scoffed.
"Hmph, you have the look of someone who doesn't know what to do with himself. Well, whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Eira then shifted her posture in the chair.
"Now, it's your turn to talk."
Jin wasn't sure what Eira specifically wanted to know, so he made a suggestion.
"How about we do this in a Q&A format? You ask a question, and I'll answer."
This seemed to please Eira.
"Yeah, that's not bad. Then... I'll ask three questions. First question....Does the term 'Magi Craft Meister' that I mentioned yesterday ring a bell?"
"...I feel like I've heard it before," Jin replied, remaining cautious and giving a non-committal answer.
"Hmph. Then, how much do you know about 'magi-craft'?"
"The basics."
"If that's true, then you're beyond even my master."
Jin became interested in the person Eira called her master.
"That master of yours..."
Jin began to ask, but he was cut off.
"It's still my turn to ask questions."
"Third. Does the name 'Akitsu' mean anything to you?"
"...!?"
Another connection to the Ars he had come from surfaced. However, Jin was being unusually cautious today.
"That also... I feel like I've heard it before. Was it the name of a country?"
"Hmm. I can't tell if you're playing dumb or if you really don't remember, but fine. Let's take turns asking questions from here on."
"Sounds good....In that case, please tell me about your master, Eira-san."
"Ah, my master....They were originally from a country called 'Mitsuho' and said they studied for two years at an academy on an island called 'Avalon.'...That's the kind of thing you want to hear, right?"
"Yes."
Jin was impressed by Eira's perceptiveness; he hadn't particularly wanted to ask about names, appearance, or age.
"Then it's my turn to ask. You seem to have made golems, but can you make 'automata'?"
"I can, after a fashion."
"After a fashion, huh. I don't know what level your 'after a fashion' is, but I'll let that pass for now."
Next was Jin's turn.
"Um, where did you learn from your master, Eira-san?"
"Hmph, you ask interesting things. I'll just say it wasn't in this country, but in a land across the sea."
"I see."
"Then, it's my turn again. What kind of person was your master? Don't tell me you're self-taught."
"Of course not....My master was... yes, the world's best magi craftsman."
"Heh, you're quite proud of your master....'Was'? Does that mean they're already..."
"Yeah. They're gone now."
"I see. Sorry about that. Go ahead, ask me something."
In this manner, Jin and Eira continued their information exchange through their questions.