A group of people with the will to destroy Jin's Capricorn 1 are slowly advancing.
"No, guys!"
No one listens to Istaris' words.
"Netros, hurry back and tell Master Jin to retreat!
But Master Istaris...
I don't care!
At that moment, Reiko came out of invisibility.
"I'll carry you, Istaris-san. Let's hurry back.
"Oh, where in the world did you come from ......?"
Now is not the time to talk about such things.
Reiko quickly picks up Istaris in her arms and runs toward Capricorn 1. Netros followed.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Istaris exclaimed as he experienced 200 km/h in the flesh.
"...... and that's it."
Reiko reports to Jin (her double) in the retreating Capricorn 1. Actually, Jin, who was in the command center of Horai Island, was listening to the report in real time.
"Oh no. ......"
However, Zion and Lucas had never heard of it. They looked incredulous.
"I'm sorry, but it's true. ......Oh, why? Why? Grandfather ......"
"You can mourn later. It's a little bumpy."
What?
Jin ordered Land 1 to go to maximum speed to outrun the pursuing Morura clans.
Seventy kilometers per hour. As one would expect, the vibration is quite noticeable. However, their originally slow movements are enough to shake off the Morira's pursuit.
Capricorn 1, speeding inland, combined with the darkening sky, was able to completely disperse their pursuers.
* * * *
"......gush!"
"Sister, cheer up. There must be a reason for this.
Sion comforts Istaris, who has not recovered from the shock.
Istaris was sobbing all the time, probably in shock that after all the hard work she had put in to get support for her clan, she had been branded a traitor.
"......Well, what do we do now?"
Jin (his double) muttered to himself, staring into the darkness ahead of him.
Capricorn 1 is now at the foot of a small rocky hill.
"Oh, um, Jin?"
"Yes?"
Zion asked Jin in a timid manner.
"Are you ...... thinking of going home?"
"Why ...... are you thinking of leaving?
He had come all the way here to offer assistance, and instead of being welcomed, he was about to be attacked.
Jin had no reason to stay in the demon territory any longer.
"...... I'll stay here a little longer."
"Really?"
Zion's face brightened.
"Yes. The difference between what Zion and the others told me and his attitude is too unnatural. I won't leave until I know the cause.
If there is some hidden agenda, it is even more so. For the safety of the village of Kaina, Jin wanted to at least confirm the will of the moderate faction.
Reiko did not say anything, since it was a double who had come here in the first place, and Jin himself was not in danger.
"Thank you, Jin."
Zion bowed his head. Jin, however, lightly patted her on the head, as if to say, "Don't worry about it,
"Clan leader,......, would it be correct to say that your grandfather's attitude has changed abruptly?"
He changed the subject and asked for an urgent confirmation of his agenda.
"How resistant are the demons to mental manipulation?"
Anne opened her mouth.
"<>. That's the brainwashing and subjugation magic we use. We can brainwash them with it. It won't work the normal servitude magic you asked me about before ....... I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
This is Zion. At this point, he must have thought it was too late to be talking about secrets, and even said, "I'll tell you anything you want.
"But if you enslave me with that magic, I'll know right away. But if you enslave them with that magic, you'll know right away, because they'll lose their will, or ...... their feelings.
The Morura clan did have feelings. At least they were not under the influence of <>, Jin and the others concluded.
"Then it must be a different kind of servitude magic, or a different method altogether.
Anne was unable to speculate further.
It seems to be different from the method used by Marcosius before. It seems to be something similar to in a sense.
The group ponders. But then, there's a silver lining.
"Yes, he's here."
The puppet we took prisoner, Belialus. He might know something.
What do you want?
He pulls out Belialus, who has been locked up in the warehouse, swearing as usual.
"I just wanted to ask you something. >"
"Oh!
I've never used a transinfo for demons before. This is the first time for me to use it, but it seems to work.
The transcribed Magi Crystal is sent to Horai Island by the Warp Gate, and is immediately analyzed by the old man.
The results of the analysis were informed to the crew of Capricorn 1 through Reiko.
"There is one thing I have found out. The demon tribe has a land called , right?"
"What! Why do you think that ...... no, that's the kind of magic you're talking about."
Netros was surprised to hear those words. No, Zion and Lucas also look surprised. Istaris finally stopped crying and turned her red, swollen eyes to Jin.
"<> is a legendary place where our distant ancestors of the demon tribe landed.
Jin remembered the legend that Vivian had told him. It is possible that the ancestors of both humans and demons came there a long time ago.
While Jin was thinking about this, information from the old man came to him through Reiko.
"The clan closest to the is called the , isn't it?
"That is correct. But there are less than ten members of the clan, and they rarely interact with other clans.
Theon asks, with a look that says, "What about it?
"The clan is insisting that we ...... well, in short, that we mess with them."
Actually, it seems that they are insisting on some nuance of guerrilla warfare.
"And they listened to you?"
"I don't think the clans of ......<> have that kind of influence. ......"
Following Zion, Istaris finally opened his mouth.
On the other hand, Belialis, who was listening to this, looked frustrated.
"d*mn it... ....... You read my memory. Sneaky, aren't they, humans?"
"Don't be silly. The ways of the demon tribe are not to be commended. No. Conflicts are always like that. They pursue their own interests and don't care about the other side.
It was Anne who contradicted Belialus.
"The Goshujin-sama doesn't like such a world. I would like to live in peace and quiet, but I can't stand by and watch because of all the noise around me."
That's sophistry.
But it's true.
"Anne, that's enough."
Jin interrupted Anne, deciding that continuing the conversation would be futile.
"Do you know where this clan lives?"
"Yes. They live in the interior of the Gondor continent.
Reiko explained that they were much further north than where Jin and the others were at the moment.
"Shall we go and see them?"
"What?"
"I'm also interested in the place where it all began. I'd like to meet and talk with the clan that seems to have been responsible for this."
"So ....... I don't know what else I can do.
But I'm sure they'll get in the way, right?
Istaris agreed and Zion pointed out the difficulties on the way.
"What's the point now? If they get in our way, we'll just get rid of them."
"It's amazing that you can really do that in Jin's case. ......"
Zion is a little taken aback, but he knows that this is the only way to change the situation.
"...... Jin, please."
Theon said in a whisper, his face full of anxiety.