"I'll tell you how to break the Subjugation spell."
Just that alone made it clear that negotiations were inevitable.
If they could release Liana from the subjugation, they could fully bring her back as part of their strength.
Not only that, but they had also effectively neutralized Helik—the most troublesome Sorcerer among the enemy—by taking his left arm with virtually no damage.
It was a win-win situation, but that was exactly why it had to be viewed with suspicion.
Especially since Isaac's rationality was unusually wary of situations that offered nothing but benefits.
"This deal is just too favorable to us."
Munch.
He ignored the sensation of Liana, nestled in his arms, biting his shirt and continued speaking.
"Just offering to explain the difference between Jonathan and Scarlet as a condition—it's too good a deal for us."
"Haha."
It was a dry laugh.
More a short noise to fill the silence than an actual chuckle.
"Information that means nothing to one person can be extremely valuable to another. Just like how solving Liana's subjugation isn't that important to me."
"..."
"So, what do you say? Will you let me meet the child who could be my sibling?"
The Blood Demon's smile was gentle, yet somehow sorrowful.
But the emotions behind it couldn't be said to be purely genuine.
"There's one condition."
At Isaac's cold voice, the Blood Demon's expression stiffened slightly before returning to normal.
As someone who had seduced many humans, this type of person was the most difficult to deal with.
Someone whose reason suppressed their instincts.
Someone immune to emotional connection, charm, or attraction.
All those things were useless in front of someone like him.
The Blood Demon dropped the pitiful act and asked directly:
"Condition? What kind?"
"What will you do with Jonathan once you know? That's important. If you plan to harm him, I can't tell you anything."
"Oh my? Is Jonathan more important to you than that girl?"
The Blood Demon gestured toward Liana with her chin, as if asking whether he could really put something so precious on the scale like that. But Isaac remained firm.
"This isn't about who's more important. I need to know—so I'm asking."
"…You're really an annoying man, aren't you?"
Despite the words, there was a smile on her lips.
How could he never bend to her wishes, not even a little?
The Blood Demon had hoped to twist the flow of conversation and press him into a corner—but the more they talked, the more she realized she was the one being cornered.
"Such sharp thorns you have. No wonder you once bore the name of Helmut, even if only temporarily."
"Don't change the subject."
The only reason he let that slide might be because of the woman standing beside him, holding a massive greatsword with a deadly aura.
Or maybe, to someone who loved beauty, Isaac's rudeness was forgivable simply because of how beautiful he was.
The Blood Demon thought:
Probably the latter.
"I'll say this clearly—if Jonathan has Blood Demon blood flowing in him, then I won't harm him."
She wouldn't harm him.
It was a vague statement, but pushing for anything more was likely impossible.
The woman didn't look like she would answer either.
"…Hoo."
Isaac concluded that he'd at least secured some insurance, and opened his mouth.
"It's true. Jonathan is a half-blood, and he shows some of the traits you've displayed—not just physically…"
He recalled a moment from the Abyss, when they climbed the tower and saw a Blood Demon quenching their thirst with human blood.
"…Even the enjoyment of watching human blood."
"…!"
At those words, the Blood Demon's eyes widened. A subtle smile crept onto her lips, as if her suspicions had just been confirmed.
But Isaac wanted to make something clear about Jonathan.
"Jonathan is currently serving as a knight of Helmut. He's overcoming his nature and living with pride as a knight."
"That's right! Jonathan may be a fool, but he's still a knight of Helmut."
Sharen added, her affection apparent.
The Blood Demon let out a short laugh.
"Little one, no matter how much you hold Helmut's greatsword and call yourself a knight, you can never truly step beyond being human—"
Just as Jonathan, in the end, could never escape the blood of the Blood Demon within him.
That whispering smile on her face carried a deep satisfaction.
As if all of Jonathan's efforts so far had been meaningless.
As if the rest didn't matter at all—this irritated Isaac.
Because he knew just how much Jonathan had struggled.
But now wasn't the time to argue.
"Alright, I've said it."
He had said everything she wanted to know.
Now it was time for her to reveal what they wanted.
"How do we break Liana's Subjugation Spell?"
Isaac's hands tightened around the Liana in his arms. As if to say she was precious to him, he held her gently yet firmly. In response, Liana bit down harder on his shirt.
She worried that if she expressed her inner feelings now, Isaac might find her burdensome.
She was thinking that deeply.
"First, know this. A pure human can never escape the subjugation. It's like dripping blood into clear water. You can never return to the previous state. Being as intact as she is now is already impossible."
But—
"But you Helmuts? You're different. Descendants of Helik. A trace of Transcendent blood runs through you. That's why she hasn't broken yet."
"..."
"There are several ways. The simplest?"
The Blood Demon smiled.
"The subject dies."
"Don't waste my time."
If he was going to accept something as absurd as Liana's death, he wouldn't have started the negotiation in the first place.
The Blood Demon also laughed, saying it was a joke, then continued.
"Being a servant is essentially like wearing a leash. So, changing the person holding the leash is also a possible method."
"Changing the master?"
"That's right. Right now, I'm the one holding it. What do you think?"
The Blood Demon waved her hand as if actually holding a leash.
"Shall I give it to you? She seems to follow you well anyway. Then you can take her, ravish her, use her, and throw her away as you please."
"Watch your mouth."
"Heh."
The Blood Demon gave a faint smile at Isaac's warning.
"But this method won't work. Do you know why?"
Fwshhh!
Huge wings spread out from the Blood Demon's back. They resembled those of a bat, and were so majestic they even blocked out the warm afternoon sunlight.
For a moment, it felt like the entire village had been thrown into early dawn.
"You can't take the authority unless you cut off my head—and I'll never die."
Now it was clear why the Blood Demon had so casually shared the answer.
She was confident. Confident that Liana, bound as her servant, could not be taken away.
Because she would not die.
"Now it feels like we're finally having a proper conversation."
The grandmaster, who had been silently watching, stepped forward and sheathed her massive greatsword.
Ironically, this action—which is usually a sign that the battle is over—meant the opposite for the grandmaster and Isaac.
For them, sheathing the sword meant it was time to fight again.
"Sigh… Really…"
But the Blood Demon shook her head.
"I'm not the violent type, you know."
Her wings began to flutter.
"Thanks for the info. I've got a lot to prepare if I'm going to meet our Jonathan."
A gust of wind blew.
The grandmaster leapt into the air, aiming to resist it.
"Where do you think you're going? You'll make me feel so lonely—!"
As her greatsword was drawn like a flash of light, blood poured from the sky like rain.
Transcendent beings, who had been hiding behind the Blood Demon's wings, charged at them.
Naturally, they were cut down by the grandmaster's blade, but the momentary distraction allowed the Blood Demon to escape far into the distance.
***
That night.
Isaac's party decided to stay in the village for the night.
He couldn't explain in full detail who Scarlet really was, what kind of being she had been, or whom she had pledged loyalty to.
But he had to at least tell them to forget her now.
It was a night filled with the sound of mourning.
Even after revealing the truth about her identity, tears and wailing echoed throughout the village.
Voices of men grieving Scarlet's death.
"Geez, this is ridiculous…"
"Are they idiots?"
The grandmaster and Sharen listened to the wailing with disbelief.
"We took care of the witch who was feeding on them, and instead of being grateful, they practically threw us out."
Originally, they planned to stay inside the village, but due to the villagers' intense resistance, they had to camp outside with a bonfire.
Fortunately, they'd been given some food, so they were at least able to eat well.
"Seriously! It's outrageous! How can people be so shameless?"
"Now I get why they fell for her. Tch, they're so foolish, no wonder they were blind."
Sharen and the grandmaster both felt their treatment had been terribly unfair.
And indeed, the villagers' behavior was quite disgraceful.
After all, Scarlet had played with the hearts of men.
The women of the village, on the other hand, expressed gratitude.
"…"
Isaac, however, was simply staring at the village.
What could he say?
Their reaction was wrong—but not incomprehensible.
"Isaac, what are you thinking?"
Noticing his hardened expression, Liana asked with concern.
At her question, Isaac hesitated a moment before replying.
"Just…"
"Just…?"
"Crying like that from being blinded by love… it kind of reminds me of us."
At Isaac's words, Liana paused and looked toward the village, then nodded gently.
"So that's why the grandmaster and Sharen didn't understand."
"…"
"They've never been in love."
"Why are you hitting me all of a sudden?"
"What the heck, sis?!"
Liana quietly snuggled into Isaac's arms.