We had defeated the the skeletons that got in our way but Isolde called us.

"Please. Connor is not responsible for this. This must be a way to save him."

"My lady. I am sorry for teaching him dark magic." Jowan walks to her. She slaps him.

"You.. you... If you are not around... Connor won't.."

"Lady. Wasn't he the one who help Connor. You hired him to hide Connor's magical talent, wasn't it." Selene hits back at the hysterical woman.

"You..." She becomes speechless.

Selene adds,

"That child has truly became an abomination, a demon. That means there's only one way to stop him... Kill him." 

" Noo.. sometime that child really dispossess the demon and regain his mind. I just want to help him. To protect him."

"It that what started this. You hired that man to hide the fact the boy has magic?" Selene rebuts her.

"If Connor is found out, he could not be next marquis. And he also could be taken away by church. I thought if only he could learn enough to hide himself then,..." 

"I don't usually suggest we slain a child but if he is possessed by such demon, then we have no choice.." Sekrit adds.

"No. What about the magician. He could know the way." Isolde insists.

"Well, the demon is not exactly inside him. The demon is in another dimension and control him from there. If we could send someone there, but .." Once Selene says that, Isolde jumps at her.

"Please, do that..."

Selene shakes her head. 

"No. I only know that much. I have no ability to delve into demon's dimension. I don't study dark magic after all."

"Study dark magic? Then, Jowan. You can do something, right?"

Jowan closes his eyes for a while. We wait patiently.

"There is a way to save him without hurting him. But we might need to sacrifice two life."

The girls furrow their eyebrows upon listening to that.

"I can send someone, only one person into demon's dimension using my dark magic. But, after that, I die."

"....."

The moment silence arrive and continues for minutes. 

I break the silence,

"That's one life. Another life is the one you sent into dimension?"

"No. I absolutely will die. No doubt about it. After I die, I open the link to the other dimension. It's up to someone else to use it. I don't know what will happen after that. It's dangerous. I don't recommend." Jowan confesses sincerely.

Isolde keeps quiet because this means she needs someone unrelated to risk their life for her son, not only Jowan.

"I am going in." I calmly offer myself.

"Are you mad?"

"Stop it, Hiro!"

"Don't be stupid!"

"Why do you risk your life for this damn woman!" 

"Please reconsider!" 

"Don't do this!"

The girls surround me and grab me.

"Listen to me. I will be fine. This is my hunch. My instinct is never wrong!"

I turn to Isolde. 

"But Jowan, Marchioness and me. We need to make a deal. Everyone else. Sorry but can you leave us for a while "

The girls go out to the stair, leaving the three of us.

***

I look at Jowan and ask him,

"Anything I can do for you?"

After pondering hard for a while, he says,

"First, hand this bag to my disciple. She lives in Winterwatch Tower in Hinterland. Her name is Anaïs."

"What? The Speaker Anais from One God Cult?" I automatically mutter that name.

"What? Did you know her?"

"We are currently living with her there. We are like comrade now."

Not only Jowan is surprised but Isolde is puzzled when she hears about Winterwatch Tower.

"That's a relief." Jowan smiles.

"Then, what else?"

His expression changes.

"The final one... It's up to you whether to do that or not. It's really impossible."

"Just say it. I might consider."

"She is my first ever disciple. She is also my lover. Lily..."

"Lily?"

"Yes. The church abducted me and threw me into Circle Tower, belongs to Circle of Mage, under the church. There, I meet Lily and grow up with her. Of course, he is much younger than me. I learn dark magic too much and she hates me. Then, I escaped from there. I nee you to save her from there"

"I will consider it."

As I said that, Jowan takes out a locket and passes to me.

"Please. If you meet her, give her this."

"Understood."

Then, I turn to Isolde and look at her seriously.

"Isolde."

I boldly call her by her name. She just wait for my words.

"I am putting my life on the line here. I need something from you of equal worth."

She looks at me with full conviction.

"I am prepared to give up even my life for my son. I don't even care about Redcliffe."

"Then, once Connor is safe.. You become my woman. You will do anything for me. Your mind. Your heart. Your mind. Your body. Your land. You are my slave."

I grab her shoulders.

She doesn't sway. Instead, she looks at me with conviction,

"I will give you everything, as long as Connor is safe!"

"Deal." Isolde and me swear simultaneously.

Then, let's go.