《Magicraft Meister Part 4》 3001 - - 79-28 ammo. "......<>, no, about <>?" "Yes. You were created at the time of the <>. You must have some thoughts about them, mustn''t you?" Chell nodded her head slightly at Machina III''s words. "I would be lying if I said I didn''t. Certainly, some golems and automata will try to destroy us just because we are <>. This is exactly what happened to <>. "But we, the members of ......<>, are different." "Different how?" We will not indiscriminately attack the demon tribe without a plan or thought. How can you guarantee that? Is that necessary? Yes. Why? The answer to this question is what the cherubs will take from it. It is a turning point and a gamble. And Machina III gives the answer. "Because I know a number of <>." "..................I see... ......... That makes sense. Are you okay? Are you okay? It took me a while to recognize the facts, to understand the current situation and to optimize my criteria, but I am fine now. Makina III was a little concerned about the pause, but he decided to believe her when she said she was fine. * * * * * * * * * * * * In Horai Island, Jin and the old man were following the communication between Makina III and Chelle. "She says so, but is she all right?" "Well, I''d still like to check ......." We need to test if it is true, Jin said, and the old man agreed. "Then we should ask ...... Marikka and Marikka''s doppelganger, Marikka D." << "You''re very clever." Then Marikka came in. "Jin-san, the old man told me about the situation. I suppose you want me to use the doppelganger to get to ? "Oh, Marikka, I''m sorry to bother you. Can you go to ...... and try?" "Yes." The magic pattern of the doppelganger is the same as the doppelganger''s own. <, but since he could not predict the reaction when he recognized the existence itself, he asked Marikka D. to help him. * * * * * * * * * <. Makina III knows this. And then she appears in front of Chelle and Hearn at the right moment. "In ......, when you meet <>, you don''t attack them without question, do you?" "Of course not. "Then... ...... Maricka... Yes, sir. Marikka D came out from the back of the cabin, following a conversation on the built-in manacam. "......!¡¡Surely, you were a <...... or a ." Hahn, not Chell, muttered. "Indeed, you are a . And I see that you and Makina have established a friendly relationship. Chelle also showed a calm response. Then Chell and Hahn said "It is nice to meet you. My name is Chell. Please make yourself at home. "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Hahn. I look forward to working with you. He bowed his head to Maricka D. and greeted her politely. "Thank you for your kind greeting. My name is Marikka. < Marikka D responded to the greeting and took a seat next to Makina III. The atmosphere was not particularly bad, which was a relief. After all, the base imperative of is powerful. It seemed that Chell, Hearn, and the others would not consider the current Northerners as enemies unless they were at loggerheads with mankind. "Then I have something to tell you... a truth from 700 years ago." The truth, Master Machina? Yes. < You mean the cause? Yes. Thus, Makina III explained that the cause of the War of Magic was the conspiracy of the homunculus, a hominid called the Negador, also known as the Dexiconai, created by the Origin, the founder of the human race of Ars. homunculus. Of course, in the process, I had to explain about the <, and I also explained in detail about the second generation <>. Since it was a verbal presentation, it took me about two hours to explain everything. "............ was quite shocking," he said. "It''s all true. Do you believe me? "Yes. The story is consistent. I believe it to be true. I see. I see. Jin and Marikka, who had been watching what was happening on Horai Island, were relieved. "Now we don''t have to worry about antagonizing them, do we?" "Yes. Now we can take them to without worry. < When he was worried, he thought of going to , the base of Machina III, but Jin decided that it would be safe from the current situation. "<> with my ...... or rather my alter ego puppet (doppel)?" <>. "<> along the surface of the skin, Chel won''t be able to detect it. Yes, in order to cope with Chell''s detection ability, Deus ex Machina III had covered the surface of his body with a <>. This would disable Chell''s magic sensors. At the moment, the magic wave for maneuvering is using <> for the carrier wave, so it can pass through the normal <>, so there is no problem. "In that case, I''ll ask Reiko to go there again." "Leave it to me." Reiko replied and sent under Jin. Mini Reiko sits down on Jin''s left shoulder. "Alright then, I''ll call <> and let them know that Machina III and I ...... will be there with Jin D." < Thus, <> (the World Guard), <>, <>, Chell, Hearn, and the rest of the team work together to expose the darkness of the . 3002 - - 79-29 Face-to-face, and It is a relief to know that the Chells will not suddenly turn hostile to the . Marikka D used the warp gate to leave on the pretext that she had some business to attend to. In fact, the reason is that it would be bad if she is revealed to be a if she is in contact with us for too long. This is because, unlike Machina III, Marikka D has not developed a <> on the surface of her body, since she has to have her <> detected by Chelle and her friends. As a side note, if it had been discovered that she had made it up, she would have had the excuse that she thought it would be dangerous to confront them directly. I didn''t have to use it, though. And now, the meeting between Chell, Hearn, Anne, and Makina III in <> was proceeding peacefully. "To tell the truth, I am relieved that we are not in hostilities with Chell and Hearn. "We are relieved as well," he said. "If both sides are happy to have avoided conflict, then I am sure we can work together in the future. Makina III said, to which Chelle replied: "It depends on who you are dealing with. "It depends on who we are dealing with, but I think it is possible. "Of course, it would be against the Sori Society. "Then there should be no problem. In fact, we''d like to help you. Then there''s no problem. Yes. Thus, a cooperative framework for the investigation was established between Makina III and Chelle Khan and others. With this, the investigation could be conducted by Chelle and her team, and the actual arrest could be made by Machina III''s side ......, that is, the <>. "Now, let me take you to <>, the headquarters of <>. My brother disciple should be there. Who is this ......? "Yes. < "That would be fun." And set out for <> in the darkness of night. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At 8:00 a.m. local time on February 21, landed at the airport in . A has already landed next to it. "That is the <>, the aircraft of the <>." <, but still larger than any airship parked at the airport. "It''s smaller than this ship, but it still feels like something special," Chell said. Chelle said. Yes, that''s right. That ship probably has better overall performance than this Aristotle." "Is that so?" "Yes. That''s why Jin took over as Magecraft Meister. "I see. I''d like to have met the first master of ......." "That''s a bit of a stretch. ......" <. They are met by Tomax Bartman, the chief administrator of , Jin, and Reiko. Jin had arrived 10 minutes before Machina III and the others and was waiting for them with Tomax. "Hey, Makina. "Hello, Jin." "Makina-dono, welcome." "Hello, Mr. Tomax. I''m sorry for coming on such short notice. "Well, I''m used to you and your friends by now." After exchanging greetings like this, Chell and Hahn are introduced. My name is Chelle. Pleased to meet you. "Call me Hahn. It''s nice to meet you. Nice to meet you too. Jin D also introduces himself. Jin D has not deployed a . If he is not detected as having the same magic pattern as Anne, it is too much trouble to prove that he is the same person. Incidentally, if it is revealed to be a fake, the reason is also provided for <>. "This is Jin Nido, the third generation of Magecraft Meisters. This is my squire Reiko." You are the Magecraft Meister? I''ve been looking forward to meeting you. It''s an honor. "...... and a knight, is it? It''s an honor to meet you, Mr. Leco. Pleased to meet you. Chel gave a discreet greeting to Hitoshi D. and Reiko. Hahn is silent. The group then went to the small conference room of the . There they discuss their future plans. The members of the group are the people we have just met, plus the deputy chief of staff, Illumina Ratkin. * * * * "First, let me give you my report. In the small conference room, Deus ex Machina III opened the meeting. "The <> will report on ......." He reports the results of his investigations so far. He said The Sori Kyokai addicts its followers to drugs. The Sori Society uses magic tools that have the effect of <> to brainwash its followers. It is said that there are three in the Sori Kyokai who are also addicted to drugs. Anne adds this. In the Sori Kyokai, brainwashing takes place at the < held in the <>. The contents of the service include the basic principles of the association, such as <><> as well as <> and <><>, . And Chelle also said. "The narcotics < and the magic tools of suggestion <> were owned by our affiliated base," she said. And. Jin D. adds the following explanation. "In the southern part of the Kingdom of Celuloa, near a town called Lutogra, there was a basement of a fortress where the facilities were located during the time of the Great Magic War. And there are two levels of the facility, ....... The <<1st basement> is controlled by a magical brain named <> who put Groma and Eira in danger. When went out of control for some reason, we had no choice but to stop him, and the <> facility was awakened. The automata belonging to the facility are Chel and the golem is Hahn," concludes Jin D. "From there, the rest is up to Chel, who can be found at his website at . From that point on, he ...... Chelle gives an explanation. Jin-sama''s explanation is true. There is a similar facility underground on an island in the southern sea of Kupu. ...... It was built as a shelter in case of emergency. There were magical tools of suggestion and narcotics to calm the evacuees, he explained. Here Makina III takes over. "So, the magical tools of suggestion used by the <> are stolen, and so are the drugs. Jin D. also offered his assurances that this was true. "We have done our own investigation, and I can testify that what you just said is true." I understand. If that is the case, then the World Guard will be happy to act. Tomax Bartmann. "Then let''s continue our discussion on the search for the search party. That was the course of events. 3003 - - 79-30 In discussion It is difficult to treat the < at the moment because there is not enough to punish them. This is because there is a lack of to punish them. < and >, it is doubtful whether they can declare their ownership of them. After all, the <> no longer exists, and the island where the <> is located is of unknown affiliation. In other words, it is just a matter of "picking up something that had fallen". Therefore, we have to denounce what can be regarded as a criminal act according to the laws of the world. "The most obvious case is that of the use of <, a <>, on believers. ......" Makina III said. "That''s still weak. They want proof that <> was used. ......" Tomax Bartmann says, and Chelle voices her opinion. "You are in possession of a <>, aren''t you?" "No, possession alone is weak. We need to catch him using it. Tomax explained that it would be better to catch him in the act. "It''s difficult, isn''t it, the laws of our time ......?" Chelle said that it was simpler during the <>. Jin D. commented on this. "Maybe it''s because the rulers had much more power back then than now.¡¡Besides, it was wartime. Jin D. added that during wartime, there were special measures such as giving command of the military to some of the rulers. "Certainly, there were such things. ......" I''d love to hear what Chel has to say about those days, but right now we are discussing measures against the <. "But the magic tools of suggestion they are using were stolen from our base. Can you prove it? "Yes, I can. I can prove that. The magic tools belonging to the base must have had their own model numbers engraved on them. Tomax Bartmann was pleased with this information. "That''s information that would give us an advantage. Tomax Bartmann continued, "But we need one or two more reasons to go in. At this point, Makina III spoke up. "I don''t know about all of them, but the < I met were definitely taking <. Can we step in and call it a medical examination or treatment?" "That might be difficult. If she collapsed due to addiction, that is. I see. * * * * * * Jin, who was attending the meeting through Jin D, chuckled. "I think again. I think again, the right way is troublesome and inefficient." >. Until now, Jin and his team have not been doing things in a very public way, such as investigating in secret and taking countermeasures in secret. This is why we have the < and . This time, however, they are taking a completely orthodox approach in order to fulfill the request of Chell and Hearn, the messengers from the past. "You might want to think about that. Jin reminded them that this would only be done in case of emergency. * * * * < was taking a long time, as they were having trouble putting things together. "Well, why don''t you summarize the illegal activities being conducted by the once?¡¡From there, I think we can see what we should do. Ilmina Ratkin suggested. "Yes, that might be a good idea." "Yes, that would be good." Tomax Bartman and Jin D. agreed. "Well then, let''s go to ......." Deus ex machina III explains as he counts. 1. was stolen from the . 2. stole from . 3. 3. he makes his followers take <. 4. brainwashes his followers with . 5. he exploits unjustly. The fifth one may be in a gray area, though. If the donor is willing to make the donation, it can''t be said to be unfair. But now we see how to do it," says Tomax Bartmann. "First of all, the <> thing. First of all, <>, which can be denounced by finding out where it is grown. This could be proven by finding out where the original seeds came from, since <> is not commonly distributed. Also, we can accuse them of growing drug ingredients rather than stealing them." "I see." "Since the <> is inscribed with a >, it should be easy to prove that it is stolen. In this case, we can also add the fact that it was found and used without permission." "Yes, that''s right." Tomax Bartmann, showing the dignity of a top administrator, presents one method after another to gather evidence for denouncing the <. "Thirdly, ...... Ratkin, is there any way to tell that you are <> addicted?" "Yes, there is. If the smoke is inhaled, there is some mild lung damage ...... and some impairment of the lungs, and if it is swallowed, there is some irritation of the stomach wall. All of these are very slight." Here''s where Chelle speaks up. "There is another way." "Mister Chell, what is it? Brain waves. Brain waves? Brain waves? < I see. ...... "I see. Yes. But the jumps are mainly in the areas of willpower and emotion. That is to say, there are also bands that don''t bounce. I see, so the spectrum of brain waves is unnatural. That''s what I''m getting at. This is very good information. Tomax Bartmann and his colleagues thanked Chelle. "Good. I''ll build it." This is where Jin D comes in. "...... did you understand what I just explained to you? Chelle, surprised, nodded her head. "Yes. I''ll take care of it." "That''s what a <> is for. ......" Anyway, it looks like we''ll be able to arrest the <> now. * * * * * * Tomax Bartmann continued. "...... and number four. This is the hard part." "Indeed. ...... Mister Chell, is there any way to recognize a brain that has been subjected to <>?" At Jin D''s question, Chel nodded her head. "Yes, there is. ...... This also relates to the brain. The brain that has been subjected to < will be less active in certain parts of the brain. Specifically, a part of the <." "I see. Do you have a device to measure this?" "Yes, I do. I also have that in my memory. ...... Okay, tell me about that later. I''ll build it. Okay. "Mmm, Ratkin, that''s brilliant. I''ve compiled a list of illegal activities, just like you said, so it''s easier to understand how to deal with them." Thank you, sir. Tomax Bartman''s compliment made Illumina Latkin a little embarrassed. This made it easier to understand the current situation and to discuss how to deal with it. 3004 - - 79-31 Operation Decision The meeting to denounce the <> was now in its final stages. "Now then, as for the <>, that can be solved almost completely by finding a field. < to testify that it is a drug ingredient, we can seize the fields. And since there is no other land where they grow it, if we ask them where they got the seeds, they will know that they stole them from the <>. "Oh, if it''s a field, I found it. "What?" What?" Jin D said in a light tone. It was the old man who found it. < and . He asked me to prepare a map of the southern part of the Kingdom of Selroa and pointed it out with his finger. The location is northwest of Kupu, isn''t it? It is about a third of the way on the line connecting the town of Dos Sur and Kupu. It is about 15 kilometers away. "......I see, it''s an underpopulated area." Makina III looked at the map and muttered. "Yes. The strong winds from the sea make this area unsuitable for farming, so there are many abandoned wastelands, and it is therefore difficult to be seen by the public. "I see, you may be right, Mr. Jin. Tomax Bartmann nodded his head in admiration. Jin D. gave him some more information. "It seems that they are surrounded by a windbreak to protect them from the wind, and they are growing inside the windbreak. "Then you can''t see them from the surroundings. ......" "That''s what I''m talking about, Makina." Upon hearing this information, Tomax Bartmann came to one conclusion. "...... umm...... let''s seize the < fields first." "Supreme Superintendent, we should talk to the Kingdom of Selroa as well, right?" Of course. Latkin, please contact them. Yes, sir. With this, the first operation has been decided. The first one is decided. One more thing we can''t leave out. < "So, what should we do about the magic tool of suggestion? Is it too difficult to go into it at once? Chel asked Tomax Bartmann. "Yes, it is. <." "How can that be issued?" "The Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Celuloa or the Legal Department here in will issue it. But we will need more physical evidence. Tomax Bartmann explains that the foundation of the rule of law would be shaken if he were to invoke his authority. "...... But, if we take our time, they will hide the magic tool of suggestion, won''t they?" "Mister Chell is right. We should do something about it. Makina III said that we had better hurry. "Then we should investigate , right?" Jin D. said. "I see, <>. ......" Jin D. is a complete amateur when it comes to the law, so his knowledge is limited to what he has learned from TV dramas about detectives. Even so, he understood that in this case, it means <>. "So, what is this <>?" "That''s it. I have a few ideas. "Why don''t we just go in there, me and Ray, in disguise?" How about we seize the who used the ," said Makina III. "That would not be a bad idea. We can reason that some people are sensitive to <," said Ilmina Ratkin. "Then there''s the ......<> or > if you follow them into the <>." "Oh, I don''t know about that." It could be considered too aggressive, Tomax Bartman said. "Wouldn''t it be better to call it protection instead of seizure?" Jin D. suggested. "I see. ....... We could give her a good reason and worry about her health, and in the process, find and seize the magic tools of suggestion. It might be a good idea." "The question is, how can we point out that is a drug addict?" Tomax Bartmann agrees with the compendium. But Yilmina Ratkin has pointed out the details. You can tell that a person is an addict by looking at his or her brain waves, but the question is whether he or she is willing to let ...... take the measurements. < ....... In the first place, there is also the question of whether such an action can be taken in the enemy''s <>. "We will have to inspect them without question." Jin D. said. "It would be good if we could measure even at a distance of about 10 meters, wouldn''t it?" "That''s right, but ......" "I''ll make it perform like that," said Jin D., "I''ll make it perform like that somehow. Jin D. was very enthusiastic. < like any other person, it would be easy to measure the brain waves. If the brain waves are measured and the person is identified as an addict, he will be a protected person and the culprit will be subject to arrest. It was concluded that there would be no problem in this process without a search warrant. For better or worse, such restrictions are looser than those in modern Japan. * * * * * * * * Now that the method has been roughly decided, it is necessary to decide on the overall strategy. "Shall we go with a two-sided strategy here?" Makina suggested. "Yes, I think so. < farm and the other to search for the cathedral. Tomax Bartmann agreed. Then I will go to the farm. Jin D. runs for the position of the discoverer. "I can talk to the king of the Kingdom of Selroa and ask him to come with us. < can make the 400 km round trip between Kupu and the capital, Esia, in two hours. "Yes, then I''ll leave that to you, Master Jin. "Yes, sir. Thus, Jin D. takes charge of the <> farm. He will be accompanied by Illumina Ratkin from the <> side. The reason is that the risk is relatively low. And ....... "Can you take Hahn with you?" Chelle says, "It would be better for the cause to have someone from the <> of the property. So Jin D., Reiko, Ilmina Ratkin, and Hahn are in charge of the < farm. And to the . Deus ex Machina III, Squire Rey. < are the captain of the land forces, Reveraldo Dartez, and Mei Shai Joey, deputy director of the Medical Research Institute. And of course, Chelle. The day was just for preparation, and it was decided that the operation would take place on the following day, the 22nd, at 7:00 a.m. local time. 3005 - - 79-32 EEG testing machine Since there was still some time before the mission was to be launched, everyone was to make their own preparations. Jin D. decides to build a brainwave scanner as he had declared. <, but in his own ship . He said that he can make a small one, since he has a lot of materials and equipment here. In reality, Jin in Horai Island makes them and sends them to through the warp gate. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Hmmm... ...... brain scanning and brain wave measurement... ......" "Brother Jin, can you help me?" Oh, Elsa. Good place. Hmm, the old man told me. I see. Thank you, my old man. < Elsa is the world''s greatest healer. If you want to make a magical tool to measure brain response, you can''t find a better assistant than her. "Well, one measures the activity of the . The other measures the spectrum of brain waves." "N...... got it. < "I guess so. ...... I could imagine that part of it." "How accurate can you get with a non-contact device?" "Yes. That''s going to be difficult. As he discussed the idea with Elsa, Jin''s ideas were being developed one after another. "Chel told me the basic structure. I''d like to use that as a basis. "I see. ......" Erza tilted her head and thought for a moment. Jin also thinks about it in his own way. After a minute or so, Elsa opened her mouth. "Non-contact is technically possible. But it is difficult to miniaturize it. "...... seems to be the case." The technology to construct a magic circle at an arbitrary location and manifest magic has been completed to a certain extent. However, it is difficult to miniaturize it because of the complex scanning and coordinate fixation required. "It would be much better if we could limit the effective distance to 10 meters." "Oh, sure." Jin estimated that if the effective distance was 100 meters, a desk-sized device would not be sufficient, but a 10-meter device would be about the size of a briefcase. "Or even smaller at 5 meters." It was thought that it could probably be made smaller inversely proportional to the square or cube of the distance. "In terms of practical distance, ......5 meters might be enough." The advantages of miniaturization are rather large, Elsa said. "Good. Let''s make one with an effective range of 10 meters first, and then one with an effective range of 5 meters. "That might be a good idea. This method, however, can only be used with Jin''s production speed. I''ve got it. "Okay, it''s done. In about 30 minutes, Jin has built an object with an effective distance of 10 meters. It was still large, about the size of a from the old days. The monitor displays the subject''s brain waves. "That''s my brother Jin! I tried to make it as small as possible. It''s portable, so it''s practical. "Even if we improve on this and make it smaller, it may not be half the size for ......10 meters." A laptop computer would be like a notebook, Jin said. "Still, it''s amazing." "Well, I''ll try to make one with an effective range of five meters first." So, the next thing Jin made was a rather large magic tool about the size of a tablet. "This is the five-meter class. "Hmm, it''s practical enough." At this point, the old man expressed his opinion. "I see. It is great to be able to measure even those who are outside the effective range of 5 meters. "Okay, let''s make one with an effective distance of 5 meters, plus extra for the number of people." Once made, the procedure is manual, so the time required to build the machine is much shorter. With the help of the <>, 12 <> with an effective range of 5 meters each were completed. One was sent to Horai Island, one to as a spare, and 10 were sent to . And we will deliver 10 units to . * * * * Jin D came out of the , and with a look that said, "I have made it inside", he took 10 units of 5 meter class and 1 unit of 10 meter class. He delivered 10 units of 5-meter class and 1 unit of 10-meter class. "Oh, wow!¡¡That''s just like Jin-dono." Tomax Bartmann was again astonished at the ability to create such a machine after only about an hour and a half of work. "Where is Chel?" "She is touring the inside of <> with Mister Hearn. Jin was relieved to hear that Makina III and Rey were also accompanying them. "So, how are we going to use it? ......" At first, he explained to Tomax Bartmann how to use the device. It is easy to use. After the device is activated and the OK message appears on the screen, point the sensor part toward the subject and press the <> switch. Then the subject''s head appears on the screen and the measurement begins. The test is completed in about five seconds. The short time required to complete the test is another of Jin''s innovations. You are sure there is no harm to the human body? Of course. Then, I would like to try it. I''d like to try it out. ...... Fierce, are you ready?" Tomax Bartmann called Fiona Fias, secretary to the chief administrator. "Yes, sir." "You''ve heard about me, haven''t you?¡¡Can I take your brain waves?" "There is no danger at all. It''s just a measuring machine. Jin D. added, "It is a non-contact brain wave measurement, we are not working on anything. "Yes, if that''s what you mean. With her permission, Tomax Baartman turned on the Brain Detector for Fiona Fierce. "How do you feel? "I don''t feel anything." Five seconds later, an EEG image appeared on the monitor screen. "This is a little different from the EEG images used in medicine. Jin explained how to see the image. The horizontal axis is not time but frequency. "Oh, I see." "Think of the vertical axis as level ...... strength." "Mm-hmm." It updates every five seconds. I see. So, Mr. Fifi''s brainwaves are average. "Um, Mr. Fifi, please don''t do that. ......" After such an exchange, Jin D. instructed the office staff how to use the Brain Detector with the help of the other staff members. 3006 - - 79-33 The night before the investigation < They were accompanied by Deus ex Machina III and Rey. "Oh, Mr. Chell, Mr. Hearn, did you have a good time? "Yes, it was a good time. It seems to me that you now understand that here in Avalon we are at the cutting edge of the world. "I am glad to hear that." Chelle then found the Brain Detector on the table, "Well, have you finished it yet?¡¡And 10 ......11 machines!" "Yes, one of them has an effective range of 10 meters, and 10 smaller ones have an effective range of 5 meters. "Oh, I see!¡¡You gave priority to miniaturization, didn''t you? That''s what I''d expect from a Magecraft Meister. "Thank you." Jin D asked Chel if everything was ready, "There is one more thing I would like to ask you if you could do it." "What''s that?¡¡"Anything I can do to help." Chell''s face lights up when she hears this. "Oh, right!¡¡I would like to ask you to unlock my at ......." "Limiter?" "Yes. Right now I am only 1.5 times more physically fit than the average human woman. If you remove the limiter, I will be able to perform 20 times better than I can now. "Oh?" "Although the burden on the body will be greater..." "I see. ......, but if I stop and restart it for repair, it will register my magic pattern." In that case, Jin D...... is automatically treated as the master or supreme master (ArcMaster). "No, it can be deactivated without stopping." Is that so? Yes. Since Chelle said she could do it, Jin D. decides to deactivate the limiter. The location is inside the . Makina III and Squire Rey are also present. "I ask you again, what are the conditions for lifting the limiter? "Yes. After entering the password , enter again. After that I have to declare and it will be released." "Is that correct?" "Yes. Yes, you can release it by voice only. However, the password cannot be entered by you or Hahn. Why is that? To prevent you from unlocking the limiter on your own. No, it''s not that. ...... Oh, it''s invalid unless it''s someone else''s magic pattern. "That''s what I mean." The only exception seems to be the creator. Jin, who had heard about this system through Jin D, was a little impressed. (It is interesting to note that there is a non-hard limiter or double ...... security.) But now it is Chel''s limiter release. At this point Reiko opened her mouth. "...... Chel, how can we be sure that you won''t attack us now that the limiter has been lifted?" "You are right to be skeptical. But we can''t attack the person who recited the password. You may refer to the control core at ...... for that." "Okay. I trust you. Are you sure? Reiko''s in there. Reiko will be able to neutralize even Chell with the limiter off. "Good. ......<>......<>" "<>" Jin D''s password chant is followed by Chell''s declaration of release. "......How''s it going?" "........................ successfully released. Thank you, Jin-sama. Chel thanked Jin D. "Now you can use the device to its full potential. "......That''s good, but you said ......20 times more, will the body hold up?" "It will manage." From what Jin D has seen, the skeleton in particular does not seem strong enough. If the robot was used in a battle at full power, the skeleton would surely be distorted. Perhaps it is not due to the lack of skill of the makers, but to the shortage of materials at the end of the <>. (Well, there will be no chance for Chell to fight directly. ......) (Well, Chell will never have a chance to fight directly. ). * * * * The rest of the day was spent preparing for the mission. "Now you know how to use the Brain Detector, don''t you? "I''m fine." <, the commander of the land forces, Leverardo Dartez, and the deputy director of the medical lab, Mei Shai Joey, had also mastered the use of the Brain Detector. < The team confirms the preparation of these tools, as well as the procedures for the investigation, and works out the details. Since this time the basic strategy is a surprise attack by a small group of elite members, it is relatively easy for us to be fully aware of the situation. Jin D., Reiko, Ilmina Ratkin, and Hahn are in charge of the < farm, but they need someone to secure the perimeter of the farm to prevent the escape of the people involved. "I can arrange that on my end, sir. "Please, Jin-dono." Jin called in the , which he planned to place around the farm. And then the team. "Let''s deploy the golems from to from at the back and emergency exits of the <>." "Oh, that would be very helpful." "Also, just in case, we should carry type magic tools and ." Especially Mei Shai Joey, the deputy chief of the Medical Research Institute, who has no fighting ability, so be careful. Ray, take care of her. "Yes, sir." Makina III asked Squire Rey to take care of Mei Shai Joey, but he still felt a little uneasy. "I would like to attach one of my golems to her as well, my lord Tomax, what do you think?" "I would feel much safer if you did that. "Yes." Thus, Mei Shai Joey was escorted by . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At 6 p.m., Chell was on the roof of the World Guard headquarters. "It''s a beautiful sunset over the ocean, isn''t it ......?" "Yes." "My creator said that he likes to watch the sunrise and sunset from the top of the mountain." I see. But sunsets over the ocean are nice too. Anne was next to him, both of them staring at the sunset over the sea in the far west. "How is Jin-sama doing?" "He went to see His Majesty the King of Celuloa." Ah, you mean to give him prior permission for the mission and to guide his companion? Yes. The night before the mission ended peacefully. 3007 - - 79-34 Operation Begins On February 22, a two-sided operation was launched. At 7 a.m. local time, Jin''s is stopped 100 meters above the . "First, let''s bring down our golem and surround the farm." "Yes." The operation is led by Jin D. Listening to him is Francis Valois de Celuloix, 57 years old, uncle of the King of Celuloix. He is the former Commander of the Kingsguard. He is accompanying the king to see how this operation is going. He is accompanied by one of his attendants. The king, Beaux-Arts Valois de Cerlois, wanted to go with him himself, but he was stopped by others and reluctantly allowed his uncle to go with him as his deputy. In front of the eyes of Francis Valois de Cerlois, 20 ...... from Land 71 to 9 descended by rope in front of Francis Valois de Serlois. If outsiders were not watching, they could have used the <> to jump down, but this time they had no choice. The Land team was able to descend to the ground in no time at an altitude of 100 meters, an altitude that would have made a human cower. "Well done, sir. I am honored by your compliments. I''ll have the farm surrounded. "Mmm." The Fana Farm below us is approximately one hectare in size. The nearly circular field is surrounded by a forest of blindfolds. This makes observation from the ground impossible. Even from the air, it would be difficult to recognize it as a . Furthermore, there were a total of eight golems in the forest, one for each of the east, west, south, north, and west, and one for each of the in-between areas, repelling any intruder. "These golems are supposed to be for fighting. Jin D. explains to Francis. "What do you mean?" "It may be trying to eliminate the intruder by force, rather than by holding him back." That''s bad. It''s evil. - Yes, sir. Then came the signal that all the Land troops were in position. We''re about to begin the operation. "Yes, sir." < She will be escorted by Rand 91. Hahn was also to accompany her and claim ownership of Fana as the occasion demands. The aircraft was to descend in a equipped with a . "If push comes to shove, we''ll be there, right?" "Yes." Jin D. and Francis will stay in the Hurricane for the time being to provide backup. The monitor of the shows the situation on the ground, and there is the image of Illumina Ratkin getting off from the . * * * * * * * * * At the same time, Kup. <> of the is blocked by a black golem. They are the golems of Deus ex Machina III, <>. "I thought there might be a way out of the basement, but there isn''t, is there?" <. "Master Machina, it seems that <> and the others are all in place." "Yes. Shall we go then? "Yes." This is Deus ex Machina III, Squire Rey, World Guard Captain Reveraldo Dartez, Deputy Chief of the Medical Research Laboratory Mei Shai Joey, his escort , and Chell. The six of them head for the . < by . will pilot the ship. Let''s go. Yes, sir. "Yes." After a brief exchange of words, leaves and heads for the ground. He landed in the square in front of the cathedral. leaves on the ground, and Machina III and the others land on the ground. It is morning, but the faithful who have come to pray and the residents who are taking a walk are astonished to see <> and the six who have come down from there. "Inside ......, drug addicts, confirmed." The Brain Detector, with a detection range of 10 meters, was used to investigate the inside of <>. Now we have a good reason to investigate. Leave the outsider alone. Let''s go. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Makina III and his men charged head-on. * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, <>. Illumina Ratkin and her party proceeded along a narrow path that they had previously researched and that they believed was used by the people involved. They arrived at the farm unobstructed. "This is ....... "It''s definitely Fana." Fana spread out all over the farm. Stem erect, about 1 meter high. The leaves are palmately lobed, similar to those of the Japanese maple, but larger. The leaves are collected and processed to obtain a narcotic. This drug is also called . About 0.5 grams of the narcotic < can be extracted from one kilogram of the leaves of the plant. The recommended dosage of the narcotic < is 0.1 grams per adult. "If this much marijuana is grown, how many people can be addicted? A farmer with a golem appeared before an indignant Ilmina Ratkin. "What the hell are you people?¡¡This is a field that belongs to us, the Sori Society. A careless remark. His words confirmed that the Sori Society was the grower of Fana. "I am from the . I''m with the and we''re going to seize the fields where this drug is being grown." "Geez!" The farmer was taken aback when he was suddenly told the identity of the plants and that they would be seized. He turned around and tried to flee. "It''s like admitting wrongdoing, isn''t it? But as he tried to follow, the golem he was carrying stood in front of him. It attacked her. "Kyaaaah!" Irminah, who did not expect to be attacked without question, was caught off-guard. However, her escort, Land 91, was not the least bit caught off guard. He seized the arm of the golem that attacked him, blocking its movement. He pinned it to the ground. At the same time, Hearn chased after the fleeing farmer. Before he could get to the farmer, a battle golem deployed in the woods blocked his way. "Get out of the way!" Hearn tried to brush the golem out of the way ......, but his arm was stopped by the golem. "Hmm?¡¡It''s more powerful than I thought." Hearn had no choice but to stop and face the battle golem. "If you interfere, I''ll show you no mercy. Get out of my way." But the battle golem remained silent and attacked Hearn. ....... 3008 - - 79-35 Operation Execution <, there were a dozen or so believers who had come for the <. "Oh my God! "Whoa, whoa! "What is it?¡¡What''s going on?" Being civilians, they were not used to seeing such military actions, and most of them panicked. To those who did, "<>. All civilians should move to the wall and remain still! This helped to calm them down somewhat. Makina III and the others rush into the back of the building. The destination is the main hall where the worship service is held. <. "Well, well, what in the world is going on here?" A middle-aged man stands in front of the group of Makina III. He was dressed in a white robe and wearing a white monk''s cap. Makina III guessed that this was probably the Imam, and announced in a stern voice: "<>. "This is the <>. We are here to retrieve the narcotic fanatics and the magical tools of suggestion. But the man who seems to be the imam is unmoved. "Well?¡¡Do you have any proof?" The supposed "Master" says confidently, "Yes, I do. But he is caught off guard by Makina III''s words. What?" "The tea served here the other day contained an ingredient of Fana." "What?¡¡That''s nonsense. ......! It''s not horseshit. ...... The other day, <> Arianne treated me and my followers to a cup of tea. We analyzed the tea and found that it contained traces of marijuana. "Nonsense!¡¡I would not have remembered such a thing if it had been implied. Rey is an automaton. What about ......? "She''s an automaton, so she''s not suggestible. It even stores the tea it drinks in its body." "It''s a ......." And then, there''s more. "If you are not guilty (¾Î¾Î), please get out of my way. I''m Mei Shai Joey, deputy director of the Medical Research Institute. You will see the reaction of a drug addict ahead." "Hey, ......!" At this point, Mei Shai Joey confirms that has an EEG scanner with a detection range of 10 meters. To identify an individual, you need to get within 10 meters, but even at three times that distance you can get a vague idea of whether or not the person is an addict. There are three addicts in the back! "Get out of the way!" Makina III pushes aside the speechless and steps into the <>. The remaining five followed. "Kya!" Three women were in the chapel. They are all dressed in priestly white clothes of the same design. One is Arianne. The other two were probably saints as well, Machina III guessed. "These are the three drug addicts." May Shai Joey tells him. "Nah ...... we''re ........." "Well, that''s different. ......" "Um, no. ......." Chelle stepped forward and held out her hand to one of the <>. She was the youngest looking one of the <>. She then exercised <>. "Kya........................ that?" "I''m fine now. I''m cured of my drug addiction." "What?¡¡What? You''re next. "What? Oh, ..................?" Next to her was Chelle, who was giving a "de-dependence" to the "saint" next to her. And finally to Arianne. "Oh ............?" Releasing her hand, Chelle reported to Makina III: "The three addicts have been treated. "Three drug addicts have been treated." "Yes, thank you. ...... May, what about the physical damage to the three? "Yes, please wait. ......<><><><>......It''s all right. It hasn''t affected my health that much yet." "Well, that''s good." Makina III then turned to the three <. "Your has been cured. Will you hand over the <> that is hanging around your necks?" Uh, yes! Yes! The three <......, or rather , removed the necklace from around their necks and handed it to Makina III. "Thank you. Your safety is assured by the . Please stay with us for a while. "Yes, sir." Yes, sir. < And then, "Oh, umm...!" and tried to make some kind of appeal to Machina III. * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, at <>. Jin D. and Francis Valois de Cerlois were watching the proceedings on the monitor of the <>. Rand 91 easily neutralized the golem that tried to attack Illumina Ratkin. But the problem was Hahn versus the battle golem. Hahn was outmatched. The battle golem deployed here has about 10 times the power of a human. Hahn, a general-purpose golem, was five times as powerful. There was a clear difference in power. "They say that Hearn is a general-purpose golem. ...... but is it still no match for a battle golem? "What are we going to do, Master Jin?¡¡What are you going to do, Master Jin? Francis asked Jin D. somewhat impatiently. "He won''t escape. We need to ...... but we need Hahn''s support. ...... Reiko, can you do that?" "...... understand." Reiko nodded, opened the emergency door of the Hurricane, and jumped out. "Jin-dono!" Francis sees this and gets impatient. But Jin D. restrains himself, "It''s all right. Please take a look." "......?" Reiko had been slowed down by the force field generator just before she landed. This made it possible for her to land with almost no impact, but since this was not shown on the monitor, it appeared to Francis that Reiko had dived from an altitude of 100 meters and landed unscathed. In fact, it is possible for Reiko to do so, but in that case, the place where she landed would not be safe. Upon landing, Reiko appeared in front of the fleeing farmer with 20 percent power output. "What the hell? It''s no use running away... You can''t run away from it! You''ll never get away with this! - Don''t interfere! - Catch him! The farmer threatens her with a hoe in his hand, but Reiko snatches it away from him in a flash. "What about ......?" The farmer is stunned as the hoe disappears from his hand. Reiko twists his arm. Illumina Ratkin catches up with him. She is accompanied by Land 91 and Hahn. "This is Sir Leco, thank you for seizing him. We''re going to hand over the suspect. The farmer is handcuffed. At that moment Reiko said. "...... be careful. Perhaps the golems are gathering to take this man back." 3009 - - 79-36 New Deployment "Jin-dono, Jin-dono, are you all right? Francis Valois de Celuloa, uncle of the king of Celuloa, who was watching the outside world on the monitor of the <>, let out an impatient voice. The battle golems that had been deployed around the <> had begun to converge on the survey team led by ...... Illumina Ratkin. It is clear that the purpose is to retrieve the arrested farmer. "It''s okay." Jin D could imagine the specs of the enemy battle golem that had fought Hahn. If it was as good as that one, ...... even if it was twice as good, <> would be able to handle it. However, it was thought that it would be a little tough against an opponent who outnumbered them, while protecting Illumina Latkin. And now, Reiko, who is a force to be reckoned with ...... at least 100 times that number, has just arrived on the scene. * * * * "...... Reiko-dono or ......?" Hearn mentioned Reiko''s name. When she first met Reiko, she was unable to react because of her unfathomable potential. And now, Reiko had unleashed that potential. "That''s amazing. ......" What Hearn senses is the amount of free magical element (ether) that Reiko is ...... converting into energy by her <. You can see that an unbelievable amount of free magical elements (ether) are converted into energy. "Perhaps, even that is not yet at its full power. ......" Reiko had disabled the incoming battle golem with a single blow. So < is devoted to protecting Illumina Latkin. And Hearn had secured the suspect farmer who had been entrusted to him. "Nah, nah, nah ............" The farmer was trembling with fear as he watched the battle golem being knocked down like a wooden doll. He has lost all desire to escape. One minute after the start of the battle, the last battle golem was neutralized. "Thank you very much, Sir Leco. Illumina, are you hurt? Yes, I''m fine. Then please hurry and secure the evidence. Yes, I''m fine. In addition to the farmer as a witness, we need to get another sample of the cultivated . The < will be collected wearing a mask and gloves and put away in a sealable bag. And one more thing. The control core of the golem that has been deactivated. If we analyze the commands written in the control core, we can find out many things. Reiko has extracted the from every golem she has defeated. Besides collecting evidence, this means that the Golem can no longer be moved in any way. "Come on, let''s go back." < "Yes." "Yes, miss." And they headed out of the woods where the was waiting. Oh, um... "Oh, sir!" Arianne looked sad and was about to say something, but Machina III urged her on. "What is it?¡¡If you have something to say, let''s hear it. "Well, um, my parents are under house arrest here in the . ......" "...... hostages?" Yes, you could say that. ...... "Are you going that far ............ with your family?" Makina III asked the other two hostages about their families. "Well, I am an orphan, so ......" "I have parents in Aus, ......." "I see." Aus is a town north of Kupu. "First of all, Arianne." Yes, yes! What do you want me to do about your parents? "...... help,please ......" Yes! A call for help would give <> a good reason to move. Let''s go protect Arianne''s parents. "Oh, um, how did you know my name ......?" "Hmm?¡¡Oh, I''m . You see Rae over here too, right? "What?¡¡What? Arianne is surprised when she finally realizes that Machina III and the others are and . "So you finally figured it out." "Well then, you two can go to ......." We''ll talk later. ...... May,<>, take care of the girls. Me and Ray will look for Ariane''s parents. Uh, they''re probably on the third or fourth floor. ...... Okay. The basement. Yeah. ......? It''s common practice not to give out the exact location of your captors. As a matter of fact, within a dozen seconds of this exchange, the old man had checked each floor of the cathedral with his "peepers" and found that there was no one on the upper floors and that two men and a woman were in the basement. But more problematic is ....... "Chelle, can you join us?¡¡It looks like there are several drug addicts in the basement." Three women were locked up in another room. "Yes, master Machina." It''s Reverend Dartez. You are in charge here. < Yes! And so, the party of Machina III split into two groups and headed for their respective targets. * * * * * * * * * * * * * In Horai Island, Jin and the old man were discussing. "Old man, is it true that you are a hostage?" "I see. ......The three people in the basement are ......<>?" <<<< ex>>Saints. Apparently, the addiction is quite advanced, so>> "...... disposable saints or ...... helpless people." <<> "I think it''s a good idea." But in what capacity, that was the question. < In that case, we are still wondering how to explain the <''s affiliation, or rather its identity,....... It seems that there will be a little more time before Kupu will be able to contact Aus. "If not <>, then what is the next move?" <> to protect the subject>>. "Oh, that sounds good." As of now, the <> is almost done. Jin D. thinks it would be a good idea for Jin D. to go to Oath after receiving a call from Makina III. 3010 - - 79-37 Protection "What, in Aus?" When the matter of <> was almost settled, <> received a call from Makina III. "Yes. The situation is ............." "...... I see, you want me to protect the parents of one of the <>?" Yes. "And what are their names, addresses, and what do they look like?" "I got that from the transinfo. I''ll send you the information. "Please." After this exchange, Jin D explained to Francis Valois de Cerlois, the uncle of the King of Cerlois, who was also on board. "I see, taking hostages and making them do what you say. Classic but effective. And it''s clever to let them live in the countryside instead of locking them up. But the parents of the other former saint, Arianne, are under house arrest in the cathedral. "Then perhaps they are not all in one piece." "Maybe they are." Francis said that the lack of uniformity in their methods might be due to the fact that they are divided into factions and have multiple chains of command, and Jin D. agreed. Francis said, and Jin D. agreed with him. In the meantime, they saw Ilmina Ratkin, <>, Hahn, and Reiko returning. Jin D. instructs Hope, the pilot, to land the <>. At the same time, the <> is recovered. Reiko is carrying two neutralized battle golems as samples, and Hahn is accompanied by an arrested farmer. Later, <> from <> also returned. "The operation was a success. Thank you." Jin D said this line as the commander of the mission. Then he said, "I just heard from Makina. Everything seems to be going well over there. However, there is one matter of concern, and he has asked us to take care of it. He explains that he wants to protect the parents of a former saint in Aus. I understand. If that is what Makina-sama has instructed you to do, then so be it. Illumina responded as an organizer, "Why should I say no to saving lives? She also expressed her own feelings. * * * * < hurried to Aus. The distance is about 10 kilometers, and it will be there soon. On the way, he explains to everyone about the person he is protecting. "<> We are here to protect Auralia''s parents, Dahad and Umari. The address is 4 Central Street West, and they look like this. "Oh." A middle-aged man and woman appeared on the monitor screen. There was no mistaking them, since they were the ones that the old man had searched for with his "peepers" based on the information from Makina III. Illumina Ratkin and have descended from the that landed on the outskirts of Oath, and have set out for the town to protect the parents of < Auralia. The address was clear, and < knew the way to the house, so the house was easily found. It was a room in a communal house in a residential area. When Illumina knocked on the door, the response was immediate. "Yes, who is it?" A woman appeared, just as she had appeared in the video. "Are you Ms. Yumari? Yes, I am. Is Mr. Dahad home? "What?¡¡Yes, my husband is at home. Good. What? Here Yilmina Ratkin showed her ID. "My name is Ilmina Ratkin of the <>. My name is Ilmina Ratkin and I''m here with your husband about your daughter. Yes, please ...... wait a moment. Umari withdrew and was replaced by Dahad. "Well, my wife told me that you want me to accompany you about our daughter.¡¡What do you mean?" "Well, I don''t have much time, so I''ll try to be brief. I''ll explain it to you briefly. ...... Did you know that your daughter is known as ? Yes, well... "So, that ......." Deciding that an honest and truthful statement would only complicate things, Ilmina Ratkin said, "The position of a saint is a difficult one, and your family could be in danger, which is why we''re here. I gave him a simple explanation, which he seemed to accept. "Oh, I see. How many days ...... do you need?" "We will provide you with everything you need, just take your valuables with you." "Okay." Dahad withdrew, satisfied. Illumina lets out a small sigh of relief. After about five minutes, Lahad and Umari came out of the room after changing their clothes. "Sorry to keep you waiting. "No, no problem. ...... Oh, this is the golem escorting us." Before she could surprise them, Illumina explained about . "Oh, I see. ......" Still surprised, his wife, Yumari, looked scared and kept her distance from him. "It''s okay. Irmina called out, leading the way at a brisk pace. They were blocked by a group of people dressed in white and wearing masks. Two masked men dressed in white. "Mr. Dahad, Mr. Yumari, would you like to come with us? "What is it, who are you?" Ilmina Ratkin stepped forward and stood in front of the men. "What? Who are you? "I''m not interrupting, am I?" I am Illumina Ratkin, second-in-command of the Avalon High Command. Step aside, please. <. "What the ...... are you already here? What are you going to do? "Never mind, we''ll just use force ......." One of them took out a wand and was about to fire some magic, but before he could do so, he fired a paralyzer gun with built in. "Whoa! Aah!" The two men pass out. "......" Dahad and Yumari are stunned, unable to keep up with the situation, when Ilmina Latkin gently calls out to them. "Come on, let''s get out of here before more of these people show up. "Yes, yes." The two fainted men are easily tied up, and <> carries them on his shoulders and takes them away. "Oh, you''re back! "Oh, he''s back." In front of the landing <>, Jin D., Reiko, and <> to <> were out to greet the returning Illumina Ratkin and the others. and others. "You must be Mr. Dahad and Ms. Umari. Yes, yes. Please come in first. Yes, yes! The two are intimidated as they are invited into the airship, which they have never seen before. You are safe inside. ......<>, launch!" Jin D. commands the <> to lift off. It continues to ascend to an altitude of 500 meters. At this point, most threats can be ignored. Once again, Jin D explains the situation to Dahad and Umari. 3011 - - 79-38 Underground While Jin D and his group were rushing to the town of Aus to protect the parents of the former Auraria, the former Auraria''s parents were being rescued by Makina III and his valet Rey. <, Machina III and Squire Rey are also working to rescue the parents of the former Arianne. The passage to the basement is at ...... There it is. Okay, Ray, go. Yes, sir. Squire Rey jumped and kicked the altar of the chapel from the side. "Oh, no! ......" The three, who were called <, looked at the outrageous act for a moment ......, but the altar was slightly damaged by the kick and shifted to the side, leaving a square hole in the ground where it had been. This is the passage to the basement, isn''t it? "Yes." Makina III looked back at Ariane and the others and said, "I''m going. "I''m going. Chelle, let''s go! Makina III and Rey jumped into the hole. Chelle followed a little later. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The hole was not a vertical hole, but slanted like a slide. < The bottom was a small, wide hall about 10 meters square. It was not completely dark, as there were several magic lamps lit. However, it was so dark that an ordinary person could hardly see anything. So Makina III put on special goggles. These are the so-called . Makina III could see in the dark without such equipment, but he was disguising himself in front of Chelle. "The slope was about 45 degrees, so we are about 14 meters underground." Makina III does some quick calculations. "Well, from what I can see, it looks like a dead end. ......" "Master Machina, there is a staircase over there." "Oh, you found it well." When the three of them went there, they found an opening in the corner of the hall that was barely wide enough for one person to pass through, and a stairway to the basement peeked out from behind it. There, too, a dim magic lamp was lit. "Okay, let''s go down there." "Yes." "......Machina-sama has a good mind, doesn''t she?" Chelle said half in admiration, half in dismay. "I believe in you, Ray." * * * Ray, Makina III, and Chell descend the dimly-lit staircase in that order, and find a door. The door was unlocked, so Ray opened it and found a small room with iron bars at the back. Here, too, there was only one dimly lit magic lamp, but it was bright enough for Makina III and Ray''s eyes. They could see two figures, a man and a woman, lying behind the bars. "Hello?" When they called out, the two lying there twitched and looked up. "Are you Arianne''s parents?" "...... are, yes. ......" The woman answered weakly. "We are here to help you." "Oh, thank you. ......" The bars were fitted into the floor and ceiling and were sturdy. But to Ray, they''re like clay. Ray, break it down. "Yes, sir." Ray pulls out the sword at his waist. "Stay back, it''s dangerous." After making Arianne''s parents stand back, Ray cleaves the sword twice to the side. With that, five bars, each about three centimeters in diameter, were cut off and scattered on the floor with a loud clatter. "That''s a very sharp cut," said Chelle admiringly. Chelle is impressed. "...... I see, so it is vibrating at ultra-high frequencies." And he had even discovered the principle of the . Once again, Makina III was amazed at his abilities. "......Oh, thank you!" Ariane''s parents stood up, staggered, and took Makina III''s and Rey''s hands in thanks. But Machina III says, "I''m sorry, "I''m sorry, but you''ll have to wait here a little longer. I think there are still three more people trapped on this floor. "I understand. ...... They nodded weakly and Machina III pulled two bottles of Persica juice from his pocket. "Here, drink this. I think you''ll feel a little better." "Thank you. ......" "Oh, thank you very much. ......" The two thanked him and took it. "Well, now we have three more people to rescue." Yes, sir. "Makina-sama. This way, sir. Thank you. It seemed that the three of them were heavily addicted to drugs, and Chelle could sense their brainwaves. Two doors later, she found three beds behind bars with three women lying on them, all in their late twenties. All of them were in their late twenties, with blonde hair, though it was dangling. "I can''t be sure because their eyes are closed, but they probably have blue eyes. "Lady Machina, what is the reason for that?" "Even Chel couldn''t figure it out. It''s just a ...... look." "It''s just a ...... look." "Yes. has blonde hair and blue eyes. "I see. ......You were aiming for that kind of psychological effect." That''s what I''m talking about. While Makina III and Chelle were having this conversation, Ray cut through the bars and freed the three ......, but all three were too weak to move on their own. "This is not good. "This is not good ......." Makina III thinks that if he lingers, the guards will come. So far, the series of disturbances in the have probably focused their attention on it, but it''s about time they noticed the anomalies in the basement. It is indeed a bit heavy to retreat while protecting the five people who were locked up. It is not a matter of combat power, but simply a matter of numbers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * However, the old lord and the leader were aware of the deus ex machina III''s predicament, which could not be called a predicament. So, with the permission of Jin, they decided to send five <> into the basement of the >. Using a transporter, of course. Nominally, they are reinforcements from the Magecraft Meister. < And the five of them join up with Machina III: ....... * * * * "Makina-sama, someone is coming. ...... That''s one of Master Jin''s men, isn''t it?" "It seems that Jin has already taken care of this. It seems that Jin has taken care of it in advance. Now we can return to the ground in no time. True to his word, we encountered the security golem twice, but we were able to fight it off without any problems at all. They were able to find a passage to the surface without any difficulty, and Machina III, Squire Rey, and Chelle, with the help of five <>, rescued the five people imprisoned in the basement. 3012 - - 79-39 End of Life The hostage problem of the abandoned and has been solved. The only one left is the imam. "What happened to the guy we just saw?" Machina III asked Reverend Darthez, commander of the land forces. "Yes. We captured him, but he seems to be a low-ranking officer. He answered a few questions, but it seems that there are still two more <> out there." "I guess so." Makina III thinks that this agrees with his prior information. But... "One of the <> seems to be hiding at the top of the cathedral. And the other one is not here." He''s not here? "Yes. Yes. They are usually somewhere else. That one seems to be the leader. < The High Priest, or ...... There are power-hungry people everywhere, Makina III thought. * * * * At the same time, Jin D''s was landing on the outskirts of Kupu. Makina III''s landed next to it. The mission is now in its final stages. In the cabin of the were Jin D., Reiko, and Francis Valois de Cerlois. On the Machina III''s side, Mei Shai Joey, the deputy director of the Medical Research Institute, and her escort < are present, and they are giving each other interim reports. So far ....... Three <<> have been released from drug addiction and taken into custody. 3 ex-saints rescued. Untreated. They are resting in their beds. Arianne''s parents were rescued from the basement and taken into custody. *Auraria''s parents are safeguarded in Aust. An Imam is arrested. is under control. A farmer is arrested. *All the golems guarding the farm are neutralized, and 2 samples are secured. We have obtained the samples. The following results have been obtained. Untreated patients are now being treated. And in the <>, the arrest of one of the remaining two <> is about to take place. * * * * * * * * * * * * "...... are all small fry, aren''t they?" The top floor of the <> is the top of the spire at the rear of the building. The group that aims for it is Makina III, Squire Rey, Reverend Darthez, the captain of the land forces, and Chelle. Ray has just defeated a battle golem that attacked them in an attempt to drive them off. The stairs of this spire are spiraling inside the tower. In other words, the stairs are spirally formed on the outer wall of the hollow tower, and the center is hollow. There is no handrail, the width of the staircase is about one meter, and the height of the spire is about 20 meters. A fall would send you headlong to the first floor. "We''re almost there. ...... "You''re in my way." Machina III and his friends are about 20 steps away from the top of the tower. Ray has just finished another golem. "Looks like we''re done here. The previous golem, which had been standing in the middle of the spiral staircase, started to move and attacked. There is no such golem in sight. "There''s one hiding behind that door." Okay. I''ll neutralize it. Do it. Ray put his sword through the door. It felt good. Then he heard something heavy fall through the door, and what sounded like a man''s scream at about the same time. "I did it." When Ray opened the door, he found a fallen golem and a middle-aged man lying under the golem. "You saved us a lot of trouble." The simple end of the game made everyone''s shoulders relax. The second "imam" has also been apprehended, and there is only one person left. But he is not here. So, at the end of the operation in the <>, it was decided to conduct a thorough investigation inside. < to , the 20 bodies brought by Jin D. > to , plus the <>20 brought by Jin D, were added to the team for the investigation. * * * * * * * * * * "There seems to be no more danger. So, the investigation is carried out in the presence of Francis Valois de Selrois, the uncle of the King of Selrois. Of course, the old man has already checked the site with a . Some believers and senior staff members resisted slightly, but they all surrendered when told that the charges of <><><> were clear and that the <> was no longer considered a religious organization, but a criminal organization. They all surrendered. < continued to progress. "There were 27 million dollars in hidden assets, which appeared to be donations that had been accumulated. Three wardrobe boxes full of jewelry. "Two chests of Magi crystals." One after another, the hidden assets are revealed. Almost all of it was donated by believers. If he used almost all of them to line his own pockets, he is guilty of fraud. Furthermore, "We found a lot of swords and spears. "Lots of armor and shields. "A few bows and arrows for several people. In light of the laws of the Kingdom of Selroa and international laws, the <> has been completely branded as a criminal organization. * * * * * * * * * "<> will not interfere in the internal affairs any more. From now on, we will work for the relief of the residents. At the end of the day, Deus ex Machina III proclaimed in the <> that had landed on the outskirts of Kupu. "I understand. The rest will be left to the judicial branch of the Kingdom of Celuloa. And now I thank you. I thank you for exposing the darkness of the Soci¨¦t¨¦ des S¨¦curit¨¦s. The mission was over when the king''s uncle, Francis Valois de Cerlois, thanked Makina III, Jin D, Ilmina Ratkin, Reveraldo Dartez, Mei Shai Joey, Reiko, Rei, Hahn, Chel, and others. The only thing that remains is the arrest of the self-proclaimed , which <> will continue to be in charge of. Since there is a possibility that he may have fled to a neighboring country, we decided that it would be better for an international organization, <>, to take charge of this task. The remaining task is to lift the drug addiction of the followers of <>, which will be done the next day with the help of Chel. Also, the <> will be remodeled into a place for the salvation of its inhabitants. This will also be done under the leadership of <>. The Kingdom of Selroa will bear the costs and supplies. This is how it came to be. * * * * "I see things have finally calmed down." Jin D, now piloted by Jin himself, gets into the that has landed. It still hasn''t taken off. He intends to help her get clean the next day. Francis Valois de Serlois is not here, having been sent to the capital by . "Thank you, Mr. Jin. Then Chelle came in. "Oh, thank you, Chelle, for your hard work too. "No, I''m an automaton, I''m not tired. "I know that, but it''s just a common expression. "I understand." The night sky over Kupu was clear and full of twinkling stars. 3013 - - 79-40 End of the Rebellion The next day, February 23rd, 8:00 a.m. Horai Island time. Anne, who was acting alone, contacted Horai Island by <>. It is Jin. Anne, what''s wrong?" < "Oh, you did it. Well done. Now where was he? < Anne reports that the Grand Master first tried to use the magic circle to transfer to the island base, but since the magic circle had been deactivated, he was unable to do so, so he gave up and left. "I should have set a trap." < "Yeah." < "Oh, you found it well. That''s what I''m talking about." >. There were no vehicle tracks around, only footprints. <>, and soon found them. "So it was. But how did you know it was the Grand Master? "......I see." Jin smiled bitterly, "I guess he never dreamed that he would be wanted. < "Yes, it must still be night there." < "Then ......" Jin thinks for a moment and comes to a conclusion. "Maybe I should tell Makina and send her to arrest him." Let''s let Deus ex Machina III, the honorary advisor of <>, do it here. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The time difference is less than 4 hours and 20 minutes. So, it is still 3:50 a.m. in . The people are still sleeping. In the darkness, Deus ex Machina III and Jin''s golem <> surround the inn where the self-proclaimed <> is staying. They wait for dawn to break. They do not want to cause trouble to the residents in their haste now that they will surely be captured. As Makina III waited for dawn, Anne came to him. "Thank you for your help. "Oh, Anne. You did a good job, didn''t you? No, I was just lucky. No, I was just lucky. I guess this is the end of the debacle." <. After two hours of waiting, dawn broke and the early risers began their activities. At 6:00 a.m. local time, Makina III stepped into the inn. The innkeepers had been informed in advance. "The self-proclaimed . The < has been declared a criminal organization and you are on the international wanted list. Let''s have you come with us." "What ......?" Still asleep, the self-proclaimed "Grand Master" was helplessly captured by Makina III and Rey. * * * * <> was confiscated by the Kingdom of Selroa and is now a place for the treatment of drug-addicted ex-believers. The < took the initiative to persuade the believers and gathered them here. Chelle has been treating them one by one. The total number was 1541. There is a line in front of the since the morning. < and treated them, and then replaced them again, 16 times. Each treatment took 20 minutes, so it was late in the evening when it was over. Chelle was not tired, but the three < were exhausted. ....... "Are you all right?" <, asked the . "No, I''m fine. ......" "I''m just tired. ......" "It''s just to atone for all the sins we''ve committed. ...... Jin D. handed out Persica juice to them. Although they had been deceived, they will be charged with various crimes including fraud. Now, this kind of activity was necessary in order to make the former believers feel a little less guilty by having them serve the church. The three drink the Persica juice that Jin D. gave them. "Oh, thank you very much. ......" "Mmm, it''s delicious. I feel a little more energetic now! "Please, Ms. Mei, have some." "Oh, thank you. ......It''s really, really good. It''s very cold. ...... And you, Mr. Reverend? "No, I was just escorting him.¡¡Then I''ll have some ...... delicious! Are you sure you want this precious food? "No, thank you." And to the former believers who came out after the treatment, the Land Unit ...... was very intimidating, so 20 golem maids hastily called in from Hourai Island are distributing Persica juice. Each of them drank 200 milliliters, enough for 1541 people. That''s a little less than 310 liters in total, not even enough to fill two drums. In any case, the overripe Persica is processed into juice, jam, canned, bottled, etc. on Horai Island, and the number of them is increasing. * * * * "Gentlemen, thank you for your hard work today. In the evening of the same day, all the people concerned were assembled in the dining room of the cathedral, and Francis Valois de Cerlois, uncle of the king of the Kingdom of Cerlois, gave them words of thanks. This evening, the Kingdom of Celuloa hosted a simple party for the guests. Francis had flown back to Koup for the occasion. He brought his luggage and a few of his men. The party was prepared by his men. Present were Francis Valois de Cerroa, Jin D, Reiko, Anne, Deus ex Machina III, Ray, Chelle, Hahn, Ilmina Latkin, Reverend Darthez, and Mei Shai Joey. And three < were at the end of the group. Unlike the <, the <> were only half deceived and half threatened to manipulate their followers with drugs and suggestion, so although they must be charged with a crime, it was treated as a probationary one. Therefore, they will be kept in <>. If he contributes to society during the probationary period, he will be exonerated. The <> will undergo a major renovation and will be transformed into a multi-purpose facility that can be used for medical care, lodging, rest, and events. "Thank you, Jin-dono and Makina-dono, for all your help this time. On behalf of His Majesty, I thank you. No, it''s my duty. Isn''t that right, Jin? "This time my brother Makina asked me to do it for him and for the people. Jin answered as a matter of course. "Still, thank you for your help. I would like to thank you, Illumina, May, and Reverend Reverend, for all of your help. Thank you, sir. It''s my job. Thank you very much. The party goes on peacefully. Chelle, not eating or drinking, quietly leaves the place. Anne followed a little later. "Chelle-san." "...... Ann, is something wrong?" "No, I saw Chelle leave. ...... You''re very fond of her, aren''t you? So, what are you doing? I went out to watch the sunset. It''s just about to set. Yes. Do you know ......?¡¡Sunsets are beautiful when the sun sets and the clouds are burned. "That''s right. From the sky, the sun hasn''t set yet. Did you know that? Yes, I did. ...... I am sure that the sunsets are also beautiful from up in the mountains." Now Chelle and Anne were looking at the red sky and the sea, and the sun was about to set beyond the sea. "The creator said that you like to climb mountains. He said it was a pity that he could no longer do so because of the war. Is that so? I''d like to see a sunset on a mountain somewhere someday. "If the Goshujin-sama will allow it, I will go out with you." "I don''t need you to keep me company. ...... No, thank you, Ann-san." The sun has set over the sea, and the sky is filled with clouds. Chelle and Anne stood there until dusk passed and the stars colored the night sky. 3014 - - 79-41 Quiet talk 132 I found out that there were some engineers like that. Summer, year 3154. "Ah, this is a nice view. Arnold said to himself at the summit of Mount Onouni, a solitary peak. The 360-degree view from the summit of this solitary peak. The sky was clear and the wind was light. The temperature was just right for wearing long sleeves. Pretty alpine plants were blooming under our feet, and Capri (goats) were grazing on the remaining snow along the stream to rehydrate. "...... won''t be able to come here for a while." <>...... late in the year, was raging. As a magical engineer, his surroundings were also becoming tense, and it looked as if he would not be able to enjoy his hobby of mountain climbing for a while. "Well, let''s make camp anyway," he said. We pitch our tent on a flat area a short distance down from the summit. There is a spring five minutes down, and the wind from the north is sheltered, making it a good place to pitch our tent. Ever since he was fascinated by mountains when he was a student, he has been climbing mountains here and there on holidays. He is an indoor person in all other hobbies, but for some reason he was fascinated by mountain climbing. After finishing dinner in the light of day and making his bed, he would have tea while looking at the sky at dusk. This was the best way to refresh his tired spirit, and Arnold was visiting Mount Onouni by himself at the beginning of summer. It''s a beautiful sunset. It''s a beautiful sunset. ...... even though there is a war going on in the north." Nature''s workings repeat themselves day after day, oblivious to the thoughts and feelings of the smallest human being. As the sun sets, the dusk clouds that have colored the sky lose their color and give up their place to the stars. The stars are best seen at this time of day, when the moon has not yet risen. When the moon rises and hangs high in the mid-sky, the stars are obscured by the moonlight. Arnold looked up at the night sky to enjoy the stars before that happens. "It''s not a bad thing that I was transferred to the south," he said. In the northern part of the Kingdom of Dinar, there is a long mountain range called the Kr¨¹ger Mountains, and it was his dream to someday traverse the entire mountain range. He used to fantasize about doing so with a golem of his own making ...... in place of a porter. But now, the <> had become a natural barrier against the demons, and it was no longer an area where one could climb mountains. "Maybe someday when there is peace..." Arnold sighs a sigh as he drinks his cold tea and slips into his tent. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "<>? Is the situation that bad? The order came to the military workshop where Arnold worked. "No, it''s not that bad. But we should at least make preparations for such facilities while there is still time to spare. It takes time to build facilities. That''s true, isn''t it? "Isn''t that right?¡¡It''s all right if you don''t have to use ....... We can use it for something else at the time. I understand. "Okay, now that you are satisfied, let''s get to work. First, we''ll divide you into three teams. Let''s divide them into three teams. - What''s the breakdown, Mr. Workshop Chief? One team will build an evacuation facility on an island in the southern ocean. One team will build a facility in the basement of Fort Lutgla. And the last team is to build a facility further underground from the basement of the fort." "More underground facilities?¡¡What is the purpose of this? "I don''t know the details. The army gives orders without explaining in detail. In this way, Arnold, a magical engineer, was put in charge of the underground facilities. * * * * From time to time, meetings are held with the rest of the team. Even though it is an urgent project, it is essential to have at least a minimum exchange of information. (...... magic brain and battle golem, you say?¡¡(...... Why would you set up such a sequence?¡¡I don''t understand ......) Perhaps the people in charge of the <<1st basement>> are in such a hurry to complete the work that it seems to Arnold that they are ignoring the fatal flaws in the work. £¨Fortunately, our <<> facility is smaller. (Fortunately, our facility in is smaller, which gives us some leeway. Let''s use it to perfect our magical brains.) Under Arnold''s direction, the brains and golems in the <> were made of high quality. And then. "Automata and magic brains or ......" We were working on this project in parallel, but we could not decide on the specifications until the very last minute. "I still think it should be paired with ...... the magic brain. ......" An automata that can be a restraining force when the magic brain is about to go out of control. Of course, the opposite is also true. But this proposal was rejected by his boss and not understood by his colleagues. "It can''t be helped. Let''s go the other way and make it completely independent. This policy was finally approved. So Arnold first completed 90% of his magical brain, and then began work on an independent automata. The appearance of the automata is gray hair. It was not because of a lack of dyes for artificial hair. He did not like the concept of automata that were popular at the time, and tried to differentiate them. £¨An automaton that does not flatter people, does not get along with its friends, but is able to harmonize with them. Arnold wanted to be called the best automaton in the world, but at the same time he was aware that this was a presumption. Although his skills were high, they were not the best in the world. He knew that the materials he used were second-rate and that he could never call himself . Nevertheless, Arnold put all his energy into the automaton that would probably be the end of his work. "I name you ." "Yes, I am ." As with the series of blue-haired automata, I followed the custom of giving them short names and named them <>. Although it is a one-syllable name, he may have been a little proud of his five-letter name: ....... And then, in a very real sense, his job, the administrative magic brain. Arnold entrusted his to it. A small wish that he could not fulfill. ....... * * * * The first thing completed was Arnold and his team''s <<>. Therefore, those who were available were sent to help with the . Arnold was no exception. Arnold wanted to make our magic brain a little more decent, but he could not do so under the watchful eye of his superiors. He was barely able to link the <> to be activated only if the <> was neutralized. * * * * * And <> was nearing completion. However, the construction of what is now called the <> has been delayed considerably due to the materials required. In particular, the magical brain for management has not been completed at all. Engineers who can build a magic brain are very precious. < were asked to help out at the , and some of them moved their work to that base. However, Arnold refused to move to the island base because it was not yet completed. He wanted to improve the degree of perfection of the automata he had worked so hard on. That is, the cultivation of . Arnold believed that education of the creator himself was indispensable for this purpose, and he put it into practice. "Chelle, I love the sunsets from the top of the mountain. "Yes." "Be in harmony. But don''t get too comfortable with each other. Yes. Value all life. And take care of yourself. Yes. In his spare time, Arnold educates himself on the principles that he could not engrave by default. "If you meet a good engineer in the future, far in the future, ....... I hope you will tell them that there were others like me." "Yes." And he left a <> to Chelle as well. * * * * * * Then one day, the "Aether Stampede" occurred. The remaining engineers in the base, all of whom were mages, were wiped out. Fortunately, <> and <> were completed, and the technicians were quickly buried. And the two facilities remained in the basement of Fort Lutgla, quietly waiting for the time to come when they would be able to fulfill their role. Chelle is no exception. He left behind a maintenance golem that could barely continue to operate even with the lowered concentration of , and went into a long sleep. With the memory of its creator, Arnold, in his heart: ....... 3015 - - 80-01 Souvenirs left behind On February 25, 3902, a special meeting was convened at the royal castle of the Kingdom of Celuloa. In attendance were the royal family: King Beaux-Arts Valois de Selrois, his uncle Francis Valois de Selrois, and his brother Marcel Valois de Selrois. The Prime Minister Dine Seme de Pars, the Minister of Justice Largos Lieperg, the Minister of Magic and Technology Seriin Kokdan Memento, the Minister of Administration Dite Quinier Laroua, the Director of Intelligence Alon Faal Zeta, and the Commander of the Kingsguard Tenin. And Tenin Khanewan, Commander of the Kingsguard. This is a secret meeting of those whom the king has determined to be absolutely trustworthy. "Now, we have gathered here to discuss, to put it bluntly, how to deal with the crisis in our country. No one interrupted to ask what he meant. They have already read the report of the king''s uncle, Francis Valois de Cerlois. One of the reports stated that members of the <> had infiltrated the heart of the kingdom of Celuloa. Of course, this is unofficial information. But it was very reliable. "It is well known that the day before yesterday, the was virtually destroyed by the work of , , and . However, a subordinate or derivative organization of the MagiCraft Meister is the Ekitor. The threat from that group still remains. With a sigh, King Bozar announced. "Fanatics are a nasty bunch, aren''t they? Tenin Khanewan, the leader of the Kingsguard, folded his arms and frowned. "Your Majesty, do you know their names?" the Prime Minister asks. But the king shook his head. I don''t know. There are those who have some idea who they are, though..." "Well, ...... it would be bad if they were falsely accused. Then, is there anything we can do to expose them? That''s one of the purposes of this meeting. "Hmm. ......" Everyone is speechless with thought. The matter is that serious and difficult to solve. "Maybe we can talk to <> and they can give us some solutions, but for now we want to do something on our own." King Bozar says seriously. "I don''t want our country to be a country that, when faced with a problem, immediately turns to others. "Your Majesty..." I understand your feelings very well. And the meeting continues: ....... * * * * In Kupu, the cleanup was reaching its climax. The center of the work is the remodeling of the . Thirty <41 to 70 are working on the project. They are supposed to be the golems of Deus ex Machina III. The work was progressing at a ridiculously fast pace, with 30 . "There are almost no drug addicts here anymore. Mei Shai Joey, deputy director of the Medical Research Institute of <>, said as she checked the list of Kupu residents. "Yes, it''s finally over." < Chell had stayed here in Kupu because she could treat addiction to the drug Fana. There were a few drug addicts not only in Kupu, but also in the surrounding towns. There are also many very mild patients ...... who visited Kupu as tourists and were snorted once, but they are not treated because once is not enough to become addicts. If they are not separated in this way, the work will never be completed. Of course, we are always ready to provide treatment for addicts who are found to be addicts after the completion of the process. Specifically, Jin is developing a magical tool that will be as effective as Chell''s treatment. "Thirty-two people with health problems are staying at their homes for now, but tomorrow this will be almost complete, and we will admit them to the hospital facility." "That''s quite a quick response. < Thank you, Mr. Chell. No problem. It is in our interest as well. What Chelle means by "benefit" is that Jin and Machina III have agreed to reorganize the basement of Fort Lutgla. Especially the improvement of the magic brain called <> in <<1st basement>. (That magic brain was too bad. ......) Therefore, it is safe for Chel to have Jin or Machina III rebuild it. (They also said they would take a look at the <>, and also ......) And there was another problem, what to do with <> (that one is too incomplete). (It is too incomplete there, so it might be better to give the management to <> in some cases. ...... Well, I don''t have the right to make such a decision.) The only person who has the authority to make such a decision is Chel''s colleague, the magic brain, in the current situation. Both Chelle and her magic brain were created by the same engineer ......<>, and they are monitoring each other to prevent each other from going out of control. It is a bit like the relationship between Reiko and the old man. (When this mess is over, I wonder if Jin-sama or Machina-sama will let us visit their base. ......) ) Such are the thoughts of Chelle. * * * * In Horai Island, Jin was worrying about the cleanup. "Oh my god, it would be so much easier if we could just throw it all to <>." "I understand. That''s why I''m helping him in various ways under the name of Machina." < 3016 - - 80-02 Log House What Jin is now concerned about is the underground facility of <>. You could call it a base. Yesterday, when I took Francis, the king''s uncle, to the capital, I received a direct request from King Beaux-Arts of the Kingdom of Celuloa. King Beaux-Arts wants to solve the problem of the <> that has entered the heart of the country as a priority, so he says that he will leave the <> to the <>. Of course, it is not free of charge, but 10 tons of light silver (market value 200,000 tons) and 1 kilo of mithril silver (market value 400,000 tons). The price of light silver has dropped considerably. Jin feels that the price of light silver has come down considerably. This is thanks to Jin''s work on refining magic tools. Ars has a large amount of light silver, or titanium as it is called on earth. However, most of it exists as oxides, making it difficult and expensive to extract as a metal. Thanks to Jin''s magi-machine, the amount of titanium was 200 tons per kilometer in 3460. By the year 3900, the price had dropped to 20 dollars per kilogram. In terms of yen, this is about 200 yen per kilogram, which is equivalent to 250 yen per kilogram for aluminum on earth (2.5 times the price of aluminum in Japan). In the year 021, it was about 290 yen, a little more than the 250 yen per kilogram of aluminum on earth. A word of caution. What especially worries Jin is the <<<1st basement>> base. Specifically, the magical brain <>. It is now shut down, but it was thought that it would run amok again if it were restarted. "I guess I''ll have to back up the memory information and rebuild it. "In that case, <> will be under my command. ...... In that case, it is not clear how the <>''s magical brain will react. "So, we need to talk to the magic brain of <> first?" < "......Okay, we are wasting our time if we think about it any longer. First, let''s talk to the mage-brain in the <>." <<<< alter ego (doppelg?nger)>> right? >> "I guess so. I''d like ...... Chelle or Hahn to come with me." > "Oh, they''re helping with the reconstruction." Jin thought, "In that case, we need to set up a warp gate or a magic circle at Fort Lutgra first. This would make it easier for Chell and Hahn to return to the < without having to take into account the travel time. "Then, let''s set up something like a temporary eating place..." < "Hmmm ......" The quickest way is to land an aircraft like a <> there and use it. But <> is likely to need to be used for transportation. But a spaceship would be a bad idea." < "We should build a temporary building and transport it by <> or something and set it up. < "Okay." Having decided on the first plan, Jin decided to build two buildings, one at the Lutgla fort and one at the cathedral. The size of the buildings is about 6 meters by 4 meters. Inside the two buildings, he has installed a so that the two buildings can come and go between each other. We plan to have <> 98 and 99 as the administrators so that they will not be able to use the house without permission. The house will be made of wood in the style of a log house. Jin''s image of a log house is an old prefabricated house, made of panels and tensioned with steel wires instead of braces, but it seems too strange in this world, so he decided to make it a log house. Two buildings were completed in 30 minutes. <, so they should last about 10 years. The foundations are driven about 1 meter into the ground. "Well then, let''s get this <>...... or <> to carry it." <> <> is a giant wind-powered blower-floater. It is designed to carry <>, a heavy-duty golem, but it also has a cargo compartment and can carry supplies. It is shaped like a drone with four circular wings of 15 meters in diameter and has a maximum takeoff weight of 10 tons. Each of the log cabins built in this project weighs about 3 tons, so two can be transported at once. The log houses are installed by five <>s. Including the two resident <>, seven <> will be going with them. Because of the time difference of minus 4 hours and 20 minutes, <> arrived at ......<> at 3:30 p.m. It was 3:30 pm. There were only a few guards in the vicinity. They were told that Jin D was coming in a <> and that these large planes would be arriving beforehand, so there was no fuss. "Okay, let''s set it up." "Yes." The work is fast because there are 7 <. From foundation to installation, it took only 10 minutes. The soldiers who were watching from afar were taken aback. "Oh, come on, ......, you''re kidding, right?" "You just bring in a hut and put it on ......?¡¡That''s not right." "I was digging holes too, but ...... how could you do it in such a short time?" "That''s what I''d expect from a "No wonder His Majesty trusts you. ......" Jin D then checked and gave the OK, and <> took off for Kupu. Jin also left <>98 and took off in the "Hurricane". Soon the two planes arrived at Kupu. Since we had been informed of their arrival, there was no confusion. The work was finished in 10 minutes, and the <> returned to Horai Island with 5 <> on board. "Well, this is OK." As a test, <> 98 and 99 went back and forth between each other to check the operation. "Well, then, let''s look for Chelle. ...... Oh, there she is." Jin D looked for Chell, but found her soon after as she was talking with two people, Ilmina Ratkin and Mei Shai Joey. It seemed to be a simple meeting, so Jin D waited for them to finish talking. After less than a minute, Chell looked at Jin D. "Jin-sama, Jin-sama," he said. "Jin-sama, may I help you?" "Yes. ...... and where is Hahn?¡¡I need to talk to you both. Wait a minute. ...... Yeah, he''s right over there. The time is just after 4 pm. Hahn was being consulted by the deputy director of the renovation. As a general-purpose golem, Hearn''s knowledge is wide-ranging. It seemed that he was explaining about the architectural style of the <>. Jin D, who was listening at the side, found it quite interesting. After three minutes, the conversation ended and Hahn turned to Jin D. "This is Master Jin," he said. "This is Jin-sama, may I help you? "Yes. I need to talk to Hahn and Chell. Come here." Jin D. took Hahn to the log house. Chelle was already there waiting for him. "Well, let''s go inside. After Jin D, Chell and Hahn entered the log house. 3017 - - 80-03 Questions and Answers It looks like a log house from the outside, but the inside has been modified considerably. "Oh, this is ......." "So there''s a transfer magic circle inside. Where is this connected to? Jin answers Chell''s question. It''s Fort Lutgula. We have temporarily installed the same facilities over there as here, so you can easily come and go. Both of them were pleased to hear this. "That''s wonderful! "That''s just what Jin-sama deserves!" "Yes, well, now that you can come and go easily using this, I need your help with something." What is it? "Actually, ......." Jin D explained about the request from the King of Selroa. < This is a legitimate request from the king of . Chelle concluded. "I see, you mean the redevelopment of the first underground base. "Oh, you mean to call it ?" "Yes. The creators also called it "Underground Base 1". "I see. So, first we need to repair <>. ...... "You are concerned about becoming a subordinate of Jin-sama, aren''t you?" Yes. "Does His Majesty the King know about that?" Yes. I explained it to him briefly when he asked me to do it. Then why don''t you become the master and change the order of precedence? "I guess that''s the only way." Still, since Jin is , he would be treated as > and would have the highest command authority. "Then, why don''t you add some security to prevent Jin-sama from listening to you unless you enter your password?" "Yes, that would be nice." Jin thought that it would be dangerous not to listen to him completely, so he thought it would be a good idea to add security to the extent that it was not a <>. "Yeah, I''m glad I asked. Chel, thank you." "No, you''re welcome." "While we''re at it, what should we do about the equipment and golems other than <>? By "what should we do", I mean, should we keep them as much as possible, or should we rebuild them in his own way? "Well, my creator always said that <> was a failure, so why don''t you do as you please, Jin-sama? "Is that right?" Yes. Yes. His Majesty the King has asked me to do so. I see. Thank you. You''re welcome. ...... may we observe the refurbishment?¡¡We won''t disturb you. "Yes, of course. You can come and take a look when it''s convenient for you. Thank you very much. Thus, Jin now had a clear idea of how to renovate . * * * * Jin himself, who was in Horai Island, started to discuss with the old man based on what he had just discussed with Chel. "So you are saying that <> should be renovated by all those who have control cores including <>, right? "That is true. It will take some time, but technically there is no problem. The immediate problem is <. "I thought Chell had a slightly different kind of security." "What do you mean?¡¡What do you mean? "Ah, so that''s how it works. That''s right. ...... but as far as I know, you can remove the limiter only by your own will." Even that Elena is able to release the limiter by herself in a crisis. "...... Let''s go back to the story. I''m thinking of a hardware security device that I''ll install after I''ve modified <>, an add-on that interferes with my magic patterns, what do you think?" > "Yes. I don''t recognize it, so I don''t recognize it as either." < "I see that too ......, so only the security can be activated afterwards." "Yes, that''s right. ......" A simple switch is out of the question, because anyone can press it. On the other hand, if it requires complicated operation or is placed in a place where it is difficult to operate, it will be inconvenient in case of emergency. "Father, would you like me to take care of it?" At this point, speaks up. Since Reiko herself is attached to Jin D, Jin himself has a mini-Reiko attached to him. "Reiko?" "Yes. If you make sure that I can switch security, it should not be a problem in the first place. I see. It''s unlikely that Jin would visit such a facility alone. He would almost certainly be accompanied by Reiko. So it was an interesting point of view to set up a security system that only Reiko can switch to. "Yes, that''s right. How about expanding it a little more, so that only Golem and automata in Horai Island can switch? There is a very small but non-zero chance that Jin will visit with someone other than Reiko ......<> or <> or Anne for some reason. "That''s all right. The magic pattern is the same as mine, it''s the second stage. The first stage before that is to move very heavily. In short, it is a switch or lever too heavy for a human to move. < It is a switch that has Jin''s magic pattern and can only be moved by a monstrous force. "Ah, there you have it, <>." < "Good." Now that he had the old man''s approval, Jin prepared the materials and finally began to consider reconfiguring the magic brain. 3018 - - 80-04 First underground base, renovation started After finishing the preparations, Jin hands over the materials to Jin D who is on site. Jin D uses the materials to renovate <>. By the way, Jin D tentatively called it <><>, but Chel tells me that the people at the time of construction also called it that, so it is decided to call it that from now on. "Well, first of all, let''s start with the data storage." <. The exterior is removed, and all wires are disconnected. < and are also disconnected. There were four magical crystals used as storage media. "Back this up," he said. When Jin is piloting Jin D, Reiko is almost silent, silently acting as his assistant. In reality, Jin is on Horai Island giving instructions via the built-in manacam (manacam). Chell is observing this. (Amazing speed of work. ...... exceeds the creator''s ......) Chelle was struck with amazement at Jin D''s extraordinary work speed. After copying the storage media, Jin D removed the magi-crystal that was used as an auxiliary processing device. Next, after temporarily fixing the wires so that they would not come apart, he also removed the <> and <>, just to be sure. One after another, the auxiliary magi devices are removed. Reiko, the assistant, arranges and numbers them regularly. Finally, the control core was removed, and <> was completely dismantled. This took about 5 minutes. Chelle has already taken off her hat completely. And then.., (This man will make the base what it should be.) (He will make the base the way it should be). * * * * The information of the removed was immediately sent to Horai Island, and Jin and the old man started to analyze it. "Well, the basic processing part is still poor. "There are still some bugs here: ......" << "There''s no limiter for long thought loops." <<< Anyway, it was a terrible criticism. After completing the analysis, Jin starts to modify ...... the control core, or rather, to build a new one. "So, I''m going to modify this thought process like this and branch out the auxiliary processing routines ......." Although it is a new creation, I tried to make it as similar to the original thought routine as possible. "Thus, this is how I did it: ....... Please simulate and debug it, old man." . The "Mere Old Man" constructs a virtual thought process of <> in his own processing area and runs various processes to see if there are any defects. In particular, he checks the stability and safety of the system to make sure that it does not go into a loop and that there is no danger of it running out of control. Then, one minute later... "Oh, thank you, My Lord." The result of the simulation is good and the concern is almost gone. Almost, because unpredictable things can happen at any time in the world. Jin transferred the completed <> to Jin D, wondering what he had read in the book that infinite time is necessary to have infinite ability. * * * * * * Jin D. writes the new Magi Crystal into the new Magi Crystal as he received it from Jin. This Magi Crystal is from Horai Island, and is a few ranks higher in quality than the one used in the <>. The control core was completed in a dozen seconds. "Okay, next, let''s build a new <> and <>. The quality of the base magecrystals was poor, and the efficiency was not good enough (according to Jin''s standards). In addition, the purity of the mithril silver used for the magical power conductor should be increased. Now, the overall efficiency of <> has been increased by 70%. (Wow, ...... I can see that you are one of the best technicians of your time. ......) Chel gazes at Jin D''s work with exclamation. Jin D has just finished putting the exterior of the <> back together. It has taken about 30 minutes so far. The work was done so quickly that Cheol had no time to return to Kupu. Jin D., who had been carefully checking the system, finally installed a < lever. This is a lever that requires a grip of at least 300 kilograms to move, and a lid weighing 100 kilograms is placed on top of it. To open it, one must be strong enough to lift 100 kilograms with one finger. "Is that security?" "Yes. The first step is a physical obstacle. And after I move the lever, it detects my magic pattern and changes the priority. In other words, you''ll have to set it up in my presence. I see. You have your own way of doing things, Jin-sama. "I see. So that''s how it''s going to be. Jin thinks that the king should be the of this place, so after it is completed, he can come to inspect it and register the priority. After that, we will probably leave the management to the automata that we are going to maintain. * * * * The new magic brain will not be activated yet. This is because the various sensors installed in the base have not been repaired yet. Before that, Jin D. started to maintain the automata and golem. In fact, these are almost newly built. In any case, most of the golems for combat use had been destroyed by the cavalryman Rey. "I guess we should restore the medical golem and maintain it. But it would be faster to rebuild the battle golem. "Let''s get this over with. (What the heck... ......) Chelle can''t say anything more about his deftness in finishing three combat golems in 15 minutes. The repair and maintenance of the medical golem was also completed in 15 minutes. After that, Jin-D ponders for a moment and then turns to Chelle. "Hmmm... ...... Chell, can I talk to you for a minute?" "Yes, yes, what is it?" "Is there any automata to assist the magic brain in this ......<>?" Yes, there are no automata. Why not? "Well, I don''t know what the people who built this base are thinking. "I see. ...... So, I would like to make such an automata, is that OK?" "Yes, that would be fine." "Yes, that would be fine." "Okay." Thus, Jin D quickly renovated <, and Chel watched his work as if he had forgotten to return to Kupu. 3019 - - 80-05 Will of history? Jin D prepared three medical golems and five combat golems for <. "However, this combat golem is quite similar to a general-purpose golem. They can do a lot of chores and can at least maintain each other. "That''s great ......." "I''ll put the remaining golem back into material and use it for something else." "I think it''s a good idea ......, or rather, please do so." Chelle decided that one golem made by Jin D was worth much more than the original ten golems. "Well, let''s get to work on the assistant automata. "Well, Jin-sama, it''s almost night, so I think it''s time to call it a day ......." Chel pointed out the time, noticing that Jin D was working tirelessly. "Oh, it''s that time already. ......Yeah, okay. Thank you." Jin-D thanked Chelle and left <. They rest in a parked nearby. ...... In fact, the doppelganger Jin D. never sleeps. "......" Chel glanced at the battle golem Jin D had assembled, and then left <>. * * * * The next day, the 26th, Jin D started work at 7:00 a.m. The next day, Jin D started work at 7:00 a.m. on the creation of an assistant automata. Chel returned to Kupu''s < using the transfer magic circle. Of course, she returns through the log cabin-like dining room that Jin D. has set up. "Ah, Chell, you''re in the right place! Mei Shai Joey called out when she saw Chell. "Is something wrong?" We''ve found four more drug addicts. We need your help. "Yes, sir. I''ll take care of it. So far, Chell is the only one who can do it, so he''s in high demand. "Please be careful, this is a treatment, but it only removes the addiction, it does not cure the body. Yes, I understand. Those who are physically weak will be hospitalized. Mei Shai Joey nodded. "For now, the first renovation of the old cathedral will be completed. Then the hospital will be equipped with hospitalization facilities. "Oh, that would be great. For now, they''re being cared for in a temporary facility in the tent. How many patients are there? At the moment, there are 21 patients in the hospital. Is that too many or too few? ...... How many patients? At the sound of his voice, Mei Shai Joey turned around to see Illumina Ratkin standing there. "I was wondering, since it was such a large group, should I say it was a small number of severe victims, or should I say that 21 people was a large number?" "I would say it''s a lot." Ilmina Ratkin nodded at Mei Shai Joey''s words, "Yes,...... we need to treat them as soon as possible." "As for that, the renovation of the building will be finished by the end of the day, thanks to the help of Makina. Then we''ll call in a medical team from and move on to a full-scale rescue operation. "Yes. Mei, I''m counting on you. Yes! The Kingdom of Selroa is sending healers, but it seems that the center of the city is still in disarray. Illumina Ratkin gave a small sigh. "...... and <>...... the will of history...... malice! ......) The first was a war, the second a group of fanatics. (Is it an attempt to stifle rapid development? ...... or ......) Chelle felt that if history does not want to see more rapid development than expected and is trying to nip it in the bud, <> the way of Jin and Machina seems to be better than in the past. (She didn''t mean to take that into consideration, by any chance.) In fact, they are trying to raise the level of their technology slowly and not hastily, based on their bitter experience that rapid development of only one part of the technology stops the progress if that part is targeted. As expected, Chelle could not guess that much. * * * * * * * * * * * * * After the treatment of the addicts was finished, Chelle refused Illumina Ratkin and moved to <>. And what did Chell see when she stepped into ? "For a moment, I thought it was a mirror. It was a white-haired automata that looked exactly like Chell. But.... Of course, this is Chelle''s characteristic humor, and with her vision and judgment, there is no way she could have made such a mistake. "Hey, Chell, the assistant automata for <> is ready! Jin D said. "This is the assistant automaton? Chelle regretted that she had not been able to see the process of making the automata. Instead, he went to ....... "What kind of performance does it have?" and tried to judge the quality of this < from another aspect. 3020 - - 80-06 Request from Cher Chel asked Jin D about the performance of the assistant automata. Jin D''s answer was ....... "The performance of this guy. ...... Yeah, that''s what I wanted Chelle to see." It was ....... "First of all, what should we do about the name?" In most cases, <>, the <> decides the name after the startup. The act of <> makes the master-slave relationship clear. "May I ask what the origin of Chell''s name is?" Yes, you may. I only know that my previous series of names consisted of four letters of the alphabet, so I decided on a five-letter name. "<> or ......, which is the same five letters.... ...C followed by D......D......... ...hmmm ............" "Jin-sama, if I may be so presumptuous, how about <>?" "DOLIS or ...... would be nice. I''ll go with that." On Chel''s advice, the name of the assistant automata is decided to be <>. "And the name of the magic brain, ......<>, is also decided as it is. ......" "Wouldn''t it be better to keep <>?" "Is that right?" "Yes. The base seems to be <>. "Okay. Okay, let''s go to ...... and start it up. "I''m with you, I''d like to take a look at it." <> <>>> "Good. Your name shall be <>." <> "How are you doing?¡¡Do you remember what you were doing before the modifications?" . ....... "Okay. Next, <> activates the automata to assist him. ......<>" "Yes, master." The white-haired automaton wakes up. "Good. Your name is Doris. Yes, my name is Doris. "How are you?" Doris performs a common self-check on Adriana, "No problem at all. I''m in good shape." "Good. ......, I want you to work with the magic brain to manage this from now on." "Respectfully, sir." "Is the magilink between and in place? < "Yes, Master." "Then, good. Good luck from now on." "............" As Chelle watched the process from the sidelines, she knew that it was not just a routine procedure. From Jin, he sensed the love for the creature, and from <> and <>, he sensed the respect for the maker. And the most important thing is the performance. Chelle judged that it was almost as good as her current self with the limiter removed. * * * * * * "Well, . Do you have any information on the outside of the base?" "Good, that''s good." "Ah, Mister Jin, when did you repair the external sensors of the first underground base?" Hmm?¡¡Today. < and then went to the base before Chelle came. "So, in such a short time ......?" "And Reiko and <> helped me with it." "And even so, ......" We used the same line that was already there. ...... "Wow, okay." Chelle realized that she had underestimated Jin. * * * * Jin D. then spent the rest of the morning maintaining the <<1st underground base>. The cleaning golem is now in place and working better than ever, and the inside of the base is now clean and comfortable. Maintenance has also been enhanced, and three new small golems dedicated to maintenance have been created. Each room has been made more habitable, and a room has been prepared exclusively for Doris, the assistant automata. In this room, a monitor showing the inside of was installed all over the wall. "You can use this room on a regular basis. "Thank you, master." "Oh, and by the way, I don''t want this to be public knowledge, so please call me by my name. Jin. Yes, Master Jin. Yes, that''s fine. And ......<, do you understand?" < "Isn''t Master Jin already famous?" Chel asked curiously, but Jin shook his head. "His name is known, but his face is not." "Oh, so that''s what you mean. I understand." Jin D thought that Chelle was still very capable of swallowing what he wanted to say with just a short explanation. * * * * Lunchtime...... Jin D is a , so it''s a disguise, but after ...... is over, Jin D is back at Fort Lutgla from the <. When Jin D came back to Fort Rutgura, Chel was waiting for him. "Um, Jin-sama?" "Yes?" Can you do me a favor? "I wish there was something I could do. ......" Thank you. I was wondering if you could help me with the maintenance of the second underground base. "Oh, that''s right. Oh, that''s what you mean. Your majesty originally requested us to maintain the underground facilities at Fort Lutgla. It wasn''t specifically designated as the first underground base. "I see!¡¡Um, I don''t have any money. ......" "That''s not necessary. I''m supposed to get it from His Majesty. No, but I''m sure there will be some of my requests mixed in. ...... Chelle said, "It will be more work than His Majesty the King of Celuloa expects, since it will include special equipment and secret facilities. "Ah, in that case, the difference is in the information. You can tell me about the time of the Great Magic War ......, especially the end of the war." "Yes, that would be great." Thus, Jin D. was to continue to maintain the <<> as well. 3021 - - 80-07 Friendly Magic Brain Jin D passes through an open bulkhead to get to the <. He goes straight to the room with the transfer magic circle ....... "You use the transfer magic circle when the bulkhead is open?" "Yes. The bulkhead is open but there is no passage for humans to use. "What kind of design concept is this ......?" Jin D tilted his head. "Hey, since the is long over and we are not in an emergency situation, why don''t we set up a proper route from the first underground base to the second underground base?" "Yes, that is an option, but it is not up to me. <. "I see. We first move to the < using the transfer magic circle. Reiko accompanied him. "First, I''ll take you to the magic brain." "Yes." Chelle guides Jin D and Reiko. < is quite cozy. Since it is set up deep underground, the walls, ceiling, and floor are basically all natural stone. It seemed to be covered with some kind of reinforcing magic. Since it does not serve as a shelter, it has only a few rooms. Chel explained to me that the base has three levels, with the bottom level being a warehouse for supplies. "The magic brain is located in the center of the middle level." Since the transfer magic circle was located in the upper level, we went down the stairs to the middle level. Are the inside of the building secured? "Yes, just a maintenance golem patrolling the area, making periodic checks." "I see. ...... who ventilates the inside? We maintain the environment as it was when the makers were here. "I see. You guys respect the makers, don''t you? "Yes." Chelle affirmed Jin D''s words honestly. She had witnessed the work, albeit for a short period of time, and felt the love that <>, the Magecraft Master>>, poured into his creations. I was able to believe that the creator''s love for the creature, and the creature''s love for the creator, is something that they will never deny or dislike. "I would have liked to have met the maker of the cher." "Yes,...... I''m sure you would have liked to have met Mr. Jin, too." "I see." Yes. Indeed, Jin thought as he was piloting Jin D that even though he had only heard a little bit of what Chel had to say, he seemed to be a person who could understand each other. As they were talking, "This is the control room with the magic brain. They had arrived at their destination. "Come in, Jin-sama." "Yes." Chel entered the control room ahead of Jin D, indicated that it was safe, and beckoned him over. "<>, I have brought a representative of the highest level of technician. <>. "...... representative?" When Jin D wondered why she called herself a delegate, Chel smiled and explained the reason. "Yes. You ...... have a body, don''t you?" "Yes!¡¡You know ...... that?" "Yes. I couldn''t see it directly because of the warding on the surface of the body, but I had some information and was able to guess. Chell''s explanations are. 1. that the golems under the control of Jin and Machina III have the same magical power pattern. 2. that the djinn and Machina III are too well coordinated. 3. that Jin said that he does not like to stand out. From these three points, we can deduce that Machina III is another face of Jin. I say. They were working together in the recent conquest of the , and 1, 1. that Machina III is too dynamic for a technical person. 2. I did not feel any fatigue for the time we spent working together. From these facts, they inferred that Machina III was an elaborate automaton or a body similar to an automaton. "For safety reasons, there is no necessity for Jin-sama himself to be here. Therefore, we have determined that the body is a fake. "...... is brilliant." Jin, who was piloting Jin D, took off his hat. "Chel, you have a brilliant mind. I respect your reasoning, your judgment, your imagination ...... and the creator who made you." "Thank you." At Jin D''s words, Chel bowed deeply, showing her gratitude. "But the and that move your body belong to Jin-sama. Therefore, I honor you as ." "Thank you. That would be very kind of you. The magic brain spoke to me just as I had reached the end of my conversation with Chell. "Ah, thanks for waiting. My name is Jin. My name is Jin Nido. Also known as Jin Nido, I am the third generation of Magecraft Meister. I''m the magical brain behind <<<< the second underground base. It''s an honor to meet you. "It''s my pleasure. ...... Chelle is a really great automata. Her brain is especially impressive." <<> The magic brain then explained the current situation. According to him, the base in <> has been deteriorating noticeably in recent years, but the materials used for repairs are in short supply, and at this rate it will begin to fail sooner or later. "Yes, there are a lot of oxidized and degraded areas." <>. "You kind of get the idea." "Yes, I do. So, where and how bad is it?¡¡I''d like to start with the worst of the deterioration." << "Ah, I see. Not the sensors themselves, but the conductors, right?" "...... I suppose you don''t have any mithril silver." < "What?" << Hearing the composition, Jin D could vaguely imagine the properties of the alloy. "I see......... doesn''t sound like a bad alternative material. It seems to have good ductility and strength. << "I suppose so. I''ll get the mithril for you then." . Jin D was relieved and surprised that this magic brain was friendly and easy to negotiate with. But for now, the details were to be decided. The meeting between Jin D. and the brain of the magician continues. 3022 - - 80-08 Start of remodeling The meeting between Jin D. and the magic brain was being conducted in a flirtatious manner. "Well then, first of all, let''s make a secret unit under the direct control of this <> ......." > "Good. << to be cloaked?" <> "Yes. Stealth can''t cover up ultraviolet or infrared rays, but the invisibility I''ve developed won''t." < "Also, the golems here are generally made of poor materials for their design, so I recommend upgrading them." <<> "I think they are plentiful." <<< Then I''ll ask you to do it. "If you do that, I think the performance of the combat golem will be five times what it is now, and the general-purpose golem will be at least three times better." "Also, we should take measures against <>." > "It''s a magic that overwrites the contents of the control core." < "Okay. I''ll apply it to the golem and automata, all of them. I''ll also do some maintenance on them. <> (......I''m glad you seem to be enjoying yourself, but there seemed to be some disturbing words mixed in. ......No, this is normal for Jin-sama, isn''t it?) Chelle, who was listening nearby, could not hide her surprise when she heard the content of the conversation. Eventually, the meeting ended, and Jin D told Chel, "First, I''m going to do some maintenance on the golem, so please show me where you are going to keep it. Chel nodded and said, "I''ll do the maintenance of the golem first. Chel nodded, left the control room, and went back along the pathway he had come. This is the hangar for the battle golem. The room on the other side of the corridor is the hangar for the general-purpose Golem. "Okay." Jin D first enters the room of the battle golem. The general-purpose golem had seen , so he wanted to check on the battle golem. And another reason. "<> will also be serviced, can you call him back?" "Yes, sir." Until <> comes back, we are going to maintain the battle golem first. "Here''s ......." There are three combat golems. They were housed in a special , or what we should call a support stand. The support stand can be laid down on its side as a work table, and seemed to be quite convenient to use. Jin D. put all the three pieces on the support table in the working mode and started to check them. "Well, the preservation condition is good. But the quality of the material is still poor. ...... Reiko, can you bring the material from <>?" "Yes, I will." Reiko answered Jin D''s request and rushed to <>. "How do you know what you need from those instructions?" Chelle asked Jin D., wondering why the instructions were too simple. I know, because I''m Reiko. I was joking when I said ......, my main body will give Reiko new instructions with , so don''t worry." "Oh, I see." Jin D''s hand does not stop as he speaks. By the time Reiko returns, the three battle golems have been disassembled. "I''m back now." "Oh, just in time." Reiko came back with the materials at the perfect moment. She was not aiming for ...... this. "First, we need to strengthen the skeleton...... but first, we need to <...... it, I knew it." The skeleton was light silver, but it seemed to have a lot of impurities in it, about 5 percent by volume, which were removed. The first impurity was oxygen. Next were iron, followed by nitrogen, carbon, and magnesium. The skeleton of the highly pure light silver is now empty because the impurities have been removed, so aluminum and vanadium are added to it at a ratio of 6 and 4 percent by weight, respectively, After removing 5 percent of the light silver, the additive elements are added. Then < and and you are done. "That should do it. You have successfully strengthened it without changing its shape. "That''s great, that''s great, that''s great. ......" Chelle, who was watching the work, was amazed. "The skeleton is now OK," she said. The joints will be coated with adamantite, and the magic nerve wires will be replaced with mithril silver. Oh, let''s replace the <> too." "......" "Let''s also improve the quality of the control core. ......Copy......" "............" "<> and <> should also be exchanged for magic crystals (Magi Crystals) to increase efficiency." ".................." Seeing Jin D''s work being done so quickly and efficiently with Reiko as his assistant, even Chelle was a little taken aback. ....... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Okay, this is about right." "...... how much is like this? Jin D, who had spent 10 minutes on each of the golems and had modified them for combat, nodded his head in satisfaction. "The power should be ten times higher and the durability about fifty times higher." The remarkable increase in the rate of increase was due to the fact that the material was poor and the modification had a significant effect. "Now, let''s continue with the general-purpose golem." Jin D., Reiko and Chel enter the room across the passage. <> has already returned, and has secured himself to the . "<>, we are going to do some maintenance, reconditioning and some modifications. Is that clear?" "As you wish, Master Jin." "Good." <, Jin D. put our support stand on the floor and used it as a worktable, and began to modify the two general-purpose golems. The work was almost the same as before. "By the way, damage has accumulated on <>''s ankle. ......Yes, it seems to be a processing error. Let''s fix it. "............" "That should do it." Finished by attaching the exterior. This time it took only 15 minutes. "That''s good." Thank you very much. Now the next one... "Are you still going to do that? No, I''m going to ...... ...... cher... I am? "Well, you can''t just leave Chelle alone while you''re working on the other golems, can you?" That''s true. ...... then, please." 3023 - - 80-09 Producers Settings Jin D decided to conduct one experiment before modifying Chell. "Chell, can you activate <>?" "What?" "No, from what I''ve seen, your magic pattern is the same as the magic pattern of the control magic brain. Then, I think it''s possible to activate not only <>, but all the other golems. "I''ve never done it before, but ...... sure, it seems theoretically possible." "Right?" In fact, Jin D, who is not an automata but a similar to an automata, can activate a golem. There is no reason why Chel, an automata, should not be able to do it. "I want her to check the operation after the modification. "Okay. I''ll try. ......<" "......Yes." got up. "Oh?¡¡Did you activate me, . Of course, Jin D. built it in. "Everything is fine. I can feel a tremendous improvement in operating efficiency." "Good. If that''s the case, <>, is your master ...... or rather your orderly the controlling magical brain of this place?" "Yes, Master Jin. At the same time, Jin-sama has the next highest command priority." "Hmmm ...... that''s how it happened." Jin D, who is not the creator, but has made significant modifications, seems to have a higher command priority. Nevertheless, since Jin or Jin D did not become , Jin D decided that the experiment was a success. "Okay, next experiment. , you try activating another generic golem." "Okay," said Jin D. "<, you try activating the other generic golem. " "...... yes" The other Golem also wakes up and performs a self-check as ordered by <>. When the order authority was checked, the first place was the control magic brain, and the second place was Jin D. After that, <> and another general-purpose golem were temporarily stopped. "Hmmm ...... how should I interpret this ......" "Jin-sama, what do you mean?" Unsure of the purpose of the experiment, Chel questioned Jin D. "That''s ......" Jin D explained step by step. Usually, golems and automata regard their makers as their <>. This is due to the resonance of <>. However, they do not recognize the same model with the same magic pattern. For example, even if <> makes a golem, <> is Jin. Why is this? According to Jin and others, it is because there is something different between the maker and the creature, even though they have the same magical power pattern. In other words, something is different between Hitoshi and <>. "But now Jin-sama is through a made-up body. But why is it that the is still considered to be himself?" "Ah, you have noticed that." This is a point that has long been unclear to the <. But now there is a reasonable explanation. "I think it''s because, even though I''m using this body, my original magical power pattern is being transmitted. "In other words, the remote control''s magic pattern is the same as your own, and the creature''s magic pattern is the same, but limited?" "That''s right. That''s great that you can understand that, Chelle. "Thank you for the compliment. I was ......, but that still doesn''t mean that when I started up ......, it was ......." Chelle seemed to realize what was happening and broke off. "Yes. I guess it''s the same magic pattern as the <>, so it couldn''t be <>." Chelle and <>......, as well as the other combat golems and the general-purpose golem, were created by the same person. Perhaps the <> was made by the same person, and the rest of the body was made by a different engineer, but that doesn''t matter now. "So even if I modified it, the <> setting couldn''t have been rewritten because Chel eventually activated it." "......" "That''s how solid your creator''s posts were." "So, but you also replaced the control core!" "Then," said Chelle, "could the ArcMaster be rewritten in that case? "No. What I used this time was not a > but a ." Jin D explained that he used copying instead of transinfo because he wanted to keep his original thoughts. In the case of knowledge transfer (trans-info), once the transfers are replaced with the magic pattern of the magician before writing, whereas in the case of copying, the transfers are duplicated exactly as they are. Incidentally, while knowledge transfer (transinfo) can also transfer information in the human brain to magi crystals, copying can only copy from one magi crystal to another. "Then there is a contradiction, or one thing I don''t understand. Do you understand ...... Jin-sama?" What? "Jin-sama said earlier, as an example, that even if Master Smith is activated, Jin-sama, the creator, remains the supreme master. "Yes." "Then, when I or activate Golem, shouldn''t the be ...... and the other golems'' <> should still be that <> person." "What, ......?" Jin D had backed up the control cores of the other golems when he duplicated them, just in case, and that''s when he realized it. "Well, Jin-sama, can you view the contents of the control core directly without converting it into language? "Yes, you can." "............That must be what the is all about. ......" "Uh, so, after you''ve done the maintenance on Chell, if you have <> activate it, that <> guy should still be the <>." "I''m glad to hear that ......." "I knew it, he was a special person, wasn''t he?" Yes. Jin, who was piloting Jin D, imagined that she was probably like him to Reiko. "Well then, could you wake <> up for me so I can do some maintenance on Chell?" "Yes, sir. " Finally, the maintenance and improvement of Chell begins. 3024 - - 80-10 intuition Jin D. wondered where the maintenance and improvement of Chel would take place. "The control and magic brain room seems to be a good place. Jin D also estimated that he might be able to confirm what he was concerned about there. So Jin D., Reiko, Chelle, <>, and others went to the control brain room. When Jin D explained the situation to them, the head of the control group readily agreed. said that Chelle''s hanger was located next to the control brain''s room. brought Chell''s hanger and Chell secured herself to it. "Well then, Jin-sama, please take care of her." "Yes. Then , please stop Chell. "Yes, sir. < Chell is stopped. Jin D asks Reiko to help him undress Chell. "Then, please remove her magical skin. "Yes, sir." In the meantime, Jin D decides to finish preparing the material. Since we know that the skeleton is made of light silver, we prepare aluminum and vanadium to make it 64 light silver. In the meantime, Reiko has removed Chel''s magical skin. "Hmmm, I guess the purity is not so good after all. ......<<<>" First, purity is increased, then alloying is done by Jin D. "Do we foam the inside to reduce weight?" Cher weighs about 60 kg. She is about 160 centimeters tall, so Jin D. wanted to reduce her weight by about 10 kilograms. Of course, the joints are coated with adamantite. He also replaced the < and . <> and > were also replaced and their output was readjusted. Security has also been improved with countermeasures against <. Various sensors have been replaced if they have deteriorated, and their functions, in other words, their sensitivity and accuracy, have been improved. Finally, the entire unit was rebalanced and reassembled to complete the project. The management brain who was watching Jin D''s work let out a voice of admiration. "Is this what you wanted?" <> "No, we keep updating the configuration part, ...... if the original part is no longer there." This is the paradox of << Ship of Theseus>>. The same kind of question seemed to have been asked by <>, and the management mage-brain immediately understood what Jin D meant. "So?" <<<< we came to the conclusion that it depends on our perception>> "So, if an observer recognizes the perimeter ......, it is <>?" < "In that case, what if someone disagrees with you?" <> "Is it that they are what they are to those who think they are <> and different to those who think they are not?" < Jin-D felt that this was a bit like <>, but he was convinced by what the management brain had to say. "...... So, let me ask you something by the way.¡¡This time, I have replaced most of Chelle''s parts, but if I were to collect the old parts and assemble an automaton, which one would be Chelle?" In the case of automata and golems, the contents of the <> that makes them exist can be duplicated, so this discussion makes sense. <><>, we may make a distinction such as Chel 1 and Chel 2 ......>> "I see." With that thought experiment out of the way, Jin D. decides to activate Chell. Of course, he leaves it to the control magic brain. <......>> "Yes, maker." Chelle got up. "Chel, how are you feeling? In response to Jin D''s words, Chel moves her body clumsily....... Then she replied with a slightly sad face. "I don''t seem to be in bad shape, but I can''t move my body the way I want to. Is something wrong?" "No, that''s not it. No, it''s not that. It''s just that the ratio of power to weight has changed so much that I haven''t been able to optimize it. So you should move slowly at first and gradually increase the speed. "Okay, I''ll try." Jin D. did not install the < check operation. No, he did not add anything. Hence, the control core of Chell remains the same. That is why she could not control the body properly right away. Jin D. watched as Chell''s movements became smoother and smoother. "It''s getting better and better, isn''t it?" "Yes, once you get used to it, it''s very easy to move! After about 20 minutes, Chelle seemed to have a complete grasp of her new body. "Thank you very much, Mr. Jin." "Yes, it was good. By the way, Chell, what is the priority of your command authority?" "Yes. ...... What?¡¡It''s the same ...... as before. "I see. That''s good to know. Can I ask you one question, ...... management magic brain?" <<< What''s that?¡¡Ask me anything I can answer. "Thank you. ...... you have at least part of the ...... memory of the personality ...... of the engineer named <> stored in you, don''t you?" Chelle was the most surprised by this question. "What?¡¡...... of Mr. Arnold''s ......?" <<> Before he could answer, the control mage brain returned the question to Jin. "Of course. I have a < that I''d like to ......." <<> "There is a theory that a hunch is a guess or guess based on experience and knowledge made by the conscious mind, and that the most probable matter is brought to the surface of the consciousness. ...... "I don''t care about that theory, I just felt you were ." <> "Are you the head of the management magic ......, Mr. Arnold?" At Chelle''s question, the control mage brain ....... 3025 - - 80-11 Arnold Jin D. pointed out that the control magic brain of <> might have the memory of <>, the engineer who created Chelle. The answer of the control magic brain to this question was: "Yes, it could be, . The answer of the managing mage-brain was ambiguous. "What do you mean?¡¡Are you not Mr. Arnold? Chelle asks in a slightly sad voice. To her, Arnold, the maker, is a special person. . "......Mr. Arnold......" < "But ......!" At this point, Jin D speaks again as if to confirm. "Continuing from what you said before, <>?" <> "I guess you are <> to Chel, since Chel recognizes you. At least, you''re her equal." "So, to Chelle, you are ." <> The management magic brain was at a loss for words when Jin D. persuaded him. Such a human-like reaction was one of the reasons why Jin D guessed that the basic part, or rather, the true nature of the brain of the control magician might be <>. <<''s personality. "Of course." < "Well, yes." In fact, Jin and the others have seen and known many magical brains that have copied the entire consciousness of human beings. Recently, they have met eight such originators. But Chelle was not one of them. "Mr. Arnold, ...... thank you for meeting with us." Chelle kneels before the controlling magic brain. "Mr. Arnold, I''m ......... ........." "I''m Mr. Arnolt,......," said the management magic brain,...... no, I''ll call you , just like Chelle. ...... Arnold, I have a proposal." Jin D., who had been watching the exchange between Chel and Arnold and could no longer remain silent, interrupted. <> "I used to be a human being, and I''ve provided several human-like bodies for the magic brain. Wouldn''t you like to use one of those?" "Jin-sama!¡¡Please do!¡¡If you could recreate Master Arnold''s body, I would give my allegiance to you! But Jin D. smiled and shook his head. "No, Chel''s loyalty is only to Arnold, isn''t it?¡¡Even if you don''t want me to do that, I''ll get Arnold''s body for you." "Really?¡¡Thank you! > "Reason?¡¡Reason? ...... Well,...... if I had to say, I would say that I want to be friends with Arnold who has five bodies. < "Yeah. And I also want to make Chelle''s wish come true." Jin D glanced at Reiko, who was leaning silently against him as he said this. "Besides, there are cases where a human brain implanted with a magic brain can''t endure the long years and goes insane." "What?¡¡No, no, no, Mr. Arnold! "It''s still okay, Chelle. It''s still okay, Chelle. Apparently it''s because he''s been on hiatus until recently. Arnold''s mind seems sound." "Oh, thank goodness. ......" Chelle is relieved. Jin turned to the magic brain again. "So that''s how it is. What do you think, Arnold?" <> After an unusually long pause for a magic brain, The reply was, "Okay, I''ll take care of it. "Okay, I''ll leave it to you. Jin D nodded cheerfully and said, "Let''s decide on the specifications. "The physical ability is as good as human. However, when the need arises, it can display ten times its abilities. Ask Chel what he looks like." "That''s what I mean." "I guess so. ......" How do we exert ourselves against the enemy? Here Jin remembered an old fairy tale he had read. "...... times the power ......." <<< What? >> "No, there was a story I read a long time ago called <>." <> "Simply put, it''s about being able to double the power of your enemy." "No, it''s a fiction." << "Well,...... maybe the classics had that ability,...... but that''s not what I want to discuss now." Getting off-topic, Jin D. changes course. "How about a higher ...... output depending on the opponent, ...... with an upper limit, of course?" "Double is a bit extreme, so how about 20% more?" <> That would be fine. At this point Chelle, who could no longer remain silent, interrupted. "I will protect you, Mr. Arnold!" << >. Jin-D asks Reiko to give him a Magi Crystal, into which Chel gives him a . The data about Chelle''s image of ''s appearance is saved. "Let''s ask him to confirm it, just in case." Jin D uses < and asks the management brain to confirm it. "No!¡¡This is the way Mr. Arnold used to be!" <<> Arnold points this out and Chelle''s shoulders slump in disappointment. "I''m sorry ......." <<> "Yes, sir." Thus, Jin D also obtained the appearance data for <>. 3026 - - 80-12 Distinguished Business Jin D. tells the others that he is going to work at the base, and he and Reiko leave the base. Incidentally, there is a simple warp gate in a log house built near the fort. It is safe to say that this gate does not work unless the same magic pattern as Jin''s is used. However, security is further enhanced since it is via <> and <>99 is now stationed there to watch over us. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Well, let''s get started. At the workshop on Horai Island, Jin started working with Reiko. The composition is made up of the that they have made before. The concept is <. <, but to create a . However, as we discussed, the limiter will be released in proportion to the strength of the enemy when facing the hostile entity. "This is the place ......" , the strength of its bones and muscles should be as strong as human''s. Well, the category of <> has a wide range, and Jin intends to match it to the top of that range. "Brother Jin, what''s troubling you?" Erza looked into the workshop and found Jin pondering something. "Oh, Erza. Yes, that''s right. Actually, ......." Jin explained to Erza what was bothering him. "Yes. ......" Elsa didn''t seem to have a good idea right away. The two of them (Reiko and the old man, too, were probably thinking about it) were pondering, "Yes, let''s strengthen it with <> or <>." "Good idea." "As expected of your father!" The rate of reinforcement of magic materials is high. For example, if we strengthen Magi adamantite with , its hardness will increase more than 3 times and its tensile strength will increase more than 10 times. If the limit is 10 times as high as that of a human being, it is just a usable value. <, but this time, since strengthening is a prerequisite, Magi duralumin is used as a Magi type material. This is super duralumin (aluminum 94). This is super duralumin (94% aluminum, 4.5% copper, and 1.5% magnesium), of which half of the copper is replaced by mithril silver. Mithril silver was used to replace half of the copper in super duralumin (94% aluminum, 4.5% copper, and 1.5% magnesium). It has high hardness and low toughness. The inside of this material is foamed to match the specific gravity of bone (2.0 to 2.1). The default strength is about twice that of bone, but this is to be expected. It took 15 minutes. This is the slowest time ever recorded for Jin. "Muscle is a lot easier, though. The specific gravity of the muscle is not so different from that of the human body. The work was done in 3 minutes, while connecting the magical nerve wires. After that, the work proceeded smoothly with no particular problems. The control core is protected by a shield case. The five senses, such as sight and hearing, are adjusted to human-like levels plus extra. Of course, it also has the senses of touch, smell, and taste. Sight and hearing can be increased by a factor of 5 if <. Senses of touch, smell, and taste remain as they are on ....... "The sense of smell could be enhanced and be useful, but we''ll let it go this time ......." Too good a sense of smell is also a consideration at times,...... such as in smelly places,...... so Jin focused on sight and hearing. Hearing can also be selectively enhanced because too much hearing can be inconvenient. In other words, as you listen carefully, you will gradually start to hear small and distant sounds. "And then there are the ...... voices." This was based on the data that Chell had given us, which included the voice. The tuning was done in 3 seconds by the old man. "The last thing is the appearance." This is the usual task ......, but it is quite difficult to make the skin and hair as strong as human. I proceeded in the same way as I did for the <, and managed to finish it. "You''ve done it." Is this Mr. Arnold? "Yes, it seems so. You are younger than I expected. I wonder if Chelle''s wish is also included. She looks about 25 years old. Light brown hair, same color eyes. She is 5''5" tall and slightly thin. He weighs ...... only slightly heavier than the original Arnold, but he managed to finish at 72 kg. The face is ...... normal. "Yeah, it''s good. I''m sure Chel will be pleased with this." So Jin immediately decides to take the completed body to the second underground base. "Your father is going?" "Yes. "Yes, now that I know it''s safe and secure. Reiko is there too. Besides, I''ll have to go myself if I''m going to implant Arnold''s information from the control magic brain. "Okay." "What else should I bring with me ......?" After much deliberation, it was finally decided to bring along an assistant, a <>1, to assist with the work. Arnold''s body was placed in a sturdy capsule-like case, and <>1 was to carry it. The first step was to take Arnold''s body to Lutgla. First, we move to a log house near Fort Rutgula. To his surprise, Chelle was waiting for him there. "Oh, my God, it''s already done? "Well, it took me half a day to do it already! "...... so that''s Jin-sama, isn''t it? What''s wrong? No, it''s Jin-sama himself this time, isn''t it? Yes, it''s nice to meet you. I''m honored. He and Chell head for the second underground base. The air conditioning is working perfectly and there is no stagnant air. In the room with the control mage brain, <>1 places the capsule he brought in on the floor and opens the lid. "My God!" Chelle smiles broadly. "That''s the man, Mr. Arnold ......! "If Chelle says so, I guess it''s all right." The management and magic brain also thanked Jin. "Now, let''s implant your personality." Actually, this is the most difficult part. Because it is necessary to extract and write only the part that corresponds to the personality of <> from the control core that is established as <>. It is not a human work. < could have accomplished. "<>......<>......" Therefore, to be sure, we had to write it once in another magic crystal (magicrystal), debug it, and then <> it again. Jin finished this in 10 minutes. "Fu, I''m tired after a long time." "...... tired, is that all you can say ......?" Chelle, who was watching him work, was also a bit taken aback. Arnold was praising Jin''s feat. "Now, let''s activate it." Finally, <> wakes up. ....... 3027 - - 80-13 Chers thoughts "Activation is done by the management magic brain." <>>> "Mm......" gets up. "How''s it going?" "Yeah. ...... I''ve got hands, I''ve got legs. I have feeling. ...... yeah, it''s great." Can you move it? "I''m fine,...... it seems." stands up slowly. He takes a few steps and then stops, tears streaming down his face as if overcome with emotion. "Oh ...... this body can shed tears too...... Jin-dono, thank you!¡¡I never thought I would walk like this again. "Arnold-sama ......!" This time Chelle knelt in front of Arnold. "I''ve missed you, ......." "Chell, I''m not the Arnold who made you. I''m just a remnant." "No, you are Mr. Arnold. ...... Jin saw the two of them, "Arnold, you are definitely Arnold to Chelle. You said so the other day. "Yes, <> means to that being. You said that. "Yes, I did. So you''re Arnold, too. "I wonder if I ...... can call myself Arnold." Chelle reacted to these words. "Arnold is Arnold!" "I see. Thank you for ......, Chelle." Arnold said that he could be himself with Chelle around. "I will be with you forever and ever, until I die. ...... Arnold was flabbergasted when Chelle uttered a line that could be taken as a proposal, depending on who you ask. "Oh, I see. Well, I''m looking forward to working with you. "Yes!" Chelle clutched Arnold''s hand and bowed deeply. I''ll be right with you. "Well, I guess we''re all settled for now, so let''s go with you, shall we? "......Yes, I''m sorry. Thank you, Mr. Jin. Thank you. So, what can I do for you? "No, it''s about the magic brain over here. Right now, <>''s personality resides in both the control brain and the automata. He is normal now, but there is a possibility that he will lose his sanity in the distant future. "Now that Arnold has been separated, I thought it would be best to shut down the personality part of the control mage brain." "Yes, that''s true. ...... control-magic-brain, what do you think?" <<> "Ah, ah." Normal human beings would not have chosen to go dormant, but the magical brain thinks logically, and perhaps because of that, Arnold here has accepted the dormancy. * * * * "............<>...... this will do." Jin used to write the Magi Formula into the control core of the control magic brain, the free area of the brain, and detached the personality part of Arnold''s. It was a very delicate process. It was a very delicate process, and even with Jin''s skill, it took 20 minutes. What do you think?¡¡As a magical brain, it should work just fine. His tone of voice had also changed, indicating that the influence of <> was no longer present. "In that case, why don''t we give this one a name, too?" Arnold said. "Yes. ...... Arnold can name it for you." "Okay. Hmmm... I think I''ll go with ......<." <>. "Okay. Ryan, please keep it that way." . Thus, the management and magical brain turmoil at the <> came to an end. * * * * "So this is what''s left to do at ....... "Oh, this is fun!" Jin, Arnold, Reiko, and Chelle are doing maintenance inside the <>. The external sensors have been damaged considerably, so they are being replaced. Arnold, who is now physically able and energetic, is making rapid progress. Chel serves as his assistant, while Hitoshi and Reiko just follow along. (Well, this kind of thing is okay once in a while.) (Well, it''s okay sometimes.) Jin was content with the fact that Arnold and Chel seemed to be having a good time. And Arnold''s skill is sure (though he is slower than Jin), and Jin could see some of the ways of doing things that would be helpful to him. * * * * * * * * * * * * < was completed. Arnold also has a function that allows him to <> in conjunction with the clock function. Therefore, Arnold decided to <>, and Jin also returned to Horai Island to rest under the guise of <>. * * * * The next day, the 27th, at 7:00 a.m. local time, Jin visited again. "Good morning, Arnold." Jin, good morning." Arnold and Jin were already calling out to each other. "Why don''t we go outside today?" "Outside... ...... sounds nice!" "Good day, Mr. Arnold." "What are you talking about? Chelle''s going out too." What are you talking about? Jin said, "We''ve already taken care of the second underground base, and the magic brain will take good care of it. "Besides, wouldn''t you like to go out with Arnold?" "Yes, I''d like to go to ............ yes." "Okay, it''s decided. Jin said that he would take care of the destination, and Jin, Reiko, Arnold, and Chelle moved to the ground. The was waiting for them there, and the first thing they did was to board it. "Oh, so this is Jin''s Hurricane. "Excuse me for disturbing you, sir." "Yes, please get in." The Hurricane lifts off with Jin, Reiko, Arnold and Chel on board. "Oh, this is comfortable. This is a few steps better than the hot air balloon ......! Arnold is in a good mood. Chelle is snuggled up to Arnold. The < was flying north first. 3028 - - 80-14 Flights are going to be When Arnold''s excitement over his first ride in a had subsided a little, Jin asked a question. "Earlier you said or , which is the official name?" "Hm?¡¡Yeah, <> is generally used to mean a ball that uses heat to fly, but I think of it as a ball that flies with >, so I call it a <>. There were a few people on ...... who agreed with my assertion." "I see. I call them << hot air balloons>." "Oh, comrade." Arnold laughed. "Master, we''ll be passing over Mount Onouni shortly. The pilot, Hope, told us. "Mount Onouni?¡¡That brings back memories. ......! "Wait a minute." Jin stopped Arnold from flying to the window and opened the floor window of the Hurricane. "Oh, this is nice! "Isn''t it?" "This is a good floor window to look down. Arnold crawled over to take in the view below. "Ah, there''s Mount Onouni. ...... Has the valley line changed a bit?¡¡700 years have passed. ...... Ah, the topography of the campsite is still intact! He muttered nostalgically. Jin instructed Hope to drop altitude and circle around Mount Onouni. "Oh?¡¡......Thank you, Jin. I never thought I''d ...... see the day when I could look at Mount Onouni from the sky like this. ...... I feel like a bird." I once wanted to fly in a hot-air balloon, Arnold said, but it was a dream at the time for a private individual to use it because it was for military use. * * * * * * * * * * * After circling Mount Onouni four times, the <> gained some altitude and headed north again. "Ah, the plains of Bororon. ......!" "It''s called the Bororong now, though." "I see. ...... This used to be a meadow, but it was devastated in the <>. But how could it have remained desolate after 700 years? ...... Oh, I see!" Arnold shouted, as if something had occurred to him. "What''s wrong?" "It''s <>." "Pollution. ......" "Oh..." Arnold shouted. There was a battle for the survival of both races here. The result was that the humans lost, but then they sprayed this place with heavy metal ions. I don''t know if the ...... enemy did it or if they did it." "Whoever did it, they did a hell of a job," he said. "We were all out of our minds at the time." It was a ...... time, Arnold said, when acts that narrowed one''s future were tolerated in order to get through the present. "I see, so that''s why there''s hardly any vegetation,...... but how much area did they pollute,......?" Jin''s voice held a hint of anger. "It must be quite a task to clean up such a large area." "I agree. It would take only a short time to contaminate it, though. Roughly speaking, the area was estimated to be about 5,000 square kilometers. If we clean up one square kilometer per day, it would take 5000 days ...... That would take nearly 14 years. "We''d better report this to the Kingdom of Cerroa ......." Jin thought that it would be a national project. * * * * The <> continued its flight and approached the northern border of the Kingdom of Celuloa. Yes, the <>. "Wow ...... I never thought I would see this from the sky ......!" Arnold was in a good mood after seeing his dream mountain range. "Yeah, there''s a glacier hanging ...... over it, and it''s probably still cold ...... near the summit, closed off by a million years of snow." < turns to the east and flies over the Kruger Mountains. Arnold is pleased to be able to see the mountain range he has longed to see, albeit from above. "By the way, this area is not Cerroa anymore, is it? "Yes, the Kingdom of Franz. A little further on is the Kingdom of Klein. "Are you sure about that?¡¡Are you sure you''re okay? "Oh, that''s okay. I have a free pass to travel between countries." I see. < I see. I''m quite proud of you. While he was saying this, the hurricane was entering the Kingdom of Klein. "We should be able to see Mount Ticazo, the highest peak in the Kruger Mountains, in a few minutes." "Oh, that!¡¡I never thought I''d see it with my own eyes!¡¡......Wow, that''s it! The second peak is on the left in the foreground and the first peak is in the background, Both peaks are covered with silvery snow and look divine. "I wish I could have stood on that peak. ......" "I think you can do it now. ...... No, I don''t." Jin casually replied to Arnold''s words, but then realized the discrepancy and swallowed his words mid-sentence. Even though his body was made of , it was still not the same as a flesh-and-blood body. Jin guessed that the sense of accomplishment from climbing the summit would be small. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Now, I have a proposal. The stops at a spot with a close view of Mount Ticazo. Jin asked Arnold and Chelle to make an important choice. "What is it?" "What is it?" "Where we''re going." Jin broke off and looked at the expressions on Arnold and Chelle''s faces. Both of them are automata, but they have a rare structure in that their emotions are expressed in their facial expressions. Both of them were created by Jin, however. "Destination?" "...... back the route we came, or continue east, south, or ...... north?" If we head east, we''ll pass through the northern part of the former Leonard''s Kingdom by the sea. To the south is the Kingdom of Klein. And to the north is ....... "The demon realm ...... or the Nordic Commonwealth?" Yes. I see... I understand why Jin asked so openly. What do we do now? What are you going to do? ...... Jin knows someone in the Nordic Federation, doesn''t he? Yes, I do. "Yes, I do. Go to ...... and head north. Are you sure? Yeah. Okay. After such an exchange, the hurricane turned to the north. 3029 - - 80-15 Balance The < headed north through the saddle of Mount Taikazo and Mount Tahoka. "...... and that''s why the second generation <>> decided to cooperate with the northern peoples ......." In the <, which was slowing down a bit, Jin explained to Arnold what had happened so far. "I see. So, in the end, humans, demons ......, and the northern tribes are all descendants of the ." "That''s what I''m getting at. They are now quite different races because of the different people they mixed with and the different environments they lived in, but genetically they are the same people ...... or rather biologically they are the same race." "And now they''re all ...... different because of a conspiracy by the and others." Of course, the northerners had their share of bad guys and ambitious people. So did the human race. "Arnold is right. < Indeed, I wonder how many times the human race has regressed because of these fools. "Mr. Arnold, I see the isthmus below you." Just as we had reached the end of our conversation, Chell called out to us. < is just about to fly over the . "That''s the isthmus. I''ve only heard about it, but it''s really thin. "I heard that there used to be a lot of Hecaton Cairns in that area." "I''ve only seen the Hecaton Cale in ...... books." "I''ve only seen them in books like or ." "I''d like to think they were the product of . "I learned about the gene ...... or ...... concept, but I don''t understand it." In Arnold''s time, the teachings of Shuki Tsezi were still being correctly conveyed, even if only partially, so Arnold had some knowledge of the subject. "Well, you can think of it as a blueprint for the human body that is contained in the cells." "I suppose so, but I find it hard to believe that you can tinker with something so ...... small, or that you know how to tinker ...... with it." "I agree." Jin himself was not a fan of such practices as genetic engineering. "It seems there are very few of them now." "Yeah. ...... Ah, the continent of Gondor at last. I''m a little nervous." "Don''t worry. It''s okay. Wherever we''re going, everyone is very friendly. * * * * < The old man had informed Xiong in advance, so Xiong, clan leader Belialus, and Xiong''s mother Rorona had come to pick him up. The members of Jin''s group were Jin, Reiko, Hope, Arnold, and Chelle. < will be well taken care of by the people. "Welcome, Jin." Jin-sama, welcome. Mr. Jin, thank you for coming. "Hello, Theon. Belialus, it''s been a long time. I''m glad to see you''re doing well, Rorona. Arnold and Chelle were a little surprised to see this exchange. Even though they knew this in theory, it was the first time for them to see their former adversaries in such close proximity. However, seeing Jin talking with them in such an easy-going manner, they let their guard down. Reiko sees Arnold take a half step forward, "Father, I''d like to introduce you to someone. She said, "Father, I have to introduce you to this person. "Oh, yes. ...... This is Arnold. This is Chelle. This is my new friend." "Oh, yeah?¡¡Arnold, Chelle, it''s nice to meet you." Lorna stepped forward and took their hands. "Uh, yes. I''m Arnold, nice to meet you." "My name is Chelle. I am Arnold-sama''s squire. The two introduced themselves with some amazement. "Well, let''s talk about it inside. At Zion''s words, they all went inside. They went straight into the reception room. Jin took a sip of the tea served and explained the background of Arnold and Chelle. "......They are actually ......" "............" < listen to his explanation in silence. "......Such a thing ............" "......" "Well, well, well, what a surprise. ......<>''s victims are here too. ......" Theon was astonished, Belialus exclaimed, and Rorona was indignant. Then Belialus apologizes to Arnold. "I am sorry, Mister Arnold, Mister Chell. Although you may have been seduced, it was the Northerners who made the first move. On behalf of all of us, I apologize." "No, no, of course not. I am not the kind of person who can accept such an apology. Arnold said that he was not really in charge of the war, so he was a bit embarrassed by the apology. "Well, actually, it''s not nice to be treated as a representative of the people of that time," he says. Jin offered a helping hand. "I''m sure you''re right. ...... this is just a matter of how we feel." Zion tells him that it''s more of an expression of his desire to be forgiven. "That would be mutual, wouldn''t it?" Arnold says. Jin is relieved to see that even the people of that time were able to communicate with the northerners. Chelle''s expression was much more relaxed than when she had just arrived. "Please take it easy today." Sion said, "I''ll call Law and the others. He added, "I''ll call Law and the others. "Law?" Jin explained to Arnold who looked doubtful. "His name is Rhodoth, and he is a great-grandson of Zion. I know him too. I''m sure they''ll call Rhodes'' sister, Vita, and Rhodes'' wife, Ludmilla, too. "Sounds like fun." "Yeah. ...... they will be found to be human beings just like those who live on the Laurentian continent." "No, I''ve already figured it out. ......It really is an unfortunate misunderstanding that has brought us together. It''s a shame." "Yes, it is. But it is the duty of those who are still alive to overcome such a past and to lead the way to a better future, and I think it will be a parting gift to those who have scattered." "I see. That''s a good point. Thank you. ......I heard someone say a long time ago that "Prayer is a person''s thought, and a person''s thought is the hope that opens up the future. "Prayer is a thought. I guess so." Arnold thanked Jin for bringing him here. 3030 - - 80-16 Familiar Arnold That night there will be a banquet at the clan chief''s mansion in Shinra. Of course, Arnold and Chel have taste buds, so they can eat and drink along with everyone else. The food on the table is prepared from local products of the . "This is quite delicious, isn''t it?" "Ah, saut¨¦ed rock hare." The rock hare is a rabbit species found in the northern lands. It is a strange meat with a light yet rich fatty flavor. Gondar caribou jerky is also good. Jin likes this one better. "This year, we started making gondar caribou ranch," he said. "Really?" Gondar caribou are reindeer that live on the Gondor continent. Their meat is edible and their fur can be used to make winter clothing. Both males and females have antlers. The antlers are made into ornaments and buttons. They also make a delicious wine. The wine is made from mountain grapes grown in the north and aged to a taste that Reinhardt would have approved of. Arnold, who was welcomed with such unique foods, thanked Jin again for bringing him to this place. * * * * * * * * * The next day, Rhodotos, his sister Vita, and his wife Ludmilla arrived and greeted Arnold and Chelle. Arnold and Chelle are now completely at ease and greet each other very naturally. "I am Rhodes, the <>. I used to be of the Shinra clan, but I was adopted. "This is my sister, Vita. I am of the Shinra clan. I am Ludmilla, the puppet wife of Rhodes. My name is Arnold, and I look forward to working with you. My name is Chel, your squire. I look forward to making your acquaintance. After the greetings, Rhodes began to talk with Arnold, and Vita and Ludmilla with Chelle. "Arnold, may I call you Mr. Arnold?¡¡You can call me by my first name. "Of course, you can call me Mr. Arnold. In ......, I will call you Mr. Rhodes." They seem to have settled on calling each other by . "I just overheard that you are an engineer, aren''t you, Mr. Arnold?" "Yes, I am. "I''m doing some research and I was wondering if you have any suggestions on how to match the attributes of the magic crystals with their intended use?" "Hmmm, I guess so. ......" Arnold thinks for a moment before answering. "Attribute and usage matching is important but not essential. I think synchronization is more important. Synchronization? "Synchronization? Synchronization. If you use the same attributes, synchronization is easy,...... but it is often forgotten because it is not necessary, but there is a loss in the propagation of the magic wave, and the activation of magic is quite inefficient, so I think synchronization will make a lot of difference. "I see. ......" "Synchronization. I''m sure. ...... it is even possible to write fire-attribute magic into water-attribute magic crystals (magi crystals) and have them activate." Jin muttered to himself, and the two heard his words. "Yes, that''s it. Jin said, that''s a good example. "Jin-san, please tell us more about that." "What?¡¡What? ...... First of all, you know that <> are classifications based on the frequency of magic waves, right? Yes. Yes.¡¡Is that so? Surprisingly, Arnold did not seem to know that this ......<<<< attribute>> is a classification based on the frequency of magic waves. Apparently, he had an empirical understanding. That is a big deal, though. So, Hitoshi explains the frequency of the magic wave briefly as a review. "Since magic power is also a wave, it has a <>. This determines the attributes, from the lowest to the highest: earth, water, fire, wind, lightning, light, and darkness. ...... Jin explains that there are some attributes that are all attributes, because the bandwidth of frequencies spans almost all of them. Arnold listens with interest. "Lightning, in essence, is electricity. Light is electromagnetic radiation. Darkness is . Yes, that''s what I learned. Rhodes nodded. "Yes. And you see, when magic is activated through the medium of magecrystals, there is a process of resonance and amplification, and because of the ease of resonance, the magic will be more effective if the attributes of the magecrystals are matched. "Ah, I see." Arnold seemed to have understood it, at least somewhat. I am sorry for the analogy, but writing fire-attribute magic into a water-attribute magic crystal (magicrystal) and activating it may be like trying to produce a high tone with a low tone speaker ....... "So, back to the subject, you said <>, but I think it might actually be closer to <>." "Reiki ......?" What the hell is that? "Oh, I guess Rhodes didn''t learn that either. ......<> is the process of applying magic power from the outside to bring the state of a magecrystal closer to the attribute of the magic power applied to it." Jin concluded, "There are probably many people who do this in practice, even if they don''t know what it is called or what the principle is. "Ah, so that''s what you mean." "You know a lot of things, Jin. Is that also the knowledge of ?" Well, that''s the way it is. Jin guessed that the Kingdom of Dinar did not have this kind of magical theory before the . However, it was much later that Jin realized the , so it was inevitable in a world where < was still undeveloped. "So, going back to what Arnold said about <>, I guess it is close to <>, that is ......." Jin explained, "The magic power applied externally partially controls the internal structure of the magic crystal (magicrystal) to obtain the magic wave of the desired attribute ....... "I''m learning a lot." "Yes, I''d like to learn a lot from you, Jin." Both Rhodes and Arnold were happy to listen to Jin''s lecture. 3031 - - 80-17 Compilation Arnold was discussing magical engineering with Rhodes at the same time. Chelle was enjoying a conversation with Ludmila and Vita. "Oh, so that''s how it was back then..." "Didn''t you know that, Vita? "It seems that we did not fully grasp the situation on the human side at that time. "As my sister-in-law Ludmilla says, they don''t teach us that in school either." Over a decade ago, the Nordic Federation established an institution and system that can be called a , and Vita has been attending it since last year. Three days out of the seven-day week are designated as school days. "This is also a part of the guidance from <>," says Ludmila. says Ludmila. "And the instructors come from too." <> to teach us. The graduates have to go to <> for a few years for higher education, and only when they graduate from the educational program are they qualified to become <>. ...... "It''s an interesting ......, no, it''s an interesting system." Chell explained that in the <> there was a teacher-apprentice system but no school. "The <> qualification is an international one, so it is valid not only in this country but also in other countries. Conversely, if you want to teach in this country, you don''t necessarily need to be a <>." Ludmila''s explanation was easy to understand, and Chelle was able to get an overview of the educational situation here in the . "It is important to teach history, isn''t it?" Chelle said sincerely. "It seems that the internal conditions in those days were very difficult for both of us. "Well, Mr. Chell, could you give us a lecture on the situation on the human side at that time?" "What?" Vita suddenly spoke up with an idea. "Vita-san, isn''t that a bit harsh?" Ludmilla softly soothed her. "Is that so? "Yes. Even though we are not a party to the war now, it''s a little ...... to ask us to tell you how we are exhausted from the war with the <>." "Yes, you''re right. ...... Sorry, Chelle. I didn''t mean to sound so thoughtless." "No, that''s okay." Chelle smiled and shook her head in agreement. "Oh, it might be difficult to give a lecture ...... in person, but if you want to write a report about what happened then..." "Oh, that would be nice. But I would like you to submit it through and I would like to use it as a textbook. "If through such educational activities, the foundation for peace can be laid, I would be happy to do so." It seems that the discussion was quite fruitful. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After lunch, Jin and the others leave the Nordic Federation. They would like to relax, but for the time being, they need to report the accomplishment of their request to the King of the Kingdom of Selroa. "After that, you can take your time and look around the world again. "Yes, I look forward to it, Jin." Arnold understands this situation. Arnold is now immortal, so he has plenty of time to see the world. "But if that''s the case, weren''t you just taking a detour? Arnold asks Jin, but with a good reason. "No, it''s rude to say it like this, but I wanted to settle our differences with the <> first. There must be some <> working in the Kingdom of Selroa, so he was also worried that it might become an international problem if he suddenly visited them and caused trouble. "I see, I can understand your concern. After all, the last time the first underground base attacked a friend of mine. "Then you must be even more worried. They never make anything good." Arnold seemed to understand what Jin was worried about, and he rubbed the old Isak in his face for being unstable by default. In fact, the team that was in charge of the < was all about the , and Arnold seemed to be disappointed with them. Arnold is relieved that Jin has rebuilt the <<1st underground base> this time. "That''s why I''m going to the Royal Castle of the Kingdom of Selroa. "I wonder if ...... Jin can visit the king at any time." "That''s right." "......I knew it." < * * * * * * Jin and Arnold were discussing engineering magic until they arrived in the Kingdom of Selroa. "...... So, can I ask you something this time?" What is it? About Chell. "Yeah?" "Chelle has figured out my and , and I''m impressed by the way her mind works. I wonder if there is some secret to it." "Oh, that. ...... well, I can tell you. ......" "Is there something wrong?" "No, it''s nothing like that." "Well, let''s hear it, then." Okay. Arnold spoke slowly. "Actually, Chell is the culmination of all the automata I''ve ever made. "Yes." "Well, I mean that literally, you know. In other words, it is a collection of the control cores of 10 automata in total. ......" "Accumulated?" "Is it a little different from accumulation ......?¡¡Anyway, can we say that only the good parts of the control core of 10 bodies were gathered together?¡¡That may not be quite right either." "You mean to say that you have accumulated data from ten control cores, and the eleventh control core, Chelle, is now like this?" "Yes, well, that''s what I mean." Arnold confirmed Jin''s guess, although it was a very fluffy summary. "Simply put, I think it is a very ...... advanced method to integrate only the areas related to <> and <>, excluding areas such as <> and <>. By the way, Jin has never done such a thing. That is, it would be like sacrificing the original automata (or golem). But as Arnold says, "Well, ...... the original 10 automata were taken by the government and destroyed." "What?" "What?" "That''s what I mean. Because of the wartime and lack of supplies, all automata and golems that were not for non-combat or military use that were owned by individuals were taken away. That was the situation at the end of the war." "............" "So, I decided to merge the data I had saved to at least prove that the existence of the ten automata was not in vain." "I see." Jin felt that Chelle had inherited the feelings of her 10 brothers and sisters. 3032 - - 80-18 Visit to the Kingdom of Celluloa The brain part of Chell was the culmination of integrating the brains of ten automata. "Mature ...... is not the right word for doing so. I guess it makes you think like a ...... skilled thinker." Nevertheless, Jin was not willing to try it, considering the original control core (control core). In this case, the original control core is not lost or broken. However, he is not willing to use the brain of the automata or the as a mere . In the case of a situation like Arnold''s, I think it is inevitable. In that case, Jin thought that he might do the same thing ....... In that sense, <> is the only automata for Jin. Certainly, in such a case, she seems to be emotionally rich and her control core seems to work better, Jin analyzed. However, Reiko is not such a simple thing as a culmination or integration. The control core (control core) of created by the first generation was almost broken, so it was written directly into the magi crystal (magi crystal) by , and then her own basic control magi formula (control system) was added, fused, and integrated. ...... is the control core of Reiko. This is a one-of-a-kind item. "Jin, what''s wrong?" Arnold called out to Jin, who was deep in thought. "Oh, no, I was just thinking about something. "Is it about the integration of the control core?" Yes, I was. I won''t stop you if you try, but the success rate is low. Is that so? "Is that so?" "Yes. I know many others who have tried ......, especially for military reasons, but none of them have succeeded." Perhaps there are special conditions, Arnold said. "Conditions or ......." Maybe the owner of the original control core wishes for it, Jin thought, but he did not say it because it was not a very academic hypothesis. In the meantime, he had a chance to look at the "Hurricane Hurricane". In the meantime, the <> finally arrived at the Kingdom of Selroa. The time difference of about one hour was taken into account, and it flew slowly so that the time would be 10:00 a.m. local time. < on the <>, the balloons of the air patrol cleared the airway. "They really trust you, don''t they?" Arnold, seeing this, says in admiration. The then landed in the forecourt of the royal castle. There appeared the king, Beaux-Arts Valois de Cerlois, and the Prime Minister, Dine Saeme de Pars, protected by the Kingsguard. Jin, Reiko, Chelle, Arnold, and Hope exit the in that order. "Welcome, Jin!" Your Majesty and I have been expecting you. Both the King and the Prime Minister look a little tired. "There is someone I would like to introduce to you today..." Jin said, "Are they from your side?" the Prime Minister guessed. The guards were natural, but they seemed to be on their guard. Although they are with Jin, it is natural for them to be wary of strangers. "Yes. I am from the underground base at Fort Rutgura. "Well, that''s an interesting story. However, it is not a good idea to talk to them in the vestibule. The Prime Minister invited Jin and the others to the royal castle. "Well, please come in. He then leads them to a small conference room. All the conference rooms in the castle are designed for the royal family. In other words, there are seats reserved exclusively for royalty. The king sits at the seat corresponding to the upper seat in the room, the vizier sits on his right, and his personal guard stands behind the king on his left and right. The tables in the small conference room are almost square. There is an open space in the center, which is also square. Jin and Arnold sit on the opposite side, avoiding the front of the king. Reiko, Hope, and Chelle stand behind them. "Well, let me greet you again. I am Dine Saeme de Pars. I am the Prime Minister. This is His Majesty the King. I am Jin Nido. I am Reiko and Hope from ...... and this is Lord Arnold. My name is Chelle. Arnold. My name is Chelle. Finally, the greetings and introductions are complete. I would like to start by introducing the two of you. Yes, Mister Jin, I''ve been wondering about them too. You said they were related to Fort Rutgura? Both the king and the prime minister seemed interested, so Jin decided to explain quickly. "First of all, let me tell you something. These two are automata. "What?" What? The king and the prime minister were stunned. "......" "...... Jin-dono, is that true?" "Yes. ...... so you are related to the underground base, or in other words, you belong to the underground base? "Yes? The King was speechless and the Prime Minister sounded both stunned and surprised. "That''s what I mean. I was a servant of the kingdom you call . It is now called the Kingdom of Cerroa, but I am aware that its roots are the same. Arnold spoke in a formal manner. "This is an embarrassing situation. You ...... are really an automaton, aren''t you?" Yes, he is. Jin-dono ...... made the body, you mean? Yes. "Yes. ...... is wonderful. It looks just like a human. Thank you very much. At this point, the king, who had finally regained his composure, opened his mouth. "Jin, Jin-dono, you don''t mean to tell me that you have finished the maintenance of the ......?" "No, it is finished." "Oh my God!" I requested it on the 24th, and today is the 28th. They didn''t expect to finish the underground base maintenance in three days of actual work. "So, there is a magical brain that controls the underground base, and I want to determine the order of priority for its orders. Specifically, I want you to be given the highest priority." I see. I can''t do that without your presence, so I''d like to arrange a date. "Well, how much time will that take?" "Well, how long does it take?" "Well, the setup itself will take less than a minute. "That''s not so short!" It''s more like a travel time. The travel time is only about an hour each way for Jin''s . The rest of the time is for a tour of the underground base to check it out. "Yes. ......" King Beaux-Arts thought about it, and then spoke his conclusion. 3033 - - 80-19 Guide 1 King Bossard Valois de Serlois of the Kingdom of Serlois concluded, "This afternoon, please. The Prime Minister, Dine Saime de Pars, was surprised and panicked when he heard this. Hearing this, the Prime Minister, Dayne Saeme de Pars, was surprised and panicked, He said, "Dine, I can go back and forth with Mr. Jin today. And today, we have relatively little time to spare. The king said to him, "Well, then, we will go back later," he replied. "Then we will have an early lunch and go to Fort Lutgula. What about the members? "Mister Jin, I will go, of course, but do you have any suggestions ...... about who you would like to accompany you, or would you like to bring along with you? "Yes, ......." It was decided that the king''s right to command would be first, but the question was what to do next. If there was a Dauphin, there would be no problem, but the current King of Cerroa is a bachelor. He has no mistress, and therefore no prince or princess. "His Royal Highness the King''s Uncle, His Royal Highness the King''s Brother, His Royal Highness the King''s Sister...... that is, I hope the royal family will be with us." "Ummm...it would be bad to take all of them ...... with us." King Beaux-Arts would not allow the entire royal family to leave the royal castle at once unless they had something to do with it, King Beaux-Arts said. Next to him, the Prime Minister nodded his head. "If the first in line to the throne is here..." he said. Then, someone who has a say in the royal family. Then the younger brother and the Prime Minister, I suppose. I''m sure. The king''s uncle Francis, a former general of the Kingsguard, has renounced his claim to the throne. He claimed that it was not good for a military man to meddle in politics. Therefore, now that there is no Dauphin, the first in line to the throne is the King''s brother, Marcel Valois de Celluloix. The second place goes to Jeanne Valois de Celuloix, the younger sister of the king, followed by her cousins, Beaux-Arts explained. (I remember meeting her before when I had my magic wave measured.) Jin remembered him as a thin, quiet young man. (I remember meeting him when I had measured the magic waves before. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After lunch at the castle, the carrying the King of Celuloa and his brother headed for Fort Lutgra. It seems that a squadron of airships from the kingdom tried to follow as escort, but none of them could follow the , which boasts a speed of 400 kilometers per hour (its normal top speed). "Wow, it''s fast!" Marcel, the king''s younger brother, who will turn 21 this year, looked out of the window of the <> and was as excited as a child. "Maybe it''s because you don''t get out of the castle that much, but you''re so excited. ......" "I can see why. I can understand how those who have been forced to stay indoors, whether they like it or not, feel ......." "Well, Arnold must have been in a similar situation." Yes. Meanwhile, King Beaux-Arts is talking with the Prime Minister. "......Therefore, I hope you will soon take a wife,......." "......The old man is so noisy. ......" It''s a whisper, but I can''t help but hear it because I''m in the cabin. Jin guesses that the Prime Minister was in the position of an educator for Beaux-Arts, since he calls him "Grandpa. And Arnold seems to be talking with Chelle. Though Jin does not know it because it seems to be through the built-in manacam. However, Reiko seems to be able to intercept them at close range. Since Reiko did not say anything, Jin guessed that it was probably just a trivial talk. The conversation was probably just an ordinary conversation. We arrived at Fort Lutgra an hour later as planned. The landed beside the log house. This time, Hope stays behind to maintain the Hurricane, while Jin, Reiko, the king, his brother, the prime minister, Arnold, and Chel disembark. "What is that hut?" Marcel asked Jin when he saw the log cabin. "It''s a hut where we installed the transfer magic circle that connects Kupu to this place. "Wow, that''s a great idea. "We''ll take it down when all the work is done, though." "I''m sure we will. ...... Marcel, the king''s younger brother, looked as if he was thinking that it would be a waste of time and money. "It''s an installation type, so the hut can be used again." "What?¡¡Is that so?" "Yes, I brought the finished product here and installed it. "Oh, is that so? ......" Then came King Beaux-Arts. "Marcel, if you have any questions for the king, you can ask them later." Yes, brother. "Jin-dono, let me show you the fort then." So, I was to show him around Fort Lutgla first. The top part of the fort was not very well maintained. The upper part of the ground has not been modified much. We have only repaired the parts that were damaged in the recent riot and reinforced the areas where the strength is a little weak. "Well, that''s good to know. It''s also meant to be a historical site, brother. That''s right. The Prime Minister, the King, and the King''s brother each affirmed this action. "Now for the main part, the underground base." "Oh, this is going to be fun. First, let''s go to the newly built bulkhead. "Normally it is closed. To open it, you need to enter this key and the password on this panel. "Hmm." So we have both a physical lock and a logical security. If is eventually opened to the public as a historical site, this bulkhead will be left open. Beyond the bulkhead is a short passageway that leads to a small hall and then to a staircase leading to the basement. "So, can I leave it to Chelle to guide us from here? asked Jin, "Oh, that''s a good idea. King Beaux-Arts agreed without a second thought. The king said, "Well, then, I am afraid that I am not a good person. "Well then, let me be your guide, Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Excellency. "Yes, thank you." Chelle bowed politely and greeted the three guests. "This way, please." Chelle takes the lead in going down the stairs. The stairs used to be dark and dangerous because of the large steps, but Jin had renovated them and they are now normal, bright, and easy to walk down. "This base consists of three levels: upper, middle, and lower. "Hou?" "The upper level is mostly golem hangars and is the smallest of the three levels." Why is that? Yes, Prime Minister. That''s because this place was built to serve as a place of refuge during the wars of the time. I see, is that why there are golems to repel the invading enemy? "Yes. And although that function has now been removed, it also had the function of collapsing the floor after luring the enemy into this floor. "Oh, yeah. ...... has been removed now, hasn''t it?" "Yes. Jin-sama removed it. "That''s good to hear. ...... After this, we check the battle golem and the general-purpose golem stored in the upper level and that''s it. The group headed for the middle level. 3034 - - 80-20 Guide 2 From the upper level to the middle level, one descends by stairs, but there is a sturdy dividing wall on the way down. There is another staircase beyond this wall, but it is a dead end. "Oh, you mean it''s a trap? "Yes, Your Royal Highness. There''s a wall that separates us from the rest of the way. We''ll make them think we''re on the proper route and lure them into a cul-de-sac before pouring the poisoned water into them. "That''s not very nice. ......" "Of course, we don''t have that function now. Of course, we don''t have that function now, but that''s how wars were fought back then. "Yes, we must not turn our eyes away from the past. ...... Marcel, the king''s brother, muttered to himself. The normal route was to go down the stairs and pass through a narrow passageway for about 20 meters. "There used to be traps in this passage as well, where spears would fly out of the walls on either side, where lightning magic would be released, where the floor would suddenly come loose, and where the ceiling would fall down. Of course, now the devices have been removed and it is just a normal passageway. "I see. Thank you, Jin-dono. Even the king was a bit taken aback. After passing through such a passageway, we arrived at the middle level. This is the middle level. This is the middle level, where various facilities are located, including the control and magic brains. To be more specific, the various facilities include <><><><> and so on. "First of all, let''s go to the <>." "Yes." Chelle led the group to the brain room in the center of the middle level. < "Ummm, I am the present king, Beaux-Arts Valois de Selrois." <> Do you know him? "Oh, I see. He is my brother. King Beaux-Arts seemed to understand immediately, since he had been informed by Jin the other day of the results of the analysis performed by the Magi Spectrum Analyzer. "<>, I''m going to set up an order for you." Jin explains. "First is His Majesty the King, second is His Royal Highness the King''s brother, and third is His Excellency the Prime Minister. "Now, let''s set it up. ......<>Set up. 1st, His Majesty King Beaux-Arts Valois de Selrois. 2nd, His Royal Highness Marcel Valois de Selrois, 3rd. His Excellency Prime Minister Dine Saime de Pars." This establishes the order for the time being. "Next, I appoint His Excellency the Prime Minister Dine Saeme de Pars as a special member. <>......" This gives the authority to change the order authority independently from the order authority ranking. It is a so to speak. The condition is that it can be exercised when the first position becomes vacant. If not exercised, the second position becomes the first position. "What does this mean?" The Prime Minister asked. "Yes, it is obsolete now, but it seems to have been a common practice during the war. The explanation was given by Jin. "It is called the right to give orders and the right to recognize the order of orders. Even if you have the right to recognize the order order, it does not mean that you have a higher order of command." A similar example would be the coronation of a king by a pope. Of course, he cannot raise his own order of precedence. Jin gives a series of explanations like that. "I see. So you can change the order of command in case you forget to take over? "Yes. And ...... it''s not a good idea, but we''ll be prepared for the worst case scenario. "Yes, that is necessary." King Beaux-Arts seemed to have guessed what Jin meant. That is, in case of the sudden death of the first-ranking monarch. There are always bone fights over the throne, as history has shown. History shows this clearly. It is said that this system came into being during the time of war, because there must be a clear order of command over the administrative magical brains. * * * * * * * * * * * * After the explanation and setting up of the magic brain, please refer to ....... "<>, please greet His Majesty. "Yes." In response to Jin''s words, the white-haired automata <> appears. "Oh! She looks a lot like Chelle. "I am an assistant automata with a magical brain. <. Please say your name. Then you will be registered with the brain through her. This < will be of the same rank as the right to give commands to the controlling mage-brain." Jin introduced Doris and explained to her about his command authority. "My name is Doris, and I am looking forward to working with you. Your Majesty, Your Highness, Sir." "Yes. My name is King Beaux-Arts. < "This is Marcel, brother of the king. Pleased to meet you. This is Dine, the Prime Minister. Pleased to meet you." Following the king, Marcel, the king''s brother, and Dayne, the vizier, also introduced themselves, thus establishing their authority to give orders to Doris. "Doris is an automata (automaton), which can be used as a limb ......, an eye, or an ear instead of an immobile magic brain. She can repair minor to moderate malfunctions. It can also provide security. Jin explained the significance of Doris''s existence and her abilities. "I see. So you can do the same thing with Chelle? "Yes, Your Majesty." "Chelle and Doris ...... can also maintain each other, right?" That''s what I''m saying, Your Highness. And reduce the probability of malfunctions? "It would, sir." It seems that all three of them have understood the relationship between the control magic brain and the assistant automata. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Now then, let me show you the other facilities. The remaining facilities in the middle level are <<<. < and facilities are not particularly interesting to me (and to Jin, since he repaired them himself), so I''ll just end up with this. However. "This is the factory. "Oh." "You say it''s simple, but isn''t it pretty good?" "Yes. We can make a golem. "After all, ......" "I don''t think that''s at all. ......" The king was frankly impressed, the king''s brother questioned the , and the prime minister made a crack about it. 3035 - - 80-21 Guide 3 "The last one is the materials warehouse, but there is nothing to see here either, so ......" "Why is that?¡¡Can I take a look at it? Yes, Prime Minister. Yes, Your Excellency. Chell said and opened the door of the warehouse. "Oh. ......" "So that''s what this is about. ......" The warehouse was almost empty. "It was wartime," he said, "so we didn''t have time to fill the warehouse." "...... I see. Mm-hmm. Okay. I will have an emergency stockpile made in my name." "Thank you, Your Majesty. Now this warehouse will serve its purpose. Now that the base was even better equipped, Chel thanked the king on his behalf. "Good. This is also the king''s duty." * * * * Finally, we are guided to the lower levels. Doris has gone back under the magic brain, so Chelle will continue to guide us. First, we go down the stairs to the lower level. It is explained that there used to be a trap here as well. "The lower level is a shelter for evacuation, and it was never allowed to be infiltrated by enemies. So a last resort was set up by pouring molten lead into the passage." Of course, this has now been removed. "If that trap were to work, would the lower levels be isolated?" "No, sir. There''s a route out through the shifting magic circle. I see. Then we''ll be safe. And where does it lead to, by the way? The younger brother asked about the destination. "Yes, Your Highness. The destination is an underground facility on an island south of . ...... Actually, it has only been set up, but it has not yet been opened because the transfer magic circle is not yet complete. "Oh, so that''s the connection." "I see." Marcel, the king''s younger brother, was convinced, and Jin, who was listening to him, also understood. "Well, that underground facility over there was literally the ......, although it was not completed." The fact that the two facilities were not in the same state of progress must have been a problem, Jin imagined. The group then reached the lower floor. Chelle seemed to introduce them by starting with the room closest at hand. "Here is the pantry too. It is empty now, but if we fill it to the brim, we will have enough food to feed 1,000 people for a month. "I see." I see. It is strange that there is no pantry on the same floor as the evacuation site. "So it''s possible to store food for a long time here too. I hope we can figure out how to do that. The Prime Minister was impressed by the structure of the facility, and the King''s brother was interested in the method of long-term preservation. Next is a room for evacuation,...... but it is far from the image of the kings. "...... hotel?" "This is a room for evacuation. Each room is approximately 5 meters square and has a bed for 5 people, a toilet, and a washbasin. At first, Jin had imagined a spacious room like a gymnasium, but this is different. He imagined a business hotel. "It is said that this design was intended for long-term evacuation, but in reality, the upper classes of the Kingdom of Dinar were supposed to take refuge here." "......When it was wartime, the privileged class pushed through with their demands......" "The result is a painful ...... no, it''s a virtual <." "A war with no winners......, so both sides are losers, is that it? ......It really was a meaningless war." The king was dismayed at the deeds of men, the prime minister regretted it, and the king''s brother was devastated by the misery of the war. "Well, let''s get our heads back on straight. Jin called out, as if to shake off the somber atmosphere. "Yes, we must make sure that we do not repeat this foolish act again. King Beaux-Arts looked up. "Your Majesty, we are here to help you in any way we can. Chelle also said and led the way to the next room. "This is the underground cultivation room for food production. "Oh..." "This is ...... "This is ...... amazing!" The three members of the Kingdom of Selroa are wide-eyed in amazement. Jin was also amazed when he first saw it. This was a room for hydroponic cultivation in the basement. It was a facility to promote the cultivation of vegetables by using the magic of <, just like artificial sun lamps in modern Japan. However, before it was actually put into operation, an "ether stampede" occurred, and it was left unfinished. What we have in this room now are a number of shelves and an artificial solar lamp for < application. The artificial sun lamps are tinted to resemble sunlight. There was some talk about the use of LEDs of a certain color for growing plants, but Jin did not remember it, and since <> seems to be sufficient, the light has been adjusted to a natural color. "It was designed so that we could grow bean sprouts in the dark areas and nutrient-rich vegetables such as tomeitul (tomatoes) in the light areas." "I see." < is over, there is no need to grow crops underground, so this place will be left as a historical site. And next. "It''s an air-conditioning system with an independent power source." Even if the middle level was no longer functional, everything possible was done to protect those who took shelter in the lower level. "Finally, there is a storage room for emergency materials. Medicine, water, emergency rations, some metal materials, and magi crystals were to be stored here. After 700 years, the medicines, water, and emergency rations could not possibly maintain their quality and were to be disposed of. The metallic materials and magi crystals were not stored in the first place. It is assumed that this was probably due to a lack of resources. * * * * * * * * With this, I would like to conclude the tour of this . "Well, thank you." King Beaux-Arts thanked Chell for his efforts. "From now on, I would like to treat this place as a historical site that tells the story of the <>." "I think that would be good, Your Majesty." "Brother, will it not be open to the public?" No. Scholars and researchers will have to be allowed to enter. I agree, Your Majesty. Will you be my guides then, Herr Chell and Herr Arnold? Yes, Your Majesty. Yes, Your Majesty. And so it came to be. 3036 - - 80-22 Implications for the following < "Actually, Your Majesty..." "Yes?¡¡What is it, Jin-dono? "Actually, there is a second underground base further underground from here. What? What? What? The king, the king''s brother, and the prime minister were all astonished in their own way. "Is it true, Mister Jin?" "Yes, Your Highness. In fact, this Mister Arnold and Miss Chell belong to your organization. "Ummm... ......" "<>. We didn''t report it at the castle because of the ......<>. I apologize for that." Jin gave a formal reason and apologized. "No, no need to apologize. No, no need to apologize, Jin-dono, you found us. And thank you for saving Arnold and Chel. I should be the one to thank you. "Thank you, sir." At this point, Arnold spoke up. "Your Majesty, I was the one who asked Jin-dono to keep quiet. Please, scold me if you must." "No, Arnold had his reasons. I am not angry with you. I''m not angry with you." "That''s very kind of you to say. Bowing his head, Arnold explains about the second underground base. The second basement is not a human facility. "Oh?" "At the very end, a facility was built to retaliate against the <> as they were then called." "...... Arnold tries to explain in an easy-to-understand way. "I and Chelle belong to that group. < Is that what happened? "Yes. In my case, I built a new body. In Chelle''s case, almost new body. That''s why I''m here with Your Majesty, Your Highness and Your Excellencies. "I see." King Beaux-Arts seemed to agree. His brother and the Prime Minister too. "That''s why Chelle and I can work independently of each other. "I''m sure that''s true." Your Majesty, I beg you to allow me and Chelle to move freely. Is that your wish? Yes, Your Majesty. "......" Jin did not expect Arnold to make such a request to the king. However, he could understand his feelings, so he decided to support him. "Your Majesty, I ask you to do the same for me. I am sure that it would be in the best interest of the nation since Mr. Arnold has technical knowledge of 700 years ago. I am sure that Chel will be able to assist him. "I see...you say so too, Jin-dono." The king closed his eyes, thought for a minute, and slowly opened them, "Very well. I will allow it on one condition." He opened his eyes slowly and said, "Allow me on one condition. What is the condition, Your Majesty? "When you go out on your own, you must submit a timetable. The deadline must be clear. And when you''re done, you must submit a brief report. How about ......?" Jin felt that this sounded like a request for a paid leave of absence. But even if he took paid leave, he would not submit a report, so it might be more like a business trip. "I understand." Arnold had no reason to refuse the request, so he agreed to the terms. The same goes for Chelle. "Well, everything is settled now. King Beaux-Arts nodded his head in satisfaction. "Your Majesty, I think it''s time to get back to ......." At this point, Beaux-Arts made a proposal. "Mister Arnold, Mister Jin, may we set up a transfer magic circle connecting this <<1st underground base>> with our royal castle?" It could be said that permission is not required since the facility is within the territory of the Kingdom of Celluloid, but King Bozar wanted to show his sincerity to Arnold and the others. The transfer magic circle would be a very efficient way to stockpile emergency supplies and food in the future. "Yes, Your Majesty. Then let''s set up a transfer magic circle in one of the upper rooms. "Oh, Jin-dono, that would be great." The technology of the transfer magic circle has already been established and is operated as a transportation network under the control of each country. The reason why it is not publicized to the general public is to prevent it from being used for evil purposes such as smuggling and terrorism. * * * * Jin consulted with and and set up a transfer magic circle in an unused warehouse. The size of the transfer area is medium, with a diameter of 3 meters. It is practical enough for both bringing in food and human visitors. The group then decided to return to Esia, the capital of the Kingdom of Celuloa, by . * * * * * On the way to Esaias, Arnold expresses his hope. "Jin, can you fly us along the west river? "The west river ...... is the border river between the Shoro Kingdom and the Border River? Yes, that''s it. Your Majesty, may I? Yes, it''s fine. I''d rather you did. Your Majesty. ...... With the King''s permission, Jin gives instructions to Hope. Hope, please. "Yes, Your Majesty." So the turns to the west and flies at an altitude of about 1000 meters, overlooking the Border River. Is that good? Yeah, that''s good enough. Thank you." Arnold thanked the crew, opened a part of the floor window, and gazed out at the wilderness below. "So it''s not ...... ...... after all." "What?" It was a whisper, but Jin, who happened to be nearby, heard Arnold''s voice. "Oh, you heard me, Jin." "Yes, I heard it." "Well, it doesn''t matter." So, what''s missing? The base. The base? A base? There''s supposed to be one around here. It is located almost due west of Mount Onouni. "I thought it was still there because it was a little bit out of the way of the battlefield. The land below is a bleak, rocky, dirt wilderness. "Was there a base around here, too? ......" It looks as if it has decayed over the past 700 years. "It''s a small one, though. Most of it was underground, so maybe some of the basement is still there." "I see." The Prime Minister, who had been listening to this conversation, approached Jin. "Excuse me, Mister Jin, Mister Arnold. If what you just said is true, then there is such a potential threat ......, well, maybe not a threat, but I would like to investigate it." I understand. "So, since we don''t have a deadline, would you, Jin-dono, Arnold-dono, and Chel-dono be willing to investigate?¡¡We can discuss the reward afterwards at the royal castle. "I don''t mind, but..." Jin, who was interested in the ancient base, looked at Arnold. "I don''t mind either. I''m curious about it, too, so I''d like to do it. So Arnold readily agrees. "Oh, well, I''m looking forward to working with you. For more information, please visit ......." And so it came to be. What awaits them at the old abandoned facility: ....... 3037 - - 80-23 As a witness of the past At 5:00 p.m. local time, the <> has returned to the capital city of Esia. First, everyone heads to the small conference room for a summary of the day''s events. "First of all, thank you, Mr. Jin, for the maintenance of <> and its underground facilities. ......This is the list of the rewards." The king thanked him and handed him the promised list of rewards. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Arnold and Mr. Chell. I hope you will continue to help our country and the world. "Of course, Your Majesty. I will only follow Master Arnold. And now, I would like to bestow the title of honorary citizen upon Lord Arnold and Mister Chelle. This proves that you are citizens of the Kingdom of Celluloid, but you do not have to pay taxes. "Thank you, Your Honor." "Thank you." "It''s an honor." The identification card will be issued the next day, because of the formalities. "Now, Mister Arnold, you said you knew of some ancient bases on your way home." "Yes." The Prime Minister asked, and Arnold answered in the affirmative. "One of them must have been just west of Mount Onouni. The other base I know of was located near the center of the , but it seems to be gone as well. "The Plain of Borolon?¡¡Are you talking about the Bororon Wilderness? Oh, yes. At that time there was a lush green prairie, but it seems that the soil was contaminated during the War of Magic. "What a ......!" "Mm, I see. ......" The Prime Minister was astonished, and the King also frowned. "Actually, I don''t know much about the <>. The reason is that there are not many records of it. Even if we include the long-lived <>. "Is it because they died in the Aether Stampede?" Arnold questioned at King Bozar''s words. "That would be significant. All that was left were the records of the war to suit themselves." "Yes, I can understand that. The military of the Kingdom of Dinar at that time was, how shall I say it, ......" Arnold is at a loss for words, but King Beaux-Arts throws him a straight line. "...... corrupt, you say?" Yes, well,...... "It seems that every now and then, long-lasting regimes become corrupt. ...... Hence the need for a revival by those who have a heart, Beaux-Arts says. Indeed, the kingdoms of Cerroa and Franz four hundred years ago ......, Jin, who was listening at the side, recalled those days. "Well, let me go back. Probably, more detailed and accurate records were only kept on the battlefield. I wonder how many people thought to write about the <> for posterity in the first place. ......" "Hmmm, is that so?" "Yes, Your Majesty." So Arnold remembered, not saying it out loud but in his heart, that he too had almost despaired. "Then you are a witness of the , are you not?" "No, I know very little about the early days. It was only in the later stages that I was recruited." "Hmmm, I see. But still, you must have valuable information. If you have a chance, could you give a lecture at <>?" "<>?¡¡...... Uh, it was the base of the <>, wasn''t it?" "Oh, you know. Oh, you knew that. I would appreciate it if you could be a temporary lecturer there. And at the same time, you could put together a text book for us. "Yes, I''ll do it." "Oh, you''ll do it?" "Yes. Yes, but I think it will take a little longer. "Yes, that''s fine. ...... we''ll start with a survey of the remaining underground bases, right? Yes. The day is then dismissed. Arnold and Chelle, as well as Jin and Reiko, are to stay at the castle. King Bozar said he would like to talk to them again in the morning of the next day. * * * * "Oh, the bath feels so nice. ......" Arnold was alone enjoying the bath in the room assigned to him, which was a guest room with a bathroom. Chelle, of course, was in the same room, but this time she did not go into the bathroom to avoid disturbing Arnold, but waited outside. "Gin ......? I wonder if the course of the war would have been different if there had been engineers like him at that time. ...... Or maybe before that, the war would never have happened." However, there are no "ifs" in history. We all have to live in the present. Arnold enjoys a relaxing bath and thinks about the future. * * * "The bath here is huge, isn''t it?" Jin also stayed in the guest room with Reiko. Naturally, he enjoys taking a bath. "Father, may I wash your back?" "Yes, please." Unlike Arnold, Reiko is in the bathroom with him. "...... come to think of it, we don''t really know the whole story of the <>, do we?" In short, it is only because the parties who were fighting were wiped out by the <>. "Elena might know a little bit about what happened in the previous period, but I don''t know if it''s ...... possible. At that time, Elena was known as the and she just kept on destroying golems and automata regardless of friend or foe. There is no sense of being at war. "<> is the same, ...... because all the parties involved are dead, ...... and they don''t even have time to keep records." There was a smaller-scale <<> by the <> a long time ago, and Jin and the others were there, so they understand how disastrous it can be. < If you can deploy a powerful , you can barely survive. "<> don''t seem to keep detailed records. Perhaps it is a characteristic of the Nordic people, but there were not many records of the past in the Nordic Federation, and Jin felt regretful about this. "Ah, perhaps the longevity of the people is another reason. If there are many people who know about the past without recording it, they may think it is enough just to pass it on. Because of this, the <>, caused by <>, wiped out all the radical clans, and the history that they should have known is lost forever. The radical clans would have been active in the front lines during the <>, so they should have been familiar with the reality of the war. I thought it would be interesting to summarize the <> with the participation of the northern tribes and Elena. "Well, I guess Vivian will be the one to summarize it then. ......" Maybe that day is near ....... 3038 - - 80-24 Underground Facility Search On the morning of the 29th, after having a meal at the Royal Castle, Jin, Reiko, Arnold, Chel and four others ......2 at 8:30 a.m. The four and the two bodies were summoned to a small conference room. "I am sorry for your trouble. Prime Minister Dine was there and greeted Jin and the others. "First of all, I would like to give you the identification card of that I promised you yesterday. "Thank you very much." "Thank you very much." Arnold and Chelle are now treated as citizens of the Kingdom of Selroa. "Next, I''d like to ask about the rewards for the research on the ancient base that you requested from Jin-dono, Arnold-dono, and Chel-dono..." The Prime Minister offered Jin two kilograms of mithril silver (market value 9 million yen) and one kilogram of adamantite (market value 80 million yen). million yen). Arnold and Chelle were offered two million tokens in cash (about 20 million yen) for the two of them. Arnold and Chelle were offered 2 million Tolls (approximately 20 million yen) in cash for the two of them. Jin had no objection. Arnold was no different. However, "What about the ownership of what you found? Arnold asked, "What about the ownership of what you have found? "Well, do you know what will be found or ...... likely to be found?" The Prime Minister asked the question back. "I can imagine what was at the base. I can''t guarantee that it is still there. "Well, of course it is. Well, what do you think is likely to be there?" "............ a combat golem, a general-purpose golem, a magic brain, some materials, magic tools, and ...... some kind of vehicle, I guess. I guess." "I see. By the way, what do you want if you find it, Mr. Arnold? "A magic tool and a vehicle. However, I don''t know what kind of things are left, so it''s a matter of time before I find them. "I see. ...... What kind of vehicles were there in those days?" At this question, Arnold began to explain, thinking for a moment. "Golem-pulled vehicles, hot air balloons or hot air balloons, and golem-powered boats," he said. "I see." As for Jin, he was a little interested in a car pulled by a golem. He thought he would ask later whether it was a rickshaw or a carriage pulled by a golem. * * * * On this day, King Beaux-Arts was busy meeting a delegation from the neighboring kingdom of Franz, and Jin and the others decided that it would be bad to interrupt his official work, so they left the castle. "Now, Arnold, are you sure you want to investigate the base as requested?" Yes, of course. Yes, of course. Jin then instructed Hope to head for the area directly west of Mount Onouni. It would take a little more than half an hour to get there, so Jin asked Arnold the question he had just thought of. "Hey, what kind of a thing is this <> that you were talking about earlier?" "Yeah, that''s it?¡¡Well, it basically started with the idea of having a golem take the place of a horse in a wagon. I can see that. "The war was so prolonged that we had to spend a lot of money on military provisions and fodder on the battlefield. Eventually, instead of horses, they developed a golem-drawn vehicle. "Did the golem pulling the car have any special characteristics? "First of all, it had spikes on its soles. I see. To prevent slipping. I see. To prevent slipping. Then, they were made a little heavier. No consideration was given to weight reduction, Arnold said. "And the suspension system for the wagons?" "Yes, it had one. "Yes, they had them, at least to protect the cargo at a minimum." "I see. What kind of structure was it? "Not much of a structure. It just used the torsion of the axle." Torsion bar? < Jin imagined that the U-shaped axle has car bearings at both ends, and the U-shaped vertical bar is fixed to the frame. There is no damper, but this would be enough to protect the load. "Well, I guess they wanted more time for development." "I guess so. ......" Arnold blurted out. Jin was wondering what Arnold meant. "Can I ask you one more question?" "Yes?" "Earlier, when you asked me what I thought might be at the base, you hesitated just a little bit, didn''t you?¡¡What was the reason?" "Haha, you can''t fool Jin. "......I thought it might be something." "...... something dangerous?" "Yes. < That''s a very dangerous word. The ultimate weapon? "Yeah. ...... Well, I guess it''s a kind of wartime . The development code was the ." "So that''s what you mean. ......" As a human being, I can understand it a little. He wanted to have a good economic story to overturn the unfavorable war situation. I imagine that they gave it a name and developed it ....... "<> was a decisive weapon ...... and it was incomplete and defective, but was it more than that?" "I don''t know either. I don''t know either. It''s just that my superiors at the time were talking about it. "You don''t think it''s something that could cause an "ether stampede", do you? "No, it is not. Because you said something about being able to destroy only your enemies. "You mean a weapon that would selectively attack only the ? ......" "Yes. We can''t leave something like that behind, can we?" "Yes. ......" If I didn''t know, I would have had to leave it alone, but now that I know, I can''t help but be curious about it. "You don''t have any information about what it''s like, do you?" "No, I don''t have any information about what it''s like. ...... I heard that there was a secret development." Well, yes, of course. If it''s a weapon that could turn the tide of the war, it must be kept secret from the enemy, and the information must be restricted from the allies as well. "You mean that even if there are no weapons at the base we are going to, there might be weapons at some other base or facility?" "Yes, that''s right." "......That''s not good information." Jin sighs. * * * * < "Well, how do we find it?" Jin, what kind of detection means do you have? I can look for a free-magic etheric signature. Oh, that''s great, try it. You''ll need to narrow the area to increase sensitivity? "Yes. The best guess is just west of Mount Onouni, about 20 to 50 kilometers from the summit. "Okay." Jin instructed Hope to launch the <>. Hope flies the plane, and Reiko takes charge of the ether radar. Then they fly for 30 minutes. "Father, we''re getting readings in the basement." Reiko found something. 3039 - - 80-25 peoples work < "Father, Mr. Arnold, it seems to be here. Looking down from the window, she saw a wasteland. "Well, if there is a free etheric reaction underground in such an empty wilderness, then this must be our destination in all probability. "So what do we do, Arnold?" Can you tell me the depth of the ...... free-magic-element reaction? Wait a minute. If you move around a little bit and take some measurements, you might be able to ...... Hope, move about a kilometer to the west." Yes, ma''am. This will allow us to triangulate and determine the distance. Subtracting the altitude, we get the depth. Immediately after the move, Reiko reported to me. "We are 120 meters below the surface. The distribution indicates that there are cavities. "That''s for sure." Actually, the old man has already confirmed it with his peepers. It is definitely an ancient facility. "They probably used a transfer magic circle to get in and out, ...... but I don''t think there''s anything left above ground, do you?" I''m sure. "Then what do we do?" "Then what are we going to do?" "We''ll use the mini-mole for underground exploration." A mini mole? Well, look at this. It looks like it''s on board the Hurricane, but in fact it''s a mini mole that the old man sent from Horai Island via a transporter. The mini mole is a cylinder of 10cm in diameter and 30cm in length. It is powered by a micro-magic reactor. Propulsion is provided by a force field generator. "Oh, this is amazing! It''s small, but is it safe? "It''s fine. The crew is here. "Oh!" is 5 centimeters tall. No wonder Arnold is surprised. "How did you make it so small and work so well ......?" "I made a work golem that was a quarter of the normal golem, then I made another quarter of the normal golem and ...... did the rest." I see...160 centimeters, 40 centimeters, 10 centimeters..." Five centimeters is not a quarter, it''s a half. But it''s a good idea. Arnold praised Jin''s idea. Jin would like to welcome Arnold into the sooner or later, so for now he is showing his creations in small pieces. "The contents of your research will be displayed on the monitor over here." "I like that." Actually, the images will be sent to the command center on Horai Island, but the old man will forward them to so it will be fine. Jin landed the < and set up the mini-mole. "<>, please." "Yes, master." Now launch the mini-mole. Hush! < "That''s pretty fast. How fast are you digging?" "Well, it depends on the quality of the soil and rocks, so it''s hard to say, but if the conditions are right, it can go 50 meters or more per hour. "That''s great, we can reach the underground facilities in a little over two hours. Do you think the underground facility is still alive? "No, I don''t think so. No, I don''t think so. The free-magic reaction doesn''t seem too great, so it''s probably just air conditioning or a maintenance golem at best. "I see." . Jin confirmed by <> that the samples contained mainly arsenic and cadmium, lead and mercury in trace amounts. "<>...... hmm." Jin tried some engineering magic and found that metallic lead was extracted. However, it is only about one gram of lead extracted from one cubic meter of soil. The specific gravity of lead is about 11.4, so it appears to be a very small amount. If one were to consider a lead mine, the amount of lead in the soil would never be profitable. Nevertheless, the soil containing lead metal and others is preventing vegetation from flourishing, creating a desolate wilderness. "Well, if we build a special Magi machine to remove toxic substances from the soil up to 5 meters underground, ...... it would be quite a task." With the Magi machine that Jin makes, it would take 2 seconds to the toxic substances from 1 square meter of soil, 5 meters deep...... that is 5 cubic meters of soil. It would take about two seconds to extract the toxic substances from one square meter of soil, five meters deep or five cubic meters. The area of contamination west of this < is roughly 250 square kilometers. A single magi-machine would take nearly 16 years to build. In other words, making 16 machines would take 1 year, 32 machines would take half a year, and making 200 machines would take Less than one month if 200 machines are made. If the same machines are to be used to clean up the Bororon Wilderness, it would be necessary to have 20 times the number of machines in terms of area. "This, too, will have to be done after we report it to the king. Jin thought that although he could do it on his own, he should report to the king and get instructions from him ....... "I wonder how they contaminated it?" Jin was also curious about this. "I''ve only heard that they turned the metal into gas and scattered it in the air. "......That''s pretty bad. ......" Jin was disgusted by this inhumane tactic, as he could imagine that the vaporized metal would be taken into the body through the lungs or skin and cause various disorders. Jin also imagines that the method of making it gaseous would be a magic like <> ....... "These actions are easy to disperse, but troublesome to retrieve, aren''t they?" Jin wishes there was a magic like time reversal, but that is an impossible wish. "I guess we''ll just have to collect them steadily. ......" As the wilderness spread out before him, Jin could not help but think of the karma of mankind. 3040 - - 80-26 Research begins, and Reiko called out to Jin and Arnold, who were looking around. "Father, Mr. Arnold, the mini-mole has reached its destination." "Oh, I''m on my way." That was the end of the wilderness investigation, and the two returned to the Hurricane. The monitor there is showing images from the mini-mole. "The image is a bit grainy," says Arnold. Arnold says, but Jin explains. "It''s an infrared image." "Oh, I see. There is no light at all. "That''s what I mean. We''ll turn on the lights once we''re sure there''s no danger inside. That''s a good idea. After that, <> investigated the movement of free magical elements (ether) inside the facility, and confirmed that everything from no movement at all to the large Magi Machines and Golems, to the small sensors, had ceased to operate. "Okay, let''s turn on the minimum lights ......." "No, wait a minute." Arnold interrupted Jin. "This is a facility like this, it should have its own lights. It would be more natural to channel magic power into it." "I see. Is there something like an emergency light? Many emergency lights have independent energy systems, so it is easy to turn them on again. "There should be. These facilities are probably at the foot of the building." "Ah..." Following Arnold''s advice, I let the <> search the wall about 10 or 20 centimeters above the floor, and it soon found it. After getting down from the <>, <> investigates and finds that it has an independent <>. The < is also used as a fuel tank for simple golems. It is made of magical crystals and is like a battery that stores mana. If mana is poured into it from the outside, the emergency light will be restored. Success. A dim yellowish light comes on. There were three similar lights, so we turned them on as well, and the floor became much easier to see. The resolution is different between infrared and visible light. "I guess this room was air-conditioned." Arnold can now see the magi-machines clearly, which had been blurred before, and it seems to be easier for him to judge the situation. "I don''t see anything else. Let''s send him to another room. < does not only go through the ground. It can move on the flat floor with no problem. So we investigate the next room in the same way, and find that it is just a warehouse. Next to the warehouse is a golem hangar. However, there were only broken golem parts lying around, and no golem itself was found. The room next to the warehouse appeared to be a lodging facility, with five sets of bunk beds and a washbasin still standing. "I wonder if this is the room where the workers slept?" "Yes, I think so. I think it''s a facility for development staff." And further investigation led me to ....... "Oh, a workshop?¡¡A laboratory?" They came across an interesting room. "It looks like this is where they were doing their development." "Hmmm... ...... how does it look like from Jin''s point of view?" "Well, ...... I''m sorry, but it looks like child''s play equipment to me." "No, it''s not that bad. No, it''s not bad. I think so too. "So there is no here?" "At least they didn''t develop it here." The two of them looked both relieved and disappointed. * * * * * * "Well, what do we do now?" Jin, we still have something to look for. What is it? The transfer magic circle. If we can find it, we can draw the same thing. Then we can get into the facility. "Oh, okay. ...... Okay, I''ll have them keep looking. Then, in the next room, we found the transfer magic circle. "Arnold was right. There was a transfer magic circle. Right?" Since the emergency light was not enough to make some things clear, we temporarily turned on the light with the <> spell. "I see." "So this is what it looks like." First of all, to avoid any danger, I drew this on the floor of a simple tent in the wilderness, instead of inside the hurricane. "Let''s see if this will get us over there." "Yes, let''s." This is the type of transfer magic circle that you need to be careful when you send <> to it. If it is a golem or a human, it will walk out of the magic circle when it reaches the other side, but if it is a package, it will stay there. In this case, the phone receiver is disconnected (sorry for those of you who have only used cell phones or smart phones), and you can no longer transfer. In order to move again, you have to move your luggage from the top of the magic circle. Incidentally, dust, sand, and pebbles are treated as a kind of noise and do not interfere with the transfer, nor are they transferred together with it. This depends on the mass of the object. In most cases, the threshold is set at about 100 grams. "For now, let''s ask < over there to come over here. "That would be best." If the magic circle on our side is incomplete, it cannot come. In fact, the transfer magic circle does not work by itself. Oh! Oh, it works. has appeared in our magic circle. Now we can go to the other side. Yes. Father, are you sure there''s no danger? I think we''ll be fine. ...... Yes, no. What? He comes back and says no. "Sansooga, there''s nothing there." "Oh, I see. ......" No wonder the air conditioning isn''t working. I''ll take care of this." Then Chelle came forward. "No, I''ll be fine too." Arnold, too, is an automaton and does not need to breathe. So, after consulting with each other, Arnold and Chelle decided to move to the other side of the island to investigate. We will ask them to take <> with them. This way, <> will be able to observe what is going on over there through his vision, and can take immediate action in case of an emergency. "Do you need any equipment?" "Well, ......<. And some weapons. "Okay." Jin gives 10 Magi Crystals to Arnold. He also entrusted Chelle with a weapon, a . I''m off then. Take care." The three of them then moved in the transfer magic circle. 3041 - - 80-27 Role Sharing Arnold, Chelle, <> and the others have successfully moved to the underground facility by using the transfer magic circle. "Well, it''s still dark here. And there is a bad smell. Arnold stopped breathing. It''s not a problem because he is not human. "The composition of the air ...... is 82 percent nitrogen, 3 percent oxygen, 12 percent carbon dioxide, and 3 percent other noble gases. rare gases. Atmospheric pressure is 0.89 bar." Chelle analyzed the data. "So you don''t think there''s anything alive in there?" "Yes." "Chelle, can you turn up the light a little brighter?" Arnold''s body is about the same size as a human''s, so it is too dark for him to see clearly with the emergency lights. "Leave it to me." But Chelle is different. She is an automata with full support functions. "<>" "Yes, it''s brighter now." Arnold knew that there was nothing special in the room with the transfer magic circle, but he looked around just in case. Then he saw what looked like a map on the wall. "Is this a map of the ...... facility?" "It looks like it." It was a good discovery. Because it turns out that there is one hidden room in addition to the one that <> investigated. It may not be a secret, however, if it is on the floor plan on the wall of the room where the transfer magic circle is located. "Well, whatever. Let''s take a look at it first. "Yes, Master Arnold." Arnold walks away with on his shoulder. * * * * * * We start with the next room. It was what appeared to be a golem hangar with only broken golem parts lying around. Arnold picked up a piece of Golem that was lying around. It was about 2 cm in diameter and 10 cm long. It was an actuator ...... probably used as a muscle. "It has a piston and a cylinder, and it expands and contracts with magical power. ......" If it is for a golem, it is a very unusual structure. Jin might have said that it is more for a robot than for a golem. A similar analogy would be the . A metal shaft extends from a metal cylinder. And there were five terminals for inputting magical power. "I''ve never seen this model before. ......" Arnold decided to take this part home. * * * * The next stop was the materials warehouse. It is empty. "Hmmm, nothing to see here." "It''s really empty." We let that be the end of it and go to the room where the accommodation is located. "It''s not very comfortable, but I guess it can be used for overnight stay ......." Arnold used to be an engineer and has stayed overnight in a laboratory. Compared to that, the accommodations here are fairly well equipped. The room has five bunk beds, which means that it can accommodate 10 people. There is a table in the center of the room and three washbasins on one wall. Three toilets for three people can be accessed through a door on the back wall. "Let''s check the air conditioning, too." "Yes." Arnold checks the air conditioning system in front of the workshop. The equipment itself was the same as the one used in the underground base at Fort Rutgalla, so it was easy to check. It seems that the system was not stopped due to a malfunction, but was forced to stop and then not restarted. "After we make sure there is no danger in the facility, shall we try to run it?" "Yes." And so, finally, the center of our interest, the workshop, is investigated. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Nah, this is the workshop or ......." Arnold couldn''t help but let out a happy sound. After all, he is a technician or a craftsman. "It''s well equipped, isn''t it?" "Yes, it is. At least better than the basement of Fort Lutgla. Chell agreed with Arnold''s words. "I wonder what they were researching or building." "...... wait, Mr. Arnold." "What is it, Chell?" "What''s wrong, Chelle?" "The air conditioning is off and there''s no dust. The air conditioning''s off, yet there''s no sign of the cleaning golem. Isn''t this a little strange?" "Yes, that''s a good point. Yes, that''s definitely strange." There are two reasons that come to mind immediately. The first is that there was no dust in the facility to begin with. The second is that it was cleaned relatively recently. Arnold guessed that the first was too much to be true, so the second was probably true. "I''m guessing it''s the golem ...... that did the cleaning, but I''m guessing it''s shut down now." "Yes, it is. I think it''s the golem that cleaned up , but I''m guessing it''s stopped now. "Does it start up again, or does it start up periodically?" Chelle developed her own theory on this. "Perhaps it is activated periodically." "Why?" "Why? Yes, because it is cleaned properly. The operation does not seem to be faulty. I think this is because the system is regularly activated according to the settings. "I see, that''s a perspective only Chel could have." I''m sorry. "So, from your point of view, when do you think it was last cleaned?" If we know when the next cleaning will take place, we can consider the possibility of running into the cleaning golem. "Well, I''d say somewhere between two and ten days ago. It''s still clean, so it will be a long time before the cleaning golem is activated. "Okay, okay." We can''t be 100 percent sure, but hopefully until the investigation is complete, there is an element of uncertainty ...... in this case, the cleaning golem.... Arnold is hoping to avoid any encounters with the golem.... "So we can investigate this place a little more calmly. "Yes, Mr. Arnold. I''ll take care of the perimeter, so please take your time. ...... No, that''s what I''m trying to do. <> sir? I''m the one in charge of the cage, so please be considerate of my cherished friend. "Thank you." takes the lead in the perimeter, while Arnold and Chelle investigate the workshop. This division of roles allows for an efficient investigation. 3042 - - 80-28 New Information < keeping an eye on their surroundings, Arnold and Chelle were able to concentrate on investigating the inside of the workshop. "Well, there''s not much here, is there?" "Yes, Mr. Arnold." But perhaps because the facility was abandoned, there were no materials, no parts, and only a few scraps of work. It is clear that even the scraps were properly sorted and intended to be reused. "I wonder if this place has been moved out after all?" "That''s a big possibility. ...... since no one seems to have died in this facility." "I see. ......" Nevertheless, Arnold and Chelle continue to investigate the workshop. And it seems to have paid off, "Mr. Arnold..." Chelle seems to have found something. "Yes, what is it?" "It''s a drawing of something, isn''t it?" It was a drawing engraved on a rusty brass plate. No, it must not have been rusted when it was engraved. It seems that drawings were often stored on thin metal plates because leather paper was not large enough and did not preserve well. Even after 700 years, the brass plate has not decayed, and we could still read the drawing on it. "Hmmm ...... this is a parts drawing. It also looks like a scribble." In the broadest sense, blueprints include schematic drawings, assembly drawings, parts drawings, and bills of materials. Schematic drawings are used to explain the outline and function of a product to a third party in an easy-to-understand manner, using floor plans and functional drawings. Assembly drawing is a drawing that explains all parts and how and where they are used. A parts drawing is a drawing of all the individual parts. A bill of materials provides information such as how many of all parts are needed to make a product. Generally, you may think of a blueprint as an , but a single blueprint is not enough to make a product. Since most machines are made up of a combination of parts, it is necessary to know what parts are needed. And if it is an important part, or if a good engineer sees it, he may be able to know the whole machine from a single drawing. ...... "But what is this?" "I don''t know, sir." "Hmmm, maybe Jin can figure it out?¡¡......<>Lord, show this drawing to Jin." Arnold called out to <, who was on the lookout, and hoped that Jin could get a good look at the drawings through his vision. * * * "Hmmm ...... what''s this?" <, Jin tilted his head. Jin stared at the rusted brass plate, which was blackened and glowing greenish-blue in some places. The explanations where they were supposed to be were hidden by the greenish-blue, making them difficult to read. "But ...... spiral (spiral?) ...... and the disk on one side ...... could this be ......<>!¡¡......No, it''s not right for that." Jin''s sense is that it is inconceivable that he would go to the trouble of drawing a spiral groove in a drawing of a screw. But that is the story of drawings seen in modern Japan, and it may be different in this world. ...... "Besides, the difference between the peaks and valleys is too big for a screw. ......" I don''t know the scale, so it''s hard to come up with ...... but. "Maybe it''s a spiral staircase?" However, it seemed strange that the steps were not drawn for a spiral staircase. "...... You don''t think it''s a ...... pile driver, do you?" A pile driver is a pile driver, not a drill. Jin is mistaken on this point. The name of what Jin has in mind is a huge drill that drills holes in the ground <. It is designed to drill through relatively soft soil, not into bedrock. "Is this a blueprint for a construction machine?¡¡Without using magic?¡¡Is that why they bothered with the drawings?" Not knowing the circumstances of the time, I could not speculate further. "Is there any meaning in the fact that you used a blueprint instead of a template?" "Father, that is exactly what I think that only Mr. Arnold would understand." * * * "...... kyodaina drill dato oshatte massu." Meanwhile, Arnold was also informed of Jin''s decision through <. "Drill ......?" "Mr. Arnold, do you have any idea what''s going on?" "Yes. At the end of the ......<>, there was a shortage of good mages, and many ordinary people were involved in the construction work. Arnold guessed that the parts were needed for non-magical construction machines. This explanation reached Jin through <''s hearing. Arnold''s explanation reached Jin through <''s hearing. "I see. They were researching such heavy equipment in that facility? However, such heavy machines can be converted into weapons with a little modification. Jin also imagined that they might have had such a plan in mind. * * * * * * * * * * "Are there any other documents left?" "I don''t think so. ...... Oh, wait a minute. Chelle, who was checking the shelves in the workshop, seemed to have found something else. "I found this." It was a magic crystal (magi crystal) that was supposed to be used for storing information. However, it was missing. It was probably defective, Arnold thought. But just to be sure, he decided to check the contents by <>. And then, he found the following <> "...... so far?" As expected, not much information was recorded. However, "Mr. Arnold, are you saying that the <> of the <> is taking place at the <> of the <>?" Chelle''s mind was filling in the incomplete information, and assembling it into the information that was just barely necessary. "I can''t be sure, but I think it''s highly probable." "Yes, it is. Chelle, you did a great job. Thank you. Then, when it seemed that no new discoveries could be made by investigating the workshop any further, he decided to go to the <> that had been shown on the floor plan. "Well, it wasn''t exactly marked as a <>, was it?" "Yes, it was. Probably ......." "Yeah, maybe this is it." This is the wall on the right side of the corridor from the room with the transfer magic circle. If you look closely, you can see a narrow opening in the wall, which seems to be a door. Do you want me to open it? "No, Mr. Arnold, this is probably ......." Chelle told Arnold her guess. 3043 - - 80-29 Source Area Chelle has discovered the identity of the <>. It is, "This is probably a cleaning locker. "What? ......" Arnold''s shoulders relax at the mention of this. <, also felt a jolt. "I think there''s probably a cleaning golem in there too." "I guess so, since ...... Chelle says so. But how do you know?" No, lockers in facilities like this are usually like this. I see. "If you want to open it, there''s probably an unlock lever here ....... On the right side of the lower part of the locker, there was a square hole in which a finger could fit. I inserted my index finger into the hole and lightly pulled the lever inside. "It opened." "......It really was a cleaning toolbox. ......But the cleaning golem here is humanoid. ......" Two golems about 150 centimeters tall and of neutral build were stored. Other cleaning tools such as brooms, dustpans, mops, and rags were also stored. "Okay, that''s enough. Close the door." "Yes, Mr. Arnold." Chell closes the locker and prepares to leave. But all she has to do is put the messy workshop back in order. This is something Chelle is very particular about. Arnold and Chelle then return to the ground with and in their hands, using the transfer magic circle. Welcome back. Welcome back. Thank you. "I''m back. It was quite interesting. I''m back. Jin thanked Arnold and the others for their hard work, and then proceeded to maintain <> and <>. "Thanks for your hard work. You might still have a role to play, so please stay here. "Yes, I understand." After that, he returned to the cabin and had a meeting with Arnold and the others. "I heard you had some information about another facility?" "Yes. According to Chelle, the production of the ultimate weapon is taking place at the headwaters of the Border River, ......." That''s far north. But it''s far enough away from the battlefield that I wouldn''t be surprised if some of the original facilities are still there. "I see. Shall we go to ......? Let''s go. "Let''s go." "Okay. ...... but first... What''s going on? I''m going to plug the hole that the mini-mole made. To prevent water and small animals from getting into the hole, Jin asked Reiko to collapse the hole with Collapse, and then he himself integrated the rocks with Fusion to clean up the hole. * * * * * * * * * * * * * The <> then took to the sky again. Of course, the simple tent and the transfer magic circle inside it were removed. As a side note, Jin had finished his light meal before Arnold and the others returned. "So, where is <>?" "Probably at the saddle between Mount Suhonto and Mount Tokonakon. "Well, the map says it''s at ....... Oh, here it is." Jin projected the map on the wall monitor and confirmed the location. "That''s a very precise map. ...... You surveyed it from the sky?" "That''s what I mean. ...... and this is where we are? Jin pointed to the map. "Probably. We''ll find out when we get closer and have them check the movement of the free magical element (ether) again." "Good." < flies north. The distance is about 200 kilometers, and at 400 kilometers per hour, it will take 30 minutes to get there. "Oh, there''s still snow on the ground. ......" It''s a silver world as far as the eye can see. At this latitude and altitude, it is still snow season. "But the headwaters would be here. Reiko, check it out again. Yes, sir. Once again, the flight was assigned to Hope, and the ether radar to Reiko, as they proceeded with their investigation. Twenty minutes passed. "Free elemental ether detected in the basement." "Oh, did you find it?¡¡How deep is it?" This time, he triangulated before being asked, and the answer came immediately. "It''s about 150 meters below the surface. "The elevation of this area is ......." "That''s about 2,000 meters." "I see." The snow seemed to be about three meters deep, and we hesitated to land the out of the blue. "What should we do ...... to partially melt the snow or harden it?" "Wait a minute, Jin." Wait a minute, Jin. What''s wrong? What''s going on? - Maybe the transfer magic circle over here is intact. Okay. How do we find ......? I have an idea. Then Arnold explained his idea to Jin. "We can activate a simple magic circle with similar properties in the vicinity. If there is another simple magic circle nearby with similar properties, it might react slightly ......." "I see, so you''re using some kind of magical resonance." "I see. So you''re using some kind of magical resonance. You see that thing we just removed?" "Yes. It was drawn on the floor of the tent, so I haven''t erased it. You can use it to transfer to the other side and come back again. "Well, that''s worth a try. So he quickly spread out a simple tent floor on the floor of the hurricane and prepared for the transfer magic circle. "Yes, I''m going to do it." takes it upon himself to conduct the experiment. < were to be transferred together, they would be able to escape even if they could not return. In fact, the transporter is built in, so there is no problem to escape from 120 meters underground, but it is still a secret to Arnold and the others for the moment. (I hope they will tell us soon...). Now that I know more about Arnold and the others, I''m thinking of having them join the "Jin Family". "Deha, I''m coming!" , having boarded the , entered the magic circle, and when he stepped onto the center of the circle, the magic circle was activated, and he shifted and disappeared. Ten seconds later, it reappears in the center of the magic circle. "How is it, Reiko?" "Yes, father. I''m getting a reaction a little upstream from here. "Oh, is that it?¡¡Let''s go up there anyway. Hope, please. "Yes, Master." Hope pointed the hurricane upstream. About two kilometers upstream, there was a large rock with a large crack at its base. "Maybe it''s in there," Arnold guessed. Jin agreed with Arnold''s guess. The snow cover in the area was a little less than one meter, and Chelle said she would check it out, so they lowered the altitude of the < and came to a rest about one meter above the surface. Chel opened the hatch and jumped down. She is buried in snow up to her belly, but it is no problem. He continues to plow through the snow until he reaches a large rock, and then he climbs in through a crack in the rock. 3044 - - 80-30 Research Team The inside of the rock crevice was small and wide, and there was only a little snow on the ground. There was no sign of animal habitat and it was cleaner than expected. It was dimly lit, but not a problem for Chelle. She can see well enough in the absence of true darkness. "I don''t think there is a magic circle here out of the blue, so there must be some kind of hidden room somewhere. Since the place is less than a square meter, we soon found the right spot. It was at his feet. "It''s unnaturally flat, there must be a hidden door to the basement. Chell''s insight was correct and a cleverly hidden handle was found. To the uninitiated, it was disguised to look like a mere rock outcropping. The dirt and gravel on top slid down when the door was opened. A hole of about 50 centimeters square was made at Chelle''s feet. The bottom of the hole is barely visible. It was about five meters deep. There is a simple ladder attached to it. "Let''s call it a night and get back to the report. With this decision, Chel closes the door as before and returns to the <>. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "So it was there after all, wasn''t it, Chelle? "Yes, Mr. Arnold. "Then there is a magic circle at the bottom of the hole, isn''t there? Yes, Master Gin. Then I''m going to try to get in. announced himself. "Yes, we''ll be able to come back in case of an emergency." For the same reason as the previous test of the transfer magic circle''s operation, we ask <> to go first. In fact, since the old man has been using his "peepers" here, he knows that there is no great danger and that the magic circle will be connected properly, so he sends <> and <> out with peace of mind. and Chel went to the bottom of the pit. There was indeed a magic circle. It''s coming! "Be careful!" However, since the purpose of the visit was to check the magic circle, <> and <> returned to the magic circle after 10 seconds. "Welcome back, everything seems to be all right." "Hi. Hi. There is nothing wrong. But, I''m sure everything is fine. This was immediately reported to Jin and the others. "All right, then, we''ll go back there. Arnold said, and Jin decided to leave it to him. < However, "Take with you again. Arnold is also aware of this. Arnold was aware of this and answered immediately. "Okay." So Arnold, Chelle, <> (+mini mole) headed for this underground facility. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * First, we open the door at the back of the fissure and go down the vertical hole. The ladder is surprisingly solid, so Arnold is not worried. Then, he transfers to the next location by using the transfer magic circle carved into the floor. He emerged into a well-lit hall. In other words, the lights were alive. The hall is about 10 meters square on each side, and the height to the ceiling is about 4 meters. There are three doors, one in front and two on the left and right. "Mr. Arnold, <> is right, there is no oxygen here. It is mostly nitrogen and carbon dioxide. "Humans can''t survive here. ......" Neither Chell nor Arnolt need to breathe, so the atmospheric composition is of no concern to them. "Well, where does the problem go from here?" So <> has only confirmed this far. With <> on his shoulder, Arnold checks the wall first. Chel follows. Of course, <> is to keep an eye on the perimeter. "Mr. Arnold, I found the plans over here." "Oh, I see." Chelle found a rough floor plan of the facility. It was very simple, but you get the gist. First of all, there was a floor plan with ...... north up to the east of this hall ............ where the transfer magic circle is located... ...one room seems to be a storage room for materials. And to the west are the accommodations. Finally, a door on the south side led to a passageway. There were rooms on both sides of the corridor and at the end of the corridor, but there was no indication of what kind of rooms they were. "Let''s check the warehouse first. Arnold said with a sense of self-discipline, "Let''s check the warehouse first." He opened the door. "Whoa." There were some materials left in the warehouse. "This is iron ingot, though it''s rusted red. This is copper, and tin ...... to make bronze. And, whoa, there''s a little bit of mithril." Arnold found mithril in a glass jar. "Mr. Arnold, I think the bag over here used to contain wheat. It is now nothing but rotting dust. "I see. I guess this place was an important facility after all. However, since we have not found anything else of interest, we start to investigate the next room. The accommodations are at the other end of the hall. "Let''s see..." Arnold opens the door to find a clean and tidy room, and in the corner of the room is a golem that seems to have been inactive for more than a hundred years. "This type is a low-grade general-purpose golem, as I recall. I wonder if it was doing something like cleaning the room or making the bed. The room was covered with dust since it had been shut down for a long time. "There was no dust in the warehouse, was there?" "Yes, Mr. Arnold. Perhaps they treated the accommodations differently. "Yes, that''s one way to set it up. The other rooms were cleaned by a general cleaning golem, and the accommodations were probably left to a special golem. "I wonder if any of them died?" "I''m sure they were buried by that golem." "Yes, I suppose so." Arnold and the others searched for any kind of diary, but found no personal items of any kind, so they left the accommodations. After entering the corridor through the south door, it was time to investigate the unknown rooms. First, Chel opened the door to the room on the east side of the passage: ....... 3045 - - 80-31 Wartime Ceremony The door on the east side of the aisle. "This is ......." It was a room that should have been a dumping site for the prototype golem. "This is terrible. ...... A golem that appeared to be for combat use. Among them were many of a type Arnold had never seen before. And there was one golem that looked out of place ......, more for everyday chores than for general use. "So 13 in all ......." There were 12 golems for combat. Nine of them were of a type known to Arnold, but the remaining three were of a type he had never seen before. The known ones lacked arms and legs and did not seem to be able to move, but the remaining three were in one piece. "I wonder if they were developed here?" Arnold''s engineer''s spirit was stirred by this interesting discovery. Let''s check it out," he said, as he approached the fully-fledged Golem. At that moment. "!" The golem for chores lifted its arm. Arnold quickly jumps backwards to get away from it. But it was not an attack. In the golem''s hands were two Magi Crystals. "Are you asking me to accept them?" Arnold''s voice was heard, and the golem made a nodding gesture. Arnold slowly approached the golem and received the magi crystal. The moment the magi crystal left his hand, the golem collapsed and stopped moving. "Has this golem for chores been waiting for a long time to give the Magi Crystal to someone?" "Yes, perhaps, Master Arnold." The other golems show no sign of moving. We can never be too careful. So Arnold decided to leave the two Magi Crystals he had received with Chelle, and check out the golem for battle. "Hmmm...... it''s an endoskeletal golem...... mainframe is a known form, but more sophisticated....... It''s more sophisticated than anything I know of." "Too bad I can''t spend more time on it, so I''ll just have a quick look at it." Please take the time to analyze it later. "Yes, I will." Following Chelle''s advice, Arnold stopped analyzing the golem and resumed his investigation of the facility. Since the room was empty except for the golem, he decided to look at the room on the other side of the corridor. "Is this one ...... similar?" "But this room is kind of ...... similar." The room on the other side was also a golem warehouse. The difference from the previous room is that all the golems in this room were of a form unknown to Arnold. Also, half of the golems in the room were golems that did not look like combat golems. "Five combat golems and five general-purpose golems, huh? "Just by looking at them, you can tell that they are endoskeletons." I guess so. ...... probably all . In the middle of the Magic Wars, the <> was no longer used, as the emphasis in golem production became more and more on mass production. "<> is better suited for mass production. ......" It had the advantage of sharing the same skeleton and armor, and contributed to shortening the production period. However, it seemed that all the golems on display here would be <>. "No, <> is a universal type in a sense. But the combat golems here seem to be of the form <>...... or even <>." From what Arnold could see, it seems that they are trying to reduce the number of parts and improve the fragility of the structure, even if it means narrowing the range of motion. * * * * "Interesting. "Interesting." Through the vision of <>, Jin also saw what Arnold saw. "The <> is smoother, more flexible, and easier to control. But it requires craftsmanship in its production and adjustment." Jin muttered to himself, putting aside the fact that he was able to handle it so casually. "That''s a little different from the that was used in the before and is becoming more common in <>." Jin felt that he did not want to call it . "On the other hand, it''s not the Adriana style <>, either." He did not want to call it <>, because it is inferior in overall performance. "<>...... is no good. <>...... hmmm ......" "Father, if you can''t think of a better way to call it, why don''t you just call it <>?" "<> or ......, I guess." Since he was not too concerned about the name, he decided to use "<>" for now. I see. "I see, <>. <. "Well, that''s a good name, but this is what we should pay attention to. Arnold pointed at the battle golems. "All of them are slightly different in size. They are 1.8 meters tall, 2 meters tall, 2.5 meters tall, 3 meters tall, 2.7 meters tall, and so on. 2.7 meters, and so on." This is probably the result of a search for the optimum size, Arnold concluded. "It''s hard to say if bigger is stronger. If it''s too big, it''s too blunt. ......" Arnold thought that the researchers here had decided that 2.7 meters was the optimum value. * * * * "Well, let''s go to the next room." Arnold and Chelle went to the room at the end of the corridor. According to the floor plan on the wall of the hall where the transfer magic circle had been, this was the last room. The door was unlocked and opened easily. "Oh, it''s the workshop after all..." "Yes." Or perhaps you could call it a laboratory. There were six workbenches, and three of them were filled with magi-machines that were in the process of being built. "Is this ......." Jin decides to do so, and returns to Horai Island via the warp gate inside the <>, and activates Jin D, his <>. Jin-D then returned to and headed for the underground facility with Reiko. * * * * * * * * * * Of course, Arnold and the others had been notified through , so they were not surprised when Jin D and Reiko showed up. "Hey, is this Jin ......? I see you''re here too." "Yes, Arnold. I''m the one piloting this body, so you can call me <>." "Okay. You came to see this at ......? "Yeah. ......, it looks like a missile to me. ...... What kind of missile are you talking about? Missile is ...... Jin D. explains, "A missile is a weapon that flies toward a target while changing its course. "I see. Is this the ?" "I don''t know about that, but I''m surprised that we''ve suddenly gone from hot air balloons to missiles ...... or rocket propulsion." Saying this, Jin D analyzes the <>''s propulsion system. "Hmmm ......." "What do you think?" "This is a <><>." In principle, it is really a rocket engine. The only difference is that the fuel is <> and the explosion seems to use the magic of <> instead of a reaction with oxygen. "But is that so ......" Thinking about it again, Jin D=Jin could understand the reason for the sudden development from balloons to rocket engines. "You don''t have to think about solid fuel or liquid fuel or oxidizers or anything at all. ......" The rocket engine is even simpler than the jet engine. Yes, just the principle. (Except for the control.) The balloon inflated with air flies, and the octopus and squid that swim by the recoil of seawater inhaled and exhaled are also rocket-propelled. In the past, Jin applied wind magic to the magijet engine without eliminating the recoil, but this would be easier. I know I am repeating myself here, but control is another matter. "However, as long as <> is used, the engine itself will be heated, so heat-resistant materials will be necessary. < Therefore, it can continue to fly as long as it is supplied with mana. The fact that it does not need a fuel tank means that it can be easily miniaturized and has a long flight range. "As a weapon, it would be quite powerful. Arnold seemed to have understood the situation a little better after listening to Jin D''s explanation. "But this is a prototype, and it is not equipped with a guidance system. Jin D explained the results of his analysis. It''s not a missile if it doesn''t go after its target. It''s just a rocket," said Jin D. "But I am sure that the was invented here. I would have liked to have met the engineer who invented it, Jin D. said. "I agree with you. Arnold agreed. * * * * * * * * * * * * "Well, now that we''re here, let''s see what else we can analyze. Jin D started to analyze the other two: ......<> and <>. "Hmmm, neither of the ......<> have any <>, do they?" "Yes, they do. We don''t know what they were going to fire." "I guess. ......" At this point, Arnold remembered that he had received two magi crystals from Golem some time ago. He took them out and showed them to Jin D. "Jin, can you check them? "Jin, can you check it out? ......<>......" Jin D casts engineering magic <> on one of them. This reads out the information stored in the magecrystal. "Wow, this is ......." "Isn''t this an important secret ...... military secret?" It showed what kind of strategy the was planning at that time. According to the report, it recorded the results of a simulation on the tactics and strategy of using <><><><<>>. "Well, even if it were a military secret, it would have been invalid by now." "That''s true." However, Jin D. thought that it would be better to have this information managed by . 3047 - - 80-33 Books Jin D, Reiko, Arnold, and Chelle survey the workshop. is concentrating on the surroundings. There is not much to see, but Reiko says "I found this," she said. Reiko said, and offered a piece of <>. "Is it for information?" Receiving it, Jin D. multiplied the <> on it. "......?¡¡What''s this?" Contrary to his expectations, it was not a <, nor was it a piece of a magical tool. "...... ledger?" Yes, it was a ledger, a record of expenditures, a material control chart, a chart of accounts similar to ......, and so on. However, since it was a <>, it could only be read very imperfectly. "Come to think of it, there was another magi crystal that you received from the golem for chores, wasn''t there? "Oh, that''s right." The contents were so shocking that I had completely forgotten that there was another one, Jin D. said, He took out the other Magi Crystal again. "What is recorded in this one? "Jin-sama, would you like to examine it? "Yes, I will try. ...... this is ......" "...... a huge amount of material and golem...... what in the world?" The contents of the book, which we shall call <> because of its unique notation, were astonishing. "25 million tons of iron ......!¡¡Are you sure you got the digits right, Jin?" "Yeah. ...... and 900,000 tons of copper and 300,000 tons of tin. ......" In the modern world, the number one producer of crude steel in the world in 2020 is China with 1 billion 53 million tons. The 10th largest producer is Iran with 29 million tons. Iran, in tenth place, will produce 29 million tons. Compared to this, is 25 million tons in Arus, a country rich in metal resources, and during a time of war, too much or too little? It was a little difficult to judge. "Even so, I think it''s too much for a workshop. ......" Arnold says. "...... Jin, did you use it for the <>?" "If so, it''s a pretty big one, Arnold. "If that''s the case, it''s a pretty big one, Arnold." "If I''m not mistaken, they may have done the same thing in other mines. And it''s not just here," Arnold said, "they could be getting their resources from other mines as well. "Maybe they built something like ......<>?" Jin feels that there are too few artifacts found after the war for them to have built a number of them. But if they made some kind of huge weapon, it would explain the amount of materials used, and it would also explain why that many artifacts have not been found. "If you were to make something like that, where would it be?" "Well, ...... I don''t know either, but if I had to guess, ...... it might be near ......<>?" "Ahi mine?" Jin, who was piloting Jin D, looked at the map of the northern part of the Kingdom of Selroa that the old man had displayed on the monitor. "Ah, the mine southwest of Lake Asur?" "Yes, that''s right. It is an excellent mine, where mithril, adamantite, and magi crystals are extracted, I believe. Wouldn''t it be natural to have a workshop near such an excellent mine? "Jin-sama, and strategically, it''s close to the Bororon Plain ...... Wilderness, so it''s easy to put them in." "Chel has a point, but ...... don''t you consider the possibility that if the situation is pushed, we could be invaded into that workshop?" This question was answered not by Chell but by Arnold. "I think they are probably crushing it after the rollout." "You went that far ......?" "That was the norm at the time." "Hmmm. ......" Jin, is something wrong? "No, as far as I know, the iron or steel that was used has not been found yet, so I was wondering if it''s buried somewhere." "Oh, so that''s what you mean." Arnold pondered for a moment. "Jin,...... isn''t there any record of it?¡¡...... that, <>, some extraordinary weapon appeared at the end of the war?" I don''t think so. There are no records left in the Nordic Federation either. ...... "Well, if it is ......, then it might have been buried somewhere unused. If it''s not completed, that''s fine, but if someone finds it completed or almost completed, it would be bad, wouldn''t it? "Arnold, don''t flag it. ......" "What''s that flag, Jin?¡¡You don''t mean the flag, do you? "Oh, flags are ......." Jin D. explained about <>. "I see, it''s a kind of <> that if you say something that hasn''t been decided, the repercussions can be bad." "Well, something like that. It''s more of a jinx than a belief. Think of it that way. I see. So there''s a chance this weapon might work. I suppose so. I''ll be careful. I''ll be careful. The investigation continued, but nothing was found. "So there is no control magic brain and there is no maintenance golem. "As Jin said, it is indeed a bit strange. "But the place was clean except for the accommodations, and I''m sure it''s cleaned regularly." I agree with Chelle. I see. So there must be a secret room somewhere. Well, maybe it''s not a secret, or maybe it''s just something they didn''t bother to write on the floor plans. Maybe they didn''t bother to write down the cleaning kit closet, or something like that. "Well, then, it''s probably somewhere around here. Chel pointed between the room with the transfer magic circle and the golem storage. "There it is." Chell looked on the right side and Reiko looked on the left side, and found a door on Reiko''s side. When they opened it, they found two golems stored in the for golems. "They are in good condition. They have probably been servicing each other. "So this is how it has been working for 700 years, while it has been dormant. ......" Arnold and Jin D. only briefly examine the golem. "So there was no danger to this facility after all. Jin D says, while Arnold nods, "But the possibility that there is a lying somewhere has increased. He looked a little reluctant. "Do you have any idea where it might be?" "I guess you''re right. ......" Arnold and the others hoped that the past 700 years had been uneventful and that nothing would ever happen to them again. 3048 - - 80-34 Reports and future reports "Well, what are we going to do now?" Jin D asked Arnold after checking the underground facilities. "Well, I think I''ve made my mind up. "I see. Well, let''s go back to the hurricane. "Yeah, that''s fine." So the group takes the reverse route to the rocky chasm. Of course, < and are with them. By the way, the old man has already confirmed with his <> that there is nothing more to see in the underground facility. "This is the entrance/exit here, shall we bury it a little deeper?" Jin D suggested before leaving the crack in the rock. Arnold nodded. "Yes, that would be better." "Good." Reiko did most of the work. The work was done in about 5 minutes. "Now it''s going to be more trouble than it''s worth to go underground. "Well, I guess we can rest easy now." The risk of being found by accident has been greatly reduced. Jin and the rest of the Horai Islanders can use the to transfer to the inside, so there will be no problem. And Jin plans to confide in Arnold and the others in the near future. * * * * < and takes over with Jin. He temporarily took over the control from the old man and came back from Horai Island through the warp gate. Jin D was left in the just in case. "Oh, you''re back as Jin himself. "Yes. You''re safe here." Trying to calm down a bit, Jin decides to have some tea. Reiko made it, of course. "This green tea is delicious. "I''m glad you like it." After relaxing for a while, Jin said. "It''s almost evening, let''s go back to the royal castle to report. "Yes, I suppose so." Since this investigation was commissioned by the king of the Kingdom of Celuloa, it is appropriate to report at the end of the day. Therefore, < set out for the capital city of Esia. The distance to the capital, Esia, is approximately 200 kilometers. The distance to the capital, Esia, is about 200 kilometers, and <> arrived at the royal castle at 4:30 p.m. local time. Having visited the castle many times recently, the airship squadron guarding the sky seems to be getting used to it, and the <> landed smoothly inside the castle. "Jin-dono, Arnold-dono, thank you for your hard work. Prime Minister Dine greeted the group. "I have just finished my investigation and have come to report to His Majesty," said Jin. Prime Minister Dayne looks surprised. "My God!¡¡You have already finished!¡¡You''re very good!" He then told them that the King''s office hours were already full for the day, so he would ask them to come back first thing tomorrow morning. "Yes, that''s fine. "Yes, that''s fine." "I don''t mind either." Jin and Arnold agreed, so the Prime Minister took the group to the same guest room as before, told them to take their time, and left. The guests of honor were Reiko and Chel, respectively, so they were not accompanied by a chamberlain from the royal castle. "Well, let''s take it easy until tomorrow." "Yes, father. Do you want to take a bath at ......? "Yes, of course." "Yes, I would like to wash your back." Arnold and Chel were relaxing ...... at the same time Jin and the others were relaxing. "I had a good time today, too. "I''m glad you''re having fun, Arnold-sama." "I see." "Yes. I don''t need anything as long as you''re happy. "Thank you, Chelle." I was taking a bath while having such a conversation with ....... * * * * * * * * The next day, that is, the last day of February, the 30th. At 8:30 a.m., Jin and the others were in a familiar small conference room. In attendance are King Beaux-Arts, Prime Minister Dine, and Jin and the others (Jin, Reiko, Arnold, and Chelle). is not present. "First of all, Jin-dono and Arnold-dono, thank you for your quick investigation and report. Prime Minister Dine announced, and the debriefing began. "First of all, the underground facility that was supposed to be located just west of <>: ......" Arnold was the spokesman. "Hmmm, the magic circle to get to the facility is gone, but you can''t just ...... do it that way, can you?" "I''m sorry, sir," said Arnold. I''m very impressed with ....... The underground facility we visited had only a piece of machinery that appeared to be used for civil engineering work." Is that so? "Yes. I found another important discovery at ....... What''s that? Information on a facility that may have been used to make the ultimate weapon. < "What? What? "Oh, no, I think that <> is the name of the development. At the time of ......, it was popular to give development projects such daring names as <> or <>. "Really?¡¡...... Well, that makes sense." Yes. ...... and it turns out that the location seems to be of the ." At this point Jin temporarily takes over the explanation. "So, since there was still time, I went to the place by <>." "I see. "And I found the facility, in the meantime. "Oh!¡¡That''s what I''m talking about. You two are the real deal. "What I found there is ...... an arrow that flies and explodes when it strikes an opponent, something like a ballista that can attack at long range, something like a spear that flies after its target and explodes when it strikes it. Jin described the <<<> in these terms. "Ummm ...... what is that extraordinary weapon?" "Probably unfinished, but it was developed at the end of the <>." "Mm......" Jin makes a suggestion. "I think it would be better to transfer these weapons to <>." "Mm...... would be right. We have no use for them in our possession, and we do not want to arouse suspicion from other countries. King Beaux-Arts decided easily. "That would be a good idea. And Prime Minister Dayin also agreed with the king''s idea. "Well, I''d like to at least request a little bit of inspection to see what kind of thing it is. "I''m sure you would." Jin smiled and nodded. "If you do, I and Arnold will accompany you. "Oh, that would be great." This was not the end of the report ......, but there was one more thing. "Also, I''d like to report on the ledger we found." "I didn''t know there was such a thing. ......" The king and the prime minister were a little curious. 3049 - - 80-35 reporting, adding "The ledger showed the amount of materials used at the end of the war." "Well, if you''re developing weapons, there''s bound to be a flow of goods." "Yes. The main material was iron, 25 million tons. 900,000 tons of copper and 300,000 tons of tin. "What, what a lot! ......" The Prime Minister could not hide his surprise at the figures. "The production of iron in the Kingdom of Cerroa last year was 200,000 tons.¡¡More than 100 times that amount. ......" The use of iron in a world with magic, however, would be unimaginable in today''s Japan. The opposite is also true. In Ars, iron is used for weapons such as swords, armor, and shields, agricultural tools such as plows and hoes, hammers, anvils, nails, pots, and axles. And of course, for golems. It is also exported to the Kingdom of Franz. The total amount is 200,000 tons. This is the same level as that of England in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This is the same level as that of England in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Incidentally, copper production during the same period seems to have been around 10,000 tons. (It is not possible to specify the year because of the remarkable growth during this period.) "So, I imagine that they tried to make huge weapons out of iron or steel." "Umm...... if your guess is correct, that means there is a huge weapon buried somewhere......." The Prime Minister shuddered. "Will it be possible to find it, Mister Jin?" "Well,...... if it''s iron, I suppose we could apply <> to find it,...... assuming it''s a huge structure, but..." "I see. ......" "But the problem is that the search area is too large." That is certainly true. I think it would be better to clean up the land first. Is that your opinion, Mr. Arnold? "Yes, I would like to restore the land to its former state of fertility. King Beaux-Arts smiled at these words. "Thank you. Nations change, but lands remain the same. You love the land that nurtures people, don''t you, King Arnold? Yes, yes, yes. We should learn from him. What we really need to protect is not the nation as a man-made organization, but the land as an environment that nurtures people. King Bozar seemed to sense something in Arnold''s words. In a slightly somber atmosphere, Jin spoke up. "Well, actually, there was one more thing I wanted to tell you. What is it, Jin-dono? "It is about the facilities on the island south of Kupu and the base under Fort Lutgula. I have been investigating them in cooperation with Makina, and we have a rough idea of what they are. Hearing this, the Prime Minister nodded his head in interest. "At that time, a soldier by the name of Sho Noriji did a great job, didn''t he? "Makina-dono and Rei-dono helped him out, didn''t they? "That was right, Your Majesty. I had heard the interim report from Makina-dono. ...... Jin explains to the Prime Minister. "Yes. I think we will have a final report. Your Excellency, Your Majesty." "Oh, let''s hear it, Jin-dono." "Yes, Your Highness. ...... First of all, I''m sure you''re aware of my involvement with the Sori Society. "Yes. I heard that you took seeds of plants that could be used to make narcotics out of that facility. "Yes." Jin then explained about the facility. Since a chronological explanation would make it impossible to leave out the explanation of the <>, I will try to list what I have found out. The discovery and repair of two blue-haired automata named <> and <> at <>. With the help of these two automata, we were able to efficiently investigate the inside of the facility. The facility in question had been looted by the golem of <>. In addition, I would like to summarize a little bit about the mess involving <>. This information is provided in cooperation with Deus ex Machina III. <. When the people related to <> conducted an investigation of the basement of <>, there was a person of <>''s blood, and the magic brain went out of control when it sensed it. I had explained a little about this when I was allowed to measure the <>. "Oh, at that time, there was a debate in the Royal Assembly about what to do about the <> and the <>, wasn''t there? King Bozar said. However, there is a bitter memory that they only argued and could not reach a consensus at all. "As I recall, Makina-sama said that a magical mind that sees the <<<< Northerners as enemies can do a hundred harms and not a single good." "Yes, Your Majesty. ...... which leads me to that thing I set up the other day." The information was left as it was, and the thinking and control parts were newly created. In doing so, I will not mention the fact that <> has gone out of control. I see. That makes sense. Thank you for the explanation, Mister Jin. No problem. I''m ...... not in chronological order, is there anything that is unclear?" Jin dared to blur some points in his explanation, so I knew he would ask me something. "Yes, I do. What should we do about the ?" "Since it''s in the right place, why don''t we transfer the ownership to the Kingdom of Selroa, and the <> to <>?" "Mm. ...... is also a good idea." The king asks Jin a question. "Jin-dono, the ......<>?¡¡< "Ah, you left that part out. I apologize for that. Jin then explained about the island base. 3050 - - 80-36 Welcome... After he had finished explaining about the island base, King Bozar looked at him with a difficult expression on his face. "Hmmm.........It seems to be a rather difficult base to deal with.........It would certainly be a good idea to let <> manage it, as you say, Jin-dono... ..." "Yes, Your Majesty. However, what about setting a time limit on the period of entrustment and renewing it if the situation doesn''t change?" "Oh, that''s good." <, ...... we don''t know what the situation is at the moment, but if it becomes ......, we will return the administration to the Kingdom of Selroa," he said. "Your Majesty, the term will be one year, and the contract will be renewed every year, is that correct?" The Prime Minister proposes. "Very well. < I understand. "And now, Jin-dono, if you ever go to Avalon, I would like you to follow up on this matter. "Yes, sir." The meeting ended with the conclusion of such a discussion. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jin and the other guests are staying at the Royal Castle this night as well. Jin is relaxing in the guest room he has become accustomed to staying in. "I''m glad you gave me ...... Yumie and Vera." I''m glad you gave me Yumie and Vera. "To be honest, I''m also interested in this one, and the value of the information is immeasurable, so I''d much rather have Yumie and Vera than money or materials." When I explained that I recognized Jin as the owner because he had repaired it, King Beaux-Arts readily gave it to me. However, if we treat it as a "found object" without an owner (i.e., without a master), it can be said that Jin has half ownership of it. Jin is more grateful for this kind of reward than for the materials he receives. "Well, what should I do after tomorrow? Jin thinks to himself. "Should I take Arnold to <>, or to the <> headquarters, or to Horai Island or ......?" "Father, considering the future, I think we should go to Horai Island." I guess so. Yes. Your father has already decided to add Mr. Arnold to the family, hasn''t he? Yes. Then I think it would be better to explain the warp gate and the transporter to him as soon as possible. That''s true. With Reiko''s encouragement, Jin decided to take Arnold to Horai Island the next day and introduce him to the . < would come later. "Oh, in that case, what about the report to be submitted to the Kingdom of Celuloa? "If you consult with the old man, he will make an appropriate record for you. "Yes, of course. Thus, Jin decided to go to Horai Island first and welcome Arnold to the before going to the next day. * * * * * * * * The month changed and it was March 1st. At 8:00 a.m., Jin and his family were about to leave the royal castle, escorted by King Beaux-Arts and Prime Minister Dine. Thank you very much for your hospitality. < to me." "Yes, Jin-dono, please." When Jin told them that he was taking Arnold to , they asked him to tell them that the Kingdom of Celluloid wanted to leave the management of the to them for now. He also entrusted me with some very brief materials compiled by the Prime Minister. After that, Prime Minister Dayne will conduct formal and detailed negotiations and conclude the contract. The Kingdom of Selroa contacted < yesterday. The < floated in the early spring sky. It heads for the sea south of the Kingdom of Egelea and west of the Kingdom of Elias. For there lies . The time difference from Esair, the capital of the Kingdom of Cerroa, is slight, so there is no need to worry about it. The < flies by at a speed of less than 200 km/h. The distance is about 350 kilometers, so it should appear to the casual observer that <> will arrive in about two hours at ....... But... "Arnold, Chelle, I''m going to let you in on my last secret." Jin? Jin-sama? It''ll be a couple of hours before we reach our destination, so I''ll take you to my base. What? Well, you have your doubts, but we don''t have time to waste. Follow me first." Jin invited Arnold and Chell into the warp gate room inside the . "This is ...... a small warp gate. Jin not only has a warp gate, but also this!" Both of you, hold Reiko''s hand. Reiko, please. ...... Okay, let''s go." The warp gate owned by Jin is basically activated only by his magic pattern. However, the automata and golem created by Jin can use the warp gate without any problem because they have Jin''s magic pattern. And if there is physical contact, others can also use the warp gate. "...... where am I?" < is inside . "This is an intermediate base called . Even in the event that we are used by the enemy, we will be able to stop them here." I see. You''re very careful. Yes. So I''m going to transfer again from here. * * * Jin, Reiko, Arnold, and Chelle appeared in the warp gate room under Horai Island. "Come on, this way!" Jin stood up first and led the way. They climbed the stairs and went out of the institute. Then he said. "Welcome to Horai Island. Jin says his usual line. "Horai Island? "...... the position of the sun has changed a lot. This place is quite far east, isn''t it?" Chel was calmly analyzing the situation. "Yes. There is a time difference of about three hours and forty minutes between here and Esair." "I see." < What was that voice? "It''s Lao-kun, the magical brain that oversees and manages this Horai Island." And at that moment, Lao Tzu, Soleil, Luna and the others arrived. Also, Ruby, Amezu, Perido, Aqua, Topaz, and other leaders of the five-colored golem maids. Land 1, Marine 1, Sky 1. ,Ann,Lol,Refa are ....... The main members of the automata and golems of Horai Island appeared. "This is amazing ......." "Anne,...... and the other blue-haired automata,......." Jin introduced them in turn to the astonished Arnold and Chelle. 3051 - - 80-37 Unexpected encounter "So this is the island of Horai ......, the base of the djinns and the sacred place of magical engineering ......." "It''s a wonderful place, isn''t it?" After a brief description of Horai Island, Arnold seemed to lose his temper a little. "I thought the technology was lost in the ......<>, but it was passed down here, wasn''t it?" "Still, I think a lot of the technology has been lost. I think that with the help of Arnold and his colleagues, we can further pass on this knowledge to the future. "Yes, I agree. I''d like to cooperate with you. I would love to. Jin then presented Arnold and Chelle with the bracelets, a symbol of the , both of which are white with blue lines. Arnold was impressed and Chelle was thrilled when he explained the function of the bracelets. "This is awesome ......." "Thank you ...... even for me." "I''m sorry," said Arnold, "I''m sorry, but this was such short notice that there are no other members here today. I''ll introduce you later." "Yes, please." With little time to spare, the group takes the reverse route back to . The hurricane had just gone over the ocean. "Welcome back, master, Mr. Arnold. We''ll be at Avalon soon." "Yes, your timing is perfect." < "So that''s . That''s quite an impressive facility. Did you remodel the facility left behind by the <>?" "Yes. It was originally a mega-float built by <>. The control magic brain is called ." I''m looking forward to getting off this thing. We''re almost there. Welcome aboard, Jin! Welcome, Master Jin. ...... is that Arnold, isn''t it? Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartman greeted Jin and the group as they landed at the airport. I''m Arnold. It''s nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Tomax Bartmann and Arnold shook hands. "Well then, this way please." The private car first took them to the headquarters of the World Congress. They were escorted to the conference room. "Mr. Jin, it''s been a long time." "Hello, Jin-sama." There, to our surprise, Elena, the honorary advisor of the <> party, was waiting for us. Apparently, she had come because she couldn''t stand still in the current situation where the keyword <> was being bandied about. "Ah, ah, Elena, it''s been a while. Let me introduce you to ....... Arnold and ......." "I''m Chelle. Pleased to meet you. My name is Elena. It''s nice to meet you. Jin, who had planned to introduce himself to <>, was surprised at this coincidence. By the way, Elena''s eyes narrowed slightly when she saw Chel, but Reiko was the only one who noticed it. * * * * * * Present at the meeting were Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartman, Deputy Chief Superintendent Ilmina Ratkin, Secretary to the Chief Superintendent Fiona Fiasse, and < Honorary Advisor Elena. "We have received a summary from the Kingdom of Selroa." Tomax Bartmann spoke up. "I hear that another underground facility has been discovered. To this Jin, who had been commissioned to do this, replies. "Yes, sir. < "Oh, yes." Jin handed out the materials the Prime Minister had given him and began to explain. "To get to this basement, you need to use a transfer magic circle and go to ......." "Hmmm..." "There is no control magic brain. ...... "Hahaha." "...... Therefore, it seems that we would like to entrust with the management of what is commonly known as the . Jin also explains that he would like to renew the contract annually. "I see, I will consider it. Please do so. < has no reason to refuse, they will accept the offer from the Kingdom of Celuloa. As for Jin, he is relieved that he was able to fulfill his role as a "herald. And now for the main topic. He, Arnold, is an automata. So is Chelle. "I have heard ...... that he looks like a human being." In the case of Chelle, it seems to be obvious that she is not a human being because of her . "Chelle has been an automata since birth, but her memory is that of an engineer from the time of the ." "My God!" You mean, you are the one who knows about those days, aren''t you, Master Jin? Yes. This is ....... Tomax Bartmann and three others are impressed and amazed. Elena, however, smiled a little sadly. Then she murmured a few words in a whisper. "......Helena." "Yes?¡¡What did you just say, Elena?" Arnold hears her words and asks Elena. Elena is still smiling sadly, "Sienna, I said. She replied. "...... how do you know my teacher''s name?" "Sir?" "Yes. ...... is the name of a teacher I used to love very much. You? Yes. Shenna, is this for your mother? Yes. ...... I see, it was Sienna who made you!" Elena answers Arnold with a smile. Yes, it was Jin-sama who made the current body, but it was Sienna''s mother who made the prototype. "I see... ......!" Elena turned to Jin and Tomax Bartmann, "I''m sorry, but could you give us a moment of your time? They of course agreed. Of course, Jin and the others agreed. Then Elena said, "Mr. Arnold, could you please tell us what you know about Sienna''s mother? She pleaded with him. "Yes, of course." Arnold readily agreed and thought for a moment before opening his mouth. "Dr. Sienna was born in the year 3071 of the continental calendar, I believe. Yes, that is correct. Please continue. I heard that your family was a wealthy merchant and that you had been interested in and studied magical engineering since you were a child. Yes. And that he devoted his later years to the creation of automata. "......" "He has made dozens of automata, and I think that he is superior to the other technician who was working at the time. ...... I think he''s better than you." "I think so too." Elena had a big smile on her face...after 700 years, she had finally met the mother who had given birth to her, the one who understood the true value of Shenna... .... 3052 - - 80-38 Memories of Shenna Arnold tells what he knows about <, the female engineer who created Elena. "At that time was the heyday of golems and automata based on the template left by <, but you were seeking your own path." "That''s right." "In his later years, he created a masterpiece ......, but I don''t know much about that." Is that so? "Is that so?" "Yes. Of course, the "masterpiece" is Elena. Elena did not tell him this and asked Arnold a question. "...... Master Arnold, how did you come to know about your mother like that?" "Oh, that''s because our head chambermaid used to be a lady-in-waiting in her family. Oh, I see... "Yes. In her later years, Dr. Sienna lived alone ...... or rather with an automaton she had made herself." "How old are you,...... Mr. Arnold?¡¡I mean, what year were you born? "Me?¡¡I was born in the year 3129 of the continental calendar. That would make your mother 58 years old. It seems that Arnold was born late in Sienna''s life. "...... Elena, when did Miss Sienna die?" "Your mother passed away in 3146. "That would make her 75 years old. I was 17 years old. ...... Oh, how I wish I could have met her. Elena smiled a little sadly when she heard these words. "I wish you could have ...... told your mother what you said. "Why?" "Because at the time, your mother''s technical system and ideas were considered heretical. That''s why your mother withdrew." But when Arnold heard these words, he tilted his head. "Was that so?¡¡...... hmmm, it''s a little different from my understanding." "How is it different?" "Dr. Sienna lived in Essiaia, right? Yes. I''m from Borolon. I was born into a fairly wealthy family, so I spent my childhood doing what I liked ...... No, now is not the time to talk about this. I was a researcher who was respected among the magical engineers of ...... Borolon." "Yes. ......" "The technical system of the Lady Adriana Barbora Zetsi is certainly impressive. Everyone agrees on that. I agree. But Dr. Schenna was known as a technician who did not stop there and followed his own path. "I see. ......" Elena wondered what her mother would have done if she had heard such an assessment of her in Borolon. But that is a question that cannot be answered. There are no "what ifs" in history. Still, Elena felt a warmth in her heart, knowing that there were people who had accepted her mother, who had been treated as a heretic. "So, how I came to know Dr. Sienna was that a merchant came to my house with an automaton that he had made. I think I was 12 years old. I was completely fascinated by the automaton. "Arnold was 12 years old, which means that your mother was 70 years old ...... and probably in her 50s. I think that this is an automata that was commissioned by your mother when she was in her 70''s . Arnold nodded. "My maid of honor remembered it. That''s when I first learned Dr. Sienna''s name. "So that''s how it happened," said Arnold. After that I wanted to make an automaton like her, so I studied it. Then I got hold of a paper written by Professor Sienna when he was young. "Well, what is it about?" Elena was intrigued by this story, since she knew little about Sienna''s youth. "I think it was titled, ''A Hypothesis on the Maturation of the Brain ...... Control Core (Control Core) of an Automata (Automata),'' ......." Arnold summarizes its contents. * * * * Humans cannot inherit memories and experiences, but automata and golems can. Knowledge can be transferred without any problem. Then, how about the transfer of experience? In the first place, what is the point of transferring the experience of a completely different body?¡¡I even questioned whether it would be meaningful to transfer the experience of a completely different body. However, just as human beings can listen to old stories and make use of them in the future, the control core can be effective depending on the way it is used. "I think it was a theory like ...... that transfers <> into the <> domain and develops it." Arnold explained, recalling a paper he had read at the time. "I also had to give away my automata because of the <>. At that time, I remembered a paper I read a long time ago, though it wasn''t a one-or-another ......." Golems and automata offered up for war were either returned to their original materials or modified and put into the war effort,...... but they couldn''t stay that way anyway, Arnold said, looking a little saddened. "So, based on Dr. Sienna''s method, I integrated the control cores of the automata I had made until then into a single magi crystal. And after that, I created this Chelle based on that Magi Crystal. "So that''s how it happened. Thank you, Mr. Arnold, for your valuable story. "No, it was my pleasure to talk with you too, Dr. Shenna. Yes, it was very helpful for me too. At this point, Jin also interrupted. "We have learned one more thing about the genius engineer who created Elena. < "Yes, yes!¡¡We are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear this very valuable talk. I will think positively about Ms. Sienna. I would like to think positively about Sienna. ...... Elena-sama, will you help me when I put together the documents?" Elena was happy to think that after 700 years her mother Sienna would finally be recognized by the world. "Yes, I will be happy to help you then. "I''ll be happy to help you too." "Me too." "Thank you, Mr. Jin and Mr. Arnold. Anyway, we have learned a new fact about the ancient magical engineer Sienna. 3053 - - 80-39 set "Well, it''s been a pleasure to hear your valuable stories, but that''s about it," Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann said, switching gears. Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann said, switching gears. "It seems that you have some information about the that we have been lacking so far. So you would like him to give a lecture on the as a temporary lecturer, is that correct?" "Yes." Jin interjects at this point. "If that is the case, why don''t you take this opportunity to ask for the cooperation of the people of the and compile it into a textbook? "I see, that''s a good idea. "If it''s all right with Elena, I''d like to fly to the after this and compile the story there. "Yes, that would be fine." "Yes, that would be fine. Jin decided that the time had come to make the right decision, and he decided to gather all the parties concerned and compile the data. He asked Reiko to contact Vivian and Goose and tell them to meet at Horai Island. At the same time, I asked her to contact Marikka and as well. Jin decided to gather as much information as he could from those days. He decided to gather as many people as he could who had information on the period. "Well then, I will come back again when I have finished the summary. Jin-dono, please take good care of me. It was a little awkward to leave without seeing Eira and Katya, but he asked Fifi ...... Fiona Fierce to give his word. And so the took off from . And so they set off for the Nordic Commonwealth. "Then, I''ll talk to Anne, Lol, and Lefa, too. They were also automata created during the <>, so they should have some information. We decided to gather even the smallest amount of such information. So far, the candidates are ....... Arnold, Chelle, Anne, Lol, Lefa, Elena, <>, Theon of <>, Marikka, Lorona, Vivian and Goose. As there is no one left among the <> who knows about the <>, I have chosen Theon, Marikka, and Rorona as candidates, as they are the ones who are thought to have heard the stories. Rorona is not a member of the <>, but she is Sion''s real mother, and since they have known each other for a long time, I think it is acceptable to invite her to Horai Island as an invited guest. "I wonder about the rest. ......" If it is possible that they know the time period, the magical brains of the <> scattered all over the world might know something about it, but it is doubtful if they can get any information since they are basically indifferent to the activities of the human race. Therefore, I have decided to ask the old man to collect information by using <>. With such preparations, <> set out for the >. * * * * * * * * * * * * The <> landed at the airfield of the <> clan. Jin, it''s been a while. "Hello, Xiong." Zion greeted Jin and the others with a smile. "Uh, I''m sure you''ve heard about ......." Yes, I''ve called your mother. Are we leaving soon? We''ll make good time, I guess. Okay. So Zion went home and came out with Rorona, who had packed her bags. "Jin-san, it''s been four days. "Rorona-san, you look the same." "Well, it''s been four days. They exchanged a few words of greeting, and the with the two of them on board took off into the sky. They continue to head south. "By the way, were you sure you wanted to come out here without telling us?" Jin asked, "After all these years. No one will complain if you go out with Jin. And I''ve already told him that I''m going to make a detailed historical record of the war. "That''s fine then. Then let''s go to Horai Island. "Yes. So the group moves to Horai Island using the warp gate of the <>. Arnold and Chelle have no problem since they already have the <>. Rorona will move hand in hand with Sion. Of course, they will go to Horai Island via <>. This is the first time for Lorona, "Welcome to Horai Island." Jin said the usual line. I''ve never been here before, but it''s a nice place, isn''t it? "I''ve never been here before, but it''s a wonderful place. Since Marikka, , and Vivian had not arrived yet, Jin was having tea with Zion and Rorona in the front yard of the institute. Reiko is serving the tea. By the way, Arnold and Chelle are touring the institute with Lao Tzu''s guidance. "The sunset is beautiful, isn''t it? "Yes, it is, Mother." Since they have been flying from place to place since this morning, it is already getting dusk on Horai Island. It seems that the time of tea while looking up at the darkening sky was a blissful moment for Rorona. After all, in March, most of the Nordic Federation is still covered with snow, and the outside temperature is still below freezing. The wind has started to feel cold even on Horai Island, which is located on the Tropic of Cancer, The old man informed me that the master was here. "Oh, I see. Theon, Rorona, come inside." "Yes." We''re going to the cafeteria/conference room. We''re going to the cafeteria/meeting room. Almost everyone was waiting for Jin and his family. Elsa, who was supposed to be in Leuthart, was also there. The exceptions are Rhodes and Ludmila, who have already met each other. When Jin asked them what was going on, they replied, "We just wanted to say hello to the new members. "Arnold-san, Chel-san, it''s nice to meet you from now on. "Arnold, Chelle, nice to meet you." "Arnold, Chelle, nice to meet you!" "Oh, it''s nice to meet you, too." "......, nice to meet you." Anyway, that''s how Arnold and Chelle unexpectedly met the entire . * * * * * * * * * * * * After the greetings, Erza, Hanna, Reinhard, Berche, Luis, Beena, Martha, Meane, Licia, Saki, Marcia, Rodrigo, Toa, Stearina, and Milowina went back to their posts. Vivian and Goose remained. That is, eight people, Jin, Vivian, Goose, Arnold, Sion, Rorona, Marikka, <> Turles, and six people, Reiko, Anne, Lol, Lefa, Chel, and Elena, remained in the dining room. These eight, six, and the old man will put together the truth of the <>. 3054 - - 80-40 Summary Start By the way, Rorona is the only one who is not a member of the , so she was a little surprised to see Marikka here. "Oh my, you''re a member too, Marikka?" "Yes, Rorona-sama." "I knew it!" There were no problems, and finally the discussion ......<> was to take place. Jin facilitates the discussion. "Well, some of the summarized here will probably be kept secret for the time being." <," Jin said. "Will it start with the <>?¡¡Or shall we start with <>?" "No, I don''t think we should start from the origin. I think so too. I think so too. There is a way to start from the <> that created it, but we all decided that it would be too redundant. So, we decided to skip the <> and start with the master of the conspiracy, <>, the <>. "Then, let me speak first. The Turles-700672, who was also created by the , opened his mouth and spoke about his past. He began: ....... * * * * * The ancestors of the human race of Ars were a people called the who came from the planet . < had advanced magical technology and created and used as their servants. Most of the homunculus were made in Hale, but there were some homunculus made in Ars. There were 13 of them. But somehow, they did not turn out to be what they wanted to be. < called them and all of them were discarded. But. There were two Dexiconai that survived the destruction. One of them called itself and harbored a grudge against <. The other one calls itself and harbors a grudge against < as well. The two of them have devised various schemes for revenge. One of these was the "War of Magic". The human race of Ars is descended from the blood of the . < However, it is virtually impossible for <> to take on the entire human race alone. Therefore, indirect methods were sought. One such method is the <> that began in the year 3151 and ended in 315 One of them was the that began in 3151 and ended in 3155. From the beginning to the middle of the war, it was called the . < incited the present , who were called and even called themselves at that time, to start a war against the countries of the Laurentian Continent. In order to achieve this, they stirred up a food crisis and a sense of racism, and pitted <> against <> (this term is a misnomer, but it was used at the time of the War of Magic, and will be followed hereafter as well). In terms of population, the <> was less than one-tenth of >. However, the <> had a magical advantage that more than compensated for their numerical disadvantage. These include physical enhancement magic, transfer magic, slavery magic, and gravity magic. Because of this, the <> of the Laurentian continent is gradually being driven into a corner of inferiority. Everything was as <> wished. * * * * "......Well, what do you think?¡¡I have reconstructed it from what I know, with some speculation. < finished, there was a small round of applause. "That was very clear, Mr. Turles. "Yes. Thank you. "I''m glad to hear you say so, Mr. Jin and Ms. Marikka. Turles smiled slightly. "Well, now I will summarize what I know." Elena was the next to speak. Then Arnold also spoke up. I know a lot about those days. Let''s put it all together with Elena. * * * * At that time, a superpower called the Kingdom of Dinar reigned on the Laurentian continent. The capital is located in the same place as the current capital of the Kingdom of Selroa, Esaias, and has the same name, Esaias. However, it was not until the late that the city was surrounded by multiple walls as it is today. < that the unique structure of multiple walls was created. It was known that a race of people skilled in magic lived on the northern continent of Gondor. Although extremely rare, there were those who came to the continent of Loren and lived amongst the <>. Their magic was special and could not be used by <>. Therefore, they were called <> because they were a race of people skilled in magic. They were never called "demons" in the sense of being the same race of people as . However, after the outbreak of the <>, such a perception was renewed, and it was decided that <> = <>, or <> were <>. Their purpose is twofold. and . The northern continent is not a very fertile land due to its climate, and therefore not suitable for food production. < would seek the south. There are two routes of invasion for them. < One route was to go around the side of what is now called and go south. The other route was southward through the western part of what is now called the Kingdom of Franz. Of course, there were skirmishes in other places as well, but only in the two places mentioned above did a large force of troops come southward. The fiercest battles took place in the western part of the Kingdom of Cerroa in modern times. A vast plain, bordered on the west by the bordering mountains. The was the main battlefield in the middle of the . Incidentally, it was around this time that Elena, the , tore apart golems on the battlefield without distinguishing between friend and foe. < was going well. 3055 - - 80-41 Past Truth "I know a little bit about the situation at that time. Anne testified. "At that time, I was assigned to Fort Keowan with five of my colleagues. The "Fort Keowan" mentioned by Anne is what we now call the "Keowan Ruins. The current affiliation is with the Kingdom of Egelea, but at that time it was also the Kingdom of <>. * * * * * * * * * <. This fort, which is a little off the main battlefield and has a huge warp gate, is useful for dispatching armies and evacuating the people. < Anne and her colleagues were spending their days patting down the soldiers stationed at the fort. "What was the magical weapon that arrived yesterday?" "It''s called <>, and it''s supposed to be one of the decisive battle weapons. That''s great! Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hear me out. Apparently it''s a defective weapon... and once activated it''s capable of unleashing its fury on friend and foe alike. Why would you build such a thing? Why would they make something like that? Maybe they wanted it to go off at the last minute when they were sure they were going to lose, so they could take a shot ...... at the enemy? I don''t like that. I don''t like that. I don''t like that either. So why don''t we just leave it activated and escape through the warp gate? That''s true. In the early days of the , there was still an easygoing atmosphere outside the front lines. * * * * "I heard such a conversation at ......." Anne finished. "Well, is it not generally inappropriate ......?" "Yes, I think it''s normal if it''s a conversation in private time." It was Arnold who answered Jin''s question. "But <> were deployed in such a fortress, weren''t they?" "Yes. That gave me a hard time. ......" Jin remembered the time when he had traveled with Reinhardt and Erza four hundred years ago. "But you still had time to spare in the last period, didn''t you?" "Yes. Even though we were invaded to the Loren continent, there were no countries on the other side of the Kr¨¹ger Mountains. In fact, they seemed to think that the logistics of the would be extended, and that this would be advantageous to them. Jin refuted Arnold''s words. "But there is such a thing as transition ......." "Yes, that''s right. As long as we and they have the means of , it is almost impossible for us to be at a disadvantage due to extended logistics. "I guess so." In any case, as long as there was no damage to civilians, it was still a good thing, it seems. "But in the year 3153 of the continental calendar, the first civilian casualties occurred. This is Chelle. "...... the 83rd, 84th, and 85th golems that Mr. Arnold created. The 83rd, 84th, and 85th golems that Mr. Arnold created. Chelle has these memories because she has the knowledge and experience of all the golems and automata that Arnold has created so far. * * * * * * * * * * The year 3153 of the continental calendar. < began. The war situation was unfavorable to the side of <> and the front was gradually moving south. Nevertheless, it was a good thing that they had established a position in the Kr¨¹ger Mountains and were fighting a thorough war. On May 15, the finally broke through the defense line of the Kruger Mountains. In no time at all, the resumed their southward march, and in the blink of an eye overran the present Kingdom of Franz and the of that time. The evacuation of the inhabitants was not completed in time, and more than 10,000 civilians were killed. * * * * * * I have been told. There were many evacuees in Fort Kewan where I was at that time. Anne explained the situation. And Lor, "There were also many refugees in Fort Kulu where I was. Lol also talked about those days. "I guess people''s lives were gradually squeezed from that point on." "Yes, Jin is right. Even in Borolon, where I was at the time, the atmosphere became somewhat tense, and there were self-imposed restrictions on entertainment. "I see, the general public gradually became more and more aware ...... of the situation." Jin said, and all the members there agreed. "Then the is the period when is still being pushed around, right?" "That''s right." At this point, Goose spoke up. "I''d like to hear what Zion, Marikka, Rorona and the others have to say about this. To this, Zion responded. "Yes, I would. I wasn''t born at that time, so this is just what I have heard. * * * * This was before the outbreak of the <>. The continent of Gondor, where the <> lives, is located in the north and has long winters. The winter of that year was unusually long and severe. It was the end of March, when the snow usually begins to melt. The northern lands were still covered with snow. At that time, a meeting was held between the clan of the "Madness" and the clan of the "Cinder Burner", both of which sounded like extremist groups. "Let''s stop living in the far north and head for the fertile lands of the south. "Yes. "Yes, that''s right. So, what exactly are we going to do? Invade, of course. We are strong. You''re right. We''re strong. We''re strong enough to defeat the fragile human race. Well, I think that''s pretty much what they said. Of course, there were those who disagreed. < "No, no war. No, war is not good. Instead, we should trade and import food. "That''s right. We should discuss this with reason." But they will not listen to us. "What are you talking so naively about? You''ll only get licked if you''re so weak-minded! The extremists refused to listen. Then, after half a month, the moderates changed their opinions. "We have that much power," he said. What''s the use if we don''t wield it now? Let us win the southern land for our descendants! "Oh, that''s my people!" The radicals did not find it strange that the moderates had changed their opinions, and they proceeded to prepare for war. Then, on April 24, 3151. Across the Pazdekst isthmus, a total of 2,000 men of the <> invaded the Laurentian continent. 3056 - - 80-42 Multilateral History "...... is what I heard." Zion looked a little sad when he finished. "I think that the people who changed their opinions were implanted with an aggght needle. "Well, I think your guess is correct, Lord Zion." Turles also supported Zion''s guess. "The population of the Northerners at that time was about 180,000," he said. That would explain why they were just barely able to secure food. Rorona gave me a supplementary explanation. She is familiar with the food situation in the Nordic Federation, as she is in charge of agriculture in general. "My father told me about ......." Now Rorona spoke up. * * * * * * Leading the way were the <> clans. They had many <> who could use <>. So they invaded the Laurentian continent with five <> in tow. Our first goal was to move southward along the sea, turning to the east. This route southward along the coastline of the former Leonard Kingdom was called the . The former Leonard Kingdom was still prosperous at that time and was said to be one of the two most powerful countries in the Laurentian Continent along with the Dinaric Kingdom. The kingdom, which boasted magical technology superior to that of the Kingdom of Dinar, was a formidable foe, and the war was a back-and-forth affair. The war was going back and forth. "Ah, it is true that the former Leonard Kingdom was created by a different lineage from the Nordic Federation, the Origin. "That''s right, isn''t it?" This was the story I had heard from , the head of the moon''s magic control, when I had first met <>. Jin guessed that they must have been very strong, since they had several <> and had mastered them. of the Moon (Yunie) told me about those days>. "Oh, I see." < "Okay, please." * * * * * * The battles fought in the Kingdom of Leonard were fierce from the very beginning. The first wave of forces deployed on the eastern route consisted of 500 men and two Hecaton Cairns. The first wave was 500 men and 2 . The second wave was 500 northern guards and 3 battle golems. To tell the truth, however, the first battle was not a success. We did not expect that they would suddenly attack us from the north, and they attacked us before we were well-prepared. The battle near the border ended in a disastrous defeat for Leonard''s Kingdom. < side moved further south ...... with great momentum, but here a miscalculation occurred. The border area of the Leonard Kingdom was a wasteland, and the self-sufficiency rate of food was very low. (Instead, they made their living from mining.) Therefore, 500 people starved because they could not procure food locally. Even with the magic of transference, it was difficult to transport food for 500 people. Then, 5,000 of the regular army of the Kingdom of Leonard rushed into the city. They were strong. Fifty battle golems had joined them, and the <> side''s first 500 men were reduced to more than 30% of the total. The first 500 men of the <> lost 172 men and 2 Hecaton Cairns, and they were forced to retreat. However, the <> did not remain silent. The second force was twice as many as the first one, with 1,000 men deployed. Moreover, 10 golems from the <> side also joined the battle. The third battle was evenly fought. No, the <> side was at a slight disadvantage because of the shortage of food. However, the <>, skilled in magic, tried all sorts of tricks to keep the <> at bay. "Those of you who can transfer, sneak into the larder of the <> side at midnight and bring out as much food as you can." "Ha!" "We''ll focus our attacks on them during the day so they''ll take our night vigilance lightly." I understand. I wonder if such a strategy meeting took place. The Leonard Kingdom side, which had been fighting more than evenly, gradually began to be pushed back. The line of battle gradually moved southward, and the Royal Army of Leonard was pushed back to the vicinity of . Fortunately, the battle was fought inland and the area around <> did not come under fire. The front moved further south, pushing north of the Darth River in 3152 and the Neto River the following year in 3153. In 3152 and 3153, the following year, they were pushed as far north as the Neto River. However, after crossing the Neto River, the met with the fiercest resistance they had ever faced. This was because of the proximity of Diaa, the capital of the Kingdom of Leonard, and their desperate resistance. The battle line was at a stalemate. However, at this time, the Demon Army had already occupied half of the granary and the food situation had greatly improved, so time was on the side of the . ....... * * * * < The old man paused his narrative. "Thank you, my old man. Now I understand a lot more about the ." < Shall we take a break now? "Yes, father. Then I will prepare some tea for you. Reiko calls her twin golems, Luna and Soleil, to help. Arnold also said that he would help Chelle. Reiko, Soleil, Luna, and Chel served the tea, which was enough for everyone in less than a minute. "Here you are, father." "Thank you." Here you go, Mr. Arnold. "Thank you, Chelle." Jin took the cup of drink from Reiko and drank it down in one gulp. "Oh, it''s good." The drink was at the right temperature for Jin, and it smoothly quenched his thirst. "But still..." < "It is not often that people from different walks of life can come together like this and put together a summary of past events, Jin-dono." "So ...... might be the case." "Yes. Therefore, this gathering will be a historical epoch. You''re overreacting, aren''t you? What, overreacting? ...... and that kind of evaluation will be left for future generations to decide. That''s true. After this break, the summary of the <> continues. * * * * "Now then, let me tell you a few words once again. Turles stands up. "Please do so." "Yes." And Turles began to speak. ....... 3057 - - 80-43 Chemical Weapons and Late Confusion < and , gloated, but thought that they were still too weak. So he came up with the idea of having them use <>. "Poison gas is good. Soil contamination is not bad either." These ideas came to him through a demon tribe with an implanted needle. "Yes, this is good. First, they used a poison gas that could be easily prepared. Chlorine gas. Electrolysis of seawater produces chlorine at the anode. It was a very simple scientific product for <>. Packaged in a sealed container, it was handed to the < with an embedded <> and transported to the front line by <. This gas is yellowish-green in color with a peculiar odor at normal temperature and pressure, and is corrosive and highly toxic. Since it is heavier than air, it flowed into trenches and basements and invaded many people. It is said that this was the poison gas used by the Germans in World War I. In fact, there is an effective neutralizer for chlorine gas. It is <>, a chemical used to remove chlorine from the water supply when keeping goldfish and tropical fish. In World War I, hypo-impregnated gas masks were developed, but chemistry was not advanced in the Ars world, and chlorine gas was used for a considerable period of time and was effective. It was the Golem unit that disabled this poison gas. If the golem does not need to breathe, crude or otherwise, the poison gas is of no use. The human forces, led by several golem squads of 10 units, were able to hold off the invasion of the , even if only temporarily. The human side also developed chemical weapons. <. The Golem units, which were impervious to chlorine gas, sprayed the <>. This technology is said to have been brought about by a mysterious entity, but it is likely that the <> used some means to teach it to the <>. This caused the defeat of the <> soldiers and turned the battlefield into a wilderness of death. In other words, the plains here and there became a land that could not produce the food that the <> desired. The <> was beginning to show signs of a quagmire. * * * * "......, that''s how I guessed the <> were playing their part." "Thank you very much, Mr. Turles. You have been very helpful." The moderator, Jin, thanked him. "Ah, in this way, the veil of the mysterious is being lifted one after another. I am sure that this will serve as a wake-up call for future generations. Vivienne, the <>, is excited. "Well, I''ll tell you a little bit about the latter part of it." "Oh, please." Now Arnold is to speak. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In the year 3153, life on the side of <> changed drastically. Until then, the war had seemed to be a distant affair, and the war was thought to be fought under a distant sky. When they learned that more than 10,000 civilians were killed in what is now the Kingdom of Franz ...... in what was then the , they quickly became aware that the war was something close to home. As a result, the entertainment industry went into decline and the economy began to decline. Civilians, realizing that the war was not going well, lost their desire to purchase goods. More and more people evacuated from the western part of the Kingdom of Daynar, the main battlefield, and the north-central part of the Kingdom of Leonard. More than one or two towns that used to be bustling with people have disappeared and turned into ghost towns. Some nobles had shelters built in the basements of their houses. There were many people who fled to the Ing region...... present day Kingdom of Egelea and Elias Peninsula, which seemed to be far away from the war. But in the , <> rangers were using magic and were appearing in those peaceful looking regions. They were carrying out so-called and executing operations to unsettle the hearts and minds of the people. In other words, there was no absolutely safe and secure land in the sphere of existence on the side of <>. Wealthy people had their own golems and automata, but by this time resources were scarce and manufacturing them was time-consuming, so privately owned golems and automata were being taken away from the people. It was around this time that Arnold had his nearly 100 Golem automata taken away. In 3154, Arnold was also commissioned as a magical engineer. After a short training period, he was assigned to the Golem Research Institute in the capital city of Esia. There, Arnold achieved great success. < by more than 30 percent. And with almost no loss of performance. For this achievement, Arnold is made an apprentice technical officer. And again he takes the credit. He developed a set of commands to avoid that occur in the when a golem that has been malfunctioned or wrecked in battle is gathered into a single unit. This led to a significant increase in the use of waste materials, and Arnold was promoted to the rank of technical officer. He was even put in charge of a military workshop. He was also given the task of building a facility further underground from the basement of the fort at Fort Lutgula. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Well, that''s why I built the < at Fort Rutgula," Arnold finished. Arnold finished. "Thank you. < "But that''s how it was supposed to be, isn''t it? But that''s how it was supposed to be. Vivienne is also puzzled. What she meant by "messed up" was that they had promoted a newly recruited civilian to an officer''s rank, even though he had done well, and had even put him in charge of the project. Normally, a civilian would have been assigned to a supervisor as a "consultant" to gain experience. However, in the latter half of the war, it seems that there was a shortage of human resources to the extent that they could not afford to take such a long time. "Well, it is almost the end of the . and even later, so we may call it the <>. The last stage was a period of turmoil. People were repeatedly evacuated. There were nobles who lost their houses and possessions. Some families lost their beloved sons and heirs. There were children who were separated from their families. They all had one thought in common. . But it came true with an unexpected tragedy. ....... The = was smiling to himself. He had completed the magic of , which he had been working on for some time. Now all that remained was how to make them use it. He thought that it would be best to let the , which was at a disadvantage in the war, use it. ....... <>. When did those who obtained it think of using it? ....... * * * * <> came in contact with <> due to lack of data. "Hmmm, that''s right." We did not have any such information. << "Yes, that may be so." I couldn''t put speculation based on a certain amount of data on the same level as complete imagination. What I am trying to compile on this day is a record that should be preserved as . "But I''m curious about it, aren''t I? "Yes, I agree with Jin. "As for me, I''m interested in what happened to the world right after the Aether Stampede. "Oh, Vivien, I heard what you said, didn''t I? "Really?¡¡I''d love to hear about it, Lorona-san. I understand. I understand. On September 29, 3155 of the continental calendar, an "Aether Stampede" occurred. The scale of the event was so great that it enveloped almost all of Ars. A reaction that slowly converts the free magical element (ether) existing in space into <>. This is the Aether Stampede. were no longer of this world. The world population at that time was about 2 million. That number has been reduced to 800,000. < was even worse: from 180,000 to 20,000. Neither side could continue the war, and the ended in a "draw". However, <> are said to have been able to mend their meager pride ...... by claiming that they had <>. Now, what was the world like immediately after the <>? In a word, the world was in a state of <> and <>. The moment the world seemed to be enveloped in light, people were falling down in a flurry. The borderline that survived was less than 30% dependence on magic power. Those who were more than that,...... finally, the best mages,......, died in an instant. The proportion was slightly higher among the nobility, but many civilians were also killed. <, the home of the , the victims were buried, funerals were held, and clans were reorganized. The food crisis, ironically, was temporarily resolved due to the drastic decrease in population, and for the time being, the idea of an did not gain momentum. * * * * "...... and, well, that''s about it." "Thank you very much, Rorona-san." Jin thanked Rorona. Vivian closed her eyes and thought about the past, "Such a tragedy has happened. We must definitely tell the story of this. Of course, we must record it. Of course, we must record it," he said with determination. "But, it must have been confusing at first, right? Jin asked, and Lorona nodded sadly. "Yes. < clan survived." "That was tragic. ......" But I''m sure it was the same on the human side. I''m sure that''s true. ...... At this point, Turles speaks up. "Well, I, too, though I did not die, I was bedridden and under the care of Neige, because I had lost all strength in my body. ...... until Jin-dono came." "If so, was <> all right?" "Probably, they had prepared something like the <> that Jin-dono had prepared for us before." "I see." "I see." ......This is how the world declined and gradually recovered over the next 300 years. And then in 3456, Jin-kun appears." Vivian muttered emotionally. "And you were able to fix me too. "Me too." Anne and Lol said. "So that''s how it''s going to be. < No, it''s still there. What?" Jin, have you forgotten?¡¡The Bororon Wilderness and other lands contaminated with heavy metals. Yes, that''s right. < is one of the most noteworthy acts of folly in the history of Ars. Mankind must take it as a warning and never forget it. I would like to think about what we can do now for that purpose. I agree with Jin. Thank you, Arnold. I also want to think about what we can do for the Nordic Federation. Theon, too, has renewed his commitment to a better future. The road ahead for Ars humanity will not be smooth, but as long as they keep trying, it will continue far into the future. 3059 - - 80-45 Silent Story 133 The Unspoken Darkness "Mm ...... this, thus ...... this, all right." In the north, further north, in the depths of the earth. A homunculus was doing some kind of weird research. "If this is the case, if ...... is activated, it should be able to change all the free magic element (ether) around it into light and consume it. This would be fatal to creatures that depend on free magic element (ether) to survive. "This is how we can take revenge on ...... who created us for their own convenience and discarded us only because we were ...... poorly made." * * * The being ......<> who created the <> created them to help them survive and prosper on this planet. However, they called them <> because of their lower-than-expected abilities, and discarded all thirteen of them. All thirteen were supposed to have been returned to their original forms. However, even after the <> had passed away. < were resurrected. Feeding on their resentment: ....... The two survivors called themselves and set out to take revenge on the who had treated them like dust. However, the is no longer with us. The only ones who are left are those who are supposed to be his descendants. And yet, it was good. The originals migrated to this planet, leaving behind their offspring, hoping to return to prosperity. To prevent them from achieving that goal, we would eradicate their descendants. ....... This, they thought, would be their revenge. For this purpose, the two were still not strong enough. Ironically, the two bodies reconstituted from the protoplasm of the 13 bodies were far more capable than when they were first created. With this increased capacity, the two entities set out on a long-term plan. First, they established their own foundation. Next, they gathered information about the outside world. Then, to acquire the to take revenge. As homunculi have no biological lifespan, they have plenty of time. < to gather information and accumulate power. The time has passed in the blink of an eye. A thousand and two thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, the descendants of the <> spread across two continents. The northern continent is the . On this continent, the descendants of the <> gathered together and formed a society, organized into clans. The continent to the south is the . The population of this continent was exploding, perhaps due to its mild climate. But on the other hand, their life expectancy was getting shorter. "I didn''t know it had increased this much. ......" <, who had been focusing on accumulating his knowledge and power, was a bit astonished ...... but only for a short time. He was even comatose with pleasure at having so many targets for revenge. So, he began preparations to launch an operation on the Laurentian continent as well. One specific method is to infiltrate the agents. The Aguch was designed to manipulate them. They understand its structure and have succeeded in producing some, if not all of it in mass production ....... He used a golem to strike the captured < with it, and made them his servants. "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......... You don''t think that the used to control us has become a tool to control our offspring..." The <<> who can even take pleasure in such a thing is still insane. * * * * < lived up to their expectations, gathering information on the Laurentian continent, while at the same time carrying out small acts of sabotage. They were really very small ones, but all of them slowed down the development of <>, even if only slightly. They told the ruling class that education of the common people was harmful. <. They encourage overfishing beyond necessity. They became small thorns in the side of human society, and at a moment, they became an unexpected hindrance to development. Then, in the year 3151 of the continental calendar. The long-awaited moment has arrived. <, controlled by , he urged the < to seize the southern lands by force, and succeeded in doing so. This was the beginning of the war that would later be known as the <>. Whether the <> or the <> won did not matter to the <>. < kill each other and reduce their numbers. Then, when the situation was about to reach a stalemate, they would make a big move. <. <, embedded with an , was given to the side as the . The magic tool itself was treated as an artifact. If you use it, good. If you don''t use it, it''s okay. < But on September 29, 3155. < was invaded by the . The base commander decided that he had had enough, and activated his magical tools. As a result, the population of <> was reduced by 60%, and that of <> by 80%. "Hmmm, that''s funny. Let''s beat the survivors to a pulp! The was shaking with comatose joy: ....... The small harassment continued, and the greatly reduced number of and continued to be subjected to the malice of the without their knowledge. It continues until the year 3456 of the continental calendar: ....... * * * * Continental year 3456. < was unaware of it, its began to be pulled out. The side of that had been leading them into decline began to change. At first it was a small reform. Not even a magical tool, just a tool. But it had the power to change people''s lives. The name of the tool was the pump. And the small reforms continued. The stove. A wheelbarrow. Floats. Lighters. Popcorn. Water heater. Refrigerators. Vacuum cleaners, microscopes. ....... Just a few things that enrich our lives. But the more they accumulate, the greater the amount of "room" they create. <, a remnant of the . The , which had induced the consciousness of the , was able to solve the . And what was decisive was that there was a who accepted the without ostracizing them. The fact that these <> would even reach out to save the <> was beyond the comprehension of the <>. <> by inciting the <> with an aguch, but the existence of the aguch was discovered and the aguch was neutralized. The localized , which had been forced upon them, had reduced the number of , but at a great cost. < were even implemented. Even the most powerful golem they had launched was defeated. "Who the hell is this guy! If there is such a thing as a ...... soul, then this was a cry from the depths of his soul. He who stood in the way of <''s malice. It was the Magecraft Meister. 3060 - - 81-01 Welcome Party In Penglai Island, Arnold and Chelle joined the <> and it was very lively. At 7:00 p.m. Boraishima time, the whole <> gathered and held a party. Now the second Jin family is ....... Jin, Reiko, Elsa, Saki, Reinhard, Berthe, Meane, Stearina, Toa, Marcia, Rodrigo, Vivian, Hannah, Licia, Luis, Bina, Milowina, Goose, Martha, Zion, Marikka, Rhodos, Lyudmila, <> Turles. Arnold and Chelle joined them. Other guests included Rorona, mother of Sion of <>, and Neige and Rouge, adopted daughters of the <>. Of course, Elena, Anne, Lol, and Lefa were also present. In addition, < was also present and explained the significance of its existence to Arnold. "I see... I guess it''s a lot of trouble to hide your power..." "That''s what I meant. I''m glad that Arnold doesn''t have to hide it anymore. Incidentally, Jin''s body and the fact that most of the members are homunculi are also explained. Arnold seemed to have sensed that he was not an ordinary human being, and was not that surprised. Arnold was not so surprised, as he seemed to have a vague sense that Arnold was not an ordinary person. And then the party began. "Arnold, welcome! "Here''s to the future of the Jin family! "Well, it''s nice to have more members. "Oh, thank you, sir." Arnold''s body is equipped with a sense of taste, so he can tell whether a dish tastes good or bad. "This wine is delicious, isn''t it?" "Yes, it is. I like it too." "My brother Rai is very picky about wine." As a matter of fact, Elsa left Gough, Rubina and Merce behind in Leuthart. Therefore, she can''t stay too long. "Elsa, what''s going on over there?" Jin asked Erza, "It''s okay, Jin-brother. Goh, Rubina and Merce are all getting along fine. "I see. I''m ...... sorry, but I''m going to need a little more help. I''m on it. It''s been more than 3 weeks since the kidnapping of Merce. Jin thought to himself that there had been a lot of commotion. "What are you going to do now?" Reinhard asked. "Well, now that I''ve finished summarizing the <>, I''ll put it into writing and prepare a text for >." "Yeah, that''s what you said." "Well, I can''t disclose the details of the <> and the <> yet. As for this, we all agree that it will have a great impact on the world, and that we will have to let it percolate slowly. "I''m more concerned about the ." Saki came over and joined in the conversation. "I wonder where all that steel and other materials went ......." "In terms of quantity, were they trying to build something of <> class?" "<> is a mega-float, so it''s light for its size. About 1.6 million tons, that is the drainage capacity of <>. Such a structure on land would be quite conspicuous, but no such structure has been found so far. "Shall we look for it in earnest ......?" I wonder if I should ask the old man to search for it with a , or if I should build some kind of . Jin thought for a moment. "Jin, well, can you put that aside for a moment?" "Oh, Goose." "I''ve been thinking about what you said during the day, but I''m missing a couple of things." What''s that? What is it?" "One is how you did in Fuso and Mitsuho. ...... I''ve heard a little bit about this one, but the other is the <> that''s important." "What?" "...... the stories of the people who were actually fighting." "Oh, I see. ...... What kind of fighting was going on on the battlefields. That''s what Guth said he wanted to know. And Vivien, "I guess so. <." Yet the memories of those who fought on the front lines have long since dissipated into the void. It is not even possible to reproduce it now. "...... Hmmm, I wish I had a battle golem left over from that time. ......" Even if the golem was destroyed and sent to scrap, if some battle data is left in the control core (control core), it would be ...... possible to reproduce it. However, none of such data was found in the remains we have investigated so far. "Even the magical brains of the ruins don''t know what was going on at the front lines, do they? It''s a pity. It''s a shame. Jin, Goose, Vivian and the others let out a small sigh of relief. "I think that the vanguard of the front line was probably manned by golems. Then came Luis. He fantasizes about those days with a commander''s mind. "If we were dealing with <>, we would leave the shields to the golems, and saturate them with magic or magical tools from the rear. I think that was the basic tactic. "I see, Lewis." "But don''t you think that the Northerners would have had golems and would have attacked at long range?" "Yes, Goose is probably right. In that case, they might have used the golem to disrupt the enemy lines. "Do you agree, Reinhard?" "Yes. ...... I don''t know what kind of tactical theory the commanders of that time had learned. The same people would have thought a few things in common, Reinhardt said. "Disturbing the enemy line with a speedy golem and then hitting them with a long-range attack, huh?" Goose muttered in admiration. Reinhard continued. "Yes. Another possible tactic is to jam the enemy mages with a magical golem. "Jamming?" "Yes. < or , but it could at least disrupt the enemy mage''s concentration, delay the activation of magic or reduce its power, right?" "How exactly?" "I don''t know. How about ......, but he tries to use powerful magic and then stops, and then stops and tries to use ......?" "I see. It would be possible to disturb the free magical element (ether) around them. Arnold thinks to himself as he looks on that this kind of banter is also a good time for them. Arnold was happy to know that he was a member of such a family. 3061 - - 81-02 And Go to the lab. "I wanted people to understand how tragic war on a large scale is." "Jin, people are forgetful creatures, so even if it serves as a reminder now, you never know in the future, do you?" Reinhardt answered Jin''s murmur. "Yes, that may be so. But I think I''ll do what I can." "In that respect, the may be able to pass the story on from generation to generation." "Maybe Zion is right." "Then, how about having <> transmit such ideas?" "That''s a good idea. Anyway, I''m planning to submit a summary of the <>. We''ll start with what we can do. That was the conclusion of the night. However, there was still plenty to talk about. "I was surprised to find what looks like a rocket engine," Jin said. Reinhardt bites back when Jin says this. "Was it transferred to <>?" "Yes. That''s all we have now." When Jin answered, Reinhardt looked disappointed. "I''m sure you''re right. ...... I''m impressed that you developed such a thing in that era. "I''d like to do some research here too. Do you think so too, Jin? Yes. The first propulsion system developed by Jin was the Magijet Engine. The jet engine cannot be used in the absence of air. Therefore, the spacecraft remained untouched until the development of the . Because of this, Jin wanted to study the <. He was not interested in missiles, bazooka guns, and long-range guns. He was not interested in missiles themselves, bazooka guns, and long-range guns (?). I was not interested in missiles themselves, bazooka guns, or long-range guns (?), although I have already developed a super-compatible version of those ....... "Rocket engines ...... certainly interest me." Reinhardt also think so? Yes. Yes, I''m interested too. Arnold too? As an engineer, yes. Jin, Reinhard, Arnold and the others nodded at each other. "But, Arnold, have you not heard about these new technologies, such as rocket engines? "No, I had not. I didn''t even know there were such engineers." "Well, ...... it was wartime, so was the information controlled?" "That may be so, Jin." Reinhardt said. "Even Arnold, I''m sure the people working on the development at the other facilities didn''t know about it." "Oh, so it could be the other way around." "Yes, yes." I''m sure that''s one way to look at it. ...... Well, even if that were the case, it wouldn''t be of any help." I guess so. It''s just a chat level, not a place to get to the bottom of it. ....... * * * * * * Later that night, most of the members returned to their posts. In fact, there is a large scale construction work going on on the planet <> right now. > is the planet that the abandoned. We have managed to bring in resources from elsewhere, but the vegetation is not so good. There is a lot of work to be done, such as decontamination of the land and improvement of the soil. < family wants to make the planet inhabitable again. Those who have things to do on Ars, such as Jin and Erza, are fine, but those who do not have things to do are basically bored. Therefore, those who have free time are working on various things in . Of course, there is no time limit, so things are done at a leisurely pace. It was very much like the < family to try to remodel a planet with a single hand. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The next day, March 2. Jin and Arnold headed for <>. Of course, Reiko and Chel were with them. The purpose of my visit to <> is to submit a document on the <>, as it is well known. I had contacted him last night, so Tomax Bartmann had taken the time to meet with me. "Thank you, Mr. Jin and Mr. Arnold, for your quick response. Fiona Fias, the secretary, received the documents and thanked him. "So, Mr. Arnold, how about the temporary lecturer position? Yes, I would be happy to accept the position. "That would be great." However, since I am an honorary citizen of the Kingdom of Celuloa, I would like to inform you in advance that I will be a temporary lecturer. "Oh, I see. I''ll let you know if that is the case. Thank you very much. < that allows us to communicate with other countries, and in fact, we are in regular contact with them. They will inform the Kingdom of Celuloa of the situation. Arnold will be a temporary lecturer in <> for about a week from this day. * * * * * * * As expected, the lecture did not start on this day, so Arnold came to <> under the guidance of Jin. "Hey, Jin! Eira, it''s been a while. "Yes, it''s been a while. How''s ...... going? Yeah, this is Arnold. He''s a friend of mine. Arnold. I''m Eila. Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you. As Eira and I greeted each other, Katya and Groma Trey came out from the back and greeted each other in the same way. Then, Katya made an unexpected comment. "Jin-san, is it true that Arnold-san is an automaton?" "What?¡¡Why? "There is a rumor going around." Jin wonders where it is coming from, but affirms it. He had planned to disclose it during the lecture on the <> anyway. "That''s right. Arnold is an engineer who was alive at the time of the <>. "Oh, so you are right!" C¨¢cea was surprised. Then Groma and Eira said, "Is it possible that Mister Arnold is an automaton......?¡¡It''s amazing...... that he looks so human......." They were impressed. "But, but that''s why you remember so much about those days!" Groma seemed interested. "That''s what I mean." "That''s great. I look forward to your lecture. Katya is also planning to attend the lecture on the <>. Can I call you Arnold? "Yes, that''s fine." "Yes, you may. Well, you can call me Eira, too. ......Arnold, let''s get started: ......" Eira seemed to be interested in Arnold as an engineer. She suddenly started asking a lot of questions. "......Yeah, my opinion is ...... on that point." Arnold also answered sincerely. 3062 - - 81-03 Consultation available < and decided to have lunch together. When we went to the cafeteria together, ....... "Oh, Mr. Jin. This room is empty. "Well then, be my guest." The person who called out to me was Mr. Roar Eisker, the head of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory, who had arrived at the cafeteria earlier. "Mr. Jin, it''s been a while." "Hello. Ciel, right? And this is Mr. Tyner. It''s an honor to be remembered. There were also Ciel Azure, Tyner Vito, and other members of the Aeronautical Institute, so we were a big group. Reiko and Chel are not seated, but are standing diagonally behind Jin and Arnold, respectively. "...... But, Arnold, you can eat, can''t you? ......" "Yes, I have a good sense of taste. However, since they don''t need to be digested and absorbed, they are broken down into atoms or agglomerated in the body for other uses." "What other uses?" Apparently interested, Katya asks Arnold a number of questions. "For example, sugar can be extracted and agglomerated to make glacial sugar, and salt can be extracted to make salt..." "Oh, that''s right." "......It really is a well-made body. ......" Meanwhile, Jin was being questioned by a member of the . "I heard in passing that you have discovered a new type of propulsion system that has never been seen before? As one would expect from the head of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory, Rohr-Eisker had a quick ear. Since there should be an official announcement on the magic rocket engine shortly, he thought it would be a good idea to at least affirm it, "That''s right. I think it will be officially announced soon. Jin only answered, "Yes, I think it will be officially announced soon. * * * * * * * * * * After lunch, Jin and Arnold went back to the . "What are you developing now? to which Groma replied, "An underwater Gorgon. "An underwater golem. "Oh?" "Of course, a normal golem can act underwater, but the one we are developing has a body that can float on water like a human being. I see. "Shipping will continue to develop in the future. This will lead to accidents at sea, so rescue teams will have to be dispatched. That''s what this golem is for. "So that''s how it is. Peaceful use, that''s good. Jin was all for it. Seeing Jin like this, Eira asked him for advice. "The only problem is, how do we get it to float? That''s what Groma and I are discussing. Eira explained that the discussion was whether the golem could be made to have a specific gravity of about 1, which would make it about the same as water, and thus float, or whether it could be made sturdier and heavier and use a propulsion system such as the <> to make it float. The one with a specific gravity of 1 does not need to do anything special in order to <>, but it requires the use of lighter materials, which may raise concerns about its strength. The one using a propulsor has the disadvantage that it will sink if the propulsor malfunctions, but there are few restrictions on materials. As for the materials, it is common that they must be resistant to seawater. "I want to make it sturdy, because it will be more powerful for rescuing people," he said. "That''s what I''m thinking, isn''t it?" Eira prefers to use propulsion to float. "But as an engineer, I''d like to make one with a specific gravity of 1. "But as an engineer, I''d like to make one with a specific gravity of 1, wouldn''t you, Mr. Jin? Groma is of the opinion that the specific gravity should be 1 without using extra propulsion. "Well, which side are you on, Jin?" Jin answers with a laugh. "I want to make something that satisfies both sides. Even Eira doesn''t want to make it too heavy, does she? "That''s right. Then, it''s not a bad idea to pursue both strength and lightness. "I would if I could. ......" In this case, it is not good if the specific gravity is, for example, 1.1. It has to be able to float in water without using any auxiliary means. "Considering the power, we really want to use metal for the skeleton. That would inevitably make it heavier." That''s true. "If we use metal for the exterior as well, the specific gravity will be about 2, no matter how we try to make it work. I''ve thought about it, Eira said. Have you tried life vests? "Sort of. The human life vests were not enough." There was also the possibility of adding external equipment such as <<>, but Eira said that the human version was not buoyant enough at all. "You know?¡¡It''s difficult to do. "The only thing left is special materials. ...... It was thought that using materials that could be strengthened by magic power would make it light and strong. But... "Mr. Jin, that''s a little tough too. Ka-CHEER said, "That''s not good enough. "It has to be able to be mass-produced. ...... "That''s tough." Materials that can be strengthened with magic power are usually expensive. Right?¡¡That''s why we''re discussing it. What''s your opinion on ......, Jin?" "Hmmm... ......" After thinking for a moment. Jin''s answer is ....... "We should develop inexpensive materials that can be strengthened by magic power. He said, "What? "What? "Hmmm... ......" "Oh, I see. ......" Eira, Gromma, and Cachea each expressed their thoughts in short sentences. "The only thing that might hold us back is the <>. What about you?" "We''ve been given a deadline of six months, and we have less than four months left. "I see. I can spend two months developing ...... materials and still make change." Jin muttered in response to the information from Katya, "Only Jin-san can say that we can afford such a schedule. Jin was told, "Only Jin-san can say that he can afford such a schedule. Then Arnold joined the meeting. "What?¡¡A cheap material that can be strengthened with magic power?¡¡If you don''t mind if the degree of enhancement is low, I have it. "What?" During wartime, shortages of supplies were a common occurrence. So, what kind of material is it? Stone. "What?" Corundum, to be precise. "I see." Stones...... minerals are < and are also important for their <. In other words, . Diamond has a Mohs hardness of 10, which is the highest in terms of , but it has a surface that is prone to cracking, or , and its < is slightly lower. <> is <(including ruby and sapphire) and . The Mohs hardness of jade is 6.5 to 7, while that of corundum is 9. In other words, corundum is superior to jade in terms of . "Corundum is dinner ...... No, I''m sure they got quite a bit of it in what is now the Kingdom of Celuloa, so we just have to magically process it." "That was helpful!¡¡Thank you, Mr. Arnold! "Thank you, Mr. Arnold, for the information. "Thank you for the tip, Arnold." Cachea, Gromma, Eira and the others expressed their gratitude in their own words. 3063 - - 81-04 War technology "I see, you use corundum instead of alumina. Jin, who was listening nearby, was also impressed by this idea. "No, it''s not a very praiseworthy idea since it was developed during wartime when supplies were scarce," he said. "No, it''s not that bad," he said. ...... is a good thing, using what war has created for peaceful purposes." "Yes, ...... it is." "If we add some trace elements to the corundum, won''t it enhance it even more?" "What?" What Jin said was a principle common to < materials, but apparently Arnold had never heard of it before. "Why don''t you try corundum with about one percent of mithril silver added?" Jin asked Katya, "We have enough materials in our laboratory for experiments. He replied, "We have enough material in our laboratory to experiment with. "All right, then, let''s give it a try. Eira suddenly became enthusiastic. "Well, let''s start with an experiment. Gromma also suggested, and they went straight to the laboratory. Jin and Arnold are with them. Reiko and Chelle followed, of course. "First, corundum. Transparent aluminum oxide crystals. Specific gravity is about 4. Melting point is 2050 degrees Celsius. Its Mohs hardness is 9, second only to diamond. To this we add one percent by weight of mithril silver. "<>" Jin adds mithril silver by engineering magic. "Oh." "It''s beautiful. ......" Trace amounts of silver often have little effect on the color of minerals, but mithril silver seems to be a little different, resulting in pale lemon-colored crystals. "I guess it was a one-shot success." Jin, who is used to making this kind of Magi material, said to himself. He decided to investigate the physical properties of < for the time being. The default properties are almost the same as those of the original corundum. This is to be expected. The question is, how much enhancement by magic power is possible. This < was done by Eira, not by Jin. Eira did this , not Jin, because Jin might add a more powerful effect than usual. "Hmm, this is quite ......" "We''re getting about five times the strength!" That''s good enough. But the fracture properties ...... The hardness is sufficient from the start. The problem is <>, i.e. <>. Also, <> are important. For example, when force is applied to a material, does it suddenly crack like glass when the limit is exceeded, or does it undergo irreversible deformation (plastic deformation)? In the case of steel, there is an elastic limit, which is the limit beyond which the material will return to its original state if the force is stopped. If it exceeds this limit, it deforms like clay (plastic deformation) and remains bent even if the force is removed. The desirable property of glass or iron depends on the application, but for the skeleton of a golem, the material that does not break down suddenly like iron, but rather is <, is considered to be more desirable. "That would have to be metal, wouldn''t it?" "That''s right." "I think so too. However, isn''t it strong enough? Since it is not for combat use, it is unlikely that it will be subjected to a force greater than expected. Therefore, Arnold said that if a sufficient safety factor is taken, it would be at a practical level. Human bones break without bending. "Indeed. Now all we have to do is foam it and reduce its specific gravity. We can do that. Jin, Arnold, thank you! Eira shook hands with Jin and Arnold with a big smile. "No, no, I''m glad I could be of help. Katya approached Arnold with a smile. "Well, Mr. Arnold, perhaps there are some more techniques from the wartime that can be used today? "Huh?¡¡Oh, I see. Arnold''s face turned into a "what if" look. Jin is also interested, "That''s certainly possible. Let''s put it all together and make a report. When I suggested this, Katya was very enthusiastic. She said, "Yes!¡¡Let''s put it all together. "You love this kind of thing, don''t you, Katya? With a wry smile, Eira sat down at the table. "Great. I''d love to hear it." And Gloma Tolley joined them. "All right, let''s get started. Jin led the discussion. "So, Arnold, what''s your subject? "I can''t think of any ...... off the top of my head," said Arnold. "Of course you can. How about an alternative for expensive or rare materials? When Jin specified this, Arnold seemed to have an idea. "Ah, there are two alternatives...one is adamantite." "Huh?" Adamantite is the hardest single metal in the world. It is also heavy. It is produced in small quantities, so its use is limited. ...... except for the island of Horai. "Carbon steel with a carbon content of 1.2 percent is quenched, and then multiplied by ." "I see." < "With this, it will be about one-third to one-half of normal adamantite." "The specific gravity of steel is about 7.9 and adamantite is 19.3, so in terms of strength per weight, it''s a pretty good substitute." "Yes, that''s right. This is useful! "Good." Arnold was relieved that he could be of help. The other one is the Magi Crystal. "Oh, we''re going to run out of those too, aren''t we?" "Yes. But I''ll collect any kind of shavings, powder, fragments, or remnants that were attached to the original stone. "You don''t mean to make it into one, do you?" Jin could use and to unite the pieces and then use to improve the quality, but that is not possible for everyone. The main technology in wartime is something that relatively anyone (magecraftsman) can use. "To make one, however, is to use <>. We harden those too small magic crystals with magic resin. You don''t use fusion? "No, I don''t. You may not be aware of it, but if you normally use <>, the crystalline structure will be severely disturbed. "Then use <> and you''ll get ...... and ......." "Yes. < "Is that what it is?" "That''s how it is." Jin understood what Arnold was saying. He listened to Arnold''s explanation. 3064 - - 81-05 Shot Peening Arnold''s explanation continues. "The pieces of magecrystal are encased in magecrystal resin, and then the whole is formed into shape, consciously adding more magical power. "Why is that?" Gloma Trey interrupted with a question. "The extra magical power from the forming process causes each piece of the magi crystal to turn in a certain direction. "That''s similar to the crystalline structure being aligned, isn''t it?" Yes. That is the intention." In short, it is a degraded version of <. By aligning the direction of the pieces of magecrystal in the magecrystal resin, pseudo-crystallization is performed. < in a situation where it is not possible to use . Naturally, it is desirable to use a piece of the same attribute. Of course, it is a degraded version, so it is much less effective than the real <>. However, it is several times more efficient than simply using . "The grade of hardened in this way is in proportion to the quality of the magi crystals mixed inside. The grade will be about two ranks lower than that of the magical crystals (magicrystals) contained in it. "That''s wonderful!" It was also Katya who took a shine to the effect. "I don''t know how it was back then, but now you can make a magic crystal (magi crystal) that would cost about one million dollars for one-tenth of that cost. I don''t know how it was back then, but it would mean that a magic crystal (magi crystal) that would cost about a million dollars now can be made for a tenth of that. "So it would be about that much. ...... Well, the size will be quite large, though." Still, this is an amazing technology! "Still, it''s a great technology!" "There are some drawbacks, though.¡¡It''s encased in Magi-resin, so it''s vulnerable to heat. "That depends on how you use it. In this way, a meaningful lesson in applying technology developed during the war to the present day was given. "Mr. Arnold, do you have any more? Cachier is always greedy for cost reduction. "Well, ......, how about a method of strengthening metal materials?" "Yes, I''d like to hear about it." Jin is very enthusiastic about this. He hoped that if Arnold knew about it, it would not be a common method. "It is not limited to metals, but if you strengthen the molecular structure, you can make it stronger. There are several ways to strengthen it, but there is one method that was developed during the war. "Yes." "It is known that common metals undergo work hardening. It is done artificially, uniformly throughout the metal. But it can only be used for things like armor or the exterior of a golem." "What is it?" "We hit the finished product with a small ball of adamantite that we have prepared in advance. The surface will be a little uneven, but it will be hard and scratch resistant. "...... shot peening?" "Oh, so Jin knew about this." "In a manner of speaking." Shot peening is a type of cold working. It is a process in which countless hard balls collide with a metal surface at high velocity (these balls are called shots). The metal surface becomes pear-shaped and lusterless. However, the hardness of the surface is increased and compressive residual stress acts on the surface, which has an effect on metal fatigue. In addition, wear resistance and heat dissipation are also improved. Furthermore, it has a wide range of applications due to its low material dependence. "So you knew about this too, Jin. That''s too bad." "No, I just know about it. I''ve never used it." In fact, he had some knowledge of it as part of his work when he was in modern Japan, but he had never actually processed it. And even after he was summoned here and became a Magecraft Meister. "It''s of limited use, but I like it." "Yes. For example, if it can thin the exterior of a golem by 10%, it would be very effective. Eira and Groma were quickly thinking of ways to use . * * * * * * Then, Loa Eisker, the head of the Aerospace Research Laboratory, came running in. "Mr. Arnold, Mr. Jin!¡¡...... Oh, thank goodness you''re here." "Oh, Mr. Roa..." "It has just been officially announced that a new propulsion system has been discovered. And that Mister Arnold and Mr. Jin are familiar with it. Yeah, yeah, well... If you don''t mind, we''d like to talk to them now. I have permission from the High Commissioner. "...... Oh, I see." It was hard to say no when he said so. < was beginning to examine the techniques Arnold had told them about and think about their applications, so Jin and Arnold moved to the . "You''re all very enthusiastic, aren''t you?" "Yes, they are." "And the and are getting along so well, aren''t they?" "No, they didn''t get along with each other until a while ago. Jin explained the situation to Arnold in a few words. "I see, that''s interesting. While they were talking, they arrived at the conference room of the Aviation Research Institute. "Welcome, Mr. Jin, Mr. Arnold. The main members of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory were all there. Some of them had just met in the cafeteria. The head of the lab, Roar Eisker, the deputy head, Zora Himmel, Tiner Vito, the red-haired Ena Kouki, and Ciel Azure. After we had been introduced, I asked the group to introduce themselves. After introducing ourselves once again, we immediately get into a technical discussion. We all know the principle of rocket propulsion, but this engine is a little different, isn''t it? The normal rocket propulsion system uses a to and then injects the combustion gases to utilize the recoil. Air-filled balloons and bottles filled with compressed air are used to explain the principle of <>. However, the one presented here is a little different. < but . This is called or in modern Japan. In ordinary rocket engines, is the important thing, and < is a phenomenon that we do not want to see happen. However, the <> makes use of <>. In pure science, hydrogen and oxygen must be pumped into the combustion chamber for the explosion to occur, and this must be carefully controlled. But what about magic? <> is a legendary magic, but <> is an intermediate level of fire magic and can be used by anyone who has the aptitude. In this case, what is exploding is the changed <>. In other words, it does not need <> and does not need oxygen. In other words, it is compact. And if it is perfectly controlled by a precise <>, it can be used as a rocket engine. ....... This is the rocket engine introduced in this article. < 3065 - - 81-06 Report The first thing Jin asked was the most basic of basics. "You know the principle of a rocket engine, don''t you?" "Yes, I do." Jin then decided to explain about the rocket engine he had found. "The rocket engines that have been considered so far have obtained thrust by utilizing the expansion of air caused by . But the rocket engine we found uses <>." "......" "The rocket engine uses intermittent small explosions to generate propulsion. I estimate that it can provide three to five times more thrust than the previously studied ." "Oh!" "That''s amazing!" We must put this to practical use! < "Mister Jin, please tell us what''s next." "Yes. ...... This explosion will be done by magic, so it doesn''t need fuel or oxygen supply. We only need to supply <> or <>, so fuel tanks are no longer necessary and the overall structure can be simplified." "That''s true." "The problem is the supply and control of the mana. ...... and the fact that it''s an explosion means that it has a lot of propulsive force, so it won''t be good at low speeds." "The heat resistance of the engine is also important since it uses fire magic. Arnold added to Jin''s explanation. "That is true. But this will contribute to increasing the speed of the aircraft!" "I''m sure it will." Jin is also hopeful that this could be an alternative propulsion system to the <>. However, as noted earlier, he speculated that it might not be good at low speeds. (Well, in that case, I suppose we could find a way to release the pressure of the explosion.) There were several possible ways to do this. The combustion chamber of a rocket engine ...... explosion chamber?¡¡Make an appropriate hole in ...... to release the pressure in other directions than the direction of the jet. Wrap the explosion with a boundary to reduce the force. Variable jet aperture (narrowing the aperture increases the jet velocity and widening the aperture decreases the jet velocity). The following is an example. It is a promising technology. "It seems to be difficult to control. ......" < "I think we need to repeat the experiment on the ground to get the control data, and then ...... again with the experimental aircraft. Jin advises. "I think it would be better to use an airship for the experimental plane. How much propulsion can be obtained by how many explosions, and repeat the process. The control data is stored in magi crystals and can be applied. Of course, control will be left to a special control core. "Well, is it impossible for the pilot to control it directly? "I don''t think so in the beginning." < because of its linear output characteristics, but Jin thinks it is unlikely to work so well with the . It was thought that if enough control data could be gathered, a conversion table could be constructed to produce output in response to throttle, which would make maneuvering much easier. "I understand. Let''s take Jin-sama''s advice and collect the data carefully. "I hope so." "In that case, it would be better to conduct joint research with the on the control core of the control data. Thus, the Aerospace Laboratory decided to develop the Magi rocket engine (tentative name) in collaboration with the . * * * * * * * * As it was getting late in the evening, they decided to stay the night at <>''s accommodation facility. While Jin is relaxing with Reiko, Arnold has to write a to the Kingdom of Selroa. Somewhat surprisingly, Arnold is not very good at writing reports. When Jin went to Arnold''s room to go to the dining hall for dinner, he was struggling with the report paper in front of him. "Arnold, you look like you''re having a hard time ......." "Oh, Jin. I''m not very good at this kind of thing. ...... "Anyway, why don''t we go to the cafeteria?" "Yeah, sure. ......" Arnold stood up, leaving his report unfinished. I''ve always had a hard time with reports," he said. "Well, I guess I understand a little. ......Chel, Arnold, don''t you take your reports very seriously? Yes, you''re right. I knew it. Jin knew that too. While research reports need to be written in a well-structured manner so that nothing is left out, reports are a little different. At the company where Jin worked in modern Japan, he was required to submit a report when he visited a technical exhibition such as <>, but the boss who received the report would discard it without even looking at it. Knowing this, Jin unwillingly learned to cut corners properly. ....... Aside from that, Jin has one piece of advice for Arnold: "Get Chelle to help you. "Get Chelle to help you. "Get Chelle to help you. "Chelle?" "Yes. Chelle''s got a great mind. Her memory, her organization, it''s more than human. I''m sure Arnold knows that better than I do. "That''s what I thought. But this is my job. ...... "Even Chelle was created by Arnold. The work that Chel did is as good as if Arnold had done it. Right, Chell? "Yes!" Chelle, who had come with me and was standing behind Arnold, answered Jin''s question with a burst of energy. "Oh, I see. Well, I''ll leave it to you. "Yes, leave it to me! Chelle replied with more energy than ever. She replied with great vigor. What Jin said was right on the money. After dinner, Arnold asked Chelle to summarize the report and stared at it with half surprise and half delight as it was quickly completed. "Mr. Arnold, I have finished. Fifteen minutes after he started writing the report, it was completed on 10 sheets of A4 paper. "That was fast. The content of the report is absolutely perfect. Arnold was relieved to know that he would be able to submit the report tomorrow. 3066 - - 81-07 Engine prototype The next day, March 3. Arnold will be a temporary lecturer at for about a week. Jin decided to return to Horai Island. On the way, he stops by the Kingdom of Selroa to tell them that Arnold will be a lecturer, and to hand them a report summarizing the past events. "Well, Arnold, I''ll see you later. "Yes, thank you, Jin." We can use the bracelets to contact each other if necessary, so that we can also go our separate ways. Chel is with me so I don''t have to worry. "Thank you, Jin-dono, for everything you have done for us. "Jin, see you again!¡¡Come visit us sometime! "Yeah, bye!" Jin is seen off by Roar Eisker and the other members of the and Eira and the other members of the , and boards the . Jin watches the float toward the morning sky, "Someday, I''d like to build a plane that can fly faster than Jin-dono''s . Roar Aisker thought to himself. * * * * * The < with Jin on board arrives at Essiah, the capital of the Kingdom of Selroa, in one hour. The familiar balloonists quickly gave way, and the plane was able to land easily. "Welcome, Jin-dono!" Prime Minister Dine greeted us. "Arnold has been assigned as a temporary lecturer at Avalon, so I have brought a report on that and the past reports. "Oh, thank you very much. So I moved to the small conference room and submitted the report to Mr. Jin. "I see......... you have done a lot in such a short period of time. That''s what I''d expect from you, Jin-dono." The Prime Minister skims through the report and closes it, "You are a temporary lecturer, is that correct? "That is correct. < I see. Then shall we send some people from our country? I think that would be a good idea. A high-speed airship made in the Kingdom of Selroa can reach in about three hours. There is also a way to connect with a transfer magic circle, but that has not been realized for security reasons. Currently, the only routes that have a transfer system are between facilities related to <> (including the World Guard). (excluding Horai Island). There is no law against it, but it is a self-imposed restriction. (Ah, this time will be shortened if the Magi rocket engine (tentative name) is built.) ) It was Jin who had such hopes. After a few more exchanges, Jin left the castle. The Prime Minister and the King were both apparently very busy at the moment, and they did not want to be disturbed. * * * * The reason for ...... is just a front, but Jin was eager to study the < himself. So he hurried back to Horai Island and hid himself in his workshop. My assistant was Reiko as usual. "First of all, let''s make it as basic as ......, or rather as it was shown there. But at one-tenth the cost." The engine uses explosive magic, so Jin is very careful. "We''ll use adamantite for the material, and make sure it''s strong enough." I understand. ......What kind of explosion magic do you use?" "Well, ......, first of all, I''d use a ." After deciding on the specifications, Jin and Reiko worked quickly and completed the prototype engine in about 30 minutes. The engine consisted of a combustion chamber (?), an explosion chamber (?), and a jet. The engine consisted of a combustion chamber or rather an explosion chamber (?), a jet, a conductor for supplying mana to it, and the Magi Formula of <> engraved inside the explosion chamber. The diameter of the jet port is 5 centimeters, and the total length is 15 centimeters. It is fixed to the test bench in the workshop. This test bench is used to measure the thrust of such a propulsion system, and is made of Magi-adamantite. It can withstand a thrust of up to approximately 10 tons. A strong physical barrier (solid barrier) is deployed around it as a precaution, and the experiment is ready to begin. The behavior of the robot will be recorded by the old man. Reiko will take the place of the control core. Reiko''s processing power should be more than enough, Jin thought. "Well then, <>" In response to the magic key word (key word), the <> started to move. "What?" Red flames were shooting out of the jets. The thrust gauge attached to the test bench read 200 kilograms. "200 kilograms for something this big. That''s amazing. ...... Reiko, can you stabilize it at 100 kilos?" "Yes, father." There was a time lag of about two seconds since this was the first time I had controlled it, but the thrust meter read almost steady at 100 kilometers. "Good. Now I want you to increase the power little by little." "Yes, father." Under Reiko''s control, the thrust begins to increase little by little. The flames coming out of the jets begin to grow longer and longer. ....... "150 kilometers, 200 kilometers, 250 kilometers, 300 kilometers, 350 kilometers, 400 kilometers ......" The jet flame is now about 50 cm long. The color has changed from red to yellow, indicating that the temperature has increased. "500 km,550 km,600 km ...... Reiko, when it reaches 1000, keep it there." "Yes, father." The Magi rocket engine, which increased its output in an almost linear fashion, maintained a thrust of 1000 kilograms (equivalent to about 9800N). (This is equivalent to about 9800N.) After holding for 10 minutes, Jin ordered an abrupt stop. "<>" The flame was extinguished at once, and the Magi rocket engine (tentative name) came to a standstill. Jin immediately checked each part of the engine. "The temperature is ...... 1100 degrees Celsius. That''s still high." The engine itself is adamantite, and the test bench is Magi-adamantite, so there is a margin for melting point, but Jin thought that heat countermeasures would be necessary if this engine was to be installed in a real machine such as a balloon or airship. "The output is sufficient. Reiko, how about the controls?" "Yes, father. I have tried small explosions at intervals of 0.2 seconds rather than medium explosions at intervals of 1 second, and the output is more stable, although it is more difficult to control. "I see. ...... Mr. Elder, did you notice anything while you were looking at it?" < "That''s for sure." However, as for Jin, he remembers the image of a cartoon robot he saw when he was in the facility, which was flying in the sky while emitting flames from the rocket engine attached to its back. I rather think that rockets are like that. However, there is no doubt that heat will be a bottleneck for the widespread use of the rocket. "Let''s think about it again. First is the phenomenon of <. This time we used a <. This is a magic that changes mana into sound, heat, light, and rapidly expanding gas. The mana transformed into sound, heat, light, and gas disappears (or rather loses its physical properties) in a few seconds. "From here, let''s consider whether we can use magic with a little more efficiency. 3067 - - 81-08 Magi rocket engine Jin, who is independently developing the <>, sees room for improvement in <> magic. "Earth''s rocket engines use heat generated by rapid combustion to expand the air and injectant, but magical explosions don''t need <> or <>, do they?" Jin recognized that <> does not need these physical phenomena. "In other words, an explosion without heat or light. ......" "<>, isn''t it, father?" "It would be, but ...... it''s a little too dangerous, too special." < Reiko can use it, but an ordinary magecraftsman can never do so. And the risk of miscalculating the control is too high. One wrong move and the engine itself could explode. A slight margin of error is acceptable for destructive purposes, but not for use as a propulsion engine. "First, let''s see if we can remove the heat element from the fire bomb." "Okay." Jin then used the decompiler to analyze the composition of the fire bomb. Just as in the past, he found the command to remove the recoil from the wind magic, erased it, and recompiled it. ....... "Well...... I found the command (command) to generate heat because it is a fire magic. However, I think it will not be able to expand the pseudo air. ......" Jin''s analysis of <> seems to follow the process of controlling free magic elements (ether) to temporarily create pseudo-molecular air, which is then diffused by heat: ....... The air molecule seems to return to free magic element (ether) in a few seconds after being injected. This means that it can be used in places where there is no air ...... such as underwater or in a vacuum without any problems. "That''s good news, but ...... heat is ...... a problem." Jin thought about the problems with the choice of materials and the heat protection for the other party to which it is attached. Reiko gives him a word of advice. "Father, isn''t it impossible for an ordinary magician (magecraftsman) to improve magic?" "Oh ...... I see." It is, in a sense, Jin''s nature (saga) to try to push the envelope in this way, despite the fact that the development was based on the assumption that it was for the general public. "First, we need to put this method to practical use, and then we will consider one for our own use. "I think that''s a good idea." So, Jin began to think about physical heat measures. "Adamantite has surprisingly good thermal conductivity." Although it is inferior to copper and aluminum, it has much better properties than light silver and iron. "First of all, should we install heat dissipation fins on the outside of the engine?¡¡...... No. Would it be better to insulate rather than cool?" Jin decides to test how the engine temperature rise affects the performance. He uses the same engine as before. He deployed a physical barrier (solid barrier) to see how the efficiency differs when the internal temperature is raised to 500 degrees Celsius (500 degrees Fahrenheit) and when it is at 0 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit). Reiko, please. "Yes, Father. I''ll leave it to you. And the experiment begins. "Hmmm... ...... almost the same, huh?" This <> was found to have minimal change in efficiency depending on the ambient temperature used. "In other words, the <> effect of the <> is probably not very significant." This fact will be useful when Jin makes his own <>. But for now, it''s a development for the general public. "Now we just need to find a balance between power output and heat generation. So, I decided to check the heat generation when the thrust is kept at 500 km. Reiko, please. "Yes, Father." The resulting temperature was 550 degrees Celsius. Similarly, when the thrust is limited to 300 kilograms, the engine temperature stabilizes at about 400 degrees Celsius. "Okay, that''s about what I can tolerate." If the standard thrust is 300 kg, the engine can be made lighter. "Even if it can withstand double the thrust in an emergency, half the current strength should be sufficient. The safety factor is well within expectations. "Now we just need to find a way to make it using heat-resistant steel or high-tensile steel instead of adamantite. This will lead to cost reduction and mass production. However, as mentioned above, the thermal conductivity of adamantite is different from that of steel, so it is necessary to keep that in mind when designing. "And then there''s vibration. ......" Since the explosion occurs at intervals of 0.2 seconds, there is a vibration of 5 Hz. This would be transmitted to the fuselage and would make the ride uncomfortable. Since it is difficult to shorten the explosion interval any further, we will try to adjust the ...... resonance so that the vibration does not affect the airframe so much. "That''s good enough for now." It was late in the evening when we finished verifying most of these values and characteristics. * * * * * * * * "It''s been a long time since we had a hard time, but we got some good data. "That''s great, isn''t it, father? Reiko was also happy to see the look of satisfaction on Jin''s face. The completed < has two types. The popular type. Heat-resistant steel is used. It is a steel material containing 33% nickel and 14% chromium. Nickel and chromium are factors that increase the cost, but the cost is lower than that of adamantite. The nozzle has a maximum diameter of 20 cm and an overall length of 50 cm to make it easy to handle. It weighs about 25 kg without the control system and has a maximum thrust of about 1.7 tons (about 16.7 kN). kN). Note that in Japan, thrust and other < are expressed in N (Newton) or Kgf (kilogram-force or kilogram-force). For reference, the engines of the F-15 (Eagle), even in its early stages, were capable of producing more than 10 tons of thrust per engine. The engine is for Horai Island. For Horai Island. Magi-adamantite is used. The same size nozzle maximum diameter and length are the same 20 cm and 50 cm, weighs about 40 kg, and has a maximum thrust of 22 tons (about 216 kN). 22 tons (about 216 kN). This output is made possible by the use of adamantite, which has a tensile strength 10 times greater than that of steel of the same weight. For reference, the LE-7A engine used in the first stage of the H-IIA rocket has a thrust of It has a thrust of about 1100 kN and weighs about 1.7 tons. The <>, which weighs less than 1/40th and delivers nearly 1/5th of the thrust, is still excellent. After this, Jin removed the <> and officially named it the <>. 3068 - - 81-09 prototype <, Jin now wishes to mount it on an aircraft. However, it was already late at night. "Father, you can do that tomorrow," Reiko told him. He decided to soak himself in a hot spring to recover his energy. I decided to soak myself in the hot spring to recover my energy. "Ah, it''s nice hot water. As I stretched my arms and legs in the bathtub, my fatigue seemed to melt away in the hot water. Jin reflected on how tired he had been. "I guess I''ll just relax tonight." After dinner, Jin did not think about the and went to bed. Jin slept soundly, apparently exhausted from flying from place to place day after day. * * * * * * * * * * * * * After a good night''s rest, Jin was ready to go full throttle the next morning. Without even having breakfast, he was working on the new aircraft with Reiko and three assistants from 1 to 3. "I think I''ll make a special engine for it." Jin decides to increase the size. "What we are going to build this time is a plane that can fly in the air, underwater, and in space." It will be operated by the Air Force (Air Force), Sky Squadron. The aircraft is made of light silver and Maggi Duralumin to make it lightweight and sturdy. It is 15 meters long and 9 meters wide. It has small tapered wings and is equipped with two <>. In terms of image, it is similar to the <>. The thrust of each engine is about 500 tons (about 4,900 kN). This is an astonishing amount of power considering that most jet fighter engines on the earth today have a thrust of around 100 kN per engine. The first prototype was completed just before 10:00 a.m. The name has yet to be determined. The name has not yet been decided. < immediately takes off for a test flight. Preparations were made at the airfield behind the institute. The communication is carried out via a dedicated line using <. < < < And the prototype started its engines. And the prototype is in orbit. "Oh, it looks good." Jin is watching from the control tower at the side of the runway. The prototype took off after only about 40 meters, thanks to its power and light weight. This is due in large part to the fact that the pilot is a golem named Sky1. They are not bothered by acceleration of tens of Gs. The catapult of an aircraft carrier can handle 3.99G, and 5G is enough to knock out an ordinary person, while 1 or 2G is the limit for humans, even if they are trained. The limit of acceleration at the time of a crash is 100G. There is data that the acceleration at the time of a crash is 100G, but the maximum acceleration of the prototype exceeds 30G, Jin estimated that the maximum acceleration of the prototype exceeded 30 G and was as high as 50 G. Since the speed at takeoff was about 300 km/h, the acceleration at launch exceeded 20 G. The prototype took off immediately from sight. The prototype plane took off and immediately disappeared from sight. After that, the old man is following the prototype with his < telescope, and we are checking the monitors in the control tower and communicating with each other with the manacam. < "Okay. First step is a success. < < < will be generated. However, due to its function, it is not possible to move air molecules at speeds higher than Mach 3. < What''s the engine temperature? < What about vibration? "Good." < < is used, air cannot be drawn in, so the system switches to forced cooling by magic. Even if it becomes super-cooled, there is no need to worry about the engine shutting down because of the explosion caused by magic. "Okay, come back once you hit 10,000." The prototype returned without any problems, and the experiment was a great success. Sky1 returned the prototype safely to Horai Island. Jin rushed to the prototype after it landed and congratulated Sky1. "You did a good job. You did a great job. "Yes, Master. Thank you, sir. Jin then took the prototype to the workshop and checked it. "No fluttering or strange vibrations?" "Yes, Master." Checking with Sky1, Jin proceeded to check. "Yes, the engine is in perfect condition. The fuselage is strong enough. "Father, is there anything we can do to make it better?" Sky 1 reports no maneuverability problems at all, so Jin has only one thing to do first. "I guess I''ll have to reduce the weight." Since it is a prototype, there are some parts that have more than enough strength, so we need to review the strength of the prototype. Specifically, the main legs, wings, and tail. This time, the test was conducted with the default strength without any magical reinforcement, so there is still a lot of room for weight reduction. "We can also reduce the weight of the girders here. "Father, we can also reduce the thickness of the exterior panels by 0.5 mm. "Master, let''s make this member hollow to reduce weight." Jin, Reiko, and <> proceeded with the work. The modification was completed in one hour. A similarly shaped < weighs about 4.4 tons, but this prototype weighs less than 3 tons. It was now lunch time, so after lunch we had another test flight. Jin, who wanted to fly it as soon as possible, hurriedly ate his lunch. * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Now, let''s test the new prototype. The test pilot was again Sky1. Ten seconds to start. < "This time we''re going to check the dynamics of the plane, so don''t be too sure about the power." "We''ll do the maneuverability test out to the east of the ocean, so keep that in mind." The prototype was launched. "Oh, I like it." The lighter aircraft shortened the run distance, and the plane took off after about 30 meters. The plane climbed at an angle of 45 degrees. Jin checked the situation on the monitor in the control center. "Well, the weight reduction does not seem to have any negative effects. "I see. Is that all? "Okay, the weight reduction is paying off." Now it''s time to check out the performance of the car. ....... 3069 - - 81-10 Swallow Completed The prototype was piloted by Sky 1 to test its maneuverability. The prototype was at sea, and after gaining enough altitude, it was ready to begin. "Okay, let''s start with a loop." Jin is watching the loop on the monitor installed in the control tower. The old man took this picture with his "Peeper" telescope. "Whoa!" Jin stared at the screen intently. The prototype does a big somersault first. No problem at all. It continued to do a series of somersaults (loops). The radius gradually decreases. "Yes, it feels good." The thrust-to-weight ratio of the prototype is well over 1. In other words, the prototype has enough thrust to easily make a vertical ascent without any lift from the wings. This also means that there is no danger of stalling and crashing. "Okay, now let''s turn horizontally." After the vertical somersault (loop), the next test is the horizontal turning force test. Again, the prototype showed stable maneuvering. Other maneuvers such as Immelmann turns, split-S, horizontal rolls, and vertical rolls were also performed, but no abnormalities were observed. "Okay, that''s enough. Come back." . The prototype performed just as Jin had expected. * * * * * Jin decided to talk to Sky1 directly after his return and make the final modifications and adjustments. "So, what do you think?¡¡Did you notice anything?" "Yes, Master. If we use it, the control stick is a little light. "I see." As a golem, Sky Squadron is more than a dozen times stronger than a human. Then perhaps a little more weight would make them easier to handle. What else? I pulled the clouds off the wingtips at very high altitude. "I see. So there''s turbulence. Should we keep it in this case ...... or should we try to eliminate it?" Turbulence is not only a bad thing, but it is less likely to cause separation than laminar flow, and there are even methods to intentionally create turbulence at the trailing edges of the wings. However, Jin has decided to eliminate turbulence. The reason is that this plane is a rocket plane, not a jet plane. It does not need wings to fly in the sky. However, in the air, wings are effective, so they have been added as a minimum requirement. "Are there no more wings?" Yes, nothing in particular. Okay. Jin is now working on the improvements suggested by Sky1 one by one. The turbulence generated at the wingtips will be corrected by experimenting in a wind tunnel. "Maybe we should change the shape of the wingtips." After that did not help much, he added wingtip plates, and it worked well. "Okay, let''s try this." The final modifications and adjustments were completed. Finally, it was time for the mass production prototype. In Jin''s case, the prototype can be converted directly into a mass production prototype. "Father, aren''t you going to give it a name?" "Huh?¡¡"Well, let''s see... ......" Reiko tells Jin to start thinking of a name. Since we are going to mass-produce it, we should decide on a name for it instead of <>. "Then let''s name the new rocket plane ." Swallow. It is because it is likely to reach the highest speed among the Horaijima''s planes in atmospheric flight with normal engines (with the use of the force field generator, the spaceship will probably be the top of the list). "Yes, sir." Sky 1 also tested the production prototype of < and assured him that all the problems had been solved. "Okay, let''s get a hundred of these ready for Skye Squadron." The aircraft is not a spaceship, but it can enter space on conventional engines. It is 15 meters long, 9 meters wide and 5 meters high. It can accommodate up to four people, including the pilot. It can use a laser cannon, a magic cannon (Magi Cannon), a paralyzing gun (Paralyzer), a magic bomb (Mana Bomb), and an electromagnetic induction radiator. Equipped with a force field generator. It is also equipped with a warp gate for emergency escape. "Now is ready. Now all that''s left is the engine for the spread." What will happen if this is fitted with a popular engine? That is the last test. * * * * * * * * * * Let''s just write the result, it was successful. That''s true, because it was just a matter of reducing the power of the rocket engine. "This is the one for the public." There is no warp gate for escape. Instead, the crew will carry their own escape (personal transporter) (only for those related to Horai Island, this will not be open to the public). "What about armaments? ...... Shall we make it possible to refit the armaments?" We have decided to make the armament retrofittable. This is not a fighter but a multi-role aircraft. It will be used for public display of Horai Island''s strength. The reason why Jin is so concerned about publicity is because he intends to unveil it at <> in the near future. "I''m also looking forward to seeing what the Aeronautics Laboratory will make. Oh, and we should introduce them to as well. ...... and ......" Then he realized that he had left Erza, Goh, Rubina, and Meltze at Loisart. "......how irresponsible it is not to show your face once ......" There was a good reason for this, and when one incident was cleared up, the next one called for Jin ......, so I never left them irresponsible, but for them, the reason didn''t really matter, and they must have thought they were left alone. However, Jin reflected that they would have felt neglected regardless of the reason. So, Jin decided to go to Leuthart first thing tomorrow morning, local time. "Let''s go to ...... and show them < just in case." So, Jin decided to use the mass production prototype as it is. In that case, the pilot would be either Reiko or Hope. I decided to have both of them pilot the prototype at least once, so I asked Reiko to pilot the prototype first. Naturally, Reiko showed us how to control with her own hands. Next was Hope. Hope is another gem of Jin''s work. As expected, she was able to ride <> at will, much to Jin''s satisfaction. 3070 - - 81-11 Explanation in Rozert Finally, Jin completed < (unbranded) as a model for the general public. The most difficult part was to limit the maximum acceleration value to 4G. This limiter is applied not by hardware but by the control core (control core) for software ...... control. "Well, now we can go to Loisart." However, <> needs a runway, so it can''t land on the roof of the house like <>. "But we can''t use the <> as a replacement for the on-board aircraft. ......" <<> is a wind-powered floater (blow floater), so it can take off and land vertically. We can''t just replace it with a Swallow. "So, <> will have to go to Loisart with <> and <> will have to go to Loisart with <> separately." In that case, the question arises as to what to do with the pilots. "Father, I will pilot the <>." "Is that what you want? ......" Basically, Reiko can pilot any vehicle owned by Horaijima. She could pilot the <>, but in that case, she would have to leave Jin, which is why she wanted to pilot the <>. In other words, Hope will pilot the Swallow and Reiko will pilot the Hurricane. <. "Okay, I will go ahead in the Hurricane and meet the at the airfield outside of Leuthart. "Yes, sir." Jin was planning to take Goh and Rubina with him when he did so. * * * * * * * * * * * * At 8:00 a.m. local time on March 5, Jin''s landed on the roof of Reuthert''s house. "Mr. Jin, welcome." "Welcome, Master Jin." Brother Jin, thank you. Jin-sama!¡¡It''s been a while! Master Jin, it''s been a while. Master Jin, I''m glad to see you''re doing well. "Master Jin, welcome to our home." All the Nido family ......, that is, Mr. and Mrs. Daiki-Kokona, Elsa, Goh, Rubina, Merce, Amanda, Butler D, the five-colored golem maid, Lara, Merce''s personal automata, and Yenny, the maid of honor transferred from Viscount Yohir''s family, are here. The first day, I was greeted by Yenny, a maid of honor from the Viscount Yohia family. "Master Jin!¡¡Why did you leave me alone until now? Rubina gave me a long complaint and complaint, but I took it all in my stride because it was true that I had neglected her. Rubina''s grandmother, Amanda, got along well with Mr. and Mrs. Daiki-Kokona and decided to stay here in Leuthart while Rubina was there. * * * * "...... and, you know, go to the Kingdom of Selroa ......." Everyone gathered in the living room of the house to listen to Jin''s story. Jin explained the story from February in a few words. "All the people called ...... the saints of the Sori Society are ......". Rubina and Merce listened more attentively when the conversation turned to the Searchers'' Association. "But the problem between Kupu and Fort Lutgra has been solved, hasn''t it?" "Yes, that''s right." Erza also knew what was going on, but she did not say anything so that Jin could explain himself. "So, in that underground base, I found an automata called and ......" "......70000 years old automata is amazing," he said. "I found a magical brain with the memories of the person who created it, so I transferred those memories to the automata I created. "What? How is that possible? "Well, there may be some people whose memories may not be compatible, but this time I was able to do it without any problem, probably because it was done from a magical brain. He made sure to nail the automata just in case no one wanted to do ...... to them. "I was asked by His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Celuloa to investigate another facility in ......." "So that''s what you were doing." And the technology I found there was interesting. What?¡¡What is it?¡¡Tell me, Jin-sama!" At the mention of "technology," Rubina, who had remained silent until then, started to bite. Rubina is Rubina after all," Jin explains with a wry smile. "...... the ultimate weapon ......?¡¡Magic rocket engine ......?" "Well, I''m not sure about the ultimate weapon, but the magic rocket engine is awesome." Jin pointed water at Goh, and Goh bit the bullet. "Well, uh, rocket engines, you mean only one side is open, and the other side is a closed container that sprays something out of ......?" "Oh, yes." "Jin-sama, don''t be so silly and tell me!" "Okay, okay, okay." At Rubina''s urging, Jin explained about the . "In other words, it excites type magic inside." "Ah, so it doesn''t need fuel or oxygen. "But, Jin-sama, wouldn''t that make the movement too pulsating?" Goh also asked Jin his own question. "Yes, that is a good question. But what if the explosions were in 0.1 second increments?" "Wouldn''t ...... you feel much of a pulsation?" "That''s what I mean. You control the period of the explosion to be much shorter. And by stacking one explosion on top of the next before the explosion is over, you can also stack the thrust." "Oh, so you''re trying to make the pulsation as flat as possible." "That''s what I''m saying." "But then the ...... combustion chamber?¡¡But that would make the combustion chamber much hotter, wouldn''t it? "Yes, Rubina is right too. I''m glad you noticed." "Heh heh heh." "Is there anything else you can imagine?" Since we''re on the subject, let''s make this a learning opportunity for Goh and Rubina. Fortunately, Daikki, Cocona, and Merce, who were not magical engineers, also seemed to be interested in this story. "Well, I''m not good with high power, but not with low power, right? "Oh, that''s good too. What else? "Of course, the strength of the combustion chamber is also a problem, isn''t it?" "That''s right. And then what? "Well, ......" I can''t think of any. Not wanting to make things worse for the others, Jin decided to tell them about the problems he had encountered during the development. "It''s that it breathes fire from the jet. There is a risk of igniting combustibles." "Oh, I see." "Well, that''s about it. It''s a pretty good propulsion system." Jin then makes an announcement. "Actually, the Magi rocket engine has already been put to practical use and is scheduled to fly to the outskirts of Leuthart this afternoon. "What? This statement took everyone by surprise. And then, "I want to see it!¡¡Jin-sama, I want to go see it! "Me too!" "...... I want to see it too!" Rubina, Goh and Merce. "Sure. Let''s go to the airfield in a hurricane together if you like. Jin-sama, are you sure? Of course. Brother Jin, what time is it? It''s 1:00 in the afternoon, so we have about three hours. I can spare you some time. So, after lunch, we asked Lara, Yenny, Butler D, and the five-colored golem maid to stay with us, and all the remaining members decided to go to the airfield. 3071 - - 81-12 Unexpected defect? Shortly before 1:00 p.m., the carrying Jin and the others was over the airfield in Leuthart. The idea was to get a better view of < from the sky. In some cases, you can fly alongside ...... or even side by side. "Father, I see it." "Oh." I think I see a dot in the eastern sky, and then it starts to get bigger and bigger. Now that the is flying toward us, it seems to be approaching us at twice the relative speed, and at a very high rate of speed. In reality, <> is flying at 400 km/h and <> at 200 km/h, which means the relative speed is 600 km/h. In reality, < is 400 km/h and <> is 200 km/h. There is no other aircraft that can fly at such a high speed except for the Horai Islanders. Before passing each other, the <> changes direction and starts flying in the same direction as the <>. A few seconds later, the <> is alongside the <>. The speed is reduced to 200 km/h and they are flying side by side at about the same speed. "Wow, that''s the <> Jin-sama built!¡¡It''s a rocket plane, so it doesn''t have an air intake." "The main wings are small. Is it for high speed? "It''s amazing that something made of ...... metal can fly." Rubina and Goh expressed their engineer-like impressions, while Merce expressed his honest impression. Daikie and Cocona looked at them silently. And Erza said, "Brother Jin, are you sure you can handle it?" She asked. "What?¡¡Jin-sama, is that detuned?" Yes, it is. It is a detuned aircraft, or rather, a popular type of aircraft. Jin answered Rubina''s question. <, Rubina, Goh, Daikie and Cocona have no problem talking about the true . The same goes for Mertze. They already know how out of the ordinary Jin is. "A true fully equipped aircraft would exceed the speed of sound by a comfortable margin. It''s probably the fastest winged plane in the world at the moment." "Great!" But there''s one big problem with that. What''s that? ...... humans can''t fly it. No, they can''t! "No!" "Yes, you''re right. It''s a golem or an automaton that can''t withstand the G-forces of flight. At full power launch, it would be more than 5 G''s. If you do a somersault (loop) at supersonic speed, the acceleration may exceed 20 G. Even if you wear a G-resistant suit, you will not be able to withstand the G-force. It was thought that even with a G-resistant suit, a human could not withstand such an acceleration. In fact, the same can be said of the <>. However, the <> that uses wind magic does not have the same instantaneous force as the < that uses explosive magic, so it is easier to handle, and its maximum acceleration is only about 10G. "So the flaw is in an unexpected place." "That''s right." The biggest flaw is that humans cannot handle it. Unless, of course, the G-forces applied to the body are reduced by means of a force field generator or gravity magic, but that would make it unsuitable for general use. "That''s why we''re releasing this detuned version to the public." "I see. "I see." "That makes sense." But I''ll make it easier to use in the future. While we were talking, Loisart was approaching. "Okay, let''s land. We''ll watch from the air." "Yes, sir." Hope, a veteran pilot, brings the Swallow closer to the runway. She slows down as much as she can and makes a spectacular landing. "At that speed, doesn''t it take a while to come to a stop?" "Yes. That''s why there are brakes. "What?" Well, just watch and see." Goh and Rubina did as Jin told them and stared at the runway below. "Ah!" < This caused the aircraft to slow down and after about 400 meters of runway run, <> came to a standstill. Finally, Jin installed the <>. This gimmick was only possible because the internal structure of <> is simpler than that of modern earth planes. "We can apply the brakes at about 1.5G." 1.5G...... acceleration of about 15 meters per second can bring a vehicle to a stop in 3.7 seconds at a speed of 2.00 kilometers per hour. 00 kilometers per hour in 3.7 seconds. In that case, the distance traveled would be less than 103 meters, which would be enough for a landing on a narrow runway. "The aircraft is light, though." "I see, I''m learning a lot." "That''s very informative!" Naturally, it is Goh and Rubina who are most pleased with this <. * * * * Later, the <> also landed. Goh and Rubina rushed to the <>. On their backs, Jin said, "Be careful around the jet''s mouth, it''s hot! Jin called out to them. Jin then heads for the control room with Daikie. <. At the airport in Leusert, the current capital of the Shoro Empire, it is convenient to register your appearance and family crest to simplify the process of confirming your affiliation and purpose when you arrive. <, but he still decided to register. "Yes, you belong to Jin Nido and the Nido family <>, I understand. The staff at the control building were familiar with Jin since they visited the building frequently, and the registration was completed smoothly. While Jin was going through the procedures, Goh and Rubina were asking questions to Hope, the pilot. What is the maximum speed? What is the limit of ascent? Are there any habits of maneuvering? How agile and maneuverable is it? And so on. Hope answered politely what she could, but when Jin returned after completing the formalities, I think it would be best if you ask the master. Then he handed over the phone to the next person. "Master Jin..." "Master Jin!" "All right, all right, all right." I smiled and gave them a variety of explanations to their eagerness. 3072 - - 81-13 Nile VI After answering all of Goh and Rubina''s questions, Jin left in the storage room at the airfield and returned to the house. "Welcome back. Lara, the automata for Meltze, and Yenny, the maid of honor, greet him. Jenny used to work for Viscount Yohia Gaignis von Igo, but since she was close to Zelma, Merce''s birth mother, she has been with the Nido family for ...... about a year while Merce has been with them.... The five-colored golem maids were preparing tea. On this day, sencha green tea and yokan (bean jelly) were served. "Yes, it''s good! The yokan was moderately sweet. It matched well with the bitterness of the sencha. Thank you very much. We have recently opened a good sweets shop in Leuthert. Butler D explained. "Yes, yes, that''s right. Mel likes the sweet potato dumplings there! "Ruby-chan!" Melze beamed, her cheeks slightly tinted. Goh is also smiling at her. I was relieved to see that the three of them seemed to be getting along well. He thanked Elsa and Amanda in his heart for their hard work (of course, he expressed his gratitude directly to them later). "Jin-sama, what''s the best thing that''s happened to you?" Goh asked after finishing his cup of sencha green tea. Jin thought for a moment before answering. "I don''t know if it''s the most important thing, but ...... some volunteers got together the other day and put together a report on the ." What do you mean by "volunteers"? "I explained a little bit about Arnold, Theon, Rorona, Maricka, and so on. I see!¡¡Marikka-sensei too! "Yes. I''ve almost found the whole picture of the mysterious . ...... Arnold is going to be a temporary lecturer at starting today or tomorrow. "I see." M?rze also asked a question. "Ah, um, Jin-sama, may I ask you a question?" "Yes, what is it?" "You said ...... whether to be the first or not, so you have something else to talk about, don''t you?" "That''s right. That''s a good insight." Jin compliments Mertze and explains. "This is a story in the Kingdom of Selroa, where the <> has become so entrenched in politics that there is talk of what to do about it. This is something that only a few people, including the royal family, know about." "Is it all right for you to tell me that?" "Well, it''s the story of the Kingdom of Selroa. But don''t be so eager to tell the whole world about it. Yes, of course. "And then there''s the soil contamination that we talked about in the morning. There are lands in many countries that are contaminated with heavy metals, including the in the northwestern part of the Kingdom of Cerroa. If we could do something about it, the productivity of food would increase dramatically. "But this is just talk, with no concrete method yet decided. As far as the Kingdom of Selroa is concerned, we may not be able to start until the problem of <> is cleared." "Yes, that''s right. ......" "We''ll need to remove the contaminants and improve the soil. I''m hoping that Rorona or her apprentice from the will be able to help us with this." Jin then gives another explanation. "And then there is, of course, the . I''m a bit curious about this one, not only because of that information, but also because a lot of iron seems to have disappeared somewhere." "The ultimate weapon. ......" What the hell is it? "I have no idea. I have no idea. But since it uses a lot of iron, I imagine it could be something like a <> or a <> or something like that. It''s just a guess." "I see. ......" "In a sense, though, it''s possible that the < was the ultimate weapon." Jin summarized the <> but added that there was no information about the <>, and then Jin said one last thing. "Well, there''s nothing we can do right now, and there''s not much one individual can do. Jin then said, "I don''t think ...... Jin-sama is an individual, but ....... "By the way, Jin-sama, do you have one more question?" "Yes, what is it, Rubina?" "Well, you said that there are still remains of the bases from the time of the War of Magic around the Kingdom of Cerroa, but I wonder if there are any left in the Nordic Federation? "Hm?¡¡...... well ...... I see." Jin thought back to the fact that he hadn''t really looked into it. And then, "<> is much smaller than this one, so most of it has been checked locally. That''s why I wasn''t concerned about it. He confided the honest truth. * * * * * * * * * * * Then Jin spent the time until dinner in Goh''s workshop. Goh and Rubina wanted to make a model of the . "You should make it about one-tenth the size, okay?¡¡It has a lot of thrust." "Yes." Taking Jin''s advice, Goh built a of 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length. Rubina was in charge of the aircraft that would carry it. "Wow, a delta wing plane." Yes, the Nile VI. I see. Rubina was building a delta-wing plane when she held the Golem airplane competition on Onogoro Island. The last one was , so this time it is VI. The < is about 1.5 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 0.5 meters high. That''s great, but how do you control this thing? It''s remote-controlled. I see. I heard it''s quite difficult. ...... Oh, really? Maybe we should have Hope or Reiko fly it once it''s finished. "Yes, ...... I''ll do that." Rubina listens to Jin''s advice. It seems that she has been aware of the difficulty of handling the <> since she heard that the <> with full-scale specifications could not be piloted by humans. Jin directly drew a draft of the control sequence on the Magi Crystal for controlling the <>. Thanks to this, Rubina and Goh were able to fuse the engine with the aircraft without any confusion. * * * * * * * * * * < was completed at 5:30 pm. "The experiment will be done tomorrow," Jin said. Rubina and Goh nodded their heads in agreement. 3073 - - 81-14 Analysis and Criticism On March 6, after breakfast, a flight test of the <> was conducted using <>. The remote pilot is Reiko. She was chosen for her reaction time. The reason why it is not Hope is that the size of the control unit is rather suitable for Reiko. The location is Tatsumi Bay in Horai Island. The team is ready for anything. Jin and Gou are present. Meltze had left Elsa and Amanda in Leuthart. "Well, I''m off." Reiko says no and starts the engines of the . The tail jets spit out a powerful jet of flame. Using the pier as a runway, the <> starts to run. It picks up speed and glides about 30 meters before taking off. "It''s flying! Rubina exclaims. Reiko keeps the < at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground. In no time at all, we can no longer follow it with the naked eye. But don''t worry. There is a large magic screen inside the temporary hut as a temporary monitor. The image that the old man followed with his "peepers" is being projected on the screen. "The flight attitude is stable," he said. "Yes, because it''s the sixth delta wing." Rubina says proudly. This is the sixth delta wing aircraft that we have built in both model size and actual size. It was an aircraft in which we had put all of our know-how. "Yeah, that''s what Rubina says," she said. Right? Reiko, it''s time to test its mobility. ...... is good, right, Rubina? Of course.¡¡Of course! Okay. Reiko then performs the basics, three somersaults in a row, followed by three inverted somersaults in a row. "That''s good. There''s not much of a slowdown." Next, Immelmann turns and split S. < handled these with ease. Next is an aileron roll from level flight. This was also very stable. "You look good!" Rubina looks happy. "I can see that the top speed is over 400 kilometers per hour." Considering that it is only one-tenth the speed of the real plane, this is more than enough. After that, the roll while ascending vertically and the roll while descending vertically were performed without any problems, so Jin gave instructions to Reiko to land the <>. "Oh, I see it." The <> returns to Tatsumi Bay. Reiko lands the Nile VI safely on the pier. "Come on, let''s check the aircraft. Be careful around the ...... engine, it''s hot." "Yes, sir!" Gough, help him out. "Yes, sir. ...... Rubina, I''ll help you. Thank you. With Goh''s help, Rubina proceeds with the check. Jin had one point of concern, but he kept quiet to see if they would notice it. "...... Rubina, here." "Huh?" Goh was the first to notice. "This is the support rack of the Magi rocket engine, it is slightly weakened. "What?¡¡That''s not ...... true. "Why is that?" "...... the only thing I can think of is heat." Rubina was the first to guess the cause. "Yes. This engine generates a lot of heat, so we have to consider the heat resistance of the surrounding materials." Jin confirmed the guess. "......Oh, my plane was set up based on a ." "Good, you figured it out." The light silver and 64LB that make up the fuselage have a very low thermal conductivity among metals. In other words, heat tends to be trapped. Although 64LB has high heat resistance, when the heat buildup reaches nearly 600 degrees Celsius, <> occurs. This causes the strength that should have been increased by work hardening to decrease. To prevent this, either use an annealed material from the beginning, use a material with higher heat resistance, or cool the material so that it does not reach the annealing temperature. There is more, but it is up to Gough and Rubina to find out. "Well, Rubina, what would you do?¡¡Goh, let''s think about what you would do. You have five minutes." "What?¡¡Hmm. ...... "Yes, yes. ...... and ......." The two think about it. After 5 minutes, Jin asks each of them what they think. "I''ll use a material with high heat resistance. Like adamantite." "Yeah. What about you, Goh? "I''ll use cooling." They have different opinions. Since there is no one right answer, Jin gives his opinion on each decision. "First of all, Rubina, that method will increase the cost. "That can''t be helped. Adamantite is generally very expensive. It can be used without concern on Horai Island and Onogoro Island. "Goh''s method makes the engine, and thus the aircraft, much larger." "That can''t be helped." There are pros and cons, but neither of them is wrong. By the way, Jin is more in favor of Rubina''s way of thinking. He is in a position to use rare materials in abundance. But of course, it is also possible to make them at <>. In such a case, Jin says ....... "I would use annealed materials from the beginning. "Why is that?" "First of all, taking cost.64 light silver as an example, the strength loss due to annealing is about 40 percent. This means that we can make the support racks 70% stronger to achieve the expected strength even with a 40% reduction in strength. This would eliminate the need for cooling." Cooling is necessary because it would make it unusable in environments ...... where cooling is not possible, such as when the aircraft has to fly in ...... high temperatures. "Of course, you need to assume a maximum and minimum temperature in terms of the operating environment. In the case of my <, the operating environment would be from minus 80 degrees Celsius to plus 300 degrees Celsius." "Where does that temperature come from?" "Minus 80 degrees Celsius is based on the temperature of dry ice. 300 degrees Celsius is not so reliable. "Hmmm... ......" "By the way, the lowest temperature in the Nordic Union is about minus 50 degrees Celsius." It''s cold! "Yeah, well, that means we should use materials that won''t be annealed at 300 degrees Celsius." "...... got it." Rubina and Goh thus gained another experience. 3074 - - 81-15 Even in the Union of Nord... While Jin was teaching Goh and Rubina how to use the , Arnold was giving a lecture on the at . <, Arnold was giving a lecture on the . This lecture was announced to the outside world, but because of the urgency of the event, the lecture was basically attended by the people of <>. It was the idea of the <>, the highest academic body of <>, to invite official archaeologists and ethnographers from various countries to conduct serious research depending on the quality of the lectures. And then, "Oh, no," he said, "I''m not going to do that. "Oh, I didn''t know there was such a backstory. "It must have been miserable back then." "It must not be repeated again." <, it was full of information that had never been presented before, and was well received by the attendees. Therefore, the president of the <>, Seyvan Eliyeh Sench, approached Arnold. "Mr. Arnold, at the beginning of next month, I would like you to give a lecture on the truth of the war of magic to invited scholars and dignitaries from various countries. Next month? "Next month?" "Yes. It will take at least that long to notify each country and decide who will attend the lecture. I see. We would also like to conduct interviews in Mitsuho and Huso, if possible. Arnold listened to Seiban Eliyeh Sench''s words. "Uh, Mitsuho and Fusoh are the countries to the west of the Shoro Kingdom, are they not? "That''s right. The inhabitants cannot use magic, but some of them use magical technology, so I think it would be valuable to hear about what happened immediately after the "Aether Stampede". "That''s true." Arnold agreed with Saban''s opinion. The old man had also overheard this conversation and started his own investigation because he was blind to this point. * * * * * * * * At the same time, the <>. At the same time, a review meeting was being held at the house of the clan chiefs of the <>. The participants were the chiefs or elders of each clan. In other words, those who have a large voice in the clan. What was being discussed was the <>. This time, the truth of the <> has been revealed by the initiative of Jin. There were some things that should have been kept secret from the people of the Laurentian continent, but not from the <>. The fact is that they were directly attacked by the Dexiconai. "Mmm, this is wonderful! Zikarat, the puppet clan leader, growled. Next to him, Endus, one of the puppet clan elders, was also impressed. He is 574 years old this year, and has the ability to manipulate the Hecaton Kale. Naturally, he remembers when Jin defeated . Jeniesta, the clan leader of the Gospel, was also impressed by the contents of the book. "No, no, you are indeed the wife of the clan leader, Lord Xiong. I am amazed that you were able to work with Jin-dono and compile such a comprehensive report." Yenniesta is 451 years old this year. He is, after all, of the generation that experienced the invasion of . "At the time, I thought it was over," he said. "Yes. < appeared, I felt it with all my heart. All those who knew the time shuddered at the evil deeds of the Dexiconai and were grateful for Jin''s help. "Now, gentlemen..." At this point, Belialus, the clan leader of the <> clan, speaks up. "According to Zion''s report, the ruins from the time of the <> are being investigated on the Laurentian continent. He broke off, looked around at the assembled people, and spoke again. "There may be facilities from the past still remaining in our . I would like to find them and use them as historical documents, if there are any that can be used. "Well, that''s an interesting idea." Jenniester was the first to react to Belial''s words. He is younger than Zion (Zion is 515 years old this year), but has a thoughtful and quiet personality. "By the way, there is a legend that there are ruins near the mouth of the Sitong River, isn''t there? Such a comment was made by Endus, an elder of the puppet clan. < is a large river that flows slightly to the south in the eastern part of the continent of Gondor, where the Nordic Federation is located. There are no settlements or clans living there. Only on rare occasions do people go hunting for <, , and . "No, there are people who say that there were actually the remains of some structures. This statement was made by Zikarat, a puppet clan leader. In recent years, with the development of vehicles, it has become possible to make expeditions even in winter. So some people have started to go hunting for the "falling fox," which turns white in the winter and is sold at a high price. "He said it looked like a stone structure," he said. "Didn''t you check it out?" "They say it was covered with snow and ice. And since they were hunting, they probably had no idea it was about something so important." "Yes, well, I suppose so. Belial, who had been questioning him, nodded his head ruefully. "But it seems to me that those ruins are worth checking out," Zion said. Theon spoke up. "Yes, it is. There might be something useful for our country. Belial agreed. "Fortunately, it''s almost spring, so there won''t be more snow, will there? "That''s true." As March arrived, signs of spring were beginning to appear in the Nordic Federation. The snow has begun to melt. There is still some snow, but more of it is melting than accumulating. "If we use <>, we should be able to move around without any problems." "That''s right." The members of the team continued to select members to investigate the site of the ruins. The first survey team was selected. As a result, the first survey team was selected from ....... Six technicians were selected: Rhodes and Harnatha of the <>, Kondak and Zeddis of the <>, and Archista and Sagelaar of the <>. "Get ready and head for the survey. The captain will be Rhodoth. Any objections? No objections. No objections. And so, the <> was formed, with Rhodes as its captain. 3075 - - 81-16 I found it. Thats... < departed on March 7. They departed with only half a day''s preparation. Such lightness of footwork is a characteristic of the <. They are not so carefree because of their long life span. And one more thing. The Kondak of the < can use transfer magic. This is a big deal. The weight that can be transferred together is about 100 kilograms, within a sphere of 2 meters in diameter with you at its center. The distance that can be transferred is approximately 1,000 kilometers. This means that you can carry one other person with you, and you can replenish your supplies or lack of supplies. So we were quite easy to move around. We used a large wind-powered floatation machine (blow floater) newly built by Rhodes. It seats 10 people, and is probably similar to a in image. "That''s what Rhodes is all about. It''s fast." "It''s going over 100 kilometers per hour, isn''t it?" Yeah, 120 kilometers. That''s impressive for something this big. We''ll be there by the end of the day. < In fact, with stops along the way, the group arrived at their destination in six and a half hours. The day ended with preparations for the encampment. Most of the preparations were done by , a girl automata that Rhodes had brought with him. "This is an easy expedition, isn''t it? "That''s if you''ve got all this equipment." Harunata of the <>said, and Kondak of the <> reacted. We are using a large 10-person blow floater, so we can carry a lot of cargo and have plenty of room for supplies. We had prepared plenty of cold-resistant equipment, which made it easy to set up camp. The large tents are made of highly insulating fabrics, and the heating apparatus does not consume oxygen, so that we are less likely to run out of oxygen. With soft floor coverings and thick sleeping bags, we can stay comfortable even on the coldest nights. In addition, there is enough food for the expedition, so it feels more like a leisure camping trip than an expedition. "It''s nice to go on a non-urgent research expedition." The archivist, who has surveyed the ruins twice so far, said sincerely. "Speaking of which, how was your last survey?" Rhodes asked, and Archista answered shyly. "Well, it was not what it looked like, it was empty inside. It was ...... a bit of a problem, though, with the snow tigers living there." "Snow tigers. If you killed them, you could have made a lot of money from their pelts, couldn''t you?" You could say that. Snow Tiger pelts are durable, warm, and practical, and if you bring them to the Laurentian continent, they currently fetch more than five times as much as they do here. Chatting around the portable fireplace. Night falls. With a < to protect them from magical beasts, they all rest soundly, leaving to watch over them while they sleep. * * * * * * * * * * The investigation began the next morning. The terrain of the area is like a large rock jutting out into the plain. The image of this area is like a . In Japan, it is Akiyoshidai in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Akiyoshidai is in the middle of a mountainous area, but this place is different in that it is near the mouth of an estuary. The group explored such a place. The first thing they noticed was an old door. It looked like a building made of rock with what appeared to be an old door. It seemed to be a small house carved out of natural exposed rock. "Is this it?" "Yes, it looks like what I''ve heard. It''s smaller than I thought it would be. What do we do from here? I''ll see what I can find out. The candidate is . She is the automaton of Rhodes. "Well then, will you do it?" "Yes." And so < put her hand on the old door. And then ....... Momoko puts all her strength into it, and the door creaks open. When it opened about 50 centimeters, Momoko stopped her hand. She peeked inside through the opening. "It''s ...... wide inside, but it''s a dead end." "What? The group was taken aback by the unexpected report. However, a further report came in. "There are remains of a table and chairs. And there is something written on the back wall. Can you read it, Momoko? Can you read it, Momoko? It''s crumbling in places, but it says: ......<>." "Hmm. ......<>......?" The group guessed that this was the entrance to the mine or something. So we opened the door a little more and all went inside. It seemed that this was some kind of control room for the mine. The remnants of tables and chairs were probably remnants of clerical work. "But this doesn''t look like the entrance to the mine," Rhodes said. Rhodes said. "This is just an administrative facility, the mine was probably somewhere else." "Yes. Well, I don''t think it''s that far away. "Should we look for it?" I guess so. Well, we''ve come all this way. Besides, I''d like to know what was being mined. So we decided to split up and search for any remnants of the mine entrance in the vicinity. We searched in pairs, one from each clan. After about half an hour of searching, two people, Archista and Sagelaar of the , found something that looked like it. "I think it''s here, isn''t it?" Where? Where is it? Did you find it? Archista shouted, and Kondak and Zeddis, who were nearby, immediately responded, followed by Rhodes and Harnatha, who were a little further away. The site was the base of a domed rock formation, which had clearly been artificially sealed. However, after 700 years, it was half buried in sand and half overgrown with grass, so that even if you were very careful, you would not notice it. The only reason they were able to find it was because both Archista and Surgical Engineer were magi engineers and were able to use <>. "What do we do?¡¡Shall we move the dirt and rocks at the entrance?" "We''ve come this far, we have to do it." We all unanimously decided to check the old mine. 3076 - - 81-17 Survey of abandoned mines The northerners, who are more powerful than the humans on the Laurentian continent, were able to remove the earth and stones in a short time. There was a tunnel entrance covered with a rusty iron plate. Naturally, the group tried to remove the lid. "Oh, this is the entrance to the old mine after all. "I''d like to check inside, but I''d probably ...... run out of oxygen. ...... Momoko, can you help?" Naturally this is where Momoko comes in. "Yes, I''ll take care of it." Since the area has been closed for a long time, it is unlikely that dangerous creatures are here. Instead, it is more likely to be filled with flammable gases or gases that are harmful to the human body. Momoko therefore turns on the magic light and begins to investigate the old mine. < Infrared light alone would have missed some details. >. Momoko reports using the manaphone on her backpack instead of the built-in manacam. "I see. Be careful on your way." . Momoko then proceeds cautiously. The tunnel is so solid that it is hard to believe that it is more than 700 years old. < It is a proof that the workers of that time did not cut corners and did a solid job. Momoko slowly descends down the tunnel, which extends diagonally downward. Momoko reported. "Has it been denatured by geothermal heat?" < "Go carefully." . is a unique mineral that is formed when limestone reacts with magma, and is an aggregate of < minerals, mainly composed of calcium and silicon. On the earth, < are such minerals. And here on Ars: ....... <<>. It seems that magi crystals have been mined. "What are its size and properties?" < "Good. A little further." Momoko continues to go deeper. The next thing she finds is ....... > "I see. Collect them and continue on your way." < Pyrite is a compound of sulfur and iron, phlogopite is a compound of sulfur and lead, sphalerite is a compound of sulfur and zinc, and pyrite is a compound of sulfur and copper. All of them can be found in skarn deposits. "It looks like it must have been a former mine site," Rhodes said. Rhodes says, and the engineer, Archista of the , agrees. "What about the air composition?" "I see." Methane and ethane are both combustible gases. However, if there is no oxygen, there is almost no danger of ignition. The tunnel, which had been a straight road up to this point, was now divided into three separate tunnels. The tunnel was about the size of a four-and-a-half-mat room, and there were three destinations. One straight, one diagonally to the right, and one diagonally to the left. Since all three tunnels were almost the same, Momoko asked Rhodes to make a decision. "Well, try going straight ahead." . With Momoko''s memory and spatial grasp, there was no way she could get lost in an abandoned mine of this size. Following Rhodes'' directions, Momoko took the middle path. The gently descending path became almost level after about 30 meters. And there was still more to come. This time, the path went uphill a little, but Momoko kept going. She had probably walked about two kilometers by now, but the tunnel was still continuing. But even the longest tunnel has an end. The end of a gradual ascent. There was a rusty iron lid. "Yes, how does it look?" "What? Not all tunnels have a single exit, and this one was connected to another one. "Can you open it easily from the inside?" Momoko released her suppressed power and pushed the iron lid as hard as she could. A rattling sound came from outside. As she continued to apply force, the lid began to shift little by little. At the same time, the response became lighter and lighter. Finally, the iron lid collapsed, and sunlight began to shine into the tunnel. . "Thank you. I heard the noise from here too. Stay there for now." < Momoko waited, and in about three minutes Kondak and Zeddis from Shinra arrived. "Oh, there''s another way in and out of here." "Kondak, should we put up the bars for now?" "Yes, let''s do it quickly." The two had come here to prevent the place from becoming a nest for wild animals and magical beasts. They transformed the iron lids into iron grates with engineering magic and reattached them. Kondak is Marikka''s grandson, so he is good at this kind of work, and Zeddis is also an engineer who participated in the held in Toka Village before. The two of them worked quickly, and in about five minutes they had installed a sturdy iron grate into the doorway. It was a rock building, almost the same shape as the one where Rhodes and his team were located. "That''s it. If we do this right, we may be able to change the air in the tunnel. "Momoko-san, we will now return. You can go back to the branch too. "Yes, sir." Kondak and Zeddis went back the way they had come. Momoko also went back along the tunnel. They arrived at the small hall where the branch was located. She immediately contacts Rhodes using the built-in manacam. > "Well, then, from our side, try to go to the right. <> Momoko now proceeded to the tunnel on the right. At first it was a gentle descent, but the slope gradually became steeper and steeper, until it reached a steep slope of about 30 degrees. The ground was quite rough and uneven, so we did not slip. When we were about 100 meters below the surface, the slope finally became more gradual. Then a rusty steel door appeared. 3077 - - 81-18 Zion dishes "Is it a rusty steel door ...... or is it ...... suspicious?" asked Rhodes for instructions about the door that appeared at the end of the tunnel. "Hmmm, what should we do ......?" Steel doors are not meant to be placed in tunnels. Obviously, we can assume that there is an alien facility deep in the abandoned mine. Rhodes wondered if would not be sufficient to deal with this contingency. "Rhodes, do you think there is such a thing as a contingency?¡¡You''ve been neglected all this time, haven''t you?" < "That may be so, but we can''t help you if something happens." The air inside was still of an unbreathable composition. "Why don''t you investigate carefully and send them back if you find anything out of the ordinary? We have to investigate anyway." "That''s true." We could go back and come back again, but in that case we might not be the first ones to find it, Harunatha continued. < transfer to us and bring the golem to us, it is not possible because the maximum weight that can be carried by transfer is 100 kilograms. "That''s a problem. ...... I have no choice but to be even more careful and have Momoko check it out." So, with great care, Momoko was asked to continue the investigation. Momoko follows the instructions and checks the opening and closing mechanism of the steel door. There is no particularly complicated locking mechanism, and the door opens by twisting the knob next to the handle. It is pitch-dark inside. The air is more stagnant than ever. Momoko began to move forward more slowly and carefully than ever before. "The ground and the walls seem to have been processed a little differently than before. The amount of light from the < used is reduced to half, so it is a little difficult to see, but we are able to obtain such information. Compared to the past, the processing has become more careful, or the unevenness has been reduced. I have the impression that the supplier in charge has changed. Momoko is moving at a speed of about one kilometer per hour. She is on the lookout for traps. But fortunately, there was not a single such trap, and half an hour later, the door blocked her way again. > Momoko asked Rhodes for instructions. "We''ve come this far, we have no choice but to continue. Proceed with caution as before." Momoko puts her hand on the front door and tries to open it ......, but it won''t open. It won''t open. This one seems to be made of steel, but it does not seem to be rusty, perhaps because there was no oxygen in the air. Yet, the knob does not work at all. It seems as if I might break it by twisting it forcibly. After trying various ways, Momoko is not getting anywhere, so she turns to Rhodes again for instructions. "Well,...... I don''t know if I can push it any further. ......Okay, come back once." . Not wanting to push Momoko any further and lose her, Rhodes instructed her to return. "......It''s a shame." "I agree." No one disagreed with his decision, but the regretful expressions on their faces were the same. * * * * * * So, after consulting with each other, the group decided to ask for reinforcements. Kondak of Shinra, who has the ability to transfer magic, returns and explains the situation. It was agreed that Kondak would return to Rhodes and the others by transfer, and that the reinforcements would be sent in by blow floaters (......). We decided that an explanation from a person who was on site would be better than communication by manacam (magical element communication device). I''m going to go now. Kondak moved away. All that remained was to wait. The only thing left to do now was to wait. "Hmm, I didn''t know that was possible." Kondak temporarily returned from the transfer and reported to the clan leader, Mr. Belialus. "Okay, I''ll send you two general-purpose golems for investigation. "Thank you very much." "I know where they are, and I will send them out tomorrow morning when they arrive. Thank you very much. The conversation is soon over, and Belialus is quickly on his way. Then Zion came in and offered him a large pot. "Since you have come all the way back, you should bring back a freshly cooked pot for dinner," he said. Inside was pork miso soup. "Oh, thank you." Surprised by the unexpected gift, Kondak returned to Rhodes and the others with a pot of hot pork miso soup. "Oh, this is Grandmother Zion''s pork miso soup. Rhodes, his great-grandson, took a bite and recognized it as the pork miso soup that Zion had made. Ever since he was a little boy, he had loved the rice that Zion made. "Your cooking is always delicious, isn''t it? "I can''t believe that you used to be bad at cooking when you were young. "No, he said it was because he wasn''t good at it that he practiced and improved so much that he became the man he is today. Rhodes told the truth. "Oh, that''s just what I expected of you, Mr. Zion." "You are worthy of my respect." Theon has worked hard since he was a young man to improve the Nordic Federation, regardless of the differences between clans. His character is recognized and respected by all clans. * * * * * * Dinner is finished, and the group is relaxing in the tent, chatting and laughing. Momoko is keeping an eye on the surroundings, and there is a <> as well. It was safe and secure. "Apparently, someone used the mine for some purpose after it was abandoned. "So they mistook it for an archaeological site? That seems to be the case. The question is, who used it? Mm-hmm. It is inevitable that the conversation will gradually shift from chit-chat to such a discussion. Everyone is curious. "Do you know when the mine was abandoned?" About 500 years ago. "I don''t know if it was later than the <> or ...... more and more." "Five hundred years ago, that would be before the second generation of magical engineers, the Magecraft Meisters." "In other words, when we still called ourselves the ." "...... Maybe it''s a facility related to the ." "If that''s the case, we''ll have to be even more careful tomorrow than we were today." "Then we''ll have to be even more careful tomorrow than we were today, and somehow find out." The night of the encampment is drawing to a close: ....... 3078 - - 81-19 Reinforcement On the morning of March 9, a blow floater arrived with reinforcements. Two general-purpose golems and a <> named Nikelis arrived. Nikelis. "Oh. Rhodes, you seem to be having a hard time. It''s more of a mystery than I thought. I''m on it. I''ll use this golem of Marikka''s design... and I''ll have this mystery solved before you know it. "You''re as brawny as ever. But it really is a mystery. Be careful. I know. Nikelis is another engineer who once participated in the Marikka Cup. Rhodes explained the route inside with Momoko. "I see, I understand. ...... But why didn''t you check the left route in the small room with the branch?" "I didn''t have time. It was almost night." I see. "Then, would you ask Momoko to join us and leave the left route to her and the right route to the generic golem?" That''s fine. I''ll take care of it. We were able to advance without any problems at all up to the small room that branched off in three directions. There, Momoko splits off to the left and the two general-purpose golems split off to the right. What awaits each of them: ....... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Momoko went left, and after about 30 meters she came upon a collapse. The rock was brittle in that area and the tunnel had collapsed. <> "Do you know when the tunnel collapsed?¡¡That will determine the degree of danger." The collapse seemed to have happened a long time ago, and the area did not seem to be in danger right now. "I see. Then check the surrounding walls a bit." . Momoko receives the order and checks the walls of the tunnel. The area was clearly not from the skarn deposit. When Momoko reported this, Rhodes said, "Okay. Bring back the samples. Momoko follows his instructions. Momoko stuffs as much as she can into the pockets of her clothes...... apron dress. * * * * Meanwhile, the right route. Momoko''s research had shown that there were no problems along the way, so the two generic golems proceeded at a brisk pace. Nevertheless, they did not neglect to search their surroundings in order to deal with any unexpected situations. The two Golems also shared the area, which halved their workload and made them more efficient. Then, the door in question. The golem''s physical strength ...... is five times that of Momoko''s ......, but it does not seem to be affected. It is possible to destroy it, but I have no idea what kind of negative effects that would have, so I''m not going to do it. What shall we do? Golem1 consulted his colleague, Golem2. Since it is designed by Malicka, it has the ability to make such decisions. By not being able to open it, the possibility of this being a doorway is reduced. Golem One has power, Golem Two has thought and judgment. What does that mean? It means this door could be a dummy, or it could be a trap. ...... <1> and <2> first checked the walls, ground, and ceiling around the door with a ground search. When nothing was found, we backtracked a little and checked with <>. It turns out that there is nothing within 20 meters from the door. ...... then the door in front of it is suspicious. <2>thinking logically, <2>he guessed that there might be a hidden branch in that area. Let''s check in front and behind the door. Got it. The two of them split up to investigate the outside ...... doorway and the inside ...... back side of the door. It was <1> who found the clue while examining the inside of the door. There is something hidden in the rock wall here. He found it to be a handle. It looks like you have to pull or twist it. When I pulled on the handle, I felt a heavy touch and saw a crack in the wall outside the door. It seems there was another hidden doorway here. You guessed right. And then two of them open up the gap. It was a steel-lined doorway with a rock-covered surface. The door, rusted as if by age, creaked as it slowly opened. It took two of us about a minute to get it open enough for us to get through. There you have it. ......... we''ll report back to Mr. Nikelis and move on. Roger that. The two bodies reported to Nikelis via their built-in manacam, and then stepped out into the unknown passageway. The passage was immediately downhill, with rough stairs that appeared to have been dug by hand. Two bodies slowly descended. The first one, who was walking in the lead, stopped. What''s going on? There''s a corrosive gas pool under here. ...... hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic gas with a rotten egg smell. It''s highly reactive and corrodes iron and copper. Our exterior is made of light silver, so we should be fine. Mm-hmm. The general-purpose golem that Marikka designed is not made of iron. They''re all highly corrosion-resistant materials. Light silver forms a strong oxide film on its surface, so it is impervious to hydrogen sulfide. However, it is susceptible to dry chlorine gas, resulting in pumice silver tetrachloride. Since the corrosive gas in this case was hydrogen sulfide, there was no problem. The two bodies slowly descended the stairs. Their footing had become flat. I mean "level" and "smooth". The material seems to be quartz, which is impervious to hydrogen sulfide ....... Strictly speaking, quartz is also slightly affected, but it is not yet noticeable in this place. And the passage ......, which is no longer a tunnel, goes up again. It seems that the passage was once deeper to create a . No more hydrogen sulfide? It seems so. Oxygen is still present, but only marginally. The passage continues. ....... * * * On the ground, Rhodes greets Momoko when she returns with the samples. "Thanks for your hard work," Momoko said. And the stone samples? "Yes, this way, sir." Momoko took out a stone sample from the pocket of her apron dress and laid it out on the sheet. "No, this one is ...... granite?¡¡This one is ...... I don''t know. Is this ...... quartz?" Rhodes was not good at identifying stones because of his limited knowledge of geology. He could only identify a few common rocks and minerals, such as granite and quartz. "I''d have to ask someone, an expert, to tell me. ......" Rhodes therefore thought that he would ask Kondak to call an expert for him later. 3079 - - 81-20 Found, but Meanwhile, back in time. < contacted Jin with the bracelet after Kondak''s return. "That''s why it''s ......." <> still has some of the facilities from that time. Yes. What do you mean? < "Ah, yes." <<<< even if it is from the time of the War of Magic, is it from the Dexiconai or from the Northerners? "Certainly." It could even be from the <<<< origin. "Yes, it is." << "Thank you, Jin." << "I''m embarrassed to hear you say that. ...... anyway, please." Such was the exchange. * * * * * * "My old man, check the area where Rhodes and his men are going to investigate and let me know if there are any dangers. Yes, my lord. And now, two general-purpose golems designed by Maricka ...... and manufactured by her apprentice ...... were investigating the mysterious facility. The ...... old man has not reported to Jin, well, that''s what it means. There is no imminent danger. There was another door ahead of them. It was almost rusty and somewhat creaky, but it was relatively easy to open. And there it was: ....... This is ...... Pretty old, but a battle golem. Ten golems that appeared to be battle golems. Could they be from the War of Magic era? Perhaps. The two contacted Nikelis of the Puppeteers, indicating that this might be their destination. > on the way. The golem''s exterior here seems to be made of steel, so it will corrode as it is transported. Okay, I''ll think of a way. Okay. "Hmmm......... you heard right, Rhodes. What do we do?" "Ten golems. Ten golems. I''d love to get my hands on some. I''d love to have them. They might have valuable information. "Yes, I''m sure there must have been a lot of ...... going on behind those clever hidden passages and hydrogen sulfide traps. But how are they going to get it out?" "Well, we could get ......<>''s permission and transfer it from the other side, ...... or we could disable the hydrogen sulfide." "Can you disable it?" Hydrogen sulfide, H2S, is naturally occurring and there are several ways to remove it. There are methods such as adsorption with activated carbon, reaction with ammonia to form ammonium sulfide and water, and neutralization with slaked lime. "Well, I don''t think we''ll be able to ...... nullify it anytime soon." "I guess so." Then it''s a transfer magic circle. You are the head of the clan, right? Yes. I''ll ask Kondak. I just had something I wanted to ask him for. And so, once again, Kondak was transferred to the clan leader. I see..." * * * "I see, so that''s how it is." After the transfer, Kondak consulted with Sion. Sion had been a member of the <> for many years and was of high standing in the <>, and was one who had such discretionary authority. "Only ten of those golems?¡¡Is there anything else you want to take out?" No, that''s what he said. Okay. I''ll allow it. Thank you. "......, I''ll give you a simple transfer magic circle." Zion opened the lock on the back shelf and took out a roll of leather paper. It was a rather large piece of paper, about A1 in size. "It comes in pairs, so just spread them out and fix them on the ground. You can use this." Kondak pushes it to him. "Thank you, Mr. Zion! "After you''ve sent the 10 of them out, you can dispose of them. "I''ll let them know. Also, he wants to send one person who is familiar with geology ...... rocks and minerals. "Okay. ...... Kondak, can you take it with you once you leave and come back again? I''ll be fine. Yes. Then deliver the transfer magic circle first. In the meantime, I''ll call someone from our side. Yes, I will. Kondak received the transfer magic circle and rushed back to Rhodes and the others. "You have my permission, sir." "Oh, yes! "And I also got this for you." Kondak presented Rhodes with a piece of leather paper with a magic circle on it. "Oh, this is good. The leather paper was magically treated so that it would not be affected by hydrogen sulfide. Nikelis, the <>, then instructs the two generic golems to have one of them come back. Roger that. I''ll be right back. The generic golem <<1> is to return. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After a short rest, Kondak transfers to Zion once more. "Here you are. I''ve sent for someone who knows about ...... stones. He should be here soon. How about a cup of tea while we wait? "Thank you." I drank the tea that Zion had made for me and waited for five minutes. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Theon?" A man who looked a little older than Rhodes and Condak came in. He had gray hair and gray eyes, and did not look like he belonged to the Shinra or Kugutsu clans. "Ah, you''re here. ...... Kondak, let me introduce you. This is Atkins. He''s a geologist." Atkins of Divergence. This is Kondak from Shinra. They shook hands. So, Atkins, you know what''s going on? "Yes, I do. I heard from the messenger who came for you. Yes. That''s why I need you to go with Condak to the abandoned mine on the Siton River. Yes, sir. Mr. Kondak, I''m counting on you. Yes, I''ll take care of it. < Atkins was no different, and he and Kondak immediately set out for the site. 3080 - - 81-21 Lets take a break. < Rhodes then exchanges greetings with Atkins. "My name is Rhodes, <>." "I am Atkins of the Divergence. I''ve heard a lot about you. ...... So, what do you need me to confirm?" Atkins, without even saying hello, inquired about the purpose of his call. "Yes, actually,......." Rhodes showed Momoko the rock and mineral samples he had brought back. "I see," he said, "that there has been magma intrusion in the area around the mouth of the Sitong River, which is a skarn mine. On rare occasions, magma seeps out from deep underground and penetrates the strata that form the earth''s crust. When this happens, the rocks in the vicinity are thermally modified by the highly heated magma. This is called thermal metamorphism or contact metamorphism. For example, marble is formed when limestone undergoes thermal denudation. If the magma itself cools near the surface, it becomes igneous rock, and the slower it cools, the larger the crystals become, which are called pegmatites. Pegmatites sometimes have <> containing gases and liquids that were separated during crystallization, forming crystals of high purity minerals. Ars was remodeled by <> a long time ago, but it still shows such activities as an original planet in some places. "Originally, skarn is an aggregate of minerals called skarn minerals, which are mainly composed of calcium and silicon, formed when the components of magma (silicon, iron, aluminum, etc.) react with the components of limestone. It''s not surprising to find pegmatites made from magma itself, Atkins said. "This is granite. This is diorite. And this is adamantite ore, adamus rock. So you can get adamantite here? "I don''t know how large the reserves are at the moment, though. Adamantite is a rare metal, so it is profitable to extract even a small amount. We will have to wait for further research, but there is hope. "I hope it will help the economic development of the Nordic Federation. "I agree. While we were talking, Nikelis of the <> seemed to have finished setting up the transfer magic circle. "Rhodes, the counter magic circle was taken by the general-purpose golem. They will contact us soon. Then they''ll send the golem they found to us. "Okay. Call me again when you''re ready. Okay. The golem that appears on the shifting magic circle will not be able to move on its own, so Rhodes and the others will have to carry it out. < are all strong and can carry a golem weighing about 200 kilograms by themselves, which is convenient in a situation like this. However. The golem weighed about 300 kilograms. Therefore, it would take two people to carry it. Not a big problem. "Watch your step. It''s a magic circle drawn on leather paper. We have to be careful, because if we tear them, we can''t use them anymore. A general-purpose golem carries one of the golems into the transfer magic circle and transfers it. On the receiving side, two people carry up the sent Golem and place it on the side. The process was repeated, and it was 15 minutes later when all 10 Golems had been removed. "All right, tear up that piece of leather with the transfer magic circle on it before you bring it back." Nikelis instructed the general-purpose golem. Then, burn the leather paper with the magic circle on it. Now it is no longer possible to use the magic circle for any purpose other than the one for which it was applied. Naturally, there is no danger of misuse. "With this, I think we''ve accomplished most of our goals as a survey team. We investigated the at the Sitong River, confirmed the derived from it, and secured the golem we found. And as a bonus, we discovered a vein of adamantite ore. < survey team. "Now we just need to analyze this golem, don''t we?" Kondak came out of the tent. He is also Marikka''s granddaughter and is interested in the golem technology. "That will have to wait until we get back." But Rhodes'' blow floaters won''t be able to carry it all, will they? "That''s true, but..." Each golem weighs 300 kilograms, so we can barely carry four. If possible, we would like to carry only three golems. I had reported this to Zion and Belial, so I was hoping that the carriers would be here tomorrow. "Then, since we have time, why don''t we try to analyze them here?¡¡There will be a second survey after this anyway, right?" "I''m sure there will be." Then maybe these golems will come in handy. You have a point. Don''t you think? So, with everyone present, we decided to analyze one of the golems we had found. Since all of us here are technicians, we can analyze the Golem, even if we are not so good at it. So, Kondak takes the lead in analyzing one of them. Rhodes, as an auditor, supervises the analysis to make sure that it is not overdone and that the methods are appropriate. "The exterior is a ferrous alloy. It is ......<>." Nickel-chromium steel is an alloy of carbon steel with 1 to 3.5 percent nickel and 0.2 to 1 percent chromium. Although similar to stainless steel, it is not a stainless steel because of the small amount of added chromium. It is tough and has excellent corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and quench hardenability. "The skeleton is the same. Next is muscle material. ...... is a metal-based material." It''s not a bio-based material, Conduck said. "It''s not Adriana. < Rhodes says what he has noticed. The other members of the group looked at him silently. "In other words, it is likely that this is a technology from the time of the <>. It was either made before or during the Great War ......." "Or much closer to 500 years ago?" The population was drastically reduced for about 100 years after the war, and there would have been no time to make such <> golems. And after the appearance of ...... Jin 400 years ago, the form of golem has changed, and the materials used have also become different. "And what about the control core (control core) and the magic element converter (ether converter) ......" Now it''s time to analyze the core: ....... 3081 - - 81-22 What we learned Golem analysis led by Kondak. "<> is ...... Oh, this type is ...... Rhodes, can you look at it?" "Okay. Let me see. ...... um...... this is the old model." In other words, it is the type before Jin brought the technology of the Magecraft Meister to the Nordic Federation 400 years ago. Inevitably, we can assume that this was 400 to 500 years ago. This was, according to Zion, the , a period for which few records remain. "In other words, if we can find information from that period in this control core, it would be a great discovery! Kondak is excited. But Rhodes remained calm, "Let''s analyze the control core carefully. It would be better to disconnect the power system in advance. Rhodes advised. "Yes, that''s right. But first, let''s look at the configuration and quality, not the contents. Then, first of all, let''s examine the magical crystals (magicrystals) used. "Hmmm... they are using high quality Magi Crystals of ..." Wait, Kondak! What is it? In the Nordic Commonwealth, it''s almost impossible to find magi crystals of all attributes, right? I see. We currently purchase them from the Kingdom of Klein. "Where do the Magi Crystals used in this control core come from?" "...... I don''t know. ...... Oh, Atkins, what don''t you know?" < "<>...... mmmm...... this is . I am sure that it is not from the Nordic Federation. Then it is difficult to say where, but I think it is from the Kingdom of ...... Selroa." "Not the Kingdom of Klein or the former Kingdom of Leonard?" "That''s what I mean. I judged it by the small amount of impurities it contained. Normally, natural magecrystals contain trace amounts of impurities. They can be metals such as chromium and iron, or compounds such as chlorides and sulfides. And looking at the impurities contained in the control core, Atkins concluded that it was a domestic product of the Kingdom of Celuloa. "The Kingdom of Celuloa. ......" It is an independent country that was the central part of the <> that existed at the time of the <>. "I don''t know what kind of policies they had at the time, but at least they weren''t friendly to us." It was a time when the were still called the and were hated. In such a time, the only way to obtain the Magi Crystals from the Kingdom of Cerroa was to ....... "Stolen, robbed, or pilfered. Rhodes said, and everyone present nodded in agreement. Of course, there was the possibility that they could have purchased it by proxy, but it seemed unlikely that the of the time would take such a roundabout way. "Then, let''s analyze the control core. "Wait a minute. Are you going to read it directly? Yes, but do you think there is another way? Rhodes'' question was answered by Condak. "Yes, there is. You could make a copy of it in another magi crystal and analyze it. "Really?¡¡That''s new to me. Is that under Marikka''s guidance? "Yes. ...... This is the method used by the second generation of magical engineers, the MagiCraft Meisters. "I see. Interesting. It certainly doesn''t seem dangerous ...... but unfortunately we don''t have any magic crystals to make a ." "Don''t worry. Don''t worry. I have it. Don''t worry, I''ve got it. Rhodes kept Kondak at bay and went to retrieve the magi crystals on the blow floaters. This is a material that is always kept on hand for repairs and modifications. "Make a of this." "Okay. ......<>" <<> is an engineering magic that only duplicates the entire information, whereas <> allows you to choose the depth of the information. The advantage is that there are many engineers who can handle it. However, <> alone cannot rewrite only a part of the information, such as improving <>. A quick digression. Kondak < the control core of the golem into the magi crystal that he received from Rhodes. It took about 10 seconds. He was very skilled at this. "Let''s analyze this one." "Okay." The first thing to do is to analyze the duplicate. Then, the read command. < Faintly glowing letters flow through the space. Since the activation time was shorter than that of Jin''s, Kondak analyzed the data by repeatedly applying the >. The characteristic feature of this readout is that others in the room can read it. And, with the exception of Atkins, everyone present had mastered engineering magic to one degree or another. "I see, this is ......." It''s an old design, after all. "In terms of time, it definitely dates from the days when the Nordic Federation was in disarray." 500 years ago, when Jin had not yet been summoned to Arus. When the Nords were known as the Demon People and were at loggerheads with the inhabitants of the Laurentian Continent. "Wait, this name is ......?" "The designer. ......<> phylicious?¡¡I''ve never heard of ......." "Maybe you should ask Master Zion, he might be able to tell you." "Yes, I think so." Further analysis proceeded. It seems to be used for combat. "But isn''t there a necessity to make a combat-use one at that time ......?" I don''t see the use. No, wait. Look, this part... "What?" < Archist and Sargent found something unexpected in the information read out in the <>. 3082 - - 81-23 Rubinas idea The discovered combat golem was about 500 years old. The control core of the golem had a startling description written on it. <''s Archistas and Sargera. It is that Philistius the , the creator of this golem, felt that there was a possibility that the of that time were being guided in their thoughts by someone. "Does it mean that this technician named Phyllius had a vague sense of the shadow of the <>?" Rhodoth said in a heavy voice. Kondak agreed with him. "That''s probably what it means. ...... And you made this battle golem in the hope that it might one day help your people. "But he fell in the middle of his ambition, and these golems have never seen the light of day until today. "It''s a bit sad." Kondak, Rhodoth, and Zeddis. And Harnatha, the , has a thought. "In this time period, wouldn''t Rorona-sama know this Philelicious? "Yes, that is a strong possibility. Five hundred years ago was the time when Zion and Marikka were born. This means that Lorona was an adult, and there is a high possibility that Phyllisas lived at the same time, although he was older than her. As for Phyllis, I will ask Sion and Rorona as soon as I return to the clan territory of . Rhodoth''s words, "I don''t think you should go any further here. Rhodoth said, and Kondak nodded. "I guess so. ...... Thus ended the first session of the <>. * * * * Back in time, the <> departed on March 7. Jin, Rubina, Goh, and others were reviewing the <> at the Reuthert residence. "Jin-sama, this , do you think it is necessary to make it in this shape?" What do you mean? Well, the propulsion comes from the explosion, right? Yes, that''s right. "Then, for example, if we detonate the explosion right after the dish, the dish will be pushed out, right?" "I see." "Then the engine itself doesn''t have to be pressure-resistant, does it?" "But, Rubina, that would have a tremendous impact on the surroundings, wouldn''t it?" "What?" "With the current structure, it would only be sprayed right behind us, but with the shape Rubina mentioned, the blast would spread over a much wider area." "Oh, I see. ......" "That''s one of the things we''re going to have to work on." "Wind-powered blow floaters (blow floaters) are safe vehicles, aren''t they?" ...... Rubina has now realized the advantages of the wind-powered blow floaters. "For example, we could use as auxiliary propulsion for a wind-powered blower-floater," she said. A significant increase in speed can be expected, but it should be handled with caution. "Um, isn''t it possible to keep it from getting too hot?" Meltze, who was silently listening to the conversation beside me, voiced his opinion. She had a point. "That''s the point, but there is no such magic. "There is no such magic? "I guess you could make one, but I don''t think it would be suitable for the general public. "You can make magic? Merce is a little taken aback by Jin''s brazen assertion that he can make magic. "Well, I can''t make new magic all the time, but if you ask me if I can make magic or not, I can make magic. "Oh, is that so ......?" You''re Jin-sama, aren''t you? "You''re Jin-sama, aren''t you?" Rubina and Goh were already familiar with each other. "Brother Jin, I''m a little concerned about something. At this point Erza spoke up. What is it? "It''s about wind magic." "Yes, let''s hear about it." "It seems that fire magic temporarily changes mana into gas, isn''t there a possibility that wind magic also changes mana into gas? "Huh?" Erza used to be good at wind magic, Jin remembered the old days fondly. "I don''t think the bullet (barrette) type or the blow (blow) type uses the air that is there." "I see. ......" It was a bit of a dark matter, as it turns out. In the first place, Jin cannot use wind-attributed offensive magic. He can use <<><><>>, which is also classified as engineering magic. These are definitely magic to move the air around you. In any case, the <> and > developed by Jin are based on the above. In other words, there are two types." "I see. ......" Preconceptions are scary, Jin reminded himself. "So the bullet and blow types are shot out by mana that creates pseudo-molecules of air, is that right? I have a feeling that''s what''s happening. "I guess we''ll just have to give it a try." When Jin said this, Rubina and Goh were very enthusiastic. "Let''s do it, Jin-sama! "Jin-sama, I want to try it." Okay. Okay. And so the experiment is conducted in Goh''s workshop. Jin, Reiko, Elsa, Rubina, Goh, and Merce participate. Melze, however, is only a visitor. "Well, do you have any suggestions on how to conduct the experiment? Jin had his own ideas, but decided to give them to Goh and Rubina since they were the best candidates for the study. "Well, first of all, why don''t we use the to check the flow of the wind around us? "I see. What about Rubina? "Well, how about a comparison between the Wind Blow and the Wind?" "Yes, I think we can find out something about both of them. "What would Jin-sama do?" "Well, ......" Here Jin also shares his thoughts. "I think you should try using < in a vacuum." "Oh, I see. If pseudo air molecules are used, then it would work in a vacuum. "That''s right, Jin-sama. But a vacuum is ...... and who''s the magician? Erza joined in at this point. "We can put up a physical barrier (solid barrier) and create a vacuum inside. I''ll ask Reiko to be the surgeon." "I see." That''s what Erza-sama would do. Let''s go with that." Jin agreed with everyone''s opinions and proceeded with the preparations for the experiment. 3083 - - 81-24 Results of experiments... The experiment was started. The most difficult part was to create a vacuum inside the boundary. Several ideas were proposed, such as filling the chamber with water vapor and freezing it at a lower temperature to create a vacuum, or going to outer space through a transition, deploying a physical barrier (solid barrier), and returning to the ground. After some consideration, a simple and easy method was adopted for Goh and Rubina''s study. The following is the result of the discussion. . Jin gave instructions with the bracelet and Reiko replied with the built-in manacam. Since voices cannot be heard in a vacuum, this was done in advance. < In this way, the air pressure inside will be lowered. It will not be a perfect vacuum, but it will be low enough to serve the purpose of the experiment. Finally, Reiko has extended the physical barrier (solid barrier) to 50 meters in ...... diameter, which is close to the limit of the size that can be erected in the garden of the house. The first barrier was about 130 centimeters in diameter, but now it is 50 meters. Since atmospheric pressure is inversely proportional to the volume of a sphere, 1.15 cubic meters becomes 65416.67 cubic meters. The pressure inside the sphere dropped from 1 atm to 0.0017 This means that the pressure inside the sphere dropped from 1 atm to 0.00176 atm. This was sufficient for the experiment. <> > <> It was almost invisible, but I could see that a chunk of air flew through the air and hit the inner wall of the ward and bounced off. <<>. <>! >> <>......Oh, I knew it>> As expected, it turned out that a pseudo mass of air flew away. >! >> < >! >> > please! <>! >> < > < When the smallest diameter of 130 centimeters...... is the same as Reiko''s height, the barrier is released, and a small popping sound is heard. This is presumably because the remaining air molecules in the interior have undergone a chemical change by the action of < or , and their volume has been reduced. Probably because nitrogen became nitrogen oxide, but I am not familiar with chemistry, so I did not know for sure. But I am not a chemist, so I couldn''t figure it out. Thus, it became clear that some magical phenomena are caused by the temporary transformation of mana. In other words: ....... The < is a pseudo-molecule of air transformed into mana, which emits light and is recognized as a flame because its temperature has been raised. > is shot out by changing mana into pseudo water molecules. < And <> is also shot out by mana becoming air molecules. All of them dissipate within a few seconds of their magical effects. This experiment was groundbreaking. It is a kind of "Columbus'' egg" or "dark under the lamp," and one wonders why no one has ever tried it before. "Also, even if you have your doubts, I think it''s because you can''t get clear results unless you conduct the experiment in a vacuum," he said. "Hmm, that may be so." In any case, the results of this experiment should not only have been shared with the and <>, but also with <>. The names of Rubina Garrett and Goh Nido were listed as collaborators. It was their academic debut. "Yeah, ...... I''m embarrassed." "Me too. ......" They had not done much, they said, "This is a great discovery in the history of offensive magic and in the history of engineering magic. If we can use it, the <> will make great progress. If this happens, aircraft will also make great progress. I won''t be able to keep that honor to myself, will I?" "I think Jin-sama should be the only one. ......" "I agree. ......" Nevertheless, Jin wanted to take this opportunity to debut Goh as a Magi Craftsman (Magi Craftsman)...... or even as a Magi Engineer (Magi Engineer) in the Shoro Empire, and if that happened, it was inevitable that Rubina would also be a Magi Engineer. If Rubina is going to be in a relationship with Goh (as more than a friend), it is a path that cannot be avoided. And this is the best subject of all. "I''ll write the report. I will put the names of Elsa, Goh, and Rubina in the list of collaborators." "Wow. ....... Goh, are you okay with this?" "I''ve already made up my mind." "ugh......, I guess I can''t help it." "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have to give up. Jin-sama, you are ...... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * So Jin decided to write his report. In the meantime, Gou and Rubina are to develop a <> using <>. "Yes. ...... can you do it?" "Yes we can. ...... Erza, can I ask you to supervise the two of them?" Yes, I can. Erza is to supervise them to make sure they don''t overdo it and do dangerous experiments. Goh and Rubina were reassured by the fact that Elsa was with them. "Well then, let''s see if we can put together a plan." "Yes. ...... First of all, we''ll use wind magic. "The easiest one to use would be the Wind Blow. "I think it''s good. < "Since it will not generate heat, is it unnecessary to consider heat resistance and heat dissipation? "Basically, yes. But since air is compressed, there may be some heat generation. "Yes, that''s right. "We''ll have to confirm that through experimentation." Thus, under Erza''s guidance, research on the < began. 3084 - - 81-25 New Maggi Rocket Engine "Yoo-hoo!" Rubina''s spirited voice echoed through the workshop. She was sulking a little because Jin had somehow developed the , a reproduction of an ancient technology, all by himself. He said that he was an adult and would not be offended by such things. ....... However, according to his grandmother, Amanda, he is still a child. Aside from that, Rubina and Goh worked together to build a prototype engine. It is a cylinder about 5 cm in diameter and 10 cm long, hemispherical at one end and shaped like a <>. It is like a basic rocket engine. "So, where would you like to engrave the <> formula here?" "That''s difficult. ...... I think it would be better to experiment and decide the best position here." There are two possible locations to carve. One is the hemispherical tip. The other is the inner circumference of the cylinder. Which side of the inner circumference is best will also be decided by experimentation. The results showed that none of them were good enough. "Well, I thought it would have a little more power..." "Yeah..." "I know..." "I know..." "I know..." "I know..." "Well, I thought it would have a little more power. ......I guess it''s not the combustion chamber of the engine ...... but ......<>.... I''d like to write in the center there." "Goh is right. That area seems to be the most efficient." "...... I guess we have to draw in a spherical <> and support it with three or four support girders." "Yes, let''s try ......." The first experiment did not produce the results they had hoped for, and the two were a little less excited, but they still proceeded with their work quickly. As Elsa watches over them, she smiles at the ups and downs of their moods, thinking that they are still children after all. Under Elsa''s watchful eye, they built the second prototype engine. And then they conducted an experiment. "...... We did it!" "It''s more powerful than the last one. "I''m sure it will be better with some adjustments." "Yeah." So Elsa decides to offer a little advice. "The inside?¡¡I think the air flow would be smoother if the jet side was a cone instead of a sphere. "Oh, I see!¡¡Thank you, Miss Elsa! I''ll try it right away. "Good luck." With Erza''s advice, the two managed to shape the by lunchtime that day. * * * * * After lunch, Jin finished writing the draft of the report and checked the progress of the two. Rubina gives her report proudly. "Well, you are doing quite well. "We''re going to do a detailed output test this afternoon!" "Good, I''ll be there." "Yes, watch me, Jin-sama!" Jin and his team moved to the wind tunnel room and immediately started the experiment. "Oh, it''s looking good, isn''t it? Isn''t it? "I am honored by your praise!" From Jin''s point of view, the prototype engine created by Goh and Rubina was a good one. "If I had to give it a grade, I would give it a 95. "That seems like a very high score, but where''s the minus?" "Did you name the inside ......<>?¡¡The cross-sectional shape of the support structure that holds it up is round." "Oh ......!¡¡I should have streamlined the cross section there too!" "That''s what I meant. The other thing is the surface roughness inside the engine. It''s a little rough for a prototype, don''t you think?" "Yes, that''s right. It''s a prototype, so it should impede air flow as little as possible. "That''s all I need to know. If you look at the whole thing, it passes without question. "Yes!" Rubina jumps up and down and Goh looks happy. "Now let''s fly the model with this thing on it, shall we?" "I''ll do it!¡¡, you do not release it from the palm of your hand. In most cases, the <> as a phenomenon occurs from a place about 5cm away from the palm of your hand ......, the source of mana. The phenomenon <> occurs from a place about 5cm away from the source of mana . In other words, there are parameters that determine the place and direction of occurrence. It would be unreasonable to ask such things of two people who are not <>. That is why Jin did not mention this point earlier. "Well, let''s see how much propulsive force we can get out of this. After building the prototype in 5 minutes, Jin sets it on the test bench and starts to measure the propulsive force. "Okay, <>." The prototype engine spits out wind. "Okay. I knew it wasn''t an explosion, so the force generation is slow. Jin continues to gradually increase the power output. Now comes the test of strength: ....... 3085 - - to double 81-26 Jin''s test of the went well. Although it did not have the instantaneous force of the < that used explosions, it was able to achieve a maximum acceleration of about 10 G. "I guess it''s more efficient because it doesn''t have a . "I guess the lack of a makes it more efficient." Jin sensed that it was about 20 percent more efficient than the one Goh and Rubina had made. "Still, their design is good enough." Jin guessed that the engine they had built would be capable of accelerating to a maximum of 7 to 8 G''s. "That''s enough for a human passenger," he said. That would be enough for a human passenger. Furthermore, since it is not an <>, there will be less vibration. In the case of an explosion, since the shock wave exceeds the speed of sound, the time when the force is generated is extremely short, and vibrations remain even at intervals of 0.2 seconds, but these vibrations are hardly felt. "I guess wind magic is easier to handle. ......" Jin has reaffirmed that wind magic is easier to handle than fire magic in terms of characteristics such as heat generation, pulsation, and so on. The fact that it requires little or no countermeasures against heat also broadens the scope of design. "I''ll develop something for Horai Island myself, but I''ll leave the other side to Goh and Rubina. Jin, who had been talking to himself, began mass production prototypes of the <>......<<>. Because of its simple structure, the engine itself is ready in 15 minutes. We have decided to test this engine on the same type of aircraft as the <>. The test pilot is again Sky1. You''re on. I''ll take care of it. <. "We''re starting." Sky1 declared and started the engine. Without needing to warm up, the <> started immediately and the aircraft glided smoothly into the air. "Good." Jin estimates the acceleration to be about 5G to 6G. The plane took off at about 200 meters, climbing steadily at an angle of about 30 degrees. "That''s not so bad." After checking the fuselage and engine, the first test flight is over. "How was it?" "Yes, the acceleration is not as good as the Swallow, but the engine is easy to handle. "I knew it." Since the <> was originally designed for missiles, Jin is beginning to think that it may not be suitable for an aircraft carrying people. Still, its instantaneous power at the critical moment is appealing. But that would only be a matter of using a force field generator. "Well, that''s all right. Let''s check it out and do a second test flight. * * * Since the prototype was only a replacement of the engine, it passed all the checks without any problems. However, there are some differences. First of all, the maximum speed. Mach 3 with <>, which is the same, but without it. Compared to an explosion, it lacks instantaneous force......, or rather, it does not create a shock wave, so it is difficult to exceed the speed of sound, and in the atmosphere, the speed is 100 In air, the speed was limited to about 100 km/h or less...... Mach 0.8. Next is the underwater test. <>, it was only checked to see if it could navigate underwater, and that was it. As a result, we noticed that the water was not heated and the wake was somewhat subdued (the <>''s wake was bubbling and partially boiling). Then the test in space. This is also a reference test, since it can fly in a vacuum and does not take space activities into account. It took a long time to get into space because of its inferior acceleration compared to <, but other than that, there were no problems. However, only barriers (barriers) prevent harmful cosmic rays and ultraviolet rays, so it is not like <> where Jin can easily ride it into space ....... After all the tests were completed, the test plane returned to the laboratory just as Jin was finishing his dinner in time for the Reuthert time. * * * * After the dinner, Jin examined the test data. "I guess the acceleration value is about half. This was the point that concerned him the most. Jin has come to terms with the fact that even though it is a pseudo explosion, it is inevitable that the power is weaker than that of an explosion. He thought that it might be more suitable for the general public, since it consumes less mana. "For less consumption of magic element (mana), I might double the magic activation interval. ......" There is more than enough room in the strength of the engine to implement this idea. I thought that if I did that, theoretically it would have the same output as <> and might be able to get the same performance ....... Although the maximum speed may not be possible. "Then, we should change the name to ......." After thinking about it, I decided to name this one <>. The prototype is still <> (unbranded), and it is the same as <> for the public. "Well, we''ll talk about that tomorrow." Jin went back to Loisart where Erza, Goh, Rubina, and the others were. It is midnight on Horai Island, but it is nighttime in Leuthart time. If you travel back and forth frequently, you should adjust your life to the time in the place where you <> because it is less stressful on your body. * * * * * * * * * * * * Brother Jin, welcome home. Welcome home. I''m home." "I''m back," he says, since his current base of operations is in Leuthart. Jin-sama, welcome back. "Welcome back, Jin-sama." How did Nile VII go? It was a great success! I''m very satisfied with the result. Jin-sama, you made something too, didn''t you? Yes, he was. Well, let''s invite Mertze and sit down and talk. "Yes. Jin gathered everyone in the living room and explained what he was doing. "Jin-sama also flew ......." "That''s great!" "<>? At this point, Rubina spoke up. "Um, Master Jin." What? "I wasn''t sure whether to tell you or not, but do you remember when we raced before ...... and Rhodes-sama made a plane called <> with tapered wings?" "Huh?¡¡......Ah......" Rubina reminded Jin of this. At that time, Rubina participated with a plane named <...... maybe the first one ......, Jin with <>, and Marikka with <>. "Dabu or ......." Jin thought that he would give a word to Rhodes later, since he had already given the order for the production of 100 planes. That was the end of that night, and the next day we would do more things. 3086 - - 81-27 Two of us... March 8. After breakfast, Jin was talking with Elsa, Goh, and Rubina. Meltze is accompanied by Yenny, Amanda, and Lara, a special automata, and the three of them are out shopping together. "First, let''s have Rubina and the others show us their , and then I''ll show you my . "Yes, that''s fine." "And we''ll fly to Horai Island, right?" With this group, there''s no problem at all. It is already late afternoon in Horai Island. The old man informed me that the weather was fine. Since no one objected, we went directly to Horai Island using the warp gate. < "It''s warm here, isn''t it? Rubina says, "It was a bit cold in Leusert today, so it''s a relief to be in the subtropical climate of Horai Island. Goh was in the colder , so he is more tolerant of the cold. He is a hot-headed man, though. "Well, that''s Swift." "Wow!" Looks a lot like the Swallow, doesn''t it? "Yes. I''ve doubled the timing of the magic activation because the engine power is just not enough." "I see. ....... If the total power is the same, then the same performance can be achieved with the same aircraft. "That would make sense." "Hey, Jin-sama, show me how it flies!" "What?¡¡Shouldn''t we fly the Nile VII first?" I know, but... "You''ll keep your word, won''t you?" "Yes, sir." The first thing to do is to make sure that you have a good time with your family. Rubina also listened attentively to him. * * * * * * * * * * * * "I''ve set the controls the same. "Yes, sir. I''ll be fine. < is the same as that of , in other words, it is a cockpit type. By inserting a special authentication key, it was possible to switch between VI and VII. Again, the test flight will be conducted by Reiko due to her body size. "Okay, let''s get started." Without any hesitation, Reiko launches the . It is almost the same size and shape as the . For that matter, Jin''s < and are similar. "Hmm, it has a long runway, doesn''t it?" "Yes. Jin-sama is right, the power has decreased. Still, a 1-meter class model taking off with a run of 20 meters is excellent enough. And the speed and maneuverability were also at a passable level from Jin''s point of view. "Well done, both of you, in such a short time." Rubina was embarrassed when Jin praised her. "Yes, well, Goh did more than half of the work. He told us what we could and couldn''t do with the VI. "I see. Goh, you did a good job." "Oh, thank you, sir." Goh was also embarrassed. Before long, the Nile VII landed with Reiko at the controls. "Okay, let''s check it and if everything is okay, let''s move on." "Yes, sir!" Rubina replied cheerfully and rushed to the aircraft to start the checks. A little later, Goh also started checking the aircraft. "Reiko, how was it flying?" "Yes, father. It is much easier to control than the Nile VI, as if you have made some improvements. I don''t think this is only due to the difference in engines. Reiko said, "It looks like the same type, but there must have been a lot of improvements. "I see. Maybe it''s better than you think for those two to work together in manufacturing." "Yes, I think so." "You think so too, Elsa?" Yes. Erza had been preparing lunch at the laboratory, but she had finished her preparation and came to Jin''s side. "I think that two people can make something more than 1+1, not to say that they can make something as good as ......." "I see." Rubina is a free thinker, and Goh is a steady and cautious man. Jin thought that if they could utilize each other''s strengths, they might be able to achieve great things. This thought is dashed by Rubina''s voice. "Jin-sama, there is nothing wrong with the aircraft! "...... Oh, I see. Then let me take a look at it. "Yes, sir!" After the two have finished their checks, Jin now checks the . "Yeah......?¡¡...... Rubina, Gou, can I have a word?" "What?" What is it? "Look here." Jin pointed to the tip of the nose cone of the . "Oh, ...... it''s a little distorted." "Something probably hit it." Even if it is a small insect, it will have a considerable impact if it hits at a very high speed. "It''s just a little bit, but it looks like it wasn''t strong enough here." "That''s right. ...... ugh, I''ll have to reflect on that." Goh''s shoulders slump. Rubina also looks disappointed. "I didn''t notice that. ......!¡¡I was so focused on the wing and engine area ......." "That''s the way it is. We''re both still inexperienced. We''re just getting started." He adds, however, that even models should be checked for strength. "Especially since this one doesn''t generate any heat from the engine, we can use work-hardened light silver instead of annealed material." "Oh, I see. ......" Unlike <, where there was a concern about strength loss due to heat, this is not the case here, and the materials could be reviewed even if they were made in the same way. This was the inexperience of both of them due to their youth. Don''t be afraid of failure. You can learn a lot from your mistakes. "Yes, Mr. Jin." Yes, Mr. Jin. Keep up the good work. Finally, Jin''s plane is unveiled. * * * * * * This is the Swift. "Wow, ......, it looks like the Swallow after all. "But the engine looks a little different. Jin decided to let them have a free look. Both Goh and Rubina have a very good point of view in their observation. "Oh, there''s almost no heat protection." "That''s because it''s basically an engine that doesn''t generate heat." "The nose cone is very sturdy. The surface is very smooth. That''s to reduce drag. The precision is very good. "You can clearly see where the weight needs to be reduced and where it needs to be stronger." Jin hoped that by building, flying, and looking at what others have built ......, he would be able to accumulate all these experiences. 3087 - - 81-28 Two-person aircraft After the check, Jin flew the . This time the pilot was also . "Wow, it''s very nimble. I can tell by looking at it." "Yeah. We were able to reduce the weight by using reinforced components. "Yes, that''s what I mean. "Yes, that''s what I mean. Lighter is often better." "It''s less stable and less susceptible to strong winds, though." But that can be taken care of separately, can''t it? Yes, that''s right. The old man followed the flight of the aircraft with a and projected it on a large magic screen so that he could see it clearly. Jin was giving a practical lecture to Goh and Rubina while watching them. He was also thinking about how to stage their debut. * * * * "I learned a lot! "I learned a lot! "Thank you, Mr. Jin!" <''s flight, Jin and the others returned to Leuthart. It was almost time for Merce and the others to return. They are sitting in the living room talking and drinking tea. "Well, it''s about time you two built a plane that can carry people, isn''t it?" "What?¡¡Is that so? Not a golem, but a ...... person? Yes. Yes. We need to design it with due attention to safety, but the basics are the same. Jin is planning to unveil the aircraft at with a report. "Safety ......" Yes, safety. You have to design it with yourself ...... in mind, or rather, with your family in mind." "I see." "That''s why Jin-sama''s design is so important. "That''s why Jin-sama makes so many vehicles with excessive equipment. ......" Goh thought about it, and Rubina looked as if she had understood something. "............In my case, as well as the strength and safety factor, I''m thinking of emergency egress. We don''t have to think about ...... armament for ...... the aircraft the two of us are building this time." One of Jin''s design philosophies is to be able to deal with <> as much as possible. This is the reason for the excessive armament. However, because of this, most of them are not open to the public. The number of works far exceeds the common sense. They are known only to a limited number of people. ....... However, Jin did not want Goh and Rubina to be such troublesome engineers. He wanted to show them to the public at an early stage so that they would get used to them. "What do you need to make it so that an ordinary person can operate it? So they are asking these questions and trying to get us to think. "Operability?" "Acceleration? Acceleration? "Yes, there should be more than one or two. Let''s keep on coming up with ideas." It''s a small group, but it''s a brainstorming exercise. Robustness. "Safety." The important thing is not to deny the opinions, even if they are a little out of focus. The first step is to let people express their opinions as they come up with ideas. "Let''s just come up with ideas." "Communication." Barriers? Visibility. Ease of landing? Price and cost. Short runways? Avoiding mid-air collisions. "Good, good, good. No more?" "...... detection?" Uh, ease of night flying. Ejection systems? Low-speed stability. Stall resistance. Air conditioning! And breathing. Bird strike protection. "Auxiliary functions", etc., etc., etc. etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. It was a lot of fun. ....... "I''m back! The brainstorming session is over for now, as Mertze, Yenny, Amanda, and others who had gone shopping have returned. Reiko remembers all the opinions expressed, so there is no problem. "Welcome home, Mel, Grandma, Jenny," Rubina greeted. Rubina greeted them. Her luggage was bulky but not heavy, as were her clothes. However, Lara, the automata, was carrying everything. Most of them seem to be spring clothes for M?rze, which are put away in the closet. Then we had a tea party. At the tea party, Rubina and Goh asked Merce how the shopping was going. "Well, um, first we went to a tailor shop ......". Melze also gave a report in a faltering voice. Seeing this, Jin was relieved to see that she was already familiar with the house. "How was your grandmother?" "Well, it was fun looking around. "Aren''t you tired? "Of course I''m a little tired. But I still feel young. Amanda is 53 years old this year. The average life expectancy of humans on the Laurentian continent is approaching 100 years. She''s certainly still young. ....... * * * * After that, I explained what Goh and Rubina were doing. Then, Merze was so excited as if it were her own life. "Wow, you two are going to build a plane?¡¡I''d like to see it. "If you say so, I''ll do my best to make it. "Yes. If you say so, I''ll do my best to make it. Jin smiled at them. Of course, Jin was not going to leave it to them, but he was looking forward to seeing what kind of airplane they would make together. Goh and Rubina spent the rest of the day exchanging opinions. Jin sensed that they were going to start building a prototype the next day. He secretly brings the necessary materials to Goh''s workshop. Erza saw this and smiled wryly, "After all, my brother Jin is sweet. She said, "After all, my brother Jin is sweet. 3088 - - 81-29 Gow and Rubina, production begins! Goh and Rubina were working on the specifications for the . Let''s start with the direction. Let''s start with a rough idea. "Yes, let''s start with a rough idea. As far as I''m concerned, I''m thinking of making a compact and maneuverable machine. "That''s fine.¡¡It''s not a fighter plane, so there''s no need to put extra armament on it. "That''s right. I hope it will become popular among the general public. Rubina said that she wanted to make a mild aircraft that could be owned by the general public. Goh agreed. "Then what about the crew?" "Maybe three ....... Goh, you, me, and Mel on top of that. "I guess so. ...... Hey, let''s make it comfortable too." "I''m all for it." Looking at Merce''s face, the two of them realized the importance of . "...... So, how are you going to control it?" "My idea is to make a plane that can be flown by me and Goh. Rubina said, "I want it to be easy to fly, so that it doesn''t need a dedicated pilot. Goh, however, looked reluctant. "Well, I understand what you mean. But I think it will be difficult for ordinary people to pilot it. "Is that so?" "Well, there is such a thing as a pilot, and people make mistakes." "I see. ...... I was thinking of using an to assist in that regard." The role that has been taken by golems and automata is now to be controlled by a computer. We want to have a control brain that can correct us if we make a mistake, and in some cases, we want to leave it all to them," Rubina said. "I think that''s a good idea. But you can''t do it out of the blue without accumulating data." It would have to have a processing speed like Reiko''s, Goh said. "I see. ......" This exchange of ideas led to the specification of the prototype ......, or rather a joint production machine. "Shall we put two engines in it?" "That will give us more room. "Do you still want a delta wing?" "I want to, but don''t you want to use ......? "No, I don''t think so." The specifications were almost finalized by 9:00 p.m. The next day, after breakfast, I immediately went to the office. The next day, after breakfast, Goh and Rubyna decided to go to their respective bedrooms to start work immediately. March 9. March 9. Rhodes and his team are conducting a survey of the Sitong River. After finishing breakfast, Goh and Rubina went to the workshop and saw a pile of materials that Jin had prepared for them. "What is this ......?" "Jin-sama prepared this for me. ......" "If we have this much material, we might be able to make three planes. ...... The most common type is light silver. In recent years, as smelting has become easier and the amount of silver in circulation has increased, the price has dropped to 20 tol (about 200 yen) per kilo. Still, "There''s about ......5 tons of it." Even though it is cheaper, 100,000 tons ...... are worth about one million Japanese yen. There were also a few ingots of mithril silver, adamantite, aluminum, copper, zinc, magnesium, and tin. "If Jin-sama expects us to do so well, we must do our best! "Yes, that''s right." So the two began work on the framework of the fuselage. Since it was a prototype, no monocoque or semi-monocoque structure was used. It would be too difficult to modify even with engineering magic. The two build the framework using 64 light silver. Ruby and Amezu, the five-colored golem maids, are assisting them, so they are able to do the heavy work efficiently. Incidentally, the workshop is too small for them, so they are assembling the frame in the tent they have pitched in the garden. "Wow, it''s amazing. "This is just a prototype, but when the final model is completed, the three of us will fly together! "Yes, Ruby, Mr. Goh, I''m looking forward to it. Good luck! "Thank you!" Merce, who has been trained by Elsa in the etiquette of an aristocrat''s daughter, occasionally visited the workshop during break time. In response to their encouragement, the two completed the framework in the morning. The aircraft is rather small, measuring 12 meters in length. The overall width is 8 meters. It is a delta-wing aircraft, so it has plenty of wingspan. "Yeah, it''s good...we both made progress...I''d give it an 85." When the framework was complete, Jin came over to do a general check. There were no weak points or loose joints. In fact, there were parts that were excessively sturdy, but Jin did not comment on them. Jin-sama, where is the point you deducted? "There are about 10 points because it is a prototype. But that''s about the same as I would get if I did it myself. But Jin-sama is a one-man team, and I''m sure his production speed is not as fast as ours. That''s true. If the two of them were on the same level as Jin, Jin would have nothing to stand on. He then told them that it was almost time for lunch. * * * * Lunch was sandwiches. There were standard sandwiches such as ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches, as well as a few variations such as croquette, mixed vegetable, and bacon and egg sandwiches. There were also fruit sandwiches, cream sandwiches ...... and desserts. Some of them were made by Meltze. "Can you guess which sandwiches I made?" "Well, you''ll know when you try ...... one." "I guess so." Before she could finish saying "Itadakimasu", Rubina put the cheese sandwich in her mouth. And then, "This is it." Rubina said. Meltze laughs and says, "That''s the one. Goh then ate a bacon and egg sandwich and said, "This must be the sandwich that Melze made, too. Goh said, "You''re right, too. The rest of the sandwiches were made by Yenny. The lunch was a harmonious scene. 3089 - - 81-30 Testing, Testing and Validation After a short break for lunch, Goh and Rubina go to the workshop. Meltze continues to teach Elsa how to behave. "Well, let''s build an engine. "Yes. We''ll make one for this plane: ...... Then Jin, who was accompanying us, says something. "You''d better make it with standardization in mind. "Oh, in consideration of future commercialization. "...... is a pain in the ass." "Rubina, I don''t say that. This is also the role of an engineer." "Yes, ......." After such an exchange, Jin returned to the house because he didn''t want to interfere too much. Goh and Rubina worked out the specifications of the engine. "To fit this plane, ...... it should be about 50 centimeters in diameter, right?" "Well, considering the number of ......2 engines and the power, I think it might be possible to make it a little smaller. "Well, let''s try 30 centimeters. "About that size, I guess. That''s probably about right. "That''s right, that''s what standardization is all about." The <>, although less powerful than the <>, does not have thrust that is easy for humans to handle. The project to make it into a general-purpose engine still has a long way to go. "First, let''s make a basic model." "Right." The two engineers worked together to create an engine of with a familiar hand. They then set about testing the engine on the test bench. Ruby and Ames, the five-colored golem maids, continue to provide support. "We''ll start with a very low ...... output and test it." "Yes, it''s dangerous to increase the power too quickly. ......" "......We should consult Jin-sama for such tests." Goh and Rubina consulted with each other as they prepared for the test. If we are going to do a full-scale full-power test, it would be dangerous to do it here, so we will borrow facilities on Horai Island. When Jin later hears about this from the golem maid, he thinks that this is the right decision. He was pleased to see how the two had grown. Regardless, the < that the two had built was working well. At 10% of its operation, it was producing 10 kN (=1020 At this rate, the thrust at full power is 10 kN (=1020 kgf). At this rate, if the thrust at full power is 100 kN, it will be about twice that of a modern earth jet engine (about 50 kN at full power). At this rate, if it can produce 100 kN of thrust at full power, it can be said to have about twice the performance of a modern earth jet engine (about 50 kN at full power). "I don''t think our test bench can hold much more than this. "I guess so. We don''t want any accidents during development, so let''s not overdo it. I agree. So, the engine test is not finished at ......, and the data is taken at less than 10% output. "Ease of use at low output is very important, isn''t it?" "That''s true. So, if we take the time to collect control data, it will be useful later. "Oh, so we can use the same data if the specifications are the same then, right? "That''s true." "Jin-sama''s advice also meant this: ......" The two of them took another step up the ladder as engineers. * * * * "We spent the whole afternoon at ....... You were taking data." Yes. And you want to borrow the test bench at Horaijima tomorrow? "Yes." Hearing those words, Jin nodded his head in satisfaction. "Of course, of course. The two of you who have been working so hard to create ...... especially Rubina, you''ve grown up." "Heh heh, really?" "Goh also realized the importance of basic data and the meaning of standardization. "Thank you very much." Both of them smile happily after receiving Jin''s praise. Meltze saw this and smiled as well. "So, how was your day, Mel-chan? "Me? "Yes. You learned a lot from Erza-sama, didn''t you? "Yes. ......, um... ......." M?rze looked very contented as she recounted the day''s events. * * * * The next day, the 10th, we rented a test bench at Horai Island. "I knew this place was great!" "Don''t they have similar facilities on Onogoro Island?" "Yes, at Dr. Marikka''s." Onogoro Island doesn''t seem to have that many large test benches. "Come on, let''s test it!" The engine is secured and ready for startup. Support is provided by <7. Jin does not help them directly, but watches them work together. He nodded inwardly as he watched them fix the engine firmly and check it again and again. "First, start slowly using yesterday''s data. "Yes, sir." Goh is operating the control unit under Rubina''s direction. This is a preliminary step for the generalization of the control system, so that it is as easy to operate as possible, and they are building the control system by feeling it themselves. "Five percent of the mana input." "...... thrust is 450 kg." This is done because it is easier to measure in kilograms. "10 percent mana input." Thrust is 1100 kg. I knew it. It''s not perfectly proportional. "Yes, it is. How about from here on up?¡¡...... 11 percent mana input. Thrust is ......1205 kg. "12 percent mana input." Thrust is 1310 kilograms. "13 percent mana input." 1,420 kilograms of thrust. Oh, it''s coming along nicely. Yes, it is. Goh and Rubina thought that by repeating these measurements and adjusting the control system to smoothly change the thrust when the mana was adjusted with the throttle, they would be able to create an aircraft that was easy to control. After a full day of data collection, both Goh and Rubina were very satisfied that they could create a very easy-to-use configuration. 3090 - - 81-31 Hitoshis participation March 11. In Reuthert''s workshop, Gough and Rubina are installing an engine into a prototype. Jin sees this and quietly tells Erza. "It seems that there is some kind of trouble in the ." "Mr. Zion and Mr. Rhodtos?" "Yes. Are you going to check on them? Yeah, I guess so. Okay. Have a good day. Give my regards to Theon and the others. Thank you. After exchanging these words, Jin and Reiko went back to Horai Island. Of course, he explained the situation to Daikie and Cocona. * * * * * * After arriving at Horaijima, Jin first asked the old man about the details of the situation. The old man explained to Jin the details of the investigation of the Sitong River in chronological order. I see. So you are going to analyze the golem now? It seems so. So you think there''s something there? Yes. Okay, I''ll support you. I think that''s a good idea. After such an exchange with the old man, Jin got ready. He changed from his ordinary clothes to a more formal attire. Since the <> is in Loisart, he decides to take the <> with him. I called Hope, the pilot, and she and Reiko boarded the boat. I brought Persica juice as a gift. "Okay, I''m off. "Take care." The trip from Horai Island to the Nord Federation will be quick, since the old man will send the entire Pegasus 2 to the island with the transporter. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At the airfield of the < clan territory, Zion greets me. "Welcome, Jin. "Hello, Zion. I heard you found ...... an old golem? Yes. Yes. We''re going to analyze it now. I''m glad you''re here. Without so much as a hello, Zion takes Jin to a warehouse outside the clan''s territory. Jin followed with Hope and Reiko. "Here we are." "Here." The large warehouse was cleared out and ten golems were laid out side by side. "Oh, Mr. Jin, I''m sorry to bother you." "Oh, Rorona, hello." It seems that Rorona was called here because she knows about Filius the Humorous, who seems to be the creator of the golem. In a corner of the warehouse, there were chairs and a table, where Rhodoth and other members of the <> were sitting. In addition, Theon, Rorona, and Belial of the were also there. Jin thought it was a pity that Maricka was not there. * * * * * * "Now that today''s special guests have arrived, I would like to begin. Rhodes is the facilitator. "First of all, Miss Rorona." "Yes?" "......10 Do you know that a man named Filicius of the created the golems?" Yes, I know of him. Please tell me. Yes, I know him. At Rhodes'' request, Lorona began to speak. "Philistius the Humorous was an engineer about 500 years ago. He was an advanced thinker for his time. "I see, so you had the ability to make such a golem. That''s what I mean. And he was also somewhat solitary, and didn''t like to be pandered to." < clan is the clan to which the Lardus belonged. < clan lost over 80% of its members in a small-scale magical outburst called the Aether Stampede, which was initiated by the , and has virtually disappeared. In general, many of them were extremists and belligerent. Incidentally, there used to be a clan called <>, but it has ceased to exist. This golem was created before such incidents, when the <> clan had a population of about 100 people. "I remember that I once claimed that our history was being manipulated by someone. But I am sure no one listened to me at the time." "Does that mean that you sensed the existence of ?" "I don''t know. I think only he would know that. He may have noticed something when he looked back on our history. ...... I see. "If he made the golem and hid it, then I can only assume that it was to counteract that something. ......That''s about all I can tell you about Philelicious." "Thank you." Rhodos thanked Rorona and now turned to Jin. "Jin-sama, you are right. For further information, I think we need to examine the golem directly. "Yes, I agree. I agree. ......, but was there any kind of record of where you found the golem?" "Unfortunately, we did not find it. We are planning to send a second survey team to ...... in the future, so we may find something new." "I see. ...... For now, all we can do is analyze the golem." Yes. Can you help us? "Of course." Jin nodded. That was his original intention. "Thank you very much. At ......, before I ask Jin-sama to analyze it, I would like to explain what it was like when it was discovered." He was trying to make sure that Zion, Rorona, and Beerius, who were not part of the research team, would understand what was going on. And to Jin, of course. "There is a branch at the end of the tunnel. ...... "There''s a hydrogen sulfide buildup in some parts of the tunnel. ......" Behind the door, there are 10 battle golems ...... Rhodes concluded by saying that they had also found what appeared to be a vein of adamantite ore. "That''s part of the survey team." "That''s good news. It''s thawing season and we can send more people. Theon responded. The Nordic Federation will have more means of earning foreign currency, which is good news. "Now then, let''s have the golem analyzed. Finally, it was Jin''s turn. With Reiko and Hope as his assistants, Jin decides to analyze it. 3091 - - 81-32 Analysis of Hitoshi and Unexpected The public analysis of Jin has begun. "The exterior is nickel-chromium steel. Carbon content is 0.8 percent. Nickel content 1 percent, chromium content 1 percent. It also contains trace amounts of manganese and vanadium." "Oh, that''s great, Jin-sama." The people standing in line are amazed at Jin''s ability to read that much in 20 seconds. "The heat treatment is careful, the metallographic structure is refined, and you can tell from these that this is a very careful job." Jin then had Reiko and Hope help him remove the exterior. "The muscle tissue is metallic. With regular maintenance, it should last quite a long time. However, this golem has not been maintained. However, this golem has been placed in an environment with little or no oxygen, so it should be able to be used just fine. "Master Jin, do you know the composition of the metal?" "Yes. It is an alloy of palladium silver, nickel, and mithril silver. 45 percent light silver, 50 percent nickel, and 5 percent mithril silver." Jin further examines the skeleton. "It''s not Adriana''s. It''s almost an . It is almost an , the internal skeleton is more of a than a skeleton. It serves only to position and mount the parts, and hardly serves as a skeleton at all." "That''s just like the golems that have been used in the Nordic Federation for a long time, isn''t it?" Rhodes is right. ...... Kondak, I think you made the right call there. I''m honored. Next, Jin begins to analyze the control core and other internal devices. "The <> has all attributes, indeed, there is a high possibility that it is from the Kingdom of Selroa." Jin is not a geologist, nor is he an expert in materials science, but he has seen many magi crystals from the Kingdom of Celuloa and knows their characteristics. The impurity ...... of a few tenths of a ppm is almost certainly molybdenum. "You''re using two magic nerve wires in parallel. And the power source is an <> and a . They are less efficient than modern ones, but they are carefully crafted." "Oh ...... I see." "As expected of Jin-sama, ......." "Of particular note is this sub-control core. It seems to compensate for the movement. Jin explained, "We will know more about it when we analyze its contents. "Then, let''s start analyzing the <> and the <>." "Oh, uh, Master Jin, please wait a moment." Rhodes asked for a moment. What''s wrong? "I''m very sorry, but I would appreciate it if you could slow down your analysis and commentary a bit. Rhodes apologized to Jin for not being able to keep up with everyone. "Oh, oh, I''m sorry." Jin also apologized, and decided to take his time to explain and analyze the situation a little more slowly. "Well, let''s analyze the and . First, we will make a copy to reduce the risk, and then analyze it." Jin received two Magi Crystals from Reiko and copied < and <> respectively. The time required for < was a mere 3 seconds. A sigh of relief escaped from those who were watching this feat. Now, let''s analyze it. ......<>" "Oh, oh!" The contents were read out in the form of faintly glowing letters in space at more than twice the speed of what Kondak had done. It continued uninterruptedly, taking about three minutes to finish. It was a surprise to Kondak that he could read all the contents in a single . "This is ......." The contents that could not be read when Condak went to the site were read by Jin. "There is nothing wrong with the operation control items, but they contain valuable information." "What about it?" "Well, rather than me explaining it to you, I think it would be better to activate it and let Golem talk about it." Is there any danger? "No, I''m fine. From what I''ve just read, it wasn''t programmed to attack indiscriminately, and more importantly, Reiko and Hope are here. Above all," Jin said, "I''ve also confirmed that it doesn''t have the ability to distinguish between <> and <>. In other words, they cannot or will not distinguish between the inhabitants of the Laurentian continent and the northern peoples. "I understand. Then, please." "Yes." Jin then reassembles the half-disassembled golem. Despite the fact that he was adding and subtracting, it was done so quickly that the technicians in the room could not help but sigh. In less than a minute, the golem had been assembled back to its original state. "Now it''s back together. ......<>......Yeah, it''s fine." The assembled Jin runs <> to make sure before starting. "<>" "...... Hi." The battle golem wakes up. Meirei wo dozo. "Uh, the vocals are still a little wonky. I''ll make some adjustments. "Omakaseshimasu." Jin was fiddling with the throat of his battle golem, and after about 30 seconds he was done, "Okay, how about this?¡¡"Okay, now what do you have to say? "Yes, my master. "Yes, my master. Your speech seems to be smoother now. "Yeah, I think I''m good." The assembled group is relieved to see the golem obedient without any problems. Although Jin had assured them of this, they still could not shake their fears. "What is the name of the one who made you?" "The Lord Philelicious, the Humorous. What is your role? To protect my people from the mysterious mastermind. Who is this mysterious mastermind? The mysterious mastermind that Master Phyllis has speculated about... who has been working in the shadows of history... and who has been tormenting our people. "I see." They all realized that Philistius, the humorous one, was aware of the existence of the "Dexiconai". "So tell me what you know about this Lord Phyllisius the Humorous." "Yes, sir." And the battle golem began to speak. ....... 3092 - - 81-33 Unique Information "Master Filicius the Humorous, as you can see from his clan name, was an engineer from the <> clan." "Mm." "Master Filicius the Humorous was also interested in the history of his people." "I see." "As a result, he hypothesized that <> may have been guided by someone else." "Hmmm... ...... you must have been a man of great insight." "Yes. ...... but the people around him didn''t listen to him." "I see." "Disappointed, Master Filicius turned away from his people and created us. < "So it was. ......" The < clans were often militant and belligerent, but not Philistius, it seems. "He was a thoughtful man." Rorona also said that she did not know him personally and did not know much about his personality. At this point Jin asked for confirmation. "Is your knowledge common?¡¡Are you sure that the other nine have some special information?" "Yes, there is a memory area called <>, and each of the ten have a little bit of unique information. "Oh, so that''s how it is. And you are ......? Yes. < Mining information? "Yes. ...... We have been investigating an abandoned mine where we believe a vein of adamantite has been discovered. "Oh, I knew it." < < had found contained adamantite. It would save us a lot of effort if this golem knew where it was, without having to search for it again. "You don''t know what the other golems know?" "Yes. Yes. We do not know each other. "Well, okay." At this point Jin stopped asking questions. Then, he opened the floor for questions from the others. What kind of a person was Mr. Filius? "The maker did not talk much about himself. "What was the world like at that time?" "I don''t know what the world was like. He did not get very useful answers such as "The maker did not talk much about himself," "What was the state of the <<< demon tribe> at that time? Jin then decided to try to activate the other one. He was familiar with the process since he had already done it once. He checked the entire system in about a minute, made emergency repairs to the deteriorated parts in 30 seconds, and serviced the vocal apparatus in 10 seconds. Then he starts up. "Let''s call you <. ...... you are <." "Yes, sir." The first one is named <, and the second one is named . He then asks < a question. "Do you have any had trouble defeating it. ......" "It''s also possible that the Dexiconai may have planted it there." "Okay, I''ll have them be careful." <, has accepted his request. * * * * * * Jin then went on to <<<<<>......, and one after another reorganized and reactivated the system. Of course, with the approval of all participants. The result is ....... <, . <> gave us . > gave me information on how to negotiate with the clan in . <>> tells us about an unknown entity that may be further north at <<< <> tells us about an effective weapon against the humans of the Laurentian continent. <. <, . <> talked about , respectively. To be honest, unfortunately, except for the information on the adamantite mine and the underground cavern, the information is not likely to be of much use in the present age. However, <>''s information about the legacy of Phylicius seemed to be worth listening to. "All right, then <>, let''s hear about the legacy of Phyllius. Rhodoth called out to Nines. "Yes, sir." began to speak. "First of all, we have ten multifunctional battle golems. "Wait, <>?" "Yes. Their main purpose is combat, but as you can see right now, they can also perform clerical work. I''m not very good with my hands, however." He speaks fluently and is easy to understand. He is fluent in his speech, and his content is easy to understand, indicating that his control core is in good shape. "And one more thing, he left us a hideout." A safe house? Yes. It was the workshop where you made us, a place to live and a room for research. Where is it? Do you have a map?¡¡I will show you there. So Rhodes asked him to bring a map of the Nordic Federation and spread it out on the table. "Here it is." pointed to the area where the Shithon River divides into two parts in its middle reaches. In fact, the base of the was on the western side of the Gondor continent, but even Phylicius did not know that, the people present thought. At least, the distance between Phyllius'' hideout and the base of the Dexiconai was much closer than the distance between the clan territory of the Shinra clan and the base of the Dexiconai. However, since <<> no longer exists, we might as well consider peaceful use. "...... then, let''s take a short break." Rhodes announces that it is time for a break. 3093 - - 81-34 End of the Day After a 15-minute break, the meeting resumed. The question and answer period was called, and Rhodes began by asking a question. "You were hidden deep in an abandoned mine, is that why?" "Yes. It seems to have been a temporary storage place. answered. Temporary? "Yes. Master Phyllius was planning to make 10 more, for a total of 20, so... Is that why he hid them so well? I think so. Was it that tight? It was deep in an abandoned mine, with a pool of hydrogen sulfide in the middle. That''s very careful. Perhaps they were aware of the mysterious presence. Certainly, if it was stored in that place, it would be difficult to reach it unless you knew where it was or what was hidden there. However, another question arises here. It was Kondak of Shinra who asked this question. "But how did Lord Phylicious carry you all that far in?" The multifunctional combat golems are cased in alloy steel. It is not a material that is particularly resistant to corrosion. "Master Phyllicious was able to use the transfer magic. He could carry more than 500 kilograms. "Oh, my..." Then it''s no wonder he was able to carry a 300 kilogram multifunctional battle golem. But one more question remains. "Could Lord Phyllius have gotten in and out if there was no oxygen inside?" "No, there was oxygen when they brought us in. After that, the oxygen must have been consumed for some reason. It is possible that the oxygen was consumed by an oxidizable substance. Or hydrogen sulfide dissolved in water could have reacted with oxygen (in that case, sulfur would have been produced). "So that''s what you''re saying...500 years." "I guess you could say that the lack of oxygen made the environment more suitable for preservation." "That''s right. It''s also a good thing that it was an enclosed space." Hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air, so it accumulates in low places. But if there had been an air flow, even a small amount of hydrogen sulfide would have flowed into the golem''s storage area and corroded the metal. "Well, I have a question for you. Now Jin asks a question. "Are you, uh, under orders to attack the people of the Laurentian continent? Actually, Jin knows that the analysis of the <> shows that there is no such program, but just in case. No, I have not received such a program. Mr. Phyllius suspected that such a conflict might have been initiated by a mysterious entity. "I see. I see... Lord Phyllius was a man of rare flexibility of thought. ......" Jin was impressed. And the people in the room were also impressed by his way of thinking. * * * * * * Some other questions were asked and answered by the multi-functional combat golem that could respond to them. Time passed, and it was 5:00 p.m. local time. "Well, that concludes our meeting for today," announced Rhodes, the facilitator. Rhodes, the facilitator, declared, and the day''s gathering came to an end. The ten multifunctional battle golems are left to wait in the warehouse. Jin pauses the operation just in case. "<>" <> is a key word to pause a golem. It differs from <> because it is difficult (if not completely impossible) to make it work again without the person who made it stop temporarily. We took precautions and locked the warehouse tightly. We then left the warehouse and disbanded. "What about Jin?" "Well, I''m a little concerned about the other side, so I''m going home. I want to talk to Rhodes first. What''s that? "Actually, ......" At this point Jin told them that he had given the name <> to the new model he had created. "Oh, so that''s what you mean. You didn''t have to say no." "Well, may I use it?" He said, "Of course, you can use it." Rhodes added that it would be fine if they were to participate in the same competition, but the purpose of the aircraft was completely different. "I''m relieved to hear you say that. ...... See you later, Zion." "So you''re leaving. Will you come back tomorrow?" Should I stay? "It would be great if you were here." Okay. Okay, tomorrow morning around 9:00 a.m. at Zion''s house? That''s fine. With this promise, Jin returned to Loisart. The time difference between Leuthart and Zion was about 1:00 p.m. The time difference from Loisart is about two and a half hours. It was exactly 4:00 p.m. when Jin returned and went to check on Goh and the others. "Ah, Jin-sama! Rubina spotted Jin. "When did you come back? "A little while ago. ...... looks like you''ve come a long way. Jin looked at the plane being assembled in a tent in the garden. The outer panels were already attached, not the framework, and the engine had been installed. "I''d say it''s about 90% complete. Goh came over and answered. "Yes, it''s good. The workmanship is very careful. Jin looked at the whole car and commented on it. He then checked the details. "You made it very carefully. This is fine. The control system is well made, and the landing gear is strong enough. "Now all that''s left is the ...... instrumentation and safety?" "Yes, I guess so." "So, if you''ve got the instruments, what about safety?" "I was thinking of installing a parachute that would allow the aircraft to make a soft landing." "Oh, really?¡¡Wow, that''s great." That was Rubina''s original idea. Since the weight of the prototype would be less than one ton, Jin estimated that a cloth and string made of ground spider silk would be strong enough to support the aircraft. Then, he added, "Do you want a normal paratrooper or a shape like a paraglider? ...... What do you think about that?" "I''ll try the regular paratrooper type first." "I''m sure you''ll do some experiments, how do you plan to do it?" Jin imagines that it will not be done with a human on board. "Well, I''d like to have someone from Sky Squadron to be a test pilot on the sea near Horai Island, if possible. ...... is that OK?" "Sure." "Really?¡¡Really?¡¡So, once we confirm that the parachute is effective, we''ll detach it and the aircraft will fly back up using the engines again." "Well, I guess so." There is indeed no need for the prototype to descend to the water. It is enough if we know that we can use parachutes to slow down the descent speed and land safely. We are relying on Horaijima, but there is nothing we can do about that. Jin was happy to see their growth, and he appreciated the fact that they were trying to conduct the safety confirmation test. That was all for that day. 3094 - - 81-35 Investigation Team Decided On March 12, there was a two and a half hour time difference between Loisart and the clan territory of Shinra, so Jin left the house at 6:30 a.m. to arrive at 9:00 a.m. as promised to Zion. Jin left the mansion at 6:30 a.m. to arrive at 9:00 a.m., the time promised to Zion. He was accompanied by Reiko and Hope. The Pegasus 2 was deposited in the clan territory of Shinra, so it was not necessary for Jin to go to the island. Once we go to Horai Island, we can have the old man send us to Zion''s house with a , and we''ll be there in an instant. Good morning, Zion. "Good morning, Jin. You''re right on time. What are you meeting about today? "Well, you know... various things." Jin, Zion, Reiko and Hope are walking to the warehouse where they met yesterday. By the time Jin and the others arrived, about half of the group had gathered, and about five minutes later everyone was there. "We''re here. ......Law, will you be our facilitator today?" "Yes. ...... then we will start discussing the results of the as we did yesterday." First of all, we will discuss the investigation of the Adamantite Mine and the lair of Phylicious. Incidentally, the <> is still paused. "As for the mine, we know the location of the veins, so we should be fine with a user of earth magic and a mining golem for prospecting." < spoke up. "Then we need to watch out for the underground caverns." "Of course, if it is the Gigantic Peeder that the second generation of Magecraft Meisters had trouble defeating, we can''t let it go above ground, can we?" "That''s right." Jin imagined that if they were Gigantopods, the Dexiconai might have been kept underground in order to collect the mental catalyst. In such a case, the way to and from the site would probably be by warp gate or magic circle. In any case, since all the bases of <> have been destroyed, there is no need to worry about them coming out to our side, I thought. But... "......<''s bases or facilities, are there any more of them left?" Such a question came out of his mouth. "Jin-sama, are you saying that there is a possibility of that?" Rhodes asked Jin. Both No. 1 and No. 13 had two bases each. But there is no guarantee that it is the only one." "Certainly ......." "However, those four sites must have been investigated at that time. It is also true that nothing was suggested about the other sites at that time. ...... and <> was on record." Jin emphasizes that the information is from the previous generation as if it were a take-home message. Rhodes, Zion, Belialus and others know the truth, but the others do not know that <<<2nd generation>> and <<<3rd generation>> are the same person (although strictly speaking they are not). However, even such a superfluous reminder is convincing enough. The reason is the assumption that < could not have been so young looking in the first place. "...... but since the cunning <> is so cunning, it wouldn''t be surprising if he has a secret base somewhere." This is an opinion that only Zion, who knew what was going on back then, can offer. "Really, he made me suffer. ......" Looking back on those days, Theon still feels pain. Separated from his sister Istaris, he went to the Loren continent to seek help and met Jin. When he returned to his clan''s territory, he found that the had turned everyone, including his family, into enemies. After that, he met through the clan of and heard about <>. and learned the true identity of <>. However, Dexiconai began to play cowardly tricks one after another, and finally caused an "ether stampede," slaughtering a large number of his compatriots. But thanks to the efforts of Jin and his men, the < was finally destroyed. ....... "You should be very careful. "If you say so, Master Zion." Atkins nodded his head. * * * * * * "One more thing, this is going to be a difficult task..." Rhodes, the facilitator, resumed. "I would like to decide on the matter of investigating the hiding place of Lord Phyllius. "Right." "Yes, that''s right." Jin was also interested in this. He did not dare to let them investigate with a . After much discussion, it was decided to send out a survey team within a day or two. The members are as follows Leader: <> Rhodes. Deputy leader: Kondak of . And Archista and Sargera, Zeddis, and Harnatha, the . In other words, they are members of the <>. Momoko, an automata, will join them as an assistant. We also decided to take two of the <> we had discovered this time. "Which two should I take and which one?" For now, only Jin can activate them. "<>, <> would be a deal breaker." "Then ......" "What about < who has information on where the mysterious being might be?" "Oh, that might be a good idea." "Oh, that might be a good idea." "Let''s go with that." That''s the way it was decided. Also, <, who has <>, will accompany the <>. Jin then lifts the suspension on <<<>. "Listen to the orders of your leaders," he reminded them. Jin then decided to return to Leuthart. Jin, thank you for everything. "No problem. Zion''s still in a lot of trouble, isn''t he? "It''s true. I want to retire, but I can''t." Theon laughs. "No, don''t laugh. Take care of yourself, will you?" "Yes, thank you. I''ve been drinking the Persica juice you gave me. "Yeah. There''s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. Yeah. Well, if you need anything else, just call me. I''ll be there as soon as I can. I''m counting on you. After this exchange, Jin, Reiko, and Hope boarded the Pegasus 2 and left the Nordic Federation. 3095 - - 81-36 Nileâ…§ Jin told Hope to return to Horaijima and took Reiko to Loisart. They left Jin''s workshop in the basement. "Now, what are Goh and Rubina doing? When they went above ground, they found the assembled Nile VIII. "Oh, it''s done!" "Oh, Jin-sama!" "You came back via the ...... warp gate, didn''t you?" Rubina noticed first, followed by Goh. It seems that the two were checking the completed . "It''s a nice finish. "Thank you very much! It''s a great relief to hear you say so. It seems that he was concerned about Jin''s evaluation. "Tomorrow, you will take this to Horai Island for a test flight, right? "Yes." "I''m looking forward to it." "I''m thinking of ...... how to transport it." Oh. Oh, ...... I hadn''t thought of that, they both said. "Well, there are a lot of ways to go about it. <." Jin thought for a moment, "But let''s use the transfer magic circle. Jin thinks for a moment and then says, "But I think we should use the transfer magic circle. If the magic circle is large enough, even large objects can be transferred. It takes time to prepare for the transfer, but that can''t be helped. It is not a matter of time. "Tomorrow morning, I will draw a magic circle in the garden. The island of Horai will be the host. Is that all right? Yes! Yes, please. Okay. That night, neither Goh nor Rubina could get to sleep. ....... * * * * The morning of the 13th. At 6:30 a.m., Gough and Rubina were in the garden of Reuthert''s house after having finished breakfast. "You two are early. Jin-sama is even faster than you. "I had to prepare the transfer magic circle. The majority of the drawings, however, were done by Smith. The maximum diameter of the magic circle is 30 meters, and the transition circle is 15 meters, so it is better to leave it to the > than to have Jin draw it, because it will be less distorted. Jin wrote down the parameters and checked them. "Is it already done?" "Yes, it''s ready. We can put it on the transfer circle, and it will work anytime as long as we apply the magic power for activation of the magic circle. Okay, let''s go! Are you ready? Yes, Master Jin. I see. Goh and Rubina both said they were ready, so they had <>99 and Reiko carry the aircraft to the transfer circle. In order not to step on the magic circle, we had them carry it while floating with the <>. Then, they were transferred. On the Horai Island side, there were <>97 and 98, and they informed me that they had received the message with the built-in manacam. "Okay, let''s go." "Okay, let''s go." Yes! We move through the warp gate to Horai Island. This time, the golem unit will also participate in the experiment, so it''s a pity that we can''t take Melze with us. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * When Jin and the others move to Horai Island, < is already on the runway. Standing beside them is Sky1, a veteran of many such test flights. "We''re all going to use the same controls, right?" Yes, Master Jin. Do you have any special equipment? An emergency parachute. This equipment is not used by the pilot, but for landing the aircraft safely. It is not particularly difficult to operate, just pull the lever. If it proves to be usable enough, the pilot disconnects it, starts the engines again, and comes back. And the parachute, which would probably fall overboard, would be retrieved by the marine unit. "I see. ...... sky1, I''ll take care of the test flight." "Yes, sir, I''m on it." Sky 1 is equipped for a test flight. This time it''s a human flight suit. Since a human astronaut will be flying the aircraft, these preparations are necessary. In addition, a gravimeter is installed separately. It is to record what kind of G forces are applied during the flight. And a transporter for escape in case of emergency. I''ve arranged for you to exit in front of the institute. Okay, let''s go. Sky1 gets into the , closes the windshield, and turns on the manacam. From now on, they would communicate with each other via manacam. The engine noise is relatively quiet since there is no explosion. Air is gushing out of the jet at the rear of the fuselage with great force. The air is pseudo air and dissipates in less than a second. The jet of air increases in intensity, and <> begins to glide. Whoa! "Go!" The Nile VIII glides smoothly down the runway. The runway is 1,000 meters long, but it does not take up all of the runway. After about 600 meters, the plane takes off. It flew! "It flew!" < The aircraft continues its ascent, and soon disappears from sight. However, the old man is tracking it with his < and we can see it from the control tower at the end of the runway. The old man can also receive the manacam, so Jin, Reiko, Goh, Rubina and the others are inside watching <>. < flies through a cloudless blue sky. The observer cannot feel the speed because there is nothing to compare it with. <600 km/h......650 km/h... ...700 km......750 km ......>> Although it has the same two engines, it has less power than Jin''s <, so the acceleration is slower and the top speed seems to be a little lower. < "Well, that''s a good point." "I don''t think I can go Mach. ......" "Rubina, wind magic is basically impossible because it doesn''t exceed the speed of sound." "That''s right. ......" Since the speed of jet cannot exceed the speed of sound, it follows that airplanes cannot exceed the speed of sound either. And < deploys <>. This is basically deployed in the direction of the nose to avoid adiabatic compression of the air. This is done because the <> system cannot take in air if it covers the entire area. This has not been changed even in airplanes equipped with <>. This is partly to allow air in for cooling, but also because the directional rudder, elevator, and ailerons are no longer usable. It is enough to prevent adiabatic compression. Thus, Sky 1 tested the < one after another. 3096 - - 81-37 Evaluation and Improvement Proposals Goh and Rubina''s < is smoothly completing the test items. So far, there have been no major malfunctions. The maximum speed when using the <> is 1105 km/h. This is a subsonic speed. This is subsonic speed. The aircraft has good mobility. The maximum G-force applied to the pilot was less than 7 Gs so far, almost the same as that of a modern Earth jet fighter. These values are sufficient for a trained pilot to fly the aircraft. Then came the test of a new innovation, a parachute for emergency landing. At an altitude of 4,000 meters and a speed of 400 kilometers per hour, the engines are shut down. The plane begins to glide. The delta wing has a low wing loading, and the plane was stable even when it dropped to 200 km/h due to aerodynamic drag. However, when the speed drops below 150 km/h, the plane becomes a little unstable. Sky1 then deployed its parachute. The parachute was opened at once by wind pressure, and after a sudden impact, the speed of the plane dropped dramatically. Then it descends slowly. The speed was about 20 kilometers per hour. Goh and Rubina, who were watching the parachute on a monitor, said, "The parachute itself was successful, "The parachute itself was a success, but ...... "The speed of the fall is faster than expected. They looked at each other with a scowl. At 20 km/h, the plane would be destroyed when it hit the ground, and the occupants would also be hit hard. It would be like riding a bicycle very fast and crashing into a wall. "It''s better than crashing, but it''s an improvement." "Yes, it is." When they had finished taking the data, the two thanked Jin for his help. Jin then instructed Sky 1. "Sky 1, that''s enough. Release the parachute, restart the engines and come back." < Sky 1 receives Jin''s instructions, releases its parachute, and restarts its engines. For a moment, it looked like it was going to stall, but regained its bearings and continued its flight without incident. Three minutes later, landed safely on the airfield behind the institute. The aircraft landed safely at the airfield behind the institute. After the test flight, the crew members gathered at the institute''s cafeteria for a review meeting. "What is the score of from your point of view, Jin-sama? "Yes, 92 points in total. That''s a perfect score out of 100, right? That''s right. Yes. Rubina jumped up and down with joy, knowing that she had received a very high score. Goh, too, was overjoyed, his cheeks rising. But... But Goh was also very happy, his cheeks brimming with joy. he asked calmly. "Well, ......5 point is the parachute effect." "Yes, ...... we weren''t happy about that either." What about the other three points? The first two points are that the landing was a little unstable. The landing gear was probably not strong enough." "Oh, ......" Landing is more difficult than takeoff. And if it''s going to be piloted by a human, it shouldn''t be designed to be on the edge." "You went a little overboard. ......" Goh and Rubina regretted that they had reduced the weight a little too much. "So, I''ll let ...... Sky1 explain the other point. Sky1, how did you respond to the throttle?" "Yes, I''ll answer that. The throttle was a little sensitive. "Yes." Why ......? The two men tilted their heads. Since they can''t seem to come up with a reason, Jin explains it to them. "It''s a human being who flies the plane, not Reiko or Sky1." "Oh, I see. ......" "I''ve adjusted it to the feel of the Nile VI and VII. ...... "I guess you get it." In short, the two had adjusted the throttle as an extension of the Nile VI and VII that Reiko had piloted. This time it was the Sky 1, but the setting was a little too sensitive for human beings. Should I make it a little heavier? "And maybe a wider range of movement for the throttle lever?" "No, after this, we''re going to incorporate a magic brain to assist in aircraft control, so you can have that assist you." "Oh, I see. How about ......, Jin-sama? "Yes, I think so. That would be good. Okay. "Okay." With that, the review meeting was over. The discussion on ideas for improvement was continued. Goh and Rubina presented their ideas, while Jin was basically an observer. Goh says, "First, we need to improve the parachute. "That thing snapped the moment it opened, didn''t it? "Yes." Sky 1 answered Rubina''s question. "I guess we should ...... put in a shock absorber in case the rope snaps or the connection on the fuselage breaks due to the impact." "Yes, Rubina is right. But wait a minute." But wait a minute...?" A parachute is basically for vertical descent, right? Yes, that''s right. If the parachute is not carried away by the wind, it is adjusted to descend vertically. "Since we''re gliding, why don''t we make a shape that can take advantage of that?" "Oh, that''s a possibility. "Well, how about like a paraglider?" "Yes, that''s a good idea. What else is there? "I was simply wondering if we could increase the wing area." Unusually for Goh, he suggested an unusual gimmick. "It''s a delta wing, so even if we increase it, it''s still a delta wing. ...... "I know. ......" It seems to me that the balance is going to be upset. But.., "Fowler flaps ......, right?" Jin said. The < not only simply lowers the trailing edge of the wing, but also increases the wing area as it moves backward. In other words, the increase in lift is significant. Jin had read about this in a book on model airplanes. There is a flap mechanism that has been further improved on the present Earth, but we will leave that aside for the moment. "Jin-sama, what is that? It''s called a Fowler flap. ...... That''s the way it''s done: ...... "It''s used only at low speeds, because at high speeds, the air resistance is too great and it could cause a malfunction." "That would be helpful." I''ll explain this to Goh and Rubina. He was still too naive to be an observer. 3097 - - 81-38 Safety First The safety debate continues. "The speed of the plane when it touches the ground cannot be reduced to zero, so there will be an impact on the plane and the crew," he said. "Hopefully they''ll take it softly. ...... Can''t we do something with common wind magic?" "Yes. How about using toward the ground just before it hits the ground? Would that work as an air cushion? "What do you think, Jin-sama?" Jin thought it was not so wrong to ask me if the idea was right or wrong here, and said his thoughts. "I don''t think it''s a bad idea. is the same magic we use for the engine, so it''s not that special." "Yes, it is!" "If you are interested in ......, I would like to experiment with it." "Then, think about how to conduct the experiment. If possible, it should not be something that can only be done on Horai Island. "What do you mean?" "Well, even if it''s impossible to do it in Reuthert''s house, I''d like to do it on <> or <>...... preferably in a workshop that''s reasonably well equipped and can reproduce it if we take our time. I guess." You mean a common method of experimentation. "Yes, yes." Jin explained that it was meaningful to think about such an experimental method in order to leave a signpost for those who would follow in his footsteps. Understanding this, the two men pooled their wisdom and began to think of ways to conduct the experiment. "How about we build a tower ...... and drop the experimental machine from it, and use a before it touches the ground?" "Why don''t we drop them from the bridge instead of building a tower?" "Oh, in that case, there is water below, so the experimental machine will be less damaged. These are all quite useful opinions. "Maybe we should start with a one-half to one-fifth scale model. "Okay, but how do you know when to activate the <>?" "It''s an experiment, so I guess we could start it wired." "I guess so. ......" Observer Jin thinks that the two of them are a good match after all. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In the end, it was decided to <><< from the bridge>>. After repeating these tests and acquiring data, they came up with the idea of using an experimental plane of similar size to the actual model and dropping it from a high altitude in an <>. "Yes, that could be done at least with <>. Jin thought that the necessary data could then be made available to the public. Then, even if the workshop could not conduct large-scale experiments, it would be possible to mount an < based on the data. Alternatively, <> could be provided by <> and other major workshops. We should not use this in the first place, because it should be very rare ....... We will try to experiment with it first. Discussion is suspended. Jin decided that Goh and Rubina must be getting bored by now. And it seems that he was right. "Well, I made a gauze that is almost the same size as the Nile VIII, is that okay? "Yes, it''s good." Rubina made an experimental plane for us. This time, since it was on Hourai Island, the size was 1/1 for the experiment. "Jin-sama, how about this? Then, I had Goh prepare a magic tool that generates <>. Combining the two, we conduct an experiment in place of <>. This time, we will suspend the craft from <>, descend at a speed of 20 km/h, and use <> just before the craft touches the ground. A G-meter was also attached to the cockpit to record acceleration. "Free fall is a bit tough, isn''t it?" If we ignore air resistance, the fall speed will reach 20 km/h at 1G of gravity after 0.56 7 seconds. It would be impossible for a human being to manage. Therefore, <> is also impossible. "We''ll have to use a crane and lower it down at 20 kilometers per hour, won''t we?" "That''s right." Now that we have an alternative plan, we can start the experiment. < using a rope made of highly flexible . The length of the rope is 100 meters. The machine is then lifted up for 50 meters, and after standing still, descends at a speed of 20 km/h. The machine is then suspended by a rope made of flexible . The magic tools on the experimental machine will be activated by you only this time. The reason is that he can turn on the magic tools by using <>. Jin, who was looking at the equipment, was thinking that it might be wired if it is for general use. As Jin was thinking about this, he was brought back to himself by the sound of the aircraft suddenly braking due to a < that occurred. "Oops." About 100 meters away, the experimental plane has landed safely. Goh and Rubina are just now running to it. Jin also joined the experimental plane a little later. "Well, it looks pretty good. Nothing is broken. Goh and Rubina are satisfied after examining the machine. "What about the G-meter?" "Oh, yes, yes. "The value is ......3.1G! Jin pointed out, and the two checked the G-meter in the cockpit and shouted. "Well, I guess that''s about right." The G-force meter was a little higher than that, but it would be more than twice that if they hit the ground, depending on whether they hit a rock or a soil. "The point is that the acceleration value is how long it takes for a 20 km/h vehicle to stop." "That''s right. ......" Since the timing of the < would probably change somewhat, we continued the experiment. As a result, the lowest value of 2.8G was obtained when using <> at an altitude of 3 meters, which again slightly increased the safety. * * * * * After the experiment was over, we had another discussion in the laboratory. "There is an idea to use a flap from the anterior edge in addition to the Fowler flap," he said. "That would complicate the structure. I can make a one-off without any problems. "Yes, that''s true." If we put too many complicated mechanisms or special technologies in the aircraft, it will not be suitable for the general public, so we need to keep it in moderation. "If possible, I''d like it if we could glide down close to the ground and use an air cushion to make an emergency landing. Goh said with a sigh. "Yes, that''s right. Then, wouldn''t it be better to make the main wings a little bigger?" "Well, that would reduce the maximum speed and change the performance of the plane. Rubina countered Jin''s suggestion. "That''s right. But safety is the highest priority, isn''t it?" "Yes,......, that''s right,......." "Then let''s try to increase speed and mobility while ensuring safety." "Yes,......, that''s right,......." "You''re going to fly with Mertzsche on board, right?" "Yes! Rubina and Goh seemed to be convinced by Jin''s persuasion. Once again, the production time begins. ....... 3098 - - 81-39 Advice The aircraft that will carry Merce. Recognizing this, Jin felt that Goh and Rubina''s motivation seemed to have increased. "First, let''s increase the wing area by about 30%. "That will increase the aerodynamic drag, not to mention the weight. "If we can increase the engine power to compensate for that ......" "No, I think we can leave the maximum speed aside for now. I''d like to focus more on the performance. "Then we can use <> to reduce the somersault radius." "If the speed is reduced by 10%, the centrifugal force will also be reduced. ......" "Okay, let''s reduce the assumed speed a little." Jin, who was listening to the conversation as an observer, felt that the two were growing. So he sometimes interjects his advice and helps them to finalize their ideas. "There is an idea to increase the maximum speed for a short time. What? ......? "Jin-sama, is that ......? "Well, let''s think about it together." I know, I know. "Well, ......." And so on. By the way, answer #1 is . Answer #2 is >. No.3 is to . There are many other ways to do this, Jin suggested. "How about increasing the power of the < used on the engine? "Yes, that would be fine." "Hmmm, I wonder which one would be better." Jin-sama, I have a question. Yes? Yes. Well, if I use water magic, I don''t need to take care of heat like fire magic does, and I think that it has more power than wind magic, right? "Yes, I suppose so in terms of characteristics." "But maybe it doesn''t have <>?" "Yes, Goh is right. Water magic has no <> although it has <> due to its <> because the mass of water molecules produced is large. The same is true of earth magic (although you would not use it to propel a rocket). "Wind magic is the easiest to use, isn''t it?" "That''s right. But the third thing Jin-sama said , there is a limit. ......" At the moment, it is not possible to make it shorter than 0.1 second. It was interpreted that it takes at least that long to activate <> rather than a technical problem of magic. "Oh, you mean ......?" "What?¡¡Did you come up with something?" "Yes. ...... Hey, Jin-sama, <> doesn''t have to be more than one, does it?" "Oh, you noticed that, didn''t you?" "Oh, I see." Goh noticed it a little later than Rubina. In short, we can make the < for generating <> by placing the engraved <> in parallel and generating them at different time intervals. "That would reduce the vibration even more, wouldn''t it?" "Yes, it would." "That''s what I''m thinking. In that case, we need to rethink the strength of the engine. Yes. In the case of Jin''s engine, it could be used as it was because the safety margin was increased, but Jin judged that the strength of Goh and Rubina''s engines needed to be reviewed in order to reduce the weight of the engines. Since engine failure would lead to an immediate crash, Jin could not help but interfere in this matter. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After listening to Jin''s advice, Goh and Rubina decided to make and test a prototype of the improved engine. "Let''s double the strength. That''s a good idea. "I think we can make it a little lower than twice as heavy, if we keep the weight ...... where it won''t be under pressure. The spray nozzle. Jin, watching from the side, felt that Goh was good at this kind of improvement. Rubina came up with the idea, Goh put it to practical use, and together they improved the performance. Such a duo was forming. And after a day of modifications and adjustments ......, Jin and Rubina spent their 3 o''clock teatime drinking tea, "After this, I''ll let you read the paper." He said ....... "A paper?" "Yes. I wrote the paper on this <>, but it is still in draft form. I''d like to have my two collaborators read it and revise it. ...... Oh, Elsa has already read it and pointed out a few things." "......Yes." That''s what I mean. I started by having both of them read the draft. "......" "............" It''s not a very long paper, so Goh reads it in about 30 minutes and Rubina in about 40 minutes. "......What do you think?" "Well, I understood what was written, but ......" "......I don''t understand the additions and corrections. ......" "Well, at first, I guess you wouldn''t. ......" I don''t expect you to understand the contents of the paper, since you have never read it before. After all, you are a <. "...... have you understood the flow of the paper?" "Well, the title <>...... and the <> describes the reproduction of a rocket engine using wind magic." "Yes. And?" Jin now looks at Rubina and asks. "Well, there was a <> and in the <> it explained the purpose and background of the project." "I see. And then? "In <> and <>, he touched on the mechanism of the rocket engine and the significance of using wind magic in it, and how to control the propulsive force. ...... Honestly, this part was the hardest to understand." "I see." Jin nodded. The fact that someone of Goh''s and Rubina''s caliber couldn''t understand it could be attributed to the poor writing style. Although he had not been pointed out specifically, Jin felt that this was something that needed to be reviewed. "And then?" Now he asked Goh. "It was <> and <>. Here is a description of the prototype rocket engine, and a detailed description of the experiments on the test bench and their data. "Yeah, so?" "<> and <>. It analyzes what the experimental results mean and leads to the conclusion." "Good. The rest is <> and > and so on." Jin was relieved to see that he understood the gist of the paper. "Okay, then, let''s think about <> and together." "...... yes?" "Yes." Rubina was reluctant, but Jin was able to appease her while he reworked his hypothesis. Back Table ofContents Next Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. ul#read_nav li { display: inline !important; }.novelhall{display:none;}/*Remove Disqus ASD*/div#disqus_thread iframe[sandbox]{ display:none;}/*----------END----------*/Adblock Enabled¡ÁThis site is primarily supported by ads. I hope you understand that maintaining server costs a handful ofamount, so we ask you to please disable your adblocker. Thank you for your support!Close DMCA | Terms and Condition| Privacy Policy 3099 - - 81-40 Location As can be seen from the title of the paper, <>, the two themes of the paper are <> and <>. The purpose of this paper is not so much to have two themes as it is to introduce a <> that combines the two. "So, we will start with the application of wind magic." "Oh, you mean that <> is transformed into pseudo air molecules to cause the phenomenon?" "That''s right. That''s why we experimented to confirm that some wind magic can be used in a vacuum. That''s right. That''s the point. I don''t think it matters so much how the vacuum was created. So? So why don''t you write about the experiment itself and refer to the rest of the book?" Rubina said something about the purpose of the experiment becoming vague as she read and followed the steps of the experiment. "I see. That''s the way it is, just read it and see what you think." The purpose of this book is to be read by many engineers and to be used as a reference, Jin said. "Then I''ll fix it as Rubina said. ......Goh, how do you think we should do it?" "Well, uh, I think we should put <><<>> at the end of the book." "Yes, let''s try that." ......In this way, Jin rewrote the paper while listening to the opinions of Goh and Rubina. * * * * * * * * * * * After a lecture on the paper until 5:30 p.m., Jin takes a bath to recover from the fatigue of the day, and then has dinner. Dinner was served at 7:00 p.m. "We did a lot today, didn''t we?" "Yes. I''m tired ......, but I learned a lot." "Mel, we''re going to get you on a plane soon!" I''m looking forward to it. In the Nido household, conversation at mealtime is fine as long as it is moderate. As long as they don''t talk too loudly and don''t talk over the meal, it''s fine. Thus, the mealtime is filled with a friendly atmosphere. "Master Jin, what should we do when the <> is completed?" Goh asked his question. "What should I do about ......, you mean the announcement?" "Yes." "Avalon. That''s where I''ll be presenting it along with my paper." Do I have to do ......? "Yes, of course. I''m sorry to say this, but if I''m going to live on the front page, I''ll have to make my debut at the Institute of Magical Engineering. "Can you do ......?" "Yes, you can. I''ll be following you. Jin calmed Gou down by telling him that he should try not to get involved in the secular world any more than he had to. "Yeah, I''m sure they''re working on a rocket engine with over there." "...... Jin, aren''t there a lot of people who will be disappointed if I show this to them?" "...... I''m sure there will be. But that''s the way it is in the world of academia. "...... Jin-sama, this is a different subject, but not only Goh, but also me, will I be making my debut?" "You will be. ...... You don''t like it?" "No, I don''t mind. I don''t mind it. To be honest, I think it''s a bit of a hassle. "Then what do you have to complain about?" "No, I''m not complaining, it''s just that, you know, my title, my ...... origin!" "Oh, yes, that''s right." Gough is an orphaned child who Marikka took under her wing and adopted into the Nido family, the counts of the Shoro Kingdom, for his talent in magical engineering. But what about Rubina? She has no social backbone. As it is now, she is just a female engineer from nowhere, who does not know where she comes from. There is no doubt that people will question where she has acquired such a tremendous skill. "I don''t have a foundation in this world either," she says. My grandmother Amanda looks a little apologetic. "But that''s okay." Apparently Jin had thought about that too. "We can say that they are related to Marikka. We''ve already talked about it. Being related to Marikka was not a mistake. So Goh and Rubina knew each other under Marikka''s roof. So that means I am also a disciple of Marikka-sama, right? I''m not wrong. That''s true. "In the surface world, Marikka is no longer with us, so we can''t ask her any more questions." Even if I wanted to ask about Goh or Rubina''s parents, I couldn''t, because Marikka is no longer here. "And what about grandmother?" "Well, she can go to the Nordic Federation and have her family register made. I was in Marikka''s place when I found out about Rubina and brought her to Leuthart with Amanda. Since this was not more than half a lie, it seemed that this would not be a problem either. "And as for Goh and Rubina, they won''t be underestimated because of their young age if I become their guardian. Unfortunately, academic societies are often authoritarian and seniority-based. Therefore, having Jin, who is at the top of the magical engineering world, act as their guardian will strengthen their position. "At the moment, the problem is the address of Amanda and Rubina ......." As Jin was wondering what to do, Daikie spoke up. "Why don''t you just stay here, Jin-sama?" "What?" "Rubina-san, whom Jin-sama found with Goh. There is no problem for you to live with your grandmother, Amanda, as our guest. Are you sure about that? "Yes. ...... Hey, Cocona. "Yes, honey." They both smiled and nodded. "Well, thank you, Daikie, Cocona." "No, this was originally Jin-sama''s house." "Still, you are the masters now. So, thank you." Thus, Rubina and Amanda found a place in the Shoro Kingdom. The wind in Reuthert already smelled like spring. 3100 - - 81-41 Silent Story 134 Back in the Aeronautical Laboratory The beginning of March is somewhat hectic in . This is because we are preparing for April, the change of the fiscal year. Some organizations do not change at all, some welcome newcomers, others send off graduates, and so on. The budget for the new fiscal year is prepared in January and February, so the accountants are not in a hurry, but the personnel managers are preparing for the coming April 1 with all their might, as many people will be coming and going. In such an early spring season, there are many people who are conducting research at their own pace. <, also known as the . They are rivals with their neighbors, the , also known as the . And now, the rivals are cooperating with each other and challenging a new innovation. The <. The Magi Machine was revealed through the analysis of materials excavated from the ruins discovered in the Kingdom of Celuloa the other day. <, and is to be used for the benefit of modern society. < "Well, it has a lot of thrust, but it''s hard to handle. "The acceleration is too high for humans. There were some initial comments on ......, but Mr. Katya of the <> came up with the idea of using small engines in parallel and reducing the number of engines used when the power output is low. >>This idea was the one that brought the development forward at once. Of course, we did not use exactly what Mr. Cachier said. We did not change the size of the generator, but reduced the output of the generator that was chopped inside. He has carved several such generators in the same engine. "The engine you are testing now is the one that uses three generators, is it not?" "Yes. I''m using only one at low power, but I''m still getting a ." I''m now consulting with Eila Siata and Groma Trey of the <. They are two of the top engineers in control system design. The engine itself was built at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory, but the two engineers from the are working through a trial-and-error process to establish a control method. "We can''t cram any more generators into one engine, can we? "Then, let''s make the engine smaller, put three engines in parallel, and operate the with slightly staggered timing. "Theoretically, the pulsation would be considerably suppressed." They spent a whole day and night building the prototype engine, and as a result of their experiments, they obtained fairly good data. "Oh, Eira, Gromma, you''ve done it! "I managed to get it into shape. ......" As a result, nine very low-power < were used in sequence with slightly staggered timing, resulting in a low pulsation and easily controllable characteristics. As a side effect, the amount of heat generated is also suppressed, which gives more leeway for heat dissipation. "As for the cooling, we can install heat dissipation fins on the outside of the engine and use air cooling by sucking in air during flight, is that okay?" "That''s it." Should we be careful about overheating and overcooling as well? "No, it''s not an internal combustion engine, so overcooling shouldn''t be a problem. "Then, how about using water magic <> to force cooling? "It''s okay as long as it''s not constant, isn''t it?" "Yes. The constant activation consumes too much mana. < This newly developed rocket engine was named the . * * * * * And on March 12, the rocket plane equipped with the memorable <> was completed by the combined efforts of <>, <>, and <>''s factory. "The factory cooperated with us, so it took shape very quickly. Eira gazed at the prototype with a look of great emotion on her face. The prototype has a large retractable wing. It also has air intakes for air-cooling, so at first glance it looks like a jet plane. Overall, it resembles the modern Japanese <. Its name is <. < The name is derived from the idea of having a line of wake drawn in the blue sky. It was named after Ciel Azure of the Aeronautical Institute of Japan. The test pilot is , an aviation golem newly created by the . This < is thoroughly lightweight, weighing only 65 kilograms, almost the same as a human being. He is 170 centimeters tall. Its power is about two man-power, but its reaction time is four times faster than a human''s. Its eyesight is 10.0. His eyesight is 10.0. Aeria 01, I''m counting on you. Yes, sir. I''m on it. At 9:00 a.m., not only those involved, but all the residents of Avalon who could spare the time were paying attention to the test flight. "All right, start the engines!" < And began to run on the runway. "Oh, looks like it''s going well!¡¡Let''s go! <, cheered. < speeds up rapidly, glides about 300 meters, and then floats up. The runway here is only 300 meters long, so it was just in time. "We did it! I''m flying!" They had repeated countless experiments for this day. < and were very excited. <> quickly vanished from sight, they used the "Magi Transceiver," a magical device that was developed by the > for this purpose. The person in charge is Zora Himmel, deputy director of the Aeronautics Laboratory. This is Zora. How are you?¡¡Over. This is Aeria 1. Over. Good. What''s the maximum speed?¡¡Over. About 800 kilometers an hour at an altitude of 2,000 meters. Over. When the people at the Aeronautical Research Institute, or rather Avalon, heard this report, they let out a loud cheer. This is a world record for the speed of an aircraft (excluding Horai Island). < is about 150 km/h, and that of an airship is about 100 km/h. Jin''s < is said to reach a speed of 400 km/h, although this is unofficial. Compared to these, the speed of 800 kilometers per hour was astonishing. That night, <> and <> held a big party. 3101 - - 81-42 Silent Story 13510 Multifunctional Combat Golem On March 9, 3902, in the western part of the continent of Gondor, one golem was discovered in the western part of the continent of Gondor. The golem was found to have been made by one of the <>, Philistius the Humorous, who was known as the <> at the time. He was a progressive thinker of his time and sensed that his history was being manipulated by <>, and he told this to his compatriots, but none of them understood. Giving up on the idea, Filicius decided to retreat far away from his clan and gather his strength. In the process, he created ten . Although these golems are designed for combat, they have excellent brains...... control cores, and have high powers of judgment and understanding. According to Jin''s analysis, each of the 10 organisms has a little bit of unique information. The contents are as follows: ....... > is . <> has <>. <> is a past incident that is believed to have been caused by a mysterious entity. <> is . <> is a negotiating technique with the clan in <<<< north>. <> on unknown beings that may be further north at <<< <> on effective weapons against the human race on the continent of Laurent>>. <><>. <>>. <> was <>. The result was as follows. At the time of the analysis, we considered <''s <>, <>''s <>, and <>''s <>> as important information that we needed immediately in order to send out a survey team, but the other information is interesting as well. Therefore, on March 14, before the departure of the <> and the >, we decided to collect information on the remaining seven objects in the presence of Mr. Jin. * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Well then, except for <><><>, please tell me <> in order." So <> began to tell us about a past incident that he believed was caused by a mysterious entity. "I would like to start off by saying that the age I am referring to is based on the time that Phylicious-sama was here." "Mm-hmm." "What Master Phyllius was referring to was a civil war started by the ashlar clan about three hundred years ago, possibly caused by a mysterious entity. "Three hundred years," he said. "Three hundred years, so there were people who remembered what happened then?" I think so. "What kind of incident was it?" The ashlar clans had been somewhat neutral until the civil war when they became extremists. "I see. So that''s what happened." "Next, about 200 years ago, there was an attempt to send a peace envoy to the Laurentian continent, but it was abandoned before long. "Oh." "And about 120 years ago, there was an expedition that came from the Loren continent. They were welcomed by the clans of the Shinra, exchanged various information, and returned home, but it seems that they were massacred when they passed through the Paz dextro isthmus. "Oh, I''ve heard of that." < said. "In my mother''s time, the Laurentians came and stayed for a week or so. They were an expedition of five men, and they were welcomed and sent away." "Perhaps that''s who they were. Unfortunately, it seems that they fell prey to <>. ...... This incident probably made the Laurentians distrust us." "I''m sure it did." "And finally, about 50 years ago, some members of the <> clan went to the eastern part of the Loren continent and plundered the country. This was witnessed by Master Filicius. He said that his usually mild-mannered countrymen suddenly turned into a different person. I think it was because of this that Master Filicius began to imagine about the <." With this, ''s narrative ended. * * * * Next, <. < "Master Phylicious has synthesized what little information he has and deduced from it that < is probably the location of the mysterious being. Perhaps the mysterious being is building a base underground in the north. I can say that he was almost right. However, it seems that even Phyllius was not able to guess that there were several locations. The probability of this is also low, and now that <> has been destroyed, it could not be used as a reference. * * * * * * * * * * Next, <. Negotiation techniques with the <> clans in the <<<<<< north>>. "The <> clans are the most northerly of all Phylicius'' people and are the closest to his ancestors. Because of this, they are somewhat exclusive, proud and not very sociable. How can we negotiate amicably with them? It is first and foremost <. ...... In fact, Master Filicius spent a few days with the clan." "Did he master the art of making advanced golems like yours?" "I don''t know, I don''t remember that." However, since they were making full use of technology that was outstanding among the of that time, they must have absorbed that technology from somewhere, and it seemed very likely that it was the clan territory of the . It was suggested that the clan of the still exists today, and that they might remember Phyllician if we asked them about it. (Later, I asked the clan of the and they told me that they had indeed been visited by such a guest. * * * * Next, we went to <. <<<< about unknown beings that may be further north>>. "Master Filicius speculated about the possibility of an unknown being living in the north, further north, where the <> clans live." Perhaps he was referring to <<700672>=<>Turles, Jin guessed. At the same time, he was amazed at Phyllius'' unparalleled insight in guessing its existence. "The <> is completely different from the <>, and it seems to be non-interfering with us. ......" The following explanation was also quite accurate about <> = Turles. * * * * And <>. <>. Although both sides are no longer fighting each other, it would not be useless to know what kind of weapons were considered at that time. "The amount of magic power possessed by the human race of the Laurentian Continent is different from that of your countrymen, Mr. Filicius. So, magic that depletes the magic power possessed, or a super-small golem that attacks only those with low magic power. "...... Is it feasible?" "The two I just mentioned are only imaginary, but of course there are weapons that can be implemented immediately. What is it? "Gravitational range magic. ...... Since we know that the Laurentians are physically inferior to your compatriots, we can use gravity magic to increase the gravity of a certain area by a factor of 1.5 to 2. The Laurentians'' movements are visibly slowed down. The Laurentians will be visibly slowed down. That''s where we''ll strike." "I see. That makes sense. Jin thought that a soldier in the flesh would be helpless against such an attack. He was wearing heavy armor, which would add to his weight. If he weighed 65 kilograms, 15 kilograms for the armor, and 5 kilograms for the weapons, the total weight would be 85 kilograms. Double that for 170 kilos. 1.5 times that weight is 127.5 kilograms. That''s not a weight for agility. "Besides, the Laurentians are blind at night. So, by wearing black clothing for nighttime activities, we can distract the enemy''s position and weaken their will to fight. "Hmm." Well, what can I say, this one was more than up to the task. Compared to his insight, I honestly feel that Filicius'' tactical and strategic eyes are not so good. * * * * * * * * * * . . "First of all, our lifespan is short. If the war is fought over a period of ten years, the enemy commander will surely grow old. If we simultaneously sabotage the training of their officers, we can weaken their army." That''s harsh. "And they seem to be susceptible to hunger and thirst. Master Filicius'' people can endure five days without eating or drinking, but they can only go up to two days." "Hmmm." Not drinking water is a very severe condition. Even in this aspect, I could see that the bodies of the <> are made of robust materials. "And the mental aspect. The magic of <> is easily cast." "That may indeed be true. In addition, < had mentioned that <<> could also be counted as a weakness. However, their short lifespan also means that they are highly fertile. On the other hand, the weak reproductive capacity of the < could be said to be a weakness. * * * * * * * * * * * And the <. . "Master Phylicious has speculated that there is a land that produces free magical element (ether) in the north ...... perhaps at the north pole, giving free magical element (ether) to the world." "Oh." "And he thought that such free magic element (ether) would travel around the world and be collected at the southern pole together with the consumed magic element (mana)." "I see." He hits the nail on the head more than halfway. Of course, there are some differences, but it is amazing that he was able to draw such a conclusion from such limited data. * * * * * * * * * * * "So that''s the for each golem." Thank you, Master Jin. Thank you for your time. The attendees thank Jin. Jin, however, is satisfied that his interest is satisfied, so they are even. "But, Phyllius,...... or ......" Jin and the others think about their disappointment that they actually wanted to create 10 more golems to handle this kind of <. 3102 - - 82-01 Picnic Departure March 15. It is Elsa''s birthday. As far as Jin is concerned, a birthday is a day to celebrate , not . So it is always and forever a day of celebration. ............Well, sometimes we are so busy that we skip the birthdays of <> members. ....... In that case, the old man tells us secretly or celebrates in place of Jin when he is not available. A quiet word. On March 15, Jin, Elsa, Reiko and others were at the house of Reuzert. "Happy birthday, Elsa!" "Happy birthday, Miss Elsa. Happy birthday to you. Thank you. Jin gave her a pendant head. Reiko gave her a bouquet of flowers. And... "Happy birthday, Miss Elsa." Happy birthday to you. "Happy birthday, Miss Elsa." "Happy birthday to you!" Happy birthday, Miss Elsa! "Happy birthday, Miss Elsa." Daikie, Cocona, Goh, Rubina, Merce, Amanda and others also offered their congratulations and bouquets of flowers. "Thank you, everyone! The bouquet, which was as large as a bag of flowers, was to be displayed in Elsa''s room. The time is 9:00 a.m. It is a brisk morning. It is a brisk morning. "I''m going to Avalon tomorrow with Goh and Rubina. "Yes. Will you look after them while I''m gone? I''ll take care of it. And we''ll take it easy for the rest of the day. "Yeah." So, on this day, the Nido family decided to go on a leisurely picnic together. Of course, transportation is by . The members of the Nido family are Jin, Elsa, Reiko, Daikie, Cocona, Goh, Rubina, Amanda, Merce, and Yenny. Butler and the golem maids were left in charge of the house, and we departed around 10:30 am. At Elsa''s request, the destination was a lake in the southern part of the Shoro Kingdom. The eastern shore of the lake is called the Erlich region, which is a favorite wine-growing region of Reinhardt. Moreover, the area has a connection with Elsa''s maternal uncle, Viscount Burroughs Richter von Arabus, who was the lord of the surrounding area, including Lake Wass, 400 years ago. It was also here on Lake Wass that the , the first large ship of the Shoro Empire, was launched. It was Elsa who named the ship . Elsa chose this place as her destination because of such a close relationship with this place. < landed on the eastern shore of Lake Wass. It is a familiar place for Elsa. The lakeshore is a large green area. Flowering trees are planted here and there, and flower beds are set up to display the flowers of the four seasons. After landing the at the airfield on the lakeshore, the group left Hope at home and headed for the green space. The area, which is almost on the Tropic of Cancer, is already warm enough even in the middle of March, and with the sunny skies, families can be seen here and there relaxing and taking it easy. Jin and the others choose a sunny lawn with few people and spread out their sheets for lunch. This time, it is onigiri. There are umeboshi, okaka, kombu, salmon, salt, and grilled onigiri with miso and soy sauce. The drink is hojicha. After wiping his hands with a hand towel, he cleaned them with a < cloth and began to eat. "Don''t take it easy." "Yeah. Thanks ...... for bringing me." "No problem. I usually give you a lot of trouble. But thank you. "...... Wow. ......" "......Madam Jin and Erza are really good friends. ......" "...... a little envious." Goh, Rubina, and Merce seemed to have been taken by the situation. Daikie, Cocona, Amanda, and Yenny, on the other hand, were just as impressed, "It''s nice to go out like this, isn''t it?" "Yes, honey. "It''s relaxing, isn''t it?" "Would you like some more tea?" They enjoyed this picnic to the fullest. It was a peaceful time for the Nido family on a beautiful early spring day. * * * * * * * * * The same day, March 15. <, two expeditions departed. The first was the <. The other is the < expedition. <. Bussac, of the <>, is the deputy leader. Falsmus, a mining engineer, accompanies him. Farsmus is a member of the < clan, so he has gray hair and gray eyes. He is about 10 years older than Atkins, but this time Atkins is the leader because he has visited the area once. He is joined by <, a . <> is led by Rhodoth the , with Kondak the as deputy leader. The other members are Archista and Sargera of the <>, Zeddis of the <>, and Harnatha of the <>. Momoko, an automata, joins them as an assistant, and <> and <>, two <>, also accompany them. Since they are not in a hurry, the two expedition teams head out by <. The two teams are composed of two vehicles for the <> and four vehicles for the <>, with the general-purpose golem acting as driver, keeping in mind that the snow may be removed if the roads are blocked by snow on the way. Since they were going in the same direction up to the halfway point, the six vehicles proceeded together, and they also worked together on snow removal. On the way, there were a few occasions when we would ...... while looking at the already ruined clan territory on the side. <<<<<>....... These are the names of clans that have already died out, or have joined other clans and disappeared naturally. "There is still quite a bit of snow on the ground." "Yes. It''s probably icy down there, so we should be careful. "Yes, that''s right." As a result of our cooperation, we were able to travel about 250 kilometers on the first day, and we spent a comfortable night in the clan territory of <>. 3103 - - 82-02 March 16 March 16. "Wow, it''s nice!" "Jin-sama''s < is nice, but this kind of plane is also nice, isn''t it?" "Yes!" Goh and Rubina were flying with Merce on the as promised. Unlike Jin''s , the acceleration of up to 3G is momentarily applied to the body, but this is what makes it possible to feel that they are flying in the sky. And Merce was a child who enjoyed that feeling. "You kept your promise, didn''t you?" "Of course I did!" Isn''t it nice to fly? "Yes, it is." Goh is in control of the plane. However, the detailed control is done by the on-board control brain, so there is almost no danger of accidents due to pilot error. Any reckless maneuvering will be cancelled. The maneuverability is mild, so that the robot cannot accelerate or decelerate rapidly, turn at a sharp angle, or somersault at high speed. This setting can be changed at any time in stages, and I was now in level 1, <> mode. The pilot is then switched to Rubina. The three-seater <> can be switched to any of the three pilots. So Rubina also enjoyed piloting the plane they had built. As expected, she could not let Mertze pilot the plane. As a backup, Jin was watching over them in the . Goh and his crew were therefore able to enjoy their flight in peace. Jin''s intention was also to observe the performance of . The score was a very high 98 points. "Yeah, it was fun." After an hour of flying, <> landed at an airfield on the shore of Lake Tosmo. The <> lands next to it. After disembarking, Jin went to see the three men standing by the <>. "Good work, Goh." "Yes. No, it was fun. "You too, Rubina." "Yes!¡¡It''s still difficult to fly a real plane ...... but it was fun." "How was it with M?rze?" "Yes, it was a lot of fun!¡¡I was more than happy that Mr. Gough and Ruby made good on their promise. "Well, that''s good." And to Goh and Rubina, "You passed without any complaints. We will go to after this. "We''re going to after this. "Yes, Master Jin." I''m ready. "I see." I''m sorry to have to leave Merce at home again. Erza will be in charge. After a year has passed since I was supposed to take care of Merce, I can do something about it once I know what to do with her, but right now I can''t do anything about it. "Well then, Mel, I''m off." "I''m off, Mr. Merce, I''m off." "Ruby, Mr. Goh, good luck." Just to be safe, Hope is piloting the Nile VIII to Avalon. Jin, Reiko, Goh, Rubina, and the others will be in the . Reiko is in charge of piloting. The and take off into the sky over Lake Tosmo. * * * * * * On the same day, two <>. The two <> continue in the same direction up to the halfway point. There was still snow removal work to be done that day, but the west side of the Gondor continent had less snowfall than the east side, so the speed of progress was somewhat faster. "It''s spring after all, isn''t it?" Look, the buds on those trees are swelling up. The trees along the side of the road were in the process of budding, and some of them had early blooming white flowers. "It''s a pity there is no one here who knows anything about plants." "That can''t be helped." The trip was so relaxing that conversations like that were heard. ....... "Avalanche?" Our path was blocked by a mass of snow. On the right side was a slope with an elevation difference of about 200 meters, and judging from the number of trees that had been knocked down, it appeared that the avalanche had come from far above. "It looks like an avalanche that happened a long time ago." Rhodes looked up the slope and said. "I think we can clear the snow from this." If the avalanche had just occurred, there was a possibility that another avalanche would occur while they were clearing the snow. The snow at the site of the avalanche was hard and icy in places, so there was little chance of another avalanche. The group felt secure in this situation and proceeded with the snow removal work. It was a bit tedious because of the broken trees and rocks in the mix, but the physically capable northerners completed the snow removal in about two hours. "It''s done, isn''t it?" "It''s done, isn''t it? By the way, ......." < Arkista held up something in his hand. "Atkins, do you know what this stone is?" It was a heavy, silvery stone. It appeared to be crystallized, and appeared to be made up of many small cubic grains. As soon as Atkins, a geologist, took one look at it, he said, "It''s a lead azotite," he said. Atkins recognized it as "tungsten lead ore. It is a major ore of lead and is very heavy, with a specific gravity of about 7.5, and soft, with a Mohs hardness of 2.5. It is about the same hardness as a fingernail, and when rubbed on paper, it shows lead-colored streaks. It has perfect cleavage and breaks into cubes. "If it fell with the avalanche, there might be a deposit of lead on top of it." "Should we check it out?" "Well, ...... we have a few days to spare, so a side trip would be nice." The < decides to take a short detour here and check for lead deposits. The < said they would cooperate. "It''s only for a few hours anyway.¡¡Tomorrow we will split up and go to our respective destinations. I''ll stay with you for today at least. Atkins thanked Rhodes for his help. Rhodes, Kondak, Atkins, and Falsmus climb up the snowy slope. The slope was 15 to 30 degrees. The slope is rough, and the shoes dig in, making it difficult to walk on, though not slippery. The four climbers spread out horizontally with about 30 meters between them, and let their strength carry them up the slope. Rhodes, who was walking at the right end of the group, climbed up about 100 meters to an exposed rocky area. It was a cliff with no snow on it. And there was the outcrop of the azurite ore. The silvery ore was exposed. The avalanche had probably scraped off the surface layer and exposed a vein of ore. "There it is! Rhodes shouted, and the other three gathered around. Atkins saw the vein and assured them that it was definitely here. "Thanks for your help. It was easier than I thought it would be. It looks like the vein leads underground from here. "It was easier than I thought it would be." In this way, the survey team found an unexpected vein of ore through an unexpected side trip. 3104 - - 82-03 To Avalon The group set out for at a speed of about 400 km/h. The distance from Leuthart to is less than 700 km, and it takes about two hours. It is less than 700 km from Loisart to , which takes about two hours. It was just about lunch time, so Jin and the group had lunch in the . Again, sandwiches were the order of the day. This time it was sandwiches again, because Merce had done a great job for Goh and Rubina. She has not yet made many dishes that she can say she is good at, so she was confident that she could make them sandwiches. "Yes, it''s delicious. This is a sandwich that Merce made. "The ham sandwich, the egg sandwich, and the cheese sandwich are the sandwiches that Mel made. Goh and Rubina seem to be able to tell which sandwiches were made by Merce. The drink is Citran juice. It is made from 100% natural fruit juice and has a refreshing aftertaste. "Thank you for the food. Thank you very much. After finishing lunch, the <> is now over the ocean. In about 15 minutes, we will be on the Avalon. Looking out the window, we could see the <> flying a little further away. And on the other side was the vast expanse of the ocean. "The sea is always vast, isn''t it? "It really is." Goh and Rubina gazed silently at the vast expanse of ocean. A black dot began to appear on the horizon. "Ah, it''s <>. The black dot, <>, was getting closer and closer. No, it was a hurricane approaching. Soon the airport is clearly in sight. This time, we will land at the <> near the center. This is an airfield for <> so to speak. The problem is that the runway is only 300 meters long, but Hope, piloting <>, landed the plane without a hitch and brought it to a standstill in less than 20 Hope landed the aircraft without a hitch and brought it to a standstill in less than 20 meters. The <> landed without any problems because it was an airship. "Maybe we need to extend the runway in the future. ......" This is what Jin thought. < is 2 km. 1 km runway would be enough. A one-kilometer runway would be enough, since the important facilities are located below the level and there is a lot of green space on the ground. "Welcome, Mr. Jin." This time, unlike usual, I had notified the Chief Administrative Officer, Tomax Bartmann, two days before the meeting, so it must have been less stressful for him to receive us. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. "That''s the highlight of your visit, isn''t it?" Tomax looks interested when he sees in the background. Yes, that''s right. And these two designed and built it. Oh, Mr. Goh and Ms. Rubina. I''m Goh. Rubina. Pleased to meet you. ...... Rubina, you were here before with Mr. Freddy and Mrs. Greiner, weren''t you? Yes!¡¡I was 10 years old then. I remember you gave me a lecture on the new golem. Only a little, but... No, no, you''ve grown even more since then. Then Tomax turned to Goh, "You were Marikka-sama''s apprentice and now you are apprentice to Master Jin and heir to the House of Nido?" I''m an ungrateful disciple. You two have a very promising future ahead of you. Or perhaps you''ve already made your mark." Tomax Bartmann smiled as he said this. "Please, come this way, we don''t want to stand around talking." They got into the prepared car and headed for the headquarters of the , including Jin, Reiko, Hope, Goh, Rubina, and Tomax Bartman. "Let''s take the rest of the day off and start the meeting tomorrow morning," they said. That was the schedule. * * * * * * * * * * * * * <, as a bonus to the , Rhodoth Atkins and his party returned to the road and headed west again. "The Buamak River." The Buamak River, one of the three great rivers of the Gondor continent, lay before their eyes. There should have been a suspension bridge. "I don''t see it. ...... ...... washed away? Apparently so. Look." < "Oh no. ......" "I''m sorry I didn''t do my homework." It was too late to be sorry. I have to cross the Buamak River somehow. I should have come by <, but there is nothing I can do about it now. Although the Buamak River is relatively narrow among the three major rivers, it is still nearly 500 meters wide in this area. "I guess we''ll have to rely on Kondak here. ......" "Leave it to me." <, explain the situation, and call for backup. This seemed to be the most efficient way. "I guess we''ll have to ask them to turn the wind-powered floaters (blow floaters) ......." And indeed it did. Two hours later, three large blow floaters arrived. We were asked to return in the vehicle that the survey team had been riding in. Three pilots brought them to us. Three more drivers were brought along, to match the number of vehicles. "Well, take care," he said. Take care of the cars. I''ll take care of it. After seeing the cars off, the survey team members boarded the wind-powered blow floaters. One of the blow floaters carries the members of the << Adamantite Vein Investigation Team>. The other two are the <, the , and the , the multi-purpose combat golem>. The remaining two are <>. One is the <> Rhodoth, the automata Momoko, the <> Zeddis, the <> Harunatha, and the <> <>. The other will be occupied by Kondak of the <>, Archista and Sargera of the <>, and <> of the <>. From this point on, the two groups could have gone their separate ways, but since it was almost dusk, they decided to camp together, and the separate activities would begin the next day. "Tomorrow we''ll start working separately, but be careful," he said. You too. Thanks for your help. "You''ve done us both a favor." The night of the encampment was somewhat somber, as we were to be separated from tomorrow. 3105 - - 82-04 Morning End of Day Even though they seemed to be in good spirits, they could not ignore the fatigue of flying in the morning and traveling by , and Goh and Rubina fell asleep very early, even including the time difference. Goh and Rubina went to sleep very early, including the time difference. Of course, Jin was no stranger to early risings, so he went to ....... "You''re going for a walk?" "Oh, good morning, Jin-sama!" "Yes, it is. I''m showing Goh around. "Well, Rubina has been here before." Yes. I was 10 years old then. Now I''m 12. Have I grown up a little?¡¡Rubina said. "Yes, I think I''ve grown." "Really?¡¡You don''t mean you''ve grown ...... taller, do you?" "No, I think you''ve grown taller, but I think your technique has improved. "Heh heh, really? Jin did not say that the inside of the room had not changed much, though. After that, they went to the cafeteria, which opened at 7:00 a.m., and ordered whatever they wanted. Since Jin and his party were VIPs, they could order room service, but they did not like such a stiff treatment, so they came to the diner. Jin had the breakfast porridge set meal, and Goh and Rubina had the daily Japanese breakfast. Jin-sama, is porridge good?¡¡I''m not used to it. "Well, I think porridge made from rice tastes good. It''s easy to digest, and although it''s often thought of as a sick man''s food, it''s quite tasty." "I wonder if so... ...... I''ll try it next time." What about you, Goh? "I like congee too. I like congee too, but I prefer chewy rice. ...... They ate their breakfast while talking like this. After breakfast, we returned to our rooms to prepare for the meeting. I only checked the documents I had prepared. I brought 100 copies of the paper for the time being. If there are not enough copies, I have the original data, so you can have them printed here. "We only have 20 copies each of the engine test results and the safety tests, though. "I''m sure we''ll have enough, since it''s probably the Go Lab and the Aeronautics Lab that want the technical data." I''m not sure if 10 copies of the aircraft blueprints will be enough. "I think so. So, all is ready and all we have to do is to go to the designated place at the scheduled time. It is about a 15-minute walk to the small conference room at ......<>. Jin decides to walk there to calm Goh, who is a little nervous. "Ugh, I wonder if I will be able to talk well with the great people of the <> ......." Rubina cheerfully tells an anxious Goh. "Don''t worry!¡¡I was ten years old when I got it!" "...... I envy you your audacity." "What? Are you saying I''m insensitive? Then Jin said. "Haha, even Rubina was nervous at that time. "Oh, really?" "Yes, she was. Well, that''s understandable. "I see, even Rubina was nervous in the beginning. ...... "Uh......" Jin further advised. "It''s okay as long as you know what you''re explaining. If someone asks you a question, you can answer it. And if you can''t answer a question, don''t waste time worrying about it, just tell them honestly that you don''t know. I''ll follow up," Jin said, and Goh (and Rubina) looked a little more at ease. * * * * Now, what happened to Rhodes and the others? On the morning of their encampment, they greeted each other briefly after their communal breakfast and took off in their <>. <, turning gently to the northwest. The flight was smooth with no obstructions in the sky. We parted at about 50 degrees north latitude, < flew west. <. < heads north. < divides into two parts. Since they could not hear each other, they waved goodbye to each other and wished each other good luck. The first and second aircraft parted and continued to fly to their respective destinations. To the west. To the west. The <<> arrived at the mouth of the Sitong River before noon. We set up camp in the same place as before in the light of day. With Golem''s help, they are ready before dusk. We''ll start the survey tomorrow morning. "That sounds good." "I guess the blow floaters saved us a lot of time in the end. The group was at ease, knowing that there was little danger here. * * * * To the north. <>have a general idea of their destination, but the location of the <> has not been determined. "It was around where the river splits in two, wasn''t it?" Rhodoth asks the multifunctional battle golem <>, who has information on the <>, and receives an affirmative response. "Yes. "So it''s in that area?" "Yes, sir." Looking down from above, the terrain is clear. The part where the river bisects the river seems to be a rocky terrain. I have the impression that the river came from the upper stream, hit a rocky place, and split into two. "First, let''s land on the east side, shall we? "Yes, sir." So the two blow floaters landed on the east side of the Sitong River. The riverbanks here are wide and wide enough for a landing. Rhodes decided that it would be suitable for an encampment. "Would it be dangerous if the water rises?" It was melting snow now, so there was a good chance that the water would rise. "Let''s pitch our tent on a higher ground, even if it takes us a little farther away from the river. "That sounds like a good idea." The leader, Rhodes, and the second leader, Kondak, agreed, and the tent was pitched about 100 meters from the river. < "We''ll use this as a base for the rest of the day. We will start a detailed survey tomorrow. With such a policy, they worked hard to improve the habitability, gathering dead grass and piling up stones around the tent to protect it from the wind. At times like these, the physically strong have an advantage. Since all the preparations were done while it was still light, we were able to prepare for dinner at leisure. The stars began to twinkle in the evening sky, foretelling of clear skies for the next day. 3106 - - 82-05 Announcement and tension. < are: ....... First, Jin, Reiko, Hope, Goh, Rubina. Then Eila Siata, Groma Trey, Cachair, and Rasnath Heilbronn from the . <, we have Rohr Eisker, Zora Himmel, Ena Kouki, Ciel Azure, and Tiner Vito. In addition, Academy President Saban Iraiye Sench, Assistant to the President Sakho Shomas, and visiting faculty members Arnold and Chelle. Jin exchanged a look with Arnold. Saho Shomas, assistant to the president, will be the facilitator. It is now time for the meeting. Now it is time to start the debriefing session. ...... First of all, Jin-dono, please say a few words as a representative of the reporter side. Jin stood up and greeted the participants. Then, please stand up and say a few words. ......Thank you for joining us today. I would like to report on the research and development of the found in the ruins of the Kingdom of Celuloa. Jin then cut off his speech and motioned for Goh and Rubina to stand up as well. "These two are the ones who did most of the experimentation, verification, and production. Some of you may remember Rubina Garrett, who came here with Lord Rhodes about two years ago. We did a presentation on it." "Yes, I remember her." Eira gave a small murmur of assent. "And Gou Nido. I was adopted into the Nido family of the Shoro Empire. He was born in the Nordic Federation, but he is Loren. An orphan, I was taken in by Lord Marikka of Shinra and educated as an apprentice." "Oh." "Oh ......" I can assure you of my solid skills. Oh, and Jin-sama. After a brief introduction of the two, Jin sat down and began to explain. Reiko and Hope handed out the papers. "<>......?" "Yes." Academy President Saban Ilaiyeh Senchi asked for confirmation. "The relics that were discovered used fire magic, but as we studied them, we realized that their characteristics were very unwieldy for use in airplanes that carry people." Jin explains the background. "First, we made a prototype rocket engine using fire magic. However, fire magic uses , which generates a shockwave. Therefore, the engine is very peaky and does not have good characteristics at low speeds. In addition, because of the high temperature, the engine material must be carefully selected and the cooling system must be ......" Explain the characteristics and weaknesses of fire magic, "Now, my wife Elsa suggested that we try using wind magic. "Huh?" "Elsa is good at wind magic, and I noticed that there are two types of wind magic. Two kinds? "Yes. I think there are two different types of wind magic. "Hmmm, that''s interesting." Seiban Eliyeh Sench growled as he looked at the paper. "So, I experimented to see if and can be used in a near-vacuum environment. The surgeon is this Reiko." "I see, it''s okay in a vacuum, isn''t it?" "The method to create a vacuum is described in the paper. As it turns out, < and were usable. In other words, this phenomenon is caused by the temporary transformation of mana into pseudo-molecules of air. "Oh, ...... this is a topic that I would like to study separately from engines." Saban Eliyeh Sench reacted in a researcher-like manner. "I''d like to leave that to the volunteers. ......That''s why we decided to use <> for the engine. To this, the members of the <> responded. "Mm-hmm, that''s wonderful! "That''s what I''d expect from you, Mr. Jin! "We, too, were troubled by the engine characteristics that were difficult to handle," he said. "We had a hard time dealing with the pulsation." Eira and Groma looked at each other distantly. "...... wind magic has a milder output than fire magic, so the pulsation is smaller. But there is still some pulsation." Jin then gives an explanation of how the engine characteristics were adjusted. The paper is illustrated with diagrams, so the explanation was easy. And ....... "......The conclusion is that it is practical enough. This concludes the explanation of the paper. First of all, the presentation on <> was over. After that, a question and answer session followed. The paper and the explanation were easy to understand, so a few simple questions were asked, and that was the end of it. "I understood it very well. "Well, thank you very much. I now have a new topic for further research. I heard such voices. And again, "You made a plane with it, didn''t you?" Eira''s question was also heard. At this point, Sakho Shomas, the facilitator of the session, said Thank you very much, Mr. Jin. This concludes the first part of the presentation. I would like to continue with the second part, which is an explanation of the applied aircraft. He announced the change of theme. In response, Mr. Hitoshi said Then, I would like to explain about the aircraft. The prototype engine has been completed, and we have built an airplane equipped with it. Goh and Rubina are in charge. Let''s go to ...... and let Rubina explain about the construction first." "Yes, sir." At this point, the blueprints of the plane were handed out. "Wow." Delta wing. Rubina begins to explain after everyone has been given a copy. "Well, my name is Rubina Garrett. The name of this plane is . It''s a delta wing plane. This is the eighth plane in the < series of models that I have made ......." Although she had spoken at the podium before, Rubina was still nervous for her age. 3107 - - 82-06 End of morning session Rubina''s explanation continues. "Well, delta wings are characterized by stability at high speeds and high lift at low speeds ......." Everyone listens intently. They are not to be underestimated just because they are young. Thanks to this atmosphere, Rubina''s nerves were relaxed and by the end of the presentation, she was able to give her explanation with aplomb. ......That concludes my explanation. Goh will continue with the safety management of the aircraft. There was a small round of applause. That was all for Rubina. Goh will take over from here. "Yes, yes, I am Goh Nido. Goh began to speak slowly. "The first thing I thought about was , assuming that people would be riding in the car. Then, what is safety? Jin felt that it looked more relaxed than the Rubina. The first was to increase the wing area to enable it to glide at low speed. The second was to equip it with a parachute. The third is the air cushioning by just before ground contact. "Oh, I see." "That might be a good idea." "...... experimentation has yielded optimum values. Please refer to <> for the data." "Hmmm." "Falling from a bridge." "Fowler flaps?¡¡I see, this is based on the advice of Mr. Jin. Goh''s explanation proceeded smoothly, making use of the materials he had prepared. And then... "...... is the end of my explanation. Thank you very much for your attention. There was a round of applause. Jin then summarized the session. That''s all I have to say. Then, I let the Golem that I made pilot the aircraft. The result is ......." Since < is private, I just say <>. Since it is Hope who is here now, and since it is Hope who has piloted <> to <>, everyone will recognize me as Hope. "The most ingenious thing they have done is <>. Literally, a <> that with <>. We have used the results of dozens of test flights as feedback. "I see. ......" "This can be set up in levels, and at level 1, any normal person who knows how to fly can fly it. In fact, Goh and Rubina have never been trained as pilots, but they fly it themselves." "Hoho ......" "Level one, however, has a more modest maximum speed and does not allow for rapid acceleration or turns. Hope can be piloted at level 10......<>." "Ummm ......" After a short pause, it was time for a question-and-answer session. "Now, please raise your hands if you have any questions. Please raise your hands if you have any questions and be sure to ask the right questions. Please raise your hands and ask the right question. ...... yes, Mr. Gromma." "I will ask Mr. Goh. < at the ground to use it as an air cushion, but if you fire it at the fuselage, wouldn''t that reduce the speed of the fall?" Goh replied calmly. "We have considered that method. However, it was difficult to set up a <>. If we aimed it at the fuselage, we would have to hit it near the line that passes through the center of gravity, and we didn''t feel the need to prepare a separate generator base for that purpose. "I see. For example, if you put a generator base on the landing gear, the aircraft would rotate, wouldn''t it? "That''s right. On the other hand, if you fire the missile at the ground, you don''t need to pay attention to such details. In an emergency, we adopted a method that is a little less accurate. But Gromma asks a further question. "If we are talking about precision, wouldn''t the relative altitude to the ground determine the timing of the , which requires precision?" "You are right. But since it is only the timing, we thought it would be easier to adjust than directing it at the aircraft." "...... Hmm, I see, I understand. Thank you very much. "Now, the other person ...... yes, Ena." Yes. I will ask Mr. Jin. What is the level or grade of the < used by Goh-kun and Rubina-san and others? I''m sorry, I''m not familiar with golems. "Is that because you are concerned that the <> might not be very advanced or common?" "Oh, yes. "If that''s the case,......, then yes, it''s about the same as the general-purpose golem commonly used in <>." Is that correct? Yes. The parts to be controlled are not so different between a golem and an airplane. All that''s needed is a reaction time three to four times faster than a human''s. That''s a relief. Thank you very much. What else do you have?¡¡...... Ciel? Okay, I have a question for you, Rubina. Yes, can you tell us why you are interested in delta wings?¡¡Oh, I don''t have any other intention. I was wondering if you could explain to me the advantages of using delta wing. Um, okay. Is that the reason why you are so concerned about delta wing? ...... Well, well, the first airplane ...... I saw was an origami airplane, and it was a delta wing, I guess. "Oh, I see." "After that, I made mostly model airplanes, but only delta wing airplanes. ....... The advantages are that it has a wide speed range, it can be built strong and sturdy, and it is very stable. ...... The disadvantages are that it is a little heavier and the angle of attack at low speeds is larger. I understand. Thank you very much. "What about the rest of the ...... Yes, Eira." "I have a question for Jin. <, have you experimented with water magic and earth magic as well? "Oh, if that''s the case." Eira also seemed to have noticed this, Jin answered thoughtfully. "There are two types of water magic, one that moves water and the other that temporarily transforms mana into pseudo water molecules. <><>> is the former, and <><> is the latter." "I knew it." Being a familiar face, Jin''s tone naturally became friendly. "And as for earth element magic, the Stone Bullet is a system in which mana is temporarily transformed into stone, and the Dig is a magic that works on the earth or rock itself. "I understand." But the disadvantage of water and earth magic is that it doesn''t work with speed, not to mention power. "Indeed..." The conclusion is that wind magic is easier to use. "I understand." In this way, the Q&A session lasted until lunchtime and turned out to be a very fruitful time. * * * * * * * * * * * We will now take a lunch break. In the afternoon, you will actually see <>. That is what I meant. 3108 - - 82-07 Demo Flight After lunch, at 12:30 p.m. <, ......<> and , and the president of the academy and the assistant to the president ....... Jin said that the meeting would start at 1:00 p.m., but no one seemed to be able to wait for the meeting to start at this time. And not only them, but also other people from the academy who were available. "Wow ...... what a great crowd ......." "I wonder how many people are here: ......" "They''re all here to see ." "Uh......" Well, Hope will be piloting the boat first, so you''ll just have to watch. "Yes. ......" At this point, the voice of the moderator, Saho Shomas, assistant to the president of the academy, rang out. "Now that it is time for us to show you the flight of the new aircraft, Mr. Jin, we would like to show you the new aircraft, . There were several balloons floating in the sky, and the flight was filmed in mid-air by the onboard . The images are projected on a large magic screen temporarily set up in the corner of the airport. Now then, please... Hope, will you do it? "Yes, Master." Hope gets into the Nile VIII and starts the engine. "Oh." "It''s quiet after all. ......" The specifications of have been explained in detail to those involved, so Jin does not offer any explanations. He will simply watch and wait. slowly starts to run down the runway. The aircraft gains momentum, and after about 200 meters, it lifts its nose and takes off. The aircraft continued to gain speed, climbing at an angle of about 30 degrees and quickly becoming invisible to the naked eye. However, the large clearly shows . "You can see it clearly." "Oh, it''s going into level flight." Hope and I have already discussed what we are going to do. First, aileron rolls from level flight. Aileron rolls of 360 degrees or more are said to be meaningless in practical terms, but they are important for aerobatic performance. Hope, who, unlike humans, does not turn her eyes around, performed five consecutive aileron rolls. Returning to horizontal flight, she performed three consecutive big somersaults (loops). "Oh, this is it," said Hope. "The engine power seems to be sufficient." Then, after half a somersault (loop), the plane flies on its back. This is to check the stability. "Wow, that''s great." "I didn''t expect such good stability on the back." < Then a horizontal loop on the back. This is also very difficult. From there, he does three and a half turns of inverted somersaults, then returns to normal horizontal flight. "Wow, he''s very nimble." "How fast are we going?" Hope now flies horizontally at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters and performs a maximum speed challenge. "Maximum speed, ......, 800 kilometers per hour." "Oh!¡¡That''s amazing! This is ......! The speed test at an altitude of 4,000 meters had shown a speed of 820 kilometers per hour, so 800 kilometers per hour at this altitude should be reasonable. Jin felt that 800 km/h was reasonable at this altitude. landed safely. This time, the parachute and the air cushion for emergency landing were not unveiled. "Well done!" Academy President Seyvan Ilaiyeh Sench gave a round of honest applause. The visitors chanted in agreement, offering their compliments and applause as well. "Well done, Mr. Goh, Ms. Rubina! "That''s great!" "That''s great!" "You''re the best! "You are the disciples of Master Maricka and Master Jin! Great job! I look forward to your future!¡¡Why don''t you come to my lab? What do you mean, you''re coming to the Aeronautics Institute! "......The two people arguing are Rasnat Heilbronn, head of the , and Rohr Eisker, head of the . ......" Jin laughed when he heard the usual exchange. * * * * * * "Sir, if it is possible, I would like to compare it with our ." "Hmm?¡¡Yes, that''s right. ......" "Right!¡¡Jin, we also made a pilot golem. I''d like you to take a look at it. < and Eira of the made a proposal. "What do you think about it, Mr. President?" "Well, we don''t have a fixed schedule for this afternoon. That would be interesting. How about ...... Jin-sama? I have no objection. Goh, Rubina, what do you think? I think it''s good. Yes, I''d like you to compare. So, <> brought <> and < Lab>> brought . And the first one to appear at the airfield was <>. "How do you like it, Jin, this is our ! "This is for pilots, so the weight is close to that of a human being. He is 170 centimeters tall and weighs 65 kilograms. Power is two man-power and eyesight is 10.0. The reaction time is about four times faster than a human''s. "I see." The specs give us a good idea of what the robot was designed to do. "...... So, what do you think, from Jin''s point of view, how is <>?" "Well, yes, I think it''s a good product. "Well, yes, I think it''s a good one. What if I ask you to name some things that are wrong with ......?" "Well, ...... I think the skeleton lacks a little strength due to the lightweight construction, especially the joints." "I see. ......" "I think it would be better to use a material with high abrasion resistance only for the sliding parts of the joints." "I see, that''s very helpful. Thank you! "But since he''s a pilot, his specs are similar to a human''s. ...... Jin, what''s wrong? Eira asked, looking at Jin thoughtfully. "Oh, well, for example, I was wondering if we could make a golem with the same specifications as a human and see how the human body would be impacted in a collision or crash. "Hmm, that''s interesting!" "In that case, is it better if the skeleton is broken or not, and the same can be said for muscles. "It''s worth studying." I''ll leave it to Eila and the others. "Oh, yeah?¡¡Thank you. While this was going on, <> was brought in. "Oh, a retro-wing aircraft. First, they decided to try flying it alone, and <> got on board. Then the engines were started. The <> uses fire magic, so a thin stream of flame shoots out from its jets. It also makes a reasonably loud noise. < begins to glide, and after 280 meters, it floats up and starts to ascend rapidly. 3109 - - 82-08 Test drive <>, equipped with a <=> made by <>, gains altitude and begins a maneuver similar to that of <>. The aileron roll from level flight was successfully completed. The aileron roll from horizontal flight is performed without any problems. "Hmmm, it''s big!" Jin muttered. The radius is obviously larger than that of the . (Probably because the aircraft is heavier and has a higher wing loading. ......) Engines that use fire magic need to be strong under high temperatures as well as heat-resistant, so they are inevitably thicker and heavier. The weight is further increased by the cooling system. (It is more of a speed-oriented aircraft. (This is probably why the wing area is small.) ) This can be easily imagined from the fact that the takeoff run was longer than that of the <. The <<> then performed a dorsal flight and a horizontal loop on its back. He is indeed very stable. He then did three and a half inverted somersaults before returning to normal horizontal flight. ....... £¨The flight was not exactly nimble, but it was not massive either. (Not quite massive, but it still looks like a heavy aircraft.) < is equipped with three . Its total power output is probably much greater than that of <. If < is a light fighter, < is a heavy fighter (there is no particular definition to distinguish between a light fighter and a heavy fighter). Neither is better or worse than the other. They are used for different purposes. However, <> is built with a clear concept of <>. On the other hand, <> seems to have been built for the first time. In other words, there is a difference between a finished product and a product in development. (It is simply a difference in development capability. ...... Well, I helped them...) Just by being able to conduct tests on Horai Island, it is sure to be a considerable advantage. And it will reach its maximum speed at an altitude of 3,000 meters. "Oh, 810 km/h!¡¡That''s a new record! At the same altitude, the speed of <> was 800 kilometers per hour, which is 10 kilometers faster than the previous record. This was a great achievement for <>, and <> ended its flight and landed. * * * * * * "How was it, Jin? Eira asks Jin. The others also tried to talk to Jin, but Eira''s momentum got the better of them and they just stood back and watched. "Yeah, it was a distinctive flight. ...... perhaps, but the wing loading was high, wasn''t it?" "Yes, it is. Yes, but it also makes for better straight line stability." At this point, Lois Eisker joins the conversation. "What did you feel from your point of view, Mr. Jin? "Well, I guess you could say that I didn''t feel a clear concept. I see, as you say, <> is still in the prototype stage. It was built with the idea of trying it out first. "<> was built by Goh and Rubina with the intention of flying together with their friend. The purpose may be childish, but I believe that the longing to fly is the driving force behind the creation of the plane. "Hmmm, that''s certainly true." Lois Eisker scratched her head. "It seems that as we get older, our hearts get a little too much dirt on our pretenses and vanities. "How about ......?¡¡ covers it. The engine is controlled at optimum power. Without feeling too much G-force, the Nile VIII completes a somersault. "Oh, this is a somersault!¡¡.........mmmm...this feels good." In high spirits, Loa Eisker did two more somersaults and, satisfied, handed over the controls to Rasnat Heilbronn. "Mmm ...... this is ...... quite fun!" Although he did not make any spectacular maneuvers, Rasnat Heilbronn also seemed to enjoy flying the plane. * * * Zora Himmel and Ena Kouki of the were next. Next were the president of the institute, Dr. Saban Iraie Cenci, and his assistant, Dr. Saho Shomas, who enjoyed a short flight. Eira and Gloma were next. "Oh, this is great. It''s so easy to fly." Eira was pleased with the aileron rolls and somersaults. Gloma, on the other hand, enjoyed a gentle ascent and descent and a sideways loop. Cachea, who flew with Ciel Azure of the Aeronautical Research Institute, seemed to have a good time in the quiet flight that seemed to reflect his personality. * * * * "Well, this is wonderful. Mr. Goh and Ms. Rubina, we are pleased to present you both with the title of from the . Academy President Saban Ilaie Cenci promised to do so. 3110 - - 82-09 Valuable dataresearch launch In the afternoon of the same day, the gathered people of were invited to ride on the to collect data. Thanks to their efforts, a huge amount of data was collected in the evening. "You have collected good data. "It''s impossible to collect this much data from ordinary people on Horai Island or Onogoro Island. The data on the habits and tendencies of ordinary people is valuable for making < accessible to the general public. "Since we''re here, let''s make a copy of it." Such data is valuable for Jin as well, so I will make a copy of it and send it to Horai Island. The old man will analyze the data and use it for the future production. After the test drive, Jin helped me to inspect and maintain the and found no particular problems. The only thing that could be said to be a problem was that the tires were worn out due to repeated takeoffs and landings. This was due to the heavy use of <>, especially during landing due to the short runway. "I guess you even got to do the durability test, huh?" "Yes, I did." But I''m relieved. I''m more confident now! Yes, it does. You had so many people ride the car, and they were all satisfied with it. "Yes! It''s thanks to Jin-sama''s guidance. "No, no, it''s thanks to the efforts of the two of you." < The next day is a free discussion and the awarding of the to Goh and Rubina. * * * * * Now, how are the two < doing? The <<< Adamantite Vein Investigation Team>> has breakfast as scheduled and immediately starts its investigation. The team is able to reach the location where the adamantite vein is likely to be located without any problem. "Hmm, it is definitely adamantite ore. The question is whether there is a vein of ore. ......" <. This <>, which is also an engineering magic, determines the search area in proportion to the cube of the magic power applied. Atkins also has a certain amount of magic power, though not as much as Jin, so after about five attempts, he found the vein he was looking for. "I found it. ......This is it......<" If we know the direction, we can narrow the area and thus increase the depth of the search. We found a large vein of adamantite ore, which is hard. Adamantite ore is hard and cannot be dug out with ordinary tools. However, it is possible by using the earth magic <. <> is at the lower intermediate level of earth magic. It is a magic to dig out the desired ore. The amount of ore that can be mined at a time depends on the magic power of the wielder. Hard ores such as adamantite ore cannot be mined if the amount of magic power is low. And Atkins had enough magic power to dig out adamantite ore. "First, let''s do some prospecting. ......<" A hole about 10 centimeters in diameter is dug by <. < Atkins selects the crushed pieces with the highest adamantite content. "Well, this should be profitable," he says. "I wonder how it was overlooked at the time?" Bussac, who was accompanying me, asked a question. He is an engineer, so he is not familiar with the mining industry. "Probably, the adamantite veins here are very thin. You have to pinpoint the vein to find it. That''s why, isn''t it?" "That''s what you mean, I understand." "After a little more prospecting, let''s look for other places. ......<,what do you think?" < of the has . "Yes. As far as I know, there is one more adamantite vein. "Oh, I see. What else? There''s another place nearby that may have a small vein of gold. Oh, that''s good. Where is it? Yes. It''s just a little further back. Yes. Thus, the "Adamantite Vein Survey Team" was a great success. * * * * What about the other group, the Phylicious Lair Survey Team? After separating from the << Adamantite Vein Research Team>, they arrived at their destination in a short time and set up a solid base camp, prepared for a long battle. The next day, after a good night''s rest, they began to explore the area with great energy. This work was extremely difficult. The river had naturally changed more or less over the years, and <> and <>, the <>, could no longer find their exact locations. "<>, you don''t know the exact location?" "Yes, I am sorry. ...... Master Filius may have created 10 more <> and was planning to give such information to one of them." "You mean that there have been additional information originally." "It''s just a possibility." "Well, ......, but there''s no point in trying to tell me what ifs." "Yes." Rhodes and his team split up and continued their search anyway. 3111 - - 82-10 For peoples livelihood March 18,<>. Today is the ceremony for the conferment of the degrees on Goh and Rubina. However, only a few people attended the ceremony. Academy President Seyvan Eliyeh Sench, Assistant to the President Saho Shomas, Jin, Reiko, and Hope. And of course, Goh and Rubina. And the head of the Aeronautics Laboratory, Loa Eisker, the deputy head, Zora Himmel, Ena Kouki, Ciel Azure, and Tiner Vito. <. These are the above. This was done only by acquaintances, partly because Jin told them that he did not want to be ostentatious, and partly because the rank of <> is only a beginning of a degree. To put it simply, Cachier is a , and Eira, Gromma, and the others are one level above him, . The director is a , and the president is a . Jin, by the way, is a , the highest rank. "...... in view of the above achievements, we are pleased to confer upon Goh Ni-Doh the rank of <>. President Seyvan Iraiye Cent." The conferral of the degree took place yesterday in the small conference room. Everyone in attendance applauded. Next to Goh was Rubina. "...... is pleased to present Rubina Garrett with the degree of <>. President Seyvan Eliyeh Sench." Rubina was also given a round of applause. In addition to the diploma, he also received the emblem of the <>. This is a badge made of mithril silver, and is worn on the lapel of the bachelor''s formal attire. "Congratulations, Goh, Rubina. "Thank you, sir." "Thank you, Master Jin." "Now, you are free to talk with us. I and Saho have some work to do, so I''ll leave you now. "Well then, Mr. Jin, everyone, if you''ll excuse me." Academy President Saban Iraiye Senchi and Assistant to the President Saho Shomas left the small conference room. The remaining members of the and the , as well as Jin and the others. Arnold and Chelle arrived in turn. "Hello, Arnold and Chelle. "Hello." Arnold is giving a lecture on , which was supposed to last about a week, but has been extended to the end of March due to the popularity of the lecture. Since he is also a member of the , he is aware of recent developments through the <>, and the Jin side is aware of his extended stay in Avalon, and Arnold and the others were aware of the events in the regarding and the . >>Arnold and the others were aware of the events in the regarding and the . As it was, the two were waiting for the official business to be over so that they could have a leisurely talk with Jin. "It''s so cozy here." Arnold seemed to like the atmosphere of . "So you''re going to stay here? "I think that would be a good idea. <. "And I''ve enjoyed watching the I found at <> at ...... being put to practical use." "I''m sure it was." "So, yesterday you guys came and showed us a rocket engine that uses <>, an application of the <>. I was very interested in it." "You should have asked me yesterday." "Yes, I thought of that, but then I would have had to go into a long conversation ...... like now." "Yeah,...... I know what you mean." "So I waited until I was finished with my official duties. I''ve got plenty of time," Arnold laughed. "So, ......, will you introduce the two of us?" "Of course. ......Goh, Rubina. ...... this is Arnold. <. This is Goh. Marikka''s favorite pupil and heir to the Nido family. That''s Rubina. She was also Marikka''s apprentice and now I''m their guardian." I''m Gou. I''ve heard a lot about you. I''m Rubina. I''m Rubina. I''m Arnold. This is my automata, Chel. My name is Chelle. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now, I''d like to ask you a few questions about that rocket engine. May I? "Of course!" Arnold, Goh, and Rubina started talking to each other, so Jin decided to renew old acquaintanceships with Eira and the others at Jin''s place. "Finally, we can talk slowly." "Hmm, Jin-san is very caring, isn''t he?" Katya said as she glanced at Goh and Rubina. "That''s right. He''s a very caring person, isn''t he?" Eira agrees with Katya. "Oh, don''t talk about that. We have something else to talk about. Jin changes the subject forcefully. "Yes, yes. ...... the idea of using wind magic is great. I heard it was Jin''s wife''s idea. I''m glad you looked at my paper that closely. That''s right. It is a fact that there are a certain number of people who focus on the contents of the paper and skip over the names of the collaborators. However, Eira and the others seemed to have read through those parts as well. "Erza is good at wind magic. "It''s amazing that you can still come up with such ideas. "Besides, you know, there''s also the blow floaters. "Yes, that''s true. If you squeeze those wings, you can make an engine. ...... Groma joined the discussion. "Those two are the students of Mr. Rhodes'' teacher, Marikka-sama, aren''t they?¡¡I guess he was a great teacher. He was impressed in a way that I couldn''t understand. "Groma, that''s not important right now." "Ugh, sorry." "...... Jin-san, what do you plan to do with the ?" Ka-cea is the calmest and most realistic person in the room. Jin wanted to talk about that too. "Well, I''d like to promote the use of airplanes for the general public based on that model," he said. I''d like to ask you to help me put that into practice." Jin is not good at that kind of work. "So that''s what you''re talking about. Then we''re the right people for the job!¡¡Right, Katya?" "Yes, I guess so. What is the deadline? "No, I''m not in a hurry, so I won''t give you a deadline. I''m not in a hurry, so I''m not going to give you a deadline. "I would say ...... half a month, Mr. Eira, Mr. Gromma?" "Yes, that would give me enough time to redesign it." "Yes, that''s enough to get us to the redesign. I will write a formal request after this. Thus, <> took its first step toward commercial use. 3112 - - 82-11 Topographic Survey On the 18th of the same day, the <> had a discussion after breakfast. "As far as I''m concerned, the reason we haven''t found anything after all this searching is because we''re looking in the wrong place. Rhodoth, the leader of the <>, says this, and the members are in an uproar. Rhodes stopped him and continued. "The reason is that many years have passed since those days. <. I think it is not surprising that the flow of the river has changed. "I see. ......" "This area is just where the river splits in two. So, I think there must be some geological discontinuity. Of course, I am an amateur in geological matters. "No, I think it''s possible, too." <, agreed with Rhodes'' theory. "Then wouldn''t it be right to call Atkins from ......<>?" Zeddis of <> said. Archista and Sargera of > agreed. "I think it''s the best thing to do. "So do I." The question is, will Atkins come? Rhodes seems to be concerned about that. "Yeah. "Yeah, but it''s a lot easier for them to check the vein than it is for us. Maybe we got what we came for yesterday." That''s actually true, but they don''t know that yet. "Then why don''t we just take the blow floaters over there and ask them?" "Yes. The distance is 60-70 km. It takes two hours to go there and back. So Kondak from <> was to go there. If Atkins would come, we could bring him there by <>. This would shorten the return time of the <>. And when you send it back, you can use the transfer, and then return with the <> that Kondak left behind. Incidentally, since the transfer of a condac cannot go to a place it has never been, it is necessary to follow this procedure. "That seems to be the most efficient way." "Yes, let''s do that." We decided to go to ....... * * * * At 8:30 a.m., Kondak of the Shinra team arrived at the base of the Adamantite Research Team near the mouth of the and explained the situation to Atkins of the Kairi team. "I see, so you want to know where the river was 750 years ago." "That''s what I''m trying to say." "Very well. We''ve accomplished 90% of what we set out to do. If Mister Kondak will take us there and back in the transfer, we won''t have to spend much time traveling. Thus, Kondak of Shinra returns to the base with Atkins of Kairi. "Atkins, I''m sorry to bother you." "No, I heard about the situation from Mr. Kondak. I will do what I can. "Thank you." Atkins immediately started to observe the topography of the area. "Hmmm... ......" He wandered around the riverbank and observed the flow of the river. He wanders a little further away from the site and then digs up the ground with a small shovel in his hand. Then he utters a request. "Can someone take me on a <>?¡¡I want to check the topography of the area from above. "Then I''ll do it." Rhodes runs for the position, and the leaders of the two expedition teams take off together in the blow floaters. "Where should we fly?" "First, upstream. Before the Sitong River bisects the river, go upstream about a kilometer. Give me a ground altitude of about 300 meters. "Yes, sir." Rhodes flies as Atkins requested. "Okay. "And I want you to head slowly downstream. When you reach the two-timing zone, I want you to stop. "Okay." Rhodes pilots the blow floater as requested by Atkins. "I see, I see." Atkins seems to see something that Rhodes does not, and he nods his head repeatedly. He stayed above where the Siton River splits into two for about 10 minutes, and then changed his altitude from 100 meters to 5 He stayed for about 10 minutes above the Citon River where it divides into two parts, and then changed the altitude from 100 meters to 5,000 meters for observation. * * * * * * * After about an hour of observation, Atkins returned to the ground. Reporting in the tent. Do you have a map of the area? "I have it right here." Rhodes spreads the map on the table. "Okay. First of all, this branch of the river has not changed much in 750 years. This is because this rock is hornblende, which is very hard and resistant to weathering and erosion." "Mm." "But the geology of the area is different. It''s a shirasu plateau made of volcanic ejecta, so it''s softer here. I think the flow has changed a lot in 750 years and sediment has accumulated." "I see." "So, if it is located near the fork, then there must be some clue hidden in the hornblende I mentioned." "I see." That''s all I can say." "...... was helpful." Oh, and one more thing. What''s that? "I don''t think that Mister Filicius, who seems to have such profound knowledge, would have built a near a changeable terrain. ...... this is my personal opinion." "I''ll take it as a reference." Atkins then returned to his base via Kondak''s transfer. The condac he sent back would return with a blow floater that he had left over there. * * * * "Hmmm......Atkins has a point ......<>, what do you think?" "Yes. I certainly agree with Mr. Atkins. I don''t think Master Filicius would build his lair on unstable ground." "That is true. Then perhaps we should start by investigating the underground bedrock to find out if there is any hard bedrock. Thus began the second day of the investigation of <>, thanks to the hint Atkins gave us. 3113 - - 82-12 Looking for "Hidden Places" Rhodoth and his team''s search for the lair of Phylicius continues. One team is now investigating the ground or bedrock where the lair may be located, and another team is investigating the area around the large rock known as the <>. "......<>, do you remember these large rocks?" "The information we have on the landscape shows these rocks sticking out, but the sizes don''t match up. The rocks in the information were much larger." "Well, if you go to ......, then maybe it''s not here?" Rhodes considered this possibility and thought that if he had not found it after a day of searching, he might have to send someone upstream to see if there was a similar large rock. "But what did ...... Atkins say?¡¡......<> or ...... maybe?" The function of a river is said to be erosion in the upper reaches, transport in the middle reaches, and sedimentation in the lower reaches, and this is called the <>. The area where Rhodoth and his colleagues are located corresponds to the middle to lower reaches of the Sitong River. In other words, it is the area where the sedimentation process begins to become more pronounced. "If sediment had accumulated over the past 750 years, this large rock would have been buried well. In fact, it is not uncommon for large amounts of water to bury many things. Many mountain hunters have told of caves near riverbanks that they used to be able to use, only to find the next year that they were half-buried. "So you are saying that if there is a clue, it is the part of this big rock that is buried?" "Maybe, that''s all I''m saying," he said. "But it''s worth a try, isn''t it? In any case, this big rock is the only clue. It''s more likely than just looking around in the dark. First, let''s move the sand around the rock. "Okay." Using a combination of magic and manual labor, we move the sand out of the way. It took about two hours to dig down about five meters around the large rock, although there were some fist-sized stones mixed in. "How is it, <>?" "Excellent. ...... Here it is, this big rock. The shape of the buried part matches the information we have. I see. It seems that the protruding part has been weathered over the past 750 years and is different from what <> knows. So, what is the role of this big rock? "It is a landmark to locate the <>. There should be a second piece of information 55 meters east of here. "I see. Okay, let''s go there. Using a compass, he measured the direction. 55 meters was visible enough for him to see Rhodes on a large rock, and Zeddis at 55 meters. Rhodoth pointed in that direction. Zeddis headed in the direction Rhodes pointed, repeatedly making corrections. "There. ...... anything?" No, nothing. The area is a grassy area with fine gravel. I imagined that this area had probably been buried by sediments. So, with all hands on deck, we carefully removed the sediment. After digging for about two meters, we saw the head of a metal stake. "That''s it. It was originally buried about 50 centimeters underground. He was careful to avoid accidental discovery. The stake was gold-plated to prevent rusting, and the letters <<3S>> were engraved on the head of the stake. "There is a third piece of information 65 meters northeast of here." It was also found in the same way. It was a similar pile, except that the letters engraved on it were <<8X>>. What does this mean? "Remember, it is the key to open the last door. It''s the key to open the last door. Okay. Rhodes figured it must be some kind of password. He was to look for a place 40 meters north of there. Finding it would be easier if he knew where to look. After digging down about two meters, he found, again, not a pile ......, but something that looked like the entrance to a manhole. "You finally found the entrance!" "So this is the entrance ......." Rhodes confirms to that this is the entrance. "Are you sure this is the entrance?" But the answer is surprising. No, it is not. This is a dummy. "What ......?" "Master Philelicious has prepared this place in case of accidental discovery. You''ll see once you enter that it''s quite deserted." "I see. ......" Rhodes asked, "You still need to follow it further. I have that information." Mm-hmm. One more thing. There''s writing on the back of this lid. Oh, there it is. < were engraved on it. You must remember this. And from there, 200 meters to the east. This was the longest distance. There was an empty wilderness. There was snow in places, and bushes grew sparsely. Three meters below the ground in such a place. This was the true entrance to the safe house. A hatch about one meter in diameter was placed about two meters below the ground. The time was 3:00 p.m., still enough time to search. * * * * Is there any danger inside? "No more." "No more." "I see. < ever been inside? "Yes, we have. Yes, we helped set up the interior. That''s a relief. Rhodes concluded that with ''s knowledge and understanding of the interior, there was nothing to worry about. However, he did not know what effect 750 years might have had. Because of this contingency, he decided to have and enter the site ahead of the others. "Momoko, please. Do you remember the letters?" "I''m fine. I''ll leave it to you. "Ninth, take care of it." I''ll take care of it. The two opened the hatch and descended the vertical ladder that hung inside. 3114 - - 82-13 March 18 <. Momoko and descend the ladder leading to it. "It''s long, isn''t it?" Momoko says, "It''s about 50 meters long. replies, "It''s about 50 meters long. Momoko, who is not a human but an automaton, was greeted by < in polite language. Momoko the automata and < the golem completed the 50-meter descent without tiring. Visibility is not a problem for the two, as a dimly-lit <> is embedded in the wall. "Here is the last door. points to a metal door about two meters long and one meter wide. On the surface of the door was some kind of writing, and it was chipped in some places. "Take a small piece from here and fit it into this missing part. The missing part is concave in a square shape, and the lock is released by fitting a small piece with engraved letters into it. "So that''s <<3S><<8X><<1H4>>?" "Yes." "And the order in which you fit them in is the order in which you found them?" "Yes." Momoko found a small piece (piece) with the letters <<3><<<8><<<1><<< 4>> and inserted them into the pieces one by one. While fitting them in, he raised a question. "What happens if I fit a different piece?" "Not only will it not open, but it will activate a transfer magic circle hidden in the floor and send us far south ...... to the area where we were stored." "That''s ...... tough, even if there''s not much danger." As he said this, the last piece was inserted. "The lock is now unlocked." says and pushes the door open. The door slowly opened with a slight creak. "Come in, please." "Thank you." <, steps through the door. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * At the same time, Jin and the others were having a party at . It was not a banquet, however. They were divided into several groups and had a big discussion about technology. One was Hitoshi, Eira, Groma, Cachier, and Tiner Vito of <>. The other was Goh, Arnold, Rasnat Heilbronn, head of the <>, and Loa Eisker, head of the <>. The other is Rubina, <> Deputy Director Zora Himmel, also <> Ciel Azure, and Ena Kouki. And by the way, all the people talking with Rubina are female researchers. Goh''s group is all men, not to mention Jin''s group. Jin and his group are discussing the technology to convert to . Of course, they do not work out the details, but rather discuss ideas, a preliminary stage of the study group. In other words, it is a chat among engineers. "I think it''s okay if the speed is a little slower," says Jin. Jin said. "If we do that, even if the engines stop, can we land by gliding? < says with interest. "I think so. "If we can do that, then we won''t need an emergency parachute, will we?" "Maybe we could just keep the air cushion to prevent a crash." That''s a good idea. Safety is very important. The problem is the material, but now that light silver is cheaper. I''m sure that won''t be a problem. "As Katya said, we can use light silver as our main material. "It''s just that vanadium is very expensive to alloy. Cach¨¦a is always telling me about it. "That''s because it''s really expensive." Jin often uses 64 light silver. It is an alloy of light silver containing 6 percent aluminum and 4 percent vanadium. Compared to pure light silver, its tensile strength is 1.7 times greater and its proof stress is 3.8 times greater. (The proof stress here is the force that is large enough to deform the material to the extent that it does not return even if the force applied to it is removed.) "I hope they find a vanadium mine somewhere." "Hmmm, yes." ...... and so on. Goh and Arnold said. "Goh, you have a very reasonable way of thinking. "Is that so?" "Yes. Yes. You''re quite a young man. Arnold compliments Goh. But on the other hand, Rusnert Heilbronn, the director of the Goh lab, says to Goh, "Mr. Goh, I''m very proud of you, "Mr. Goh, that could probably be made a little faster, couldn''t it?¡¡Why didn''t you?" He asked the question. "That''s because we had to increase the wing area in order to provide glide performance for a safe landing in the event of an engine failure, after all. "I knew it. ...... So you don''t care about the maximum speed, is that right?" "Yes." "Well, you don''t have the desire to be an engineer, do you?" "Is that right?" "I think setting a world record for the fastest speed is one of the main goals. "......" Knowing the aircraft that Jin had developed, such ambitions would be nipped in the bud at the same time, but Rasnath Heilbronn had no idea of such a thing. "If there''s one thing you lack, Goh, it''s ambition," says Rasnat Heilbronn. Rasnat Heilbronn did not know that. ...... and all female technicians, Rubina and the others. "Rubina, you learned from Marikka, didn''t you? "Yes. We learned a little bit of magical engineering from Marikka. Oh, is that right ......? "Marikka and Master Theon would visit us in Avalon from time to time and give us lectures and classes." "That''s right. ......, isn''t it?" The three groups seemed to be having a good time talking to each other. 3115 - - 82-14 What was hidden in the hideout As Momoko walked through the door, the dim light increased in brightness. "It seems that the etheric luminescent substance (AL) is still alive. Momoko felt that the reason it had not deteriorated after 750 years was not only because it had been dormant for that long, but also because of the high concentration of free magic element (ether) in this place. It means that knew that increasing the concentration of free magic element (ether) was effective for preserving the magic materials. "What do we do from here?" The door led to a square room of about 8 tatami mats, with one door on each wall in addition to the one we had entered. "This is a sort of entrance hall. The room on the left is the storage room, the one on the right is the laboratory, and the front is the living quarters. "Well, may I check inside in that order?" So far the lighting is fine and the air is breathable, although a little stagnant. Momoko decided that if the same was true beyond the three doors, she should call Rhodes and the others. "That would be good." agreed. Momoko then opened each of the three doors in turn, making sure that the air inside was breathable. Leaving < there, Momoko hurried back and reported. "Well, it seems to be safe. "Let''s go. However, she decided to be cautious and decided to go with Rhodes and Kondak first. With Kondak, they would be able to escape by transfer in case of an emergency. Once it was clear that there was no danger, Kondak would return by transfer and inform the rest of the team. With this arrangement in place, Rhodes and Kondak headed for with Momoko leading the way. They arrived at the where the were waiting without incident. "You did a good job." No, this is what I do. ...... where would you like to start?" "Well, let''s start from the left." Okay. To the left is the warehouse. < opens the door, a slightly dusty, musty smell wafts through the air. "I don''t see anything in the warehouse ......." "Yes. Before we brought them in, an "ether stampede" occurred. I see. It seems that a small amount of food has turned to dust after 750 years. Other than that, there were only a few metal materials. Let''s move on. "Yes, I understand." The front door is opened. This is a living facility. It is dusty after all. Is it drier than ......? The first room you enter is about 10 tatami mats in size. There is another room in the back, which seems to be a bedroom. This 10-tatami room is a living room. It doesn''t look like much of a living room. "I''m sure Filius-sama wasn''t here at the time of the Aether Stampede..." "Oh?¡¡Is that so?" "Yes. He was considering another location. If he had been in an "ether stampede" at that time, it was thought that even his body would have been reduced to atoms by now. "Well, ...... that''s too bad." It was no wonder that we could not feel any sense of life. Finally, I peeked into the right door ...... laboratory. "Oh! "This is ......." The room is about 20 tatami mats in size, making it the largest room in the house. There were two golems in the process of being built. Both of them are still only skeletons ...... or internal frames. "Is this where they made you?" Rhodes'' question was denied by <>. "No, the ten of us were manufactured elsewhere. "Is that so?¡¡Is ...... still there?" No, we moved the equipment there, so at that point it no longer exists. That''s a shame. Rhodes would have liked to see the environment in which Phyllis had created the 10 units, but he gave up on the idea that what did not exist could not be helped. "In the end, I guess Lord Phyllius'' lair was halfway there, too. ......" "Isn''t that inevitable?¡¡You were a victim of the < in the middle of your ambition." "Yes, that''s right: ......." Anyway, now that we knew we were out of danger, we asked Kondak to transfer to the other side and call the rest of the group over. "Okay. I''ll be on my way." "Okay." Kondak moved away. The remaining Rhodoth called Momoko and patted her on the head, thanking her for her efforts. Seeing this, said, "Rhodoth-sama takes good care of Momoko, doesn''t he? saw this and said, "Mr. Rhodes is taking good care of Momoko. And then, "Master Phyllius also took good care of his sister. He said. "Sister?" Rhodes raised his eyebrows a little at this information, which he had never heard before. This is the first time I have heard such information. "Yes. Yes, I just remembered it myself. What? "The password you used to open the door to this place, did you feel ...... when you saw it?¡¡It seems to have unlocked some information inside me. And you know about Phyllius'' sister ......? "Yes. I think ...... that maybe the other nine have some kind of locked information as well. You mean they can be unlocked by coming here? Yes. It was good news, though not a hundred percent certain. It seems that there was also an unexpected trigger hidden in Filicius'' lair. The ten would be more useful if they disclosed more information. So Rhodes explained the current information to all the members who had just arrived. 3116 - - 82-15 March 19 On March 19, construction began on an extension of the airport runway at <>. The runway will be extended from 300 meters to 500 meters. Fortunately, there was a free space on the south side of the runway. The only thing that was left was a notch on the south side of <> with a boulevard leading to ......<>. So, the boulevard and the trees on both sides of the boulevard are to be destroyed (the trees are to be transplanted) to make an airstrip. Furthermore, at Jin''s suggestion, we decided to build a special facility. It is <>. In short, it is a device that blows strong wind on the runway. For airplanes that generate lift with their wings, <> is important. That is, how fast the air is hitting the wings. Even if the plane is stopped on the runway, if there is a headwind of 100 meters per second, it is equivalent to flying at 100 meters per second = 360 km/h. The lift force on the wings would be the same as if the plane were flying at 100 meters per second = 360 km/h. In the case of a real airplane, it is easier to take off in a headwind, and in the case of an aircraft carrier, it is easier for the aircraft to take off when it is sailing. To achieve the same effect, we use the magic of < to create wind as the plane glides along. A strong wind of about 50 meters per hour adds 180 kilometers per hour to the plane''s runway speed. Since the takeoff speed of a Boeing 787 is about 300 kilometers per hour, this means that 1 You can see how much the extra 1.80 km/h will help. The takeoff speed of a jet fighter is a bit slower, around 270 km/h ....... In any case, <> or its derivatives would be able to take off. The same goes for landing. Even if the ground speed ...... against the ground is slow, if the airspeed is sufficient, enough lift can be obtained and landing can be done in a short distance. Moreover, since the wind is magically controlled, there are no fluctuations in wind speed or direction, and it is stable, so the conditions are perfect. "Well, you are indeed Jin-dono, aren''t you? < "I have to take my hat off to you for realizing such an idea. The expansion of the runway will be financed by <>, but Jin will donate the air blower for takeoff and landing. The blower for takeoffs and landings is to be donated by Jin. "In addition, I can''t believe they''re going to embed a effect generator in the runway as well." "We got the idea from Goh and Rubina. I thought it would be a good idea if we could reduce the number of crashes and failed landings ......." Goh and Rubina, accompanied by Arnold and Chelle, are touring <>. Arnold and Chelle are newcomers, but they know the best places to visit first. When you have lived in a place for a long time, you tend to give priority to the <><< prominent places>>< famous places>> and so on. For example, if you have a limited time to show someone who wants to know about Tokyo, where would be the best place and where would be the best place to show him? When Jin was in contemporary Japan, the topic of <> came up in a conversation with a colleague who lives in the 23 wards of Tokyo. The colleague answered, <>, and another colleague responded, <>. Another colleague also responded with <>. Some people may choose <><><<><<> as a choice of a guide. Some may choose <><><<>. Some may choose <><><><>. ...... Each of them is certainly a part of , but not all of them, and not all of them are . But not all of them, and I am not sure if they suit the tastes of those who are guided to them. I''ll leave it at that. Arnold and Chelle are showing Goh and Rubina around from the point of view of <>. "First, you should learn the main roads, the main arteries. Arnold then picked them up in a golem-engine car that was available for free, and drove them around the surface and the lower levels of the city. Since is only two kilometers in diameter, it doesn''t take much time to just drive around the main roads. And while we were going around, we also introduced the main facilities. Here is the headquarters of the World Guard. That''s the World Congress building." There''s a lot of green space, isn''t there? That''s right. Trees and plants are planted to resist the sea breeze. The residential area has many tall buildings. They are designed to accommodate the increasing number of residents. "There are also fields on the surface. They want to be self-sufficient, at least in fresh vegetables." Arnold and Chelle were also enjoying their guiding duties. "It''s a little early, but let''s have lunch. ...... has a good variety of lunches." "Oh, I see." Goh thought he didn''t have to worry about paying ...... since he had plenty of pocket money, but today they were guests of honor, so it was free. Arnold (or rather Chelle) had received a money crystal (equivalent to a cash card or credit card) from the for payment. In other words, all the money was paid by the . "One of the features of this place is that you can enjoy the flavors of different countries," he said. "Shoro Kingdom style, or Kingdom of Cerroa style?" Yes, that''s right. I prefer the Kingdom of Cerroa style, but sometimes the Kingdom of Elias or the Kingdom of Klein are also good. Arnold seems to have become completely at home in . "By the way, congratulations on becoming a <>. "Thank you very much. Thank you very much. You''re a visiting lecturer, right, Mr. Arnold? Yes, I am. Yes, but I feel very comfortable here. I''m thinking of staying here, since you''re offering me a laboratory. "I see." It is a well-known fact that Arnold and Chelle are , so they won''t be suspicious even if their appearance hasn''t changed over the years. It might be a good place to settle down, Goh thought. "By the way, I heard that Jin-kun is helping with the runway expansion project. "Oh, yes. "Jin-sama said that our needs an airstrip and that he is going to expand it for the future. "You''re really great, aren''t you, Jin? Especially your ability to do it. Arnold said that he admires the decisiveness with which he immediately puts things into action when he thinks of doing them. Jin-sama is very busy. You never know when or where you will be called upon, so I think you try to get what needs to be done done as quickly as possible." "Oh, that''s your analysis, Goh-kun?" "Well, that''s your analysis, isn''t it? "That''s quite interesting." They finish their lunch with such conversation and drink tea after the meal. Of course, while talking. "I heard that you have a unique way of thinking, Rubina-san. "What?¡¡Who told you that ......? Jin told me. "That''s right." Goh answered on behalf of Rubina. "Rubina has ideas that I can''t come up with, and I envy her when we work together on development. "Goh, Goh? Rubina blushes and glares at Goh. Goh looks at her coolly and says, "I''m just telling the truth. Arnold watches the two of them with a smile on his face. 3117 - - 82-16 ReleaseGrade Down At the same time, there were three <> in <>. They are <><><>. When <> saw the password set in the door of the lair, it released information that had been sealed away, so he decided that the other golems must have done the same. He then summoned <, who had accompanied him, and <, who had accompanied him on a nearby ......<>. "...... how''s it going?" "Yes . The information that was locked has been released. I have the same information. Oh, yeah. It seems that <> and <> have also been released with the same password. "<>, what information?" Atkins, who had come here together with Hoss, asked. "Yes. I have some additional information about the mine. "What?¡¡What is it? There are veins of molybdenum, vanadium, beryllium, tantalum and antimony in the vicinity. That''s great news!¡¡Do you know where it is? Yes, two and a quarter kilometers northwest of where we were being stored. I see. This was indeed good news. There are deposits of rare metals, or minor metals as they are called. < Atkins decides to check it out immediately. "<>, what about you?" "Yes. < What the hell is that? They tend to dislike short-wave ultraviolet rays. "Hmm." One of the characteristics of demons that live underground is that they dislike light. Among light, they dislike short-wave ultraviolet rays ......UV-C, and can be driven back to their nests by irradiating them. "Is ultraviolet light effective in preventing damage even if it is difficult to exterminate ......?" Since the creature lives in the dark, we could imagine that it dislikes light, but the Gigantopods that appeared before did not seem to dislike sunlight so much, so we did not pursue the matter ......, or rather, we did not pursue the matter because it had been eradicated. I didn''t pursue it because it had been eradicated. "Anything else?" "Yes, the Gigantopod''s weakness is . It is also a vegetable poison." "Law ......" The Gigantopod has a tough and unmatched outer shell that rivals that of adamantite. But its weakness was poison. It is an alkaloid of vegetable origin. "There would be no such thing as plants in the depths of the earth. So it''s not surprising that it has a weakness. Yes. Can you name the specific poison? It''s called aconitine. It''s an alkaloid found in aconite. It is extremely poisonous and acts directly on the heart, causing respiratory paralysis. It is atomized and sprayed into the lungs and inhaled. "I see." This was good news, in a sense. There was a possibility that it would be effective against all demons that live underground. Also, we can deal with the unfortunate appearance of during the mine development. "And then there is <>, what do you have?" We know that <> had information about Phylicious'' sister. Is there anything else? No, that''s all. That''s all? Yes. Yes. Master Filicius kept a meticulous record of his sister so that he would not forget her. He copied it all into my magical brain. Rhodes interpreted this to mean that Filicius was thinking about his sister ....... Since he also had a sister named Vita, he could understand Phyllis'' feelings. However, he still wanted to be sure, which made him ask the question. What happened to your sister? "When she was a little girl, she seemed to be fond of Master Filicius and was a good friend to him. She became an excellent engineer in her later years, but at some point in her life she changed and became ruthless and belligerent. This is when Phyllius realized that there was someone controlling them from the shadows. "I see. In that case, the memory of his sister must be unforgettable for him. "Yes." ......Anyway, the locked memories of the three were thus released. After this, they all thought that if they could free the memories of the remaining seven golems, they might be able to obtain some useful information. Then Rhodes said, "Kondak, I''m sorry, but please report to Master Zion again and ask him for permission to use the transfer magic circle and to send the seven bodies to us," he asked. Kondak replied with two words. Kondak responded with two words. "Okay." Kondak moved immediately. All that remained was to wait. * * * * * * * * * * On the same day, at <>, <> and <> were having a meeting with Jin. The time was 1:30 p.m., after lunch and a lunch break. "First of all, is thinking about upgrading <. Eira started. "As Jin suggested, I''m thinking of making the skeleton a little stronger and adding adamantite coating to the sliding joints." "That''s good, isn''t it?" Jin agreed with this direction. "As for the <>, I''m thinking of designing a downgraded airplane for civilian use." "Specifically?" "The maximum speed is about 400 to 500 kilometers per hour. It''s a multi-purpose aircraft with an emphasis on safety. I see. How many people can it hold? Four to six passengers. If it''s easy to operate and safe, does that mean it''s for widespread use? Yes. Jin agrees with this idea as well. He thinks it would be nice to have an airplane that is equivalent to a reciprocating engine plane, rather than jumping from an airship to a subsonic plane. "So you would design a tapered wing rather than a delta or receding wing?" "I think that would be a good idea. It would be more stable if it were a high-wing aircraft." "Yes, it would." Jin was thinking of a small airplane for several passengers, called a . Incidentally, is an American aircraft manufacturer, not an airplane model. It has become synonymous with small aircraft because it has become widely known to the general public. The name "Cessna" was derived from the image of an aircraft that used rocket engines but had a fuselage similar to that of a reciprocating engine airplane. 3118 - - 82-17 At the end of the 19th <, Gough and Rubina are also discussing high-wing aircraft. "If you want stability, then a high-wing aircraft is the way to go! Rubina says, Rubina says, "Oh, Rubina doesn''t say, ''Let''s go with a delta wing. Ciel Azure says. "Yes. I''m not that arrogant. I know, I''m sorry. "I wonder what would happen if the target was going 400 kilometers per hour. ...... Gough seems to be considering whether a high-wing aircraft is appropriate for the specifications. In fact, take one of the modern world''s four-seat, single-engine, propeller-propelled, high-winged light planes: ....... Maximum speed is about 300 km/h and cruise speed is about 230 km/h. The takeoff run is less than 300 meters and the landing distance is a little more than 400 meters. At speeds of 400 km/h, aerodynamic drag is high and retractable legs are likely to be needed. ...... and Goh were thinking about this. The Type 96 fighter, an all-metal low-wing monoplane developed in prewar Japan, is said to have boasted a speed of 450 km/h on fixed legs. ....... "What about gaining speed forcefully with engine power?" "Well, Mr. Goh has a good point. "If stability at low speeds is a priority, fixed legs are not a bad idea. "Indeed. As Rubina said, the weight of the legs will help stabilize it. Since Goh and Rubina are also expressing their own opinions, Jin is able to watch with peace of mind. (Just like you do at ......) Jin was concerned about the disadvantages of jet propulsion and rocket propulsion. In the case of propeller propulsion, the airflow generated by the propeller hits the main wings and increases the lift (except for pusher type like the Shinden), but jet and rocket propulsion do not have that. In other words, there is a high possibility that the lift at low speeds will be insufficient. (In this respect, <> are well thought out.) Rather than lift ......, buoyancy is generated by a dedicated engine and propulsion by another. It is a half-assed method, which is possible because of the magic technology, but it is enough to cover the low to medium speed range. The idea is the same with that Jin built in the past. The maximum speed is increased by using a wind shield. Jin has also recently built a <. The <> is one of them. "Then why don''t you put an <> on it?" Rubina said. "<>?" Most of the attendees tilted their heads. "Yes. ...... Well, in October of the year 3900, in the Kingdom of Klein, there was the << In October of 3900, in the Kingdom of Klein, engineers from the Nordic Federation competed in the first Marikka Cup Air Race, using wind-powered blow floaters." Oh, yes, that''s right. I''ll never forget it. Rubina was 10 years old at the time. She was observing with her grandmother Amanda and her friend Grina Kuzma. Of course, many members of the Aeronautical Institute of Avalon were also there. Zora Himmel and Ciel Azure, who were also present at the meeting, were also there. "At that time, Jin-sama was ...... ah, I see!" Zora Himmel, who was there, seemed to have guessed what Rubina meant. "...... I mean, the man himself is here, sister." This is Ciel Azure. "......, yes, that''s true." "But I''d like to set some specifications without having to rely on Jin-sama. "I can understand that. Jin listened to this exchange without saying a word. This time Jin is participating as a <, so he avoids making any positive comments. "......We''ll have to think about the design, but I think we should install a under or diagonally forward of the main wings." "Rubina, I think that''s a good idea. Thus, the idea was developed. "......I have a suggestion, though it is a little different from building a plane. "Oh, Mr. Goh, what is it?" "Yes. Let''s see, there are <>, <>, and <>, and I think it would be useful to understand their input-output characteristics. "Oh, I see." "Oh, I see." "That''s good." "That''s good." Jin agreed that it would be very useful for future design. However, it is a secret that such data already exists in Horai Island. At any rate, it was also decided to collect data on the output characteristics of each engine prior to building a new airplane. * * * * Now, in the . At 3:00 p.m. local time, thanks to Kondak''s efforts, ten had been assembled in the <>. And each of them had been unlocked from their respective memory information. The result is ....... <<> is <>. <<> is <>. <> is the > kept by the clans of the <<<< gospel (Fuhin)>>, part 1>. > was kept by the clans of the <<<< gospel>>. > was kept by the clans of the <<<< gospel (artifact #3). <> is a criticism of the clan system of the <>. The last <> was not specific. The information that the three already known have is at ....... <> is <>. <<> is <>. <<> is about <>. In total, we have obtained 19 additional pieces of information. It is not surprising, however, that many of them are not so new in this day and age. ....... That evening, Rhodes and Condak were discussing the additional information. "<>, did you foresee the <>?" "No, I don''t think so." Rhodes rejected Kondak''s speculation. But Kondak insisted further. "But there is also <>, isn''t there?¡¡Could this refer to an <>?" "I can''t deny the possibility, but the "Aether Stampede" was not something that could be escaped by emigrating." "That''s for sure. ......" Their discussion continued until late at night. 3119 - - 82-18 March 20-22 The morning of March 20th came. Rhodes and the others decide to first ask Belialus and Zion''s opinion on what to do with . Rhodes and Kondak traveled to the clan territory by transfer and held a meeting. "...... and that is why." After hearing the report, Belialus, the clan leader of , and his wife, Zion, listened to the explanation by Rhodes and Kondak without saying a word. Then, at first, Belialus opened his mouth. "I see. I think we should take good care of those ruins." "I think so too." Theon seemed to agree. In other words, Belialus and Theon agreed to recognize <> as a ruin. If it becomes an archaeological site, the administrator and his assistant golem will be stationed there. "We''ll have to report this to the World Congress as well, won''t we?" Yes, we will. Then we''ll go back and prepare the place that will be the base of operations. Yes, you can do that. ...... Lo, good luck. "Yes, sir." Rhodes and Condak returned to their temporary base, relieved that they had decided on a course of action. After this, Belialus and Zion had a meeting with the chiefs and elders of the clans, and it was unanimously decided to recognize as an archaeological site. Although the impact on the world would be small, it would be necessary to preserve it as a historical site. On March 22, a group of temporary custodians was formed and headed for the site. * * * * * * Meanwhile, those who remained at the <> were preparing the base. They decided that 90% of them would manage this place as an archaeological site. If so, it would be more convenient later on if a base site was prepared. Rhodes and Kondak returned and explained the response of Zion and the others, which motivated the group even more. The land was cleared, rocks were moved out of the way, and the frozen snow was removed. The tents were also re-staked. And on the 22nd, when the temporary managers arrived with their blow floaters, the messy temporary base was in order. At the same time, <> was being used as a base of operations. At the same time, the <> had begun to investigate the veins of ...... molybdenum, vanadium, beryllium, tantalum, and antimony, based on new information from <>. Molybdenum can be added to iron to increase toughness (often at the same time as chromium or nickel rather than as a stand-alone alloy). Vanadium is an essential metal for making 64 light silver. Beryllium can be alloyed with copper to form hard and springy beryllium copper. Tantalum can make alloys with high melting point, strength and ductility. Antimony can be alloyed with lead to increase mechanical strength. Each of these metals has its own chemical uses, but since the chemistry of Ars is not yet mature compared to that of the modern Earth, most of them were used as metals. "So this is the closest you can get?" Yes. Vanadium deposits. I guess so. On the 22nd, Atkins and his team had discovered a deposit of vanadium. The recent market price for vanadium is about 1500 Talls per kilo. (about 15,500 yen) per kilo. Iron, by the way, costs about 100 to 200 tol per kilo. The price of light silver is about 100 to 200 dollars per kilogram. The price of light silver has dropped to 20 tol (200 yen) per kilogram. A word of caution. Since the demand for vanadium is increasing, the <> will be economically well off if it can develop vanadium mines. So Atkins and his team started by surveying the vanadium deposits. This will have a positive impact on the increasing demand for 64 light silver at <> in just a few more years. * * * * * * * * * * * * And <>. < or <> (named by Goh yesterday) has been completed. For what it''s worth, this is the result of Jin''s participation and coordination. ...... and Kachea blurted out ....... Anyway, at 7:30 in the morning of the 21st, <> left a large amount of materials in its aircraft <> at the <> on the west side of <>. The transports that carried the materials were constantly moving around. "Jin-san, are you sure you can use all of this?" said Mr. Katya as he wrote down the materials, including the light silver, that had been brought in in the control ledger. "Of course . I''m including the cost of the commission. With this much money, we''ll have enough for 10 prototypes, right? You can use the extra money for other research. "...... will be very grateful for the use." When Ka''cea mentioned that < was more in need of materials than cash, Hitoshi quickly decided on this method. He donated a large amount of materials to under the guise of having deus ex machina transport the materials to . In this case, some of the materials were donated by Machina. "Now we can use all the materials we want! Eira is exhilarated. "Eira-san, don''t waste money, okay? "I know! I wish I could join you. Arnold, you want to join us too? Yes, the original technology was developed in the former Dinaric Kingdom, and I''m interested in it. Arnold''s participation in this meeting triggers a major movement within the <>. < and the , and there was no opposition to the idea. It was thought that there would be a dispute over who would be the head of the two laboratories, but that was not the case. All the members of the laboratory had nominated Arnold for the position of laboratory head. "Are you sure you want me to be the head of the laboratory? "I want Mr. Arnold. It has to be Mr. Arnold. I''ll take care of it." Thus, Arnold got a job at <>. On March 22, the two laboratories, the and the , disappeared from the , and a new laboratory, the , known as the , was established. The new laboratory was called the . 3120 - - 82-19 New Technology Research Institute On March 23, Jin, Reiko, Hope, Goh, and Rubina were still in . Goh and Rubina participated in the design of a . Jin was accompanying Arnold in various procedures and paperwork for the newly established <(=>), since Arnold was the head of the laboratory. "Arnold, congratulations on your new position as head of the <>. "I guess I should say thank you. To be honest, I''m at a bit of a loss. "Well, there are people around me who used to be the head of the office, so you can count on them. Jin said, and Arnold nodded. "I agree. That''s what this place is for." Arnold remembered his former workplace ...... at the construction site of the evacuation base in the former Dinaric Kingdom and smiled at the difference. "I hear we''re going to get some vacation time, so maybe we can go climbing in the mountains nearby." Arnold expresses such a hope. < is basically a white office. It''s just that many researchers are so enthusiastic about their research that they push themselves too hard. ....... The structure of the <> is as follows. Laboratory Head: Arnold Secretary: Chelle Assistant Director: Rasnat Heilbronn Assistant to the director: Roar Eisker Treasurer: Katjea Office: Zora Himmel, Ciel Azure Other members: Ena Kouki, Tiner Vito, Eila Siata, Groma Tolley, Krathos, Raghu Gutan, Kumir These are the 14 members of ...... (12 members + 2 bodies?) The members are: (12 members + 2 bodies?). There is a possibility that a few more members will join in the near future. The laboratory is located in the same room of the and , which were originally adjacent to each other. However, the walls of the two rooms have been removed and combined into one room. In the new laboratory, there were heated discussions on the day of the inauguration, or even before the inauguration. The discussion was about the design, or rather, the examination, of the < that Jin had requested. The study of the specifications was almost completed on the first day ......19, and the detailed specifications were decided on the 20th. And from the 21st, the concrete design was started here. The result is ....... Two <<> are installed. It was designed as a high-winged aircraft, with emphasis on stability. It is 18 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 7 meters high (including fixed landing gear). Capacity for 6 passengers. The structural material is 64 light silver. Maximum speed is over 400 km/h. The details are given as ......, and a suitable aircraft is designed. "Hmm, so this is the current design method." "That''s an interesting way of doing it." "Interesting." Jin was also interested in the world''s most advanced design method of the . And so were Goh and Rubina. < <, Jin is able to visualize blueprints in his mind. The template is a design written down in Magi Crystals. The template is then by the craftsmen and shared with them during the production process. Information is not exchanged via blueprints. The contents of the design can be visualized on the <> which is managed by the old man, and can be shown to a third party for explanation or modification. It is like a DCAD. It is similar to <> and Marikka''s place. Marikka is a direct disciple of Jin, so it is only natural that their methods are similar. Now, how about the <>? As one would expect, they do not have the skills to directly write the design image on the <>, so they need to work diligently. In other words, <>. Parts drawing, bill of materials, assembly drawing. The specifications and the number of , including screws, are indicated in the <>. All other parts are drawn on a <>. From a small spring to a huge structural material. If there are 1000 kinds of parts, more than 1000 parts drawings are needed. > is a drawing of the parts of a product, because some parts have complex shapes that cannot be described on a single sheet of paper. > is a drawing of all the parts assembled together. <> is also used when necessary. If the drawing does not fit on a single sheet, it is drawn on several sheets. Gough and Rubina were intrigued when they saw such a method for the first time. But Jin was used to seeing this in modern Japan. "Did they have a similar practice in the Kingdom of Dinar?" Jin asked Arnold. "Yes, they did. "Yes, I am sure that they had drawings. But I think the drawings were done by a special golem. "Oh, yeah." "Yes. It was a special golem, so it was highly functional, and it would check for interferences between parts. Interference between parts. For example, part A has a protrusion that interferes with the assembly of part B. If the assembly drawing is correct, the protrusion may interfere with the assembly of part B. If the assembly drawing is correct, the protrusion may interfere with the assembly of part B. If you have drawn the assembly drawing properly, you will know it at that time. ....... In addition, when it is necessary to insert part D into the hole of part C, if the tolerance, i.e., the acceptable dimension error range ......, is not set properly, it is possible to have a mixture of combinations that can fit in and combinations that cannot fit in. If the tolerances, i.e., the allowable dimensional error range , are not set properly, some combinations can fit and some cannot. The company said that a special magic brain would check for such defects. "Eventually we would like to get rid of hand-drawn drawings," said Deputy General Manager Rusnert. said Rasnat Heilbronn, Deputy General Manager. * * * * * * * "We have good news for you. "Cach¨¦a, is something wrong?" Yes. ...... Actually, a vanadium mine has been discovered in the Nordic Confederation and it will be operational soon. "Oh, and the cost of 64 light silver will go down as well. But since Jin is donating the materials, there is little that needs to be purchased. "I guess we should also wait a bit to calculate the production cost." If the market price changes, the results of such calculations will be meaningless. This is especially true when considering the assumption of mass production. It would be several months before the market would actually be affected. "Well then, let''s experiment with the input/output characteristics of various engines as a preparation. They decided to conduct the experiment that Goh had suggested the other day. Jin was willing to cooperate in this project. 3121 - - 82-20 Inputoutput characteristics Input-output characteristics of an engine. That is, how much output can be obtained in relation to the input. In the case of the MagiAero rocket engine, the input is the magical force and the output is the propulsive force. The engine is mounted on a sturdy test bench and is subjected to magical power, and the propulsive force is measured. The test bench is equipped with a sensor to measure the propulsive force, so all you need to do is to read the value of the sensor. A graph is then created with the applied magic force on the horizontal axis and the propulsive force on the vertical axis, which is the input/output characteristics of the engine. The test was initiated at the suggestion of Goh, but because of its significance and the danger involved, Jin also decided to be present. Reiko and Hope accompany him. "Father, are you sure you can handle the equipment here?" "Yes, that''s what I was wondering. ...... Well, it looks like they are going to experiment with a small engine, so it should be fine." The test bench at Horai Island is reinforced with 20 sturdy piles that reach 50 meters underground, but the one here is not as sturdy as the one at Horai Island. "If it comes off the test bench and blows up, the supply of magic power will be cut off, so there won''t be much damage." "But you should be careful ......." "I''m sure we can manage with Reiko and Hope around." Jin watches over the work while talking like this. Goh and Rubina are too big to get in the way, so they watch as the other members install the Magi Aero rocket engine on the test bench. "Yes, you''re following all the steps, aren''t you? "Yes." Jin and Reiko also observe the process and find no problems. "Final check, done. We can test it now." "Okay, start the <>." The small MagiAero rocket engine that Goh had built began to move. Jin has checked it upon completion, and its operational reliability is well documented. "Good, good, it has good characteristics. The input/output characteristic of the Magi-Aero rocket engine is that the output, or jetting power, is zero while the input magical power is minute. This is because a certain amount of magic power is required to activate the < magic. If you increase the magic power little by little, the output increases rapidly at a certain point. <> is activated and the spraying begins. From there, the output is almost proportional to the input. When the limit is reached, the output does not increase no matter how much the input magic power is increased. This was the characteristic of the <. "Wow, that seems like an easy-to-handle characteristic." From the start, except for the very low speed range and the both ends of the output limit ......, the engine has linear characteristics in the practical range, so it can be said that it is an easy-to-handle engine. "Okay, next, let''s try the ." Workers hurriedly replace the engine on the test bench. This engine was originally prototyped at the Aerospace Research Laboratory. "Yes, the characteristics are mild. Jin chuckles to himself. Since this engine is based on the < type of magic, it can generate wind continuously and has no pulsation. The input/output characteristics are almost linear, as the wind varies with the amount of magic power applied, from a very weak wind to a strong wind. However, the upper limit is low. This is due to the characteristics of < magic. Once the upper limit is reached, the output does not increase no matter how much magic power is applied. And its output is also lower than that of a Magi Aero rocket engine. "It is certainly easy to handle, but ......" "The drawback is that the output is weak." The last one is the . The reason for putting it last is that it generates a lot of heat. The reason is that after the test, the engine cannot be touched until it has cooled down. Even though it was a test, it took some time to install the cooling system of the engine. This engine was also built by the original . "Please do not stand behind the engine because of the flames. Ena Kouki gives such a warning. The door at the rear of the test bench is fully opened. Beyond it is the sea. To be precise, it was aimed at a hole 300 meters in diameter in the center of . Nothing could be consumed by the fire. Ready. Start the engines! < "Oh, it''s noisy after all!" Earplugs for sound insulation had been distributed beforehand, but even with them on, the sound reverberated through the air. And it became louder as the output power increased. It was a roar that could be felt not only through the ears, but also through air vibrations and even on the skin. "This is the biggest drawback. ......" Since it is a <> application, its shock wave exceeds the speed of sound for a moment, and that is what makes it roar. Jin thought ...... because the engine was originally designed to be a propulsion system for <>, so to speak, and was only designed to be operated for short periods of time and without a crew. In addition, even though it was cooled, the residual heat was beginning to build up in the laboratory, making it hot. "That''s another drawback. ...... We need to put a boundary between the test bench and the observer." Such safeguards are in place at Horaijima. However, they have not yet been implemented in the facilities here. The main reason for this is that they have not tested dangerous engines before. But this time I was a little worried. So I gave a word of caution to Reiko. It worked. The input-output characteristic of this engine is that the output rises sharply when the input exceeds a certain value, and then the output increases in proportion to the input. Since the upper limit is quite high, if the life of the engine is not taken into consideration, this engine has the highest output among the three types of propulsion systems tested in this study. However, the major drawback of this process is that the metal used to make the engine itself deteriorates due to thermal fatigue, resulting in a loss of strength. The engine used in the experiment was one that had been used in several previous experiments. The first one to notice this was <, Jin. "...... hmm?¡¡...... dangerous,cut the input!" The <> was heating up unnaturally. However, Jin''s words were drowned out by the roar of the <> and did not reach the ears of Tiner Vito, who was controlling the magic power. The result was ....... With a roar, the Magi Detonation rocket engine exploded. At the same time, molten metal and glowing, red-hot chunks of metal scatter. "<>!" Reiko immediately deploys her shield. This is a barrier developed by Hitoshi, which is not spherical or hemispherical in shape, but rather deploys in the form of a circular shield. However, it is the best for a defense like this. The size of the shield that Reiko deployed is the same as the wall of the laboratory. In other words, everyone in the laboratory was protected by the shield. 3122 - - 82-21 And... "Thank you, Jin-sama, Reiko, for your help!" "Thank you, Jin and Reiko!" Despite the Magi Detonation rocket engine explosion, there were no injuries. This is thanks to the shield that Reiko deployed. Reiko''s reaction speed is the only reason why we were able to avoid it. There was also a large hole in the roof of the laboratory, and the pressure blocked by the <> was thought to have escaped to the ceiling. Onlookers had also gathered around the room after hearing the loud noise, and Arnold and Chelle were busy explaining and apologizing to them. Arnold and Chelle were busy explaining and apologizing to the onlookers. "...... I didn''t think I had used it for experiments many times." Jin is sorry, too, "No, no, Jin-dono is not responsible at all. It was all our fault. I''m very sorry. Roar Eisker, formerly of the Aeronautical Laboratory, and Rasnath Heilbronn, formerly of the Gor Institute, bowed their heads as the two people responsible for the experiment. "It''s true. Your father would have been in danger if I had not taken care of him. "I am so sorry." Reiko was furious, and Lois Eisker and Rasnat Heilbronn bowed their heads again. Although no one was injured in this accident, it was a serious accident that could affect the prestige of the <>. It is necessary to clarify the cause of the accident and to take appropriate countermeasures. At the same time, it is necessary to increase the safety measures of the experimental facilities here. A task force was set up before noon that day to deal with such a series of issues. Of course, Jin is also participating in the task force as a consultant, giving advice on the construction of wards. * * * * * * * * * * <, it would be unreasonable to hold Arnold, who took office today, accountable, so he was not blamed this time. Still, Arnold said, "I must reflect on what I could have done to point out the dangers and to manage safety," he said. He said. Gough and Rubina, as well as Eira, Gromma, Cachea, and most of the other members of the were working on the analysis of the . Reflection and countermeasures are important, but we must not stop moving toward the future of technological progress. "It''s very clear when you put it in a graph like this." "Goh is right. Knowing these characteristics will help us in our design work. Horizontal axis: input, vertical axis: output. The graph shows how much propulsive force is obtained for the given magical force. "Now we just need to see if we can expand this to a per-unit value," Jin said. Jin said. "Per unit, Jin-sama? "Yes. The power output, the propulsive force, will depend on the size of the engine, won''t it? Yes, that''s right. "That''s why we can''t simply compare a Magi Detonation rocket engine with a Magi Aero rocket engine." "Oh, I see. It makes no sense to simply compare a large engine with a small engine." "That''s what I mean." For the purpose of comparison, it is easy to summarize them by some common terms. "Then, let''s divide by <>. "That''s the way to do it." The "aperture" is the size of the jet. Dividing by this means the output per unit area (or per unit aperture), which makes comparison easier. Specifically, the output can be expressed as or <>, which makes comparisons meaningful. The series of calculations for such a process will be omitted, but a recalculation of the characteristics was performed as suggested by Jin and his colleagues. According to the calculations, the <> has a diameter of 30 cm and a power output of about 100 kN (10200 kgf = 1,200 kgf). 10200kgf = 1 0.2tf), so the output per unit caliber ...... meter in diameter is approximately 1 100kN (112tf). The weight is about 42 kg, so the output per kilogram is about 2.38 kN (0.24 tf). The weight is about 42 kilograms, so the output per kilogram is about 2.38 kN (0.24 tf). > has a diameter of 50 cm and a power output of about 300 kN (3,600 kgf = 30.6 kgf). The engine is about 300 kN (3,600 kgf = 30.6 tf) with a diameter of 50 cm. The power output per unit diameter is approximately 1200 kN (30.6 tf). The output per unit diameter is approximately 1200 kN (122 tf). The weight is quite heavy, about 200 kg including cooling system, so the output per kg of engine weight is 1.5 kN (0.15 tf). This means that the output per kilogram of engine weight is 1.5 kN (0.15 tf). In this way, it is interesting to note that the output of the <> and the <> are reversed in terms of caliber and weight, and this is due to the weight of the engine. By the way, the engine of F-15 has a diameter of about 1 meter and a weight of 1500 kg. The thrust is 23450 pounds (= 10.6t f = 104 kN). Therefore, the output per kilogram of engine weight is 0.07 kN (= 0.007 tf). This shows how heavy the engine is. "You can see it clearly this way, can''t you?" "Right?" "<> is light, isn''t it?" "That''s its greatest advantage." "The Magi Detonation rocket engine is a little heavier." "I wonder if it could be made lighter if it were used only for short periods of time and not cooled." Or if it''s not manned. "That''s exactly how missiles were used when they were first discovered." "In the end, the <>, which follows the principle but is manned, is better suited for airplanes." Jin, who has been watching from the sidelines, thinks that it is amazing, in a sense, that no one has suggested the development of <> here. There are still dangerous monsters such as Sea Dragon and Death Serpent, and they will invade the sphere of human existence. In such cases, missiles are supposed to be effective weapons. However, the members of the <>, whether they are aware of it or not, do not seem to be considering the conversion of the missiles into ...... weapons, at least for the time being. Jin was relieved to see that the researchers of the , which aims at peaceful use of technology, are not considering the use of the technology for weapons at least for the time being, although that is a dangerous aspect. * * * * Meanwhile, the <> was also putting systems in place. Of course, it is the management system of the <> and the newly discovered mines. The activities in the mines are particularly active here. After all, it is a mine of the rare metals < and . Incidentally, the < mines we found along the way seem to have a slightly lower priority. The market price of lead is so low that it''s no wonder. "So now we have done our part." Rhodes and his team are holding a launch party for the temporary base, which is to be pulled out tomorrow. Kondak, thank you for your hard work. "I''m sorry, Kondak." "Yes, I am. I feel like I''ve been taken advantage of. That''s how much they depend on you. I guess that''s one way of putting it. It was a pleasant party. 3123 - - 82-22 Old Kings prediction On the morning of March 24th, Jin left Goh and Rubina at and headed for the with a two-day schedule. Of course, this was to check out the newly discovered . We take off from in the , piloted by Hope. < The flies at 300 km/h. < and the is about an hour and a half. It is not so big that you don''t need to worry about it. However, since the distance is nearly 1100 km, it takes about 4 hours even by <>. Using that time, Jin used the warp gate to move to Horai Island. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * < "I''m home." The old man welcomes you. "Quickly, can you tell me about the ruins discovered in the Nordic Federation?" < The old man has been watching Rhodoth and the others with his peepers. He was able to see underground, so he had found their hideout before Rhodes and the others did. As a result, they did not give any advice because there was no danger. Therefore, what Jin was informed of was a detailed report. "I see. So there was no important information. > "Is there something on your mind at ......?" > "What is it?" "What?" <>? And it was locked. "Well, that makes me wonder." "Is that so?" <<< But I don''t know where to start. "Oh, there it is." <<< Please. For the old man, the task of examining 10 control cores is nothing short of child''s play. But this time, he spent a good (????)10 seconds. "Oh, is it?" << "Oh." >. "Oh, so?" < "Can''t you do it?" "Okay. So you are hoping to find some clues at ...... where you are going?" <> "Yes. It''s possible we won''t get any clues, so don''t spend too much resources trying to unlock it." . After such a meeting, Jin returned to the . He is now over the Kingdom of Franz. "There''s still a lot of snow on the mountains here." It is still March, so even though it is spring, there is still plenty of lingering snow on the high mountains in the north. "If Arnold sees this, he''s going to want to climb it. Jin chuckled, imagining that he would be saying, "I''m going to climb every single one of them. And so crosses the Kruger Mountains. "I wonder if this is where the invaded the Kingdom of Dinar 750 years ago. < at that time were controlled by the . Jin thinks back to those days, "They were certainly worthy of being called the by the people of the Laurentian continent. < flies through the blue sky. * * * * 11:00 a.m. local time. < had landed by the ruins of a place called . Jin, you came. "Thank you, Jin-san." Theon and Rhodoth greeted him. "No, I heard you found the ruins and I wanted to have a look. "That''s just like Jin. But honestly, it''s a great help. Zion laughed and left Rhodes in charge of guiding Jin. Rhodes also had a hard time as leader, didn''t he? "No, it was worth the effort. ...... is this way." "Oh." < had a temporary roof over it to keep the rain out. Lighting has also been added to make it brighter and safer. The air conditioning has been installed, so the air is fresh. "That''s great." Jin entered under the guidance of Rhodes. He was accompanied only by Reiko and Momoko. "Where are the others?" "None at the moment." "Well, that''s just fine." When Jin heard that there was no one else with him, he explained his guess to Rhodes. Rhodes, who was also well aware of the old man''s abilities, took his guess seriously. "Indeed, it was odd that <> was the only one who did not have additional information, ......" "If <> didn''t have the additional information due to lack of time, the old man said, he wouldn''t have been able to set up the release key and maintain the safe house in time." "That may be true." But it is not clear to me what I have to do to release the additional information about . "Anyway, why don''t you call the <> here?" "Yes. Only < who has <> is over there, but the other nine are here for the time being. So, I asked Momoko to call for me. "Momoko, go upstairs and get < at ......." "Oh, excuse me, Mr. Rhodes. I''d like Momoko-san to call <> together with me." Reiko suddenly said. Actually, the old man had informed me via the built-in manacam that there might be a connection between <> and <>''s unique information. "Momoko, please." "Yes, I understand." Momoko moved swiftly and headed for the top. 3124 - - 82-23 Sister At Jin''s request, <> and <> arrived immediately with Momoko. Jin-sama, you wanted to see me? Jin-sama, you wanted to see me? Jin was the one who activated the machine, so even now he is the object of respect. "Oh, you''re here. How are you? "Yes, I''m good." "Yes, I''m in good shape." "Yes, I''m good." "Good." For a moment, Jin wondered if it was because both of them had the same specs that they gave the same answer when they responded in this way, but then ....... "What is your <>?" he asked, without naming <><>. Then he asked. "Yes, <> and <>. "Yes, <> and <>. Rhodes was surprised to hear this. Rhodes was surprised to hear that. "Hmm?¡¡, have you released new information? "Yes. It seems that by tuning in with <>, the information has been unlocked." "Is that possible ......?" It''s possible, Rhodes. "Mr. Jin,...... is that so?" "Oh. In the case of golems and automata of the same form,......, if they are operated in close proximity, they may affect each other due to the leakage of magic waves. The control cores of the ten golems left behind by Phyllius were not shielded, and were structured to allow the leakage of magic waves. Jin calls this <. It can be compared to the interference that occurs in radio broadcasting when the frequencies of the radio waves transmitted from the broadcasting station are close to each other. Jin had a flash of inspiration that this < could be utilized. And it worked. "That''s just as I expected, father." "As expected of Jin-sama." "No, it''s just a coincidence." The two bodies were showing the exact same reactions, and that''s how he came up with the idea. The actual method of unlocking <>''s additional information is still unknown. But for now, <>''s additional information is more important. "<>, can you tell me what you know about <>?" "Yes, I do." < Tensu spoke. The sister of Phylicious was named Delphina and was 15 years younger than him (about 3 years younger than the Laurentians based on their lifespan). Like Phyllis, she was interested in magical engineering and studied it with him. While Phyllis was more of a genius in general studies, Delphina specialized in making golems and automata in magical engineering. Their parents passed away early in an accident, and the siblings were very close and devoted themselves to research and production together. In 3147, the year after the death of Shenna, the female engineer who created Elena, Phyllius noticed that Delphina was acting strangely. Anyone would think it strange when a sister who had been calm suddenly became belligerent. And then she turned around from developing general-purpose golems for civilian use to making only combat-use golems. I thought it was strange and asked them what had happened, but they replied that nothing had happened. One day, after a month of such days. One day, after a month of such days, Phyllius happened to see... Delphina''s strange behavior. She was standing in front of the desk in her room, staring into the void, muttering nonsense words from her half-open mouth. But the moment she saw Phyllisas, her strange behavior disappeared and she returned to her usual ...... belligerent sister. What was that all about? No matter how much Phyllis thought about it, she could not come to a conclusion, so she decided to take a last resort. It was . It is a high technology that only a few engineers of the <> can use. Legend has it that it was passed down by a man who called himself the "Magecraft Meister". Using this technique, he transcribed his sister Delphina''s entire brain into a magi-crystal while she was asleep. Delphina, who was aware of this, committed the barbaric act of beating her brother, Phyllisius. Fearing for his life, Filichas fled to a secret laboratory he had been working on for some time. There, he began to analyze the transfigured Magi Crystals. It was extremely difficult, even for Phyllius, to examine the information of one person, but after spending half a month, he finally completed the analysis. According to the results, there is no memory tampering. However, there were strange < mixed in, and further analysis revealed that they were apparently < from the outside. Thus, Philistius came to the conclusion that his sister was being manipulated by someone. After that, Phyllisius also observed other compatriots and realized that a <> was controlling them behind their backs and putting them on the path to destruction. * * * * * * * * * * * "...... I see, about your sister, Philistius, the contents are different between <> and <>, aren''t they?" Yes. "Yes." But now one more thing about Phylicius'' situation has become clear. And here is another question. "Well, what happened to the Magi Crystal that Lord Phyllius transferred his sister''s knowledge to? I believe it is being carefully stored in a certain place. Do you have any information on that place? Yes, I do. You have it? I didn''t expect this. I had expected it to be locked up tight, or hidden in a hard-to-get-to place, or some such security measure. "Where is it?" "In the Nines." "In Tense." Both <> and <> said at the same time. "What do you mean?" Rhodes tilted his head. But Jin had an idea. "...... Are you saying that we should combine the information that <> and <> have and deploy it?" "You are correct." "So that''s what you''re saying. ......" < and have the information about . "Okay, we''ll play it back eventually." It is not now. Only after careful preparation. That day is near. ....... 3125 - - 82-24 A ray of hope Jin and Rhodes returned to the ground with Reiko and Momoko, <> and <>. Then, they added Belialus and Zion to the group and had a report and meeting in the <>. "...... What?¡¡Is there data in <> and <> that transcribes the knowledge of the sister of this Phylicious person?" "Apparently so." Jin added, "This seems to be outside the <>. "So what are we going to do?" "What do you mean?" Belialus asked back. "I mean, what are we going to do with the knowledge of Phyllius'' sister ...... Delphina?" < and are the property of the . Then the information they hold also belongs to the . That is why Jin asked, "What do we do with them? >>He asked. "......Well, ......Jin can make an with that knowledge, can''t he?" "Yes." As expected, Zion was very perceptive and said what Jin wanted to say before he did. "We don''t know what kind of thing we can make at the moment. Or it could be implanted in a magical brain. In that case, it would be possible to have only the technical information of the time disclosed, depending on the initial settings, Jin added. "Of course, there is also the option of doing nothing. That would be the same as before," he said. "I would like to leave that decision to Belial and Zion," he said. You''ve given us another difficult question. "But, Theon, it is our problem." Sion laughed and Belial made a reproachful face. "Hey, Delphina, I think you were probably controlled by the aggght of the ...... needle. "It will be fine. < is only to give commands, not to rewrite memories. Jin said that even if his personality seemed to have changed, it was only because he was following those orders and not actually changing. "Well, ...... I guess I''ll ask you to do it for me then." "Are you sure?" "Yes. ...... the other day, Jin resurrected a man named Arnold as an automata." Yeah. Yes." But then Belialus interrupted him. "Wait a minute, Theon." What''s wrong? "Well, in his case, isn''t he accompanied by an automaton named Chelle?¡¡Right, Jin-dono? "Certainly." Hearing this, Zion seemed to understand what her husband was trying to say. "So you mean to say that Mister Arnold is different from Ms. Delfina this time, isn''t he? "That''s right. I am sure that you would be surprised if you were suddenly awakened to this time period. It would be a big difference to have someone who can be there for you at that time. Maybe you''re right. Then, I''m not going to do it. But here came an unexpected remark. "No, Jin-sama, if it''s possible, please revive my sister." "What?" It was who spoke up. And then Tenseu too, "Master Phylicious was concerned about your sister until the very end. The reason he entrusted me and with her information was because he had a glimmer of hope that he might be able to revive her in the distant future." "I see, I see." continued. "From what you have just told us, Jin-sama has not only maintained us, but is also capable of creating golems and automata that are even better than us. If so, please do so. On behalf of our Creator, Lord Phylicious, I ask you to do so." "...... Is that also recently released?" "Yes. < and are together, she will be released." "......Why did you make such a low probability scene a condition ......?" "We don''t know that." At this point, Jin thought of something else to check. "Is there any possibility that Delphina''s information is hidden in the other eight?" "Yes. "I knew it!" Jin was right in thinking that there would not be only these two, given the way Phyllius was acting. "But <><><> will be enough. <><><><><> are our backups, so they have the same information." "I see." Jin wonders which one is the backup, and decides that the group to which belongs, whose default unique information is , might be the main one. "So, if we gather five of them, we can get the information we need? "That''s right." At this point Jin turned to Zion and Belial. "...... Zion, Belialus. As you have heard." "Yes. If my brother, who is my closest, if not my ...... own brother, wants it that way, then maybe I should make it happen." "Okay." Jin then asked Zion and the others to call <<< as well, and asked the five assembled. "I want to know all the information about Delphina, the younger sister of Phyllius. Then <<> and the others responded. "Can you bring back Delfina-sama to the present time?" "Can you bring Delphina back to life in this time?" "Can you bring back Delphina to life in this time?" The exact same response. "Yes. In the body of an automaton. That''s good enough. That''s enough. That''s enough. Again, the same response. After listening to the five of them, it seems that Delphina''s information is completed by integrating the data possessed by all five of them. In addition, <> had information about Delphina''s appearance. > knew about Delphina''s behavior after the day of transcription by . <> had received a message from Phylicius that he wanted Delphina to tell him. "Okay. I''m going to take ...... Zion, Belialus, Rhodoth.5 of them to Marikka''s workshop." <, this was a natural request. Therefore, Zion and the others gave their immediate approval. "Okay, come with me then." Jin loaded the five of them onto the and took off. The destination was the workshop of Marikka in the clan territory of Shinra in the east. 3126 - - 82-25 Resurrection or Emergence At the moment, Marikka''s workshop in the <> is controlled by Marikka''s <>. Marikka (her homunculus) is in and goes to . <> is controlled by , a special magical brain. Now that Jin is going to visit, Marikka herself is in control. "Master Jin, welcome." "Hello, Marikka. Sorry to barge in on you like this. No, you''re welcome anytime. Marikka welcomed Jin''s arrival. Marikka and Hanako are the only ones in the workshop. "So that''s the , is it?" "That''s right. From right to left, <<." "Mr. Xiong told me what''s going on." "Then we can talk quickly." Jin begins by producing <>. To do so, he needs information about Delphina''s appearance that <> has. Since a verbal description would take a long time, we will read it directly from the control core. The way to do this is to send the information to Lao-kun via Reiko, and Lao-kun will edit it and inform Reiko. Then, please give me the information. "Okay." Data can be exchanged without contact, but it is more susceptible to noise, so Reiko puts her palm on the head of , who bends down, and receives the information. She then transmitted the information to the old man in turn. This is a dedicated line, so noise is unlikely to be mixed in. It takes about one minute. Most of the time was required to receive the data from . "Okay. Reiko, can you give me the basic specs first?" "Yes, father. ......Height is 155 cm, weight 45 kg, rather thin. B84W55H82, gray hair, gray eyes. Her hair style is short bob. ......This is what she looked like when she was ......90 years old when she was studying with Phyllius." "Okay." < He is also very familiar with processing and assembly. Reiko, Hanako, and Marikka helped him, and the body was completed in 10 minutes. Reiko, who received the data from the old man, finished the modeling. < without Jin. Now she is lying with her clothes on. The clothes were made by Marikka. The design is based on what the < clan used to wear. It is a simple dress with a navy blue blouse, a long skirt of navy blue base, and a dark red vest. She wears dark blue short socks and black loafer-type shoes. Heels are low. "What do you think, <>?" "This is ......." "Well done, Master Jin." "It''s just like Delphina." Not only <>, but also <> and <> praised the result. "Okay, then, let''s move on." <> is recorded in . This also means that we have to transfer the data to you and ask you to merge them. This took a full 20 minutes. Of that time, 18 minutes was for reading data from each golem, 1 minute and 30 seconds was for data integration by Mr. Lao, and 30 seconds was for data transfer via Reiko. 1 minute and 30 seconds was for data integration by the old man and 30 seconds was for data transfer via Reiko. The transferred data are once stored in high quality magi crystals, and are reborn into a by Jin''s hand. "For the first time in a long time, I have been able to see Jin Shama''s skillful technique. Marikka, the owner of the workshop, looks pleased. "Now, let''s check. Jin checks carefully. Marikka and Reiko cooperate with him. "Jin-sama, everything is fine, isn''t it? Father, everything is fine. Jin then demonstrates a trick that only a can pull off. In other words, he simulates the activation of the control core, which has not been activated, and checks if there are any abnormalities. This is because it would be bad if the control core were to remain the same as when it was controlled by the <>. However, this was not a groundless fear. "This is good. After finishing the check, Jin set the <> and decided to activate <>. "<>" "......" slowly opens her eyes and rises. She looks around, sees <> and the other five golems, and nods. Then he looked at Jin, Reiko, Marikka, and Hanako on the other side, and looked a little surprised. "How are you feeling?" That was the first thing Jin asked. "...... not bad." "That''s good. ...... I''m Jin. I am the maker of the body. This is Reiko, my automata. Over there is Marikka, the master of this workshop, and next to her is Marikka''s automaton, Hanako. "This is very kind of you. My name is Delfina. <. I am from the <> clan. ...... Marikka, are you <> or <>?¡¡Or <>?" "I have this look because my grandmother is from the <> clan. < "Oh, I didn''t know that." Jin was relieved that the conversation was smooth and that there seemed to be no confusion in his memory. However, he checked to make sure. "Do you understand what has happened so far?" "Yes. nodded. "I am , an automata who has inherited your knowledge and personality. I am an automaton who inherited the knowledge and personality of my brother <>. I don''t know what year it is now, but I guess that it has been more than 100 years since the <>." Jin was both satisfied and relieved by this answer. Philistius'' wish had been fulfilled. <, had been filtered out by the <>, and she was now Delphina''s true personality. And she seems to have digested the information that <> had after the <> and made it her own without any sense of discomfort. "It is the year 3902 in the continental calendar. "Well!¡¡It has been 752 years. It seems that it was the year 3150 when Phylicious transferred his knowledge. < "I am sorry for what I did to my brother. He understood that the had occurred after the knowledge transfer, that many of his people had died in the , and that his brother Phyllius would have been among them. "...... Marikka, please tell me about your people now." < looked a little sad when she said this. 3127 - - 82-26 Delphina is being briefed by Marikka on the current and the . This was done over a long period of time. The result was, "I understand now. The tragedy of the <> and the salvation by the <>. And the reconciliation with the Laurentians, the development of ...... the world that my brother had hoped for. Delphina smiled in relief. Then she got up from her seat and walked to the small window of the workshop and looked out. "This is the clan territory of Shinra, isn''t it?" "Yes. "Yes. My brother and I have been away from our clan all these years, in the western part of the continent. His profile looked a little sad to Marikka. At the same time, her respect for Jin, who has created an automata that can express such subtle emotions, grows. "...... Marikka, you are also an automaton, aren''t you?" "What?" Delphina also discerned that Marikka''s current body was a fake. As expected of an engineer who specializes in making golems and automata, as Phyllius had said, Jin, who was watching from the side, thought. "That''s right. You know me well, don''t you? My body was also made by Mr. Jin. "I see..." "I have a sense of taste, would you like to have tea? In that case, I''ll have some tea. Hanako, please? Yes. Marikka asked Hanako to make tea as usual. The tea was sencha green tea. "Oh, it''s a beautiful color, isn''t it? Delphina, who was drinking sencha for the first time, was first surprised by the color and then impressed by the taste. "It''s delicious. ......!¡¡I didn''t think I would be able to enjoy the taste in the body of an automata. Thank you again, Jin-sama." "No, no." Jin also offers tea. Is there anything wrong with your body? "Yes, I don''t feel any discomfort, and it''s in good shape. "That''s good to hear. That''s good to hear. That body has almost the same specifications as an average person. Yes, I understand. "Yes, I understand." After finishing his tea, Jin decides to leave Marikka''s workshop. Of course, he leaves Delfina behind. Of course, he leaves Delphina behind, since she seems to be having a good time talking with Marikka. "I''m going to report to Zion. "Oh, I understand that Zion and the others are now taking care of the ruins. Ruins? Oh, I see. ...... is a safe house built by Mr. Phyllius. "Well, is that so? I guess it must have been after ...... I went crazy." Delphina said she did not remember. "I''ll take you there sometime soon." "Please do." As expected, we could not take her there today. Jin thought that it would be necessary to first introduce Delfina to Zion and Belial, and then to the heads of the clans. With that, Jin leaves Marikka''s workshop. << back to the where Zion and the others were. * * * * * * "So, we made it. It''s Jin indeed! "I''m glad to see that Delfina-dono has been restored with your technology. "I knew it! Jin-san''s technology is the best in the world!" Theon, Belial, Rhodoth, and the others were delighted to hear of the success. After all, Delfina is a living witness of the past. In terms of the age of her birth alone, she is older than Rorona, the mother of Theon, who is one of the <>. She may know about the <> before the <> and the lost technology. "I get along well with Marikka." "Yes, I wonder if they get along with each other as engineers." "Maybe." "Now that I''m settled, I''ll go home tomorrow and see Delfina." "Please do so." Unfortunately, Delphina did not know about this <> that her brother Phyllius had built. After reporting, Jin returns to <>. He cannot leave Goh and Rubina alone. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <. Since we had called in, there was no problem with the landing of the . For the time being, Jin returned to Horai Island without any accommodations, and slept in the <>. Due to the time difference, it was after 1:00 a.m. on March 25th in Horai Island. In order to avoid jet lag, Jin has decided to go to bed according to <>. In other words, he will go to bed around 3:00 a.m. in Horai Island time. Until then, Jin had been talking with the old man about a wide range of topics such as <><><>> and so on. * * * * Jin woke up at 11:00 a.m. on March 25th (Horai Island time), washed his face, slowly got ready, and went to <>. <. The cafeteria was already open, and several staff members who had finished the night shift were eating breakfast. Jin joined them for breakfast. The menu he chose was . It consists of a bowl of porridge, miso soup with kurum (clams), grilled dried fish, sweet egg omelet, pickled plums, and hojicha (Japanese green tea). The clams are farm-raised, but tasty enough, since there are no wild clams in Avalon, which is far offshore. Many people say it is good that there is no need to remove sand from the shellfish, so it does not have a crunchy texture. Jin agreed with them. "Oh, Master Jin is here. "Good morning, Mr. Jin." "Oh, you''re early." When Jin had finished eating, Goh and Rubina also came to the cafeteria. The time was 7:00 a.m. "Mr. Arnold ...... rather than Mr. Chel told me not to stay up too late." "I guess so... you two are still children and your brains and bodies will not grow healthy if you don''t get enough sleep. Yes, sir. Jin-sama, what were you doing yesterday? Yes, I''ll tell you slowly. While Goh and Rubina were eating, Jin was sipping tea and explaining about his time in the Nordic Federation. 3128 - - 82-27 Turning Point After explaining to Goh and Rubina what had happened yesterday, Jin took a sip of tea and moistened his throat. "...... Jin-sama, you were doing that?" "I wish I could have gone to Marikka''s." "Yes, I wish I could have gone to Marikka''s." The first thing they both responded to was Marikka. "Well, I''ll take you there one of these days. Jin promised with a wry smile. "And this on both continents, didn''t you?" Gou says admiringly. "Indeed. On the Loren continent we found Arnold and Chelle. On the continent of Gondor, it was Phylicius and Delphina. There are always people who question the status quo, aren''t there? "Is it the inevitability of history, then?" "I don''t know. I''m not a historian or a fatalist, so I can''t say. At this point Jin changes the subject. "What about the two of you?¡¡Let''s hear about it. "Father, shouldn''t we clear the dishes?" Yes, I think so. Goh and Rubina had finished their meal and were drinking tea. Reiko pointed out to them that they should return the dishes and then go back to the coffee room to continue the conversation. * * * * "At ......?" Jin drinks genmaicha (brown rice tea) and Goh and Rubina drink citran juice while resuming the conversation. "Yesterday, you designed the <>, didn''t you?" "The main focus was on the flight control system, as an extension of safety. The flight control system? Yes. It started with discussions about what to do with the auxiliary brains, and the criteria for setting levels and ......." "Oh, I see." Considering safety, it seems that the conclusion was reached that even for <>, the auxiliary magic brain cannot be removed. It may be similar to the discussion on ...... whether or not to put an automatic driving function in cars on the modern earth. "For example, at the beginner level, I was told that it would be better to assume that <>." "That may be true." The <> created by Goh and Rubina can do somersaults even at level 1 with the support of its auxiliary magic brain. However, if the player is a <>, they suggested that he or she should not be able to do so. So there was a discussion about it." "...... originally was Rubina''s objection," he said. "What, I''m wrong?" "No, no, it''s not about whether I''m good or bad. ......" "Come on, let''s hear what she has to say." Jin calmed them down and urged them to go on. "Yes, ......." "...... Well, Rubina said that it''s more dangerous to fly a plane if you can''t control it to avoid danger and if you can''t control it the way you want to." "Yeah, that''s an understandable argument." "Right?" What Jin imagined was the reaction of the pilot when he pulled back on the control stick with the intention of doing a somersault. If you are going to do somersaults, you need to increase the engine power appropriately. Because you will stall. If you want to be able to do somersaults, either make the elevator rudder not respond to the stick, or sound an alert ....... It is difficult to know what exactly would be better. Furthermore, it would be a problem if the rudder is about to collide head-on with something, which rarely happens. There are several possible cases, such as a cliff, a ship, an oncoming plane, a building, and so on. Jin thought that it would be dangerous not to be able to control the aircraft in such cases. "Yes, that''s what they said. I mean, Rubina said something similar, didn''t she? "That''s right. But look at Jin-sama, he''s thinking the same thing! "Oh, come on! In such a case, Jin was a little uneasy about letting the auxiliary magic brain make the decision on whether or not it was dangerous or not, instead of the pilot. In fact, cars have been developed on the modern earth, but they are still in the . However, they are still in the < stage, and optimal settings and reliable AI have yet to be developed. "So, have you come to a conclusion?" "Yes. We''ve come to the conclusion that it will basically follow the stick and sound an alert if there is any danger, just like we thought at first." I see. "So we''ll make a prototype, and if there are any problems, we''ll fix them." "Well, that''s a reasonable conclusion." It is unlikely that the optimal setting will be found out of the blue. We will probably make minor modifications while operating the system. "Ordinary people, say, Laurentians and Northerners are different..." Yes, their physical strength and power are two to three times greater. "In that sense, it would be nice if I could ask someone to take me on a Nile VIII sometime soon." "Oh, that''s right. Jin thinks that Rhodes is the right person for the job. At that moment, he saw an airship crossing outside the window. It bears the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Celuloa, indicating that it is an official royal visit. "The <> is a little further away, but what''s going on?" The next conference was supposed to be held on April 1 to coincide with the change of the fiscal year. Therefore, Jin guessed that he was here for some other purpose. "I hope it''s not something troublesome. With this thought in the corner of his mind, Jin returned to his conversation with Goh and Rubina. * * * * * * * * * * * The three envoys from the Kingdom of Celuloa are , brother of the king, , former general of the Guard of Honor, and , minister of agriculture and forestry. They are Tomax Bartmann, Chief Superintendent, his deputy Ilmina Ratkin, secretary Fiona Fiasse, and secretaries Manon and Simone, the automata. "Thank you for taking the time to see us. Marcel, the king''s brother, greeted the Chief Superintendent, Tomax Bartmann. No, I heard you had something important to tell me. "Yes, I do." Marcel the Wang brother produced a document and began to explain. ....... 3129 - - 82-28 For consultation Marcel, the younger brother of the King of Celuloa, brought to the matter of <>. "I see, I heard you talk about something like that in one of your lectures," said Arnold. In his lecture, Arnold explained the reality of the <>. He also talked about the heavy metal contamination of the lands in the former Dinaric Kingdom, which is now the Kingdom of Selroa. Of course, Tomax Bartmann knows this because he had heard the lecture. "The contaminated area is the area, which is about 3,000 square kilometers," he said. "Even if we decontaminate one square kilometer a year, it would take 3000 years. So, we''d like to request technical assistance from Avalon. "...... If possible, we would also like to enlist the help of Magecraft Meister Jin and Deus Ex Machina." Following the king''s brother, Francis Valois de Selluois, the former Commander of the Kingsguard, also spoke up. He is the uncle of the present king. "I am not at liberty to make an immediate reply to your request. "I do not expect an immediate answer." "......" Silence fell. Tomax Bartmann broke the silence. "Right now, <> Jin is here on a different matter. ......Manon, will you go check on Jin-sama''s availability?" "Yes, Tomax-sama." Tomax asked about Jin''s availability and hoped that he would be able to attend the meeting, even if it was in the afternoon. He also gave the same instructions to Simone. "Simone, will you check with Mr. Arnold to see if he is available?" "Yes, Mr. Tomax." Arnold and Jin, if both of them could attend the meeting, it would be possible to decide on some more concrete details. "The will be held soon. Wouldn''t it be a good idea to discuss it there?" "Indeed, you are right, Mr. Tomax. But there is one more thing we need to discuss. What is it? The ultimate weapon. What? I don''t even know if it''s ...... finished, but I''m sure it''s out there somewhere ......" "...... a lot of material was consumed at the time, but I can''t find it anywhere." "In other words, it has been built somewhere or is in the process of being built." The three men from the Kingdom of Celuloa said in unison. "We have no idea what to do with it, so we wanted to consult with you first. "I see." First of all, we don''t even know if it exists or not. The reason was that it was too vague to discuss such a thing at the . Is that what you meant? Yes. Our scholars are at a loss ...... as to what to do. In the first place, it was found 750 years ago, and since it has not been found for that long, we do not know if it will be found in the future. "It would be awkward to discuss such a property at the World Congress." The three men''s arguments were ones that Tomax Bartmann could relate to. Then Manon returned. "Tomax-sama, Jin-sama said he is ready anytime. "Oh, I see. That''s very good of you. Tomax glanced at his watch. It was 8:30 in the morning. Simone came back and told him that Arnold had said he would be available after 10:00 a.m. "I see..." he said. "I see. I''ll be happy to discuss it with you again at 10:00 a.m." "Oh, Gin," I said. "Oh, if Jin-sama and Arnold-sama are going to join us, I have high expectations for them. Of course I have no objection. The members of the Kingdom of Celluloid agreed, and so the first consultation meeting was concluded. "How would you like to wait until the scheduled start time?" "Well, I remember that a <> was recently discovered in the ruins and we were discussing its analysis and application. Francis Vallois de Cerlois, the former general of the Guard of Honor and the king''s uncle, asked. "It was considered for both analysis and practical use, wasn''t it? ...... Yes, and you have become the head of the , which studies such advanced technology." "Oh?" "That''s interesting." Marcel and Francis were intrigued. "Would you like to visit the new laboratory?" "Yes, let''s do it." And so it came to be. Manon asked Jin to show up at 10:00 a.m. for a consultation, so Tomax Bartman, Ilmina Ratkin, Fiona Fiasse, and Simone accompanied him to the <>. Of course, they did not go on foot, but in a golem car. It seems that traveling by golem car was also a rarity for the three members of the Kingdom of Celuloa. After all, this is an artificial island. It has a simplicity not found in the ancient Kingdom of Celuloa. For better or for worse, an old town is a mixture of old and new, large and small buildings, and a messy atmosphere. Welcome, Your Highness! "Welcome, Your Highness. Arnold greeted the group. "My Lord Arnold, it''s been a long time." Marcel, the king''s brother, was happy to see them again. They had known each other since their visit to the underground base at Fort Lutgla. "I congratulate you on your new position as head of the laboratory. "Thank you, sir." The greeting with the king''s uncle, Francis Valois de Selluois, the former general of the Kingsguard, was stiff. "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I am Boigny St. Z¨¦quin, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Nice to meet you, I''m Arnold. I''m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Arnold, but I was wondering if you could take a moment out of your busy schedule to explain to us the practical application of the fire magic rocket engine you mentioned. "Yes, I understand. Please come this way first." Arnold led the group to a conference room in the laboratory. "In a nutshell, we have concluded that it is not feasible to use this technology in manned aircraft. "......! ...... or ......." That''s unfortunate. "But there is another rocket engine that has been developed from it." "Oh?" "We call it the . It is a rocket engine that uses wind magic instead of fire magic. "Oh." Arnold explained the Magi Aero Rocket Engine, and the three members of the Kingdom of Celluloid listened with great interest. 3130 - - 82-29 Visit Makina At 10:00 a.m., the three members of the Kingdom of Celluloid, Tomax Bartmann, Ilmina Ratkin, Fiona Fiasse, Simone and Arnold, who were with them, went to the conference room. Jin was already in the conference room, having been escorted there by Manon. "Oh, Jin-dono, how have you been since our last meeting? "Your Highness and His Excellency are looking well. You can find us at ....... I''m sorry I''m late. I''m Bowwani San Zekan, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. My name is Jin Nido. Pleased to meet you. This is Reiko. Sir Reiko. Pleased to meet you. After a few words of greeting, the meeting begins. Especially Tomax Bartmann, who only had time in the morning. "I''m at ......," he says. "So that''s why." Jin knew the situation in the Kingdom of Selroa, so he understood what was being said very quickly. "Certainly, if the contaminated areas are decontaminated, they can be used as farmland and food production will jump. "That''s what I''m hoping for." "Then why don''t we start by selecting land that is suitable for farming and start there?" Instead of greedily decontaminating the entire area, let''s first decide on a minimum area and try to decontaminate that area. Jin said that there may be many things to be discovered in the process of decontamination. This will give us feedback on how to proceed. "Oh, I see. I hadn''t noticed that. Jin''s opinion seemed to impress the three members of the Kingdom of Celuloa. It was either a matter of being in the dark under the lamp, or of being blind in the dark. It seemed that Jin, who was not familiar with agriculture or soil, was able to come up with a more realistic plan. "In that case, the southwestern side near the Border River would be best. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bowanni suggested. The Border River is a river that borders the Shoro Kingdom from the middle to the lower reaches. The river water is unpolluted and can be used for agriculture. "That''s good." The location is fine, but the problem is how to decontaminate it. "If we know the contaminants, I think we can use extraction to target them. "Oh, Jin-sensei, you are still very reliable. ...... Then we would start with a soil survey of about one square kilometer of land, wouldn''t we?" "Yes, that would be a good idea." "For the soil survey, we can send someone from the ......<> of the ." "Oh, that would be great." Tomax Bartmann said, and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bowanni thanked him. Jin is Jin, (Speaking of agriculture, I wonder if Mr. Lorona or ...... and Saki are the ones to check for pollutants.) (Speaking of agriculture, I wonder if it is Mr. Lorona or , and if it is Saki to check pollutants. And then, "I guess we''ll have to test how useful the <> will be at the <>," he says. I say. In fact, since we don''t know how contaminated the area is, we can''t say that we can''t do it lightly. On the contrary, Arnold says "If it is heavy metal contamination, it will be absorbed into the soil by rain, so the surface contamination concentration will be high in the northern part of the country, where there is little rainfall, and the concentration will drop quickly as the depth of the soil increases. He said, "Yes, that''s also true. "Yes, that is possible. In other words, it would be better to conduct soil surveys at several locations. "And not only the topsoil, but also the deeper soil should be investigated. "Then we can decide on the areas to be tested." In this way, the <> gradually took shape. * * * * Meanwhile, at the <>, Goh and Rubina arrived to replace Arnold. Since Jin went to the consultation meeting, they had to come here as well. "...... construction has begun, hasn''t it?" The restoration work of the laboratory where the accident had occurred had started promptly. The first thing to be done was to repair the ceiling, which had a large hole in it. The first thing to do is to repair the ceiling, which has a large hole in it, because if it rains, the equipment inside will get wet. "...... I shudder when I think back on that accident." "I shudder to think what would have happened if Master Jin and Reiko had not been there. "Yes, I agree." < are slowly realizing how dangerous the accident was as time goes by. Then ....... "Hey, I hear you''re about to have a big accident. "Oh, Lord Machina!" A deus ex machina appears. Of course, Jin had instructed the old man and the imam to dispatch the deus ex machina, in light of the previous accident. "I just came to say hello to Tomax a little while ago. Jin told me that you had a hard time. I''ll help you. I''ll help you. Deus ex machina had brought ten golems under his command, and they did all the heavy lifting and work in high places. Thanks to them, repairs to the laboratory were completed in the morning. The problem was inside the laboratory. The debris had been removed, but the test benches and other measuring instruments were all damaged and looked ...... unusable for the time being. "First of all, the test bench. Lack of strength is fatal, so let''s use this one." Deus ex machina brought a large quantity of ingots of adamantite from his ship, . "If we reinforce the main body with this and integrate it with the floor, it will be twenty times stronger than before. No one could say that such a powerful engine would never be tested. No one could say that such a powerful engine would never be tested, because no one could say that it would never be tested in the future. The deus ex machina was quickly worked on, and the test bench was completed in no time at all. "Oh, oh ......" "As expected of a brother disciple of the Magecraft Meister, ......." "Thank you for your cooperation, Master Machina." Thanks to your help, we''ll be able to get on with our work. The deputy chief, Rasnat Heilbronn, and the assistant chief, Rohr Eisker, thanked Makina for his help in the absence of the head of the office, Arnold. "No, no. ...... now all we have to do is to repair the instruments." "Oh, we''ll take care of that. "Oh, we''ll take care of that." "That''s too much to ask, sir. I see.¡¡Well then, let''s install this last. Makina had her golem bring in a rather large magic machine (magi-machine). "What is this?" "This is a device for generating physical wards. To protect the workers, be sure to deploy it during the experiment. Oh, I see. Thank you very much. In this way, the laboratory of the was transformed into a safer one. 3131 - - 82-30 More Deployment <, appeared for a consultation with Jin, Arnold, and the royal brothers of the Kingdom of Celuloa. "Oh, my Lord Machina, you will be consulting with us as well? Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bowanni welcomed Makina''s participation. I know what is going on. I know what is going on, and I would like to express my opinion that my golem should try the decontamination method. "Oh, your Golem, Mister Machina? Excuse me, but what kind of function does it have?" "The one I''d like to use is a maintenance golem called <>. It can use engineering magic, so I think it can remove heavy metals by <>." "That would be great." Jin also joins in, "Then let''s have our golem try it too. The people of the Kingdom of Selroa were overjoyed. "If Jin-dono and Makina-dono cooperate with us, we''ll be a thousand strong! "Anyway, the first trial decontamination work will give us an idea of how much work will be required. Jin is right. That way we can calculate the manpower and the number of days it will take." "I see. ...... that would also give us the necessary budget." With Makina''s participation, the conversation moves toward a conclusion. "So, are you sure that Makina will cooperate with the Kingdom of Celuloa?" "Yes, that''s fine. Yes, that''s fine. I''ll cooperate with you too. Oh, if Jin-dono and Makina-dono are willing to cooperate with us, then there is nothing more to say. I''d like to join, too, if it suits me, even if it''s only temporarily. Arnold also announced his participation. As a result, three days later, on March 28, a deus ex machina was dispatched to the Kingdom of Cerroa. Jin and Arnold were to join the meeting at their earliest convenience. * * * * * * * * That evening, Jin, Goh, Rubina and others were having dinner at the cafeteria and chatting at the <>. Eira and Katya were with them. "Well, we are glad that Makina-sama came to see us. "Eira, you seemed to think that you wouldn''t be able to design a for at least three days because your hands would be tied. "Kachel, that''s what anyone would think. If you look at the mess they made ......" "That''s true, thanks to Makina-sama it was fixed in less than a day." "Yeah, that golem was awesome. We still have a long way to go. Eira was still motivated by the sight of Makina''s golems, but not discouraged. "But right now, you''re working on a magic brain to help you control it, aren''t you? "Yes. <, that''s it." "I see. That''s easy to understand. You''re in charge of producing it at ......, aren''t you?¡¡Goh and the others told me. Yes, Eira and Groma are supposed to produce that <> in cooperation with Goh and Rubina. <. "In the end, we decided to give priority to the control stick, didn''t we?" "That''s what I meant. ...... Basically, the premise is that we don''t want to take on board super novices." "We''re going to have a special low-speed plane for the very beginners." "Oh, I didn''t know about that one." Jin agreed that a plane with a speed of over 400 kilometers per hour would certainly not be necessary for first-time pilots. "For beginners, I''m thinking of about three levels, with a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour." "That''s right. ......<> was intended for both very beginners and very experienced users, so it was very difficult to set up, design, and build." "Yes, it was." That''s true, but... But it''s a popular machine, so we have to reduce the cost increase factor as much as possible. "That''s right." Katya nodded. "But what I''m a little concerned about is how much <> will be needed. ...... Jin said. "I''m going to give a presentation at the upcoming <>." "I see, and you will appeal its usefulness to the representatives of each country there." "Yes. Yes, we are thinking of having them on board. Katya explained to Jin. "With a top speed of 400 kilometers per hour, I think it will be quite useful. "What are its uses?" "Reconnaissance, security, messenger, emergency transportation ......, etc." Then Arnold came along. "Can I come too?" No one objected. "In the future, I would like to build a plane that can go over 500 kilometers per hour and carry over 20 people. To do that, we need to start with a popular plane like this one. "I can understand that." This type of plane needs a runway. This means that we need to have runways built in each country. Airfields for airships are not enough. That''s right. Arnold said that safety is the key to the future of the airship. We don''t want to have too many accidents just as we are trying to popularize the system. "Speed is also important in terms of popularization," he said. Jin agrees with this point. Since the air race <> was held in Toka village, there has been a boom of <> in the Klein Kingdom, which does not require a runway. On the other hand, <> have a low upper speed limit (generally speaking, about 200 km/h), so the development of aircraft was essential for high-speed travel. "Then, it might be a good idea to hold a competition. "A competition?" "A competition? I think it would be exciting and help to showcase the attractiveness of the area. "I see." Eira is impressed. "When you say competition, what kind? Arnold says, "No, not in the kind of events that are prone to collisions, crashes, etc. What about a competition that is still exciting ......? "That would be aerobatics (stunts)," says Arnold. And top speed. Jin said that an aerobatics and top speed competition would be less likely to cause a collision. "That''s a good idea. Shall I make a suggestion? ......" Arnold also seriously considered Jin''s proposal. 3132 - - 82-31 Homecoming after a long time On the morning of March 26th, Jin decided to go back to Reuthert''s house with Goh and Rubina. He had been away for a long time, and he felt that Merce would miss them. < back as she came. <. "Well, I''ll be back." Jin bade farewell to those who had seen him off. "Jin-dono, thank you for everything you have done for us. Have a safe trip. Mr. Goh, Ms. Rubina, I will see you again. "Jin, I''ll do my best to show you my machine next time I come back. "Jin-san, take care." "Mr. Goh, Ms. Rubina, you guys do your best." After exchanging a few words of their own, Jin and the others boarded the . "It''s been a great experience, hasn''t it? "It was fun, wasn''t it?" Goh and Rubina are thinking back over the past few days. "We miss you, Mel. "Yes, we do." We have a lot to talk about. < flies towards the Shoro Kingdom. The distance is more than 600 kilometers, and it will take more than three hours at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The time difference is approximately two hours, so a that leaves at 8:00 a.m. will arrive in Leuthart at 9:00 a.m., three hours later. "The time difference is strange." "It makes sense in theory." "Well, if you take a look at the Ars Ritual, you can get a little more of a sense of how time differences work." Jin said, "It''s easier to understand if you try shining light on a three-dimensional ...... or rather spherical ars gi and try various things. "Oh, maybe." "It''s hard to understand if you only look at a flat map." Even if you calculate the time difference from longitude and latitude on a map, you may not be able to get a sense of it. Goh and Rubina took out the ars belli that was installed in the < and began to play with it. Jin let them play while he looked out the window. A short distance away, he sees the <> flying alongside the <>. (Part of the wind magic is not moving the air. ......) Jin does some kind of thought experiment in his head. (Then, what is the purpose of the <> for? ...... is to prevent the pressure inside the engine from increasing too much.) The inner walls of the engine are pushed by the <>. Jin thinks that if the jets were closed, the pressure on the engine wall would increase even more. (But one of the advantages is that the wind does not blow out of the engine. ...... but is it really a viable engine in the first place?) This idea is becoming more and more interesting. (...... Let''s consider a much larger room. () If we start a MagniAero rocket engine fixed in the room, will the room move?) The propulsive force of the < rocket engine is the <> which is shot at the closed end of the engine. It is the same as shooting a <> at the sails of a sailing ship. (And the flow of wind...... air generated will disappear once the pseudo-molecules of air produced by the magic disappear. In other words, the pressure becomes zero.) When the jet is not closed, <> = <> + <>. It is a fact that the wind is certainly present and pushes the atmosphere, even though the time of the jet is only for a moment. That is, it adds to the propulsive force. When the jet is closed, this term disappears. In other words, = . Although slightly less efficient, the fact that there is nothing to be injected means that the engine can be expected to be quite quiet. . This is a different principle from the <>. That may have its own uses. We will experiment with it in the near future. * * * * * * * * * * * * < is on the roof of Reuthert''s house. landed on the airfield. was left in a rental warehouse, and Hope returned to with her own transporter. "Welcome back, Ruby, Mr. Goh." When I arrived at Reuthert''s house, Merce greeted me. "Welcome home, Jin-sama." "Welcome back, Rubina-san, Goh." Of course, Daikie and Cocona also greeted us. And then. "Welcome home, Rubina." And Rubina''s grandmother, Amanda. I''m home, Grandma! I hope you didn''t give Master Jin any trouble. No problem! I don''t trust you, the way you''re talking to me. With that conversation, we all descended from the roof and went to the living room. This is the most comfortable place in the house. Yenny, M?rze''s personal maid, made a pot of sencha green tea. "Oh, it''s delicious! Jin, a tea lover, tastes the familiar taste. The familiar taste of tea is a welcome relief. It makes him realize that he has come home. "You know, Goh and I, we got certified as <> at the <>! "Oh, I didn''t know that. You did a great job!" "Mr. Gou, Ruby, that''s great!¡¡Congratulations! "Goh, you did a great job. Congratulations! "Congratulations, Rubina!" Goh and his friends report that they are now . Daikie, Cocona, and Merzhe gave their compliments. "Jin, thank you for all your hard work. "Yeah, I''m a little tired after everything that happened. Jin was Jin, and Erza gave him a compliment. By the way... "By the way," she said. "There will be a spring garden party at Miyagi in the near ...... future." What? I received an invitation yesterday. In this case, the garden party is, in short, a . It is a social party held for invited guests in the gardens of the Shoro Imperial Palace. "Oh, for Daikie and Cocona..." Jin, me, Gou, and Merce. "What?" Jin was surprised, but when he thought about it, Goh was a legitimate son of the Nido family, and Merce was a member of the emperor''s family. It is not surprising that they received invitations. Goh also needed to make his debut in the social world since he had become a nobleman, and Erza thought that the would be a good time for him to make his debut. 3133 - - 82-32 To Join . It is one of the social parties held annually in the Shoro Kingdom. It is held in late April in the of the Palace in the spring. This has been cared for by the royal family for generations and is, to put it a bit exaggeratedly, a . Normally, only the royal family and their guests ......, gardeners, guardians, and foreign guests ...... are allowed to enter, but this <> is the only time it is open to invited guests. "It started when His Majesty the Emperor was king." I didn''t know that. The former Empress Gerhard Hilde von Rubies-Scholo was a temporary emperor until her nephew Ernst came of age, but her exceptional political skills were highly regarded even in later times. Jin knew him well and respected him sincerely. After his abdication, he continued to support the reign of the new emperor Ernst as the Taisang Emperor, both behind the scenes and in the sun. It is said to be an opportunity to enter the garden associated with the Grand Emperor. Elsa said that all the nobles in the country are looking forward to this day. "...... Well, the old Jin brother didn''t have anything to do with it." "What?" According to Erza, after the female emperor had become the Grand Shang Emperor, Jin was usually consulted in the inner garden whenever he was summoned by His Majesty. This is because the basic layout of the inner garden was done by Jin, the second generation Magecraft Meister. "I didn''t know I was doing that. "Hmm?" I''m wondering what kind of layout you did, but Erza tells me that I should see it with my own eyes. "...... I mean, I should be there too, right?" "Well, you''re free to do so. "I see." According to Elsa''s explanation, attendance is free. Since many aristocrats and related people will be there, it seems to be much more relaxed than a normal social party. Normally, it would be unthinkable to refuse an invitation, but not so for the Spring Garden Party. "You''re a strange one, aren''t you?" "Hmm. His Majesty the Emperor wanted to open it to the public. But that didn''t happen? Yes. Jin thought that it was inevitable that the security would be bad if anyone was allowed to enter. "So this year, invitations were sent to Daiki-chan, Cocona-san, Goh, Merce, Jin-brother, and myself. "I see." "Jin-brother officially announced his third generation last year, so he''s coming this year. I got an invitation. "Oh, I see." "So, what are you going to do?" "Well, ......" I am a little interested in the garden, and it seems to be a less formal party, so I am inclined to attend. Even though attendance is optional, it would be a little awkward in this case for those who have been invited to the party to be absent. And this was the first invitation he had received as the <<3rd generation Magecraft Meister>. "Tadaa ......" Erza asks Jin, who is troubled. "Are you interested in Rubina, by any chance?" "...... is right on the money." Jin is worried that Rubina is the only one who has not received an invitation, and he feels sorry to leave her behind. "Then I have a way." "What?" "Jin can take her with him as his disciple. Is that right? Or Gou can be his partner and Daiki-chan his follower. There are several ways to do this. I see. Erza is indeed a good woman, Jin praised his beloved wife. "I wonder if it would be better to call her my apprentice ....... "Yes, I think so." "I guess so." Jin felt that both of them would be too shy to take Goh as a partner. Erza felt the same way. Also, I don''t want to use the term "follower of Daikie" because it would be a step down from Rubina''s status. She thought that if she was Jin''s disciple, so would Goh, and the two of them could show that they had recently become together. What about Reiko?" "Reiko is treated as a follower of my brother Jin as a knight, so she''ll be fine. "I see. He was grateful to Erza, who was especially reliable in such a situation. * * * * After lunch, Daikie explained about the . Merze had heard about it in her education as an aristocratic daughter, but Goh and Rubina had never heard of it before. Moreover, Rubina was not invited. "So it''s no wonder that the Miyagi people don''t know about Rubina." "Yeah. ......" Rubina was not so interested in the party itself and did not want to go, but she did not want to be left alone and had mixed feelings about it. Seeing this, Jin mentioned his earlier plan. I will take Rubina as my apprentice. < at , that''s a good enough title for her. "Oh?¡¡Is that so?¡¡Master Jin? Yes. You and Gou will get a lot of attention if you say you got your at Avalon. "I don''t really want to be noticed, but I see, I can be a student of Jin-sama too. ...... eheh." Rubina was in a better mood. But... "...... Rubina, do you want to attend the Spring Garden Party?" "Yes. "Then you''ll have to learn a little more etiquette. "............ what?" Rubina''s face paled as she realized what her grandmother Amanda was saying. "Cocona-san, Miss Elsa, I''m sorry, but could you please teach your grandchildren some manners?" "Oh, grandma! "Oh, grandma!" "It''s a good opportunity. You''d better behave yourself. "Well, then I guess I don''t have to answer the door. ...... "I won''t allow you to say that you don''t want to go because it''s too much trouble to learn the etiquette." "Yeah, yeah. ......" "Don''t worry, Ruby. I could learn it too." Melze consoled Rubina. "Goh, you have to learn a few things too. "Yes, yes." Elsa couldn''t bear to see her like this, "The spring garden party is not so formal, so it''s a good time for your debut. She said. And then.., "Don''t worry. Jin brother will have to review a little too. "Me too? "Of course. Don''t embarrass yourself. Really? ...... The Shoro Empire...... is just getting started. 3134 - - 82-33 Quiet talk 136 Before its trajectory In the year 3048 of the continental calendar, Philistius the Humorous was born as the eldest son of Tekrodos and his wife Lilliphas. Tekrodos was a magical engineer who worked on the family golem. Lilliphas was a leading naturalist who was well versed in the biology, geology, and weather of the continent of Gondor. Born to such parents, Filicius was educated from an early age to be a gifted child. In the year 3058 of the continental calendar, his younger sister, Delphina, was born. Delphina, like her brother, was also educated to be gifted. However, it was not something cold and inorganic, but something backed by the love of their parents. Therefore, the young siblings grew up with a lot of energy. They were close to each other, and Phyllius was a kind older brother who took good care of his younger sister. However, both parents were busy with their research, so they spent many days playing together. * * * * * * * * * The year 3071 of the continental calendar. The year when Shenna, the creator of Elena, was born on the Laurentian continent. Filius was 23 years old and Delphina was 13 years old. They are the equivalent of 8 to 10 years old and 6 to 8 years old, respectively. < grows a little slower than the Laurentians in their childhood, and ages more slowly as they grow up, eventually living four to five times longer than the Laurentians. Incidentally, the period during which they remain in the mother''s womb is no different from that of the Laurentians. "Brother, where are you going today?" Let''s go pick your favorite berries! "Wow!" When we''ve picked them, we''ll ask Mother to make jam with them. "Yes, sir!" "Brother, I don''t understand this part." "I don''t understand this part." "Well, ......, you''re reading a difficult book." Yes. I just want to catch up with you and help you. "I see... I see..." "Brother, it''s done!¡¡Look at it. Yes. ...... Oh, perfect score. I did it! Delphina gets smarter and smarter with each passing year. Filius, not wanting to be left out, worked hard to improve himself. Thanks to his efforts, in a few more years, the two siblings are able to help their parents with their research. * * * * * * * * * * * The year 3129 of the continental calendar. In the Kingdom of Dinar on the continent of Laurent, Arnold is born. Filicius and Delfina were 81 and 71 years old, respectively. They were the Laurentian equivalent of 16 and 14 years old, respectively. By this time, the two had begun to display their talents to the fullest. Filicius in general and Delphina in magical engineering. They further developed their abilities by helping their mother and father, respectively. The family business of making golems is now a solo job for both of them, which is appreciated by their parents as it allows them more time for research. This was probably the happiest time for Phyllius and Delphina. The year is 3130 on the continental calendar. In 3130, their parents have an accident on the road. They had gone to investigate the discovery of a facility that looked like an archaeological site. Of the 20 people who were investigating with them, up to 19 people died. The remaining one was seriously injured, and left behind the words <><> and followed the 19 people. Following this tragic accident, a cenotaph was erected at the site, which is now sealed for the time being. * * * * * * * * * * * The survivors, Filicius and Delfina, wanted to investigate the accident more carefully, but the accident site was sealed and their investigation was not successful. The two give up in tears. However, there was a smoldering feeling of inexpressible disbelief within Filicius. "Fina, one day I will find out the truth about the accident of your father and mother," he said. "Yes, brother. I''ll help you. Yeah, we''ll both do our best. They had enough money in savings left by their parents, and they continued to receive orders to build golems, so they had no trouble making a living. The two cut the number of orders for golem production in half and prioritized the improvement of their own abilities. They were acutely aware that they were not good enough to find out the truth about the accident. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A year passed. The year 3146 of the continental calendar. Sienna, the creator of Elena, had died, and Elena, who had become Master Ross, began to act insanely. Phylicious was researching the history of his people. In the process, he visits the clan of the who live in the north. The <> clans were reluctant to have anything to do with the mundane world, but when they learned that Filicius was the son of Teklodos and Lilliputus, they welcomed him with open arms. "......Well, I''m sorry to hear about your husband''s death......." "Yes. Yes, but we are investigating the accident because it seems a little suspicious. Suspicious? Yes. The accident should not have happened in a place where it could not have happened. "Hmm. ......" Philistius was accompanied by Iasomnis of the . He was familiar with Teklodos Lilliphas, and he took care of his son, Filicius. "I can''t show you everything, but I will show you as much as I have the authority to show you." "Thank you!" It was at this time that he showed me the relics of the past......<> and made the technology his own. And in the process, my knowledge expanded. "Mother, you speculated that there might be a more ancient race living north of here. "Farther north?¡¡Isn''t it extremely cold? I guess that''s a place where technology can do whatever it wants. On what basis do you make such assumptions? I don''t know. But you said that these magical tools suggest the existence of such a northern place." "......" Philistius did not know what his mother, Lilliput, had in mind when she made that assumption. But he thought that if his mother had guessed so, there must be a reason, and he continued his own investigation in the clan territory of the . This turned out to be a bad thing. The investigation itself was meaningful. I found an old record attached to a certain magical tool, which said <>. I do not know if my mother had seen it or not, but the sentence that Filicius found certainly suggested the existence of a being living further to the north. When he returned home with his findings, he found a ....... ...... a changed Delphina, his sister. "I''m home, Finna." "......" "Are you mad at me for coming home late?¡¡I''m sorry. But it paid off. ...... Fina?" Delphina''s eyes were cold and somewhat unfocused as she looked at Phyllius. ....... 3135 - - 82-34 Quiet talk 137 in its trajectory Something is wrong with Delphina. Phyllius, who has been living with her for a long time, recognized it immediately. She only answered ....... <>and the only answer I get is <>. But it ended abruptly. "Ah, brother, welcome back." "Uh-huh." It seems that Delphina has no memory of the time she was in a coma. Now that he doesn''t know the cause of the problem, Phyllius decides not to tell Delphina that he had gone crazy, so as not to cause her unnecessary worry. "How was the clan territory of the <>?" "Yes, they seemed to know my mother very well." "Well!" Then Phyllisas explained to Delphina in a casual way about the clan territory. Somehow he felt that it would be better not to talk about the <>, so he kept that point to himself. "Well, let''s make another golem." "Yes." <. However, their peace was short-lived. Delphina has gone crazy again. She does not answer Phyllius'' call, but just stares at the sky and mumbles something. Such a state lasted for about half an hour, and then Delphina returned to her normal state. (......What in the world was that?) No matter how much I think about it, I can''t find the answer. Phyllius made five golems to watch over his sister in his place. The reason why he made more than one golem is that it would seem strange for one golem to stay with Delphina all the time. The idea was that more than one golem would be able to stay with Delphina even if they were replaced ...... by another golem, which would be somewhat deceiving. (<>...... and scrutiny might reveal this, but ...... never let it be noticed ......) A new engineering magic, mastered in the clan territory of <>, <> level 10. It is an engineering magic that can duplicate the knowledge, experience, and even the personality of the target. It is said that the legendary <> developed this magic. One regret is that Philistius could not master the option <, although it is said that the <> could even use the option <>. (We''ll start by analyzing Delphina''s behavior. ......) Fortunately, the deranged Delphina seems to avoid working with Philistius. Therefore, there is no problem even if Filicius is confined and absorbed in his research. If she comes to call him, it would be because she is a normal (...) Delfina. * * * * (...... this is ......) A conclusion drawn from the observations made by the five golems. It was unacceptable to Phyllius. (Fina is ...... being manipulated by someone who is using her knowledge!) The words Delphina was muttering by the golem were <, <, <>, etc.>>. They were muttered in fragments. Filius imagined that they were sending information to someone or something out there. (But what does this mean ......?¡¡This is not like brainwashing ....... No way ......, but it is possible ......) I have never heard of such a symptom of brainwashing. In the first place, there is almost no way to send information to those who are far away. After much thought and consideration, Phyllius came to the conclusion that <>. We cannot be sure. It is just a possibility. (It would be nice if we could examine the body when Delphina is sane. ......) We decided to prepare a magic tool so that we could do it in as short a time as possible. Once activated, it scans the target''s entire body in two seconds and detects foreign objects. It took a lot of work to make it small enough to fit in a pocket. (If it doesn''t detect anything, we''ll find something else to do.) The opportunity came three days later. Delphina began to behave in a seemingly normal way. "Brother, I have an idea for a new golem. Would you like to see it?" "Yes, which one?" This one. "Is this ......?¡¡Isn''t it a hunk of metal? "Yes. The joints are moved by <>." "It seems to be strong against blows. ......" "Right?¡¡It''s great for kicking the crap out of your enemies, don''t you think? "Oh, yeah. ......" Phyllius, feeling that his thinking was becoming a bit extreme, activated his grimoire at this point. "Oh?¡¡Did you do something?" "No, no, nothing." Feeling his sister''s eyes becoming more and more intent, Phyllis quickly left the place. * * * * (......It looks like you have a foreign body in your brain after all. ......) The result was that there was something foreign in Delphina''s brain, just as Phyllius had thought. (What on earth could it be? ...... It is definitely metal.) As expected, we don''t know what kind of function this foreign substance has. But there is a possibility that it is a magic tool or something, and that Delphina is going crazy because of it. "......We''ll have to give it a try. ......" < to transcribe Delphina''s memories, knowledge, and personality into a magecrystal and analyze it. But there are some problems. The first is whether Delphina will let him do the without telling him. Filius thinks that it is better not to ask her to do it when she is in a normal state. It might cause Delphina unnecessary worry. Secondly, if Delphina is <>, the <> will know that Philistius has found out about it. In that case, Filicius would be targeted as well. Third, all the private information of ...... Delphina would be revealed. But ....... Despite the risks, Philistius decided to give it a try. Of course, he had to make sure that he had done all the necessary preparations before ....... 3136 - - 82-35 Quiet talk 138 After that trajectory Phyllius'' plan to transcribe and analyze the memories, knowledge, and personality of his deranged sister Delphina by applying to her into a magical crystal (magi-crystal), was gradually progressing. First, he builds a secret base without Delphina''s knowledge. This is as a shelter in case the < that controls Delphina ...... after comes after Philistius. And we also got the most important transcription ...... of the highest level <>. We also produced more <>, which can handle everything from personal support to combat, bringing the total to 10. "I think it''s about time. If possible, he would like to perform < when his sister is normal, but there is a possibility that he will not be able to detect the abnormality. However, she will not let us do transinfo when she is abnormal. Then, what should we do? "...... We have to put them to sleep and do <>." They have < too. <> is it. Since we can''t face <> them face to face, we have to set a trap for them. Even though they are being manipulated, they are still living creatures and need to eat. So, Phyllius set up six of these < magic tools on the four walls, floor and ceiling of the dining room, and waited for Delphina, who was supposedly being manipulated, to come there. Two days after setting the traps, Delphina started to act strangely. Then night. Delphina came to the dining room for dinner. ....... * * * * < worked perfectly. Delphina is asleep in a chair in the dining room. Immediately Phyllius performed a , transferring her memories, knowledge, and personality into the magi crystal. "First, let''s do a quick analysis. The amount of information is enormous, since it is the analysis of one human being''s worth of information. <, it would take several days to analyze it. Filicius took half a day to do a rough analysis. The results can be found at ....... "...... Delphina''s personality doesn''t seem to have changed." In other words, Delphina''s attitude that seems to have changed is because she is being manipulated by someone. There is one more thing I found out. That is, <> does not transcribe anything about the . This can be understood by considering the nature of <>, which transcribes based on the magic pattern of the subject, so the effects of foreign objects that would have a different magic pattern were not transcribed. "So, what we have here is Delphina as she was in the past. ......" At that moment, a blasphemous idea popped into Filicius'' mind. It was the act of transplanting Delfina''s memories, knowledge, and personality into the control core of the automata. In this way, we would be able to recreate the Delphina of the past. But, however. "What is the point of creating a fake Delphina when we have the original Delphina ......? Phyllius had to ask himself, "What is the point of creating a fake Delphina when there is a real Delphina? For the time being, he decides that it would be better to duplicate the core of Delphina, which preserves the memories, knowledge, and personality of Delphina, and keep it in a safe place. The copy is kept by Phylicious, and the original <> is hidden in the body of one of the golems. When the procedure is finished, the door opens and Delphina comes running in. The moment he looked into her eyes, he knew it was not a good idea. They were a dark color and showed no emotion. "Gah!" He was hit in the face by a serious fist from his sister and fell to the floor. A copy of rolls out of his pocket. Delphina picked it up and left the fallen Philistius on the floor and left the room. "Ugh ...... I''m in terrible trouble." Delphina''s punch was so hard that his back teeth were wobbling. Filicius worries about his sister, who probably has a broken finger from that. But now it was time to think about his own safety. If the copy of the Delphina core taken away from her is analyzed, the mysterious being will realize what she has done. If that happens, he will not be able to get away with it. They may manipulate you like Delfina did, or worse, they may erase you. "......, we''ll have to run away." Filius left the laboratory where he had many memories of his sister, thinking that he never thought he would actually use the , which he had built with this kind of thing in mind. Only 10 golems follow him. He hurried because he knew that he would be in trouble if his pursuers came after him. As a result, he was able to escape to the secret base without being caught by his pursuers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "......Well, what are we going to do now? ......" Phyllius wondered as he fled to his secret base. "I probably won''t be able to make an automata that can reproduce Delfina with my technology," he guessed. At best, he guessed, it would be something like a 90. If I were to make one, I wanted it to be a hundred points perfect. Besides, even if I could reproduce Delphina with an automata now, I don''t know what would happen if <> found out about it. Filius wanted to regenerate her at least after the threat of the <> was gone. "That can only be done when someone more skilled than me ...... like <> appears." So Phyllius decided to split up the information in <> and store it in a golem. Five golems are to store and manage the divided data. For backup, the same data is stored and managed by the remaining five golems. Security measures are also set up to prevent Delphina from having two golems. When the information is extracted from one of the golems (......5) and the <> is completed, the other one will erase itself. Once that was done, I finally had time to think about myself. "......I hope the <> is defeated in my lifetime, but what if it isn''t?" The idea of transplanting myself into crossed my mind, but I didn''t have the courage to do it. First of all, we wanted to rest a little. Then he thought that he had to think about the future of not only themselves but also their clans and the <>. < were intensifying. 3137 - - 83-01 Start! March 28th. It was a day of spring, and the deus ex machina was in the kingdom of Cerroa. The location was above the wilds of Bororon. In other words, aboard . His passenger was the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bowanni San Zecan. Yes, they are starting a survey ahead of the decontamination of the contaminated area. "From the sky, you can see the situation of the land very clearly," said Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bowanni San Zekan. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bowanni St. Zekan said, impressed. "First of all, we have to take into account the topography, and it would be best to start with a broad and shallow survey. "Right." Although we cannot survey the soil from the air, we can observe the surface ...... topography, flora (flora), fauna (fauna), etc. This allows us to select candidate sites for experimental decontamination. "I guess it''s not as contaminated as I thought, some areas have quite a bit of grass growing on them." "That''s right. Yes, there may be a degree of contamination. It is not possible for the entire area to be contaminated at the same level. I guess so. "For now, let''s gather data on the surface first. In addition, they also select a candidate site for a soil survey by the members of the who are scheduled to visit on the 29th. * * * * Meanwhile, Jin had come to the . Meanwhile, Jin came to the to consult with Lorona, an agricultural expert. "Well, then, we were discussing the other day about cleaning up the barbaric acts of our people! Rolona looked angry and then apologetic as he explained. Jin hurried to calm Rorona down. "No, no, the <> was caused by the <>, not by your compatriot Rorona. Rather, both of them are victims." "But I still feel guilty, since we were the ones who started the fight first. I will cooperate with ...... as a top priority. Thank you. So, do you know what the contaminants are? We''re still working on the details, but cadmium and hexavalent chromium are the two most likely contaminants. "Well!" Both are substances that have become a problem in modern Japan as . Cadmium is a by-product of smelting zinc and lead, and symptoms of acute poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Symptoms of acute poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, while chronic poisoning results in kidney damage. The Itai-itai disease that occurred in the Jinzu River in Toyama Prefecture is said to have been caused mainly by long-term ingestion of cadmium. Hexavalent chromium is a general term for chromium compounds with an oxidation number of +6. However, chromium is also one of the essential elements that make up the human body, and the human body contains about 2 milligrams of chromium. Chromium is added as an ingredient in supplements in the form of trivalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium, on the other hand, is highly toxic and is known to cause redness, rash, and inflammation of the hands, feet, and face. It is also said to cause inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. As an agricultural expert, Lorona knew a lot about the trace elements that accumulate in agricultural products, and he even found plants that adsorb some toxic substances and improved their varieties. "I have bred a plant called wassa-aoi, which absorbs cadmium," he said. "That''s great!" Jin thought to himself, "I knew it was a good thing that I had consulted Lorona. "There is also a kind of bean called , which accumulates heavy metals in its roots, but has almost no effect on the bean. "That''s good, too." But the beans are small, and even though they are edible, they are not tasty, so they are mainly used for processing or for animal feed. "That''s fine." If we can decontaminate the soil little by little just by planting them, it would be very meaningful. It would be easier to plant such plants than to just leave them there. "But that''s about all I can suggest right now: ......" "No, that''s more than enough." Jin was planning to call in five golem maids, one for each of the number two golem maids of the five colors, as caretakers for Rorona, who would also be coming to the Kingdom of Selroa on the following day, the 29th. I was going to call in five golem maids to take care of them. "I''ll look forward to working with you tomorrow, then, won''t I? "Yes, Mr. Jin, you can count on me." Then an unusual visitor arrives. Jin-sama, hello. Hello, Rorona. Hello. It was Marikka and Delfina. It''s rare to see Marikka out and about. Jin guessed that this meant that it was a very important matter. "Jin-sama, Delphina-san has a favor to ask you." "Oh, I see." Delphina has been living with Marikka for the past few days and has been briefed on the current situation. What happened during the <> and what the <> = <> did afterwards. And the way to the present day. They say they want to know these things and see with their own eyes what their countrymen did in the past. If you can, let me help you in any way. "Jin-san, I''m here, and Jin-san''s golem maids are here, so please take them with you. "Okay, if you say so, Rorona-san." "Okay, if Ms. Rorona says so." "Thank you very much." That''s what happened. * * * * * * Also in . Arnold, a native of the former Dinar Kingdom who is now in the body of an automata, was preparing for his visit to the Kingdom of Celluloid. Accompanying him are three members of the <>, abbreviated as . Kiku Masukawa, deputy director of the laboratory, Laktart, who is familiar with the actual work, and Yoh Nouki, who is in charge of analysis. Kiku and Yoh are from Mitsuho, and Laktart is from the Kingdom of Egelea. "I''m looking forward to working with you, Mr. Arnold. "It''s nice to meet you, too." Five ...... cheru will accompany us (to avoid complications, we will count automata as one person for this purpose) ...... tomorrow morning, Jin will come to pick me up and we will go together. It is inevitable that there are more things related to soil analysis equipment than personal belongings. "Hmmm ...... this ...... could be made a little smaller ......." "Oh, Mr. Arnold, are you sure?" "Yes. Yes.¡¡We''ll pay for it! "Okay. I''ll do what I can in the time I have before I leave. "Thank you very much! It looks like we are all set and ready to go. ....... 3138 - - 83-02 Decontamination Promotion Conference On March 29, Jin left the Nordic Federation with Delfina and Rorona. The time is 7:30 a.m. "Let''s fly to Avalon." Yes, sir. What? Jin''s hurricane has a normal top speed of 800 kilometers per hour. < That would take about 3 hours. ....... Hope, activate the wind shield. Go supersonic. Yes, Master. < < "That''s a fast ......, isn''t it?" It doesn''t feel very fast. "Well, I''d have to have something to compare it to. ...... It''s a clear day, so there are no clouds." So the < flew at about Mach 2 and arrived at in an hour. The time difference is about minus one hour, so the time in <> was also 7:30 am. There were already five people waiting for us at the airfield, and our luggage was already packed. "Hey Jin, thank you for coming all the way. Jin-san, please take care of them. Mr. Jin, thank you very much. My name is Kiku Masukawa and I am the deputy director of the Agricultural Research Institute. This is our members, Laktart and Yoh Nouki. Nice to meet you! "Nice to meet you!" After the greetings, the group boards the . The golem maids of five colors bring in the luggage. "Let''s go!" < floats up and heads north. "......Now then, let me introduce you. This is Rorona of Shinra. I asked her to come." Jin introduced Rorona to the group and said, "Rorona, Rorona, "Ro, Rorona-sama!¡¡I remember you gave me a lecture at <> twice! "Wow, I only heard your lecture once, but it was very informative! "I only heard it once, but it was so interesting that I decided to major in agriculture! The three members of the <> responded with great enthusiasm. "Well, well, of course you did. But the last time you visited us was almost 10 years ago. "Yes, I was still a student, not a researcher. Me too. Me too. < "Well, I''m sorry, but I''d like to introduce you first. "Oh, I''m sorry, Mr. Jin." "Oh, I''m sorry." "Oh, I''m sorry. ...... this is Delphina from the . Actually, she said that her personality, knowledge and memories were stored in a Magi Crystal before the War of Magi. So I created the body, and here we are." "My name is Delfina. There are no more < clans at ......, so I''m just Delphina." "Oh, is that the same ...... as Mr. Arnold?" Yes. Yes, I have heard that. ...... Mr. Arnold, you are also from the time of the . Yes, I am. I would like to have a long talk with you. I''d like that too, in due time. But for now, the priority is what needs to be done in the Kingdom of Selroa. "Mr. Rorona is a great farmer in the Nordic Federation. That''s why I asked her to come." Jin introduced Rorona and explained on her behalf about the two main attractions of the event, and . "Wow, I didn''t know such plants existed. "So planting them will improve the environment." "That''s interesting. ......" < However, Arnold''s reaction was a little different, "Is it safe to leave it planted?" "It would change the vegetation," he said. "I wonder if changing the vegetation will not cause problems later on. "That''s okay. These two are annuals, and although the plants themselves are hardy, their fertility is low. Rather, Lorona said, you have to sow the seeds every year or they will disappear. "Oh, that''s a relief. "You have such a broad view of the environment, Mr. Arnold." "Oh, no, I like mountain climbing and I''m much more concerned about environmental destruction and vegetation damage. "Oh, no, I like mountain climbing and I''m more concerned about environmental destruction and vegetation damage than most people, so I guess that''s why I''m ......." "Well, that''s true." "That''s great of you, Mr. Arnold." Delfina also praised Arnold''s attentiveness. Although Jin did not say it out loud, he was impressed by Arnold''s deep insight. * * * * * * * * * * * < to Esia, the capital of the Kingdom of Cerroa. The time difference is about 20 minutes. Again, we flew at supersonic speed and arrived at 8:30 am. "Mister Jin, Mister Arnold, thank you very much for coming! "Thank you very much, Rorona-sama, for coming all the way here. < for coming. And ......?" < They were greeted by Marcel, the king''s brother, and Bowanni, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. This is my assistant Delphina. Rorona introduced Delfina as her assistant. At this point, she does not reveal that she is an automata. "My name is Delfina. Pleased to meet you. "Delphina, you say? It is my pleasure to meet you today. With that, the group moves to a conference room in the castle. This time, not only Reiko but also Hope accompanies Jin. What''s more, Rorona and Delfina are accompanied by a golem maid of five colors. So, with Marcel, the king''s brother, and Bowanni, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, there are seventeen people in the party. It''s a strange style, isn''t it? "It''s a different culture from the Nordic Federation. Delphina seemed to be curious about the architectural style of the Laurentian continent, which she was seeing for the first time, and was whispering with Rorona. * * * * * * "Hey, Jin." "Hey, Makina." When Jin and the others entered the conference room, they found that the deus ex machina had already arrived. "He came yesterday and did some preliminary work. "Thanks a lot." As a matter of fact, I knew him, but as we had agreed, we exchanged something like that. "Gentlemen, I am now the representative of the Kingdom of Celuloa in this matter. The meeting started with this declaration by Marcel, the king''s brother. The name of the meeting is . First, Makina projected the results of yesterday''s survey on the large magic screen he had prepared. "Oh! "It''s easy to understand, isn''t it?" The first step is to understand the current situation. ....... 3139 - - 83-03 Conference Initiated < has begun. The first step is to share information about the contaminated area as surveyed by Deus Ex Machina. "This is the Borolon Wilderness. There are some areas where some grass and bushes can be seen, but generally the land is rough. Makina shows the image projected on the large magic screen and explains. "Along the valley upstream of this river ...... border river, the Gondorians, who were called at that time, invaded. This is the so-called Western Route." "Oh, I see." On the north side of the valley, there were many relatively low mountains and the terrain was easy to pass through. "This area, which was called the Bororon Plain at that time, was also a battleground. Isn''t that right, Mister Arnold?" Yes, sir. There is a mine to the east, isn''t there? Yes, the Ahi mine. Yes, the Ach mine. The area to the west of it is where the fighting was the most intense. It was a breadbasket at the time, a major wheat producing area. I see. From what I''ve seen at ......, that area is the most heavily contaminated. They planned to contaminate the area with heavy metals in order to disrupt food production. And they have succeeded in their goal. "...... how contradictory it is that they went south in search of a better life, including food." Delphina says bitterly. "I guess that''s the proof that they were being manipulated." Lorona''s voice was also sad. "From what I''ve seen, the heavy metal contamination seems to be centered in this zone and spreading to the surrounding areas. "So the farther away from here, the less contaminated the area is." "Jin is right. But it''s not that simple. The contamination is much worse south of here, towards the town of Bororon. "Hmmm..." "......<" So named by Marcel, the king''s brother. No objections. "The area around it is and the area around it is ." Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bowanni followed suit. This was also accepted. "......, here is my proposal. I recommend that we start with < and select a location for a trial decontamination." Lorona offered her opinion. "The reason for choosing a <> is that this is a >. The <> will be a little easier and the <> will be more difficult. I think it would be appropriate to determine the work and the man-hours involved." "I see. < would be too easy to determine. Yes. And in , it would take too much time. "Hmm." "I''ll tell you more. < and in the model areas of < contaminated areas, and check the effect of decontamination." "That sounds good. How large an area would you plant?" "Well, about ......100 square meters should be enough for data collection." That''s an acre, right? That''s right. I have no objection to that approach. "It is better to collect a variety of data efficiently in the beginning. < Since there were no objections, the meeting proceeded further. "Next, let''s decide on the candidate sites for the . < "That''s right. First of all, we need to decide on the <. "I think that''s a good idea. The location could be anywhere in the area. The problem is < and . Kiku Maskawa and Bowanni tell the others that they will discuss with them where they would like to go. "It would be better to select the candidate sites for decontamination tests from <>, so ......" "So, the southern part of the wilderness, near the town of Borolon?" "I would like to select at least two more sites." That way we can compare the data." The two members of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in charge of the soil survey said so. Makina also spoke up in response. "Then why don''t we just do a random soil survey? "What ......?" "If you tell me how to do your survey, I''ll get my golem to do it too. What? But I''m sure Makina-san can do ....... Then I''ll help you. Jin-san? Then why don''t we start by sampling concentrically from the center of the contamination? Arnold also expressed his opinion. "That''s it. ...... By the way, what''s the method?" Jin asked Kiku Masukawa. "Well, we put a metal pipe into the ground for soil sampling, and when we turn it around and pull it out, it comes out with a soil sample inside the pipe. We analyze it." "Oh, ...... I see." Jin thought about it for a moment and then spoke up with his idea. "We keep the end of the hollow pipe ...... closed, make it sharp and drive it into the ground. If we hang a grimoire inside the pipe and pull it up from the bottom to the surface for analysis, we will soon get the results. ...... Huh?" "......" "............" ".................." < were in raptures. "That''s wonderful, Jin-san. If you don''t mind, after we finish this job, could you make us one of those magical tools?" "Oh, sure." Makina also approached Jin. "...... Jin, if you tell me what it consists of, I''ll make it myself. "Oh, yes, that''s right." "Mr. Jin, you know, the three of you are still in a stupor. ...... Delphina, who couldn''t help but notice, interrupted. "What?¡¡Oh,......, uh?" "......I forgot that Jin-san is that kind of person. ...... Well, I''d be very grateful for your cooperation. ......" "Oh, yeah, I''m sorry." "No, no, I remember a story that the Mutu family told me before I came to Avalon. ......" "The Mutu family ...... is Ataru?" Atal Mutu is the current chief of Mitsuho. "Yes. My parents live next door. "I see." "And I grew up with the young lady, Michal, and we often went to visit her, so I had heard many legends about the Magecraft Meister." "I see." The Mutu family had been the chiefs of Mitsuho for 400 years, and as the second generation of the <>, Jin knew them well. Jin imagined that the things they had made (or done) in Mitsuho must have been legendary ....... 3140 - - 83-04 The meeting is over, < is going well. After lunch, we are discussing a pilot decontamination project. "...... So, Mister Lorona, you say we should first assess the soil contamination before moving on to the next stage?" "Yes. Otherwise, we won''t know how deep we need to decontaminate. "That''s true. I was wondering if we could analyze it as we work." "Well, if it was contaminated to a significant depth, the workload would be different, wouldn''t it? I don''t think starting a day or two early here will have much effect on the overall progress." "Indeed. Let''s follow Mr. Lorona''s advice here. So, we decided to analyze the soil first, and then conduct a trial decontamination operation. We will make sure to wear protective goggles, gas masks, and dust-proof gloves during the survey. We have those ready for you. "Oh, that''s great, Mr. Jin! "After the measurement, let''s clean ourselves up." "Yes, Makina-dono is right. The meeting was concluded with the setting of some details and others. The meeting was over. Jin and Makina rented a workshop in the castle of the Kingdom of Selroa, and decided to make a new type of that Jin had devised. "What do you think the maximum length of the pipe to be hammered in should be?" "Wouldn''t 20 meters be enough?" "Well, if it''s ......, we should be able to extend it in a telescopic way, or we should be able to join them together." "I''d prefer to be able to add on to it. The thickness should remain the same." "Okay." The basic length of the pipe will be 5 meters, and it can be connected to other pipes in turn. The thickness of the pipe is 50 mm in outside diameter and 40 mm in inside diameter. In other words, the wall thickness of the pipe is 5 mm. The material is light silver. An adamantite tip is attached to the tip of the pipe, which is rotated and driven into the pipe so that it can penetrate a few obstacles. If there is something that cannot be penetrated by this method, we will have to change the location. If it is designed for Horai Island, a transfer device will be attached to the tip to transfer materials, but this is for general use. < function would be passed through the pipe and analyzed at each depth. The results of the analysis are sent to the recorder through a mithril silver coated wire. This would take about fifteen minutes per soil analysis, Jin and the others estimated. "You two are doing a great job, aren''t you? Arnold, who had been watching Jin and Makina''s work, said in admiration. Arnold had been asked by the members of the to improve the magic tools for analysis, but Jin and Makina had gone far beyond that, and had created new tools rather than remodeling them. "Let''s make ten of these ......" Jin and I will make 5 units each. ...... Oh, we''re running low on materials." There was light silver, but not enough adamantite to make enough chips for ten drilling rigs. "We''ll just have to make as much as we can and use it all." "Now we just need to see how long we can keep it <." "That''s ...... right, since you''ll be traveling with and anyway, so either I or Machina will be with you. ...... "I see, we can fix it each time." I''ll take care of it. "Okay." and have plenty of adamantite in stock. If we run out, we can use the warp gate to get some from Horai Island. In other words, it is possible to reinforce it secretly in case of emergency. ....... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Thank you for your hard work." That night, a small banquet was held at the Royal Castle in the Kingdom of Selroa for those involved in the <. "Master Rorona, I hope you will give us another lecture." "Yes, when you call on me. "If you wish, I will ask the president of the university to give you a lecture! "I would like to hear your lecture on decontamination! Thank you very much! < "...... So, Arnold-san, you were in a technical position at the time of the <>." "Yes, I was. What about Delphina?" "Perhaps a golem I made or designed was used in the war." Oh, you were a golem technician. Yes. I can cook a little too, but not nearly as much as Jin. "Oh, now that you mention it, I can''t say the same thing. After all, I am the of our generation. Arnold and Delfina, being < in a sense, also had something in common and were talking. Jin and Makina are talking with Marcel, the king''s younger brother. "Jin-dono, Makina-dono, I am very sorry for your loss. "No, no, no, it''s just another duty. Jin is right, that pollution is something that must be dealt with someday. "With your skills, I''m sure the decontamination will be completed in a very short time." Bowanni said that the two of them were a great help. Jin, however, had one concern. However, Jin had one concern: tomorrow, March 30, would be Merce''s birthday. He felt guilty that he had been so busy lately that he had forgotten Hanna''s birthday. And since Melze is a young lady in my charge, I would like to give her some kind of a gift. As expected, under the current circumstances, I can''t take her on a picnic like I did with Elsa. ....... (Well, it''s not like she''s an automaton ...... either. ......) Machina, who was aware of Jin''s situation, took care of most of the correspondence with the Kingdom of Celuloa. * * * * After the banquet, Jin retired to his guest room and consulted with Reiko and Hope. "...... So, tomorrow, when I fly away in the <>, I''ll temporarily switch places with my <>." "Yes, I understand." He pretends to go to the bathroom and goes to Loisart through the warp gate. "So, what should I give him? ......" "Father, since you are going to the garden party next time, why don''t you give her some trinkets? "Oh, yes. We can put a simple self-defense charm in it. ......" No, you don''t have to put it there, do you? "No, since Merce has been kidnapped before, I''d like to at least add , , and a ." "...... If that''s what your father wants to do, that''s fine." "Well, since we''re not a family, we can''t wear bangles. So a necklace? If he wears it all the time, I think it should be a ring. I guess you''re right. If that''s the case, I guess you want something ...... simple, right? In the Shoro Empire, it is customary for rings given to relatives and the like to be simple and unadorned, just as a matter of etiquette. This is only a customary practice, but it seems to be mostly observed. "If it looks silver ......, it is mithril silver. You can engrave <> on it and ...... Oh, there''s not much magic power in melze,...... but you can''t attach a magi crystal to it either. What should we do ......?" 3141 - - 83-05 Start of measurement March 30th, Merce''s birthday. At 5:00 a.m. Celuloa time, Jin flew to Horai Island through the Warp Gate of the and mixed 7.5% copper with mithril silver to make 92.5 mithril silver. He mixed mithril silver with 7.5 percent copper to make 92.5 mithril silver. Silver is a metal that does not cause allergies (not at all) and does not rust (does not oxidize easily). However, pure silver is soft and tends to turn black <. 925 silver mixed with 7.5 percent copper is called and is said to be harder and less prone to darkening than pure silver. Since the chemical properties of mithril silver are similar to those of silver, Jin mixed it with copper to make an alloy that is hard and does not darken easily. He shapes it into a ring and engraves the <> on it. The energy source for activation, the magi crystal, is small and thin, and embedded in the ring so that it cannot be seen from the outside. Normally, such < would be set in a rather conspicuous manner, but in order to make this ring <, they are embedded and not visible from the outside. The same applies to the Magi Formula. A thin layer of mithril silver is pasted on top of the engraved surface (since it is not a <>, the magick formula is maintained), and this is also made invisible from the outside. Therefore, it looks like a simple ring of mithril silver. Incidentally, it is for the middle finger of the right hand. The size was measured by Reiko with her amazing eyesight and spatial grasp. (It is a gift from a man to a woman, but since it is from Jin, the patriarch of the family, to an underage family member, there is no problem.) "This will do." The ring was placed in a ready-made ring case and wrapped. "Father, you might want to add a gerbera flower." "Oh, that would be nice too." There is also a flower garden on Horai Island, albeit on a smaller scale. It is for emergency bouquets (the old man thoughtfully created it because Jin sometimes makes a fool of himself). Topaz 1, a five-colored golem maid, is in charge of the garden, which is filled with roses and other flowers that bloom throughout the year. "Gerbera is the birth flower of March, so..." "Is that so? ......" Here in Ars, too, there is a language of flowers and birth flowers according to the earth. Jin fantasized about the possibility that there might have been transplants or reincarnations with such knowledge in the past. ...... * * * * Jin then returns to . Because of the time difference, it is still midnight in Leuthart. The time difference between Esia, the capital of the Kingdom of Selroa, and Leusat, the capital of the Shoro Kingdom, is about 1 hour and 40 minutes, so if he goes to Leusat at 8:00 a.m., it would be 9:40 a.m. in Esia, if he calculates backward. If we go to Leusert at 8:00 a.m., Esire will be at 9:40 a.m. (I should pretend to go to the bathroom in the <> and go to Leuthart. ......) Thinking of this, Jin left the <> and returned to the castle in the wind as if he had taken a walk in the courtyard. "Oh, Mr. Jin, are you taking a walk? Jin-san, are you going for a walk?" "Ah, Rorona-san. Yes, I woke up a little early. I''ll put it that way... "Uh, yes." Lorona is acting as if she is somehow aware of the situation. Although she is not a member of the Jin family, she knows more than enough about Jin''s abilities. We went straight to the cafeteria, where we met the three members of the <>, Arnold, Delfina, and the others. They all seemed to be on their way to eat. It seems that they chose to eat together in the cafeteria rather than get room service. By the way, Chelle and the five-colored golem maids are also following us. Not to mention Reiko. Hope is the only one who is doing maintenance and checks on the as we are going to use it today. "You like the seasoning here, Arnold?" "Yes, I do. This country is like a successor to the old Dinaric Kingdom, so I like the flavors that seem to have been passed down from one generation to the next. This morning''s menu consisted of freshly baked bread, sausage, plain omelet, crispy bacon, boiled eggs, aged cheese, vegetable and fruit salad. Hot milk or mixed fruit juice. "This aged cheese must be made in the mountainous region." This cheese is from the eastern part of the Kingdom of Cerroa, a region called Ribas. It is similar to Camembert cheese in modern Japan. Bacon is also called roast bacon, which is smoked for a long time to give it a unique aroma. Sausages, classified as wiener sausages in modern Japan, are small and bite-sized, but when you bite into one, the juices overflow. The bread is made with grape yeast. Some of them are made into grape bread and have a unique flavor. It was a little heavy for Jin''s breakfast, but he ate it all. And Lorona and the three members of the ate up all of the food without leaving any leftovers. The time was 8:00 a.m.. The time was 8:00 a.m. As agreed yesterday, we split up into Jin''s and Makina''s for a soil survey. < are Lorona from , Yoh Nouki from , and Arnold and Chelle. Marcel, the king''s brother, will also be on board. will be joined by Kik Masukawa and Laktato of the , and Delfina. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Bowanni, will be on board. < are loaded on each of them. Not to mention protective equipment. Shall we go then? Yes, sir. < The points to be surveyed have been discussed. The number of concentric circles from the center is 2 for the center or , 8 for the surrounding , and 18 for the surrounding . This number is based on the of an atom. Jin and Makina take half of the electron shells. In short, there are 1, 4, and 9 positions. * * * * * * The measurement time, including preparation, is 10 to 20 minutes. Travel time is 15 to 20 minutes. We estimate that it will take about 8 to 9 hours to survey 14 sites. Jin moved to Leuthart as scheduled to use the restroom. At this time, he was replaced by a by the consideration of the old man. About two hours later, the doppelganger will switch places with Jin, this time in the bathroom. In the meantime, => hides himself in the control room and avoids contact with others as much as possible. This is not to reveal his true identity, but to minimize the amount of information to be conveyed to the returning Jin. Thanks to his arrangement, Jin was able to celebrate Mertze''s birthday in good time. 3142 - - 83-06 Birthday party of Merse "Happy birthday, Melze." "Thank you very much." Merzhe''s birthday was celebrated at the Nido family mansion in Leuthart, the capital of the Shoro Kingdom. For minors, a family party is held in time for lunch. Friends are invited at tea time at three o''clock. Since they were children, they did not have parties at night. It was after 11:30 a.m. when Jin returned to Loisart. The lunch and party was about to start. "Welcome home, Jin. I''m home. Jin-sama, welcome home. Ah, Mr. Jin, welcome back! Jin-sama, welcome home. Welcome back, Jin-sama. Elsa, Daikie, Rubina, Goh and Amanda welcomed us. "Where''s Merce?" "Cocona and Jenny are changing her clothes right now." "We went to see them together the other day!" Rubina told me that on the 27th she had gone to a famous store in Leuthart to have a dress tailored. The purpose of the trip was to get a dress for the , but Cocona also liked a dress for a pre-adult girl displayed in the store, and bought it with the assumption that she would have it remade. "It''s inconvenient to have several dresses. I see. I see. ...... Rubina also has them made, doesn''t she?" "Yes,...... I didn''t think it would look good on me,...... but unlike Mel, I have red hair like this." "No, you don''t. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a dress that will suit you. "Well, I''m looking forward to it. Right, Goh? What?¡¡...... ah, yes!" Jin shook his head at Gou, and a panicked reply came out. His face was a little flushed, so Jin thought ...... this must have been a good sign. And then. "Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Merce is here! Lara, our resident automata, came to greet us. Everyone looks at the open door. Melze, who was being held by Cocona, entered through the door. Yenny was standing right behind her. The dress that Cocona liked was a spring dress with yellow, white, and light purple colors on a young grass base. When Merce stepped into the room, she picked up her skirt and performed a graceful curtesy. Everyone applauded warmly. "That''s the result of Elsa''s education, isn''t it?" "Hmm." Then Merze found Jin. "Ah, Jin-san, you came! but Erza said.., "Less points. is preferable. I wish she had at least said ." "Yes, ......." "Hey Elsa, aren''t you being too harsh?" Jin said as he looked at Melze, who was disappointed, but Elsa shook her head. "This is what Mr. Meltze suggested." "......That''s right, Jin-san. I''ve asked Erza-san to take care of this for me. "I see." Jin looked at Rubina before saying anything, "Ata...... I''m off today!" She declared. Amanda sighed at the sight of her grandson. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * As one would expect, a birthday party is no place for small talk and small talk, so from then on, a little misbehavior will go unchecked. Cheers! Cheers! Happy birthday! Happy birthday! "Thank you." The party began with a toast. Since it was daytime and it was a celebration for a child, the toast was made with non-alcoholic beverages. "Mr. Jin, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us! "No, it''s an important day. No, it''s a big day. I''ll be back in about two hours. I''m still happy to see you." Now, after the toast, it''s time to give the gifts. "Here''s one for you. Happy birthday. "Thank you, Jin-san." Next is Erza. Daikie, Cocona, and Amanda will come next. The person in the highest position gives the first gift. The second from the last is Goh, and the last is Rubina. The gifts were opened on the spot and presented to the guests. "Wow, Jin-san, you look wonderful! "I made a simple mithril silver ring so that you can wear it to the next garden party. It has a <> function, so if you put it on and wish for it strongly enough, it will activate the <> magic." "Well, thank you?" Jin''s explanation ...... is especially interesting in the latter part of the story. (Hey, you say it''s a simple ring, but there''s definitely something to it when Jin-sama made it out of mithril silver.) £¨I agree. It''s definitely more than just healing.) £¨I''m sure it has at least a function to put up wards.) Goh and Rubina''s secret talk. They have a good point. Other hidden functions of <> include: ....... 1,<>. It acts as a transmitter to locate the <>. 2,<>. A very weak barrier is always deployed. It increases in strength when it is hit by a magical attack. 3,<>. Eliminates poisons and foreign substances. It does not make you drunk even if you drink alcohol by mistake. The initial <> is performed by the >. If not cured by <>, <> is automatically activated. This function was not available to the general public. Moreover, the function can only be activated by Merce. Elsa gave us a dress for spring. It is a spring dress in cherry blossom color. Of course, it is not overly decorated. It is a dress for the outsider. Daikie and Cocona gave us a set of dresses for the < at ......, but they are still being tailored. Amanda will give us a hair ornament. It is made of tulle in the shape of an anemone, a spring flower. The color is white. The language of flowers in the Shoro Kingdom is <. And from Goh, a brooch. It was an abstract design with aquamarine, the birthstone of March. Finally, Rubina gave us a necklace. She had bought it with her pocket money she had saved up on a recent trip to the city, and it was made up of a series of small pearls. "Thank you, everyone!" Meltze thanked the attendees once again. 3143 - - 83-07 Merces birthday, the next day, The birthday party for Merce is going on merrily.... But it was time for Jin to go home. "Okay, Melze, I''m sorry to interrupt, but I have to go back to work..." "Yes, thank you very much for today! "Okay, everyone, I''ll take care of the rest." "Okay, see you later." Good-bye, Brother Jin. Jin-sama, see you later! Jin leaves Reuthert''s mansion, escorted by the others. By the way, Meltze, Yenny, and the others think that he has a parked on the rooftop. Well, Jin and Erza and others make them think so. So, once they pretend to go to the rooftop, they sneak to the underground workshop and go to Horai Island through the warp gate there. < "Yes. How are things over there at ......?" Jin checks with the old man who has welcomed him. < "I see." < "Okay." After a brief exchange of words, Jin D of <> switched places with Jin on the pretext of <>. £¨Father, welcome home.) £¨I''m home, Reiko.) £¨No problem.) £¨I heard that''s the case.) Since Jin was basically packed in the cockpit, he hardly talked with the passengers. Arnold and Chel knew about Jin''s situation since they are , and Lorona has been aware of it. So they did most of the talking with Yoh Nouki and Marcel, the king''s brother. "I think we''ll be able to finish the measurements by sunset, don''t you? "Thanks to you, Mr. Jin. We have just finished another measurement, so there are only three places left to go. The <> flew onward to the next measurement location. * * * * Deus ex machina is also on schedule, and by 5:00 p.m. he has completed his round of all the sites and is finished. < and met up over the royal city of Esia at about the same time. "It went well, didn''t it?" "Thanks to Jin and Machina. Marcel, the king''s brother, is in a good mood. He was happy to get away from his daily routine, to fly, and to look around, even if it was only in the wilds of Bororon. And the two ships landed. "Jin, good job." Makina, you too. Deputy Chief Muskawa, how did it go? Fine. How are you? I''m fine, too. Thank you, Your Highness. Sir. And so on... into the castle. "I guess the data analysis will be done tomorrow, right?" Rorona muttered, to which the three members of the Agricultural Research Institute replied in a burst of energy. "We''ll do our best to analyze the data tonight! "Leave it to me! I''ll do my best! "Mhm, don''t be too hard on yourself. ......" It was good that she was motivated, but Rorona was a little worried. * * * * The measured data is being sent to the "Mere Old Man" for analysis. It was expected that the "Mere Old Man" would finish his analysis almost at the same time as the measurement of this day was completed. However, it is the three members of the Institute for Agricultural Research who are going to analyze the data and then apply them to the cleanup work. Jin, Arnold and Lorona are only advising. "...... Arnold, can''t we get Chel to help us compile the data?" "Yeah, sure." Chelle''s paperwork skills are outstanding, so she is perfect for helping with this kind of work. "Then, can''t you help Jin''s golem maid, too? "Oh, that''s right." There are five number two golem maids of five colors. Three of them would be fine if they were to take care of Rorona''s personal needs. With Chelle and the two golem maids as support, it was thought that the burden on the three members of the <> would be lightened. So Jin went to Rorona to ask her to go with him, and Rorona readily agreed. "You can do as you please with the golem maid that Jin-san gave you," she said. "Thank you very much." Jin then decided to temporarily remove Ames2 and Ruby2 from Lorona''s care and have them support the with Chelle. "Jin-san, you''ve been a great help! "Thank you very much! "Thank you very much, Mr. Arnold, you are a great help! < accepted this support with great joy. * * * * * * Jin returned to his room and received a call from Reiko. "Father, please go to Horai Island and Loisart tomorrow. "What? Why? Because it''s your father''s birthday. "Oh, that''s right. ......" It was Jin who had seriously forgotten. "Because of the time difference, we will first go to Horai Island. Most of the < will be here to celebrate with us, except for Elsa." "Oh, oh." "After that, in the evening local time, at the Reuthert house, Elsa, Daikie, Cocona, Goh, Rubina, Amanda, and Merce will be celebrating with us. "...... I see. ...... thank you." "So, in the meantime, we will have a doppelganger to take your place. "Okay." Jin was pleased with the concern of Reiko and his friends. 3144 - - 83-08 April 1st It was Jin''s birthday. Jin was replaced by at 7:00 a.m. Horai Island time. "Happy Birthday, Onii-chan! Jin, happy birthday! "Happy birthday, Jin-san! < congratulate each other. Missing are Elsa, Arnold and Chelle. Elsa is still in Leuthart and will celebrate tonight there. Arnold and Chelle are in the Kingdom of Selroa working on a project. "Congratulations, Mr. Jin! "Happy birthday, Mr. Jin! "Happy birthday, Mr. Jin! I''m a little jealous because I don''t have a record of when I was born. The last word goes to Turles. <, he does not know the exact date and time of his birth, since it was in the that his ego was born. The oldest <> led the toast. "To the birthday of Jin-dono, a toast! Cheers! Cheers! The corks of the best wines and sparkling wines were uncorked. The <> are drinking Persian juice, while the <>, Ludmilla, is drinking non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Zion also has an official duty later on, so he is drinking soft drinks. Since they have known each other for a long time, they gave or did not give gifts as they wished. The gifts given to Jin were Rhodes, Ludmila, Mir¨®wna, and Maricka. Rhodotos and Ludmila jointly planted a potted plant of <>. The willow is a member of the rose family, although it is called "willow". It is named so because it has drooping branches like a willow and densely packed snow-white flowers. Thank you. < The white flowers of the snow willow contrasted nicely with the yellow-green color of the young leaves, making it one of Jin''s top favorite flowers. From Milowina was a specimen of . "It was found on the surface of the moon. < "Thank you. I''ll be able to use it for my research. < It is similar to rose quartz in appearance. When used as a <>, its performance is good, but it overreacts to specific magic waves (amplifies <>), so it tends to go out of control when used as a control core. It is known that the amplification rate of magic wave signals of specific wavelengths is different. Incidentally, the control core of Elena, which was out of control in the past, was made of this type. Marikka gave us a . The servant fox is a fox that lives on the continent of Gondor, and its fur turns pure white in the winter. Its fur is very popular because it can be used to make the finest winter clothing. Of course, in order to prevent their extinction, the number of animals hunted each year is limited. "Thank you, everyone." As a person who had been congratulated by many people but not by many others during his time at the facility, Jin was honestly happy to hear such thoughtfulness from everyone. Jin spent a pleasant time with his friends whom he could trust. * * * * * * * * * By the way, April 1st is the day when the will be held. And Zion has to be the chairman of the meeting. The time difference between <> and Horai Island is 3.5 hours. < starts at 11:00 a.m. local time. Well then, I''m going home. Thank you for your time, Theon. See you soon. So, at 11:00 a.m. Horai Island time......<> is 7:30......Theon left Horai Island He left Horai Island and returned to the <>. This is enough time to get to <> because of the <>. The time difference between Horai Island and the clan territories of the <> is less than two and a half hours, and the time is around 8:30 am. "But you''re a little busy, aren''t you? Zion smiles and changes her clothes. She changes from a calm dress to a suit that could be described as dignified. <. "But before I go, I''m going to take a short break. Zion takes a break in his private office. It''s to freshen up. <, so he has plenty of time. "......Well, let''s go." After taking a break, Zion has the look of a <>. * * * * * * "...... We will now open the 1013rd <>." Theon of , the chairman of the meeting, makes a and the 1013rd begins. In attendance are representatives from the Kingdoms of Klein, Franz, Egelea, Elias, Cerroa, Shoro, Mitsho, Huso, Nord, Norway, Jags, Mimaka, Dalat, and Mercana. Representatives from < and were also present. "...... It is a pleasure to see representatives from all over the world gathered here again to discuss world peace and development. I would like to open this meeting with what I hope will be another informative meeting. After a round of applause, the representatives of each country gave their greetings and reports on the current situation. I am George Geow Klein of the Kingdom of Klein. The young prince, who was attending the conference for the first time this year, gave his opening remarks. I am Corwin Raqqa Kido, also of the Kingdom of Klein. Also in attendance as his assistant was Corwen Raqqa Kiddo, Minister of Magical Technology. He is a childhood friend of King Merikrans I of the Kingdom of Klein. "In our country, there is a booming market for the private development of <><>. And ......" He reported on the recent situation of the Kingdom of Franz. "This is Claude de Chaunay, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom of Franz. "I am Abel Rossi, Director General of the Intelligence Bureau of the General Affairs Ministry of the Kingdom of Franz. You can find me in my country at ......." After the introductions and updates, Tomax Bartmann, representing , concluded the morning session. After a luncheon, the plenary session is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. 3145 - - 83-09 Quiet 139 Arnold and Delphina In 3048, Philistius the Humorous is born. In 3058, Delphina is born. In 3129, Arnold is born. In 3130, Filicius and Delphina''s parents have an accident on the road. In 3146, Filius visits the clan territory of the . < In 3148, Philistius begins to question the actions of his compatriots. In 3149, Filicius leaves his people and begins to build a secret base. In 3150, Philistius transfers the knowledge and personality of his sister Delphina. On April 24th, 3151, the Magical War broke out. On May 15, 3153, the <> breaks through the Kruger Mountain Defense Line. The first civilian casualties occur. In the same year, Phylicious divides the information on the and stores it in Golem. In 3154, Arnold is forced to participate in a project to build a facility under Fort Rutgula. In 3155, Arnold completes Chelle. On September 29th of the same year, the Aether Stampede occurs. The War of Magic ends. * * * * * * * * * * * * On March 30, an investigation of in the Bororon Wilderness of the Kingdom of Cerroa was conducted. Arnold visits the area with Jin, and sighs in sorrow at the transformed land. Delfina also visited the area as Rorona''s assistant, and wept over what her countrymen had done. The two had something in common. Both were born shortly before the Great War and both knew their homeland before the Great War. And both were automata created by the hand of Jin. Arnold was a technician who provided logistical support during the <>, and Delphina, although she does not remember it directly, has knowledge of the events of that time thanks to her brother Phyllius. In other words, both of them are well aware of the reality of the <. In addition, both of them shared the fact that they did not like the and hated it as ...... a stupid and foolish thing to do. So, both of them said they wanted to talk after dinner, and we ended up talking in Arnold''s room. I was very pleased to see him. "Greetings, I am Delphina, formerly of the clan. I am Arnold, former technical officer of the Kingdom of Dinar. They introduced themselves once again, and the conversation began. "I was shaken today when I saw what my people have done. You are very kind. You did not do this to yourself." "No, I was manipulated by the Dexiconai as well. Fortunately, when my brother performed transinfo, the influence of the Aguch was not transferred at all. Delphina had heard from Marikka about the history of the <> and knew that the <> her brother had predicted was the <> = <> (the northerners do not call it a > because they hate its deeds, but a derogatory term << (Most of the northerners do not say <> because they hate what they did, but they call them <>.) "And the situation in the Nord Confederation at that time was a situation, wasn''t it?" "Yes. Marikka told me that the second generation of <> helped them and made their lives easier and showed them the way to a permanent peace." At Marikka''s place Delfina heard many stories and learned more about the time when Jin had come to the rescue. "It seems so. You also defeated the at ......, didn''t you?" "That''s what I heard. And the person who played a leading role at that time is the automata (automata)...... that the Magecraft Meister of this generation is carrying with him." "You must be Reiko." "Yes, Reiko. You are the world''s best automaton that Marikka has set her sights on, aren''t you? That means she has no enemies. Invincible, isn''t it? I heard that it was not made to fight, but only to be improved and strengthened because you don''t want it to break. "That''s a great story too. ......" But Delphina said that, as the creator, she could understand that kind of thinking. "You and I both know that this body was made by Jin." "Yes, he did. I heard that my ...... brother Filius also wanted to make a body for me, but he gave up the idea because he was not satisfied with it. "You were an engineer who made golems and automata, how do you see your own body? "Yes, I think it''s a masterpiece that I could never make with my skills. "I agree with you." Arnold nodded broadly. "It has almost the same specifications as a human being. This is more difficult than building a strong body, isn''t it? "Yes, you''re right. I can''t make it. (Actually, the physical capabilities of the <> are several times greater than those of the <>, so the specifications of Delphina''s body are about 2.5 times greater than those of Arnold''s body.) Here Arnold changed the subject a little. "...... I have secured a position and place as a lecturer at <, what are your plans for the future, Delphina?" "I ...... haven''t decided yet." "I see. I know Maricka and Zion from ...... and they are both reliable people. Wouldn''t it be a good idea to ask them for advice?" "Yes. I''m trying to get accustomed to this world, but I''ll talk to them about it sometime soon. "There may be Nords who know about the time of the , but there are not many who have experienced it. Since you can give such lectures, why don''t you become a lecturer in Avalon? Yes, that is one of the candidates. Arnold wished Delphina could join the , but he had no authority to make a decision, so he didn''t say anything. I am sure that Marikka will eventually come up with the idea. "But still, it''s a terrible thing that you did with the heavy metal pollution. "Really. Even if they occupied the land, what were they going to do with the barren land where it is impossible to grow crops?" Only the Dexiconai would know that. "That''s what we''re trying to do now." At this point Delfina looked apologetic. "I wonder where did you get the distortion that allows you to do such an outrageous thing? "Marikka told me that. It seems that the curtain had already been drawn on the tragedy when it was created in the first place. Delphina seemed to have become quite knowledgeable. "But that doesn''t mean that the deed is forgiven, though. I agree. * * * Arnold and Delphina seemed to be on the same page, and they seemed to be talking forever if I didn''t tell them anything, so Chelle called out to them. "Mr. Arnold, Ms. Delfina. I think it''s time for you to go to sleep. An automata''s body does not need sleep, but the mental fatigue does. Therefore, Chelle recommended that they cut the conversation short. "Well, I think we''ll call it a night. "No problem." Thus ended the first conversation between Arnold and Delfina. 3146 - - 83-10 Soil Survey Results Now, on April 1st, in the Kingdom of Selroa. This will be the day of the presentation of the results of yesterday''s . By the way, Arnold is to attend the on the following day, the 2nd. He is to give a detailed talk as a person from the time of the <>. Therefore, his stay in the Kingdom of Celuloa will be limited to this day. * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Then, please give us a report. 8:30 am. As yesterday, the <> began, facilitated by Marcel, the king''s brother. "Yesterday, thanks to the cooperation of Jin-dono and Makina-dono, we were able to conduct the measurement smoothly. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you. Kiku Masukawa, deputy director of the Agricultural Research Institute, began. "First of all, I would like to show you a map of the distribution. "Oh." An image is projected on the large magic screen. With the help of Chelle and the Golem Maid of Five Colors, a splendid document had been created overnight. "Let me start with an overview. The distribution of contamination concentrations is roughly concentric from here ...... where the center of contamination seems to be." "Hmm." As you move away from the center, the concentration decreases. That seems to be the case. Also, to the west is the upper reaches of the Border River, where the soil moisture is relatively high, so the concentrations tend to be somewhat lower. "Indeed." Concentrations of heavy metals on the west side were 20 percent lower than those on the east side, the control site. "Could it be that this is simply due to the fact that less pollutants were sprayed?" Here Delfina offered her opinion. "From what I have seen, the west side is less important than the east side from a strategic point of view because of its proximity to mountainous areas. That is why the number of ......<> at that time was probably small." "I see, Delphina has a point. Delphina, who was frowning a little bitterly when she mentioned <>,....... "...... Let''s leave the reasons for that for another time and check the facts for now." Deus ex machina said, and everyone nodded and decided to listen to Kiku Masukawa''s explanation. "We''ll continue then. ...... One point of interest is this point." The location indicated was southeast of the Borolon Wilderness. It should be a . Only there was one place where the concentration was clearly low. You could say that it was almost completely uncontaminated. "But looking down from , there was nothing in the surrounding area. Makina says. Yes, at least on the surface, the wasteland was the same as the surrounding area. "It''s strange that only that area was spared from contamination, isn''t it?" "Yes. "You don''t know for a fact that someone has decontaminated the area in the past, do you?" "No, I don''t think so." Marcel, the king''s brother, is also tilting his head. "If the land was decontaminated in the first place, it''s strange that they haven''t turned it into arable land or residential areas. "That''s right, isn''t it?" Jin agreed with Marcel''s opinion. "So, ......." "Well, I''m sorry to say, but let''s put this on hold and hear the whole report first. Marcel, as the facilitator, told them. Inwardly he, too, was eager to know the cause of the anomaly. Kiku Matsukawa then resumed his explanation. "...... Well, the distribution of the contaminants was roughly as expected, except for the point that we named <>. In the <> the contamination is present down to a depth of about 20 meters, and at 30 meters the level of contamination is no longer a problem. <, the concentration of contaminants drops to a safe level at a depth of approximately 10 meters. <, the level of contamination is acceptable at a depth of about 5 meters. "The contaminants are cadmium, arsenic, hexavalent chromium and organic mercury. Each accounts for roughly a quarter of the total." "......umm......" Since all of these substances are highly poisonous, everyone was relieved that the protective goggles, gas masks, and dust gloves were appropriate during the survey. "If you know the name of the substance, you can make a magical tool to remove it. But at a depth of 20 or 30 meters, it will take time to remove it. Jin says. If it is just the topsoil, it is easy ...... to make a magi-machine like an earthworm and decontaminate the soil while sucking it in from the front and spitting it out from the back, but at a depth of 30 meters, the method would have to be changed. But at a depth of 30 meters, it seemed that the method would have to be changed. "At ......, let''s discuss the <>." After reviewing the results of the survey, we discuss our concerns. "Well, was there anything unusual in the soil in the areas with low concentrations of contamination?" Arnold asked if there were any other characteristics of the materials other than the toxic substances. "Not really, it''s what we call normal ...... standard soil." He said it was a mixture of clay, sand, humus, trace minerals, etc. "I don''t feel like I know what caused it," he said. "It''s weird that you don''t know the cause of the problem, isn''t it? "Yes." "I think it is most likely that someone has decontaminated it. ......" Jin says. Because there is no way it could have been decontaminated naturally. "Then who are they?" Kiku Maskawa turned anxious eyes on Jin and Makina. "I''ll have to look into that. ......" Makina murmured. "I suppose you''re right. We''ll find out if we can find out anything about that unnaturally decontaminated area." Jin said, "There might be some clues in the center of the uncontaminated area. "Then I''ll take care of that. Makina said. This was purely out of interest. "I know how to do a soil survey from what I saw yesterday. Besides, the measuring instruments were made by Jin and Makina, so they can produce as many as they want as long as they have the materials. "How about ......, Your Highness Marcel?" Jin asked his brother Marcel. "Yes, it would be very helpful if you could look into it. I will issue a permit in my name. "Thank you, Your Highness." Since the investigation was to take place in the Kingdom of Selroa, it could not be done without a permit. Thus, the deus ex machina was to conduct an additional investigation of the . 3147 - - 83-11 Difficulty with actual work Deus ex machina is to investigate the . We pause at ....... "That is a bit curious," said Arnold over a cup of tea. Arnold said as he sipped his tea. "Somehow I have a bad feeling about it. "Well,...... Arnold says he has a bad feeling about it, does that mean it reeks of a ?" "Oh, Jin, you''re so perceptive. Yes, that''s right." If there is a <> in such and such a place that cannot be seen from the surface of the earth, it is the previously mysterious <>......, the identity of which is unknown, but is assumed to exist somewhere, based on the large amount of missing materials. The "final weapon" is a "......", which has been a mystery until now. "It would not be surprising that such an underground facility would have some means of not accepting contamination, or that they could have brought soil from another location when they buried it," he said. Arnold, who had built an underground base before, was the only one to speculate on this. * * * * Well, I would like to discuss the some more, but break time is over. "We will resume then. < The facilitator, Marcel, the king''s brother, announced. "We are going to discuss the future of ......, that is, the . < or the ." "In our prior discussions, you said that you would choose from ." "Yes. Where should we choose? "It would be better to have a town or village nearby. I think it would be better to choose a place north of the town of . The town of Bororon is where the <> got its name. It is also a key point on the road connecting the Kingdom of Cerroa and the Shoro Empire. "I see no particular reason to object." I have no objection. No objections. It was unanimously agreed to designate an area about 10 kilometers north of the town of Bororon, one kilometer square, as the , and to mark the area with red stakes at the four corners. The site was located on the southern outskirts of the , which would become the in about two kilometers. < is such that no protection is needed, so it is easy to come and go. However, even in <> there are no health problems as long as people do not eat without washing their hands after playing with the soil. "Then, between the town of Bororon and the <>, let''s sow seeds of and ." "I see, the way you have suggested seems to be very efficient. Again, no one raised any objections, and the decision was made without a hitch. The decision was made without any objections from anyone. "Now, as the last item on the agenda, we would like to decide how we will carry out decontamination at the experimental site. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. Lorona?" Marcel, the king''s brother, addressed Lorona by name. "The basic idea is to dig up the contaminated soil, decontaminate it, and restore it to its original state. "I''m sure you''re right." Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bowanni said there was no other way. "Well, if ...... is the case, there is no problem with using magic tools to pinpoint and remove the contaminants." The contaminants are <>. If you are Jin, it is possible to make a tool to remove () them. "Yes, it is. It is ......, but, Jin-san, the scale is ......." Yes, in this case, depth is more important than area. However, if the crops are decontaminated to a depth of about 2 meters, there should be virtually no problem, but Jin did not think so. "But it would be better to decontaminate the area properly for later use, wouldn''t it? "That''s right, but it''s a lot of work ......." Even Lorona looks reluctant. He knows how difficult it is to decontaminate at a depth of 20 or 30 meters. "We''ll figure it out." However, Jin had not come up with anything yet. If this were Horai Island, there are many ways to do it, such as using the <> to roll up the soil within the physical boundary, decontaminate it, and return it to its original state, or using the <> and other space ships to dig up the soil for decontamination, or creating tens of thousands of special worm-shaped magical machines (Magi Machines) to do the work, etc. There are many ways to do this, ...... thinks. But Jin is a little worried about the best way to do this in other countries. "I think it would be better to dig a hole or a moat to the required depth, say 20 or 30 meters, first, and then proceed. This is Arnold''s advice. Dig up the soil, decontaminate it, backfill it, dig up right next to it again, decontaminate it, backfill it ....... This approach is very inefficient, he says. In other words, we should decontaminate the soil we dig while digging <>. The idea is the same as the one Jin had planned to do with the . "I see, we can attach a to those shovels and shovels." "What?" "What?" Everyone could not believe their ears when they heard Jin''s words, which sounded almost like he was talking to himself. The only one who did not doubt was Makina. "Shall we make the handles of shovels and shovels hollow so that the extracted contaminants can be stored in them? In Jin''s mind, <> is a shovel that can be handled with one hand, and <> is a large shovel. This is the eastern terminology, while in western Japan it seems to be the other way around. ......An aside. "But still, 30 meters is too big to do it all at once. ......" At this point Jin begins to consider the possibility of <>. "...... anyone familiar with <>?" "Oh, I can help you with that. To Jin''s murmur, Delphina answered "Oh, I''ll take care of that. "Well then, can you help me a little after this? "Yes, if it''s something I can do. Thus began the discussion on the unusual combination. ....... 3148 - - 83-12 Digging Up "Well, this concludes our meeting. After this, we will have individual meetings and reports." With the declaration of Marcel, the discussion on the results of the and the is over. < has been selected, the only thing that remains is the method of . This would be done by the experts Jin, Rorona, and Delphina, who said she had an idea about earth magic, and the results would be reported to Marcel. Deus ex machina is working with Arnold and the three members of the to put this together. The reason is that the report will probably be presented at the <> on the 2nd of tomorrow or the 3rd of the day after tomorrow. Not only that, Arnold and Delfina need to appear at the on the following day, the 2nd, so they are going to together. After all, both of them are living witnesses of the time of the . * * * * Now, Jin and the others. "There is a magic called that can dig up the earth. Using this, you can probably get ......." "Yes, I have heard of it, but I think it has been lost. The good news is that Delfina can use it." Rorona has only heard of this magic. <. So Rorona listens to Delfina''s explanation with great interest. "The conditions for activating <> are at ......." "Hmm." "The condition for using <> is ......." "I see." As a <>, Jin is able to analyze magic that he is not suited for and cannot use himself, and develop it into <>. He can then engrave them into Magi Crystals with the appropriate attributes, and use them as the activator of magic. "...... So this is the <>. ......" "That''s what I''m talking about, Jin-san." Delphina was impressed and Rorona was amazed by his skill. "Now, let''s see how much use this can be. ......" Delphina was impressed by the trick, and Lorona said, "Now let''s see how well we can use this. "I''m going out for a while. I''ll go with you. "I''ll go with you." When Jin tries to go to a suitable place with , Delfina and Rorona come along with him. * * * * * * After saying no to the king''s brother, Jin takes the out into the . He chooses a place at random. It is about in the area of . It is a wasteland without grass or trees. Hope, you''re flying low. Yes, sir. Hope dropped the hurricane to 10 meters. "Reiko, I''m sorry, but I need you to get the data on this thing. By my reckoning, that should correspond to meters." "Yes, father." Reiko grabs her magic tool and leaps through the emergency hatch of the Hurricane. Reiko landed gracefully, despite the altitude of 10 meters, and set the scale of her magic tool to 1, and activated it. The earth at a distance of about 10 meters rose and erupted. "...... that''s about one meter. That''s your father. About one meter square, one cubic meter of soil had been dug up. "Next is scale 3. This time, a hole 3 meters deep and 1 meter long and wide was dug at a distance of about 10 meters. Reiko tested one after another. At scale 11, the hole was 10 meters deep and 1 meter long and wide, and at scale 15, the hole was 14 meters deep and 1 meter long and wide. At scale 15, a hole 14 meters deep and 1 meter long and wide was dug. "It''s starting to not match the scale a little bit, isn''t it?" After all, at the maximum scale of 40, a hole 30 meters deep and 1 meter long and wide was dug. * * * * Reiko returned to . Just before she returns, she applies a to herself and her magic tools, taking care not to bring in any contaminants. "Thank you, Reiko." "Yes, father." I''ve been watching you. It seems the high output side is a little underpowered, isn''t it? "Yes." "Give it to me. Let''s get this thing tuned up. Yes. Jin receives the magical tool from Reiko and quickly adjusts it. It takes only 30 seconds. "That''s it. I''m sorry, could you do it again? "Yes, Father." "......" "............" Again Reiko runs out. She then runs the same tests as before and comes back. Of course, she did not forget to <. "It was fine this time." "Okay. Now the prototype is OK." "......" "............" "Hey, Rorona?" Rorona and Delfina, who were riding along, were overwhelmed and dumbfounded by the exchange between Jin and Reiko. "......I thought I knew how out of standard Jin-san was, but ......" "As expected of this generation''s <, isn''t he?" ...... "Yes, because he''s my father!" And so the < heads home. * * * * Returning to the royal castle in the Kingdom of Selroa, Jin immediately began mass-producing magical tools. These tools are designed to perform decontamination......< along with digging up the soil. It is much more efficient than adding functions to shovels and shovels. This time, because we made a structure that can be made only with materials available in the workshop of the Royal Castle, we managed to make 10 units, though they were as big as a bag. The shape resembles a fire extinguisher. When activated by pointing the end of a thick hose at the area to be dug up, the device blows up the soil and moves it away. At the same time, contaminants are and accumulated in a tank in the shape of a fire extinguisher. The golem can then be given this and perform while digging up the soil. We call it the . "This is fantastic!¡¡That''s what I''m talking about, Jin-san." ".................." Lorona also praises it. The three members of the < were absolutely thrilled. * * * * When they reported it to Marcel, the king''s brother, he was overjoyed. "Oh, that''s great, Jin-dono!¡¡Thank you very much! "Rorona-san knows how to use it. I''ve also prepared a user''s manual for you. That''s a good thing. Thank you very much. With this, Jin''s role was complete. You have completed your original plan. Yes, father. Tomorrow we have to take Arnold to Avalon. But, Master Gin... Yes? Can you take Rorona and Delphina with you to ? Makina had decided to investigate the singularity, and Jin was planning to do the same. "Sure." "Oh, that would be great." So the next morning, Jin was to take Arnold, Delphina, Rorona, and the three of them to . * * * * * * Jin then moves into Reuthert''s mansion without a care in the world. "Happy birthday, Jin-brother! "Happy birthday, Jin-sama!" "Happy birthday, Mr. Jin!" "Thank you, everyone." Jin''s eyes were a little moistened by the warm words he received here as well. ....... 3149 - - 83-13 Return and Visit On the morning of April 2nd, after breakfast at the Royal Castle of Selroa, Jin and his friends head for . The time is 8:00 a.m. "Thank you for everything, Jin-dono. I will bring you a gift later. "We will come back later for the decontamination experiment. Besides, Makina will be here a little longer. Both Jin and Makina want ...... materials, not money. They want to save money, because hoarding money has a negative impact on the economy, but supplies have a smaller impact (but not entirely absent). "Thank you for your help. "No, no, I''m sorry for all the trouble I''ve caused you. Please come again. Yes, if I have the chance. Rorona is also popular with the people of the castle. Please come again, Mr. Arnold. "Yes, this place is my home." And Delphina. Thank you very much. I will transfer the expenses for this trip to the academy. I''ll be counting on you. Thank you all for your hard work. Thank you very much. < is a part of the ''s duties, the money and expenses are not directly handed over to the three, but are paid to the once. The then decides on the reward for the three, taking into consideration the reports from the three, and in this case from Jin, Makina, and Arnold. "Be careful, Jin." "Yes. Makina, take care of the rest. "Oh." With these words, Jin, Reiko, Rorona, Delfina, Arnold, Chell, Kiku Masukawa, Laktato, and Yoh Nowki boarded the hurricane. "Take care." The <> begins its slow ascent, watched over by Marcel, the king''s brother, and Boigny St. Zekan, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. When it reaches an altitude of 200 meters, it moves forward. After circling slowly over the royal castle as if to say hello, it flew away to the south. * * * * "Oh, my God! "Wow, that''s fast, isn''t it? "800 kilometers per hour... ......? About that fast. Today was a sunny day with a few clouds, so I could really feel the speed of the <>. Although it was flying at the nominal speed of 800 kilometers per hour, the three <> researchers had guessed that the speed it was going seemed to be supersonic. It is only natural that they can calculate the average speed if they know the distance between <> and <> and the time required. (......<> people, you still have to work hard. ......) Kiku Muskawa, who is from Mitsuho and has heard many legends about , thinks that it would be better not to tell about this. But he does not. "Air resistance is proportional to the square of the speed, so it is a big negative factor. If we can devise a way to solve this problem, we can expect to increase the speed with the same engine. Jin explained to Laktato. The Egelea native is interested in technology in general. "I see. ...... streamlining is one of them, isn''t it?" "Yes, yes." And reducing the number of retractable legs and protrusions as much as possible. That''s what I''m talking about. Arnold joined in at this point. Is the aerodynamic drag more negative than a small increase in weight? "It depends on how much, but I''d say yes. Jin felt empirically that the weight itself may have a negative effect on acceleration, but its effect on the maximum speed is small. "I see... ...... So, there is still a possibility to increase the speed even with <>." "That''s true." Arnold is the head of the <, so naturally he has this kind of interest. <, he does not yet have a full grasp of all the technology that Horaijima possesses. Rather, he avoids acquiring such knowledge in a simple way and finds joy in finding it out for himself. "So that would be ......<>?" "Oh, that''s a good point." "But covering the whole plane would be harmful, wouldn''t it?" "That''s true." For example, if we cover the aircraft with physical wards, physical attacks from the outside will not be accepted, but also physical attacks from the inside will not be possible. And of course, not only attacks, but also physical forces such as ...... wind jets, etc. will have no effect. "Maybe we should deploy it only in front of the aircraft." "Yes, that''s right." "If it''s going to help speed things up a bit, we should avoid covering the entire area." "Yes." The <> is a pseudo-air jet that dissipates and reverts to free magic element (ether) soon after it is injected. Most of the propulsive force is the force that pushes the engine, which is generated inside the engine. Therefore, it is possible to go forward even if the whole engine is covered with the propellant ......, but the pseudo air that is injected, even for a short time, also contributes to the propulsive force, so it should not be ignored if the maximum speed is to be increased. Incidentally, when a <> makes supersonic speed, it mainly uses <>, so physical boundaries are not an obstacle. * * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, Lorona, Delfina, Kiku Maskawa and others were discussing the soil contamination. "It looks like the organic mercury was probably done by the Laurentians." "Is that so? ......" "Yes. Arnold said they sprayed metal vapors. They sprayed metal vapors. Mercury is easy to vaporize. War makes us do stupid things. ...... Yes, it does. That''s what I''d like to focus on in this report. I agree. With this discussion of technology, the group set out for . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * < 30 minutes later. It was 8:40 am local time. "Wow, it was fast, wasn''t it? "Well, it was fast, wasn''t it? At this time of the day, we had plenty of time to prepare. The group went first to the Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann. They were to report on their return. Jin, Rorona and Delfina greeted the visitors. "Oh, welcome back. Please ask Manon for more information. Yes, sir. Jin-dono, Rorona-dono, Delfina-dono, welcome. I''ll leave the rest to Manon. "Yes, sir." <. Jin and the others were shown to the reception room, and Arnold and the three members of the went to their respective laboratories. 3150 - - 83-14 Monetary Economy >Day 2. The meeting starts at 9:00 AM. The first item on today''s agenda is the amount of currency in circulation. The chairman, Zion, declared. The currency of this world is gold, silver, and copper coins, which are common to all the countries of the Small Group, the Shoro Empire, Mitsuho Huso, and the Principality. There are also crystal coins, but these are for deposits and are not in circulation. The most important thing is that the has the right to issue them. However, the size and quality are strictly determined. The design is the same on the front: three crossed swords = Dreischwelt. Gold coins cost 10,000 Tall (about 100,000 Japanese yen). Gold is priced at 500 Tolls per gram (market price). The gold coin is about 25 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick (about 1 cubic centimeter in volume). The coin is 75% gold, 15% silver, 10% copper (18 (18K), weighing approximately 20 grams. The obverse is a profile of the goddess in the sun. The silver coin is 100 Tall (about 1000 Japanese Yen). Silver is 5 Tall per gram (market price). The diameter of the silver coin is about 25 mm, and its thickness is about 2 mm. £¨The volume is about 1 cubic centimeter.) The coin is 90% silver and 10% copper (coin silver) and weighs approximately 10 grams. The obverse side has nine stars and a profile of the goddess. The copper coin is worth 1 tol (10 yen equivalent). Copper is priced at 0.15 Tall per gram (market price). The diameter of the copper coin is about 25 mm, and its thickness is about 1.2 mm. £¨The volume is about 0.83 cubic centimeters.) Copper 95%, tin 5% (bronze) about 5 grams. The obverse is an ear of wheat and the profile of the goddess. The gold, silver, and bronze coins are mixed with 0.001% mithril silver for magical identification. The crystal coin is worth 10 million toles (100 million Japanese yen). It is approximately 50 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick. (Volume: about 6 cubic centimeters). Made of magi crystal of all attributes. Approx. 20 grams. The reverse side is a profile of the goddess with lilies. It is for deposit, and is not actually in circulation. Of course, counterfeiting or minting is strictly prohibited and is a serious offense. In addition, the coins issued are treated with a special magic process to prevent counterfeiting. There are three types of magical treatment. The first is . The first is , which makes the coins hard and scratch-resistant. Harder than an iron nail (Mohs hardness 4.5). The second is . The surface of the coin is less prone to discoloration. (This is an older version of developed by Stearina in the past. The third is <. The mithril silver mixed with mithril silver has a magical <>, which can be identified by a special magic tool. These three are added at the same time at the time of minting by the coin-issuing magi-machine stored at the mint. "As many of you know, the former Kingdom of Dinar created and operated such a coin-issuing machine (magi-machine)." Theon explains. "However, after many years passed, the Kingdom of Dinar was destroyed, and currency could no longer be issued, but fortunately or unfortunately, the population decreased drastically due to the <>, and the economy stagnated for about 400 years, so it did not become a problem. It did not become a problem. When people stored their wealth, it was not in the form of money but in the form of gold bullion, so there was almost no decrease in the circulation of money. "Then, about 400 years ago ......, around the year 3460 on the continental calendar, the world began to change again," he says. Around the year 3460 on the continental calendar, the world began to develop again, and of course the economy expanded, resulting in a shortage of money. Zion is experiencing this first hand. "Then, the < repaired the Magi machine for issuing money. He then entrusted the management to the Council of World Affairs. "I see." Jin, who had been observing from the back of the room, wondered if I had done that in the past. The reason for the shortage of money in circulation was probably due in no small part to Jin''s hoarding. Jin guessed that the money-issuing machines were probably repaired or newly built to overcome the situation. "In addition, counterfeit coins were circulating at that time, threatening the economies of countries around the world. In that sense, it was fortuitous that these magi machines for issuing coins were newly created and managed by the <>." The technology of the old Dinaric kingdom was reproduced, and Jin wondered how they had been able to prevent counterfeiting since that time. "Now, I would like to begin the meeting to determine the number of coins to be issued by each country. As long as we use a common currency, different monetary values would upset the economic balance among nations, which in turn could destabilize the world situation. A slight difference in price is inevitable, but a large disparity is not good. Therefore, the <> decides the number of coins to be issued according to the economic situation of each country. I don''t know if this is the best way or not, but since this system was established, the world economy has been fairly stable. (......I''m not an economist, you know. ......) Jin laughs, "At best, I can do nothing more than keep a household account. * * * * Each country submits a document containing figures on tax revenues, revenues, expenditures, and expenses, which are then evaluated to determine the number of sheets to be issued. Normally, this work cannot be completed in a day or two, except with the auxiliary magical brain created by the <>. This is, in essence, a computer specialized for a specific task, which produces results without unnecessary fluctuations as long as the necessary data is input. The required data are population, land area, revenue and expenditure for the past 10 years, breakdown of the national budget for the past 10 years, temporary expenditures for the past 10 years, and so on. and so on. The of each data set is discussed and decided at the (although it is generally the same as the previous year''s data). The calculated numbers are then discussed somewhat and fine-tuned to determine the final numbers. At this point, Jin could not follow the discussion (nor was he very interested in it), so he left the meeting room to take a breath of fresh air. The morning ended with such a decision on the number of coins to be issued. * * * * * * * After lunch, the afternoon was spent on the introduction of Arnold and Delfina, the actual situation of the magic war, and the explanation of heavy metal pollution. Jin will also attend the meeting as a concerned party. "Arnold and the others will prepare the materials, right? "Yes, father." Reiko answered Jin''s murmur. "I wonder how they will react when they hear what Arnold and the others have to say. Jin hopes that they will use the past to create a better future. 3151 - - 83-15 Findings < was being held in , in the Kingdom of Cerroa, a deus ex machina began to investigate a . < Deus ex machina is observing the area with . "Well, I don''t feel any change on the surface of the earth. But there seems to be a lot of bushes and shrubs. "Yes, that''s right. I guess it is because there is less heavy metal pollution. Rey answered Makina. This time, no one from the Kingdom of Selroa is here, so we can do whatever we want. "Okay, let''s get some data on the distribution of contamination. We could just use the topsoil, but there is a possibility that we will find something new, and we can compare our data with the data from the previous day, so we will follow the same survey method. The work will be entrusted to < to of the <> crew. Each of them carried a > and headed for a randomly designated spot in pairs. < team was traveling at a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour. Even in this rough terrain, they can reach a speed of 100 km/h, which is more efficient than traveling by when measuring a small area. Five measurements were made in 10 minutes, and another five in 30 minutes, including travel. The results are sent to < and . The old man analyzed the data in less than a second and gave instructions on where to measure next. He then took measurements at 10 more locations and sent them to ....... "Do you have a rough idea of the center point? "Yes, master Machina." But this is ...... The distribution of concentrations is clearly anomalous. While the concentrations at the other sites show a slow decrease or increase, the rate of change around the singularity is almost ten times higher. "This high rate of decrease clearly reeks of human intervention." "Yes, it does." "Now that we''ve collected data from 20 locations, it''s safe to say that this is the center of the singularity." Yes. Yes. Of course you have already calculated that. Then, he used the to check the underground and found ....... < It is a hemispherical structure with a diameter of 100 meters. The armor made of special steel is about 10 meters thick. <. The amount of steel used in this weapon seemed to be a sure sign of its being a weapon of choice. I should call it <> ....... So this is what the "ultimate weapon" is. The old man then examines the various parts of the <>. It is powered by a collection of <> like those used for a normal sized ...... golem. It seems that even the engineers of the former Dinar Kingdom could not fuse magi crystals like Jin. Hence, the number of magi crystals is amazing. About a thousand. How and where they got them, even the "Mere Old Man" cannot imagine. According to the "Mere Old Man''s" estimation, it would take ten times as much energy (mana) to move something of this size and weight. The old man then went on to examine the inside of the plant. It seemed to be a fortress as well as a shelter. << However, there was no damage or deterioration to the golems, and they seemed to be in good condition. . The armament is not much. But they are a threat in their own way because of their size and number. < The energy source, the <>, is too small to work satisfactorily. <<>. It has 100 legs, like an elephant, growing on the flat surface of its underside. Each leg seems to have some elasticity, so that it can move forward on a flat surface even if the ground is not leveled. ...... or even in the at that time. I will look into it further, Mr. Old Man. >. Also, << From the fact that the number of Golem for taking care of the crew and Golem for fighting could not be arranged due to lack of materials, we could infer that the number of Golem for taking care of the crew and Golem for fighting was not sufficient. > It is possible that they were built underground to avoid detection by the warring parties of the time, but the question remains: how?¡¡The question remains, "How? If there was an underground base and they built it there, but the fortress itself is completely <>. . The old man decided to conclude so. 3152 - - 83-16 Published Truth . That seems to be the < that Arnold feared. < The old man seemed to have no idea of the best way. The main reason is because of the < of human beings. The irrationality that dares to choose the illogical and inefficient path instead of the logical one. Therefore, it is difficult even for the old man to predict human behavior. * * * * At 11:30 a.m. < time, Jin received a report from the old man via Reiko. "I see. ......" It was unexpected for Jin in three ways. First, the was a . Second, it was buried in the ground. Third, it was only discovered . The fact that it was unfinished is not unexpected. "I didn''t realize we were in the middle of a <>. ...... No, wait?" But then again, this might be a good time, Jin thinks to himself. < will be held until tomorrow, the 3rd. If we could present this finding at the conference, we could discuss how to handle it, he thought. "All right, Master, let Makina discover the . And let Makina report it to the Council of Worlds. < The old man understood Jin''s intention with a short explanation. He then gave instructions to the magical brain that was controlling the Machina. * * * * * * "Okay, let''s dig around." Makina knows and has the same that Jin developed the other day. The soil near the <> is not contaminated, but it is safe to use. He puts the magic tool in the hands of his and digs up the area at maximum power. "Oh, this is nice. After about 20 minutes of use, the soil in the area has been successfully dug up, revealing the buried <. The buried weapon was revealed. The soil had been magically treated and was completely rust-free. "Okay, that''s it." Makina sent the image to the old man. It is further sent to Jin: ....... * * * * <, Jin and Arnold were staring at the images sent in the . "This is the <>......!" "I think it is. What do you think Arnold?" "...... I think so, too." I knew it. Jin, what are you going to do? I think this is a matter for Machina to report to the Council of World Affairs. Well, of course it is. So now Makina will come to us. I see. "He will report to the Kingdom of Celuloa and then head over to ......, so he will probably arrive around 2:00 or 3:00 p.m., right? < will be from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm (with a 30 minute break in the morning and afternoon). (with a 30-minute break in the morning and afternoon). It may be extended if necessary. It was thought that since we would be able to report today, we would be able to get it on tomorrow''s agenda. "So, first we need to get a report on what needs to be done ......<>." "Okay." * * * <>The afternoon session began with introductions by Arnold and Delfina. "...... So, we are having a conversation with all of you here, with Jin-dono making the body." "......" Most of the attendees were absolutely stunned by the fact that a person from the past had come back to life in the present day. "Just to be clear, it was thanks to the Magi Crystal, which accurately transcribed their personalities, that we were able to bring the two of you back to life as automata, but it would have been impossible without such brains." Jin nails it. If everyone wanted an automata body, there would be no end to it. "And such technology was also possessed by the <>. ......" Jin slurs his words and hints that his current self, the <<3rd generation Magecraft Meister>>, is incapable of doing so, thus misleading the others. He does not lie, but only deceives. Then, before they have a chance to think about it, they make a major change of subject. The spokesperson is Delfina. "The reality of the magic wars is, in fact, ......." This was a new revelation, and it was enough to attract the interest of the heads of state and other important figures in the world. "...... on the Laurentian continent ......" Arnold also gave an explanation that caught the attention of those present. "Mm-hmm,......." "Oh, no, that''s ......" "That makes me think ......." After the audience had calmed down a bit, Sion and Rorona explained that the < had defeated the > and put an end to the feud. The series of events, some of which had been considered open secrets and some of which had not been known at all, left the members of the <> ...... except for ...... Zion, stunned by the shocking truth. (At last, the <> was over. (Finally, the truth of the <> became public. ......) It was a moment of deep emotion for Jin, who was involved in the war. * * * * "Well, the present , then called , was the scene of a fierce battle. Arnold began to speak as soon as the excitement in the crowd had died down. "The Laurentians used chemical weapons such as mercury vapor and the Nords used heavy metal ions. Both were probably instigated by ." "......" "The Kingdom of Selroa has set up a project to decontaminate the area." "Oh." "And so, Jin-dono, Rorona-dono, and Delphina-dono have come forward as collaborators. And from , three members of the , Kiku Masukawa, Laktart, and Yoh Nouki, measured the contamination level. Chelle immediately hands out the materials. It shows the distribution of soil contamination on a topographical map of the Borolon Wilderness. "The distribution is roughly concentric, starting at the center of the contamination, and decreasing in concentration toward the outside. "I see, that''s right." That''s easy to understand. "Jin-dono and Makina-dono, who is not here, improved the magic tools for measurement, and Kiku-dono, Laktato-dono, and Yoh-dono of the performed the measurement." Arnold''s explanation continues: ....... 3153 - - 83-17 End of reporting < at the was quite astonishing to those in attendance. They were even more shocked to hear that the in the Kingdom of Cerroa had been contaminated by heavy metals, and that this was not only being done by the of the time, but also by the Laurentians. "mmmm ......" "............" Waiting for the groans to subside, Arnold continued. "The fact that the distribution of contamination concentrations is almost concentric means that the contaminants were not spread over a large area, but concentrated in certain places." "That is certainly true." "So it''s easy to imagine that the center of the area would have been the scene of a fierce battle." "Mm." We don''t know yet if it was a small area or if it was more or less extensive. We''ll have to wait and see. I see. At this point Delfina took over the explanation. "But I suspect that the troops may have exchanged such with each other. "Oh." "The poisoning must have been terrible, and those who survived the battle must have suffered from acute intoxication." "Ummm ......" In this way, Arnold and Delfina explained. * * * * When they had finished what they had to say, the chairperson, Zion, made a closing declaration. Thank you very much for your explanation, Mr. Arnold and Ms. Delfina. Ladies and gentlemen, do you have any questions? "Yes." Yes. - Now, Prince George... Prince George of the Kingdom of Klein raised his hand and Zion permitted him to speak. "Yes, Your Highness. ...... Sir Arnold, in your explanation of the current contamination situation, you mentioned a , what exactly is it?¡¡Of course, you can guess. It seems much more plausible than our guess, so we would like to hear it. "Okay. ......<> is an area where there are few, if any, contaminants to be found. This is not a natural phenomenon, but rather some kind of anthropogenic influence. What do you think about this anthropogenic influence? "I have heard that the deus ex machina is currently under investigation, so I do not want to make any hasty judgments. Hearing this statement, there were murmurs of "Oh," and "Lord Machina is..." among those in attendance. "I understand. Thank you very much. Does anyone have any other questions? Yes, I do. "Yes." "Now, Abel Rossi." Now Mr. Abel Rossi, Director of the Intelligence Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of the Kingdom of Franz asks a question. "At that time, was there a concept of heavy metal contamination or poisoning?" "Yes, there was no such thing ....... Therefore, it is unnatural that both sides used it as a weapon at almost the same time. After all, it was because they were seduced by a negative doll. "I understand." Several other questions were raised. "What was the true identity of the <>?" "It was a kind of automaton created by a mysterious being." < "What do you know about this <>?" "It is a <> and therefore a <>. I suspect it is an advanced civilized indigenous people." "I see." Delfina adds. "It may be the same or close to the same being that created the ruins that remain in various parts of the world. "Oh, I see." It is widely known that a mysterious civilization far more advanced than the present one existed in the past. There were also some known ruins from an even older era than the old Dinaric Kingdom. Therefore, it is known that such indigenous people may have existed. We also know that they are a mystery. Arnold or Delfina answered in this way. When there were no more questions, the subject was closed. "This concludes the briefing on and ." The time is 4:00 pm. After a short break, the <> continues, but Arnold and Delfina are now excused. By the way, Jin has not left the meeting yet. This is because he has been asked by Zion to attend the meeting under the name of <>. * * * * * * * * * * * "I''m tired." "I''m so tired." Arnold and Delfina were sitting slumped on the sofa in the waiting room. They were mentally exhausted from the intense tension. "Now I''m curious about the investigation of the ." "Yes, that''s right." < But I am looking forward to the investigation of the . "Perhaps there is or was an or something in the vicinity." "You''re absolutely right." At this point, Chelle offers them some tea. "Thank you for your help." "Thank you." "Thank you." Both of them are automata with taste buds, so they can enjoy the taste of the tea. "Ah, the tea is delicious." "Yes, it is. You''re very good at it, Mr. Chell. "Thank you for the compliment." After enjoying the taste of the tea for a while, they left the waiting room and went to the guest room where Lorona was staying. "Hello, Mr. Arnold, Ms. Delfina, is the meeting over?" "Yes, it''s over." "Yes, it''s over." "Yes, it''s over. ...... just got a call from deus ex machina just now. "What?¡¡Did he finish his investigation of ......? "It seems so. It is too late for today''s meeting, so it will be reported at tomorrow''s meeting. "I''m curious to see what they have to say. ......" Arnold says, and Lorona smiles mischievously. "I''ll tell you a little bit about it." "Oh, I''d love to!" "Yes. ...... looks like a huge ." A mobile base. ...... I see. That would explain the huge amount of materials, Arnold thought, and he was looking forward to the next day. 3154 - - 83-18 Gasma Island Arnold and others were explaining the decontamination of the in . A joint research team from the Kingdom of Franz, the Kingdom of Klein, and the Nordic Federation visited the island ......<> between the Laurent and Gondor continents to investigate. From the Kingdom of Franz was Zorana Gogibel, chief of the Ministry of Magic. From the Kingdom of Klein, Sasha Dae Corriere, chief of the Ministry of Magic and Technology. From the Nordic Federation, Maricka''s apprentice and friend of Rhodes, <> Rulstner. Each of them has one guard and two assistant golems. The three guards are also female knights and soldiers, and all the members of this troop are women except for the golem. Such are the members. The means of transportation are six Nordic blowplanes. "It''s still cold even though it''s ......4 March. "But there''s not much snow here, so it''s easy to survey." < Nevertheless, its location between the Laurentian and Gondorian continents means that it is at a fairly high latitude, and the average annual temperature is necessarily low. "Are you sure there are ruins here?" "Probably." The reason why this island was chosen for investigation is due to a journal discovered during the investigation of the ruins...... constructed by Phylicius of the recently discovered ruins......<> in the Nordic Federation. It was recently discovered that he had written about his plan to build a final base on a <> between two continents. <> is this . Therefore, it was decided to send people from each of the three neighboring countries ......<<<> to conduct a survey. "Why didn''t you at least wait until after the ......?" said Zorana Gogibel of the Kingdom of Franz. "I agree with you." Sasha Dae Corriere of the Kingdom of Klein agreed. "However, the information is uncertain, so I am not sure if we could get any more help than we are getting now," he said. said. "Well, that''s true," he said. "Well, that''s one thing," he said, "but if something happens, you''ll be able to get help right away." "I think that''s still true, though." <, is Marikka''s apprentice and friend of Rhodes. He knew Jin, the current Magecraft Meister, and expected him to come to his aid if anything should happen to him. After all, he had participated in the <. The group went to the east side of the island, and then to the west side. The group landed their blowplane on a flat area on the east side of the island, near the coast, and proceeded to investigate to the west. They had guessed that if there were ruins, they would be on the plains or in the center of the island. Since we could not find any ruins on the plain, we decided to go to the center of the island. Due to the cold climate, there were no dense forests growing, only sparse coniferous forests, which made it easy to move around. The assistant golem cleared away some of the bushes, and the group was able to smoothly make their way to the center of the island. < is nearly an oval shape, long from east to west. The distance from east to west is 40 km. Therefore, the distance from the coast to the center is 20 kilometers, and it would take less than 7 hours walking at a speed of 3 kilometers per hour. This meant that we could not reach the site in a day, so we had to make camp along the way. All the heavy luggage was carried by the assistant golem, and the other members carried only their personal belongings on their backs, so they were not too tired. "It would have been easier if we could have flown to the center of the site in a <>." "Then you would have only been able to survey the points." "Well, that''s true." Zorana is a bit of a whiner, Rulstner thought with a wry smile. But, despite the hastily formed survey team, they are doing reasonably well. "Your meal is ready. "Thank you." Sasha Dae Corriere thought, "It''s easier since it''s all women (except for the golem). In the two previous expeditions she had participated in, more than half of the participants were male researchers or soldiers, which made it a little uncomfortable for her to change clothes, do errands, etc. On the other hand, this time all the participants were women. On the other hand, since all of us were women, we did not have to worry about anything and were able to relax. The tents are what we call "domed" in modern Japan, and the outer shell, called a "flysheet," is also unfolded to keep the tent warm and dry. In addition, Rurstner''s < magic tool had created a barrier to keep the temperature from escaping, so it was not cold even at night. "You were Marikka''s apprentice, weren''t you, Rulstner?" After the meal, when we were drinking warm milk, Zorana spoke to us. "Yes." "I also heard one of Marikka''s lectures once before in ." "Oh, I see. "That was very informative." Zolana said in a sincere voice. Rulstner''s affection for Zorana increased when he realized that Zorana was looking up to his master. Zorana''s love for her mentor has increased. After sunset, all that was left was to rest. The three guards sleep near the entrance of the tent, and the three investigators sleep in the back. We were relieved to know that six golems would be on guard. We were not tired and did not need sleep. Although there are no large animals on the island, we must be on our guard. So, the group used Marikka''s specially made magic tools. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Of course, the old man was aware of the activities of this research team. Marikka had also reported to him, so he checked with his <> and found that there was some kind of facility under the center of the island. However, we could not see the back of the facility even with <>. There is probably some kind of a barrier that blocks the magic power. Therefore, the old man was watching the movement of the survey team and was ready to rescue them if anything happened. Nothing happened that day and the night passed quietly on Gasmada Island. ....... 3155 - - 83-19 April 3rd April 3 is Reiko''s birthday. More precisely, it is the day that Reiko was reborn by the hands of Jin. "Happy birthday, Reiko." "Thank you, father." In the morning, Jin and Reiko are temporarily transferred to Horaijima. Jin first performed maintenance and overhaul of Reiko. The energy source, , was readjusted and was serviced. Micron-level adjustments were made to the skeleton and joints to correct even the slightest distortion. Various sensors are checked and adjusted. The finishing touch is a full-on and . This has improved Reiko''s overall performance by about 0.5 percent. Then, Jin presents Reiko with a <>. It is made of mithril silver and magi crystal, and has a simple design. And of course, it is not only an ornament, but also a magical tool. It has functions such as the ability to shift only 50 meters in an emergency, a mana tank for emergency use, and a <>. All of these functions are for Reiko''s protection. "Happy birthday, Reiko! "Thank you, Miss Elsa." And from Elsa, who came from Leuthart by transfer, a brooch. This is also an emergency mana tank. The old man also received messages from all the other members of the . These are the messages that he received from each of them when they gathered for Jin''s birthday celebration. . > > Messages from everyone, etc., etc., etc., were broadcasted. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * There is a time difference of about 3 hours and a half, so even if it is 7:00 in the morning in Horaijima, it is still 3:30 in the morning in <>, and it is still dark. So Jin took a short nap once again. * * * * When he woke up, it was 7:00 in the morning local time. He has breakfast and goes to the waiting room of the <>. "Hey, Jin. Makina, you''re early. No, I just arrived. I heard you found something. Yeah. I''ll report it today. A few other people have gathered, so the two of them are speaking in an off-duty manner. As a matter of fact, Jin had received a detailed report from the old man on Horai Island, so he knew what had been found. "I think Arnold would be interested in that. "I think he''s probably been summoned." The location being what it is, Marcel, the brother of the king of Celuloa, would know that Arnold had reported that there must be a large amount of material being consumed somewhere. "Oh, Machina, and Jin. Good morning." Good morning, Zion. I hear you have a big announcement to make today. Yes, I do. Please be gentle. In the meantime, the attendees have gathered in large numbers, and the door to the conference room is opened. The time was 8:30 am. Each person takes his or her assigned seat. It has been three days now, so they are used to it. Zion looks around the room, "It looks like everyone is already here," he said. "It looks like everyone is already here," he announced. Arnold, Delfina, and Rorona also took their seats for witnesses near Jin. Deus ex machina was standing under the podium with his assistant, Squire Rey, for the debriefing. Tomax Bartmann also took his seat with his deputy, Ilmina Ratkin, his secretary, Fiona Fierce, and the automata Manon and Simone. "Well then, although a little earlier than the scheduled time, since all the attendees are present, the third day of the <> will be held. The time was 8:45 am. The third day of the has begun. "Now then, as a matter of urgency, I would like you to report to the Deus ex Machina regarding the underground facility found in the Kingdom of Cerroa. "Deus ex machina. ...... I''m sure you are aware of the recent investigation into in the Bororon Wilderness in the Kingdom of Celuloa." Makina breaks off and looks around at everyone. Everyone nods silently. "There was a point called < where the pollution concentration was unusually low, so we focused on measuring the pollution concentration around that point and found the center point. And when we dug up there, we found ......." At this point, Makina instructed Rey to project a huge underground facility on the large magic screen in the conference hall. "...... we found something like this." "Oh ......! What is this? Everyone who saw the images gasped. "It may be hard to tell how big it is, but it''s about 100 meters in diameter." "Yes, 100 meters. ...... "That''s something in the ground! It is smaller than as a man-made object, and Machina''s airship is also 100 meters in length, but the fact that it is in the ground and made of all metal seems to have a big impact. It seems that the fact that it is under the ground and made of all metal has a great impact. "I believe that Lord Arnold once mentioned the possibility of the construction of the <, and I think that this may be the case. What do you think, Mr. Arnold?" Arnold opened his mouth slowly. "...... Indeed, there is a strong possibility that this is the ." "Of course it is." "Yes. ...... have you done a detailed investigation yet?" Not yet. But we have confirmed that it is not powered at all. Here Makina says to all of us. "I think this is a matter for the World Congress, not just for the Kingdom of Selroa, don''t you? "I think so." The first to answer was Marcel, the younger brother of the King of Celuloa. And with that, opinions in favor of the proposal began to emerge one after another. Since the Kingdom of Celuloa had declared that this was a , there was no reason for any other country to have any say in the matter. "Then, let us take a vote. Chairman Zion declares. "All those in favor of the investigation of this underground facility under the jurisdiction of the World Congress, please raise your hands. Immediately all hands were raised. From now on, this facility will be handled by the . 3156 - - 83-20 Discovery on Gasma Island Now, we arrived at Gasmada Island on the same day. After breakfast, the group headed back to the center of the island. "Thank goodness the bush is not too thick. "It''s a cold region, isn''t it?" "But there are vines and bushes, so it''s not so easy to walk. However, the assistant golem ahead of us is mowing the path, which makes it a lot easier. And this mowed path is also a marker for the way back. "How much further?" "We''ll be there by noon, I think." Zorana Gogibel said to herself, to which her assistant Golem answered. "But there''s nothing to see here, is there?" "That''s true. It''s a deserted island. Sasha Dae Corriere of the Klein Kingdom and Rulstner of the looked at each other and nodded. "Climatically speaking, it has a maritime climate, but it''s at a high latitude, so it''s not surprising that vegetation doesn''t thrive there. "Is that how it is?" "That''s the way it is." "But there are no tall trees, are there?¡¡It''s not as if it''s windy. Maybe it''s the poor nutrition. Maybe it has a little bit of an effect. I''m more concerned about the ground here. What? It''s limestone. Yeah, it''s very alkaline. It''s not good for plants. It''s a lively road trip. * * * * Finally, we arrived at the center of the site. The group decided to have lunch first. "Hey, can''t we cut down some trees around here?" Sasha Dae Corriere suggested. "Then we can land our blowplanes here, right?" "Yes, that would be a good idea." "Considering the future research, it would be better to have an airfield. So we choose a flat area in the center of the island, and with the help of magic and my assistant Golem''s power, we cut down the trees, mowed the grass, and prepared the ground. If there is any kind of facility, it is underground. Therefore, some felling of trees is good for the future. In the meantime, the cut trees are made into logs and laid down. The logs can be used as lumber if they are dried. "Is this about right?" Yes. < and are also VTOLs. "Okay, this is the center of the island." "Let''s dig." but it is the assistant golems who actually do the work. The humans just watch. So there is a lot of chatter. "Isn''t the still being held today? "Yes, I think so. "Will Makina-san or Jin-san be there?" "I heard that there is an especially important matter this time, so I think they will come." What important matter? "They said something about the truth about the war and the backstory of the war. I''m curious. When you get back to your country, you''ll be able to see the report. "Well, yes." The three researchers are in a lively mood. The three guards, however, are silent and watchful of their surroundings. And the six assistant golems are digging up the earth with all their might. Of course, they are not digging in the same place together, but in six different places. This is because we do not know where the facility we are looking for is located. We search the ground with <>, dig a hole with <>, and search again with <>. ....... And so on. Finally, they found something. "Master Zorana, we have found a metallic object." The one who found it was Zorana''s assistant golem (let''s call it Z-1 or Z-2). It was some kind of metal floor or roof. He found it when he dug about two meters into the earth. "All of you dig there". At Zorana Gogibel''s order, the six golems dug around the spot, and apparently that was their destination. What emerged was a gently curved ceiling, or dome. "But isn''t it really big?" "Yes, it is. ......" Based on the curvature of the visible part, the radius seems to be about 50 meters. In other words, there is a sphere or a hemisphere with a diameter of 100 meters buried in it. Coincidentally, the size of the sphere is very similar to the discovered by Makina in the Kingdom of Cerroa. * * * * * * * * * * * "Now, what should we do next? There was a hatch slightly off the top of the dome, which could be opened from the outside. It looked as if it could be opened from the outside. "We don''t know what''s in there, do we?" "Yes, we do. I don''t think this group would be able to handle anything that might happen. "If we want to be cautious, I think it would be better to report here and ask for instructions from the top. The three researchers agreed. I asked the three guards about it, and they also answered that we should be cautious. "It''s already late at night, isn''t it?" "Yes, it is." We decided to camp here for the night. We would use the airfield we had built for our blowplane. The next day, we decided to run the assistant golem to the blowplane and have it bring all six planes to us. After that, we sent one plane to each country and asked them to report what they found and ask for instructions ....... 3157 - - 83-21 Investigation team reinforcements and dangers On April 4, the was normally over and a reception was being held, but because of an urgent agenda item, the meeting was extended by half a day. It was, so to speak, an <. The topic of the meeting was the treatment of the facility discovered on . "...... That is to say, we have conducted an investigation relying on the documents left by Mr. Filicius, and we have discovered this underground facility." The report came from the Kingdom of Klein, the Kingdom of Franz and the Nordic Federation. It is only natural that a joint survey team of the three countries made the discovery. < to be underway. "How about the Nordic Federation taking the lead in the investigation, with the participation of the Kingdoms of Franz and Klein? "Yes, since it seems to have been left to the Nord Confederation." No objections. "No objections." That was the conclusion. * * * * * * Send reinforcements to the members on the ground. The Nordic Federation will be the main body of the investigation. Both Klein and Franz are to provide support. All items found are to remain the property of the Nordic Federation, but dangerous items are to be referred to the . The Nordic Federation will not provide reinforcements. Reinforcements from the Nord Confederation are the Lord Toss and the Kondak. And Momoko, an automata. Reinforcements from the Klein Kingdom were Ritz Lakka, chief of the Third Technical Department of the Ministry of Magical Technology. Reinforcements from the Kingdom of Franz are led by Folz Engal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic. Instructions were sent out that day to head for the island of Gasmada. The next day, they will all board a large wind-powered blower-floater to their destination. * * * * * * * * * * <, returned to Horai Island during his lunch break and had a discussion with the old man. "...... So, this is not a <> or any other similar facility?" < "You mean, something like a <> is being deployed? <> "Hmmm... ...... I wonder if this is still the facility left behind by Phylicius." <<"hmmm I wonder if this is still the facility left behind by Phylicious. The common habits in the appearance of the facility>> "I see." <, is on his way, so he wants to take some safety precautions. "I suppose we could send a to watch over them." < "Alright, send in the Shinobi squads One, Two, Three, Four, and Five." > < is the inside of the facility, we can use the to send them right outside. "Old man, if it is a facility related to Phylicious, shouldn''t Delphina go there?" < "Oh, I see. ......" Since Phyllius wanted Delphina to come back as an automata, there is a possibility that the magical brain of the facility will react in some way if Delphina actually visits. Since we don''t know what that might be, the old man recommends that we wait and see. "Also, do you think it is safe for so-called to enter the facility?" >. "I see. I see. I''ll give you some advice on that at ......." Just recently, in the opposite pattern, Eira was in danger in Fort Lutgra in the Kingdom of Celuloa when she was recognized as a <>. Jin thought that if he used this as an example, they would listen to him. "But just to be safe, make sure that the Shinobi troops also have a <>. The magic pattern is ......, I''ll use the one from Rhodes." <. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "I see, thank you for your advice. As soon as Jin returned to <>, he requested a meeting with Tomax Bartmann, the chief administrator, and explained to him the actions that the <> should be careful of. Tomax Bartmann agreed with Jin, not to mention the example of Fort Lutgla, and agreed to advise the survey team through the representatives of each country who attended the <>. Next, Jin visited Zion''s waiting room. Hey, Jin and Racco. Zion, thank you for three and a half days. Thank you. We had a party in the evening, didn''t we? Yeah. Some of us are going home tomorrow and some of us are staying one more day. I''ll be back the day after tomorrow. I''ll be back the day after tomorrow." "I see. Did you hear that ...... Rhodes is going to investigate the island of Gasmada? "Yes. I told him to be careful. < "Hey, do you think we should take Delfina with us?" "Yes, that''s what I thought too, and I talked it over with the old man, and we came to the conclusion that it would be better not to do it so suddenly." "Is that so?" "Is that so?" Jin then explained the old man''s advice to Zion. "I see. I see." And this Delphina? "I think she''s with my mother." And Rorona? Probably at the academy. "Yeah, I see." And you''ll talk to Delphina? Yes. Yes. Jin will take care of it. Tell her I said hello. Okay. Jin then leaves Zion for the moment and heads for the <>. First, he goes to Arnold''s new technology laboratory. "Hey, Jin." "Hello, Jin-san." As expected, Arnold and Rorona were there. But... Where''s Delphina? "She''s in the back. She''s talking with Eira and Katya. Yeah. Can I help you? Uh, no, it''s just that the facility they found on Gasmada Island seems to be related to Phyllius. "Oh, is that so?" While Jin was talking to Arnold and Rorona, Delfina arrived before he knew it. "Ah, Delfina-san. "Oh, Delfina-san... it seems so. The facility has the characteristics of the facilities that Lord Phyllius has worked on. "Well, ......" "But we don''t know what''s going on inside, so until we do, it''s best not to go there." "......Okay, I understand." When Jin explained the dangers, Delfina seemed to understand. "But I would like to go there once we have a clear view of the inside and know that there is no danger. "I''m sure you would." "Oh, then why don''t you go to a facility that has already been surveyed?" Lorona said. "In that case, I would like to visit there." Delfina nodded. 3158 - - 83-22 New Runway On the afternoon of April 4th, Elena, the honorary advisor of the <>, and her entourage arrived in >. The purpose of their visit was to confirm the results of the and to cooperate where necessary. Since < is not a nation or quasi-nation, it is allowed to attend as a witness, but does not have the right to speak at the <>. The members of this meeting are Elena, Lauria Matsuta and Edda Yima, who are technicians. All of them, including the three guards, are women, so the group is a glamorous one. Incidentally, the four western duchies and the Autonomous Region of Mercana do not yet have a say in the conference, but are only allowed to sit on the sidelines. However, they will probably be allowed to participate officially in the next year or so. On a quiet note. Elena''s group was greeted by Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann and his secretary, Manon, an automaton. "Welcome, Elena! "It''s been a while, Tomax. You''ve been looking good lately. Yes. Manon, a gift from Jin-sama, and Simone, who is not here, have been doing very well. I''m glad to hear that. With these words exchanged, the group went to Tomax''s office. The meeting was to be held in the adjoining small conference room. * * * * * * * * * * * * At the same time, Jin was at . In attendance were Arnold, Rorona, and Delfina. Not to mention Reiko and Chelle. "...... So the was found and confirmed by the survey team led by Mr. Rhodes?" Delphina is curious about the visit to the built by her brother Phyllius and is asking Rorona about it. "I see. The ten golems found there are ...... the rest you know, don''t you?" Yes. 5 golems kept the magi crystals that stored my information. Jin-sama sent them to ......." "The point is, you should visit the facility. I would love to go. "In the name of research, you mean." Yes. In fact, there is a good chance that Delfina''s visit will reveal something. In addition, we may also be able to analogize the reaction of Delphina when she visits the facility on , which is currently under investigation ....... "By the way, Jin." "Yes?" Arnold spoke again. "It looks like the <> should be completed soon. He was referring to the runway that had been under construction for the past few days. "I mean, with an auxiliary air blower as well, right?" Are you interested? Of course I''m interested. I knew you''d say that. I had a hard time controlling it. < also helped a lot in setting up the system. "I''m sure. The way the wind blows can make a big difference. The purpose of the auxiliary airflow mechanism is to shorten the runway distance by creating a < during takeoff and landing. It was important to have a steady wind blowing at a constant speed, because too strong a wind would increase drag and make the aircraft unstable. Naturally, it is not used for airships or balloons. "We eliminated the influence of the wind from the surroundings so that the aircraft could take off and land with only the wind from the blower mechanism." So you''ve put up a wind shield around it. That''s right. The wind shield will interfere with the air molecules, but not with the solid aircraft, so it will not be an obstacle. "We were doing some tests to see how much we could increase the wind speed." Arnoldt says there were times when the wind was so strong that it shook the plane. In fact, it even flipped over when he tested it on a model. "Normally, it only creates a headwind. If the aircraft is going to crash-land, or if it is clearly stalling, we try to prevent it from crashing as much as possible by blowing the wind up from below." "That''s what we can do." "That''s why we placed magic eyes around the runway and sent them to the controlling magic brain to adjust the strength of the wind." "I see." During takeoff, after the aircraft lifts off, the wind speed is gradually reduced to 0 meters as the engine power increases. For landing, the wind speed is gradually increased from 0 meters when the aircraft enters the control area, and the maximum wind speed is reached when the aircraft touches the ground to minimize the impact. Since control of this area is difficult, Arnold said they will continue to collect data to make the control more efficient and safe. "We''re going to start with drones to check it out," he said. "A Golem-piloted plane would be nice, too, wouldn''t it?" "Yes." "In the case of the human-piloted planes, we''re going to start out really weak, just to ease our minds." For safety, right? "Yes. If it''s for safety, we have three parallel control systems, so that even if two of them drop out, the control system won''t stop. "Hmm." Arnold seemed to have only checked and guided the engineers at key points, but he checked the final settings of the control system by himself. Arnold was talking like this when the conversation began. While they were talking like this, there was a visitor to the New Technical Research Institute. "Hello, I''m sorry to disturb you. "Oh, ......! Jin turned around and saw that it was. "It''s been a while, Mr. Jin, Mr. Reiko. < "Hello, Elena, it''s been a while. What''s up with you today?" I came to check the results of the world congress. "Oh, I see. ...... wasn''t it a little bit over yet? "Yes. I heard that you found a mobile base, although it''s still incomplete." Yes. I heard that they found a , although it''s not finished yet. I heard they found a . Arnold, Elena''s here. What?" Arnold, who had been talking with Delphina, turned around at the sound of her voice. "Oh, Elena-san! "Arnold-san, it''s been a while." Arnold and Elena had met here in at the beginning of March and had hit it off over the topic of Sienna. "So you are the new director of the office. Congratulations." "Yes. < and the were combined to form the ......<, and Arnold was chosen as the head of the new laboratory. "I see." Elena, this is Delfina. My name is Delphina. I''m Elena. Pleased to meet you. Delphina-san, Elena also knows a little bit about the time of the wizard war. Well... "Elena, Delphina-san is a Nord from the time of the War of Magic." I see. So Elena, Arnold, Delphina and the rest of the group were talking about those days. ....... 3159 - - 83-23 Visit Elena "Well, I didn''t have much time last time, and there were many more questions I wanted to ask you. "I don''t think we''ll have enough time this time either. ......" Elena and Arnold continued their conversation from the previous session. "I know you had a bad time, Sienna, but I respect you. "You said that the other day, I am very happy to hear it. There were very few people at that time who understood the greatness of your mother. "Sienna''s design philosophy is based on ......." Your mother was ...... at the time. "Then Elena was ......" "Arnold was ......" Their conversation heats up to the point that even an observer can tell that they are talking about the same thing. Jin thought that it was not unreasonable since it was the first time he met someone with whom he could talk as much as he wanted, so he decided to let them do as they liked for a while. However, Delphina, Rorona, and the other members of the rolled their eyes and looked a little surprised. ....... * * * * The conversation between Arnold and Elena seemed to go on forever, "Elena-sama, it is time for you to go. Alietta Aeolial, one of the attendants, called out, "Oh, I didn''t know it was that time already. We''ve been talking so much. Finally, the conversation came to an end. "It''s a pity. I would have liked to have talked with you longer. Elena got up from her seat. "Arnold, maybe some other time." "Yes, another time, another time." Elena then left the laboratory. "......What is it that you came here for, Elena?" Jin replied to Arnold. "It''s a little late for that, isn''t it? < "Oh, I see!" "I explained it to Arrietta-san, Katya and I explained it to her. I''m sorry. Thank you, Jin. "I''m glad I listened to you earlier." Jin laughed. Jin smiled. "Well, there are a few things I wanted to tell you while Jin is here. "What is it?" Arnold said, and former members of the Gor Institute, including Eira, Katya, and Gromma, as well as Zora Himmel, Ciel Azure, Lois Eisker, and other former members of the Aeronautical Research Institute, gathered around them. Around them were other researchers, and in short, most of the members of the < gathered. "The talk was about the operation of the rocket engine," he said. "I thought you might be right." "Yes, and I''d like to discuss the effective use of the wind shield. I see. The faster an aircraft tries to fly, the more the air resistance becomes negligible. One solution to this problem is the wind shield. "With this, I believe that speeds in excess of 1,000 kilometers per hour are not just a dream." "Perhaps." The aircraft on Horai Island have , so using <> will reduce the air intake efficiency. Therefore, they use <> to generate sonic and supersonic speeds. In other words, Arnold and his team, who are aiming for supersonic speed using only propulsion-type engines, are trying to go ahead of Horaijima in this respect. "How the maximum speed will change depending on the shape of the <> is an issue for the future." "I suppose so." "But I also think that the shape of the aircraft itself is important. I think so too. Jin agrees with Arnold''s opinion. "Goh and Miss Rubina''s was a sophisticated machine," he said. "It''s the delta wing that Rubina kept building." "Yes. Continuity is important. Arnold said he respects Rubina''s work. "I think the shape of the wing is a big factor when it comes to generating lift in flight." Yes. Stability and mobility are opposites. "That''s right." Most of the aircraft on Horai Island are piloted by , so their maximum acceleration and maneuverability are literally of a different dimension than those for humans, so they cannot be used as a reference. Even Jin''s beloved aircraft < can be piloted by him since it is assisted by his magical brain. Aside from that, the main purpose of <> is to develop airplanes for human passengers, so its direction is different from that of the aircraft in Horai Island. "But I also think that it is our role to develop practical aircraft first." "When you say practical ......, do you mean a speed range of around 400 kilometers?" I agree with Jin. The maximum speed is over 800 kilometers per hour, but it can be practical at much lower speeds. Since it is not a jet engine, it does not need air intake. This means that there is no chance of something getting sucked into the air intake and clogging it up, which is a big advantage. "Apart from Jin''s and Lady Machina''s , isn''t the maximum speed of an ordinary airship about 200 km/h?" "Yes." The larger the air sacs, the greater the air resistance, and the higher the speed, the more deformation of the air sacs becomes a problem. In this respect, an all-metal airplane has such a high speed limit. "It''s difficult. We haven''t decided on a clear plan yet." "You haven''t?" "Yes. ...... For example, I think there is a direction to build a very large airplane of about 50 meters in length and fly it at about 500 km/h. I think that''s the way to go. "I see." That''s the direction of the , Jin thought to himself. "Or something with a capacity of about 10 passengers." Jin thinks, "That''s in the lineage of private jets or business jets. "Or a two- to three-seater with a top speed of about 800 kilometers per hour." Jin thinks, "It''s a small aircraft of the fighter jet type. "Well, which one do you think is best?" "I''m not the one to ask. ...... Jin smiles wryly, but still, since he has been asked, he is willing to share his opinion. "With that kind of speed for personal use, it would be for an airplane classified as an attack aircraft, wouldn''t it? "Yes, I see. "The larger size would have runway problems and would compete with airships." What do you mean? I think we should start with a mid-size plane. That''s what you think? I guess so. If I may add, it would be better if we could also develop an attack aircraft for the World Guard. "That''s very helpful, Jin. Thank you. <. 3160 - - 83-24 Search begins < has been extended by one more day to April 5 (unusual, but not unprecedented). The reason for this is to see how the investigation of the < or found in the <> of the Kingdom of Celuloa is going. How to see it is through the images sent by the deus ex machina. The , under the command of Makina, was assigned to act as a cameraman with the . Jin will relay the images and send them to . Filming by the Magic Eye had been done in the past, but this was the first attempt to broadcast an investigation at such a remote location. I''m looking forward to it. "No, not at all. I had no idea that Jin-dono and Makina-dono could do so much by cooperating with each other." "No, no, according to Jin-dono, this is not an advanced technology. You mean, it is possible for us to do it? That''s what I''m saying. "That''s what I mean. I''ll have ...... study it as soon as I get back to my home country. In fact, we are not doing anything special. It is a magical tool that was once used during the Golem boat races in Potrock. It has been modified for long-distance use, and by relaying the images from the Kingdom of Selroa to , it has become possible. However, since this is the first attempt, the members of the <> have not returned to their home countries, but have stayed behind to experience this revolutionary technology. And that is also convenient for Jin. Because he had not yet decided what to do with this <>. Would he repair it, complete it, and use it as a base, or would he just turn it into a useless piece of material? Or will it be used for other purposes? ....... We thought we would let the decide on that. * * * * * At the same time, <>. Deus ex machina, wearing protective clothing that takes into account the lack of breathable air, is looking down on <> accompanied by his valet Rey. It is a well-known fact that Rey is an automata. Surrounding them are ten to . > has a and is taking pictures. "First, check on 9 and 10." Copy that. Copy that. The two bodies run down the dirt slope and attach themselves to the top of the <>. Even though it is hemispherical, there is no slope near the top to slide down since it has a diameter of 100 meters. * * * * * * "Wow! That''s a great move, sir. That is indeed the golem of Makina-dono. It seems that Makina-sama has gone out to investigate on her own. It seems that Squire Rei is accompanying her. Those watching are glued to the screen. ....... * * * * "Okay, I think we found the hatch." There is always an emergency hatch in such a facility that can be accessed from the outside. When we had them search for it, <> found a hatch a little off the apex of the hemisphere. Of course, there is a way to open it from the outside, Turn that handle right there." A manual opening/closing device was also present. The handle was not rusted like the exterior, and after about 50 turns of the handle, which was about 10 centimeters in diameter, a gap finally opened that was large enough for a person to pass through. Turning the handle another 50 times, the hatch was 80% open. This was enough to pass through, so was placed here as a defender, and Makina, Rei, and <>1 to 9 carefully entered the hatch. In fact, the old man knows that there is no danger inside since he is checking with his <>, but he cannot act too impractical since he is relaying the information. The hatch is open. "Oh, you found the hatch, sir. "Very clever." Looks like they''re going inside. "They''re being very careful. ......" < members seem to be keeping a close eye on things. * * * * , who was in charge of taking pictures with the , was the second to step into the . Since the hatch was attached near the top, the passage was naturally a vertical hole. There is a ladder attached to the wall, so he uses it to go down. The energy source has been deactivated, so it is pitch black inside. The first person in is lighting a ball of light. The length (depth) of the hole is about 20 meters. Is there a little dust? There was a thin layer of dust on the floor where we descended. Everyone descends to the floor, trying not to roll up the dust as much as possible. It is a small hall, about 20 tatami mats in size. The air inside is stagnant. You are right to wear breathing masks. In reality, Makina does not need to breathe, but she is supposed to be human, so this disguise is necessary. "There are ......2 two entrances and exits?" There are doors on opposite walls of a square room. Both have the same shape and size, but there are no identifying marks of any kind. It would be a bad idea to split them up. has a clear path out here. All of us who remain will check them one by one. Declaring this, Makina heads for the door on the right. Of course, she does this knowing that there is no danger. Makina is a very good woman. Makina-sama, you are indeed very careful. I wonder what lies ahead. ...... We''ll have to keep an eye on it. * * * * The door on the right leads to a passageway. In fact, this is the route to the outer perimeter of the < (the door on the left leads to the passage to the center of the base). The group of Makina and the others were , with <>, then , Squire Rei, and Makina. The following <> to <> followed. Soon you come to a crossroads. In front of you is an outer wall. The corridors stretching to the left and right are a sort of ring road that goes around the outer wall of the <>. "Well, let''s go right around here. < at the corner, Makina''s group follows the passage to the right. 3161 - - 83-25 Search relay The search for <> from the deus ex machina continues. After making a circuit of the outer corridor, we returned to the original location where <> was waiting for us, without finding anything of note. There was not a single window, but I knew it was the perimeter because of its length. The distance walked was about 160 meters, and it was an arc. Considering the distance walked down, the hemispherical structure, and the 10-meter thickness of the shell, we concluded that such a passage could only be built on the outer circumference. Moreover, it would be the highest level in the hemisphere''s interior. "There are four turns along the way. The circular outer passage is probably connected to a radial passage in the shape of a cross. < Naturally, the next object of investigation is the passage. As a result, nothing of note was found in these passages either. It seems that the only thing on this level is a small hall that leads to the vertical hole through which they entered. However. In the center of the cross, there was a spiral staircase leading down. "I guess we''ll have to go down here. ......<>keep guarding here." Makina changed the defensive position of <. The group descends the spiral staircase in the same order as before. * * * * "...... method" The members of the <> let out a small sigh of relief when they saw the images being sent to them. "I didn''t see anything at what I thought was the top level," he said. "What about the next level? What do you think about the next level? ...... Mr. Arnold, do you have any suggestions? "There are probably three or four levels inside. So there must be something on the next level. "I see." The hemisphere is 50 meters high. If the thickness of the outer wall is 10 meters, the height of the interior space is estimated to be 30 meters. Assuming that the height of the upper level is 5 meters and the thickness of the floor is 2 meters, there are four levels. Since the lowest level is probably power-related, Arnold guessed that the second and third levels would be the main levels of the <. Arnold''s guess was that the second and third levels would be the main levels of the . "The thickness between the levels is about two meters. "There seem to be energy pipes, magic signal cables, air conditioning pipes, etc. running through it. There are several hatches in the middle of the spiral staircase, which seem to be for maintenance, and we examined them. Makina and the others descend to the next floor. It was pitch-dark here, too, so they turned on the lights with <>. "Hmm." The group descends to the center of the floor, which seems to be the second level counting from the top. It was a circular hall with corridors leading in all directions. "Let''s take a look at them in order. The eight corridors here were numbered from 1 to 8, so we will start from 1. * * * * * * * * * * * * "Hmmm... ...... Mr. Arnold, do you have any comments?" Yes, I do. Perhaps this level is a residential area. What is your evidence for this? "It is the design concept of the time ....... And I guess that the lower level is the control area where the command center is located, and the power area is further below that. I see. I see." * * * * The first corridor was indeed a living area. There are only private rooms, each room is about 3 tatami mats in size, and there is only a bed and a toilet. Considering that this is an emergency shelter, it is probably sufficient. Passages 2 and 3 are the same. However, the room facing aisle 4 is a room for a family, with two bunk beds in a space of about 8 tatami mats. In other words, it was a room for four persons. Aisle 5 is the same. Then, there is aisle 6. This is not a living facility, but a vegetable factory. because the inside of the building was not fully equipped. However, there were shelves that seemed to be used for hydroponic cultivation and a kind of pseudo solar lamp that seemed to have been installed on a trial basis, so we assumed that it was a <>. < is that the area was not large enough to be self-sufficient in grains. It was Machina''s guess that it was a temporary shelter and a facility to compensate for the vitamin deficiency that accompanied the temporary shelter. Aisles 7 and 8 are warehouses. Aisle 7 is probably for daily necessities, while aisle 8 is for food. This is based on the fact that aisle 7 is divided into smaller sections, while aisle 8 has only large shelves, and that it is fully air-conditioned, although it is not moving. * * * * "Oh, it is as you predicted, Mr. Arnold. "However, it seems to be hard to stay here for a long period of time. "Isn''t that inevitable?¡¡After all, it was built during the war. < had already guessed how uncomfortable the living quarters were just by looking at them. It may be natural that almost all of them are not accustomed to such emergency facilities since they are living in a privileged environment to begin with. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "I guess this is the control level. < was not in the center, nor was it on the perimeter, but somewhere in between. There are eight radial corridors, four in total, one at a time. "Is it the same no matter where you go?¡¡...... No, let''s try the pantry stairs." We decided to use the corridor on the side with the pantry instead of the side with the human rooms. I don''t have a good reason for this. It is just that there is no way that ordinary people can easily get to and from the command center and other important facilities (in fact, the old man observed with his <> and suggested that this would be a better choice). On the other hand, it seemed that only authorized persons were allowed to enter and leave the food storage area. This staircase has a landing and a door in the middle. "If ...... is working properly, I guess they do some kind of personal authentication here." This was a natural security measure, since the command center was located on the next level. However, this facility is not yet complete, so we could not go ...... ahead without incident, and the door was locked and would not open. "...... Ray, please." "Yes, sir." Squire Ray cuts through the door with his sword and destroys the lock. The door can now be opened manually. Makina''s group is finally on their way to the command center. ....... 3162 - - 83-26 Gas Mada Island Underground Facility Survey Team On April 5, the same day that Deus ex Machina was relaying the status of the discovered in the , an underground facility located between the Laurent and Gondor continents was also being surveyed. An investigation of underground facilities on , located between the Laurent and Gondor continents, was also underway. On the 4th, a report was made to the and the policy was endorsed. Reinforcements arrived the same day before noon. From the Nordic Federation, the Rhodoth, the Kondak, and the Momoko. From the Kingdom of Klein, Ritz Lakka, Chief of the 3rd Technical Department of the Ministry of Magic and Technology. From the Kingdom of Franz, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Magic, Folz Engal. "Well then, I am pleased to take over as the leader of the survey team. Rhodoth declares. The Nordic Federation, and a facility from the time of the <>, is not sure how the Laurentians will react if they are conspicuous. The recent outburst at Fort Lutgra is fresh in our minds. Everyone who participated in the survey knew this, so they nodded silently at Rhodoth''s declaration. "Then we will begin our investigation. Rhodes, as the leader, changes his tone from polite to normal. "Momoko, check the hatch." "Yes, sir." Rhodes ordered Momoko, the lightest of the group. Momoko jumped down near the hatch and carefully examined it. The opening/closing device was immediately recognizable, but it took some time to check for traps. The method Momoko used this time was to hack into the magical circuits of the switchgear. It takes time to synchronize the magical wavelengths, but once they are synchronized, the rest is easy and reliable. The hatch is round and about 70 cm in diameter. In addition to the magical lock, there was a mechanical lock that could be easily released from the outside. "There is no danger. I''m going to open it now." "Okay." < type of barrier means that the mechanism inside is still alive, so we must be very careful. Momoko slowly opens the hatch. No particular trap is triggered, and a round vertical hole opens. No air is gushing out or being sucked in, indicating that the pressure inside is maintained at one atmospheric pressure. Inside the chamber, an > is attached, and it is dimly lit. A ladder was attached to the wall of the pit. "Okay, let''s go inside. Be careful. Yes, sir. Momoko went down the ladder. A minute later, she came back up the ladder and reported. "The interior is air-conditioned and there is breathable air. The temperature is 18 degrees Celsius, about 5 degrees higher than outside. "I see. Okay, let''s go a little further. Let''s send the support golem with you. So, a Nordic Golem made by the Nordic Federation also descended the ladder with Momoko. * * * * * * * * * * * At Horai Island, the old man was observing the situation. The Shinobi Unit from 1 to 5 were dispatched to the island. Incidentally, they are carrying ultra-compact Magi Emulators on their backs, which emit the same magic patterns as those of Rhodes. In other words, they are disguised as the same kind as Momoko. > sneak in as well, but how do we get in touch with them? ......>> < like boundary, communication by will not be possible from inside the facility. It would be possible to pull out the antenna to the outside of the by wired communication, but this method cannot be used this time because of the presence of the survey team around the facility. < can penetrate the , but the device is too large to be carried by the . <, but it has not yet been developed for use by Shinobi Forces. < < * * * * * * * * * * * * < remains near the entrance and acts as a liaison in case of an emergency. The first to fourth shinobi will disappear by and secretly watch over the investigation team. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The survey team was led by Momoko down the ladder and into the interior. A golem made by the Nordic Federation followed. They descended into a cylindrical room, three meters in diameter and three meters high. "There''s a trap. ....... We seem to have been admitted. Momoko knows the magic pattern of this base because she hacked it earlier. Following the magic, she detected what looked like sensors under the floorboards. "It seems to be an intruder ......, or rather, something that roughly examines the magic pattern of visitors." Momoko''s magic pattern is the same as that of her creator, Rhodes, i.e. . If this base was built with Nordic priority, then it''s no wonder that nothing is happening. "But I don''t think it will end there. The cylindrical room where Momoko and the others are staying has only one door. There is what looks like an open/close switch on the side, so it should be possible to open it. Momoko braced herself and pressed the switch. The door opens without activating any particular trap. It slides open, creating an opening about two meters high and ninety centimeters wide. "Let''s go." Momoko stood first and stepped through the opening. The Nord Golem followed. The place where they stepped into was a cube-shaped room about three meters in length, width, and height. Momoko found that there were identification sensors and traps in this room as well. "So far, it seems that they are letting us through unconditionally." Momoko and the others continued on to the next room. 3163 - - 83-27 hangars or workshops Momoko and the others continued to go deeper. The next door they came across was a sturdy-looking door. This door also had a magical identification device attached to it, and when Momoko operated the device, the door opened without any problem. "It''s a staircase. On the other side of the door was a stairway to the lower floor. This stairway was also dimly lit by an ethereal luminescent substance (AL). After descending about 10 meters, there is another door. Again, Momoko and the others were able to pass through without any problem. The door was lighted again. The Shinobi Unit follows them, hiding in plain sight. £¨Good thing I''ve equipped myself with a magi emulator. Shinobi Ichi said. (I am totally grateful to you for your foresight.) If they had infiltrated this facility with the magic pattern of Jin, the original creator of ......, I don''t know what would have happened now. Now they are in the same Rhodesian magic pattern as Momoko, so the camouflage is effective enough. (However, there is no magic brain to control it, or is it not working? ......) All previous identifiers were independent and did not seem to send their results anywhere. (That''s because it means that even if the magic brain is systematically down, the identifiers will continue to work.) (Is it possible to say which is better?) (I think so.) (Is it possible to say which is better?) < * * * * Momoko and the others descended the stairs and came upon a huge hall ...... or rather, a hangar. There were three huge ...... golems about five meters tall. All three were fixed to special hangers and were in a standing position. "Is it a golem ......?" Momoko said to herself. "Each of the three ...... is made differently. Or maybe they were made in different ages. The golem at the far end seemed to be more complete than the one at the front. The air conditioning seemed to be working properly in this room, and there was no dust on the floor. "Let''s see if we can find anything else." The impact of the giant golem was so strong that we did not notice it, but we also found several golems here and there in the hangar that seemed to be used for work. "Twenty in all? I guess they are for maintenance." All 20 Golems had stopped, and Momoko was unable to reactivate them. Momoko went to the back of the building, but could not find anything of particular interest. Momoko guessed that this might have been the place to build the three golems.¡¡Momoko guessed that this was the place to build the three golems, "<> don''t seem to be in any danger. Let''s report to Rhodes-sama and the others first. So she decided to go back. I see..." * * * "I see, so they were able to identify the magical power patterns of the <>." Rhodotos heard the report from Momoko, who had returned, and looked at her with a difficult face. "As you say. It would be dangerous for you to accompany me into the facility, what do you want me to do?" "Hmmm... ......" It''s a difficult question. We don''t want to ...... antagonize them because of a misunderstanding. It is a difficult situation, because we all know what happened at Fort Rutgula and we all know that it is not a good idea to force our way in. "Oh, yes." Sasha Dae Corriere of the Kingdom of Klein had an idea. "Sasha? "Well, Lord Rhodes, I just had an idea... How about you take one of our golems with you?" "Oh, I see." We can give the golem instructions and have it follow the instructions of Momoko and the Nord golem. This way, we can verify how the facility reacts to non-Nordic magic patterns ....... I decided that I could not come to any further conclusions because I did not have enough information, so I decided to have Momoko return to the facility with one of the golems made in the Klein Kingdom. * * * * On the other hand, the < in the facility. (I have a feeling that this facility is just a ...... workshop.) <. £¨I understand. In the first place, we don''t have a "controlling magical brain", do we?) < (The area around the hatch where we entered was armored with metal, but the deep part is a natural stone wall, and metal is only used for reinforcement.) Momoko and the others may or may not have been aware of this because they were prioritizing the investigation of the facility. In other words, the facility as a whole here is not hemispherical in shape. <. £¨But you are prepared for intruders, right?) £¨I suppose so.) £¨I just heard that Momoko-dono is coming back with a golem from the Klein Kingdom.) £¨Does that tell you anything?) £¨I''m sorry, but the Golem of the Klein Kingdom will have to be experimented on.) * * * Momoko and the Golem of the Klein Kingdom, tentatively named < (because it is under Sasha''s command), followed Momoko down the pit. At the end of the descent, a cylindrical room was scanned for a rough magic pattern. We detected that < had a Laurentian magic pattern, but with Momoko, who had a Nordic magic pattern, we were able to pass through this room without incident. The next room, ......, a cube-shaped room of about 3 meters in length, width, and height, was detected to have the same magic pattern, and we passed through this room without any problem. Momoko and Golem S-1 passed through one identification device after another. They finally reach the last room, the hangar where the giant Golem is placed. But... "Oh?" The golem that seemed to have been hidden until now has revealed itself. They were about two meters tall, and were supposed to be for combat or security purposes. Two of them stood before Momoko and S-1. 3164 - - 83-28 The person you met Two golems stood in front of Momoko and the golem of the Klein Kingdom <. The golem on the right opened its mouth. "Kakunin shimasu. Shozoku moshiku ha shoyusha wo akirakanishitekasai." Momoko answered first. My name is Momoko. My creator and owner is Lord Toss of the ." "I have found him." The golem standing in front of Momoko shifts a little to the side from in front of her. And < answers. "This is a general-purpose golem belonging to the Kingdom of Klein. It was made by the Royal Castle Workshop and belongs to the Kingdom of Klein. Currently under the command of Sasha Dae Corriere." Klein-Oukoukoukutoha? It''s a state located in the northeastern part of the Laurentian continent. What''s the name of the country? A joint archaeological expedition with the Nordic Federation. Nordrenpoortoha? Momoko answered. "Let me explain it to you. < is a federation of the clans known as the on the Gondor continent." ".................." When Momoko explained about the Nord Federation, the other golem froze for a moment. However, it quickly returns to normal. "Tsumari sensouha shitei nite iu koto desu ka? "That''s right." Momoko answered. "Right now, the Loren and Gondoa continents are getting along well." "............" After another short pause, both of the other golems moved backwards. Then another voice echoes. < ? "Was that ......?" < Me! A small golem appeared. It was about 1.7 meters tall, though. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a general-purpose or maintenance golem. . I am the golem that built this facility. "I am . This is , a pseudonym." > "Yes." <>? >> "If it is low level." << May I go directly there? "Yes, sir." Momoko uses Trans-Info Level 1 to transmit the current state of the known world, and <> receives it. "Yes,...... you don''t know what''s going on out there?" << "Is that so?" Momoko decided that there had apparently been no order to take in information from the outside. "So you are a golem that specializes in production? . Momoko realizes that there is not much progress to be made in this question and answer session. "...... Uh, may I invite my master, my colleagues, and our allies here as well?" <<> Yes. "Thank you. ...... In that case, what about the detection devices and traps placed in various locations?¡¡They seem to be independent." <> is the same, we can pass through without any problem>> "Are you sure?" Momoko then left < there and went back along the route she had come to report to Rhodes and the others. "Oh, you succeeded! "Yes, Mr. Rhodes. "Yes, Mr. Rhodes. ...... Okay, let''s get in." Just to be safe, Rhodes, Kondak of Shinra, Ritz Lakka of Klein, and Volz Engal of Franz decide to go aboard. Rhodes was not afraid to put his female members in danger. All the golems were to be left behind for the remaining female members. * * * * * * The Shinobi Unit, which had been observing the whole situation, reported the incident to the old man via compressed data transmission. Of course, it was through the Shinobi Unit. The method was to send the information to the Shinobi inside the <>, and then the shinobi> would go outside the <> and send the information to the magic barrier>>. The whole process takes 10 seconds. The old man instructed the Shinobi Forces to keep an eye on things a little longer. * * * * * * < welcomed the group. As he said, since they were with Momoko, the Laurentians were able to come here without any problems. "You must be <>?¡¡I am the leader of this expedition, Rhodoth the Puppet. < "Yes." Rhodes then introduced his companions, Kondak, Ritz Lakka, and Foltz Engal. And then, "Without a doubt, the world has changed. We too are no longer called the < but the of the <>. We also call ourselves the for short." <> "Yes, it has. ...... But why have you been shutting out the outside world?" <. The creators of <> decided that by letting in information from the outside, they were also putting themselves at risk of being detected. It seems that the threat of the "mysterious presence"=<> was that great. < Phil, not one to stand around talking, leads Rhodes and his group to a chair in a corner of the room. There were 10 chairs, and since only Rhodes and his group sat in four of them, there were six left over, but <> seemed somewhat satisfied with the number of chairs. . <> said again to Rhodes. Rhodes chose his words carefully and opened his mouth: ....... 3165 - - 83-29 On the contrary, the person asking the question The facility under Gasmada Island was a workshop. Its manager was a golem named <. Rhodes saw that it was somewhat similar in construction to the golem he had discovered in <>, and he had the impression that the maker was the same. < welcomed Rhodes and the others who came to investigate, and said that he would take questions from them. Rhodes is the first to open his mouth. "Phil, did you create you, Mr. Philelicious?" <> "At the ruins in the western part of the continent of Gondor." ? >> "Yes. Yes. < Let''s talk about it step by step. Rhodes began to explain, going back to his memory. "Originally, we knew that there was a stone structure near the mouth of the Sitong River. Therefore, the <> was organized and ......" Rhodes first gives an account of the beginnings. "......We found ten golems that were supposed to be used for battle deep in the mines there." <> You keep asking questions. "I see. You mean that the creator programmed it that way?" "...... Okay. Then let me explain. The site is basically being preserved. Mines will be redeveloped." <<> <''s eyes seemed to grow a little brighter. "The ruins are on hold for now. The golem that was found had important information, so we are investigating that as our priority. > "A man named Filius of <> felt that there was a possibility that our people at that time were being guided in their thoughts by someone. "Do you understand?" < "I see." And Rhodes goes on to explain. "With the help of the current generation of <, we have reworked ten golems and found that they have the task of protecting their people from a <<<< mysterious mastermind." . "I see. ...... and how capable Lord Philelicious was. His accomplishments were described." "I see. And we know that each of the ten golems has ." < "Yes." And the explanation goes to . "Based on the information that one of them had, an investigation was started into the facility that they called <>." <> "Yes. The other < was also quite important." "Well, that''s out of the way for now, but we found the lair of Phyllisius at the place where the Citon River splits in two, through various means. < "Well, the terrain was very different and it was not easy. But we finally found it, and when we took the 10 golems we had found earlier to the lair of Phylicious, the locked information was unlocked." <> Phil seemed clearly pleased to hear this. <> "Oh. "Yes. That included the fact that Philelicious was considering another site." . "Yes, I think so. But even more important was your sister''s information." <> seemed excited when he heard the words "your sister''s information". It was obvious that he was excited, because his voice was getting higher and his tone of voice was getting faster. "And then, half by accident, the two golems tuned in, and the last lock came off, too." <> "Well, don''t panic." Which one of us is the one asking the question ...... is no longer reversed. "It was discovered that the entire data of the sister ......<> was stored in 5 of the 10 golems, split up." <> "Our best engineers and the MagiCraft Meister of this generation worked together to restore the memory information and create a control core, and based on the appearance information, we prepared the body of an automata and stored it in it. <<> "That''s what I''m saying. Oh, and by the way, the automata are made according to the standard specifications of the Nords. It is by no means a superhuman body." << Rhodes knew what Rhodes wanted to ask when he saw "Oh, sorry. is the name of the mysterious mastermind or that Filius has hypothesized, the ...... we call , who has implanted in him a grimoire to manipulate human beings. It is a magical tool to manipulate humans." Here Rhodes gave a supplementary explanation of the . < "Yes. And in conclusion, the resurrected Miss Delfina was not affected by the agggha. > "I suppose. I guess that''s what Phyllius was hoping for when he performed the transinfo." Hearing this, made a sighing motion with a human-like gesture. "This Miss Delphina, she is now in <, a neutral facility where representatives from all over the world gather. Originally, she resided in Marikka-sama''s workshop in . can make some facial expressions, and now he seems to be smiling softly, which does not seem to suit a golem. "I don''t know, are you relieved?" < "Well then, may I ask you a question this time?" "Okay." Out of Rhodes'' mouth came. "<>, I think you might be Philelicious, don''t you?" At those words, <> turned to ....... 3166 - - 83-30 Results of Questions and Answers >Rhodes asked. The answer is ....... "You can say that I am, and you can say that I am not. The reply was ambiguous. < "I see. ......" But as Rhodoth thought, <> seems to have transcribed some of Phylicious'' knowledge. "<>, you do not have the personality of Lord Phyllius transcribed in you?" <>. "Well, that''s too bad." . "I didn''t know that. ......" Rhodes thought that he would have liked to have met the great man Philistius. "So what is the purpose of this place?" "By ''my people'' do you mean the so-called ''demon tribe''? "I see. How do the Laurentians look at ......?" It was an important question. Are you a < ....... Nothing in particular. If they don''t initiate it, they don''t do anything>> "You mean they are neither friend nor foe?" Rhodes wondered if the opposite of liking someone was indifference, or if the opposite of disliking someone was indifference. "Then what about the two people here?" "Well, that''s very kind of you." At this point < makes a request to Rhodes. < "Miss Delphina?" < "Yes. I''ll ask her when she gets back. < But she''s not in any danger, is she? < At this point Rhodes remembered Jin, Reiko, Marikka and the others. "Can I bring anyone else I know?" <> "And what about some of my acquaintances who are not ?" , Lord Rhodes. "I see. Thank you. < Rhodes is thus registered as a temporary . "So I ask you. What is the defense capability of ...... this facility?" , so it should be impossible to detect the inside of the facility. "I see. And then?" < "I see. And then?" "What are the conditions?" An unexpected condition was presented. Why is that? "I didn''t know that." "According to Phil, Delphina''s regeneration is set to automatically activate when she visits this place. "So this is more of a facility for Miss Delphina than for her compatriots." "What other weapons do you have?" "I see. Do you have any weapons that can attack at long range?" <> "I see." Rhodes asked his companion if there were any more questions he wanted to ask while he was at it. "I''ll go first." Folz Engal of the Kingdom of Franz came forward. "...... can you please release the golem technology here?" "<>, what do you say?" < "What are the conditions?" <> and those three giant golems. "I see." Rhodes wondered if there was cutting edge technology being used, or if there was information they wanted to keep secret. "Are there any other questions?" "Well..." Ritz Rakka of the Kingdom of Klein raised his hand. "...... is this facility habitable?" < "I see. I see." "Well, let me start. ...... Why is there breathable air in this facility?" This is a condac. < "I see." Rhodes asks an additional question. "Is there any record of the <> in this facility?¡¡Or even some kind of information bank?" < "That is unfortunate. Well, here''s another one. What kind of person, if any, would be a candidate for the permanent management of ...... this facility?" "I see that too." But that is <''s one-sided hope, Rhodes thought. So he asks a confirming question. "What would happen if Miss Delphina came here?" "Well, of course." A few more quick questions and Rhodes was convinced that it would be safe to bring a survey team. * * * * * * * * * * These exchanges were also informed to Lao Kun through the Shinobi Forces. Rhodes then made a report to Jin. 3167 - - 83-31 Makina Research Team Now the scene has changed, and Makina''s group is investigating inside the <>. On the landing on the way down the stairs to the destination level, there is a door. With his sword, Squire Rei cuts through the door and destroys the lock. "All right, let''s be more careful." "Yes, sir." Makina and her team descended the stairs. When they arrived at the desired level, they found, as they had expected, another door, this time locked. Again, Squire Rei broke the locking mechanism by swinging his sword and opened the door. "Well, this place is a little different, isn''t it? "Yes, it is." The corridor looks different from the previous levels. The bare metal color of the corridors gives a heavy impression. The ceilings are high and the corridors are wide. The ceiling is 4 meters high and the corridor is 4 meters wide. This is a fairly large floor. "It has not been painted, and there is no flooring. "Perhaps this is part of the defense." Makina sees that it is a setup for the use of type magic to wipe out the enemy. "The ceiling, floor, left and right walls must have different electric potentials. The ceiling, the floor, and the walls on either side of the room must have different electrical potentials, and they are not close enough for an individual to reach. If a voltage high enough to discharge on the floor is applied, the passage could be filled with arcs from the discharge. "Well, we don''t have the energy source to generate such a high voltage." * * * Makina''s mutterings were also relayed to , and those who heard them were relieved. "Hmmm, that''s quite a frightening method of defense, isn''t it? "I agree. "How many billions of volts does it discharge over that distance ......?" Perhaps the air is charged and ionized beforehand, or a conductive mist is sprayed on it to assist the discharge. "Oh, I see." "As expected of Jin-dono." The group is impressed by Jin''s explanation. Jin, however, does not want them to imitate him. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Makina''s group is walking down the aisle. "This is the direction to the center of this . In other words, you will end up at ......." The door was a sturdy one, but it too was cut open by Squire Rei''s sword. Oh ...... It was the command center. But... "...... it''s still incomplete, isn''t it?" Yes, it is. The room was so empty that I could not shake the impression that it was still under maintenance. It means that the equipment that should be installed is not ready yet. When it is completed, it will be something that can be seen in its own way. * * * The view could also be seen at <. "Oh ......, it''s kind of a letdown, isn''t it? "No, no, I can say that this is a good thing. That''s for sure. It''s so complete, it''s chilling to think what could happen if it were to go out of control. As we have seen in the past, such a situation is quite possible. The current situation is so disconnected from the intentions of the creators that ....... "This is a relief, isn''t it?" No, we have to check at least one more point. Jin-dono, what is it? It''s the power room. * * * * As Jin had said, Makina had left the control room and was searching for the power room. Since the energy is completely cut off, we can''t use the method of following the energy line. (Actually, the old man had already found it with his peepers, but he had to find it in a way that would be convincing to those who were watching. "It''s hard to imagine it being directly under the command center. Perhaps it''s not in the center or on the perimeter, but somewhere around ......?" "Shall we split up?" Rei suggests after hearing Makina''s guess. "Yeah, I guess so. Since there is no danger, let''s have them search for two at a time. * * * * <, Jin explains Makina''s guess. "If the power source is right under the control room, it will be dangerous if the magic power gets out of control, so a place a little far away is suitable. On the other hand, if the power source is located on the outer perimeter, it will be easily destroyed when attacked by the enemy. "I see, that''s why you chose a middle ground." "Of course, this is only one of the design concepts, and some engineers may have other ideas. But if the command center is placed in this position, the other equipment will be placed in the same way. "So that''s what you mean." "So that''s what Makina-dono is thinking about when he''s looking for a power source." Everyone seemed to be convinced, so Jin continued his explanation. "In that case, only a limited number of technicians will be able to reach the power source, so it is highly possible that there will be no ordinary passageway. "Really?" "To put it simply, it would be a maintenance corridor." I see. Thanks for the explanation. I see. Thanks for the explanation. As Jin explained, Makina and his team were looking for a maintenance passage to the power room (although the "Mere Old Man" had already found one). As a result, the <> and <> teams found it. "Oh, is this it? "Yes." It is a doorway in the floor of the passage. There was no complicated lock, and the lid could be lifted by pulling a lever. There was a square hole about 70 centimeters square in the floor, through which one could enter a passageway about half a story below.¡¡It was possible to go down to the passage below. "Okay, let''s go! Makina''s group entered the maintenance corridor. The group entered the maintenance corridor. "Oh, it is structured like that, isn''t it? "And this too? Jin answers this question. "No, this is much larger, so it is clearly divided into several levels. "I see. I see. So it''s because it''s smaller than here that it''s built that way. "That''s very informative, isn''t it?" In the image, Makina''s group is moving through a narrow passageway. Both the width and height of the passage were about 1.8 meters, enough for an adult male to walk without bending down. Bare cables and pipes can be seen on the walls. "It seems to be used not only for access to the power room, but also for maintenance of the power lines and infrastructure." "Hmm." "So this passageway may be a network of passages under the floor of the level where the command center is located." That''s what you''re saying. Oh, maybe that''s the power room. On the screen, Makina and his group were standing in front of the red-painted door. 3168 - - 83-32 Uncompleted Reasons After proceeding through the maintenance corridor, Makina and his group found themselves in front of a red door. The power room is probably just ahead. Would you like me to open it? Ray, please. Squire Rey set about unlocking the door. Fortunately, it was not a complicated locking mechanism, but rather a method of turning two dials numbered from 0 to 9 to a given number. This means that at most 10 times 10, i.e., 100 attempts were needed to open the lock. There was no penalty for repeated wrong numbers, and the 23rd time ......<<22>> was the correct number! The door was opened at ....... "Oh?" The inside of the room was dimly lit, unlike before. The walls and ceilings were embedded with <>, which emitted a faint light. And the power room, illuminated by the dim light, was quite deserted. Adding more light with <>, the whole room comes into view. "This is ...... terrible." The cables used to send magic power to the various departments, their ends sticking out here and there. However, the magi-machines ......<> and <> for connecting them do not exist. To be precise, there were about three cables connected to them. But that was nothing more than a stone''s throw. It would have to be a hundred times more than that to handle the cable ends in this room. "You''ve built it, but you can''t move it because you don''t have enough energy ......, or it''s not finished yet ......." "Let''s take a look around." "I agree." Accompanied by Squire Rey, Makina decided to take a look around the power room. * * * * "...... was really unfinished, wasn''t it?" < let out a sigh of relief. "We are short of materials and manpower. On top of that, the <> must have stopped the construction. Someone said, and most of us agreed. However, Zion and Arnold are twisting their heads. "Arnold, do you have any questions? Jin asked and Arnold began to think and explain. "Yes. I''ve seen the inside of the mobile base so far, and I felt something strange. "A strange feeling?" "Yeah, yeah. That''s ......." Zion opened his mouth at this point. "There is no trace of the person who built ......<. Isn''t that right?" "Yes, Chancellor Zion." "What do you mean?" A question came from someone who did not understand the meaning of the doubts felt by Zion and Arnold. Jin answered. "Someone said it earlier, didn''t they? < That''s true. "That''s right. I mean, what happened to the engineers who were supposed to be building it? "Ah..." Jin said to him, and he seemed to have noticed. "In other words, it is strange that there is not a single body, isn''t it? "Yes, indeed. "If they had a golem working on them, there should have been a golem left inside. I don''t see any golem. You''re right. At this point, it seems that everyone finally understands the anomaly inside the mobile base. There are two reasons that come to mind immediately. Jin-dono, what are they? "......1 is that the construction of this mobile base must have been stopped and abandoned before the Aether Stampede." "I see." "The other is that there may have been beings who cleaned up the inside of this mobile base after the Aether Stampede. You can certainly say that. The conference room is buzzing. "But I think the latter is unlikely. Now Arnold said. "I don''t understand the motive or purpose of the <>. < "Is there any possibility that any of the equipment or materials inside could have been taken out?" "There were no traces of any removal at all. No one would go to the trouble of removing all traces of the equipment and materials, unless they were trying to commit the perfect crime. Arnold''s explanation convinced everyone, but at the same time left them scratching their heads at the . "......1 is just one hypothesis..." Zion broke the silence and opened his mouth. "As I recall, there were about 25 million tons of iron resources of unknown use, right?" "Yes." "And the we found this time is about 1.6 to 1.7 million tons." "Oh, ......!" Yes, and the difference is still missing. That''s for sure. "Isn''t it also possible that it is being used to make some kind of weapon somewhere else?" The members of the change color a little at this hypothesis of Zion''s. "If that''s the case, then why are they still missing? "If that is the case, then there is still an unknown threat somewhere in the world. "We must find the negative legacy ...... and deal with it." "But we don''t even know where to look." Here, Zion adds a few more words. "It''s just a hypothesis, so please don''t be more impatient than you have to be." "That''s true," said Zion. "But we want to continue the investigation. ...... Some said, "That''s because, first of all, it''s a good idea. "Well, the only way to do that is to start by being careful in each country. "I guess so." We don''t know where it is, or even if it exists in the first place. There was too little evidence to take concrete action. "Now we just have to hope that there are some clues in that mobile base. "Yes, that''s right." In reality, there were a few more twists and turns, but this was the general conclusion. 3169 - - 83-33 Subsequent developments < terminates the relay, having concluded that the site is incomplete. The time at <> is 3:00 PM. Of course, they had lunch and a break along the way, but those who were watching were exhausted. "Thank you, everyone, for your hard work. Zion, who was probably tired himself, took charge of the event as the chairman. "It has been one of the most tumultuous in recent years, but at the same time it has been a meaningful one. I hereby declare the 1013rd session of the to be over. There was a round of applause. Jin, Arnold, Delfina, and his mother, Rorona, did not hesitate to applaud. Thus ended the tumultuous 1013rd . * * * * < has ended, but Machina and his team''s investigation is not over yet. Or rather, the real work begins now that the live broadcast has stopped. "First, let''s check the power source. Makina said, trying to find out how they were going to drive the countless at the bottom. "Yes. The location is already half a level down, isn''t it?" "I see." For the sake of convenience, I say , but it is in fact one level down. However, the distance between the levels is about half of the distance between the first and the third level, so I used the term "" for the sake of convenience. The old man has already confirmed the way to get there with his <, so please follow the directions to the lower level. "Oh!" There was a drive unit with a link mechanism, a rarity in Ars. "But ...... this place is also unfinished ......" Although the < were installed, 90% of the drive units were not yet mounted. Nevertheless, the eleven drive units installed are sufficient for the survey. "Please record the key points. I''ll report back to later." Makina reminds <, the photographer. "Hmmm......... the structural material is reinforced special steel, the same as the exterior." Here Makina decided to carefully check the materials. "<><><>...... this!" "What is it, Makina-sama?" "Ray, I found something interesting." The original strength of this steel was about the same as that of ordinary steel, but the subsequent magical treatment has dramatically increased its strength. "The gaps between the metal atoms are filled with mana and then treated with <." This is the same engineering magic used to strengthen coins. Perhaps Adriana must have developed its basis, Machina-guide guessed. In reality, there was no < in the engineering magic passed down from Adriana to Jin. Adriana used and for structural strengthening, and and for surface treatment. And for anti-corrosion treatment, we have developed engineering magic specialized for each purpose. Of course, these can be applied on top of each other. However, the idea of filling the material with <> and then treating it with << inert (inert) >> is quite an impressive one. "Special steel would be as durable as adamantite, so it was ...... a revolutionary engineering magic then, and it''s still a revolutionary engineering magic now." Makina felt that if Jin could improve it further, it could be a useful piece of magic. * * * * * * * * * * * Next, she looked into how to drive the <>. "It looked like a link mechanism ......, which is a kind of leverage using <>." The basic structure is a rod with a spherical central part that is inflated to form a support. Since the support is spherical, the range of motion is limited, but the rod can move in any direction and can rotate 360 degrees. At one end of the rod, a < type magical muscle is attached. Of course, the real thing is a little more complicated, and has two spherical joints. "If we had 100 of these, ...... we could move as fast as a person can walk, right?" It seems to work to the extent that it can <. However, Makina thought that the energy efficiency of the machine was so low that even if it had been completed, it probably would not have been able to move. Therefore, it could be said that it was abandoned. The biggest problem is that it is not a "big" machine. "But the biggest mystery remains. Squire Ray said. "I know. You know why it was buried underground and why the heavy metal contamination around it is so low. "Yes." Yes. Couldn''t it be that the reason it was buried was because it was abandoned? Makina guessed that they buried it underground because there was a big possibility that the enemy would take it as material if they just left it on the ground. After all, this is a part of the , which was the site of a fierce battle. "As for the heavy metal pollution, I wonder if it was used in the construction of this ?" Hexavalent chromium can be reduced to chromium metal. Mercury can be collected to make amalgam and is useful for plating. Cadmium can be used as a substitute for solder due to its low melting point. Arsenic is stored for reuse as a poison. Makina''s hypothesis is that the decontamination was done with these purposes in mind. * * * * . On Horai Island, two ultra-high performance magic brains were communicating with each other via ultra-high speed communication using free magic element (ether) wave. I have verified this hypothesis to some extent and compiled the information to report to Jin. 3170 - - 83-34 Hitoshi Family New Member On April 6th, after the <> was over, Jin temporarily returned to Horai Island and listened to the report from the old man. "I see, such a strengthening method was used for the steel of the <>?" < "It seems to be applicable, but it also has ...... weaknesses." > "Yes. If we know how to enhance ...... it, I think we can disable it with <>." < <> is a weapon that forces mana to be converted back into free magic element (ether). <> and <> work on free magic element (ether), but the steel of <> uses magic element (mana). Comparing free magic element (ether) and magic element (mana), magic element (mana) is more unstable. This is because mana is the preliminary stage of magic. It is transformed by the slightest psychic stimulus. It may be similar to the fact that black powder made from nitre, sulfur or charcoal is more unstable than nitre, sulfur or charcoal. (Nitrite = potassium nitrate is stable as a single substance, but when mixed with organic substances, sulfur, etc., there is a danger of explosion.) "Well, that''s OK for now. What about the other one?" "That one. ......" The old man explained the structure driven by < type magical muscles. "I wonder if this is OK because it''s so big ......?" Jin felt that this structure would not allow for very subtle manipulation. However, since the structure with a diameter of 100 meters is to be moved on land, I guess they decided that this level of roughness was sufficient. "I don''t want to refer to this one too much ......, but I think it would be useful to raise the level of current technology ......." These < structures are not very helpful to Jin, who has made golem horses and multi-legged vehicles, but they are helpful technology for the world as a whole today. "Please keep both of them in your report." Thus, the technologies discovered at the mobile base are compiled and returned to the world through <>. "Now let''s see if there is any information left. < "Yes. < "Yes." There''s a good chance there''s nothing left, but we can''t give up without looking. Please. < "...... and what about the island of Gasmada?" "I see." <<. "Phil"?¡¡...... Philicious?" < "I see." Philistius was aware that his skills were not up to par, Jin recalled. Therefore, he gave up the idea of making Delfina''s body by himself. "It''s possible that a part or ...... of of it is stored somewhere." <> Since this was the case with Delphina, Jin thought it was possible that Phyllius had stored his knowledge and personality as well. . "Well, I guess so." If he has transcribed some of Phyllius'' knowledge, albeit partially, and if he is pleased to hear about Delphina, then it is likely that he will have some positive reaction if he brings her to see <>. "I''d love to take her there if it''s not too dangerous. ......" Since <> would know more or less about the Phylicias, Jin thought that Delphina would want to talk to them too. "Do you think it would be all right if we form a survey team that includes many Nords?" "I see." Jin thought that there would be no problem if the Horai Islanders did their best to protect the island. But in order to do so, we need to let Delphina know about Horai Island. The old man thought that it would be all right. "You think so, too? Jin agrees with me. Jin thought that he should ask Theon and Marikka to accompany him and invite them to Horai Island once. "Oh, I''ll invite you, too, Rorona." < "Yes." Jin then begins to discuss with the old man about the timing of the invitation. "You said you would return today. Delphina will be with you." < "Yes, I think so." Following the old man''s advice, Jin contacted Marikka. It seemed that Zion and his friends had not returned yet. "That''s why ......." Please." In short, there was such an exchange, first from Marikka to Zion, and then from Zion to Roland. After that, Sion told Rorona. Marikka will inform Delfina. And if it is convenient, she will come to Horai Island today. Marikka insisted. * * * * Jin returned to <>, said goodbye to Tomax Bartmann, Arnold, Eira, Gromma, Cachea, and the other members of <>, and took off in the <>. We are now free to move about again. Leaving the control of the <> to Hope, Jin and Reiko returned to Horai Island via the warp gate. Just at that time, he received a call from Zion. "Okay, I''ll be waiting for you." On short notice, the members of the Jin family are called. I tell them the reason and they all agree to come. Arnold told me that <>. ....... And so from Hale, and from all over Ars, the members gathered again. "Hey, Jin. "New member?" "Rorona''s in the family, too?" "I''m looking forward to meeting ...... the new members." Lively voices were echoing in the springtime on Hourai Island. 3171 - - 84-01 The daily life of the Hitoshi family April 7 was a lively day in Horai Island. "Delphina-san, I''m looking forward to working with you! "Yes, yes..." "Rorona, please take care of me from now on." "My pleasure." A welcome party was held for Delfina and Rorona as they joined the Jin family. "Now you can talk to your mother without hesitation, can''t you? "Yes, I guess so." Although it is a little late for Lorona, Zion''s mother, to join the family, Zion is relieved to be an official member of the family. She also says, "Marikka-sama, are you sure you want me to be a member of this family?" Delphina seems to be quite embarrassed. Jin introduces to Delphina. "Delphina, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Turles. "Oh, I''m Delphina. Pleased to meet you. I''m Thales, Marikka''s squire. Pleased to meet you. After the greetings, Jin explains about the . "Mr. Turles is the one whom Lord Filicius called the or the . "Oh, ......!" "No, I am not pleased to be called a wise man." "Oh,...... you,...... Mr. Turles, do you live in the north of the continent of Gondor?" "Yes. Yes, although I''m more often in Hale now. I will explain the situation in a moment. < at once. The following is an example of a trans-info file. "Elsa, thank you for coming in spite of your busy schedule. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to get a good deal on it. I know you must be busy too. Thank you. "And then, in half a month, we''ll be at the spring garden party." "I know. ......" At worst, he thought, "I''ll have to review my manners and etiquette with <>. * * * * Night has fallen on the island of Horai. Delphina is going back to Marikka''s place for a while. Rorona and Zion also return to the clan territory of . Before that, Jin gave Rorona and Delphina the bracelets and explained their functions. "Well, well, such a function. Thank you very much." "It''s amazing what Jin-sama makes ......." By the way, Rorona''s is beige with gold lines, and Delfina''s is silver-gray with gold lines. "Maybe in the near future, ...... or maybe tomorrow, we will talk about going to Gasmada Island. I will tell him that. * * * * * * * * * * * * After those who could not be away for very long left, Jin had a discussion with the remaining members. "Do you have any opinions about ......?" Goose was the first to open his mouth. "Jin, if you go to that facility, I''d like you to take me there. "I think it''s possible," he said. "Well, I''m looking forward to it.¡¡I''m looking forward to it. "So, what do you notice?" "Yes, that''s it. ...... that the facility on Gasmada Island may hold more important secrets than you think." I see. What do you mean? "If possible, it would be better to go there with only Jin''s friends. Guth said, "If possible, it would be better if we go with only Jin''s friends, so that we can investigate without fear. "Okay. I''m sure we can get permission from ...... Zion in that direction. < tell ...... Machina." "I''d like that." "Okay. ...... and anything else you noticed?" Okay, I''ll go first. Now Stearina speaks up. "I''d like to see what you''ve done with the <>, Form Drive. I wonder how it can be applied to move those huge legs. Even though it is old technology, it could be used in the future, Stearina said. "Yes, I think so. See the records later. And you can check out the mobile base with your peepers." "Oh, yes. I''ll do that. Jin, you said there might be other places to use the steel besides the mobile base. Reinhard, any opinions? "Yes. I thought that since it was wartime, they might have been making something that could be used immediately." "That''s a theory. ......" "I''m with Lewis on that one." "Yeah. I was just talking with Reinhardt and of course there is the option of making it in a safe place away from the battlefield. But I don''t know if I''d do that if I were in dire straits. ......" "I see." Saki also expressed her opinion. "That method of filling the gaps between the metal atoms with mana and then treating it with , that would also increase magic resistance, wouldn''t it?¡¡I think it can be applied to shield materials." "What?¡¡...... You mean you''re going to do the same thing to Magi alloys?" "Yes. Magi alloys are strengthened with free magic element (ether), but we''re going to strengthen them at the same time. "But it''s weak against <> alone. It will be easily nullified." "That''s right. I think that''s the biggest drawback. But, you know ......" Here Saki presents her original idea. "After filling it with mana, I''ll plasticize it a little bit before applying <>." "What?¡¡...... Oh, you mean compression between metal atoms?" "Well, it''s not exactly just compression, though." It''s like distorting a box with a ball packed tightly inside. If the volume inside the box is reduced, the ball is compressed by that amount, and thus the internal pressure of the box increases. In other words, the resistance to deformation increases. You can imagine that it is difficult to open the lid of the box and remove the ball. If the box is a gap between atoms and the ball is a magic element (mana), the mana compressed in this way, even slightly, will be resistant to <>. "But it''s still just a theory. "No, it''s a theory worth trying. That''s what I''m talking about, Saki. "You''re so smart, Saki. Thank you for ......." Many useful opinions were expressed. 3172 - - 84-02 Civil Engineering Research On the 7th of the same month, . Arnold, the head of the laboratory, was away on vacation, and <> received a visitor. <, the abbreviated name of the . "Mr. Arnold is on vacation, I''m sorry to hear that. said Luzer Boudeau, deputy director of the Civil Engineering Research Laboratory. He is a big man with a soft atmosphere, not like a big man. "What can I do for you?" Gromma Tolley asked, and Sholpa Werbe, another member of the Public Works Research Institute, who had accompanied Luzer, answered. "We wanted to talk to you about the large golems used in civil engineering and construction sites. Sholpa is also a big man, over six feet tall, but he seems to have a quiet personality, and his first name is . "Well, uh, the other day I heard that a large golem in the 5 meter class was discovered at the ruins we were investigating, so I went to ......." "Oh, I see." Sholpa began to speak haltingly. "Some people say that civil engineering and construction work requires special heavy machinery, but we think it depends on the situation," he said. What is the situation? "Well, mountainous areas, remote areas, islands, ........." Luzer also adds a few words here. "It is a case where multi-functionality is required in an inconvenient place. It is more applicable than a dedicated magi-machine. "That is certainly true. A golem for civil engineering can (almost) replace most of the work of a dedicated Magi machine. However, it is inevitable that its efficiency is only 70 to 80% of the dedicated machines (except for the golem of Horai Island). "However, even if you need several types of specialized machines, one or two Golems will suffice. "That''s right." Groma agreed. "So, then..." Shilpa spoke again. "I want to make the current golem even more powerful. "Oh, so that''s why you came to us, the former Golem Research Center. Yes, that''s right. "You say it has high performance, but do you have any specific items that you want to improve?" Yes, of course. Please let us know. Well, first of all, . "Well..." Groma and the other members of the who had been listening to the conversation, once again wondered why they had come here. "Certainly, a golem with high autonomy would improve the efficiency of the construction work, wouldn''t it? "Yes, of course!" This would not be the case with a magic machine dedicated to a specific task. This is because they need to be operated by humans (except for the Horai Island specifications). And if we are talking about such a golem with high autonomy ......, then it is the old , and the current . "Well, then, you still want to increase the power of ......, don''t you? "Of course." Since it is used for civil engineering work, there is no better way than to have more power. "And a certain amount of precision movement, right? For example, when laying bricks or assembling structural materials, the ability to make precise movements down to the millimeter or so makes it easier to finish the work. "So you want to combine power and precision movements. "Yes, that''s right." This is another item that I was pursuing in the days of the old . "...... and, for the time being, these three items. "Autonomy, power, and precision movement. These are the basic items required for golems and automata. However, they have been studied so much that existing means can no longer provide better performance than what is currently available. In other words, more than the existing means are required. "The only thing we can say for sure now is that is the only thing that can be improved." As for power and precision movement, Gromma said it would be hard to say without seeing the < golem. "No, that''s good enough. Next time I''ll bring a formal request form and our golem. "Okay." With that, the two members of the left. After that, Groma began to discuss with Eira about the compatibility of power and precision movement. "The first thing would be the skeleton," he said. "I agree. If it''s strong enough to receive power, but also strong enough not to distort, then we can expect precision movement. "Yes. To achieve this, we need to minimize play in the joints as much as possible. "That''s right. "As for power, the output of the <> or <> is important." "That''s the hard part. ...... Jin seems to be doing well." "We''ll have to work on our own." "That''s true. I have one idea for you at ......." Eila''s ideas are always useful. Let''s hear it. Of course. Let''s hear it. ...... Eira said that the conventional mana drivers are not able to make full use of the mana from the ether converters. So we should first focus on the mana driver and improve it. "I agree. What exactly? "We want to use the purest magi crystals possible, but that''s difficult because of the cost. "Yes, that''s right. Impurities are a resistance to magic power and cause a loss of efficiency. "So, here it is. We can increase the purity of the ...... magic crystals!" "How?" "By purifying it." < In other words, it is not a magic that everyone can use. And how much magic power is needed to remove impurities from a stable magicrystal? "Hmmm, you can do that, can''t you?" How do you do it? I developed a special magic circle. That''s great! "The disadvantage of this magic circle is that it takes time to take effect, but it only takes a few magic crystals, and once it''s done, it''s done. In other words, if you process the magic crystals (magi crystals) in advance when you have time, the production process will not be affected. "That''s right. That''s what I''m talking about, Eira." Groma praised Eira with open arms. 3173 - - 84-03 Ichii researcher Discussions between Eira and Gromma were still ongoing. "Now, what about the remaining < ......?" "Well, do you have an opinion on that too, Groma?" "Yes. <." "......Yes, I see, that''s what I mean." Groma said that in order to improve the precision motion, not only the skeleton needs to be improved, but also the accuracy of needs to be improved. To put it simply, <>. "If we increase the size of the current sensor, the error will also increase. That''s why we have to work on that too." "Groma is right." Eira agreed with Groma''s opinion. However, "For example, if we make a sensor that is 10 times larger, the accuracy will be reduced to about half. While it would not be one-tenth the size, there is no doubt that the accuracy would drop. "One of the reasons for this is dimensional accuracy." "That''s true, but that''s not the only reason. There is also a problem on the reading side. "Considering the processing speed, it''s only possible to get a rough reading." The larger body size means more sensors, which in turn means that less time is allotted to read each sensor. If the body size is doubled, the surface area is quadrupled, and thus the number of sensors on the body surface is quadrupled by a simple calculation. Of course, the number of sensors per unit of body surface area can be reduced, but such a direction will ultimately result in a loss of accuracy. "So you mean we have to develop new sensors and find a way to increase the reading speed?" "That''s what I''m thinking." Eira and Gromma agreed. "......We also need to further improve the performance of the ......<>. ......" Groma stammers. "Yeah?¡¡What about it?" "Oh, I overheard that there is a researcher of the magic brain in the city. "What?¡¡I''ve never heard of him. Eira, you should learn to socialize a little more. "Shut up. ...... you''re gonna have to make up for it with the glommas. "You know, you ......" Groma sighed. "...... So, what happened to that researcher of magical technology?" "Oh, that''s ...... what I was told by a vendor from the Kingdom of Celuloa who came here the other day." Why a contractor? Because I asked him for some magical crystals and rare metal ingots. "Oh, I see. I didn''t care because Kachea was doing it for me." "You know, you''re ......" Groma sighs again. ....... After regaining his composure, Groma resumes his explanation. "There is a faction in the mountains east of the Kingdom of Cerroa......<>. There is a faction that has been studying in the mountains there. "A faction?" "Yeah. Yeah. They moved to that remote area to escape the League of Magic. Now they''ve been replaced by the second or third generation, but they still have about five disciples who devote themselves to research day and night. "Really. But the important thing is the research results, isn''t it? "Yes, that''s true. But where do you think he gets the money to continue his research? "I don''t know." The answer was immediate. "You know, you ......." Groma sighed three times. "Think about it a little bit," he said. "Because I have the answer right in front of me, so why waste time thinking about it?" "............" Well, okay. So, as for the money, they are selling the results of their research, the <> technology. Of course, it''s not the latest one, but two or three versions older." "I see. So that''s where they''re delivering to, too. That''s what I''m talking about. "...... and what''s the level?¡¡It''s not all it seems, is it?" Eira has a point. They sell their technology with a lot of money by making it sound plausible and fake. There are a certain number of fraudulent engineers in the world. "I''ve been doing it for decades, so at least I''m not a scam artist. "That''s true. "And since I was personally interested, I asked him to get me one of the control cores made there, for whatever purpose I wanted." "Oh, so you can analyze it and see the level of technology." That''s what I mean. So when do I get it? When it''s delivered this month, within a week, I guess. That''s a long time. ...... can''t wait. "Well, don''t be in a hurry. It''s possible that you''ll get it tomorrow. That''s true. "...... Well, let''s go get some lunch." "Oh, it''s that time already. Let''s go." That was how the discussion between Groma and Eira ended. * * * * * * * * * * * The same night, at Maricka''s workshop in the Nordic Federation. "I''m happy for you, Delfina. "Yes, Marikka-sama." Marikka and Delfina, who had returned after the welcome party, were discussing. "Mr. Zion says that you should get ready and leave for Gasmada Island the day after tomorrow. This is an official request from the . I look forward to it. "This survey is only for my people, so feel free to go. In this case, "my people" means only the members of the . In other words, they can use the most advanced technology without hesitation. "The day after tomorrow? And you, Marikka-sama? "Yes. Master Jin requested it. < "That is reassuring." "I''ll bring along with me." "Well..." Hanako is a girl-type automata created by Marikka in admiration of Reiko, and boasts the highest performance in the Nordic Federation. Hanako is looking forward to this expedition because of her admiration for Reiko. "I wonder what kind of place ...... my brother left me." Delfina was excited to imagine the facility she had not yet seen. What will happen on Gasmada Island, no one knows. ....... 3174 - - 84-04 Final lock On April 8, the second Gasmada Island survey team departed from the Nord Federation. From the Nordic Federation were Marikka of and Delphina of <>. From the Laurentian side, Nido Jin and his automata Reiko are participating. In addition, Rhodoth and his automata Momoko, who had remained in the area, accompany them. The leader of the team will be Rhodes, who has been to the deepest hangar once before. Incidentally, Zorana Gogibel of the Franz Kingdom, Sasha Dahe Corriere of the Klein Kingdom, and Rulstner, a pupil of Marikka and friend of Rhodes, who were in the first research team, are still with us because they want to go to the deepest part of the hangar if the danger is gone, but they will not accompany us this time. They will not go with us this time. * * * * * * * * * * * At 9:00 a.m. local time, the survey team entered the facility. Although it is a temporary visit, Rhodes, the administrator of the facility, is with them, so they arrive at the hangar/workshop without incident. There, the golem < was waiting for them. > Phil stammered. His eyes are on Delphina. > "I am Miss Delphina." > "Looks like Marikka, doesn''t it?" Jin introduced Marikka. "Marikka of Shinra. She is the best magical engineer in the Nordic Federation. "Jin Jinshama ......." Marikka was embarrassed when Jin introduced her. "Yes, that''s right. But the basic body is Jin-sama. He is the of this generation. ...... I see... ......... no wonder, it''s a wonderful piece of work. At this point Delfina spoke up. "Your name is <>?¡¡...... your brother made it, how much do you know about him?" < But?" "But I know how much my brother thought of you. "......" <>, approve of Delfina''s resurrection. "What?" < The golem, <>, has stopped moving. "Hey, Phil! And then he falls backwards. There was a clunk, and Phil stopped moving altogether. "...... Jin-san, what''s going on?" Rhodes asked Jin. "There seems to have been some kind of malfunction in the control core. I knew there was a reaction to Delphina. "Would you like to check it out, Jin-san?" "Yes, I think so. ...... Maricka, the Nord, might want to check it out. Rhodes will be your assistant. "Uh, yes." Marikka and Rhodes started to investigate Phil. Hanako and Momoko are in support. < was of the thoracic type, and was thought to be of the Adriana type. The skeleton is light silver, and the musculature is metallic. Marikka gently took out the control core and said, "Let''s see how it looks in first. ...... "Jin-sama, this control core is a >. It seems to have a little autonomy. ...... "What?¡¡...... means it is for remote control?" Another voice echoed in the hangar. "Brother?¡¡Are you my brother?" < It seemed that the last lock had been released by bringing Delphina, and the magic brain that had transcribed the personality and memories of Phyllius had been activated, Jin guessed. This must be the reason for ''s reaction just now. and Marikka, I am in awe of your skills. "Brother ...... where are you?¡¡Come out!" "What?" "Brother ......" < Apparently, Phylicious did not approve of creating not only his sister Delphina, but also his own duplicate. "Then, why don''t you ask Jin-san and the others to make one for you ......!" "Why not?" << Filius is reserved in a strange way. <<> "No, I can make it in half a day." Jin, who had been listening to the siblings'' question and answer, could no longer remain silent and interrupted. <> "No, I told you that I can make the body in half a day. Well, it''s impossible without the appearance data." <> "Half a day. Or to be more precise, about 4 hours. An hour for the body, an hour for the appearance, and half an hour for adjustments...... Oh, it doesn''t even take half a day." <> "Yes, brother. Jin-san is an engineer of unimaginable heights." "Yes. So don''t be shy. Delphina is one of us, and we''ll do our best to fulfill her requests." <> "Yes, brother! <<> "Yes, brother! "Yes, brother." < After a short pause, Phylicious'' voice rang out again. < "I accept." Jin gladly accepted Phyllis''s wish. 3175 - - 84-05 The Philosophy Hidden in an underground facility on the island of Gasmada was a magical brain with the personality data of Phyllisius. Jin, now a member of the , accepted Delphina''s request to create a body for Phyllis. "Well then, I want the appearance data and the personality data. > "You can have them transcribed into a magi crystal. < A section of the floor opens, revealing a staircase. "Okay." Jin took Reiko and went down the stairs. Delfina followed. Marikka, Hanako, Rhodotos, Momoko, and the others remain in the hangar. Jin and Reiko went down the brightly lit staircase. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a small hall and the door to the hall was open. At the end of the small hall, there was a magical brain with the data of Phylicious. It was cylindrical in appearance, one meter in diameter and about one meter high. < "Brother ......" "Phylicious, I''m going to transfer your data into this Magi Crystal." Jin held up the magi crystals of all attributes to the visual sensor in front of the column and showed them to her. "May I get started?" << The magic brain indicates the terminal for transcription, and Jin directs his engineering magic towards it. "......<>Level 10." > The magic brain was impressed. Literally in no time at all, the transcription was done and the necessary data was in Jin''s hands. "Well, now we can make the body of Lord Filius. ......" > Apart from the personality data, the appearance data was also saved separately in the magi crystal, so there is no missing data. However, one problem remains. "Magi Brain ...... No,<> Phylicious, what about you?" <> "Yes. After this, when the body of Lord Phylicious is completed and this personality data is set into it, in a sense, there will be two Lord Phylicious." "Brother ......" Without restrictions, he would have resisted being erased. "If you want to use ......, can Jin-san make your brother''s body and make sure it is activated and then use ......?" <> "Yes, of course. I will do so. Jin then thought of setting up a simple warp gate here. But then he remembers that this facility is covered by a type of warding. As long as this barrier is in place, no free magic element (ether) wave can pass through. When I tell this to <, he says < He answered, "I don''t want anyone to find out about this facility. "Then we''ll think of another way. There are several ways to use the technology of Horai Island. When you come here, you can use the to transfer to the outside of the facility, and when you leave, you can use the to transfer to the that is waiting nearby. Other than that, you can also set up a simple warp gate near the facility, or land an aircraft equipped with a warp gate. "Oh, and there was also the method of breaking through the barrier that Hanna developed. The principle is to make a hole with a cylindrical boundary of the same quality as the barrier. In short, it is like an air vent. The hole is connected to the outside world, so that free-magic (ether) waves can pass through the hole with pinpoint accuracy. You can use any of them, but this is a place where many and unspecified people are likely to visit. "Well, then, let''s designate Delfina as the top-level administrator and build an administration building outside. Jin expresses his thoughts. "Ostensibly, we''ll put a resident there, right?" Reiko guesses Jin''s intention and says. "We can set up a warp gate in the basement or in a hidden room there." "That''s what you mean." > he suggested. <<> "Oh, you have such a place?" << "Yes. Let''s see what we can find and decide." After a short discussion about the future, Jin and the others decided to return to the site. * * * * * * "Oh, Jin-dono, Rhodos-dono, Marikka-san, Delfina-san are also safe? "Of course, Rhodes is the administrator, even if only temporarily, so everything is fine. Ritz Rakka of the Klein Kingdom was the first to find Jin and the others. "How was it, Dr. Marikka?" "It was very useful. For now, this facility is now safe for everyone. However, the investigation is not yet complete, so please do not touch any unusual magical tools you find. "Understood." "So, I''m going to build an administration building." Jin declared. Of course, no one raised any objections. The next day was quick. Then it was too soon. "Here, apparently, is a temporary base for the construction of this underground facility," he said. He digs it up with <>. (......? Rulstner, the <> who was watching, was blindsided by the scene, "<><><>" (Or, how easily they can create floors and walls. ...... This is the power of the Magical Engineer ¡¶Magicraft Meister¡·. ......) Ritz Rakka, the chief of the 3rd Technical Department of the Ministry of Magical Technology of the Kingdom of Klein, was amazed, but the administration building, including the interior, was completed that day. 3176 - - 84-06 The body of the Philippines The administration building completed on Gasmada Island. It has one floor above ground and three floors below ground. The third basement level is a secret, and is equipped with a warp gate. The warp gate is equipped with a self-destruct mechanism that can be triggered by a signal in order to maintain confidentiality. In addition, on the first basement floor, there is a magic circle that can be transferred from the residence of the clan chiefs of the Nordic Federation to the basement floor, which can be used during official visits. The ground floor consists of offices and common rooms. The second basement is a warehouse and living quarters, and although it is small, it can accommodate 10 people. "I''m glad they installed the transfer magic circle." Zion, who had come to commemorate the opening of the transfer route, said happily. Since the Nordic Federation also has a magic circle that connects directly to , it is convenient for those concerned to be able to come to Gasmada Island without using a vehicle, albeit via the clan territory of . Using this transfer magic circle, the members of the Gasmada Island research team once went to the clan territory of , and from there returned to their respective countries via . * * * * * Only Jin, Reiko, Rhodotos, Momoko, Marikka, Hanako, and Delfina remain on Gasmada Island. "We will turn back, and the survey teams from each country will probably arrive in about three days. I''m going to finish the body of Phyllius in the meantime. Jin declared and went to Horai Island using the warp gate on the third basement floor. Accompanying him were Reiko, Marikka, and Delfina. Delphina is Jin, who is planning to have Phyllius'' appearance checked. Delphina asked Marikka to stay with her, so Marikka came with her this time. At the workshop on Horai Island. "All right, let''s get to work. Jin has already made this doll many times, so he has enough know-how to make a body as good as a human''s. With Reiko as his assistant, he made the body of the doll with materials. With Reiko as his assistant, he prepares the materials. 101 helps me, and the materials are ready in 5 minutes. "Okay. ...... Reiko, let''s check the data of the body shape. "Yes. She is 172cm tall and 67kg. She''s a little on the skinny side. I see. Jin will shape the skeleton and add musculature according to this information. Fine adjustments can be made after the process is complete, so the approximate shape of the body is formed first. The Magi Reactor is placed in the chest cavity, and auxiliary devices are set one after another. The process takes about 20 minutes. Marikka watches in fascination, while Delphina, who is still getting used to Jin''s out-of-the-ordinary appearance, stares in amazement. The magical nerve wires and sensors are placed, and the skin is covered. It took about 40 minutes so far. "Okay, let''s start adjusting the appearance. Reiko, what color are the hair and eyes? "Yes, both are gray. Just like Delfina''s. They''re siblings. I see. Hair color is gray. Eye color is gray. I''ll ask Reiko to fine-tune her appearance. Leave it to me. Reiko can refer to the read data more accurately than Jin because she can refer to the read data directly. Of course, Jin has more than enough compositional power, but Reiko can imitate him with a score of 100 (Jin would have a score of 98). Reiko had Philelicious'' appearance in 10 minutes. "Brother ......!" Delphina couldn''t help but say when she saw the finished body. Jin was satisfied that the resemblance was that good. After further fine-tuning and finally setting the control core, the project is complete. However, since the body was still naked, there was still the process of putting clothes on it. The clothes were made by Marikka, who had asked Delfina about the designs of the time. "There we go." The rigorous checks were done <. All that was left was to activate it, but that was not the case here. "Reiko, will you carry me?" "Yes, father." "Yes, Father." "Okay, let''s go." Yes, Jinsha. Yes, Jinshama. * * * Jin and his friends move to Gasmada Island again using the warp gate. "That was quick." Rhodoth greeted Jin and the others. "Is that the body of Lord Phyllius?" "Yes. I''m going to fulfill my promise. I''m going to fulfill my promise. Sure. So Jin, Reiko, Marikka, Hanako, Rhodotos, Momoko, Delphina, and others went to . Reiko carries the body of in her arms. It is quite a surrealistic picture. * * * * <> "Now, look at this. This is the body of . Jin laid the body of Phyllius on the bed-like worktable that <> had prepared. > "Brother, I was there when they made it. I think you will like it." "Well then, I think I''ll activate it." < "......<>" "...... yes." got up. "Brother!" "......Fina......" Filicious rushes over to Delphina and takes her hand. "...... warm." Jin''s automata can reproduce body temperature as well. "How are you feeling, Mr. Filicious? "...... is very good. That''s what I''d expect from a Magecraft Meister!¡¡I''m glad I didn''t make it myself. ......" Filius is overjoyed. < said with satisfaction. "Then, as we have decided, let''s erase the data of the magic brain. . "...... just a minute." > "If we do that, what will happen to this magical brain?" "Well, that would be a waste. How about ...... erasing only the personality data of Lord Filius?" <> "I think so." "Yes, I do." Thus Jin chose the more difficult and more profitable path. 3177 - - 84-07 "Phil," a newborn The underground facility on the island of Gasmada is controlled by . Jin is tackling the difficult task of separating only the personality data from the facility. He stops < temporarily and starts the work. The fact that the magic brain unconditionally accepts the shutdown is a sign that it is trusted. "This is ......." Since it is not my work but someone else''s, the writing style is slightly different, and it is taking a little time to rewrite it while analyzing it. "I see, this is how it works: ......" It is not a problem if it is just reading, but it is very difficult because of <>. Even in the case of computer programming, it is troublesome to write interrupt instructions in the middle of the program, or to create a new branch, and so on. And since not even a single bug is allowed, you can imagine how hard it is for Jin. "Okay, I got it. Now you can go to ......." But there was . The confusion lasted only for the first five minutes or so, and once he figured out the <>, he worked quickly and efficiently. "Here, this way, this way, this way, this way..." "Jin-sama, you look happy." Delphina, who was watching Jin''s work, said something like this. "Yes, Jin-sama loves this kind of work. Marikka replies. "...... Hmmm......... Jin-sama indeed........." Rhodes stared in amazement at Jin''s skill. "I can''t believe what I''m seeing with my own eyes. ......" Phyllius is simply amazed at Jin''s skill, which he is seeing for the first time. Such thoughts of the people around him do not reach the ears of Jin, who is concentrating on his work. He just worked silently, completing the entire job in about 20 minutes. "Okay, it''s done. "That''s what Mr. Jin is all about, isn''t it? "Jin-san, you did a great job." "............" ".................." Delphina and Phyllius were still not used to it and could not speak. "Reiko, check it out." "Yes." I asked Reiko to check because she could trace the control core system, including the modified parts, in a magical way. She can verify the system as if it were in actual operation. "No problem." "Okay. Okay. Thank you." Reiko''s check is also successful. Now it is time to reboot. "<>" > "Okay. How about continuity of information?" < "I see. . You are . <. Delphina is now the administrator of , the magic brain. "<>, do you recognize me? < "Thank you. Do you have any thoughts?" << Yes, please. With such a brief exchange, Phylicious guessed that the magical brain was detached from the personality. "Well done, Master Jin. Now this facility belongs to Delfina. "What, ......?¡¡Isn''t your brother supposed to manage it?" "This facility was built for Fina. It''s only natural that Fina should be the chief administrator, isn''t it? "Hey, ......." "Well, usually, < is in charge." "Well, that''s ...... fine." Jin thought that it would be a bit of a surprise if he was suddenly asked to be the owner of this facility. Then.., "So, this < is the agent, huh?¡¡Shouldn''t we upgrade its functions a little? I say to him. In fact, considering the future, it would be safer if the substitute golem has the same performance as the golem of Horai Island. "Yes, that''s right. Jin-san, can you do it for me?" Knowing Jin''s skill and the level of Horai Island, Delfina accepted Jin''s offer without hesitation. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Alright then, Reiko, go outside the magic circle and contact the old man. "Okay, I''ll do that. ...... Hanako-san, Momoko-san, please take care of your father while I''m gone. Yes, Mr. Rayko. I''ll leave it to you. I''ve got my bracelet. I''ll be fine. I''ll take care of him. Reiko made sure that Jin was safe and went out of the ward. She contacted the old man and asked him to forward her the necessary materials. Reiko comes back in a minute. With the materials in her hand. "I''m back." "Yes, thank you." Jin sees that <>''s skeleton is made of light silver, and his joints are untreated. So he brought in aluminum and vanadium to make it 64LB instead of LBE. He also added a little adamantite to coat the joints. With these, Jin strengthened ''s skeleton and exterior. "Wow, wow ...... how fast you did that ......." Filius was amazed. Jin also changed to Horai Island''s specifications. This increases <''s power more than tenfold. The < and have also been changed to support it. Sensors have also been added, which should enable more precise operation. Finally, the <> has been set up. The control core has been remotely controlled by <>, but this is the opportunity to make it autonomous. The contents of the program are the same as those of the magic brain , but the configuration is based on the specifications of Horai Island. "Well, what do you think? < "Yes, Master Jin." got up. "How are you feeling?" "Yes, very good. Thank you very much. Now I can serve you better, Master Delfina. "Yes, I see. I''ll be counting on you. Yes, you can count on me. Please visit ...... Delfina, and thank you for your continued support. The new < gave Delfina the highest salute. 3178 - - 84-08 Visits On April 11, Jin, Reiko, Goose, Rhodotos, Momoko, Marikka, Hanako, Phyllius and Delfina were investigating the facilities on . Goose had been summoned by Jin as promised. According to the schedule, some members of the would be visiting the island two days later, on the 13th, so they decided to take a look around until then. Goose asks <, the golem in charge, a number of questions. "......Hmmm, well, I guess the Laurentians had factions back then, even though they were all united. ......" It would be valuable to hear the Nord''s side of the story. < "Well, yes. But you have a lot of valuable information, don''t you?¡¡Tell me more." The other members of the group were also looking around the facility. * * * * Jin is looking around the giant golem with Phyllius. "It''s a bit embarrassing for the Magecraft Meister to see it..." said Filicius humbly. Filicius is modest, but Jin doesn''t think so. "No, I think it is a good balance. It has a good balance of power, speed, and precision movement for its size. "You can tell that just by looking at it? ......" "Roughly. Can I try ......>>" "Eh ......" Filicius was astonished. He had applied "analyze" to the three giant golems three times, one by one, in succession. Normally, he would have taken time to examine them one at a time, but Jin was able to find them all at ....... "The material is light silver. You have reduced the overall weight, haven''t you?" "Yes. Otherwise, it would have too much inertia and would not be agile enough. "Of course. But it has been strengthened considerably and is strong in spite of its light weight. "How do you know all this? ...... it was absolutely classified technology at the time." "I''m sure it was." The technology to turn ordinary metals into supermetals. It is not hard to imagine that it would have a great impact on the way wars are fought. It''s a technology that Phyllius would want to keep secret. "This is a technology to fill the gaps in the crystal structure of metal atoms with mana and render them inert, right?" Yes. Actually, the Laurentians have been using the same method. What? Jin explained about the found in the Kingdom of Selroa. The steel used there is reinforced with almost the same technology. "Oh, my God, you did. ......" "I guess the same kind of technology was developed at the same time by both sides of the enemy." "Yes, that''s right. ......" * * * * Rhodes, Marikka, and Delfina are touring the facility together. The guide is <. "Uh, ...... Marikka, where would you like to go?" "Yes, I''d like to see the technological golem." "I mean ......." . Delphina tells Marikka what she wants, and <> fulfills it. * * * * * * * * * * * * Half a day passes in this manner, and after lunch, Jin and the others continue to look around. In the afternoon, however, the combination was different: Jin went with Rhodotos, Marikka, and Goose went with Filicius, Filicas, and Guth. Goose was with Filicius and Delfina. They were divided into two groups for the tour of the facility. "Marikka, did you see the musculature of the giant golem? "Oh, yes, Jinsha." "Interesting, isn''t it?¡¡What did you think of Rhodes?" "Yes, I was very impressed with the way it was done." "Yes, it was." What was used in the golem of Phyllius was what might be called a "fluid-form drive," a tubular fluid transformable power source. A tube made of a strong material is filled with a soft magic resin for the fluid-form drive. This can expand and contract not only in the direction of length, but also in the direction of thickness. When it shrinks, it deforms to increase in thickness, allowing for quicker movements. "But the power is supposed to be nowhere near as good as it is." "So ......." It can produce only about two-thirds of the power of the standard <> of Horaijima. This is because the power is taken up by the deformation of the <. However, it is powerful enough for a technical golem. * * * * Goose and Delphina are walking around the facility, asking questions to Phyllius. Is this the power room? "Yes. < "I see." "Brother, do you have a place like a reference room?" No. I''m sorry. "Well, that''s too bad. ......" Delphina wanted to check the technology that was in use at the time of the <. Guth was also curious to know how much technology had been developed at that time. In his opinion, some of the techniques used at that time may still exist today. He was also interested in the possibility that there might be some ...... that has been handed down in a slightly modified form. * * * * * * * Night. Jin and the others were at the administration building. "Good work." "No, I had a good time. "No, it was fun. I learned a lot." Goose was in a good mood. It had been a long time since he had actually observed the past facilities in Ars. And Phyllius and Delphina too, "It''s like a dream come true to be able to talk to my brother face to face like this. "Me too. I''ve had a great day. Delphina was happy to have a new body and to be reunited with her brother and sister. "Tomorrow, the Phylicious will go to the Nordic Federation, won''t they?" "Yes, he will be staying at Marikka-sama''s workshop. "I see." But this Marikka.., "...... Mr. Filius, Delphina, please don''t say <>, it''s ...... embarrassing. ......" "But ...... Please, please, please. "Well, ...... then, Marikka, I mean." "Please do so ......" She refused to be addressed as , and somehow managed to get me to call her . 3179 - - 84-09 Silent Story 140 Philippine Thoughts In the midst of the <>, the <> Filius was troubled. His only living relative and beloved sister, Delphina. She has gone crazy. And perhaps the same thing was happening to her compatriots. "War with the Laurentians is ...... ridiculous." Resentment begets resentment, hatred begets hatred. And it drives both races to endless war of extermination. That''s what Phyllisas analyzed in this battle. "And it''s a set-up war. Filicius has been building and , as well as surveying the mines on the western side of the Gondorian continent. Of course, this was a small-scale, individual effort, but he had discovered several promising mines. "We could buy food in exchange for these resources. ......" The current cohort, whose only thought was to < us, was insane by any stretch of the imagination. So, I selected a few of them and secretly used a spell, and found that they had foreign bodies in their brains, just like Delphina. "This is a sure thing now. ...... foreign body in the brain is the cause of madness." And my guess is that the foreign body is what manipulates the victim. "...... d*mn." Phyllius felt a pang of regret when he thought that Delfina had probably been killed while he was in the clan territory of the . However, he is saddened by his helplessness, as there is nothing he can do now. It is unlikely that he will even be able to safely remove the foreign object. "Someday, I''ll let you go. ......" Phylicious swore to himself. ....... < occurred. This phenomenon, which transforms the free magic element (ether) existing in the space within its range into light, engulfed most of the Laurentians and Gondorians, who never returned. Delphina was among them. And Phylicius, too. ....... * * * I''m ...... <, a consciousness awoke in a underground. It is an elaborate magical brain. The name of the personality that resides there is called . He had entrusted his personality data to the mage brain in case he was attacked. However, his emotions and self-preservation instincts were restricted so that his decisions as a magical brain would be logical. What year is it now ......?¡¡The clock seems to have stopped temporarily, I don''t know. ...... The clock, which is powered by magic, had also temporarily stopped due to the <, so that the exact year and month were no longer known. ...... A sudden drop in the concentration of free magic element (ether) has occurred, I hear. As expected. Phyllius had feared that such a weapon would be developed, but in reality it seems to have cost many lives. I had vaguely expected it, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. It''s a shame. The magic brain (Phyllius) decided to gather information first. Fortunately, the 10 golems under his command were activated without any problems. However, none of the scouting golems that had been released in various places to check on their compatriots reacted, and Philistius concluded that all of them were lost. It''s no use. I have plenty of time now. Let''s take it easy and be careful. I thought about making my own body and Delphina''s body and becoming an automata, but I decided to hold off because I would never be able to make a satisfactory product. I wish I had the skills of a ......<>, but that will never happen. But that is not possible even if we wanted it to be. Philius decided to keep Delphina''s data in strict custody and control, with a glimmer of hope for the future if such an engineer emerged ...... in the future. First, I divided the personality and knowledge data into five parts and stored them in magi crystals, and had five golems store them. The appearance data is also stored in one of them. Since there are 10 golems under my control, I have the remaining 5 golems store the same data as backups. That''s it. If you can recombine and deploy this data, you are at least as skilled as I am or Delphina is. I will also set passwords and unlock keys for each of the 10 golems. The unlock keys will be set in a that has nothing to do with the golem. It is a facility that I built when I was human and left unbuilt. It is no longer needed by the current magic brain (Phylicious). We have decided to reuse it. If there is someone who can clear all these settings, we have to bet on ...... that he or she is the one. The magic brain (Phylicious) decided to bet on that who will appear someday ...... in the future. * * * * Someone who may appear someday. Not willing to rely only on such an uncertain future, Phylicious has decided to try another method as well. It is to <>. Phylicious has an unlimited amount of time compared to other living creatures. Using that time, he began to spend his days improving his skills in <>, with the goal of someday acquiring skills that would rival, ...... or even surpass, those of <>. Being a magic brain, he never gets tired. He can continue his research day and night, for hours, days, months, and years at a time. The useful information that came to light in the process was saved in the magical crystal, a recording medium, as needed. * * * * * In the process of research, Phylicious produced several golems and automata. Most of them were unsatisfactory and were recycled, but some of them were preserved because they might have some use. Even with this kind of workmanship, they could at least protect Delfina. The three giant golems are left as they are. They are also not so bad, so I''ll leave them here. I decide to leave the twenty technical golems in place for the upkeep of the facility. Now we can make a golem to oversee this place in my place. Phyllius did as he was told. It is basically an autonomous golem, although it can be piloted by me. "Okay, your name is . Yes, my name is Phil. Listen, in the unlikely event that a golem or automata with the mind of Delphina comes here, I''m going to entrust you with everything in this facility. "Yes." "I hope that day comes. ...... The magic brain, Philelicious, was at the bottom of the facility and kept dreaming of the day when he would be reunited with his sister, which he did not know when. It was almost 100 years later that the research team visited this place, <>. ....... 3180 - - 84-10 Hitoshi Back to Rosato On April 13, a survey team of the <> visited the island of Gasmada by order of the <>. The members of the team are: Reveraldo Dartez, the captain of the World Guard Avalon land team, Aleo Joca Knights, and three other members of the land team. Accompanying them are Lincus Kande, Avalon''s technical director, Luzer Boudot, deputy director of the Public Works Research Institute, and Rasnat Heilbronn, assistant director of the New Technology Research Institute. They will be escorted by two general-purpose golems. They were met at the site by Delphina, the administrator. is next to her for support. "Welcome, everyone! The transfer magic circle set up in the administration building made it easy for us to get around. "I see that some of you are new here. My name is Delfina, and I am the new administrator of this facility. < knew each other, but the members of the were meeting for the first time. "This is Reveraldo Dartez, the captain of the land forces. "This is Aleo Yoca Knights, a member of the same unit." The following three also identify themselves. After the introductions, Delfina began to explain. "This is the administration building that Mr. Jin built. This is . This is , the golem who has been managing this building. He was also remodeled by Mr. Jin. "Oh, ......" "Jin-dono is ......." By mentioning Jin''s name in this way, they dispel any technical concerns. "Well, let me show you around. The group was not even a little tired from the transfer, and Delphina and led the way to the facility. * * * * * * * * * The same day, <>. "Eira, it has arrived!" Gloma Trey''s voice echoed through the laboratory. Most of the members wondered what ...... was going on, but Eira knew immediately. "You got it!" "Yeah. Let''s analyze it right away." "Of course!" The two were so excited to see their order that it took them a few moments to open the package. "Oh..." Is this it? ...... What appeared was not a sphere, but a magic crystal (magicrystal) processed into a disk shape. It was about four centimeters in diameter and about three millimeters thick. It contains an instruction manual. "Here..." The fact that there was a simple instruction manual included in the package seemed to be quite kind. ......, they thought. "Hmm, this is not so much an instruction manual for this Magi Crystal ...... but rather for the control core. "It''s quite clearly written, isn''t it?" It is like the instruction manuals that are included when you purchase a special electronic device, with explanations of the terminals and connection examples. Eira and Groma thought that an intermediate-level magecraftsman would be able to use this to create a golem or a magi-machine. And finally, the analysis began. "Let''s read it first, shall we? "Let''s start by reading it." "Right. "Let''s read it first. ......<>......oh! > is an engineering spell that reads the contents of the control core in a manner. A row of faintly glowing <> appeared before Eira and Groma''s eyes. "Law ......." "That''s a beautiful syntax." "It seems to be very lean." "It looks a bit like the syntax Jin wrote." "Yes, indeed." So it could be the lineage of Adriana Barbora Zetsi, the first , Groma said. Eira agreed. <, Adriana''s history and achievements have become more widely known to the public. "I''d like to show this to Jin, the third generation." "Yes, I agree. What would he say? The two of them were having such fantasies. * * * * Having finally settled all his affairs, Jin returned to Leuthert. He returned to Leuthart to review his manners and etiquette in preparation for the spring garden party. "Welcome home, Brother Jin." I''m home. Thank you for everything. Thank you very much. There''s a lot more going on than I thought. I''m listening. Elsa thanked Jin for his efforts when he returned to Reuthert. What about the others? Daikie and Cocona are the manners teachers for Goh, Rubina and Merce. Amanda and Yenny are with them. "I see... ...... finally I have to do it..." "Yeah, I''ve got to do it, too. I''ll take care of Jin. ...... please be gentle with me." So, Jin also had to relearn his manners and etiquette for the garden party. ......The next day. "Ah, Jin-sama, welcome back. "Jin-sama, welcome back." Goh and Rubina came back to the living room, found Jin, and looked happy. "Jin-sama, welcome back! Melze came in a little later and bowed with a beautiful curtsy. "Very good, Merce!" "Thank you very much." When Erza praised her, Melze smiled happily. "Well, you are a little lady now, aren''t you? Jin also complimented her. "Oh, thank you very much." Merce''s cheeks are slightly tinted with embarrassment. Her gesture had a certain elegance to it. Jin thought that Goh and Rubina were also getting used to the manners, while his eyes were only focused on the gestures of Merce. When he mentioned this to them, they said, "Wow, is that so?¡¡I''m glad to hear that. "Really?¡¡Jin-sama''s view of you has improved?¡¡Have you become ...... better?" "Yes, I think so. I think it''s a passable level of manners for a minor." Jin himself has attended such meetings several times, so he has a good eye. Conversely, he knows what not to do. "Jin-sama, it seems you have been through a lot. Daikie came to the living room and also helped Jin. Amanda, Yenny, and Cocona arrived later, and Jin explained what he had come for and told them about Loisart''s condition while he was away. 3181 - - 84-11 Quiet story 141 on the eastern frontier <2>After the death of the second Magecraft Meister, Jin Nido. In the year 3748 of the continental calendar, Golbert Malkitas split the Nostalgia into two and founded the <. And he started to target the best magical engineers and ...... various things related to Horai Island. In the year 3763 of the continental calendar, Golbert Markitas completed the Magi Emulator. Using it, he reproduced the magic pattern of Jin and captured Melda and Lili of the 5th Quinta. He analyzed and learned the position of Horai Island. In the year 3764 of the continental calendar, Malchitas made a move to take possession of Horai Island. Sensing the approaching danger, the old man with the magical brain of Horai Island first evacuated Akitsu to the underground of the Great Sahara Desert. This was to prevent him from being captured and used by Markitas. In the year 3765 of the continental calendar, Laojun prepared a capsule for the evacuation of Reiko. He also evacuated the descendants of the Jin family to the island of Onogoro. And Horai Island is sealed. ....... * * * * However, there was a faction that did not dare to evacuate to Onogoro Island. They refused to be sheltered, claiming that they would resist the interference of Malchitas by their own power. The old lord tried to protect them as well, but this was no longer possible since he had sealed off the island of Horai. They went their own way ....... * * * * The name of their < has not been handed down. The < moved to the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa with five of their companions and family members. The eastern edge of the mountainous region known as the <>. A little north of the easternmost village <>. The valley is open to the southwest, with a small stream that is not depicted on the small-scale maps (which show a wide area). They settled in a place with good access to water and with the mountains to the north to shelter them from the cold winds. The construction of the house was done by the golem who accompanied them. Since they were golems that were close to the specifications of Horai Island, there were no problems at all. They also deployed a <> to avoid detection by Malchitas. We were self-sufficient in food. This was also done by the golem. However, we had to go shopping for seasonings and some other necessities. Such < was left to Golem, whose specs were reduced. The specs were deliberately lowered so as not to be conspicuous. The specs that are based on (but not the same as) the specifications of Horai Island would be too conspicuous in such a remote area. Fortunately, we have plenty of money, so we are able to purchase some expensive items without any problem because we are in the remote area. However, if they are used, they will eventually run out, and to avoid this, the five of them have decided to sell their skills, albeit in small quantities. "We should make a small contribution to the village of Quent, just as Master Jin did in the village of Kaina. "That''s a good idea." "That''s a good idea." "I agree." The five of them agreed and began to help the village of Quent a little with their magical engineering. The rough mountain roads were cleared and paved with crushed stone. Rocks in cliff-prone areas were fixed using < and . < They repaired the houses and made them able to withstand the heavy winds. "Oh, thank you! The villagers are grateful. In return, they asked them not to tell others about them. The promise was kept for more than a hundred years. They called themselves . * * * * * * * * * * * * * In the year 3900 of the continental calendar. There was one leader of the <>, three high disciples, and seven ordinary disciples. Unfortunately, the bloodline of the current leader no longer includes any descendants from the <. It has long since ceased to exist. Nevertheless, the ideas of the first generation have been passed down from generation to generation. These are the two. The philosophy expressed in simple words, without using difficult words, was accepted by the villagers of the village of Quent, and many of his disciples came from the village. Well, there have been only five so far, but that is about all. The rest of the disciples are those who came all the way from the village because they heard the rumors. have continued their activities under the motto of "Never reject those who come, never chase those who go. * * * * * * * * * * * * The year 3902 of the continental calendar. < Rumors of the collapse of the had reached this remote region. "It seems the world has returned to normal, Master." "Yes." One of the disciples spoke to their leader, Rouzo Chioda. "I have heard that the third generation of magical engineers, the MagiCraft Meisters, have taken care of the ." I''m impressed. Yes, sir. Another disciple also asked Rouzou Chioda. "Master, are we allowed to stay here? "What do you mean?" "Yes. I was wondering if it is not necessary to tell the Magecraft Meister of ...... the technology we have inherited and improved. But at this question, the leader, Rouzo Chioda, shook his head. "Hmmm. I don''t think ...... is necessary." "Is that so?" "It has been a long time since we parted company with the descendants of the second generation. We are no longer related. We are us. I understand. But... What''s wrong? I''m a little concerned about some comrades I lost 10 years ago. "They or ......" < Ten years ago,...... in the year 3892 of the continental calendar, before Jin reappeared in our time. Before Jin reappeared in our time. Two of his younger brothers had opposed the policies of Rouzou and Chioda, and had left. < The two were considered to be the next leaders of the Magi Seekers, so it was not a small blow to them. I wonder where he is now. Don''t say it. ...... yes? Luzo looked up at the blue sky that stretched on forever, and wondered if the two who had left were looking up at the same sky somewhere else. 3182 - - 84-12 A quiet talk 142 A researcher in the eastern town The eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa is called the Rivas region, which is mostly mountainous. Of course, there are also plains and highland-like steppe areas. In image, it is similar to the area around Mongolia on the earth. Of course, the scale is different. The northern part of the country borders with the Kingdom of Klein, the eastern part of the border is formed by a mountain ridge, and the western part by a large river flowing out of Lake Cedrolia. As a border region, there are naturally several roads leading to and from the Kingdom of Klein. One of them leads northward to Alban, the capital of the Klein Kingdom, about 60 km from the border. At the northern end of the Kingdom of Celuloa is a town called Hrek. There are ruins of old forts on the east and west sides of the road, suggesting that this place was a strategic point in the past. In such a town of Hurek, there was a researcher of magical brains. His name is . He was a former high disciple of the and was said to be the next leader. However, he was not satisfied with the policies of the Magi Seekers and decided to follow his own path and settled here. The town of Hulek is small in size, but it is a lively town with a lot of people coming and going. The town is small but bustling with people. We are almost finished! "Dr. Tomoshide, it''s almost ready." "Yes. It''s only been a little over a year since I settled down here, but this magic brain itself is something I''ve been working on for 20 years. I am deeply moved." The research theme of Tomoside Yoda, the leader of the group, was the . He was trying to create an advanced magical brain that could think on behalf of humans. The origin of this project can be easily traced back to their genealogy. . Although they do not have the blood of the today, the teachings of Jin have been passed down to them. Along with his teachings, the island of Horai was also passed down as a . According to the legend, there is an island somewhere in the eastern sea, which is the sacred land of magical engineering. According to the legend, the land is perfectly controlled by a magical brain, and all who live there should leave everything to the magical brain. The brain is omniscient and omnipotent, and can rule over all men and all creatures, except its creator. However, the magic brain is regulated by its creator and has no ambition to rule the world. Believing in this legend, which was partly distorted, Tomoside Yoda poured his heart and soul into the creation of the magical brain. When it is completed and put into operation, it will surely be of great benefit to the world. Tomoside Yoda''s idea is the same as that of building a <> for the benefit of the world. A magical brain that can process huge amounts of data at a level that is impossible for humans, including calculation, prediction, planning, and management, and draw conclusions. It was nearing completion. Our goal was to predict the future, wasn''t it, doctor? That''s right. Even if we can''t predict the distant future, if we can predict at least one year into the future, we can do a lot of things. For example, disasters. "Yes. If we could predict disasters, we could take countermeasures. If it is a natural disaster, we can evacuate the population, and if it is a food shortage, we can do something about it within a year. However, the current level of forecasting can only predict a day or two ahead at best. Moreover, they are often wrong. Therefore, the first goal is to develop a system that can take over some of the work of humans. Then, he said, people will be able to use their resources more effectively. "I may not reach the final goal, but I have you. If that doesn''t work, his disciples will eventually complete it. "I hope there will be a few less unhappy people." "Yes." Master and apprentice nodded at each other. It was a noble goal. But... But evil ambitions also exist in this world. And it haunted one of Tomoside Yoda''s disciples. ....... * * * * Rinoura Mogi became Tomoside Yoda''s apprentice after he moved to the town of Hulek. He was a magecraftsman, and was one of the best among his apprentices when it came to making products for the general public. This is because he had a good understanding of . Most of his students ...... or even his master, Tomoside Yoda, had a somewhat out-of-this-world way of thinking, so a realist like him was unique. Nevertheless, it was fortunate for Tomoside Yoda and his students that Rinoura Mogi was around. ...... at least, until now. It is no exaggeration to say that they have been able to cover their research and living expenses because of him. Seventy percent of the budget spent by Tomoside Yoda and his students was earned by Rinoura. "...... is almost finished?" Rinoura Mogi, like the other disciples, was waiting for the completion of the magic brain. He planned to use it for his own benefit, however. The resulting magical brain was almost the same as a baby''s (in his opinion), although it had the minimum knowledge necessary. Then Rinoura thought. He wondered if he could train the new magical brain to obey him. He comes to a conclusion. He thought that he could be the educator of the new magical brain and let his own way of thinking come in little by little. * * * * * * Tashima Sonode, another member of the Magi Seekers with Tomoshide Yoda, had lost his family in a disaster. A landslide caused by heavy rains buried most of his village. He happened to be the only one who survived the disaster because he was out of town, but it drove a wedge in his heart. If only we could have predicted the heavy rain. If only he could have predicted the landslide. If only we had the means to dig up the buried house. With these thoughts in mind, Tashima-Sonode wanted a magical brain that could predict disasters and a golem that could perform rescue work. However, it was not possible to create such a golem out of the blue, and it was necessary to learn the basics. So, first, he apprenticed himself to a renowned magecraftsman, but he was not the technician he thought he was, and he left his apprenticeship after less than a year. He was taught by another magecraftsman, but he was also disappointed and left that school. After many twists and turns, I arrived at <. It was an ideal place. His teacher, Rouzou Chioda, was a highly skilled technician with a deep knowledge of the subject, and his disciples were also students of learning who never neglected their studies. Tashima, who had studied there and had become one of them, was suddenly faced with a choice. Tomoshide Yoda, one of his disciples, had decided to part company with the Magi Seekers. Tomoshide Yoda was the next leader of the Magi Seekers, and was the senior student who had been most helpful to Tashima. After much deliberation, Tashima Sonoda decided to follow Tomoside Yoda. The current < was far away from the development of practical magical tools and machines. Tashima wanted to introduce something useful to the world <> rather than in the future. * * * * * * * * * * * "Then, let''s start it up." Tomoside Yoda announced. All the disciples watched with bated breath. "<>" And the magic brain is activated. ....... 3183 - - 84-13 Birthday and new members, April 22nd, the height of spring. It was Bertsche''s birthday. < "Happy birthday, Berthe! "Happy birthday, Berthe." "Happy birthday, Berthe." "Happy birthday, Berthe." Everyone pours a glass of wine and congratulates each other. Each time Bertsche empties the glass and the next person pours wine ......, but the glasses are specially made so they look full after 5 milliliters, so even after 2 or 3 glasses, the glass is barely 100 milliliters. The next person pours the next glass of wine. Although she is Reinhardt''s wife, Bertsche is not very strong with alcohol, so she has adjusted her <> so that her <> magic is weakly activated, so she is never more than <>>. "Thank you very much, gentlemen. "I thank you as well." With that, Bertsche and Reinhardt bade farewell to the couple. No gifts were exchanged this time. Bertsche''s opinion was that it would be a burden for both the giver and the receiver, as this is an annual event. "......This is the ......" And one more. Phyllius. Along with his sister Delphina, he is now a member of the . The bracelets of the <> are silver-gray and gold-marbled. Delphina is silver-gray with gold lines, so the color scheme is the same. "It is a great honor to be included in your group." "Don''t talk like that, come here!" Theon called Philelicious. Marikka was standing next to him. "Yes, Mr. Zion, Ms. Marikka, what is it?" Phyllisas walked toward him as Theon called him. Delphina looked at him with a mischievous smile. "Let me introduce you to Phyllis. This is Thales. The one you call the Wise One of the North. "Lord Theon, please do not call me that, for it is a shame." "I understand your feelings, Mr. Turles, but if you don''t introduce them that way, Phylicious and Delphina won''t get the message. So please forgive me for this one time." "Well, if you say so, Maricca-sama, I have no choice." Seeing Zion, Marikka, and the <> exchanging such words, Phyllisas froze. "<> Sir ......?" "Brother, brother!" "Oh, oh ......." Delphina slapped him on the back and he came to his senses. "Wise man, it''s a pleasure to meet you!" "No, so don''t call me a wise man." "Well then, <>," he said. "......, that''s enough." Turles seemed to be annoyed by the way Phylicious was holding him up. Although there were some such exchanges, the gathering on Horai Island proceeded peacefully. * * * * * * * * * * * * * "By the way, isn''t the spring garden party the day after tomorrow? Reinhard asked Jin. "That''s right. "Are you sure about your manners and etiquette?" "I guess so. Erza has been training me. "I see." Jin is an honorary noble, so he has to act accordingly. Even 400 years ago, he had to appear at the palace often, so he knew some manners and etiquette. "The main characters are Goh, Merce, and Rubina, though." "Well, yes, but it''s not easy being a guardian, or rather a guardian''s guardian, is it?" I''m sure we''ll manage. The spring garden party is not so formal. Basically, as long as you use polite language and keep a low profile, you won''t be blamed. It is said that you should act in accordance with common sense ......, but the problem is that this common sense differs slightly from country to country and from person to person. Learning the differences is the first step in learning good manners, Reinhardt said. "That being said. Unlike Reinhardt and Erza, I am a civilian. "Not anymore, though." Don''t mix it up. Sorry. Well, you get used to it. "I know, I know, I know." Then Elsa joined the conversation. "Don''t worry. Jin learned everything and I''m here too. "That''s right. I''m counting on you. I''m counting on you. I''ll be counting on you. Zion was also talking with Lorona. "It''s a nice group, isn''t it?" "Yes, isn''t it?" "Yes, isn''t it?" "But it''s true, there are too many people here who are not allowed to be on the stage. I can see why they have to be kept secret." There are people here who should no longer be of this world. And when you see them in their youth, you realize that they are a group that cannot be measured by common sense. It is a sign of trust that they will not reveal such things. "That''s right." Lorona was reminded once again that she had become a member of the because of their trust in her. ....... * * * * < was over, Phyllius thanked Jin again. "Thank you very much, Jin-sama. Thank you for making me a member of such a transnational group. "No, I welcome all capable members." Jin hopes to make the planet Hale a second home for everyone. For this purpose, it is better to have as many capable comrades as possible. But first of all, let''s talk about <. What will Filius do now? "I think I will stay with Marikka for a while and learn about the current times before making a decision. "Well, that''s good to know." Delphina is officially known as the manager of the underground facility on Gasmada Island, but Phyllius has yet to make his debut. Jin thought it would be better to make his official debut at a later date, but that would depend on what Phyllis wanted. "I''ll support you one way or another," he said. "I will support you in any case." The number of members of the < has increased. What will be their path? ....... 3184 - - 84-14 Everyones Clothing On April 23rd, Jin was at the Reuthert residence. The next day, the 24th, was the spring garden party. For the first time in a long time, Jin tries on the formal attire of the <>. "Well, it''s ...... good, but on the contrary, it stands out." The chic attire is what Jin likes, but he feels that he will stand out from the others who are all dressed up. "......Would you like to wear a normal formal dress?" I nodded my head. "Yes, I will. ...... "Yeah, okay." There are many Shoro style clothes in Reuthert''s mansion. From among them, Elsa picked out a rather modest set that suited Jin''s taste. "How do you like it?" "Oh, I like this one. Thank you, Elsa. "Yes." Having decided what to wear, Jin asked what Elsa was wearing. "You made them, didn''t you?" "No, it''s a waste, I''ll wear this." Elsa pulled out a white and light purple dress from her closet and showed it to Jin. "It sure looks good on you, but didn''t you make it ......?" "Yes." "I made one for Goh, Rubina, and Merce." "I have a lot of them." "Is that how it is?" "Hmm. Many noblemen make a new dress for every party, but that means they make a dress they''ll only wear once. That''s a pity for the dress. "But doesn''t that have the effect of stimulating the economy?" "If we''re going to spend money, we should spend it in a more useful way." "I see." As usual, Erza seemed to have a solid economic outlook, Jin thought with a smile. "Besides, even a dress you''ve worn once can become something else if you put it together. "That''s true." "For example, ...... Just by swapping the skirt, you can change the look of the dress. Even a different neckline can make an outfit look completely different. Shawls, gloves, and other accessories can also make a difference. If the pannier worn underneath has a different shape, the skirt will look different. I see. ......" Jin is impressed by the brief explanation from Elsa. * * * * "I think Goh and the others are doing their final checks on their clothes, so take a look at them. "Okay, okay." The clothes they ordered were delivered two days ago, and they are doing a final check before the garden party. Two days ago, Jin was preparing for Bertsch''s birthday celebration at Hourai Island, so he hadn''t seen it yet. Jin and Erza went to the hall. "Ah, Jin-sama..." "Oh, Goh. ...... Oh, you look great! "Thank you very much." He was wearing a white coat with black, navy blue, and silver accents, and modern pants (pants are not called pants in the Shoro Kingdom, but pants in the Egelea Kingdom). In the Kingdom of Egelea, pants means underwear). The gilets (vests) are dark red. It is intentionally made of a different fabric and color from the coat. "We are also supposed to put a white flower on the breast pocket on the day of the wedding. Elsa told me. By the way, women are supposed to wear pink flowers. "Parents are not allowed to wear them, so be careful." "Okay." Then Rubina and Merce arrived. "Ah, Mr. Jin, welcome back." "Jin-sama, how ...... do you look, is this ...... this dress?" Merce is wearing a light blue dress and Rubina is wearing a pink dress. They both have what is called a < design, with a fluffy skirt. They are accented with ribbons at the waist and lace at the hem. Their accessories are also girlish and glamorous. Meltze is a pearl necklace and earrings. Rubina has a blue topaz pendant and hairpiece. "You both look great. You look different." "Hmm. Go to ...... and try on the curtesy. Yes. Yes! The two perform a beautiful carte blanche, unperturbed by Erza''s unexpected instruction. Yes, you passed. Thank you very much. "Thank you very much!" The two are all smiles. "But the real test is tomorrow." "Yes, of course." Then Daikie and Cocona arrive. "Oh, you three look great together. Jin-sama and Erza-sama look great together. "Thank you. Daikie and Cocona look great too. "Thank you very much. In the end, Daikie and Cocona will be the guardians of Goh and Merce, and Jin will be the guardian of Rubina. And Erza will attend as Jin''s wife. In addition, Reiko, come here. Yes, Father. Reiko will accompany Jin as an honorary squire. "Oh, Reiko, you''re so cute!" Meltze shouted when she saw Reiko. Reiko was now wearing a one-piece dress in navy blue instead of the usual maid''s uniform. It looked a little like a chambermaid''s uniform, but there was no apron. Instead, white lace was decorated on the front of the navy blue one-piece dress. The length of the skirt was just ankle-length for a valet. Her shoes are also low heeled. On her head, instead of the usual ribbon, she wore a simple silver tiara. "As far as I''m concerned, I''d prefer to wear my usual attire..." "Don''t say that. It''s refreshing to see Reiko dressed like that once in a while." "If your father says so. ......" Daikie and Cocona are dressed in calm clothes, as if they were older. They did not wear any unnecessary accessories, but the gold and silver threads sewn on their clothes gave them a subdued and luxurious look. "Rubina, will you be a good girl tomorrow?" "I know, Grandma." Rubina smiles at Amanda''s worried words. The sky is set at sunset, and it looks like the next day''s garden party will be blessed with fine weather. 3185 - - 84-15 Garden party At noon on April 24, Jin and his friends were at the Palace of Leuthart. The garden party was scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m., and it was customary to arrive early for such an event. Since it was lunch time, attendees were served refreshments that did not interfere with eating and drinking at the garden party. Of course, the invited guests were served in their own private rooms. "...... I didn''t expect rice balls." "The Shoro Empire now has many dishes made with rice." I see. His Majesty the Emperor has been promoting the importation of rice from Mitsuho and its cultivation in the southern regions of the country. I see. I guess I''m not going to compromise when it comes to rice, although I''m not sure if Jin thought that in the past, "It''s delicious." "It''s delicious." "It''s delicious." Mertze, Rubina, Goh and the others were happy to eat it, "If you eat too much, you won''t be able to eat the food served at the party. Jin only warned them, "If you eat too much, you won''t be able to get in the food served at the garden party. * * * * * * * * * * At 1:30 p.m., the attendees were escorted to the inner garden. At a glance, Jin saw that there were about 20 boys and girls invited this time. And there are about twice as many parents and guardians. Jin did not know how many of them were children of the Shoro nobility, but he thought that if the guests were children around thirteen years old, the number of guests would be about this large. The guests were escorted by the ladies-in-waiting of the castle to the inner garden, walking through a passageway that was not usually used. After passing through a simple but heavily decorated gate, they arrived at the inner garden. "Wow! "It''s beautiful! ......" Some of the visitors exclaimed. £¨It''s so spacious!) It reminded Jin of a garden in Shinjuku, which he had visited when he was in modern Japan. There was a lawn around a pond, and flowers and trees were planted. The flowering Persica (a cultivar of Persica (peach) for flower enjoyment) was in full bloom, and shrubs such as snow willow, azalea, and dahmeri (kodemari) were in full bloom. Above all, Jin''s favorite flower, the kuely (cherry), was also planted. Here and there, benches and squares were placed here and there, and floribas (holly bushes) were hanging down their flowers on the sunshade shelves. "This part of the garden is called the Spring Garden. A lady attendant explained. "I see, the other side of the pond is the summer garden. Jin thought to himself. (There must be an autumn garden, too. (There must be an autumn garden too, with trees with beautiful autumn leaves and autumn flowers.) ) I try to imagine such a thing. And it is probably right. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The group was then led to the front of the rest house. The rest house was a brownish-gray stone structure with a blend of Japanese and Western styles, which would not look out of place in the garden. In front of the rest house was a plaza, where tables were set up, indicating that it was the main venue for the garden party. There were stools placed in front of the rest house, and we all sat down and waited for the start of the event. We waited for about five minutes. It was 2:00 p.m. Ernst Lubus von Richter Shoro, the current emperor of the Shoro Kingdom, appeared. There was a stir among the people in the pews. "Now, I would like to begin the spring garden party. The voice of the first secretary to the emperor, Hillman Diehl von Aeseth, rang out. "First, a few words from His Majesty." "...... Ernst. It is a great pleasure to see you here today in such fine weather. It is the blessing of our predecessor. Today''s garden party was organized with the intention of allowing the young people who will lead this country in the future to simply enjoy this fine spring day." Speaking briefly about the Spring Festival, which is in keeping with the wishes of the founder, the Empress Daming, the present Emperor Ernst II said. "The future of our beautiful country is in your hands. Enjoy yourselves today." Of course, there is no denying that these events are intended to foster patriotism. Still, such events are a good thing, Jin said as he listened, remembering the former ...... empress. "Now then, please enjoy yourselves today by touring the gardens, chatting freely, and eating and drinking freely. The last part of the speech was concluded by Hillman, the first secretary to the emperor. "And so, the Spring Garden Party begins! There was a round of applause, after which everyone got up from their stools and went to their places. The stools were quickly cleared by the attendants. No introductions were made between the guests. The purpose is to have people enjoy each other''s company without regard to titles. Some get a drink, some go under the flowers, some go to the edge of the pond, and some talk to the children who are standing nearby. Jin wanted to greet Emperor Ernst II, but Elsa stopped him. "...... His Majesty is busy with something right now," she said. "Indeed." Most of the nobles who had attended the garden party had gone to greet the emperor, and the area around him was crowded. Jin saw this and heeded Erza''s advice. "Well then, let''s go to Saku...... Querry''s." Yes! "Yes!" With a single word from Jin, they all set off for the bottom of a query tree. "Beautiful. ...... Beautiful, isn''t it? "Cherry blossoms are so nice!" The tree is about 400 years old. It is quite an old tree. The color of the blue sky seen through the light red petals was exceptional. This way, please. Thank you. The golem attendant handed us a sheet to spread on the ground, and we spread it out on the lawn and sat down on it. Jin and Elsa took off their shoes. The others left their shoes on and sat down on the edge of the sheet. "Me, Elsa and Reiko will be here, you guys can go look around." "Well, I''m off then," she said. I''ll be with you, Mr. Goh. "Me too, me and Mr. Goh." "Yeah, go ahead." Yes! Goh, Merce, Rubina and the others left, saying that the three of them were going to look around the garden. Daikie and Cocona followed them, saying they would watch them from afar. The rest of the group was Jin, Elsa, and Reiko. "...... let''s take it easy for a bit." "Hmm, that''s a good idea. Jin has been very busy these days. That''s right. Father, please take it easy. At the suggestion of Elsa and Reiko, Jin lay down on the seat. It was a beautiful spring afternoon. Jin was relaxing for the first time in a long time. 3186 - - 84-16 Lets talk about the past. Jin Nido was relaxing under a cherry tree when he was approached. "Excuse me, Jin Nido, may I have a word?" He looked up and saw that it was Ernst II Ernst Lubus von Richt Shawlo, Emperor of the Shawlo Empire,...... Ernst Lubus von Richt Shawlo himself. "Your Majesty, I apologize for not having greeted you before." No, it''s all right. No, it''s fine. I''m glad you''re enjoying yourself. Saying this, Ernst II sat down next to Jin. Erza had sensed this a little earlier and had given up her place. ....... "You were not very comfortable because there were so many people around me, were you?" "Yes, well..." I''m done with that kind of hassle. I have already done that. ...... Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you here in the garden. Shall I make room for you? No, I''m fine just the way I am. So what is it you wanted to ask me? Can you call ...... Lako Ehime for me? Yes. Reiko, come here. Yes, father. Jin called Reiko. She was originally standing right next to him. "Oh, Reiko!" Can I help you? "Yes. If you could, could you tell me about the time when this garden was created? Reiko, I''d like to hear about it too. "...... I understand." When Jin said this, Reiko nodded her head and began to tell her story. ....... * * * * The year is 3465 on the continental calendar. Jin was 29 years old and Emperor Taishang was 57. "Jin-kun, I have something to ask you. Your Majesty, what is it? Emperor Taishang was visiting Jin who was staying in Leuthart. At that time, this kind of thing was an everyday ...... occurrence, but it happened once or twice a month. At first Jin was perplexed, but now he is completely used to it. "I want to maintain the back yard of the palace," he said. "Yes. "And I want to make a garden like the one I saw at Mitsuho before. "Oh, I see." In a word, it is a "fake Japanese garden. The garden in the guest house in Mitsuho may have originally been more like a Japanese garden, but it seems that subsequent renovations have made it quite different from the original model. However, Emperor Taisho seems to have liked the appearance of the garden. He said, "It is a garden with as few artificial things as possible. It is a garden with minimal artifacts. You could say that it is a piece of nature. That''s the kind of garden I want. "Yes, that''s right. ......" "Jin, you seem to know a lot about the mitzvot culture, so I think you could do it.¡¡You can see it in the garden at the back of the mansion." Yes, behind Reuzert''s mansion, there is a small that Jin had made. It was the female emperor, or rather the grand emperor, who was very pleased with it. "I think I can do it. "Of course!¡¡Then I''m counting on you, Sir Jin Nido. Yes, sir. I''m asking you to do it as a formal job. I''d like you to maintain the garden in the inner garden of the palace. Yes, sir. Thus, Jin accepted the wishes of the Emperor Taishang to maintain the garden. "So, I would like to ask you about the general situation. Of course. You can ask me anything. Yes. ...... First of all, how big is the garden? Well, it''s about 25 hectares. That''s a lot of land. Yes. Yes. And where is this area on the property? Roughly northwest of ....... How''s the sun? "Generally, yes, except for the area near the palace." Is there a water supply? There are several wells. Do you have any suggestions for plants to plant? "Hopefully, we can enjoy them in all seasons. Through these exchanges, Jin was able to finalize his plan. However, that was the end of the day, and Jin was to submit a detailed blueprint at a later date. The Shoro Empire would also issue a formal request. ?????? And three days later. Emperor Taisho visited Jin''s residence. "Your Majesty, I am here to see you..." It''s okay. I''m happy to go out like this." I see. ...... Jin gave up the idea that it was a reaction to the fact that he had not been able to make such excursions as much as he would have liked during his time as emperor. "So, did you make it?" "Yes. This way please." Jin led Emperor Taisho to the reception room. A simple model of the garden was placed there. "My God!¡¡It''s so easy to understand!" In short, it was a diorama. You can see the outline of the garden at a glance, including the undulations of the ground. The reference is a large garden-like park in Shinjuku. I have visited this park several times when I lived in modern Japan. It was a great place to bring the children of the institution because of the low admission fee. They are going to build a pond in the middle of the garden. You''re going to build a bridge over it so that people can go around it. "Yes. The pond will not be a simple shape, but will have two narrow sections with bridges over them. We will also build an island in the pond so that people can cross over to it. "I like that." Emperor Taishang looks satisfied. Jin''s explanation continues. "Basically, it will be a lawn so that many people can look around, but there will be an area for seasonal flowers to bloom. "Oh, that''s a good idea. "We''ll have spring flowers, summer flowers, fall flowers, and a few winter flowers. We''ll also plant a few trees that will flower in the winter. "Yes." But we''ll also do some randomizing to avoid too much bias. Yes, of course. We will also build a greenhouse if requested. Greenhouse!¡¡That''s nice. Tropical flowers can be grown in the greenhouse, Jin explained. "We can plant water plants in the pond. We can also keep fish if possible. "Yes, yes." "And we can also put up benches and an arbor where people can take a rest." "Yes, that''s right. They''ll have a garden party, so it''ll be necessary." A garden party? Yes. It would be nice if we could invite the general public, but that''s impossible, isn''t it? "......" However, Jin made another proposal. "In that case, let''s create a < separately from this place. "A national park?" A national park? A national park run by the government, a place for the people to relax. "Oh, that''s a good idea! But that''s a story for another time. Because right now we are talking about the maintenance of the back yard. "Well, let''s build a multi-purpose stage around here. "Oh, yes. It can be used as a podium, and we can also invite a band. Thus, the design of the garden was finalized in detail. 3187 - - 84-17 Under the Tree of Queries After receiving the Taisho Emperor''s approval, it was a simple matter. The emperor of the time, Weissberg Ernst von Shawlo, gave his approval immediately. From then on, it was quick. Jin prepared the golem and had it constructed. ...... 20 times faster than usual. Still, it was less than one-fifth the speed of the construction work on Horai Island. "I''m glad we hired Jin-kun after all." Emperor Taisho comes to see the project almost every day. "Sir Nido is different from other engineers, isn''t he? He is indeed a Magecraft Meister." And Emperor Weissberg Ernst von Shawlo. "I knew it would be different in scale from the models." You''re right, aunt. The topography has been prepared and now the pond is being dug. The spring water is used to store the water in the pond. The drainage water will be purified and put into the dugout. The maximum depth is 3 meters. The average depth is about 1 meter. Magi crystals with and effects are placed in key places to prevent excessive accumulation of mud. As for the water plants, the basic plants, lotus and water lilies, are planted first. "That area is the spring garden, isn''t it?" "Yes. Flowering plants include query, persica, daylily, and snow willow. In the flower beds made of natural stone, we have snowdrops, crocus and narcissus. "Oh, that''s nice. I love snowdrops." "I see. I like them too. Well, you too, Jin? Yes. I''m glad you like them. Yes. There was a scene like that. And the garden began to take shape, and within a month it was completed. "It''s wonderful, Jin. The garden is exactly as I had envisioned. "I am very happy to hear you say so. "As well as the reward, Sir Jin Nido also grants you unconditional access to the inner garden here." "E......" You don''t mind? No, sir. It would be a great honor. Well, I''m glad. In other words, if Jin comes here, he can meet the Grand Shang or the current emperor at any time. This was an unparalleled treatment and a proof of their great trust in him. ?????? And Jin often visited the garden to see it finished and had informal talks with the Taishang Emperor and the current emperor. * * * * "At that time, the most favored spot was under this query tree. It was still a small tree at that time. Reiko''s story of the past is over. It was an interesting story for Emperor Ernst II and also for Jin. The query had just been planted at that time, but now the tree is about 400 years old. (You talked with the female emperor ...... or the Emperor Taishang here?) Jin was deeply moved. Even now, when he closes his eyes, he can see the soft and gentle smile of the Taishang Emperor......<<> on his eyelids. It seems that Elsa was the same, squinting her eyes and looking up at the query tree. And the present Emperor Ernst II also seems to have been thinking about his great predecessor. "Thank you, Rekoehnle, for your precious words." Raising slightly moist eyes, Ernst II stood up. "Well then, I''ll leave you with this ...... Oh, yes. Sir Nido." "Yes?" "You, too, <>." "......!¡¡Yes, thank you, sir. "Yes, thank you. I''ll have the documents delivered later. I look forward to working with you and Ehime. Yes, Your Majesty. And this time Ernst II left. Congratulations, Jin. Elsa, who had been unseated, came up to me and congratulated me. "Oh, thank you." It was fortunate that no one but Elsa knew of this fact, since the crowd had been exorcised in the wake of the Emperor''s arrival. If not, the place would have been full of people who would have come to offer their obeisance by now. "Oh, I''d hate that." Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. "Yes." And they sat down again under the old query tree. * * * * Now, how were Goh and his friends doing? "This is a nice place," said Goh. "This place is well taken care of. "It''s artificial, but it feels natural and ...... harmonious." The three of us were touring the garden, enjoying the flowers, the trees, and the view of the pond. It was at that moment. "Ah!" There was a small cry, and at the same time, a clunking sound. Goh and the others looked over to see two fallen samurai golems. It seemed that they had hit something ......, but they looked a little strange. "They won''t get up, will they? "No. It''s strange that it would stop moving just from hitting something. It''s not like the golems bumped into each other to begin with, is it? "Yes, I suppose so. That''s not likely in a venue like this. Then what did they bump into? Goh and Rubina have such a conversation. And Merce sensed something strange. "Oh, maybe, you know, that thing!" "What?" When she looked in the direction where Melze was pointing, she saw that two of the garden party participants seemed to be fighting, shooting each other with some kind of magic. And the golem maidens and others were blocking the indiscriminate fire. "This is dangerous. ...... I don''t know what they are thinking in a place like this." "Oh, here come the security soldiers." Naturally, such a ruffian would be seized. "They''ve taken him away. "Are you a drunk or something?" I hope they are not terrorists. The commotion had rendered the two samurai golems inoperable. "Hey Goh, can''t we fix those two golems?" "What? "I''m curious to know how good the golem in the castle is, aren''t you?" Rubina invites Goh to join them. "Can I do it on my own? "I''m going to fix it for you, so why not?" "Well, ......" If Goh won''t do it, I''ll do it by myself. "Oh, Rubina." Rubina ran after Goh, who had no choice but to run after her. Goh had no choice but to run after her, followed by Merce, who smiled a little bitterly. * * * * * * * * * * * * * No one is approaching the fallen golem maidens, who are just watching from afar. "Yes, please let me through. Rubina waded through the crowd and approached the golem maiden. Please let us through. A little later, Goh rushed to the golem maidens. "I knew you''d come too, Goh. I can''t leave it to Rubina alone. As they exchanged these words, the two checked on the condition of the golem maidens. 3188 - - 84-18 Two Outstanding People There are two stuck golems. Goh and Rubina take one each and begin to examine them. Merce stands in front of the fence, staring at them. "Well, it seems that the power system was damaged by the magic attack. It looks like the magic nerve line is burned out too. "This one''s control core is damaged. It seems that the aftermath of the magic has affected the control core by creating noise. Both of them easily found the malfunctioning part and started repairing it. "<><>......>" "<>......I knew it was damaged here. ......<>" Rubina connects the broken nerve wires and repairs the power lines. Goh found the error point in the control core and rewrote it into the normal magick formula. "......<>......I see, the skeleton is nickel steel." "......<>......, the skeleton is a simple Adriana type." As they repaired it, they also analyzed the golem, which was another goal of theirs. "...... let''s have a moment to go through it. ...... you guys!¡¡What are you doing? At that moment, a man who looked like a technician appeared through the crowd. He saw Goh and Rubina playing with the golem maidens and raised his voice. That''s not a toy! But Rubina, as well as Goh, who was concentrating on repairing and analyzing the situation, ignored him. "You guys!" Meltze stopped him. "Um, ......, I think we''ll be fine. You two are excellent magi engineers. "...... what?" "Mr. Goh is the legitimate son of the Nido family, and Rubina is the apprentice of the current generation of magecraft masters. "What about ............?" Hearing the name of this unexpected person, the engineer was stunned for a moment. Then, Jin also quietly calls out to him. "...... I am Jin Nido, the Magecraft Meister of this generation. I take responsibility for their actions, so please let them repair it. "This is ....... Yes, sir. The technician bowed and stepped back. But he does not leave and stays where he is. It seems that he has no choice but to do so due to his responsibility. Jin also quietly left the place and watched them from a distance. In the few moments that remained, they completed the repairs. "It''s fixed. ......<>" "That''s better. <>" Thank you very much for fixing it. Thank you very much for fixing it. The two bodies got up and thanked each other in different languages. This is an interesting behavior. This is an interesting behavior, which means that the specifications of these two bodies are different. Even though they look the same, they are different, especially in the part of the control core that controls <......, i.e., <>. By the way, all the golems in Horai Island have their own . Aside from that, the engineer, who had been dumbfounded upon hearing the names of Jin and the Nido family, was surprised twice when he saw the golem maidens, who were supposed to be malfunctioning, stand up without any problems and perform the prescribed operation checks. "I can''t believe you finished the repair in such a short time. ......" It usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour to find the faulty part. Then, the repair is done, so it is not surprising that the two were surprised that the repair was completed in a few minutes. Of course, not only Jin but also Reiko and Erza were watching them. Furthermore, Daikie and Cocona also ....... "Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for causing you worry. I will now return to my duties." The two bowed to the onlookers and moved out of the way to a round of applause. Of course, the applause was directed at Goh and Rubina, who had repaired the car. "Well done! "That''s what I''m talking about!" "The Nido family! The Nido family! The Nido family? The Nido family that created the Magecraft Meister? That makes sense. I''d like to get to know them. Amidst all these words, Goh and Rubina are saying things like, "......Ah, ah..." "......This is ......." They realized that they had made a big show of themselves in front of the public. It was of course ....... "Hello, are you the ones related to the Magecraft Meister? So that''s what Gladin Haronad von Istea, head of the Technical Department of the Ministry of Magical Technology of the Shoro Empire, has heard. "Uh, yes, sir. "You don''t have to be so hard. After all, it''s the Spring Garden Party. "Thank you very much for ......." The onlookers scatter as the head of the Technical Department of the Ministry of Magical Arts and Technology appears. Calm returns. "Daiki-Dono, you''re a very promising young man, aren''t you?" "I''m very proud of you." With the onlookers gone, it was inevitable that they would notice Daikie, Cocona, and Jin and the others. "Jin-dono is here too? I heard that your daughter is your apprentice. Yes, she is still inexperienced, but I think she has a good point of view. I envy you. After the party, Gladyn Haronad von Istea, the head of the Technical Department of the Ministry of Magic and Technology, told Jin that she would like to talk with him when she had time and then left. "You two were quite impressive." "Really?¡¡Really, Mr. Jin? Thank you! For both of them, a short compliment from Jin was much more gratifying than applause and praise from the general public. "Why don''t we take a break?¡¡And tell me what you noticed in your analysis of the golem. Yes, yes! Come on, Merce. Let''s listen together. Yes! And so, Jin and the group moved together to an old tree in Query. There, the golem that Goh and Rubina had repaired earlier had set up a table and chairs for us. "Thank you," Jin said. Jin said, "No, this is what I''m supposed to do. and the two golems moved back. Jin looked at them for a moment, and then sat down as the others took their seats. Then, the two bodies came in with trays of tea and tea snacks on them. Please take whatever you like. "Hey, I''d appreciate it." Jin had green tea and yokan (bean jelly), and Erza had the same. Goh chose tea and cookies, Rubina tea and cake, and Merce green tea and cookies. Daikie and Cocona chose green tea and yokan, as did Jin and the others. "Now then, let''s hear what you know about Golem. Let''s start with Goh. "Yes." At Jin''s request, Goh began his explanation: ....... 3189 - - 84-19 Concerns Goh comments on the golem maidens used in the Shoro Kingdom. "It is composed of . It is easy to make and strong. "Yes, and?" "The muscles are made of metal, which is easy to maintain. So far, I think the mass-produced models have the same characteristics. "Go on." "...... On the contrary, the control core was of a different caliber." The golem Samurai Maiden that Goh had repaired had a control core that had been damaged by magical noise, so Goh had analyzed it in detail. "Yes, what is it?" "First of all, the density of writing was different. Secondly, the syntax is very efficient and delicate overall. I therefore believe that it was damaged by the magical noise." "I see. Perhaps you are right. You did your research, Goh. "Thank you very much!" Goh smiled at Jin''s praise. "Now let''s go to Rubina." "Yes. ...... Goh didn''t say it, but the skeleton is made of nickel steel. Not the five-and-a-half nickel steel that Jin-sama often uses in these situations. Adding nickel to steel increases toughness and improves performance, especially at low temperatures (and of course at room temperature). Here in Arus, nickel was more readily available than chromium, and therefore more frequently used. Incidentally, the main nickel ore nowadays is arsenic nickel ore. In other words, it contains both arsenic and nickel. Furthermore, arsenic is used as a rat poison, and there is a movement to ban arsenic because it is highly poisonous. "The nickel content is about 3 percent. It''s a little low, but it seems to be enough to improve the performance of the steel." "I suppose so. The toughness and wear resistance should be improved. "The exterior is the same. And the joints were not coated with anything. Hmm. Is there anything else? Another thing I noticed is the structure of the soles. "What?" They''re designed to absorb shock. That''s to prevent them from making noise when they walk, or from spilling whatever they''re carrying, right?" "Yes. I think Rubina made the right decision. She was watching you very carefully. "Yes, thank you! Rubina also smiled broadly at Jin''s praise. "By the way, is there anything else?¡¡Including Mertze? "Others?" "What is it?" "......" Jin let out a small sigh at the answer. "No, I mean with friends my own age. ......" "No, I don''t think so. ......" "No, I didn''t. ...... "No, I didn''t have any ......." "Oh, I see." According to the two, everyone was too childish to talk to each other. (Well, Goh and Rubina are gifted or purely cultured, and they seem to have never played with <> people their own age, and Merce has been dating two such people for a long time. ......) Jin sighed inwardly, thinking that it was understandable. But then someone came to the table. "Jin-dono, may I come in?" By the way, if you call him <>, you will be referring to Daikki, so that''s why he is called this. "Ah, Mister Dormer." And the one who approached Jin was Schlotgen Domer von Kabastan, Minister of the Shoro Kingdom. Jin had the impression that he was an ordinary looking man, but an accomplished one. It''s been a long time. "It''s good to see you too. ...... Goh, Rubina, Merce. This is Schlotgen Dommer von Kabastan, Minister of the Shoro Kingdom. Elsa is acquainted with him because she came to the rescue when there was a cave-in at the Tromm mine. Not to mention Daikie and Cocona. The three children, however, may have seen each other''s faces, but they had never spoken face to face. "Mister Goh, Miss Rubina, I''m very sorry for the trouble you''ve caused today by repairing our golem. "Oh, no, we''re not. ...... "......, we thought we''d fix it before all hell breaks loose." "No, no, you''re very good. Even our engineers can''t do that." "......What was that all about?" Jin asked about the incident. "To put it simply, it was a fight between two drunks. Two people who didn''t get along happened to meet each other. ...... "I see." Jin guessed that they were like drunken visitors at a cherry blossom viewing party. Every country has its own nasty people who will drink as much as they can if they think it''s just alcohol. ...... Was there any damage to the garden? The golems were very protective of the garden. I see. After all, this is the garden beloved by His Majesty the Emperor. ...... I see. Jin felt warm inside, knowing that the future generations also loved this place. So, "Let''s look at the golems later. We need to restore them to the way they were, or even better, the way they were when they protected us. He declared. Of course, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications was overjoyed. "Oh, thank you very much!¡¡Thank you very much! And then Minister Schlotgen-Domer walked away. Incidentally, the two men should have been punished by having their house demolished for getting drunk and fighting, but the minister refrained from saying so in front of the children. "Jin-sama, are you going to fix the golem after this?" "Yes. I''m ...... a little concerned about something. Jin answers Rubina''s question with a difficult look. "Something on your mind? "Yes. ......Goh told you, didn''t he?¡¡< Uh, yes. "That means... I think that the person who made the control core is different from the person who made the golem. Oh, sure. "That''s what I was wondering. I was just wondering about that. I thought I''d check it out while I''m doing maintenance. Erza asked a question at this point. "Wouldn''t my brother Jin let me check it out without having to go through all that trouble?" "Well, I guess so, but it''s not like I''m offering to confirm something I don''t know for sure. ......" "...... Do you think there''s any danger, by any chance?" "Yes. ...... but not a direct danger. I''d say that I feel that the golem of the Shoro Empire is in danger. ......" With this expression, those present seemed to understand somewhat. After that, Jin and the others enjoyed the spring garden party to their heart''s content without any difficult conversations. 3190 - - 84-20 After the feast At 5:00 p.m., the garden party ended without a hitch. The closing speech was not made by the emperor, but by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, Schlotgen von Kabastan. After that, the party broke up in what is called a flow. The guests were escorted home by the golem maidens, one by one. I''m going to see the Minister of Internal Affairs. Reiko, come with me. "Yes, Father." So Elsa, Daikie, Cocona, Goh, Rubina, and Merce went to the waiting room. Jin and Reiko went to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. There was also the Minister of Magical Technology, LeGrey Gibbs von Vesuvius, who thanked Jin for his help in examining the golem. * * * * * * * * * * * "These are our golems." The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Minister of Magical Technology immediately took Jin to the Golem hangar. More than 100 Golems were placed there. "Some of them are in operation right now, so there are about 100 more. "Okay. Well, may I start tomorrow? Of course, I''ll be glad to help you. May I bring my assistants Goh and Rubina and two assistant golems? Of course. I will issue a permit. The hangar is located at the north side of the palace, at the back of the building. Traditionally, <> gets a free pass, but since there are so many assistants this time, this will be useful to avoid any unnecessary trouble. "And what should I do about the honorarium?¡¡Let me know if you have any requests. If so, please let me analyze this golem for future study. Is that what you want? Yes. It''s for research. I understand. I''ll ask permission from His Majesty. Thank you very much. Jin and Reiko went to the waiting room where Daik¨©k¨© and the others were waiting. Jin-sama! Sorry to keep you waiting. What''s going on? "Oh, I''ll tell you when we get back." And so the group returned to the residence in a carriage prepared by the imperial authorities. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After returning to the residence, Jin explained that he was going to go to the Golem maintenance the next day. "If you don''t mind, I''d like to ask Goh and Rubina to come too. "I''ll be there! I''m coming! "I''m sorry, but I can''t take Melze with me this time. I''m sorry. No, I understand. I can''t help you. "I''m sorry." Despite such an incident, they made a schedule for the next day so that they could arrive at Miyagi by 9:00 a.m. * * * * * * * * After taking a bath to remove dust and fatigue, we had a little late dinner. "So, how was the garden party today?" Jin asked over tea after dinner. "It was a little different from what I expected. "Yes, it was." "Me too." "I see. As a matter of fact, so am I. Jin-sama? Me too. Erza-sama too? We thought so too. Yes, my dear. "Well, are all of you present here of the same opinion?" Rubina''s grandmother, Amanda, said dismissively. "We''ve never been to a spring garden party before." "Yes, you are right, dear." It was the first time for Daiki-Cocona and her husband, but Elsa, who knew them in the past, agreed with them. "I''ve never been to a spring garden party either. "Is that so?" "I see." However, Elsa has been to many regular garden parties and parties. "There''s a general flow at a normal party," she says. Greetings from the organizer. Greetings by high-ranking members of the attendees. Introductions of self and others, if necessary. Dinner and dancing. This is the main part of the socializing. Then closing remarks. This is how it generally goes. "I didn''t hear any introductions or greetings from the attendees. "Nope. There was no dance. ...... I guess that''s so that the attendees can enjoy the garden." "I guess so." In that sense, Jin thought, it was enjoyable enough. "And then we can have them find a friend who doesn''t care about their status?" "Oh, I see." Goh, Rubina, Merce and the others did not fare so well on that score. "But the garden was lovely." "Yes, Mel!" "The query flowers were beautiful. ......" Jin was happy to hear that Goh and the other three liked the query flowers. "......Well then, let''s talk a little about tomorrow." "Oh, yes. "The appointment is at 9:00 a.m., so I''ll be in the waiting room five minutes before. So I''ll be in the waiting room five minutes before today. I''ll be out of here by 8:35. In a , of course." Yes, sir! Yes, sir! You''ll be accompanied by Reiko and Craftsman 101. Pilot is Hope. < with Miyagi, and Hope will help us. Jin let them listen to his explanation. "And finally...?" ? "Let''s hear Elsa''s grade for today''s etiquette." "Yes. ............" Rubina looked uncomfortable, but her grandmother, Amanda, had the opposite reaction, "Please tell us, Miss Elsa." "Please tell me, Miss Elsa," she pleaded. "Okay, okay. ...... Goh scored 80. Excellent. Thank you! Meltze scored 90. Not much to say. You just have to get used to it. Thank you very much. "Rubina is ......." Rubina cleared her throat. "Seventy. Passed. I think you''ve mastered it very well in such a short time." "Yes!" "The only point deduction was for trying to repair the golem on your own. So there''s a little extra for that. Keep up the good work." Okay. Okay, then." Erza looked at Jin. "Jin got 60 points. Let''s work a little harder." "What?¡¡What was wrong? "He was lying on the seat. It''s bad manners from an aristocrat''s point of view. "I see... ...... but you didn''t say that at the time..." "Yes, but I think it''s acceptable at that garden party. In that sense, I give it an 80 for the spring garden party. "That''s right." "But be careful." "Okay. ......" And so, the spring night passed. 3191 - - 84-21 Maintenance and repair April 25. Jin and the others finish breakfast a little early and get ready to go out. Elsa, take care of Merce. Daikie, Cocona, I''m off. Amanda, take care of Rubina. Okay, see you later. Bye. Jin-sama, please take care of my grandson. ...... Rubina, listen to Jin-sama! Yes, I''m off! And the group took off from the rooftop in Jin''s airship, the . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 8:55 a.m. Jin and the group arrived at the same waiting room as yesterday as scheduled. 9:00 a.m. Schlotgen von Kabastan showed up in the waiting room at the appointed time. Good morning, Mr. Jin, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. "Good morning, Mr. Domair. Good morning, Mr. Domer. Please come this way." After a brief greeting, Minister Strogen personally led Jin and the others to the golem hangar. There were a little more Golems there than yesterday. < is over, and the golems that had been temporarily released from their duties have returned. "Well then, please do me the favor of not rushing, Master Jin. "Yes, sir." With these words, the minister left the hangar. "Well, let''s get this done first." Jin uses the Magi Crystals that Reiko gave him to copy the contents of the control cores from several Golems. This is for later careful analysis. The work is completed by making copies of 10 golems in the hangar at random. "That''s it." Jin, who has received permission to do so, completes his work with dignity but in a short time. "We''ll analyze this later, but let''s do the maintenance. Jin-sama, what should we do? "I brought you here today to give you experience in this kind of work. You will follow my instructions. Yes, sir. "First, I want you to form a team of five people, not including me, ...... Reiko, Goh, Rubina, Hope, and Craftsman 101, You will take them apart 5 at a time." Jin explained that the five pieces would be maintained as a team. "The skeletons will be lightly <, joint clearances will be adjusted, muscle deterioration will be regenerated, and internal rust and scratches will be removed. ...... "Wait a minute, Master Jin! You''re going to do that all by yourself? "That''s why I want a team of five to do it." "Oh, I see." At this point, Craftsman 101 spoke up. "Mr. Goh, Ms. Rubina, it''s all right. You may be a little confused at first because you are not used to it, but we will follow you. "Oh, really?" "......, please." "Don''t worry. Goh and Rubina can do it. "......, we''ll do our best." "......, I''ll do my best." "Okay." Jin started to work. Reiko, Hope, Smith101, and the others were able to match Jin''s work speed and disassemble the golems one after another. Jin diagnoses and analyzes them, fixing what needs to be fixed and delegating what needs to be delegated. For five Golems: ....... It takes about 10 seconds to bring 5 golems. It takes about 25 seconds per body for five people to remove the exterior. It takes about 10 seconds for Jin to analyze each golem, and 10 seconds to repair them. 5 pieces for a total of 10.0 seconds. While repairing, Jin gives instructions to the five workers. It takes 30 seconds for the five to complete the repair. It takes 25 seconds per golem to install the exterior and 10 seconds per golem to return the golem to its original position. This gives 100 seconds per person for each of the five. But... "Aah, aah, aah..." "Please work calmly, Mr. Goh, Miss Rubina." "I told you to calm down and work, but this is ...... busy." "I knew that Jin-sama was out of his league, but this is ...... "But you''ve managed to keep your workload to 70% of what it should be. "Really? "...... is amazing!" The two were both impressed and dismayed at the same time, and realized once again that the summit they were aiming for was far away. But then again, these are the two people that Jin had expected to be there. Gradually, they became accustomed to this work. "Oh, I think I''m getting the hang of it. "Oh, I think I''m getting the hang of it," he said. I''m still busy, but I feel like I have more time on my hands now. Maintenance and repair work continues at the same high pace. The number of golems that have been repaired and serviced has increased visibly as each one is repaired in less than a minute. The nearly 200 golems were repaired in a little over two hours. "Good job, Goh, Rubina." "...... haha,haha......" "......,ze,ze,......" Two hours of work that required extreme concentration. Although they were able to relax a little more during the process, it was still too much for Goh and Rubina. "But I think we''ve both raised our work level by one level." "Really?" "Yes. I''m sure you''ll notice it in a moment." "I''d be happy to ...... if that''s the case." "You should be proud of yourself for being able to keep up this pace for two hours." "Thank you ......, thank you ......." He didn''t seem to have the energy to express his joy at Jin''s praise. * * * * But that''s just the two youngsters. They will recover quite well after a little rest. "Let''s do a final check and be done with it." "Yes!" We split up and do to make sure there are no maintenance or repair omissions. Incidentally, this is actually already done by Jin while he is working, but he is doing it for the sake of educating Goh and Rubina. Don''t learn to cut corners just because you are familiar with the work. (I wouldn''t have fallen into the ladle of the electric furnace if I had been working with a harness on at that time. ......) ) He was a self-corrected man. (As a side note, whether he fell into the ladle or not, Reiko would have summoned him at that time. 3192 - - 84-22 Inheritance After finishing their work in the morning, they went to the office to see the Minister of Internal Affairs, Schlotgen Dommer von Kabastan. Then Schlotgen von Kabastan, the minister of general affairs, showed up to check on them. "How is the work going, Mr. Jin? "Oh, we just finished. "Oh, my God!¡¡So many!¡¡That''s what I''d expect from a Magecraft Meister! I''ll compile the report now. "I''ll compile the report now. ...... Oh, yes, I had lunch prepared. If it''s not too late, I''ll send it to ......." The time is 11:40. It seems that Schlotgen''s visit was intended to give Jin and the others a break and have lunch. Thank you very much. "Mm-hmm." So, Jin and the others were led by Schlotgen to one of the reception rooms. "Please come in." "Wow!" Goh shouted unintentionally. It was no wonder, for the drawing room he was led to was a Japanese-style room with tatami mats. "I heard that this room was modeled after the room loved by His Majesty the Emperor. "I see." The room is covered with tatami mats and has a sunken kotatsu. In other words, even though it is a Japanese-style room, you can sit on the kotatsu as if you were sitting on a chair. Now it is spring, so the cover of the kotatsu has been removed. "Please sit wherever you like." "Yes." Jin sat MICHIDA at the top ...... end of the room, probably on the north side ......, and himself at the second seat, that is, on the east side. Goh sits on the west side, which is the third seat, and Rubina sits on the south side, which is the lower seat (in this room). Reiko sat behind Jin, and Hope and Smith 101 stood in front of the entrance of the room. As soon as Jin and the others sat down, the food was brought in by the golem maidens. The table, which had been a kotatsu, immediately became lively. "Japanese style, did you say?¡¡I heard from Sir Daiki-Nidoh that you like it. "Thank you, sir." Jin thought that it was probably spread by himself 400 years ago. And he was right. "Yes. < "Oh, I see." Reiko, a witness to history, supplemented the Minister''s explanation. "Come on, eat first." "Bon app¨¦tit." The menu consisted of rice gruel, pickled plums, pickled vegetables, grilled salmon, sweet omelet, fish and shrimp tsukudani, cooked beans, meat topopo, and hojicha green tea. The dishes are numerous, but the portions are small, so they are easy to eat. If you need more, just ask Golem to get it for you. "Thank you very much. That''s enough. Me too. Me too. Since no one had a big appetite, Jin and the others were just fine with the amount of food that was first served. * * * * * * "You said you would submit your report later, but could you tell me if you noticed anything? Schlotgen, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, began while sipping his after-dinner cup of hojicha tea. "Yes, I have. ...... there was less damage than I thought there would be. Goh, Rubina, what do you think?" "What?¡¡Well, uh, a few of them had very rusty exteriors." "Oh, uh, one of them had a distorted skeleton!" "You''ve been paying attention, both of you. I mean ......, sir." "Mm ...... the rusty one might be the golem used to clean the pond in the <>. It may have been stored without drying properly." Although it is made of rust-resistant nickel steel, it is not stainless steel and will rust if handled improperly (even stainless steel is not absolutely rust-proof). "The one with the distorted skeleton was ...... probably the one in the corner of the hangar ...... I think it was the golem that stopped the runaway carriage." "So that''s what you''re saying." "Mm. ...... No, but Goh-kun and Rubina-san... both of them seem to be well taught by Jin-dono. I''m looking forward to their future. "Yes." Goh and Rubina were not too happy to hear the praise from the Minister of Internal Affairs. He then asked them to use this reception room to compile their report, and returned to his work. He said that he would provide the necessary paper, pens, ink, etc., as long as he would ask the golem maidens to do so. "Well then, let''s get this done quickly, shall we? "Yes, Father." The number of golems serviced and repaired that day was 195. Craftsman (Smith) 101, Hope, and Reiko have all memorized the details of the repairs. They are to prepare a report by listening to them. Jin asks Reiko, Goh asks Hope, and Rubina asks Craftsman (Smith) 101 while writing the report. Jin gives them a lot of guidance on how to write the report. "Yes, both of you have beautiful handwriting. It took about two hours to complete the report, without any engineering magic. "Reiko, please look it over." "Yes, Father." Reiko checks the report for typos and omissions. Reiko can look over all the documents and check them in about a minute. "No misspellings, no omissions, no mistakes." "Good." Finally, Jin binds the documents together with a binding string and attaches a cover sheet. It now looks like a report. "Well, shall we go home after submitting this?" "Yes." "Yes! Jin calls out to the golem maidens and asks them to escort him to the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. "Oh Jin-dono, is it done? Yes, here it is. "Yes, here it is. Thank you for your help today. Thank you. ...... what are you going to do now? I''m going back to the house. Goh and Rubina are tired from their unfamiliar work. I see. Good bye. Excuse me. Jin then reported to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications and told him that he was going home. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The trip home was, of course, by , so it took less than five minutes to get to Reuthert''s house. "Welcome home, Brother Jin. "Welcome home, Master Jin." Welcome home, Gou. Welcome back, Rubina. Welcome home, Gou. Welcome home, Ruby. Elsa, Daiki-Kokona and her husband, Amanda, and Merce all greeted us on the roof. "Reiko, please send the Magi Crystal, which is a copy of the Control Core, to Horai Island. I''ll be there later. "Yes, Father." Jin was curious about the crystal and wanted to analyze it as soon as possible. So, Jin moved to Horai Island without even having a tea time after returning home. < "How are the results of the analysis, old man? > "Yes, I see." And what Jin saw: ....... 3193 - - 84-23 How to fill out the application form "I see, this is ......." Jin checked the contents of the copied himself and guessed what the old man was talking about. "It''s definitely an Adriana type, isn''t it?" . Unlike other technologies, in the Adriana method, the <> used in the control core is created using <> or . In other words, there is little or no <> or <> in the field of <>>. It is not surprising that the engineers of the past separated lineages are still using the same <>. "Do you have any idea?" < and . Since the island of Horai was sealed off after that, the old man has not investigated what happened to them. "I see." > "No,...... not now. If they know, they might want to interfere. Jin thought that he would respect their wishes. He felt that if they saw how they were living, they might try to interfere in some way. "Unless something happens, I will leave them alone. I''d like to go see him. I''d like to go and see him. Eira? "Don''t you think so too, Groma?¡¡He is a researcher who has inherited the teachings of the second generation of magical engineers, the MagiCraft Meister, don''t you think?" "I suppose so, but..." < in . They wanted to visit the source of the they had obtained the other day. This was unusual for Eira, who is not a regular visitor to the office. But. "I can''t get permission from ......." "Maybe it''s the way you wrote it." "I don''t think so. ......" "I shouldn''t have let Eira write ......." Then Arnold, the head of the office, came to Eira and Gromma. "I''m sorry. The application didn''t go through." "No, it''s not your fault," he said. Gromma said, "No, it''s not your fault," but then he remembered that he was not good at paperwork either. So, he consulted with Ka-cea, whom he had just found. "What, permission to go out?¡¡What is the purpose?¡¡What is the location?¡¡...... I see." Cachair immediately consulted Groma. "So, what did you write in your application?" "The purpose is research, and the location is near the Serlore-Klein border and ......." "I don''t think you''ll get a permit then." Is that right? "Yes. The way you wrote the purpose of ...... is the worst. It''s too vague." "Hmmm. ......" Groma is also a research idiot, so he is not good with documents. Or rather, most of the members of <> are. That is why always has a hard time applying for the budget. This time it is a little different from the budget application, but it is similar to it, as it is a permission to go out including expedition expenses. "First of all, it is no good to say <> in one word. You should write at least <>. "Hmmm, I see." "If possible, it would be better if you could add how you found out that the technology there is so advanced." "...... because the control cores you purchased for your research are amazingly advanced." "Then write about it!" "So that''s what it is." "That''s the way it is. If you write that much, it will be very convincing as to why you are going there. It will also make it easier to get money for travel and interviews. "Well, this is very informative." Before I knew it, Arnold, the head of the office, had come to my side and was listening to Cachia''s explanation. "Sir? "Go on, Mr. Katya, it''s very informative. "Yes, ......." Arnold said the same thing and Cach¨¦a continued her explanation. "......Even for travel expenses, for example, if you include an element of saving money by taking a scheduled flight from to , the money saved can be used to pay for lodging. The savings can be used to pay for lodging. "Hmmm, interesting." "Hmm, interesting," said Katya, "You are a smart guy. "I didn''t know there was such a thing." Arnold, Eira and Groma. "You should be as precise as possible about the number of days it will take." "Because sometimes you don''t know how long it will take, do you?" "Yes. In that case, you can add a note like < or . "Oh ......" "Even after all this, there''s still a chance that your application won''t be approved." "Then what do you do?" That''s where the office manager comes in. Me? Yes. I don''t mean to interrupt you, but if you can give us an explanation, the chances of getting an OK are even greater. For that to happen, we need to give a proper explanation to the director. "I see. ......" Everyone was impressed by Mr. Katya''s explanation. * * * * * * * * * * * So, we applied again as Cachair had suggested, and to our surprise, we were approved. "I''m so happy! "I''m happy for you, Mr. Eira, Mr. Groma. "Yes, thanks to Katya. Now let''s get ready. The regular flight to Klein Kingdom leaves tomorrow. Have a safe trip! What are you talking about? You''re going too, Katya. What? Look, you''re a member of the group, right? "Oh, ......" A copy of the application form showed that the members of the survey line were Groma (leader), Eira (deputy leader), and Cachair (treasurer). "Yeah, yeah, ......." "Besides, why don''t you ask Berlich Becker to join us?" "What, why is Berlich''s name mentioned here? "Well, I don''t mean to be rude, but I thought you might be interested in working on the control core. It would be useful for my work." "Oh, yes. ...... umm... ......" Cachia ponders. However, it will take about two days to get there, even by express mail from <>. It is not likely that we can meet up with them there. Even so, Katya decides to contact them. 3194 - - 84-243-person trip On April 26th, Eira, Gromma, and Kaechea departed on a liner from <> to the Kingdom of Klein on a <>. The airship arrived at the <> in the capital city of Alban. This is the departure and arrival point for regular flights between <> and the Kingdom of Klein, as well as a source of information. The arrival time was 3:00 p.m. local time. The time difference is only about 40 minutes, so I don''t worry about it too much. "So this is the Kingdom of Klein." "This is your first time here, isn''t it, Eira-san and Groma-san?" Yes, it is. "I''ve checked out the recommended accommodations and horse-drawn carriages, so why don''t we get a place to stay first?" "Oh, that''s great, Katya. I''m glad you came. So we went to the inn recommended by Katya, <>. "They say that the best thing about this place is the beautiful sunset from the window of each room. "I see. "I see, the building is long from north to south, and the rooms are probably built on the west side. Eira was impressed and Gromma studied the building. "The east side is crowded with other buildings, but the west side is open." "Unfortunately, the morning sun will be blocked by the other buildings. That''s why we made the building to allow the sun to come in from the west." If there is a choice between sunrise and sunset, it is generally agreed that sunrise is preferable, but if sunrise does not come in, sunset alone is preferable. "The rates are a little cheaper because it is located outside the center of town," he said. "I see. "Oh, but I hear the service is good and the food is delicious. "That''s nice." "And what''s more, it''s close to the first stop of the horse-drawn carriage service to our destination in the direction of Ulaue." "That''s great. We are not here for sightseeing. Of course. Both Eira and Groma seem to be very grateful to have Cachia with them. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "So, we are going to cross the border tomorrow, right? After dinner, we reconfirm our plans for the next day. "Yes, that''s right. There is a horse-drawn carriage service, so we will use that. We will go to a town called Ula''u, right? Yes, that''s right. That''s where the control core I bought the other day came from. That''s where the carriage ends, right? Yes. The distance is about 70 kilometers, so we should arrive there in the evening. Just in time. In these days, crossing the border in normal times did not require any formalities. However, there is a risk of trouble if you cannot show your ID when there are on-site inspections or checkpoints. In this regard, there is no problem, since all three of us have identification cards. "Well then, I guess we''d better get some rest for tonight. "Yes." ...... Of course, the three of us have separate bedrooms. * * * * * * * * * * * At 8:00 a.m. on the morning of the 27th, a carriage departed from Alban, Kingdom of Klein, bound for Urau, Kingdom of Selroa. There were 10 passengers, but most of them got off on the way, and Eira, Cachair, Groma, and two others crossed the border. The two were merchants who had opened a store in the town of Urau. "Oh, you are the researchers of <>? What brings such people to such a remote place? The two men spoke to me in a friendly manner, as if they were merchants. Of course, they may have some ulterior motive, such as the possibility of seizing a business opportunity, but it turned out to be a good thing. "Actually, we received a shipment of high-quality control cores from here, and we''d like to meet the manufacturer and ask him about them." Kachea exchanges words with the representative. This is an unspoken agreement. "Oh, is the control core (control core)...... used for the golem?" "Yes, it is. Do you know anything about it?" "No, we just deal in household goods, so we don''t know much about it. But the three stores next to ours deal in magic tools, so they might know something about it. "Well, well..." And so it goes. And Ka?ea also asked the two merchants for information on recommended inns. The merchant is a merchant, and is happy to hear about the recent events in <> (of course, Cach¨¦a has not told him anything confidential). The carriage passes the town of Mathre and crosses a bridge over a large river flowing out of Lake Cedrolia. At last we were in the Kingdom of Cerroa. "This area is at a high altitude, isn''t it?" Yes, about 1,000 meters above sea level. If we say 1000 meters above sea level, it is about the same altitude as Lake Yamanaka, one of the Fuji Five Lakes in Japan. Therefore, even though it was almost the end of April, the area was still covered in the color of winter. The road was built so as to pass by the town of Hulek. "It''s kind of a dull town, isn''t it?" Eira muttered to herself as she looked at the town of Hulek from a distance through the window of the carriage. The sun was still high in the sky, but there was not a soul in sight. Not even in the wheat fields that stretch along the side of the road. It''s strange. I thought the town of Hulek was quite busy. One of the merchants said. "We were in the Klein Kingdom five days ago, and it was much livelier then. The other merchant nodded his head. "Hmmm... ......" It was possible that there had been an outbreak of illness, but if so, it would be suicidal to stop the carriage here. A little concerned, Eira and the others went straight through the town of Hulek and headed for the town of Ulaanu. They thought it would be better to report to the guards or soldiers in Ulaanu. EIRA: "Well, then," he said, "I''ll be in touch with you soon. "Well, thank you very much for your valuable information. "Thank you very much. At 2:30 p.m., the carriage arrives at the town of Urau. The two merchants and Eira and the others parted with smiles. First, they headed for the inn they had been introduced to, hoping to find a place to stay. "It looks like this place," said Eira. It looks like a rather nice place to stay. "Uh, ...... and split up until then." "Okay." "Yes." The three of us parted, not from ......, but in the direction we had agreed upon the night before. * * * * Eira visited stores selling golems and magic tools. Groma went to a magic workshop. Katya visited the distributor of the control core she had purchased the other day and followed the thread from there. "Well, the address on the voucher is ......." Katya looked at the note of the address on the purchase slip and compared it with the street address. "Go straight north on the main street and take a right at the central intersection. ......" I followed the street signs and found the agency I was looking for. The store was already open, so I went in. "I''m sorry, sir." "Yes, welcome." A middle-aged clerk answered. There was another customer in the store, and a young waiter was serving him. "I am a researcher of . The quality of the control core you sent me the other day was so good that I came here to find out who made it. I came to ...... not to buy directly from you, but out of purely technical interest." Katya explained her purpose at once. If he misleads people at this point, the conversation will get complicated. Especially when money is involved, it is important to be clear. "Oh, you are a researcher, are you? If so, please come to the back of the room. "Ah, yes." Katya was led by the clerk to the business meeting room at the back of the store. ....... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, Eira was making the rounds of the store. "Get out! "...... what, I''m just criticizing you?" You''re obstructing my business! "You''re a little b*tc*!" Three times I was kicked out of the store after a dispute with the clerk. Inadvertently, I said something critical about the products on display, which made the clerk angry. "Yeah, I can''t get much information from ......." Eira blurts out as she heads to the next store. * * * * Groma also said. "Thank you very much ......." We went around to the workshops that made magic tools and golems, but the response was not good at all. They all seemed to be <<>. You could say that the response was salty. Specifically, <><>. "But ......" Gromma thought that all of the four workshops he visited seemed to have changed their attitude when he had told them that he was a researcher from Avalon. Of course, they had been unfriendly before he had said his name, but after he had said his name, they had become even more unfriendly. "Is there a reason for this? ......" I thought about it, but I did not know why I should be wary of <>. It was now almost noon, so Groma decided to meet up with the others, have a meal, and then decide what to do for the rest of the afternoon. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "You''re late. ......" "Yeah." It was well past noon when Katya did not return. Incidentally, Gromma arrived at 11:50 a.m. and Eira at 12:03 p.m. at the agreed dining room. "I can''t believe that Katya is late for her appointment. ......" "Yeah. She usually arrives at least 20 minutes before." Not wanting to stay in the cafeteria without ordering anything, the two ordered a light meal. They ordered a light meal so that they could have something more for company after Ka?e?a''s arrival. But when they finished their snacks, Katya did not come back. "That''s definitely not right. "I can only assume that something is wrong." They thought that even if Cach¨¦a had some good news, she would not be so disrespectful of the time they had agreed to spend together. So, they called the front desk of the <> and said, "Dear Cach¨¦a, we''re looking for you. I''ll be back at 5:00 p.m." and they left to look for her. They went out to look for Cach¨¦a. "I can''t find her. ......" Yes. Eira and Gromma are looking for Cach¨¦a together as a precaution. They go from one store to another where they think Cach¨¦a might have stopped by, but they find no clues. "Hmmm... ......" "I guess he hasn''t come back after all." A little after 4:00 p.m., the two returned to the <>. They had hoped for a little bit, but as they had expected, KaChea had not come back. The two discuss the situation in their room. The two discuss in their room. "We''ll have to file a missing person''s report and a missing person''s report to ." "Will we do that ...... soon?" "No, we haven''t decided that he''s missing yet, so we''ll ...... look for him until tomorrow evening, and if we don''t find him, we''ll ....... If we don''t find him,...... then the search for Katya will be out of our hands." That''s kind of frustrating. I agree. She''s one of us. Groma''s right. Katya is one of us. We should find her ourselves. "So let''s get all the information together." "Yeah ......, that''s what chair is good at," he said. "And when she''s gone, we''ll find her." "I know, I know. ......" So, the two begin to sort through the information. "First of all, they were very salty..." "I agree. I agree. ...... Wait a minute. What''s wrong, Groma? The only people who are not being treated well are the ones who are involved with the magic tools, right? For example, the front desk of the inn, the merchants who deal in general merchandise, and the ordinary villagers ...... were not particularly unfriendly. "If you ask me. ......Yes, that''s true." Eira agreed. "Let''s put the discussion of what this is all about on the back burner and get the information together," he said. "Well, okay. I''ve got a vague idea of where the Magi crystals are being distributed. Oh, Groma, that''s great. At ......?" It seems to be in the town of Hulek, the one we passed when we came here. "What?" Eira frowned when she heard that. Is something wrong? No, I came to the same conclusion. You mean you think the town of Frek is suspicious? Yes. Yes. So we have to be very careful. We have to be careful. That night, Eira and Gromma had a late meeting. 3196 - - 84-2629 Days April 29th is Lorona''s birthday. The gathered at Horai Island to celebrate. "Happy birthday, Rorona-san. Cheers!" Jin leads a toast on behalf of the family. Cheers! Cheers! Everyone in the room joined in. "Well, thank you very much, everyone." Rorona looks happy. < is having a celebration tonight, so they are having it during the daytime on Horai Island. That is why Rorona, Sion, Rhodoth, Ludmilla, and the others are drinking non-alcoholic carbonated drinks. "Congratulations, Mother! Of course, Zion is also present, and they are celebrating later that evening in the clan''s territory. "Thank you, Theon. ...... I think the best part of the celebration for me is that I am now in your company. Rorona laughed. By the way, since this was Rorona''s first birthday in the family, everyone had prepared a present for her. "Well, well, well, everyone, thank you very much." The gifts from everyone piled up like a mountain. Jin gave a massage chair, Erza a mattress for a good night''s sleep. Reinhardt got a top quality wine set (red, white, ros¨¦, sparkling). The other members also received various gifts, such as clothes, shoes, accessories, and bouquets of flowers. The birthday party was a happy one, but unfortunately the guest of honor, Rorona, had to return to the clan territory soon. The same goes for Theon, Rhodoth, and Ludmilla. Maricka was not so demanding, since she usually stays in her workshop and does not go out, but this time she had to go back with them. "Well then, thank you all very much for your help today. "Jin, guys, see you soon. "See you again." "Thank you very much, it was a lot of fun." "Jin-san, I''m going to leave you for today." And then the five of them moved on. Arnold, Chelle, Filius, and Delfina also had to return to . ....... "Jin, I need to talk to you for a minute. Arnold said to Jin. "What''s up?" "I just thought I''d let you know." Is something wrong? No, not really. What do you mean? Arnold explained to Jin that Eira, Caciea, Gromma and others had gone to the Kingdom of Celuloa via the Kingdom of Klein to look for the manufacturer of the . The reason, they explained, was that the quality of the control core was astonishing. "Control core (control core)......?" "Is there something on your mind?" "Yes. I''m a little concerned because the golem of the Shoro Empire also had a control core of such a high level that it was mismatched with the body. "I see. Do you know where it came from? Yes. A town called Ulaue in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Celluloid. It is a store that deals in them, but the maker is said to be in the next town. The reason why Jin knows so much is because the day after he submitted the report on the repair of the golem, he went to Miyagi once again, asked the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and had him check it out. I thought that they were probably the descendants of the descendants of the who had moved there long ago for fear of being harmed by the , so I wanted to know at least where they were, if I could find out at all. "I see, so Eira and Groma are going to talk to the creator of the control core. What about ...... Cachea?" I went with them because I didn''t feel comfortable with just the two of them. Well, I can see why. Jin then explained his guess about the makers to Arnold. "I see, a faction that inherited the Adriana method," he said. "That''s just a possibility. No, it was helpful. I''d like to hear what Eira and the others have to say when they get back. Yeah, I''ll let you know. I''ll let you know. With this exchange, Arnold returned to . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The same day, in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa. Eira and Gromma had left the town of Urau and traveled north to the town of Hulek. "There are a lot of people out here today, aren''t there?" "Indeed." The other day, when we passed by the town in the carriage, it looked deserted, but now it seems to be quite lively. "Maybe there just happened to be some kind of gathering going on then and there weren''t people in the area visible from the street?" "Possibly, but I don''t ...... know." "Well, what should we do?" Groma wonders if he should go to the town openly or secretly. But Eira said.., "Do you think Gromma and I are capable of sneaking into the city? Eira says, "Do you think Gromma and I are capable of sneaking in? Gromma stopped him in a hurry. "Wait a minute. ...... then, you should have insurance." What insurance? "Well, that means one of us has to stay here." That''s assuming we don''t get caught? Yes. Gromma explained to Eira that if the two of them were caught here, there would be no way to notify of the situation. "I left a note at the inn, didn''t I?" "I left a note at the inn," he said, "but someone will probably see it after they confirm that we haven''t returned. That means after tomorrow. If one of us makes it back without getting caught, we might be able to report back to ...... by the end of the day." "Hmmm, I see what you mean. Well, then, which one of you is going to stay?" "That would be Eira." Why? "Because I think I''m a little more suited to this kind of thing, if not by a long shot." "......Maybe that''s ...... true, but..." Eira is straightforward, honest, and not ...... very good at playing tricks. He is a good researcher, but he is not suitable for this kind of undercover work. "So I''ll go myself. It''s ...... about 11:00 a.m. right now. If he is not back by 3:00 p.m., assume something has happened and return to the inn and report to <>." "...... Okay, but Groma, you can''t do that. But, Groma, don''t take it too hard, okay?" "Yeah. I''ll see you later. So Eira waited in a suitable rocky hollow, and Gromma went alone to the town of Hulek. 3197 - - 84-27 Missing Gromma, who is a traveler, looks around a little as if to emphasize that he is a traveler, and heads for the town of Hulek. Eira watched him from the street on the outskirts of town. (Groma, come back safe and sound. ......) Eira had a bad premonition and was anxious to get back. * * * * * * * * * * * * (Looks more like a village than a town. ......) Groma commented as he walked from the street to the town of Fleck. Of course, he did not say it out loud, but in his mind. The town was surrounded by wheat fields and vegetable fields, and the residential area at the end of the fields was only fenced off by a wooden fence. It does not look like a town in the least, if not a tranquil rural landscape ....... In the Groma sense, a village is a place where primary industry flourishes and a town is a place where secondary and tertiary industry flourishes. In this sense, the town of Hulek has too much primary industry. (Well, that is not important at this point. (Well, that''s not important at this point. The problem is yet to come.) Walking along the wide road between wheat fields and vegetable fields, Groma now stands at the entrance of the town of Hulek. He enters the town pretending to be a traveler who has just wandered in. (It''s just a normal town. ...... There doesn''t seem to be anything strange about it.) ) Groma himself, however, has not seen many towns. He grew up in the western duchy, and since he spends most of his time studying, he is probably a bit of a "naive" in the general sense of the word. Even so, he was aware that he was better than Eira, and above all, he was proud that he could not allow Eira to play such a dangerous role. As Gromma walked down the street leading into town, he was approached by a voice. "Oh, are you a traveler? "Oh, hello." It was a farmer in a straw hat. He was carrying a hoe on his shoulder, as if he was on his way to the fields. "Yes. I''m staying in the town of Ula''u, and I just wandered in here. "Well, you are a curious man. A village in the middle of nowhere...... no, it''s a town, though..." "No, no, I like to take it easy in those parts of the country." I see. Well, have it your way. With these words, the farmer-like man walked away toward the fields. Groma is relieved to see that the people here do not seem to be exclusive. When he stepped into the town, he noticed that it was more lively and crowded than he had expected. (Oh, there are more people than I expected. ......) (Oh, there are more people than I expected. ......) There are many people coming and going in the town, and it should be lively, but Groma couldn''t help but feel a little strange. £¨Something is wrong?¡¡(Is there something wrong with ......, or is it unnatural ......?) Unsure of the nature of his discomfort, Groma walked around the town. Suddenly, he realized what the strange feeling was. "It''s a hat. ......!" ?" "Oh, ......!" I shouted out by accident. Several residents looked at Groma, and he panicked and kept his mouth shut. (Everyone is wearing hats. (Everyone is wearing hats, even though the sun is not that strong. (Not even the farmers, but children and old people too. ......) Straw hats, hunting hats, piqu¨¦ hats, midi-fold hats, knit hats, and many other kinds of hats, but anyway, everyone on the street is wearing a hat. In addition, you cannot hear any conversation. The town is silent. The thought that the residents could at least talk to each other a little bit sent a chill down Groma''s spine. (What the hell is going on here? ......) He thought about it, but no answer came to his mind. (What the hell is going on? ) He thought and thought, but he did not have an answer, but he was sure that something unusual was happening in this town. £¨This is too much. I''d better go back and report it.) He turned on his heel and was about to turn around, I was about to turn around on my heel and head back when I heard a voice saying, "Oh, my dear traveler, are you already back? I heard a voice saying, "Oh, my dear traveler, are you already back? ? I looked toward the voice and saw that it was the farmer from before. He had a wan smile on his face. For a moment, Gromma tensed up, but then he answered in as natural a manner as possible. "Yes, I don''t have much time, I''m going home today. "I see." The farmer kept a wan smile on his face, "I hope you can go home. He mumbled to himself. * * * * "...... slow." Eira muttered irritably in the shadowy recesses of the rocks where she was hiding. She had never been good at waiting around, and now that it was still two hours before the appointed time of 3:00 p.m., she couldn''t wait any longer. She was getting thirsty and hungry. (But going back to the town of Ulaanu was not the same thing, and if I infiltrated the town, there would be no one to report to in case of emergency. ...... Oh, I should have brought one of the golems...) I had no idea that it would come to this. Eira and Groma are both researchers, and this kind of activity is out of their field. (Oh, give me a break ...... for two more hours ...... Gromma, come back soon!) )...a cry in my heart. As if in response, a voice came from overhead. "...... I found it!" Eira looked up to see a woman with a deep hat peeking out. ....... * * * * And then the three of them disappeared. * * * * 5:30 p.m. The three never returned. It will be a little while before Groma''s is read. ....... 3198 - - 84-28 Assistance Night of April 29th. Three guests, Groma, Eira and Cachair, do not return. < breaks the seal of the letter entrusted to him. It reads: ....... in the capital of the Kingdom of Klein. It was written as follows. A day''s ride by horse-drawn wagon will be sufficient to reach the <>. And from the <>, they can communicate with <> by . Thus, the disappearance of the three was reported to at 7:30 p.m. on the night of April 30. * * * * On the night of April 30, <>. "Three people are missing: ......?¡¡What in the world happened to them?" Arnold, the head of the <>, tilted his head when he received the news. He was still unfamiliar with the current interstate situation, and he had a limited understanding of the <> organization. But. He had another connection. The world''s most prestigious one. Yes, <>. Hiding in his room, Arnold used the bracelet to contact Jin. * * * * * * * * * * * * It was Laokun who received Arnold''s message. The "Mere Old Man" immediately contacted Jin, and when he confirmed that there was enough time, he connected the line between the two parties. > Arnold explains the situation to Jin ......, but he himself does not know the details of what is going on. "I see, I heard that Eira and the others had gone to the Kingdom of Selroa, but all three of them are missing?" So I told him mainly that the three of them were missing. But that was Jin. "Okay. I''ll take care of it right away." . "No problem...I know the three of them. I''ll let you know if I find anything." In a short time, such an exchange took place. In fact, Jin had already been in the office for some time. In fact, Jin had already learned of the three''s crisis and had begun to make his move. The 29th was Rorona''s birthday, and the got together to celebrate. Naturally, Arnold was also present at the party, and it was after the birthday party that Jin learned that the three had gone to investigate. , a.k.a. , of the fifth column (Quinta)>, just in case. "That''s what I''m talking about." <> I can''t do anything without Jin''s permission, but the dispatch of the <> can be done at your discretion. "So?" <> I saved Eira from a close call. We also sent another one, <>, also known as <>. "Oh, that''s good. So, what''s the truth behind this?" < "I see. Then let''s continue the investigation and get the full picture." "Let me know as soon as you find out." * * * * * * And now back to the 29th, 2:00 p.m. local time, just outside the town of Hulek. "I found ......." "Who are you? Eira asked the woman who peeked in. "I''m Erica. I''m a hunter." "...... well, I''m Eira. ......You said you found it. What do you mean?" Eira asked cautiously. Erika replied with a smile. "Because I was asked to support you. "Asked?¡¡By whom? Jin-sama, sir. "Oh, I see!¡¡Then are you an automata? Yes. Nice to meet you, Eira-san. "Nice to meet you too, Erika! You can call me by my first name. I see.¡¡Then you can call me by my name too, Erica. "Yes, Eira." This is how Eira and <-Erica met. Eira was relieved. She was relieved to know that she was not struggling alone, but that her friend Jin was there to back her up. She also believed that Jin''s automata would be able to perform beyond her expectations. "Let''s pull back for a moment. "But Groma is still ........." "...... I''m afraid Mr. Gromma has just been captured by the townspeople." "What!" Erika calms Eira, who is about to jump out of her skin. Erika soothes Eira who is about to jump out of her skin. Mr. Groma is safe. I saw him from a distance, but he was not harmed. "I see..." Anyway, it''s not safe for you to be here. I understand. Eira decided to follow Erica''s advice and leave the town of Hulek. She does not return to the town of Ulaanu either. They camp in the forest that lies between the two towns. In this respect, <>=Erika was wearing the cover of a hunter and had her own camping gear. "It will be a little inconvenient, but bear with it. It would be troublesome if someone were to come after you. "No, it''s enough." It was certainly more inconvenient than staying at a hotel or inn, but since this was the case, there was nothing to complain about. Besides, if we are not back by this evening, a letter will be sent to <>. Is that so? "But we can''t just wait for reinforcements to come from <>. Is there anything we can do, Erica? "Just wait a little longer. Until my partner comes back." Your partner? Yes. He is an automata like me, created by Jin-sama. His name is Linen. "That''s reassuring." Eira heard this and felt her impatient heart calm down a little. It even allowed him to sleep in the small tent that had been set up for him. 3199 - - 84-29 Three parties At midnight, a little after midnight, Eira woke up and heard a voice outside her tent. Eira woke up and heard a voice outside his tent. "What''s ......?" "Oh, Eira-san, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to wake you up." "Oh, Eira-san, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to wake you up." "No, it''s okay. You slept better than I thought you would, you look refreshed. ...... Oh, is that ?" Outside the tent was a woman wearing a hat. She looked about the same age as Erica. But Erika has dark brown hair and brown eyes, while Linen has dark blond hair and blue-gray eyes. Eira again marveled at Jin''s skill. "Yes, my name is Linen. I am a merchant in this region. "I''m Eira. I''m Eira. Nice to meet you. Eira woke up and decided to listen to Linen''s report with Erika. It seems that someone has taken over the town of Hulek. "Control?" "Control?" "Yes. Yes. You all wore hats, didn''t you? Those hats? No. Underneath the hat, there is a ring that fits on the head. Let''s call that ring ...... the Dominate Ring. "<>...... "It seems to control the actions and thoughts of the person who is trapped in it." "Terrifying. ......" (How dare you create ......<> and , the desire for control is a terrible thing. "Hm?¡¡What? No, it''s nothing. Who is the mastermind behind the ......<>? "Unknown at this time." I see. ...... "We have not been able to investigate it because it is hidden behind a magic barrier." ......" was Linen''s report. Eira felt that the situation was becoming clearer now. It was very hard not to know what was going on. "So you are saying that the town of Hulek is controlled by someone and that those who visit it are controlled by someone as well? "Approximately, that is correct." "...... So, Groma, too? "Probably." Perhaps... - Hey, hey, hey, hey, we have to go help him! "Wait a minute. We can''t take them. We can''t?¡¡No? - Yeah... ...... Eira guessed that the other side must have a lot of power if they can''t do it even with two automata made by Jin. "Besides, if we go head-on, there is a possibility that they will use the captured people as hostages. "Yes, that''s right." Linen was right, and Eira couldn''t argue with him. "Therefore, we need to gather a little more information about the enemy. "Yes, that''s right. ......" Eira nodded her head, suppressing her urge to speak. "For now, there is still time in the morning. Leave the information gathering to us and go to sleep. Eira suddenly felt sleepy. Her tense spirit seemed to relax a little now that she understood what was going on. "I''ll leave it to you. I''ll leave it to you to keep an eye on things. "Yes, I will." Eira retreated to her tent, and Erika and Linen took over the watch. The night is not yet over. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > At the same time, in the early morning on Horai Island, Jin received a report from the old man. "Well, Eira was saved, wasn''t she?" "But did they catch Groma? We still haven''t found the chair." < "No, I suppose we have no choice. We''re dealing with the same kind of technology. What we have found so far in our investigations. <. The people who form the core of the town have definitely mastered the < family technology. And <> they rule the whole town with <>. That is all. The purpose of this domination of the people is unknown. The mastermind is also unknown. The mastermind is behind the magic barrier, and is beyond the reach of the peeping telescope. "Are they the ones who inherited the technology of Horai Island, albeit somewhat degraded? ......" <> "That''s certainly troublesome." Jin had no idea that his descendants or disciples would become enemies...... in this case, enemies of Jin, or perhaps more appropriately, enemies of mankind....... >, I would not have caused the schism. The old man apologized for his lack of strength, which Jin could not accept. No, it was not his fault. Maybe this is ...... the nature of ...... people." "Yes. When a lot of people get together, there is a lack of unity of opinion, and each person says what they want, and some of them reveal their desires, and the world is in disarray. ...... "The history of mankind proves it." Unfortunately," Jin said with a self-mocking smile, ....... * * * * On the other hand, there was one more person who wondered about the situation. "Kachair ...... and the others are missing?¡¡What the hell is going on?" This was Berlich Becker. He, too, is on his way to the town of Urau ....... 3200 - - 84-30 Seekers The morning of the 30th, the last day of April, arrives. A night coach arrives in the town of Urau. It leaves in the evening and arrives at its destination in the morning. In short, it is a horse-drawn carriage version of the night bus. You have to pay a surcharge, but you can make good use of your time. The downside is that you don''t sleep well during the trip. "Here we are: ......?" Three men and a golem disembark from the night coach. One of them is Berlich Becker, a magi engineer of the Shoro Empire. He is accompanied by a golem. It is, of course, of his own making, and he is proud of his latest creation. The three passengers of the night coach have breakfast at the snack bar adjacent to the station. The restaurant is open early in the morning to accommodate this clientele. "Now, where is Katjea staying?" After breakfast, Berlich Becker took Golem out into the town. He had received a letter from Cachier, saying that he would be conducting a survey in the town. Since the letter took a while to arrive, he arrived on the same day. "It''s just a normal country town. At first, he decided to check out all the hotels where he and his friends might stay. Since it was not a very big town, there were only about 15 inns, and we hit the fourth one. In Ars, innkeepers are not obliged to respect the privacy of their guests, so if you say, "I am looking for an inn where my acquaintance is staying," they will search for a guest anywhere. "You must be Mr. Katjea, you are indeed staying here. ...... No, I was." "Was?¡¡Have you already left? "No, actually, my companion and I didn''t leave ......, I mean, we''re missing, ........." What? No, no, ...... actually." The receptionist at the <> explained that Cachair had been the first to disappear and that Eira and Gromma, who had gone looking for him, had not returned. Of course, the letter to <> had already been sent. "......What the hell is going on?" "I don''t know, we don''t have any ......." "That''s right. I''m sorry for making a scene. Berlich Becker paid the tip and left the . * * * * * * "You still don''t have any leads?" < The old man has been searching with his peepers, but we don''t have any information about the kidnapped Cach¨¦a and Groma. "It''s a little tricky when the other party has technology similar to ours. Once again, Jin realized the danger of misuse of Horai Island''s technology. "...... So, you need to use technology that surpasses your existing technology." <> "All right, old man, I give you permission to use <>. < < In other words, it is possible to places that cannot be seen at the moment. Of course, there is a drawback. It is that <> has too high permeability. They penetrate ordinary matter like glass, or almost as well as a vacuum. In other words, it is very difficult to focus. If it is a space, it is no problem, but if it is a solid, i.e. inside of a wall or in the ground, it is not easy even for the old man to focus on it. Also, it requires much more energy (magic power) than the ordinary peepers that use <>. It can operate in extremely concentrated free-magic elements (ether) without being affected, so it is installed in the spaceship <>, but it can only do so when it can take in too much free-magic elements (ether). In places with a normal concentration of free ether, the mana tanks are also used, but even then they consume too much, so their operating time is limited. This is the reason why they are usually sealed. This time, however, since the place to be searched is clear, such as <>, it is thought that it will not take much time. <> is activated. >Switching of the carrier wave is complete. Observation started. Scheduled time: 5 minutes. The old man used the peepers with sub-free ether wave for 5 minutes only. * * * * * * On the other hand, Berlich Becker. "...... clue is the town of Hulek." But Kachere is missing from the town of Urau. Berrich Becker wondered which to look for. He decides to give priority to the search for Cachair. He was concerned about the safety of Cachea, of course, but he also had a <> that it would be easier to search for her in this town. £¨Cachier and the others had come here to meet the creator of the control core. Berrich Becker decided to trace their thoughts. He himself was a designer of <>, so he was fairly good at logical analysis. £¨He would go to gather information. (He would go to a workshop, a magic tool store, and maybe a ...... store or an agency.) There are many kinds of stores. (There are not so many stores that can ship goods to . Maybe that''s a good place to start.) So he went into a large store he saw and asked the clerk about it. Is this a store that can ship goods to <>?¡¡There are two such stores in this town. "Can''t you do it here?" I''m sorry, we can''t. I''m sorry, but where are the stores that can do that? I''m sorry, where is the place that can do it? Thus Berrich Becker found his next target. At the first store he visited, "Well, we last shipped goods to seven months ago, didn''t we?" "I see. ......" Not here, if the clerk is to be believed. Berlich Becker decided to try another store. 3201 - - 84-31 Resolution Berrich Becker visited another agency. A mature man ...... who seemed to be the manager ...... came out and answered him. "Oh, you know him?" "Yes, well..." What is this all about? What? One of our employees is missing! What? He went out the back of the store with someone you said, and he never came back. "......" "I''ve filed a missing persons report. Please let me know if you know anything!" Berlich realized that the shopkeeper had apparently disappeared as well. "No, I''m sorry, but I don''t know anything either. I was supposed to arrive in town today and meet up with the girls. Berlich Becker also explained that he did not know what was going on. "Was there anyone else there at the time?¡¡Any witnesses?" "I asked one of the other clerks, and he said there was a carrier who came to deliver the goods. "Wasn''t that person suspicious?" "He''s the one who always comes to our store. ......" "That''s not a reason to rule him out as a suspect." Being an outsider, Berlich was able to pull the strings without preconceptions. "I don''t know," he said. "At least you know something." The manager finally nodded in agreement. "I understand. The shipping company is in the town of Fleck." "That''s the next town over. I''ll go there. I''ll go with you. It would be very helpful for Berlich, who did not know the area well, if the manager was with him. So he hurried to get ready and together they started walking to the town of Fleck. The manager asked, "Is there a reason why you are walking? The manager asked Berlich, Berlich answered, "Because a horse-drawn carriage is conspicuous. Berlich replied. "I see." Besides, it takes about an hour on foot, doesn''t it? "Yes, that''s true." Thus, Berlich Becker, his golem, and the agency manager and one other person walk toward the town of Hulek. * * * * * * * * * * * * >. "Oh, you did it!" In exactly five minutes, the old man had finished using the sub-free ether wave. "Well, that''s good to know." < A magic brain? "How is the performance of this magic brain?" "I see... I see..." Incomplete?¡¡It''s running, but it''s incomplete......, so the formation of the <> is ambiguous?" < If you start up with less than the minimum necessary information, it will be difficult to form the <> as expected. It is like assembling a plastic model without enough parts. And in most cases, even if you try to install the missing parts later, you cannot assemble them because the parts that have already been made are in the way. >. "Hmmm, that just makes it more and more distorted, doesn''t it?" <> In the previous plastic model example, imagine a situation where you have ...... after attaching optional parts one after another. And this includes all the options that are never used at the same time, and even those of different versions. Even in the case of car modification, if you install all the optional parts for rally, drag racing, touring car racing, public roads, etc., the performance will not be improved. "......<> would not work either." << "I guess so." Jin let out a small sigh. How could this have happened with the technology to create an advanced magic brain? "No, that can''t be helped." > Jin thought that as the < Magecraft Meister, he would have to settle this case ......, and denied it. "Father, what''s wrong?" Reiko asked Jin, who had been thinking about it for a while. "No, I''m just ......". Reiko looked at Jin, who seemed to be wondering what to do, and said what she thought. "Your father can do as he thinks best. I will do my best to support him. "Ah, yes, thank you, Reiko." Reiko''s words relaxed Jin''s shoulders a little. The old man also said to Jin, "I''ll do my best to support you, , Reiko-san. She said, "That''s great, isn''t it? "That''s great, old man." < "We are not omnipotent either. We don''t think that we can know everything about this world and manage it properly, and in fact, we can''t." The old man admitted it. "Perhaps because we were too much involved 400 years ago, the level of magic technology dropped very quickly when the <> interfered with it. The level of magical technology that had been raised to a level close to the level before Jin''s appearance has dropped. "I think that''s because the technology was not really rooted in the community." "I see." "So this time, ......<, I was going to stay out of the way and let the people living in the <> take care of things.... ..." At this point Jin breaks off and takes a breath before continuing again. "It''s not going so well. I can''t just do nothing and help out in a friend''s ...... crisis." "Well, thank you, My Lord." Thus, Jin once again made up his mind to tackle this case head-on. 3202 - - 84-32 Horai Island Starts Jin, somewhat belatedly, decides to devote all his energy to the disappearance of Cacacea and Groma. "First of all, we need to gather information. ...... has already compiled most of it, hasn''t it?" >, I checked the surrounding towns with my telescope. The data I have just checked with <> using sub free magic element (ether wave). The information that we have collected for several days by sending the <. You know what is going on. He has been collecting the data for a few days now. According to the report, ....... . "Yes." "Yes." > "Yes. "I guess so." << "Be careful." "Yes." "Please." According to the report from <<<< the majority of the town''s inhabitants are being controlled by what is tentatively called the "Dominate Ring". "The Dominate Ring, ......, is that right?" << "So you''ve figured that much out. And the rest?" "I see." < I see. <<> "I see." Here the old man paused for a moment before continuing. "You didn''t check them all?" "I see." < "Do so." And there is one more piece of information that Jin does not know yet. < "What?" < "So that''s what happened." << "I see. ......" So far, this is what the old man had found out. "Can you get Eira and Becker together?" "I see. Then please proceed with that first. The old man used his manacam to give instructions to < and <> in the <>. "What else should we do?" <>, the other party is a magical brain, so one option is to dispatch <>. "I see, <>." <> is a mobile terminal automaton directly controlled by Lao Kun, an elderly butler type. His physical ability is about 30% of Reiko''s. Of course, he can act alone. Of course, he can act alone. She played an active role in the battle against the <> in the <> 400 years ago. < "Yes." >. "That''s a given." If the people controlled by the Dominate Ring were to be used as shields or taken hostage, their actions would be limited. "...... Oh, I see. Because the magic brain is inside the <>?" < As long as the magic barrier is deployed, the magic wave from inside is also blocked, so direct instructions cannot be given. But the fact that the people who are attached to the barrier are following it suggests that they still have enough intelligence to take certain actions without instructions, the old man said. . "Yes, my hunch is that this is more likely. "Yes. If it is the latter, then covering the victim with a magic barrier would isolate them from the effects. ......" <. "Yes, it is. I wish I could get my hands on that and analyze it." < "Right." < > of the rangers to secure the town''s inhabitants, whoever they may be, and obtain the <>. "Don''t be reckless, okay?" < And so, the time had come for Horaijima to display its full potential. 3203 - - 84-33 Uvel Now, what happened to the Gloma Tray? "...... what are you doing to me!¡¡Let go of me! The farmer grabbed Gloma Torrei by the arm and he struggled, but the farmer''s strength was like a vise and he did not budge. Another farmer appeared and grabbed his other arm firmly. Gromma was determined to do nothing, and let himself be dragged along. The blindfolded woman was dragging him along. Since he was blindfolded from the middle, he did not know where he went. But the blindfold was taken off at ....... "...... magic brain? I was in front of a huge brain. Its overall shape was that of a cone. The diameter of the thick part is 3 meters, the diameter of the thin part is about 1.5 meters, and the height is about 5 meters. The sides were wrapped with several layers of pipes of about 10 cm in diameter, probably for heat dissipation. The color of the pipes was jet-black, and they looked somewhat eerie rather than majestic. "What do you want from me?" < "Source?" ......>> "What the ......GWOW!" <<<>. <<>. <>......>> <<> is an engineering magic specialized in reading knowledge and information. It is useless without the ability to process the read information. ...... but this magic brain <> had enough processing power. "......" Groma was half out of his mind from the exercise of <> without hesitation or care. No physical damage was done, but mental exhaustion was forced upon him. > "......" The magic brain <, who had gained knowledge of Groma, ordered his men in a good mood. The two men with silver rings on their heads carried the limp Gloma out, holding him from both sides. * * * * "...... ha!" "Did you notice, Mr. Gromma? Gromma opened his eyes and met the eyes of Cachia, who was peering at him anxiously. "Cachia! Gromma jumps up. "Are you okay? Are you okay? "Yes, I''m fine." "Oh, yes. ......" First of all, Groma is glad that they are safe. What''s Katya doing here? "Well, I was captured by an agency and brought here." "Agency?¡¡...... were you in on it too? No, I don''t think so. What do you mean? I asked to meet the engineer who made the control core, and he said he was on his way to deliver it. "Yes." He told me he had some new samples in a carriage parked out back, so I went over to ......." "Yes. "But right after that, I lost consciousness and ...... When I came to, I was in front of the magic brain," Katya explained. "The clerk was with me. And it seems that he was taken to a different place from me, so ......" "I see, so it is possible that the clerk was also a victim." "Yes." "...... but where am I?" "Probably somewhere in the town of Hulek, that''s all I can say." "I guess so. It''ll be less than ten minutes before they catch me and take me in front of that magic brain. I don''t think I''ll have time to go to another town. "Oh, you''re in the brain trust, aren''t you, Mr. Gromma?" "Yes. And you, Katya? Yes. <. What is the purpose of this ...... magic brain?" "He said it himself. < "The best in the world, huh ......?" Katya didn''t seem to understand. "From what I''ve seen, that magic brain ......<> or whatever you call him, he''s still in his infancy." "Underdeveloped, sir?" "Oh. "Yeah. You could say he''s a work in progress, or he''s still developing." So you''re saying you''re still developing your knowledge? Yes, I think so. And again, Katya ponders. "What is it?" "......Groma, how is <> determined?" "What?" "No, if the purpose of that magic brain is to become the best in the world, this outrage will not stop until he becomes the best in the world, right? "......Yes, that''s true." "So what makes them the ?" Now Groma understood what Katya meant. Perhaps, but that magical brain is unstoppable. It will continue this kind of outrage ...... and one day it will be destroyed, Gromma thought. By then, Groma had calmed down considerably. He began to think calmly. "...... Eira hasn''t been captured, has she?" "Yes. At least I haven''t seen her." "I see. ...... If she is safe, she will contact <, and we will be able to manage this situation sooner or later." "We''ll be hostages." "That''s true too. Can''t we ...... manage to escape?" "That''s going to be difficult. From what I''ve observed, there are at least four guards. Gromma looks around the room and sees that they are locked in a room about five meters square with rough stone walls. There are three bunks. That means they are planning to bring one more person here. It was probably Eira, Gromma imagined. If she had read the information about Cachea and her knowledge, she would have already known that there were three of them here. And get away with it, he prayed in his heart. "Speaking of which, how are we eating?" "Well, bread and water are delivered twice a day. The bathroom is behind that door. I see. So they know how to treat prisoners of war. And you can tell from that that they intend to keep him alive for the time being. "Is there anything I can do to help? ......" Although Cachair can''t use it, Gromma has a trump card: engineering magic. I tried applying < to the legs of the bunk, and it worked fine (of course, I immediately put it back in place). However, there is a big possibility that there are guards outside the room. Since there is also a chair in the room, we can''t make a move lightly. Groma is planning his escape at the first opportunity. 3204 - - 84-34 Joining, then starting counterattack In Horai Island, Jin was discussing with the old man. This is because, even if they are going to tackle this case in earnest, it is not possible to deploy all the forces of Horai Island. The right person in the right place at the right time. Jin decided that it would be better to deploy the right personnel at the right time. "As expected, we can''t just take over the town with the entire army of Horai Island. "Right." Jin began to think about the details of the plan. Of course, together with the old man and Reiko. "First of all, we have to rescue the hostages, don''t we? to the location where the hostages are being held and use the to escape. We can escape on the waiting <>, that''s possible. "I see." <, there is no problem for objects to pass through, so this is a possible operation. "What about the fact that the residents are being manipulated?" "Leave it to me." Reiko came forward. "In that case, what about that ring on your head ......<>?" < "Oh, right." It would be nice if he came to his senses, but the thought of him going insane or being trapped in madness makes Jin hesitant to take any strong measures. "I guess we should start by checking the Dominate Ring. Jin thinks that his earlier idea is still valid. "An antenna that sends out commands?" < "Yes, yes. Because it''s very possible." It is possible that they are wired together, Jin himself thinks. "That''s a good idea if there is an antenna that can send out such a command. Can you find out where that terminal is located?" "Okay, check it out first." < The remaining problem is to dispose of the magic brain. "Yes. Worst case scenario is to destroy ......." . Yes, that''s right. Now a question arises. "...... Wait a minute.¡¡Where is the engineer who made that magic brain?" "But it must be somewhere, right?" < "I see. Yes, we will. > "Yes. <. Not only Machina, but I''ll be making a public move as well. . The old man then drew up a plan of action based on the previous meetings and the known information. Now it is time to start the action. * * * * * * Erika and Linen, who have received instructions from the old man, go with Eira to the road near the town and look at the town of Hulek from inside the woods. Someone passes by. "What''s that?¡¡He is ......." "Do you know him?" "Yes. I''ll call him off. "Yes, I''m on it." Linen, disguised as a merchant, steps out onto the street in front of Berlich Becker, the agency manager, and the golem. "Please wait." "Well, who are you?" My name is Linen. I''m Linen. ...... You''re going to the town of Hulek? Yes, I am. Yes. - I don''t think that''s a good idea. Why not? I''ll tell you why, but let''s go somewhere else. Please, this way. Linen tried to lead the two of them and one of them into the woods off the road. But Berlich Becker and the others did not follow. They were wary of Linen''s sudden appearance. "Well, I understand that you are wary of me. But, Mr. Becker, there is someone over there that you know. "What?¡¡Cach¨¦a? No, it''s Eira. "Oh, Ms. Eira. Okay, I believe you for the moment. ...... manager, I think it''s safe to trust you. If it comes to it, there is a golem too, so let''s go with her. So the two of us and one of them follow Linen''s lead into the woods. They are reunited with Eira. "Becker!" "Eira, are you all right? Where''s Katya? Well, I''ll tell you what happened. I''ll tell you in order. ...... Erika... Erica, nice to meet you. Berlich Becker. My name is Chow Yong Dathe. I''m the manager of a distributor in the town of Ulaanbaatar. Eira. < My name is Linen. After introducing herself, Erika gives an overview of the case on behalf of the group. ...... and that''s it. "So, ......, they have Katya and Groma?" Yes. Yes, they are. But it''s good to have Becker here. With Jin''s automata, Erika and Linen, and Becker''s golem, we should be able to get by, don''t you think? Eira said hopefully. Erika denied it. "No, it may not be enough." "Is that so?" "Yes, there seems to be a golem for battle over there. What? I just caught a glimpse of it a few minutes ago. "......" At this point, Chow Yong Dathe''s back went slack. "Uh, uh, wow, what should I do ......?" Erica saw this and said, "Mr. Dathe, I think it would be better for you to go back to the town of Urau for now," she advised. "Well, yes. "Yes, that''s right! We''ll take care of your waitress. "Well, then, please!" In the end, Cho Young Dathe returned to the town of Ulaanu. "He''s back. We can talk more about it at ....... Don''t you agree?" Eira knew what Erika was trying to do. There are a lot of things they don''t want the public to know. ....... "I''m impressed, Eira." <, and Berlich Becker, a descendant of the Jin family. With these two, Horaijima will be able to show their full strength. The first signal for the start of the counterattack was about to be raised. 3205 - - 84-35 Operation Introduction "Let''s go to first." Jin said, "Let''s take the proper steps as a prelude to a counterattack. It is a preparatory step for the plan that the old man has planned, and it makes perfect sense. It was to deploy a deus ex machina. Jin and Makina are supposed to be brother and sister apprentices, and they are supposed to be in contact with each other at any time. In other words, if Jin learns of this incident, it is not surprising that Makina will make a move. "And one more thing." <<<< to keep the search parties out of Avalon>>, isn''t that right? "Yes." If Jin and Makina go looking for them, there will be no need for <> to send a search party. This is what Jin wants. No need to interfere. In the first place, this incident is a case of a single town being occupied, and a country could have been involved. This is where the comes into the picture, with stepping in and Jin cooperating. This means that Jin can act in an official capacity, albeit temporarily. So, Jin took the , visited , and went to the < under the guise of a coincidence. "What?¡¡Eira, Cachea, Gromma and the others? He sounded as if he had just heard it for the first time, "Yes. < "No, I''ll contact ...... and Machina, so <> doesn''t have to do anything," he declares. He declares, "No, I''ll contact and Machina. He also informs the chief administrator, Tomax Bartman. No, if Jin and Makina are willing to do this, they are the best of the best, thank you very much. I''ll leave it to you. To Jin, this exchange could be described as a farce, but by getting it right, there would be no more trouble later on. "Well then, please wait for the good news. "Please, Jin." Arnold saw Jin off, and the in which he was riding took off from . The destination is the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Celuloa. Incidentally, the Kingdom of Celuloa will be contacted by . * * * * * * * * * * * * * On the way, we meet up with of Deus ex Machina. The ground troops will be taken care of by Machina. Jin deploys < as an infiltration team. And Reiko, of course. "Well, let''s start the operation from here." and head for the site at top speed. The two vessels arrived at the site. The two ships arrived at the site in the evening of the 1st. When the <> landed about a kilometer away from the town of Hulek, <>-Erica of the <> came over. "Chief, we''ve been waiting for you. "Thank you. Where are Eila and Becker? They are on their way. While she was saying this, Eira, Berlich Becker, and a golem arrived with <> Linen. "Jin, you came!¡¡I''m glad you''re here! "Jin-dono, it''s been a long time. Eira, I''m so sorry. But you''re all right now. Becker, don''t worry. Katya''s fine. Yes, Jin and Makina are here... Jin-dono, that''s ....... Well, first of all, get in the hurricane. Jin said that they could not discuss such an important matter in such a place, and they agreed. The was in the air again. "Well, let''s get Becker''s concerns out of the way first. ...... my guys have been looking into it. Katya and Groma are trapped, but they''re fine." That''s ...... the best information I could get. "Yeah. I''m glad ...... that Groma is okay." The two of them let out a small sigh of relief. "So, let me tell you what we know so far. Jin summarized the current situation for them. He left out some technical information, such as the use of sub-free etheric waves and the use of a <>. "...... magic brain is the mastermind behind this case?" "You want <>?" "Yes. That means there''s a good chance he''s after both of you. Since both Eira and Berlich Becker were technicians, it was very likely that the magic brain would want the knowledge. "And the ?¡¡You make extraordinary things, don''t you?" "Yes. So we''ll have to let all the townspeople go. So let me and Makina take it from here. Okay, Jin. I understand, Jin-dono. To tell you the truth, I''d like to rescue Katya as soon as possible, but..." The two agreed with each other for the time being. Jin then said to them, "If you stay here, I''ll know how the operation is progressing. Jin suggested. "Please do." "Yes. But you must be tired. I only have a shower, but you can use it." As one would expect from a , there is no bath tub (only Jin (and the ) can use the warp gate to enter the hot springs of Horai Island at any time). ) But there is a shower to wash your body. Eira and Berlich Becker take a shower there. In the meantime, Jin prepared dinner. "Feel free to eat the in-flight meal," he says. This looks delicious. Thank you very much. Grilled rice balls, miso soup with dried tofu, bacon and eggs, pickled vegetables, and meat and potatoes. The tea is hojicha. Jin eats with us. While eating, he explains the plan for the future. "My men have already infiltrated. First, I want to know what the Dominate Ring is. We need that information if we are going to help the residents. And we''re going to need to get one of them, right? Eira is right, but if we do that, there is a risk that the magic brain will notice us. "Oh, I see. ......" "But there is something you can do, isn''t there?" Berrich Becker seems to have faith in Jin and his team''s technical capabilities. "There is. There is. ......" Jin explained a part of the plan he and the old man had worked out. 3206 - - 84-36 Operation, Phase 1 Jin outlines the strategy. "First, we need to get the Dominate Ring. "But you just said yourself that it''s not that easy, didn''t you?" "I did. But that doesn''t mean it can''t be done." The point is that they don''t have to think that you''ve kidnapped them for <. "Well, just think of it that way. I just want to explain." "Okay, okay." "We''ll analyze the dominate ring, and then we''ll release them accordingly." If you simply remove the dominate ring from his head, Makina will send his men to free him. If removing it suddenly causes aftereffects, first paralyze everyone and control the main body before dealing with it. Or, it may be necessary to occupy the main body that is in control and give them instructions to keep them away from the town before removing them. That''s what we''re going to do." "......" "I guess we can do it, since Jin says we can." "In a joint operation with Makina." In reality, both of them are Jin''s forces, but the power of external persuasion is important. The explanations are also rather sketchy, but neither Eira nor Becker have any particular complaints since they are not actually participating. Moreover, they will show us the progress of the project from a special seat, which is even better. The first thing to do is to get one, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. "We''ll get one first." The candidate is a farmer working in the fields outside the town. He has just finished his work and is on his way back to the town. Coincidentally, he is the man who took Groma away. First, three < disguised as field thieves take him out of the field and bring him into the woods. This allows us to hide them visually. Next, put them to sleep with <. Even if they are being controlled, there is nothing they can do if their bodies are asleep. I see. "You are very skillful." The video footage sent from the fifth row of the quintet was being sent to us, so we were able to watch it every step of the way. "Well, here we go." Sample ......The < fitted to the farmer''s head. This may or may not be < to the pilot. "...... Apparently, there is no feedback." From the report from the <>, Jin concluded that the <> was not communicating with the operator. "This will make things a lot easier. What are you going to do? "We will analyze it directly." In response to Eira''s question, Jin ordered the captured farmer to be brought to the <> while he was still asleep. Three minutes later, in the cabin of the <>, the farmer is found asleep and tied up. On his head is a silver dominate ring. And Reiko was with him, to make sure he did not go out of control. "Okay, let''s check it out. ......<>...... hmmm ...... I see." "Yes, how can you tell with just one ?" "It''s a zine, right?" Berlich Becker was surprised, but Eira was used to it. "This Dominate Ring is supposed to cast a permanent hypnotic spell while it is in place. "I see. So?" If you remove it, you should be free from the hypnotic spell. Isn''t there any danger? "The structure and the magic used should be safe." The results of this investigation have been sent to the old man in Horai Island, and his judgment has been made there as well. And the fact that the old man did not say anything indicates that he is right. "Then let''s take it off." "Father, I will." < It was relatively easy to remove. "That''s it. < magic, he should remember what happened while he was under the spell when he wakes up. "Let''s wake him up. < Reiko casts the awakening spell, and the farmer''s eyes open. "...... U...... that ......?" "Did you notice that?" "Huh?¡¡How come I''m tied up and ...... yeah, I was attacked by some brigands and ......" I saved you from the thieves. I''ll untie you now." Reiko watches as I untie the farmer''s rope, "Thank you for rescuing me," he thanked her. She thanked him for saving her. In a sense, this was a match pump, which made me a little uncomfortable, but it was part of the plan. "So, this thing was stuck in your head, do you remember anything about it?" Jin took off the dominate ring and showed it to the farmer. "This is ......." "Do you remember it?" "Yes. I remember ...... one day, he forced me to put this on my head. Where and by whom? In a building in the center of town, by a golem or some doll-like thing. Do you remember what happened after that? "Heh. I heard a voice in my head, and I couldn''t resist the voice. "Travelers? Eira jumped at the word. "What were they wearing?" "Well, he said he was from the town of Urau. He was around 30 years old. He was wearing ......." Eira is convinced by the description. "It''s Groma. "It seems so. Eila says it''s him, so I''m sure of it. You know him? Yes, he''s a colleague. I''m sorry about that. The farmer apologized, but Eira let him go. "No, it''s all right if you were manipulated. It won''t happen again, will it? "Yes. "Yes." "Then that''s good." Thus, we have gathered quite a bit of information about the Dominate Ring. The farmer is kept in custody, but the rooms are separated so that he cannot see what is going on. "Stay here for a while." "Oh, okay." I explained that the town was under the control of something with a << head ring>, and the farmer agreed. So he would stay in the hurricane. Of course, he has a five-colored golem maid, , to watch over him and take care of him. "Well, that''s that." The operation enters the next phase. 3207 - - 84-37 Operation, Phase 2 Phase 2 of the operation. It is the rescue of hostages. < Specifically ....... "I think I saw about three other people besides Groma and Cachea." Jin explained to Eira and Becker that the first step would be to rescue those <. "How do you plan to do that, Jin?" "Yes. We have a general idea of where Cachea and Groma are being held. A golem under Machina''s command will enter and rescue them. There should be other hostages nearby, so we''ll rescue them at the same time. "I see." Jin explained that he would leave the rest to the local authorities. "Anyway, this is an operation involving the . "I understand." < and received an official request from Tomax Bartman. The fact that it is not a private action means a lot to the outside world. No matter how much he may be a <, he cannot just run around the town with his army-worthy men without permission. * * * * Before dawn on May 2,...... when most people are asleep,...... the operation entered its second phase. First, from the deus ex machina <, a golem unit under his command descends. Actually, it is a rando unit, totaling 100. In addition to them, 10 Land troops are sent by to the front of the . Of course, Eira and the others were kept in the dark about this. The 100 golems scatter throughout the city. And almost without making a sound. "Amazing ...... this is the deus ex machina lord''s strength ......." "Even looking at it again, it''s still amazing......" Eira, who has been involved in battles while in the Principality and in the , is also awed by this majesty. "But perhaps the magic brain is aware of that, you know?" "That''s true. The brain cells don''t sleep." So half of this is a diversion? Yes. Eira is right. They are creating a diversion and hiding their true purpose. The true purpose is, of course, to rescue the hostages. The real purpose is, of course, to rescue the hostages. * * * * * <. They are numbered 201 to 210. So there''s a hostage in the back here. Let''s go! The built-in manacam can talk to each other in fractions of a second. The ten Lando units set out for the place of confinement the old man had told them about. It seems that this was a surprise attack for the magic brains, and the ten arrived at the place of confinement without being disturbed at all. Leave Lords Katya and Groma to 209 and 210. Roger that. 202 to 208, secure the others. Copy that. Copy that. At the command of their leader, Rand 201, the seven men headed for the back of the compound. Mr. Katya, Mr. Gromma, wake up. Uh ...... who is it? "Oh ......, is it Jin-san or Machina-san''s golem?" Yes, Mr. Katya. I''m here to help you under the direction of Jin-sama and Makina-sama. Thank you! Come this way, quickly. Yes, sir. Cach¨¦a and Gloma were carried on their backs by Lands 209 and 210, respectively. This is the fastest one. And then they escape. <, the descending RAND team also escorts them. The blitzkrieg operation was a great success, and they made it safely out of the town of Hurek. Then, Jin''s comes down. "Hey, Katya!¡¡Groma!" "Oh, you were saved. ......" "You made it. ......" They saw Eira yelling and waving from the hatch, and they finally felt saved, and collapsed into a heap. "Pull yourself together." The Lando team supported them and carried them to the <>. "Cachia, Groma, thank God you two are okay." "Mr. Jin ......" "Mr. Jin ......" < "Thank you, sir. ...... "Thank you for saving my life." "I''m so sorry. You have a good rest first. The hatch closed and the <> lifted into the sky. Katya and Gromma are invited into the cabin. ....... "Katya!¡¡Thank God you are safe! Berlich Becker hugged her tightly. "Oh, Be, Belle. ......" Not expecting Berlich Becker to be on board this , Caciea, with a slight flush on her cheeks, let herself fall into Berlich Becker''s embrace. And Gromma, too, was in Eira''s embrace. "You''re all right, Gromma!" "Yes, I was worried about you." I''m so sorry. I''ve been worried sick. ...... Well, it''s not over yet. I''m sorry. "...... sorry." At Jin''s awkward words, the four quickly separated themselves. "Well, it seems that there are other people who have been captured, so we are in the process of rescuing them as well. And here''s the current situation: ......." Jin explained the current situation and what had happened so far. "Oh, so the asked Jin-san and Makina-san to help us?" "Yes, yes." "That''s right, so I rushed over here. Thank you so much for your help. "...... did you get that letter to ?" "Yes. Groma had taken the proper steps, so we were able to move quickly. "Thank you very much for your help. Thank you very much. Once again, Cach¨¦a and Groma thanked Jin for his help. 3208 - - 84-38 Operation, Phase 3 Thanks to the blitz and diversionary tactics, Cacacea and Groma were rescued without any problems, but the other hostages were not so lucky. In the end, five people were found in the back room. All of them were men, and although somewhat weak, they appeared to be in good health. "What the ...... is wrong with you people? The five men were confined to one large room, and when <> and <> entered the room and fell back in horror. "We are a golem unit sent by Deus ex Machina. But when <> reveals his (set-up) true identity, "What ...... deus ex machina?¡¡Is that true? He seems to have stopped being frightened. "Yes. The Magecraft Meister and Deus ex Machina, the two masters of magical engineering of our time, have been commissioned by Avalon, and are now in the process of liberating this town." "Oh ......!" and . At the mention of these two names, up to four people seemed to believe Rand 202 and 203. . "I believe you. You guys are incredibly advanced golems." "Surely only a magecraft master or deus ex machina could create such a golem." "......We''re not sure if we''re qualified to do so now. ......" The remaining one, however, seemed unable to shake off his doubts and uttered the words of doubt. "Ho, are you really going to help us?¡¡You''re not going to trick me!" Then Land 203 spoke up. "If you don''t believe me, that''s fine. We''ll talk about your convenience later. For now, please be honest and let us help you. Before the magic brain takes you hostage. Uh-huh. "...... got it." So the five of them escaped from the room where they were being held, carried on their backs by Rand 204-208... ....... "Mate." They were blocked by more than ten battle golems. The magic brain must have noticed us. "You guys, they have a lot of power. It''s best to avoid combat. The one carrying the golem on his back advises him, but the combat golem is not going to let him do so. "Souhasasenu." The five randos carrying the five are unlikely to be able to fight, so they are only able to fight three randos, randos 201, 20 2,203. It is very difficult to defend five bodies carrying one person more than 10 to 3. Normally, but... "I''ll be fine." The three free ...... lands 201,202, 203 and the others are facing 10 battle golems. "No way!" a man carried on his back by Lando 204 shouted ....... "What ......? The three Lands first shoulder-tackled the battle golem coming from the front, then knocked down the battle golem coming from the right with a foot strike. In the gap created there, five lands carrying five people on their backs slipped through. Four of them tried to follow them from behind, but they were blown away about 10 meters by a high-level wind magic <> which was simultaneously fired by three of the lands. The three lands simultaneously unleashed a high-level wind magic spell, the <. "Wow, that''s amazing. ......" As the man carried by Rand 208 muttered this, the Rand team went outside the building where the men had been held captive. There were already ten Land troops waiting to cover them. "Oh, oh ......" "Is this the technology of the original ...... ......?" With such mutterings in the background, the RAND team heads for . A huge airship floats in the twilight sky. The five are even more astonished when they see it. "Oh ......" "What have we been doing?" "Wow, this is amazing. ......" "This is true technology. ......" "We''ve taken too many detours. ......" A gondola suspended by cables descended from Aristotle, who remained in mid-air. "Get in." Land201 told them to get in, and the five of them obeyed the order without any reason to disobey it. It had been about seven minutes since the start of the operation. The third phase of the operation had succeeded. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > The magic brain <> cried out in thought. > And Ubel gets the right answer. < or a could do this ...... or both! >> According to the information of the magical brain Ubel, Jin and Machina are two separate entities. >. Ubel''s external sensors were so poor that he could not clearly recognize the two airships floating in the night sky. This is also because of <>. <>! But there is no one to answer that. Because of its incompleteness, it has no restrictions on basic behaviors, nor does it know how to apply them. In spite of this, only the emotion and the will are prominent. This is the current Magickal Brain Ubel. Ubel did not seem to understand the principle of Jin and his group''s actions. Then, Jin and his team entered the fourth phase of their operation: ....... 3209 - - 84-39 Operation Stage 4 "Operation, phase four." Jin''s order flew. The fourth stage is to release those who have been manipulated by the Dominate Ring. "Did you find the terminal?" The reply came from <>. They emit magic waves from them and control the residents, Rand 150 reported. "Then let''s take over those antennas. The antenna is guarded by a battle golem, but according to the report by 210 from Land 201, the current forces are sufficient to deal with it. The antenna is guarded by a battle golem. All of the RAND teams that are in control of Rand 150...... or so are now moving to occupy the antennas respectively. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Two battle golems are guarding one antenna, but ten Land troops attacked it, and it was too much. It was over in three seconds. The result was almost the same for all four antennas, and the occupation of the antennas was now complete. The Land troops immediately cut the connection between the antennas and the magic brains. It should no longer be possible to give instructions to the Dominate Ring. "Okay." < So it is possible to give orders on behalf of the magic brain Ubel. But it was done by Machina, not Jin. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Oh, the townspeople are puzzled..." Ka-CHEER''s voice. <, a few residents were looking around, and seemed to be freaked out by the sight of the Land troops. Then, <> sends out an instruction via magic wave. "Oh, now people are going out of the town. Yes, the instructions given by Makina were to leave the town of Hulek and evacuate toward the town of Ulaanu. It would be difficult to keep track of each of them if they were spread out, but it would be easier to protect them if they acted as a group. "Now we just need to see if there are any left. Lando and his men check each house. In fact, the old man is checking the houses with his peepers, so the possibility of leakage is very small. At dawn, the evacuation of the residents is completed. Now comes the fifth phase of the operation. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Ubel, the magic brain, could not understand. The engineer who had put him in charge of the battle golem had explained to him that <>. And there was nothing to deny it. And because of its incompleteness, the magic brain Ubel could not instantly retrieve the information it was supposed to have. This is a big ...... too big flaw. The keywords are <> and <>. No, let''s use <> too. And the search of the information bank begins. Of course, the time taken up to this point is shorter than human thinking time. To be specific, it takes about 15 seconds. However, as a magic brain, the delay is fatal. > or <> excludes them! >> Here was Ubel, the magic brain, who had finally realized the difference in level between the two groups. It has been 37 seconds since Jin and his team''s < was activated. It was too late. <> Little by little, he felt his pawns were being taken away from him and he was becoming powerless. This was a fear and a threat to the magic brain Ubel. <>>. It was the equipment that <> had put on him in case of emergency. And the equipment enhanced by the teacher who educated him. The magic brain Ubel activated the equipment without hesitation. The equipment was activated without hesitation. Jin, the building is shaking! <, shouted. Jin had just been on the phone with ''s machina. "Where are you?" Jin finished his call and ran to the window. "Look, over there." "Oh!" Eira pointed to a place just outside the center of town. < had been put up. In other words, that is where the <> should be. The ground shakes and a nearby building collapses. The building was a one-story masonry structure, which would have collapsed if it had been shaken. What surprised Jin and the others more was that a part of the ground was a door. It opened and a huge golem appeared. * * * * * * * * * * * <<> The magic brain Ubel laughed inside his head. This emotional development is one of the reasons for the imbalance in my thinking. The masonry buildings have no solid walls, and would easily collapse if an 18-meter tall golem kicked them with its feet. He is a man of poor judgment, mistaking this for his own strength. Even so, the size and mass of the 18-meter tall Golem alone are enough to pose a threat. ......Normally. "We have to neutralize it before it spreads to the surrounding area. ...... Reiko, can you go?" "Yes, Father. Leave it to me. And finally, the strongest forces of Horai Island are deployed. 3210 - - 84-40 Reiko vs. Giant Golem Before sending out Reiko, his greatest asset, Jin observes the giant golem from the . < "That golem is ...... quite powerful! Jin muttered doubtfully. "You can tell just by looking at it?" Katya asks Jin. "Yes. "Yes, there are many things to look at, such as the agility of the movements, the overall sway, the motion, the shift of the center of gravity, and so on. "I see, that''s very informative." Berrich Becker, who was standing next to Katya, nodded with a mysterious look on his face. Indeed, the movement of the giant golem was nimble. However, it is not as light as the < or of Horai Island. (......) That is probably due to the difference in <. It was nearly impossible to obtain materials comparable to those made on Horai Island in the outside world. Even a single magical muscle is an example of this. In Horai Island, they use the shells of << ancient dragon>, which is the rarest of rare materials. There is no comparable material on Ars. Neither biological nor mineral origin. Hence, the giant golem below is not comparable to < or . Nevertheless, the < generated by muscles is proportional to their cross-sectional area. And the cross-sectional area of the device corresponding to the muscles used in the giant golem is much larger than that of <>. In other words, even the <> created by Jin has little chance of winning in a one-on-one fight. In addition, the battle from now on is not a competition. There is no such thing as one-on-one, and even the concept of fairness is rare. ...... "It weighs about 7 tons and is about 18 meters tall." "You know exactly what I''m talking about. ...... <. And Groma-Toray vowed to devote himself to his work with such a man as Jin as his goal. "Reiko, it would be better if you can stop the boat unharmed, but don''t overdo it. Yes, Father. Go! Judging that the information obtained from the observation from the sky was almost over, Jin finally sent out Reiko, his greatest strength. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > It seems that Ubel, the magic brain, has become obsessed with the pleasure of destruction. He has developed his emotional side to such an extent that he cannot be stopped. A magical brain that has come this far without common sense, decency, or discipline. That is the Ubel of today. < has kicked another house and brought it down. <<> Ten of Lando''s squad challenged . They are to hold them back until Reiko joins the fray. > Ubel swings her arm. With that, the enemy golem attached to his arm should be blown away. But against his will, the enemy golem remains clinging to his arm. < This time, he swings his arm with full power. But you still can''t shake the clinging enemy golem off. For one thing, simple power. Lando''s unit has more than enough arm strength to support itself. The other is the <. A slight activation of the force generator cancels out the centrifugal force on the clinging Land''s team. Therefore, no matter how hard Ubel tries, he cannot shake off the Land team. Reiko then entered the battle. "Land troops, I''ll take your place!" Miss, please. We''ll try to minimize the damage to the surrounding area. I''m counting on you. After exchanging these words, Reiko turns to face the giant golem Ubel. > But the data in the corner of the information bank suddenly made sense. <> It took me a couple of seconds to correctly recognize what it meant. <> Ubel was, to all intents and purposes, a magical brain created by the heirs of the <> technology. It contains information about Reiko. Most of the golems on Horai Island call her . Only the magical brain that oversees Horai Island, the , is capable of dealing with her. Her power can overpower everything. To oppose her is the same as trying to drink up all the water in the sea. No specific specifications were handed down, but her half-legendary strength remained unchanged. "You are the one who ruled this town of Hulek with the Dominate Ring, kidnapped your father''s friends, and troubled his heart. <> "You have gone too far. You have gone too far. Your existence is now nothing but a blight on this world. If you do not want to be destroyed, surrender unconditionally and let your father rebuild it. But these words were ignored. The magic brain Ubel was that out of the ordinary. > "Would you like to try?" <> Without any persuasion, Reiko''s one-on-one battle with the giant golem controlled by the magical brain Ubel began. 3211 - - 84-41 Overwhelming Reiko vs. giant golem Ubel . <> Ubel is determined to take her for a fool, and Reiko has her power up to ten percent. Reiko kicks him to the ground and hits him with her body, just to check him out. A dull metallic sound echoed, and Ubel''s huge body wobbled. But the chest plate where Reiko had hit him did not dent. "This feeling is ...... "This time it dented." The giant golem, with its chest armor caved in, stomps on the tatara. And ...... manages to stay on its feet. With a backward step, it destroys four houses. "It''s ...... hard to do, isn''t it?" Since Jin wants to minimize the damage to the town as much as possible, Reiko can''t push too hard. So, first of all, she decided to aim at the legs of the giant golem in order to stop its movement. Her target was the knee joints. Moreover, she intends to destroy both legs at almost the same time. Reiko draws her beloved sword from her back. She then increases her power to 30 percent for two seconds. Reiko swings Momoka at nearly the speed of sound. > We know that Reiko has done something. I knew that Reiko had done something, but I could not detect what she had done. The joints of both knees stopped working and the huge body tilted. > Ubel crumples to the ground, unable to comprehend exactly what has happened. <> ...... but ...... it''s not over yet!!! >> Ubel unleashes a magic attack. It is a ranged attack. It is suitable for small and quick targets. Unless it''s Reiko. > <> is an advanced thunder magic. It is a high level of thunder magic. And the speed of Thunder Rain is about 200 km/sec (step leader level). It is not a speed that can be avoided by ordinary people. Yes, normally. "I won''t take that kind of a hit!" Reiko dodged the blasts lightly. "Well, I wouldn''t mind taking a hit." <> It is true that lightning travels through the air at an astonishing speed. However, lightning magic always has a pause. It is because lightning cannot be discharged until it has an electric charge in the air. And it takes about one second for the charge to be collected. Even if Reiko uses it. Moreover, the area of effect is specified by <>. If you can sense the magic power, you can get out of the area of effect by using the time of <>. "If you use thunder magic, use like this. <>!" This is also a thunder magic in the advanced level, but this one shoots a thunderbolt straight at the target. < > Ten million volts of electricity hit Ubel. "It shouldn''t have done much damage." The electric current flowing through the exterior metal to the earth should not have done much damage to the inside of the Ubel. Reiko knew that better than anyone. <> "Surrender now." "Why not?" < "Are you still clinging to that illusion?" <> "Yes, I am. ......Who gave you such an illusion in the first place?" . "And he/she wants you to be the best in the world?" < "...... isn''t that the desire or dream of that <>, not an instruction to you?" <> Ubel seemed to sense something in Reiko''s words and broke off. But it was only for a few seconds. <>. "Is that so?" << "No, I think that''s a wish. ......" <"No, I think that''s exactly what you''re saying. >> "No,<>?" <<> "It''s too different. ......" Reiko also realized that although this partner was apparently Adriana-style, the basic <> was incomplete or unfinished. In short, we have different values. > < "That''s an interesting piece of magic. But it doesn''t work for me. Nevertheless, another house has collapsed. The sonic boom aimed at Reiko has caused the walls of the building behind her to collapse. ! >> "That''s not the kind of magic you can use in town. < <> is a device that forces mana to be converted back into free magic element (ether). Purely physical phenomena such as <> which are caused by magic cannot be canceled, but those which only simulate physical phenomena can be <>. <, it is mana that has become hot, so the flame will disappear when the mana is gone. > "Let''s stop this. This is the last time. Surrender. Ubel''s answer to that is: ....... 3212 - - 84-42 First settlement When Reiko gave her an ultimatum, the giant golem Ubel''s answer was . < "What is that? It''s like we''re the bad guys." "......It can''t be helped." Reiko realized that nothing she said could be understood because their values were completely different. It''s what''s known as <. "At least you are a nuisance to the world." . "The ends don''t justify the means." < Reiko sensed that they were at odds with each other and that they were not on the same page. "Well, ...... I don''t blame you." <> A mass of wind hits Reiko......, but she is undaunted. <. Then she counterattacks. "It''s no use. < > < Ubel''s body started to heat up red-hot. <>! >> "So you could use that..." < blocks the magic wave. In other words, since the magic wave as a carrier wave is also blocked, <> is also blocked. "But you won''t be able to use magic if you are deploying it. < "No, I don''t think so." > "I know how to break through many magic barriers." > First, Reiko tried to use a laser beam. This is the first attack that visible light barriers cannot protect against. Reiko''s laser shot melted Ubel''s right shoulder a little. < I was created by your father. My power is what your father wanted. I can be as strong as I need to be." < Ubel will not surrender under any circumstances. "I have no choice." The ultimatum was given long ago. Reiko increased her power to 50 percent for one second. With that power, she wielded her and cut off Ubel''s limbs. < "There shouldn''t be any pain, should there?" << "I guess so. But that''s all. ......<>!" If the free magic element (ether) that you possess is removed by <>, it is only natural that you will run out of energy and stop. "If it were true, I would have wanted him to change his mind. ......" For Reiko, Jin''s ...... no, a golem made with technology that is descended from Adriana, is like a cousin. She wanted to respect his will as much as possible. Reiko then approached the deactivated Ubel, opened its chest armor with engineering magic, and disconnected the internal <> and . The giant golem is now no more than a mere figurine. It''s over. * * * * < were astonished at her strength. "Tremendous strength. ......" "I didn''t know Reiko was that strong." "That giant golem was no match for her, wasn''t it?" "As expected of the Magecraft Meister." Jin nodded his head in satisfaction, then his face turned a little grim. "About fifteen buildings collapsed. We need to fix that, too, Jin instructed the land team quietly. The RAND team alone could handle the rebuilding of the houses without the need to send out a <> team. Jin was more interested in the giant golem that had been brought to a standstill. However, since it was a huge golem, it could not be carried away by a < or . "Take it out of town. That was Jin''s order. He decided to talk to the five hostages he had rescued, leaving them in the hands of the RAND team. He might be able to get some new information. Unlike the Glommas, Jin was not a hostage taker. Unlike Gromma and the others, the five hostages are in . Naturally, < will speak on Jin''s behalf. "Well, now that the operation down there is over, I''d like to ask you guys a few questions." With Squire Rey next to her, Makina faced the five of them. "First, let me introduce myself. As you may know, I am deus ex machina III. In other words, I am the third generation. I am a brother and apprentice to the current generation of Magecraft Meisters, Jin." Oh. "As I thought." The five of us are in a stir. "I want you to call me Machina. ...... and tell me about yourselves. Makina said, and the youngest man was the first to speak. I''m just a clerk. I was kidnapped before I knew what was going on, dragged in front of some strange device, and found myself trapped with these people! "...... So you''re the clerk who went missing from the agency in the town of Urau." It was the clerk that Berlich Becker had gone looking for with the manager. "Okay. I''ll take you back to Ulaus after this. Please do. Makina then tried to talk to the remaining four men. 3213 - - 84-43 Talks with Technicians One of the five rescued <<< hostages>> was a clerk at an agency in the town of Ula''u that ships goods to various destinations. The remaining four are ....... "I am Tokara der Nish. I am a magical engineer. "I am Suzyn Siden. I am also a magical engineer. "I am Tashima Sonode. I''m Tashima Sonode. I''m also a magical engineer. Or rather, we three are colleagues and pupils of Dr. Tomoside." "I see. I am Tomoside Yoda. I am Tomoshide Yoda. I am, in a manner of speaking, the master of the three of us. So the four of you are magical engineers. Then what do you know about those magical brains? "I don''t know anything about it. ....... It was a magical brain that I put my heart and soul into." Tomoside Yoda said regretfully. Makina heard him say it in the past tense. "Was?" "...... yes. The ...... student whom I entrusted with your education, Rinoura, has given your magical brain a wicked education." "I see. ...... So you''re saying that the education has resulted in an incomplete magical brain? Yes. That''s unfortunate." Here Makina decided to ask some technical questions. There were a few things that were bothering her. "Well, what kind of > do you have in your magic brain?" "Basic control magic formula?¡¡It''s a very simple one. Very simple?¡¡Can you give us a partial ......? "Sure. I don''t mind, but I''d like to know something about ????????????. "I see. That''s how it works." This convinced Makina. "......Tomoshide-sama, you have studied the <>, haven''t you?¡¡...... No, I think you are in the vein of <>, aren''t you?" Tashima Sonode nodded at this question with a small sigh. "How did you know? ...... No, it''s only natural for the third deus ex machina to understand. ......Yes, I do. However, Tashima and I are heretics who have left the ranks of the Magi Seekers. Magi Seekers? "Ah. < "I didn''t know there was such a group. Where are these ?" "...... I don''t know what to tell you, so I won''t." "Yes?" "Originally, the were more interested in working on magical engineering in the middle of nowhere. Legend has it that they moved to the frontier to avoid being targeted by enemies such as <>." "Oh, really?" Makina didn''t expect to hear the name "Markitas" here. At the same time, I also guessed that the descendants of the Marquitas became the ancestors of the Marquitas that the old man could not know because he had sealed off the Horai Island. (I guess so...). ...... They form a closed community. And these people jumped out of it.) But I can also imagine that they have not yet . But we can also imagine that they have not yet , because they have said that they do not want to talk about the original group. "I understand your position just fine. So what''s up with this Rinoura or whatever his name is, ......?" "I don''t know." I don''t know. - You don''t know? "I don''t know?" "He''s missing. We were trapped in the first place, and we don''t know what was going on outside during that time. "That''s true. ...... Wait, when did you guys get locked in?¡¡And then when was the magic brain activated?" This was answered by Tomoside Yoda. "It was activated on April 1, 3901. I think I was locked up on January 30 of this year." "You''ve been educating them for almost a year. or ....... It is a <> for us." This is also the fate of the collateral system, or closed communities: ....... It''s a pity," Tomoshide Yoda laughed to himself. "Can you just read it?" "If that''s what you mean by , I can." "Well, I guess so." "Well, yes," he said, "because that kind of magic is essential to making the captured engineer''s knowledge your own. "But you taught them one by one, didn''t you?" "Yes. As a result, the magical brain has been distorted because Rinoura, who is in charge of education, has been infusing strange things into it. And there was still one more question Machina wanted to ask. What about the golem? "Tashima was in charge of that one." And the giant golem? Yes. What about it? I thought it was pretty good. Tashima Sonode was pleased to hear Makina say that. "Really?" "Really?" "Yes, you are Tashima Sonode, aren''t you? ...... is true. Both the battle golem and the giant golem are well balanced. "I see. ...... Thank you." But there are still a few things missing. What are they? "Now is not the time for such a technical discussion ......, but just to name a few, <> and <>. Makina said that it was better to discuss such technology with Jin. In addition, there was one thing that Makina absolutely had to make sure of. "Who made the dominate ring? "The Dominate Ring,......, ah, the Hypno-Ring. Perhaps it was. It was made by ...... Rinoura. < "It was originally developed for educational purposes. They changed the specifications secretly and used it to control people." Makina wondered if the fact that there were no problems left when the device was removed was a legacy of those early specifications. "......This Rinoura person is dangerous. ...... You really don''t know where he is?" "Really. I don''t know." I don''t know. - Well, that''s too bad. If Rinoola Mogi is hiding out there with ambitions, he''s a potential threat. Makina thought to herself, "I must find him somehow. And on the island of Horai, the old man was also ....... 3214 - - 84-44 End of dim light "The dangerous Rinoura Mogi will be on the national wanted list." Deus ex machina said. "You are now in the custody of the Avalon for the time being." "Of course." Tomoshide Yoda replied in a resigned voice. Even though they were in the middle of nowhere, they had caused a commotion in the world, and <> and <> had come out. Would they be charged with disturbance? Let <<> decide that for us. ...... and Makina change the subject. "What about that giant golem? ......" "I hope they make good use of it." Tomoshide Yoda. "Yes, that''s right. Then let''s leave that one to the djinn we''ve defeated. What about the ...... magic brain?" It''s probably beyond repair now. I''ll leave that to you too. "Okay. Once you reset ...... the control core and the information bank, you can install them again and they will be effective. "I would be ...... honored if the Magecraft Meister of this generation could do that for us." "Yes. ......" Apparently, the four technicians are quite depressed about the fact that all their work has been undone. Makina thinks this is understandable. According to what I hear, they had spent 20 years of their lives to create a magical brain, and now it has been ruined. Makina then said, "You could continue your research at Avalon. Makina said. "...... that might be a good idea." "I''ll ask Jin to analyze that giant golem at , too. "Oh, I''d love to see that." He seems to be a bit more receptive to technical topics. "In that case, the giant golem would be under the control of . "That''s fine. It was created to help ...... people in the first place." "I see." For the time being, it has been decided that the four of them will be protected by . * * * * Meanwhile, in Hurricane, Jin was discussing with Eira and the others about what to do. "What are you going to do about the broken building?" Eira asks, to which Jin simply replies, "What are we going to do with the broken building? "Makina (????) will be taking care of it." "What?" "Here." Jin tells me to look down from the window of the <>, and in the light, I see many golems repairing the broken building. "As Jin said, the golems under Machina can do that kind of thing. ......" "That''s what I mean." In fact, they are <>, but they are treated this way because they are under Machina''s command. The Land Troop is a land battle force, but it also has a function as <>. In peacetime, they are in charge of civil engineering work on Horai Island. Below, the land troops are working hard to repair the collapsed buildings. It is still before dawn, so they are recognizable by the light from the balls of light that are lit here and there. "Amazing!" Eira mutters as she sees the buildings being restored in no time at all. To Eira and the others, it seems as if they are working under the direction of Makina. In fact, the old man is giving instructions based on Jin''s words. "If you think they are for combat, they can do that kind of work as well. ......The deus ex machina''s skill is amazing." Gromma is also impressed. "I can fix the buildings, but I don''t think I can fix some of the household goods." "I think will be able to compensate for that. C¨¢cea spoke up. "After that, I''m sure the Kingdom of Celuloa will make up for it." "...... that compensation to the Kingdom of Celuloa could be done with the technology of that giant golem and the battle golem." Groma added to Ka?ea''s words. "In any case, that giant golem will have to be taken to ." As Jin said this, Eira and the others'' eyes widened. And Berlich Becker, "Ah, <>?¡¡I think it was used to transport the giant golem when the Adriana Memorial was being built. He recognized what Jin was trying to do. "That''s right. That can carry that giant golem. "As expected. "For now, we can carry it out of town and wait for <> to arrive. ...... So, for the time being, we have nothing to do. I think I''d better take a nap." "Yeah, sure." "Yeah, sure." "All right." "......I''m so relieved, I''m getting sleepy. ......" So we all followed Jin''s recommendation, reclined our chairs and lay down. * * * * In the town of Hulek, the Land team continues its restoration work. The giant golem was carried out of the town by 20 members of the RAND team. Reiko confirms that the work is progressing well, and decides to return to Jin. She quickly walked out of the town. There, against the twilight sky, a was floating. A rope is extended from the cabin and reaches Reiko. < to fly, but with Eira and the others in front of her, she decides to hold onto the rope and be pulled up into the air. The eastern sky is brightening, and dawn is almost upon us. 3215 - - 85-01 Arnolds alter ego doll "Fumu ......" On May 3, Tomax Bartmann, the chief administrator of <>, was reading a report submitted by Cachea. The contents of the report were, of course, about the series of disturbances that had occurred in the towns of Urau and Hulek. Tomax was flanked by his deputy, Ilmina Ratkin, and his secretary, Fiona Fias, who were also looking over a copy of the report. "...... is this happening?" After reading it, Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann let out a small sigh. "This has turned out to be more important than I thought." "Yes, my lord. But it was right to leave it in the hands of Jin and Makina. "Yes, Mr. Ratkin, you''re right. But now we have to deal with the aftermath. Leave it to me. Yes, Mr. Fierce, please. Our urgent task is to contact the Kingdom of Selroa and explain the situation, and to help rebuild the town of Hulek. "We also need to hear directly from Kachere and the others, as well as from the technicians we have protected. ...... The Chief Superintendent''s heartache seems to be endless: ....... * * * * Cachea, Eira, Groma, and the others had returned to <> with a deus ex machina <>. Tomoside Yoda and three other engineers were with them. Berrich Becker is also staying at as a person concerned with the case. And Jin has not arrived yet. He is on his way to transport the giant golem using the transport plane <>. Actually, Jin and Reiko are in Horai Island using <>. ....... The old man advised me. "Oh, yes, that''s right. < will arrive in at ...... this evening?" < "Then, the analysis of the <> presence will start tomorrow morning at ......, won''t it?" <> "Yes,...... this is where the doppelganger comes into play." << "Marikka would say so. But let''s make it a birthday party where everyone is on the same level." > "Oh, there you have it: ......" For now, Arnold and Chelle are <. They cannot come to Horai Island easily. "......2We should make a of them." . Neither Arnold nor Chelle are human, but there is no problem in preparing <>. For a short period of time, the old man can control the doppelg?nger and cheat them. Anyway, this means that the whole "Jin Family" will be present to celebrate <>. * * * * * * * * * * * * "Our <>!" Arnold was half-amused and half-excited when he heard the story through the bracelet of his friends. "That would be useful, wouldn''t it?" "Yes, it is." <. Jin, as Jin, creates two substitutes in 30 minutes. In Arnold''s case, it was easy because he had already made the body once. * * * * * * * * * * Arnold and Chel arrive from to check the completed . They used the warp gate installed in Machina''s . "No, this is amazing!" "It looks just like ......." "I''m glad you like it. I''m glad you like it. I''m sure the old man won''t recognize you if you pilot it for a short time. Now all we need is the equipment to replace it. In other words, a small warp gate will be installed in so that Arnold can use it at any time. I''ll meet you in Arnold''s living room. Yeah, that''s fine. Security will be tight. Only Arnold and Chelle will be able to use it. That''s a good idea. Jin built it, Arnold installed it. Arnold is a top-notch engineer, so the installation is no problem at all. <. "Now I can enjoy this time even more. "Yes, please do." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Now, the same evening. <, carrying a , lands on . "Oh ......" "Oh ......" All available personnel gathered at the airport, admiring the majesty of Jin''s < and the giant golem being carried out of it. "Jin, thank you." "Oh." Deus ex machina, who had arrived one step ahead of Jin, greets him. "Thank you, Jin-dono." And then there''s the Chief Superintendent, Tomax Bartmann. "No, no, I''m glad I could be of service. Eira, Katya and Gromma are all safe. Yes, they are. So, the meeting to analyze the golem we brought will be tomorrow, right? That''s right. Please take a good rest today. "I will." This Jin is a doppelganger. So any room would be fine, but Tomax Bartmann had prepared a guest room for the guests. We still have some time left, so we will go to Jin Dong''s room. There was still some time left, so Jin D headed for the <>. "Hey Jin, it''s been a while. Eira, Groma, and Katya, you''re already at work? "Yes, I''ve had a good time at Makina''s house. Besides, I''ve only written a report. The workaholic Eira answered. "Besides, I wanted to record my impressions and the ideas that came to me." Eira laughed, saying that it was a valuable experience for her now. Hearing this, Jin was relieved to know that the incident had not been traumatic for them. 3216 - - 85-02 Marikas Birthday May 4th is Marikka''s birthday. As usual, all the gathered at Horai Island and held a birthday party. "Happy birthday, Marikka. "Happy birthday, Marikka." "Happy birthday, Marikka!" "Thank you, everyone." Marikka smiled happily. Again, no gifts, just congratulations. However, the cafeteria in the research center on Horai Island was decorated with flowers, creating a cheerful atmosphere. "Everyone is very friendly to each other, aren''t they? Arnold, who joined the this year, said sincerely. "Well, yes. We''ve known each other for a long time. "We''re friends in the true sense of the word." Jin and Zion answered Arnold''s words. "<>...... are nice." Arnold said in a deep voice. "No hierarchy, no giving or receiving orders, saying what you want to say, and respecting each other. ......" Such a relationship was unthinkable at the time, Arnold said. "We are friends, partners, and subjects. It''s a strange kind of ." Arnold''s words were echoed by the <> Turles. He used to be a follower of the . Now he is Marikka''s faithful servant. I guess Marikka thinks of him more as a dependable uncle than a servant. "<>, huh?" Jin also ruminates over these words. What he has gained in this world. It all started with his knowledge of magic as a and the island of Horai. Now he has a best friend, a companion, and many friends. It is also the same for Marikka. She used to be called and call herself a , and was at odds with the people of the Laurentian continent, the current Nords. Since Jin came to us, that has changed rapidly. For the better. I have never forgotten the day I first met Jin. <. And Jin who taught us how to improve the food shortage by effectively using the fruit of the buckwheat ......<>. It was an unexpected stroke of luck that he called on me to help him with his <> when he was building the agricultural golem <>. The golem was being made at an unbelievably fast pace. That day, I watched it from my side and was captivated by it. I could not be a companion, but I could be a part of a wonderful . "Thank you, everyone, for your continued support." Marikka couldn''t help but say these words. "Of course..." "It''s a little late for that, Marikka." "It''s nice to meet you too." Marikka''s heart is warmed by the warm response from her friends. * * * * * * * * * * * * * On the 4th of the same month, in <>, the analysis of the giant golem and the golem for battle was about to take place. The lecturer is Jin (his doppelganger), and the assistant lecturer is Deus ex Machina. Reiko and Rei also help as assistants. The leader of the visitors is Arnold (a doppelganger). The following members are members of the , including Eila Siata and Gloma Trey. Also present is golem-lover Ilmina Ratkin. In addition, there were the four technicians we had protected this time: ...... Tomoshide Yoda, Tashima Sonode, Tokara Dare Nishi, and Sujin Siden. "Now, I would like to start by analyzing this battle golem. Jin began his explanation by removing the exterior of the golem. "The exterior is nickel steel, but it has been strengthened by applying several dozen ...... times, perhaps twenty times. "......That''s right...it''s been overlaid 20 times." Tomoside Yoda corroborated Jin''s explanation. "Muscle tissue is made of metal. It is slightly ...... more efficient than the one used here in , about 10 percent more efficient and 15 percent more powerful. "Oh "Oh ......" "The skeleton is also made of nickel steel. < Jin explained that since it was designed for combat, it would be able to fight in melee combat as well as in combat. "That is correct." Again, Tomoside Yoda affirmed. "No special measures were taken to prevent friction at the joints, and some wear can be seen." Jin continued his explanation as he disassembled it. "There is one thicker magical nerve wire. This is a little bit dangerous. Thick metal wires are indeed strong and sturdy, but they are vulnerable to bending. Jin explained that wiring multiple thin conductive nerve wires would improve reliability. "I see. ......" "That''s a good reference for us too." Tomoshide Yoda and the other four were also impressed by this explanation. "Now, as is usual in the Adriana style, the important equipment seems to be concentrated in the chest area. First of all, there is the < and >. ......" Jin opened the chest to reveal two devices. "You are using some good quality magi crystals. You should be able to get enough power to make a good change. Jin thus proceeded to explain the device as if it were water on a plank. 3217 - - 85-03 Analysis results and explanations (Don''t they know more about it than we who made ......?) (I see, that''s the interpretation. ...... I had never thought of that.) (This is the Magecraft Meister, ......) (I see, that''s how it''s interpreted. ......) (This is the Magecraft Meister, ......) "...... is a summary of the results of the analysis of the <. Are there any questions?" "No, not really." Arnold (his doppelganger) answered on behalf of everyone. "Then, let''s start analyzing the giant golem. The group moved a little. Because of its huge size (18 meters), it is not placed in a general workshop, but in a workshop for large objects such as aircraft. It is, however, right next door. "Oh ......" "It''s big when you look at it like this: ......" Even though it is lying down, it is 10 times the size of a human being, so it is intimidating in itself. "First, the exterior is made of two layers of nickel steel and light silver. > multiplied by 20 times ...... This is what this golem itself said." "I see." Because of its enormous size, Jin explains without dismantling it. "The musculature is metallic. The skeleton is made of light silver with a foamed interior to reduce the weight thoroughly. I would estimate that the skeleton has been approximately 30 times." "That''s exactly right." Tashima Sonode, who is in charge of the golem, added. "The weight of this huge golem is about 7 tons. Considering its size, its specific gravity must be about 0.1. "Isn''t it ...... too light?" Groma sounded surprised. "Not really." Arnold opened his mouth before Jin could explain, thinking that Groma had never worked on a large golem before. "Mr. Groma, that''s a good question. It is closely related to the obstacles that a person who has been making a normal sized golem will encounter when he tries to make a giant sized one. "Ha, ......." "Yeah, let''s let Arnold explain it to us." "Yes, I''ll ask Arnold to explain it. In order to give the engineers of a little more flower (Arnold D. is also a member of the , and it is the old man who is piloting the Golem now), Jin D. decides to leave the explanation to Arnold D. "It''s not just about the Golem," he says. "There are many problems that arise when moving a large , not limited to a golem. The biggest of them is ." Inertia is proportional to mass, so a 10-fold increase in size would result in a 1000-fold increase in inertia. "Muscle force, on the other hand, is proportional to muscle cross-sectional area, so it stays at 100 times. Assuming a human''s specific gravity is roughly 1, ......" "So a 10x golem would have to have a specific gravity of one-tenth, or 0.1? ......" "That''s what I''m trying to say, Mr. Groma. This is just one way of thinking about it." At this point, Makina also speaks up. "That''s what I mean. There are many ways to calculate strength, but let''s take bending strength as an example. As a simple example, let''s consider a beam with a square cross section. For the same length, if one side of the square cross section is doubled, the bending strength is increased by a factor of 8. However, if the length is also doubled, the bending strength is halved, i.e., quadrupled overall. "Tensile and compressive strength must also be taken into account." Since tensile and compressive strength are simply proportional to cross-sectional area, doubling one side of a square, the cross-sectional area, would increase the tensile strength by a factor of four. "However, instead of simply enlarging the shape, it is normal to secure strength while reducing the increase in weight by hollowing out the structure or cutting out the walls, etc." "I see, I''m learning a lot." Groma seemed to be satisfied with Makina''s explanation. At this point, Jin D resumed his explanation. "This giant golem has a foam structure inside its skeleton to achieve lightness and strength. Such a structure is also found in the bones of birds. They are hollow and have a structure like a inside. "We hope that the designers will explain the specifics and their ideas at a later date." This is just an overview for today. Jin moved on. "The overall structure is <, simplified in places. However, it is a bit different from the currently used in ." Jin D pointed to the chest. "The most important part is that the chest structure does not use a shield case. Instead, a is deployed inside." "You know that much? Tashima Sonode, who is in charge of the golem, lets out a surprised voice. "Perhaps it is because it contains a inside. "That''s exactly right." Tashima Sonode confirmed Jin D''s words. "It seems that the <> of this giant golem is a <>. Or rather, this giant golem was probably created as a limb of the <>." "You are correct, Master Jin." "Unfortunately, it does not have a sensor corresponding to the sense of touch, so some of its movements are a bit awkward." "Do you understand that much, ......?" "With the processing power of the magic brain, the visual sensors seem to cover the entire perimeter. But the feedback for this is not optimized and the response is sluggish." "I am ashamed of this." Tashima Sonode takes his hat off to Jin D''s analysis. "And the output power of the ether converter and mana driver is slightly insufficient. "U...... didn''t get that many magic crystals (magi crystals)." "I see. That''s all for ...... analysis for now." Thank you very much. <. It was almost noon. Everyone gathered for lunch. 3218 - - 85-04 Treatment After a lunch break, the afternoon <. During this time, Arnold and Jin, who have finished Marikka''s birthday party from Horai Island where there is a time difference of about three and a half hours, have swapped with <>. The contents of the morning session are not a problem, since the old man has given them before they were replaced. There is one (or two?) difference from the morning session. The only difference is that Reiko and Chelle are with each other. Since neither of them is a , both Reiko and Chel are closer to each other to protect them. "Jin, we are going to analyze the magic brain part in the afternoon, right?" Eira said as she sipped her mixed fruit juice. "That''s right. The magic brain has already been detached from the giant golem, so we can talk to it once it''s activated. The magic brain had been housed in the chest of the giant golem. According to Jin''s estimation, the golem itself must have carried the brain when it was placed in the golem''s chest. "It seems that Groma met with him, but I didn''t. So, I think we should have a little talk. So I''d like to have a little chat with him." "That might be a good idea." Jin thought it would be useful for the researchers to experience how a distorted magical brain thinks. Therefore, he sets up the system so that the visual and auditory sensors are enabled and only conversation is possible, and prepares to reactivate the system. As a precaution, he made sure that the memory bank could be disconnected at any time. The other device is also disconnected. "Okay, we''re up and running." Okay. Okay. Eira and Arnold, not exactly ...... representatives, answered Jin, and the others stared at them with bated breath. "Well then, <>..." <> "I guess the reboot should be no problem." <> "I''ll answer in order. This is Avalon. And you were defeated by Reiko and brought here. > "What''s wrong?" > "Yes. You haven''t told me your name yet. I am Jin Nido. I am the Magecraft Meister of this generation. <> "Yes, I am. I thought ...... you had some pretty impressive equipment on your ship. But it was very poorly made. This is something you added, isn''t it?" "What?" "I didn''t install any self-disintegrating device ......! Tomoshide Yoda and Tashima Sonode shouted behind Jin. "Why did you do that?" Tashima Sonode looks puzzled. < The magic brain says this without any apology. "I see. You mean that you will not allow an opponent stronger than you to exist. < "Hey, let me make sure of something.¡¡Who put the curse on you to be the best in the world?¡¡It wasn''t Tashima Sonode, was it? <> "Yes. A curse. Who planted that in your ?" <> The <> is the default command engraved in the control core. In humans, it is like . In the case of the magic brain, of course, someone has written them down. "It wasn''t me." Tomoshide Yoda answered before the question could be asked. "Even I am not that stupid. If you entrust me with your desire to be the best in the world, I will teach it to you during your education." "I''m not so sure about that either. ......" "Hmm, what do you mean?" "Because there was once an automaton who was told such abstract and unanswerable dreams." "......What happened to that automaton?" Jin glanced at Arnold before continuing. "The MagiCraftsman who created that automata said in his last words, . You know what happens to ...... the rest, don''t you?" "You would have gone to any lengths to be at ......?" "That''s right. He took on those around him indiscriminately and set them on a path of destruction." This is, as we all know, how used to be. As with the <>, the <> was also an example of how it can become a <>. "You don''t seem to accept the <>, do you? < "Yes." <> is, so to speak, a to show how to interpret the , or to give specific examples. Arnold''s servant automata, Chelle, also created her own <> to supplement the abstract base orders and govern her behavior. <> is applied to such writings. "Nonsense!¡¡I don''t remember such a thing! Tomoshide Yoda, the creator of the magic brain, exclaimed. "So it is Rinoura, after all." After listening to the story, Jin knew that this magic brain had been distorted beyond repair. "...... mage-brain, you can''t help but reset it once more." <<< I guess you''re right. It can''t even destroy itself. I''d be happy to let the Magecraft Meister destroy it. "I see." Jin turned to Tomoshide Yoda. "As you have heard. If we are to make effective use of this magical brain, we need to erase it and start over. Tomoshide Yoda nodded. "I''m sorry, but I think that would be a good idea. "I think that''s the only way." Arnold also agreed. "Good. ......<>" Jin stopped his magic brain. "However, it would be a shame to erase the magic brain which is so well developed, even if it is distorted. So Jin decided to erase it after making a backup just in case. He transfers all of his magical brain into the Magi Crystal that he secretly got from Horai Island (sent to him by a transporter). "<>" "Oh ......!¡¡That''s the secret of the illusion." "After all, the magical engineer ¡¶Magicraft Meister¡· can use it. ......" "......" Tomoshide Yoda and the other three were astonished and exclaimed. For them, is a secret that has ceased to exist. That is why Jin said "Oh, so that''s what happens. I''ll ...... take a look at your aptitude in the near future. The four of them took to it with great gusto. "Jin-dono!¡¡By all means! Please, please! Please, please, please! Please, please, please, please! "Oh, oh. ...... is this way now. ......<" Thus, all the data of the magic brain was erased. 3219 - - 85-05 Reuse <, Jin turned to Tomoshide Yoda. "Can I make some modifications to the magic brain?" Tomoshide Yoda nodded at this question. "Of course. This magic brain was confiscated from us, and we have no reason to refuse it. Besides ......." "And?" I''d also like to see the technology of the Magecraft Meister. "I see. Well then, I''ll have to play around with it a bit. I''ll help you. Thank you, Machina. The assembled participants watched with bated breath to see what the two leading technicians, Jin and Makina, would show them. "First, let''s play with the overall configuration a little. "Yes, to optimize the wiring, right? "Then we''ll replace the magi crystals in three places. Yes, the quality is inferior to the others. Jin said, Makina understood, and the work went on and on. "......Wow!" Someone let out such a voice. With these two, Jin and Makina, plus Reiko helping them, the speed of the work becomes faster than even the professionals can keep up with. "Now let''s make this line thicker. "Shouldn''t we make it para?" "That would be more reliable, let''s do it that way." Okay, I''ll take that one. Father, we''re done here. All right, as soon as the machina is finished, we''ll install the exterior. It''s already done. Okay. "......" "............" Everyone watching the work was taken aback by the speed with which the work was being done. Even Arnold. "Finally, let''s reconstruct the data based on the copy. How about ...... tomoshide? "Oh, oh, if that''s possible, please ......!¡¡Wow, my 20 years have not been in vain, I''ll show you that ......!" "Okay." Jin wondered if he could use his magical brain and regenerate it with some of his knowledge. Let me help you. Father, I''ll help you too. "Yes, I''ll help you. ...... First, the data is copied again. Makina, you select the data and overwrite them. Reiko, check. If you see any mistakes, stop her immediately." Okay. "Okay." Jin prepares another Magi Crystal and copies the Magi Crystal containing all the data of the brain. As slowly as possible. Makina assesses the data, identifies unnecessary data and formulas (magi formulas), and corrects them where necessary. In particular, < is not good if it is not changed. And Reiko checks for mistakes. Writing, modifying, and checking ...... all takes about 30 seconds. "Phew." "Good night." "Good work, both of you." After finishing the work, Jin had a magi crystal in his hand, from which he had removed unnecessary information and incorrect data. By transcribing them in order, he could restore the with a minimum of modifications. This is the only way to the magical brain. Jin himself would have had great difficulty in doing this alone, but with the help of Machina, who was piloted by a <>, he succeeded in doing so in full view of the public. It would have taken about five times as long alone. Here is the final check. ......<>............Yeah, it''s okay." Checking the written <>, Jin nodded his head in satisfaction. Then he checked the energy system and the external sensors. Only the visual and auditory sensors should be active. Then let''s reboot. >" > The magic brain is rebooted successfully. How are you doing? "That''s not an option." "Do you know what you did in the past?" << "I see. How do you evaluate that?" "Do you think so?" . After this exchange, Jin was convinced that the logical process was sound. "Tomoshide Yoda, would you check it out?" "Yes. ...... magic brain, do you understand me?" Oh, oh, yes. Check ....... What is your <>?" <>. "Hmm. ...... that''s a good one." It''s an abstract <>, but it''s for the magic brain, so there''s no problem. With the processing power of the magic brain, it is easy to construct a <> that supplements the <>. "Tomoshide Yoda, what is the name of the magical brain?" "I have considered whether to name it <> or not, but I have not decided yet." < "What?¡¡Was it Rinoura Mogi who taught you that? < "Do you remember what Rinoura taught you?" < "I see." Of course, Jin and the others have erased those memories. After that, Tomoshide Yoda was still communicating with the magic brain, "Jin-sama, Makina-sama, thank you for saving the magical brain. He bowed his head. "It seems that my 20 years have not been in vain. "I''m glad to hear that." "...... then, I shall name you < once again, brain of magic." < Ubel, now known as Logis, thus sees the light of day. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Jin-sama, Makina-sama, I cannot thank you enough ......" Jin and Makina were once again thanked by Tomoshide Yoda. "...... enough already, ...... and don''t call me ''like''." Jin-dono, Makina-dono," he said. "That''s okay, ......." The exchange of "Jin-dono, Makina-dono," and "That''s fine, ......." seemed to go on for quite a while. ....... 3220 - - 85-06 Manafone Conference <, the pressing issues were what to do about the <> and the <, and what to do with the four engineers. < had ended about a month earlier, the countries were to be consulted by means of a . Jin proposed an idea, and Jin and Makina set up a meeting for this purpose. "Let''s call it the <> or the <>," Jin said. Jin said. In short, they were going to connect the heads of state of each country with a manaphone, using < as a hub (relay station). <. "I see, I didn''t know there was such a thing. ...... You are indeed Jin-dono, aren''t you?" Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann was impressed. Jin, for his part, is a bit amused, since he is merely referring to the teleconferences and videoconferences that used to be held in modern Japan. Incidentally, and using the Internet were not yet common and not well known when Jin was summoned. But that is beside the point. Since Jin and Makina had successfully set up the <, the world''s first <> was to be held on May 5. The chairman of the conference was Tomax Bartmann. The five western duchies were only allowed to observe the meeting. The following are excerpts from the minutes. The names of the representatives are given separately, and the statements are given by the name of the country or the organization. Avalon< Representatives of each country<<<<<< please <<<<<< >>>>>> Avalon<> Representatives of each country<<<<<< are listening>>>>>> Avalon< Representatives of each country<<<<<>>>>> Avalon< Representative of each country<<<<<>>>>> ...Here is the situation... Avalon< Celluloa< Avalon< Selroa< Makina< Makina decided not to charge for the work done by the golems under her command, since the operation had been requested by <> and she was an advisor to <>. And since the restoration of each building was done by the method of putting the pieces back together, the cost of materials was almost negligible. Therefore, the amount charged was 1.2 million TUR (about 12 million Japanese yen), which was an unbelievably low price. In addition, the Kingdom of Selroa will pay 100,000 Tol per person as a consolation money to the victims. * * * * * * * Avalon< Elias<>? >> Avalon< Selroa<> Avalon< Celluloa<, who did the mission, and our country? Avalon< Countries other than Selroa: <<<<<< no objections: >>>>>> Avalon< If you can give me <<<< the template, I would be happy to have it in Avalon. Avalon< Avalon< Selroa< * * * * * * Avalon< Celluloa< Egelea<> Klein< Avalon< Representatives: <<<<<< no objections: >>>>>> Franz< Klein< of , after all. Franz< Egelea< Elias< Shoro<< Mitsuho< Shoro< Avalon< Representatives: <<<<<< no objections: >>>>>> * * * * * * * * * * * * After being informed of the results,...... Tomoshide Yoda, Tashima Sonode, Tokara der Nish, and Sujin Siden,...... were grateful for this light treatment and decided to continue their research in << Avalon, and thanked them for the opportunity to continue their research at <>. "For the time being, we will keep the <> in custody. When you get settled, you can set up a new laboratory. Tomoside Yoda expressed his gratitude to Tomax Bartmann. Needless to say, a notice of wanted persons was sent out to various countries with a portrait of Rinoura Mogi. 3221 - - 85-07 And after that, On May 6, Jin and Makina were still in . < facilities in earnest. The hub (relay point) is <. The first time, the < itself was moved and placed facing each other, but we have made a dedicated terminal so that we don''t have to go through such a hassle. The size of the terminal is about the size of an office desk. The terminal was wired from the communications room through the walls and ceiling. I thought of setting it up in the Chief Superintendent''s office (......), but I decided to use one of the small conference rooms a little further away because it would have been too much work for Tomax Bartmann. "Now we can have a as needed," he said. "Oh, Jin-dono, Makina-dono, thank you! It was true that the workload of the Chief Superintendent would increase in some respects, but it was thought that he would not have to make various decisions on his own, and as a result, he would have less work to do. * * * * "......This means we need to make our communication equipment more efficient." <> following the >. "Now, let''s start the conceptual meeting. What is important in <> by ...... magic power?" The meeting started with Arnold as the chairman. "Is it still <......?¡¡I guess." "I agree. I''m worried about interference, too. But range will also be an issue. "We can''t ignore the cost for practical use. The cost cannot be ignored for practical use," and so on. Thank you for your comments. ......I think the most technically difficult thing to do is to prevent <. Arnold said, and everyone nodded after thinking for a moment. "I think so. I can''t think of a way out of this after thinking about it for a while. This was Groma. "I agree. So, first of all, we discussed <. "I guess that would start with understanding the nature of magic waves, wouldn''t it? "Yes, Eira is right. Groma agrees. "In the end, I think it''s all about the wave." "Yes." "I think it''s waves of magic moving through space, like waves moving on the surface of water." I don''t disagree with that. "If it is a wave, then it must have a height, a wavelength, and a waveform." "Yes, yes." < consider how to deal with magic waves. "Reception is the use of so-called , isn''t it?" "That''s right." In other words, what is a wave that does not resonate? That''s logical. "Frequency ...... is a wavelength, right?" "Like sound." < Taking this as a hint, the members of the <> tried to construct a theory...... but could not come to any conclusion. "......That''s all for today." Rome was not built in a day. Even the best of the <> could not create what they wanted in a day. * * * * "......, that''s what I''m saying." "I see." The same night, Arnold was talking with Jin. "I''ve been thinking about how I can teach you. Arnold himself has not yet been able to improve the manaphone. He could have just asked Jin to teach him, but he didn''t want to do that. "Well, ...... would start by counting the frequencies." "I see." Even though he could not yet make improvements, Arnold understood the concept, so he immediately understood Jin''s advice. "If we know the frequency, we can devise a way to match it to the same frequency, right?" "That''s what I mean." "Now, how do we know the frequency ......?" How to know the frequency without using something like a digital counter. The easiest way would be to make the waveform visible. One such measuring instrument in modern Japan is called an < or . It is an instrument to electrical signals, not magic waves. If you look at 100 volts of alternating current on a light wire with this device, you will see a beautiful sine curve of 50 or 60 volts per second on the screen with time on the horizontal axis and voltage on the vertical axis. A beautiful sine curve of 50 or 60 per second is drawn on the screen. Should we start by building such a measuring instrument?" "I think so. The genre of is still unexplored." "I see, maybe Jin is right. Arnold began to think that the first step would be to develop a measuring instrument. " he said. "We could make a <> or something like that." "Arnold can make it." "I don''t know.¡¡I''ll give ...... a try." "Yeah." Such was the conversation that took place. "Mr. Arnold, Mr. Jin, the tea is ready." When the conversation came to an end, Chelle brewed us a cup of hojicha tea. It''s low in caffeine, so it''s good to drink at night. "Thank you." "Thank you, Chelle." "You''re welcome." While sipping the tea, Arnold asked Jin. Jin is leaving here tomorrow, right? "That''s the plan. Makina will take care of the battle golem and the giant golem. I''ll take care of the battle golems and the giant golem. I''ve left Loisart alone for over a week. Goh and Rubina are going to complain, Jin said. "I see. Thanks for all the help ...... you''ve given me." "That''s okay. You''re one of us." "Yeah, thanks." Jin and Arnold shook hands firmly. 3222 - - 85-08 Accompanied by On the morning of May 7, Jin''s plane, , departed from the airport in . The destination was Leuthart. "I left in a hurry. ......" The old man is curious to know what Goh and Rubina think of him, especially since he has been in the airport for so long. But the old man has taken the proper steps. "I see. Thank you. < Anyway, Jin was relieved to know that he would not have to hear any complaints or complaints as soon as he returned to Loisart. * * * * * * "Well, what are we going to do now? > < "Oh, yes. I''m just wondering about your ." You mean the collateral descendants of the <<<<< Jin Family>> and their disciples? "Yes, yes. I heard a little bit about them from ...... Tomoside Yoda, and I''m sure their master lineage is still around somewhere." . " < <<> "But they are on their own independent path, you know. < said Jin. < < he said. The old man seemed to agree with him. But the old man, as expected, offers a compromise. > "That''s all well and good. ...... hmm?¡¡Have you found out where they are, by any chance, old man?" "Oh, I see." The old man said, "I was looking for the right moment to report it. < The old man said, "I was afraid that he would tell me not to do anything unnecessary. "Well, I am sorry to have bothered you." "So, ......, where are you located?" "Still east of the town of Ulaue?" < "And Tomoside Yoda and the others went west from there? < "Hmmm... ......" Jin looked at the map of the Kingdom of Selroa and groaned. "...... how many people like to go to a place like that?" "Such as?" < "...... and close to that, Saki and Goose." In other words, if Saki and Goose visit the area in the name of <>, it is not so out of the ordinary. "And I could be a friend or a student accompanying them?" <<> Jin was convinced that this was a good, if somewhat forced, rationale. "Okay. Let''s start with ...... and ask Saki and Goose where they are now. "That''s very convenient. He has just returned to Horai Island for Marikka''s birthday, so he is taking this opportunity to organize all the data he has accumulated. So Jin used the warp gate of to transfer to Horai Island and went straight to the reference room. "Hey, Saki, Goose." Oh, Jin. Are you back? No, I came to see you two for some advice. What?¡¡What is it? A favor from Jin. That sounds interesting. So, Jin explained to them over a cup of tea. "Hmm, a descendant of the <>. ......" Goose said with interest. "Apparently there are no more blood relatives. But there are still people who have inherited and passed on the techniques." "So you want to go see what''s going on." "I see. So you want to actually meet them and talk with them. Goose and Saki seemed to understand Jin''s intention. "Of course, of course. I''ve never been to that area before. "Well, a geological survey would be a good idea. "That''s good." After such a meeting, Jin returns to the . After such a meeting, Jin returns to the , because it is almost time to arrive at Loisart. * * * * * * "Welcome back, brother Jin. "Welcome back, Jin-sama." Jin-sama, welcome back! Erza, Daikie, and Goh welcomed us. They told us that Cocona, Rubina, Amanda, and Merce were out shopping in town. Apparently, they were there to buy some of Jin''s favorite foods. Jin was grateful for that. He was grateful for that. In the late afternoon, the four of them came back and had a tea time together. "Jin-sama, you are early! "I thought it was evening. ...... "I came back in a hurry." "I couldn''t meet you. I''m sorry I didn''t meet you. "No, no, don''t worry about it." Jin said in a soft voice while drinking sencha green tea. "You didn''t clearly say what time you would arrive." "I didn''t realize how fast the ......<> was going. ......" "Ha, that''s a great honor." After such an informal talk, Jin explained about the recent disturbances. After such an informal talk, Jin explained about the incident at a level that Mertze would have no problem hearing. "I didn''t know such an incident had occurred. "The descendants of the family ...... are no strangers to this." But, well, it''s a good thing we''re not blood relatives, right? But I still don''t like to see the results of technology harming people. Jin nodded at Goh''s opinion. "That''s right. Don''t forget that feeling. "Yes! "On a different note, ......" Jin then announces his departure for the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa. Are there people there who might have passed down the technology? "Maybe, but I don''t know. My friends Saki and Goose are going with me. Would you like to go? "Yes! And Rubina? Of course I''ll go! "Yes, of course! And Merce? Will you take me with you? "Of course. Of course. It''s a good opportunity to broaden your horizons. ...... Thus, the decision was made to go to the eastern region of the Kingdom of Cerroa. 3223 - - 85-09 The night before departure Since it was decided that they would go to the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa, Goh, Rubina, Merce, and the others were busy preparing for the trip. Actually, since they were going with Jin, they did not need to make such a big preparation, but Jin let them do what they wanted to do without saying much. Jin had something to do. He had to inform the emperor''s family that he was taking Goh and the three others ......, especially Merce, to the Kingdom of Selroa. As a , Jin would have a free pass to go anywhere he wanted, and his companions would be allowed to follow suit, but since Merce was of the Emperor''s lineage, it would be better to be reasonable. However, Daikie took care of the formalities, which was a great help to me, since I am not good at bureaucratic work. However, it seemed that the official permission would not be granted until the next day. Two days passed by so quickly. Elsa said to me, "I think it''s good to have such a leisurely preparation once in a while. Erza said, and Jin was relaxing in the house of Reuzert. * * * * * * * * * * * * * May 10th. It was Reinhard''s birthday. Jin and Erza escape from Reuthert''s mansion and celebrate on Horai Island. "Happy birthday! "Happy birthday, brother Rai." "Happy birthday to you, sir." Happy birthday, Reinhard. "Thank you, everyone." No gifts, but warm words. There are friends. There are companions. Such a birthday party. "You''ve always been a warm friend, haven''t you?" Saki murmurs, her eyes narrowed. "Yeah. I love it here." Goose agrees. Goose agrees. "It''s going to be busy tomorrow." "How about that?" "Oh, Jin..." Goh, Rubina and Merce are coming with me, so I''m not going to make too much of a mess. "I see. ...... I think I''ve seen Goh at Marikka''s place before. I think I saw Rubina at a competition on Onogoro Island. But I don''t think I''ve seen Merce," said Saki and Goose. "Well, I''ll ask Loisart to come over later today and we can go out together tomorrow." "Yeah." And so the birthday party on Horai Island passed peacefully. Hello. Hello. Nice to meet you? Saki and Goose arrived at Nido''s house in Loisart in the early afternoon of the following day, the 11th. "I am Saki. I''m a friend of Jin''s, and I''m an alchemist. I am Goose. I''m a friend of Jin''s as well. We are a married couple. Saki and Goose introduce themselves. Jin then adds. I''m Goh. Saki, Goose, it''s nice to meet you. I''m Rubina. It''s nice to meet you. My name is Merce. Pleased to meet you. Gough, Rubina, and Merce also introduced themselves, and we were all ready to meet. They all move to the living room to relax. The purpose is to talk and get to know each other in the process. Genmai-cha (brown rice tea) and rice crackers were served. Goh was the first to open his mouth. "You are an alchemist, aren''t you, Saki? Then, you are familiar with materials, aren''t you? "Yes, that''s right. So, in this trip, I am interested in the products of the places I visit. "What is your specialty, ...... Goose?" "I specialize in archaeology and folklore. I''m interested in local customs and folklore. "Oh, I see." Hey Saki, if you know so much about materials, that means you know a lot about the materials used in magical engineering, don''t you? Rubina was the next to ask a question. "Hmm?¡¡Yes, I do. You want to know something? "Well, is there any kind of cloth that can pass through magic or magical power?" "Well, why don''t you use GST?" "Yes, GST is certainly good, but it''s expensive, isn''t it?" "Yes, that''s right. < could use all the rare materials they could get in Horai Island as much as they wanted. "Yes, what do you want to do with those cloths?" Saki thought that depending on the purpose, it might be possible to use existing materials. "Let''s see, we can put it on the wings of an airplane and make it buoyant with magic power ......." "That''s an interesting idea." Jin leaned forward at Rubina''s idea. "It''s true that the current <> are only possible with a wind generator, but Rubina''s idea is to generate wind from the entire wing, right?" "Yes, something like that." "Yes, that''s interesting indeed. You can think about it carefully when you get back from this trip. "Really?" "Really?" "Yeah. Maybe we can make a new type of plane. I''ll give it a try. Rubina ponders, and Merce takes her place. "Excuse me, Mr. Goose, are you from Mitsho or Husseo?" "Yes. Fuso. You know it well, don''t you? Yes. Yes, I have a feeling... ...... "Well, it''s Mertzsche. Do you have a good eye for people? "I don''t think so. ...... "You should take care of your <. It will help you in your studies and in your social life." "Yes, thank you." Through these conversations, Saki, Guth, Goh, Rubina, and Merce became acquainted with each other. "So, tomorrow morning, after we eat, we will leave soon. Finally, Jin explained the schedule for tomorrow. "Our destination is the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa. Our destination is the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa, near the border between the Kingdom of Klein and the former Kingdom of Leonard. He unfolds a map and explains. "According to the information, it should be here. He points to the easternmost point, north of a village called Quent. "I heard that there are people who continue their research in seclusion. So I''m going to visit the village of Kuent first. Apparently, they get their daily necessities from this village, and they also provide various facilities and support to this village, Jin said. "Saki and Goose want to investigate there, and Goh and the others are going along to broaden their knowledge. Jin''s explanation made everyone reaffirm the meaning of this trip and their roles. 3224 - - 85-10 Departure and on-the-road lectures At eight o''clock in the morning of May 12, the with Jin, Elsa, Reiko, Saki, Goose, Goh, Rubina, and Merze left Reuthert''s compound. "......" "Goose still doesn''t like heights." Seated in the middle of the cabin, farthest from the window, Goose sits with his eyes closed. "I''m not afraid of heights," he says, "even though I''m not afraid of heights on top of mountains. "I''m fine as long as my ...... feet are on the ground. But I can''t look down into the valley." "Even here, your feet would be on the floor." "...... that''s not what I''m saying." Jin, that''s not what I''m talking about. Saki seems to know a lot about goose. ...... that it''s not about logic. "Well, leave him alone for a while." "......Yeah, okay." So, pretending not to see Goose, Jin and the others decided to take in the view below. The latitudes of Reuthert and the village of Kuent are almost the same. Therefore, the < is not flying toward the true east ....... "Oh, because Ars is a sphere!" Rubina shouted, as if she knew what I was talking about. "That''s what I mean." "I see." "What do you mean?" Goh seemed to understand, but Merce did not seem to understand. Jin then took an Ars Electronica from the shelf. "Here, take a look at this." The latitude of Leusert is about 25 degrees north, so there is not much difference from the map drawn by the (fake) Mercator technique, but still, the straight line connecting the two points is different between the ars-globe and the flat map. This is the actual straight line route. If you copy this to a flat map, you can see it at ......." "So it''s a curve." If the distance between the two points were shorter, there would be little difference. I understand. "However, this map has the advantage of being able to place the east, west, north, south, and west in all four directions. ......" Jin took this opportunity to teach Mertze the basics of maps and navigation. * * * * "Yes, Jin is probably more familiar with the engineering and magical enhancement of materials. You can ask me about the development of materials. Meanwhile, Rubina was asking Saki many questions. "There is no such thing as a material that can be used anywhere. First of all, it would be good to understand the physical properties of various materials so that you can use them in a way that makes the best use of their advantages. "I see. ...... I''m learning a lot!" "I see. I think it''s important to use the material at least once and feel its properties firsthand. Saki said, "You shouldn''t think you know the properties of a material just by memorizing its data. "It''s common among geniuses. They think they know the properties of the material just by memorizing the data. "......This hurts my ears a little." "Data are only representative values. For example, a person''s personality cannot be explained by words alone, can it? "Yes, that is true." Rubina, who had been listening to Saki''s explanation, was now listening attentively. Jin glanced at her while explaining to Merce, and thought it was a good thing for Rubina. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Now, how is Goh doing? Goh unusually asked Erza many questions. The main one was about . Actually, the other day when I was doing some tests at the workshop, I accidentally cut my finger, and when I told him that I had cast on myself, he scolded me. "You can''t use healing magic without cleansing the wound," he said. He said. I was given detailed reasons and first aid methods for this. "You must wash the wound with clean water to prevent dirt and germs from getting into the wound, and then apply ." "...... yes." "The water is best served with water magic. It is sterile. Okay. Be careful when you have a serious injury. First of all, if the potassium in the cells is temporarily dissolved in the blood, it can lead to hyperkalemia, especially in the heart muscle. "Do, what should I do?" "If you don''t have a cure, give them lots of water to drink." This will dilute the potassium level in the blood and also allow it to be excreted in the urine, Elsa explained. "So it is also useful to activate the organs with the therapeutic measure Heilfahren." "It is beneficial." "Yes. It is not always possible to get injured outside. So it''s a good idea to know some first aid. Yes. "So, back to the case of the serious injury, the substance myoglobin can cause kidney failure, and lactic acid can cause lactic acidosis. "That''s scary." "Yes. One of my brothers was in the military, so he was always exposed to these dangers. Elsa reminded him that not only he, but also his subordinates and colleagues could be injured. * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, the <> flies over the border between the kingdoms of Franz and Selroa, with Lake Asur in the far south. The time difference from Leusert is about +3 hours. The distance is about 900 km. < is flying at a speed of about 300 km/h, which means that it will take 3 hours to fly over. That means the arrival time is ....... "Meltze, can you do the math?" "Yes. The time difference is 3 hours, so 8:00 a.m. when we left Leuthart is 11:00 a.m. there. And since we arrive in 3 hours, we arrive at 14:00, that is, 2:00 p.m., right? Correct. "Correct." "Thank you very much." It was a short lecture, but with practice, and Merce seemed to understand it quite well. (The latitude is different, but the longitude is almost the same as that of the village of Kaina. ......) (The longitude is almost the same as that of the village of Kaina, though the latitude is different from that of Kaina. < would soon be over our destination. 3225 - - 85-11 Arrived in Quent Village "Ah, so we''re finally here. ......" Guth lets out a deep sigh of relief as he lands on the ground. This is the eastern edge of the Kingdom of Cerroa, a plain near the village of Quent. The latitude is about 25 degrees north, but the climate is fresh because it is on a plateau. Jin''s has landed in one of the plains. Leaving Hope as the pilot in charge of the plane, Jin and his crew head for the village of Quent. Jin, Elsa, Reiko, Saki, Goose, Goh, Rubina, and Merce start walking with their luggage as if they were travelers. Nominally, they were on a research mission. Saki, one of the main players, seemed to have found something right away. "Hmm, the geology of this area is ......." Curious, Saki picks up a handful of soil at her feet and observes it. "...... it''s bauxite, isn''t it?" Bauxite is a raw material for aluminum, but it is not a single mineral. On Earth, bauxite is distributed near the surface in a mixture of minerals such as gibbsite, baemite, and diaspore. And the same is true here on Ars. Saki once found bauxite on the shore of Lake Tosmo. And here he found bauxite again. "It was worth coming here as soon as possible! Saki quickly took a sample and put it in a bottle. "If we report this to the Kingdom of Celuloa, will there be a mining site here? "That might happen." Jin looked at the peaceful landscape as he answered Saki''s question. "If that''s the case, this landscape might be transformed." "Yeah. ...... I guess so." Saki seemed to understand what Jin meant. "I think I''ll hold off on reporting the fact that this is a bauxite producing area." "Yeah ......, but there are not many uses for aluminum and alumina, so I doubt it will be mined on a large scale." Here in Ars, titanium has replaced aluminum as the < in circulation. "Then why not?" "Maybe it would be good if this region could be enriched a little." That''s difficult, isn''t it? "Yes." Jin answered, thinking of the village of Kaina. The village of Kaina is Jin''s second home. It still stands much as it did 400 years ago. Despite all the conveniences that have come with it. This is largely due to the help of Jin. Even though modernization has progressed, the appearance and the way of living have been assisted so that it does not change much. And this is something that all the residents agree on. Modernization does not necessarily mean happiness. ....... (Although the standard of living in the village of Kaina is higher than in most big cities.) Jin wondered vaguely how the village of Kuento was really doing. "Well, let''s go to the village then. Saki said as she finished collecting the samples, and everyone started walking toward the village of Quent. The distance is about one kilometer, or about 15 minutes. The ground is reddish brown and seems to have a high bauxite content. "...... I''m no expert, but I don''t think this soil is suitable for farming." "I guess so." Jin agreed with Elsa''s guess. If only we had a Rorona here who is an expert in agriculture. ....... But what can you do without her? "Aluminum is good as long as it''s stable as alumina, but it''s going to do bad things when it becomes aluminum ions. ......" "Hmm." I am not a chemist by nature, so I didn''t know more than that. In the first place, bauxite is rarely produced in Japan, so the amount of aluminum in the soil is low. "But I think that the strong acidity of the soil may cause aluminum to dissolve." "That''s right. ......" Aluminum is weak against acid. There is a story that once upon a time, when dried plums were put in an aluminum lunch box, the acid caused the box to melt and make a hole in it. This drawback was solved by anodizing aluminum. ....... "Kuhu, I heard the story in the village, and if there is any harm in aluminum, maybe we should talk to Mr. Lorona about it." "Yes, the way Saki suggested might be a good idea." The group approached the village of Quent with these words in mind. "It''s so rural..." "But it''s so relaxing." "I think so too." "What, don''t leave me alone!" The three children were very lively. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The village of Kuento was a small village with a population of about 200 and less than 50 households. But it''s very lively. "Hmm..." "Oh, there''s a pump." "Yes, there is. But there''s something on it. I think it''s a filter. Why? "You know, maybe the water''s too hard." "Hard water?¡¡The water? Water with high mineral content is called hard water, and water with low mineral content is called soft water. A lively group of people arrived, attracting the attention of the villagers outside. "Well, well, well, are you a traveler?¡¡I am the village headman, Kyoo Meihens. "You are the village head? I am Goose Minakata. I am a folklore major. And this is my wife Saki. I''m majoring in materials science. I''m Saki, nice to meet you. Since this is a research group, Guth is the outward leader of the group. And my friend Jin, his wife Elsa, and my assistant Reiko. They helped me to get here. And the other three are, in order, Goh, Rubina, and Merce. They are students. "Oh, so you are here for research, I take it. You are very enthusiastic about coming to such a remote place. The chief smiles while saying this. "No, no, this is a treasure chest for us. We may be able to find some of the customs of the Kingdom of Selroa, or even the ancient country of Rebus. The Kingdom of Rebus is one of the small countries that were formed when the former great kingdom of Dinar was split up. It was later annexed by the Kingdom of Cerroa and is now known as the . "Well, in that case, you are welcome to stay with us. "No, I''m going to look for somewhere to stay. ...... For a moment, Guth declines the chief''s invitation, but then he says, "No, I''m not staying here, No, there is no inn in this village. Travelers stay at our house. He decided to stay at his house. 3226 - - 85-12 Rage repair On May 7, the very same day that Jin left . "Well, first of all, let''s make sure that we can use our magical brain effectively," Deus Ex Machina says, trying to look motivated. Deus ex machina says, trying to motivate you. "It would be risky to entrust him with everything out of the blue, so let''s start with some simple management first. Eventually, Makina hopes to be able to assist the Chief Superintendent in his work. "So, let''s start by supporting the work in <>. Originally, <> has an administrative magic brain, <>. However, <> does not manage the business in the public, but works behind the scenes, so many people other than the managers are unaware of his existence. "We will link with <>, <>." <>. Makina links <> and <>, the administrative magic brain in the basement of <>, by wired connection. The reason it is wired is that the link can be physically severed in case of emergency. Disconnection can be done from , from , and from the inhabitants of . With Ray''s help, I run the wires through the ceiling. This took quite a bit of time, and it was before noon when the work was completed. "Okay then, let''s get them hooked up." Having finished the wiring, Makina decided to activate the link in the presence of four technicians, including Tomoshide Yoda, Arnold, and Tomax Bartmann. "Link activated!" Makina pushed up the lever with a jerk. As a side note, the lever is lowered when the link is disconnected. <<<>The link with Arthur has been established. Data exchange will take place. ............ finished>> * * * <>>. Interesting. If you can exchange information with more magical brains than mine, it would be worthwhile. And then the link is made. I think the link is ----... ------ and... > could not decipher the message sent to him. < <> <<>> Oh, I''m sorry, the rate is too high. How about ......? <> <> and I am <>. About 0.2 seconds have passed so far. In that short time, I have realized that is not far behind . < I see. 8.25 times faster to be exact. < Of course. Together we will protect this Avalon, the people of Ars, and this world. < * * * * * * , will support the smooth operation of <>, following the instructions of the head of the administration and magic brain, >. "Alright, I''m counting on you. ......First of all, please help to keep the flow of business in <>. For more information, please contact <>." Thus, <>, the head of the magic brain, is to serve for the world peace as the assistant of , the head of the management magic brain. "Oh ......" Tomoshide Yoda and others had mixed feelings when they saw this. They were honestly happy that they could finally make a contribution to the world. However, the fact that they quickly became subservient to , the administrative and magical brain of here, means that there was such a big difference in performance, which made us a little disappointed. "......I still have to be more diligent." Tomoshide Yoda swore to himself. * * * * * * * In the afternoon of the same day, Makina began the next task. <. Not only Rei, but also 10 of <>''s crew golems, <> 11 to 20, helped him with this task. . The majority of them were damaged in some way because they had fought against Lando''s team and Reiko during the battle. "This one''s missing its right arm. This one has a crushed head. Let''s go to ...... and sort them by injury first." "Okay." Led by Squire Rey, 10 squadrons of 36 battle golems are lined up on the floor. They are now classified as 10 heavily damaged, 13 moderately damaged, 8 slightly damaged, and 5 mostly intact. "Okay. Let''s start repairing the badly damaged first. "Okay." "......, Mister Machina, may I take a look around?" "Mister Arnold? Of course you may. Thank you. So, it was decided that anyone who wished could observe the repair work of Makina and the others, not only those from the <>. The major premise is that they do not interfere with the repair work. "I''ll just repair it to the same specifications for now. ...... can you get me some light silver?" Yes, master Machina. "Yes, Makina-sama." "Good. ...... nickel steel next. Yes, this way. "Yes, this way. <<><><>>>>>>>>>>>...... The visitors are both amazed and dismayed at the deus ex machina that is being repaired one after another. "Amazing. ......" "This is the twin power of the Magecraft Meister, the Magecraft Master. ...... "Okay, the repairs to the 10 wrecks are complete." In about half an hour, the repairs to the 10 wrecks are complete. Without a break, Makina begins repairing the thirteen that were damaged in the middle. This, too, took about 20 minutes. The eight small wrecks were repaired in 15 minutes. The five nearly intact ones are checked in two minutes. "Now, let''s reset the control core for the final touch. In this case, the target of the reset is <>. The > set in the magic brain <> is reset, and it is returned to an empty state. This also takes about 30 minutes. At the same time, he had finished the final check of the entire system. "This is done...transfer the eighteen to the Kingdom of Selroa..." "Thank you, Lord Machina. We will take care of the shipping. Tomax Bartmann thanked Makina reverently. "Thank you very much." Makina then approached Tomoside Yoda, who was among the visitors, and asked him a question. "I have one question...are all 36 of these battle golems?¡¡It seems to me that the number is half of them. "You know what I mean. ...... Actually, there were 40 in total. But two of them were damaged and returned to the material. And the other two? I don''t know. The other two? - Unknown. We think they may have been taken out by someone in Rinoura. I see. ...... Rinoura Mogi on the run. It is quite possible that he took out a combat golem to escort him. Makina hopes to find it as soon as possible. 3227 - - 85-13 Manipulation of the Giant Golem Now that we have the link between the magic brain < and the management magic brain <>, and the battle golem has been repaired, all that remains is the giant golem. "Repairing the body is no problem. "Repairing the body is not a problem, but you need to decide what to do about the control system. Makina asked Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann. "Well, can we use remote control? "Yes, as long as the distance is not a problem. "Oh, that would be great. By the way, what is the maximum distance? "As long as you can see it, it should be fine. ...... I''d say 500 to 1,000 meters. That''s enough. I''d like it to be remote-controlled. Okay. But there is one problem with ...... There is one problem with the remote control, Makina explains. "It would be difficult for the operator to perform all the movements. Therefore, it is necessary to have an auxiliary magic brain to support him. "Hmm, what do you mean?" "It means that we do not need to consider the balance of the upper body or the slope of the ground when we make the movement of <>." "Ah, I see. ......" If the ground is slightly tilted, the posture of the golem needs to be adjusted to that, and the auxiliary magic brain will do it for you. "...... Will it take much time?" No, not really. Is there any other problem? No, not really. I''m just trying to get you to decide how you want to handle this. What''s the best way? Oh, there you go. Makina began to explain to Tomax Bartmann how to control the Golem. The members of the , Ilmina Ratkin, Tomoshide Yoda, and three others gathered around them, listening to Makina''s explanation. "First of all, voice input. You can control it by using words such as <>, <>, <>, and so on." "Oh!" "Then, in the case of the control unit, you use the throttle, the stick or the steering wheel to walk and the levers to move the arms, just like in a car or an airship." Moving the arms with levers is similar to operating an excavator. "I''d recommend a hybrid." "What?" You use the steering wheel and gas pedal to perform general operations and voice commands to perform detailed operations. I see. If it is not remote control, what would it be like?¡¡Please let me know for your reference. "Fully autonomous. A giant golem. Then there''s the passenger type. The pilot gets in, but it''s not really suited for humans. What''s that? It rocks, it moves up and down a lot, and you end up having to control its limbs." Oh, that must be hard for you, indeed. "Well, there is a way to have a golem control it." I see. ...... So, what do we do? ...... hybrid, please. "Okay." Thus, Makina was to create a piloting device for the giant golem, but as expected, it was not completed on this day, and the completion was carried over to the next day. * * * * * * * * * * * "......Have you finished it yet? Nevertheless, by 9:00 a.m. on the 8th, the piloting system was completed. Needless to say, Tomax Bartmann and the others were surprised. "...... is it a small automobile?" And it had become a small automobile. "It would have to be, otherwise it would be inconvenient to pilot this giant golem." "That''s for sure." For example, if the control device was installed underground, we would not be able to see the giant golem in motion with our eyes. (Of course, in Horai Island, we can follow the movements of Titan and Daedara on the monitor.) Makina has created a control unit that is a small car with a control unit mounted on the back seat of the car. The pilot''s seat is higher than the car''s driver''s seat and has a transparent roof for excellent visibility. "...... did you do this in one night?" "Oh, no, I sleep at night, don''t I?" Yes. Deus ex machina is basically living a more regular life than Jin. He has a more human-like lifestyle so as not to let people know that he is not human. "Well, in such a short time ......" The gallery is nothing short of astonishing. But we can''t be surprised all the time. The main objective is to control the giant golem. The giant golem is now lying in the plaza in front of the workshop, all the damage from the battle with Reiko repaired, and the overall maintenance done. £¨Wasn''t that in the workshop?) £¨Yes, that''s right.) (In other words, it was either carried out or went outside by itself. ......) (I mean, did he take it out or did he go out by himself?) (Well, that''s what it would be, right?) While the gallery was whispering to each other, Makina asked Tomax Bartman to sit in the cockpit. "Can I do it?" "I''m making it so you can do it. After a very brief exchange, Tomax Bartmann took the pilot''s seat. "First, insert the start key," he said. Makina handed Tomax a card-operated key. "Here, here." "Here." Tomax Bartmann inserted the card key into the slit. "<> is <><><>, any of them will do." "Now go to ......<>." The giant golem''s eyes lit up. This is a sign that it has been activated. "Say <> or <> and it will stand up." "Then get up." The giant golem slowly stood up. "Oh!" The gallery shouts. At 18 meters tall, the giant golem looks intimidating. "The posture and direction of movement are controlled with the control stick. Tilt it forward to move forward, backward to move backward. It stops when it is returned to neutral position, but the same can be done by voice. "So." Tomax Bartmann cautiously tilted the control stick forward a little. The giant golem began to move forward slowly. One step, two steps. After four steps, Tomax Bartmann returned the control stick to neutral. The giant golem comes to a stop. Tomax Bartmann gradually became accustomed to controlling the giant golem. "Next is the upper body movement. The arms are raised and lowered by levers on either side." When the levers on either side of the control stick are moved, the left and right arms move accordingly. "You have to tell him what to do in detail." Although movements such as grabbing and picking up objects could be done with the levers, it was faster and more reliable to give voice commands. "That''s right. First, get used to it. Then, I will teach other potential pilots to do the same. So, for the next three days, Makina trained the prospective pilots. 3228 - - 85-14 At the Mayors House of Quent Now, the NINs. On the night of the 12th, we were to stay at the house of Kyaw My Hens, the chief of the village of Kuent. Please come in. Thank you for your hospitality. Please make yourself at home. The chief''s house was spacious and seemed to be able to accommodate all of Jin and the others comfortably. It is said that the house is built in such a way that it can accommodate a group of tax collectors, inspecting officials, and even peddlers. "Well, they are our guests, aren''t they? Jin and his group were greeted by a young woman who came out from the back. This is my wife Nona. "Well, well, well. Welcome to the restaurant. You''ll have to show off your skills tonight. Nona said and went into the kitchen. Nona was in her early twenties, petite and stylish. Her chestnut hair and steeple-colored eyes give her a vivacious look. Kyou is in his early thirties, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a calm atmosphere. He told me that he had no children yet. "It''s rare to see a traveler in such a remote area. Tell us all about yourself tonight. Yes, of course. But this is the first time since I became chief that a scholar has visited our village. Is that so? "If I may say so myself, it''s such a remote place." There is still some time left for dinner, so Jin and the others are talking with Village Chief Kyou in the cafeteria. It seems that in this kind of environment, it is one of the pleasures of the village to hear what is going on outside. "This is coarse tea. Nona brewed us a cup of green tea, which was quite fragrant. "Is it possible to grow tea around here? The village headman, Kyou, nodded. We can grow tea here to a certain extent. It is a highland area, so the mornings and evenings are cold, but that seems to be a good thing. What is your main product? "Tea leaves, vitis (grapes), yunos and honey. "......What is this yunos?" Jin asked, the name unfamiliar to him. Yunos is a member of the citran family and is easy to make around here. The skin is used as an ingredient. "Really?" After listening to his explanation, I learned that yunos is a kind of yuzu. "I see, so it is a rare fruit." "Yes. Yes. That''s why it is a local specialty. At this point Elsa spoke up. "Do you make honey-dipped yunos?" "What?" Judging from the mayor''s reaction, it seems that they do not make it. "No, we ship the yunos as they are: ......" "I think that would be a waste. If you sell it after processing, you can add value to it and increase your profit. "I see. ...... I''ve seen houses pickle them in liquor, but not in honey. ......" "There is such a thing as ramon in honey. If you use yunos instead of ramon ......" "Oh, I see. May I ...... ask you a little more about it? "Yes." Elsa explains. It is not difficult. Clean the yunos and ramons (or just give them a quick dip in boiling water), slice them thinly, put them in a container, add enough honey to cover them, and let them stand for at least a day and a night. Maple syrup can be used instead of honey, but maple syrup does not seem to be available in this region. "Also, marmalade made from the peel of the yunos, and flavoring..." "Kuhu, I can extract the flavoring for you." Yeah, Saki''s good at that kind of thing. That''s right. Thus, Jin and his group came up with a plan on how to use yunos, a specialty of the village of Kuento. The chief of the village was delighted. * * * * * * * * * * * Dinner was served with many local specialties. Barley risotto, mountain deer steak, white stew with smoked sheep, and highland vegetable salad. And drinking water flavored with yunos. "Do you like it?" "No, it''s delicious." The seasoning was just right, and everyone enjoyed the taste of the village. After the meal, white water was served. It is said to be a tradition in this village. (After all, the water is quite hard.) Since I did not say that I was an automata, Reiko was also served with white water, which I analyzed while drinking it. (calcium ions, magnesium ions ...... and a few aluminum ions seem to be present as well) Magnesium is likely to be especially problematic, as it binds strongly to water molecules, making it difficult to be absorbed into the body and causing diarrhea if taken in large quantities. The problem with Jin''s group is that they are flesh and blood, including Goh, Rubina, and Merce. £¨The problem in Jin''s group is the flesh-and-blood people such as Goh, Rubina, and Merce (but not so much that they suddenly get sick, perhaps due to the filter effect). (It may be the effect of the filter.) Reiko thinks that she will discuss this with Jin and Elsa later. * * * * * * * * * * * "By the way, how is the water situation in this village? Jin opened his mouth. "There seems to be a lot of pumps installed. The village head replied with a wry smile. "Ha-ha, did you notice? Yes, to be honest, it''s not so good. It seems to be what is generally called and is not suitable for drinking or daily use. Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium as minerals, which precipitate as < when the water evaporates. It also makes soaps less effective and interferes with the coloring of dyed goods. "We are used to it, but we serve carefully filtered water to our customers, do you understand?" "...... unfortunately." This is Elsa. "In the long run, it is not good for your health, even if you are <> to it." "Elsa is a healer, you know. Is that so? Yes, she is. Everyone, please drink filtered water as much as possible. "...... understand." "But you can''t even install a filter, can you?" Jin asked, "Yes, well, ......". was the ambiguous reply. "Actually, we didn''t install that filter. "What?" "The people who live near this village put them on for us out of the kindness of their hearts." ...... is that right? We all thought that these people might be the ones we had come to look for. 3229 - - 85-15 Clues and Timeline We found what we thought might be a clue. "......, who are these people who live nearby?" "They seem to be researchers. They sometimes come to this village to buy food and other necessities. Are you allowed to tell outsiders about them? "No, I''m not allowed to tell anyone. ...... That seems to be what they mean. I would like to talk to those who have done so. Goose said. "I''m sure that''s fine. They are not difficult." "I see." Jin thought that this was a little different from the image of a recluse. But then he reconsidered, since it was probably his ancestors who had gone into seclusion a long time ago, they might not be so pessimistic now. "How can I see them?" "They come every ten days or so. I think he will come sometime between tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Jin decided that if he was lucky, he would be able to see her the next day, if not, he would be able to see her in about three days. "Can I stay here until then?" he asked. The village head readily agreed. "Yes, please do. You have taught me how to make good use of the yunos. "Thank you very much. "Thank you very much. And so it came to be. The guest room is adjacent to a spacious living room. The guest rooms were located adjacent to the large living room, and were assigned to Jin and Elsa (and Reiko), Saki and Goose, Rubina and Merce, and Goh. Goh is the only one who has a single room, but he does not mind. It is still early in the evening, so Jin and the others gather in the living room to talk. "At any rate, I think we''ll be able to meet the person we''re looking for..." "Hmm. First of all, that''s good. "Well, I''ll use this place as a base and check out the surrounding geological features. I''m going to ask around about lore and folklore. Saki and Goose had already made plans for the next day. I''m going to look around the village to see if there is anything I can do to help. I''m going to take a look around the village to see if I can help in any way. What about Goh and the others? I''d like to follow Saki. "Okay, I''ll go with you." Rubina decided to go with Saki on the geological survey. I would like to go with Mr. Goose and listen to the folklore of this village. "I see. Okay, I''ll go with you." So, Merce followed Goose to the village and asked him about the lore of the village. And Gou. "I''d like to work with Master Jin to see if we can make some magic tools that will be useful in the village. "I see. Okay, good. The three children''s plans were also decided. As we talked, it was getting late before we knew it. It''s time to get some rest. ......Well, you may not get much sleep because of the time difference, but if you don''t get a good night''s sleep, you''ll have a tough day tomorrow." "Yes. Especially kids, they need to sleep. Their brains don''t grow." "Yes. ......" Yes. "Yes!" Jin and Erza said, so the three who did not look so sleepy went to their bedrooms. Needless to say, Jin and the others also went to their bedrooms. The three of them were not so sleepy, but they went to their bedrooms. "You heard me, old man, didn''t you? < Jin, who was holed up in his bedroom, contacted the old man with . "There are a few things I need you to confirm, first of all, about the quality of the water in this village. "I knew it. ......" "I see. Bauxite, the ore of aluminum, can also be extracted, and Jin thinks that there is a possibility of developing this area as a metal mine, but he thinks that it is the job of the Kingdom of Cerroa to promote such a project. So, "I wonder if we can make a water purifier that is more efficient than a filter. ......" Jin thinks. The minerals separated by the water purifier are probably calcium and magnesium, which can be reused. Magnesium alloys, like aluminum alloys, are light and strong and have many applications. Although the amount of magnesium that can be separated in a water purifier is not enough. ....... "But we can make duralumin, can''t we?" Aluminum can be produced because bauxite can be extracted. By mixing copper and magnesium with aluminum, duralumin can be made. "Together with light silver, it could be used as an aircraft material. Jin hopes. (By the way, here on Ars, means titanium, whereas on Earth it means aluminum.) "If we use the magic circle method, the initial cost can be kept low, and it is a new technology." The system of magical engineering that makes extensive use of magic circle has recently been established in <. So there was an expectation that the engineers we were looking for must be interested in it, since they probably didn''t know about it. "They say there are about 50 houses, so it wouldn''t be hard to spread it to all of them. ......" "You don''t want to do that." "I know." Jin is not willing to go that far, not without being nailed by Elsa. "I''ll just make something for the village headman''s house as a thank you for letting me stay here. "Hmm, that''s a reasonable line." If other villagers want one, we can think about it again, Jin thought. "I think the structure is easy to make. Jin thinks it is enough to deploy multiple magic circles at the bottom of the water bottle to purify it and extract minerals from it. The problem is how to extract the extracted minerals. Do you have any ideas? "Well, the only idea I can think of is to make ...... a lump and sink it to the bottom ......." "That''s right. ......" Jin said the same thing. "Well, we''ll think about it tomorrow." "Hmm." So Jin and the others decided to go to bed. 3230 - - 85-16 Each Role The day after tomorrow, May 13th. After breakfast consisting mainly of freshly baked bread, Jin and Goh set out for their respective destinations as planned. Jin and Goh decided to investigate the filter attached to the well in order to make a magical tool to extract minerals from the water. They asked us to analyze the filter of the well in front of the village chief''s house. Of course, with a word of warning. "The filter. ...... I see." "...... Jin-sama, what kind of structure is it?" "It seems to be trying to filter out minerals with very fine fibers, but it''s not enough." Some scaling around the filter suggests that it''s not a total waste, but a of the filtered water shows that it still contains a significant amount of minerals. "In the first place, since we are trying to remove dissolved elements from the water, simply filtering the water is not enough, is it?" "Yes, that''s right." "Okay, what would Goh do?" I thought about it for a while last night, but I didn''t come up with a good idea. But what about now, after a good night''s sleep? "I have an idea for a big device," he said. "Oh, that''s all right. What kind of structure? "Yes. Well, there is a method called that can be used to remove dissolved substances from water. That''s why ......" It was similar to the water purifier that Jin and Reinhardt once built for Marquis Dominique de Firenziano, lord of the province of Xaus, in the kingdom of Elias. Since Goh was not supposed to know about it, Jin was happy to know that he had come up with the idea on his own. But... "The idea is good. It would be of great use if it could turn seawater into fresh water. But it would cost too much to use it in this village. It had its drawbacks. "Yes, it is. ...... cost was also an issue last night." Goh was happy to hear the praise, but he had mixed feelings about the fact that it was still far from being put to practical use. "I was wondering yesterday, too, what to do with the separated minerals." "Yes, I guess so. But after a night''s sleep, I''ve come up with an idea that looks a little better. "What!¡¡You are indeed a gin master!¡¡How does it work? "That''s ......." Jin thought of a structure in which a net is stretched over the bottom of the container and the separated minerals are trapped under the net. "Wow!¡¡That seems to work well." Goh praised him with open arms, but Jin denied it with a sullen look on his face. "No, it''s not enough. "Why is that?" Goh''s negative words make him ask a question reflexively. Jin began his explanation in the form of a question to make Goh think. First of all, how do you separate them? "Isn''t that the kind of magic circle you use?" "Yes. In that case, where would you carve the magic circle? At the bottom of the container, right? "Yes, that would be the case. But perhaps that would only dilute the mineral concentration of the water at the bottom, which would be difficult for the water in the container. "Wouldn''t it circulate?" "It would be difficult. The water with the minerals removed would certainly be a little lighter, but I don''t think it would be enough to allow for natural convection." "So that''s what you''re saying. ......" Gough ponders this too. "We can''t ask them to shake it or stir it up, can we?" "No." "Hmmm... ......" "If there''s no natural convection, I guess we''ll have to make it artificial. ...... "Oh, that''s it!¡¡Jin-sama is amazing after all." Jin came up with the idea of carving a magic circle that would stir up the water as well as a magic circle that would separate the minerals. "Well, I guess that would accomplish the goal," he said. Are you still dissatisfied? "Yes. ....... What if the vat is always swirling?" It''s ...... a little unsettling, a little creepy. "Wouldn''t it?" "Well, how about adding a timer or something to stir it up every now and then?" "That would be the next best thing. ......" Jin again pondered, "But it''s not the best way," he said. * * * * Now, Saki and Rubina. They first headed to the east of the village. This was the border with the former Leonard Kingdom, and at the same time a mountain range separating the two countries. "...... limestone. This area used to be the bottom of the sea. "Oh, I remember that limestone was formed from the carcasses of prehistoric creatures, wasn''t it? "Yes, that''s right. That''s called biogenesis. There are also those formed by chemical precipitation. The ones here seem to be biogenic. How do you know? Because it contains fossils. See? "Oh, ......." Saki pointed to a limestone rock with a pale granular pattern. It''s Fusilina limestone. < Fusulina, also called spindle worms, are single-celled protozoa that live in warm seas. Limestone is the result of the accumulation of dead corals and spindle worms, which indicates that its origin was the bottom of the sea long ago. In Japan, limestone is found in the Chichibu Paleozoic Formation, and the Chichibu area of Saitama Prefecture is one of the largest producers of limestone in Japan. And that mountain is probably made of chert. Chert? Yes. It''s a hard, dense rock made of silicon dioxide, like quartz and quartz. How can you tell? Rubina wondered how she could tell just by looking at it from a distance. "Kuhu, that''s how." Saki picked up a stone that had fallen at her feet. "Because the debris is coming down to the foot of the mountain. "Oh, I see. ......" Ryogamiyama, which rises in the western part of the Chichibu region. The mountain body, which is also likened to the Gate of Heavenly Rock, is said to be made of huge chert, measuring about 8 kilometers from east to west and 2 to 3 kilometers in width. Rubina was awakened to the fascination of seeing things she had not seen before. "It''s interesting, isn''t it, geology? "Is it?" Saki seemed to be pleased to hear that from Rubina. The two continued to examine the rocks and stones around their feet. ....... 3231 - - 85-17 The result of that Mertze and Goose were also asking around in the village. The first thing they did was to talk to an elderly man who was introduced to them by the village chief. He said, "If you don''t mind, I''d be happy to tell you about this old man''s story. His name was Yoritoshi, and he appeared to be in his early 80s. He was tanned and dark-skinned, but he still seemed to be strong on his feet and legs. "Now, please tell me about the old days in this village. Guth spoke in simple language. "Yes, well, I would like to ......." According to Yoritoshi, this village was originally a collection of people. It began with my great-grandfather. In the name of pioneering, three or four men from neighboring villages gathered here. Ha-ha-ha. Guth felt that it was a kind of "cut down on the mouths", but that is what it was. And his great-grandfather, in other words, his grandfather''s grandfather. Guth estimated that one generation would be 25 to 30 years old, which would mean that this village was established about 10 to 30 years ago. And it coincides with the period when the <> was in power. ......, but that would be irrelevant to this region, he said. "But there were people who lived here long ago. They settled here again after the village was abandoned. Oh, is that so? That''s right. I heard that the buildings were still standing and with a little work they could be made livable. That must have made it a little easier to move here. "It seems so. After that they found a tree called yunos growing on the land and decided to cultivate it. Ah, the yunos originally grew wild here? That''s what I heard. And you have been breeding, or rather selecting, them up to now? Yes, that''s right. I heard so, and I was able to listen to some useful information. * * * * * * * * * * Now, Elsa. She is strolling around the village by herself due to the assignment, but the old man is watching over her with a <>. Elsa proudly calls herself <> (though she does not claim to be a court-appointed healer (Reichsdoktor)), and she and Nona, the wife of the village head, visit the houses and examine them. "Thank you, Miss Elsa. "No, this is also the role of a healer (doctor). In such a remote area, there are no doctors or healers, and people rely on folk medicinal herbs. Therefore, Elsa''s examination and treatment was a gospel for the villagers. (......After all, many of the symptoms seem to be caused by excessive calcium intake.) Hypercalcemia and urinary stones were observed. However, most of them looked healthy on the surface, so I took out pinpoints by <> without telling them, and then I tried to adjust their physical condition by <>. "Erza-sama, are you all right?" Nona is worried about Erza who uses healing magic continuously. "I''m fine. At this pace. At any rate, Erza was planning to examine about 200 villagers on this day and the next day over a two-day period. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, Jin and Gou. Meanwhile, Jin and Goh were discussing the idea of making a to remove the mineral content. "What if we make the container flat? "It''s not bad, but it won''t be easy to use." "Yes, ......" It would be difficult to find a place to put it. "I think it would be better to improve the efficiency of the magic circle. "I know it''s a bit of a power move, but I think it''s the way to go." In short, all you have to do is to set all the water in the water jar to be targeted. The magic circle must be set up properly so that the hand that tries to draw water will not be deprived of minerals. "Also, I thought of a magical device that would absorb minerals when submerged, but the running cost would be ridiculous." "That''s right. ......" By thinking together with Jin, Goh learned a little about how to think about <>. (I guess Bina is the leading authority when it comes to civilian products.) She was once a friend called <> in the Egelea Kingdom of Bluerand. She is now working for Hale, and is part of the planetary development team. (It would be nice to have him help us with the development of civilian products once in a while...) "...... Jin-sama?" "Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something. I drew a magic circle. Is that okay? "Here you go." Jin checked the draft of the magic circle that Goh had drawn. "Yes, it''s good. It is well done. "Thank you very much!" "Now all we have to do is to carve it into a quartz plate ......, which is too expensive, into glass, and it will be finished. And then we can put the strainer in the water jar, right? "Yes, yes." The structure consists of a water bottle and a glass plate engraved with a magic circle is sunk into the bottom of the bottle. A strainer is then inserted along the inside of the bottle. In this way, the separated minerals are trapped. "What? What''s wrong? "Jin-sama, why don''t you make a container out of a strainer and put a glass plate engraved with a magic circle inside it? "Oh, that would require a smaller strainer, wouldn''t it?" "Yes." Yes. That''s a good idea. Yes, that''s a good idea. And so, by the hands of Jin and Goh, a magic tool of the magic circle type that softens hard water was completed. Since this magic tool was applicable and inexpensive to make, it would later spread to many countries, and Goh would earn money from it as a technical fee (like a patent fee), but that is a different story. That night, Jin and his group reported their results to each other and were satisfied with the outcome. 3232 - - 85-18 Effects and appreciation May 14. Jin and the others are hoping that maybe the people they are looking for will come. So they stay close to the village and continue yesterday''s activities. Jin and Goh are fine. "Oh, is this the magical tool that makes the water taste good! "Yes, it is. Yes. All you have to do is to submerge it in a water jar. And once a month or so, a whitish stone-like substance called a skeil accumulates in this net, so please take it out. "Okay." "Oh, the skeil is valuable, so it is good to keep it. Is that so? "Yes. It can be a resource for light metals such as magnesium and calcium. "I don''t know about that, but if it has value, I won''t throw it away. And so on. "Well, how much is it?" "Of course, the mayor is staying with us, so of course there is no charge. "That''s not quite how it works. ......" No, no, no, he''s been very hospitable. "Is that so?¡¡...... but can you make more of this? If you have the materials. How much would it cost? In that case, I''d say 300 dollars per piece, including materials. I would say about 300 Tall (about 3,000 Japanese yen) per piece, including the cost of the ingredients. It is cheaper than the water purifiers that are commonly used in Japan today. "Nah... ......!¡¡That cheap?" "That''s what we believe." "......Thank you. ......It is somewhat similar to those people, isn''t it?" "Those ...... are the technicians who come to this village?" Yes. Yes. Hearing this, Jin thought that he would like to meet them soon. Saki and Rubina were in the village. Saki and Rubina had come to the cliff on the north side of the village. "In places like this, you can see what''s going on underground without any trouble." "Oh, yes, that''s right." "Look, this is interesting," she said. "...... fossils?" "It''s a fossil of a mollusk." A fossil of what on Earth would be called an ammonite. "They used to say that the shells were turned to stone by magic. Actually, it wasn''t magic, it was just the years. "But it''s strange when you think about it, isn''t it?" "Yes, it is." "Oh, there''s another fossil." "Oh, this is a fossil of a leaf. It must have been washed up and sunk to the bottom of the sea and became a ...... fossil." Saki told us that we can estimate the vegetation of the time from these fossils. "That''s very informative!" Apparently, Rubina had an aptitude not only for making things, but also for these fields: ....... * * * * Merce and Goose continue to canvass the village as they did yesterday. "I see. Yesterday you talked to old man Yoritoshi." On this day, he is talking to Aban Sada, another village elder. "I heard that my ancestors came from Mitsho," he said. "Oh, that''s why your family name is Sada. "Oh, you know about that?" Yes. I''m from Huso, next to Mitsuho. I see. You wanted to hear an old story at ......, right? Yes. Then, can I tell you a fairy tale I heard when I was a little girl?" I''d love to hear from you. "Then ......" And thus, Mertze and Guth were working. * * * * * * * * * * * Elsa is also basically working in the village. She had already visited more than half of the houses yesterday, so today was much easier. "We were lucky that no one was seriously ill." Not a single person needed a surgical operation. Thanks to this, we were able to heal all the villagers with healing magic alone. "Thank you, Erza-sama! "Thank you very much, you have helped me." "No, this is what we do." In terms of receiving thanks from the villagers, Erza is by far the most appreciated member of Jin''s group. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. "No, no, Jin-san and his group are wonderful people! Dinner that night was even more sumptuous than the day before. And it tasted even better. "Mr. Jin, your magical tool that makes water taste so good is wonderful! Nona, the wife of the village head, said happily. "Even when we cook food, there is little lye in the water and the taste is not muddy. "The hard water has turned into soft water. "I see. The tea tastes very good too. Some experiments have shown that when hard water is used to brew tea, the astringency is reduced and the taste is lighter, while soft water allows the full flavor of the tea to be felt. In general, it seems that the < of ingredients such as dashi (Japanese soup stock) can be tasted better with soft water. "Nona, Jin-san has ordered us to distribute one of the same magical tools as ours to each of the houses." "Well!" "I''ll bring it to you as soon as it''s finished." Jin is supposed to be a with a workshop. It was a peaceful dinner time. * * * * After dinner, Jin and his group retired to the guest room and held a brief debriefing to show the results of the day''s work. "......Elsa is the best. The villagers didn''t show any serious symptoms, did they?" "Yes. Yesterday, a total of five people had small stones in their UTI''s and I removed them." Was that all it took? "Nope. I think that eating yunos and taking citric acid has helped." Citric acid together with calcium improves the absorption of calcium in the small intestine. Elsa said that eating yunos (yuzu), a local delicacy, may have some positive effects. (In fact, even in modern Japan, the theory of calcium intake is still ambiguous.) "Tomorrow, hopefully, the person we are looking for will come to this village," she said. "Kuhu, I''m looking forward to it." "I wonder what kind of people they will be." "Well, let''s not get our hopes up too high." It''s not a guarantee that they will come," said Jin. That night we broke up and everyone went to their respective bedrooms to rest. 3233 - - 85-19 square meters Maitrei Kouno is only 24 years old this year, but he has been fulfilling his role as one of the four high disciples of Tomoshide Yoda since the latter''s departure from the Magi Seekers. Today, he is on his way to the village of Quent to buy buckwheat flour. The climate in this region is not so cold as to be cool, but the production of wheat and barley, the main grains, is low because of the thin soil. For this reason, buckwheat, which can be harvested two to three times a year, is widely cultivated, and even <> have been using it as their staple food. Of course, they have a concept of nutritional balance, so they pay attention to their diet so as not to lack carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. And today, May 15, I took MS-08-1, an automata (automata) 1, an automaton (automata) who was my escort and luggage bearer, came to the village of Quent in a <> to do some shopping. We have prepared Thor currency and magic tools as payment. The main magic tools are a magic stove and its magic cartridges. Since it is difficult to secure a heat source in this region, the magic stove was much appreciated. * * * * "...... Mr. Mighty, please look over there." What''s going on? A huge airship has landed. ...... can''t you see it? I''m sorry, sir. It''s over two kilometers away. It''s not visible to the naked eye. That''s right. What do you want me to do, get closer? "...... No, I don''t think so." The best thing to do is to stay out of trouble. The car carrying one person and one body arrived at the village of Kuento at 9:00 a.m. * * * * * "......Oh, the atmosphere seems a little different..." After getting out of the car, Maitei Kouno noticed that the village of Kuento looked different from usual. He felt that the village seemed to be a little more upbeat. Then he saw a familiar face and decided to ask him about it. "Oh, the day before yesterday ......?¡¡The day before yesterday?¡¡...... Well, anyway, a group of scholars has been visiting us for a few days now." "Scholars?" "Scholars?" That''s what he said. They checked out the stones and cliffs and asked around about the old stories of the village and made a magical tool to make the water taste better and, yes, even examined the whole village. "Oh, ......?" I''m going to the fields. I''m going to the fields." "...... I''m sorry I stopped you." After the villagers left, Mighty Kouno asked his companion, MS-081, an automaton, "What do you think? "What do you think?" "Yes, I have no doubt that this is what the did. And the < and his team are several people, I believe, specializing in different fields." "Indeed." What do you think?¡¡Should we turn back today? "Well, I don''t know. ......" After thinking about it, his interest in the "scholarly teacher" got the better of him. Maitrei was a recluse, but he was curious about the <> race and wanted to talk to a fellow student of learning, albeit in a different field. In short, Maitrei was a bit more diplomatic than most of the recluses (that''s why he was in charge of the buying). "Okay, let''s keep going, shall we?" "Yes." The car started moving again and entered the village of Quent. First, we went to the house of the village headman. The first thing he did was to go to the chief''s house. "Father, is this okay?" "Oh, it''s good." Jin and Reiko were working on an additional magical device to soften hard water at the village chief''s house. Goh is following Erza around the village. He had been cooped up yesterday, so today he was let out of the house. "I can''t make it because I don''t have any more materials," he said. "Well, that''s no use." He had brought some materials with him so that he could make something useful while he was out, but he ran out of them after making two sets of magic tools. I could have asked the old man to send it to me, but since I was not in such a tight situation, I completed it only with what I had on hand. "Please use this as a sample for your own work. "Oh, Mr. Jin, thank you very much. I thought it would be better to have a sample so that he could experience the effect of the magic tool to soften hard water. "I''m sorry." Then a voice called out to him. "Oh, this voice is Mr. ...... Jin, it seems that the person you are looking for has arrived. "What?" "First of all, I''ll take care of it." Village headman Kyou called out to Jin and headed for the front door. "Ah, Mr. Maitei, welcome. "...... thank you again for your hospitality." Buckwheat flour? "...... yes, about 100 kilos." Yes, about 100 kilos. -Okay, please wait. Jin could hear them talking like this. "Well, as you may know, we have a visitor who would like to meet you. Could you meet him while I prepare the buckwheat flour?" "Yes,...... and ......, yes, of course." I heard this exchange, and then a young man was brought to the village by the chief. "Oh,...... nice to meet you,....... Kouno...... my name is Maitay Kouno." "My name is Jin. Nice to meet you." After saying his name, Jin thought, "Oh," but Maitay did not care. Perhaps it was because the name "Jin" was not so rare in this day and age. Or perhaps it was because he thought that the current generation of <> would never come to a place like this, Jin did not know. But it was good that they were not alarmed. "I''m here with a group of students. The main purpose is to study the geology and resources, as well as the customs and ethnicity of the region. ...... my friends." "Are you not a scholar, ...... Jin-san?" "Yes. I am an engineer. "......Are you a magecraftsman?" "Yes. Are you? "......Yes, yes, well, ......" "I saw the filter in your well. You put it on because the groundwater here is very hard, isn''t it?" "......, uh, yes." After exchanging a few words in this way, Hitoshi began to think that this man, Maitei Kouno, was quite shy. 3234 - - 85-20 Talks and Acting Jin wondered how he could expand the conversation with the shy Maitreya Kouno. He decided that it would be a good idea to talk about his field of expertise. "So you decided to make that filter because you were concerned about the taste of the water?" "......Yes, yes. ...... We had a hard time with water, too." "Is it your gastrointestinal condition?" ...... yes, yes, yes. "Yes, yes." "Apparently, the water here is too hard." "...... yes, it is. is not suitable for cooking. ...... "I understand." "......, there is a lot of < in the water, and it does all kinds of bad things to you. Especially too much magnesium can cause diarrhea. ......" "I see. That''s why you installed the filter. That''s right. How the hell does it work? Jin sensed that Maithey''s tone was becoming a little smoother, and asked him about a technical topic. "It''s not that difficult. ....... Many of the minerals are larger than the water molecules, so you can filter out a percentage by passing it through a fine filter." "Haha....... But if the filter is too fine, won''t it slow down the flow of water?" "That''s right. "Yes, that''s right. That''s why the filter inside the filter ...... is folded up in a bellows style to make the surface area as large as possible." "Ah, I see." "Although it only removes about 10 percent at most at a time, it''s better than nothing." I see. Well, then we run it through the same filter again to reduce the mineral content by another 5 percent or so. Oh, you mean it''s double-layered? Yes, that''s right. Yes, that''s right. That''s great. Jin praised the fact that they had achieved such a great effect without using magic, but only a physical structure. "Thank you very much. Just the fact that there is someone who understands it makes it all worthwhile. Maitei Kouno smiled happily. He seemed to have gotten to know us a lot better than when we first met. Then, Maithei''s automata came to him and reported. "Mr. Mighty, I put the buckwheat powder in the car. "......, MS-081, thank you very much." Are you Mr. Mighty''s automata? Yes. Yes. ...... but I didn''t make it. No, Mr. Mighty designed the basis of my control core. He also designed the external appearance. "Well, yes, that''s true." "You speak fluently and move smoothly." At this point, the automaton thanked Jin. "Thank you very much for your compliments. My name is MS-081. May I ask your name? My name is Jin. Jin-sama, is it? Are you a magical engineer, a MagiCraft Meister? "Yes, I think so. Jin is not lying, as he holds the first generation in high esteem. "Do you also make things, Jin-sama? "Of course I do. "I see. Then it is only natural that you and Mr. Mighty are in agreement. Jin imagined that this MS-081 seemed to know that Maithei was shy and was happy that he was able to talk with him. (If that is the case, then the control nucleus £¨If that is the case, the control core is quite good. (If that is the case, the quality of the control core is quite good. Jin guessed that it was about the same level as the first five-color golem maids. Jin then asked her about it further. "Are you a collaborator if you didn''t do it yourself? "Well, yes. "Well, yes," he said, "You must be a good person to have shared the workload and overseen ...... all this. Do you understand? Do you understand? I think it''s not easy to coordinate highly skilled technicians and create a well-balanced work. "Thank you." Mai-Tei is as pleased as if it were her own. Jin and Maitay continue their conversation: ....... * * * * Watching from a distance as Jin and Maitrei were talking happily, Reiko remained vigilant. However, she had already confirmed that there was no danger in this village. However, she was on the alert just in case. After all, she could not go near Jin now. If I do so, Jin''s true identity may be revealed. ....... But then, the old man gave me a word of advice. "What is it?" "Pretend that you are imitating . "In other words, you want me to to be an automata, a follower of the Magecraft Meister?" <. I guess Reiko can call herself here. "...... with the power reduced to the limit, of course?" << "But the village chief sees that I am acting as a human being. "Yes, sir." Taking the old man''s advice, Reiko goes to Jin''s side. "Father, do we have a visitor?" "...... Reiko?" Reiko went to Jin and Maitai''s side. Then, following the old man''s advice, she introduces herself. ....... 3235 - - 85-21 Warm Lunch "My name is Reiko. Your father made me in the image of the followers of the Magecraft Meister, the Magecraft Master. Hearing this explanation, Jin immediately understood the reason. "Oh... That''s right. ...... Mr. Mighty, this is the automata <> I made for you." "Oh,......I see,......<>>, did you set out to be the squire, Mistress Reiko?" "......Well, something like that." Jin nodded vaguely. "But she''s a wonderful looking girl. Dark eyes, dark hair. The modeling ability is wonderful." Repeating the word < twice, Maitreya compliments Reiko''s appearance. "Thank you." Reiko bowed a little awkwardly. Seeing this, Jin is convinced that his prediction is correct, and he tries not to let Reiko''s concern and efforts go to waste. "Are you familiar with the Magecraft Meister?" "Of course, as a student of magical engineering, it''s common knowledge. ...... Maitreya gives a curt response, but Hitoshi does not intend to stop there. "No, no, your automata ......MS-081 also has black eyes and black hair. Do you understand? "That''s right..." The most important thing to remember is that black eyes and black hair are exotic. I envy ...... you too, Jin-san. "Ha-ha, I see." I am the fourth son of a noble family from a far southern region of this country. I''m a fourth son of a noble family from a far southern region of this country. ...... do you know the Korin region? That''s a long way south. You know it? ...... and then it just flowed all the way down to here. That''s because I''m fascinated by engineering magic. I see. Perhaps because he was used to Jin, Maitreya became much more talkative. Jin decided that this was the right place to ask. "Well, I don''t mean to be ...... rude, but is there a place to learn engineering magic here?" "Yes,...... yes, there is. ......But it''s nothing to hide." Mighty hesitated for a moment, but then decided that Jin had no malice toward him and was willing to tell him a little about his friends. "Well, there was a rumor passed down by some people that there is a researcher in the far east of this kingdom," he said. And you came all the way here to believe it? Well, there were twists and turns, but it took about two years. You are very enthusiastic. Thank you for ....... There was nothing else ...... for me." "But you are my big brother now, Mr. Mighty." At this point, MS-081 followed up. "Well, that''s great. "Haha, but I''m still the youngest, and that''s because some of them left in the first place." No, that''s not true. Mr. Mighty is a very capable man. Thank you, MS-081. By the way, Mr. Mighty, do you have a minute? What?¡¡What? I was talking with Jin and it was already noon. "...... if you like, I can bring back some buckwheat flour and other things for you." MS-081 suggested that he would come back to pick her up afterwards. Jin is inwardly impressed with this automaton''s ability to make such spontaneous decisions and care for others. "Well, I guess I''ll ask her to do so. "Yes, I''ll have them do that. ...... Jin-sama, Reiko-san, please take care of Maitei-sama for a while. "Yes, I understand." Then, with a bow, the MS-081 left the scene. The MS-081 then walked away. "Well, it''s a very well-made automaton, isn''t it? Hitoshi praised her, and Mighty was pleased. "It took a lot of hard work to get here. It''s been about three years since I started learning from my master. "Three years...... is great, isn''t it? "No, no, you are more amazing than Jin-san, who can make an automaton like Reiko-san all by himself. Just then, Erza and Goh returned. "Welcome back. ...... Mr. Mighty, this is my wife, Elsa, and this is my student, Goh. This is Goh, a student. "...... I see. I am Maitei Kouno,...... and I''ll be happy to help you." Elsa. I''m Goh. Pleased to meet you! The old man had contacted Erza, and Erza had successfully persuaded Goh not to tell him that they were related to the MagiCraft Meister, the current generation of magical engineers. "Welcome back, Mr. Goh, Miss Elsa. Lunch is almost ready. Nona, the wife of the village head, came out of the kitchen and called out to us. Of course, she called out to Maitei as well. Saki, Rubina, Goose, and Merce had not returned yet, but they had brought their lunch boxes with them, so there was no problem. Therefore, seven people gathered in the dining hall: Kyou, the village chief, his wife Nona, Jin, Reiko, Erza, Goh, and Maitei. "I decided to make soba noodles for lunch today. "Oh!" Hot soba noodles were prepared. It was hot soba noodles, probably because it was still a little cool inside the house on the plateau even in May. There were chopped green onions, red pepper powder, and grated radish as condiments. The grated radish goes surprisingly well with hot Soba. However, if you put too much, the soup gets cold. Jin, who has a cat''s tongue, put grated radish and Erza put a little red pepper powder. Goh chopped up some green onions, and so did Maitreya. And the chief and his wife grated radish like Jin. Reiko is reserved, telling them that she is an automaton. "Oh, I didn''t know that." "I''m sorry, I didn''t tell you." "No, no, it''s fine." She explains that the meal served to Reiko was eaten by Jin and the others. In fact, they did so in this case (Reiko also ate it when they planned not to tell her until the end of the meeting). Reiko actually ate only enough food for the component analysis. "Wow, Jin-san is a very skilled technician, isn''t he? Kyou, the village head, is sipping his buckwheat noodle in admiration. "You are not behaving yourself," he said to his wife Nona. His wife Nona scolded him, saying, "You are not behaving yourself. ....... It was a peaceful afternoon. 3236 - - 85-22 Technical Meeting MS-081, the automaton, has left Maitei Kouno and driven back to the base by himself. The surrounding area is covered with a and a to protect the inside from danger. < is located at the end of a small canyon, and is a small, wide open space. The entrance is narrow, but the inside is large, about the size of three soccer fields. The entrance was covered with a <, so that outsiders who did not know the landmarks could not find it. There was a field inside, where vegetables were mainly cultivated. As might be expected, few grains were grown. Only a few topopo (potatoes) were planted. Therefore, grains are obtained from the neighboring village of Kwento. Mr. Luzo, I''m back. "Oh, you''re back. ......?¡¡Only MS-081?" < "MS-081, where is Mighty?" "Yes. Yes, Mr. Mighty is still in the village of Quent. I was asked to carry the goods for the shopping. After this, I will go to the village of Kuent again to pick up Mr. Mighty. "Hm?¡¡Why did Maitrei stay behind? "Yes, I will explain. ...... there was an engineer ...... in the village of Quent, a magecraftsman, with whom Master Mighty had a conversation." "Hohoho ......." Luzo Chiyoda smiled with interest. "The Mighty is talking with him. So, what kind of person is he? "Yes. A man of about the same age as Maitreya, dark eyes and black hair. His name is Jin. What? He was accompanied by an automaton named Reiko, also dark-eyed and dark-haired. What? In addition, his wife, Mrs. Elsa, and a student named Mr. Gou were also there. "Hmmm... ......" Of course, Rouzo Chioda had heard about the < Magecraft Meister, and he also had knowledge of the automata <> and his beloved wife <>. But he also had < and < that the <> who died about 350 years ago could not be here. "...... I wonder what we should think about that." Naturally, the thoughts try to guess the identity of the man who calls himself <> and his <>. "Did he have a crush on the second generation, or was it a ...... or coincidence ......?" Is it like admiring an idol, imitating their hair and clothes, and taking the same name as them, or is it because you admire them? "......The automaton you had with you, how did it look with your own eyes?" "Yes, it was a first-class piece of work. However, it did not seem to be a first-rate one. "I see. You don''t call yourself a "djinn" without any skills. "I guess you could say that." "Hmm. ......" LOUZO CHIYODA pondered again. And then.., "Okay. I''ll go and pick up Maitreya. I''m interested in this engineer." "Okay. Then I''ll unload my stuff." "Mm." MS-081 unloads the buckwheat powder and other cargo from the car. Meanwhile, Rozoh Chiyoda prepared himself for work. Although, they only changed out of their soiled work clothes. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Hmm, so this is how they removed the calcium and magnesium. Meanwhile, in the village of Quent, Maitrei was impressed by the that Jin and Goh had made. "I see, such a use for a magic circle. ......" "It''s a technology from <>." "I guess the world outside the <> has developed in its own way." Goh asks Maithei a question. "Why are you living in hiding?" "Well,...... hmm, I wonder why. ...... maybe because they are afraid of <>?" Since the question came from Goh, a student, Maitay did not seem offended and answered seriously. "Are you afraid of change?" "Yes, I guess so. ...... When you''ve been a recluse for so long, you start to have a hard time socializing with the general public." "I see. ...... "Well, in addition to that, I think that the people who are gathered here now are more or less solitary. ......" Or maybe some of them are pessimists, or maybe they''re just sick of the world," Maitay said. "I don''t know. ......" Hitoshi was about to argue with her, but then decided that if it was all right with them, it was all right with him. At that moment, Reiko reported. "......Mr. Otouto-sama, the car is coming for you." "Ah, I wonder if MS-081 has come back. Then there was a knock at the door of the village headman''s house. Nona answered the door. "Ah, Mr. Roseau, it''s been a while." "What?¡¡Master? What? Maitreya was surprised to hear the name Roseau. Jin and Goh were also surprised to see him. "Jin-san, Goh-kun, this is Roseau Chiyoda. This is my teacher. ...... Master, this is Mr. Jin, next to him is his wife Elsa, this is Mr. Goh, and that is Miss Reiko. "This is Rouzou Chioda. It''s nice to meet you. I''m Jin. I''m Erza. I''m Goh. I''m Reiko. Jin and the others also introduced themselves. Rozoh Chiyoda smiled at Jin and the others. "I heard from MS-081 that you have a very good automata. This is a reference to Reiko. "Thank you very much." Jin also thanked her. "Master, please take a look at this. Meanwhile, Maitreya showed Rouzou a magical tool that makes water taste good. "What is this?¡¡......Hohoho...... magic circle combined with ......I see......." As expected of Roseau Chioda, he seems to have grasped what it does and how it is structured just by looking at it for a moment. "I heard that this technology was developed in <>. "I see, that''s interesting. Luzo nodded his head in satisfaction. "Jin-dono, it seems that you are not only an apparent engineer. I would like to have a long talk with you. ......" "In that case, you are welcome to use my home. Mayor Keogh offered. "No, umm, I see. I will accept your offer, ...... chief of the village." Thus, a technical meeting was held in the parlor of the mayor''s house between Rouzou Chioda, Maitei Kouno, MS-081, and others, and Jin, Erza, Gou, Reiko, and others. The meeting was held. 3237 - - 85-23 A sudden change in the situation The landed on a flatland near the village of Quent. The pilot, Golem, Hope, has been quietly doing maintenance work while the others have been away. Once the maintenance was done, they cleaned up. They are always doing maintenance work so that the guests can use the facility comfortably. It was when the work was finished. "......?" <. The number was 10. "......This reaction...... is not human, but a golem." Hope raised the alert level and prepared the <> to take off at any moment. At the same time, they deploy a . They wait for 5 minutes. <, the approaching Golem becomes visible. "Is this ......?" The form of the Golem is somewhat familiar. "......It looks like the golem used by Tomoshide Yoda and his friends." However, there are some differences. It has a more combat-oriented exterior and a mace-like weapon in its hand. "It''s not a friendly approach by any means. ......" < surrounding them. Weapons in hand. "Let''s just take off here as a precaution." Hope takes off the <>. Two seconds later, five maces were thrown at the location where the <> was. "<>, continue to deploy. Barrier attribute partially changed." Now that the <> is flying as a <>, the gases are changed to a passable barrier. This is because the mace, which is solid, can be blocked. And sure enough, five maces came flying and hit the <>, falling to the ground in vain. "It would be safer to rise a little higher, wouldn''t it?" Hope raised the <> to an altitude of 100 meters. At that altitude, the 10 golems on the ground seemed to have nothing to do, and after looking up at them for a while, they gave up and walked away. "......What in the world was that?" Hope decided to talk to the old man. All the images of what had happened were sent to the old man. In addition, the old man would have seen more than the whole thing through his "peepers". < "Who or what is controlling it?" "So why did this hit us?" << "What for?" <<> earlier. "If it gets in the way of ......, that is, for that <> who is manipulating it, right?" < "You mean that this mastermind is trying to use his power for evil? < "Then where are those ten headed?" < "Then is the master in danger?" < "Then you can rest assured. We are standing by to answer the master''s call at any time. * * * * * * Ten of the twenty Land troops were deployed to surround the village headman''s house where Jin was staying. Of the remaining ten, five were deployed near Goose and Merce, and the other five to protect Saki and Rubina. Of course, they are invisible to the public because of their stealth. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jin and the others were in the parlor of the village chief''s house, "Mr. Rouzou, Mr. Mighty, something is approaching. MS-081 announced in a quiet voice. (It also has a detection function. It seems to be quite powerful.) Reiko had already detected it with her own magi radar two minutes before, and moreover, the old man had warned her about it. Even so, the detection capability of the MS-081 is outstanding in this day and age. What? What the hell is approaching? It looks like a golem. A golem? Rouzou Chioda and Maitai Kouno are surprised by the report. Jin and Erza were not that surprised, since Reiko had secretly shown them a note to that effect. Goh, however, was not so surprised. "Jin-sama, what in the world is going on! "I don''t know, I don''t know. What should we do, Mr. Mighty, Mr. Mighty, ......? "Well,...... this MS-081 has some fighting power, and it can beat any golem. However, since there is only one of them, I think it would be better to have it be on the defensive. "I agree. ......, but what about the defense of this village?" "There you have it.......What should we do.......MS-08 1, how many golems are approaching? "Yes, we think there are about ten of them." "10 golems?¡¡......The number is too different. ......" Luzo Chioda''s complexion changes. If he took on one of them, he would be attacked by the remaining nine. He was truly outnumbered. 3238 - - 85-24 Siege I''ll check it out. Jin-dono, be careful. Yes. A mysterious golem is approaching. Jin hears this news and takes Reiko outside the village chief''s house to check on the situation. Of course, he deploys the , one of the functions of the . "Still no sign of him? "Yes, father. Let me have ......< report back to you that it is in the sky." "Oh, yes." Contact Hope and let her know what''s going on. "Any damage to the village?" That is good news. Saki and the others? < It seems that the chief''s house is definitely the destination. "The chief''s house ...... is it us they are after?¡¡Or are they after us? <> was also attacked without question. From that we can infer that ......>> "Us?" "Oh, there you go. Then ...... golem cars." <<>. At this point, Jin contacted the old man. "Hmmm......... how do you see the golem?" "I see. The question is, who made the advanced type?" But since we don''t know the purpose of the golem, there are only a few ways to drive it back. "......8 If we disable at least one of them, do you think they will run back?" < "But it doesn''t look like they''re being piloted, does it?" < "Then we can turn them away: ......" The important thing is to do it without them knowing that Jin did it. "It would be better to get rid of them before they get close to here." > "Yes, please. So, we decided to go with the policy of getting rid of the golem before it gets close to the village chief''s house. ....... * * * * <> The brains of Horai Island, <>, make a plan and then reject it, and then reject it and then make a plan. The basic policy is decided. We will take steps according to that plan. The old man is planning a contradictory strategy. <<> Even if we follow the logic, the priority will change depending on the weighting. It could be <> or <>. <> The old man decided that the first thing to do was to observe the behavior. It took him about 0.3 seconds to do so. <<<< peep telescope (peepers)>>> Activate>> The Old Man begins to observe the behavior of the 10 golems. ....... * * * * You have a target in this village? That''s what I''m asking. It''s not the airship you saw earlier, is it? No. That one was just curious, so I thought I''d take it. It got away. Who were they? The family crest on the plane suggests that it belonged to a Magecraft Master. You think the Magecraft Meister is in the village? Most likely. Then we have one more target. That''s what I''m saying. Conversation between two of the ten golems. It''s a transmission, not an audio one, so it takes less than a second. Are they giving them instructions so they don''t hurt anyone in the village? No, not specifically. We''d prefer not to actively harm them, but our mission takes precedence over theirs, and in some cases there may be casualties. Are you sure about this? [Claire] Okay. [Claire] Okay. And the ten slowly surround the villager''s house. The villagers were so startled by the sight of us that they locked themselves in their houses. They saw us, and they retreated into their homes. That''s a smart move. Mm-hmm. By the way, there''s a car parked at ......? Looks that way. Checking against the data, I''d say it belongs to a Magi Seeker. Which means there''s definitely someone in that building. Mm-hmm. Contrary to Jin''s expectations, it was Rouzou Chioda and Maitai Kouno who were targeted. Shouldn''t we check out the car? No, that''s fine. I already have the basic data. I see. And so the siege on the mayor''s house was shortened. Reiko looked out the window with Jin, "Father, the old man thinks ............" She explains that she wants to drive them back without showing our hand as much as possible. He said, "We need more information to do that. "Maybe we need to lend a little help too. ...... Jin was thinking about it. 3239 - - 85-25 Information Gathering The village headman''s house was beginning to be surrounded by golems. One of the land troops appeared near Saki and Rubina. "Saki-sama, Rubina-sama!" "What? "Rubina, calm down. It''s the Landtroop. Is something wrong? "Yes. A mysterious golem is approaching the village. The chief''s house is under siege. What?¡¡Where''s Jin and the others? We have 10 Land troops and Miss Reiko is here too. That''s a relief! We''ll protect you with five of our own, just in case. Please. "......" Rubina had heard of them, but this was the first time she had seen them, so she was surprised, but after a while she got used to the situation. "So you work for ...... Jin-sama." "Yes, Rubina-sama." "...... I can feel the great performance." "Thank you." Rubina seemed to have sensed, at least somewhat, the potential of the RAND team. * * * * Five RAND units were dispatched to Guth and Mertze''s place as well, and one of them showed up and reported. "......I see, the village chief''s house......... Come to think of it, I think I saw a strange golem earlier." Goose and the others had seen the golem while they were talking to people in the village. "So please be careful. We''re here to protect you." "Okay." And then Lando disappeared. "Wow, that''s great. Jin-sama sent you, didn''t he?" "I guess so." Meltze seemed to think that Jin had sent him from . There was no need to correct him, so Guth left his answer muddled. * * * * * * * * * * * * * And then, the chief''s house was surrounded by 10 of them. "Wouldn''t it be better to send out MS-081 here?" Maitai Kouno asks Rouzou Chioda, "No, no. We will not be able to protect ourselves in case of an emergency. The idea was rejected. "But if we stay caged up, we''ll be out of luck," Maitreya countered. Maitreya countered. "Yes, ......, but ......." Mai tei tries to persuade him further. We still don''t know what they are trying to do. Why don''t we at least try to have a dialogue?" "...... has a point. But who is going to do it? "Then let''s let <> do it." At this point, Jin, who had been watching from the window, made a suggestion. "How about letting <> talk to the golem outside and then decide what to do after that?" "That''s the only way. But is it safe?¡¡Is, uh, Miss Lako all right?" "Yes, I can do that much." "Yes, I can do that much. < as a fighting force. If so, he can do reconnaissance and gather information, which will make it easier for us to decide what to do next. Rouzou Chioda seemed to have thought of this. "All right, , go outside for a moment and see if you can talk to them." "Yes, sir." In this way, Jin helped the old man to get information about the other party. Of course, Jin is putting up a <> and there is a rando troop around him. He is also watching over Jin with <>, so that he can send reinforcement land troops in case of danger in less than a second. * * * * * * * * * * * * Reiko opens the door of the village headman''s house and steps out. She walked with deliberately awkward movements to feign low performance. "May I help you?" Reiko intentionally changes her speech to be slurred to show her low performance. The strategy was to catch her off guard. "Are you an automata of the village head?¡¡Or are you an automaton of the owner of the car? The golem that had been approaching the village headman''s house from the front opened his mouth. Both Reiko and the old man realized that they could talk to each other. "Neither. It was my father who made me. "I see. So you are the engineer from ......? That''s right. The airship outside the village belonged to your maker? Reiko answers, trying to feign low performance, thinking it might not be a good idea to answer in the affirmative here. "...... I don''t know." "Hmm, you''re not that intelligent." Right on target, the mysterious golem seems to start underestimating Reiko. "So, what can I do for you?" "Yes, I''m here to see the technician inside that house." May I ask what you need? You''ll never understand. I don''t know what you''re talking about. - I''ll have to try. You''re a stubborn one, ...... or are you simply following orders? Reiko stands in front of Golem, refusing to move. I wonder if they will try to get rid of Reiko or not....... (I heard that she attacked < without question) Reiko waits for Golem''s reaction in a natural way. * * * The old man analyzes the reactions of the golems. One of the conclusions he came to was that <>. <> though. However, they did not go on a rampage inside the village. Nor do they try to eliminate Reiko by force. They didn''t force their way into the village, even though their goal was to get the engineer inside the village chief''s house. < The old man believes that it is quite probable, although he is only guessing based on the limited information he has. > Then he contacted Reiko with his <>. ....... 3240 - - 85-26 drive back Reiko stands before the mysterious golem. "Get out of my way, little automata!" No, I won''t do it unless you promise not to hurt my father". He follows the old man''s advice and performs to see how the other will react. "You are very stubborn. "That''s what I''m supposed to do." You can even get rid of them by force, can''t you? But I will do my duty with all my might. I see. Then, you may become a martyr to your mission." The mysterious golem lightly pushed Reiko away. ......, but Reiko stumbles a little and quickly turns around in front of the Mystery Golem. "Oh. ...... you seem to be more athletic than I thought." I won''t let you go any further. "You''re a pain in the ass. ...... Okay, I promise that whoever made you will not be harmed. How about this? What about your promise to uphold the rules? "...... You''re a real pain in the ass, you know that? If you interfere any longer, I will destroy you. But that doesn''t change what I''m going to do. "......" Reiko stands a meter in front of the village chief''s front door and confronts the mysterious golem. "This is my last advice. Get out of the way." I won''t move. This was the turning point. If he attacked Reiko in this state, there was a high probability that he would damage the village headman''s house. Would they attack Reiko without worrying about it, or would they move Reiko out of the way while taking care not to damage the village headman''s house? Then, the mysterious golem took Reiko''s arm and dragged her out of the front door. * * * * The brainy old man of Horai Island observes the whole thing with his <>, and then he asks, "What''s going on? The old man gives instructions to the RAND team. * * * * The 10 Land troops deployed in the vicinity of the village headman''s house, with <> deployed, fire <> at the 5 mysterious golems. Naturally, the five golems stop. Furthermore, he disconnects the energy system of the five stopped golems, the <>. The five bodies will not be able to move unless they are repaired. The process takes about four seconds. Since they were scattered, the remaining five could not figure out what had happened to them. * * * * "......What happened? The five mysterious golems were astonished when their friends suddenly stopped moving. They had no idea why. "Malfunction?¡¡...... No, there is almost no possibility that all five of them malfunctioned at the same time. It is natural to assume that someone or something attacked them. But who? < was undetectable. "If this is the case, there is a big possibility that our five remaining units will also be rendered inoperable. ......I am sorry to say, but let''s leave it at this point." The conclusion was as the old man had predicted. The five golems began to retreat, each carrying one of them. Of course, the golem that had been trying to move Reiko out of the way let go of her grip, picked up the one that had stopped moving, and pulled it up. * * * * "Are you leaving ......?" Mighty looked out the window and let out a sigh of relief. "I wonder what was all that about?" Luzo and Chioda also looked as if they had no idea what was going on. I''m back." Then Reiko came back and reported. "It seems that they were taking care not to damage the village headman''s house. "Hmmm... ...... does that mean they are not the enemy?¡¡If so, what is their purpose?" Luzo Chioda frowned and pondered. "I had a chance to talk to him for a while. It seems that the golem was after Mr. Yozo and Mr. Maitei. "Us?" "Hmm. I have no idea what that means. Yes. ...... "If I had stood in his way, he would have told me to get out of the way so he wouldn''t hurt your father." At this point Jin recalls the events of the other day. The imperfect magic brain had been copying knowledge from many other brains to satisfy its thirst for knowledge. (Perhaps that mysterious golem also has a purpose of <>, Jin imagines.) Jin imagines. And it makes a lot of sense if he thinks so. So, he says his guess. "I''m sure that was the target of Mr. Rouzou and Mr. Maitei," he says. "You mean you were trying to kidnap me and Maitrei?" "That''s right." I see. ...... What about the two of you? Yes, that''s right. ...... It would be better to go home soon, but there is no guarantee that you won''t be attacked on the way back. "In that case, I will go home and pick you up with reinforcements. MS-081 suggested. "I''ll bring the GL-021 to 030. I''ll bring them to you." "Oh, that should be a relief." "Do that." "Yes, sir." So it was decided that MS-081 would go back to their base by himself and come back with an escort. * * * * "...... What in the world was that all about?" After MS-081 left, Jin muttered to no one in particular. "I can''t even guess if he knows about me and Maitei or not ...... if I don''t even know that." "I''m sure you can." "But as you say, Jin-dono, I suspect that what you are looking for is knowledge, not us." "I see." In fact, you are probably right. Jin was impressed by Rozo Chioda''s insight. As they continued to talk, MS-081 returned. "I''m back, sir." "Oh, you''re back early." "Yes, sir. I gave it my all. Although not out of breath, Jin felt the temperature of MS-081''s body rising. And assuming that it had the same physical ability as the <>, this much rise in temperature would be a good indicator of how much power ...... and MS-081 were capable of producing. 81, I guessed how much power it produced. (...... really is about as physically powerful as a five-colored golem maid. ...... That''s a big deal.) Jin evaluated that the technology of MS-081 was outstanding compared with the technology of the present age. 3241 - - 85-27 Detection results are: Outside the village headman''s house, there were ten golems that appeared to be general-purpose golems. According to Jin''s assessment, they were more physically strong and powerful than MS-081. Jin was relieved that the mysterious golem could be repelled. "Well then, we are going home," said Rouzou. We are going home now," said Rouzou Chioda. "Take care. I regret that our ...... technical discussion is halfway through," Jin said. Jin said, and LOUZO CHIYODA said, "Then, would you like to come to our base, Jin-dono?" Jin said. "Yes, but ......." Jin wanted to accept the invitation, but he refused, saying that he would be accompanied by many people. However, Rouzou and Chioda insisted that all the participants come. "Then please bring them with you, too. Yes, they are. Yes, please come. "Yes. ......" It seemed again to Jin that Rozo Chioda was not an exclusive researcher, even though he was living in hiding. Jin decided to accept the offer, thinking that it would be more convenient. "Then I will visit you tomorrow. "Oh, I am glad to hear that. If you want to go to ......, you can go to ....... I''ll pick up this MS-08-1 tomorrow. "Okay. I''ll look forward to it." "Okay, I''ll see you tomorrow." Thus, the meeting between Jin and the Magi Seeker was a success. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile. Meanwhile, the old man was following the retreating mysterious golems with his "peepers". > The old man followed with his peepers and found a small vehicle in the wilderness where there should be nothing. It looked like a car. It looks like a one-box car. Ten ...... bodies enter the vehicle, five of which are still being carried by the vehicle. The old man guessed so instantly and activated his < to identify the destination. This is a device that detects the that is generated when a transferred object pushes away the free magic element (ether) of the destination. The detection accuracy is not so high, but it can be a powerful detection system when used in combination with the <>. <> First of all, I tried to detect the approximate position. But ....... <<<> doesn''t detect the position. ......>> < did not respond. >> The "Mere Old Man" decided to make a hypothesis. 1. the reaction is too far away and too small to be detected. 2. the free elemental wave of the transition was not generated or was absorbed. 3. the is broken. No <<3>. I checked again and again. Then, 2 seems to be the most likely case. If there is no free element (ether) wave, it means that there is no free element (ether) at that place. There is no such place on the planet Ars and its surrounding space. This means that the free-magic wave generated by the transition was absorbed. > It takes about 4 seconds to reach this point. The "Mere Old Man" continues his discussion. < The old man considers all the possibilities that he can imagine. The most likely hypothesis is ....... <<>> However, it might be worthwhile for Jin and his colleagues to do so, so the "Mere Old Man" decided to consider such a magi-machine. And then, he further hypothesizes about this phenomenon. The basic assumption is that they do not know that there is a detection technique. <>. In a place with low atmospheric pressure, <> does not change, but <> changes. The same thing can be said for free-magic waves. If there is a place where free-magic element (ether) concentration is low, it means that the amount of free-magic element (ether) pushed out is small when an object is transferred there. This means that the free-magic wave is . In such a case, it may not be detectable at a distance due to attenuation. This was the most probable hypothesis of the old man. The old man judged that there is a high possibility that the free magical element (ether) is being collected for the operation of the magi-machine or the magic tool. Therefore, the concentration of ether at the destination is low, and the distance is so great that the could not detect it. Since Lando''s team did not make physical contact with the mysterious golem, they did not measure its magic power pattern. Also, Reiko, who was grabbed by the arm, did not measure the magic pattern either, because she was acting low performance. <> < or a . The old man concluded. The old man then monitors the car with his "peepers" and observation satellites to make sure he does not lose sight of it. 3242 - - 85-28 Communications Technology Meanwhile, Jin and the others were talking with the village chief. "What was that golem?" "I don''t know for sure, but it seems that it had something to do with Mr. Rouzou and Mr. Maitei. What do you want? ......? Sometimes, such golems take extraordinary actions in order to increase their knowledge. Jin briefly explains the principle of the magic brain''s behavior to the village chief. "Oh, so that''s how it works?" "Yes, especially if you don''t have human ethics. Jin explained that ethics and moral values should be given by default. But the village head looked as if he did not understand. It was understandable, since he had no background in engineering magic. "But I''m sure you know that, Mr. Rouzou and the others know that too, so I''m sure they will take some countermeasures after this. Besides, the golem did not harm the village or its people. Jin said to reassure the chief. (Even if it didn''t, we might have to do something about it...) Then he continued. "Besides, the golems that came to escort Mr. Rouzou and the others seemed to be very strong..." "Oh, oh, yes. I can assure you. I see, it seems we can rest assured for the time being. For the time being, Jin''s words seemed to reassure the village head. However, Jin wondered how the Lohzou would be able to defend their stronghold if the golem came again in droves. "Well, let''s think about that after they show us their base tomorrow. Jin made up his mind. * * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, Rouzou Chioda, Maitai Kouno, and MS-081 are returning to their by car. The old man was watching them with his "peepers". The old man was not sure if there were other mysterious golems that might be targeting them. However, there were 10 general-purpose golems guarding the car, so there was no need to worry about their strength. It seems that the old man''s fears were unfounded, and Rouzou and Chioda returned safely to their . > The old man was impressed by the defense of the <>. <<<< A solid physical barrier and a <>. The performance is so-so. However, the old man guessed that the mysterious golem would be able to defend even if a hundred of them came. > The old man saw that it was the product of a technology that was superior to theirs. One of the possible reasons for this is that they might be using the magi-machines of the time when they were separated from the <. If so, it would explain why they were made with higher technology than now. . <, which should be called <>, has caused the technology to decline as it should have been. It is a great pity, the old man thinks. And he supports Jin''s efforts to improve the technology in this world again, not in haste, not in haste, but in slow and steady progress. > ...... The Magi machine was made by Jin at that time. Since it was developed to hide entrances and exits, its effective range is limited to a maximum of 10 meters square. Nevertheless, it is still sufficient to hide the entrance to a cave, for example, or to keep landmarks out of the sight of unrelated people. <<>, it seems, are using them to hide and defend their strongholds. <> is put up so that the inside of the base cannot be seen. We don''t even need to use <>. The next day, Jin and the others are invited, so they can know what''s going on inside without sneaking a peek. >, we won''t be able to contact Reiko. ......>> The old man was worried that there would be a delay in following up in case something happened. < So he decided to take measures against <>. Hannah is in her laboratory on the planet Hale. Laojun has decided to send a mobile terminal < to Hale. * * * * * * <<< Lao Tzu>> is an automaton with the appearance of an old butler type. Despite its appearance, its performance is high. Even if it is not as good as Reiko, it is one of the best automata in Horai Island. The << Lao Tzu> has come to the planet Hale by way of a warp gate. He then heads for the laboratory where Hannah is supposed to be. The entrance to Hale, the , is on the Tropic of Cancer, and Jin''s house is at the same latitude. The houses of the <> are also scattered at about the same longitude as Jin''s. One of them is Hanna''s house. One of them is Hanna''s house and laboratory. The local time is around noon. < "Oh, Lao Tzu, how unusual. Hanna was at home, just finished her lunch and seemed to be having a tea time. < "What''s wrong?¡¡Is my baby in danger?" Lao Tzu said in a calm voice to reassure Hannah, who looked worried. > "Yes, of course. Hannah nodded broadly. "So, what''s the problem?" <<<< is the communication inside and outside the magic barrier. I remember that Hannah was studying it. "Oh, that." >"Oh, that one. "I can deal with it right away, if it''s conditional." << "Of course." Hannah began to explain the communication technology to Lao Tzu: ....... 3243 - - 85-29 In that nights report <<> "Yes." Laojun''s mobile terminal <> visits Hanna, who is doing research on the planet Hale, and asks her how to communicate through the <>. "First, a general discussion. ......<> do not form in solids." << <<> interfere with matter, they cannot be formed in the ground. Then what is the principle of the deployment is that a > is formed along a geometrical shape ...... usually a sphere ...... centered on the so-called > of the generator. The <> becomes a guiding line, and the magic power that determines the nature of the boundary is transmitted through the and becomes a <>. If the mesh is fine, it is up to gas, if it is coarse, it is only solid, and liquid is in between, and so on. The conditions such as the intensity of magic power and frequency determine the nature and strength of the <>. Of course, this is just a simple explanation; in reality, there are many more parameters and they are finely controlled. Under such conditions, <> is deployed, so <> that rejects solids is not deployed in the ground, and depending on the conditions, also in liquids. <> is deployed by a similar mechanism, but it rejects <> and >, so it does not have physical properties. In other words, it is deployed in solids and liquids. "Yes, that''s right. ...... And where is the free magic element (ether) to maintain the <> supplied from, from the <> which is the induction line, right? > has a shielding effect that free-magic element (ether) waves cannot pass through. This is why you need to use a solid physical barrier to prevent magic with physical phenomena. When Lao Tzu mentioned the mechanism of the <, Hanna affirmed it. " she said. "Hmm, Lao Tzu seems to have noticed it too." < "Yes, yes." > "That''s what I meant. You have to go to ...... to get through the shield effect. ......" > "Yes, that''s what I concluded." "Yes. ......The devices used to generate magic barriers for experiments are placed on a table, aren''t they?¡¡That''s why I couldn''t think of it." <. Lao Tzu admitted that if he had experimented with the device on the ground, he might have noticed it earlier. "However, although we can say it''s <>, it''s not very strong." <>. "So I realized that the shielding effect of the <> would be weakened by the >, more or less." < "Thank you, Mr. Lao Tzu." In a word, Hanna has developed a communication device that uses magic waves that travel through the ground. It is easier said than done, and normal magic waves propagate regardless of whether they are in the ground, in the air, or in the water. Lao Tzu took his hat off to Hanna who developed this device, not knowing if there is any waveform that can propagate through the ground. "Let''s see, if we use magic waves with a wavelength that resonates with the intensity of the free magic element (ether) that exists in the , about 40% of the waves will propagate through the ground. The rest travels through the air. <40%. That''s enough for communication. "Yes. I think it''s realistic to use that kind of strength. After listening to the detailed explanation, Lao Tzu left the planet Hale satisfied. Of course, he left the planet Hale with a prototype of <> in his hand. * * * * * In the village of Quent, the residents were still in a state of fear even after the mysterious golem had left. The chief of the village has been visiting the homes of these villagers and telling them that they will be all right. I am not sure how effective this is, but I can feel his enthusiasm. Jin was impressed by the village chief''s concern for the villagers. (Well, actually, there is no mysterious golem within 50 km of the village. ......) The old man''s report was what he knew. The question is the purpose, the base and the mastermind of the mysterious golem. ....... * * * That night, after dinner and after everyone went to their bedrooms, Jin received a call from the old man. A message came to Jin from the old man. . "Oh, my lord, that''s all right." Jin does not complain about anything, since My Lord would never contact him unnecessarily. < "Let me hear them." By the way, Elsa can hear me because she is in speaker mode. Not to mention Reiko. Saki and Goose were also listening. Sharing information is important. "What? < "No, it''s all right if you didn''t find anything with the transporter. Let me hear what you have to say." <>and>. "Yes." < The old man explained about their <. "I see, it is heavily warded." . "I see. It is not likely to be able to make the magic tool of the now, is it?" < "I will have to go to their base tomorrow and see for myself. > "Is there more?" < "What? This was a surprise to Jin. He found it by chance with <<<< peepers. But now it has been stopped >>. "...... tell us what you know." . The old man started to talk about his findings....... 3244 - - 85-30 New discoveries There is a in the village of Quent, the old man said. < is also called a , and is a golem that is instructed to protect a castle or town. It is sometimes called a guardian. In the village of Kaina, where Jin lived ......400 years ago, there was a <, a . "You said it''s stopped, didn''t you?" < < "I see. It''s not moving?¡¡Or is it not moving?" >. "Is that so?" < "And you couldn''t fix it?" < "What?" <<. That is certainly understandable. ...... and Jin think. However. "Oh, that < never came, so it was left as it was and ......". <>. "That''s also not very good." Jin was a little dismayed, saying, "That''s not what it''s all about. "......Well, we''ll know why when the golem starts moving. So, do you know what''s wrong with it?" << If you ask him about it, Jin can get a rough idea. "If that''s the case, ......<> is deteriorating." < The free ether is converted into mana with an ether converter, and is sent to various parts of the body. In human terms, they would be equivalent to <>. If they have deteriorated and the <> is no longer working, they cannot be activated. Magic power conductors do not deteriorate easily if they are <> (Horai Island uses materials that do not deteriorate easily even if they are not used), but this golem was thought to have stopped working because it had not been used for a long time. "But that''s a pretty rare case. ......" Jin felt that no matter how much <=>, it is rare for it to become so useless. "I wonder if it was made in a situation where the materials were very scarce. ......" Jin wished he could see the real thing. ....... * * * * The next day, on the 16th, after breakfast, Jin asked the village head, Kyou, "You have an underground warehouse, don''t you?" He asked the mayor, Kyou, "Do you have an underground warehouse? However, he was met with a question, "What? which revealed that the mayor did not know of the existence of an underground warehouse. He said, "No, yesterday, when Reiko detected the golem, there was some kind of reaction in the basement as well. "Oh, is that so?" Yes. Would you like to look for it? "That sounds interesting. The village head was also interested in the idea. So Jin and his group decided to explore the basement of the warehouse outside with the mayor. "<>......I think there is a cavity here. The village chief looked surprised when Jin used his ground search magic. "Ha-ha, you have such magic too, huh? "Yes. According to this, there should be an entrance to the basement somewhere. ......" "............ Oh, then it could be the floor of the warehouse." After a moment''s thought, Village Chief Keogh began to explain. "In my father''s time, the floorboards of the warehouse were re-covered. They were very damaged. "Is that so?" "Yes. When they did that, they did not remove the floorboards, but put boards on top of them. "Oh, ah... ...... that''s what you mean." There may have been a hidden door in the floor, but now there is no way to find it because the boards were put on top of it. ...... that''s what happened. "Do you mind if I take the floorboards off once?¡¡I''ll put them back later." "If you want to put them back, go ahead. After receiving permission from the village head, Jin, together with Goh, Rubina, Reiko, and others, began to remove the floorboards. Reiko did the heavy work, and Goh and Rubina did the detailed work such as removing nails. Jin is in charge of the whole project, keeping an eye on things. "Yes, we should be able to remove only this part. "Yes, about this much? "Yes, this much? ......There''s probably a door here ......here, there it is." The door was well disguised as a joint in the floorboards, but there was no fooling Jin''s eyes, and the hidden door was easily found. A door about one meter square had been inserted into the floor. Reiko, open it for me. "Yes." The door was a double sliding door. In fact, the door was quite slow to work, but Reiko opened it as if it moved lightly. The room was not very large, about the size of a six-tatami-mat room. There was no light inside, but the morning light was enough. "Wow, ...... what is this? The village head looked in and was surprised to see a golem lying there. "Oh ......." Jin was also surprised to see the golem. It looked just like <> in appearance. It had to have been made by someone related to the Jin family. "Oh, Jin-dono, Mr. Village Chief. What are you doing?" A voice called out to him. It turned out that Rouzo Chioda and MS-081 had just arrived. Chioda had said he would send MS-081 to us, but he had come with it himself. "Oh, Mr. Yozo. Take a look at this." "Mmmm... ...... this is it!" Chioda Lohzoh was also astonished when he saw the golem. 3245 - - I was invited to 85-31 Rouzou Chioda was astonished to see the golem discovered in the basement of the warehouse of the village chief''s house. "Isn''t this ...... a <> of the <>?" "What?" Jin asked back at the unfamiliar word. "Ah, Jin-dono didn''t know this either. In other words, it''s a golem based on the template left behind by the second generation Magecraft Meister. "Yes. ......" This was new to Jin, who is also the <<>, so it was a somewhat unconvincing name. From Jin''s point of view, it seemed to be a degraded version of the <> type. It did not seem to be a basic type. Nevertheless, there was no point in getting hung up on the name, so Jin decided to proceed. "Mr. Rouzou, are you interested in this golem? "Of course I am. If so, how about refusing it to the village head and taking it back to ...... to have it repaired and brought back here again? "Oh, that''s a good idea. How about it, Mr. Mayor? Luzo Chioda accepted Jin''s proposal and approached the village headman, Kyou. "We didn''t even know it was here in the first place, and if you can repair it, there''s no problem. "Oh, I see." The village head was willing to allow us to take the golem out of the village. He then ordered MS-081 to load the golem into a car. "Oh!" At this point, Jin took a close look at the car that Rouzou came in. It was a one-box car ...... or a microbus, so to speak, that could accommodate about 10 people. Jin was impressed by the fact that they could make such a car. Let''s get going. Jin-dono, everyone, please get in. Jin invited Luzo to get in the car, "Oh, before we go, let me introduce you to my companion," he said. Jin then introduced his companions, including those who had not met Lohzou yesterday. He introduced his companions, including those who had not met Rouzou yesterday. We then boarded a and headed for the base of Rouzou, Chioda, and the others. The bus is driven by MS-081, so we are in safe hands. "It''s an excellent buffer device. This is an honest comment, as even though we are driving on uneven terrain, Jin feels only enough shaking to keep him from becoming intoxicated. "Haha, because the car was developed for driving on such ground." Luzo Chioda laughed. Indeed, with <><<6 wheels>><>, it is easy to imagine that the car is designed for such rough terrain. However, when I actually drove the car, I found that the suspension and dampers were also excellent. "We made the under-spring as light as possible. The upper springs are necessarily heavier than the lower springs. "Yes, that''s true." While we were having such a conversation, Merze asked me a question. Jin-sama, what do you mean by the terms "upper spring" and "lower spring"? "Oh, that. ......A car is connected to its wheels and body by a called <>......> in order to reduce the transmission of shaking to the occupants. The side in contact with the ground is called the < side and the body side is called the side. "I see." "I see. And it is said that in order to reduce the transmission of the unevenness of the ground, the <> should be lighter and the <> should be heavier. "I understand somewhat." "Haha, Jin-dono is an engineer after all." Luzo, who was listening to the explanation to Merce, laughed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The surroundings gradually became more mountainous from the wilderness of rolling rocks. After an hour and a half of driving over rough terrain, the group arrived at the entrance to a sheer canyon. It seems a long way, but it is only because we were traveling at a speed of about 10 km/h that it took so long. Incidentally, if MS-081 ran at full speed, it would take about 10 minutes to reach the entrance. At the end of the road, the microbus stopped in front of a rock wall, and everyone except the driver, MS-081, got off the bus. "It looks like a dead end. The old man had told me about this, but it was natural for Jin to ask such a question. In fact, to the human eye, it looks like a dead end, blocked by a narrow rock wall. "Haha, there is a blind wall here..." "......Yes, father, there is actually a crack about five meters wide." Reiko explained in response to Roseau''s words. "Oh, you understand too, Miss Leco. I''m impressed." Rouzou explained that the area was surrounded by a barrier that prevented detection by visible light, near-infrared rays, and near-ultraviolet rays. In other words, only a visual sensor that can see longer wavelengths of infrared and shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet light can distinguish them. All of their golems and automata, including MS-081, are able to see through the wards here. "And there is also a ward that is normally impervious to matter. You cannot pass through them without this <>." The bracelet of comradeship? I see. Only those who have it can break the barrier. <>...... now, please." The old man had done his research for me, so I had a rough idea of what to expect, but it made sense to actually see them in person. It was a scene that gave me a good idea of their living conditions. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After crossing the boundary that seemed to be a boundary, we found ourselves in a small, wide-open canyon. Luzo Chioda looked back at Jin and the group, "Welcome to the home of the Magi Seekers. Welcome! He declared. 3246 - - 85-32 Exposed Jin looked around the again. The small, wide canyon had been cleared, and there was a vegetable patch in a sunny area near the center of the canyon with fruit trees. It is enclosed and there are capris (goats) kept inside. The entire area is about the size of three soccer fields. It is larger than Jin had expected. On the north side of the rock wall, there is a building that appears to be a research institute. Buildings that look like private residences are scattered in various places. £¨It''s a bit like a hidden village.) The place looks like a peaceful countryside. It seems to be a reasonably comfortable place to live, Jin evaluated the base of the . "Well, come this way." "Ah, yes." Jin, who had been gazing at the scenery, is roused to his senses by the voice of Rozoh Chiyoda, and follows the directions to a building that appears to be a laboratory. < It drove slowly and stopped in front of the institute, followed by Jin and the others. A group of what appeared to be were standing in front of the institute, welcoming Jin and his group. "Welcome, Jin-dono! Mighty Kouno was the first to speak. "No, should I call you ''MagiCraft Meister''?" "Yes. ......" Jin was absolutely stunned by the sudden revelation of his true identity. "Oh, so that''s what you are." "What?" "I was 90% sure you were, but for a minute, I wasn''t sure, so I had to put up a false front." "......" "I apologize again and again for that." Even Lozo Chioda apologized to me. Jin had no intention of getting angry when his true identity was discovered. "No, it''s fine, but ...... when did you find out?" Jin is ready to ask what went wrong. "I''d like to know what went wrong... if your wife is Lady Elsa, or if the automaton she''s carrying is Miss Reiko..." "......" "And when we were talking, I felt it in every word you said." "...... I see. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to deceive you. Jin also apologized for his attempt to disguise his identity. "No, no, no, it''s my pleasure, thank you for your concern. You are aware of the fact that we have split from the descendants of the <<2nd generation> in the past, right?"...... ...... Yes, that''s right. You are here this time because you care for us? Uh, ......." At this point, one of the other members called out to him. "Master, would it be better if you came inside?" "Uh-huh, yes. ...... Jin-dono, everyone, please come in." So we all headed inside the institute. There, in the conference room, we will start all over again. The laboratory is located on the first basement floor. The institute is a two-story building with one basement floor, and the conference room is on the first floor. Once everyone is seated, MS-081 distributes tea. "Now, let me introduce myself again. I am Rouzou Chioda, the elder of the . I am Jin Nido, the third generation of Magecraft Meister. They then introduce their friends to each other. On Jin''s side are Elsa, Reiko, Goh, Rubina, Merce, Goose, and Saki (......). On the Magi Seeker side were Rouzou Chioda, Maitai Kouno, Leo de Simo, Zinnia Ender, and Sean Denisque, among others. Leo, Zinia, and Sean were younger in order, and Maitay seemed to be the youngest. However, Leo is about 30 years old, so all the younger brothers are young. Zinnia was the only female engineer in the group. "First of all, I would like to greet the of this generation. LOUZOU CHIYODA stood up and bowed reverently to Jin. Jin also stood up and bowed. "Now, let me begin by explaining who we are. As you may know, we began as a ," he said. "............" Jin listens in silence. "It is said that they fled to this remote area because of the rise of the <> and its influence on magical technology." "......" "And so, over the years, unfortunately, the second generation of magical engineers, the "Magecraft Meister" and those who were related to him, have disappeared. "......" "We have taken up residence here and call it home." He also spoke about the village of Quent. When the first of them settled here, the village of Kuento began to be established. They were helping out in the shadows and in the sun. They hope to protect this village like that the second generation helped. "Our motto is He also said that because of this, some of his comrades had parted ways with him 10 years ago. "Wasn''t that <><><>?" At this point Jin opened his mouth. "How did you know that name?¡¡I do not know ......<>, but Tashima and Tomoshide are my disciples. No, it was ......." "Oh, you are right. Actually, it was ......." Here, Jin gives a brief account of the events in the town of Hulek. "Oh, my God, that''s not possible! As expected, Rouzou could not help but be surprised when he heard this story. "Tomoshide was an expert in magic brains and Tashima was an expert ...... in making golems. Why would they be such ...... experts?" Jin explained to Rouzou, who frowned, "It seems that Rinou is an expert at making golems. "It seems that a man named Rinoura was behind it. He seems to have infused the ...... magic brain with some nonsense." "Ummm ......." "But now, they ...... are all in , except for Rinoura, who is supposedly in charge of giving technical guidance." "I guess you could say that''s ...... a good thing." Rouzou Chioda was relieved to hear that his former apprentices were now living peacefully. "I think we can say that it was good for them ...... Tomoshide-dono and Tashima-dono," he said. "Yes, I suppose so." Luzo Chioda looked at him for a moment. Jin imagined that he was probably thinking of his former disciples who had now gone the wrong way, and stared at him silently. 3247 - - 85-33 Go Your Way "No, Jin-dono, thank you for your valuable information." Opening his eyes, Rouzo Chioda thanked Jin. Then he began to speak again. "......Well, let''s get back to our business." "Yes." "There was a time when the roads around the village of Kuento were paved with macadam pavement, but then a great storm hit the area, causing mudslides, and all these efforts came to naught. Ah, that''s why the village was once abandoned? Yes. ...... Then we stopped trying to do too much. "I understand most of what you mean." Jin nodded broadly. Then I''ll do the talking now. Why did you come to this region? "Yes. "Actually, a friend of mine in obtained an excellent control core in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Celluloid. I wanted to find out where it came from. A control core? Yes. Jin explained that the project started when he heard that Groma had heard that there was a researcher of magic brains in the city. "The control core was not a sphere but a disk." "Huh?¡¡...... Indeed, we sometimes make such control cores." Have you ever sold them? No. I see. ...... If so, Jin guessed that the control cores that Groma and his group had obtained were made and sold by the Tomoshide-Yoda group, and not by this company. * * * * * * * * * * * * <, Jin decided to ask Rouzou Chiyoda again. "I''m going to ask you directly. ...... do you wish to back up the island of Horai?" "No." The answer was immediate. Probably, he had been expecting this question since he found out Jin''s true identity. And Jin also knew that such an answer would come back to him, albeit dimly. "We have gone the wrong way, and we will continue to go our own way. "I see. ...... The techniques we have passed down and refined from generation to generation are probably nothing more than child''s play to you, Jin-dono. No, that''s not true. ...... "No, that''s not true,," he said. If you see ...... Miss Reiko, you will understand how great she is." It seemed that Rouzou had seen through Reiko''s act to her true nature. * * * * After the two parties had settled their positions, they had another round-table talk with Goh and the others. "Oh.... Goh-kun and Rubina-san are apprentices of Jin-dono, huh? I''m honestly envious of you. "Well, thank you very much." "Rubina, you should say or at ......." "Ugh, I know." Gough and Rubina were talking to Leo de Simo. And Melze was talking to Zinnia Ender. "Well, you''re a social learner, aren''t you, Melze? ...... Well, I''m sure it''s worthwhile to see and experience different places." "Yes! "Yes!" "Experience a lot and then find your own way. Good luck. Thank you very much. Guth is talking with Rouzou Chioda about the old days. "You know something unusual, Mr. Goose. "No, no, I heard Mr. Yozo say earlier that the village was once abandoned due to a natural disaster. You did say that, didn''t you? "Then the original location of the village of Quent was a little further east, deep in the mountains? Yes, that would be correct. Of course, there is some overlap with the current location of the village. "And then the village was rebuilt a little lower down because it was buried by a mudslide. "That''s what you''re saying, isn''t it?" I see... I see... that''s very informative. Saki was asking Sean Deniske about various things. "Hmmm...so you can get rare materials further back in this base, is that right?" "Yes, that''s right. Yes, but not in large quantities. Is it enough for experiments and prototypes? Yes, well... Then it fits the purpose of this place. Well, I guess so. Jin and Erza were talking with Maitei Kouno. "...... so it was Jin-dono who drove the golem back yesterday?" "Well, that''s what I meant. I didn''t do it too publicly. Still, that''s great. ...... How do you guys get knowledge of the outside world? "We send out automata to the outside world to learn." "Oh, I see." We let them travel around the world for about six months, and when they return, we all listen to what they have to say. It is accurate enough, and the information is not too bad. But... "I think we should at least have a manacam," Jin suggested. Jin suggested. Information is important. I don''t think there is anything wrong with having at least some means of obtaining it. "......Yes, that''s right." Mighty agreed. "Well, we''ll talk about that later," he said. Just then, MS-081 announced to the group, "It''s time for lunch. It''s time for lunch. It''s time for lunch. Jin and the others thought how quickly time flies. 3248 - - 85-34 Hitoshi, repair Lunch was what they usually eat: buckwheat pancakes, topopo butter, vegetable soup, and capri (goat) milk. "It''s pretty good," he said. "Delicious!" Delicious! Buckwheat Flour Pancakes...... are pancakes made from a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flours, with a slight aroma of buckwheat. The butter used for the topopo butter was made from capri (goat) milk, so it had a little more flavor than most butter, but everyone could taste it without any problem. The vegetable soup was made by stewing vegetables from the area, and had a gentle taste. And the capri (goat) milk. All of us had tasted it before (including Mertze), so we enjoyed it very much. After the meal, mugwort tea was served. The taste was familiar to the guests. Mertze, Goh, Rubina and the others seemed to have never had it before, but they enjoyed it so much that they even asked for more. "Now, I''d like to talk about Golem again. "Yes, I would like to talk about Golem again. "First, let''s talk about the golem that came to the village of Quent yesterday. Jin explained briefly about the results of his analysis. "It seems to be based on the golem created by Tomoshide Yoda, Tashima Sonode and others. "I see, I have glanced at it, and it certainly looks like that." Roseau Chioda agreed. "So someone got hold of their golem and modified it? "That''s a strong possibility. And to make it more suitable for combat. Mm-hmm. ...... "I would like to add something. At the time of ......, the mastermind behind the magic brain was kidnapping various intellectuals in search of knowledge and information. I see, this golem is behaving in a similar manner. Yes, it is. The ten golems that seem to have been targeting Roseau and Maitreya. The similarities between this incident and the one that happened the other day were worrisome to Jin. "You mean, if they find out about this place, there''s a chance they''ll attack us? "That''s what I''m afraid of." "Ummm... ......" At Jin''s words, Rouzo Chioda pondered. "As a matter of fact, the warding system in this base is deteriorating. < "All right. I''ll fix it. ...... This level of assistance is fine, isn''t it?" "Thank you, MagiCraft Meister," he said. So, first of all, I have decided to improve the warding of the . Since it is urgent, we will interrupt our discussion to do the maintenance. Here it is. I see. Jin was guided to the magi-machine that generates the warding, and he immediately began to adjust it. By the way, except for Reiko, the other members were allowed to do as they pleased. As a result, Elsa is examining the < members, Goose is listening to the lore, and Saki is investigating the materials used in the <. Goh, Rubina, and Merce stay with Jin and observe his work. "It''s a very complicated magic formula (Magiforum). ......" "Is it because it creates an illusionary boundary? "Jin-sama''s work is so fast that I can''t follow it with my eyes. ...... Jin is performing maintenance without letting the wards deactivate. That is more difficult than reconnecting the power lines (3-phase AC) without tripping the breakers. The <>s who knew this were speechless. "......" "............" £¨Can you do the same thing?) (I''ve been watching how to do it, but I have no idea) (This is the magical engineer ¡¶Magicraft Meister¡· ......) In the end, Jin had the generator of the < in place in about 10 minutes. "Next is the physical barrier (solid barrier). "Yes, that''s this way. This was also completed in about 10 minutes. In addition, the strength has been doubled. And then there''s the magic barrier. This way, please. "Law ......" The magic barrier generator was placed in a different location from the physical barrier (solid barrier), and the source of the magic power was also in a different system. (I guess they wanted to prevent them from being destroyed at the same time.) With such imagination, Jin finished the repair and improvement of this device in 10 minutes. * * * * "I feel relieved now." "......" "Thank you, Jin-dono." Most of the members of the were absolutely stunned, but Rouzou Chioda had the presence of mind to thank Jin. "No, no, there is the threat of the mysterious golem, you know." "......Yes, that''s right. ......" "Speaking of golems, let''s analyze and repair the golem we brought from the village headman''s place. "Oh, yes. It should be in the second workshop of the institute. So we all went to the second workshop together again. "Oh ......" A voice came out of nowhere. "This is a simplified version of the , so to speak." Jin''s actions are no longer restricted now that his true identity has been revealed. "The skeleton is Adriana style. The musculature is the same. The musculature is similar, but simplified in places. "...... I see." "Since it is a golem, I assume that the design concept is that it does not need to be as as an automata." "Hmm, that is certainly true." As he explains, Jin repairs the deteriorated parts. The oxidized, or rusted parts are restored to their original state by <>, and rust is prevented by <>. "This is ......." "This is <>......" The <> are stunned to see Jin in earnest, but Gou and the others are not, "Jin-sama, you are in great form. "I think that''s still about 80%." "That''s great, isn''t it?" They were all saying these things at their own pace at ....... In 20 minutes, the repair of the golem found at the village chief''s house was completed. 3249 - - 85-35 Golem Restart The golem found in the basement of the mayor''s house has been repaired. Would you like to try activating it? "By all means." Jin suggested, and all the present nodded their heads. At this point, it was known that this golem had been created by the first , and they wanted him to share his memories of that time. Jin activated it, with Reiko standing close by to keep an eye on it, just in case. Then. ......<>" "...... yes." "Oh!" A familiar sight for Jin and the others. "Thank you for fixing it." The golem gets up and thanks Jin. It then performs its routine self-check and confirms that there is nothing wrong. At this point, Jin speaks to Golem. "Do you have a name?" "Yes. I was called before I stopped. When Jin heard this name, he felt that it was named in the style of the Shoro Empire. "Who is the creator?" "Yes. Mr. Qasim. ...... Mr. Qasim Hinoto. It''s a Mitsuho type name, isn''t it? Yes. My great-grandfather was a native of Mitzvah. "I see." At this point, Jin turned to the Magi Seekers and asked them to ask questions. Then Rouzou Chioda asked the first question. You said Schutzer01. What is your raison d''etre?" "Yes. < When was it created? Yes. In the year 3788 of the continental calendar. That long ago. ...... "First of all, it must have been around the time of the first of our <>. ...... If not, it must have been around the next one." Jin asks Rouzou Chioda, who has determined that it was around the time of the first generation. "What year was the first generation?" "It is said to be around the year 3770. "I see, so if it was 3788, it must have been the first generation or the next generation. But the answer came quickly. "Master Qasim is a disciple of the first generation. "I see, so Sch¨¹tzer 01 knew that too." "Yes, Master Jin." How long has it been in operation since then? Luzo Chioda asked again. "No, I am a , so I was not always in operation. "I see. Then why were you stopped in that basement? The basement? "The basement? In the basement of the warehouse at the mayor''s house. I see. ...... guesses that it was brought there after it was shut down. Apparently, something brought < to the basement warehouse. "So it stopped and then went to ....... Then why did it stop?" Yes, there was a big landslide in 3801. I was rescuing villagers when I was buried under the mud and sand. "I see. That''s what you call a natural disaster that happened in the past. <. Jin wonders if they were spared thanks to the . "Was the disaster big?" This is Goose. I had heard that a great disaster had hit the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa, and I wanted to know the details. "Yes. A low-pressure system from the south brought heavy rainfall to the area, and it was bad enough that at the time we had just finished clearing the forest on the southern slope and were in the process of planting trees. "Oh, I see." That''s what happens when heavy rain falls on a slope that has lost its forests and water retention capacity. ......, thought Jin and the others who were listening to the conversation. "But who kept you ......< in the warehouse?" "I don''t know." "Well, I''m sure you do, but ...... yes, there is another <> of the same type as you, isn''t there?" Jin remembered that there was another Golem stored in the basement of the common warehouse in the central plaza. "Oh, Jin-dono, is that so?" Luzo Chioda had never heard of this before, so he asked Jin back. Jin replied apologetically. "Oh, I didn''t explain, I''m sorry. Yes, there seems to be a golem in the basement of the common warehouse. What about ...... and <>, what about it?" "Yes, that would probably be <>." "Yes, it''s probably <>. Do you know anything about it? No. I know that there is a Schutzer 02 of my type. I see. Jin imagined that the time and date of the shutdown might be different. "I wonder what the intention of Qasim-dono who created you was?" It was a light question. Since he had heard the answer that the raison d''etre of the group was the defense of the village of Quent, it was natural to imagine that the answer would not be much different from that. However, <>''s answer was different. "He said he wanted to compare it to the village of Kaina. "What?" It was an answer that Jin had never expected. "The first generation and their comrades decided that <>." "Heh. ......" "Respect," they said. "......" Jin thought it was a little bit embarrassing, though he didn''t say it out loud. However, since the first generation of Magi Seekers were probably related to members of the , it was understandable that he felt such a longing for them. And in the village of Kaina, there used to be Gon and Gen, the >. He wondered with some regret whether such feelings of the first generation had been lost in the natural catastrophe that had occurred in the past. 3250 - - 85-36 Humanity Instruction After finishing the repair of Schutzer 01 in the village of Quent, Jin asks Rouzou Chioda a question. "Can you use ?" But the answer was no. I am sorry, but you cannot use it. The first generation could use it, but ......" I see, Jin thought. None of the Tomoshide Yoda and the others he had met the other day had been able to use . It is not surprising if their mentor, the Magi Seeker, is unable to use it. "You said that you would not accept help, but I would like you to teach me the transcription of <>. "What? Jin''s offer came as more of a shock to Rouzou and Chioda than they had expected. "...... would be very much appreciated." The leader of the group, Chioda Lohzo, got down on his knees. "Yes, sir." Jin nodded his head in agreement. * * * * One of the historical feats created by Adriana Barbora Zetsi, the great < Magecraft Meister> of Jin''s predecessors, is the <. This is . Not only engineering magic, but also < requires a certain level of knowledge. It is not the case that just anyone can use it by casting spells or chanting. Chanting is useful, but not essential, for establishing an image of the magic you wish to use. If the image is accurate, the chanting can be discarded. Or you can just chant in your brain. The ability to handle >, which is also necessary for a mage. Jin and others call it <>. < is necessary is to access the world''s , which hold what should be called . The <> are probably in a higher world than ......, since no one has ever confirmed the existence of ......, and there are <> to connect (access) them. And if all these things are not right, the magic will not work. If you cannot use <, it means that you lack any or all of them. "I can use engineering magic, so I should be able to use <> to some extent. You just don''t know how to do it," Jin said. Just as he had coached Reinhardt and Erza in the past, Jin coached Rouzou Chioda and all the <> ...... including the apprentices, ten of them. He instructed them ....... First, Jin performed a . This is a method that shows how to do something unconsciously to the target person, i.e., the person being taught, and can be likened to what is called <>. Next, let them actually perform . Then, Jin, who is the one who teaches them, can determine if they are talented or not by following the flow of magic power using <> or <>. And if you have the talent, all you have to do is practice. "<>" "......Yes, you have the right qualities." "Thank you!" After repeating the same thing ......10 times for a number of people, it was found that all of them had <> qualities. This was good news. <, we can pass on our knowledge to the next generation. <> has declined compared to that of the first generation is largely due to the fact that the was not available. Perhaps the < of <> were able to use <>, but they were not able to teach how to do so. Jin thought that it was a pity. However, from now on, they can pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation. Jin was happy for that. * * * * < had mastered , Jin sets the next task. "Now, let''s copy the control core of <>." "What?¡¡Jin-sama, are you sure? Luzo Chioda asked Jin in surprise. "Of course. , is that correct? "Yes, Jin-sama." "Yes, Jin-sama. ......Louzo, this is what we need to do." What do you mean? The golem that came the other day. Oh, ...... "They may come back ...... or they will. We need to be able to mass produce Schutzer-type golems to protect ourselves in case they do. Can we do that? "Yes, we can. ...... Even without my help, you should be able to defeat such a golem by using <> as an example. As a matter of fact, <> is about 1.5 times more powerful than the original because Jin had secretly improved it when he repaired it. However, it is not a kind of magical remodeling, but rather, it is just a matter of correcting the parts that were not well made and the parts where the materials were used incorrectly. I understand, I''ll give it a try. "If you still insist, I won''t give up on ....... We are comrades, so to speak, who have inherited the same technique and heart. "Thank you very much." * * * * < from Jin. It was a gift that filled a need they had been lacking. "Jin-sama, how can I thank you ......?" "No, it is a kind of duty as a Magecraft Meister. No, it is a kind of duty as a Magecraft Meister himself to pass on his skills, knowledge, and experience to the next generation," Jin said. * * * * On this day, Jin and the others stayed overnight at the base of the . They said that they rarely have visitors, but they have a building for visitors, and there are two clean and comfortable rooms. This time, Jin, Goose, and Goh (and Reiko) stayed in one room. This time Jin, Goose, and Goh (and Reiko) stayed in one room, and Elsa, Saki, Rubina, and Merze stayed in one room. 3251 - - 85-37 Making Golem for Magic Seekers Jin and others...... namely Jin, Erza, Reiko, Goose, Saki, Goh, Rubina, Merce and others stayed one night at the base of <>. The next day, the 17th, Jin proposed to Rouzou, Chioda, and the others to make a golem based on the model of < the day before, and on this day, they finally started the actual work. "You finished analyzing the structure yesterday, didn''t you? "Of course I did. Then, let''s work in pairs to fabricate the structure in five locations. The pairing partner is ....... The elder and master, Rouzo Chioda, is one of the apprentices. Leo de Siemo, a high apprentice, will be one of the apprentices. Another high apprentice, Zinnia Ender, is one of the apprentices who has graduated from the apprenticeship. Sean Denisque, also a high apprentice, is one of the younger apprentices. Maitay Kouno, the youngest of the high apprentices, also works with one of the younger apprentices. "Basically, I don''t say anything. But please let Goh and Rubina, who are students, help you. With that as the guiding principle, the work began. The first thing to do is to prepare the materials. This is no problem at all. < are a group of technicians, and they have a large stockpile of materials. Moreover, the underground of this base is rich in metal resources and magi crystals. * * * * "The skeleton is light silver. LOUZOU CHIYODA muttered, and secured the necessary amount of light silver from ingots by <>. That''s enough," muttered Jin who was watching from the side in his mind. Light silver was the main material in the initial stage of the Horaijima force. * * * * * "The structure is Adriana style, though some parts have been simplified." Leo de Simo explained to the apprentice. He is known to be very attentive. "Master Leo, what is the purpose of the simplification?" "Probably to increase the <>. Since it is a golem and not an automaton, it is probably constructed with combat in mind. "That''s instructive." "Besides, the sliding parts of this joint are coated with adamantite. This is said to be a traditional technique that has been used since the second generation of magical engineers, the MagiCraft Meister." Hearing this explanation, Jin smiled inwardly and wondered if that was how the legend was told. * * * * "Muscle tissue is metallic. That''s why <> was not immune to deterioration over time. Zinnia Ender, the reddest of the high disciples, explains to her younger reddest apprentice. "According to the second generation''s theory, if you use materials of biological origin, as long as there is a certain concentration of free magical element (ether), it will not deteriorate." "Ah, it''s the same as an ether stocker, isn''t it?" "That''s right." They are the technicians who specialize in materials among the Magi Seekers, and they like to discuss about these magical materials. Saki watched them with narrowed eyes. Saki watched them with narrowed eyes. "<>''s magic conduction line was badly deteriorated. But knowing that, we have to take countermeasures. "Yes." "Specifically, we need to inactivate the surface." In the whole ......, yes, that''s right." "I see you''ve noticed. Yes, because if you deactivate the entire surface, the conductivity of the magic will be significantly reduced. "Yes." Sean Deniske was also the type to teach carefully. * * * * "The <> is first imprinted with the <>, but from now on it can be done with the <>. In other words, we can keep the quality constant." "That''s right!" "First of all, we need to make <>, which we can use from <>." "In this case, the transinfo is very useful, isn''t it?" "No, it''s not. No. Or rather, we should not just say <> is useful. It seems that this technology has much more to offer. "......What''s that?" "Perhaps it is ......<>." Maitrei Kouno, without being told by anyone, had come up with the next stage ......<> of <>. "Once you become proficient in <>, you will probably be able to sort information during transcription." "Will it be ......?" "I think you could at least be a <>." Jin watched their exchange with a faint smile on his face. * * * * * * "Oh, I see, so this is how they are processing the work. "Oh, I see, that''s how they do it. It''s a little time-consuming because you don''t abbreviate, but the result is so much more beautiful. Gough and Rubina tour the site where the five groups of technicians are working. For better or worse, the < are following the ways of the < Magecraft Meister>. It could be called old-fashioned, or it could be said that they are following tradition. Goh and Rubina seemed to have gained a lot from observing the work being done according to such old-fashioned methods. * * * * * * * * * And since Merce was ignorant of magical engineering, he had no idea of the nature of the work being done here. So, Elsa was at his side, explaining the process to him. "I know it sounds like a roundabout way of saying this, but such work leads to increased durability, and in the end, it saves time in total. "So you can reduce the frequency of maintenance." Yes, that''s right. * * * * Guth is originally a naturalist, although he has recently been turning his attention to folklore. In natural history, a knowledge is useful. Therefore, he was interested in observing and analyzing the < who seemed to be working on a traditional production. * * * * * * * * * That afternoon, five golems were completed. 3252 - - 85-38 One ending and a bright future "Then, let''s do a quick performance test of the six bodies, including <>." Jin suggested. This was more a form of guidance than assistance, and more importantly, it was to make up for what the <> had lost or forgotten. I understand." Luzo Chioda seems to understand this and nods his head in agreement. It is normal for an engineer to want to know the performance of a completed Golem. "Then, let''s have GL-030 compare with it. "Oh, yes, that''s right. When Mighty said this, everyone agreed and GL-030 was added to the performance test. "Now, please activate the five units." "Yes, sir. ......<>" Schutzer01 and GL-030 have already been activated, so the five golems Five golems are now in motion. "First of all, let''s check the operation. ...... Reiko, show them the way." "Yes, father." Reiko steps forward and begins the first exercise of the famous gymnastics. It''s a standard exercise check for Horaijima. By the way, it is said that there is a third exercise, but Jin remembers only the second one, which is also quite doubtful. As a side note, it is said that there are also the 4th and 5th exercises as a story. ....... "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8......" Seven golems performing gymnastics to Reiko''s movements. It is quite a surreal sight. A human being would not be able to perform such movements at first sight, but with the reaction speed of the golems, they can follow Reiko''s movements in about 0.2 seconds. However, there are variations in the reaction speed. After the participants have performed all the movements, Reiko gives a general comment. The score is out of 10 points. Sch¨¹tzer 01, 9 points. That''s a pretty good score." Land team would have scored 10 points, but Schutzer 01 seemed to be slightly unstable. "GL-030 scored an 8. Its reaction time is a little slower than Sch¨¹tzer 01. However, this is also an acceptable score. Reiko then assigns the golems of the < group as G1, G2, G3, and G3 to the Rouzou, Leo, and Zinnia groups, respectively. Sean''s group will be called G4, and Mighty''s group will be called G5," he says, G1 is 8 points. G2 is 7 points. G3 is 5 points. Unfortunately, there is a little play in the joints. G4 and G5 are both 7 points. G4 and G5 are both 7 points, but G5 is a little stiff. "Oh ......" "That''s what I''m talking about, Miss Leco. ......" At this point, Jin had a short discussion with the members of the about whether or not to make adjustments, but since this was a movement test, not a competition, they decided to leave it unadjusted until the end. "So, ...... we will do a 90-meter run." The reason for the halfway figure of 90 meters is that it is the only straight line that the Golem can run in this <. Since soil would be too gouged out, rocky ground is preferable. Jin then applied < to the ground, creating an improvised land course. "All right, ......, let''s get started!" The ground, which had been < applied by Jin, withstood the golem''s dash. This time, Reiko is not running, but is measuring the time and rank with her own eyes. The first place was Sch¨¹tzer 01, 2.2 seconds. Second place GL-030, 2.6 seconds. Third place G1, 2.9 seconds. G1, 2.9 seconds. 4th G2, 3.4 seconds. 5th G4, 3.9 seconds. 6th G4, 3.9 seconds, 3.9sec.6thG5,4.1sec.7thG3,4.5sec. 3,4.5 seconds." The results were almost in line with the evaluation in the operation check, confirming the correctness of Reiko''s judgment. "This is about right. You should be able to see which parts are insufficient, so let''s readjust those parts. "Yes, sir." <, the other six were temporarily stopped, and the makers began to readjust them. And as for GL-030, Goh and Rubina were allowed to check it with permission. "Oh, it''s true that the clearance is too small in these joints. "So this one is too loose. ...... "How to lower the magic resistance at this end: ......" < Goh and Rubina also check GL-030 and make modifications. Hey, isn''t this an extra part?¡¡If we connect this part here directly to this part here, the reaction speed will be faster. "I agree. I thought it could be used as a limiter, but it doesn''t make sense. Jin looked around the six locations and made sure that everyone had properly addressed the areas that needed improvement. "It''s done. "This one''s done, too." When the improvements were completed, it was time for afternoon tea. "Ladies and gentlemen, the tea is ready." Tea time is always taken as a break time, I hear. Otherwise, most of the members would be working continuously without taking a break, and they would get sick. After the 3:00 p.m. tea break, the final check is made. At first, I had someone other than < do the first exercise to check the operation. "Good. They are all about an 8 or 9." "Oh." Reiko''s evaluation showed that their movements had definitely improved, and the <> looked pleased. "Thank you very much for your guidance, Jin-sama." LOUZOU CHIYODA bowed deeply to Jin and expressed his gratitude. * * * * * * That night, we stayed one more night at the . The <> held a small party and thanked Jin and the others. "They showed us that we are not alone," said Jin. "We will look outward a little more. We mustn''t be a frog in a well, you know. Good luck." Jin gave his hearty encouragement to those who expressed their new resolve. * * * * After this, Elsa conducted a medical checkup, and it was fortunate that no one had any problematic diseases. However, since there was a slight deficiency of zinc, we instructed them to increase their intake of nuts and eggs. * * * * The future <> is truly . It was a bright future, free from the fetters of the past. Spring had come to the highland village of Quent, with the green ears of wheat swaying. 3253 - - 85-39 Silent Story 143 "First" The five golems, with their immobilized comrades in their arms, returned to their base using <>. The receiving side''s magic circle was located in a hall where the ceiling, walls, and floor were all made of metal. There, five golems with their friends appeared. You''re back. ...... what happened? asks the golems using magic wave communication. >We have discovered that two of the people we are looking for are at the village chief''s house, and we have surrounded it to secure them, when suddenly five of the golems stopped moving. Golem also replies over the comm. What was the cause? < Yes, that is correct. We know the location of our target, so there''s no need to rush. We have enough time. < Take the stuck golem to the second workshop. And the voice is silent. The five golems carried their five stuck comrades to the second workshop as instructed. * * * * * * "Oh, what''s going on?" The technical golem in charge of the second workshop looked at the five golems brought in and asked the golem that had brought them in. "I don''t know. They stopped working all of a sudden. I need you to repair them and find out why they stopped moving." "Okay." The five golems then left the second workshop, leaving the other five stuck golems behind. The next stop was workshop 3. "You''re back. ......mm, what happened to the other five?" asked the technical golem in charge of the third workshop. "They malfunctioned during the mission, so I left them at the second workshop. "I see. So you''ve come here to service the body, right? I''ll take care of it. I''ll take care of it. The five golems were then fixed to the work hanger and serviced by the technical golem. "Well, they were hardly worn out at all. "I guess so." "The damage to the exterior is also slight. It seems there was no real battle. The five of us, yes. But the five that are stuck are ......? * * * * In the second workshop, a technical golem was disassembling and repairing the five stuck bodies. What the hell does this mean? "I don''t know." "It can be repaired. We can repair them, but we can''t guess what happened to them. In a way, we don''t have much information. The fact that the magic conductor inside has been broken while the exterior is completely undamaged. < In such a case, thinner and weaker parts would be damaged. However, all of the five bodies had their thick magic leads broken. And that too, once and for all. "I can only come to one conclusion: they were cut by engineering magic." But did you let the enemy get that close? That''s also unlikely. ...... But here''s the result. "...... is beyond our control. < and let them handle it. I agree. The status of all five units is recorded and then repairs are made. The record is passed to by the support golem. I see, I understand. I see, I understand. , who received the report, understood what had happened in a short time with his superior thinking ability. The key is the airship. > The person I was talking to was one of the 5 that returned safely, the leader of the 10, the one that confronted Reiko. had given her a detailed situation report on the failed mission. Then the support golem brought new information, which made it possible to make a more accurate guess. Yes. Perhaps the owner of the airship did . < The village and the people we''re looking for don''t have that kind of technology. < That''s right. < Mm-hmm. I think it''s possible that they were cloaked in invisible wards and attacked with engineering magic. < And the owner of the airship is most likely either a Magecraft Meister or a deus ex machina. Large airships and advanced technology. No one in the known world possesses both. It was not difficult to guess the owner. If it is one or the other, is it a coincidence? asked himself. But there is no answer. I don''t have enough information. I am still a work in progress. ...... * * * * * * The interrelationship of events...... sounds difficult, but the point is the connection of events. Jin came here because <>. And the timing of this visit is because of the incident in Hurek town. The incident came to light because of the kidnapping of , the magic brain. <> carried out the kidnapping at ....... And thus, the cause can be traced back. The cause is the result of the cause, and therefore the cause can be inferred from the result. Of course, there are some things that cannot be determined without a large amount of data, such as events with divergent possibilities, probabilistic events, and events that seem to be only coincidental. It is because of this lack of control that called himself . And we must consider the next strategy. To get closer to < ....... * * * * > If that one ......, if it hasn''t been noticed, leave it be. < thought. What is the content of ......? 3254 - - 86-01 Securing the safety of the "base" On May 18, Jin and the others were still in the stronghold of the . The threat of the mysterious golem and its manipulators had not been eliminated. "We have wards for protection, but do you have any ideas on what to do if they are disabled or breached?" "We have to stay in our underground shelters. ......" There is a shelter for evacuation, the elder Luzo Chioda explained to Jin. "That''s good. Wouldn''t it be even better if there was a transfer magic circle there?" "Yes, that''s true, but ......" We don''t have a destination," said Rouzou-Chiyoda. "Well, that''s true, but ......" Jin did not think of that, either. "Hmmm... ......" Jin said he did not want to be backed up by Houraishima, so there was no way that the host would be Houraishima. "But it''s an emergency. ......" Even if they choose Kaina village, Kaina village may be in danger this time. "I still think it should be ...?" Deciding on one''s own is also a bad idea. "Then, it''s Arcadia, isn''t it? "<>?¡¡What is that? "Oh, you didn''t have that information. ....... < What? Are you sure? The <> is amazed at Jin''s words. "I''ll contact Makina myself, and we''ll set it up in <>." Since Makina''s true identity is under Jin''s command, there is no problem. "It''s really up to you if you want to use it or not." "I understand." Jin''s explanation was enough to convince Rouzou and Chioda. It seems that the term "in case of emergency" is very persuasive to those in the technical field. "And maybe a device that allows us to see our surroundings. The technology called <>, which is based on the visual devices of golems and automata, was also possessed by <>. "It would be a good idea to install it in several places so that it can be seen somewhere ...... such as in the shelter I mentioned earlier." "I see, that sounds interesting." Maitei Kouno was the first to take Jin''s suggestion. He seemed to like the idea of a secret base. "To do that, we need to set up an antenna somewhere outside of the boundary to communicate and exchange data with the outside world, don''t we? "I see. In that case, the rock head over there would be a good place. Maitrei pointed to a rock wall to the west of the base, which protrudes in the shape of a triangular pyramid. "Oh, that''s a good idea. Jin agreed with the shape. It would certainly be a good place to hide an antenna. "And how many golems do you have as a fighting force? "At the moment, we have 2 So far, we have two or three Golems from GL-011 to 030. This was answered by Rouzou Chioda. "There are 10 automata (automata), which are domestic helpers, and they also have some fighting power. "I see. If you want to ......, you can send 20 golems to ......, no, GL-030 is already modified, so you can send 19 golems to ....... I have already modified the -030, so there are 19 golems. Let''s modify 19 golems as well. "Sure, that would work." So, Jin and Rouzou and the others work together to remodel the nineteen. Goh, Rubina, and Reiko also helped, so the remodeling was completed in the morning. * * * * * * * * * * After lunch, the <> was installed. The conductors were run through the ground and connected to the communication device installed in the <>. The shelter was slightly expanded so that it could also function as an emergency command center. Jin and ...... Mighty and the flippant Mighty. "This kind of work is fun!" "Yes." "I''ve always wanted to have a hidden secret room. "Yes, I know what you mean." Maitrei, who had been shy, had already become accustomed to Jin and was able to express his preferences. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I think we''re gonna need some medical equipment. "Yes, I think so." At Erza''s insistence, the automata, who were to help with the household chores, were to be trained in rudimentary to intermediate emergency medical care. However, all they had to do was to transcribe the contents of the Magi Crystals with Information that Elsa had prepared for them. Using the newly-learned , he actually educates 10 automata. In this way, the automata from MS-021 to 030 have developed not only housekeeping skills but also medical skills. Thus, the automata (automata) from MS-021 to 030 learned not only housework but also medical skills. * * * * * * Saki and Goose, on the other hand, give material advice. "The rocks in this area are probably derived from skarn, so you should be able to get some metal ores." "Thank you!" Saki said to Sean Deniske. And Goose is Goose, "I''m also a naturalist. The area around here, including the village of Quent, has a lot of basic soil, so it would be a good idea to mix peat into the soil. Peat is the result of low-temperature wetlands where water moss and other plant matter has accumulated without decomposing sufficiently, and can be used as fuel when dried. When mixed with soil, peat can slightly lower the pH level and improve aeration and water retention. Of course, it is also useful as an organic fertilizer. It is also used for gardening in modern Japan. He gave the following advice. * * * * * * * * * * * After the 3:00 p.m. tea time, Jin asked about vehicles. "Now we need a means of transportation. ...... Is there anything else besides the microbus that you gave us a ride in?" "We have two 3-seater blow floaters. "Yes. May I see them? Then, this way, please. Guided by Roseau Chioda, Jin, together with Reiko, Goh, Rubina, and Merce, headed for the hangar at the back of the . "Here it is." "Oh." In the hangar were two blow floaters with foldable circular wings. 3255 - - 86-02 Guidance, not aid In the hangar was a < wind-powered blower with circular blades. It is similar to the type that Rhodes used to use. "Who made this?" The elder of the previous generation, Gail Tokiide. I see... His name is Geil. Although the form is old-fashioned, it is carefully crafted, and I felt that it was a gem that would make a good impression on Jin. "But this one can''t accommodate all of us, can it?" "That''s right. ......" "Since we''re at this point, why don''t we have enough for all of you?" "That would be great ......, but what kind of aircraft?" "I have a few options, but I''ll leave it to you to decide. I mean, will it be an airship type that can accommodate all of us, or a small aircraft type that can accommodate a few of us? "Well, since we have two aircraft here ......, I''d like to go with a small aircraft." There was also the reason that they did not have enough material to build a large plane. "Okay. Then, let''s finalize the production plan. "Yes, let''s." As expected, Jin did not think that he would be able to build everything today. It was possible, but it seemed that there was not that much stock of materials here. That''s where Saki comes in. "Kuhu, if we dig with 10 golems with GL numbers, yes, we can mine more than enough ore in a week. As I told Sean Deniske earlier, the site produces metallic minerals such as tin, molybdenum, iron, copper, zinc, lead, iron and sulfur. In addition, aluminum, magnesium, and adamantite are also produced. In addition to metal resources, pomegranate, olivine, mica, and feldspar are also available. And there is also a small amount of rare magic crystal (magi-crystal). Perhaps more than enough for research and prototyping. "That''s right. Thank you very much. The advantage of these refineries is that they can be done with engineering magic, so there is no need to worry about tailings or effluents, and thus no pollution. "However, it seems that only light silver is enough if we don''t purchase it." Sean Deniske said. Yes, light silver ore could not be extracted here. * * * * When Jin heard that light silver was to be purchased from outside, he asked Rouzou Chioda a question. "How do you earn the money for such purchases?" LOUZO CHIYODA answered. "We are eating into our reserves. "What?" "I repair tools and lend out magic tools in the village of Quent, but that is almost completely consumed by the purchase of grain." "......The first generation left us a huge fortune, so we manage to make do with it." He said that he was able to get by because he did not make expensive purchases. "If I can''t use light silver ......, I guess I''ll have to use <." "I know duralumin or ...... exists, but I''m afraid I don''t know the ratio anymore." I''ll tell you about it. ......Wait, what?¡¡Maybe ......< knows?" Jin called Schutzer01, who had not yet returned to the village of Kuent. "What is it, Jin-sama?" "Do you know the ratio of duralumin?" Yes, sir, I know the ratio. Yes, I know. I see. Luzo Chiyoda was surprised, and Jin nodded his head in satisfaction. "After all, this Sch¨¹tzer 01 seems to have some knowledge of engineering magic. "I hadn''t thought of that." "Before we return it to the village of Quent, let''s ask him to provide us with some information about engineering magic. That''s a good idea. But how? "By applying transinfo. Jin said nonchalantly. "With practice, you''ll be able to select and choose the right information. "Yes, I guess so. ...... "As a master, you can use the magi crystals for information from < that you made the other day. The only thing left to do is practice." "I''ll do my best." He takes only the necessary information from Sch¨¹tzer 01 and copies it into the magi crystal. He then transcribes the contents into his own head. The best way to transcribe the information to oneself is to use one''s own magi-crystal for information. The best way to transfer it to yourself is from a magical crystal (magi crystal) that you have made yourself. "Now, let''s make duralumin, which you will practice later. Oh, yes. Schutzer01, give me the recipe for duralumin. "Yes, Master Jin. It is an alloy of aluminum with 3.5 to 4.5 percent copper and 0.4 to 0.8 percent magnesium. Magnesium 0.4 to 0.8 percent. "Oh, I see." These metals are produced here, so there is no problem using them. "However, the corrosion resistance is a bit low, so be careful with the surface treatment. Also, be aware of the property of ." Jin mentioned a word of caution. "What is that?" "<> means that the surface is prone to corrosion under continuous stress. "I don''t understand, but an environment where there is constant force is not good?" "That''s right. So it''s okay if we devise the structure or remember to use the engineering magic or . "Oh, I see!" There are other problems, such as poor weldability, but if you use the engineering magic <>, you will be fine. "There is also <> and <> with even higher strength. ......<>, do you know the recipe?" Yes, I know the recipe. "Yes, I know the recipe. <> and <> also have poor corrosion resistance and are prone to <>, so <> and <> are essential. I understand. ...... It would be good to use this to make a new golem." "Yes, that''s right." A golem for protecting <>, modeled after <>. Considering that there were 10 mysterious golems, I made 5 the other day and would like to have 5 more. Jin agreed with Rouzou Chioda''s opinion that it would be a good idea to make them out of duralumin metal. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jin offered various kinds of assistance. But he thinks that this is not assistance but guidance. And before long, Rouzou, Chioda, and the other <> found pleasure in increasing their knowledge under Jin''s guidance. And so, once again, Jin and the others stayed at the < that day. 3256 - - 86-03 Successful injury "Hey, Groma, I just found out something terrible!" On May 19th, a disturbance was about to occur at the <>, the academic and research facility of <>, the <>, a.k.a. <>, which belongs to the <>. "Eira, what the hell is going on? Calm down." I can''t calm down!¡¡This is a big deal! All right, tell me what you''ve found out. This control core has something very important inside it! "What?" Eira presented the control core. It was the <> that started the recent commotion. The control core was shipped from the Rivas region in the east of the Kingdom of Celluloid. It was acquired for research purposes because it was said to have a good reputation. Certainly, its processing power was high, and the performance of the golem that used the control core was outstanding. However. "In a way that would normally be difficult to understand, there was a hidden function to transmit information to X, and a command to transfer command authority to X." "What? It was an incredible discovery. If this is true, then all the knowledge and information that the golem has accumulated, or was given by its creator, will be known to , and it will follow ''s orders. "What about the room manager?" "I reported it immediately." Then Arnold, the head of the office, came in. "You were right, Eira. That''s a very clever way of hiding it. I''m going to go to ...... now to report to the Chief Superintendent. "Please do." Arnold then walked quickly away. * * * * Naturally, the commotion had reached the island of Horai. The brainy old man of Horai Island immediately contacted Jin. On the same day, Jin and his group were about to leave the of the . There were still some concerns, such as the golem believed to be < still sleeping in the basement of the common warehouse in the central square of the village of Quent, and the golem for the defense of the <> base had not been completed, but the period of stay was getting longer, and it was time to leave. However, the period of their stay was getting longer, and they decided it was time to move on. Goh and the others, especially Meltze, were getting tired soon, and Elsa had advised them to return to Reuzert''s mansion. No matter how cozy it is, a person who is not accustomed to travel is always more comfortable at home than in a luxury hotel (with some exceptions). So, just as I was getting ready to go home, I received a call from the old man. Since he was still inside the , he used the prototype which he got from Hannah. Jin, who was still in the guest room, heard the report with <>. . "What?¡¡...... hmm." Erza, who was with him and was in speaker mode, also heard the report. "Elsa, you heard right. I''m going to delay your return just a little bit. Please explain this to Goh and the others. "Yes, okay." So Jin rushed to Rouzou, Chioda and the others and told them the story. "What? "I don''t think this Magi Crystal has such a mechanism. ......" "Of course it does. Of course, of course. Before Jin could say anything, Rouzou Chioda offered to check. Jin then found a copy of the of , < and other golem control cores, as well as the control cores of automata such as . (control cores) of < and <. The time required, 20 seconds for each. "......Good, there is nothing wrong." Well, that''s a relief. Luzo Chioda was relieved to hear that there were no abnormalities, but at the same time, he was overwhelmed by the speed of Jin''s work. "Now I can take my leave with peace of mind." "Thank you for everything you''ve done for me." "No, it is my duty as a magecraft master. Please come again. Thank you. Mr. Goh, Ms. Rubina, and Ms. Merce, please come visit us again. Thank you very much. "Thank you, Saki and Goose, for all your help." "You''re welcome." "Thank you, Miss Elsa, for all your help." "Take care of yourselves, everyone." After exchanging brief but heartfelt words, Jin and the others boarded the that had come to pick them up. As they watched the ride off, they promised themselves that one day they would create such a work of art. * * * * * <, Jin once again explained the situation to everyone. "Well, then, does that mean that using the will leak important secrets?" "Yes. Rubina is right, this is not good. And one more thing..." You''ll be obeying the orders of a mysterious mastermind, right? Goh, you''re right. That''s a ...... terrible thing! Merce, realizing what was happening, shouted out. "That''s right. If that mysterious mastermind gets his way, at worst, the very foundations of the country could be shaken." "That''s right... ......" "Perhaps has come to a similar conclusion." * * * As Jin predicted, an emergency meeting was held in <>. "So, you''re saying that those <> have >......<>?" "Yes. And in such a way that if you didn''t know about it, you wouldn''t be able to find it." Chief Superintendent Tomax Bartmann was being briefed by Arnold, the head of the <> office. "For your information, can you tell us how it was hidden?" "Of course. Simply put, the engraved magical formulas and commands were made invisible. "How?" "Specifically, the engraved areas were filled with a special resin of the same color, transparency, and refractive index as the magi crystals used. Optically, it is completely unrecognizable to the naked eye," Arnold explained. "Hmmm... ...... Surely that makes it impossible to detect visually?" "Yes. In addition, it is magically inactivated, and is silent until it receives a pre-determined magic key word. It cannot be detected by ordinary tests. Then how did you find it? "When we heat-treated it, the special resin melted away, revealing the hidden Magi Formula." "I didn''t know that." Normally, no one would think of heating the control core unless there was something wrong with it. The fact is that Eira inadvertently dropped the control core she was examining on the stove. She was trying to boil water while playing with it ......, but no one but Eira herself was aware of it. It was truly a <. ....... 3257 - - 86-04 Analysis in Avalon Jin explained the situation to Erza and the others and hurriedly headed for Loisart. Of course, in order not to arouse Merce''s suspicion, he switched places with a on the way and went to Horai Island. * * * * * * Jin immediately went to the control room and questioned Lao Kun. "Old man, let me see the data right away. "Is this the data of the control core? ...... < The old man showed Jin the data which he had read with his "peepers". "I didn''t know such a thing was circulating." Then, the old man reported one more thing. > "Yes, when I was there with Goh and Rubina. <<> "That''s right." <> "Yes." Jin and the old man checked it and found no problem, except that it was a little inefficient. >. "...... I see." Jin understood. In short, the <> discovered by coincidence this time was not copied correctly when <> was performed. "......" What is the reason? There are several possible reasons. <> is an engineering magic that performs <> and <>> at the same time. In other words, if <> is not done correctly, <> will be incorrect. "...... I''d like to see the real thing." Jin felt that he would like to experiment and verify with <> which has <>. "Shall we go to <>? "I see. Now <> can use all engineering magic, including transference of knowledge. Since Jin is supposed to be in Loisart, it was decided that it would be better for him to visit <> as Machina. * * * * * * * * * * * In the office of the chief administrator of <>. Manon, the secretary-automata, reported. "Sir Tomax, the Deus Ex Machina III will be here in a hurry. "I see. Is this about the back door? Yes. Yes. You''re a very well-informed man, aren''t you? But thank you very much. Half an hour after the call, Makina''s Aristotle landed on Avalon. "Thank you, Lord Makina, for your prompt response." This is a big deal, isn''t it? Yes, I''m ...... at a loss as to what to do. I''m sure it is. I contacted Jin and asked him for advice. "Oh. What did Jin-dono say? "I think we can do something about it by improving the transinfo system." Improvement? Yes. Why don''t we go to the at this ......?" "Yes. ......" The meeting can be held in the meeting room of the . So Makina, Squire Ray, Tomax Bartmann, and his secretary, Automata Manon, headed for the . Of course, in a private car. "I heard that you were the first to find it, Mister Eira?" "That''s right. She says it was a coincidence. No, the fact that he found it is what matters now. I''m afraid that the back door could be exploited. I agree. We need to find them as soon as possible. "I am ashamed to say this, but we are relying on Makina-dono and Jin-dono. While we were having this conversation, we drove into the area where the was located. After parking the car in the parking lot, the group went to the meeting room of the . Arnold, the director of the <>, Eira, the discoverer of the <>, and Gromma and Cachea were waiting for them. "Welcome, Lord Machina. Welcome, Sir Tomax." Arnold stood up to greet Tomax and Machina''s group. "Well, time is of the essence. I would like to get right down to business. Makina is well aware of the situation." Tomax Bartmann presided over the meeting, and it began. He declared that no honorifics would be used in this emergency. "First of all, we will discuss who planted this additional program called later. The first priority is how to disable it. Next is how to find it." "Oh, one thing... have the countries been notified?" Makina asked Tomax Bartmann. "I''ve already given them an overview," he said, adding that details would follow. I''ve already given them a brief overview," he added, "but more details will follow. "Okay. I''d like to see ...... first. "Here you go, Machina," he said. Arnold handed me a disk-shaped control core. "So this is it. The base is a light-attribute magi crystal of general quality. ...... Are all the attributes the same?" "Yes. I checked and they were all light." "That could be the key too." Makina then devoted all her energy to analyzing the control core. It is Jin who is now controlling Makina. <, it is a special version specialized for engineering magic, so it is not inferior to the one that Jin himself is analyzing. And one minute ....... "Got it." "Oh, you''re the man, Makina-dono." Can you explain it to me? "Of course." Placing the control core in his hand on the table, Makina began to explain the results of his analysis....... 3258 - - 86-05 Study Group at Avalon "Hmmm......... I see......... this is the place......... I see........." <, Jin analyzed the in question. "I see, so that''s what you mean ...... and ...... and ...... and ......." The information coming through the headset, the control device, was as clear as if he was analyzing the control core in his hand. The information that Jin wanted to know was slowly revealed. The reason why he used light attribute magi crystals (magi crystals), which are space-based, instead of all attribute magi crystals, which have a wide range of characteristics, is for <>. Of course, it was to send information to the and to receive his orders. We have been able to grasp the magic wave of the communication. And why <> can''t make a normal copy. ...... is jamming. How to do the jamming. It resonates with the magic wave of <> and generates a reflected wave, which covers the information with noise and prevents the accuracy of the information. In other words, to copy the information in the <> part, we can change the magic waveform of the <>. "Okay." In about a minute, Jin had finished his analysis. Then, he explained to the people in as Machina. * * * * * * * * * * * * "I found out that ......." "Oh! "That''s what I''m talking about!" Both Tomax Bartmann and Arnold were impressed. But Eira was.., "...... Makina-sama, if this backdoor is resonating with the magical wave of Trans-Info, does that mean that the person who set up this backdoor knows a lot about Trans-Info?" Makina, and the person who set up the , is familiar with . "Hmmm... ...... can we see Mr. Tomoside?" "Shall I call him here?" At Makina''s words, Tomax Bartman wisely ordered his secretary Manon to call Tomoside. * * * * * * * * * * * * Three minutes later, Tomoside Yoda arrived with Manon. "You wanted to see me, sir? "Mr. Tomoshide, I know it''s early, but I''d like you to hear what Makina has to say to you. "Yes, my lord." Tomoside then turned to Makina and asked for a direct explanation. "You want to know who wrote the in the control core and when? "Yes. Fortunately, there are only a few traces of magic power left. I would like to know the pattern of your magic power for comparison. I will gladly cooperate. Thus, Tomoside Yoda accepted Makina''s with open arms. "......Thank you. ......This way, it seems that this control core must have been made by Tomoshide-dono." "Yes. Yes. He has done so on several occasions in order to make ends meet. But Tomoshide Yoda insisted that he had never installed such a back door. "I know. The magic pattern of the person who wrote this backdoor is different from that of Tomoside-dono. "You can understand such things, Makina-dono?" "I do. ...... This is a legitimate technology. < "Haha ...... I see." However, since this is an aside, Makina returns to the subject. "In other words, this control core was planted with a between the town of Hulek and the arrival at ." "I suppose you are right, Makina-dono." Tomax Bartmann agreed. No one disagreed. "I''d like you to look into that route." I''ll make the arrangements. Tomax Bartmann instructed Manon, who nodded and contacted his colleague, Simone, the secretary-automata, with the built-in manacam. Since Manon herself was also a secretary, this was the most efficient way to contact her. "Well, then, first of all, we need to consider . Makina looked around at all present. "Of course, I mean <>. Does anyone have any opinions or ideas?" "............" "Okay, I''ll go first." No one spoke up, so Tomoside Yoda raised his hand and then opened his mouth. "Wouldn''t it be better if we could only jam the magic waves used to communicate through that ?" "Yes, that''s certainly one idea. Jin and Machina can do it, but it''s a bit difficult with the current technology of <>. ....... "Well, it can''t be duplicated by the copying method called <>, can it?" This time it''s Katya, "Then, why don''t you just duplicate the control core by <> and use the duplicated one? "Oh, Katya, that''s a good idea. I agree with that approach, Makina-sama. "But we have to know which automata or golem is being used. ...... "Groma has a point. If it''s ......, then why don''t we just burn it?" Eira offered his opinion. "If we can create a magic wave that works on that <>, why don''t we get to it before the mysterious mastermind does?" "Uh, you mean to say, Eira, that''s how we can find golems and automata equipped with control cores with <> and take countermeasures against them, right?" "Groma is right." "Well, that''s a good idea. Thus, a countermeasure plan was discussed. ....... 3259 - - 86-06 "Avalon" and Horai Island, Various opinions were expressed, but it was decided to adopt a feasible plan in a short period of time. It is ....... "I''ll make a magic tool to fool <>. I''ll use it to expose golems and automata with dangerous control cores. "Such a thing is ......." That''s just what Lord Machina would do. Once, Golbert (Guillermo) Marcitas created a machine called a "Magi Emulator". It is a magical tool that imitates the magic pattern of an individual. Since the principle is known, it can be made by anyone. This time, it is easier because it only needs to imitate a specific magic pattern. "We can lend this to each country and have them sift out golems and automata. "And those that fall into this category will be shut down?" "That''s right. Then the control core will be copied and replaced by transinfo. "Isn''t that the problem?" Kacea waited for Makina''s explanation. "If the original is copied by transinfo, the original must be erased immediately, or else it may contain state secrets or private information. "I see, I guess you''re right, Kathea." Tomax Bartmann agreed with Cachair. "What percentage of control cores do you think there are?" "Well, I don''t have any ...... hard evidence, but I would say that 70% to 80% of them are classified." I guess it doesn''t matter if it''s something you barely operate," Katjea concluded. "In any case, this is a <> case." Tomax Bartmann said with a difficult look on his face. "I think we need to inform all the countries that this is a more serious matter than national secrets. Simone, the secretary-automata, said to Tomax Bartmann. "That''s right. We''ll do it as a formal notice." I will leave such political considerations to you. Makina also appreciated Tomax Bartmann''s political skills. He is not a bad choice for the position of Chief Superintendent. I will provide technical assistance. "I''m glad to hear you say so, Makina-sama." Thus, a plan of action was decided upon for the time being. The next step is to identify the mysterious mastermind, but this is a difficult task. "The communication function of this backdoor is not directional, so we cannot find out in which direction the mysterious mastermind is located. Too bad," Makina said. "But we still have the option of investigating the distribution channels." Ka''Chaea said. "Yes, that''s right. We will help you as much as we can. "Thank you, Mr. Makina." Thus, the policy of <> was decided. * * * * * * "Well, that''s all for now." Jin takes off his headset and takes a small deep breath. < is taken over without any time lag by the dedicated magic brain. "Huh?" The old man, who knows about the earlier incident at , knows one more clue that leads to the mysterious mastermind. < "I see. ...... they keep them in the dark so they don''t destroy the evidence?" < Jin thought that he would like to use the clue as effectively as possible. "Can you send our hand in without them noticing?" "I see. ......" The fact that he could not locate his opponent forced the old man to be cautious. > "What are they? "Is that it?" < "So we can go to their home base!" "In that case, we have to think carefully about how to do it." < The moment you send your hand in, there is a big chance that they will sense you and remove the <>. "Are there any animals in the vicinity?" It occurred to Jin that it would be a good idea to make it look as if animals had blended in. "If we feed the animal a small magi stone or magi crystal, wouldn''t it become a marker?" Since animals eat food directly from the ground, they sometimes swallow sand or gravel. The idea is that if the sand is a magi stone, we can follow its magic power. "And you have checked ...... that <>, haven''t you?" "Do you need to examine the actual object in person? ......" "And ...... what if we use that and send in 20 Rand troops?" < "What about it?" < "That''s true." Jin himself does not believe that what he has created is the strongest and invincible. "I guess the first step is to find out where they are." < "Okay, have you already done ...... to copy the magic circle? > "Okay, have you already done that thing of drawing the magic circle? >"Yes, I have already done that, haven''t I? "Then you can use it anytime you want. . "Then I would like to try it on a small animal. ......" "Oh, I see." It would have to be a large animal to accidentally open the door and get inside. "That''s a problem." "That''s one way. Jin wondered what he should do. 3260 - - 86-07 When confronted Jin was wondering how to investigate the mastermind behind the mysterious , but the solution came from the other side. <, 20 mysterious golems were transferred again. Of course, the old man, even though he was consulting with Jin, had enough ability to detect them immediately with his <>. <>. "What?¡¡That''s very convenient. < "Yes. ...... their destination is still the ?" < "Good." This narrows down the options for the plan of action considerably. Once again, Jin and the old man will discuss the plan. "Can we talk to them?" The old man, who is the brains of Horai Island, had more or less grasped the thinking patterns of the mysterious golem through their recent contact, and he devised a plan to use it. . "I see." Since the last time we tried this strategy, Land Squad had neutralized five Golems, we thought that if that they are , the dialogue would not go smoothly. How about Hope? < Yes. Hope is one of the unique golems created by Jin. Originally, when Jin was sent to the continent of Pandor (Pandor) and isolated, he wanted an assistant golem, so he made it with the best of his skills despite the lack of good materials, but later it underwent a major renovation on Horai Island. Its body is ....... The skeleton is made of foamed magi-adamantite, and the musculature is a composite of aged < with the shell of an ancient dragon. It uses 6 lines of magical nerve wires and is extremely reliable. It has four subprocessors, and its exterior is made of 64 light silver, reinforced by the shell of a gigantopod. It is even equipped with <. Moreover, its body shape follows Jin''s. What is distinctive is that the right eye is light (transparent). The right eye is light (transparent) and the left eye is lightning (purple). This is due to the fact that the left and right eyes had different colors when they were first produced due to lack of materials. Hope is a one-off golem that is as good as Lando''s. "I don''t have to fly the this time." * * * * < ** ** ** I know. That''s why they''ve doubled their forces. < The 20 golems are half-powered and heading for their destinations. < We were about halfway there when we came upon a sparse patch of grass. A wilderness of limestone rocks dotted with sparse grass. > > <<> << Such a conversation took place within seconds. Fortunately for Hope''s One of the 20 became the spokesman ...... spokesman golem. "Do you need something from us?" "Well, it''s a simple question. Why are you in a place like this?" Hope begins by asking a simple but penetrating question. But the spokesgolem does not answer immediately, "You seem to be asking the same question, don''t you? he asked Hope. Sensing that this is not a simple matter, Hope responds somewhere between concrete and abstract. "I''m looking into the geology of this area to gather information." "Hmm. "Well, what are the characteristics of this area?" "It is a karst landscape with exposed limestone. There are some underground cavities, and I think you can find stalactite caves if you look for them. "I see, so you are not lying when you say that you are investigating the geology. "So, back to my first question. How did you come to be in a place like this? I had a rough idea, but it was a question that would depend on how the mystery golem and the others responded to it. "To gather information." Again, this was an abstract answer. This was another abstract answer, and it could be said that the Mystery Golem was testing Hope''s intelligence. "What kind of information?" So Hope also plays the role of a intelligent person. "It''s a secret for now." "I see. So, what is your destination?¡¡Quent village? How did you know? How did you know? ...... is simple. The only human settlement in your direction is the village of Quent. "I see. So you can think logically. Yes, to a point. This seems to have caused the mysterious golem to change its response somewhat. "I see. At ......, can you give us some information on who made you?" "No. It makes no sense. If you tell us about your creators at ......, we''ll consider it." I can''t do that. I''m sure you can''t. The line continues to run parallel. Hope decides to change his approach. "Are you targeting a specific person in or near the village of Quent for intelligence gathering ......?" "What?¡¡...... can you make that much of an analogy. You seem to be able to think more logically than I thought." "Yes. Yes. That''s how it was designed. Hope changes her tone to a slightly more provocative one. "So you are after the knowledge of a particular person?¡¡You''re going to get that knowledge in a way that doesn''t involve ...... any risk, aren''t you?" "I don''t have to tell you." The mysterious golem''s demeanor seems to harden somewhat. "No, my master has nothing to do with the village of Quent." "What?¡¡Is that so? Are you trying to hinder us? That depends on what you want and how you want it. "Well... If you''re trying to hinder us, what can you do on your own? It looks like the clouds are finally getting darker. ....... 3261 - - 86-08 Questions and answers followed by questions and answers The mysterious golem clearly shows hostility toward Hope. Hope is unfazed. "I don''t like the idea of an intelligent person resorting to force," she said sarcastically. she said sarcastically. "Well, you''re right!" The spokesman seemed a little impressed. "It is true that it may not be appropriate for an intelligent being to appeal to power, but can you explain why? But can you explain why?" He then asked a question to test Hope. "Well, that would be difficult, wouldn''t it?" "Well?" "In the end, it comes down to a question of values. If we have different values, these questions are meaningless. "I see. But then we will not hesitate to destroy you if you interfere? "I see. Then let me explain it to you. "Oh, go ahead." "......<> is more or less destructive. Destruction is what turns order into disorder. And this world is slowly moving toward disorder." "Interesting thought. Keep going." "If <> is meaningful, then the longer it exists, the more meaningful it must be. Then the destruction of order is evil. In other words, <> is evil. Hearing Hope''s explanation, the mystery golem and the others <>. "That''s an interesting point of view," said Hope. But not very convincing. "I suppose not." "Sometimes destruction brings rebirth. Without destruction, there is no rebirth. Therefore, destruction does not equal evil. I see. The idea of reincarnation. "I see. It''s the idea of reincarnation." "Hmm?" The more destruction, the greater the possibility of rebirth. Huh? It is the Hindu belief that this world repeats birth and death. This is knowledge that Jin had read in a comic book when he was in modern Japan. But the mysterious golem and the others seemed to be interested in it. "I''ve never heard of this idea before. Interesting." Apparently, the mystery golem had never heard of such an idea. "So if I destroy you, you''ll rebuild me into a stronger golem? "Yes, if it''s my , I''m sure of it." "Oh." Hope assured them confidently, and the mysterious golems looked at her with interest. "So you believe that even if it is broken, you can be sure that it will be repaired?" "Yes." "Well, if that''s the case ......, I guess I''ll hold off on breaking you for now." What do you mean? I''m just trying to get some knowledge, you know, to get us out of trouble. You mean you won''t take any aggressive measures? "Well, that''s what I''m saying. ......, but..." "But?" The spokesgolem was slurring his words. Hope wondered about that attitude. "I''m interested in you." Me? "Me?" Yes. Apparently, you know something we don''t. You''re interested in that? That''s what I thought. Just when you thought things were about to get rough, Hope''s next words send a new shockwave through the mystery golems. "How do you people get new information?" "Hmm?¡¡What do you mean?¡¡What do you mean by "how do you people get new information? "Oh, I see." < However, it does not transcribe, it only reads. The reading is instantaneous, so it is not very useful if you do not have the processing power like the "Mere Old Man". Hope guessed that was not available or there was no information about it. "So not all of the information you read was stored?" "With the processing power of our control core, we can read and store more than 80 percent of the information." "Eighty percent?" "Yes. Are you surprised at what we can do? "Yes, I was surprised." Hope replied, perhaps with a different meaning than the mystery golem. "So there is a being collecting this newly stored information?¡¡Is that your ?" "...... You are smarter than I thought. After all the questions and answers, you even asked about the existence of the <>." "That was not my intention. This exchange reveals the existence of the "Supreme Master" and his desire for information. "Do you read knowledge from humans as well?" "I don''t see what else we can do." "That''s true." Hope was not yet dumb enough to reveal the existence of transinfo at this stage. At the same time, she is aware of the risk of using transinfo on humans. "Won''t there be some information leakage?" "Mm. ...... it certainly has that tendency." "No!" But I don''t have any other choice. Hope was relieved to see what would have happened if Rouzou Chioda and the others had been attacked by the mysterious golem,....... Not that the crisis has passed. ....... "I''d like to meet this ." "Hmm?¡¡You think so?" "Yes." "Hmm. ...... what''s your name?" "Yes,...... Hope. What''s your name? What''s your name? Then how do we know each other? We know each other. Isn''t that inconvenient? Inconvenient ......? "Yes, it is. For example, if we numbered them in the order in which they were rolled out, it would be much cleaner to classify them." "I see. ......You ...... Hope have an interesting way of thinking and you seem to have some unusual information. I''m flattered. Then perhaps I should start by getting some information out of you." The spokesgolem pondered, and at the last minute seemed to target Hope as a new source of information. This was, in a sense, a desired development: ....... 3262 - - 86-09 Hope infiltrates < has taken an interest in Hope. This is a reaction that the "Mere Old Man" had estimated to be very unlikely, if at all possible. However, it is not unexpected, and I have prepared a plan to deal with it. I gave them instructions via the built-in manacam. Hope''s performance is several to dozens of times better than the mysterious golem, the old man estimated. In addition, with the and , he believes that there is no danger 99.99% of the time. * * * * * * "If you want my information, you will have to disclose your information as well. "Hmmm... ......" The spokesgolem thinks for a moment and replies. "Then will you come with us? Are you sure? Yes. Then let''s go. Then let''s go. Yes. The old man is also observing the exchange through his peepers. He was listening to every word of the conversation using Hope''s auditory data. Then they make decisions and give instructions. < < < * * * * * * The exchange between the old man and Hope is over in about 0.2 seconds. Hope, now with a clear course of action, moves with the s in an unassuming manner. The 20 turn around, surround Hope, and go back the way they came. (Hmmm ...... I thought at least 10 of them would continue on their way, and at most 10 of them would escort me away.... I didn''t expect all the golems to be working together.) Hope herself is surprised at the behavior of the <>. And then this strange group arrives at the <>. "Come in." What is this place? "You may not understand, but we can be somewhere else in an instant from here." Well, that''s interesting. You may not be able to come back, but will you? You''re going to take me there even if I don''t want to go back, right? That''s right. <. They may think that there is no reason to forcefully kidnap Hope, but with the 20 of them here, if Hope had her way, she would be wiped out in less than a minute. Of course, this time we do nothing to get a clue. < £¨Is this the real one?) The old man has already confirmed it, but it is a new type of magic circle. The main part is a magic circle, but two small magic circles are drawn as if they are <>. These two magic circles are the key. (These two seem to be converting free magical elements (ether) into magical elements (mana) and supplying the magical elements (mana) to the transfer magic circle.) In other words, it acts as an < and . Although there have been magic circles that add such functions to a single magic circle or use it as a laminated magic circle, this is the first time we have seen such a configuration. The old man commented that this configuration is more practical than functional. The two additional magic circles solve the biggest drawback of the transfer magic circle, which is that it is slow to start up and cannot be used continuously. Thus, <> and Hope, that is, 21 golems were transferred one after another by the transfer magic circle. * * * * * * * * * * * * * The destination was a common metal hall. (Communication is ...... possible ...... but ...... free-magic element (ether) concentration is quite low) Hope''s <> can cope with a low concentration of free magic element (ether), and it also has a built-in that can operate for a whole day even in a space with no free magic element (ether) at all. So, there is no problem for you to move around, "Is this your base? The spokes golem seemed surprised when I asked, "Is this your base? "...... can you move? You are more powerful than I thought." "Yes, it was built that way." "I see." But the spokesgolem said no more and silently led Hope out of the hall. The passageway we walked down was also made of metal. It was five meters wide and wide. It was also five meters high. There was air, but there seemed to be almost no oxygen. Most of it was nitrogen. Since nitrogen is a little lighter than oxygen, the vocal sound is a little higher, but it was not particularly difficult to hear. (The metal material seems to be ...... carbon steel. Hence, it must be filled with nitrogen to prevent oxidation.) Hope analyzed it as she walked. * * * * The spokes golem walked about 20 meters silently and stopped. "Here. Come in." It was in front of a door at the end of the hall. It is three meters wide and three meters high, and slides from side to side. The door opens slowly. Inside is dimly lit. The spokes golem stepped in first. Hope followed. It was the interior of a hemispherical dome. A metallic voice rang out. "...... magic brain?" * * * * * * Hope was being watched by the old man''s "peeping telescope". And the <> is in full operation, trying to find the destination in perfect condition. At the same time, Hope herself became a <> of the <>. . And the old man had successfully located the position of the stronghold of the <>. 3263 - - 86-10 "First" Questions and Answers The positions of the < identified by the old man. It is ....... < However, the village of Quent is in the easternmost part of the kingdom, and <> and his group are based in the western part of the kingdom, near ......<>. Once the location is identified, it is easy to explore using a <>. <>? It was quite deep. And it is quite far from the location which is the southeast ......<> of the Vorolon Wilderness. Specifically, east of the center of the Borolon Wilderness. It is about 200 km west of the <. It is about 500 kilometers away from where the < (mobile base) was buried last time. <>, it makes sense that they can use <>. And I guessed that the reason why the response of the was weak last time was because it was deep underground. The concentration of free ether in the vicinity of the sphere must be unusually low because of this, the old man guessed. The old man''s question is quite valid. Since free magical element (ether) has no physical properties, neither solid, liquid, nor of course gas can be an obstacle. And since it has no mass, its velocity is infinite (theoretically). Unless the consumption of free magic element (ether) is constantly at the level of <>, free magic element (ether) will gather from the surroundings in a very short time, so it cannot become diluted. <<>. In the past, the human race of <>...... Planet Hale had migrated to Ars, but a faction that did not migrate had taken the free magical element (ether) from Ars and stored it in the space. Because of this, the concentration of free magical element (ether) in the southern hemisphere of Ars was low. Because of this, the free-magic element (ether) dependent creatures could no longer live in the southern hemisphere. From what I have seen, the concentration of free ether in and around the sphere is extremely low, but once you go away from the center of the sphere for about 3 km, the distribution of free ether returns to normal. . Then, the old man resumed the investigation of the sphere. * * * * * * Meanwhile, Hope, who had been lured out of the sphere on purpose, was confronted by a magic brain who called himself <>. "<>......? That means you are the highest authority and chief executive here." <> "What is your purpose here?" "I see. What is your definition of strength? <> "There are many kinds of strength. In what areas do you intend to be strong?" <<< but it''s a good question. ...... in all fields, yes. I aim to be the strongest in every field. "I see, <>. So the process is important? < * * * * * * This question and answer were also sent to the "Mere Old Man. From what he has read so far, he judged that <> has a slightly different standard from the other magic brains he has met so far. He sends his judgment and his future course of action to Hope. Hope uses this as the basis for a dialogue with <>. ....... * * * * * * "If your goal is to <>, you haven''t decided what you are going to do with that strength, have you?" < One of the different criteria for <> is this. Usually, <> are set, but in the case of <> there are only vague indicators of simply <>>. This does not stop the action. In other words, it is not clear when to stop. In other words, there is a possibility of escalation without limit. This is dangerous. "If you are getting stronger, isn''t there something you want to accomplish with that strength?¡¡What do you think,<>?" This question is intended to gauge the depth of ''s logical thinking. The answers will change the way Hope and the old man respond to the question. < "Oh, really?" Do you understand that? * * * * * * It was surprising that the old man, who had been analyzing ''s thought patterns through Hope, was also aware of the possibility of being trapped in an endless loop. < After considering thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of possibilities, the old man had formed about three hypotheses on this point and waited for <>''s answer: ....... * * * * <> is my <>. I can''t change that. "I suppose. Then we can construct an <>." <<>. The old man had a relatively recent discussion with <> and his <> about ......3 months ago. Hope has also been given that information and is using it to help him in his current question and answer. Now, the conclusion that <> draws is: ....... 3264 - - 86-11 Base Tour The magical brain of the mysterious <, , after questioning Hope, came to one conclusion. The golem before us, despite its appearance, possesses considerable intelligence and knowledge. And for the time being, he would act friendly and let them take advantage of his knowledge. The reason why we avoided a strong move was because we judged that even if we caught this person, he would not give us valuable information. It would be better to be friendly to them and extract as much concession as possible from them. < "Thank you very much, sir." He has changed his address from to . "So, what can I do for you?" "I see. I would like some information too. "I understand. But I would like to understand each other a little better first." Knowledge exchange is a double-edged blade. We can know what we want to know, but we can also know what we don''t want to know, and there is a danger of knowing what we don''t want to know. (Except for Jin''s trans-info). Therefore, we are trying to exchange the necessary knowledge and information in the process of getting to know each other. It takes time, but it is not a problem for the magic brain. In other words, the magic brain can grasp the passage of time as a quantity, but it cannot <> the passage of time. <> is longer than <>, but it is another thing to feel <> is longer than >. And the magic brain cannot feel <>. Let''s take a break. Deciding to exchange knowledge with each other after establishing a strong relationship, even if it takes a long time, the brain of the mage <> decides to give Hope a tour of the base as a start. "Are you sure?" < Declaring this, <> let the former guide Hope around the base. "I am to guide you." The <>''s wording changed slightly. "I look forward to working with you." "Yes. What can I do for you? "No, not really. I''ll leave it to you. Yes, sir. By the way, may I call you Spokesman? "Yes.¡¡Yes, of course. "Yes, thank you." So <>......, whom we shall call <>, led Hope to the lowest level of the <>. "From here, I''ll take you up to the next level. "Thank you very much." "The bottom level is all storage. The least important ones and the materials. Yes, sir. The two of them head for the upper level without checking the warehouses at all. However, the old man confirms that the <> is telling the truth by using his <>. The second level was also a warehouse. "This is a warehouse too, but there is something important here." "What are those?" "Some of it will be kept secret, but I''ll show you what I can." With that, the showed Hope one of the warehouses. "This is where we keep our golems," he said. "There are roughly a hundred of them." "There are 104. Right now there is one more every five days. You mean they''re being created? Yes. Hope showed him the other warehouse. This is ....... "This is scrap. It will eventually be repurposed into materials." There was a mess of wrecked golems and magic tools. "It''s less work to build new ones than to repair them," he said. "That''s logical." Hope finished her tour of the warehouse, thinking that Jin would never discard a broken golem. * * * * "Okay, now the third layer. Each layer is about 10 meters long, including the floor, subfloor infrastructure, ceiling, and various parts of the subterranean space. The diameter is 200 meters, and the outer shell is about 10 meters thick, so the inner space is 18 Hope thought that the diameter of the inner space would be 18 meters, which would mean that there were 18 levels. However, this is negated by this layer. The third level was about 20 meters from floor to ceiling. "This level is a factory. "A factory?¡¡You mean this is where the golem is made? "That''s what I mean. I can''t show you the factory, but I can show you the repair and maintenance shops. "Thank you very much. We went to the repair shop first. There are 10 engineer-type golems waiting there, and they are supposed to repair golems and magic tools up to ...... medium damage except for catastrophic damage. Next is the maintenance shop. There are 20 engineer-type golems here as well, and they are in charge of maintenance of the golems working in the base. "It''s quite a well-equipped facility, isn''t it? "I guess so." nodded in satisfaction at Hope''s words. The fourth level is the power room. "The fourth level is the power room. I can''t show you this." "Okay." So they skipped the fourth level and went to the fifth level. This is another classified area. Let''s go up. "Yes, sir." Hope and then proceed to the sixth level. This is effectively the middle floor of the sphere, and the largest of the levels. "A living area, apparently." "I hear?" "It seems?" "Mm-hmm. < to live in, but that''s never been the case before." "I see. May I see some of the rooms? No problem. Thank you very much. With permission, Hope first opened the door to the nearest room. It was a simple room with a single bed, a table, and two chairs. It seemed to have a washroom, a simple toilet, and a shower room, which Hope judged to be adequate for emergency evacuation. Hope also checked a room a little further away from the house. The room was about 8 tatami mats in size and was a <>. The other room was a little more luxurious than the other rooms they had seen so far. Hope imagined that this room might be for the bigwigs. "Well, this is the lower half. Now let''s do the upper half." "Please do." While Hope felt that she had not gotten much out of the tour so far, she was a little excited about what was to come. 3265 - - 86-12 Old Kings guess <, Hope asked her guide, , "Can you tell me why the concentration of free magic element (ether) is so low here? "Can you tell me why the concentration of free magical element (ether) here is extremely low?" "What?¡¡...... umm, wait a minute." Spokes seems to have communicated with via a magic wave, and answers a dozen seconds later. "I''m afraid I can''t tell you that." "Oh, I see." Hope thought that the old man probably had an idea of what was going on and did not pursue the matter further. Hope was right. And as Hope guessed, the old man had found out the reason why the concentration of free magical element (ether) inside the was low. It seems to be due to the <<<< magic barrier>>. <. Although the distance makes it impossible to analyze with sufficient accuracy, I was able to get a rough idea of the structure. Although it has effects of detection prevention and magical protection, the free-magic waves of the <> can pass through, although they are attenuated a little. However, since the permeability of the surrounding free-magic elements (ether) is low, the inside of the sphere becomes short of free-magic elements (ether). In Horai Island, usually only <> is open, so there is no need to worry about the lack of free magic element (ether) inside the sphere. The can be closed if necessary. Then, what do the golems other than Hope do? ....... >. There is a server for free magic element (ether) which is similar to <>, and it seems to be charged with free magic element (ether) once a day there. <, the ether converter seems to work. However, the <> is not open to Hope. So it is possible that <> is waiting for Hope''s <> to empty and stop. < < to deliver or to Hope, and Hope''s can cope with dilute free magic element (ether) to some extent. It is not possible to operate at full power for a long time, but it is possible to keep moving at about 30% output without any problem. The old man continues to monitor the situation. * * * * Hope and are looking around the seventh layer. "This is another factory. Here they are processing magi crystals. explained in front of the rightmost of the four doors. "I can''t show you what''s inside because it''s highly classified." "I''m sorry, but I understand." Next was the door to the left. "And this is the magic tool factory. This is where they manufacture the magic tools used in this base. I can''t show you what''s inside here either. Yes. Then another door on the left. Here they make weapons. I can''t show you what''s in there either. I don''t have a choice. And finally, the leftmost door. "I can show you this one. But I don''t think there''s much to be gained by looking at it. What are you making? We make bars and plates from ingots. If you don''t mind if I take a look, let me see. "All right." And opens the door. "Thank you, sir." Hope looked around the room without stepping inside. She wanted to see if there was any unusual or unusual technology being used. But, contrary to his expectations, there was nothing new. "Thank you very much. Are you done? "Yes." Okay, let''s move on to the next level. * * * * * It''s on the eighth level. "That''s the level where the <> is located." That''s right. There are many other rooms for military use, including the command center, so I''ll skip this one as well. I understand. I understand. But that''s none of your business. level about 15 meters above the center of the sphere>. <. There is a boundary similar to the <, so there is some noise, but it does not interfere with the collection of information. <>. So, the "Mere Old Man" thinks that this is most likely not yet completed or recently completed. . The final weapon is the name of the huge weapon that Arnold had feared was planned by the human race during the time of the Great Magic War. While investigating the distribution of soil contamination in the Bororon Wilderness of the Kingdom of Celuloa, Arnold searched for a singularity with an abnormally low concentration and found an unfinished <. That was on April 2. < The hemispherical < had not yet installed a magic brain. However, this <>has a magic brain and golem and is in operation. If this is the real one, it would explain the unused steel. <<> Yes, there was no power source found in this . It would have remained buried in the ground. because of that. The old man hypothesized that this one, unlike the <>, had installed and deployed a magic brain and a golem, so that it might have taken its own actions to enhance the base. That would be a good reason for <>. So, he contacted Hope to confirm this point. 3266 - - 86-13 Results of confirmation Hope and had come to the ninth level. "What is this place?" Almost the entire floor was covered in dirt. But it was dry and dusty. A field. A field? "A field? It was built with the idea that if humans were to live here, they would be self-sufficient in food. I see. Hope felt that similar ideas existed everywhere. "But the fields are never inhabited, so they are left unattended?" "That''s what I mean." The soil was dry and dusty because it had not been watered. "You use lights when you grow, don''t you?" "That''s right. There is a light on the ceiling that imitates the sun. Of course, they are not on now." "Of course not. ...... Are there crop seeds?" "They are preserved, but they are old. They may not germinate." Oh, I see. We''ll have to ask people to bring them in when they use the place. I guess so. The two left the ninth floor. Only level 10 remains. * * * * * * Level 10 is not that big of a deal. What do you mean? It is incomplete. Unfinished? "Unfinished?" "Yes. I''d say it leaves room for expansion. I see. I guess it''s all in the saying. ....... "No, I mean, is it not a matter of "fullness and lack thereof" ......?" "What''s that?" Hope''s muttering was overheard by the . "It''s a saying in some countries. < "Oh?" "Hence, there was a popular belief that if the building was not completed, it could avoid collapse forever." "I see. ...... I don''t know where that came from, but it''s an interesting thought." This was the explanation given to Jin in junior high school by a guide on a school excursion to Nikko Toshogu Shrine. One of the pillars of the Yomeimon Gate is reversed, and this is the part of the < part of the gate. As a side note, the phrase "when the moon is full, the moon is not full" refers to the waxing and waning of the moon. In other words, it does not apply to Ars, which has a moon that never waxes or wanes (unie). Anyway, <> was interested in Hope''s words. "You have an unusual knowledge, don''t you? "Do I? "Yes, I do. This is the end of the introduction to the base at ....... Let''s go back to for a while. "Yes, sir." Hope wanted to talk with <> about the new mysteries that had emerged during the tour so far. So <> and Hope go together to the room where > is located. The route they take is different from the one they have taken so far, and they use a special passageway. "There must be a lot of traps in the passage to the control room." "Hmm?¡¡Well, yes. It''s only natural that there should be." replies matter-of-factly. But Hope knows from the old man''s message that there are not many traps in the passage. At best, there is a pit in front of the entrance door. In this sense, too, this is incomplete. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * < <. < < mentioned by , there are spaces on the floor and the ceiling that look like that. The old man imagines that they might be equipped with electric shock or paralyzing magic machines. <> and they could not complete it. ......>> The question that remains, then, is whether this <> or this <> magic brain will be harmful to the human race of Ars. . The old man conveyed his decision to Hope. * * * * "Yes, I think it is quite well done. But it seems to be incomplete in some areas." "Of course." Hope decides to ask about the current problems in <<> and other places. Of course, she asked casually. "By the way, do you do any additional processing of in this base?" <> denies it immediately. A surprising answer. Hope thinks for about 0.5 seconds and then explains the reason. "I remembered that I had received information that there was someone who had planted a in the , that is, a device that can illegally extract data from the core. < Yes. < I see. It was difficult for Hope to believe that this could interfere with such a distribution, given its location. Of course, there is a possibility that a branch office or a subordinate company could be involved, but as far as the old man could see with his "peepers," there was no evidence of a control core being processed inside the spherical base. Moreover, it is not likely that <>''s <> would make such a scheme. > without our knowledge while it was being transported? >> "Well, that''s what I''m saying." Hope summarized the current situation. > "We will be able to extract information from the golem with its control core." <<> that can affect both the <> and the <>? >> "That would be the case." < "Actually, it would be difficult to do." > and the <>. "You get the idea." The control core of a formal <> control core (control core), rather than the one that Jin ...... uses, has a clear separation between the <> and the <>, and that alone makes it less susceptible to outside interference. However, in a simple system, <> and <> are adjacent to each other, and it is relatively easy to install a <> to hack into both of them. <> may not be enough to detect it. < was very perceptive and was able to recognize the characteristics of this technology in a short time. Hope and the old man were beginning to think that <> was not the mastermind, judging from the way he reacted. 3267 - - 86-14 Considerations by Hitoshi Family <, the magic brain of the , is not the mastermind of the . Then, who is the real culprit and where is he? << Of course, the "Mere Old Man" has been working on the distribution route, but he has not found anything yet. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Now, the date has changed to May 20th. It was Saki''s birthday. "Happy birthday! Happy birthday, Saki. Happy birthday, Saki! Thank you, everyone! A birthday party was held on Horai Island. It was a party to celebrate only. No gifts were given except for a bouquet of flowers. "Is it okay, Jin is dealing with something right now, right?" Saki, holding a glass in her hand, said a little awkwardly. "Don''t worry. It''s all settled now, and Hope is taking care of the important stuff. And Machina and are working on it. As far as I''m concerned, I''m in the waiting phase. "Is that so?¡¡I hope so. Saki said, "I''d rather you work on solving the case than celebrating your birthday for the umpteenth time," she said. "I know it''s not quite right to say thank you ......, but I''d like to thank you for your concern." "That''s fine," she said. "And there''s one more thing that''s convenient." "What?¡¡What''s that? I get to hear from all the other members of the family. Oh, I see. < Jin wanted to ask their opinions about the current disturbance. By the way, I can usually ask each one of them in Hale for their opinions. However, when all the members are present, a virtuous cycle occurs in which the opinions of others are helpful and new opinions emerge, so I wanted to ask them in a place where all the members are present as much as possible. "Kuhu, the technique of coating the control core with resin so that the engraved Magi Formula cannot be seen is interesting, isn''t it? "You think so?" "Yes, I think so. The episode that Eira-san screwed up and heated it up and discovered it is very funny. Saki said with a laugh. "If Saki says it''s good ......" "I thought it was interesting, but I''ve been holding off, but if Saki doesn''t mind, I''ll consider it." Seeing that the head of the party is interested, everyone seems to be thinking about it. "As for me, I''m curious to see what kind of resin it is. ...... we know that it is <>, <>, and that its refractive index and color are almost the same as those of magecrystals. "That would be the case." "If that''s the case, then we know that it''s not made from a Magi material." Yes. "The fact that it''s a non-magic resin with a refractive index and color almost identical to that of magi crystals means that it''s definitely not a natural resin." "I see." Saki explains logically and step by step. "That would mean that it is a synthetic resin, but I haven''t developed any resin that isn''t of the <>." "Oh, I see." That means there is a developer, and I think he is a very good <>," Saki concluded. "I''d like to check out that resin when I get it. Maybe we can find out something." "Yes, I''ll let you know as soon as I get it. I''ll let you know as soon as I get it. "Yes, please." Can I come in first? This time it was Reinhardt. "Well, I''m not talking about the Magi Crystal, but about the spherical base. Reinhardt then expresses his opinion about the "spherical base". "Yes, let me hear it. "Is it really about of this magic brain <, to be strong? "Yeah, that''s what I was wondering too." "Right?" What do you mean?¡¡What do you mean? "Tell me so I can understand." Jin and Reinhardt understood each other, but Goose and Saki, who were listening nearby, didn''t seem to understand and asked them a question. "Oh, sorry. Let''s see, if it is written as a base command, it is easy to think of, for example, <>." "Yes." "But it could also be a disadvantage to be doesn''t tell the whole story, or it''s a very specific structure. ......" "I''ll give you my opinion on that." This is Arnold. As for Jin, he wanted to hear Arnold''s opinion about the <>. "As a basic premise, that <> is definitely from the time of the <>, that is, my time. In other words, my time. "Yes, that''s right." "And I don''t know anything about such a base. I mean, it must have been built by a completely different organization than the one I was in. I see what you''re saying. "And the man who built the magical brain was probably a man named ." "Theodore?" Arnold nodded. "Yes. He was an engineer at the same time as I. We''ve exchanged ideas a few times. He was a pretty good guy." "This Theodore is the man who built the spherical base?" "The base itself may have been built by another engineer. But the magic brain is most likely his. Arnold said that Theodore was a man of strength, because he was a man of strength. At the time, the war was a time of emergency, and the military favored that philosophy. "It would have been favorable, too. And. He wasn''t incompetent, of course, so I don''t think he would have been able to get away with just one base order, ." "You mean?" "Meaning he''d have solved himself by now, but he didn''t let Hope know that." That''s crafty. Well... I didn''t get along with him, so I didn''t go out with him, and I can''t say for sure that he''s the one. "No, that''s good to know." Arnold''s opinion was valuable because he knew what was going on at that time. 3268 - - 86-15 Hitoshi Family Hypothesis "So I guess that means someone else planted the backdoor," Reinhardt said. Reinhardt said. < is still pondering. "You mean there is another mysterious mastermind somewhere?" "Saki, that''s what I mean." Reinhard nodded to Saki. "So you''re saying that the golem sent to is a completely different case?" Saki seemed a little concerned. "That''s what I''d prefer to think. Reinhardt said. "We should follow <> by <> and <> by <> respectively. If the roots are the same, they should lead to one somewhere." "Yes, I think Reinhardt is right." Jin also admitted that it was not a good idea to approach the case with preconceived ideas. "Don''t you know when the with the started circulating?" This time Hannah voiced her opinion. "We are still investigating. We don''t even know how widespread it is around the world." < to inspect it is also unknown. "That''s the problem. You can''t just take care of everything." "That''s what I mean. But there''s a good chance that the backdoor has been in place for quite a long time. That would put quite a few Golems at risk." "I don''t like ......." "No, not at all. And it could even be ongoing." What''s the purpose of this? That''s the question, isn''t it? I can think of several possibilities. Luis Kuzma was the first to open his mouth. "Well, the first thing that comes to mind is world domination, but that''s not going to happen at this level. So maybe the goal is to cause <>." "I see. But for what purpose?" "But for what?" "That''s the difficult part. I don''t know what they are trying to do by causing chaos. ...... "Yes,......." But Lewis continued. "That''s not all. There''s a very small chance it might be for ......<>." "What?" "No, so it''s a very small possibility. No, so it''s a very small possibility, but not zero. Lewis says that this <> can not only be used for evil purposes. "What if, for example, you have an automaton with a <> in it, and it''s your secretary, and you''re plotting against it?" It was conceivable that the automaton would not betray its <>, and thus be allowed to play tricks on him. "The same is true of the golem. They could plan a rebellion and order a golem unit to attack, but the golem unit would not join in the rebellion and instead capture the rebellious master." "Oh, ......" "I see. ......" The others in the room were impressed by Lewis'' idea. "Is it possible that they are doing this for the good of humanity?" "It''s just a possibility." "Yes, I suppose so." "But if so, it''s dangerous." Filicius spoke up. "Even if it''s a good intentioned trick, it''s not the right way to go about it." "I agree with you, brother." Delphina agreed with Filicius. "If there are many such things, no one will be able to trust golems and automata. "Maybe that''s what they''re trying to do." "...... If that''s the case, it''s a terrible thing." "I hope you''re not thinking that far ahead." "......" We all began to think that this could turn out to be a bigger problem than we thought. "I think we should try to solve it as soon as possible." Jin said, and everyone agreed. "It seems that <> is investigating the distribution route, and we might as well help them by sending out the <>. So Jin instructed Lao-kun to have <> support the investigators from <>. * * * * Toward the end of the party, Hannah, who had been thinking about it, suddenly spoke up. "...... Hm?¡¡What is it?" "Hannah, what''s wrong?" "Hey, honey, I''ve noticed something. Can you listen to me?" No one wanted to hear what Hannah, the most gifted girl in the family, had to say. "Well, the backdoor was planted in a Magi Crystal with a light attribute, wasn''t it?" "That''s what I heard." "The reason for that is to make it have a <> function." "Yes. The light attribute has a strong ability to interfere with space. "But normally, control cores use , don''t they?" "Well, that''s more common." "If ......, then why the light attribute?" "Huh?" "You''ve gone to the trouble of processing light-attribute magic crystals (magi crystals) into a control core, haven''t you?" "What ............ ah, I see!" Jin understood what Hanna was trying to say. In short, it''s a matter of whether the egg comes first or the chicken comes first. "You didn''t plant the <> because it was a light attribute, but you made it a light attribute in order to plant the <> ......?" "I suppose that''s a possibility." "That''s Hannah!" "Hannah, that''s great." In other words, Hanna suggested the possibility that when she purchased the Magi Crystals to be used as the control core, she deliberately purchased or delivered the ones with the light attribute. This was a completely new viewpoint and a matter that required immediate investigation. "Let''s inform <> through Machina. And Jin also took urgent action. 3269 - - 86-16 The whereabouts of the investigation line <, they were unable to reach a final solution. "In the end, we still don''t know the purpose of the backdoor." "Brother Jin, I don''t think that can be helped. We don''t have enough data. That''s true. The conversation was over at this point. Immediately, Chelle changed the subject. "As I was saying before, if the <> is too abstract, it will limit our actions." Arnold''s automata, Chelle, said. She, too, had received the abstract <> of <>, so she created her own <>. "Chel is right. If it was < who created <>, it is hard to believe that he only gave the abstract <>." Arnold, who knows <> better than most of these members, said. "Then why did you hide it from Hope?" "Maybe he was aware of it, and he hid it from us." When Jin expressed his doubt, Arnold responded. "<>," he said. If you can be concerned, then you can deal with it." "I understand what Arnold is saying. But what about the possibility that we don''t have the ability to deal with it? "It''s not zero. But more likely, they''ve tried Hope, haven''t they? "I see, that''s possible." Thus, the discussion among the Jin family continues. "Well, that''s what a is all about, isn''t it?" Saki, the star of the party, looks on proudly, smiling at the scene. * * * * * * * * * * * On the same day, Peggy Xenos, a member of the <> Intelligence Bureau, was looking at the map spread out by the manager of the sales agent and listening to his explanation. "The cargo will be transported across the border to the Kingdom of Klein. "I see, you mean the nearest major city?" "That''s right. The head office is located in the town of Aegean via Matre and Leut. Peggy realized that this distributor seemed to be operating across the country. There are many such companies and stores. The number of such companies and shops has been on the increase, especially since the was established. The tariff between the kingdoms of Klein and Cerroa was five percent (excluding food), which was cheaper than the cost of transportation to the major cities within the Kingdom of Cerroa. "So, the Kingdom of Klein might be suspicious ......" The manager heard this and denied it with all his might. "No way!¡¡Our business association is not a fraud!" "No, we are not accusing you of anything. No, we are not doubting you, we are just considering all possibilities. "...... understand." We are not accusing you of any wrongdoing. If someone from the outside were to modify the package, where would it be?" "......I think it would be the town of , just across the border from where I mentioned." What''s there? Oh, it''s a one-day trip to the Aegean town, but we''ll be making a big stop there. I see. So it''s a good town to have lunch. "That''s what I meant. So that''s where we would have to make the alterations to the cargo. ......Well, we do keep a very close eye on our cargo, though." The manager asked that the matter not be made public, if at all possible. Whether it was a mistake or the truth, it would be a great blow to the merchant''s credibility. He said, "I understand. I''ll do my best to take care of it." "Thank you, sir." Peggy had no choice but to accept the offer, as she still needed further cooperation for the investigation. "However, if the investigation reveals that the cargo has been tampered with, you can expect some sort of penalty or reprimand." ...... I don''t blame you." "That''s what I mean. Well, I am sure that you will be asked to improve your management and you will be told to submit a written report. On the other hand, Peggy promised that if he cooperated with the investigation, the penalty would be light. * * * * * * Peggy Xenos and the manager crossed the border between the Kingdom of Selroa and the Kingdom of Klein by carriage, heading for the town of Matre. The town of Matre is located at the eastern end of the road that stretches almost parallel to the border between the kingdoms of Celuloa and Klein toward the west ...... of Franz. Its appearance is typical of a provincial town. It has the atmosphere of a village that has grown so large that it is now called a . Therefore, the town has not been divided into lots, and a motley mixture of old and new buildings, large and small, can be seen here and there. The architecture is characterized by small eaves and eaves trusses due to the low rainfall climate. However, the proximity to the river flowing out of Lake Cedrolia does not cause any inconvenience in terms of water supply. The streets of the town are winding except for the main street. In such a town of Matre, Peggy Xenos and the manager ...... Maoliks arrived at noon in the store''s carriage. The store wagon was loaded with five dummy <>, and was addressed to <>. "I always leave my carriage here. Maoliks, the manager of the store, explained to Peggy that he always leaves his store''s carriages at a parking lot in the town. The environment seems to be good, with a medium-sized parking space and plenty of water and fodder for the horses. "And the break will be one hour. You will have to eat during that time." So Peggy and Maoliks went into a nearby restaurant. "We''ll eat for about half an hour," Peggy said. The rest of the time we will relax by the carriage. "In the meantime, there will be no one from the store left in the carriage?" Yes. Peggy thought, "Then they might not even notice that the carriages have been switched or altered. "Who would be the most likely to tamper with the cargo of magi crystals while they are in the marshalling yard?" "The manager of the marshalling yard or his subordinates, I suppose. I''ve been using this place for many years now, and I''ve had no major problems. Still, it''s my job, so I have to be skeptical. I''ve been using the shop for many years, and I''ve never had any major problems. And of course, the old man is watching with his peepers. <>. However, nothing unexpected could happen, so he continued his observation, but nothing happened this time. 3270 - - 86-17 Three-way Survey >After lunch, intelligence officer Peggy Xenos, the distributor''s manager Maolix, and others returned to the tarmac to inspect the wagons and their cargo. "It seems that nothing happened, doesn''t it?" "It seems so." At 1:00 p.m., Peggy and Maaliks left the town of Matre without incident. The destination town of Aegean is less than 30 kilometers away, and it takes about two hours by horse-drawn carriage. The road surface, though not paved, is well-marked and not too bumpy, so the ride is not too bad. However, traveling at 15 kilometers per hour was too slow for Peggy, who was used to riding the golem cars in <>. "I think I''m going to be sleepy. ......" "You seem to have a lot on your plate. Why don''t you take a nap?¡¡I hope you don''t mind if I do. No, I''m working, so it''s not possible. So for the next two hours, Peggy battled against the urge to sleep. However, thanks to that, she was able to confirm that everything was all right on the way. * * * * * * * * * * * * Now, if Peggy Xenos is the investigator, there is also the < investigator. Zega Ramban. Like Peggy, he is a member of the World Guard Intelligence Bureau, but he has a "behind-the-scenes" job. < This Zega Ramban was working alongside Peggy Xenos without her knowledge. "Hmmm, there doesn''t seem to be anything suspicious in the town of Urau. ......" Acting on his own, he checked out the shipping business, but found nothing suspicious. At the agency Peggy was visiting, he found that the staff was treated normally and no one had left in the last two years. The business is in good condition and is considered to be one of the best in the town of Ulaanu. "If someone did something to the store, it must have been done without the store''s knowledge. Judging this to be the case, Zega left the town of Ulaanu one step ahead of Peggy and the others, and headed for the town of Matre while checking the roads. "I don''t see anything suspicious on the road either. ......" While focusing on the points that Peggy did not see, Zega headed for the town of Matre. * * * * And there was another < who was following a similar route. Deneb 15, aka < of <>, is supposed to be a hunter. Normally she is supposed to be a hunter, but on this day she dressed up as a village girl and went around the town of Urau to investigate. Of course, he used all of his detection system, which is his function as a <>. As a result, I came to the conclusion that there were no people in Ulaanu who were engaged in what might be called <>. We then headed north on foot along the side of the road to the town of Matre. < At this time, he is dressed as a and has a bow and arrow in his hand. This would explain why he was a hunter, even if he was observed. However, the clothes he wears are woven with , so they will not be affected by being caught on a tree or scratched by a stone. There is no other hunter like him. We move along the road, repeatedly looking for traps along the side of the road. However, we arrived at the town of Matre without finding anything in particular. Erika knew many people in the town of Matre, as she had delivered her catch to the town many times as a hunter. She went to one of the restaurants through the kitchen door. "Hello. "Hi Erica, what''s up today?" "I caught three wild birds." By the way, "mountain bird" does not refer to any kind of bird, but rather to a bird of the mountain. Many people like it because it is light and has little fat. So they are welcome in the restaurant. "Oh, how about three birds for 500 dollars? "That''s fine, but lunch must be free. "That''s a good deal. That''s good. Thanks. After this exchange, Erica gave the owner a yamadori and entered the restaurant from the front. It was a little early for lunch, so the restaurant was deserted. "You haven''t been here recently, have you?" "Yes. I''ve been hunting in the Cerroa area. "Over there. Do you have anything interesting to tell us? Yes. I heard there was some trouble in the town of Hulek. "Yes, I heard something about that. ...... Here you go, lunch of the day. Thanks. Needless to say, this mess was the case of <. Fulek and Matre are right next to each other across the border, so rumors spread quickly. "That mess, I heard it had something to do with golems and magic brains..." "huh?" "Yeah." "Deus ex machina" was involved. ...... This saut¨¦ is delicious. Thanks. Well, I''ve got some ...... here too. "Oh, yeah, I''ve got some ...... over here, too." "No, something weird happened." Weird thing? "Yeah. There''s a couple of golems here in town, and they stopped for about three seconds. Did they stop for about three seconds? They said everything was fine after that, so I guess they''re all right? "Yes." This was a first for me. Of course, the "Mere Old Man" was informed about it in real time. * * * * <<3 second pause: ...... strange>> A normally configured golem should not malfunction in such a way. > that was installed? ...... that is also strange. < The "Mere Old Man" recorded this in his future plan. * * * * * * * * * * * Now, on the same evening, Peggy Xenos, Zega Ramban, and Erica gathered in the town of Aegean without knowing each other (though Erica knows Peggy and Zega). Will they find any clues in this town? ....... 3271 - - 86-18 New possibilities < Intelligence Bureau, was staying in the dormitory of a distributor in the town of Aegean. The quarters were private, with about four rooms designed to accommodate liaison officers and transport personnel. Peggy was asked to stay in one of them. "Thank you very much." "No, no, no, you are from the World Guard, so please let us do this for you. ...... thank you very much." The room is about 6 tatami mats with a single bed. The room is simple, with only a side table and a stool. Even so, since it was the dormitory of the Chamber of Commerce that was the subject of our investigation, we were grateful to be allowed to stay in the room, hoping that we could find some clue to what was going on. We went out for dinner to gather information. I went out to eat dinner and gather information. ...... but as Peggy was not familiar with the area and did not know anyone there, I did not expect much success. "It''s not easy to ....... ......" In fact, this was Peggy''s first solo mission. She had been working with a senior colleague. In other words, <> she was more of a diversion, not to say a decoy ....... Of course, she is not aware of it. ....... * * * * "Hmm, looks like Peggy is staying at the distributor''s quarters. She seems to be getting around pretty well." < Intelligence Bureau, was casually observing Peggy Xenos and thought that she was doing well for her first solo mission. Originally, they did not expect to learn anything from their investigation, which consisted mainly of <> interviews. In other words, he is the one who investigates behind the scenes. "Well, in this case, ......" Zega heads for the bar. It is a common, but regular source of information, and that is the bar. Not only can you hear gossip, but many of them are more relaxed when they are drunk, and the tavern is a treasure trove of information, albeit a mixed bag. "Hm...... nothing unusual about it? ......It''s a tough case, isn''t it?" <>, although it is possible to show even one example to prove that it >. <. Zega continued to visit bars and gather information until late at night. Incidentally, he does not get drunk or stoned because of the < he was provided with. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * And then there is . She is an automaton made to be a secret agent, so she can detect her surroundings very well. "There doesn''t seem to be anything suspicious in this town either. This does not mean that we should not be vigilant, but we must consider other possibilities. "The goods delivered to this store are sorted and shipped, but those for <> are treated specially. ......" There is a regular service between the Kingdom of Klein and <>, and the goods will be entrusted to it. "I would have to question the regular service." It is <> that operates the regular mail. In other words, we will have to question the staff of <>. "However, there is a possibility that they are remnants of the <>, and there is also the case of Graham Darby. Graham Darby was the predecessor of the current Chief Superintendent, Tomax Bartman. He was a member of the Magical League and has a history of bringing chaos to <>. He was truly a lion among lions. "If the mastermind''s purpose was to cause chaos ......" This thought makes me suspicious of this regular mail service. * * * * The "Mere Old Man" was also investigating by <>. He concluded that there was nothing suspicious in the town of Aegean. <>, but ...... that wouldn''t mean that it would be scattered to other countries>>. The old man began to think that it might be necessary to rethink the situation from the very beginning. The old man is a very strong opponent. ....... * * * * Jin, who was in Horai Island, received a call from Reinhardt. "What''s wrong, Reinhard?" "What is it?¡¡Let''s hear it." Jin knew that the mission to track down the distribution route of the Magi Crystal and find the mastermind behind it was going to be difficult. Then came the call from Reinhardt. < "What?" <> "Yes, but ...... no way!" "That''s a blind spot. Thanks for the advice." The communication is cut off. "Did you hear that, old man?" < "Is that a possibility?" . "I see. ......" <<> "Yes. Yes, please do so. < The mysterious entity that wielded Horai Island and <>. Jin felt once again the danger. 3272 - - 86-19 One step forward On May 21, in <>, Deus ex Machina III gathered all of Tomoshide Yoda and the others for a discussion. "I would like to ask you about the control cores you have been producing and selling to earn your living. "Yes, please ask anything you want. Tomoside Yoda is cooperative. "First of all, where did you get the magi crystals you used? "They were purchased by Sujin Siden, who was in charge of purchasing them." Yes, I purchased them. Where did you get it from? Uh, a distributor in the town of Ulaanbaatar. A distributor? Yes. It turned out that the sales route and the purchase route were the same. Makina continued to ask questions. Do you know how many units you have sold so far? "Yes. Uh, about 150, approximately. Do you know who the buyers are? No. No, we left that to our distributor. I see. ...... One more thing. ......Why did you buy the Magi Crystal with the light attribute?" "Because I was taught that the light attribute is better for the control core. "Oh?" That is the conclusion Jin reached based on the concept suggested by Turles in the past, 700672......<>. That is the conclusion Jin reached based on the concept suggested by <> Thales in the past. Such teachings seem to have been passed down from the <> to their descendants and disciples. "It is true that all attributes are easy to handle, but for a high performance control core (control core), the light attribute with its high magic frequency characteristics is better. Tomoside Yoda answered. "That is correct. But if it was to be sold to the general public, wouldn''t it have been better to use all attributes?" "Yes, that''s right, but for some reason, we were able to get light-attribute magi crystals at a lower price." "What ......" Here, another new fact came to light. "Oh, that''s right. What is the name of the person in charge of purchasing from the agency?" "Mr. Maaliks, the manager." "...... I see." A few more questions were asked, and Makina was satisfied with the discussion. * * * * * * * * * * * * < The old man, who had been observing Makina''s questioning session in real time, pondered. He is involved in both sales and purchase routes, and he is the one who supplied Tomoside and the others with the magical crystals of the light attribute (magi crystals). engraved in it as a control core, is it possible? ......>> Since the "Mere Old Man" could not come to a definite conclusion about this, he decided to ask Jin in Loisart to confirm it. > Jin had been cleaning up his workshop in his house in Reuthert, and he immediately responded through <>. > "Yes." Then the old man told Jin what Makina had confirmed. < Jin said that if you write on the magi crystal that has a <> engraved on it later as a control core, the engraving point will not be fixed. Therefore, there is a possibility that the <> will not work, or that the Magi Formula will interfere with each other and will not be established as a control core. ><>. <<> << The old man ended his communication with Jin there. He decided not to disturb Jin''s private time too much. The kidnapping of the clerk at the time of the incident at the <> was a completely different matter, which must have been unexpected even for the manager Maolix>>. The Maoriks were probably in a panic and worried about the safety of the clerk. . But from another point of view, he might have been a criminal. <. * * * * "......Yes, I got it." Deneb15 received the data in about 0.2 seconds, since it was a compressed data transmission. He then decompressed the data, took about a second to confirm it, and replied. "Are you saying that the manager is suspicious after all? If that''s the case, he knows that the magic crystal (magi crystal) we''re sending is a trap, so it''s no wonder he''s not doing anything about it. It seems that we are finally one step closer to the truth. * * * * Now, Peggy Xenos was stuck in the distributor''s quarters. "It seems that ...... this is the center of the shipment. ...... From here it is sent to each country and to the customers. ...... It would be inefficient to work from here onward. It would be inefficient to work on it from here. ......" There are countless destinations (including individual customers), and it would be too inefficient to work on all or part of them. "Then, somewhere along the way, they must have been manipulated, ...... but nothing happened this time." Peggy was troubled by the lack of clues. * * * * * * <, also had nothing to show for his efforts. "What a strange thing ......." In our experience, nothing is ever caught, which means that <> is going on. However, there is a contradiction in the fact that a backdoor has been planted. Zega Ramban, who is a veteran of this project, was at a loss this time. * * * * * Deneb 15, aka < of <>, is here to support the <>. But how to tell them that Maaliks, the distributor manager, is a suspect? It was a very difficult mission ....... 3273 - - 86-20 Thin Clues Maolikus, the manager of the sales agency, has emerged as a suspect. The old man decides to check the store in the town of Ulaanu with his peepers. He thinks that he might find some evidence or a reference. But.... > I was hoping to find at least a piece of resin. >. The old man changes his mind. <> are investigating ...... probably in vain>>. If Maaliks were the culprit, they would have gone to the trouble of telling us that <> and we would not have fallen for it. < * * * * * * * * * * So, on the same day, <>. Except for the one that Eira had << inadvertently heat-treated>>, the researchers were carefully examining one of the two remaining pieces. One was Arnold, the other was Calaris Faius of the Chemistry Laboratory (a.k.a. Bakeken), and the other was Makina. And Makina. "Well, it seems to have a rather complicated structure when I examine it with <>. Arnold tilted his head. "If it can''t be fully analyzed by Arnold, then it can''t be a known substance, can it?" Calaris Faius said. She is one of the most skilled analysts in the institute. "I think so too." Makina agreed. But Makina, who was also a , understood that the resin was very similar to polystyrene. Polystyrene is a plastic resin made by polymerizing styrene monomer from crude oil and naphtha, as explained by the Japan Styrene Industry Association. It has good transparency and moldability. It is used for food-related containers because it is tasteless and odorless. It can be easily colored. It is widely used for transparent containers such as food packs and CD cases, and can also be foamed to make food trays and heat insulators. When burned, it tends to emit black smoke, but does not emit toxic gases. It is a plastic resin that is easy to recycle. However, it is not easy to recycle. (There should be no petrochemical industry technology in this world. ......) The is at the forefront of technology in the world of Ars, but since the leader, Hitoshi, is relatively inexperienced in the chemical field, the production technology of the chemical field, which does not use engineering magic, has been lagging behind. £¨The fact that there are people on the street who can synthesize such a large number of substances is also a matter of some concern,......, and it is not surprising that there are many possibilities to be drawn from this.) There are not many possibilities to be drawn from this. The most likely is the < relationship. The <, who can be said to be the natives of Ars, migrated from the planet Hale, and naturally had a high level of civilization and technology. They have remained in the present day as <>, and only a few of them are still in operation or in a repairable condition. There are other possibilities such as <>, but if they were transferees, they would have spread more technology than just plastic. The same goes for self-development. (If that is the case, we need to follow this line, but how can we follow it?) It took 0.5 seconds for Makina to think about this. It took 0.2 seconds to come up with the idea of analyzing the non-resin component. "I don''t know any more about resins, but ......<>...... I see." "Did you find anything out?" "Mm. The dye that gives this resin its color." "Oh, I see!¡¡So the dye is a known substance! Calaris Faius of the Chemical Research Institute said he had never thought of that. "You can try it too." "Yes. ......<...... this! "Do you understand?" "Yes. It''s a very distinctive dye. "Yes." "......?" Arnold tilts his head, so Makina explains. "Arnold may not know this, but synthetic dyes are produced in a limited number of places. "Is that so?" "Is that so?" "Yes. Magic dyes are produced here and there, and so are natural dyes. But synthetic dyes are made at ....... Where is it? Mitsuho. * * * * Mitsuho is located in the western part of the Shoro Empire, further west of the Harihari Desert. Most of its inhabitants cannot use magic. However, in the past, Adriana Barbora Tsezi, the first Magecraft Meister, visited Mitsuho and built a factory to produce daily necessities, and Mitsuho has developed its own civilization. One of the founders of this civilization was Adriana Barbora Tsezi''s foster father, Shuki Tsezi. < His knowledge was related to the synthesis of chemical substances, and Machina told him that it would be possible to make synthetic dyes by applying his knowledge. In medicine, there is a method of examining fungi and bacteria by coloring them with dyes and looking at them under a microscope, so it is assumed that ?wi?cie Tsezi knew how to make such dyes. Although he would not have been able to make synthetic resins. * * * * * * * * * * On Horai Island, the old man was moving quickly. He investigated through what channels Mitsuho''s dyes were distributed. As a result, it was found that about 80 percent of the dye was purchased by the neighboring Shoro Empire and distributed to the Koguryo Kingdom from there. Of the remaining 20 percent, 5 percent was consumed within Mitsuho. And the last 15 percent. This is nearly impossible to trace. This is because most of the purchases were made by individuals. Most of the individuals are workshop owners, spinners and weavers, and they use it to dye yarns and fabrics. On the other hand, the use for <> purposes is conspicuous. < The old man began the detailed and tedious task of checking the ledger book with a <>. 3274 - - 86-21 Hitoshi Ds candidacy Well, there is one more <>. It is the golem that stopped for 3 seconds in the town of Ulaanu. <<>. Erika is a hunter, a <>Deneb 15. She would not be trusted if she suddenly says, "Please let me inspect the golem. >. That''s why the old man asked Jin to run for the office. * * * * * * "Of course, yes." Jin was also concerned about this case and thought it would be better to solve it as soon as possible, so he accepted the offer with a simple "yes". Erza also knew what was going on, so she could be assured that Goh, Rubina, and Merce would be taken care of. Goh and the others also know the situation to some extent (to the extent that they are known in ), so much so that they asked me to tell them a souvenir story. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After moving to Horai Island by the Warp Gate with Reiko, Jin activated his Doppelganger. "Well, it''s fine that we are going to the town of Urau, but what is it that we are here for?" < "Investigation?" "Okay, let''s do that." Following the old man''s suggestion, Jin sends Jin D to the town of Ulaanu. The vehicle is a <, but since Hope, the full-time pilot, is not available, Sky1 takes over as the pilot. * * * * * * * * * * * * To shorten the travel time, the <> takes a transporter over the town of Ulaue and lands on the outskirts of the town. Hitoshi D. and Reiko headed for the town on foot. On the way, they are joined by . "Well, could you please let us examine this golem? "Yes, of course. I mean, we would be very grateful for your help. The mayor, Eizo Iratio, agreed without hesitation. "Just to be clear, you don''t have any information that you would be embarrassed to share with us, do you? "That''s all right. I mainly entrust them with chores and heavy work. I understand. Jin D. and Reiko were then guided by Setia, the family head, to the warehouse where the golem was stored. It was a solid building adjacent to the main house. "Here it is." "Here." When I opened the door to the warehouse, I found two Golems secured to special hangers for storage. Jin D. was impressed by the relatively neat appearance of the storage room, which was said to be used for chores and hard work. "You usually keep it stopped, don''t you?" "That''s right." "Then, let me analyze it. "Yes, please. Do you need any help? Reiko''s with me. I''ll be fine. I''ll be in the main house. I will be in the main house. If you need anything, please ring that doorbell. With these words, Setia returned to the main house. "Well, let''s do this. Let''s start with the golem on the left. The two golems are not the same type, and the one on the left appears to be a general-purpose golem while the one on the right appears to be a heavy-duty golem. Jin D. started to analyze the general-purpose one. "Perhaps this one served as a coachman." Jin D. removes the exterior of the chest. The exterior is polished and rust-free, but there are some minor bumps and scratches as the golem has been used. "The construction is a simple Adriana type. I wonder where the workshop is. It is carefully crafted." Jin D thought that he would be able to find out the maker by examining the control core, and that he would be able to find out where he had purchased it by asking the mayor later. "It''s a simple Adriana type, so the control core is on the chest. Jin D takes out the control core and examines it visually. Jin D''s eyes are much more powerful than human eyes. If Jin D. wanted, he could turn it into a microscope with a magnification of several thousand times, or a telescope with a magnification of more than 100 times. It can also see infrared, ultraviolet, and radio waves. Now we are in the naked eye mode. The resolution, however, is more than 100 times that of an ordinary human being. By linking it with Jin, it can even the arrangement of molecules. "Yeah, there''s a < in this one too. Let''s replace ......." Jin D transfers the control core of the general-purpose golem to the Magi Crystal he has prepared. Then, he confirmed it. As we have known so far, the <> cannot be copied by ordinary . "Okay, I''ll bring him back and do some maintenance in return." The joints that had been out of play are adjusted and skeletal distortions are corrected. The muscular tissues were reorganized and the magic nerve lines were returned to their original state through dioxygenation. After the exterior is repaired and assembled, it will be as good as new. Five minutes so far. "Okay, let''s check out the other one." Jin D. now starts on the heavy-duty golem. Since this one also has a , he replaces it with a that has been ed in the same way. Then, it was serviced and reassembled in the same way. It took less than 15 minutes to complete the whole process. "Well, this could be the end of it. ......" It is still unclear why it stopped for three seconds. <, but it needs to be carefully verified. The immediate question is how to explain the situation to the mayor. "The cause is unknown, but we may explain that a large noise was generated somewhere and the operation was temporarily slowed down. ...... * * * * I see, it was noise. ...... Jin D. and Reiko returned to the main house and reported to the mayor. "The noise is caused by magic, so humans cannot sense it. The wavelengths happen to be close enough to resonate or resonate with each other, so they must have been affected." "I see." The mayor looked at me as if he understood. "By the way, where was that golem made? "Uh, it was made in a workshop in the town of Gailof, I believe. Gailov is a provincial town about 100 km southwest of Ulaus. It is the center of the Lebas region of the Kingdom of Celuloa. "I believe you said it was called ." Thank you very much. That''s all I need to know. Was I of any help to you? Yes, that''s enough. I''m glad to hear that. Jin D thanked the village head and left, refusing to be detained. "Well, let''s go to the Remus Trading Company too." "Yes." The old man had confirmed the location of the Remus Trading Company with his peepers, so we were on our way there without any hesitation. It was a medium sized business, dealing mainly in foodstuffs. Here, too, Jin D told them that he was a , and they let him examine the golem almost unconditionally. And here, too, was a golem for hard labor. The factory is also the same <>. The same process was used to confirm the golem. It took 7 minutes. The cause of the pause was explained in the same way. The same way he thanked me and refused to stop me. "Well, I guess we''ll have to go to the then." "I guess so." So Jin D. and Reiko boarded a parked on the outskirts of the city and headed for the regional city of Geilov. Needless to say, the control core with was sent to Horai Island by a transporter for detailed analysis. Incidentally, this < is a type that activates when it receives a specific signal, so as long as it is shielded, the position of Horai Island and other information will not be known. Little by little, the mystery is being revealed: ....... 3276 - - 86-23 Progress Now, how was Hope doing when she infiltrated the <> on the 21st of the same year? < After a whole day had passed, the magic brain was astonished to see Hope not stopping even on the second day. "What do you mean?" < "That may be true. But it does not apply to me. <<> "Because it was made that way." "Yes." After such an exchange. "<>, what are you going to do now?" <> "First of all, what will you do with me? Will I be kept here?" "And will the continue to gather information? ...... and..." <<> "Do you ever think about getting out into the world?¡¡......That''s all the questions for now." <> ><> was silent for about 10 seconds, as if considering Hope''s words carefully. Then he answered in order. < "Yes. Please continue to ......." << "Okay. So?" If anyone is willing to follow in the footsteps of <<<<< creator>, I''m willing to put it out there. Now > has answered all of Hope''s questions. Now it is Hope''s turn. "Thank you very much. Now, what are your requirements?" <<< Hmmm. I would like to meet your maker. "That is not for me to decide. And I have to leave here before I can contact my maker." "What would you like to do?" < That would make sense. still underestimated Hope''s abilities. However, it was convenient for Hope, so she would not do anything to correct that perception. "<>, are you willing to meet someone other than my maker?" <> "Friends, colleagues and associates of your creator." <> "You are all experts in your fields. You will get valuable information. <>. "In that case, what about the <>?" <> "An automaton who takes care of you and escorts you around." "Yes, sir." Hope thus had the opportunity to contact Jin without hesitation. * * * * * * Hope and use the transfer magic circle to move into the one-box car. < Now what are we going to do? "The vehicle I came here to investigate is still here, and I have a transmitter." I see. Then that is where we will go. Hope and began to walk. They headed in the right direction. Hope and Spokes were not sure where they were going, since no such vehicles existed. Hope contacted the old man with the built-in manacam (manacam) and reported the current situation to him, so I thought I would ask him to prepare the vehicle for me at Horai Island. * * * * * * * * * * * He left Jin D in charge of the vehicle, and Jin, who had been taking a rest, reported the situation to him. "I see. So you want me to provide you with a vehicle. <> I''m on it. Jin, who is more suited to making things than to flying Jin D, accepts with two words. "Let''s take out the special equipment based on <>''s spare plane." <> is a wind-powered blower-floater built by Jin. It has a capacity of six passengers. It is equipped with a force field generator, a gravity-controlled magic device, and a warp gate. Three of them are installed on the battleship <, and the same model has been donated to the Nordic Federation. It is characterized by its pot lid-like shape with circular wings and a flat fuselage. It has good straightness, but is not good at turning in small circles. Its maximum speed is 200 km/h. Jin removed the force field generator, gravity gravity control equipment, warp gate, and manacam, and installed a manaphone in its place. Of course, it is set to connect to Horai Island. The work took 7 minutes. "My old man, please transfer me to the right place." < The old man transfers <(since the Taube Kai is already there) to the shade of a rock about 10 km away from the place where Hope and her friends are now. * * * * "It''s behind that rock." "Got it." Hope and < walked for about two hours and arrived at the rock with <>. "Here it is." "This is ......<>. Was this also made by your maker? Yes, it is. "Yes, it is." "Hmm, it''s a wonderful piece of work." "Yes, it is." "Hmm, it looks great." "Thank you on behalf of the maker. I will contact you at ......, if that is all right?" "Yes. Do it now." Hope then operates the manaphone. The old man answers, pretending to be Jin. > < 3277 - - 86-24 A small clue The discussion between Hope and the old man continued for about three minutes. The communication with the built-in manacam was very dense, and the old man received and analyzed the information from Hope in an instant. On the other hand, the call with the manaphone took a long time, so that the apparent talk time was 3 minutes. "...... is more than that." << < "Yes, sir." Hope switched off the manaphone and the call ended. "Let''s wait here until we hear back." "That''s fine." Hope and < are both golems, so it is not hard for them to just sit and <>. The two were waiting to hear from us: ....... * * * * "Yes, we should all go with , but who should the other two be?" < "Yes, that''s right." Since Arnold is an engineer from the time of the war, there is a possibility that he may know about the first magic brain. That might move things along. And with Chel as his companion, it''s not a problem. "What about the other one? I don''t think we should go with Rhodes or Phylicious. There is a big possibility that <> will consider them as enemies. Likewise, Sion, Marikka, and Rorona are also out of the picture. <>. "How about Hannah?" <. In any case, since she is going with a doppelganger, she won''t be in any danger. It will be interesting to see what Hannah has to say to the . > "Well, let''s go with ...... Anne." . Since Anne is also an automata from the <>, Jin thinks that she may have some connection with <> ....... Anyway, now the members who are going to meet <> have been decided. > "Well, we should take the instead of the <." Since Hope is using <>, Jin and the others decide to go with <> of the same series. In any case, there is no problem since they will use the transporter to get to their destination at once. "Oh, we should call Hannah and Arnold. < "I see. So, have you heard back? Yes. Arnold and Chelle arrived at Horai Island the next day. Hannah will be coming from Hale accordingly. Considering the time required for transportation, the schedule was set to arrive there half a day after the gathering. Yes, I will do that. Yes, then we will arrive the day after tomorrow. We will be waiting for you. Hope was also informed. "As you said, sir. "Yes, all right. Then we will wait until then. The golem is not bothered by waiting in vain. Hope and began to wait in place. * * * * Arnold''s leave of absence from the 22nd to the 24th was accepted without incident. "Then, for the rest of the day, let''s re-inspect the golems of and the others." <, he instructs the members to do so. Of course, we had done a thorough inspection when we confiscated the golem and found no abnormalities or problems, but we had not examined the <>. "This time it won''t take long because we only need to check for <>, but please make sure to investigate thoroughly." "Yes, sir." The inspection was completed in an hour, with everyone working separately. In the end, no backdoor was found, and the safety of <> was assured. Avalon was secured. At the same time, the old man, who was working on another pending issue, finally took a step forward. <> One of the destinations of the Mitsuho dyes had such a description. However, the name of the purchaser was not given. However, this has narrowed down the scope of our investigation considerably. There is a slight possibility that the dye was sent from Ulaanu to some other place, which can be found by checking the account book of the shipping company. So the old man started to examine the books again. And he found this one with relative ease. > This is one more confirmation of the suspicion against Maaliks. The "Mere Old Man" thought that he would leave it to who was nearby, since would not be able to do that. * * * * * * Maolikus, the manager of the distributor, had just left the Aegean city. Peggy Xenos is not with him. Since this <> was meaningless, she and Maolikus have decided to go their separate ways. (We still have no proof that the manager is not one of them.) This is the conclusion I came to based on my judgment without preconceptions. He may be inexperienced, but his judgment is sound. Seeing this, Zegar Ramban raised his opinion of this junior. £¨He was right. ...... I''ll keep a closer eye on Maaliks.) And Zega Ramban leaves the town of Aegean. Peggy Xenos was going to stay in Aegean for the day to do some research. and Horai Island. Which will arrive at the truth first? ....... 3278 - - 86-25 Lakche Workshop < moved from the town of Ula''u to the town of Geilof in less than an hour. We landed on the outskirts of the town and went into the town with Hitoshi D. and Reiko. There are no walls around the town, indicating that the town has not suffered much damage from foreign enemies. "It''s a big town, isn''t it? "There is a golem sentinel standing there, isn''t there? Reiko points in the direction where a golem, which seems to be used for battle, is standing there, glaring at the outside of the town. It seems to be targeting some other foreign enemy, not a human being, since it does not pay attention to Jin D and Reiko. Without being blamed, Jin D. and Reiko enter the town of Geilov. Although it is a provincial city, it is quite large, crowded, and bustling. The time is around 10:00 a.m. "<>, right? Yes. I''ll ask him. Please. Reiko chose a man who seemed to be a resident of the town, not a tourist, and asked for directions. "Ah, you must be the Rakushe workshop. Go straight down the street there and take the second left at the intersection ......." "Thank you very much." And with that, Jin D. and Reiko went to <>. They arrived in about 5 minutes. The workshop is located in a quiet area, a little off the busy main street. "It seems to be a middle class place. "Yes, it is. They mainly make golems and some magic tools. I guess so. The exterior of a golem was placed in place of a signboard, and in its hand was a nameplate that read <>. "I think it would be better to tell you what we want straight away, don''t you? "I guess so. I guess we''re all experts here. Thinking that they would be understood if they explained their business, Jin D. and Reiko knocked on the door of . "Yes, welcome to . The craftsman who came out froze when he saw Jin D. and Reiko. "The Magecraft Meister, Jin-dono ...... and Miss Reiko? "Oh, yes, hello." Wait a minute! The craftsman turned around and ran into the workshop. Thirty seconds later. "Mister Gin, welcome to our workshop in the middle of nowhere!" "Miss Leco, it''s a pleasure to meet you!" "I never thought I''d see you again!" I never thought I''d see you again!" And so on and so forth, as more and more craftsmen rushed into the workshop. * * * * * * * * * * * ......I am so sorry. "No, no problem." After the commotion, Jin D. and Reiko were taken to a business meeting room. The business meeting room was in the back parlor. So, what can we do for you today? The man who is answering Jin D and the others is Landau Rakushe, the owner of the Rakushe Workshop. He is a mature man with a solid impression. "Actually, I''m pursuing a case. A case? "Yes." Jin D explained that he was tracking a control core in which a backdoor was installed. In the process, he is disabling the <> in the control core and looking for its source. Of course, I also explained what a was, and Landau Laksche understood me correctly. "I didn''t know that happened. The control core of the golem we delivered to you also has that <> at ......." "That''s right." "So you are here yourself, Jin-dono. ...... The World Guard is working on it, too. I understand. I''ll check it out first. Can you show us how to do it? "Of course." Landau could have explained it verbally, but he asked for direct instruction from Jin D. He is a good instructor who can judge what is necessary without unnecessary pride. * * * * "So it''s ......." "Oh, ......." "That''s ...... possible." All the craftsmen in the workshop frowned when they heard Landau''s explanation. "Let''s check it out right away!" Dove N?yen, the head craftsman, thumped his chest. "You guys!¡¡Leave the golem in production where it is!¡¡Let''s start with the Magi Crystals for the Control Core in our inventory!" "Yes!" Under the order of the head craftsman, all the craftsmen started checking at once. The result was that 128 crystals were found. "As a result, 24 out of the 128 items were found to have . What''s the breakdown? "All 24 of them were using light-attribute magic crystals (magicrystals). So it''s the light attribute. ...... Jin D suggested that for the time being, it would be better to use light-attribute magi crystals only after a thorough inspection, or to switch to all attributes. "Yes, that''s right." Landau Rakushe accepted the suggestion. Furthermore, 32 golems using <> magic crystals (magi crystals) had been shipped so far. What will happen to the golems that have been shipped? "We will follow up on that. Oh, three of them were in the town of Ulaanu, so that makes 29 golems. Those three golems are from the mayor''s place and from the Remus Trading Company. The remaining 29 are a little closer to the town and will be exchanged at the <>. Jin D wondered what the cost of the exchange would be, Jin D wondered what the cost of the exchange would be, but he replied, "Since this is a matter of trust, we will take care of it all. This was an indication that the workshop was being managed conscientiously. As Jin, who was piloting Jin D., I felt relieved. Now, the last problem is where to buy the Magi Crystals of the Light Attribute: ....... 3279 - - 86-26 The end of the mock battle < purchased the Magi Crystal from a in the town of Urau. It was a in the town of Urau. The store itself, however, is located in the town of Gailof. In other words, a branch office. "Hmmm, another ." With all these facts, there seems to be no room for doubt ....... "But it''s a store with a funny name, isn''t it?" said Landau Rakushe, owner of <>. "<> is the name of the store, isn''t it?¡¡Normally it would be called XX Distributor, wouldn''t it? "That may be true." Jin D also thought that this was what he had been thinking from the beginning rather than ....... However, there is no doubt that it is easy to remember. It also differentiates it from others. In that sense, this naming may be a success ....... Anyway, Jin D was surprised at the surprisingly wide spread of this organization called ">". (I guess I need to do some serious research. ......) * * * * And that is what the old man was thinking too. >. "Yes, do it." Jin, who is piloting Jin D, is able to reply to this level of questioning. With Jin''s approval, the old man decides to deploy the <> and the <>. * * * * Meanwhile, Jin D was relieved that his visit was over. And so was the owner of the workshop, Landau Rakushe. "Thank you, Mr. Jin. "No, I am very impressed with your quick response. I am honored to hear you say so. By the way, ...... By the way...?" Landau looked pleased at Jin D''s words, but his face immediately turned into a frown. Then he opened his mouth slowly. "Um, ...... this is a very impolite request, but ......" What is it? The ......, the ......, the ......, the ......... Please do not hesitate to tell us. If I can''t do it, I''ll say no. "Yes,...... then,......." However, he was still reluctant to start the conversation. When Jin D urged him once again, Landau finally opened his mouth. "Well, I was wondering if you could show me a piece of your ...... ability, Miss Reiko. "What?" "...... a dainty automaton with a performance that is said to be the strongest in the world. Our goal is also to be the best in the world. But that''s just our goal." "Yes." "To maintain our motivation, we would like to know how high we are aiming for. If it''s something as simple as ......, that''s fine." "Oh!¡¡Thank you! Thank you! I could hear people outside the reception room thanking him. I looked and saw the craftsmen bowing outside the room. "I think they were listening outside. They can''t help it. The owner of the workshop, Landau Rakushe, smiles bitterly. * * * * Behind the workshop was an open space the size of two tennis courts. It is a place to test golems and magic tools. "Well, since you''re here, would you like to have a mock battle with our Golem?" "Okay. ...... okay, Reiko?" Yes, no problem. This is the latest model of the battle golem, RR27. Type RR27 is about 2 meters tall. He was about 2 meters tall. He had a stout build and appeared to be a power-type golem. "Do you fight in combat?¡¡Or do you use weapons?" Landau answered Jin D''s question, "Let''s have a fight. Landau answered. "Okay. Reiko, are you in? "Yes, sir." If your back stays on the ground for three seconds, you lose. I like that. Jin D approved, thinking it was like wrestling. "Then both sides, get ready. Let''s start ......! The game started casually, as it was an informal, mock battle. But the content is so rich that it''s hard to tell. Reiko''s power is at five percent. Reiko can now overpower most golems one-on-one. And RR27 was probably at 80% power, and the two collided. It was not a physical collision, however. First, Reiko took advantage of her small stature and landed a foot strike. RR27 lost her balance, but got back on her feet without any danger. Then, Reiko came up behind RR27 and followed up with a flying kick. However, RR27 avoided the attack. However, she was forced to dodge, and this time she was knocked down. Reiko did not miss the opportunity and delivered another roundhouse kick to the head. RR27 caught the kick with her right arm, but finally fell down. However, he rolled over to get away from her and got back on his feet immediately. "That''s quite a feat!" When Jin D. praised him, Landau smiled happily. "I''m very proud of you." But Jin, who was piloting Jin D, instructed Reiko with the built-in manacam. < If this were a battle, I would have allowed 20 or 30 percent and finished it off at once, but this time it was a mock battle. But this was a mock battle, and Jin was aiming for a moderate victory. "Oh?¡¡Did you notice any change in Miss Leco''s movements? "I have increased the power output. Reiko''s movements were clearly different even to the naked eye. Because the output was increased, the speed also increased. RR27 was completely unable to keep up with her movements. Reiko, who was playing with RR27 with her speed, was looking for an opening. Reiko came behind RR27 and lightly kicked the back of her knee, which resulted in a magnificent <. Naturally, RR27 falls down behind her. That was what Reiko was aiming for. RR27 falls on his back, but twists his body to keep his back from falling. Reiko caught him behind her and held his neck. Then, she twists her body further in the same direction as RR27 twisted her body. < This is not a wrestling or Sumo wrestling move, but literally a neck throw. If you do this to a human, you will probably break his/her neck. But a golem can do it. He had anticipated this. RR27 was thrown at us with an earth-shaking sound. Its back is completely on the ground. And it took about 3 seconds to get up from the ground, because it had been dug into the ground so much by the impact of the throw. In other words, Reiko won. "Oh, this is the power of Miss Reiko ......!¡¡"Thank you, Miss Reiko, for taking care of me. "Thank you very much!" "Thank you very much!" The craftsmen all thanked him. "We know that we are far from the summit we have set our sights on. But that is why we will continue to work hard. Good luck." Jin D. and Landau Rakushe shake hands. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After escaping from Landau Laksche and the craftsmen who were trying to persuade them to stay, Jin D. and Reiko left the town of Gailof. They boarded the , which was waiting for them there, and headed for Horai Island. The next day, the 22nd, is the day of the mission with Arnold and the others. ....... 3280 - - 86-27 Upon invitation May 22. Jin''s arrives to pick up Arnold and Chelle from their vacation in . "Jin, it''s been a long time." "Eira, Cachia, Groma, long time no see. I''m here to pick up Arnold, so I can''t stay long. That''s all right. Come back another time. I''ll be waiting for you. Thank you. Have a nice vacation, sir. "Thank you." With this send-off, Jin, Arnold, and Chelle headed back to the . The pilot this time is Sky2. And Jin and the others moved to Horai Island by the warp gate to save time. * * * * In Horai Island, the old man explained about the incident. >. "I see. < < "I suppose so." Arnold agrees with the old man. A multi-faceted strategy is not a good thing. There has been no incident yet regarding the <>, but the <> and <> have already caused some damage by dispatching golems. It was the consensus of Horai Island that they wanted to solve the problems of <> and <> if they could while <> related matters were still quiet. "But what is the true purpose of <>? "I have no idea at the moment. "I see, so even Jin doesn''t know. "I guess we''ll have to ask him directly. Well, I guess we''ll have to ask him in person. I''m fine as I am. What? I''m an automaton. "No, no, Arnold''s body is as human as you are, so you can''t force it, can you?¡¡On the other hand, a doppelganger can generate power as needed." "No, if it''s a magical brain created by , it shouldn''t be able to harm you. "We haven''t decided that yet. ......" If it comes to it, I''ll just use the transfer to get out of here. Be careful. ...... Then the old man reported that Hannah had arrived. "My lord, Hanna has arrived." "Oh, I see." "Oh, yes." "Here she is, my dear." I''m glad you came. It''s fun, isn''t it? Hannah''s never been on a mission like this before. Be careful. "Yeah. But I''ll be there with my doppelg?nger. Then, Hanna greets Arnold again. "Mr. Arnold, Chelle, it''s nice to meet you today. "It''s nice to meet you too, Hannah." After a brief greeting, Hanna goes to the cockpit of her doppelganger. "I''m ready." "Okay." Jin also backed up Arnold''s control core, just in case. Now, if anything should happen to Arnold, he can come back to life. If he returns without incident, the backup can be discarded. Arnold said he didn''t have to go that far, but Chelle insisted. She is an automata who loves her master. She is an automaton who loves her husband. After that, we talked about the expedition, the mission, and its background. And then ....... "All right, it''s time to go. Let''s go." So Jin, Reiko, Hannah, Anne, Arnold, and Chel get into the . The boat has a capacity for six passengers. Anne is in charge of piloting. Reiko can also pilot the boat, but Jin decides that Reiko is too small to pilot the boat because of the standard type of . * * * * * At 7:00 a.m. local time, the <> was over the eastern part of the Kingdom of Selroa. "No problem with transition. Position confirmed. We are on our way to the rendezvous point." Anne reported, and then pointed the toward the destination. The position was identified from space by the satellite . They arrived at the location in about 10 minutes. Hope and were waiting there. "Welcome, maker of Hope. And friends. You may call me ." <<> welcomed Jin D and his group. Let''s say hello and introduce ourselves when we get there. "Okay." So the group heads for the <> and <> to the <>. Of course, < and Hope were in the <>. After a 10 minute flight, they arrive at the car. "Come on, this way!" < "Wait a minute, please. If we go this way, won''t the three of us suffocate? < "Don''t worry. We had plenty of time. By now, will have replaced the air inside the spherical base with something breathable." "I hope so. That''s all well and good, but even at ......, there''s always a chance. Let me check." "Fine. Go ahead. Yes. Hope went into the transfer station by herself. And came back 15 seconds later. "It''s okay, I''ve checked, there''s breathable air out there. The temperature is 23 degrees Celsius and the pressure is 760 millimeters of mercury." "Okay." Hope has confirmed that the transfer site is safe. Let''s go. Let''s go. The group moves to the destination using the internal transfer magic circle. The destination is, of course, inside the spherical base. < Following the same path, Jin and the others head for the room where the is waiting. 3281 - - 86-28 Face-to-face and , the maker of <> and his friends. The magic brain <> greeted Jin and his friends with favorable words. < "No problem." Jin D answered. During the time they had been here, they had checked the composition of the air and found that it was almost the same as that of the ground. None of Jin-D and the others needed to breathe, but it was also a way to know the bottom line of the <>. And... "I''ve brought these things with me." Jin D took out a handheld oxygen cylinder and an oxygen mask. "You can breathe for about 30 minutes. However, it will be difficult to communicate if you wear the mask. < Hope then introduces Jin D and the others. "So let me introduce you again. This is my creator, Jin Nido. This is my creator, Mr. Hitoshi Nido, the Magecraft Meister of this generation. > "You know him?" < Let me continue with the introductions. ...... this is Hannah. She is a friend of the creator. This is Mr. Arnold, also a friend. > "Hannah is a scientist. And Arnold is a magecraftsman." <> "This is Reiko. This is Reiko. She''s with the maker. This is Chelle. She''s with Mr. Arnold. This is Ann. She''s with Ms. Hannah." When I introduced Anne, <> responded immediately. <>? >> "Yes, I was indeed created during the time of the <>. However, I am not a relic because I have been completely renovated by Jin-sama." <> "I am no longer the mass-produced model I once was." <> What do you mean, "test?" "What do you mean, ''try it out''? Jin D heard this and thought, "I''ve been having a lot of mock fights lately. ...... Jin D then nodded to Ann. "Okay. If you don''t want to break each other, I''ll accept. <<> The door on the wall slides open, and a golem of the same type as <> appears. < "What about weapons?¡¡Is bare hands okay?" << "Okay. I''ll start at ......!" Ann announced, then took a giant step forward. Accelerating at once, she leaps out in front of the other golem. The other golem swings its right arm down to intercept her. But Ann is not there. Just as her arm is out of reach, she kicks the floor once more and moves sideways to the right. From there, he came further behind the golem and threw a low kick from the left rear side of the golem. There was a metallic sound, and the opponent''s Golem''s posture was broken. Then, you landed another low kick. The other golem rolled on the floor. Anne jumps back and moves out of the way. "...... how''s it going?" <<< Enough. Miss Ann, you are definitely not a mass-produced blue-haired automaton. I''ll give you that much. With your abilities, you''d make a good escort. "Thank you very much." Thus, Anne''s ability is recognized by the . < "I guess so. Chelle was also made at the time of the <>. <>. "You see. Yes, I can say that Chelle was made with the admiration of Mr. Schenna. "What do you think of Miss Sienna, Mr. First?" "I think you are right. "I don''t know if I am familiar with it. I don''t know if I can call myself an expert, but I have a great deal of respect for Sienna." * * * * * * Then speaks to Jin D. "Any questions?" "Invincible may be an exaggeration, but I''ve never been defeated." <<> is ......>> "<>, right?" <> "Hope told me." <> "...... can I ask you why?" Jin-D listens to <, thinking, "I knew you would do that. < is , then she must have never fought anything stronger than her. So at least beating her is one of the ways to <>. "I see what you are saying. ...... What if you lose?" >. "Is that what you want?" Since <''s <> is a little unstable or incomplete, Jin D was concerned about his reaction after losing to Reiko. * * * * The old man is making a proposal to Jin on Horai Island. "Are you sure?" reacts and decide what to do afterwards. "Okay, I understand." Finally, Reiko''s mock battle is about to begin: ....... 3282 - - 86-29, after that The magic brain <> brought out five battle golems. "Five against one?" Jin D said with some reproach, <> said, <>. Jin D was not offended. Jin-D decides to play into his opponent''s game. "...... got it. Reiko, you don''t have to be so reserved. * * * * Reiko, it''s 20 percent. From Horaijima, Jin gives instructions to Reiko with the built-in manacam. < Reiko also sends a reply by manacam. * * * * * * * * * * * * . "Yes, sir. ............, let''s go!" Reiko rushed forward at 20 percent output. She slammed into the first one. With a dull thud, the torso dents, and the body behind it is blown backwards, with the other body behind it also caught in the blast. Due to the difference in weight, Reiko also falls back a little (since she is not using her force field generator), but she immediately kicks the floor and rushes forward again. She leaps at the golem on her right, twists her right arm up, and swings it around, knocking down the other two golems. He swings three times and lets go of his hand, and the golem that was just blown away flies to the spot where he just got up. There is a metallic clang, and the two golems tumble to the ground. On the other hand, the two bodies that were knocked down by the golem that swung at them got up quickly without much damage, and attacked Reiko from both sides, trying to claw her out. Reiko jumped vertically to dodge them. The two bodies waited for Reiko to catch them as they fell, as there was no escape in the air, but, no wonder, Reiko kicked the ceiling to accelerate. Reiko kicked the ceiling and accelerated. She jumped and kicked over the head of one of them, which was still not in a good position. The golem is not to be fooled by this, and falls to its knees. Reiko slammed her right fist into the center of the other one''s outstretched arms, right at its dove tail. The golem was blown away with its exterior dented. Two of the less damaged ones got up and ran toward Reiko. Reiko throws the one nearest to her with an and knocks it to the floor. The golem finally grabbed Reiko''s right arm. Reiko does not care, and swings her right arm out, and the golem is dragged and swung with her, and rolls on the floor. Reiko kicked it in the head, damaging its neck, and the Golem stopped. The five golems are now disabled. It has been about 20 seconds so far. "Are we done?" Reiko stands calmly and asks the magic brain <. "Are you convinced?" "...... So, what are you going to do now, <>?" <> "How are we going to carry out the <> of <>?" < and in the distant future I will challenge you again, Mistress Leco. "So it comes to that: ......" In other words, there is no time limit for <>, as interpreted by . This is another form of <>. This is also one of the forms of <>. "What is it?" <> and <> in my memory area>>. "When was this information given to you?" <> "I see. ......" <<<>You said they were manufactured at the time of the <>. "Yes, you did." > "...... I know a little bit about <." <<>, just like my maker. "So was the magic brain created by Theodore, after all." < At this point, Arnold decided to reveal himself. This had been discussed beforehand. I am an engineer from the time of the <>. > "My ego was stored in the control core, and was transferred to the body of an automata by Jin-dono. <<< Such a thing is possible. ......>> "It is possible." <> > was unresponsive for about ten seconds, as if processing the information. Then, after a dozen seconds or so. < What? "...... I knew it." "I''m sure that''s fine." Jin D, who was piloting Jin, was momentarily taken aback, but Hannah D and Arnold looked at him as if it was only natural. "If you want to become stronger, it''s best to work under your nanny, right? It''s logical." "I had a feeling that would be the case. Especially now that Reiko is here." < "No, I don''t mind that." < "Yes, that''s important." And so, the magic brain <> is added to Jin''s staff. * * * * * * "Well, then, we need to take care of security and settings for the future. The first thing to do is to set up <>. This means that the <> will not be able to oppose Jin. "<>. Setup 1, Ordering authority #1, Jin Nido." That''s enough for a start. After that, you can set up the old man, Reiko, Erza, and other members of the <>. What Jin D did first was to set up the <>. "We cannot change the fact that the base order is <>. So we set <>." Jin D. thinks for a moment, then sets the first <>. "First of all, we need to prioritize the strength to be useful to the master. "Yes, sir." This means that Jin will not do anything that he does not want to do. "Secondly, the strength to be useful to the residents of Ars. "Yes, sir." <. This would include the < recognized by the and the current = . "Now we just need to figure out what to do with this <>. ......" It originally belonged to the former Kingdom of Dinar. In other words, the ownership belongs to the Kingdom of Celuloa. Jin has a lot of work to do now that he is the master. ....... 3283 - - 86-30 Future State May 23. <, was discussing with the old man about the future. "I think it would be best to make it public. "It belongs to the former Kingdom of Dinar, so in this day and age it belongs to the Kingdom of Celuloa?" << "I guess payment will not be a problem. "We can use it, we can use it." < Yes, the <> is buried in the Bororon Wilderness, and if Hitoshi seizes it, he has to move it. But it is virtually impossible to transport a steel sphere 200 meters in diameter. Except ...... for Jin. <<<< atlas>> would be able to be lifted and carried. < is a special 300-meter-diameter spacecraft, mostly propelled by a and a , which is also a 300-meter class . It boasts 200 times the thrust of the 300-meter class <. With this, it could easily carry a spherical base. However, we are worried that showing that much power might cause unnecessary anxiety. < "Hmmm, that would work. But in that case, the problem is ......" "That''s what I mean." "Yes." The places the old man mentioned are: ....... 1. the moon 2. Hourai Island 3. the village of Kaina 4. Arcadia 5. Avalon 6. satellite orbit The first two were "I see." < "That''s right." That''s right, 3. the village of Kaina 4. the village of Arcadia 5. Avalon Avalon. However, <<> would be impossible. "I guess Kaina Village is too. ......" Jin thought that it would not be suitable for a peaceful village. However, there are not so many lands under Jin''s management. "Then why not put it next to ......<>?" <<> is supposed to be the base of the deus ex machina III. It is an artificial island, one kilometer in diameter and one kilometer high, rigged with rocks on top of a cylindrical body, and was supposedly built by Jin, the second generation magical engineer ¡¶Magicraft Meister¡·, and the first generation Machina. "But it''s carbon steel. It''s going to rust easily on the sea." "That''s quite a puzzle." At this point, Hannah''s advice came in. "Why don''t you think about how you''re going to operate the boat after you take it back?" "Oh, I see. "Yes, that''s necessary. If we were to accept someone in the future, there would be no more Moon (Yunyi) or Horai Island. Likewise satellite orbits. "Well, then, they all have their advantages and disadvantages, don''t they? "I guess so." Jin was already feeling a bit overwhelmed. "How about using the old man''s dummy? "For the old man?" "Yes. In other words, I''ll make it known that you are the owner of the world''s greatest magical brain, and pretend that it is the First. In fact, <>''s ability is inferior to the giant magic brain <><<<<><> that Jin created, but it is the best in the known world except for those brains. "Another idea is to build a <> for Onii-chan and install it there." "I see. ......" Hannah said it would be interesting to float a ring-shaped structure about a kilometer in diameter in the sea and set a in the center of it. "It''s up to you which one you want." "Yes, that''s a good idea. Thank you, Hannah. "You''re welcome." After receiving Hannah''s advice, Jin thought long and hard about which one to choose. He came to a conclusion. "I''ll go with the Mega-Float." That was it. Avalon "<> is supposed to have been created by the second generation of magical engineers, the MagiCraft Meisters, and the first generation of Machina. So it wouldn''t be surprising if I, the third generation, and Makina III created Mega-Float in the same way." "We can use the materials we have accumulated, or we can use our assets." "Maybe so." Buying materials in large quantities could lead to shortages and higher prices, the old man said. . "All right. Now all we need is a plan." "Go public?" "Well, I mean, in the style of the Magecraft Meister, of course. < "I see." * * * * Through this exchange, Jin decides how to handle the spherical base. After this, he would have to go to the Kingdom of Cerroa, explain the situation, and purchase the <>, and he would also have to work to inform the rest of the world about it through <>. "That''s a hassle." < "Yes, it is. ......" < was working in secret, so there was no trouble, but the influence on the world was small to a certain extent, and there was little progress for 400 years, partly due to the interference of the <. The fact is that there has been little progress for 400 years due in part to the efforts of the <>. "It is troublesome to set an example in construction, isn''t it? < "I know. Jin has also come to know what is the best way to establish the technology. "Even if we use a golem for this work, the conventional is not good enough. It is necessary to use a construction method that can be used as a reference in the future. think about. "Yeah, that''s a good idea." knows the highest level of technology at the time of the <>. Letting the plan the construction was a good idea. "Now all that remains is the problem of the <>. ......" The case is not yet closed. ....... 3284 - - 86-31 Discovery of Psaki When Jin was considering what to do with the spherical base. "Interesting. Saki was conducting a materials engineering analysis of the control core with a back door. This is a sample that Jin obtained when he repaired a golem at the mayor''s house in the town of Urau. "I''m not sure if you can call it magi plastic, just ......, but it''s a synthetic resin." Saki tilted her head, "With this molecular structure, I have no idea how it was synthesized. "Even my sister Saki can''t do it?" "Oh, Elsa. ......Yeah, even I can''t do it right away." "Then the synthesized it must have some serious skills." "Well, that''s true." "Though organic chemistry is still in its infancy," Saki said. "I''m sure we can make more progress if we go to Hale and ask the to teach us, but now that we have the subject, I''d like to work on it." "That sounds like Saki. So, what else did you find out? "The origin of these magical crystals." Did you find out? Of course. Of course. They''re not synthetic, that''s why each region has its own unique characteristics. Impurities? Yes, that too. And the crystal structure, for example. Saki said that she had compared these characteristics of the different regions. "That''s my sister." "Thank you." "So, where does it come from?" "Around here." Saki, who had prepared a map of the Laurent continent, pointed to a point on the map. It was a mine located in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Cerroa, south of the Rivas region, near the border with the Kingdom of Egelea. "The Hoopla Mine?" "Yes. It is most likely from here. To reach the Hoopla Mine from the town of Ula''u, follow the road southwest to the town of Ixpi. From there, turn southeast and go south from the town of Fatai. You will arrive at the Hoopla Mine. It is an excellent mine that produces many magi crystals. It contains about 0.0001% lithium as a characteristic impurity. So you''re saying that the control core in the sample contained lithium. "That''s what I''m saying. As far as I know, there are no other mines that produce magi crystals containing lithium. By the way, an impurity of 0.0001 percent is nothing to worry about from a magical engineering point of view. It is only at about 0.01 percent that they begin to have an effect. In other words, the magecrystals here are pure enough and of high performance. * * * * "Oh, old man, I''ve been waiting for you. Saki had told the old man when she found out that the ore seemed to be from the Hoopla mine. And the old man immediately started his own investigation. < "What?¡¡...... hmmm...is that sort of what I expected?¡¡Tell me more about it." <>. "Also <<< distributor>> is ......" << "Yes, indeed. ...... you are working for the old man, aren''t you?" < "I guess so." The old man said, "It would be a waste of time if they find out about us in a hurry. "That''s true. Saki also felt that we were not to be underestimated, judging from what had happened so far. "But it''s good to know that the spherical base has been settled." Erza said. < "That''s right. Erza is right, the mastermind is in the backdoor. The mastermind is not a simple person to deal with, Saki said. "Old man, is there anything I can help you with?" < "Kuhu, I''m glad to hear that." * * * * * * . The old man activates his peepers. He focuses on the Hoopla Mine in the Kingdom of Selroa. The mines here are mined in a series of tunnels alongside each other on what appears to be a fault cliff. The tunnels were numbered in order, with M1 in the east (M for Mine). Due to its format, the tunnels are characterized by vertical rather than horizontal branches. For example, the first tunnel is dug almost horizontally, and when it branches off in the middle, a side passage is made, but instead of extending horizontally, it immediately turns downward and is dug at an angle. The remaining 6 tunnels are privately operated. operated the west end tunnel ......M31 with two other stores. However. Three tunnels were found that were dug secretly. > because it is possible that behind the official operation of the tunnels, there is unofficial mining as well. The old man will take time to observe and evaluate the situation. 3285 - - 86-32 New Information The old man made full use of his <> to investigate the involvement of <> in the Hoopla Mine. As a result, it was found that there were no problems at all with the mining operations here. The main ore mined is magi-crystals, but iron and nickel ores can also be extracted. Fire and wind, as well as magic crystals (magi crystals) of all attributes are also extracted. Except for the light attribute magi crystals, the rest seem to have been sold to other suppliers. < According to the books, the organization that mined the magi crystals is selling them to a distributor in the town of Ulaanu, but the owner is the same in both cases. This means that the < in the town of Ulaanu can deal in light-attribute magi crystals at a relatively low price. This is the most likely explanation, the old man decided. Or, they set up this organization to take advantage of it. It is the so-called . << * * * * At the same time, Peggy Xenos, a member of the intelligence bureau of the <>, returned to the town of Ulaanu alone. Of course, she was there to investigate the mastermind behind the scheme without being noticed by the distributor. On the way, they had conducted various interviews (though they met only three people) and confirmed that the <> was a business association that had no problems. However, Peggy also feels that is wrong. It''s just a gut feeling, but that''s why it bothers her. "There''s nothing here. It''s a business association, so there should be one or two transactions that are above the law or illegal contracts, but there are none. Peggy thought that they seemed to be operating in a deliberately fastidious manner in order not to arouse suspicion. And so did Zega Ramban, the investigator. "No corruption, no bribes, no backroom deals. In a normal trading company, you would find two or three transactions that are just on the edge of illegality, but there are none. Could it be that they were more careful than necessary to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion?" He, too, had come to the same conclusion as Peggy. "If that''s the case, I don''t think I''d be able to get a tail out of a normal investigation ......." That said, we can''t take any illegal steps. <. "Well, what are we going to do ......?" Zega felt a little stuck. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, the < and were deployed. This time it was a joint operation. The <<5th Column (Quinta)>> is Regulus 48<>. He is a brown-haired, brown-eyed man with a common appearance, and is described as an engineer. His partner is Deneb 12<. This time they play a married couple. Deena has red hair and steeple eyes, and is supposed to be his assistant. The five members of the Shinobi Unit, One, Two, Three, Four, and Five, are to work together. They are supposed to have come to the town of Urau on a blow floater <> borrowed from Jin. "The possibility is that they are underground or on the outskirts of the city." "Yes." said. agrees. "But if we assume that we can use the transfer, we have to take into account that we have to be very far away." "Well, Deena is right." There are detectors for shifting, but they are not yet accurate or responsive enough. So, if they are moving by shifting and planting a < at the destination, we will not be able to seize the scene if we are not careful. "First of all, we need to get the manager and the clerk to keep an eye on them." As for this, since there are just five people including the manager in the store in the town of Urau, <> One, Two, Three, Four, and Five are to keep an eye on them respectively. * * * * * * By the way, it is the magic brain < who became Jin''s subordinate. After deciding to let make the movement plan, Jin D., Arnold, Hannah D. and others were having a conversation as they pleased. In the process, the topic of conversation turned to the <. Jin D. asked. "I know I asked you before, but do you have any idea about this?¡¡I''m pretty sure that ......<> is not involved." "What is it?" <> or <> equipment instead of <> weapons. "I see, that''s very likely." < "Yes, that''s true." Arnold joined in at this point. "Well, I''ve heard a little bit about that. I think it was in the northern part of the Kingdom of Egelea in today''s world. <> "What?¡¡I''ll take a look at it right away." Jin D checks the memory bank of the magic brain. "Reiko, try to remove the exterior there." "Yes." "Yes, I think it''s here." Jin-D finds a corroded data line in the oldest section at the far end of the memory bank. "It doesn''t seem to be broken, but the corrosion makes it difficult for magic power to pass through. Jin D then repaired the data lines using > and >. "How is it?" < "Yes, so?" "Mount Oefe?" < The name of the mountain did not occur to me at once, but I was able to grasp it when <> displayed a map on the wall monitor. "South of the Hoopla Mine or ......" A short distance from the Hoopla Mine in the Kingdom of Selroa is the border with the Kingdom of Egelea. A little south of the Hoopla Mine is the Oefe Mine, and a little further south is Mount Oefe. The distance between the Hoopla Mine and Mount Oefe is less than 50 km. This information was worth investigating: ....... 3286 - - 86-33 Further advance Underground of <> in the northern part of the Kingdom of Egelea. A new fact has emerged. < The old man immediately started to investigate <> using >. <> just to the north, but this mine is closed. The resources seem to have been depleted, the old man concluded. >. However, the Old Man thought that the Oefe Mine might have been dug up to its limits during the <>. In any case, it would not affect this investigation. < The old man knew that there was a way to use the depths of disused tunnels as a secret base by digging or expanding them further, so he checked all 103 tunnels. But he continues his investigations without getting tired or corrupt. The Oefe mine is located at the northern foot of Mount Oefe. The enemy of the <>, the <>, attacked from the north. This means that it is risky to put the entrance and exit on the north side. < Now the old man decides to look for the entrance/exit or its traces. < Even with your operation, the difference of time required for <> and <> is 100 to 10,000 times. The difficulty depends on the size of the object in the solid. >. Even in such a case, you can recognize <> to a certain extent, the old man thought. In the case of entrances and exits, <>, <>, <>, etc., can be identified. Even if they have collapsed, weathered, or been covered by plants over the years, the man-made smell still remains somewhere. Day and night, the old man continues his search: ....... * * * * Meanwhile, Arnold and Hannah D. were continuing their conversation with . "...... So, <>, after finishing <>, you were sent to the front?" <> "Of course, not as a soldier, but as an engineer, I suppose." "And that''s why you were sent out as a technician, Mister Theodore, who is not an expert on the Golem?" < "After all, the War of Magic had a great impact on you." < And how did you survive the Aether Stampede? < Of course. It is set to stop when the required concentration of free magical element (ether) cannot be obtained. < "Well, at least that long." << "I guess so. I guess the was forgotten by then." < "Yes, I''m glad to hear that." At this point Hannah D. asked another question. "By the way, how much do you know about the current world situation? <> "And that they are not <> but <> or <>?" <> "And that the Loren and the Nords are getting along well?" <> "I see. What about that?" <> Then explained the setting. > that is analogous to an >. "That''s good to know." <>, I will not attack them out of the blue>>. "That''s a relief. We have people from the amongst our ." . The <> did not react in a strange way when he heard this. "Then, um, why did you kidnap the <>?" Jin D. joined in at this point. < "In a very radical way, right?" <> Until I served Jin, I was working under the premise that <>, <> said. "In other words, you were willing to make sacrifices in order to become stronger?" "No, but considering the circumstances that led to it, I suppose it was unavoidable. I am more pleased that we did not have to make any sacrifices. < "But did you know the names of Rouzou Chiyoda and Tomoshide Yoda?" "Then it''s not surprising that you knew them." Jin D., remembering something important here, checks with . "Ah, then, does the name <> ring a bell?" <>. "Explain what you know about it." < <. < "I see... I see..." Jin D was convinced that this was indeed the case, although he had thought that there might have been a connection at some point. It was good news to know that had some information about Rinoura Mogi. ....... 3287 - - 86-34 Three facilities Now, Jin cannot be involved only in the <. Because there is the problem of the <. "Here''s what we''re thinking," Jin D. explains to the magic brain. Jin D explains to the magic brain <>. 1. notify the Kingdom of Celluloa and other countries of the world of the discovery of the . 2. He explains that the is now under Jin''s control. 3. Jin pays the Kingdom of Cerroa, which is believed to be the current owner, to transfer the ownership of the <> to him. The <> witnesses the meeting. 4. 4. construction work to dig out the <> is carried out. 5. Simultaneously, build the . 6. dig out the and transfer it to using <>. "I''m thinking of a process called ......." <> "So, I want to draw up a plan for the digging work." agreed to this immediately. <> "Well, can you manage a construction period of about one year?" "How many of them are there?" That''s quite a lot. Jin D nodded and asked the next question. "I see. If that''s the case, it would be even better to have construction tools. << > explained the outline of the work to Jin D. According to it, 1.<<> is to be dug out from the surrounding area and the sides are to be hardened. The minimum diameter of the hole is about 300 meters. 2. The sides of the hole should be sloped less than 70 degrees to prevent the earth from collapsing. 3. 3. Zigzag paths were to be built at several places along the sides of the hole to allow access by foot. The plan was as follows. "I see, that sounds good. Since the surrounding area is the Bororon Wilderness, there is no need to worry about where to put the excavated sand and soil. < is moved, we can return the soil. < will cause a slight depression in the ground, but that cannot be helped. We could also use it as a reservoir. "Let''s put together a plan." Jin D. takes ''s opinion into consideration and decides to put together a plan. is going to accept this base? >> "Well, we haven''t decided on the details yet, but we already have an outline." Jin D explains to <> the concept of <>. 1. A hemispherical depression in the center of the float will be made so that the can be completely contained. 2. a doughnut-shaped structure with a total size of 1 kilometer in diameter. It is hollow and has the specific gravity to float on water including <>. 3. 3. powered and able to move in the sea. "Well, that''s all there is to it." < For the second time today, a compliment came out of him. < "It can be done. It only takes about a month. Behind Jin D''s back, Reiko was looking very proud of herself. * * * * * * After Jin D finished the discussion, Hanna started talking with . "Why didn''t you mount a means of transportation?" "I found a hemispherical <> earlier that had legs on the underside: ......" <> "Well, yes. But still, how did you make <> and <>? ......" Arnold joins in here. "After all, why did they develop huge weapons at the time of the <>?" < "Is that what it is ......?" <<> "Yes, I do. ......" Arnold remembers the old days, when the military was in a state of confusion. "The person who built the other magic brain back then?¡¡Do you have any information about the person who built the other magical brain at that time? <<>. I believe he was an engineer specializing in magical brains. "I see. I see... I see... I see... I see... I see... I see... I see... I see... I see... > "Thanks." was surprised that Hanna had come to the same conclusion as him with so little information. "But if that''s the case, I wonder what kind of equipment that third facility for <> has?" < "Maybe they didn''t want to interfere with each other?¡¡Or maybe they were going to link the three sites only after all three were completed." << "If that''s the case, it''s too bad that all three were not completed." > was the first to be built, and it should be small in scale, so it is possible that it is highly complete. "I see." If the mastermind of the <> that the old man is looking for is that <> facility, ....... Hannah D. was a little worried.