“Recruitment, and then kidnapping, is it?”
Jin sank into deep thought after hearing Reinhard’s report.
“Goshujin-sama? Reinhard-san is the gentleman you were with the other day, correct?” Anne asked.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“You are on good terms with him, aren’t you, Goshujin-sama?”
“Yeah, I’d say so.”
“In that case, you must ensure his protection. If you have other friends, you must guard them as well, or the situation will become quite dangerous.”
Anne explained that their enemies were likely to use such underhanded tactics to strike at him indirectly.
“In terms of offensive and defensive power, Hourai Island is undoubtedly the best in the world. However, you are a different story, Goshujin-sama.”
“Eh?”
“What would you do if they struck at your personal vulnerabilities? You must consider how to respond to such a scenario.”
It was a perfectly sound argument. He had managed to save Elsa this time, but there were others: Hanna in Kaina Village, Marcia in Port Rock, Beena and Earl Kuzuma in Blue Land, and Prince Ernest at the Royal Castle in the Kingdom of Egerea.
And, of course, Reinhard.
If they were snatched away and held as hostages, what would Jin do? He knew he couldn't simply abandon them.
“You’re right. I need to increase the number of Secret Mobile Units—the SP—and protect everyone from Unifilar.”
And so, Jin decided to bolster the ranks of the Secret Mobile Units. Since it was already late, he resolved to start the following morning, returned to the Mansion, and went to sleep.
One reason Jin retired so submissively was because even he found Reiko quite terrifying when she was concerned about his health.
After finishing breakfast, Jin immediately set about creating more Secret Mobile Units.
They were to be permanently stationed in Kaina Village, Port Rock, Blue Land, and the Royal Castle of the Kingdom of Egerea. Two units would also guard Reinhard from the shadows.
For the sake of versatility, he standardized them all as adult female types. Since he already had a design base, the ten units were completed in short order.
“As for the names... let’s see. Iris, Azalea, Cattleya, Lotus, Cherry, Camellia, Erica, Lobelia, Sage, and Cosmos.”
Standardizing the names after flowers was enough to make Jin feel like he was coming down with a fever from the mental effort.
He immediately dispatched units to locations that possessed a Warp Gate. For the Royal Castle in the Kingdom of Egerea, the SP would be sent alongside the Quinta units once the Falcon VTOL aircraft was officially rolled out.
“Now then, what’s next?”
“Regarding that, Goshujin-sama,” Anne interjected.
Anne had been acting more like a strategic advisor lately. Jin worried that Reiko might get jealous, but strangely enough, they seemed to have divided their roles effectively, which came as a relief.
“You are human, Goshujin-sama. Therefore, let us consider safety measures specifically for you.”
Jin could only agree.
“A Golem suit, night-vision goggles, a helmet, a battle suit...”
He listed the items as they came to mind.
“Wait, the drug base we prepared yesterday should be finished by now,” Anne reminded him.
Medicine capable of healing Jin’s body was the absolute top priority.
“Ah, you're right.”
Jin opened a free ether box and retrieved the drug base. It emitted a faint glow inside its crystal container.
“Wonderful. I have never seen a drug base that contained this much mana.”
“Alright, now I just need to imbue it with magic.”
The process followed the same principle as writing a magi-formula into a magi-crystal.
“Father, please leave that to me.”
Reiko stepped forward.
“I recently had the opportunity to study healing magic at Sally-san’s clinic. She was capable of using the advanced-level Medicare.”
“Hmm, Medicare? Wait, if I recall correctly, she was using a Shouro Empire-style incantation when I saw her,” Jin mused.
“That area is relatively close to the Shouro Empire, so perhaps she is proficient in both styles?” Reiko suggested.
Since debating the point wouldn't lead to a definitive answer, they dropped the subject for now.
“In that case, Reiko, I'm counting on you.”
“Yes.”
Nodding, Reiko increased the output of her ether converter and mana driver to ten percent and focused her mana.
“Medicare.”
The drug base glowed for an instant. When the light faded, the substance had transformed into a pale blue recovery medicine.
“Anne, what do you think?”
At Jin's prompting, Anne inspected the recovery medicine and gave her firm approval.
“The result is magnificent. This is recovery medicine of the highest possible grade.”
“Yeah, as expected of Reiko.”
Praised by her creator, Reiko smiled happily.
“Alright, let’s divide it into small bottles.”
Jin fashioned small vials out of muscovite, while Reiko and Anne filled them. Each vial held roughly fifty milliliters. Since they had ten liters to process, it was quite the task. Next, they moved on to ampoules. By evacuating the air, the medicine would be suitable for long-term preservation.
Because they were made of muscovite, the contents remained visible, yet the containers were difficult to break. Furthermore, since the material was relatively soft, they were easy to open.
They produced approximately two hundred ampoules. Fifty were kept in storage on Hourai Island, while the rest were designated for forward bases and armored vehicles. According to Anne, something refined to this level of purity could be preserved with almost no degradation.
Just in case, Jin modified a small refrigerator to serve as an Ether Stocker and placed the medicine inside. With this, he could finally rest easy.
“Now then, is it finally time for my equipment?”
“Let’s build them one by one,” Anne agreed.
“My Lord, the materials are ready,” Laozi’s humanoid terminal announced as it approached.
“First, Goshujin-sama, I believe it would be best to complete individual pieces of equipment to guard your body rather than attempting to forge a full suit of armor all at once.”
Jin was convinced by Anne's logic.
“I see your point.”
Having been stuck because he was trying to design a complete set of armor from scratch, Jin decided to follow her advice.
“Wouldn't a helmet be the best place to start?”
“Yeah, a helmet.”
Jin already had a specific image in mind—a classic sci-fi hero helmet equipped with a visor, communication functions, and searchlights.
“The main body will have to be light silver.”
If it were any heavier, Jin’s neck wouldn't be able to support it.
“I’ll build in a manacam so I can talk to Reiko and Laozi...”
Ideas began to flow one after another.
“Let’s add some small but powerful searchlights. I'll make it so they can emit not just visible light, but infrared and ultraviolet as well.”
He was in top form.
“The visor won't just provide shade; it'll have night-vision and infrared capabilities.”
He looked truly delighted as he worked.
“The exterior will have a composite coating of mithril and adamantite, and the internal cushioning will be Gula Schwamm.”
Gula Schwamm was, essentially, a high-performance sponge.
“Impressive. You have already completed the concept,” Laozi noted, lining up the requested materials on the workbench.
“Alright, let’s make it!”
Jin's voice rang out with enthusiasm, and Reiko, standing nearby, beamed with joy at his excitement.
Carried away by his momentum, Jin completed the prototype helmet in about an hour. He tried it on, muttering, “Hmm, it’s not bad,” while using Forming magic to adjust the fit.
“Okay, this should do it....Now that I think about it, a simple gas mask or oxygen supply function would be useful.”
He apparently wanted to ensure he could use it in areas with miasma—volcanic gases—or at high altitudes where the air was thin.
“Alright, let’s make Prototype 2!”
In high spirits, Jin maintained his momentum through the morning, producing four different versions of the helmet. Eventually, they settled on the first prototype for light use and the fourth for scenarios requiring an oxygen supply.