The black vessel carrying the abducted Reinhard and Stearena emerged onto the Azul River.
The great Azul River flowed out from Azul Lake. The lake was a popular tourist destination for the people of the Celuroa Kingdom, but it was also a vital site for securing precious fishing resources.
The river spanned roughly three hundred meters at this point. Four vessels, each approximately forty meters long, were moored in the center. These were state-owned ferries designed to transport horse-drawn carriages across the Azul.
The small black vessel drew alongside one of them. It was already past four o'clock. Navigating the various checkpoints leading to the main river had required a series of careful deceptions to avoid suspicion, a process that had proved time-consuming.
With the sun dipping lower in the sky and clouds casting long shadows, the black boat went unnoticed. From the shore, it was positioned at an invisible angle, and at a distance of over a hundred and fifty meters, even a keen eye could not discern what was happening on the water.
The small black boat moored itself against the hull of one of the ferries, and Reinhard and Stearena—their hands already bound behind them—were transferred aboard.
"What's this? A change of transport?" Reinhard asked.
"DO NOT MAKE TOO MUCH NOISE," the golem warned, cutting him short.
The large ferry began to make its way upstream. The other three ships remained motionless, showing no reaction.
Reinhard watched them, a sense of doubt creeping in. It’s unlikely that all four of these ferries are under Unifilar control. Or are they...?
Whether the golem sensed his observation or not, it spoke again.
"IT WOULD BE INCONVENIENT IF A MAN OF YOUR INTELLECT SAW TOO MUCH."
Without further word, the golem blindfolded both Reinhard and Stearena.
The ferry moved at a sluggish pace. The city of Dali vanished into the distance, and the riverbanks grew desolate. As the veil of night fell, a heavy darkness swallowed the landscape.
After two hours of travel, the ferry veered toward the right bank. Standing there were the ruins of an ancient fortress—a relic from the Celuroa Kingdom’s era of expansion.
Abandoned and overgrown with ivy, the massive structure seemed to jut out over the water. While designated as a surveillance fort, its sheer scale suggested it had once been a vital military stronghold.
The ferry glided into a dark, cavernous opening designed for direct naval access, disappearing into the belly of the fort.
Though blindfolded, Reinhard felt the subtle shift in the ship's motion as it docked.
"Have we arrived?" he asked.
"WE HAVE. DISEMBARK," the spokesperson golem replied.
Reinhard felt himself being pulled to his feet by what felt like human arms.
"Ow! Be more gentle!" he heard Stearena cry out nearby. She was still with him.
Still unable to see, Reinhard was led up several flights of stairs and through a labyrinth of corridors. He felt himself turn corners several times before ascending once more.
Eventually, the hard floor gave way to the soft texture of a carpet. He was guided into a chair, and his blindfold was finally removed.
"Welcome, Lord Reinhard, Lady Stearena. You are most welcome here."
The speaker was a man sitting across from them.
"I am the manager of the Unifilar 6th Branch, Intact Marzesiria de Galvani. I also happen to be a viscount of the Celuroa Kingdom."
Intact appeared to be in his mid-thirties and stood at a similar height to Reinhard, but he was gaunt to the point of appearing skeletal. He had dark brown hair, gray eyes, a hooked nose, and hollow cheeks. His eyes shimmered with a cruel, manic intensity. He was dressed in a white robe and a matching cloak.
The room was a spacious stone chamber decorated with floor carpets and wall tapestries. Numerous magi-lamps bathed the room in light as bright as midday.
"It is truly an honor to welcome such excellent magi craftmen as Lord Reinhard and Lady Stearena to my branch," Intact continued.
"Hmph. So you’re the same breed as that Purcell fellow," Reinhard spat.
Intact’s expression soured.
"Purcell? Please do not insult me by comparing me to that incompetent fool. I am one of the few branch managers entrusted with the latest Universal Golem."
"A Universal Golem?"
"Indeed. It is more powerful than your Schwarzritter and possesses the capacity for autonomous action. Surely you have felt its might for yourself?"
"I suppose," Reinhard admitted.
"As for Lady Stearena, I believe we have made several overtures to you in the past. It is a shame we had to resort to such... aggressive recruitment."
"I will never cooperate with the likes of you," Stearena said firmly, though her voice wavered.
"Heh, bravado is meaningless. We have methods to ensure your cooperation regardless of your personal feelings."
"Are you referring to Hypno?" Reinhard barked.
"Oh? And who told you about that?" Intact’s gaze sharpened.
"Who knows? I've forgotten."
"Hmph. Play the fool if you wish. Once you are under the influence of Hypno, you will confess everything."
Reinhard bit his lip.
"Think it over. By working with us, your magical technology will advance further than you ever imagined. After all, we have the world's greatest magi craftman in our ranks."
"Is that so?"
Reinhard remained unimpressed. Knowing Jin, the claim of having the "world's greatest" sounded hollow.
"You doubt me? You saw the power of that Universal Golem. During the Golem Party in the Kingdom of Egerea, we used the chaos to investigate the golems of every nation. That data was used to create the golem you faced."
"So that incident was just a diversion for intelligence gathering..."
"Precisely. And we heard there was a golem that surpassed even the Tauros—one named Reiko? The Universal Golem was built specifically to exceed the performance levels we measured from her."
Intact spoke with increasing fervor, the madness in his eyes growing more pronounced.
"Furthermore, I have been granted a Combat Golem specialized for warfare. It is nearly twice as powerful as the Universal Golem. Truly, it is a machine worthy of being called 'invincible.'"
Reinhard didn't know the full extent of Reiko's capabilities, but given what he knew of Jin’s craftsmanship and the wonders of Hourai Island, Intact’s boasts felt like empty noise.
"I’d suggest you don’t throw around a word like 'invincible' so lightly," Reinhard remarked dryly.
Intact, assuming Reinhard was simply bitter about the defeat of his Schwarzritter, laughed it off.
"I expected as much from you. Regardless, Lord Reinhard, Lady Stearena—as long as you are here, no help is coming. Even if it did, this fortress would not fall to anything less than an army of a thousand men. I shall leave you to consider your answer."
With a jerk of Intact’s chin, four masked men forced the two prisoners to their feet and led them away.
"Where are you taking us?" Reinhard demanded.
"To your quarters," one of the men answered.
They were taken down a flight of stairs and locked in a dim, windowless room containing two simple beds and a single magi-lamp.
"Phew..."
Reinhard let out a breath as his hands were untied. Stearena sat on the edge of a bed, her head bowed. Both of them felt a heavy, lingering lethargy.
"Stearena, don't lose heart."
She didn't look up. The physical fatigue was doing as much to dampen her spirit as the situation itself.
"...It’s hopeless. No matter how much I refuse, they’ll just turn me into another Dominique."
Recalling Reinhard's description of Dominique's brainwashing, Stearena began to tremble.
"I don't want that! I don't want to stop being me!"
The terror of her own words began to spiral into a panic.
"It’s all right. I’m here."
Suppressing his own fatigue, Reinhard held her gently, patting her back until her breathing slowed and her panic receded.
"I'm sorry, Reinhard-kun," she whispered.
As she pulled away, her cheeks were slightly flushed. She sank back onto her bed.
"Now, the question is what to do next..."
Reinhard lay back, staring at the ceiling. His manacam was back at the inn in Dali, and his Protect Ring had been confiscated.
They had been taken shortly after noon. Five or six hours of travel, plus another hour since arriving. If Jin noticed the lack of a scheduled report, he should be aware of the situation by now. If he used that tracking device he’d used to find Elsa, rescue might arrive by morning.
Reinhard clung to that hope, determined to endure until dawn.
However, he was mistaken on two counts.
First, he didn't realize that Jin did not actually have his magic pattern on file.
And second...
"Lord Reinhard, I presume?"
...He had drastically underestimated the true power of Jin and Hourai Island once they became serious.