"So, there is no active combat at the moment?"
Having established contact with Laojun, Jin felt a wave of relief that the situation had taken a turn for the better.
『My Lord, when dealing with an organization, it is more effective to strike the head rather than the limbs.』
Anne’s voice interjected. In other words, she was suggesting that they crush the headquarters rather than just the branches.
Jin gave a wry smile at her bluntness. "Well, you're not wrong. All right, I'll head back over there shortly. Then, we’ll put an end to this mess once and for all."
『Understood. We shall be waiting for you.』
Jin cut the transmission and silently returned to the plaza, heading toward the spot where Martha, Hanna, Mine, and Elsa were gathered.
"Ah, Jin. Are you having a good time?" Martha asked.
"Yes, I'm quite full. By the way, I have something to discuss with you all."
Jin gestured for the four of them to follow him to a quieter spot nearby.
"What is it, Jin?"
"Onii-chan, what's wrong?"
While Martha and Hanna looked puzzled, Mine and Elsa seemed to have a faint inkling of what was coming.
"The country is currently under invasion," Jin began. "The ones responsible are a group called the Unifilar. I'm going to go stop them."
Because he kept his explanation brief and simple, Hanna looked confused, but Martha seemed to grasp the weight of it.
"And you have the power to stop them, do you?" Martha asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Sensing her concern, Jin squared his shoulders and replied firmly, "I do."
"And once you've stopped them, you'll come back here, won't you?"
"Yes."
"Without fail. If you don't come back, I'll never forgive you."
"I will!"
"Good. Then go, Jin. You don't have to worry about Mine and Elsa while you're gone." Martha patted her chest reassuringly as she spoke.
From Martha's heavy tone, Hanna seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. "Onii-chan, be careful. I'll be a good girl and wait for you."
"Yeah, I know. I’ll definitely come back to you, Hanna." Jin crouched down and stroked her head. Hanna gave him a watery smile.
"Jin-nii, be careful. Please, make sure no more people suffer because of them." Elsa spoke with a look of intense sincerity.
"I understand. I'll finish this."
"Jin-sama, please be careful. I pray for your success in battle." Mine offered her farewell with few but heartfelt words.
"Yeah. Well then, I'm off."
"Take care!"
Seeing off by his family, Jin waved with a smile and began to walk away. Accompanied by Reiko, he returned to Hourai Island.
"Laojun, give me an update."
『Yes, My Lord. We have identified the likely location of the Unifilar headquarters.』
"Oh, that was fast. Where is it?"
『It is located in the mountains further west of a town called Kashimnore, which lies on the western shore of Azul Lake. There is a mine there, as well as ancient ruins.』
"I see. So they’re likely utilizing the ruins as their base. And with access to resources, their golem production would be efficient as well."
『Precisely. Furthermore, those thermal balloons they use were indeed developed during the Great Magic War. Anne has provided confirmation.』
The Unifilar called them thermal balloons. They had been created to counter flying magical beasts, but due to flaws like their inability to achieve high speeds, they were never put into practical use.
"Well, we have VTOLs on our side."
『Regarding the golems and the automata that attacked Reinhard-san, the automata is undoubtedly the Golden Destruction Princess Anne mentioned. As for the golems, they were equipped with one particularly curious function.』
"Which was?"
『It is reported that they neutralized a Flame Ball fired by Reinhard-san simply by touching it. Based on our analysis, we speculate they possess the ability to 'nullify magic.'』
Jin thought about this. "Hmm. Those Gigas units could absorb magical energy. If they applied that principle, it might be possible. You couldn't easily touch a magi if you were absorbing magical energy directly, but nullifying the magic itself is another matter."
『Yes, I am of the same opinion.』
"In that case, we simply shouldn't use magic against them." If the attack were purely physical, it would be impossible to nullify. Jin concluded it wouldn't be much of a threat to their forces. "Anything else?"
『Did you hear that we liberated someone under mental manipulation who was near Reinhard-sama?』
"Yes, I heard. It was likely... him." Jin pictured the face of Elsa's brother, Fritz.
『Also, at my request, Reinhard-sama allowed us to copy the sword techniques of the Shouro Empire's ritters using Trans Info.』
"Oh, that's excellent! All right, prioritize transferring that data to the Army Land units. We should be able to manage it before deployment. If there's time, give it to the SP, the Quinta, and the other golems as well."
『I shall begin immediately.』
As it turned out, although he said nothing of it, Reinhard had found the process quite exhausting.
"Is that the end of the report?"
『Yes. One final point. I have prepared a personal craft for you, My Lord. Please go and inspect it.』
"A personal craft for me?"
Jin stepped outside the laboratory to see the craft parked there. Laojun's mobile terminal, Laozi, followed him to explain.
『It is fundamentally a VTOL, but we have reduced the cargo capacity to prioritize speed.』
Just as he said, it was roughly one size smaller and much sleeker than the Falcon VTOLs.
『As an emergency escape measure, the cockpit itself serves as a Warp Gate. To ensure reliability, it is equipped with two separate systems. After teleportation, the craft will automatically self-destruct to protect its technological secrets.』
A Warp Gate was indeed the ultimate escape mechanism.
『Piloting is handled automatically by a dedicated control core, which is a copy of Sky 1's. Of course, manual control is also possible in an emergency.』
Since it was equipped with an autopilot, Jin would only need to give simple commands, such as the destination.
『The armament consists of a Paralyzer, an Induction Radiator, a Laser Cannon, and a compact magi-cannon. It is also equipped with a magi-detector, though its range is limited. These systems are managed by an independent fire-control core. For defense, it features a barrier capable of blocking both physical and magical attacks. Naturally, it also possesses Stealth capabilities.』
"You've thought of everything..."
Laojun was clearly showing no restraint. It was like a mirror reflecting Jin's own tendencies.
『The capacity is five people. In addition to you, My Lord, and Reiko-san, it can accommodate three others.』
Laojun was likely keeping in mind the trip to the sea at Kunlun Island with Hanna, Elsa, and Mine.
『It is constructed using 64 light silver. The maximum speed is estimated at 800 kilometers per hour.』
It was the fastest aircraft in Hourai Island's arsenal.
"This is amazing. To have built something like this within your restrictions... Laojun, I'm proud of you."
Laojun's authority was limited to arranging and combining existing technologies, and Jin was genuinely impressed that the AI had managed to create such a machine within those bounds.
『I am honored by your praise, My Lord. Please, give your personal craft a name.』
Jin thought about it for a moment. Finally, he reached a decision.
"All right, let's call it 'Pegasus 1'."
He named it and simultaneously used Craft Magic to engrave "PEGASUS-1" onto the hull.
『Thank you. As a minor addition, since it is equipped with a magi-detector, you can also summon it to your location using your manacam.』
The closer the distance, the higher the accuracy of the magi-detector, so the craft could essentially track Jin and fly to him.
"I see. Thanks again, Laojun. All right, Reiko, you’re coming with me. And Anne, you come too."
"Yes, Master."
Jin decided to bring Anne along because of her knowledge of ancient ruins. He also brought the Body Double. It was the "Mysterious Golem Master" version he had modified previously, which looked nothing like him.
Jin himself also took every precaution, donning his reinforced suit and helmet, and equipping the swords Masamune and Muramasa before boarding Pegasus 1. Reiko boarded as well, armed with Touka and her magi-cannon. As a backup, they loaded several vibration swords into the cargo hold.
Judging that preparations were complete, Jin issued his final instructions to Laojun.
"Laojun, since Reiko is with me, deploy Titan 1 for the main force. I'll give the broad orders, but I'm counting on you for the tactical details."
『Understood.』
"All right. Every available Raptor, Falcon, and Pelican is to deploy. The Army Land squads are to divide themselves among the crafts. Full weapon loadouts. And don't forget the medical supplies."
Jin mentally checked for any oversights. However, there were Warp Gates inside the Falcons, and if necessary, they could transport additional supplies via the submersible base.
"Hourai Island forces, move out!"
Jin's voice echoed, and the Raptor squad was the first to depart. Their size made it impossible for them to take off or land on the submersible base itself. Next, Condor 1, carrying Titan 1, took to the air. This was followed by Falcons 1 through 10.
Finally, Pegasus 1, with Jin on board, soared into the skies of Hourai Island.
Around the time the Hourai Island aerial forces approached the Celuroa Kingdom, the submersible base surfaced in the center of the vast Azul Lake. The upper dome opened, and a flight unit carrying a massive golem emerged.
However, shielded by a Stealth field, no one witnessed their arrival.
Now, with the majority of Hourai Island's military strength committed, the war against the Unifilar was about to begin.