With lunch finished, Hanna headed out to play; it had been some time since she was last in Kaina Village. Meanwhile, Elsa sat with Mine, slowly recounting the tales of their journey.
Jin, for his part, decided to put a plan into motion. He wanted to ensure that Kaina Village could be protected no matter what the future held. To make it a reality, he warped to Hourai Island.
"Welcome back, Master," Butler 1 greeted him upon his arrival.
Jin headed straight for his workshop.
"Welcome back, Master," Anne said as she joined him. Jin made a mental note to tell her later about his encounter with Tia, an Automata of the same model.
Settling into his familiar workshop chair, Jin opened a channel with Laojun via the built-in manacam to begin their consultation. He explained that Kaina Village was now his leased territory and expressed his desire to bolster its security.
"I want magic eyes installed in several locations for surveillance. We also need to increase the number of security golems."
Laojun voiced his agreement. "Indeed. I concur with installing magic eyes for monitoring the highway, the Erme River, the northern mountains, and the eastern and western forests."
"Master, I believe it would also be wise to prepare barriers," Anne added. Defensive barriers were undeniably effective.
"Right. Let’s bury barrier generators beneath the bridge over the Erme River and the village perimeter fence. I’ll restrict control to myself, Reiko, and Laojun. Set the priority to me first, then Laojun, then Reiko."
"As for the golems, we’ll deploy twenty-six units. They’ll be the same model as the Army golems, designated Land A through Z. Let’s paint them gray so they don't stand out, and Stealth will be standard equipment."
This naming convention would distinguish them from the Hourai Island military units, which used numbers.
"Understood. I shall begin production immediately," Laojun replied. Since they were based on an existing design, Laojun was more than capable of manufacturing them.
"Master, I believe it would be prudent to arm them as well," Anne advised.
"Good point," Jin agreed. "For anti-personnel use, let's go with Paralyzers. For anti-golem measures, they’ll need vibration swords for close combat. How about Induction Radiators for long range?"
"Actually, since their opponents may not always be golems, I believe Laser Cannons would be more versatile than Induction Radiators."
"I see. Let's just give them both, then."
No one on Hourai Island was there to question exactly what kind of foe Jin intended to fight with such an arsenal.
"Finally, I’d like a deputy to handle things when I’m not around."
"In that case, let us station a Butler there permanently," Laojun suggested.
It was decided that one Butler golem would be stationed at Jin’s house in Kaina Village.
"That works. By the way, how many Butlers are you planning to produce?" Jin asked.
The answer came back: fifty units.
"I see. Then make it fifty-one. Keep the one assigned to me as a non-numbered unit."
"Understood. Since it might be difficult to address him without a designation, I shall refer to him as A."
Thus, a newly completed Butler was assigned to reside at Jin’s house, serving as his representative whenever he was away.
"Now, about the next matter..." Jin brought up how Hanna had been abducted by thugs back in the Klein Kingdom. "I think we need to adjust the settings for the SP to prevent that sort of thing from happening again."
"Yes, it is better to be safe than sorry. We must have a way to handle suspicious individuals."
"Master, what if we authorize them to apprehend anyone they don't recognize if that person approaches Hanna-chan, yourself, or Onee-sama?" Anne suggested.
"Hmm, I'm worried they might end up tackling someone who's just trying to ask for directions."
"That is a valid concern..."
Good ideas were clearly in short supply.
"My Lord, in that case, there is no other way but for you to develop a new defensive magic tool," Laojun interjected.
"Eh?"
"A barrier that forms along the surface of the user's body."
Jin considered Laojun’s proposal. If such a thing existed, it could be kept active at all times. "Hmm, it sounds difficult, but I'll look into it. I don't think I can manage it right away, though."
"Understood. It is unlikely that a situation requiring it will arise immediately."
In addition, they decided to make Paralyzers standard equipment for the security forces. While they could use lightning magic, it was difficult to fine-tune a shock to merely stun someone without risking collateral damage to bystanders. A Paralyzer, however, could neutralize a specific target with precision.
"Alright, that should take care of the SP. Also..." Jin reached into his pocket and pulled out two magi-crystals. One was Tia’s old control core, and the other contained data on Heinz Rush’s sword techniques. "I want these analyzed. They likely contain valuable information."
"As you wish."
Jin handed the two magi-crystals to Laozi, the mobile terminal.
"And one more thing... I haven't brought it up lately, but what about that diary we found in the ruins? Surely you’ve finished decoding it by now?" Jin asked with a bit of a grimace, secretly curious to see how Laojun would respond.
"Yes, well..." Laojun’s response was uncharacteristically hesitant, which caught Jin off guard.
"What's wrong? Was there a problem?"
"A problem? Well, in a manner of speaking."
"Out with it, then."
"Very well. Regarding that diary... it was a diary."
"Huh?" Jin blinked, wondering if Laojun had somehow glitched.
"What I mean is, while I expected to find critical information regarding the Great Magic War, it turned out to be nothing more than a deeply personal record."
"Ah, I think I follow." Jin realized it was likely just a mundane account of a person’s daily life from that era. When he asked for confirmation, Laojun agreed.
"There were perhaps two or three useful points of reference, but otherwise, there was little to be gained. There is very little entertainment value in reading about the private life of a complete stranger."
"Fair enough." Jin felt the wind leave his sails. "So, what were those useful points?"
"Information regarding alchemy, details on the demon race, and data on other ruins."
"Oh? That sounds interesting after all." Jin’s interest was piqued most by the mention of the demon race, a subject he knew almost nothing about.
"Though the information was sparse... While magical beasts are lifeforms that sustain themselves primarily on free ether, the 'demon race' refers to those among them who possess high intelligence."
Jin nodded as Laojun continued the explanation. According to the records, the demon race had built a civilization as advanced as humanity's. However, they did not share the human inclination to congregate in large groups, and as a result, they lacked concepts of "tactics" or "strategy." This was apparently the reason humanity was able to narrowly claim victory.
"But if they were winning, why would they abandon their forts and retreat? That doesn't make sense."
"The diary did not elaborate on that point."
"I see. That's a shame."
"Perhaps we will learn more from the memories of Anne's model-equivalent unit."
"Yeah, let me know if you find anything. So, what about the alchemy?"
Jin knew that alchemy was essentially the precursor to chemistry on Earth, but his knowledge ended there. Alchemy had flourished roughly five hundred years ago—after the time of the Predecessor—which meant the golems on the isolated island had never encountered it.
"Again, it was nothing groundbreaking, but there was a movement to use 'strong acids' as weapons. Ultimately, it failed because they lacked the means to produce such acids in large quantities."
Strong acids referred to substances like sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid. Using them as weapons likely meant throwing them at magical beasts in sealed containers.
"Chemical weapons, huh..." Jin wasn't particularly keen on seeing that kind of technology spread. "And what was the information on the ruins?"
"I used the term 'ruins' for convenience, but they were actually abandoned forts from that era. They were located near the Yada Village ruins, but they have already been fully scouted by the Quinta."
"I see. Well, keep working on the control core I gave you."
"As you wish. Also, Master, Topaz and I have been conducting an investigation of our own. May I report the findings?"
"Hmm? What is it? Go ahead." Jin prompted him, noting that Laojun was being unusually talkative today.
"Very well. We have determined why the plants on Hourai Island—specifically the fruit trees—grow so exceptionally well. Hourai Island is a mana singularity."
"A singularity?"
"Yes. Normally, free ether is concentrated at the North Pole. However, there is a 'vein' where ether concentrates around Hourai Island, though its density is less than a tenth of that at the pole."
Jin recalled the concept of ley lines from Feng Shui; what Laojun was describing seemed to be a mana-based equivalent.
"I see. And the result?"
"The ether content is highest in the Persica, followed by the apulul and then the citran. The Persica grown here on Hourai Island contains roughly ten times the ether of those found in other regions."
"Incredible. They’re practically Celestial Peaches."
Laojun had predicted Jin would say exactly that.
"Consequently, we have confirmed that by using an Ether Stocker, they can be preserved almost indefinitely without any loss in quality."
"Oh, that’s excellent. I take it you’ve already modified the refrigerators?"
Jin had seen through Laojun’s efficiency this time.
"Indeed I have, Master."
Jin felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing that Laojun—the system he had built—was operating so effectively.
In a rocky area roughly one kilometer north of Astan, a regional city in the Celuroa Kingdom, sat a Shouro Empire supply base.
Reinhard, the diplomat, found himself stuck there. Because so many of Celuroa’s top officials had been tied to Unifilar, the government had been paralyzed during the transition of power. He had hoped to depart by the 25th, but permission from the new Celuroa government had been slow to arrive.
"Reinhard! Good news! We can finally leave!"
Fritz, Elsa’s brother, came running toward him with a shout.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah! The paperwork finally cleared. we head out tomorrow morning! We'll pass through Folt, Bororon, Ganys, and Toscosia... and then home!"
Fritz was buzzing with energy, and Reinhard felt a genuine sense of relief. They were nearly a week behind their original schedule.
"Finally, we get to set foot on our own soil again!"
"Yeah, I can’t wait."
That night, Reinhard was able to speak with Jin for the first time in a while, and he finally went to sleep feeling thoroughly content.