"Eavesdropping, you say?"
Jin exclaimed in surprise at Anne’s statement. However, on second thought, he realized that he possessed similar means himself, so it wasn't as shocking as it first seemed.
He attempted to probe the unusual concentration of magical energy that Reiko had discovered. However, Jin—operating through his Body Double—could not sense it.
"If only Elsa were here... No, I can't let Elsa take such a risk right now... I know!"
He thought of the Mini-Smiths he had brought along. By a simple matter of math, they should be capable of performing precision work at one-sixteenth of his own scale.
"Mini-Smith, activate."
"Yes, Master," a tiny voice squeaked.
Jin activated a single ten-centimeter-tall Mini-Smith. Seeing this, Istalis and Sion both widened their eyes.
"Eh? W-what is this?"
"...It is cute."
"There is no time to explain right now. Mini-Smith, investigate him."
"Yes, Master."
The Mini-Smith climbed onto Alectas's shoulder and first examined the back of his ear. Then, after laying Alectas down, it inspected his chest. The process took two minutes.
"A magic tool is embedded under the skin behind the ear. The one in the chest reaches the heart. Both are emitting magical energy and are connected somewhere. I cannot determine where in this current state."
Since the magic barrier was deployed, the magical connection was likely being severed. However, this confirmed that the magic tools were exerting some kind of influence over Alectas.
"Can you remove them?"
"Yes. The one behind the ear can be removed immediately. The one in the chest will take time."
The one reaching the heart could not be removed easily. It seemed it was Elsa's turn after all.
"Alright, remove the one behind the ear first."
Jin decided to extract that one first to see what kind of magic tool it was. Depending on the result, he would decide whether to call Elsa or send Alectas to Hourai Island for treatment.
"Master, I am finished."
In about a minute, the Mini-Smith had removed the magic tool in question. It was a needle-shaped device about two centimeters long and one millimeter thick.
After it was pulled out, a small bead of red blood seeped out, but Jin healed it without a trace using the beginner-level healing magic, Cure.
"Now then, let's see what kind of magic tool this probe is..."
He had the Mini-Smith analyze it. The analysis was completed in about two minutes.
"I have determined its function. It transmits instructions from the master side to the wearer and sends audio heard by the wearer back to the master."
This surprised even the Jin back on Hourai Island.
Furthermore, the information obtained via Decompile was presented to him.
"I see..."
It was composed of an old style of magi-formula. They were formulas that seemed even older than those from the era of the Predecessor.
However, the purpose and result were clear. This was one half of a pair of magic tools used to dominate a subject.
"In that case, we should remove the magic tool reaching his heart as soon as possible..."
The Hourai Island members who had gathered around the Body Double’s control seat dispersed now that the commotion had ended and they were simply traveling.
Since Elsa had also gone elsewhere, Jin had Laojun call for her again.
"Jin-nii, what is it? Has there been progress?"
Elsa showed her face after about two minutes.
"Yeah. Actually..."
As Jin explained, Elsa’s expression became serious.
"Embedding a magic tool in the heart to control someone?"
"Yeah. That's likely what it is."
"That is... barbaric."
"I agree."
Elsa declared that she would remove the magic tool no matter what, so Jin instructed Reiko aboard the Capricorn 1 to use the Warp Gate to send Alectas to the relay base, Shinkai.
Jin, for his part, collaborated with Elsa to prepare the necessary items. That said, it was mostly just recovery medicine and magic tools for treatment.
Five minutes later, inside Shinkai, Jin and Elsa met up with Alectas and Reiko, who had brought him. They were also accompanied by the Mini-Smith holding the extracted probe.
Incidentally, to connect the Warp Gate between the Capricorn 1 and Shinkai, they had been forced to momentarily deactivate the magic barrier.
Additionally, a magic barrier was currently deployed here in Shinkai as well. They were being that cautious.
"Elsa, we're pressed for time, so please hurry."
On the Capricorn 1, they hadn't informed Istalis and the others about the Warp Gate, so it likely appeared that Reiko had simply entered a small room to treat Alectas.
"Mm, I know."
With Jin and Reiko acting as assistants, Elsa began the removal of the probe embedded in Alectas.
"...Diagnose... I see. The probe is piercing near the coronary artery of the heart. Pulling it out forcefully will cause massive hemorrhaging."
Elsa thought about the procedure for a brief moment and reached a conclusion.
"Since he is under the effect of Paralyze, anesthesia is unnecessary. I need to pull the probe out all at once while simultaneously casting Völlig Genesen, making sure not to damage the surrounding tissue."
It was time for the Mini-Smith to step in again.
"Ready?...Three, two, one, zero. Völlig Genesen!"
Matching Elsa's countdown, the Mini-Smith pulled the probe out in a single motion.
Thanks to the healing magic cast at the same time, the bleeding was minimal, and the procedure was complete.
"Alright, Reiko, carry him back to the Capricorn 1."
"Yes, Father."
As Reiko headed toward the Warp Gate carrying Alectas, Jin called out to her.
"I'm counting on you."
Hearing those words, Reiko gave a wide smile and stepped through the Warp Gate.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I wonder what they are doing."
Meanwhile, inside the Capricorn 1, Sion was waiting restlessly.
"Surgery is difficult unless performed in a sterile environment," Anne explained, but the concept didn't seem to get through to Sion.
"It's fine, it will be over soon."
"You say that, but it's already been ten minutes!"
"It really will be soon."
In the midst of that exchange, the door to the small room where the Warp Gate had been set up opened.
"It is finished. We have successfully extracted the magic tool... the probe."
The Mini-Smith riding on Reiko's shoulder held up the probe to show them.
To avoid suspicion, they had quickly finished the analysis of the extracted probe before handing it back to Reiko and the others.
"This probe seems to be designed to inflict pain on the heart via operation from the master side."
"What?!"
Sion cried out. Jin understood her feelings well.
"Calm down. It's already been removed. Therefore, Alectas should be free from his servitude now."
As a precaution, Jin had him tied to the auxiliary seat again—albeit loosely—before waking him with Healing.
"Ugh..."
"How do you feel? We've removed the magic tools that were embedded in you."
When Jin said this to Alectas as he opened his eyes, the man blinked and shook his head several times. Then:
"...I am grateful, Magi Craft Meister, Jin-dono. My head feels lighter."
"So you really were being controlled by those magic tools?"
"Yes. They called them 'Needles.' When they are embedded, voices echo inside your head. And if you try to resist, your chest tightens, you can't breathe, and you start to lose consciousness."
It was a malicious magic tool, just as they had suspected.
"Everyone in the clan, even the children, has them embedded. We couldn't resist even if we wanted to."
Alectas apologized profusely. Jin ordered Reiko to untie the ropes.
"Thank you for believing in me."
Once freed, Alectas bowed his head once more.
"This morning, I didn't hear much of the 'voice of command,' so I thought I could welcome Jin-dono and the others and convey our plight, but it seems I was naive."
It appeared the master didn't monitor them twenty-four hours a day. Well, Jin didn't constantly operate his Body Double either.
"By the way, Jin-dono, is your body alright?"
"Eh? Yes."
There was no change in the Body Double’s condition.
"Then that is good. Actually, this morning, I drugged your food, Jin-dono. I wondered how you had neutralized it. I'm glad you are unharmed."
"..."
"I drugged you because I wanted to bring only you, Jin-dono, over to our side somehow. I apologize for that as well."
"Since nothing happened, it's fine."
Because it was a Body Double, no poison could possibly have worked. Jin breathed a mental sigh of relief once again.