Saki’s idea of classifying magical energy by frequency provided Jin with a sudden flash of inspiration.
What he needed now was a spell, or perhaps a magic tool, that could interfere with or neutralize magic. To achieve that...
"Destructive interference, huh..."
It was the phenomenon where waves of the same frequency cancel each other out when they collide in antiphase—a profound theory that was somewhat beyond Jin, who was a graduate of a part-time high school.
However, Jin was a man of action who believed that theory was something that followed after practice. Besides, now was the time to try anything that held even a shred of possibility.
"Jin?"
Saki watched him with a slightly worried expression as he suddenly fell into deep thought, a grim look on his face.
"Yeah, it’s definitely worth a try! Saki, thank you. This is all thanks to you!"
Snapped out of his reverie, Jin was likely overwhelmed with joy; he grabbed Saki’s hand and squeezed it tight.
"U-Uh, yeah. I don’t really get it, but if I was helpful, then that’s what matters."
Saki was taken aback. It was certainly not Jin's imagination that her cheeks were tinged with a slight shade of red.
"Right, let’s get to work immediately!"
"No, you cannot."
A chilly voice called out from behind him.
"E-Elsa?"
"...Reiko-chan asked me to watch you. Jin-nii, you have to go to sleep soon."
Before he knew it, the time had already passed 11:00 PM. It seemed Reiko had asked Elsa to keep a close eye on Jin while she was away to ensure he didn't fall into an irregular sleep schedule.
"...I-I understand."
Seeing the disappointment on Jin’s face, Saki let out a soft chuckle.
"Hehe. Jin, you’re really under her thumb, aren't you?"
"What—"
"Ahaha, it’s nothing. Goodnight."
Laughing, Saki made her way out of the workshop.
"Jin-nii, come now."
This time, Elsa grabbed the hand of the sullen Jin. He felt as though her grip was unusually firm, but he didn't stop to wonder why.
On the other hand, Laojun required no rest. Consequently, the development of a concrete countermeasure—the simplified transporter—would be steadily carried out by him throughout the night.
The next day, the 5th. As promised, the clan chiefs and aides of the nearby neutral clans were gathered.
Laojun had already confirmed through prior investigation that none of them were under the influence of the agujha.
The attendees were all assembled by exactly noon. Meeting in a room resembling a large conference hall, they first held a social gathering over lunch.
"Starkas of the Rejection clan."
"Anemosdeus of the Loftiness clan."
"I am Okearus of the Divergence clan."
"Coridorialus of the Selflessness clan."
"I am the Magi Craft Meister, Jin. These are my automata, Reiko and Anne."
After the brief introductions, lunch was served. The main course was a porridge made from kuromugi, but there was one dish provided specifically by Jin: crepes.
Some said that crepes originally began as cooked buckwheat porridge, so Jin had instructed Anne to prepare them since buckwheat was available. He had them sliced into bite-sized pieces and served with various accompaniments: smoked meat, dried strawberries, or a coating of sugar syrup.
"Mm?...This is delicious!"
"Oh? This is quite good."
"To think something so simple could be served with such a variety of flavors."
"Did Jin-dono prepare this?"
The dish was very well-received. While the demons had food equivalent to bread, it seemed they had never thought to make such things with buckwheat flour before.
Good food always softens the heart. Domenikos, the chief of the Erosion clan who had organized the meeting, saw his plan to hold talks after lunch as an immediate success.
"They say food provides nourishment not just for the body, but for the soul as well."
"I see, I see."
"Those are profound words."
When Jin uttered a line he had heard somewhere before, the visiting clan chiefs looked at him with newfound admiration.
"Now then, everyone."
Once the meal was finished and the dishes were cleared away, Domenikos straightened his posture to act as the day's moderator.
"The reason I asked you to gather today is for no other reason than to have you listen to what the Magi Craft Meister, Jin-dono, has to say."
The room fell silent as everyone listened intently.
"I am Jin. I won't be so arrogant as to claim to be a representative of humanity. I simply want you all to make a rational judgment."
He paused there, looking around at the faces of the gathered clan chiefs. Everyone was focused, waiting to hear what he would say next.
"First, the food problem. This can be resolved to a significant extent with the technology I possess."
He spoke with humility, but in reality, he could solve it almost completely, even if it would take a few months to fully implement the changes.
"If the food problem is resolved, the reason to remain hostile toward humanity will vanish. Furthermore, that hostility itself is the result of being manipulated by a mastermind."
A stir ran through the room. The four clans that had come this time had never been implanted with the agujha.
"Some clans—especially the moderate faction—were fitted with a type of shackle called an agujha."
"It is true. I will testify to that," Belialus of the Puppet clan spoke up.
"I have heard as much. Messengers from the Gospel and All-Creation clans previously brought letters containing the same information," Coridorialus of the Selflessness clan replied.
He was a remarkably sturdy man, standing 190 centimeters tall. He looked to be in his 40s in human years, making him relatively young for a clan chief.
"We bear responsibility for every member of our clans. That is why we do not lightly declare ourselves as allies or enemies."
Coridorialus stood up and looked Jin straight in the eye.
"If you ask us to be rational, then show us the evidence we need to make that judgment, Magi Craft Meister."
That seemed to be the consensus among the four gathered chiefs, as no one raised an objection. And Laojun, who was operating Jin's Body Double, had anticipated this request.
"Understood."
The Body Double caught Reiko’s eye. In truth, they were communicating via manacam.
"Yes, Father."
Even though she knew it was the Double, Reiko maintained her usual attitude toward Jin in front of the others. She walked slowly to the door and opened it.
"Enter, Land and the others."
Following her command, nineteen Army golems—Land 2 through Land 20—marched into the conference room. They moved slowly, their footsteps solemn and perfectly synchronized.
"O-Ohhh..."
"Wh-What is this..."
"Jin-dono!"
Even Belialus and Domenikos were astonished—no, they were trembling with awe.
The Land series stood 180 centimeters tall and weighed 200 kilograms, with a physique close to that of a human. However, the power hidden within them was nearly half of what the current Reiko could produce. To say "half of Reiko" might sound underwhelming, but considering Reiko was built to withstand several thousand Gs, the implications were terrifying. And there were nineteen of them.
"Mmm, incredible. When on earth did you...?"
"I called them here last night," Jin said nonchalantly, surprising everyone once again.
"...Back when I was still small, a war the humans call the 'Great Magic War' broke out. At that time, I wasn't allowed outside yet, but I heard many stories of how our ancestors struggled against the golems employed by the humans," said Domenikos. He was 355 years old, meaning he had been fifty during the war—roughly ten years old in human terms.
He might have been a living witness of the Great Magic War, but since he had been kept indoors for his safety, he didn't actually know much about the conflict firsthand. Had he been on the battlefield, he likely would have collapsed during the Ether Stampede.
While the clan chiefs were overwhelmed by the sight of the nineteen Land units, Laojun, operating the Body Double, drove the point home.
"I dislike conflict. I am a Magi Craft Meister, after all."
He looked over the assembled leaders and continued.
"My true wish is to simply create things in peace....However! If there are those who threaten that modest peace, I will not hesitate to eliminate them."
Simultaneously with his words, the nineteen Land units drew the vibration swords from their waists and held them with both hands in front of their chests. It was a synchronized "present arms" salute.
"By the way, I can produce golems like these for as long as I have the materials."
"..."
The demonstration was a resounding success. The subsequent discussion proceeded without a hitch, and the 200 members of the five neutral clans established a formal friendship with Jin.