"Don't be ridiculous!"
Those were the first words from Bafrosk, the Clan Chief of the Jest Clan.
"How many of our kin do you think died in that 'Great Magic War' of yours? You think we can just forget that and get along?!"
Bafrosk appeared to be in his mid-forties, with grey hair and grey eyes. He possessed a face full of vitality.
"Androgias of my clan was killed by humans! And yet you tell us to play nice?"
This came from the Clan Chief of the Frenzy Clan, who had shown up despite not being invited.
"Why should we fear an inferior species like humans?!"
"Even if those humans prostrate themselves until their foreheads touch the earth in apology, we will never forgive them!"
It was September 8th. This was the first set of talks held at the Jest Clan’s settlement, but it had descended into turmoil from the very start. It couldn't even be called a discussion.
"Quiet! Please, try to be a little more rational!"
Raldo of the Erosion Clan shouted, but no one lent him an ear.
"Everyone! Calm down! Look at the reality of the situation!"
Belialus of the Puppet Clan also shouted, trying to hold his own, but once again, no one listened.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Maybe it was for the best that I didn't participate in person..."
Jin—or rather, his Body Double—was inside the Capricorn 1, which was parked about four kilometers away from the Jest settlement.
Only Belialus and Raldo had headed into the settlement. Or rather, unbeknownst to them, Anne was following along, hidden by her Invisible magic.
Anne was secretly broadcasting the meeting back to Jin.
"This is worse than I imagined."
Watching the feed from the Hourai Island command room, Jin let out a deep sigh.
The chaos was enough to make him wonder if these radical factions were entirely devoid of reason.
"Their settlements are far apart, and perhaps something happened during the thousands of years since they migrated here..."
Looking at the images transmitted through Anne’s eyes, the appearance of the radical faction members seemed somewhat different from other demons.
First, they were tall. Heights of 180 centimeters were common, and some were 190 or nearly two meters tall. Furthermore, their hair was either grey or black, and many had black eyes.
"My Lord, it might actually be the opposite."
"Hm? The opposite?"
"It is possible that the radical factions possess a purer bloodline."
Meaning they were less mixed with the blood of the indigenous peoples—in other words, they were closer to the masters of No. 700672 who had come from Hale.
"Ah, I see. Is that why their magical power is stronger as well?"
It was a plausible hypothesis. However, since it didn't help resolve the current situation, Jin didn't pursue it further for now. He simply watched the outcome of the debate intently.
＊ ＊ ＊
After letting the shouting continue until the uproar finally subsided slightly, Raldo of the Erosion Clan spoke again.
"Consider food self-sufficiency first! You cannot live if you do not eat—that is common sense for any living being! I am telling you that we can significantly improve our situation!"
However, his desperate plea was crushed by a single comment from the radicals.
"Hmph. If we lack something, we can just take it. Those humans have plenty of food."
Bafrosk of the Jest Clan spoke with total confidence. Raldo was struck by a sense of disbelief. He felt as though the man wasn't even sane.
"Are you serious!?"
"Yes, quite serious."
"...I want to ask one thing. Where does that confidence come from?"
"Because I have investigated them."
"Investigated? What?"
"The humans."
Bafrosk raised his voice even louder, ensuring everyone present could hear him.
"Listen well. Humans are susceptible to magical consumption fever. They can be easily manipulated with Master-Slave Magic. And more than anything... their greed is boundless."
This was part of the information regarding humanity that the Jest Clan had been centrally gathering.
"They cannot counter Gravity Magic. Their individual strength goes without saying."
"...But there are over a thousand times more humans than there are of us."
"Hmph. That is only if we face them head-on, is it not? There are plenty of ways to handle them. We could spread disease. Or manipulate them so they turn on each other."
Belialus cut in there.
"That may be true for humans in general. But you are forgetting about the Magi Craft Meister."
"The Magi Craft Meister?"
"Indeed. You mentioned Gravity Magic, didn't you? From what I heard, that fellow Raldus was defeated by him, was he not?"
Upon hearing Raldo's statement, Bafrosk was at a loss for words for the first time.
"...Ugh... You knew about that?"
"And I hear the magical consumption fever ended without causing any significant damage. Furthermore, you spoke of manipulating them, but I heard he was seen through and came running back with his tail between his legs."
With those words, even the rowdy radicals finally grew quiet.
"Humanity as a whole may indeed be insignificant. However, the Magi Craft Meister is a different story."
"H-Hmph. It is true that Raldus may have been defeated. But the opponent was a single unit. If we were to attack in a great swarm, they would be unable to keep up."
"You truly know nothing. A mere hint is enough for the Magi Craft Meister. With just that, a countermeasure would have surely been completed long ago."
Bafrosk, who had been offering sore-loser excuses to convince himself, widened his eyes at Raldo's retort.
"What are you saying! Raldo, have you lost your pride? Even if the opponent is the Magi Craft Meister, he is still just a human!"
However, Raldo refused to back down.
"The greatness of the Magi Craft Meister lies in his creativity! He is someone who can create things that change the world; that is what it means to be a Magi Craft Meister!"
"Hmph. Such things are like trash before overwhelming power."
"You blockhead! Overwhelming power? Those words are perfectly suited for the Magi Craft Meister. Wake up already!"
"You're the one who needs to wake up. Do not forget the pride of the demon race!"
Bold words certainly sounded pleasant to the ear. However, in truth, Raldo knew that the demon race's current situation was like treading on thin ice.
"Anyone can say whatever they want with their mouth. If you truly worry for the future of your clan, then think with reason. Do not be swayed by emotion."
But his words did not reach Bafrosk or the radicals, who were heating up once again.
"This is just going in circles."
Bafrosk laughed condescendingly.
"Think it over! Be calm!"
Raldo's cry was full of grief.
But the radicals would no longer listen. They were simply laughing.
＊ ＊ ＊
(Trap neutralization: no problems.)
Laozi, Laojun's mobile terminal, had successfully infiltrated one of Negadoll 001's bases.
(I have finally made it this far.)
Laozi was now closing in on a room that served as the command room for the facility.
He had been lurking in the air conditioning ducts installed in the ceiling. Moving forward with agonizing slowness—at a speed of literally a few centimeters per hour—he had finally arrived directly above the command room.
"..."
There was no doubt that Negadoll 001 was inside, but no voice could be heard.
It had no one to talk to. As a homunculus, Negadoll 001 did not engage in soliloquies.
(I suppose I have no choice but to infer everything from its actions...)
And so, Laojun entered a long state of observation.
He remained hidden behind the ceiling panels, entrusting his visual input to the Finger Golems. This reduced the risk of being discovered by the enemy.
(I see. I wondered what the purpose of that window was.)
As Laozi organized the visual information from the Finger Golems, he reached a realization.
He had been wondering how information could be obtained from a "window" that merely brightened and darkened, but once he understood the mechanism, it was quite simple.
(It was just that the wavelength being viewed was different.)
Indeed, the vision of Reiko, Anne, and the agricultural Golems—as well as Laozi’s own—was normally adjusted to the visible light spectrum used by humans. This was done to ensure there were no discrepancies in communication when discussing visual data.
In terms of wavelength, that range was approximately 400 to 700 nanometers. Of course, they could see ultraviolet light below 400 nanometers or infrared light above 700 nanometers if they adjusted their sensors.
(It was 300-nanometer ultraviolet...)
When he expanded his vision to the ultraviolet range, the characters on the display became clearly visible.
It was thanks to the vision of the Finger Golems, rather than the Invisible-cloaked Laozi himself, that he could confirm this.
Looking at it this way, it meant that the distant ancestors and the homunculi were capable of seeing ultraviolet light.
The reason the Secret Mobile Unit (SP), which had previously used Stealth magic, had been detected was likely because their concealment didn't cover a wide enough spectrum. Laozi felt confident that the current Invisible magic, which had been expanded to cover both infrared and ultraviolet, would be safe.
He continued his observation for three full days.
Gradually, Laozi began to grasp Negadoll 001's patterns.
(The radicals?...It seems there are spies, or perhaps scouts, mixed among them.)
Negadoll 001 seemed to be tracking the movements of Jin and the others through agents within the radical factions.
(It seems there are also those who appear to be its comrades...)
Once, it had contacted someone elsewhere.
Because of this, Laozi hesitated to attack Negadoll 001 directly. He judged it would be a mistake to strike before the true nature of the enemy was revealed. Laozi remained cautious to the end.
And then came the fateful day: September 8th.
Negadoll 001 vanished from before Laozi’s eyes via teleportation.