"What?! Marcia... has been shipwrecked?!"
Hearing Arrow’s explanation, Rodrigo kicked his chair back and stood up, about to bolt for the door.
Jin stopped him.
"Rodrigo-san, please calm down."
"Jin-dono, how can I be calm?! My daughter has been shipwrecked! We don't even know if she's alive or dead!"
"Daughter?!"
"Did you say daughter?"
Jeremy and Baccus were stunned by his shout.
"Yes—sorry, this is a bad time for introductions, but Rodrigo-san is Marcia’s father. Anyway... alright!"
Jin hurried to the back of the workshop and called for Baccus.
"Baccus-san, do you have any golem materials kept here?"
"Huh? Yes, we have some..."
"Show me! Quickly!"
Startled by Jin’s intensity, Baccus guided him to a semi-underground cellar at the back of the workshop. It was a space for storing valuable materials.
"I see some bronze here. And what’s this? Death Sea Serpent leather! That’ll work. And magi-crystals! Perfect, this will do."
Jin retrieved the necessary materials and had Reiko help carry them out.
"Arrow, I’m going to repair you."
After giving the notice, he put Arrow back into Stand Still mode. Then, he set to work on the repairs with every ounce of his skill.
He crafted a new frame for the damaged arm, attached magical muscles, and wired the magi-nerves.
He installed an auxiliary ether converter, boosting her output to 1.5 times its original capacity. Finally, he performed a total system maintenance check and finished.
It was a feat of rapid craftsmanship that took less than ten minutes.
Rodrigo, Jeremy, and Baccus watched with their mouths agape.
"Alright. Wake up."
"Yes, Creator-sama."
"Arrow, how do you feel?"
"Excellent. Thank you very much."
Jin nodded at her response.
"Good. Arrow, can you take the Cygnus to the area where the accident happened?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then take the Cygnus at full speed and find Marcia."
There was an incredibly faint magical connection between Arrow and Marcia. Jin decided to bet everything on that link.
"Understood."
Of course, Jin intended to do everything in his own power as well.
(Reiko, contact Laojun. Have the Mermaid units and the Air Force mobilize. Tell the Air Force not to use Invisible and to search from a high altitude.)
If they used Invisible magic, visible light would be restricted, making it harder to see.
After giving instructions to the Hourai Island forces, Jin moved to begin his own search.
First, he ordered Reiko and Arrow to carefully lift the Cygnus—which had been standing as a sign in front of the workshop—and launch it into the sea.
He had already confirmed it was in perfect working order.
"Alright, Arrow, go!"
Just as Jin gave the order...
"J-Jin-dono, may I go with her?"
Rodrigo asked, but Jin shook his head.
"No. The Cygnus is a two-seater. If Arrow is piloting and she rescues Marcia, they’ll already be at capacity."
"I... I see."
Rodrigo slumped his shoulders in disappointment. Jin spoke up to reassure him.
"Rodrigo-san, we’re going to hurry back to the Guest House now. We’ll board my airship and search from the sky."
"Oh! That’s right!"
Reinvigorated, Rodrigo looked like he was ready to bolt. Jin turned to Jeremy and Baccus to give them their instructions.
"We’ll come back as fast as we can once we find Marcia, so please wait here."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Jin gave these orders because having too many people involved would only get in the way.
"Come on, Rodrigo-san, let’s go."
"Right!"
The group started running.
Jin’s cells were activated, and if he desired, he could exert superhuman stamina through physical reinforcement magic. Reiko’s capabilities went without saying.
Rodrigo, by contrast, was just an average middle-aged man.
"Hah... hah..."
He was out of breath in less than five minutes, and his pace dropped significantly.
"Reiko, it’s a hassle. Carry him."
"Yes, Father."
"Sorry about this... W-Whoa!"
Reiko scooped Rodrigo up. Jin began to sprint in earnest. He maintained a speed of thirty kilometers per hour; since he was flesh and blood, unlike Reiko, it would have been dangerous to go any faster in the middle of town.
Even so, they covered the distance of just under eight kilometers in about fifteen minutes. After rushing through the gates of the Guest House, they headed straight for the courtyard where the airship was moored.
In the courtyard, Steward was already waiting, having prepared for takeoff after being contacted by Laojun.
"Good work. Rodrigo-san, let's get on!"
"...A-Ah, right."
Having been carried by Reiko while she sprinted across the ground at a speed he had never experienced, Rodrigo looked like his soul had half-departed his body.
Even so, the thought of finding his daughter brought him back to his senses.
Jin simply told the guards who came out to see what the commotion was about, "We're going to rescue someone shipwrecked at sea," and then they took off.
The airship flew at its maximum cruising speed of one hundred kilometers per hour. It could cover sixty kilometers in thirty-six minutes.
Meanwhile, the Cygnus, piloted by Arrow, was also racing across the water at nearly fifty kilometers per hour. Considering the time difference and the difference in speed, it was a well-timed coordination.
"Marcia, where are you...!"
Concern for his daughter outweighed the thrill of his first time flying; Rodrigo kept his eyes glued to the sea below.
As backup, Jin had instructed Laojun to dispatch the Mermaid units from Hourai Island via the transporter.
They passed Io Island and approached Toryu Island.
"She should have gone missing around here, but..."
Looking down from above, they saw nothing. Even the Cygnus was nowhere to be found.
"In that case, she must have been swept away by the current after all..."
In contrast to Jin’s calm assessment, Rodrigo’s eyes were bloodshot as he peered down at the surface of the water.
"Marcia!"
There wasn't a trace of his usual mild-mannered self.
He leaned out so far that he looked like he might fall from the gondola at any moment; Jin actually had to have Reiko tie a safety rope around Rodrigo's waist.
Jin turned the airship toward the north.
They traveled for another five minutes.
"The Cygnus is over there...!"
Rodrigo, who had been looking down the entire time, pointed and shouted.
It was indeed the Cygnus.
To their further surprise, there was a figure that looked like Marcia on board.
Arrow had successfully located her master. Jin’s gamble on their magical bond had paid off perfectly.
"Well done, Arrow."
Arrow looked up at the airship overhead and waved.
"She is my younger sister, created by Father, after all," Reiko said, sounding proud.
Perhaps Reiko was remembering the time she had traveled the world to find Jin.
Jin lowered the airship's altitude toward the Cygnus.
"...It’s definitely Marcia-san."
Relying on her superior vision, Reiko confirmed the person on the ship. Jin brought the airship even closer.
There was no doubt it was Marcia, but her right leg was covered in blood, and she appeared unconscious. It would be dangerous if she wasn't treated immediately.
Just then...
"Marcia!"
Rodrigo, who had untied his safety rope at some point, dove from the airship's gondola toward the sea.
The height was still about ten meters.
It happened in the blink of an eye, before Jin could even think to stop him.