"Now then, the question is what to do next."
Paul spoke up once the soldiers had finally regained their composure.
The ground beneath Jin’s feet was untouched, but a mere five hundred meters away, a scene from hell stretched across the horizon. Though the survivors were seasoned knights, they had never witnessed such total devastation.
"Even if they were our enemies, they were still soldiers serving their country," Paul added.
If left as they were, the bodies would only serve as fodder for wild beasts. They decided to recover as many personal effects as possible, gather the remains in one place, and perform a mass cremation.
There were zero survivors from the Celuroa Kingdom 2nd Frontier Corps. Trist Clarot had shared the same fate as his men, his body and horse both dissolved by corrosive fluid. It was a gruesome, tragic end that left a bitter aftertaste.
By the time the sun began to dip toward the horizon, the work was finished.
"To think every last golem was destroyed as well..."
Paul Raid’s shoulders slumped in a display of profound disappointment.
"Captain, if the damage is minor, I might be able to repair a few," Phillip Teefor offered.
He was every bit the branch manager of the Blue Land Magi Craftman Guild. However, even his skills would likely be insufficient to fix the ether converters that had been rendered unusable under Laojun’s clandestine direction.
On a lighter note, they managed to recover the magi-crystals that had been seized by the Celuroa forces. These alone were worth hundreds of millions of Tolls, making the entire excursion worthwhile from a material standpoint.
Finally, they turned their attention to the fate of the ruins.
"I believe it would be best to bury the entrance," Paul suggested.
"I agree," Jin said. "But before that, please allow me to check the interior one last time."
The knights raised no objections.
"Thank you."
Accompanied by Reiko, Jin descended into the Soldrake Ruins. They moved with extreme caution, keeping a protective barrier active at all times.
Minutes prior, the Land squad had slipped inside under the cover of stealth to ensure the path was clear. Reiko would never have allowed Jin to step into such a place otherwise.
As for Elsa, since there were no severe injuries requiring her medical expertise, she remained aboard the airship to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. However, she was far from bored; she sat comfortably in the cabin, watching everything through a magi-screen linked to Reiko’s vision.
"Father, would this area be sufficient?"
"Yeah, that should do it."
Jin’s true intention was to plant a marker inside the ruins. Even if the entrance were sealed, he could use a transporter to return for a proper investigation later. He took a quick look around but found nothing of immediate interest.
"Should I seal the breach the ants emerged from for now?" Reiko asked.
Jin shook his head. "No, let’s leave it. It’s better to plan for a total extermination of the nest later."
"Understood."
In the coming days, the Land squad would return to incinerate the Giga Ant nest entirely.
Jin and Reiko returned to the surface in less than five minutes.
"Thank you. That provided some helpful reference for me," Jin said.
"I doubt there is anything of value left, but if you are satisfied, may we proceed with the sealing?" Paul asked.
"Yes, please go ahead."
With Jin’s affirmation, Paul Raid issued orders to those among her subordinates who could use earth-attribute magic. They invoked the spell Collapse, caving in the passage and burying the entrance deep beneath the rock.
As the light began to fade, Jin announced their departure for the Kingdom of Egerea.
"Is there anything you would like me to convey to the capital?"
"Well, nothing in particular," Paul replied. "However, if it isn't too much trouble, could you take my vice-captain with you? I’d like him to deliver the official report as soon as possible."
"I can do that."
Jin accepted the request, and thus, Gurney Wellin, the vice-captain of the Kingdom 3rd Ritter Corps, earned the honor of being the first citizen of Egerea to fly aboard the Konron 2.
＊ ＊ ＊
Two hours later, Jin and his companions arrived at Asunt, the capital of the Kingdom of Egerea. Thanks to the time difference, it was only five in the evening, and the sky was still bathed in the remnants of daylight.
"Lord Jin Nidou, Lord of Kunlun, you have our deepest gratitude!"
Even before the Konron 2 touched down, the Chancellor, the Minister of Magic, and over a dozen royal ritters were waiting at the Outer Palace Square to welcome them.
Since night was fast approaching, they settled for brief greetings and postponed detailed discussions until the following day. Vice-captain Gurney Wellin thanked Jin and headed immediately toward the Inner Palace to deliver his report.
Jin and his party were once again housed at the Guest House. The casual, relaxed atmosphere of the villa suited Jin’s preferences perfectly.
As he was unwinding, Jin happened to notice a faint discoloration on Reiko’s left arm.
"Reiko. Let me see your arm for a second."
Reiko gave a visible start at his words. "N-No, it’s nothing, really."
"If it’s nothing, then you shouldn't mind me looking."
"Yes..."
Unable to refuse a direct request from Jin, Reiko timidly offered her left arm.
"This is..."
There were several small puckered scars on her skin. This was the reinforced membrane made from Sea Dragon wing-membrane.
"Did some of the Queen Ant’s fluid splash on you?"
"...Yes."
Her clothes, woven from Ground Spider thread, were completely untouched, yet the Sea Dragon membrane had been corroded.
"It might be a matter of material compatibility," Jin mused.
One material came from the Ground Spider, a subterranean creature like the ants, while the other came from the Sea Dragon, a creature of the deep ocean.
"I’ll have Laojun compile a compatibility table using the materials we have on hand."
Murmuring to himself, Jin invoked Craft Magic to seamlessly restore Reiko’s skin to its original, flawless state.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I see. So that’s what happened."
"Does it pique your interest?"
This was the conversation currently taking place between Laojun and Saki. Saki happened to be visiting Hourai Island and had been listening in on the communication from Jin.
"Of course it does!" Saki exclaimed. "Laojun, you have the samples, right?"
"Yes, I do. Would you like to examine them?"
"You bet I would!"
It was the only possible answer.
While the actual experiments were carried out by the Smiths under Laojun’s direction, Saki remained on-site, her curiosity and thirst for knowledge fully engaged.
"Hmm, looking at the data, materials derived from subterranean magical beasts are remarkably resilient."
"Indeed. In terms of chemical resistance, Ground Spider thread is unparalleled."
After exhaustive testing, they discovered that Ground Spider thread would not dissolve even when exposed to the corrosive fluids of Giga Ants or Gigant Peeders. Conversely, the Sea Dragon wing-membrane proved vulnerable to both.
"Fascinating. I wonder what causes such a distinct difference?"
Saki was deeply intrigued by the findings. "Laojun, I’d like to start compiling a comprehensive property table for all the materials Jin uses."
Laojun voiced his agreement. "Miss Saki, that is an excellent proposal. Let us work on it steadily together."
"Hehe, I can’t wait."
Thus, with Saki’s enthusiastic participation, the creation of a definitive material property table began.
"It might also be wise to move forward with various other standardizations," Laojun added.
This, however, was somewhat outside Saki’s area of expertise.
"Hmm, I don't think I can be of much help with the technical side of that."
"Not at all. We can simply begin with the items we use in our daily lives."
Saki found Laojun’s explanation quite reasonable. "I see. Even something as simple as standardizing the size of tea cups would make organizing easier and the aesthetic much cleaner."
The year 3458 found Hourai Island brimming with newfound activity and purpose.