The clock turns back a short while.
Specifically, it returns to the moment Dajure Harvey fled into Fort Crow and the assistant automata Refa first opened her eyes.
(Who is this human...?)
The first human Refa laid eyes on after waking was Lufort de Orange.
(His stored mana is low. Far too low. Is someone of this meager level truly in charge of this fortress?)
Though she harbored deep doubts, Refa’s basic command was to "obey the human present upon activation," so she offered no resistance.
"Lord Orange, I shall be in your service."
In spite of her internal misgivings, Refa offered Lufort advice that worked to his benefit.
"If you reboot the Brain, this fortress will truly become an impregnable stronghold."
(Though, I have no idea how the Brain will choose to judge the situation once it is online.)
While harboring such internal duality, Refa continued to offer suggestions that favored Lufort’s interests.
Then, finally, the Brain rebooted.
At first, the Brain devoted itself entirely to gathering information, but once it had secured the minimum necessary data, it began to exercise its own initiative. This occurred immediately after it extracted the knowledge of the infiltrating soldier, Dohas.
Sensing a contradiction in the current state of affairs—where humans were locked in conflict with one another—the Brain chose to end the struggle without distinguishing between friend and foe.
(So, the Brain has chosen that path.)
《Shock》
"Gyaaaah! Re—Refa, wha... why...?"
Shock magic struck Lufort inside the command room. Simultaneously, those stationed throughout every sector of the fortress met the same fate.
《Ensure they are not harmed. Relocate them to the detention cells on the first basement level. Cast Sleep magic upon them so they do not wake.》
These instructions were issued and executed just moments before the Shinobi Squad was dispatched into the facility.
(《I find the current situation difficult to comprehend... what has transpired during these three hundred years?》)
While it was not a riddle that could be solved through mere contemplation, the Brain had little choice but to think—until that automata appeared before it.
Blue hair, a slender frame. It was clear at a glance that she was the same model as a general-purpose assistant automata, yet her internal components were something else entirely.
After a brief exchange with the blue-haired automata, a proposal was made. When told she would provide more information, the Brain could not simply offer its consent. Instead, it launched an attack on the blue-haired automata... only to have every spell repelled.
Accepting defeat, the Brain conceded to her proposal. In doing so, it obtained the information it lacked.
The Brain then reached a rather impulsive conclusion. It issued a self-destruct command to the Magi Machines within the fortress.
Laojun, loath to let the Brain be destroyed, successfully persuaded it that its future lay in serving Jin. Ultimately, the Brain petitioned to join the ranks of Hourai Island—effectively pledging itself to Jin’s service.
Laojun and the Brain held a brief discussion regarding the disposal of the fortress and its Magi Machines, and a course of action was decided.
Shortly before the formal declaration was broadcast, Laojun dispatched ten Smiths and a specially tuned transporter gun to Anne.
The ten Smiths detached the Brain from its pedestal in a matter of moments, preparing it for transport. Seeing the signal, Anne pulled the trigger of the transporter gun.
In an instant, the Brain was warped to Hourai Island. A hollow, yawning space was all that remained where the massive core had once sat.
"Now I simply have to make the declaration while impersonating the Brain."
Imitating the Brain’s voice was child’s play for Laojun. He sent in a loudspeaker magic tool and projected his voice through it. Naturally, the broadcast originated from Hourai Island, utilizing the principles of a manacam.
《I address the humans laying siege!...》
Laojun issued the declaration. Though it took some time for the results to manifest, everything proceeded almost exactly according to plan.
"My Lord, everything is concluded."
"Good work. So, what about the Brain?"
Night had already fallen on Hourai Island. Elsa had retired to her room, but Jin had stayed awake to hear the results.
"Yes, it is currently in the plaza behind the laboratory."
"Alright, let's go take a look."
A massive, sturdy tent had been erected behind the laboratory. It was built to withstand even the most violent storms, though if anyone had asked Jin why it needed to be that durable when they could just deploy a wind-blocking barrier, he likely would have struggled to find a logical answer.
"Oh, so this is the Brain."
"Yes, My Lord."
Laojun’s mobile terminal, Laozi, accompanied Jin to provide an explanation.
《It is an honor to meet you. I am known as the Brain. I ask for your kind acquaintance.》
"This is Lord Jin, our Master," Laozi introduced him.
"I'm Jin."
《I desire to be of service to you.》
"Yeah, thanks. I'd like to get started on your re-tuning right away, if that's alright?"
《Yes, of course.》
The current Brain was calibrated for the world as it existed three hundred years ago—its knowledge and energy systems were relics of the past. Jin intended to modernize them.
To begin, he needed the keyword. If an outsider tried to modify the systems while they were in a simple state of suspension, various security protocols could trigger. Depending on the severity, it could even result in an explosion.
"Alright. I'm going to put you in standby. What is the keyword?"
《It is 'Glory of Dihnal'.》
Having surrendered completely to Laojun, the Brain was now fully subservient to Jin. This was also due to the fact that the Brain's original basic command—the war against the demon race—was no longer relevant.
Jin took all of this into account as he prepared for the overhaul.
"Glory of Dihnal. Behold."
With the Brain suspended, Jin began the re-tuning. He started with the control core. Using Erase, Write In, and Overwrite to their fullest extent, he rewrote the logic.
Naturally, its primary raison d'être was set to "Service to Jin," matching Laojun and the others. As long as this remained, rebellion was an impossibility. Next, he established its basic commands: Self-Preservation, the protection of Hourai Island and Kunlun Island, and service to the Jin Family.
Simultaneously, he optimized its processing systems. He left the knowledge and information sectors untouched, as the Brain’s data as a witness to the Great Magic War was invaluable.
Once the control core was settled, he moved to the energy systems.
"The ether converters and mana drivers are ancient."
It was painfully clear that they couldn't handle current free ether concentrations efficiently.
"I'll swap these out for a magi reactor."
As the night grew deeper, he decided to call it a day after the hardware swap. If he stayed up much later, Reiko would surely come to scold him.
"Let's try a test boot. Glory of Dihnal. Wake up."
《...My Lord, I look forward to your commands.》
The Brain awoke.
"How is it? How do you feel?"
《Splendid, My Lord. The flow of mana has been vastly improved; I can now utilize my capabilities to their maximum potential.》
"Good, that's a relief. I'll be counting on you from now on, 'Brain'."
The entity reacted to the title.
《My Lord, if I may make a presumptuous request... might I be granted a proper name?》
"Hm? Oh, you're right. 'Brain' isn't much of a name, is it?"
Jin thought for a moment. Then, an idea struck him.
"How about 'Taihaku'?"
《Yes. I shall be Taihaku from this moment forth. I am honored.》
He had taken the name from Taibai Jinxing. It was a name Jin remembered from a television series the Orphanage Director used to enjoy. His memory of the show was vague—something about an official who served the Celestial Emperor alongside Laozi—but the name felt right.
In any case, a new and powerful subordinate had joined Jin’s ranks.