Nothing of note remained in the ruins of Fort Crow.
Most believed this was the result of the self-destruction command issued by the Brain. The only silver lining was the cache of preserved food Lufort de Orange had amassed. The state confiscated these supplies, along with the food he had hoarded in his personal territory, with plans to distribute them to the citizens of Franz in the near future.
The details of these events were reported to various nations on the same day via manaphone.
"It is, quite frankly, a massive loss."
"To think that conflict between humans could result in such an unexpected blow to our heritage."
"This is certainly an event that gives one pause."
"At any rate, the continent will be a bit quieter now."
"Does this mean we should strive harder to improve ourselves, rather than tearing each other down?"
Reactions from the various nations varied, but they all shared a common sentiment: a renewed realization that infighting among their own kind was a futile endeavor.
Meanwhile, the man who had become an international pariah, Lufort de Orange, met his end in the New Kingdom of Franz. Reports of his execution—including how he had ranted and raved until the very last moment—were shared with nations far and wide.
As for the others... Dajure Harvey was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, because his technical skills were highly valued, he was placed under house arrest and kept under strict surveillance, tasked with developing various magic tools.
"Well, as long as you let him do what he wants, he's not a particularly harmful man," observed Chiharad Sauto, who was somewhat acquainted with him.
Bocker Ove, Orange's confidant, was executed alongside his master at his own request.
"Even a man like that has loyal retainers, it seems," the new king reportedly muttered with a complicated expression while witnessing the execution.
"Finally... this is where our country truly begins."
The new king, Rotaro de Lafayette, let out a soft sigh and raised his head to gaze at the clear blue sky stretching outside his window.
Hourai Island was a hive of activity.
Having finished the maintenance on the magi-brain Taihaku, Jin set about repairing the two blue-haired automata. Reiko and, unusually, Anne served as his assistants, while Elsa stood by as an observer.
"What slipshod repairs... Even if they lacked the proper materials, there’s a limit to how poorly you can treat a machine."
In Jin's eyes, the work performed by Dajure Harvey and Bocker Ove was utterly amateurish. It was likely that these two units hadn't been entrusted to a repair golem, though Jin doubted a standard repair golem could have done much better.
"They're in slightly better shape than Anne was when I found her. Probably due to the difference in the storage environment."
"That may be true," Anne replied, her expression momentarily clouded.
"There's little corrosion on the frames. Is that also because of the environment?"
Jin's eyes picked out a specific characteristic in the internal structure.
"This automaton looks almost exactly like Anne. That one has a few different parts, though."
Anne reacted immediately to his observation. "So it is as I thought."
"Anne, did you notice something?"
"Yes, Master. This unit belongs to a manufacturing lot very close to my own."
Having received knowledge from Jin, Anne used the term "manufacturing lot," even though such a concept did not yet exist in this world.
"I see. In other words, they’re 'sisters' in the truest sense."
"Yes."
Since Anne had put it that way, Jin decided to finish work on her sister unit first.
"Reiko, I'll need chrome and vanadium."
"Yes, Father."
He added elements like chrome and vanadium to the steel of the frame, using Alloying to transform it into chrome vanadium steel. He also took care to ensure that a corresponding amount of the base steel was removed so the volume remained unchanged.
"Jin-nii, what kind of properties does this special steel have?" Elsa asked, her attention fixed on the process.
"Vanadium increases hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and toughness," Jin explained simply. He didn't know the exact molecular interactions involved; he simply knew the results.
"The muscle tissue is completely falling apart. They probably couldn't fix it due to a lack of materials."
"Jin-nii, I'll go get anything you need."
"In that case, please fetch some standard magical fiber."
"Understood."
At the same time, he had Anne prepare some magical beast leather to use for the skin.
"Next is... ah, readjusting the ether converter... No, it'll be faster to just replace it."
Things that were impossible for Dajure Harvey were a piece of cake for Jin. The reason he chose to replace it rather than readjust it was the massive difference in ether concentration. Modern levels were three times higher than in the past, a gap too wide for mere adjustments to bridge.
"It wouldn't have been a problem if the situation were reversed. An ether converter tuned for low ether concentrations can operate in high-density environments without issue, but the opposite isn't true."
"Reiko, I'll need a magi-crystal for the control core."
"Yes, I will prepare it immediately."
As had been the case with Anne, the degradation of the magi-crystal in the control core was significant. He couldn't allow precious knowledge from the past to be lost.
"Trans Info."
By rebuilding the control core in this manner, Jin would also be literally recognized as the unit's Creator.
After replacing the hair, eyes, and vocal mechanisms, as well as the damaged clothing, the repairs on the blue-haired automaton were complete. Naturally, he also installed a shield against Master-Slave Rewrite Magic.
"Thank you. I learned a lot," Elsa said.
Jin had worked slowly specifically to show Elsa the process. Had he been working at full speed, he likely would have finished five times faster.
"Alright. Wake up."
"..."
The blue-haired automaton sat up. To be safe, Reiko moved slightly in front of Jin to shield him.
"Nice to meet you, Master."
The automaton offered a polite greeting.
"How are you feeling?"
In response to Jin's question, the automaton gave a graceful bow.
"Yes, I feel wonderful. Thank you very much."
"What is your name?"
"I am called Loll. I look forward to serving you."
"Good. I'm counting on you."
At that moment, Loll noticed the automaton standing behind Jin.
"...Are you perhaps 'Anne'?"
Not only Anne but Jin, Elsa, and Reiko were all taken aback. They had assumed the likelihood of mass-produced automata actually knowing each other was low.
"Yes, I am Anne."
"I knew it. Do you not remember me?"
"I do not, unfortunately. Because the degradation of my control core was severe, some of my memories have been lost."
"Oh, is that so?"
Hearing the conversation between the two "sisters," Jin made a considerate suggestion.
"Anne, Loll, you don't need to stay here. Go over there and talk for a while."
"Master, are you sure?"
"Yes, of course. Exchanging information orally like that will be useful for us as well."
He gave them a formal reason, sensing they might hesitate out of politeness otherwise.
"Thank you very much."
"Thank you very much."
The two bowed to Jin and moved to the corner of the workshop.
Jin then turned his attention to the second automaton. This time, both Elsa and Reiko assisted him. Having seen the process once, Elsa worked with little hesitation, and the repairs were completed even faster than Loll's.
"Wake up."
"Yes, Master."
This automaton went by the name Refa.
"I just thought of this, but do you happen to know an automaton named 'Tia'?" Jin asked on a whim. The answer confirmed his suspicions.
"Yes, she is an automaton who was manufactured at the same time as I was."
"I thought so."
Tia was the automaton serving as the wet nurse for Princess Lieschen of the Klein Kingdom, whom Jin had fully repaired in the past. Because Refa's structure was identical to Tia's, Jin had suspected a connection.
"...Is there a logic to how you're named?" Elsa asked.
"Yes. I have heard that our names were chosen based on the period in which we were manufactured."
"Anne and Loll, Tia and Refa... I think I understand."
Anne (A-N-N) and Loll (R-O-L). Then Tia (T-E-A-R) and Refa (R-E-F-A). Elsa's intuition that the name length changed per lot had hit the mark.
"So Loll and Refa are both Anne's sisters," Jin murmured with a sense of wonder.
"Who is Anne?" Refa asked.
"She's talking with Loll over there. You should go join them, Refa."
"Yes, thank you very much."
And so, three precious automata from the era of the Great Magic War were gathered together under Jin's care.