"Now then, as for Taihaku..."
Once Jin had finished servicing the blue-haired automata, he turned his attention to the matter of the magi-brain.
As a precaution, Laojun had copied all of Taihaku’s information for management and archival. Simultaneously, the system had been configured to perform real-time backups. Both Jin and Laojun were confident that he could fulfill his duties effectively regardless of where he was stationed.
"Right. As you suggested before, Laojun, I think I'll have him oversee Kunlun Island."
"That would indeed be for the best," Laojun agreed.
Laojun currently managed Kunlun Island—located roughly 300 kilometers west across the sea—from Hourai Island. While his processing capacity was more than sufficient to handle the distance, there was a distinct advantage to having an administrator physically present on-site.
《Kunlun Island? What exactly is that?》
"I shall show you now."
Laojun established a mana linkage with Taihaku and transferred the necessary knowledge. The entire process took only about five seconds.
《...Thank you. I understand. I see—Kunlun Island. You wish to entrust its management to me?》
"That is correct. If any situation arises that you cannot handle, I will provide support."
《I shall serve to the best of my ability.》
With that, Taihaku was officially appointed as the overseer of Kunlun Island.
＊ ＊ ＊
The installation site was not the peak of Mount Kunlun, which towered over the center of the island, but rather deep underground. A small vein of adamantite had been discovered in that area, and a cavity had just been excavated.
"It's a perfect size."
The hollow space was approximately 40 meters wide, 60 meters deep, and 15 meters high.
"Moreover, the surrounding rock is low-quality adamantite ore. The structural integrity is more than sufficient."
Adamantite ore exceeded steel in both weight and hardness. Even without reinforcement, the cavern was strong enough to serve as an underground shelter. After the Smith squad applied Hardening and Toughening magic and finished the interior lining, the chamber was ready. Jin intended to eventually assign a dedicated Smith squad to Kunlun Island as well.
《My Lord, thank you. This is an exceptional environment for my installation.》
"Installation" meant more than just placing the unit in the room. In this case, it involved setting up magic eyes to monitor the surroundings and magic ears to pick up sound. Furthermore, Magi Machines capable of firing Paralyze beams were installed for defense. Jin had decided to make Paralyze the standard over Shock, as it caused less pain to intruders. With the addition of barriers, the first stage of the facility was complete.
"We'll continue to improve the facilities over time."
Taihaku offered a respectful acknowledgment of Jin's words.
《Thank you very much. On that note, would it be possible to have Refa assigned as my assistant?》
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
Since Taihaku did not yet have an equivalent to the mobile terminal Laozi used by Laojun, the request was immediately granted. The other unit, Loll, would remain on Hourai Island with Anne for the time being.
"Alright. Once we've fleshed out the facilities on Kunlun Island a bit more, it'll finally be respectable enough for me to act the part of the 'Lord of Kunlun.'"
"Jin-nii, do you want to hold the World Conference here?" Elsa asked, stepping up beside him.
"Yeah, eventually. But that's not something for the immediate future."
"I see."
"We'll leave the rest to Laojun and Taihaku."
"And what will you do, Jin-nii?"
"I'm going to settle the mystery of the basement. And after that..."
"...Space?"
Elsa finished his sentence for him, but Jin shook his head.
"That's still in the testing phase. So..."
"So?"
"I'd like to visit Mitsuho. With you, Elsa."
"Mitsuho..."
Mitsuho was the region where the magus, who might have shared Jin's origins, was said to have lived. Jin believed that visiting the area might lead to new discoveries.
"By carriage?"
"By carriage."
"..."
"Elsa?"
When he mentioned the carriage, Elsa fell silent, her expression shifting as she entered deep thought. Just as Jin began to wonder what was wrong, she spoke up.
"Instead of a carriage, why don't you build an automobile?"
"Eh?"
It was an unexpected suggestion.
"I heard they have a lot of paved roads there."
"That's true."
Given how widespread bicycles were in that region, an automobile would likely be very effective.
"Is it really okay?"
Elsa lowered her gaze at his question. She wondered if he still saw her as nothing but a nagging woman.
"...Whether it's okay or not, I just thought you might want to build one, Jin-nii."
"Y-Yeah."
"That's why I'm only giving you a warning. As long as we don't run out of materials when it really matters, it's fine. Besides, if it's you, Jin-nii, you can always just break things down into raw materials again if you need to."
"I see. Thanks, Elsa."
"Mm."
Elsa finally felt a weight lift from her chest. The matter had been bothering her for a long time, like a tiny bone stuck in her throat. Though Jin had sensed her feelings and embraced her that day, she had still been waiting for a chance to put it into words.
She had been so concerned about the way Jin used materials like water that she had intended to be strict with him. But his reactions had been unexpected—and even a little amusing. She had ended up getting carried away, acting spoiled and playful, without realizing she was walking a very fine line.
My role is to be a brake, not a stopper. And I'm not an outsider. I'm Jin-nii's partner.
Thinking this, Elsa blushed privately.
"...An automobile, huh..."
If he were building a large vehicle, he had previously made the Tortoise, a camping car modeled after a Unimog. This time, however, he planned to make something closer to an SUV—a sports utility vehicle.
"Jin-nii, you look like you're having fun," Elsa whispered, watching his face as he began to lose himself in thought.
"W-Well, first we have to deal with Arshel and the homunculus in the basement. That's the priority."
"Right. Are you going to the demon territory?"
"Yeah, I expect so. While I'm there, I'd like to set up a Warp Gate. And some manacams for communication."
Unrestricted travel would be problematic, but not having any connection at all was inconvenient. He wanted a way to stay in contact in case of an emergency.
"Mm, I understand."
"Alright, let's start planning for that."
"In that case, Father, shall we return to the house?" Reiko asked.
"Hmm, you're right. Let's head back to Hourai Island for now."
"Yes, understood."
"Taihaku, I'm leaving things here in your hands."
《Yes, My Lord. You can count on me.》
With that, Jin and Kunlun Island made a fresh start.
It would be a little while longer before the global situation settled down. It was March—the time when the long winter finally draws to a close and the Spring of Light arrives.