"R-Really!?"
Belialus's shout echoed throughout the Puppet clan territory.
"Yeah. I'm almost certain—I’d say the odds are ten to one."
"I'm going! Please, let me go with you!"
Before Jin could even ask him to join them, Belialus had volunteered.
"Alright. We leave tomorrow, then."
"Thank you so much!"
Since he had already been preparing to head out anyway, the matter was settled without any fuss.
"Jin-dono, I ask that you look after Belialus... and Arshel."
Maximus, the Clan Chief of the Puppet clan, bowed his head to Jin. He was a man with gray hair and gold eyes.
Given the dire state of the demon race's population—calling it underpopulated was an understatement—the possibility of saving even one more of their kind was of paramount importance.
"Whoa, this is fascinating!"
Saki’s excited voice drifted over from nearby.
Saki, Toa, and Vivienne were being shown around by Maximus's wife, Famellar, and her grandson, Lucilius.
Lucilius was seventy years old, which was roughly equivalent to fourteen in human years. He was a boy overflowing with curiosity befitting his youthful appearance, and he peppered his tour with inquisitive questions.
"I see. So you have things like that over where you're from?"
"Yeah. Though currently, they're mostly monopolized by the nobility."
The one conversing with the boy most familiarly was Toa.
Since Lucilius had lost his father at a young age, he seemed to find it genuinely enjoyable to speak with a man of Toa's apparent age.
Meanwhile, Famellar seemed to regard Saki and Vivienne like daughters or granddaughters, providing them with meticulous tours and explanations. A gentle smile never left her face.
In this manner, the visit to the demon territory successfully achieved its purpose without a single hitch.
The next morning.
After breakfast, Jin began preparing for their departure. Saki approached him to deliver her decision.
"Jin, Dad and I—and Vivienne too—are going to stay here for a bit."
"I figured as much."
As they had hinted the day before, one night wasn't nearly enough to satisfy Saki and the others' curiosity.
"That's why I brought Aaru, Steward, and Anne along, after all."
"Jin-dono, we shall see to the needs of these three until Belialus returns," Clan Chief Maximus promised.
"If they wish, I can call for members of other clans to visit, or take them to see the neighboring territories ourselves."
The closest would likely be the Deep clan. The All-Creation clan, whom Jin knew best, was a bit further away.
"I’ll leave them in your hands, then."
If anything happened, Anne or Steward could contact Laojun, so there shouldn't be any issues for the time being. If they ever wanted to return, they only had to send word, and a transport would be dispatched from Hourai Island.
"It will take five days at the earliest, and likely no more than half a month at most," Jin estimated.
"I understand. Safe travels."
"Clan Chief, I'm off," Belialus said.
Jin, Reiko, Elsa, and Belialus boarded Capricorn 1.
"Jin, be careful."
"Jin-dono, I pray for your success."
"Jin-kun, see you later!"
Saki, Toa, Vivienne, and Aaru saw them off.
As Capricorn 1 began to move, walking at a steady pace of about forty kilometers per hour, it quickly vanished from the sight of those left behind.
"Jin-dono, what is the plan from here?"
Belialus looked restless even in his seat, his face betraying his deep concern for his sister.
"We'll head south through the Great Isthmus. Once we're clear, the influence of the seasonal winds and the weather will be less of a factor, so we'll switch over to the Konron 2."
"What is the Konron 2?"
Jin suddenly realized that Belialus had never actually seen it. Even when they had gone to search for the Ancient Dragon's shed skin, they had used Capricorn 1.
"Well, that's a surprise for you to look forward to."
That was all Jin said regarding the Konron 2. Instead, he wanted to explain the underground facility in more detail.
As he laid out what they had discovered so far, Belialus was visibly shocked.
"...A servant is in the basement of such a place?"
By "servant," they meant the homunculus attendants created by the Origin.
"That's right. Furthermore, though I don't know if it was by choice, it seems they have transferred their consciousness into an automata body."
"What!?"
"On top of that, I don't know of a peaceful way to enter that underground facility yet... So, as you can see, we still have a lot of problems to solve."
"It certainly sounds that way."
Talking as they went, they continued south for three and a half hours. They crossed the Pazdext Great Isthmus and entered the Lauren Continent.
"How are you feeling? Any trouble breathing?" Jin asked.
The concentration of free ether in this area was ten to fifteen percent lower than in the demon territory. It was roughly equivalent to a human climbing a two-thousand-meter mountain peak.
"I'm fine so far."
"Good to hear."
Meanwhile, Jin's Body Double had already landed the Konron 2 at the rendezvous point. This was where Jin and the Double would swap places.
It was exactly noon. Since they had traveled straight south, there was no time difference.
"That is the Konron 2."
The airship was now within visual range from the window of Capricorn 1.
"It's an airship, isn't it?"
Perhaps he had heard about them from Sion or All-Creation, as Belialus seemed to have some knowledge of them.
"That's right. With that, we can reach the Elrad Mine in no time. It's just a bit susceptible to strong winds."
"I can imagine."
The same was true for aircraft on modern Earth. Even automobiles could be flipped by sudden gusts, so it wasn't a flaw in Jin's technology. In fact, by using the force generator, they could withstand almost any wind.
"It's larger than I expected."
The Konron 2 was forty meters long, while Capricorn 1 was only eight. Their scale was entirely different. Though in terms of sheer mass, Capricorn 1 was actually heavier.
"Reiko, please show Belialus the way."
(Reiko, we're swapping here, so distract him for a moment.)
Jin gave Reiko her instructions as planned.
"Yes, Father."
"Belialus, I'm going ahead to check on the Konron 2's systems," Jin announced. He disembarked first and ran toward the airship.
Once he boarded the Konron 2, he used the internal Warp Gate to travel back to Hourai Island.
Reiko led Belialus as they got off Capricorn 1 and walked toward the airship. Elsa remained behind in Capricorn 1. Officially, she was staying to guard the vehicle, but in reality, she would return to Hourai Island via her own Warp Gate shortly afterward.
By the time Reiko and Belialus reached the Konron 2, the swapped Jin Double was there to meet them.
"Welcome to the Konron 2," the Jin Double greeted them in a playful tone.
"To think this actually flies... just the thought of it is exciting."
The Jin Double grinned and invited Belialus into the cockpit.
The crew consisted of the Jin Double, Reiko, and Belialus, along with Sky 11, who was in charge of piloting and maintenance. Besides them, though they remained hidden, the support personnel of the Shinobi Squad were also on board.
"Alright, let's take off."
"Understood."
After the brief exchange, Sky 11 lifted the Konron 2 into the sky.
"Oh...!"
After a momentary sensation of weightlessness, the earth began to recede. Belialus remained glued to the window for a long while, mesmerized by the view.