“According to the test data, the observation room is proving to be a bit dangerous.”
Laojun was concerned about the visible light, ultraviolet rays, and cosmic rays that would penetrate the transparent material of the observation dome.
While the central command room could almost completely shut out harmful electromagnetic waves and radiation, the dome was a different story.
“A light-shielding barrier, perhaps...”
Laojun possessed the ability to develop such new magic, but he lacked the authority to do so.
“I have no choice but to ask My Lord.”
Laojun decided to wait for Jin to wake up before consulting him.
“Laojun, is there a problem?”
Anne had arrived on the scene, accompanied by Loll and Refa. They had been summoned from Kunlun Island to ensure that the flagship Jin would board was as safe as possible.
Additionally, Taihaku, the magi-brain overseeing Kunlun Island, was set to join the meeting via manacam.
“Yes, I have several concerns regarding My Lord's safety.”
“That must be prioritized above all else,” Anne agreed.
“My Lord's safety is absolute,” Loll added.
“Indeed it is,” Refa said.
The group began their discussion to draft a proposal they could present to Jin as soon as he woke up.
“Regarding the observation room, we need a light-shielding barrier as Laojun suggested.”
“It must prevent any intensity above a certain threshold from passing through, and it must filter out unnecessary wavelengths.”
“However, it is an ‘observation’ room, so the barrier must not hinder visual confirmation.”
“Space is pitch black. We should definitely install marker lights for fleet maneuvers.”
“That is a good idea. We can make them toggleable as needed.”
“The spacesuit must be constructed in a way that absolutely prevents any danger from reaching My Lord!”
“In that sense, a ‘Body Double’ would be the ideal choice...”
《My Lord mentioned that he wishes to see with his own eyes and feel things directly.》
“That is the case. Since we cannot forcibly restrain him, I want to take every possible safety precaution.”
Thus, unbeknownst to Jin, his loyal subordinates proceeded with their plans.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Ah, I slept well.”
At 6:30 AM Hourai Island Time, Jin woke up.
It was already early summer, and the morning was bright. Reinhard had returned home the previous night for his duties as a lord, as had Saki for the research she was conducting with Goose.
“Jin-nii, good morning.”
Elsa had been up since six, preparing breakfast with Soleil.
“We have wakame miso soup this morning.”
In reality, it was a seaweed that looked exactly like wakame, so Jin and the others had simply decided to call it that. Elsa prepared the miso soup while Soleil cooked the rice. To round out the meal, they had umeboshi, pickles, and grilled fish. Elsa had become quite accustomed to this traditional Japanese-style breakfast.
“Thanks for the meal. It was delicious.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Since Luna offered to handle the cleanup, Jin and Elsa left the house and headed to the laboratory. Anne, Loll, and Refa were already there waiting.
“Good morning, My Lord.”
“Morning, Anne.”
“Good morning, My Lord.”
“Morning, Loll.”
“Good morning, My Lord.”
“Morning, Refa.”
After exchanging greetings, Jin took his seat in the command room. Elsa sat to his right, and Reiko stood behind him.
“Good morning, My Lord. If I may, please listen to the interior plans we have devised for the Adriana.”
After his greeting, Laojun began his explanation.
“...And those are the primary points.”
“I see. So light in general is a nuisance in space, after all.”
After hearing Laojun’s explanation regarding the hazards of the observation room, Jin thought for a moment. He then began to Write In a magi-formula onto a magi-crystal to create a radiation-resistant barrier.
The core concept was to filter out light rays and electromagnetic waves with wavelengths outside the 400 to 700 nanometer range. Additionally, he added a function to suppress light above a certain intensity.
If compared to an electronic circuit, it functioned as both a ‘bandpass filter’ and a ‘limiter.’
“Thank you, My Lord. We will conduct a test immediately.”
Taking the magi-crystal from Jin, Laojun promptly sent the Icarus 2 into space to begin the evaluation.
“My Lord, may I have a moment?”
“Anne? What is it?”
“Yes. Regarding the command room where you will be stationed—I was wondering if we should give the interior a cushioning property, just in case?”
Her idea was to apply a sponge-like buffering material to the floors, ceilings, walls, and even the surfaces of the installed Magi Machines. Recalling his recent time in the zero-gravity room, Jin immediately agreed.
“Ah, that’s a great idea. Let’s arrange that right away, including for the zero-gravity room. Thanks, Anne.”
“Your praise is more than I deserve.”
Loll and Refa spoke next.
“My Lord, the two of us were discussing it, and we thought it would be wise to install handrails throughout the spaceship.”
“They would be useful for moving or securing oneself if weightlessness occurs due to an accident, or if it becomes necessary to induce zero-G for some reason.”
“I see. I think that’s a fine idea. Thanks for the advice.”
《My Lord, I also have a proposal.》
Following the others, Taihaku spoke up.
“Oh, Taihaku? That’s rare. What is it?”
《It concerns the matter of your spacesuit.》
“Yeah? Go on.”
《After consulting with the others, and taking into account both the goal of ensuring My Lord's safety and My Lord's desire to act on your own...》
A sketch was projected onto the magi-screen.
《We have compiled a proposal like this.》
“...What in the world is that?”
It was shaped like a drum can with eight legs growing out of it.
《Of course, this is merely a rough sketch to illustrate the functions and structure. In reality, the design will likely be much more refined.》
“No, no matter how much you refine it, this is just...”
《We believe outer space is teeming with unknown dangers. Therefore, we concluded that this is the only way to ensure My Lord's safety while allowing you to operate freely.》
“Even so...”
Taihaku continued the explanation regardless.
《The cylindrical portion is where My Lord will board. If we construct it from hyper-adamantite or similar materials, we can negate a significant amount of risk.》
“...”
Since Jin remained silent, Taihaku’s explanation continued without pause.
《The walking mechanism consists of four legs, but we will provide an additional four as spares.》
The redundant limbs made the machine look like a poorly constructed octopus or a spider.
《There are four pseudo-tentacles to serve as arms; we believe it would be best for you to use two of them for normal operations. Naturally, they will be controlled via mana.》
“...”
Jin still said nothing.
《External conditions can be confirmed via a 360-degree screen lined inside the cockpit. There are no blind spots—up, down, front, back, left, or right.》
“...”
Jin looked somewhat dumbfounded.
《Naturally, it will be equipped with weapons, and it can fly using force generators. It will also control gravity, allowing it to handle anything from zero-G to high-gravity environments.》
“...”
Jin let out a soft sigh.
《Furthermore, the cockpit is equipped with a Warp Gate, allowing for an emergency escape in the worst-case scenario.》
“...Yeah, well, I understand what you’re trying to say,” Jin said, his voice sounding a bit weary. “Certainly, with all this equipment, I’d likely be able to withstand most environments, and the danger would be minimal.”
《Thank you very much.》
Jin realized once again just how much everyone worried about him.
And so, he began to wonder if he could design a spacesuit that was a bit easier to use—and much better-looking—than this unsightly contraption.