"Hmm, maybe our search method is flawed..."
It was 11:30 AM local time.
Though it was a bit early, Jin decided to break for lunch to help clear their heads. Of course, the Land squad would continue their systematic search in the meantime.
The prepared lunch consisted of sandwiches filled with egg salad, topopo salad, ham, and bacon. They washed it down with lightly carbonated citran juice, which provided a refreshing aftertaste.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Having finished her food, Hanna sat staring out toward the open sea.
"Is something wrong, Hanna?" Jin asked, noticing her distant gaze.
"Yeah... Hey, Onii-chan, is that an island over there?"
"Huh?"
Jin followed Hanna's pointing finger and spotted a tiny speck sitting right on the horizon.
"Reiko, what do you see?"
Jin turned to Reiko, who possessed the keenest eyesight of the group.
"Yes, Father. That is indeed an island."
"I see..."
Because Ars's curvature was sharper than Earth's, any object visible on the horizon was less than ten kilometers away.
"Sky, go confirm it."
"Understood."
Sky 33, who was standing by, boarded Raptor 3 and took off. Two minutes later, a report came in through Reiko.
"Father, they report that it is indeed an island, though it is very small."
"I see..."
Hearing this, Hanna turned to Jin.
"Hey, Onii-chan, isn't it possible that the place you're looking for is on that island?"
"What!?"
"I mean, that island is right in front of the monument we found, isn't it?"
"Oh..."
Prompted by Hanna's observation, Jin returned to the memorial stone to check its orientation.
"She's right..."
Looking closely, the monument didn't face directly out to sea. It was angled about ten degrees to the north, pointing precisely toward the island they had just discovered.
"That makes sense. It's just as Hanna said. There's a high probability that Shuuki Tsetse's records were left on that island."
"Jin, shall we go see?" Saki asked, her voice tinged with excitement. It was clear she was eager to investigate.
"Right. We don't know if there's enough level ground for Konron 3 to land, so let's take the Falcon."
The Falcon was a VTOL—a vertical take-off and landing craft. It could carry ten passengers and had a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour. A small VTOL that didn't require a runway was perfect for this terrain.
The group, including Edgar, boarded Falcon 4, piloted by Sky 41. Konron 3 was left under the temporary management of the Sky squad. Falcon 3 and Falcon 5 also took flight to provide support.
They reached the target island in a matter of minutes. As expected, there was almost no flat ground, but they eventually located a level patch on the northeast side that seemed viable for a landing.
Sky 41 descended cautiously. His skills were impeccable; he performed a perfect landing with almost no shock, without even needing to engage the force generator.
"Father, please wait before disembarking," Reiko said, stopping Jin and the others. "I don't believe there is any immediate danger, but we cannot afford to be careless."
"She is right. We shall survey the area first," Edgar added.
With that, Edgar and Aaru stepped out of Falcon 4.
From the air, they had seen no signs of animal life. The vegetation was sparse, consisting only of shrubs and grass rather than tall trees.
Edgar and Aaru began their circuit of the island, one heading clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. The island was an irregularly shaped circle, a tiny landmass with a circumference of about three kilometers. Hidden by an illusion barrier, it had never appeared on any maps produced by Hourai Island.
Edgar and Aaru met on the west-southwest side. Edgar had arrived slightly ahead of his counterpart. This side of the island featured a small, open flat area that offered a clear view of the Lauren Continent. This point was likely directly opposite the cape where the monument stood.
"Aaru, I found nothing on my side. How about yours?"
"No, I found nothing either."
Suddenly, two automata emerged from the rocky hills deeper inland.
"Who are you?"
One was an adult male-type with black hair and eyes. He was the one who had spoken.
"And who might you be?" Aaru asked.
"We are the ones asking the questions," the other replied. This was an adult female-type with dark blonde hair.
"I am Edgar."
"I am Aaru."
"Hmph. So you have names. How interesting."
"What exactly have Edgar and Aaru come here for?" the female automaton asked.
"We have come to see if there are any clues regarding the Magus on this island."
"I see. So you noticed the monument on the cape. However, we cannot allow this island to be disturbed by those acting out of mere curiosity. Please leave."
"Wait, but—"
The male automaton flatly rejected them. "Leave at once."
The female automaton was equally unyielding.
"...Understood."
"Edgar?" Aaru asked, surprised.
"Aaru, let us withdraw for now."
Edgar began running back the way Aaru had come, heading clockwise. That path was closer to where Jin and the others were waiting.
"Ah, wait for me!"
A beat behind, Aaru chased after him.
"...And that is the situation," Edgar reported to Jin a few minutes later.
"I see. That makes it even more certain that clues to the Magus are on this island."
"Yes. I thought it best to avoid a confrontation, so we withdrew."
"Good, that was the right call. Well then, shall we all go together?"
Reiko gently moved to block him. "Father, wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"Well, that's why we won't get closer than necessary. And since everyone is wearing a Fellowship Bracelet, we can deploy a barrier."
"But..."
"Besides, if they're automata related to the Magus, they likely won't do anything too extreme against humans. And I'll have you with me, Reiko."
Jin had considered using a Doppel, but he felt that if he didn't go in person, he might never prove he wasn't there out of "mere curiosity." This was especially important if these were automata created by his Predecessor.
"Even so..." Reiko still looked uneasy.
"Alright, I hear you. In that case, let's ask Laojun to send ten units from the Land squad over here as backup."
"Yes, I can agree to that."
Knowing how much Jin wanted to find these clues, Reiko finally relented.