Reiko had adamantly opposed Jin heading out himself, so Edgar, Aaru, and the Land squad were sent in his stead. A report was scheduled to be sent back as soon as they established a secure line of communication.
Thirty meters above Jin and the others, two Falcon units hovered, maintaining a vigilant watch over the area.
"The Land squad should be reaching the other side just about now."
"Yes. At their speed, they should be arriving shortly," Reiko replied.
Sitting around and waiting was tedious work, but the situation soon shifted into something that left no room for boredom.
"So, you were here after all."
Two automata suddenly materialized in the clearing where Jin, Elsa, Hanna, Saki, and Reiko stood.
"Whoa!?"
Caught completely off guard, Jin and the others were momentarily stunned. They hadn't expected the guardians to appear on this side of the barrier. Jin immediately surmised that their sudden appearance meant a Warp Gate or a teleportation magic circle was hidden somewhere nearby.
"I won't let you lay a single finger on Father," Reiko declared, stepping protectively in front of the group—specifically, in front of Jin.
Above them, the two Falcons instantly locked their laser cannons onto the newcomers. However, instead of attacking, the two automata abruptly dropped to their knees before the group.
"Oh... it truly is...!"
"This is...!"
Jin was baffled by the sudden display of submission, but the reason became clear a moment later.
"Master Adriana..."
"Master Adriana..."
They must have sensed Jin's magic pattern and, finding it identical to Adriana Barbora Tsetse’s, recognized him as their master. However, the male automaton’s gaze was fixed slightly off from Jin, focused instead on Hanna.
"Ah, just as I thought..." Reiko remarked. "Father, Hanna-chan is the spitting image of Mother when she was young."
Jin had heard this before, but after learning about the inhabitants of the Former Leonard Kingdom, the resemblance gave him pause. It was entirely possible that Hanna and the Predecessor shared a common ancestor.
Reiko stepped toward the two kneeling automata. "The two of you are my big brother and big sister."
She had recognized them as the handiwork of Adriana Barbora Tsetse.
"And you are?...You are one of us as well, I see," the female automaton said, turning her attention to Reiko.
"Yes. I am Mother Adriana's final creation. And now I am here, having been improved by Father."
"Master Adriana's final... So that was the case."
Meanwhile, the male automaton remained kneeling before Hanna and Jin, only raising his head.
"That mana is the same as Master Adriana's. That appearance is identical to Master Adriana's. Even without words, that is enough."
After looking back and forth between Jin and Hanna, he stood up.
"There is no doubt that you are qualified to inherit the legacy left behind by Master Adriana and her honorable father, Master Shuuki Tsetse. I am fortunate to have lived to see this day. Please, this way."
"Please, this way," the female echoed.
The two beckoned the group forward. The Land squad and Edgar’s group hadn't returned yet, but with Reiko beside them, Jin and the others followed. Jin was already certain these two were automata crafted by the Predecessor. Since his magic pattern was identical to hers, he knew he could order these two to Stand Still if necessary, so he felt no sense of danger. The fact that Reiko followed them without a word was proof enough of their safety.
The two guardians led the party into the shadow of some rocks on the island.
"Oh..."
There stood a familiar Magi Machine—a Warp Gate.
"You can reach the inner chambers from here."
It was likely keyed to the Predecessor's magic pattern, meaning Jin could use it without issue. While he suspected they would be fine as long as they were wearing their Fellowship Bracelets, Jin took Elsa and Hanna's hands just in case.
"Saki, sorry, but please take Reiko's hand. Reiko, look after Saki."
"Understood."
"Hehe, at times like this, I really resent being single," Saki joked.
The group passed through the Warp Gate. They emerged into a reasonably large hall with a small passageway extending from the far side.
"This way, please."
With an air of it being only natural that they follow, the male automaton took the lead and headed down the passage.
"Now that I think about it, what are your names?" Jin asked.
"We automata do not have names in the true sense of the word. I am identification name M-012, now M-036."
"I am F-015, now F-036."
"I see. It seems that's how it was in the past."
Jin assumed 'M' stood for Male and 'F' for Female. It was the kind of logical identification system Adriana, having been taught by Shuuki, would have used. Reiko didn't have a name in the true sense either; it seemed the Predecessor had simply called her "Chibi." Names like Anne, Loll, and Refa also seemed to have been treated as identification names. Jin wondered if there had been some sort of taboo against giving dolls or artificial creations the same names as humans in that era.
"We have arrived. It is here."
The underground facility wasn't particularly large; they reached their destination while Jin was still lost in thought. The two automata each took a side of the double doors and pushed them open.
"Please, enter."
Prompted by the two, Jin stepped into the room first, followed by Reiko. Elsa, Hanna, and Saki followed after them, all three falling silent as they entered the dark space. Suddenly, lights flickered on.
"Automatic... no, that’s not it. It’s designed to draw mana from whoever enters to power the lights. Impressive as always, Predecessor."
Furthermore, the air inside was fresh. They likely performed regular ventilation or utilized a magical process like Refresh.
"As expected of Mother," Reiko said happily.
Once the room was illuminated, Jin saw a single desk.
"Somehow, this reminds me of the room in the laboratory."
He was thinking of the workshop where he had inherited the title of Magi Craft Meister from the Predecessor. On the desk lay a single book.
"Is this book... something written by Shuuki Tsetse?"
"Please, feel free to take it and see for yourself."
Jin picked up the volume. The cover was made of black magical beast leather, with golden characters inscribed upon it.
"This handwriting... it really is Shuuki Tsetse's."
He slowly opened the cover.
"My health has taken a sharp turn for the worse lately. I do not know how much further I can travel, but I intend to go as far as my body allows. That was the promise I made to my wife, Adriana."
Those were the words recorded on the very first page.