"Let's double-check one more time. Before the Ether Stampede, the concentration of free ether on Ars was significantly higher than the average in outer space, wasn't it?" Saki asked, sounding a little unsure of herself.
"That seems to be the case," Jin replied.
"Hmm... I wonder if magical beasts exist for that same reason."
"What do you mean by that, Goose?" Jin asked, voicing the confusion felt by the rest of the group.
"I mean, if the free ether levels increased, wouldn't that make the magical beasts stronger as well?" Goose pointed to the recent swarm of Voracious Grasshoppers as a prime example. They were defeated by being deprived of ether, meaning it was vital for their survival.
"It’s similar to how most magi died during the Ether Stampede," Goose explained slowly.
Jin nodded. "Right. So, in the process of modifying Ars to match the Progenitors' home planet, Hale—what we're calling Hale-forming—the ecosystem took a massive hit."
"I agree with Jin," Goose said. "Though it's still just a hypothesis."
"Goose’s theory would certainly explain why the biodiversity of Ars is so limited," Laojun added, supporting the idea.
"So... because of Hale-forming, biodiversity was sacrificed, and the species that survived mutated into magical beasts?"
"I believe that is correct, My Lord," Laojun replied. "Double the gravity and triple the free ether concentration—only organisms capable of adapting to those extremes would have remained." Laojun concluded by noting that this was still largely speculation.
"Hmm..."
"Everyone’s doing an awful lot of sighing and groaning," Beena cut in, her voice deliberately bright. "Learning about the past is important, and we should use it for the future. But the most important thing is the present. The 'now.' The future is built on what we do right here, right now."
What had happened could not be changed. Beena argued that they should accept the past and focus on how it connected to their lives today and tomorrow.
"Beena might be right," someone murmured.
"We are living on the Ars of today, after all."
"The past is the past. We need to understand it and record it, but only so we can build a better future."
"Then, what’s our next move?"
Brightness returned to the faces of the group. They had been momentarily overwhelmed by the staggering reality of planetary terraforming and the resulting collapse of the ecosystem, but now they found their focus again.
"First, we need to find out if there's something actively creating this imbalance in the free ether distribution," Jin said, taking charge. "If there is, we need to know where it is and what it does."
"I agree," Toa said. "Before we decide on a course of action, we need to understand the mechanism behind the current state of the world."
"Assuming such a device exists, I wonder if it ever breaks down or stops," Saki added sensibly. "And what would happen if it did? That’s what really worries me."
"If it stopped, the free ether distribution on Ars would likely normalize to match the surrounding space," Jin mused. "In other words, it would drop to levels similar to what we see in Kaina Village."
"Hmm, the demon race stayed in Kaina Village for a while, didn't they?" Saki pointed out. "If they were fine, then maybe it wouldn't have that big an impact on the world?"
Reinhard shook his head. "No, Saki, that might be true for humans and the demon race, but we have no idea what it would do to the magical beasts in the north."
"Ah, you're right. We can't ignore the ecological impact..."
"If things go poorly, they might start migrating south in massive numbers."
"In that case, maintaining the status quo is probably the best move for now," Goose said, sounding a bit disappointed.
"I agree with Goose. The organisms on Ars today have already adapted to this artificial environment," Jin added, sharing his sentiment. "It’s not an emergency we have to solve today or tomorrow, but I think we still need to investigate the South Pole. And doing that is only possible with the resources of Hourai Island."
"But Jin, it's not exactly easy to reach the South Pole, is it?"
"That’s true. But what about the North Pole?"
"Eh?"
"I mean, there's a high probability that there's something at the North Pole as well, just like at the South Pole. I think investigating the North Pole first might be a viable option... though, honestly, I only just thought of that a second ago."
"A-Ahaha." Saki gave a wry smile at Jin’s casual tone, but his logic was sound.
"There's the matter of the long-period planet to worry about, but if we don't secure our own footing first, we'll never know what kind of trouble we might run into." Jin feared the kind of unexpected crises born from negligence that he had often seen in stories. "We have to protect this world, no matter what."
"Jin, I’ve been thinking about something," Marcia said, leaning in. "You said free ether is incredibly small, right? Just how small are we talking?"
"Hmm, small enough to be invisible. It's small enough to pass right through walls or solid rock."
Marcia nodded at his answer. "Then, wouldn't it just pass through Ars itself as well?"
"Eh?" Jin froze, stunned by the simple observation.
"N-No, look, I can't use magic and I'm not educated, so you can just ignore me," Marcia added flusteredly as Jin stared at her.
"Wait... could that be what a singularity is?" Jin whispered.
Elsa caught the word and looked up. "Jin-nii, did you figure something out about singularities?"
Jin nodded slowly, then took a breath to explain. "If I hadn't heard Marcia's question, I might have wasted a lot of time and effort."
"What do you mean?"
"There’s a chance there’s actually nothing at the North Pole. It's possible the free ether is simply being 'pumped out' from the South Pole. I doubt the Progenitors would install vital equipment in a land crawling with powerful magical beasts if they could help it."
"And how does that connect to singularities?"
"Even though ether passes through matter, there's still a bit of resistance depending on the material. Some things are easier to pass through than others."
"I think I'm following you," Elsa said. "Go on."
"Essentially, I think a singularity is a 'shortcut.' The ether is supposed to flow all the way to the North Pole to erupt, but it finds an easier path through the planet and blows out early."
"And one of those shortcuts is Hourai Island..."
"Exactly." Jin then turned to Goose. "Those Voracious Grasshoppers from the other day—maybe there's a small singularity somewhere deep in the mountains of Fusou Island."
"Of course! They might have become voracious because they were exposed to a concentrated leak of free ether!"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group.
"Unstable singularities might be what cause irregular outbreaks of magical beasts," Goose suggested, pushing the theory further.
"Mr. Goose and I reached a similar conclusion when analyzing the grasshoppers recently," Laojun added. "However, we weren't able to locate that specific singularity."
"Which is why I can't say for certain that singularities create magical beasts," Goose concluded. "But the possibility is certainly high for the Voracious Grasshoppers."
"Perhaps everyone should take a break?" Reiko suggested. Looking at the clock, they realized it was already three in the afternoon.
"Let's have some tea, then," Jin said. The Golem Maids immediately began setting the table with practiced efficiency.
"I decided to serve Kuhe today."
"Oh, I love those!" Marcia said happily. Kuhe was a specialty of the Kingdom of Elias, particularly Port Rock Town. Since it was also Vivienne’s birthday and a favorite of hers, it was the perfect choice for the occasion.
"Phew, this really hits the spot."
"Yeah, it's just what we needed."
Jin felt that the extra sugar in his tea was exactly what his tired brain required.
"These discussions are so meaningful," Saki said, looking quite satisfied.
"Between this and the long-period planet, we certainly have our work cut out for us," Toa remarked, looking a little weary.
"B-But I know Jin-san will find a way!" Lishia said with surprising intensity.
Jin offered her a wry smile. "If I have everyone's help... I think we can manage."