"Oh, this is quite something."
The area beyond the elevator had been transformed into a beautifully maintained residential facility.
"It somewhat resembles the facility on the Moon," Jin remarked.
"Mm. It's also similar to the interior of the ruins in the Former Leonard Kingdom," Elsa added.
"Father, it even bears a slight resemblance to the Unifilar headquarters," Reiko noted.
In other words, it shared commonalities with technology from the ancient past. From these observations, Jin inferred that the facility had been in continuous operation since that era.
"This way."
Lance took the lead, guiding the group through the halls.
The walls, floors, and ceilings were constructed from a combination of polished stone and metal. While well-maintained, the structure exuded an unmistakable sense of age.
Jin wanted to stop and examine the craftsmanship in detail, but Lance was walking briskly, and he had to keep pace.
After turning two corners, Lance stopped in front of a single door.
"The Son of the Creator is within."
He pressed a button beside the frame, and after a short pause, the door slid open.
"Good work, Lance."
"I have brought the guests."
"I see... Guests from the outside, welcome. I am Gimnas, the owner of this facility."
The person who introduced himself as Gimnas was a boy who appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. He had pale gold hair and striking red eyes. His skin was nearly translucent, and his build was quite delicate.
He sat behind a simple wooden desk, looking very much like a middle school student in the middle of studying for entrance exams.
"I’m Jin Nidou."
"Elsa Nidou... it is a pleasure."
"I am the servant, Reiko."
Jin and the others introduced themselves in turn.
"Please, have a seat."
Gimnas gestured toward a few chairs. The wooden furniture featured an old-fashioned design.
As they sat, Jin and his companions took a moment to survey the room. The interior was finished primarily in wood, creating a warm, antique atmosphere. The various magic tools placed throughout the room felt somewhat out of place against the rustic backdrop.
A large bookshelf stood against one wall, packed tightly with volumes. Jin felt a surge of curiosity; he desperately wanted to browse the titles.
Two women dressed as maids emerged from the back of the room carrying refreshments. To Jin’s practiced eyes, they were clearly automata.
The maid automata placed the drinks on the table in silence before withdrawing.
Gimnas spoke slowly, breaking the quiet.
"I imagine you have many questions. I’ll start by providing a brief explanation of our circumstances. Would it be alright if we save your questions until after I've finished?"
"Yes, that sounds like a good plan," Jin replied, maintaining a polite tone.
"To begin with, this facility was constructed roughly four hundred years ago, carved deep beneath Mount Suhront. It was originally intended to serve as a shelter for evacuation," Gimnas began.
His speech was clear and articulate, suggesting he had received a very thorough education.
"The concentration of free ether in this underground area is somewhat high. Because it was deemed ideal for research, several dozen researchers and their families once lived here."
The prospect of efficiently gathering energy was certainly an attractive one, Jin thought.
"According to our records, a conflict known as the Great Magic War broke out later, and a significant number of magi lost their lives. However, because the free ether levels here were higher than they were on the surface, this place was spared from the worst of the fallout."
So, it was essentially a hidden village, Jin mused as he listened.
"Following the Great Magic War, contact with the outside world was severed. Between that and the general decline of free ether elsewhere, we eventually fell into a state of total isolation. However, we had an underground farm and an underground ranch for food, so we never lacked for water or resources. We had golems for labor as well, so there were no functional problems. If there was an issue, it was..."
Gimnas trailed off and let out a small sigh.
"...The problem was the declining population."
Just as I thought, Jin realized. He hadn't seen how such a small, closed group could possibly maintain its numbers indefinitely.
"The bloodlines became too concentrated. Furthermore, a hypothesis was proposed that living creatures gradually weaken when kept in a closed, sealed environment."
Given Jin’s experiences with Mitsuho, Fusou, and even New El, he could empathize with that theory.
"My father was apparently the last one left. Because of that, he ventured into the outside world and found a companion."
Gimnas offered a lonely smile.
"My mother’s younger brother—my uncle—apparently had an aptitude for magi-craft, so he migrated here alongside her. I learned later that he wasn't my mother's brother by blood, but they seemed to have a good relationship as siblings regardless."
Jin nodded inwardly. For Gimnas's mother, having a brother with her—even if only by marriage—must have been a great comfort when moving to a strange, hidden land.
"After giving birth to me, my mother’s health never fully recovered. She passed away from illness the year before last. After that, my uncle remained here to assist my father."
In a place suffering from a labor shortage, a family member with relevant skills would be welcomed with open arms, Jin supposed.
"However, it seems my uncle eventually began to harbor wicked intentions... He decided to misappropriated the equipment here for his own ends."
That must have been the catalyst for the current situation.
"It seems the culture of the outside world has regressed significantly since the Great Magic War," Gimnas noted, moistening his throat with the drink provided by the maid golem before continuing. "Well, that was a rather hurried summary of the situation. Please, if you have questions, go ahead."
"Then, I'll ask a few things," Jin said, seeking to confirm his theories. "The labor here—the workforce—is entirely handled by golems and automata, then?"
"That's right."
"And several of those units were stolen?"
"Correct. They took the security units Sword and Glar, as well as several components."
"Components?"
"Yes. Control cores for golems, ether converters, and even the control cores for the Warp Gate, among other things."
Jin asked several more follow-up questions to fill in the blanks.
He learned that the facility housed many unused golems and automata in a dormant state, which were activated as needed. Two of those units had been stolen: the security golems Sword and Glar.
As it turned out, Sword was an automaton model that served as a lower-end version of Lance; it could be disguised as a golem by attaching external armor.
When Jin asked why the uncle would bother with such a deception, Gimnas didn't have an answer.
"So that’s why they were referred to as golems one moment and automata the next during the retrieval," Jin muttered, finally understanding the discrepancy in Jumi’s report.
"And what became of this uncle?"
Gimnas looked down at the floor, his expression darkening. Lance answered in his stead.
"When the Creator fell ill, he stole the items mentioned and vanished. Before leaving, he poisoned the water supply. The Creator passed away as a result."
"...Yes. I was in danger as well, but I managed to survive somehow."
It seemed Gimnas’s father, already weakened by illness, hadn't stood a chance against the poison.
"I... I’m truly sorry to hear that."
"No, it isn't something for you to worry about, Jin-dono." Gimnas forced a small smile.
"But if that's the case, your uncle still hasn't been found? And neither has the control core for the Warp Gate..."
"Oh, we know where they are," Gimnas said.
"What?"
"Lance has located them. We simply chose to prioritize the recovery of the golems being used for criminal acts first."
Jin nodded, finally seeing the full picture.
"I see. That makes sense. Now, if I may, could you tell me about yourself, Jin-dono? Lance mentioned that you hold the title of Magi Craft Meister."
"Well, that is my title, yes. Allow me to properly introduce myself."
Jin gave a brief self-introduction and explained his current circumstances.
"I see... so you are such an illustrious person."
"No, I haven't done anything all that impressive myself. The one who was truly great was the Predecessor."
"The Predecessor... Did you say her name was Adriana Barbora Tsetse? I believe I've heard that name before."
"You have!?" Reiko exclaimed, leaning in.
"Yes. Her name appears in the old records. It said something to the effect that our golems and automata should strive to reach the realm that she attained..."
Jin, Reiko, and even Elsa felt a surge of quiet joy at hearing the name of the Predecessor in such an unexpected place.