On the morning of September 27th, after breakfast, Elsa was set to return to her family home to gather her things and bring Mine back with her.
Meanwhile, Jin was holding a meeting with Lance.
"…I thought as much. You’re packed with the knowledge of the successive leaders, aren’t you, Lance?"
Jin had suspected as much from his tone and attitude, which often bordered on the haughty.
At the same time, because the automaton still possessed his original personality as Lance, he had developed a rather complex character.
"That is correct. While my name is 'Lance,' that is merely because this body was a security-type automata. I was originally intended to be an educator-type, but there were no more in stock."
"I see."
"Was it not possible to manufacture a new body for the educator-type?" Reiko asked, sounding curious.
"That is the issue, Reiko-jou. We ran out of the necessary materials."
"And those materials would be?"
"The material for the skin. It requires the silk of a Ground Spider, but our reserves were depleted. The Creator ventured into the outside world to find more, but I am told that instead of finding materials, he found a partner."
And along with finding a wife, he brought back the seeds of future trouble, Reiko thought, though she kept the observation to herself.
"Were you not farming the Ground Spiders?"
"We were, but it seems they went extinct over the last four hundred years."
In that regard, Jin realized that their circumstances were quite different from those on Hourai Island.
"I see. So the skin is composed of Ground Spider resin—or GSP."
"Ground Spider resin? GSP? That is quite a catchy name. I believe I shall call it that from now on."
Lance gave a wry grin.
An educator-type was apparently an automata designed to provide instruction and train the next generation of researchers. Since the demand for them was naturally low, the stock of spare bodies had been limited as well.
"Come to think of it, your appearance is identical to the 'Sword' you were searching for," Reiko noted.
"Indeed, Reiko-jou. When it comes to controlling this specific frame, Sword is superior because he possesses a control core designed purely for security. Furthermore, I did not wish to damage him if it could be avoided, which forced me into a difficult struggle."
"It did not appear to be much of a struggle to me," Reiko remarked.
"Ugh, do not remind me. I am painfully aware."
"Anyway," Jin interjected, "what do you plan to do about the stolen parts and the man who took them?"
"I have a general idea of his location. Since one of the components emits magical power, I was able to determine the direction. He appears to be in the northwestern part of the Celuroa Kingdom, near the border with the Kingdom of Franz."
Lance had apparently calculated the position by checking the direction from several different vantage points.
He’s certainly got the basics of surveying down, Jin thought, impressed.
"Let’s see… Reiko, do we have a map?"
"Yes, Father. We do."
Since world maps had been distributed in the past, a copy was kept in this mansion as well.
"Here it is."
"Oh, Reiko-jou, this is magnificent!" Lance exclaimed, clearly impressed as he looked over the map.
"Let’s see… Mount Suhront is here. If we head north like this… then he should be around here."
Lance pointed to a spot featuring a small lake with an old structure standing to its north.
"This is the site of a ruined fort."
"Hmm…"
The culprit might be a remnant of the Unifilar, Jin thought intuitively. A ruined fort was exactly the kind of place such an organization would use.
The former Unifilar had once used the Kashimnole Ruins—the place where Elena had been found sleeping—as their base of operations.
A significant number of people had joined that group for the sake of world conquest, independent of Elena’s brainwashing. Even after the Unifilar was dismantled, many who had escaped capture still harbored their dark ambitions.
While the reformed Unifilar, now known as Nostalgia, pursued those who would disrupt world peace, there were bound to be others who had eluded them.
Jin suspected that the man behind this current incident was likely one of those stragglers.
When Jin shared his theory with Lance, the automaton looked pensive.
"Hmm, that is a fascinating tale. I had no idea such an incident had occurred."
Lance seemed to sink into deep thought.
"I only know of them through my records, but there are likely many more such forts and bases scattered about. Some of them might prove quite useful if utilized correctly."
"I’d like you to tell me more about that once this mess is settled," Jin said.
Lance looked between Jin and Reiko, then gave a firm nod.
"There’s one more thing. It’s not related to this incident, but I need you to hear it."
"Hm? What is it?"
"There is a celestial body approaching Ars. We call it the 'long-period planet'…"
Jin proceeded to explain the threat of the long-period planet to Lance.
"I see… if that is true, it is a grave matter indeed."
"Father does not tell lies!" Reiko snapped.
"O-Oh."
Lance recoiled slightly at Reiko’s fierce defense.
"N-No, if Reiko-jou says it is so, then it must be the truth.…But what can we possibly do?"
Jin continued his explanation for the flustered automaton.
"That’s what I’d like you to think about. For instance, assuming the surface suffers significant damage, could people evacuate underground?"
"I see your point. That facility can accommodate roughly fifty people for a long duration, or about three hundred for a shorter period of about a month."
"That’s heartening to know in an emergency."
"However, for that to work, we will need Warp Gates. I would like you to decide quickly where they should be installed."
Jin nodded.
"That’s exactly why I’m having an audience with Her Majesty today."
"I see. I shall leave it in your capable hands."
At 9:00 AM, Jin headed for the Royal Palace aboard the Konron 3 with Reiko at the helm. Edgar was away with Elsa at her family home. Lance was also on board.
"Welcome, Lord of Kunlun."
As always, Chancellor Jung Fowles von Kebsler was there to receive Jin.
Jin decided to have Lance wait inside the Konron 3 for the moment, and he proceeded to the Empress's office with Reiko.
"Welcome, Jin-kun."
The Empress was as informal as ever, causing the Chancellor to let out a silent sigh.
"What brings you here today?"
"Actually…"
Jin explained everything in one go: the bandits, the incident at Elsa’s home, and finally, the discovery of the facility beneath Mount Suhront.
As the story unfolded, the smile vanished from the Empress's face, replaced by an expression of grave sincerity.
When he finished, she spoke clearly.
"Fascinating… and more than that, he is a talent I would very much like to have."
Gimnas was the last survivor of a lineage that had preserved four-hundred-year-old technology without letting it fade. From a national perspective, he was a priceless asset.
"The Magi Craft Meister Jin-kun, this Lord Gimnas, and the automata called Lance… I would certainly like to see them all under the protection of our Empire."
"I understand. In that case, may I bring Lance in to see you?"
The Empress was about to agree when the Chancellor interjected.
"Your Majesty, pray wait a moment. Let me meet with him first."
"You have a point. I shall leave that to the Chancellor, then.…Jin-kun, I’m counting on you."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
And so, it was arranged that Lance would first hold a meeting with the Chancellor.
The discussions proceeded rapidly from that point. To put it simply, Lance was officially taken into the service of the Shouro Empire.
Negotiations were handled by the Magic Technology Minister, Degauss Fruit von Manischras, which finally relieved Jin of the burden.
As for hunting down the culprit, Lance remained stubborn, insisting, "I shall do it myself; I require no assistance."
While a few loose ends remained, Jin and Elsa were finally able to turn their attention back to their own affairs.
However, being a mere mortal and not a god, Jin had no way of knowing what the ultimate consequences of this meeting would be in the future.