Let us rewind the clock slightly.
《Handover between the South Pole Investigation Fleet and the Hourai Island Honeymoon Fleet is complete.》
《The Hourai Island Honeymoon Fleet is returning to port.》
《The South Pole Investigation Fleet is advancing to the vicinity of 40 degrees south latitude, 80 degrees west longitude.》
Because the fleet had entered a region where the concentration of free ether was thin, vessels not equipped with mana bombes had been ordered to turn back as a precaution.
The South Pole Investigation Fleet dispatched by Jin continued its steady progress southward.
On September 25, the fleet steamed toward the South Pole, passing a cluster of islands on the starboard side that would later be named the Ramon Archipelago. Simultaneously, Jin dispatched a small detachment from the Raptor squad to observe the state of the land.
『My Lord, this is fascinating footage.』
Laojun, who was monitoring the feed, analyzed the images and reached a conclusion. He decided to call for Jin immediately.
『My Lord, I apologize for the interruption, but please come to the command room.』
"What’s wrong, Laojun?"
『Forgive me for calling you while you are busy.』
"No, it’s fine. I was just performing maintenance on some tools. What happened?"
『Yes. First, please look at this footage transmitted by the Raptor squad attached to the South Pole Investigation Fleet.』
To avoid biasing Jin with leading information, Laojun simply displayed the footage on the monitor.
"This is..."
『What do you think?』
The screen displayed a vast array of animals. They were incredibly diverse, and many were unlike anything Jin had ever seen before.
There were creatures resembling elephants, giraffes, and rhinoceroses. Others looked like hippos, monkeys, and squirrels. There were also animals Jin recognized, such as bears and wild boars, yet they looked distinctly different from the forms etched in his memory.
Furthermore, the flora appeared even more lush and varied than what they had found in the Pleiades Archipelago.
"You’re saying this is the biota of the Southern Island?"
『Yes. What are your thoughts?』
"Hmm..."
Jin wasn't an expert in biology, but he knew of the Galapagos Islands and the unique evolution of the Ogasawara Islands. "Did a unique biota develop here because it was isolated?"
『That is a possibility. However, my hypothesis is that this place serves as an Ark.』
"An Ark?"
『Yes.』
Jin assumed Laojun was referring to something like Noah’s Ark from the Bible. The implications immediately clicked. "You mean it’s preserving biological species?"
『Yes, My Lord. That was my deduction.』
"I see..."
Laojun occasionally made these intuitive leaps. It wasn't that his logic was alien; rather, his processing speed was so immense and his data capacity so vast that he could sift through a mountain of information to weigh possibilities Jin hadn't even begun to consider. Given enough time, Jin likely would have reached the same conclusion.
"Perhaps the ancestors intended to preserve as many indigenous species as possible when they were Hale-forming Ars."
At the very least, it appeared that the creatures here had avoided being transformed into magical beasts by high concentrations of free ether.
"Though I do wonder how many species managed to adapt when the gravity doubled."
『Yes. However, given the richness of the biota we see, I would say that aspect was fairly successful.』
"If so, that’s good."
Jin suspected their physical sizes might have shrunk as an adaptation to the increased gravity, but he kept that hunch to himself, having no proof. Instead, he asked about another concern.
"Have we investigated the continent itself?"
『No. We simply do not have enough personnel to cover it.』
"I see. You’re right; our current numbers aren't enough. Let’s increase them."
Jin thought for a moment and decided to bolster their forces. There was no telling when they might need more highly mobile aerial support. "Let's expand the Sky squad to 1,000 units. Increase the number of aircraft accordingly."
『Thank you very much.』
While the Land squad and Mermaid Squad both had 1,000 units, and the Marine squad had 500, the Sky squad had been capped at 100. Jin decided to bridge that gap in one go.
Thanks to the labor of the 1,000 Smiths, the full complement up to Sky 1000 was assembled in just half a day. It took only one more day to manufacture enough Raptors to serve as their aircraft, bringing the total to 500 units.
Back to the investigation.
『I have one more critical report, My Lord.』
"What is it?"
『An island has been discovered on the Tropic of Capricorn.』
"An island? Is there something special about it?"
『Yes. It is located at exactly 180 degrees west longitude.』
"180 degrees west on the Tropic of Capricorn... Wait, you mean!"
『Yes. It is on the exact opposite side of the planet from Hourai Island.』
"That... makes sense."
In the coordinate system Jin had established, 0 degrees longitude was Hourai Island, which sat on the Tropic of Cancer. This meant the new island was at the precise antipodal point of Ars.
『I cannot yet determine if this is a coincidence or the result of some underlying law.』
"I imagine not."
Jin fell into deep thought. He had a nagging hunch that some vital secret was hidden on that island. After ten minutes of deliberation, he reached a decision.
"Alright. Let’s conduct an investigation of that island alongside our current operations."
『Understood. Shall I dispatch the newly reinforced Sky squad? If so, they should be ready in two or three days.』
"Yes, that’s fine. It isn't an emergency."
『What shall we call this island?』
Naming it would be far more convenient for future reports.
"Let’s see... How about Onogoro Island?"
『Onogoro Island? If I recall, that is the island of the world's beginning.』
Onogoro Island was a legend from the Kojiki. In an era when the land and sea were still a chaotic slurry, a deity stirred the waters with the Amenonuboko from atop the Ama-no-ukihashi; when the spear was lifted, the brine that dripped from its tip accumulated to form an island.
Jin remembered the myth from stories told to him by the Orphanage Director. It felt like a fitting name for such a mysterious place.
"It might even be the counterpart to Hourai Island."
『An intriguing theory. Given its position at the exact opposite pole of the world, the possibility is quite high.』
"It might also provide a clue to understanding the singularities of free ether."
『Indeed. In that case, we should probably invite Mr. Goose over soon.』
"Right. And we'd better invite Vivienne too, or she'll pout later."
『Understood. I will see to it.』
Thus, the survey of the Southern Hemisphere proceeded.
From the Ramon Archipelago to Onogoro Island, the planet Ars was not yet ready to yield all its secrets.
"I need more time..."
With the long-period planet drawing closer, Jin found himself wishing for more hours in the day.
"I suppose you could say my procrastination is finally catching up with me."
He reflected on how he had pushed these investigations aside despite having the time.
"And here I was thinking I was the type of person who finished my summer homework early..."
Complaining wouldn't change the facts. Jin renewed his resolve to do his absolute best with the time he had left.