"Should we use Konron 2 instead of Konron 3...?"
Konron 2 was a literal airship that relied on helium gas for buoyancy. Should magic fail entirely, it wouldn't plummet from the sky. If it drifted with the wind and exited the range of the magi-nullification barrier, it could simply be restarted.
"And then..."
Jin pondered how to approach the magi-nullification field.
"Jin-nii, what if we keep a magic barrier active as we go?"
Jin nodded at Elsa’s suggestion. "That’s a good point. It would be disastrous if it failed, so let's install two additional systems of redundant barrier projectors."
Combined with the original barrier projector, that brought the total to three. He also decided to equip Reiko with two extra barrier projectors for her to carry during the mission. He did the same for their pilot, Edgar, adding two more systems to his loadout. Finally, he packed as many mana bombes as the airship’s payload capacity allowed.
"The object dropped into Lake Tosmo is definitely the prime suspect. All right, let's have two Mermaid units accompany us. Edgar will pilot. Reiko, Mermaid 1, Mermaid 2, and I will go."
Because Konron 2 relied on helium for lift, its payload capacity was smaller than that of Konron 3, which used force generators. It was an unavoidable compromise.
"Jin-nii, will you be okay?"
"My Lord, would it not be more prudent to use a Doppel?" Laojun asked.
"No. If the magic tool that caused this is what I think it is, there's a high probability that nothing can be done unless I'm there personally."
"While that may be true..."
"Besides, a human can still move and act even within a magi-nullification barrier."
"Jin-nii, please be careful."
Elsa seemed to realize that persuading Jin otherwise was a lost cause.
"Please look after Rai-nii, Berche-san, Saki-nee, and the others while I’m gone."
"Yeah, leave them to me."
Jin wasn't entirely certain he could solve the problem, but he put on a bright smile to reassure the anxious Elsa.
First, they used the transporter to teleport into the sky above Shubere, an area confirmed to be safe. From there, they gained altitude to determine how high the magi-nullification barrier extended.
They dangled a twenty-meter rope from Konron 2, with a magi-crystal imbued with the Light spell hanging at the end. If the light went out, it would mean the crystal had entered the magi-nullification field.
Using this method, they discovered that the barrier was roughly hemispherical, with a radius of fifty kilometers and an estimated height of fifty kilometers. The height remained an estimate because Konron 2, limited by its helium buoyancy, couldn't ascend that far. Jin also wanted to avoid standing out to any opponent who might be watching.
Confirming that the center of the barrier was indeed Lake Tosmo, Jin gave the order. "All right, let's head for the lake."
Flying with a triple-layered magic barrier deployed, Konron 2 successfully entered the magi-nullification zone.
"Even this might be being watched," Jin mused.
He didn't know how an opponent would react to seeing a helium-based airship in a world that only knew hot air balloons. He had to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
"...I wonder how long this will last."
The Empress of the Shouro Empire, Gerhardt Hilde von Rubiss Shouro, looked up at the sky in a state of helplessness. Suddenly, something caught her eye.
"Is that...? Konron 2?"
The vessel was unmistakable. The 'two bars in a circle' was Jin's personal crest.
"Jin-kun... you came."
Konron 2 passed over Loizart and vanished toward Lake Tosmo.
"You are my only hope..."
With a prayer in her heart, the Empress watched the airship until it disappeared.
"We are over Lake Tosmo, Jin-sama."
Edgar brought Konron 2 to a stand still about ten meters above the lake’s surface.
"All right. Mermaid 1, Mermaid 2, deploy. I'm counting on you."
"Yes, Master."
The two units leapt from the rear hatch, sending twin plumes of water into the air as they struck the lake surface. Under normal circumstances, images would be displayed on a magi-screen linked to Mermaid 1’s vision, but the magic barrier she was currently maintaining prevented any data transmission.
All they could do was wait.
The depth of Lake Tosmo reached about twenty meters at its deepest point. The water was clear enough that the lakebed could be seen from the air without auxiliary lighting, especially for the Mermaids, who possessed night-vision capabilities for deep-sea operations.
"The lakebed is relatively clean," Jin noted.
He had expected to see waste or debris, but there was almost none.
"That makes the search easier, but still..."
They knew the center of the barrier, but the lakebed was vast. It was grueling work.
Thirty minutes passed, then an hour. Two hours became three.
"Master, I found it!"
The voice of Mermaid 2 drifted up from where she had surfaced.
"Well done! Bring it over here."
After giving the instruction, Jin temporarily retreated from the magi-nullification barrier, deactivated the airship's magic barrier, and consulted with Laojun.
"What do you think? Should we analyze it or destroy it immediately?"
"We should analyze it, My Lord. The opponent's technology is significant. I judge that we should investigate it as thoroughly as possible."
"I see... but how?"
If Jin stepped outside the barrier currently maintained by Konron 2, he wouldn't be able to use Craft Magic.
"And we shouldn't let it move," Jin added.
If the center of the magi-nullification zone shifted, it would only create more chaos. Since he couldn't use Craft Magic directly on the device, Jin decided his only option was physical intervention.
"Should I slice it with a laser?"
The device to generate the laser was a magic tool, but the resulting beam was a physical phenomenon. Therefore, it would remain effective even inside the magi-nullification barrier.
"My Lord, I believe it would be wise to keep your possession of a laser a secret for now," Laojun advised.
"That's true. All right, in that case, Reiko, I'll leave it to Touka."
"Leave it to me, Father."
With their plan set, Jin redeployed the magic barrier and returned to the center of Lake Tosmo. Mermaid 1 and Mermaid 2 were already waiting at the surface, holding the magi-nullification barrier generator.
"It's surprisingly large."
It was a spherical object, roughly the size of a basketball.
"Judging by the color, the outer shell is 64 light silver. Reiko, if you please."
Mermaid 1 and Mermaid 2 supported the sphere from both sides. Reiko would bisect it with her sword, Touka. With its hyper-adamantite blade, Touka could slice through 64 light silver or magi-crystals with ease.
"Here I go."
Leaping from Konron 2, Reiko swung Touka mid-air. The barrier generator was sliced cleanly in half. Before she even touched the water, Reiko had sheathed her blade. She landed in Lake Tosmo with a splash.
Immediately afterward, a report came through.
"Father, magic is functional again."
Jin lowered a rope ladder from Konron 2. He first pulled Reiko aboard, then used ropes to haul up Mermaid 1, Mermaid 2, and the neutralized barrier generator.