"……Is it true that you have information regarding the 'Lord of Kunlun'?"
The man had approached the moment he overheard a casual remark dropped by Regulus 2—better known as Liber.
The bait in question had been simple:
"They say the Lord of Kunlun doesn't have an ambitious bone in his body."
(Just how foolish is this man? Or is he simply that ignorant of information warfare? Even so... something feels off.)
No matter. Liber had successfully lured out the target he needed to capture, so he counted it as a win.
Secure.
At the signal from Laojun, the three units—Liber, Bargo, and Faumi—commenced their operation in unison.
First, Bargo deployed a barrier, sealing the three of them and the target inside.
Simultaneously, Faumi activated the Magi-Jammer. Since the Magi-Jammer only allowed free ether to react to mana waveforms identical to Jin’s, it didn't hinder the Quinta units. However, if the man was an automata, his external energy supply would be severed instantly.
Then, Liber moved in to restrain him.
"W-what are you doing?!"
The man feigned a flustered reaction, but once he was pinned, there was nothing he could do.
Woven from ground spider silk, the rope was several times stronger than steel. It was so durable that on Hourai Island, no one except Reiko could easily break it. Wrapped several times over in the cord, the man was rendered completely immobile.
"As I thought, an automata. Are you a pawn from Onogoro Island?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Unlike a human, the man showed no trace of agitation even when baited. The fact that he hadn't shut down suggested he possessed an internal power source like a mana bombe.
"Fine. We'll find out once we examine you in detail."
Liber and the others hoisted the man—the automata from Onogoro Island—and, concealing themselves with Invisible, slipped away to the outskirts of Alban.
Pelican 10 was waiting there.
"Let's examine him inside."
Laojun had dispatched the craft, having judged that bringing the prisoner directly to Hourai Island would be too risky. Inside, Smith 701 and 702 were standing by, their equipment prepped for immediate analysis.
＊ ＊ ＊
《One of the agents we sent out has lost contact.》
《Hmm. Captured?》
《Most likely.》
《How incompetent.》
《My apologies.》
《Never mind. This time, you go yourself.》
《Me?》
《Yes.》
《Where should I go?》
《Kaina Village, I believe it was called. The place they call the Lord of Kunlun's territory should be ideal.》
《Understood. And if the Lord of Kunlun is not there?》
《Force him out. If you destroy about half the village, he will have no choice but to show himself.》
《And the residents?》
《Hmm? Oh, that’s right. You still have your limiters active.》
《Yes.》
《Very well. A display of force against the buildings alone should be enough of a threat.》
《Acknowledged.》
《Good. Go.》
＊ ＊ ＊
"……So, in the end, we couldn't get any information?"
"Yes, My Lord. However, it did provide confirmation of their technical level. Furthermore..."
"Furthermore?"
Jin prompted as Laojun uncharacteristically trailed off.
"I am concerned by the illogical and inconsistent nature of their behavior."
"……I see."
Jin understood what Laojun was getting at.
The actions of the automata presumed to be from Onogoro Island—and by extension, the instructions from their magi-brain—were simply too amateurish. For example, their attempts to investigate Jin were laughably obvious. It wasn't even a trap where they'd deliberately allowed themselves to be captured to extract intelligence. It was a crude approach that seemed only to expend their resources for no gain.
Even if they were trying to make Jin let his guard down, Laojun argued that it was far too blatant.
"It makes a bit more sense if we assume their logical functions are compromised."
Laojun characterized their decision-making as being on the level of a child’s whim.
"Hmm, I see."
Jin agreed with the reasoning. Onogoro Island's methods were too childish, creating an odd imbalance when compared to their advanced technical prowess.
"It’s contradictory."
"Yes. While the specific cause is unknown, I suspect their logical thinking capacity is insufficient."
"The cause, huh... If we knew what it was, would it be easier to negotiate?"
"I cannot say for certain."
"I suppose not..."
With no further leads, Jin left the command room for a breath of air. He stepped out into the garden and found Sion and Marikka lying on the grass, gazing up at the sky.
"What are you two up to?"
"Just thinking while looking at the clouds," Sion replied. "About Onogoro... or more specifically, about how weird those guys are acting."
"Did you think of anything?"
Since Sion had been raised in a different culture, Jin hoped her perspective might offer a fresh angle.
"Yeah. I’m not entirely sure, but don't you think their reactions look like someone who's being 'controlled'?"
"……Hmm. Now that you mention it, maybe a little?"
"You might not be familiar with it, Jin, but I think that’s what someone looks like when an Agujha’s control is weak."
Jin was surprised by Sion’s insight. She had remembered the subtle behavioral shifts in her own clan members and was able to apply that observation to an external threat—and to a magi-brain, of all things.
Brainwashing magic was known to cause emotional instability as a side effect. In the case of the Agujha, Sion suggested the side effect was a decline in cognitive ability. Jin felt he had seen a flash of the talent that made Sion worthy of the All-Creation name.
"Um, Jin-sama."
This time, it was Marikka who spoke up.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Well, um..."
"?"
Unable to watch Marikka hesitate any longer, Sion gave her a firm nudge.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, Marikka, just say it. You want to learn more Craft Magic, don't you?"
"B-but Jin-sama is in the middle of such an important cris-shish..."
Jin nodded as Marikka fumbled nervously over her words.
"I don't mind at all. I'm not thinking about Onogoro Island every second of the day, and I have plenty of help here."
Jin smiled warmly at her as he spoke.