"The 'Vault'... which means..."
"Yes. It’s the place the Predecessor Magi Craft Meister, Adriana-sama, visited and where she repaired various items."
"Hmm..." Jin murmured, falling into deep thought. "...Are you absolutely sure?"
"I’m certain. Marikka agrees with me."
"There must be a specific reason you’re so sure. Some kind of defining characteristic?" Jin looked back and forth between Sion and Marikka.
"There is," Sion replied.
"And that would be?"
"The shape of her head."
"Her head?" Jin looked at Helente on the screen once again.
The golem’s head featured a protrusion that, to Jin, resembled a mohawk. However, since it was a design often seen on knight helmets, he hadn't given it much thought until now.
"My Lord, it is exactly as the two of them say," Laojun added, confirming their assessment.
"What do you mean?"
"To elaborate: among the golems of this world, there are no others that possess a human-like silhouette similar to those you create, My Lord."
"Is that right?" Jin hadn't really considered it before, but now that it was pointed out, he realized it was true.
The golems that had served as the basis for Gon and Gen, the Black Knight, and the Unifilar golems—all of them were different.
"I suppose you're right..."
They were all either bulky or had appearances that made them look like they were wearing armor. That was precisely why Jin's own creations were often described as looking more like automata.
"Furthermore, regarding the head ornament they mentioned: no golems in this world share that design."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. While such designs exist for helmets, they are not used for the golems themselves."
"I see..." Jin took another look at Helente with that perspective in mind. "I guess you wouldn't typically put a mohawk on a human-shaped golem..."
Jin had thought it was a fairly common design, but the logic made sense once explained.
"So, if that's the case, what does it imply?"
"It means the probability that Helente was created by the Progenitors has significantly increased."
"Well, that makes sense."
"See? Now do you get it?" Sion puffed out her chest as she listened to the exchange between Jin and Laojun.
"I get it. Not that it changes much of our current situation, though."
"Ugh, well, that's true... but it was still bothering us!"
"I understand that, but..."
Just then, Laojun chimed in with a report. "My Lord, the analysis results are ready."
"Sion, Marikka, wait a moment....Laojun, what did you find?"
"Yes. As suspected, there are gaps in Helente's memory, which have interrupted the continuity of her data."
"The cause?"
"The direct cause remains unknown, but there is an unusual information region within the magi-crystal we received."
"Unusual how?"
"It is difficult to explain without appropriate terminology, but to use an analogy you would understand, My Lord: it is as if there is a 'Helente' memory folder' nested inside the 'Helente memory folder'."
"And the contents of this 'Helente' memory folder'?"
"I was unable to read it. It does not appear to be in any language I am familiar with. Analysis will likely require a significant amount of time."
"I see..." Jin adjusted his expectations. If the linguistic system was entirely different and the data had been processed in a specific way, it was only natural that even Laojun would struggle.
"Hey, Jin? Do you think I could meet and talk to Helente?" Sion asked.
"What are you planning?"
"Well, if she’s the same as the golems passed down through the All-Creation clan, I might be able to help a little."
"How so?" Jin tilted his head, puzzled by her request.
"There’s a 'password' for the golems."
"A password..." It wouldn't be unusual for such a thing to exist to establish a master or prioritize commands. However, it was unclear if it would work on Helente. In fact, it was more likely that it wouldn't.
Still, Sion had made the suggestion out of a genuine desire to be useful—and perhaps a bit of curiosity.
"I suppose it wouldn't be dangerous in her current state."
Besides, they could deploy a barrier using the Fellowship Bracelet if necessary. Reiko would also be coming along since Jin intended to go.
"Alright, let's head over."
"Yeah! Thanks, Jin."
Jin made his preparations and, accompanied by Sion, Marikka, and Reiko, traveled to Jin Castle.
"...Laojun is certainly overprotective. Or rather, he really looks out for me."
To Jin's surprise, when he arrived at Helente’s location, he found the entirety of the Land squad stationed at Jin Castle—units E through Z—standing guard.
"Yes. Units A through D are currently securing Kaina Village," one of them reported.
"...Good work."
Jin called out to the golem from a short distance away. "Helente, I am Jin Nidou."
<<I see, so it is you. I wished to meet you.>>
"I'd like to ask why, but first, I have something to tell you. We analyzed the memory data you gave us, and as expected, there were some anomalies."
<<What!?>>
Jin gave her a brief explanation—though it was hard to describe accurately—about the 'Helente' memory folder'.
<<I see... so such a thing exists within me.>>
"Do you have any idea what it might be?"
<<None. I would never voluntarily choose to do something so inefficient.>>
"I figured as much..." Jin couldn't press the matter any further.
<<But... 'Helente, you say...>>
"Conceptually, I suspect it might be a 'secondary personality'."
<<But I should not have such a function.>>
"I see..." Jin decided to change the subject for now. "Anyway, there are some people here who wanted to see you."
<<Oh?>>
"Just as you were looking for me, they wanted to see you. Is it alright if they come closer?"
<<You do not need my permission for that.>>
"Even so, it's dangerous if you suddenly start acting up again."
<<Mmph...>>
"Well, fine. Come on out. Sion, Marikka."
At Jin's call, the two of them stepped out from behind cover.
"Is it okay, Jin?"
"U-Um... hello?"
The two girls stopped about three meters away from Helente. At that moment, Helente’s demeanor shifted entirely.
<<....................>>
She didn't become violent; instead, she seemed dazed, as if in a state of shock.
And then...
<<You are...>>
She suddenly bowed her head low.