“So, there’s no doubt that they require a Magi Smith, then?”
《That is the case. We are not permitted to engage in ‘creation.’》
“I see.”
Determining exactly how much autonomy to grant a creation was a thorny issue. Even Jin hadn’t granted Laojun or the Smiths the authority to perform new, original creations.
“What about repairs?”
《No, the repair golems cannot be trusted.》
“Ah, right...”
That meant there was a high probability they were being controlled by those micro-magi-machines.
《The fact that they were searching for an engineer was likely due to the ego remaining within the Supervising Brain.》
“I suppose so.”
《Therefore, if I claim to have brought a Magi Smith with me, we should be able to enter without any issues.》
“In that case, the infiltration shouldn’t be a problem.”
The real challenge lay in the next stage.
“What will you have me do once I’m inside?”
《To play it safe, we will start with maintenance on the internal facilities. We have the materials on hand, so that shouldn’t be an issue.》
“Yeah, that sounds fine. And after that?”
《I will likely have you perform maintenance on me as well.》
“That’s also fine. What else?”
《The Supervising Brain will decide the next steps, but given the current situation, you’ll likely be tasked with something to accelerate the completion of the megafloat.》
“Like building construction golems or providing technical oversight, I assume.”
《That is a distinct possibility.》
“Will there be an opportunity to come into contact with that Supervising Brain?”
Gaining access to it was essential if they were to liberate Onogoro Island from the control of the micro-magi-machines.
《To be honest, I do not know.》
“I guess we’ll just have to see once we’re there...”
At this point, Jin raised one crucial concern.
“What are the specifications for the barriers on Onogoro Island?”
《It possesses both a physical barrier and a magic barrier. Usually, only the physical barrier is active. I cannot disclose further details.》
“No, that’s enough.”
Jin fell into thought. If the magic barrier were deployed while he was operating a Doppel, his Link would be severed. He couldn't begin to imagine what the consequences of a sudden disconnection might be.
“I suppose I have no choice but to go in person.”
“No.”
“Whoa!”
Jin jumped, recoiling at the sudden intervention from behind.
“E-Elsa?!”
“...You were taking so long, so I came to check on you. You shouldn't be doing anything dangerous.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
《Forgive me for interrupting, but the magic barrier of Onogoro Island allows ether waves to pass through.》
“What?”
《If it did not, we would be unable to continue transmitting free ether to the megafloat.》
“Ah, of course.”
With that, one of his primary concerns vanished. Jin and the others spent the rest of the day finalizing their preparations and asking several more detailed questions.
＊ ＊ ＊
It was November 7th, and autumn was deepening.
Jin’s group—consisting of his Doppel, Reiko, and Helente—boarded a Flying Disc and headed for Onogoro Island. This Flying Disc was the same model as the one that had pursued Konron 2; Helente had apparently used it to travel all the way to the Klein Kingdom.
The Flying Disc’s maximum speed was 200 kilometers per hour. Since the distance from the Klein Kingdom to Onogoro Island was approximately 3,000 kilometers, the trip was calculated to take a little over fifteen hours. However, due to the time difference, they arrived at Onogoro Island around 2:00 PM that same day.
The Flying Disc landed on Onogoro Island without incident. The first hurdle had been cleared.
《I have returned.》
《Good work.》
《I have captured the Lord of Kunlun and his servant.》
《Why the servant as well?》
《She is a hostage intended to ensure the Lord of Kunlun’s compliance.》
《I see. Understood.》
《What shall be his first assignment?》
《Maintenance of the facilities.》
《Understood. I will remain with them during the maintenance work.》
《Umu. Very well.》
＊ ＊ ＊
《...And that is how matters stand. For now, the ruse is working. Nevertheless, I must actually have you perform the maintenance.》
“I understand. I just need to fix the equipment here, right?”
《Correct.》
“Alright, let’s get to it. Reiko, help me out.”
“Yes, Father.”
Thus, Jin’s Doppel began the maintenance of the underground facilities on Onogoro Island. While the workload was technically massive, Laojun handled the vast majority of the processing, and there was much for Jin to learn from the task.
‘My Lord, I shall contact you if I encounter any novel technology.’
“Yeah, please do.”
Jin himself remained in the Hourai Island command room, continuously analyzing the Onogoro Island facilities.
“Hmm. The metallic materials used here are primarily 64 light silver and mithril, with a bit of phosphor bronze and adamantite mixed in. That’s a rare combination. All of them are exceptionally high purity.”
He started by identifying the materials and then moved on to structural analysis.
“The technology used in this section is on the same level as what the Predecessor saw in the demon territory...”
However...
“Hmm... I’m not seeing any particularly groundbreaking technology yet.”
So far, nothing had truly caught Jin’s eye as a revolutionary discovery.
《Hmph. It seems Jin-dono possesses quite advanced knowledge and skill.》
Even Helente, who was accompanying the Doppel under the guise of surveillance, sounded impressed.
“It is about time you rested,” Reiko advised. “If you continue working without a break, it will arouse suspicion.”
The Doppel controlled by Laojun could work for forty-eight or even seventy-two hours straight without tiring, but no human could do that. To maintain the deception, he had to show a human need for rest.
《Very well. Come this way.》
Helente guided Jin’s Doppel to the living quarters. It appeared to be the same area Jin had previously observed through the Peeper.
《It has not been used in some time, so it will be dusty. Please clean it before use.》
“Understood.”
Jin’s Doppel and Reiko then proceeded to clean the room using Craft Magic.