Late on the night of the 28th, Hourai Island Time, the sixth space vibration occurred.
The point of origin was near the relay base Hale had built in ancient times. In terms of Lagrange points, it was in the vicinity of L4.
Woken in the middle of the night, Jin was wide awake in an instant and listened to the report.
"According to reports from Uni, this vibration lasted for approximately nine-thousandths of a second."
"The Vulcan is safe, I assume?"
"Yes, My Lord. There was only one point of origin."
Jin knew they had to avoid any damage to the Vulcan at all costs.
In just a few hours, a massive shipment of ethenol was scheduled to arrive from the Vulcan. It would be used to power the barriers protecting Ars and Uni.
"I'm going to see No. 700672. Reiko, come with me."
"Yes, Father."
After getting dressed, Jin and Reiko paid a visit to No. 700672.
"Ah, I thought you might come."
No. 700672 welcomed them both.
"Another space vibration has occurred. At this rate, I fear that one will manifest near Ars within the next three or four days."
"I’m worried about that too."
Jin then revealed that he was finally ready to begin mass-producing the Space Isolation Barrier generators.
"That is good news. I urge you to hurry. If there is anything I can do to assist, I am at your disposal."
"No, I’d like you to stay focused on your observations."
In all likelihood, the barrier generators capable of shielding Ars and Uni would be completed within the day.
The ethenol supply was the only remaining hurdle, but that too was expected to be settled by the end of the day.
"I see. So you’ve made it just in time. As expected of you, Jin-dono."
"Not at all. It’s only because of the guidance you’ve given me."
"You are a reliable man. Jin-dono... I ask that you protect this planet, this world. This is the land where my former Master sleeps in their second home."
Jin responded to No. 700672’s uncharacteristically sentimental plea without a moment's hesitation.
"Of course. This place is my second home too."
Those were Jin's true, unvarnished feelings.
After exchanging a few more words, Jin returned to Hourai Island.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Welcome back, My Lord. Just a short while ago, the Vulcan arrived at the Free Ether Cloud."
"Good, things are moving along. Let’s get our side ready."
It was finally time to craft the barrier generators destined to shield Ars and Uni.
Since the control units were standardized, they were already finished. All that remained were the activation units.
"First, I’ll start by synthesizing the magi-crystals."
Even with multi-layered technology, the final stage of the barrier generator would be quite substantial.
Furthermore, to ensure maximum energy efficiency, he needed to prepare high-quality magi-crystals.
"Father, will this be enough?"
Reiko arrived carrying a mountain of magi-crystals. They were necessary to create synthetic magi-crystals with a diameter of 2.2 meters.
They were all dark-attribute magi-crystals.
Their inherent free ether frequency was high, and since they had few other applications, there was plenty of stock—making them perfect for the job.
"Thanks, Reiko....Fusion, Purification, Stransform, Crystallization... Phew."
First, he synthesized a cylindrical mass 2.2 meters in diameter and 1 meter thick.
"Creating something this large is certainly a chore..."
Even for a Magi Craft Meister like Jin, the task required a staggering level of mental concentration.
"Father, please do not push yourself too hard," Reiko said, her face clouded with concern.
"Yeah, I’m okay. Now, one more time. Fusion, Purification, Stransform, Crystallization."
Jin produced five identical pieces.
After repeating the same taxing process over and over, the fatigue finally began to set in. He had been working without sleep since the previous night.
"Jin-nii, lunch is ready."
Elsa arrived to announce the meal right on cue.
Jin gratefully set his work aside. Reiko looked on with a sense of relief.
Lunch that day was tempura udon.
"Are you all right with the smell of the oil?" Jin asked.
He had heard somewhere that morning sickness makes women sensitive to certain smells, and that odors they were previously fine with could suddenly become unbearable.
"Mm, I’m okay. Thank you for worrying."
Elsa seemed unaffected by the scent.
However, the other thing he had heard—that pregnant women crave sour foods—seemed to be true. After finishing a small portion of udon, Elsa polished off five citrans.
"How is the progress? You aren't overdoing it, are you?" Elsa asked as they drank buckwheat tea after the meal.
"Yeah, I’d say it’s going well enough."
Jin kept his response a bit vague. He was tired, but it wasn't unmanageable.
He figured that since the rest was just assembly, the workload should be a little lighter from here on.
"I wish I could help, but..."
"No, Elsa. You need to focus on taking care of yourself."
Jin made it clear that her well-being was his priority.
"...Mm."
Elsa nodded, looking down slightly.
＊ ＊ ＊
After their break, Jin resumed his work.
This time, he took two of the 2.2-meter-wide, 1-meter-thick cylinders and applied Fusion, Purification, Stransform, and Crystallization.
He repeated the process once more. He chose the cylindrical shape because it was a convenient form for writing in multi-layered magic circles.
The final remaining cylinder could be left as it was.
"Father, the two large ones are for Ars, and the smaller one is for Uni, right?" Reiko asked, confirming his plan.
"That's right. Next, we’ll load them onto the spaceships."
Elsa came back to see how he was doing.
"Jin-nii, isn't the Adriana the only spaceship large enough to carry these?"
The finished products were cylinders 2.2 meters in diameter and 2 meters thick. There was no room to load them onto small-class spaceships like the 10-meter Icarus 2.
With no time to perform modifications, they were forced to use existing vessels.
Since the 100-meter Vulcan was stationed at the Free Ether Cloud, the only large ship remaining was the Adriana.
"I’ve already considered that. Remember the three ships Jack built?"
"Oh, right... the Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse?"
Those three ships were the same model as the Vulcan, but they were heavily armed—cruisers, essentially.
"You're going to use those?"
"Exactly. It saves us the trouble of building new ones."
Elsa was satisfied with the explanation.
"That’s a good idea."
"I sent the request through Laojun a moment ago. It’ll be easier to install them at Uni rather than here, since the gravity is lower."
However, working in zero gravity would actually decrease efficiency, so Jin decided that the gravity on Uni would provide the best balance.
"I'll head there myself using a Doppel."
"Mm, good luck."
"Yeah, leave it to me."
Thus, Jin sent three Space Isolation Barrier generators to Uni. Next, he dispatched 100 Smiths as workers, and finally, he sent his own Doppel to oversee the operation.