There was no response from the markers. Unfortunately, they couldn't be detected.
"I guess ether waves aren't enough, after all."
Jin couldn't help but wonder if it might work if he used sub-ether waves as a carrier wave.
"Still, we can't be certain yet. Let's leave the scattered markers as they are."
"Understood."
"Also... I was just thinking. What would happen to something with 'strings attached' if it encountered a hole in space?"
"Strings attached?"
Even for Laojun, that particular turn of phrase didn't seem to click.
"Right. In the case of a Warp Gate, if the target doesn't fit entirely inside the field, it won't be teleported, right?"
"I understand what you are getting at now, My Lord."
For example, if a person entered a Warp Gate, what would happen if they were tethered to a cord connected to the outside?
The answer: they would not be teleported.
This was a safety measure. If it weren't for that, teleportation might occur the moment a person's arm entered the gate's range, severing it from the body. The mere thought was terrifying, but such an accident had never occurred throughout history.
The "spirited away" phenomenon followed the same principle. There were no recorded instances of a person or object partially disappearing while leaving the rest behind.
In the case of Warp Gates, the mechanism that assessed an object's continuity was incredibly precise—so much so that not even Jin could see a way to improve it. Because of this, clothes and hats were never left behind, nor was the floor upon which a person stood ever taken. If people were holding hands, they would be teleported together, and even the surrounding air would be pulled along with them to a certain extent.
"Maybe 'harness' is a better word than 'cord'..."
Jin knew a bit about them. He recalled that such products were manufactured back on Earth to prevent small children from letting go of their parents' hands and running into the street. Some argued they were necessary for safety, while others claimed it was like treating children like pets, making it a point of contention. However, such harnesses were originally used for things like rock climbing and washing skyscraper windows; they weren't limited to children.
"If it's at the level of a belt, the system should judge it as having continuity."
"Father, let us test it," Reiko prompted.
Jin decided to try it out immediately. Preparation was simple: he just had to put on a belt about five meters long and attempt to use a Warp Gate. The experiment was conducted by Luna, one of Reiko's subordinates, rather than Jin himself.
The result was a total success. When the end of the belt was outside the teleportation range, she was not teleported. Only when she gathered the belt in until it was entirely within the field did the teleportation occur.
"That was a meaningful experiment. Unless it's an exceptionally large 'gate,' the facilities on Hourai Island shouldn't be taken."
It was safe to say the likelihood of Laojun, the various houses, or the laboratory being spirited away was low. For the same reason, the possibility of entire cities in various regions vanishing was also minimal.
"But the possibility of individuals being snatched away remains, so we can't let our guard down."
For the time being, there would be no removal of the Space Isolation Barrier generators covering Ars—meaning Sirius and Procyon would not be withdrawn.
"Furthermore, until this commotion is over, let's have the golems on Hourai Island wear harnesses..."
"Yes, I shall make the arrangements."
Unless it absolutely interfered with their work, wearing them would be mandatory. This rule applied to Jin and Reiko as well.
"Let's inform the Jin Family too."
It might look a bit silly, but Jin decided to contact them, believing it was better to reduce the risk even slightly. He decided to send the harnesses at the same time. In terms of design, they weren't clunky; he intended for them to have at least a bit of a fashionable touch.
He sent them to Milowina, of course, as well as Elsa, Hanna, Martha, and Mine, with instructions to wear them at all times.
The problem was the residents of Kaina Village. If he told them to dress like that without an explanation, they wouldn't understand the purpose, so he wasn't sure if they would comply. Above all, it would hinder their movements. It might be fine for office work, but it wasn't suited for physical labor outdoors. He didn't want any victims among the villagers, but there would be no end to it if he worried about everyone. With a heavy heart, he gave up on enforcing it for the entire village.
Since there was still about an hour and a half until dinner, Jin headed to see No. 700672 to discuss further countermeasures.
"Oh, Jin-dono. You've been busy lately. Have you thought of something else?"
"Yes, actually..."
Jin explained sub-ether waves and their possibilities.
"Hmm..." Once No. 700672 had listened to the end, he spoke with a hint of excitement. "Jin-dono, is that the theory of the late Adriana Tierra? Marvelous!"
Jin was a bit surprised to see the automaton in such a rare state of animation.
"I recall that my own master also researched that sub-ether, albeit only slightly. According to those records, it was suggested that sub-ether waves are emitted when a magiatom decays."
"Decay, you say?"
The word made Jin think of nuclear fission. When the nuclei of atoms like uranium split, powerful electromagnetic waves called radiation are released... Jin possessed that much general knowledge. He deduced that when a magiatom decays, it likely releases sub-ether waves instead of radiation.
"However, that is the extent of my knowledge. Whether my master researched it further or not, I do not know."
"Even so, it's a helpful reference. Thank you."
"Indeed. I suspect someone like you could build something from just that hint. I have high expectations."
"I'll do my best."
Jin then explained the harness theory to No. 700672.
"I see. It might be effective for a gate large enough for a single person. Very well. Neige, Rouge, and I shall wear harnesses until the threat has passed."
With this, the countermeasures had progressed just a little further, and Jin felt a small sense of relief.
"Well then, I'll be going."
"Yes. It must be difficult, but please do your best."
Jin then took his leave of No. 700672 and returned to Hourai Island.
After having dinner, Jin immediately began thinking about the decay of magiatoms.
"If the method is the same as with radioactive elements... let's see, I think they bombarded them with neutrons, didn't they?"
He dug through his memories, wondering if there was something called an accelerator for that purpose. In reality, accelerators are for accelerating charged particles, and since neutrons have no charge, they cannot be accelerated. However, Jin didn't remember it to that level of detail. Regardless, that level of discrepancy wouldn't affect magical science anyway. Furthermore, Jin had no idea how an accelerator was actually structured.
"Hmm... I wonder if magiatoms should be made from mithril or 64 light silver... I feel like I heard that elements with larger atomic numbers or atomic weights are easier to decay."
Simply put, because an atomic nucleus is a cluster of particles with a positive charge—protons—it becomes more unstable and easier to decay the larger it gets beyond iron (atomic number 26) due to the mutual repulsion.
"If only I could get my hands on some magiatoms..."
A magiatom was an atom composed entirely of magi-elementals—namely magitrons, magiprotons, and magielectrons.
"My Lord, we have a small amount available," Laojun said.
"What!?" Jin literally jumped at the sound of the voice.
"Have you forgotten? Before you returned to a normal body, My Lord, did we not collect a small amount of your blood?"
"Oh, from back then."
Serum produced from the blood of a creature possessing magic becomes the raw material for powerful recovery and healing medicines. At that time, Jin's body was almost entirely supplemented by magi. In other words, he had been made of magiatoms. Therefore, his blood must have also been composed of magiatoms.
"We have about 500cc stored in a mana tank."
This was excellent news.