"Be careful—the new magi-radar eats up a massive amount of mana."
"Yes, My Lord."
Knowing full well that Laojun was already aware, Jin gave the warning anyway before turning to head back to the command room to wait for the results. Just then, Reiko made a suggestion.
"Father, it's a bit early, but would you like to have lunch?"
It was 11:30 AM.
"I suppose I should," Jin agreed.
Instead of the command room, he headed for the dining hall.
Lunch was soba. Two types of dipping sauce were prepared, sweet and spicy, accompanied by a spread of condiments: chopped green onions, shredded nori, grated daikon, and wasabi.
Savoring a favorite he hadn't had in a while, Jin tested both sauces and sampled each of the condiments in turn.
"...I might have overindulged a little."
He finished off the meal by mixing the leftover sauce with soba-yu, followed by a cup of buckwheat tea. As Jin was relaxing, a message came in from Laojun.
"My Lord, I have located the missing Quinta units."
"Oh, excellent!"
Jin rushed back to the command room to hear the report.
"Both Quinta units are on Uchuto Island in the Mimaka Principality."
"Uchuto Island?"
It was a name Jin didn't recognize.
"It is an island located at the southern tip of the Mimaka Principality."
A world map appeared on the command room's magi-screen, and a specific section enlarged to show the location.
"Ah, I see it."
"Shall I dispatch the Quinta mobile units?"
"Hmm... No." Jin made up his mind. "I'll go myself."
"Father, I shall accompany you," Reiko added immediately.
Laojun remained silent. Jin took this to mean that his decision aligned perfectly with the events the AI had heard about four hundred years ago.
Deciding to take Pegasus 2, Jin loaded the craft with various materials, water, food supplies, and medicine. Finally, he brought Doppel No. 1.
The reason it was designated "No. 1" was that Hourai Island also housed the body doubles Jin had used in his later, more mature years. Consequently, No. 1 had been tucked away in the storehouse for a long time.
"This is exactly as I remember it."
Jin felt no discomfort at all in operating the older unit. He finished his preparations by moving the control equipment into Pegasus 2. This reduced the passenger capacity from eight to six, but it wasn't an issue for this mission. Naturally, Hope served as the pilot.
"Please be careful, My Lord."
"Right. I’m heading out."
The destination was almost exactly on the opposite side of Ars, roughly 160 degrees longitude away. It was a distance of about 3,400 kilometers. Since it was 1:00 PM on Hourai Island, it would be around 2:00 AM over there.
"It’ll be perfect if we can arrive around dawn."
Flying at a supersonic speed of 2,000 kilometers per hour, Pegasus 2 raced toward Uchuto Island.
"I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when we arrive."
"Yes, Father."
It was a flight of less than an hour and a half, but Jin managed to drift off into a light sleep. Pegasus 2 sped through the void without incident.
"Father, please wake up."
Once they reached their destination, Reiko woke Jin.
"Mm... Are we there?"
"Yes."
The local time was 4:30 AM; the first light of dawn had not yet touched the sky. Below them lay an island slightly smaller than Kunlun Island. Pegasus 2, enveloped in its Invisible barrier, descended to an altitude of about 500 meters above the terrain.
"Activating magi-radar. Wake up."
The magi-radar mapped the distribution of free ether in three dimensions, allowing them to identify the presence of any magi-devices, Magi Machines, or golems.
"I see four major reactions," Reiko reported. "Two appear to be golems, and two appear to be Magi Machines."
"Can you tell if there are any humans?"
"Father, for that, I would need to use a Peeper..."
"Right, Pegasus 2 isn't equipped with one, is it?"
"Then I shall provide the visual."
"Reiko?"
"...I am equipped with a small-class unit. At this distance, it will be no problem."
"I'm counting on you."
It seemed his future self had seen fit to install a Peeper in Reiko as well. Reiko gazed intently at the island below, taking her time to scan the area. About five minutes later, she spoke.
"I have a general understanding now. The island is uninhabited; it is managed by a magi-brain."
"I see."
Jin figured that Golbart Marukitasu—the atavism—was certainly capable of building such a system.
"So it’s been fortified, though perhaps not quite like Hourai Island?"
"No, it looks more like a laboratory that was abandoned long ago."
"And the Quinta units?"
"Yes. Both of them are in what looks like a research room on the second basement floor."
"Perfect!"
He had finally found the stolen units. Jin considered his next move.
"I'll head down with the Doppel."
"I shall accompany you."
With that, Jin’s Doppel and Reiko jumped from Pegasus 2. Using their force generators, they made a effortless landing on the surface.
"Reiko, lead the way."
"Yes, leave it to me."
Having already scanned the area with her Peeper, Reiko knew the island's layout almost perfectly.
"This way."
They came to a door disguised to look like the rocky side of a mountain. When Reiko gave it a "light" push, the entire thing gave way. The hinges snapped, and the door collapsed inward with a heavy crash.
Behind it was a staircase. The rocks that had been camouflaging the door peeled off and rolled away, leaving an entrance just large enough for a person to pass through.
"Is it alright to make that much noise?" the Doppel asked.
"There are no people here, so it is fine," Reiko explained.
To be certain, they monitored the area for about five minutes, but nothing reacted. It truly did seem to be an abandoned facility.
"Alright, let's go."
Jin's Doppel and Reiko began their descent. It was nearly pitch black inside, but that posed no difficulty for either of them. After descending about twenty meters, they encountered another door.
"I'll open it."
This one was a pull-door. It opened without much effort, revealing a hallway illuminated by dim lighting.
"This way."
Jin's Doppel and Reiko stepped deeper into the facility.