"Over the course of that single year, Golbart Marukitasu's appearance changed considerably."
Elena wore a puzzled expression as she let her words trail off.
"That sort of thing often happens to humans. Especially when they go through hardships or painful experiences," Jin remarked.
Elena nodded in agreement.
"...I suppose that is the case. Regardless, it was as if Golbart Marukitasu had become a completely different person."
Until then, he had reportedly been somewhat cynical toward the world, but he had never exhibited any anti-establishment behavior or rhetoric.
"I wonder what happened to him during that year."
"I do not know. However, when he reappeared, he had undoubtedly become a dangerous individual."
"A dangerous individual, huh?"
"Yes... To continue: at first, the reappeared Golbart Marukitasu seemed quiet enough. In truth, however, he was busy sowing the seeds of discord."
Since he was technically on a leave of absence, attending lectures wasn't an issue, but that proved to be a fatal oversight. In more than half of those lectures, Golbart Marukitasu reportedly began shouting counterarguments at the top of his lungs, denouncing science.
"His primary claim was that 'material civilization leads to nothing but ruin.'"
"'Material civilization leads to nothing but ruin,' is it...?"
Jin thought the man had a rather incisive perspective. He had to admit there was certainly a grain of truth to it. He couldn't help but reflect on how Earth's civilization might end up if it continued on its current path—and above all, the Progenitors had perished, after all.
However, Jin didn't believe the Progenitors had met with "ruin" in the sense of a cataclysm. In his opinion, their downfall was likely due to a depletion of resources and the biological limits of their species.
"Wait... if that's the case, does Golbart Marukitasu know about the Progenitors?"
"Yes. Everyone associated with Avalon knows about them. In the first place, it is no exaggeration to say that Avalon is a facility derived from the Progenitors themselves."
"I suppose that's true."
If so, the question remained as to where exactly Golbart Marukitasu's ideology had twisted so far out of shape. Since thinking about it wouldn't provide an immediate answer, Jin decided to listen to the rest of Elena's story.
"...Whether it was because Golbart Marukitasu was a gifted orator or something else entirely, the number of people who sympathized with him gradually increased. Then, six months after his reappearance... a 'rebellion' suddenly broke out."
"A rebellion? By the students at Avalon?"
"Yes. I was not present at the time, so I could not perform a direct analysis, but I believe there is a strong possibility that mental magic like Subliminal was used."
Elena had once used Hypno, Seduce, and Subliminal to brainwash people and establish the Unifilar party. Her intuition on the matter was not to be underestimated.
"But if someone used magic like that at Avalon, it would surely be detected eventually."
Lordtoss, who had been listening in silence until now, interjected.
"If it was brainwashing, there is also Divieniunschiavo."
"Ah, right."
That was the brainwashing magic passed down among those formerly known as the demon race. It was the same magic used by Raldus of the Jest clan, who had once manipulated Earl Walter, a noble of the Klein Kingdom.
"Since that belongs to a different system of magic, it might be impossible to detect unless you know exactly what to look for. But even if that were the case, how could Golbart Marukitasu use it?"
"I do not know, but..."
Lordtoss fell silent, looking unsure of himself.
"Besides, isn't that magic strictly forbidden even within the Nord Federation?"
"Yes, it is."
"Then it's even more of a mystery how he managed to learn it."
"That is true."
Jin decided to set the matter aside for the time being and asked Elena to continue her story.
"...The rebellion did not stop at Avalon; it spread like wildfire to various countries. The Kingdom of Elias, the Kingdom of Egerea, the Klein Kingdom, the Kingdom of Franz, the Celuroa Kingdom... Only the Shouro Empire apparently managed to narrowly escape the influence."
Naturally, countries further to the west like Mitsuho and Fusou Island were also unaffected.
"In the end, those who occupied about a third of Avalon seized several Magi Machines and fled."
"Hearing that much, he sounds like a common criminal," Jin said with a groan.
"Yes, that is correct. That is why Golbart Marukitasu is reportedly still on the wanted list of the World Conference and the World Security Guard."
He likely wasn't alive anymore, but since his death hadn't been confirmed, his status remained active.
"To return to the topic: the group led by Golbart Marukitasu, who had seized the Magi Machines, crossed over to the Kingdom of Elias. They then usurped the headquarters of our organization, Nostalgia."
"So that's how it happened."
"Yes. Around this time, the group began calling themselves the Magic Federation."
While there was no doubt that Golbart Marukitasu and the Magic Federation were connected, there was no concrete evidence, so the Magic Federation could not be condemned as a criminal organization at the time.
"Those involved with Avalon never showed their faces in public."
"So they couldn't be charged with a crime."
In a constitutional state, one cannot be branded a criminal without evidence.
"And they began to promote a new slogan: 'Let us transition from a material civilization dependent on science to a civilization of magic alone by tempering our mental energy.'"
Despite that rhetoric, they seemed to rely quite heavily on material things, such as using golems and surrounding Hourai Island with ships. When Jin pointed this out, Elena replied:
"That point has been raised by several countries in the past. However, the only response received was that such measures were 'unavoidable during a transition period.'"
Jin recognized it for what it was: a blatant double standard.
"No matter how I think about it, I don't feel a clear purpose here... What on earth was Golbart Marukitasu actually trying to achieve?"
"We do not know now. However, the Magic Federation of late is different. They clearly desire power... authority."
Jin considered that such a transformation might have occurred because the founder and leader, Golbart Marukitasu, was no longer around.
"Continuing on... We in Nostalgia also aim for a better future by combining past magi-craft with modern wisdom, but back when we were known as Unifilar, our slogan was to return to the era of the ancient Magi Kingdom."
"That's right."
And the one who had crushed that organization was none other than Jin himself.
"Therefore, there were apparently a few who sympathized with Golbart Marukitasu's ideology. And, if we follow the earlier speculation... brainwashing was also likely carried out, as nearly half of our party members defected to the Magic Federation."
This reportedly occurred in the year 3748, five years after Golbart Marukitasu's reappearance. Elena spoke with visible frustration.
"It was due to my lack of strength. I am truly sorry."
"No, don't worry about it. So, what happened after that?"
"Yes, I did my utmost to oppose the Magic Federation. Avalon did as well, of course. But for a time, their influence only continued to expand."
It was said that they even had supporters among the nobility of various countries.
"In the Kingdom of Elias, the King even declared that he supported the Magic Federation's claims and would spare no aid."
Elena noted that this, too, reeked of brainwashing.
"Because of all that, it was a period of lying low for us."
Though they weren't used overtly, there were reportedly many incidents thought to involve the use of the Magi Emulator.
"Aircraft crashed, hot air balloons went up in flames, and ships lost control."
"I see. With a Magi Emulator, the barriers meant to counter Master-Slave Rewrite Magic would be meaningless."
Even Jin hadn't gone so far as to implement countermeasures against a device like that.
"That is correct... Golbart Marukitasu likely obtained information regarding you from somewhere as well, Jin-sama."
"Probably."
Things wouldn't add up otherwise.
"I suspect he got it from Kunlun Island."
When Jin said this, Elena nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I think so too. Anyone can go to Kunlun Island, so rather than an overt invasion, it would be easy to gather information by mingling with the civilians."
Countermeasures had been in place for Master-Slave Rewrite Magic and Magi-Jammers, but they would have been powerless before a Magi Emulator, Jin thought with a pang of regret.
"However, from around the year 3800, the Magic Federation's influence began to decline. Whether it was because our activities bore fruit or something else, we were able to gradually—truly, bit by bit—chip away at their power starting from when Golbart Marukitasu stopped appearing in public."
And now, their influence had reportedly fallen to about one-fifth of what it was during their peak.
"If brainwashing magic was a major factor, then the hypothesis that there was no longer anyone capable of using it holds up."
"I see... Oh, right, Elena, why were you so heavily damaged?"
Jin finally asked the question that had been on his mind. After all, the Elena of that era had been detuned and was completely unsuited for combat.
"Yes, there is a reason for that."
Elena then began to explain the circumstances of her downfall.