Alum Pit wore a complicated expression as she admitted that her disappearance would likely go unnoticed.
"I held a dead-end position," she said. "And I was bullied."
"Is that so?" Elena asked.
"Yes, Elena-sama. It felt like... well, like it didn't really matter if I was there or not. Honestly, everyone in the technical divisions was treated poorly."
Hearing this, Jin leaned forward with interest. "Tell me more about that."
"Oh—yes, of course. The Magic Federation’s slogan is that they 'despise the advancement of technology.'"
Everyone was already aware of the slogan, but her next words brought both surprise and a sense of clarity.
"...However, there are those who disagree. The Magic Federation is actually split into internal factions."
"Factions, you say? That makes sense," Elena noted with a firm nod. "I’ve felt that their policies have been inconsistently wavering."
"Yes. Ever since Guillermo Marukitasu became the leader, things were starting to unify, but losing the fleet recently cost him his grip on the organization."
That must be the fleet that was besieging Hourai Island, Jin thought.
"When you say split, do you mean into two groups?" Lordtoss asked.
Alum shook her head. "No, three. There’s the faction led by Guillermo Marukitasu, a faction aiming for hegemony over the Kingdom of Elias, and then... the opportunist faction."
She added that, surprisingly, the opportunists were the largest group.
"Hmm..." Lordtoss spoke up, his words measured as he thought through the implications. "If we assume Guillermo Marukitasu is using Divieniunschiavo to brainwash people, then his faction will likely gain strength from here on out."
"I see. He’ll use brainwashing to absorb the opportunist faction," Jin said.
"Exactly."
"...And it seems I was one of the ones who was brainwashed," Alum said, her head hanging low.
The strategy was likely to target the low-profile members first—people whose absence wouldn't raise any eyebrows—and slowly subvert the organization from within.
"I really wasn't important to anyone, was I? Uuuu..."
"Now, now, Alum. Pull yourself together."
"Yes!"
Alum had been on the verge of a depressive spiral, but Elena’s command snapped her back instantly.
"She's right," Jin added, offering his own support. "Alum, in your current position, you’re a treasure trove of intelligence regarding the Magic Federation."
"A... treasure trove?"
"Exactly. And the value of information drops the older it gets. We need to examine what you know as quickly as possible."
Whether it was the realization of her own utility or Jin’s words, Alum’s expression sharpened into one of focus. "I understand!"
Elena smiled warmly. "Good. That's the spirit. Now then, let us begin our strategy meeting."
Before long, Liira Madagas and Arietta Eoreal arrived. They were already acquainted with Jin and Lordtoss, though they looked momentarily stunned to see the two men there. They managed to swallow their surprise, however.
But then they saw Alum.
"Alum?!"
"When did you get back?!"
"E-Err, it seems I was rescued by Jin-sama and Lordtoss-sama," Alum stammered.
For a brief moment, the three women simply rejoiced in their safe reunion.
"Alright, the meeting is starting," Elena said, clapping her hands to bring them to order. The three immediately turned serious and took their seats.
"It's a bit small for an executive meeting," Elena continued, "but we have special guests today. Opportunities like this are rare indeed."
The council consisted of Elena, Alum, Liira, Arietta, Jin, Lordtoss, and Reiko.
"First, should we focus on reclaiming lost territory, or on disrupting the enemy’s ranks?" Jin asked, defining the first item on the agenda.
"I believe we can reach a conclusion once we've thoroughly examined the Magic Federation's current situation," Lordtoss suggested.
"Jin-sama is right," Elena added. "More specifically, should we move to retake Kashimnole Base, or should we focus on stoking the flames of their internal chaos?"
She then offered her own view. "Personally, I think it's a bit early for a reclamation. Our own organization isn't fully prepared yet. Alum, tell us everything you know about the state of the Magic Federation."
"Yes, Elena-sama." Alum closed her eyes briefly to sort through her memories before speaking. "In a word, it’s 'chaos.' The leader, Guillermo Marukitasu, rarely appears in person, so the executives are all squabbling over their own agendas....Actually, there was an uproar a while back about a large number of ships falling out of their control. The confusion has only deepened since then."
"How interesting. Jin-sama, do you know anything about that?" Elena asked.
"Yeah. Those ships were likely the ones besieging my base. I destroyed the entire fleet. I suppose it’s only natural for them to be in a panic."
"As expected of Jin-sama," Elena said, impressed.
"Y-You did what?" Alum looked like she couldn't believe her ears. "If that’s true... then the Magic Federation has lost nine-tenths of its naval power."
"I see." That was a vital piece of intelligence for Jin; he hadn't yet grasped the full scale of the Federation's military.
"Their headquarters is on Electra Island," Alum continued. "Without ships or aircraft, moving personnel is extremely difficult."
Warp Gates were generally managed by national governments, so even the Magic Federation couldn't use them at will.
"In that regard, we're a step ahead," Liira said with a mischievous smile, sticking her tongue out slightly. Nostalgia maintained its own network of Warp Gates, which were semi-officially recognized.
"Back to the point," Alum said. "There should only be about two battleships and ten transport ships left at Electra Island. They’re currently rushing to build more battleships."
Her face twisted with frustration. "...I remember suggesting we build cruisers instead, but they just laughed at me."
"Hmm. Why did you recommend cruisers?" Jin asked, intrigued by her perspective.
"Oh—well, a cruiser can be completed in about a third of the time and with a third of the materials it takes to build a battleship. In terms of overall combat power, I estimated that three cruisers could match two battleships. So..."
Jin nodded in agreement. "I see. By the way, how do you define a battleship versus a cruiser?"
"A battleship is thirty meters or longer, while a cruiser is between twenty and thirty meters. Anything emphasizing raw attack power is classified as a battleship, while those with more balanced, versatile capabilities are called cruisers."
"Understood. Thank you."
Based on that definition, the ships that had surrounded Hourai Island had definitely been battleships.
"Wait, is there no Warp Gate on Electra Island?" Jin asked.
"There are," Elena answered. "Three large-class gates. One connects to Avalon, one to Kunlun Island, and one to Kashimnole Base."
"So they can travel back and forth from Avalon as well?"
"In theory, yes. However, the receiving side in Avalon is currently disabled, so teleportation is impossible."
It was a sensible precaution.
"The gates in Avalon are kept under extremely strict lock and key," Lordtoss added.
"In that case," Jin said with a cunning grin, "we just need to make it impossible for them to get to Kunlun Island."