Formerly known as the demon race, they are now called the Northern People.
Marikka of the All-Creation Clan was the administrator of the ruins known as Onogoro Island.
To be more precise, she was the Master recognized by the Supervising Brain of the planetary management base—a facility left behind by the Origin who had migrated from Planet Hale to Planet Ars in the distant past.
"Testa-san, will it be all right?"
<Yes, Marikka-sama. It is well within my capabilities.>
"Then, please proceed."
<Understood.>
"Hey, Marikka, can you really do this?"
Sion, who had accompanied her, asked with a look of concern.
"It will be fine. I won't push things too far."
"Well, if you say so."
Marikka was planning a full-scale renovation of Onogoro Island. Specifically, she wanted to prepare the island for habitation.
"The free ether concentration here is adjusted to remain high, and it can also serve as a shelter in case of an emergency."
When Marikka said that, Sion couldn't help but interject.
"An emergency? Like what...?"
Indeed, with an unconventional, common-sense-defying existence like Jin around, it seemed unlikely that a true emergency would ever arise. However, as seen with the long-period planet and the space vibration in recent years, one could never be certain that a threat wouldn't arrive from deep space or from beyond the world itself.
When Marikka explained it that way, Sion conceded.
"Well, I suppose that’s true."
＊ ＊ ＊
The renovation plan was as follows:
- The residential area would cover twenty square kilometers (roughly the size of one of Tokyo’s twenty-three wards).
- The area surrounding the residential zone would not be primeval forest or dense jungle, but a managed landscape known as a satoyama.
- Rice paddies, fields, and orchards would be established, and the harvest would be stored in a mana tank.
- A shelter capable of housing about a thousand people would be constructed five hundred meters underground.
- One hundred detached houses would be built on the surface.
- Golems for maintenance and management would be constructed.
- For comfort, water and sewage systems, waste treatment facilities, and hot spring facilities would be installed.
- The goal was full self-sufficiency.
- Stocks of various materials would be maintained.
...And so on.
"Sion-san, please let me know if you think of anything else."
"I will."
"Well then, Testa-san, I’ll leave it to you."
<Leave it to me.>
Sion and Marikka then returned to the clan territory via the Warp Gate.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Jin-sama, is there anything else I should be careful about—sh... I mean, careful about?"
Marikka was currently consulting with Jin, who had come to the Nord Federation to provide technical guidance at Sion’s request.
"Let’s see... it might be a good idea to design it so it can also be used as a resort."
Since Onogoro Island was in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons were the exact opposite of those in the Nord Federation and the countries on the Lauren Continent.
"Ah, you’re right....Would it be all right if I used the Jade Pavilion on Kunlun Island as a reference?"
"Of course."
"Thank you very much!"
"Also, it might be good to create a system that can oversee the surface facilities. Specifically, something like a subordinate to Testa."
Though Helente was there, Jin suggested that a single unit would likely be insufficient.
"I see. Something like a Bailiff, perhaps?"
"Yes, I think that would work well."
After receiving this advice from Jin, Marikka headed to Onogoro Island the following day to consult with Testa.
<I see, that is a marvelous idea. Let us set to work at once.>
Testa decided to create a steward-type automata that would serve as a sibling unit to Helente.
It was completed in about two hours. It was an automata of medium build with the appearance of an elderly man.
<Marikka-sama, please give it a name.>
"Let’s see... I’ll go with Direk."
In their language, it meant "manager."
<Understood. From this moment on, I shall be known as Direk.>
Thus, Direk was born to oversee and manage the surface facilities of Onogoro Island.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Jin-sama, please teach me the secret—sh... I mean, the secrets of golem crafting!"
That same afternoon, Marikka made a request to Jin alongside three of her colleagues. They were all members of the All-Creation Clan and were roughly the same age as Marikka.
Their names were Katarina, Mira, and Vanessa.
"We look forward to learning from you!"
"...I look forward to it, as well."
"I humbly request your guidance."
Katarina was a bit of a tomboy, Mira was quiet and reserved, and Vanessa was quite serious.
"Sure, I don't mind."
Jin agreed readily.
"First, the basics. We’ll start with the core concepts."
Jin began his lecture before the four of them.
"The foundation of the Adriana-style is to make them 'human-like.' To achieve that, you must understand the structure of the human body. First, let’s look at the skeleton..."
In the back of his mind, Jin hoped that these four might one day become instructors at the academy to be opened in Avalon.
"And so, these bones here—the radius and the ulna—are attached like this, which is why you can twist your wrist. The ankles are fundamentally the same."
"Jin-sama, in other words... what happens if you don't use the 'radius' and 'ulna'?"
"That’s a good question. I’ll explain that in the next stage when we cover how the muscles are attached."
"Understood."
True to their name, those of the All-Creation Clan were generally quick learners.
By the end of the day, Jin had finished the entire foundational course on golem structure.
"I'm... I'm exhausted."
It seemed the intensive lesson had been quite taxing even for them.
"Jin-sama, thank you very much!"
Only Marikka remained strangely high-spirited.