A man woke within the confines of a hidden underground facility.
His name was Guillermo Marukitasu, also known as Golbart Marukitasu.
"...What year is it?"
<It is October 19, 3899.>
The assistant automata standing nearby answered immediately.
"I see. I intended to wake on the 15th, but it seems there was a slight discrepancy."
Guillermo Marukitasu stretched and rolled his shoulders, working the stiffness out of his joints.
"Now then, I wonder how the conquest of Hourai Island is progressing?"
He muttered the question to himself as he activated the magi-screen.
"W-What!?"
In the sea where Hourai Island was supposed to be, only a calm, empty ocean stretched toward the horizon. The fleet that should have been besieging the island was nowhere to be found.
"Just what happened here?" he demanded of the assistant automata.
<On September 13 of this year, every ship in the fleet was sunk.>
"What!?"
Irritated by the golem’s indifferent tone, Guillermo Marukitasu pressed for a detailed explanation.
"Ugh... Just what could have happened at Hourai Island?"
Guillermo found it impossible to believe. Hourai Island, which had previously done nothing but maintain a passive defense without any reaction, had suddenly shifted to an aggressive counterattack.
"Could it be that a 'Leader' has appeared?"
There was only one logical conclusion: a master had finally appeared on the masterless Hourai Island.
"But just who could it be? In any case, this is infuriating."
Guillermo believed that he was the only one worthy of becoming the new master of Hourai Island. To him, it was the most efficient shortcut to 'breaking' this world.
However, while he had been 'asleep,' someone else had claimed Hourai Island for their own. It was an unforgivable development.
"What is the status of our current military strength?"
<Yes. Our current assets consist of 21 battleships, 50 soaring ships, and 409 combat golems.>
"I see. The numbers have increased quite a bit."
Despite being the head of the Magic Federation, Guillermo Marukitasu possessed an even greater personal military force in secret.
"And how is the Magic Federation itself faring?"
Though he sat at the head of the organization, he felt no real attachment to it. It was nothing more than a stepping stone—one of many pawns.
(After all, they are just tools prepared by my father... Lardus.)
His father, Lardus of the Jest, had taught him brainwashing Master-Slave Magic and Gravity Magic. He had then sown the seeds of the Magic Federation within the Kingdom of Elias before vanishing without a trace.
Indeed, it was Lardus who had established the predecessor to the Magic Federation.
(I do not care if his motives were merely born of curiosity. I will make the most of what he left behind.)
Thanks to those foundations, Guillermo had even been able to absorb members of Nostalgia, which had been instrumental in expanding his personal influence.
<The organization is currently in a state of continuous contraction.>
"What!?"
This was his third shock of the day.
<Kunlun Island and Kashimnole Base have both been reclaimed. Only the Electra Island headquarters remains under our control.>
"Guh, just what is going on? Now that that wooden doll is gone, Nostalgia shouldn't have any central figure left to rally behind...!"
<It appears that Elena has been restored.>
"What!?"
<Not only has she been repaired, but her performance metrics appear to have been improved.>
It seemed that a certain amount of information had leaked during the fall of Kashimnole Base.
"Grr, just who would do something so meddlesome...?"
<There is no information regarding the responsible party.>
"I see."
With a face twisted in uncontainable resentment, Guillermo stormed out of the room. The assistant automata followed close behind.
<Will you be dining now?>
"Yes."
As long as Guillermo Marukitasu occupied a biological body, food remained an essential necessity. The assistant automata moved ahead to the dining hall to prepare dishes that were kept in a pre-cooked state.
The food was preserved in a mana tank, a method comparable to the concept of frozen food. By reheating the meals with Heat magic, they became palatable once more.
However, Guillermo Marukitasu had no interest in the flavor of his food. He believed that as long as it entered his stomach and sustained his life functions, it was sufficient.
"Ugh... this headache is still there."
He grimaced, pressing a hand to his forehead. The assistant automata did not react; this was a common occurrence.
(...I must destroy this world as quickly as possible.)
Whenever these headaches struck, Guillermo Marukitasu’s thoughts became even more nihilistic and destructive than usual. A fragment of the spiritual lifeform that had possessed and been absorbed by him during his childhood was exerting its influence, though he remained entirely unaware of the cause.
"How is the construction of the large aircraft progressing?"
<Yes, a prototype was completed approximately two years ago, and test flights were successful.>
"I see. Finally, some good news. Show it to me."
<Understood.>
The aircraft utilized Gravity Magic to achieve lift. While its outward appearance resembled an airship, it was more than twice the size of the Konron 3 built by Jin.
It looked like a vessel with a teardrop-shaped gas bag measuring 100 meters in length and 25 meters in diameter, but in reality, it was something else entirely. It was an airship that transcended the very definition of the term. It was a strange way to describe it, but "an atmospheric spaceship" was perhaps the most accurate label.
The "soaring ships" the assistant automata had mentioned earlier were smaller vessels that operated on the same principle.
"Oho, this is excellent."
The hull was constructed from 64 light silver, gleaming with a dull, metallic luster.
<The maximum speed during testing was 300 kilometers per hour. The maximum payload is 2.5 tons.>
"Splendid. See to it that another unit is built immediately."
An airship that flew using the overwhelming advantage of Gravity Magic—the soaring ship. Surveying the vessel, Guillermo Marukitasu felt certain of his eventual victory.
Meanwhile, on Hourai Island.
Jin was consulting with Laojun and Reiko regarding their future strategy.
"The primary task is the redevelopment of Hale, and the primary threat is Marukitasu. There's no doubt about that, right?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"But we still haven't managed to pinpoint Marukitasu's location, have we?"
"Unfortunately not....I speculate that he may be utilizing an abandoned facility built by the Progenitors."
"That's plausible. It's not as if we've mapped every single one of their ruins ourselves."
Because the Progenitors had been extremely individualistic, there was very little coordination between their various management bases, and records regarding other facilities were scarce. Consequently, it was impossible to know exactly how many undiscovered ruins still existed on Ars.
"But if that's the case, he might not be on the Lauren Continent at all."
"That is true, Father."
"Yes, My Lord. There is a strong possibility that his base is located on the Pandor Continent."
While the situation had improved recently, the global distribution of free ether suggested a high probability that he was operating in the Northern Hemisphere rather than the Southern. Given that, it was a logical deduction that he might be on the Pandor Continent rather than the better-known Lauren or Gondoa Continents.
"There are still vast regions on that continent that remain untouched by humanity, aren't there?"
"Yes, My Lord. Particularly in the northern reaches."
"The north, huh..."
Considering that the concentration of free ether increased the further north one traveled, the northern part of the continent was a likely candidate.
"However, Father, I believe we should also consider the Gondoa Continent," Reiko added.
Since that continent was the original home of the demon race, if Lardus of the Jest is indeed involved, there is a significant chance that the base is hidden somewhere there.
"There is also the region north of Mitsuho and Fusou Island," Laojun noted.
"New El, wasn't it?"
"Yes. By now, every settlement in that region should be entirely deserted."
"I see..."
Jin recalled the region from when they had traced the roots of the Magus; it was a place where they had been met with harsh rejection.
"I recall they regarded the Magus as a demon, which might align somewhat with the Magic Federation's ideology."
Regardless, they concluded for the day that they had no choice but to intensify their reconnaissance efforts across all suspected areas.