The genealogy of the Progenitors—the Origin—was a complex one.
First, they were divided into the remaining faction, who stayed in Hele, and the migration faction, who moved to Ars.
The remaining faction further split into the Return to Nature faction and the reclusive faction, both of which have long since perished.
Meanwhile, the migration faction established a base on the Gondoa Continent before splitting into the moderate faction and the radical faction. The moderate faction subsequently branched into the coexistence faction, the Fusion faction, and the independent faction.
Of these, the coexistence faction traveled to what are now Mitsuho and Fusou Island, while the Fusion faction settled in the lands of the current Allied Kingdoms.
The independent faction became the ancestors of the Northern People on the Gondoa Continent.
So, what became of the radical faction?
They were said to have split into the pioneer faction and the invasion faction. The pioneer faction—represented by individuals like No. 600012—attempted to develop independently on Ars, but ultimately failed.
As for the invasion faction?
To this day, no ruins belonging to them have ever been discovered.
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On the morning of May 11th, at Hourai Island.
The members of the Jin Family heading for the Nord Federation had gathered in front of the laboratory.
The team consisted of Jin, Hanna, Saki, and Goose. Accompanying them were Reiko, Smith 1, and the assistant automata Nurse Alpha, who was assigned as their medical officer.
Sion had already returned to the Nord Federation ahead of them via a Warp Gate.
"Is everyone ready?" Jin asked, mostly out of habit.
If they lacked anything, they could simply have it sent along via Warp Gate or transporter, but he checked just in case.
"All good here," Hanna replied.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Saki added.
With nothing but affirmative responses, Jin boarded their vessel for the expedition, the Konron 3. The rest of the team followed suit.
Since Edgar was staying behind to guard Elsa and the twins, Sky 10 was serving as the pilot for this mission.
"Have a safe trip!" Elsa called out.
"Take care-th!" Yuu cheered.
"Take care-th!" Mio echoed.
With the family seeing them off, the Konron 3 lifted gently into the air. Once it reached a sufficient altitude, it turned north and began its journey. Elsa, Yuu, and Mio continued to wave until the airship vanished from sight.
＊ ＊ ＊
"...Are we finally there...?"
Goose, who was notoriously bad with heights, had spent the entire trip slumped in his seat with his eyes squeezed shut.
By utilizing the force generators to assist their flight, the Konron 3 reached its destination in roughly an hour.
Sion was waiting to greet them at the plaza in front of the All-Creation clan territory. Her father Ladeous and mother Rolona were there as well, along with their friend Marikka.
The Konron 3 touched down without a sound.
"Jin, everyone! Welcome!" Sion cried.
"Hey, Sion. Good to see you again," Jin said.
"Sorry to rush you, but do you think we can head straight to the ruins?"
Jin nodded. "Yeah. There's enough space for the Konron 3 to land at the site, right?"
"Yes, it'll be fine."
"And who's coming with us from your side?"
Sion explained that she and Marikka would be joining them. Two other researchers from the All-Creation clan were already stationed at the site.
"Jin-san, please look after Sion," Rolona requested.
"Marikka, make sure you study everything thoroughly, okay?" Ladeous added.
Amidst the well-wishes of the parents, the party—now joined by Sion and Marikka—took off once again in the Konron 3.
"Let's see... keep heading north for about fifty kilometers," Sion directed.
As Saki listened to the route, she consulted a map. "Is that near where we hit the Lugarda River?"
"Yes, exactly. It's about four hundred meters away from the riverbank."
"Hmm. If they were worried about water access, they should have built it a bit closer to the river," Goose muttered.
Hanna, looking over the map with Saki, weighed in. "But the river's path might have shifted over time."
In the middle reaches of a river, meandering sections often experience heavy erosion on the outer curves and sediment deposition on the inner curves. Over time, the outer banks are carved away while the inner banks are built up, causing the meanders to grow more pronounced.
If a meander becomes too extreme, the upstream and downstream sections of the curve eventually meet. The river then takes the straighter, more efficient path, leaving the old meandering loop behind as a separate body of water.
This is known as an oxbow lake.
Sure enough, a crescent-shaped oxbow lake was visible on the map near the riverbank Hanna was pointing out.
"I see. A lot of time has passed since the era of the Progenitors. That's a very likely possibility." Goose retracted his earlier comment, agreeing with Hanna's assessment.
Before long, the Konron 3 approached the vicinity of the ruins. A vast, open plain stretched out before them, offering excellent visibility. In one corner of the expanse, a single tent stood out.
"Ah, there it is!"
"Right. That makes it easy to find."
The tent served as a perfect landmark. The Konron 3 landed roughly fifty meters away from it.
A man came running toward them—one of the researchers, presumably.
"This must be Jin-dono and his party? Welcome. We're grateful for the help."
"This is Reconaus," Sion introduced him. "He's an archaeologist."
"I appreciate you coming, Sion."
Reconaus was a serious-looking man with the silver hair and light blue eyes typical of the All-Creation clan.
"And the other researcher is his younger brother, Tonelius," Sion added.
"That brother of mine is still inside the ruins," Reconaus explained.
"Then let's head in as well," Sion declared.
Since that was exactly why they had come, Jin and the others were more than ready to agree. They were all eager to see the ruins for themselves. With their necessary gear already packed into the rucksacks on their backs, they were ready to move.
"We're heading out. Keep an eye on things here," Jin told Sky 10.
"Yes, Master. Have a safe journey. Everyone, please be careful."
"This way," Reconaus led the way.
The ruins were located about thirty meters from the tent. A large rock, roughly five meters high, protruded from the ground like a flat table.
There was a fissure at the base of the rock. Peering inside revealed a wide, room-like space. This was apparently the entrance to the newly discovered ruins.
Illuminated by magi-lamps, the floor of the room revealed a subtle, rectangular seam that looked like a door.
"This is the entrance. It was likely meant to be an emergency exit," Reconaus said as he gripped the door and pulled it open.
"Oh..."
A vertical shaft gaped open beneath the hatch. A ladder was fixed to the wall of the hole. It certainly had the utilitarian feel of an emergency escape route.
"If you descend about twenty meters, you'll reach a small hall. We haven't ventured beyond that point yet."
Reconaus gave a smile of pure anticipation, clearly excited that they could finally explore further now that the team had arrived.