While Fritz and Gloria’s grand wedding was underway at Avalon, a different sort of deliberation was taking place elsewhere.
"I really must consult My Lord regarding those ten automata—Units 1 through 10."
Laojun, the management brain of Hourai Island, was at an impasse. It was uncertain how to handle the ten units that likely belonged to the Invasion Faction of the Progenitors.
Within the borders of the former Leonard Kingdom alone, there were three ruins under their care, including the site discovered recently. Counting other regions like New El, their maintenance route spanned a total of twelve locations across the world.
For the time being, Laojun was monitoring the three sites in the former Leonard Kingdom as a provisional measure, but it still had to decide what to do about the remaining nine.
While several options existed, each carried its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Since the outcome would significantly affect Jin, Laojun ultimately decided against making a unilateral judgment.
On June 4th—the day after the wedding—Jin returned to Hourai Island and sat down for a briefing.
"I see. In other words, you’re at a loss for how to handle those ten maintenance automata."
『Yes, My Lord. I am ashamed to admit it.』
"Don't be. It’s only because you were prioritizing our interests that you reached this stalemate."
Jin understood perfectly why Laojun had deferred the final decision to him.
"Let’s review. We have three main paths: non-interference, reconciliation, or destruction. Is that correct?"
『Precisely, My Lord. Each path presents its own benefits and risks. While the matter is not an immediate emergency, I would appreciate your guidance.』
Non-interference meant maintaining the status quo. Since the ten units only became active once every decade, one could view this as simply postponing the problem for ten years. The benefit was the lack of immediate effort required. The risk was the uncertainty of what might happen during that decade. If someone were to accidentally stumble upon the ruins they were maintaining, the consequences were unpredictable. The potential for damage was an unknown variable.
Reconciliation seemed like the ideal solution at first glance, but it was far from simple. While they had managed to avoid conflict in the Kingdom of Elias, there was no guarantee that future encounters would go as smoothly. Communication had been possible with Mono, Ji, and Teto, but it was overly optimistic to assume Units 1 through 10 would be as cooperative. After all, they were part of the Invasion Faction. There was no telling if they would listen to reason. If they refused to negotiate, the situation would almost certainly escalate into combat. Furthermore, if they were forced to destroy the units, it might have an adverse effect on the ancient ruins scattered across the world.
Destruction seemed like the cleanest way to tie up loose ends, but it was incredibly risky. As with the previous point, there was no way to know if eliminating the maintenance units would trigger some kind of failure or self-destruct mechanism in the ruins they managed.
"Hmm. It’s not quite the same as just ignoring the problem, but what if we track them the next time they wake up for their maintenance cycle in ten years? That would let us map out the rest of the ruins."
『I believe that is a viable strategy.』
"We’ll maintain strict surveillance across all regions. If we find anything that looks like a ruin in the meantime, we’ll handle it with extreme caution... How does that sound?"
『If we are to maintain the status quo, then that is likely the most prudent course of action.』
Jin had considered calling for Marikka to see if the units would recognize her as the Successor. However, it was a gamble whether automata built by the Invasion Faction would accept a descendant from a different lineage, and he hesitated to take that risk.
"Besides, I don't want to put Marikka in any danger..."
Ultimately, Jin chose the path that ensured no one would be put at risk for the foreseeable future and prevented further damage to the ruins.
"...Now that Avalon is established, I want to avoid doing anything that stands out too much."
『Understood, My Lord.』
For Jin, a world where things were peaceful and he could focus on his craftsmanship was all he truly wanted. In reality, however, even that simple wish was difficult to maintain. He wondered if there was anyone in the world who lived their life doing only what they wanted to do. Jin offered a wry smile at the thought.
Deep underground, near the body of water known as Lake Aoba.
1: 《I believe those three units have finished their report, wouldn't you say, "2"?》
2: 《Indeed. According to their data, the majority of the stolen materials have been recovered.》
1: 《Then the matter is settled.》
2: 《However, they provided one new piece of information. An entity not indigenous to this planet has been manufacturing and employing golems equivalent to our own.》
1: 《Oh? How intriguing.》
4: 《Regardless, "1," our primary mission is the maintenance and management of this base.》
5: 《Precisely. There is no need to perform any actions beyond our directives, nor should we.》
10: 《I must disagree. Unlike the rest of us, Units "1" and "2" are permitted a degree of independent judgment.》
9: 《That is true. However, would initiating contact with the inhabitants of this world not be an overstepping of our authority?》
6: 《If this entity is not indigenous to this planet, then the protocols regarding native inhabitants do not strictly apply.》
8: 《A fair point. I wonder if they originate from the same star as our Masters?》
2: 《No. According to the data from the three golems, they hail from a different planet entirely.》
7: 《Remarkable! That is very interesting indeed.》
4: 《An entity from a world other than our Masters'... It certainly piques one's curiosity.》
1: 《I agree. I find myself wishing our Masters were still with us to see this.》
2: 《As do I. But dwelling on the past serves no purpose.》
1: 《Correct. The question remains: how shall we handle this non-indigenous entity?》
4: 《Shall we attempt contact?》
1: 《No. Our lifespan is far greater than that of any human. We shall return to dormancy. If that individual's name still carries weight when we next awaken, we shall investigate them then.》
2: 《A sound plan. I concur.》
4: 《If "1" and "2" are in agreement, we have no reason to object.》
10: 《Agreed.》
7: 《Then, let us relocate to the dormancy chambers.》
5: 《Understood.》
By sheer coincidence, they had reached a conclusion remarkably similar to the one Jin had formulated. The ten units activated a Warp Gate. One by one, starting with Unit 1, they stepped through the shimmering portal and vanished.
It was no wonder Laojun had been unable to pinpoint their location. They were no longer on Planet Ars. With that, the ten units settled into their ten-year slumber.
『I managed to capture a mana signature for a split second....Was that somewhere in the vacuum of space? The technology of the Progenitors is truly something to be reckoned with.』
Laojun had been attempting to locate the base used by the ten maintenance and inspection automata, but the trail had gone cold the moment the Warp Gate closed. However, Laojun was also a being that lived across vast stretches of time. It would simply wait for the next opportunity; there was not a hint of impatience in its logic. Instead, it turned its focus toward Lake Aoba in New El.
『Now that those three deformed golems have ceased activity, let us investigate them.』
Laojun had already begun categorizing the importance of various ruins. Among them, the sites managed by the ten maintenance and inspection automata were considered top-tier—Rank A. The location where the ten units actually slept would be ranked even higher—Rank S—but its coordinates remained a mystery. Laojun felt a flicker of anticipation that some clue might yet be found.
Finally, the moment arrived. On the same day the ten maintenance and inspection automata vanished from Ars via the Warp Gate, the mana signatures of the deformed golems also went completely dark.
『We shall proceed with caution. Shinobi Squad, the task is yours.』
The ten members of the Shinobi Squad moved out to begin their investigation.