There is leisure to be found even in the busiest of times.
Having concluded the Model Aircraft Competition, Jin was relaxing alone on Hourai Island.
Truly "alone." Lordtoss, Marikka, Sion, and Rubina were nowhere to be found.
Of course, Reiko was by his side.
"It feels like it's been a long time..."
As he lay on his bed in the laboratory’s bedroom, memories of the distant past began to resurface.
He remembered the moment he was summoned by Reiko, his accidental teleportation to Kaina Village, his trip to Blue Land to secure food, and the time he spent enjoying the ships and seafood in Port Rock Town.
He thought of his first meeting with Elsa and Reinhard, the journey to the Shouro Empire, the chaos of the Golem Party, and the final showdown with the Unifilar.
Then there was his settlement in the Shouro Empire, the subsequent turmoils, the long-period planet, the legacy of the Origin Clan, and the space vibrations.
And, of course, the many people he had encountered along the way...
"I think I heard someone say once that being the one left behind is harder than being the one who leaves..."
Jin’s habit of talking to himself was an old one, so Reiko simply listened in silence, offering no interruption.
However, his next words prompted a response.
"The Predecessor must have had a hard time too..."
Reiko couldn't help but react to that.
"Are you speaking of Mother, Father?"
"Yeah. Back then, Reiko... or rather, even Ochibi wasn't around yet. It’s only natural that you wouldn't know."
When he thought of Adriana Barbora Tsetse—who had been not even twenty years old at the time—losing Shuuki, the foster father she had loved so dearly, Jin felt a pang of sympathy in his chest.
"People vary, I suppose, but if it were me... I’m not sure I’d have the strength not to be selfish and beg, 'I want you to stay with me forever.'"
Especially considering that his current body might very well be immortal.
『Do you still feel that way now, My Lord?』
Suddenly, Laojun’s voice echoed through the room.
"That's rare of you, Laojun....And what do you mean by 'still' and 'now'?"
『Yes, My Lord. You said something very similar four hundred years ago.』
"I probably did."
Whether he was a duplicate or the original, he was still himself. He was certain that if he were the one being left behind, he would have said the same thing four hundred years ago.
The Empress, Martha, Rodrigo, Vivienne, Stearena... comrades, friends, and acquaintances who were all older than Jin.
Thinking of how painful it must have been to part with them, Jin felt a wave of sympathy for his past self.
"No. 600012 was trying to create a homunculus and transfer his memories into it, wasn't he?"
He didn't think that particular endeavor could be called a success.
『My Lord, hypothetically speaking, suppose one were to transfer a person's memories into an automata in such a manner. In that case, what do you believe would happen to that person's personality?』
It was unusual for Laojun to pose such a metaphysical question.
"That’s a difficult one. I’ve never tried it... Oh, right. I think there was a concept called 'Qualia'."
Prompted by Laojun’s inquiry, Jin recalled a fragment of knowledge he had picked up during his time in modern Japan on Earth.
"I can't remember if it was neuroscience or philosophy, but I believe they said Qualia hasn't been scientifically explained yet."
He wondered if spiritual lifeforms like Ichi and his kind understood it.
"Besides, I don't think Trans Info can transfer everything that makes a human who they are."
In short, no matter how much Jin might wish for it, it would likely be impossible to create a perfect copy of a person.
『Even so, My Lord? Even if the result were imperfect, they could still serve as a conversation partner. What are your thoughts on that?』
Laojun is really persistent today, Jin thought, even as he weighed his answer.
"...I suppose so. If they were there, at least you wouldn't be lonely."
『However, let us say, for example, that a person named A transplants their memories into an automata just before they pass away. My Lord, how would you handle that automata's appearance?』
"Eh? I’d make them look exactly like Person A, wouldn't I?"
『Even if Person A did not wish for it?』
"What do you mean?"
Laojun began to explain slowly.
『I humbly speculate that an ordinary human would prefer to have the appearance of their youth rather than that of their aged self.』
"Ah, I suppose that’s true."
Human nature being what it was, most would likely want to return to their prime if given the chance.
"Demanding they look like they did most recently is just the ego of the one left behind, isn't it?"
『Is that how you see it? Then, if such a request were made, what would you do?』
"Well... I understand the sentiment, so I’d probably adjust their appearance to be around twenty years old."
Though some might prefer their thirties—the prime of adulthood—when they were at their most capable.
『Do you not think it would feel unnatural to be surrounded by such automata?』
"Ah... you might have a point."
Jin realized that Laojun might be guiding his thoughts to prevent him from wandering down a dark path.
"But, for example, if it were Elsa or Hanna, I might still give them a youthful appearance rather than an aged one."
Jin stated his honest thoughts.
"I guess my own internal image takes priority, after all..."
『There is one more thing, My Lord. Hypothetically, if Reinhard were turned into an automata after his passing, do you not think that Reinhard would wish to see his children?』
"I see..."
Between Reinhard and Berche, there was a girl named Juliana—at least, as far as Jin knew.
『In that case, what age would you set for the appearance of that child?』
"...I see what you're getting at."
Ultimately, Laojun wanted Jin to realize that acting solely on the desire to "be together" was nothing more than ego.
"...But still."
Humans are a mass of ego; we’re essentially selfishness walking around in clothes, Jin mused in a quiet corner of his mind.
＊ ＊ ＊
"By the way, how is the situation with Hehl progressing?"
After lunch, Jin checked in with Laojun.
『Yes, My Lord. It is over ninety percent complete. All that remains are the final fine-tunings.』
Traveling to Hehl was no longer an issue. Transit was possible via both spaceship and Warp Gate.
Regarding the Warp Gates, they were installing larger models in parallel, which improved both the volume of transport and overall safety.
Immediate supplies were also not a concern. Roughly eighty percent of the resources secured during the long-period planet incident remained in stock.
If there was a hurdle, it was the construction of the ultra-powerful spaceship.
In order to secure resources on Hehl, it was necessary to haul a satellite from Zipart, the second planet, but that specific phase was hitting delays.
"Is there a problem with the design?"
If so, that was Jin’s responsibility as well.
『No, it is the material. The procurement and processing of the hyper-adamantite used for the structural components is taking a significant amount of time.』
Hyper-adamantite was a metal created by the molecular compression of adamantite.
By forcibly compressing adamantite—the hardest metal in the world—it was possible to give it over a hundred times its original strength. However, if adamantite, which was already notoriously difficult to work with, became a hundred times stronger... the labor required to shape it was staggering.
Although construction was taking place on the Moon facility, Uni, where gravity was low, even the management magi-brain Jack was reportedly struggling.
Furthermore, they were building a spaceship with a diameter in the 300-meter class.
It was a monstrous vessel, with the propulsion system occupying the vast majority of its hull.
"Fair enough. It’s not something we need to rush, so let's proceed steadily."
『Understood.』
"No issues with pathogens?"
『None. We have conducted surveys in the past, and even the investigation from the other day showed levels equivalent to or lower than those on Ars.』
Since it was a planet where the Origin Clan had originally resided, the environment seemed well-suited for life.
"All that’s left is food self-sufficiency."
『Indeed. For the time being, we will have to bring supplies from Ars. We aim to achieve self-sufficiency in crops within ten years, and for fruit trees within twenty.』
"That sounds about right."
While they had the know-how, establishing an agricultural system tailored to the natural environment of Hehl would take time.
Jin turned his thoughts toward that world far, far away.