Since the Atlas wasn’t due to arrive for some time, Jin decided to take the Adriana for a scouting run around Hale.
He flew at a low altitude, of course, hoping to discover—or perhaps rediscover—something unexpected. Since they were flying within the atmosphere, he kept the speed to a modest 300 kilometers per hour at an altitude of roughly 1,000 meters.
"Hale is much larger than Ars, isn't it?"
『Yes, My Lord. Its diameter is approximately 12,700 kilometers.』
Taisei answered.
"That's... probably about the same size as Earth."
According to his memory, one rotation of Earth was roughly 40,000 kilometers; he remembered this because the figure was often used as an example for car mileage. If you divided 40,000 by 3.14—the approximate value of pi—you got about 12,739.
"In that case, to make one trip around at this speed..."
"It would take 133 hours and change, Father," Reiko answered this time.
"It takes that long...?"
At that speed, one could circle Ars in exactly one day, but on the much larger Hale, it would require more than five times as long. Jin decided they should aim to complete one orbit in exactly a full day.
『Understood. Since the rotation period is 24 hours, I shall set our speed to 1,650 kilometers per hour.』
That was roughly Mach 1.3, a speed easily managed with a wind-attribute barrier. With such a barrier in place, no sonic boom would occur, ensuring the impact on the surroundings remained minimal and safe.
"As I thought, there's very little sea."
To Jin, the sight of a planet where land and sea were split roughly fifty-fifty felt slightly odd. Moreover, looking down at Hale, which consisted of only a single massive continent, was a first for him.
"Is the central part of the continent a wasteland after all?"
『It is a former mining region,』 Taisei informed him. 『Our current position is about 100 kilometers inland from the East Coast. It seems iron-based resources were primarily extracted in this vicinity. Even now, they can still be mined, though only in small quantities.』
"I see."
It seemed Planet Hale also possessed a crustal composition rich in iron.
"What were the metal resources we're lacking again?"
『Yes, My Lord. The resources Hale lacks most are 64 light silver and mithril. We can also harvest almost no copper, tin, or zinc.』
"I see... those are indispensable for a magical civilization."
He felt he could understand why maintaining their civilization had become so difficult.
"Did they not try to extract them from deeper in the crust?"
『It appears they judged that digging too deep would be detrimental to the planet's stability.』
Apparently, that information had been found in the records preserved by No. 700672.
"I wonder if that's really how it works."
Even with Jin's knowledge, he didn't have an answer for what would happen if one mined resources so aggressively that they reached the mantle. However, it seemed the Progenitors, being a very, very ancient race, had speculated about the potential dangers. Besides, it appeared that mithril simply didn't exist deep within the crust anyway.
"I suppose those resources are abundant on the satellite of Zipart."
Jin turned his thoughts to the resource procurement project that was about to begin.
"Near Star Celane, huh... what were the problems again?"
It was a monologue addressed to no one in particular, but...
『My Lord, first is the excessively high concentration of free ether, followed by noise from ether waves. Then there is the gravity, as well as radiant heat and radiation.』
"That's right."
Jin recalled the details he had discussed with No. 700672.
"The Atlas applies sub-ether technology as well, even if only a little."
Sub-ether waves were not affected by free ether waves. Jin used sub-ether waves as the carrier wave for his free ether wave communications. In terms of concept, it was similar to a radio; a low-frequency wave, like voice data, is carried atop kilohertz or megahertz waves. If this plan succeeded, Jin intended to use sub-ether technology to improve the Adriana as well.
『First, we shall begin by slowly approaching Star Celane.』
"I suppose so."
The flight would likely involve collecting data on the free ether present in outer space. What they knew about the second planet, Zipart, was that its orbital period was approximately 224 days and its orbital radius was about 108 million kilometers. This was data obtained from No. 700672—in other words, measurements taken by the Progenitors.
"Zipart's current position isn't at its closest approach, but it's relatively near, which helps."
『Indeed it does.』
That said, given the speed of Jin's spaceships, distance wasn't much of a hindrance.
"The real question is how much of the free ether wave noise we can block out."
The intensity was reportedly high enough that average magi-devices and tools would all malfunction. In other words, it was a region of space dominated by noise stronger than the signal strength flowing through a magi-circuit designed to operate on Ars.
"That's why we're using sub-ether waves, but I can't say we've truly mastered their control yet."
『Even so, being able to use them for communication waves is a giant leap forward.』
It was a massive advantage to be able to know in real-time what the Atlas was doing and what state it was in. Furthermore, if trouble occurred, Jin could issue direct instructions—specifically, he could give the order to retreat. Being able to avoid disasters that would result in the loss of a precious spaceship was vital.
"I wonder if there's anything else I've forgotten..."
Whenever a plan was about to be set in motion, he couldn't help but worry if there was something left undone or overlooked. This was simply part of Jin's nature.
"Father, I can see an interesting geographical feature."
Reiko called out to Jin, who was deep in thought.
"Let's see... oh!"
Spread out below them was an inland sea. It was the kind of terrain described as a relatively shallow sea surrounded by land and connected to the open ocean by a narrow strait. On Earth, the Mediterranean Sea was a prime example. This one was connected to the ocean only on the northern side of the continent. Back when the sea levels were lower, this area had likely been a saltwater lake.
『It is said that many rare fish inhabit these waters.』
"Is that so?"
Since the environment had likely changed drastically since the era of the Progenitors, researching the flora and fauna of Hale alone would probably take several centuries.
"I'll have to consult with No. 700672 about that."
As he flew over Hale, Jin was also scouting for a place to establish a base.
"No. 700672 might like an island in that inland sea."
Jin himself was partial to a solitary island off the East Coast. An island—land isolated by the sea—was perfect for a place of seclusion.
"But my bases are starting to pile up..."
Hourai Island, Kunlun Island, the mansion in Loizart. The base at Kaina Village, the lunar base on Uni, and now here on Hale. Besides those, there were also Magus Cape and Tsetse Island, places associated with Shuuki Tsetse. He had golems or automata managing all of them.
According to what Jin knew of Earth, during the bubble era at the end of the 20th century, many villas were built near tourist spots. However, once the bubble burst, they were abandoned and neglected, leaving ruined villas scattered here and there. Some resort areas that had once been bustling and grandly marketed as the "Orient's version of such-and-such" were now completely deserted.
"I don't want things to end up like that..."
Because Jin knew the loneliness of ruins, he couldn't help but be cautious when choosing a base. In the first place, Jin was the type of person who believed in cherishing a single thing. Therefore, when it came to his companion automata, it was Reiko, and when it came to his base, it was Hourai Island.
The reason he had embarked on the redevelopment of Hale like this was partly due to his own physical state as a Body Double, and partly due to No. 700672. Furthermore, there was the matter of the descendants of the Jin Family on Onogoro Island.
As magi-craft progressed on Ars, the existence of Hourai Island and Onogoro Island would surely be discovered one day. Jin was thinking about what to do when that time came. It could be said that he had started worrying about these things precisely because his lifespan might have become semi-eternal.
"I still have time, so I'll think about it slowly."
For the time being, Jin reached a compromise in the form of a postponement.