On Hourai Island, Jin was deep in discussion with Laojun.
"Well, after visiting Marquis Kuzuma, I really felt that the decline of culture is having a negative impact on the world."
『I agree, My Lord.』
"First, regarding the need for technical instructors—does the World Conference have any spare capacity to manage that?"
『Yes, My Lord. I believe it is sufficient. It would be most effective to establish the courses at Avalon.』
"I see. In that case, it might be a good idea for me to show my face as a lecturer every once in a while."
『Indeed. If possible, perhaps you could also invite the residents of Onogoro Island to serve as temporary instructors.』
"Ah, that’s an excellent idea."
A clear policy was beginning to take shape in Jin's mind. The next step was implementation, but that couldn't truly begin until he reached Avalon.
"...Well, I suppose the trouble I heard about from Sion is mostly settled for now."
Jin felt a genuine sense of relief. As he had suspected, he couldn't bring himself to remain an indifferent bystander. His longing for familial ties was profound.
The time was 11:30 AM.
It was a bit early, but Jin decided to break for lunch. Soleil and Luna had prepared sandwiches for him. He could enjoy a variety of fillings as he ate, yet something felt off.
"It somehow feels lacking without Reiko here."
Indeed, Reiko was still in Blue Land alongside Jin D.
『My Lord, Reiko and the others should return once the luncheon is over.』
"I suppose so."
Because of the ongoing interactions with Duke Blue, they couldn't exactly up and leave on a whim.
"Socializing really is a hassle... though I don't exactly want to become a hermit, either."
『I understand your plight.』
Jin suspected that even if he tried to live as inconspicuously as possible, it would likely be a futile endeavor. Trouble had a way of seeking you out, no matter how hard you tried to stay away from it.
At 3:00 PM local time, in Blue Land.
"I was able to gain a great deal of experience at Marquis Kuzuma’s estate this time, but I must say, the technical regression—likely caused by the Magic Federation—is quite significant."
"Hmm, so you see it that way as well."
Jin D was conversing with Duke Blue.
"Yes. In my humble opinion, I believe it would be best to have technical courses established at Avalon and have each nation dispatch suitable candidates to attend them."
"Indeed, that is a sound argument," the Duke agreed with a nod.
"If it’s you, Your Excellency, surely you could submit such an agenda to the World Conference?"
"Of course."
Duke Blue, being a member of the royalty, served as one of the representatives for the Kingdom of Egerea at the World Conference.
"I believe I could also take on a role as a temporary instructor myself."
"Oh, that is wonderful news."
Duke Blue seemed very enthusiastic about the prospect. And then—
"Your Excellency, it seems the security guard has arrived at the site. We’ve received word that they are commencing the capture operation."
"Oh, is that so?"
The magi-device known as a manaphone allowed for long-distance calls. While these units were much larger than the ones Jin used and lacked multi-channel capability, they had been miniaturized to roughly the size of a school backpack and were being utilized across various regions. For comparison, Jin’s manacam was the size of a modern mobile phone.
"Very well. Begin the operation."
"Understood!"
The time was nearly 4:00 PM.
As dusk approached Mount Bilbo, three airships, thirty soldiers, and ten combat golems stood ready. They were accompanied by two general-purpose golems and their commanding officer, the Security Guard Captain. This was the Second Platoon of the security guard dispatched by Duke Blue.
At the captain's command, the dragnet began to tighten.
"Hey, this is bad! We’ve been surrounded before we even noticed!"
Inside the hideout, one of the bandits caught wind of the closing encirclement and shouted to his comrades.
"Dammit! How did they find this place?"
"Forget that! How do we get out?...We can't use that magi-device in the basement? That Warp Gate or whatever it is?"
"No. It seems the receiving side isn't active. I have no idea where we'd end up. If it’s on land, fine, but if it’s over the sea, we're finished. Not to mention if we came out in mid-air..."
"S-Stop, don't even say it."
"That’s wise....I'd like to use the airship to escape, but..."
Soldiers swarmed outside, and three enemy airships hovered in the sky above.
"There's no point in trying to hold out here. Which means..."
"...I don't want to do it, but our only choice is to use the golem as a decoy while we make a run for it," a man acting as the bandits' staff officer muttered.
"I suppose you're right. It’s a shame to lose Tuen, but..."
"Better than getting caught."
"Right. With the money we've saved up, we can live in luxury for a while."
"But most of it isn't even in this hideout."
"It’s fine. We can live for six months on what we have on hand. We just need to reach the other hideout in that time."
"Understood."
Five minutes after that conversation concluded, the dragnet had tightened considerably. The location was halfway up the mountain on a gentle slope. A log cabin and a black airship were now within sight.
"Once the encirclement is a bit tighter, we charge all at once."
The Security Guard Captain was a cautious man. In this instance, it worked against them. He should have seized the airship—their only means of escape—first.
About ten seconds before the signal to charge was given, the cabin door flew open and a single golem bolted out.
"Ngh—intercept it!"
The golem's speed was staggering. Of the thirty men forming the line, ten were instantly bowled over and left sprawling on the ground. However, the soldiers dispatched by Duke Blue were highly disciplined and responded to the situation immediately.
"Don't panic! It’s only one enemy. Gather around the combat golems!"
The ten combat golems were spaced at equal intervals throughout the dragnet. The remaining twenty soldiers rushed to the side of the nearest units.
Even amidst the chaos, the captain observed the situation cautiously. He was only able to maintain this composure because he was flanked by two general-purpose golems, which provided him with a significant sense of security.
The bandits' golem was aiming for a single point: the foot of the mountain.
"Hmph, it’s trying to secure an escape route. Squads Two and Three, move toward the foot of the mountain!"
Here lay the captain's miscalculation. While the airship was a vital means of escape, the presence of three airships in the sky—clearly visible from the ground—caused him to vastly underestimate the possibility of the bandits attempting to fly away.
He dispatched a third of his troops as pursuers. This left him with fourteen soldiers and eight golems. However, the six soldiers and two golems sent to intercept were neutralized by the bandit golem in the blink of an eye. The soldiers were left rolling with broken legs, and the combat golems were shattered in one or two strikes.
The performance gap between them and the bandit golem was simply that immense.
Jin had explicitly noted in his analysis report that the golem was 'capable of exerting ten times its normal power temporarily through Magic Reinforcement,' but Duke Blue, pressed for time, had unfortunately skipped over that detail.
"Squads Four, Five, and Six—stop it!"
The captain was an excellent tactician on paper, but he lacked practical combat experience. He had committed the cardinal sin of warfare: the piecemeal commitment of forces.
Of course, the bandits' clever manipulation to induce this error played a major role as well. In any case, the bandit golem continued to leverage its overwhelming power to dismantle the guard's forces one by one.