First, they called over Saki, who was in the middle of researching non-woven fabric, to show her the prototype assistant automata.
"Ooh! Since Aaru left, I've had the Smiths helping me, but she looks great!"
Thrilled, Saki gladly agreed to conduct the assistant automata's field testing.
"So, what's this girl's name?"
"I was thinking of having you name her, Saki."
"Kufu, got it. Hmm... How about Enju?"
"Oh, that's pretty good."
It sounded like "Ange"—angel—in the region around the Kingdom of Franz, and to Jin, it also evoked enju—"prolonging life"—making it feel like a fitting name for an assistant automata.
"Start... Alright, from now on, you are Enju 1."
"Yes, I am Enju 1. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Enju 1, how are your systems?"
Following Jin's prompt, Enju 1 performed a self-diagnostic.
"Yes, my operations show no abnormalities. Everything is in very good condition."
Jin nodded.
"Good. In that case, act as Saki's assistant for a while. If you notice any defects or areas for improvement during the process, report them to me. Saki, let me know if you have any requests, too."
"Understood."
"Yup, will do!"
And just like that, the path toward mass-producing the assistant automata was set.
"Well then, while Saki handles the field testing, let's at least prepare the basic components."
"Mm, I'll help."
"Reiko, get the materials ready, please."
"Yes, leave it to me."
Since the frame design was already set in stone, there was no harm in getting a head start before the field tests finished.
After all, the design was based on the Golem Maids, which had already seen extensive use over a long period.
By the end of the day, Jin and the others had prepared enough parts for one hundred units.
"My Lord, I have a report."
After dinner, Laojun contacted him.
"The asphalt emulsion has been safely delivered in Mitsuho. The Hurricane has also departed from the area without incident."
"Oh, good."
The time difference with Mitsuho was about seven hours. Delivery had begun at 9:00 AM, unloading wrapped up at 10:00 AM, and the Hurricane took off from Seki Town at 10:30 AM.
"I see. Thanks for handling the Doppel's controls."
"Not at all....Furthermore, there is a matter I would like to consult you on."
"What is it? It's rare for you to bring something up, Laojun."
"Yes. It concerns our future operations."
"Alright, let's hear it."
"Yes....I believe we should establish a base for Deus Ex Machina that can be made public."
"Ah, I see what you mean."
Deus Ex Machina was officially supposed to be Jin's fellow disciple.
His ties to Avalon were even stronger than Jin's own.
The assistant automata currently in production were also slated to be leased out to various countries under the name of Maquina.
"Eventually, we won't be able to keep it hidden, will we?"
"Indeed."
Jin fell into thought. Elsa, who was sitting beside him, seemed to be pondering the issue as well.
"We've been muddling through with all sorts of improvised excuses up until now, after all..."
"As for candidate locations, first, Fusou Island."
"I considered that too, but it's a bit too close."
Jin felt it was somewhat lacking as a base for Deus Ex Machina, who was supposed to have remained completely unknown to the world until recently.
"That's true." Elsa nodded in agreement.
"Then, the Pleiades Archipelago."
Around Atlas Island might be good, Elsa suggested.
"Yeah, not bad....If only the Nostalgia headquarters weren't on Electra Island."
"Mm, that concerns me too."
"Right?"
Looking at it that way, truly ideal locations were hard to come by.
"I also thought about building a megafloat, though."
If anyone asked how they were sourcing the materials, they would be hard-pressed for an answer, Jin noted.
"My Lord, how about Gasmada Island?" Laojun offered.
"Gasmada Island, huh..."
Gasmada Island was located at the northernmost edge of the Lauren Continent, just west of the Great Isthmus of Pasdext.
"The longitude isn't bad. Traveling to any country from there would mean a fairly manageable time difference."
"Yes. In addition, the island yields a relatively rich supply of metal resources."
"I see, then that might work."
So far, it was their strongest candidate.
"Also, while it is not an island, the northernmost reaches of the former Leonard Kingdom are another option."
If any ruins remained, they could claim to have renovated them into a base, Laojun suggested.
"Oh, that's not bad either."
Even so, Jin felt an isolated island was far more convenient in many ways.
Being connected by land brought all sorts of tedious complications.
"Lastly, there is the option of a floating island. A considerable amount of slag has accumulated, which we could use to construct an artificial floating island."
"Ooh."
Jin leaned forward. That sounded the most exciting by far.
"An artificial island... That has a great secret base vibe. It could even navigate under its own power..."
The boyish sense of romance he had felt watching anime, tokusatsu shows, and reading manga came rushing back.
"Jin-nii, do you want to build a floating island?"
Elsa asked, as if seeing right through him.
"...Yeah." Jin nodded, feeling a little self-conscious. "But still..."
"Why not just build it?"
"Huh?" Jin blinked, caught off guard by her casual reply.
"As a base, an artificial island is close to ideal. In that case, the only issue is the construction cost. But for Hourai Island as it is now, that's no problem at all."
Furthermore, Elsa pointed out that if the main structure was made of metal, it could always be recycled in an emergency, meaning it wouldn't be a total waste.
"...Laojun, what do you think?"
Even with Elsa's encouragement, Jin couldn't shake the feeling that he was just indulging his personal hobby and hesitated to commit.
"Yes, My Lord. If you view it as storing materials in the form of recyclable steel, I do not believe it would be much of a redundancy."
"Is that so..."
"Besides, we cannot quantify the exact cost until a final size is decided."
"I suppose you're right."
As far as Jin was concerned, it didn't need to be as large as Avalon.
"A diameter of about one kilometer should be plenty, don't you think?"
"Yes, that seems reasonable."
For a structure of that size, materials equivalent to roughly five 300-meter-class battleships would suffice, Laojun estimated.
"We have more than enough materials on hand."
"Alright then."
With that, Jin decided to move forward on the premise of building an artificial island.