Jin and the others listened to Laojun explain why the ancestors of the Four Principalities had settled in such a desolate land, all of them left somewhat dumbfounded.
"So basically, they just didn't want any outside interference, right?" Saki spoke up. "I feel like I can sort of understand that sentiment... but still... hmm..."
"Well, I don't think you need to force yourself to understand it," Goose said, gently chiding the agonizing Saki. "There are plenty of people who act irrationally because of strange religions, eccentric ideologies, or just a momentary lapse in judgment."
It was an interpretation typical of Goose, but Saki refused to back down.
"I can understand that for an individual or a small group. But when it comes to colonization, aren't we talking on the scale of hundreds or thousands of people?"
"Even if I concede that it might happen to one country, the fact that it applies to all four of them is what gets me."
"Religious organizations can sometimes swell to an enormous size, so you shouldn't underestimate them. In fact, I've seen groups like that myself."
Goose stood his ground just as firmly.
That being said, the two were not having an actual argument; they were simply comparing and reconciling their perspectives.
Since everyone in the Jin Family was well aware of this, they merely watched over the exchange in amused silence.
In the end, their debate reached a tentative conclusion.
"Hmm, I guess we just lack information after all."
"Well, that's true..."
Jin chimed in, assuring them that they would receive another report once more intelligence came in.
"Still, it seems things are tougher than we thought."
"What do you mean by that, Jin?" Goose asked.
"Well, for instance, even if we wanted to send in the Quinta, it's such a closed society that outsiders stand out immediately. On top of that, their daily customs are completely different, so we can't just dispatch agents on a whim."
"Indeed. Furthermore, there are no stray cats or dogs in the area, which makes it difficult to deploy animal-type golems as well."
There did seem to be military dogs, Laojun added, noting that their economic situation might simply not be prosperous enough to support stray animals.
Because of that, Laojun explained that they were currently observing the region solely through the Peepers.
"It really is more troublesome than we thought..." Hanna muttered with a wry smile.
"Well, Gajue Tsuga and his team from Avalon have gone there to gather information right now, so there should be some progress soon."
Everyone nodded at Jin's words.
Unlike the past invasion by Markitus, this was not a crisis where every single second counted.
"I will report again as soon as more information becomes available."
"Yeah, please do."
Afterward, the discussion shifted toward the natural environment of the Four Principalities.
"The natural conditions look surprisingly harsh, but what is the actual situation like?" Stearena asked, studying the aerial imagery.
"Indeed. As another point of concern, the water shortage must be highlighted."
Laojun provided a detailed explanation regarding the water crisis plaguing the Four Principalities.
"In that region, the underground water veins lie at extreme depths. As a result, wells could only ever be dug near the coastlines, which is one of the main reasons the inland areas never developed."
"That really is a major problem. Without drinking water, agricultural water, or water for daily living, it's no wonder people wouldn't live there," Jin remarked, and the others nodded in firm agreement.
"Still, wouldn't it work if we used the three-dimensional magic circles Jin mentioned to install a large number of suction pumps?" Beena suggested.
"That's a good idea... But setting drinking water aside, are the underground water veins large enough to support widespread agriculture?"
Having knowledge of ground subsidence caused by the over-extraction of groundwater, Jin could not help but urge caution.
"My Lord, it appears all Four Principalities conducted surveys regarding that matter long ago."
"Yeah? And what did they find?"
"They were obstructed by dense bedrock and unable to measure the depths."
"Is that so... But you were able to scan it, right, Laojun?"
When using a Peeper, something as simple as bedrock posed no obstacle.
"Yes. Across all Four Principalities, groundwater is remarkably abundant. However, beneath an average depth of 100 meters, there lies a layer of bedrock roughly 300 meters thick, and the water flows beneath it."
"Then it really won't be a simple task."
Without an extraordinary level of technology, boring that deep would be out of the question, Jin realized.
"Still, once diplomatic relations are established with the Conference Countries, we'll be able to offer them technical aid. It could serve as a valuable bargaining chip in negotiations."
"It is just as you say."
For Jin, that scale of excavation was trivial using the Mole or Mini-Mole.
"And how is the actual water volume?"
"As an underground reservoir, it is far more than abundant. A portion of it is even welling up directly through the seabed."
"That's incredible..."
"As a rough estimate, it would be more than sufficient to supply fifty times the current combined population of each nation."
"That much...?" Jin said, utterly amazed.
Then Laojun offered another surprising revelation.
"It is possible that this region was a site where the Origin Clan intervened in some way."
"Eh? What do you mean by that?" Goose asked eagerly.
"The geology varies unnaturally depending on the location... In short, it appears as though over 100 meters of soil was intentionally piled on top of the original bedrock."
Laojun explained that it looked as though fertile topsoil brought from elsewhere had been systematically spread across the underlying rock.
"If it's the Progenitors, they could certainly pull off something like that," Jin said, and Elsa nodded in agreement.
"Mm. It might have been an experiment, or maybe they prepared it as a place to live."
"No records concerning that have survived in our archives... However, it is possible that documentation exists within the ruins located inside the Four Principalities."
"I see..."
Jin suspected that the mountain towering over the center of the Four Principalities might hold ruins containing precisely those records.
"I'd like to investigate it someday."
"Please leave it to me."
Laojun was clearly more than willing to carry out Jin's wishes.
"Regarding the water veins, it might be best to have Deus Ex Machina inform Avalon when the right opportunity arises."
"Yeah, just as Jin says, I think that's the best course of action."
Reinhard voiced his agreement as well.
The fate of the Four Principalities was something the entire Jin Family had grown deeply invested in.
Now, another matter of concern was Onogoro Island.
It was located less than 100 kilometers away from the peninsula stretching along the western reaches of the Darato Principality.
Fortunately, because the curvature of Planet Ars was quite pronounced, the island's silhouette could not be seen from the mainland coast, but...
Compared to Hourai Island, Onogoro Island was undeniably close to civilization.
While it posed no immediate problem, the future remained unpredictable.
Jin resolved that they would need to plan ahead and prepare countermeasures so they wouldn't be caught off guard when the time came.