The "Magi-Brain Re-education Operation."
It was a covert operation against the Jagus Principality, drafted by Laojun and approved by Jin.
Its objective was to re-educate the magi-brain that had served the Dukes of the Jagus Principality for generations and was believed to exert a negative influence over them, thereby nudging the current Duke toward taking somewhat better actions.
"First, we will need to acquire command authority, I presume."
The magi-brain was believed to identify individuals by detecting the magic pattern unique to the ducal family's bloodline. This was a method frequently employed by the Origin Clan as well.
"This is where the magi-emulator comes into play."
The magi-emulator was a magi-device developed by Golbart Marukitasu, an adversary who had once troubled Hourai Island.
Because it could replicate an individual's personal mana and magic pattern, it was capable of deceiving magic pattern authentication systems.
"Relying on a magi-device crafted by Markitus is rather galling, but it is all for the sake of creating a world where My Lord can live in peace."
The primary hurdle was figuring out how to analyze the magic pattern carried by the ducal bloodline.
"We shall have to ask the Shinobi Squad to do their best once again."
With that, Laojun contacted Shinobi 1 via manacam and issued the necessary instructions.
<Understood. I believe there are several ways to go about this, so please leave it to me,> answered Shinobi 1 from inside the fake Elena's quarters.
<The most certain opportunity would likely be when he comes here to eat.>
With that in mind, Shinobi 1 decided to consult the fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila).
<I see. The Duke doesn't bring guards inside this Tower, after all. Understood. Leave it to me.>
The fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) readily agreed.
<If I tell him I've prepared a new dish, he'll surely come running to try it.>
<I see. But can you really prepare a brand-new recipe so quickly?>
<Fufu, we have Hourai Island backing us, you know?>
<That is true indeed.>
With the culinary knowledge of modern Japan possessed by Jin as their foundation, countless dishes had been refined over more than four hundred years.
The fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) showcased new dishes almost daily, yet that still amounted to less than ten percent of their vast repository of recipes.
They were the culmination of the Five-Colored Golem Maids' tireless efforts.
<Won't the Chief scold you for giving away such valuable recipes one after another...?> Shinobi 1 asked out of concern, but the fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) merely chuckled.
<Not at all. The Chief once said, "Delicious food tastes even better when shared with everyone rather than eaten alone," so there is no need to worry about that.>
<As expected of the Chief.>
And so, the fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) began to ponder what sort of dish the Duke would find irresistible.
<Hmm... Rather than something overly elaborate, something quick to make, delicious, and suited to the Duke's tastes... Ah! Let's go with that one. I haven't made it yet.>
After pondering for about a minute, she seemed to have hit upon the perfect recipe.
As a side note, the thought-processing speed within a control core is five to one thousand times faster than that of a human, depending on the creator's skill. Therefore, even when an automata appears deep in thought, only a brief moment passes to an outside observer.
"What? An extraordinarily delicious new dish, you say?!"
The following day, word reached Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus of the Jagus Principality.
"Very well, I shall go taste it at once!"
His decision was immediate.
The royal chefs dispatched there had learned the recipes for the dishes Elena—or rather, the fake Elena—prepared, but their versions were undeniably a step below the originals.
That was why the Duke declared he would go eat it in person.
The Tower was an isolated structure—or so they believed—so there was no perceived danger in the Duke paying a visit.
The Jagus Principality's utmost priority was simply to ensure Elena never set foot outside the Tower.
And then...
"O-Ohhh! This is exquisite!!"
True to his word, Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus ravenously devoured the hamburger steak.
Though simply called a hamburger steak, it was crafted from a three-to-one mixture of top-grade Cowbull and Glass Boar meat. Combined with carefully selected marunegi, breadcrumbs, and cooking oil, its flavor was in a league of its own.
Furthermore, three essential techniques were observed during preparation to ensure the juices remained sealed inside.
Namely: chilling one's hands while kneading, smoothing the surface of the patties, and searing the exterior quickly before cooking it thoroughly on lower heat.
Because animal fat softens at body temperature, it is best handled while cold. Being an automata, the fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) had no trouble keeping her hands chilled, allowing her to prepare the meat at refrigerator-like temperatures.
Additionally, keeping the surface smooth ensured that heat was distributed evenly during cooking, preventing cracks and locking in the flavorful juices.
Searing the exterior quickly sealed the juices within, while cooking it through slowly brought out the rich umami flavors.
...Such was the culinary science behind it.
Furthermore, the fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) had made the patties bite-sized.
This ensured that the juices would not burst out and spill when bitten into.
To top it all off, the sauce drizzled over the meat had been sent directly from Hourai Island, making it fundamentally superior to the recipe she had taught the local chefs.
There was no way a hamburger steak prepared with such care would fail to impress.
"Mmm, magnificent. I could eat this endlessly!"
The hamburger steaks, made from roughly three kilograms of meat in total, vanished entirely into the Duke's stomach.
<So, how did it go? Were you able to measure his magic pattern?>
Once the satisfied Duke had taken his leave, the fake Elena (Spica 9 = Lila) asked Shinobi 1.
<Yes, without a hitch.>
They had managed to sample his mental state across the spectrum from calm to excited. With this data, Jin could practically construct a body double automata of the Duke if he wished.
<With this, we can proceed with the operation.>
All the collected data was transmitted to Laojun.
Laojun analyzed the readings and immediately began configuring the magi-emulator.
The setup was complete in thirty seconds.
"The configuration is finished... however, it is a bit too large."
The magi-device, built on the same model as the magi-emulator Markitus had used, was roughly the size of a tissue box—far too bulky for the five-centimeter-tall Shinobi Squad to carry.
"We must ask My Lord for assistance on this matter."
And so, the task of miniaturizing the magi-emulator fell to Jin.
"For this mission, it only needs to output the Duke's magic pattern, right?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"Then I can strip away the components that handle unnecessary parameters... Even so, it's still pretty big. All right, let's have the Mini-Smiths handle the precision work."
The Mini-Smiths were ten-centimeter-tall small golems—one-sixteenth the scale of a human—specialized in delicate fabrication.
For even finer work, there were also Inch-Smiths standing twenty-five millimeters tall (one-sixty-fourth scale) and Milli-Smiths at five millimeters tall (one-three-hundred-twentieth scale).
On this occasion, it was the Mini-Smiths' turn to shine.
Using the template and parameters configured by Jin, the ultra-compact magi-emulator was completed in just twenty minutes.
It was properly calibrated to broadcast the magic pattern of Duke Niestol Kirillo Jagus of the Jagus Principality.
"Laojun, how does it look?"
Jin had Laojun verify the device using precision measuring equipment, comparing its output against the baseline data transmitted by Shinobi 1.
"Yes, My Lord. The output is flawless."
"Good."
The completed magi-emulator was instantly teleported to Shinobi 1.
At long last, the intervention with the magi-brain was about to begin...