The day after the Summer Festival—August 18th.
"Thank you for everything."
"Please come again."
The Village Chief said with a warm smile.
"Well, I managed to turn quite a decent profit here, after all. I'll be back before long."
"No, no, we're simply thrilled to have gotten our hands on some pepper."
After exchanging these parting words with Village Chief Aik Nibiki, Special Investigator No. 99—under the alias Alto Elbein—departed from Saichi Village.
"Well then, I suppose it's about time for me to take my leave as well."
When Jin D spoke up, the Village Chief tried to dissuade him.
"Jin-sama, are you heading back already?"
"Yes, I still have other matters to attend to."
"Is that so...? You have truly done so much for us. Please visit anytime. Our village will always welcome you."
"Thank you very much."
And so, Jin D departed Saichi Village as well.
Incidentally...
"I shall remain in this village for another day or two."
Ministry of Technology Undersecretary Nahams Marow stayed behind, announcing his intention to do so.
His purpose was to compile a formal report detailing everything Jin D had accomplished.
Once Jin D departed the village, it was time to undo the Village Chief's brainwashing.
In truth, just this morning, the Village Chief had used the newly acquired pigeons to send a full report on everything Jin D had achieved up to that point.
Because there was so much to write, it had required three pigeons.
However, such measures would no longer be necessary.
As Hurricane passed overhead, it blanketed the entire village in waves from the Weckener.
Hurricane flew off immediately afterward, but Laojun continued monitoring the state of the village through the Peeper.
"Ngh... Ah, ah?! W-What... on earth have I been doing?"
Naturally, the Village Chief remembered his past actions, sending him into utter confusion.
However—
"Village Chief, is something the matter?"
Nahams Marow approached him and called out.
"Ah, ah... Marow-dono..."
"Hmm, it seems your brainwashing has cleared, leaving you disoriented."
"B-Brainwashing...?"
"Indeed. We do not know the exact method, but the Jagus Principality has been carrying out such deeds across the land to lay the groundwork for invading our country."
"And I was subjected to it as well?"
"That is the long and short of it."
"..."
The Village Chief's shoulders slumped in dejection.
"Well, do not let it trouble you."
Nahams Marow had witnessed such cases several times before, allowing him to handle the Village Chief's panic with practiced calm.
Furthermore,
"You bear no responsibility in this. Pay it no mind, and simply carry on living as you always have."
He followed up with reassuring words.
In truth, Aik Nibiki's actions had not caused any tangible harm to the Norha Principality.
And as a matter of fact, before arriving in Saichi Village, Deus Ex Machina had told him:
"If anyone awakens from the brainwashing and falls into a panic, please support them."
At the time, Marow had not suspected that the Village Chief himself was among the brainwashed.
(Could Maquina-dono have known all along?)
Though Nahams Marow wondered about this, he had no way of confirming it.
At any rate, the first phase of developing and modeling Saichi Village came to a close in this manner.
Jin D returned to Hourai Island for the time being.
While this freed Jin to act as he pleased, there was one matter he wanted to examine first.
The information regarding "Try."
"Laojun, do you have any information on this 'Try'?"
After pondering for about 0.2 seconds, Laojun replied.
"Yes, My Lord. I do....In the past, we had contact with a golem that appears to fit that description."
"I see....That was during a time period I don't know about, right?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"...Understood. Tell me about it."
At Jin's request, Laojun explained about the headless, four-armed golems named Mono, Ji, and Teto, which had been crafted by the invasion faction.
"I see. So you suspect it might be one of their counterparts."
"That is correct."
Jin had indeed felt that the numerical naming conventions used by the Origin Clan bore a resemblance to terms he was familiar with.
"In other words, Mono is '1', Ji is '2', and Teto is '4'. Which means '3' was missing. And you think that's 'Try'?"
"Yes, My Lord. The probability is high. The vacant spot between Ji and Teto may very well be where Try belonged."
Laojun's deductive reasoning was exceptional, and Jin found himself in full agreement with the hypothesis.
"So, assuming it was Try who modified the magi-brain, Brain... the question is why it isn't in its original location."
"Indeed. The prevailing theory at the time was that it had broken down at the site of its deployment."
"Well, that's the most natural assumption."
Considering that its fellow units Mono, Ji, and Teto knew nothing about it, and the entity that deployed them had no grasp of its status either, assuming a malfunction was only logical.
"If it's broken down, do you think it would become our ally if we repaired it?"
"It is a possibility. However, the probability of it returning to its original station is higher."
"And where is that?"
"Yes, My Lord. On the shores of Lake Aoba in the New El Region."
"Over there, huh..."
Jin brought up the map of the Lauren Continent in his mind.
"Now then, what should our next move be?"
In any case, assuming Try still existed, they could not make any real progress without finding it first.
"If that Try is indeed an Origin golem, it might have malfunctioned, but it probably hasn't been destroyed, right?"
"Indeed. Since its outer armor was adamantite-based, it would not be easily destroyed."
"That's true..."
"At the same time, let us have the Shinobi Squad gather information."
Laojun stated that directly inquiring with the Duke carried too much risk, so they would investigate other avenues instead.
"The Progressers might know something. Furthermore, there appears to be something of interest in the eastern mountain range that the Jagus Principality is fixated upon."
Laojun mentioned that they would conduct a more detailed investigation into the mountain range east of the Norha Principality, which had previously been put on hold.
The strategy to corner the Jagus Principality was advancing steadily, step by step.