Alto Elbein had departed Kurosusu... or rather, no longer needing an alias, he had returned to his true identity as Special Investigator No. 99.
Special Investigator No. 99 did not head north toward Hazususu, but instead turned west toward the Great Flot Plain.
Every single one of his movements was being closely monitored by Laojun, however...
"Hmm, the route he takes is largely consistent."
There was nothing particularly surprising about this.
When a beaten path existed, people naturally tended to follow it. As countless travelers passed over it time and time again, a defined road was formed.
And if an area of exposed rock happened to lie along the way with few natural hazards, it naturally made for an ideal resting and camping site.
Fortunately, being in the middle of the wasteland meant there were no prying eyes, and wild beasts and noxious pests were virtually nonexistent—another reason that spot was favored as a resting place.
"If we simply place Eiji 1 out in this rocky area... that would feel too contrived. In that case..."
Laojun analyzed the surrounding topography.
"Hmm... There is a very shallow cave at the back of the rocky area....It seems there are no footpaths leading to it at all."
Laojun judged that no traveler would go out of their way to inspect such a spot. He then pondered how best to draw Special Investigator No. 99 over there.
"Perhaps I should produce a sound audible only to the Golem accompanying him."
Laojun teleported a single Mini-Smith to the area. Standing only 10 centimeters tall, the risk of it being spotted was virtually nonexistent.
Then, it issued an order.
"Try emitting intermittent sounds in the ultrasonic frequency band."
<Acknowledged.>
As a small golem, the Mini-Smith excelled at generating high-frequency sounds.
"---•--•-•---•-•-•--..."
Around 30,000 hertz, it began producing meaningless, rhythmic pulses.
Ultrasonic waves in this range were easily picked up by most golems.
While humans could hear up to roughly 20,000 hertz at best, dogs could detect frequencies up to 50,000 hertz, cats up to 100,000 hertz, and dolphins were said to perceive sounds reaching 150,000 hertz.
Arriving at the campsite before nightfall, No. 99 rested his horse and ordered his Golem to stand guard.
"As for the feed... good, it's properly stocked."
Hay had been stashed in a covert hiding spot. He retrieved a portion and fed the horse.
At the same time, he hauled out three barrels of water, allocating two for the horse and keeping one for his own use.
Just then, a report came in from the Golem.
"Master, I hear an unusual sound."
"An unusual sound?"
"Yes. It is high-pitched, so it may not be audible to you, Master."
"Hmm, where is it coming from?"
"From deep within the rocky area."
"I see..."
No. 99 paused to consider this.
He had camped here several times before, but he had never heard such a noise.
Furthermore, none of the reports from his colleagues had ever mentioned anything of the sort.
"Can you still hear it?"
"No, it has stopped for now... It has started to be audible again."
"Hmm. There is no meaningful pattern to it, right?"
"Yes, it is a simple intermittent sound."
At this point, No. 99 decided to investigate the source of the intermittent noise.
"All right, Golem. Go ahead of me and check where that sound is coming from. Stop just short of the source and call for me."
"Understood."
Laojun observed this order being issued through the Peeper.
Though it could not hear his voice, it discerned the words by reading No. 99's lip movements.
"Let us teleport Eiji 1 into the cave. Then we will have the Mini-Smith camouflage it."
The repair-needed golem Eiji 1 was teleported into the shallow cave. The Mini-Smith promptly scattered dirt and sand over it, making it appear as though it had lain buried there for decades or centuries and had only recently been partially exposed.
The entire process took thirty-five seconds. The Golem had not yet arrived.
"He will likely assume the sediment was washed away by the recent rains."
Laojun waited for the camouflage to do its work.
Being a fully autonomous type, the Golem was capable of making its own tactical decisions to fulfill its objective.
Having received No. 99's order, the Golem approached the rock face concealing the cave with slow, deliberate steps.
Its auditory sensors detected no signs of life in the vicinity.
Because the footing was uneven, it moved carefully. It possessed sufficient balance control for such terrain.
Then, nearing the massive boulder where Laojun had positioned Eiji 1, it discovered the cave.
Seizing the moment, the Mini-Smith emitted another brief burst of intermittent sound.
"-•-•--•••••••"
That was all it took.
The Golem peered into the depths of the cave and spotted Eiji 1.
Timing it precisely, Laojun activated Eiji 1's searchlight for a fraction of a second, letting it glow dimly.
It was extinguished almost instantly, and the intermittent sound ceased alongside it.
Having confirmed the presence of Eiji 1, the Golem turned around to report back to No. 99.
"Hmm, so you found a mysterious golem....And it's malfunctioning, showing no signs of movement, is that it?"
Special Investigator No. 99 weighed his options regarding what to do with the find.
"There are three paths I could take..."
Pretend I never saw it.
Recover it and take it back.
Head back empty-handed and simply report its discovery.
The first option was out of the question.
That left the second and third choices, but bringing the artifact back in person would undoubtedly earn him far more credit.
As a member of the elite, his desire for recognition ran high.
The only real issue, No. 99 decided, was whether transporting it posed any safety risk.
"All right, let's take a closer look."
With that, No. 99 set out alongside his Golem to inspect the newly discovered machine.
"...Is this it?"
No. 99 studied the golem from about five meters away.
The first thing that struck him was its bizarre build.
It had no head. By all appearances, it had not been severed or broken off; it had simply never been designed with one in the first place.
It possessed four arms and two legs. While none of its limbs appeared to be missing, its shape was completely alien to him.
Given that almost its entire frame was buried in earth, it had clearly lain dormant here for a very long time.
Most likely, recent rains had washed away the overlying sediment, leaving a portion of it exposed.
And by some stroke of chance, a residual charge had briefly sparked back to life... or rather, it was more accurate to assume a few dormant functions had merely flickered on, No. 99 reasoned.
Sensing no imminent danger, he closed the distance to three meters.
Its surface was weathered and grime-stained, bearing the unmistakable marks of countless passing years.
"If I can bring this back, it should prove to be a valuable contribution to the Principality."
A glance at the joints in its arms and legs revealed extensive wear and tear; it seemed completely incapable of moving, leading him to conclude it posed no threat whatsoever.
"All right, Golem. Dig that deformed golem out."
"Yes."
Stepping back to maintain a safe distance, No. 99 watched as his Golem set to work excavating the strange machine.