The following day, the magi-craft lecture by Eiji 1 continued.
"For now, crafting a single true sphere is the best I can manage," Rodriguez said.
"Hmm. There is nothing for it but to keep practicing. Once you can produce ten of them simultaneously in an instant, you will be considered fully fledged."
(T-Ten...? And all at once?)
(T-That's what it takes to be fully fledged...?)
(Is the outside world really that far ahead...?)
Of course, that was not actually the case, but Laojun wanted the Progressers to gain a little humility and understand their own standing.
That was why it had instructed Eiji 1 to make the claim.
"How much knowledge do you possess regarding materials?"
In magi-craft, it went without saying that an understanding of the materials being handled was just as crucial as the spells used to process them.
"I believe I have a general grasp of the materials we work with," answered Ria, the materials engineer among the Progressers.
"Oh? Then what is the composition of 64 light silver?"
"S-Sixty...?"
"What is the composition of stainless steel?"
"Uh, well..."
"What is the composition of 5.5 nickel steel?"
"...I don't know."
"You don't know? Those were all metals my Master used frequently, however."
"..."
"There is no need to look so crestfallen. If you didn't know, you need only learn now."
"Will you teach us?"
"Of course."
Their understanding of materials really is lacking, Laojun thought.
Whether they were brought under their wing later or entrusted to Avalon, Laojun wanted them to raise their standards, aiming to bring them at least up to par with an Avalon beginner-level graduate.
"First is 5.5 nickel steel. Are you familiar with nickel steel?"
"Yes. It's an alloy steel made by adding nickel to carbon steel, right?"
"And what are its characteristics?"
"What?"
"My question is: for what purpose is nickel added to carbon steel?"
"Uh..."
"...You do not know? Your knowledge is quite shallow."
"Ugh..."
"Adding nickel mitigates low-temperature brittleness."
"Ah, so that's why!"
"Hmm, so you are familiar with low-temperature brittleness, then."
"Yes!"
"Then this will be quick. As its name implies, 5.5 nickel steel has 5.5 percent nickel added to it. Aside from this, 9% nickel steel is also used for low-temperature applications."
"I understand now."
"..."
While everyone else listened with rapt attention, Lubark Bassi's mind was churning.
(Damn it! If everyone's hearing this, I won't have any edge over them!!)
Ambition burned as fiercely in Lubark Bassi as ever.
At that same time on Hourai Island, Jin and Elsa were monitoring Eiji 1's lecture in real time.
"...They've degraded... or rather, regressed quite a bit, haven't they?"
"Mm."
'I agree, My Lord.'
"Managing only one true sphere at a time... I mean, really..."
To think they were considered the nation's foremost technological minds... Jin felt a touch—no, a great deal—of disappointment.
'While it hardly qualifies as a boot camp, I am whipping them into shape a bit.'
"Yeah, that's fine."
From there, they turned to fine-tuning their upcoming moves.
"For now, the 'Master' who created Eiji 1 is still supposed to be a mystery, right?"
'Yes, My Lord. At the very least, we will keep it obscure until the Duke of the Jagus Principality speaks with Eiji 1 directly.'
"Yeah, sounds good....And as for the background story, we're sticking with the 'Second Generation' Magi Craft Meister, right?"
'Yes. I believe that is the most suitable approach for the Progressers.'
"Makes sense."
"...Laojun, can I ask something?"
'Yes, Elsa-sama. What is it?'
"Um, about the bird seller who sold the carrier pigeon to the Saichi Village chief... I was wondering if he might have a list of the brainwashed people."
Carrier pigeons trained to fly back to the Jagus Principality.
Anyone who bought one had to be sending intel back to the Jagus Principality.
In other words, they were either spies or brainwashed operatives.
'Yes, Elsa-sama. I examined him thoroughly using the Peeper, but he carried no such records. He most likely has it committed to memory.'
"I see. That's too bad."
If the man were at all cooperative, extracting the information via Trans Info would be straightforward, but he would surely resist such magic.
Overcoming that would require force, which went against Jin's principles.
If they resorted to methods practically indistinguishable from brainwashing, they would lose any ground to condemn their adversary—the Jagus Principality. That was his reasoning.
"Next is how the Duke of the Jagus Principality will act... How do you plan to handle that?"
'Yes, My Lord. I anticipate an inquiry regarding the analysis results will arrive before long. How the Progressers respond at that moment will be pivotal.'
However, Laojun noted that it couldn't run a simulation just yet, as it had not fully mapped out the personalities of every Progresser member.
"Yeah, if that's how it is, nothing can be done."
Predictions based on incomplete data were never reliable.
'However, there is one individual among the Progressers who stands out.'
"...Uh, that fellow named Lubark Bassi, right?"
'Yes. Although he belongs to the Progressers, the blood of the Jagus Principality appears to run stronger in him.'
Laojun explained that while most of the Progressers were descendants of marriages within the group, Lubark Bassi seemed to be an outlier.
'It does not change the core situation, but he displays a stronger desire for self-display—or perhaps a greater hunger for recognition—than the other members.'
"Hmm... In other words, he doesn't have much team spirit?"
'One could put it that way. In any case, his ambition to show up the rest of the group or seize leadership for himself is plain to see.'
"...That's rare."
Jin meant "rare" in the sense that none of his fellow engineers in the Jin Family had that kind of personality.
Naturally, he knew full well that the wider world was crawling with ambitious engineers like that.
"Could he serve as a wedge to drive between the Progressers and the Jagus Principality?"
'No, it is still too early to tell.'
Laojun gave its measured reply and turned back to mapping out their next move.