Laojun decided to send its mobile terminal, Laozi, into the ruins of Mount Nakyu.
Laozi had the appearance of an elderly butler, and as a result of recent improvements, possessed roughly thirty percent of Reiko's current performance capacity.
"Let us prepare the necessary equipment, focusing on safety."
First, it prepared a barrier projector.
Of course, one was already built into Laozi, but deploying multiple layers allowed for an even stronger barrier.
"Next, an emergency transporter."
This magi-device utilized Teleportation magic to relocate the user, with an effective range of roughly 500 meters to 10 kilometers. The exact distance scaled in proportion to the magical energy supplied.
"And two Little-Smith units as emergency support personnel."
Little-Smiths were 40-centimeter-tall—quarter-sized—Smith golems.
Their diminutive size gave them a distinct advantage when hiding or escaping. Furthermore, they fully possessed the craftsmanship and technical capabilities expected of a Smith.
They were equipped with transporters as well.
"Lastly, shall we prepare a Raptor for backup?"
The Raptor was an aircraft designed for covert operations. It was a single-engine two-seater with a standard cruising speed of 400 kilometers per hour. When engaging its barrier projector, it could reach a maximum speed of Mach 3.
Piloting duties were assigned to Sky 999. Although designated as a two-seater, that was purely a physical cabin space constraint, not a weight limitation.
Thus, having four units aboard—Sky 999, Laozi, and the two Little-Smiths—presented no issue whatsoever.
"This should be sufficient."
With preparations complete, Laojun immediately set the plan in motion.
Laozi, Little-Smith 1, Little-Smith 2, and Sky 999 boarded Raptor 1.
"Commencing transfer."
Via the transporter, Raptor 1 materialized instantly in the skies above Mount Nakyu.
The weather below was overcast.
"Shall we head to the ruins first?"
The ruins of Mount Nakyu had previously been surveyed by Avalon, and officially, they were currently under the joint management of Deus Ex Machina and Nostalgia.
Furthermore, Nostalgia had fully delegated all administrative authority to Deus Ex Machina.
In short, Hourai Island held effective control.
Stepping into the ruins, therefore, presented no political or jurisdictional problems.
Leaving Raptor 1 on standby within the cloud cover, Laozi headed into the depths of the ruins with a Little-Smith perched on each shoulder.
These ruins had originally been left behind by the Progenitors and later modified by Markitus.
Because Markitus possessed technical prowess rivaling Jin's own, the facility's interior was exceedingly intricate.
"Hmm... it seems there were indeed uninvestigated areas," Laojun—or rather, Laozi—concluded as he methodically made his way through the complex.
"After all, back during the initial survey, there was no technology here that My Lord urgently required."
Consequently, they had not conducted an exhaustive search up to Hourai Island's rigorous standards.
Eventually, Laozi arrived at the chamber Markitus had once used as a command room.
The golems that had once served Markitus stood completely dormant.
"'Transferring knowledge'... I suspect this is the key."
Performing a Trans Info into an automata.
Just as Jin and Reinhard had deduced, applying it directly would produce nothing more than an "automata possessing human knowledge." However, if the control system could be properly configured, a true "automata with an implanted persona" would be achieved.
Yet for the five "people" currently aboard the enemy vessel, things seemed to have gone awry in that exact process.
"The research lab confirmed via Peeper should be just beyond here."
It lay hidden behind an ordinary, unremarkable wall. Without a Peeper, finding it would have been nearly impossible.
"Back then, we left matters in the hands of Nostalgia, after all..."
Judging that Markitus's technology, while inferior to Hourai Island's, would prove greatly beneficial to Nostalgia, they had entrusted the bulk of the investigation to them.
Thanks to that, Nostalgia's technological base had advanced considerably, but it had also allowed oversights like this to slip through.
"The mechanism to open it should be... like this."
Having analyzed both the Peeper telemetry and the local flow of mana, Laozi pressed his palm against the surface and channeled mana of the requisite wavelength.
Without a sound, the wall slid open.
"Without a doubt, this is the place."
Little-Smith 1 and Little-Smith 2 hopped down from his shoulders and immediately set to work inspecting the chamber.
Laozi transmitted the primary visual feed back to Hourai Island, where Laojun, Jin, Reinhard, and Saki observed the feed in real time.
Both Laozi and the Little-Smiths carried out their survey meticulously, taking care not to disturb the thick layer of dust blanketing the room.
Back on Hourai Island, Jin and his companions watched the incoming footage with keen interest.
"It certainly has the feel of a secret workshop."
"Yeah. The equipment is remarkably well-appointed," Jin remarked, sounding mildly impressed.
Even so, the workshop showed no signs of use for a very long time, left entirely to ruin.
"Was the last time this place was active... perhaps even before Markitus's era?" Reinhard asked.
"Hmm... It certainly looks that way," Jin agreed.
"Kufu, judging by the dust buildup, it seems to have sat abandoned for ages," Saki chimed in, concurring based on the room's desolate state.
"Just as the Peeper indicated, was Larva really manufactured here?" Reinhard tilted his head thoughtfully.
"The likelihood is high... Though that still leaves the question of who actually built it."
That question was answered almost immediately.
"My Lord, I have located a template."
"Oh, excellent."
A template served as the foundational blueprint used when manufacturing magi-devices.
While several formats existed, recording a three-dimensional blueprint into a magi-crystal was the most common method.
The template discovered here was precisely that type.
"Let us transmit a magi-crystal from our side, perform a Trans Info to duplicate the data, and retrieve it."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm looking forward to analyzing it."
With that settled, Jin turned his attention back to the engagement against Neo-Magias.
Aboard the Neo-Magias flagship...
Reiko and Rei had been wreaking havoc across the deck when Jin's voice cut in.
"That should be enough. Fall back."
The moment the order came through, both complied without hesitation.
"Father, I have returned."
Jin D was currently being piloted directly by Jin himself.
"Good work. We've got no more business on this ship. Let's pull out."
"Yes, Master!"
Jin D, Deus Ex Machina, Reiko, and Rei boarded the descending Taube.
Without taking a single hit from enemy fire, the Taube lifted cleanly and soared into the sky.
"Now, what would be the best way to handle this..."
Meanwhile, Jin was turning the problem over in his mind.
"Simply wiping them out would be easy enough, but..."
That wouldn't provide a fundamental solution. As long as they were automata, destroying those five "people" once would merely mean they would be rebuilt and reappear down the line...
Jin fell deep into thought, searching for a more effective strategy.