Volume 9 - Chapter 30 – Report and Jin’s Decision (1/2)
09-30 Report and Jin’s Decision
Jin was curious as he had been told Laojin had reports for him so,
“I’ve got something to do for a bit.”
He said and excused himself from Hannah and the others and returned to Hourai Island before the evening.
Hannah appeared to be sleeping with Mine so he didn’t have to worry.
“Laojin, the reports please.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Laojin began the reports. First he said with regards to the aircraft carrier’s state of progress that construction had begun. Then he spoke regarding the state of the mass production of the golems’ weapons: the Vibration Blades, Paralyzers, and Magi Jammers.
And about how the Mermaid unit had found resources at the bottom of the ocean. They were in the middle of prospecting to find out if anything could be dug out.
Then,
“We learned as a result of the investigations on whether or not Celuroa Kingdom’s administrations’ important personnel are affected by [Hypno] or [Seduce] that most of the people appeared to be under some kind of influence.”
He reported.
“What… the…”
The situation was alarming.
“Apologies for getting the order of the reports mixed up, but incidentally we’ve confirmed that by means of Magic Energy pattern detection it is possible to distinguish whether or not magic of the mental manipulation type has been used on a given subject.”
“What? That’s good news, huh.”
In the middle of bad news there was this large development.
“When monitoring the Magic Energy Pattern, the normal response is usually a flat status which in an agitated state becomes a pattern with peaks. If the mind is under manipulation then the status stays flat constantly. However, its level is as high as when in an agitated state.”
Hearing that, Jin nodded like he understood.
“I think I understand. It’s something like always being in an agitated state.”
“Yes. It’s possible to use the [Shock] magic to dispel it. It doesn’t seem necessary to expressly agitate them as it was stated earlier.”
It seemed that Laojin had experimented on clearly affected people. According to him they recovered without any after-effects.
“Well, leaving aside the right and wrong of human experimentation, you’ve done well. From now on doing things will become easier.”
“Thank you very much. And then…”
Laojin told Jin more bad news.
“Reinhardt-sama was attacked. Only some time ago did the SP protecting Reinhardt-sama report.”
“What! Tell me the details.”
Then Laojin explained to him about Reinhardt’s meeting with the Magi Craftsman named Donald and the Automata named Elena, about how Elena’s attitude suddenly changed partway through, and about how the SP, Elena, and Donald’s golems fought. And that Reinhardt himself was safe. And then about how Donald was the second seat of the Unifilers.
Finally he said that because the ManaCom given to Reinhardt had been accidentally broken the contact came from the SP protecting Reinhardt.
“I see, so I’ve got to give him a ManaCom again, huh.”
“Reinhardt-sama himself has moved to stay in Shouro Empire’s supply base accompanied by Matheus-sama and his subordinates.”
Laojin said, bringing the explanation to an end.
Jin felt relieved that Reinhardt was saved along with feeling his anger towards the Unifilers resurface.
“They can’t be tolerated any more, huh.”
He then thought he should give Reinhardt a new ManaCom as soon as possible along with remodeling Sage and Cosmos who were protecting him to be more powerful.
“Even so, that Automata Elena or something seems to be quite the thing. Although the SP aren’t that powerful, she can fight evenly or better against two of them.”
“Did you find out what this Automata is like?”
Ann who had been silently listening until now suddenly cut in. Laojin answered her question.
“Yes. It seems she has golden hair, crimson eyes, white skin, and outwardly appears to be at an age between a girl and an adult woman.”
After hearing that the tone of Ann’s voice rose.
“That’s! It’s her!”
“Her?”
Interested in what Ann said, Jin instructed her to explain.
“I said ‘her’ because her name wasn’t known. Just before and in the early days of the Great Magic war, there was a mysterious golem appearing frequently. She looked just like a human and completely destroyed golems and Automata built by people mostly indiscriminately.”
“What the?”
“Having said that the Automata was no ally of the devil race, as she also brought down countless of them who meddled in her affairs.”
“Hmm, I wonder if she’s got an objective of any kind?”
“That’s unknown. A part of the soldiers took to calling her the ‘Golden Princess of Destruction’ though. ”
“The Golden Princess of Destruction, is it? Just from what I’ve heard I get the feeling like she’s gone berserk.”
Jin said as he knit his brows, and Reiko who was at his side also agreed.
“That seems to be the case, I can vaguely imagine it. Surely that Automata is running wild because she has no Master.”
When Reiko said it it sounded somewhat credible.
“In which case that Automata wasn’t made by that Donald guy, but is from much earlier right?”
“Yes, it’s surely something made before the Great Magic War.”
Ann brought the question to a close.
“Hmm, why is an Automata like that together with the second seat of the Unifilers?”
Jin wracked his brains but an answer didn’t come.
Then more bad news came in.
“My Lord, just now a report came from Regulus-2, the Quinta dispatched to Cline Kingdom’s capital Alban.”
“Mh-hm, so?”
“Cline Kingdom has proclaimed a state of emergency and decreed for the nobles holding territory to organize their troops it seems.”
“Eh?”
“Frantz Kingdom’s invasion is gradually progressing, and this is thought to be for opposing them.”
The look on Jin’s face became even more complex.
“In other words, they’re saying to conscript the people of the domain as soldiers, huh. Even though farmwork is supposed to get busy after this!”
Even supposing that they won, because of the decline in production of agricultural produce they surely wouldn’t be able to avoid the decline of national power.
“War, what a thoroughly stupid act. If you’re going to do that why not have just the people who want war to have a go at it.”
Jin said as if spitting it out.
“I wonder if I should soon go mix up the battlefield.”
That’s the only thing Jin thought about.
“The reason why Kaina Village lost population was war, wasn’t it. And that one village…”