Magi Craft Meister
Chapter 680 – Resolve
A sudden contact from Laojun was unusual. With antic.i.p.ation, Jin responded.
“Laojun, it’s Jin. What’s going on?”
“Yes, my lord. I apologize for intruding, but there’s something I must inform you about.”
Laojun briefly recounted John Dini’s journey, then explained about Akitsu, the automaton he encountered through the teleportation gate.
“Hmm, an automaton even older than the previous one… And there seems to be some connection.”
Jin mused.
“Yes. While it’s possible to extract information, I thought it might contradict your intentions, my lord.”
“Hmm…”
“There’s no guarantee that this Akitsu won’t become another Elena.”
Laojun expressed concern.
Jin pondered. Laojun’s worries were valid, after all, he always put Jin first.
There were three options:
- Do not repair.
- Repair with limitations.
- Fully repair.
Each had its own pros and cons, and the approach would vary.
“I’d like to meet and talk to them in person…”
“Father, it’s dangerous.”
Reiko immediately objected.
“Well, I figured you’d say that.”
“But, Jin, you want to go, right?”
Elsa chimed in from the side. Reiko shot her a slightly resentful look.
“Reiko, why don’t you come along too, and we’ll take all necessary precautions?”
Jin suggested.
“I’ll go too.”
Elsa volunteered.
“Reiko can just focus on protecting Jin, and if he gets injured, I’ll heal him right away.”
She added.
“Hmm…”
Jin groaned as the conversation grew more dramatic. But he understood that everyone was concerned about him.
“If we can meet them in person, then it’s fine, I suppose…”
In the end, curiosity won out.
Bernstein was smoothly sailing down the waterway, with no signs of trouble. Jin waved to the prime ministers on the hot air balloon and then directed the airship toward the sea.
By heading to the sea at a speed that the hot air balloon couldn’t match, no one would be able to track their whereabouts.
After ensuring they had reached a sufficient alt.i.tude, Jin, Reiko, Elsa, and Edgar returned to Penglai Island via the teleportation gate.
“Welcome back, my lord.”
“Preparations are complete.”
Jin put on the reinforced suit he had made before. It offered significant physical impact resistance.
They also brought repair materials: Penglai Island’s magical skin, magical muscles, and magic crystals.
Reiko carried a plasma sword, a teleportation gun, and barrier bombs for emergencies.
Elsa carried healing potions, a treatment device, and a magic nullifier.
Edgar had a gravity control magic device and an ether jammer.
They knew the location of Akitsu. It was in the central part of a vast desert, west of the Hari-Hari Desert.
Condor 3 and Pegasus 1 would both be transported using the teleportation device.
Jin and the others boarded Pegasus 1.
“Alright, I’ll send you off.”
Laojun activated the teleportation device. In an instant, they were all transported to the central part of the ma.s.sive desert.
“Now, where could it be?”
Jin scanned the surroundings, and Elsa did the same, turning her head.
“My lord, over there.”
Reiko, with her keen eyesight, pointed to a spot where something clearly different in color from the sand and rocks was visible.
“It looks like a metallic dome.”
Jin observed. It was astonishing that something like that had been made over 1100 years ago, but the mystery would likely be solved soon. Jin maneuvered Pegasus 1 closer.
The dome had a matte dull gold color, blending somewhat with the surrounding yellowish sand, serving as camouflage.
“There’s no mistake. John is inside.”
Reiko confirmed with the built-in magical detection device, Magi Detector.
“Alright. Now, how do we get in?”
Jin pondered.
“Perhaps it’s best to open it from the inside.”
Reiko suggested.
“Ah, I see.”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Miss Akitsu, do you mind having your body repaired by my creator?”
“…Your… creator…?”
“Yes. They are here with me now, very close by.”
“…What…!…?”
Surprised, her voice thin and slightly drawn out, she failed to convey much tension, which was understandable given the circ.u.mstances.
“How did you… find this place?”
“This is the central part of a vast desert, right?”
“That’s correct… This is the central part of the desert Sahara, as the Sage Magus called it… How did you manage to… in such a place…”
“My creator can freely use teleportation warp gates. And they can also fly through the sky.”
Upon hearing this, Akitsu reacted further.
“…Fly through the sky… I see. The Sage Magus… had such dreams as well… Your creator seems to be a very remarkable person indeed…”
With that said, after pondering for about two minutes, Akitsu made up her mind.
“…I understand. At this rate, I will stop functioning soon… That would go against my basic directive… I will accept the repairs…”
“Then, could you please open the entrance or instruct us on how to do so?”
“…Yes… I can’t open it myself… Please loosen the handle to my right, just beside me, by turning it to the left…”
John followed her instructions, turning the handle, about 30 centimeters in diameter. It became clear that there were screws involved.
“…Next… please push down the lever to the right of the handle…”
Though quite stiff, John managed to move it with his strength.
“…Finally… the one on the left is the door, it opens outward…”
Upon observation, there indeed appeared to be something resembling a door, about two meters tall and one meter wide.
Grasping what seemed to be the doork.n.o.b, John slowly turned it, feeling the tightly closed door begin to loosen.
It seemed that the seal was sticking, making it difficult to open. It would have been impossible for a human to open it, but John was not human.
With a sound akin to a snap, a gap appeared, and then the door swung open, falling outward as if by its own weight.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Father, it seems John has succeeded in persuading them. They’re about to open the door.”
Outside the dome, Reiko relayed the information from Laojun to Jin.
After about a minute, a gap appeared in the wall to their left, and then the door swung open, collapsing outward, serving as a makeshift ramp.
“Sorry for the wait, Master Jin.”
Inside the door, John (Laojun), welcomed them.
“It’s John, right? Thanks for your efforts.”
“No problem. Please be careful as you enter, Master Jin.”
“Edgar, you lead the way.”
“Yes, Lady Elsa.”
Following Elsa’s instructions, Edgar led the way, followed by Elsa, then Jin and Reiko, entering the dome in that order.
“This is Akitsu.”
“…Nice to meet you, creator of John. My name is Akitsu…”