Chapter 679

Magi Craft Meister

Chapter 679 – Akitsu

“Is this…?”

For a brief moment, a magic circle appeared at his feet, so short-lived that a human might not have noticed it. But to the old sage, it was a familiar sight.

“A teleportation gate! Warp gate!”

In an instant, John’s form vanished.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Where am I…?”

“This seems to be the central part of the vast desert west of the Hari-Hari Desert.”

Using his magical radar, the old sage of Hourai Island swiftly located where John had been sent.

“…Who’s there?”

A feeble voice emanated from the darkness ahead. John switched his vision to infrared.

There was a figure in the room’s depths, seated in a grand armchair. As he drew closer, it became clear that it was one of the ‘entities’ spoken of.

An automaton.

“I am John Dini. I’ve been instructed by Chief Hiro to come here. I’m here to inquire what needs to be done.”

“…Ah, now it’s you…”

“Would you mind turning on the lights?”

“…Sure, please.”

Even though he could see with infrared, regular light was preferable for detailed observation.

John conjured up a Light Orb to illuminate the room.

The interior brightened instantly.

“…It’s been a long time since the lights malfunctioned…”

The automaton murmured in a frail voice.

“So, what should I do?”

While he could guess, it was better to confirm.

“…Please… repair me…”

It was the answer John had expected.

“I am an automaton… I have been in existence for a long time… Various parts of my body are damaged…”

Under the bright light, the extent of the damage became clear.

Originally fashioned in the likeness of a beautiful woman, most of her hair had fallen out, one eye had dislodged, leaving an empty socket.

The magical skin had lost its elasticity, cracked in several places.

While the clothing seemed intact at first glance, closer inspection revealed it to be threadbare, ready to disintegrate with the slightest movement.

Perhaps staying in the dark was to prevent further deterioration caused by light exposure.

“…The last time… I received maintenance was about seventy years ago… Even then, I couldn’t repair my body… Only the vocal functions were restored…”

The old sage recalled Ann, whom Jin had found and repaired.

Created over three hundred years ago, she had malfunctioned due to neglect.

The automaton sitting before him had been serviced intermittently, yet degradation was inevitable.

“I apologize for the intrusion, but how many years ago were you created? And who exactly are you?”

“I vaguely recall… around 1100 years ago… Considering this year is 3457…”

The old sage was stunned. 1100 years ago. An automaton created before Jin’s predecessor, Adrianna Balbora Ceci.

“I am… the inheritor of the knowledge of the Sage Magus Shuki Ceci… I exist to impart wisdom to the people of Mitsuho… My name is… Akitsu…”

Shuki Ceci. There was no mention of him in Jin’s knowledge. But he might be associated with Adrianna Balbora Ceci, the old sage thought.

“The Sage Magus Shuki Ceci, huh? What kind of person was he? Did he create you?”

“No, he couldn’t use engineering magic… It was one of his disciples who created me…”

“I see… My apologies. Let’s start by examining your body.”

Deciding that repairing the automaton in front of him took precedence over conversation, John declined and reached out to touch Akitsu.

Unexpectedly, Akitsu spoke.

“…Ah, are you…? Are you also… an automaton?”

To his surprise, Akitsu, the automaton, instantly discerned that John was also an automaton.

It seemed inheriting knowledge was no mere phrase, the old sage noted.

Deciding to be honest, the old sage reasoned that the automaton before him didn’t seem like a threat.

Instead, he believed that honesty might yield more information.

“At this point, it’s strikingly similar to Jin that there’s no option to forcibly extract knowledge from the automaton.”

“Yes, indeed. I am an automaton created by my maker.”

Upon hearing this, Akitsu responded with an impressed tone.

“Ah, so… There are still skilled Magi Engineers in this world. Well then, what is your purpose?”

“To be honest, it’s to investigate the country of Mitsuho. There are rumors that this country is planning to invade our homeland.”

At these words, Akitsu shook her head slightly.

“That… seems highly unlikely… I have never suggested such a thing…”

“But there are records from about 300 years ago of an invasion, aren’t there?”

Akitsu fell silent for a moment, seeming to ponder something, then unexpectedly revealed:

“During that time… there was a drastic decrease in the ambient free magical energy in the space… As a result, I experienced a malfunction and was inactive for about 10 years…”

The old sage concluded it was undoubtedly due to the Aether Stampede phenomenon.

“And… since then… I haven’t been able to move…”

Akitsu then recounted how the people of Mitsuho, upon learning of her inactivity, sought Magusmiths capable of repairs from the eastern countries, such as the Shouro Empire and the Kogun Kingdom.

It wasn’t contradictory to what he had heard before, about the malfunction of magical devices.

If that were true, it emphasized the urgency of repairing Akitsu.

John carefully examined Akitsu’s body.

“The control core seems to be slightly damaged due to its good preservation. The corrosion of the skeleton is also less advanced than expected. However, there’s no other option but to replace the magical skin and muscles.”

“But… the materials are not easily obtainable…”

Akitsu’s words were accurate. In Mitsuho, where magitech is underdeveloped, materials to repair such advanced automatons are not readily available.

“That’s correct. And one more thing. Without replacing the Aether Converter, it will malfunction due to the current low concentration of free magical energy.”

“The Aether Converter too… I see…”

The Penglai Island faction currently uses the Magical Reactor for magical reactions, but until recently, it was the Aether Converter.

Even in comparison, the installed equipment seemed primitive, leading the old sage to believe that Akitsu was from an era even older than Adrianna Balbora Ceci.

“…I suppose… my purpose has come to an end…”

Akitsu closed her remaining eye, her words reflecting a profound sense of disappointment.

(…)

The old sage pondered.

The automaton before John was an incredibly valuable entity. Letting it decay like this was not acceptable.

However, repairing it didn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t become hostile to Penglai Island. Some knowledge suggested it surpassed even the old sage.

The safest and most beneficial approach would be to let it decay, extract its control core after it stops functioning, and absorb the information.

(But… what would Milord think…)

If Jin found out, he would likely grieve. That was the kind of person Jin was.

In conclusion, he decided to report to Jin and seek his judgment.

＊ ＊ ＊

At Lake Wass, it was the day the naval flagship Bernstein, after several days of test voyages, was departing for the sea.

With minor adjustments and additions to the equipment, it was a resounding success.

The crew had completed their training, and everything seemed to be in order.

“Now, the Bernstein will sail through the waterway and head out to sea. After two days of final checks, we’ll set sail for the Kingdom of Elias. This is not only a first for our nation but also for the neighboring countries, including the Small Group Nations!”

With the captain’s farewell speech concluded, it was time to set sail. Jin, Reiko, Elsa, and Edgar observed from the airship above. The Prime Minister and Minister of Magi Technology watched from the hot air balloon they had arrived in. Reinhardt and Christoph observed from the shore, witnessing the departure of the newly built ship, the Bernstein.

“Sail away!”

With the added equipment, the steam whistle sounded, and the Bernstein slowly departed from the dock.

Nearby residents gathered to bid farewell, and Jin and his companions watched from above.

At that moment, a message came from the Laojun.

“Father, Laojun urgently wants to consult with you.”

“Hmm? What could it be? That’s unusual.”

Since they were in the air, Jin picked up the communication device provided on the airship, the Mana Phone, to talk.