08-35 Reflection
“They’re the criminal group who kidnapped the Shouro Empire diplomat Reinhardt, so I’m leaving dealing with them to you. …Oh, wait a minute.”
As if he had just remembered it, Jin took a Magi Crystal out of his reinforced clothing’s pocket, got nearer the fainted Unifilers and used [Transfer Info] on the man he felt was the most important-looking among them.
“Now I’ll surely get my hands on some information that’s a little better.”
The branch head of the eighth subdivion, Purcell, whose knowledge he read through last time did not have decent information.
And then, the moment he put it back in his pocket.
A figure suddenly rushed out of the darkness and knocked Jin off his feet. Jin’s body sailed through the air and flew a distance of about five meters.
“Jin!”
“Father!”
The one who sent Jin flying was the all-purpose golem that had sunk in the river together with Intact. As its right hand had been destroyed by Reiko with her railgun, getting up from the river took it some time.
Of course, Intact whom it had kept hold of according to his orders had drowned and was no longer of this world.
But the all-purpose golem, while not to the extent of Jin’s golems, was autonomic and when it had confirmed that Intact had died it knew to transfer the rights to command it to the next person, the vice branch head Marcello.
Then when it saw that Marcello had been rendered unconscious and tied down it attacked the enemy standing closest, namely Jin.
Jin who had been launched about five meters by the hit lay on the ground, unmoving.
“How dare you do that… To Father!”
At the same time as Reiko spoke those words she dealt a blow to the all-purpose golem. She brandished the railgun in her hand and struck from overhead.
Reiko used so much strength it could even bend the barrel of the Adamantite-made railgun, literally all of her strength.
For some reason the force didn’t sink the all-purpose golem into the ground, instead it crushed flat as if it was an empty can driven over by a truck.
“Jin! Pull yourself together!”
On the other hand, Reinhardt ran up to Jin to look after him.
“U…uhh?”
“Jin! You’re awake!? Great!”
“Father!”
After defeating the all-purpose golem Reiko also rushed over to Jin’s side at once.
“I am so sorry! Please punish me as you’d like!!”
Reiko knelt down in front of Jin who had returned to consciousness. However, Jin just spoke to her with a kind voice.
“Reiko, I’m okay. So raise your head.”
“J-Jin, are you really okay? You were hit by the golem and launched five meters away, right?”
But Jin replied with a smile.
“Ah, my reinforced clothing defended against the impact. It seems like I somehow fainted, but that appears to be because of the shock of hitting the ground after flying five meters.”
Jin stood up, waved both his hands around and stomped his feet to show he was okay.
“Oh, you really are okay. It didn’t seem like you were alive.”
“Father…”
Reiko looked depressed. If she could cry she would likely be in floods of tears.
Then around her the SP imitated Reiko and knelt down. It was somehow surreal.
“I said I’m fine, everyone. Nothing happened to me.”
The reinforced clothing made with the Sea Dragon as a material was able to bear the strike of the all-purpose golem, although its right hand had been destroyed. It wasn’t a very happy situation, but he did confirm its ability in combat.
“Jin, I’m truly happy that you came to rescue me. But you really should take care of yourself a little more.”
“Eh?”
“Starting with Reiko-chan, the golems are your children. If something happened to you everyone would be sad. You should understand that.”
Even Reinhardt was full of emotions regarding the golems and Automata Jin had built, and he gave Jin a word of warning.
“In the first place, I don’t think you’re cut out to making commands on-site.”
Jin gratefully accepted Reinhardt’s advice that didn’t mince words.
“You’re…right. I understand, I’ll be careful. Thanks, Reinhardt.”
“Mmh.”
And like that, the result of Jin’s consultation with Reinhardt was that the caught Unifilers would be escorted by Land-58, 59, and 60 to the city of Dali, then delivered to Celuroa Kingdom through Shouro Empire’s stationed troops. The fact was that as a diplomat, Reinhardt couldn’t give priority to personal grudges.
After having them go that way on foot, Jin thought about what to do with Reinhardt and Stearina who had yet to wake up.
Eventually, as it was still dark, he decided to take them near Dali with Hydro-5.
“Oooh! So this is a boat Jin made!”
Reinhardt was excited once he saw Hydro-5.
“It’s not moved by a golem, huh!”
As it was a hassle Jin said to calm Reinhardt down that he’d explain it all later, then got on the boat.
As its capacity was more or less four people, all seats were taken with the driver Marine-5, Jin, Reinhardt and Stearina. However, Reiko said,
“I will not be separated from Father.”
She did not yield. With no other choice Jin decided to go while having Reiko sit on his knee. The bent railgun was put in the luggage space. Even like this there was leeway with the load capacity.
“Then, let us depart.”
Marine-5 said and started Hydro-5. As they were going downstream, and although the boat was meant for only four people it moved at a speed of over 50 kilometers per hour.
The Army golems withdrew using Falcon-2, with the exception of Land-58, 59, and 60, who were escorting the Unifilers.
“Reinhardt, I’m just letting you know, but the Celuroa Kingdom guards were very unmotivated, I think? Even when Reinhardt and Stearina-san were kidnapped they didn’t seem to be making any moves.”
“I suppose. I can somehow understand.”
“Besides, the butler, Claude was it? He was apparently shut out of the crime scene.”
Jin explained the details of what Sage and Cosmos of the SP saw when they stopped at the crime scene to investigate.
“Hmm, so they’re that rotten, huh.”
While talking about that, the town of Dali came to sight. They had taken less than 30 minutes. As getting too close would be trouble Hydro-5 approached the riverbank. Here a problem arose.
The town of Dali was on the left side of the river, while the captives were on the right side.
“I guess there’s no other choice. Near here, if I’m not mistaken, there’s a town that I think was called Jiron, but there’s sure to be stationed forces there too. Let’s deliver them there.”
Reinhardt said, and so Hydro-5 went across to the right side of the river.
“Sorry to ask you this, but please somehow explain away my involvement in this. And please take care of Stearina-san.”
Right now, Celuroa Kingdom’s and Shouro Empire’s soldiers would have a lot of question which would just be a waste of time and above all, bothersome to handle.
And so, while feeling sorry about it Jin left all of the cleanup to Reinhardt.
“Good grief, I suppose I have to. In exchange, I hope you’ll make up for it later?”
Reinhardt said and flashed a mischievous smile.
Then,
“What, didn’t I just save you.”
Jin said and smiled.
“Haha, I’m kidding. Well, leave the diplomatic matters to me.”
Reinhardt replied and took things over.
Despite that, Jin was worried about Stearina who still hadn’t woken up, and so Jin left Reinhardt with the word that he’ll have medicine delivered to him afterwards, and had him disembark.
There Reinhardt’s personal guards Sage and Cosmos were already waiting, and the unconscious Stearina was entrusted to them.
They got in touch with Land-58 and the others through ManaCom, and apparently their trip would take about four and a half hours.
“Really sorry about this, Reinhardt. I’ll leave the rest to you!”
Jin left those words behind, Hydro-5 once again started and moved upstream.
Once they were in a place where town of Dali wasn’t in sight, Falcon-1 and 3 landed. Falcon-3 came to a still above the river so that Hydro-5 could be brought on board on suspensions. It sprayed water everywhere.
Then Jin and Reiko boarded Falcon-1. While doing so, Jin took one of the medicine ampoules out of the first-aid kit of the plane, and asked Reiko to quickly deliver it to Reinhardt.
“I understand, but Father, please don’t leave the Falcon no matter what, okay?”
Reiko asked to make sure of it. Jin smiled awkwardly and nodded.
“Now then, I’ll be back soon.”
Reiko said and disappeared.
Reiko traveled the distance of around three kilometers in about a minute. Her speed was nearly 200 kilometers per hour.
“Reinhardt-san.”
“O– oh, Reiko-chan, what’s up?”
“This is restorative medicine. It is very effective, so please use it in two half-doses.”
Reiko said and presented the ampoule of medicine.
“Ah, is that so. Thanks for your trouble.”
Reinhardt thanked her and accepted it.
“I’ll be going now.”
No sooner than Reiko had said so, she turned aside and left like the wind.
“Father! Are you alright!?”
“Oh, Reiko, that was fast.”
“…Great, you’re uninjured.”
“Obviously. Who do you think I am?”
However, Reiko didn’t answer that and,
“Come on, hurry, let’s quickly go home.”
She said. Jin sympathized with Reiko’s sentiments and instructed the piloting Sky-11 to return.
And thus, Falcon-1 and Falcon-3 soared in the skies of dawn.
Hydro-5 was suspended in Falcon-3, but it was still as fast as Falcon-1. This was because by practical use of wind magic, the air streams around the plane’s fuselage could be controlled.
The Pelicans could also do this. All the models with thick fuselages had the same function.
On the return trip to Hourai Island, Jin explained the details of Reinhardt’s rescue to Elsa through ManaCom.
On the other side of the ManaCom Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she was thinking about the time she had been kidnapped herself.
And once that was done with, although only for a brief while, Jin took a nap. Reiko intently stared at Jin’s sleeping face.
Falcon-1 kept flying towards the morning sun rising over the horizon, heading for Hourai Island.