The day after the centipede extermination — Hourai Island, 3rd of July.
Stearleana came back and they were having a sort of review meeting.
“I assumed our current defenses were more than enough but I came to realize that they’re insufficient,” said Jin.
He thought there was not anyone Hourai Island’s current forces couldn’t assassinate.
Reinhardt and the others couldn’t also say that it was just Jin worrying too much.
“If we consider the worst case scenario, getting stronger isn’t really a bad thing… one could just not use their strength if it isn’t needed.”
Even Saki came up and said so. It seems yesterday’s experience was intense.
“Master, in my opinion, the weapons’ specialities are somewhat unbalanced.”
An gave her remark. Elsa and Reinhardt had known about her but Saki, Belche, Mine and Stearleana saw her for the first time.
As Laojun’s right-hand, she is the one receiving reports from the Quinta and usually giving out orders to prevent any sort of unfavorable situation for Jin or the Hourai Island. It might be appropriate to call her the manager behind the scenes.
She was also attending the meeting this time as Jin wanted to hear her opinion as the strategist.
“In terms of long-range combat, we got lasers and the Magi cannon.”
An continued.
“As for medium to long-range, we have the Induction Radiator but there’s a possibility it may not work against some opponents. For close combat, there’s the Vibration Sword and Paralyzer as well as the Golem and Titan squad as our resource.”
Jin just silently listened.
“As for defense, we have Barrier and Magi Jammer and Treatment Cure for support.”
An then went on to give her opinion from a different perspective as well.
“We have enough anti-personnel firepower for swordsmen or magicians or the like. However, against monsters, if we consider extermination is an option, we do not really have the means to properly deal against a case like yesterday’s one where the battle took place in a very limited area. It is also unfavorable that the titans are not armed.”
Reinhardt had decided to just keep silent and listen but he couldn’t help but speak up there.
“H-However, I do not think such opponents would appear often, right?”
“Not exactly. The Death Serpent Mr. Reinhardt defeated before and the Sandworms in Harihari desert would be a good example.” said Reiko.
Although all of these were in the past and Reiko did defeat them, they came attacking without caring about the damage to the environment.
“I plan on using the magic sword-I mean, the plasma sword like this time in such a case.”
“…We don’t have a blunt-type weapon.”
“Elsa?!”
Jin was surprised to see Elsa say that. Not just Jin, even Reinhardt and the others too.
“…We are all allies. It’s only natural that I want to help brother Jin.”
“…That is true. Elsa did say the other day that he was taking too much upon himself, too. Sorry, Jin. I guess we were kinda being spoiled by you as well.”
“Yeah. Mr. Jin, you don’t have any piercing weapon either, right?”
“There’s also the option of binding the enemy, like, with a rope or chains, you know?”
“Light, water, bullets… we have those, so heat or ice, maybe?”
Seeing everyone try and come up with useful ideas made Jin really happy. Lance, drill, mace, heat rays, freezing, anchor rope, etc.
These along with the in-development Mana Bomb and Gravity Weapon would be close to idealistic.
“Also, you have too many weapons focusing on just power.”
“Right, I guess you can say that. Especially in close-range. There are too many one-shot KO ones.”
Even Jin admitted to it. For anti-personnel, the paralyzer would sort of work that way.
“How about throwing knives or darts or a small calibre gun, like some kind of a projectile weapon?”
They were precisely doing what is known as brainstorming at the moment.
“(Throwing knives, gun, spear, mace, rod, drill, anchor rope, heat rays and freezing, eh…)”
Laojun, who had been observing their conversation, already started working on the possible ones from these as their discussion ended.
Since the discussion about weapons reached a point where they can take a break, it was time for tea. Reiko’s subordinates, Luna and Soleil came in with tea.
“By the way, Laojun, you said ‘We still have 2 other cards to play’ that time, what did you have in mind?”
Reinhardt asked as he drank his tea.
“Yes. One was to freeze them with ice magic. Arthropod… it’s an insect so I assumed it would be weak in low temperatures. The other was to have Ms. Reiko throw a Magi Cannon’s cannonball at it.”
They do seem effective methods.
“However, neither could match up to my lord’s method.”
“Even I didn’t think of freezing.” Jin said after a laugh.
The group then moved onto the next topic.
“Let’s have Laojun explain to us everything we know about the enormous centipedes.”
Jin said after a sip of his tea.
“Yes, it is still not clear why the pedes grew that big, however, we have made significant progress in analyzing the materials.”
Since these gigantic centipedes were able to give a hard time to even the Hourai Island forces, it would be safe to assume that their material would be excellent.
“Their outer shell is extremely tough. It reflects almost 90% of laser beams. It is assumed that this percentage can be further increased through additional processing.”
These materials seem to be perfect for shield or armor.
“It is still unclear how a creature living in the depths of the Earth acquired such high resistance to light.”
It’s only natural for the creatures which live underground to be weak to light. In fact, the Grand Spider and Grand Caterpillar hate light.
“We found out that their liquid ends up melting most things. As of now, the only materials it can not melt are the pede’s body itself and the Grand Spider’s string. The Sea Dragon’s material also gets melted.”
“So it melts anything other than the material taken from subterranean monsters.”
“Yes. We have collected about 2 tons of the said liquid from 5 of the bodies and stored them in a container made out of the Grand Spider’s resin and Ether Stocker. Its composition is still being researched.”
Chances are high that it is not something like acid or alkali-not some well-known chemical.
“Even adamantite melts?”
“Yes. It can melt aluminium, gold, platinum, mythril, adamantite and stainless steel. However, the rate at which it melts is low. Although it was just a little, the Lands’ legs also were melted.”
“Did the vibration sword also melt?”
“As it was used to cut down such a big number of those pedes, the majority of them will not be of any use unless they’re restored.”
“I understand. Continue with the analysis.”
Jin thinks it will lead to discovering the secrets behind the Gigantic Centipedes. Of course, weaponizing the materials also falls under his plan.
“In addition, the liquid is also highly volatile. There is almost none of it remaining in the scene now. It seems the evaporated gas is of no harm for some reason. We’re still looking into it.”
Hearing that, Jin remembered that there were agricultural chemicals which made things harmless through chemical reaction or UV rays. It is fortunate that it did not turn into poisonous gas.
“I repaired the damaged Lands but what happened to the general purpose golem I made in Klein Kingdom?”
“…!”
Elsa was surprised to hear that. After all, she was there when Jin made that golem. And she also knows that Jin has an attachment towards his creations.
“Yesterday, after Ms. Gloria and the others finished inspecting the scene, we collected all 10 units but they are in a terrible state.”
“I would assume so.”
“It would be better if you saw it with your own eyes.”
Laojun projected the collected golems in the magic screen.
“……That’s terrible.”
Both legs and arms were gone. There was a hollow in its torso and many wounds and holes. Damage all over the head.
It did not even have its original form.
“It would be easy to fix.”
After all, this is Hourai Island.
“But… I don’t want to hand it to them ever again.” Jin laid bare his true feelings.
“Yea, I think that would be better. The princess and the king are probably sincere. Ms. Lishia, Ms. Gloria, Mr. Bolton and Ms. Jessica too…”
Elsa, who had gone to Klein Kingdom together with Jin, had a similar opinion.
“I just heard this from others but… it seems the king of the Klein Kingdom does not really hold much power. The system isn’t changing for the better.”
Reinhardt’s opinion about the Klein Kingdom as a diplomat expressed its current twisted state.
“Dear, by that do you mean that the few nobles with territory gather, and then they choose and set up a king among them as a mediator?”
“Yea, Bell. That’s more or less correct.”
“Umm… there’s no actual authenticity to this rumor but… I heard that the Francis Kingdom and the Celuroa Kingdom are pulling the strings behind the scenes to shave off the royal family’s already weakened authority.”
The chances of that sure are high since Stearleana is saying it, considering she is from Celuroa Kingdom.
“That is certainly true. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Celuroa Kingdom is the one doing most of it.’
Such information could only be acquired by Laojun and the Quinta dispatched to different locations. He even added that he did not really pay much heed to this as it did not seem like it would put Jin in a disadvantageous spot.
That in itself is not a problem. They had no intention of meddling with cross-national matters. However, the matter is different if it were to affect him and his acquaintances.
“It seems they are narrowing their target to the nobles who are full of pride with no skill and sowing seeds of alienation.”
“‘All warfare is based on deception’, eh?”
“Jin, what do you mean?”
Reinhardt didn’t let that go.
“Eh? Ah, ‘all warfare is based on deception’? Umm, it is a famous saying from my world, left by a military strategist Sun Tzu… I think?”
“Oho? Does that mean, Jin, you also have knowledge as a strategist!?”
“No, it’s more of a thing from education, I guess? Like a maxim… but that’s about it.”
In reality, he actually acquired it from a manga.
“And, well, what was it again… ah, right, a war won without fighting is the best, is what it means… I think.”
That was Jin’s limit.
It actually means ‘The goal of any conflict is to control your opponent and overcome them’. In other words, winning without fighting is better than winning by fighting.
“I see, winning without fighting, eh? And that’s the purpose of diplomacy and strategies. It is certainly true, that in terms of territory, personnel and resources, it is definitely better to win without fighting.”
As expected of Reinhardt, he was able to comprehend what Sun Tzu meant.
“W-wait, Reinhardt, the conversation is getting derailed…”
Had Saki not said that, Reinhardt was about to go off about diplomacy and strategies himself.
“Right… Seed of alienation, eh? Well, let’s put that aside ‘till any real harm comes of it. However, always keep a grip of the situation.”
As he had said earlier as well, as long as the countries are restraining, Jin did not plan on doing anything.
“It would be all fine if only Lies were to marry Egelea.”
Jin blurted out something quite serious nonchalantly.
“What would be the best for Kaina village?”
Jin asked, looking at the others.