93: The Transformed Magelania

"Just to confirm, Satā-sama's main body is currently above the 'Cool Cocatrix,' in satellite orbit, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's there. Just to avoid interfering with the exploration, that's all."

"To know the location of Satā-sama's main body, which should be invisible... That's an incredible capability, 'Hetero Mirror'."

"Satā-sama's main body is huge. It really surprised me."

First, the key point is that 'Ishui Kyō' seems capable of roughly sensing the location of cosmic monsters residing in alternate dimensions like hyperspace—more precisely, entities that possess different operating systems—by allowing me to perceive their position from my vantage point observing the real space from the ether space.

And within the range of perceivable real space, it's approximately 0.01 light-years—having enough range to detect objects within the same stellar system, at least for now.

Well, since it's just a prototype, there are quite a few questionable aspects, apparently.

But even with such a prototype, one thing is certain.

"Then, we can indeed assume that Megalina is located underwater. By cross-referencing the map of Planet Flaretanbo 1... here it is. At a depth of about 500 meters below what's considered sea level, there's a signal detected that doesn't match Satā-sama—something else, an alien monster from beyond space."

That there exists an alien monster other than me within Planet Flaretanbo 1.

Mekushi and Joharish seem to have captured its signal through the "Hishui Mirror."

"Satā"

"Let's direct it."

"W-wait, there's huge noise running through the 'Hishui Mirror'!"

"Let's record it. It's valuable data."

The location captured by the "Hishui Mirror" is right in the middle of the ocean.

And approximately 500 meters deep in the sea.

Around it, water spheres compressed by layers of water and air swarm densely, making entry difficult even with modifications, and investigation is far from straightforward.

I see. If one has the means to endure, this could indeed be an ideal spot for concealment.

Yet, being in the Ether Space allows me to move freely, disregarding physical objects and laws in the real space, and since I can see them directly, this location is nothing special to me.

If you're asking me to search through an endless sea, that's another matter. But if I have a general idea of the location, I can definitely find what I'm looking for.

Especially since it's running on a different OS and isn't even hiding, it would stand out as an anomaly, making it impossible to miss.

"Coordinates matched. Master Satā."

"It's here. Probably Méglinia."

"Probably?"

The one I believe to be Méglinia looks quite different from the images seen during the tea gathering or captured by the unit’s camera when they went to apprehend it. Wait—let me write this down.

Still, the appearance of what I believe to be Méglinia is quite unlike anything I’ve known.

It isn’t wearing any clothing at all… well, that’s probably beside the point.

There’s a pearl-like glow emanating from various parts of its body.

Also, it seems the water sphere is being repelled by telekinesis, staying clear of Megalynia's body.

"Speaking of which, wouldn't the other side sense Satā's presence? And what about Megalynia reversing our detection?"

"If that's the case, they're probably already reacting. Right now, Megalynia looks to me like she's just resting. Also, I won't rule out the possibility that some of the cosmic monsters can reverse detection. I'm not saying this because I'm special or anything—just that anything's possible. Different operating systems, after all."

"I see. So in that sense, the 'Hetero Mirror' is just a prototype, then. I'll keep that in mind."

"Note, Mr. Johalis. Let's establish that, going forward, the use of the 'Hetero Mirror' will be under my permission, shall we?"

"Understood. Master Vee."

"Got it. Lady Virijianira."

Maglenia's presence here now... it's as if she came after dismantling the Spesfana Baronial family, then moved through the sewers to the outskirts or river, and from there to the sea.

If she can wield telekinesis on herself, then that kind of movement would be easy enough.

Perhaps her plan is to stay submerged in the deep sea until nightfall, then surface onto land to attack Vilijaniara or other humans once darkness sets in.

There are various mods that allow one to function normally even in total darkness, just like the night vision mod I'm currently using, but still—night is night.

It's fundamentally a time for rest, making guard duty and vigilance significantly harder.

So attacking during this time makes perfect sense.

"Done."

"……Sata."

"It's not me who's naked—he's the one not wearing clothes. Besides, I don't get aroused by ordinary humans."

"No, that's not important right now. What matters is, is this drawing by Sata accurate?"

"Huh? Hmm... I'm not a professional, you know. If you're asking about accuracy, there might be some slight discrepancies..."

"I see."

For now, the three-view drawing of what appeared to be a Megalini-like alien creature was complete.

Since the drawing was made by a humanoid hand based on what the body's eyes saw, finer details—like the eyes or mouth—might not be perfectly accurate, but the overall body outline shouldn't be off by much.

When I relayed that to Vilijanira, this was her response:

"It seems we can indeed consider it a Megalini. The skeletal structure and proportions of the body parts I remember from Megalini closely match Satā's drawing."

"You're truly impressive, Vee..."

"It's because of your eyes, Vee-sama."

"A little scary, that is."

Apparently, based on what my drawing could interpret, they managed to determine whether the person I was observing was Megalini or not, using the 'Hetero Mirror.'

Well, given the precision of the Vriljaniira's eyes, I can trust it.

"Johalis-san. Contact Lord Flaretanbo."

"Understood."

"Memo. Notify the intelligence unit as well."

"Yes, understood."

"Sata. Keep monitoring Meaglinia as is."

"Got it. I've already memorized the feel of Meaglinia's OS, so I should be able to keep up at normal cruising speed."

Now that the target has been located, let's move in to secure it.