Elena greeted Donald as he stepped into the basement.

"It's okay. I don't know how yet, but the air is not stagnant.

She had the know-how of having investigated many ruins in the past.

"I don't think there is any danger. You know, I'm curious about that door."

But it was too dark to see what Elena was looking at with only Donald's lighted magical tool.

"Elena, it's a little dark in here."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Elena's eyes were bright enough to see, so she apologized and turned on the light.

"<>"

The light was now brighter, and Donald could see the underground chamber more clearly.

"I see, there is nothing in this room except the door. ......"

On the other hand, there is one door at the end of the room, and I think there is something behind it as Elena said.

"Let's go there."

"Yeah, ......."

Either way, we will never know what it is until we go there. Donald and Elena went to the door.

The door had an old-fashioned doorknob that creaked a little but opened slowly.

As soon as the door was opened, a light went on inside. The magic device was still alive and the room seemed to be ventilated.

"What is this place?"

"This seems to be a reference room.

The shelves by the wall are crammed with books.

There is a bit of dust, so Donald covers his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

"It wasn't so dusty in the hall earlier."

"Yes, it was. I wonder if there is a reason for that, for preservation or something.

Elena looks around the room. Her gaze stopped at a corner of the room.

"That's ......."

There was what looked like a magic doll, which could neither be a golem nor an automata.

It was female in shape.

Elena approached the golem to confirm its shape. Donald followed her.

This is a golem, isn't it?

"Yes, it is. But it's trying to look like a human being.

If automata are what we call in modern Japan, then this golem would be a in its own right.

It is made entirely of metal, and of course its hair is also made of metal.

It may be closest to <> that Jin made for Prince Ernest of the Kingdom of Egelea.

"It doesn't seem to be broken."

"It seems to be just lying dormant."

Donald and Elena gently examined the golem. It looked old, but not broken.

"I'd like to see this thing rebooted," Donald said with interest.

Donald said with interest.

"I'd like to see it rebooted. Maybe he's like the librarian in the reference room."

But I didn't know how to reboot it.

"Well, it doesn't seem to start working automatically with ......<>."

"<> doesn't seem to work either. I've tried the old one, and the new one, but there's no response."

It doesn't seem to have lost any of its internal functionality.

"That's right. Another possibility is that there is a grimoire to activate it.

Elena's guess leads them to check the room. And it soon pays off.

"Elena, is this it?"

Donald had found what appeared to be a control unit.

It was not, however, like a TV remote control, but rather was more similar in size and shape to a cathode-ray tube TV.

"It's a magic tool, isn't it?

"Is this the mechanism to activate it?"

Elena and Donald carefully analyzed the device.

"I'm sure this is the right one.

Elena pressed the activation switch, and a part of the control unit lit up. It seems to be a magic screen.

"Elena, there is something written on it.

"It's a little bit old-fashioned. ...... um, <>.

While she was saying this, the letters on the screen were changing.

"<>?

"A riddle, huh?"

Elena read out the words and Donald groaned.

"...... a chair, you know. The one with the backrest."

As soon as Elena muttered this, the text on the screen changed.

"I wonder if there are more riddles to come. ......<

"What is it?"

Elena tilted her head and Donald twisted his head.

If Jin had asked, he would have immediately understood that this was an old Japanese riddle.

"Isn't that a sewing needle?"

A voice came from behind Elena and Donald. It was a guard.

"We have been looking for you since you did not come back. We've set up a rope ladder so it should be easy for you to get back.

He told us to use our own judgment, so we could not complain about this.

He also said that there was no danger and, moreover, that "if you stand up, you will be lowered,

"<>"

the next riddle was displayed.

"The ceiling.

Again the guard answered, and the screen switched.

"Oh, it seems I was right. You're a good man, aren't you?

Donald praised the silent guard.

"No, I've only heard such riddles back home."

"I see. Your hometown is ......."

Donald, not now. I think we're finally going to get it up and running."

Elena interrupted Donald.

Just as Donald said that, a light came on in the eyes of the halted golem.

* * * *

"......It's definitely a riddle in the vein of <>."

On Horai Island, Jin was watching the scene.

"A riddle... ...... I miss it..."

Jin remembers how the Director used to tell him riddles.

The guards are the fifth column (quinta).

The answer to the riddle was given by Jin through the old man.

"But I'm a little curious about the librarian golem ......."

The old man apologized, but Jin said he did not mind.

"No matter how competent you are, the continent is huge. It is understandable, don't worry about it."

.

Jin and the others then turned their attention back to the screen from the <>.

* * * * * *

"Are you a seeker of knowledge?

"Oh, how do you know it's been a long time since I've seen you?

Elena interrupted Golem's words.

"Of course I understand. I'm the only one who has been idle, the ticking clock has been working all along. According to ......, this world has repeated the seasons 232 times since I paused.

From these words, we know that this golem was put in abeyance after the fall of the .

Elena asks him about that time.

Do you know how the kingdom was destroyed?

Yes, I do. Yes, I know. This underground facility was built to avoid that terrible epidemic.

And then the golem spoke up: .......