"Good morning. I have something to report," Vesan announced, a voice crisp as Cynthia slowly opened her eyes, the morning light streaming gently across her bed.
"Speak," she commanded, her voice still carrying the sharpness of a leader even in the haze of waking.
"Late last night, I detected a high-energy burst from one of the shard fragments," Vesan reported. "Its origin appears to be due west of Lumenoth."
Cynthia sat up slightly, the information stirring her from her residual drowsiness. Her mind immediately moved to the geopolitical context.
"If it's west of Lumenoth, wouldn't that place it in the Yoman Empire?"
"Based on the geographical records I've reviewed," Vesan replied, "yes the Yoman Empire is the most likely location where the shard was activated."
She narrowed her gaze in thought. "Do you have a precise location, or only a general idea?"
"At present, only a general direction," Vesan admitted. "The shard appears to be bonded to a carrier. Its presence is mobile, which makes pinpointing the exact location inconsistent."
Cynthia swung her legs over the bed and stood with deliberate grace. "Give me my strategic options."
"At this point, I can either continue expanding my search radius to detect additional shards," Vesan began, "or I can concentrate all efforts on tracking this specific one. The latter would improve the chance of locating it, but at the cost of diverting resources from broader detection."
She crossed the room, settling into the armchair near the window. Sunlight cast long streaks across the floor as Vesan followed, hovering silently beside her.
"What's the probability of you successfully locating the shard if you focused on it? And how long would it take?"
"Tracking a mobile shard carrier without a fixed point is imprecise and could take a considerable amount of time," Vesan explained. His mechanical rabbit ears twitched reflexively as he continued. "Unless we devise a way to mark or track the carrier directly, I would have to monitor fluctuations manually, which could be unreliable over long distances."
Cynthia nodded slightly. Her voice softened, shifting topics. "And your analysis of your current form any progress?"
"Yes," Vesan responded. "I've now completed a comprehensive design module based on the schematics of this body. With it, I can initiate the creation of additional Sentinarchs using similar principles."
He gently descended in altitude, hovering just above the table beside her chair.
"Well then, hear me now," Cynthia said firmly, her eyes sharp with resolve. "As a member of the Lumenoth Council, I cannot leave the state. However, what I am meant to accomplish lies beyond Lumenoth's borders. Therefore, I must create Sentinarchs to carry out my will."
She turned her gaze to Vesan. "Scan my years of research and incorporate them into the creation of a collector-type Sentinarch. Its primary focus must be physical adaptability it must be versatile above all else."
"Drafting potential blueprints... calibrating modular Mystic arts..." Vesan responded as he began his calculations, hovering in place. A subtle light flickered from his core as he entered a trance-like state, deep in computational processing.
Observing him, Cynthia rose from her chair and walked to the bedside table. She picked up a silver bell and rang it once. After replacing it, the door opened promptly, revealing Jennifer and Opal standing with perfect poise.
They bowed in unison. "Good morning, Young Miss."
"Opal, quickly go to the library and inform Tet that I need a compendium of all known Mystic, Battle, and Spirit Beasts everything available. Jennifer, you'll be assisting me in the lab today."
"Understood, Young Miss," they replied, bowing again. Then they moved to help her prepare for the day, assisting her with her bath and fresh attire.
Once dressed, Cynthia cradled Vesan's mechanical form in her arms and left the room with swift purpose. Jennifer and Opal followed closely behind her down the corridor.
"Jennifer," Cynthia said without turning, "bring a light meal to the lab. I won't tolerate wasted time today."
"At once, Young Miss," Jennifer replied before veering off toward the kitchen.
As they approached the lab doors, Cynthia turned her head. "Opal."
"Yes, Young Miss?"
Cynthia held out a small, gleaming spatial ring. "Here."
Opal accepted it with both hands and bowed low. "I'll fulfill the task immediately."
Without another word, she turned and departed.
Cynthia stood at the lab's threshold for a moment, letting her eyes sweep over the familiar room filled with crystal arrays, alchemical glass, and piles of parchment.
Then she stepped inside, gently setting Vesan down on the central worktable. The hum of arcane equipment filled the silence.
With a deep breath, she turned to the shelves and ancient diagrams scattered across the room.
"Now, let's see where I left off," she murmured to herself, already reaching for her previous notes.