Laptop.

—

"Ah, I see," Ember nodded, droppingly.

Realizing that he hadn't shared any information about the reincarnation program and that only Moiraine had guessed what was happening when he stayed silent while tapping Aon on the beach, Richard decided to remain silent and let the program run naturally.

If someone discovers the cycle for anyone who dies within the bubble protection, then that's good; if not, he would keep it to himself and not tell anyone about it. Because, revealing the program could allow enemies to exploit the underworld or dark web to breach the Sa'angreal system, bypassing the firewall and accessing their research and personal data.

Therefore, Richard's best course of action is to let Ember and anyone else keep guessing about the underworld outside the bubble protection rather than inside it. Because again, if he divulged any details about it, he would have a very short time window to create countermeasures against potential enemy attacks, as the information and inspiration would already be available for them to exploit.

Maybe one way to counter the issue of their personal data and research being stolen or ruined might be for him to create a personal computer or laptop completely off the grid from the main server. This would then make their data impervious to any attacks because there would be no connection to establish.

However, Richard lacks the perspective and capability to create quantum hardware like that developed by Logain, which is closely tied to Chaos. Consequently, he can only borrow Huginn and Muninn's Chaos magic, which leaves him unable to create this first-generation computer with the specifications of a seventh-generation one on his own.

He could have Margarita or Moiraine help create this laptop, but making a secret that is no longer a secret would be a pointless endeavor and could still leave it vulnerable to enemy attacks. Therefore, the first personal Sa'angreal, which will serve as a backup for data and research of other Heralds, must remain highly secretive—essentially becoming his trump card, akin to the three kernels embedded in his very blood and genes.

So, adding one more task to his list besides creating countermeasures for Aen Elle and Archimonde, Richard heard Moiraine calling out to him after writing in his Seon OS note.

"Let's go, Richard. We're going to the Cognitive Realm to drag Ciri out from there."

"You guys want to go to Skidbladnir?" Ervine asked.

"Yes," Moiraine replied.

"Then I will be coming with you. I want to establish the outline of my College of Winterhold inside Skidbladnir," Ervine continued.

"Oh, you want to create your base of operations there too? I thought only Yennefer and Lanfear would establish their homes inside that ship. They even said they've already built functional laboratories there, with Neuropsychology for Lanfear and Synthetic Biology for Yennefer," Moiraine stated.

"No, I will be mostly in the Cognitive Realm from now on. I am here because Faralda wanted to help the elves move to a different realm, and nothing else. But, I will still probably come back from time to time to gather some students," Ervine answered.

"And me too. After migrating these dryads near Yggdrasil, I will probably stay in the Ethereal Realms since all the Aen Seidhe I wanted to contact have already disappeared. According to Eithné, they migrated with the Aen Elle using the Ard Gaeth, which cut my planned journey short," Faralda told them after she had just entered the dining hall.

"Well, in that case, the Devourer will still be your responsibility. There will be no skirting around just because you're not active on the continent anymore. Is that clear?" Moiraine asked sternly.

"Relax. I still have an unresolved grudge with that blasted dragon; there's no way I'll leave it to someone else," Turning toward Margarita, Faralda continued, "Rita, if you may?"

Knowing Cenarius and Eithné didn't want to enter the bubble because it made them unsettled, Margarita nodded and stood up, following Faralda out of the mansion.

"Well, we should also get going then," Moiraine said as she stood up.

Turning toward Zagreus and Melinoë, who were still eating after being invited by Ervine, Richard asked, "What about you two? Do you want to come with us?"

"Thanks for the offer, but no. We'll continue roaming after resting here for a bit because there are still many mortal beings out there who need our help," Melinoë answered.

"They died, and so they truly died. Since there is no underworld in this world, I will go out there to save as many as I can," Zagreus added.

Nodding, Richard continued, "In that case, here is the Ien System for you two. It will provide a comprehensive guide to the known areas of this world and the monsters we've encountered so far. It also grants you certain authorities within the island, such as transferring common folk who need saving into this archipelago or coordinating operations with others, like the lady who just left to provide you with provisions. It also has a function to call for reinforcements if needed. There's more, but I'll let you explore the features on your own."

"Thanks, Richard. This will be a great help," Zagreus said while fiddling with the blue-sky translucent watch.

Pausing and remembering something, Richard then asked, "If you two don't mind, could you collect Ember's ethereal atoms, or rather, pieces of her soul if they are ever attracted to you? I've already included the feature in your watch; it just needs to be activated for the process to work."

"Wait, collect her soul? She seems like a lost cause to me. But if these things can do that… Huh? That's new. I thought only my father could perform this kind of task," Melinoë exclaimed.

Before her thoughts could stray further, Richard continued, "I'm not sure if my method is correct or if it will even work. But if there's even a small chance, I'd be glad to give it a try."

"Well, if it's just about collecting it, there's no problem. Maybe because of our deathly aura, this method could work or even yield some interesting, unexpected results—who knows?" Melinoë shrugged.

"Ah, is this for healing my hand and fingers? Everyone doesn't need to worry. I can still work normally with just my Mage Hand. It doesn't bother me at all, Sir Richard," Ember said with a reassuring smile.

—