Episode 75 — Practical Debugging: The Four-Layer Scan Protocol

"Alright, let’s go over the specific 'survey specs.' Bartos, start by taking these."

I lined up several transparent plastic cups on the table. They were just standard disposable cups I’d ordered through Lumina Shopping (the Japan version)—the kind you’d find at a hundred-yen store.

"Master Zect... this vessel, clear as crystal and light as a feather... by what ultimate magical formula was this forged?"

Bartos held a cup with trembling hands, holding it up to the light coming through the window.

(It’s just polypropylene. But to someone in this world, this level of uniform transparency probably looks like an out-of-place artifact.)

"It’s just a tool. I’m not giving it to you; I’m just lending it. More importantly, listen to how you use it. First, we have the first layer: the ground survey. It’s called a 'Pitfall Trap.' The method is simple: I want you to bury these cups in the forest floor."

"Bury them... in the ground?"

"Exactly. But here’s the crucial part: the rim of the cup and the ground must be perfectly flush—completely flat. If there’s even the slightest bump or gap, the ants walking on the surface will sense something’s wrong and avoid it. I need you to construct a perfect flat interface, as if you’re filling a hole in a system. This will be our 'automated log collector' to capture the hunters walking the earth."

"A perfect synchronization with the ground... Understood! I shall dedicate my entire soul to hollowing out the earth for these perfect pitfalls, allowing not even a speck of unevenness!"

(Bartos, you really don’t need to put that much effort into it. It’s just digging a hole.)

"Next is the second layer: the shrub survey. It’s called 'Sweeping.' I want you to use this net and walk through the waist-high grass, swinging it in a 'figure-eight' motion. You can’t just wing it. By sweeping at a steady rhythm, you’ll force the bugs—no, I mean the enemy and allied insects—hidden in the grass to be loaded into memory."

"I see... Instead of magical detection, we are physically forcing their presence to light."

Elishua nodded as she scribbled my words onto her parchment.

"Right. Then comes the third layer: the canopy survey. This is the main event. Elishua, spread this white cloth under a branch. Then, hit that branch 'once, sharply' with your staff. It’s called 'Beating.' By providing an interrupt signal in the form of an impact, you’ll cause everything lurking on that branch to be dumped... I mean, outputted onto the cloth all at once."

"Why a white cloth?"

"To improve visibility. It’s the same as a user interface; if the contrast against the background is sharp, you won’t miss even the smallest bug. The basics of debugging are to first determine 'what is there' with your own eyes, rather than relying on magical intuition."

I took a sip of my cola and finally pointed toward a magic lamp.

"At night, we use a light trap. Set up a 'Honey Pot' in the form of a powerful light to lure and record the predators active during the night. And this is the most important step: if you find a winner—I mean, a strong-looking ant—I want you to perform 'behavioral observation.'"

"Behavioral observation?"

"Yeah. Try placing a pest larva in front of the ant you found. See who deletes the enemy most quickly and ruthlessly. What we want is the most merciless, top-tier patrol soldier. I want you to collect data on the ant types, their numbers, and their aggression."

The only sound in the living room was the whir of the ceiling fan.

To these three, who had relied entirely on the omnipotent power of magic, this extremely logical protocol—one where anyone could achieve the same result—seemed more terrifying, yet more filled with hope, than any grand spell.

Having finished the explanation, I leaned back deep into my chair.

"I’ve taught you the method. The rest is your job as the on-site testers. Elishua, you want to save the village, right? Then get out there, get covered in mud, and gather the truth as it is."

Elishua hugged the white cloth I’d lent her as if it were a treasure and looked me straight in the eye.

"I understand, Master Zect. I shall go! I will surely grasp the truth of the village that magic could not see and bring it back to show you!"

"Understood, Master Zect! In accordance with the code of chivalry, I shall dig the perfect holes!"

The three of them stood up with vigor and left the living room like a storm. The sense of tragic despair that had filled them earlier was nowhere to be found in their footsteps.

"Phew. That should keep things quiet again for a while."

"Mrrp. (Your eyes were sparkling while you were explaining those survey methods.)"

"Well... until the data arrives, I’ve got to do my own work. Tama, were there any consommé-flavored chips left?"

I sank into my Throne of Sloth and began my descent back into a deep slumber. Outside the window, Elishua and Bartos were racing their horses toward the elven village, clutching their 'debugging equipment' in the name of hope.

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