Chapter 134: Reaching for the Sky
“It seems there will be a change in the negotiation members from the Kingdom of Repuitari.”
“Hmm?”
The day after the Baron Water Incident, contact was made promptly from the Kingdom of Repuitari.
“The meeting scheduled for today has been canceled. They wish to resume discussions tomorrow or later. Additionally, it appears that the top brass of the Navy will be directly involved, which could lead to a swift resolution of negotiations.”
“Oh? So it’s going to be a top-level summit, is it?”
Commander Eve was not well-versed in politics; she was merely making casual remarks.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Ringo, the AI Assistant, found no particular reason to elaborate, so she let it slide.
“However, it seems that Communicator has been elevated to royalty.”
“Yes, Ma’am. It was deemed more beneficial for future negotiations to establish Paraiso as a monarchy. Externally, it will be announced as a kingdom.”
As negotiations progressed, the need to establish a governmental structure became apparent. However, Commander Eve had little interest in the details and left it all to Ringo.
“Well, that’s fine, I suppose. As of now, we have… sixty initial models?”
“Yes, Ma’am. All have been assigned appropriate roles. We are also steadily increasing the production of local models, so maintaining the appearance of a nation is feasible.”
It was unlikely that they would be allowed to invite anyone into Paraiso, and there were no significant issues anticipated. With a few years of effort, they could establish a solid foundation within the Afrasia United Kingdom. By combining the defensive fleet and the dispatched fleet, they would create a formidable maritime nation. Of course, they were also ramping up land forces, making it entirely possible to operate as a legitimate country.
“Things are looking good. The Second Fortress (Black Iron) has stabilized, so I wonder if we can truly reach for the stars?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Within a month, the launch facility will be completed. We are simultaneously preparing the manufacturing equipment for the spacecraft and fuel, so we should be able to conduct launch tests for the space shuttle without issue.”
Iron Town had been fully brought under their control, and mining operations for surrounding ore veins had commenced. With the acquisition of oil and natural gas fields, securing hydrogen and carbon as reducing agents was more than sufficient.
Hydrogen could be produced from seawater, but it was easier to use methane gas as a raw material. Moreover, it allowed for the simultaneous acquisition of large amounts of carbon. Both elements served as excellent reducing agents and could be utilized for extracting not only iron but other elements as well.
Development of ore veins across various regions was progressing smoothly, and they had a clear outlook on securing a substantial amount of resources. Projections indicated that within a few months, they would be able to construct a practical Element Accumulation Device. With this, acquiring even more useful elements would become significantly easier.
“It’s nice to be able to develop without any constraints. The sea is still a bit daunting, though.”
At sea, large-scale facilities were being installed to process seawater and recover deuterium and tritium, which would serve as fuel for fusion reactors.
However, much of the ocean remained unexplored, and they had allocated significant military resources for defense. They were adjusting their forces to ensure a constant defensive presence, as large Threat Creatures could strike at any moment.
As a result, progress in ocean development had been slow. They were meticulously investigating the areas surrounding the seabed ore veins. It would be a significant loss if a monster attacked and turned everything into rubble after the platforms became operational. They were busy deploying fish-shaped bots to create a surveillance network and manufacturing deep-sea attack aircraft.
“The development of ore veins in the Afrasia United Kingdom is going smoothly. If we can add the resources from the seabed veins, productivity will increase dramatically.”
Though this came with the caveat that all plans proceeded as expected, the projected graphs for production and military strength were on an upward trend. It was a stark contrast to the days immediately following their Transfer, when the graphs barely crawled along the ground.
“At this rate, we might be able to create that thing we discussed.”
“Yes, Ma’am. You mean the aerial platform?”
“Indeed!”
Nodding with an air of authority, Commander Eve looked over the projected resource production trends.
“It may be a romantic weapon, but it has its practical effects. As of now, there seem to be no threats in the sky, so I believe it could be quite useful.”
“Yes, Ma’am. If we are to deploy it, satellite support will be essential. Once we have a clear plan for the space shuttle, we can proceed with construction without issue.”
The aerial platform—an umbrella term for massive structures that float in the sky.
The means of flight varied, from aerodynamic utilization to spatial fixation technology, anti-gravity devices, and rotor-vators, but they all shared the common characteristic of being colossal aerial carriers or fortresses.
“If we’re choosing based on aesthetics, aerodynamic flight is the way to go. Just imagining something like this soaring through the sky is exhilarating!”
The image Commander Eve displayed appeared to be an ordinary flying wing at first glance. However, its wingspan exceeded 300 meters, making it a formidable aerial carrier. Its propulsion system was jet engine-based, generating lift through speed.
“Yes, Ma’am. In the invasion of the Afrasia United Kingdom, the speed of the assault is crucial. Utilizing platforms like this would further minimize casualties.”
This meant that various supporting facilities would also need to be prepared, including construction equipment for these structures, structural testing machines, and runways for takeoff and landing.
“If the projected income and expenses hold true, it will be more than feasible to operate. Considering the expanded area of control, it would be reasonable to expect a profit.”
Ringo immediately conducted a simulation and reached that conclusion. However, atmospheric surveys had only been conducted in parts of the Northern Continent. While no aerial forces had been confirmed, it was naive to conclude that they didn’t exist in this world.
According to Asahi, it was impossible that aerial Threat Creatures did not exist, just as the Rain Kroin roamed the seas. While the reasoning behind this assertion was unclear, it was true that in fantasy worlds, there was no shortage of large flying creatures like Roc birds and dragons. It was unlikely that they would suffer from being overly cautious.
“If we construct large structures, we can incorporate energy reactors, which would expand our operational range. Testing the platforms will be vital for future territorial expansion.”
“Okay, then let’s get started on that as well. Our list of projects is certainly growing!”
And so, with the troublesome external factor of the Kingdom of Repuitari subdued, The Tree was steadily executing its military buildup within the Afrasia United Kingdom.
According to Ringo’s predictions, a treaty with the Kingdom of Repuitari would be established, and trade would commence in approximately three months. In the meantime, The Tree would continue to construct more vessels, with two Panas-class nuclear cruisers and twenty-two Hedgehog-class destroyers set to launch. While some would be allocated for defense, large-scale trade with transport ships and escort fleets would soon become possible.
Of course, operating transport ships without escorts was deemed too dangerous, so at least one Panas-class and six Hedgehog-class vessels would accompany them.
“I heard they made it, but I can’t believe they actually did…”
Standing in the square in front of the royal palace, the man gazed up at the statue. It was a monument to the heroes who had built the current Kingdom of Repuitari.
The square, open to the public as a place for citizens to relax, was adorned with a series of statues celebrating their great deeds. The man sighed in front of one of them.
“It doesn’t look quite like them, but that’s fine… Hmm, is this one the guy Alban? Ah, I remember he looked like this when he was younger… Yeah, he’s the Grand Admiral now, how amusing.”
Having been summoned directly by the Grand Admiral of the Navy, the man found himself with time to spare until the appointed hour, so he decided to take a leisurely tour of the capital, Moar.
“Still, I think it’s only been about twenty years, but look how far they’ve come. The last time I was here, they were still using rail carts.”
Entering the capital, the man was most surprised to find that steam-powered rail locomotives had become widespread in Moar. The technology was still somewhat crude, and the sight of exposed pistons vigorously moving up and down was oddly moving.
“All I know is about the warships… I can’t believe they’ve managed to miniaturize them and make them available to the public. Truly, there are geniuses out there…”
In the distance, the sound of steam escaping with a sharp hiss echoed through the air.