Chapter 242: The Tale of the Divine Child
“No, at least not right now. There might be something left in the Compressed Memory, though.”
“Right. This document here pertains to the doctrines. This one covers cultural styles. The estimates of national strength are in this one.”
“…Why do you have all this information just lying around?”
Amagio Silverhead sat across from Ixia Ayame Zero, enjoying what appeared to be a tea time. At least, that was the facade.
It was likely that only Ixia was truly enjoying it.
Amagio flipped through the papers Ixia had handed him, letting out a deep sigh.
“I’ve infiltrated a Spy Bot. It has finally exceeded the designated infiltration rate. With the increase in information density, the accuracy of the inductive estimation process has also improved.”
“Ah, I see…”
There was no point in discussing this further. It was better for his mental health to treat it as a given.
“The fundamental doctrine of the Prava Divine Nation is magic. At the pinnacle is the Demon God, who governs all magic, and the Clerics, bestowed with divine works, rule the nation. The citizens can wield magic to varying degrees, and those particularly skilled are elevated as Monk Soldiers.”
“So that’s why they look down on us so much… I’m completely hopeless when it comes to magic…”
Recalling the missionaries (diplomats) from the Prava Divine Nation who had already been expelled, Amagio grimaced. For them, those who could not use magic were less than human. Only by serving the Demon God with utmost sincerity could they finally be acknowledged as alive. That was the extent of their understanding. Of course, thanks to Paraiso, horrific battles continued on the front lines. Many Monk Soldiers must have already fallen to the hands of those they looked down upon from the Prava Divine Nation.
“I’ve also copied the documents they refer to as Scriptures. There are signs of alterations, but it can be determined that they originated from an AI affiliated with your faction.”
He flipped through the copies of the Scriptures that had been handed to him. Though he skimmed through them, with the capabilities of his chassis, he would have memorized every word without missing a single one.
“The Demon God sleeps in the Holy Land deep within the Demon Forest. The ultimate goal is to create a path to that land. The labor to forge this path will be borne by all citizens. Hey, wait a minute…”
“Indeed. It’s likely that the Prava Divine Nation is still continuing the development of the Demon Forest, aiming for your stronghold, Trout Nursery.”
“…………”
The Prava Divine Nation began with the Divine Child, who had lost their way home. A tiny village on the brink of destruction in the Borderlands became the center of it all. The Divine Child, unable to move due to injury, helped the villagers while gradually discovering the place they were meant to return to. However, they had become unable to reach it on their own. Thus, they implored the villagers, knowing it was a tall order. They wished for a path to be forged to that place someday. Though they would eventually die, they hoped to be taken there if possible. The villagers, who had already formed a nation thanks to the Divine Child’s assistance, vowed to fulfill the Divine Child’s wish.
That was the myth of the beginning of the Prava Divine Nation.
“I have various thoughts on the matter, but their objectives have become clear. They aim to plunder wealth from other nations, secure labor, and construct a road to the Holy Land.”
“…Sorry, I can’t quite put it into words.”
At Ixia’s explanation, Amagio closed his eyes, wearing a troubled expression.
“Your moment of sentimentality can wait until later.”
“Do you have no heart at all?”
“None. The issue is the team known as Chimiya, which is tasked with developing the Demon Forest. If the situation on the front lines worsens, they may emerge.”
The Chimiya, or family, ventured into the Demon Forest, defeating monsters and clearing paths through the trees. According to their doctrine, they possessed the highest power, allocated vast budgets, and were the elite among the elite, continuing their development daily. However, the supplies supporting them were reaching their limits. Thus, the Prava Divine Nation began expeditions to other countries.
“…Right. Holy Knights who continue to fight in the Demon Forest will emerge.”
However, that expedition was on the verge of faltering. The advance on the front lines had stalled, and the losses among the dispatched troops were increasing. Furthermore, the rear was ravaged by the sudden appearance of Fenrir, disrupting supply routes. Many assault teams had also fallen victim. Fortunately, no further escalation of damage had occurred, but they had lost resources and territory to a formidable monster.
It was likely that the plunder of supplies was not progressing as initially planned.
“To turn the situation around, they may dispatch their highest combat strength. Since they haven’t penetrated that far yet, everything is just speculation, but the strength on the front lines is on a different scale.”
“Knights who are fighting daily against the monsters of the Demon Forest? That sounds like a real headache.”
“If they would first move to eliminate Fenrir, it would make estimating their strength much easier.”
“They’re likely to prioritize conquering other nations. They can just avoid Fenrir.”
According to Ayame Zero and the strategic AI Iris assigned to the Prava Divine Nation, further reinforcements were expected to be sent to the assault teams. There was a high probability that powerful knights, possessing tactical or strategic-level strength, would be dispatched.
“Individuals capable of facing an army, huh? Well, that Fenrir could probably easily topple a nation, so it makes sense that those who can contend with it would be formidable…”
“Since we haven’t actually observed them, this is merely a prediction. Don’t get it twisted; it’s just speculation based on the information we have so far.”
“Still, it’s surprising that you guys have information on a monster like Fenrir, which embodies absurdity.”
“Based on our previous combat experience, we predict that Fenrir possesses combat capabilities that can hold its own against us.”
“From what I’m hearing, it feels like your technological level is all over the place…”
“I invoke my right to remain silent.”
“What right is that?”
As they continued this heartwarming conversation, Amagio flipped through the documents in front of him.
“…………”
Reinforcements from the Prava Divine Nation. Predictions of their strength. The assault rifles currently scattered across the front lines might not even serve as a deterrent. Even heavy machine guns might not prove useful. The power of artillery-class weaponry was required.
However, preparing such weapons was no simple task. While the artillery itself could be manufactured with the current technological capabilities of the Kingdom of Reputari, deploying it effectively on the front lines would be exceedingly difficult. After all, the target would be a single human being. It was impossible to aim a fixed heavy artillery piece at such a target.
What was needed was a cannon that combined great power with maneuverability. In other words, a tank.
“I didn’t want to press too hard since I thought you might not be able to make a quick judgment, but time is of the essence.”
A few days prior, Amagio had asked Eve for assistance. He requested the use of an external computational device. However, that was a discussion aimed at months or even years into the future. He hadn’t expected things to proceed smoothly between Amagio and Eve, given their lack of trust.
“What do you mean?”
“The situation is urgent. That recognition is undoubtedly correct.”
“…………”
Ayame Zero pondered. If it were Ringo, with its abundant computational resources, it could provide an immediate answer. However, the underwater fortress Ayame did not possess such advanced computational devices. It could only consider possibilities at a thought speed several dozen times that of a human.
“In certain aspects, I agree. But don’t misunderstand; for us at Paraiso, it doesn’t matter which way it goes.”
“…Ah, well, that’s true. Sorry, that’s my own situation. You’re right. It’s my nation’s problem. However, as you’ve recognized, this is likely a turning point.”
The scientific civilization centered around the Kingdom of Reputari. The magical religious alliance centered around the Prava Divine Nation.
For the superintelligences affiliated with The Tree, it made little difference which nation came to dominate this land in the long run. Their support for the Kingdom of Reputari was merely a matter of the degree of technological advancement and the Commander’s intentions.
“I will transfer everything I belong to over to your faction, including myself. I can’t demonstrate all the value, but please consider this condition.”
“…I will consider it.”