Chapter 257: The Cradle Recovery Plan
“Based on the information provided by Mr. Amagio, I have plotted the coordinates of the Trout Nursery. The reconnaissance satellite has passed overhead four times since the information was received. We have gathered a sufficient amount of satellite photos.”
“Mr. Amagio is…”
“Amagio is currently undergoing defragmentation of the Memory Area. It should be finished in a few hours.”
It seems they received information from Ayame Zero of the Kingdom of Repuitari. Akane answered Eve’s question.
“He mentioned he wouldn’t be doing any overhauls for a while. I wonder if he still doesn’t trust us.”
“He said he needed to think because he couldn’t explain it to the staff. It seems entering a mysterious facility alone and not coming out for over half a day is a problem.”
“Ah…”
Amagio Silverhead is still active in his position as a duke in the Kingdom of Repuitari. Indeed, he can’t just abandon his duties suddenly, and it would be highly irresponsible to lock himself away in the enormous, unidentified equipment brought in by the Paraiso.
If things go poorly, he might even be attacked while trying to get help (though it’s unlikely he would be captured).
“It seems he plans to do the overhaul once things settle down a bit.”
“Understood. Well, for now, let’s hear Ringo’s report.”
“Yes, Commander. I will now display the satellite photos of the Trout Nursery.”
A massive display projected into the air for Eve. The image captured from a slightly elevated angle shows what appears to be the Trout Nursery.
“It’s beautifully overgrown with forest…”
Unfortunately, there are no recognizable artificial structures visible in the displayed image.
“Applying a filter to highlight metal.”
With Ringo’s words, the display switched. The image now processed to emphasize metallic reactions glowed a deep red.
“Oh… Hmm? Is that… a watchtower or something?”
“Yes, Commander. It appears to be a collapsed metal watchtower or radar tower, approximately 40 to 50 meters tall.”
The highlighted remnants barely peek out from the forest. Several metal structures protrude, and it seems they have toppled and become covered by vegetation at their bases.
“After 100 years without maintenance, it’s no surprise it ended up like this.”
If it had been made of concrete or ceramics, it might have remained intact. However, metal likely succumbed to years of corrosion from the elements.
“Additionally, I have analyzed the entire area, and this is the structure we believe it to be.”
A wireframe overlay appeared on the forest image. It was a predicted diagram of the entire Trout Nursery, created by cross-referencing Amagio’s memories with the terrain.
The fortress itself is a flattened dome structure, significantly lower in height. Its diameter exceeds that of The Tree, measuring over 600 meters. Adjacent to the facility are what appear to be a control tower and a watchtower equipped with radar.
The remnants of the watchtower are likely from this structure.
“It had a runway measuring about 400 meters wide and 3,000 meters long. Unlike our The Tree, it seems the surrounding facilities appeared alongside it.”
“That’s unfair!”
“Unfortunately, it seems the runway, along with the attached warehouses, maintenance buildings, and control tower, were destroyed by repeated monster attacks.”
“That’s like a hard mode!”
It appears that the facility was suddenly attacked by Threat Creatures after emerging right in the heart of the Demon Forest. Reports mention a horde of turtles with metal shells, each about 5 meters long, and abnormally strong gorillas with muscular arms, among other types of Threat Creatures, which led to the destruction of the facilities one after another.
“It seems they managed to defend the central dome, but due to a lack of ammunition, they decided to abandon it. They are reportedly conducting long-term preservation measures, but it’s unclear how well it has been maintained.”
“Without power and no maintenance, who knows how long it can hold up… I wouldn’t be surprised if everything is ruined.”
The fact that it was abandoned raises the possibility that it has been ravaged by Threat Creatures since then. Expectations are not high.
“Ultimately, we will consult with Mr. Amagio, but even just recovering resources would be incredibly useful. There should be a decent stockpile of high-performance materials and rare materials.”
Indeed, it would be more efficient to recover and reuse what already exists rather than starting from scratch in this world devoid of resources. If they can gather a large amount of rare materials for electronic circuits, it would certainly expedite various processes.
“True. The problem is how to retrieve them from here.”
The site of the Trout Nursery is claimed by the Prava Divine Nation. Moreover, it lies deep within the Demon Forest, approximately 250 kilometers from the forest’s edge and 1,100 kilometers from the Holy Capital. It is also about 1,500 kilometers from the currently occupied relay city, Geni.
With such a distance, even if they were to approach from the air, they would need a solid airport facility along the way. Helicopters, while having high transport capabilities, do not have a long range. Fixed-wing aircraft would find it difficult to land in the forest.
“It might be okay to deploy the Gigantia Unit, but that could provoke a lot of attention.”
“Yes, Commander. If we jam the radar, our detection range will significantly diminish. We want to avoid that as much as possible in unknown airspace.”
Sending the Gigantia Unit into enemy territory carries significant risks. Even if they dispatched a Naglfar Class ship for cover, the distance from the coast would still be a hindrance. Estimates place it at 1,300 to 1,500 kilometers away. It would take time to arrive, and resupply would be challenging.
“Then it seems we have no choice but to go overland. At the very least, we need to construct a runway nearby.”
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”
“I don’t mind. More importantly, welcome to The Tree, Mr. Amagio.”
Having completed the defragmentation and neatly organized the Memory Area, Amagio Silverhead contacted The Tree.
“I appreciate all the cooperation you’ve provided. Thank you.”
“We’re practically family at this point, so there’s no need to be so formal. I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes, likewise.”
Amagio had transferred a significant portion of the Archive, which he had occupied, to an external device, and the download of necessary data was complete. He was now reading the information needed to pave the way to the Trout Nursery.
“The situation is as I sent earlier, but is everything alright?”
“Yes. I’ve been able to borrow computational resources. Everything has been confirmed.”
Amagio Salmon had fully mechanized his body and embedded an information processing unit in his brain. Despite being genetically modified, his fundamental capabilities differ significantly from those of the living Eve.
“As we discussed, approaching from the air will be difficult. Therefore, we need to tackle it from the ground.”
“That’s right… Considering the possibility of that horde of monsters attacking, it would be better to create a path.”
The memory of the horde of Threat Creatures that had attacked Amagio lingered. Being assaulted day and night made it nearly impossible to search for a home calmly. They needed to deploy solid ground forces to secure the surrounding area.
“It would be best to subdue the Prava Divine Nation in a straightforward manner and then take our time with the recovery.”
Having lived in this world for a century, Amagio’s long-cherished dream is now within reach, but he knows better than to rush. Compared to a hundred years, a few years is hardly a significant period.
“Are we going to hold the front lines while advancing from the rear?”
“That’s the plan. However, the enemy’s strength remains uncertain, which is my only concern.”
“Magic Warriors… Yes, I’ve heard some possess incredible power, so we may have no choice but to overwhelm them with numbers.”