Episode 264: Material Gathering Request
Eve and Asahi sat down in front of the Maso Meter placed on the pier, gazing at the monitor.
“1,281.56%. Hmm, it seems there are no errors. There’s also the possibility of a malfunction in the electronic substrate, but…”
“Did you check it before we left?”
“Yes, Onee-sama. I confirmed its operation. Hmm, well, the sensor part is a living cell, so there’s a possibility it’s picking up strange noise, but…”
Because the sunlight was strong, ＜Ringo＞ deployed a parasol. Eve had run off without waiting for the parasol, planning to return indoors immediately. She didn’t want her to be exposed to too much ultraviolet radiation, as it damages the skin and eyes.
“Magic (Fantasy) has many phenomena that cannot be explained by science, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any laws. Probably.”
“Probably.”
“Since the Maso Meter is showing a high Maso Density, the Maso Density is probably high.”
The Maso Meter’s readings fluctuated slightly, but the value of 1280% remained displayed. In other words, the Maso Density of ＜The Tree＞ is 12.8 times higher than in the middle of the Afrasia United Kingdom’s wilderness.
“Really? This place has a high Maso Density… is that so?”
“Umm… I’m sorry, Asahi doesn’t really understand.”
“Asahi, is there a possibility that this Maso Density will have some kind of impact on us, and on Ma’am?”
“Hmm, I wonder. The issue is how long this high Maso Density has been sustained. If it’s been like this from the beginning, it wouldn’t be strange if there were already effects, but if it’s recent, I don’t know. Well, at least, I haven’t observed any phenomena where living things are affected by Maso Density. What do you think, ＜Ringo＞?”
“…”
An unexpected situation. Clearly, ＜Ringo＞’s reaction speed had slowed down. Even so.
“＜Ringo＞, no matter how much you calculate, you can’t get results without prerequisite information.”
Asahi interjected with a slightly exasperated tone.
For the AIs who prioritize Commander (Eve)’s safety above all else, this was very important information. Fortunately, Asahi, an AI with resistance to Fantasy, was able to guide her companions.
“You have all of Onee-sama’s vital information recorded, right? First, let’s check if there have been any noticeable changes from the past to the present. And also the facilities inside ＜The Tree＞ as much as possible. Also, collect all the Maso Meters we have and measure the Maso Density around ＜The Tree＞. It’s been determined in previous observations that the Maso Density varies depending on the location. We need to gather information.”
“…Oh, Asahi’s working.”
“Hey, Onee-sama, isn’t that a little harsh!?”
For the time being, Eve stood up while patting Asahi’s head.
“＜Ringo＞, I don’t know how this Maso Density will affect us. But I don’t feel sick, and there hasn’t been any abnormal situation recently. I don’t need to evacuate immediately, right? I can go into the Medical Pod if you’re worried. So, first, gather information.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“And Asahi, you’re getting an Overhaul as planned.”
“Onee-sama!?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
In this emergency, Asahi tried to run away, but Eve grabbed her by the collar, and she was picked up by the work machine operated by ＜Ringo＞. She was like a kitten being held by the scruff of its neck.
“It will take time to get results. Get the Overhaul done now.”
“Such an unreasonable aaaaahhhh!”
While waving goodbye to Asahi being taken away, Eve also started walking back into ＜The Tree＞.
“So, ＜Ringo＞, did you find anything unusual?”
“No, Ma’am. No scientifically inexplicable fluctuations were found.”
＜Ringo＞ answered after finishing analyzing all the recorded data from when Eve and ＜The Tree＞ transferred to this world until now.
“At least, no anomalies have been detected by scientific means. After that, it’s whether or not a Magic (Fantasy)-like abnormal situation is occurring, but…”
“I can’t judge that, can I…? Oh well, I guess we’ll wait for the Maso Density results for now.”
The ＜The Tree＞-made Maso Meters used in the Afrasia United Kingdom have already been collected. They are scheduled to be transported in order from the closest ones, on the flying boat ＜Albatross＞.
However, the number is only 12.
That’s all the units that ＜The Tree＞ successfully manufactured and deployed as the initial mass-production lot.
Well, there are other Maso Meters that were originally used in North End City, but their accuracy is poor, and they can’t be connected to electronic circuits in the first place.
In other words, it is necessary to increase the production of ＜The Tree＞-made Maso Meters as soon as possible.
“To manufacture Maso Meters, raw materials are needed. Raw materials can only be collected in the Demon Forest.”
“That’s still the bottleneck. Maybe we should just build a base in the Demon Forest…”
If we are to continue manufacturing Magical Tools in the future, it may be necessary to build facilities near the Demon Forest, or even within the forest’s territory.
However, right now it’s an immediate problem.
“For the time being, let’s increase the forces deployed to the Demon Forest to collect materials. And let’s issue a collection request to those Adventurers. There are a lot of them, so the supply might increase a bit.”
Many people with the profession of Adventurer belong to North End City. They specialize in collecting and hunting in the Demon Forest, so it’s good to ask them for a request.
It’s no exaggeration to say that we are supporting them for dealing with situations like this.
“Yes, Ma’am. I will respond.”
The Maso Meter that Asahi brought back will also be used immediately. An automatic machine retrieved the briefcase and installed it in the cargo hold of the Albatross as it was.
The Albatross will fly around ＜The Tree＞ and measure the Maso Density.
“So, what should we do? Should I go into the Medical Pod?”
“…You may continue to live as usual.”
＜Ringo＞ hesitated for a moment, but made that decision.
Rather than thinking that the Maso Density suddenly increased when the Maso Meter was brought, it is more reasonable to think that the high Maso Density has been sustained for a relatively long period of time.
If so, the possibility of an immediate impact on Commander (Ma’am) is low.
Besides, even if we throw her into the Medical Pod after something happens, the danger won’t change that much. Eve is holed up inside the Fortress anyway, so immediate response is possible.
“Okay. For now… you can transmit the values of that Maso Meter wirelessly, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Then, let’s check the Maso Meter values in the Command Room.”
The abnormality in the Maso Meter values has already been communicated to the other sisters. If they’re worried, they’ll gather in the Command Room.
“Hmm. I wonder if this time, it was Asahi’s fine play.”
“If it means that we have discovered a phenomenon that we should recognize, then yes. If we had brought the Maso Meter to ＜The Tree＞ sooner, we might have noticed it sooner, but…”
“Was the use of the Maso Meter left to them?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The local Strategic AI ＜Cosmos＞ and Asahi are in charge of operation. Certainly, it was fully operational to create a map of the Maso Density there, so it was difficult to choose the option of bringing it to ＜The Tree＞.”
If we had changed our judgment a little more, we might have noticed it sooner. ＜Ringo＞ seems to be regretting that.
“Is it also a problem that I wasn’t very interested in Magical Tools…? Well, let’s be careful from next time.”
Asahi-chan is cute, isn’t she?
I can understand why you want to catch her for now.