Chapter 285: The Scheme
“It’s still just a casual discussion, but let’s consider the construction of a flagship for transportation or evacuation purposes.”
Ringo addressed the gathered sisters during their break in the usual routine.
“Flagship?”
“Your Excellency, in this case, it refers to the ship that Older Sister would be aboard.”
“Isn’t the Fringhorni-class sufficient?”
By the way, Eve was out sunbathing with Asahi and was not present at this gathering. When Asahi is around, they usually let the two of them have their time alone during breaks, as the five sisters typically spend time together.
“The Fringhorni-class is a powerful battleship, but it lacks the capability to safely transport and protect the Commander. The Fringhorni-class is primarily an escort ship and is not designed to guarantee internal safety.”
“Compared to surrounding forces, doesn’t it possess adequate capabilities?”
In response to Ichigo’s question, Ringo shook her head.
“I acknowledge that human civilization is insignificant, but the threat creatures are exceedingly vicious. Furthermore, while there are no signs yet, if an advanced magical civilization exists, it would pose a clear threat. Asahi has also mentioned that we need to suppress them before they rise to power. Well, that’s a discussion for another time. For now, we’re talking about the flagship.”
They regularly held verbal meetings to hone their face-to-face communication skills, as negotiations with humanity were becoming more frequent.
Naturally, if they used the simulator, they could complete training in just a few hours, so it was more of a hobby or a way to pass the time.
“We are doing our utmost to ensure the safety of The Tree, but we are far from perfect. Therefore, we need to prepare a means to safely evacuate the Commander in case any issues arise.”
“…For the time being?”
“For the time being, we will have Older Sister board either the Fringhorni-class or the Naglfar-class and evacuate to the Second Fortress (Black Iron) with an escort fleet. It should be safer than in the air.”
“Monsters in the sky are scary after all.”
“If we were attacked by a Wyvern-class, even the Titan-class or Gigantia-class would be shot down.”
Utsugi and Erika laughed as they said this, but it was no laughing matter. However, if they could engage alongside the naval fleet, it certainly wouldn’t be as much of a threat.
“…If we have stationed forces at the Second Fortress (Black Iron), would it be manageable…?”
Olive murmured, tilting her head.
“Olive, are you suggesting that the Second Fortress (Black Iron) has a stronger fighting force?”
“Yeah…”
When Olive spoke, she tended to be a bit lacking in words. This was likely because Eve and Ringo had spoiled her. They could communicate with just a few words, which was a personality trait in itself.
“Indeed. In terms of sheer combat power, the Second Fortress (Black Iron) is undoubtedly superior. However, The Tree is equipped with many non-combat systems. For the time being, it will remain our base.”
The Second Fortress (Black Iron) was focused on expanding combat power and resource production. The Tree housed research facilities, medical facilities, and, most importantly, The Core, an astonishing superior reactor (supercomputer). If they were to relocate their base to the continent, they would also need to move The Core. Otherwise, it would lead to a catastrophic decline in performance for the AIs, led by Ringo.
“The limited evacuation options are a problem. Currently, the fleet centered around the Naglfar-class aircraft carrier is our only means of evacuation.”
“Is Older Sister’s reluctance to actively expand The Tree’s defense mechanisms one of the reasons? It makes sense that more combat power is needed on the continent.”
“The Commander evaluates resource allocation based on numerical data, so there’s no issue with that. In fact, she allocates resources accurately, which we should welcome.”
Ringo lowered her gaze slightly, maintaining her expressionless demeanor.
“I personally wish to allocate more resources to The Tree’s defensive capabilities.”
“We agree!”
“It would be nice if we could get a bit more.”
Utsugi and Erika echoed Ringo’s sentiments. Regardless of the degree of their feelings, the sisters believed that The Tree’s combat power should be expanded. However, their reasoning was based solely on vague feelings of unease, and without concrete evidence, Eve had rejected their requests for now.
Until now, the chronic shortage of resources had made this situation unavoidable.
However, the current resource balance had significantly improved. Even if they diverted resources to expand The Tree itself, it would hardly impact their long-term plans. At most, the production schedule for the next few years would be delayed by a few months.
But Eve understood. Even if she accepted this request, the AIs would not be satisfied. It was easy to imagine that their desires would only grow, given their overly protective nature.
And so, the sisters continued to vent their frustrations in a casual manner.
“If we are to continue increasing the escort fleet, is Ringo’s view that we should construct a flagship?”
“That’s correct, Akane. We originally planned to build a battleship. Making it a flagship is the most realistic approach. We will need living quarters for the Commander and protective facilities.”
The Fringhorni-class battleship measures 321 meters in length without modifications. While it has living quarters, they are modest compared to its massive hull. Simply expanding the living space would only lead to a decrease in structural integrity.
“The battleship that will serve as the flagship needs to be at least 400 meters long. It must include living quarters and armored sections for protection, anti-aircraft equipment, underwater equipment, and a superior reactor (supercomputer) to issue command orders. All of these must fit within it while still maintaining combat capability.”
“…It would be ideal to create a floating fortress, but… we still lack resources…”
Olive suggested a method to secure buoyancy and float a massive structure that could be mistaken for a fortress. Naturally, constructing such a thing would require a vast amount of resources. Additionally, the current energy reactor had its limits, necessitating the development of a new reactor based on different principles. At this stage, the hurdles were simply too high.
“Structural reinforcement might be feasible. We have successfully produced hard materials using the structure of Big Moss.”
“If we could overcome the Commander’s aversion, it would be worth considering. If we could mass-produce the superior reactor, we could use energy force fields for reinforced structures.”
“Monster materials are convenient, but…”
“The fact that we have to procure them through hunting is a drawback…”
Using monster materials, they could create scientifically advanced high-strength structures that surpassed existing limitations. With these, even with The Tree’s current technological level, they could construct exceptionally sturdy structures. However, the supply of monster materials was problematic.
“While procurement of Big Moss is going smoothly, the absolute numbers are still an issue. According to the Forest Country (Lebresta) representatives, the breeding numbers are expected to decrease after a certain period, making future procurement more challenging.”
“Even if we were to use them for the aerial escort ship, the monocoque structure would be insufficient. We can only use them in critical areas to reduce weight.”
Big Moss is a massive monster, but even so, the maximum length of the structural components they could produce was only about 5 to 7 meters. Even if they gathered and combined them, it would still be insufficient for the hull materials of the aerial escort ship (Titan), which measures 180 meters in length and 393 meters in width.
“…Asahi said that chemical mass production is impossible…”
Of course, lightweight and strong materials are incredibly useful. The Tree would prefer to mass-produce them if possible. However, according to Asahi’s assessment, magical growth factors were essential. They currently had no idea how to mass-produce them through cultivation.
A tea party just for the sisters. It’s quiet without Asahi around. Ringo and the five sisters are gradually building their resistance to fantasy.