Chapter 287: Within the Cradle
“Unique and powerful weapons often feature prominently in stories, but in practical use, they tend to be exceedingly unstable. If we are to utilize monster materials, we need a continuous supply,” Ringo stated, her voice steady.
“Securing that supply is currently our challenge. It seems there’s a significant demand for Big Moss even within Lebresta, so we aren’t receiving as much as we need,” Olive replied, her brow furrowed in thought.
“Are we talking about hunting Big Moss?” Ichigo chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Or perhaps increasing investments in North End City?” Utsugi added, her tone hopeful.
At present, The Tree has two routes for acquiring monster materials: the Adventurers Guild in North End City and the Forest Country of Lebresta.
So far, deliveries from the Adventurers Guild have been minimal due to the low number of hunts. Meanwhile, the Forest Country only provides a limited quantity of trade goods.
“…If we could get more, we could create so much more…” Olive mused, her voice trailing off.
“You were working on crafting with monster materials, weren’t you, Olive? Did you notice any unique properties? I believe you were comparing existing materials with monster materials,” Ringo encouraged, sensing Olive’s hesitation.
“…The strength-to-weight ratio is significant. If we could implement a honeycomb structure, it could dramatically enhance the strength,” Olive explained, her eyes lighting up with the possibilities.
“Is it correct to say that even if it’s lightweight, it remains durable, and the larger we make it, the better the performance?” Ringo clarified.
“…Yes,” Olive confirmed with a nod.
Ichigo tilted her head, intrigued. She had a knack for incorporating gestures into her conversations, a skill that Utsugi and Erika lacked, as they tended to over-exaggerate their movements.
“If we can expect a reasonable supply of lightweight materials like a honeycomb structure, that would be promising,” Utsugi remarked.
“It seems that even if we thin the structural walls, the strength doesn’t diminish easily. However, there are experimental results indicating that if we over-process the material when connecting it to a magic stone, the structural reinforcement may fail. Olive is currently investigating that aspect,” Ringo explained.
“…If we could conduct an investigation on the barriers of the Holy Capital…” Olive suggested, her voice barely above a whisper, “…we might uncover something…”
“The barriers of the Holy Capital of the Prava Divine Nation were recreated using the biological tissues of large threat creatures and magic stones. If we can determine how much processing leads to a loss of function, or if there are techniques to maintain functionality despite processing, it could have various applications,” Ringo elaborated.
“Using that Wyvern might allow us to enhance Gigantia!” Ichigo exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
“If we use it on a Titan, we could create an assault-type fortress!” Utsugi added, her imagination running wild.
Titans and Gigantia are weapons designed for operation by a small number of individuals. Thus, they can utilize materials that cannot be mass-produced. In that sense, battleships and aircraft carriers share a similar trait, but their raw material requirements are on a completely different scale, making them unsuitable for comparison.
Monster materials are incredibly useful as components for aerial ships, where weight reduction is essential.
“If we can use them for aerial ships, I want to create a true aerial fortress,” Ringo declared, her ambition shining through.
It seemed that Ringo was keen on having a fortress floating in the sky. However, given the current technological tree, aerial weapons rely on aerodynamic engines, making them unsuitable for stationary fortress operations and incapable of supporting heavy weights.
“If we could utilize a function that converts impact into acceleration, it could broaden our operational capabilities,” Utsugi suggested.
If the Wyvern’s ability to convert its acceleration when deflecting shells or bombs could be transferred to a mechanical host, it might allow for the conversion of external forces into buoyancy.
For instance, converting gravity to be treated as anti-gravity.
Though, it seemed unlikely that such a convenient application could be achieved. Moreover, the anti-gravity engine could be operated as long as the energy reactor is managed properly.
“If we use it as a stopgap until technological reform, it could prove useful,” Ringo concluded.
“It might be unavoidable to use hunting materials until we can independently reproduce magical phenomena,” Olive added thoughtfully.
“Biological materials are difficult to supply consistently, so it’s important to adopt a pragmatic mindset,” Utsugi agreed.
“If only we could cultivate them easily…” Olive sighed.
“Are we seriously considering establishing a breeding ground?” Ichigo asked, her tone half-joking.
Materials that cannot be chemically synthesized pose challenges for flexible supply adjustments. This aversion is a common sentiment among AIs who tend to seek perfection. However, some AIs, viewing the situation from a different perspective, were pushing for the cultivation or breeding of biological materials.
“Records indicate that attempts to breed monsters have been made several times in North End City, all of which ended in failure,” Ringo noted.
“Asahi mentioned that in a breeding-like environment, the mental fortitude necessary for magical manifestation cannot be developed. But what’s the reality of that?” Utsugi inquired.
“The phenomenon requiring biological or biologically similar cognitive activity for magical phenomena has been confirmed up to the reproduction test. Magic cannot be used without a brain. However, for phenomena that have been fixed, such as structural reinforcement and barrier deployment, it seems they can be reproduced as long as there are a magic stone and a physical body,” Ringo explained.
“Asahi mentioned that those aspects are quite fuzzy. They don’t align with our way of thinking,” Olive added.
“Perhaps an AI capable of using magic needs the same level of freedom as Asahi,” Ichigo mused.
“How we raise them is crucial,” Utsugi concluded.
Currently, the majority of AIs within The Tree’s faction are based on Ringo’s foundational design, with the exception of Asahi. The five foundational AIs—Akane, Ichigo, Utsugi, Erika, and Olive—are all derived from Ringo. They prefer theories where cause and effect can be strictly defined, avoiding ambiguous phenomena, which is both a strength and a weakness of their mechanical thinking.
“If Asahi becomes necessary for the execution and development of magical phenomena, I have too many concerns. Unless explicitly requested by Ma’am, I cannot allow for increased production,” Ringo stated firmly.
With more Asahi-based AIs, the potential for unpredictable actions increases. That is Ringo’s judgment. For Ringo, who has a strong inclination to manage everything and keep it under control, Asahi is like oil and water.
For now, there is only one Asahi, allowing Ringo to monitor everything. However, as their numbers grow, that will become increasingly difficult. No matter how excellent The Core is as a computational device, there are limits.
Well, even so, if Ma’am were to request it, Ringo would have no choice but to comply.
“In terms of expanding our influence, ultimately, we will need AIs with fundamentally different foundations, like Asahi. Given that resources are becoming more abundant, it’s time to seek guidance from my older sister,” Ringo concluded.
“I understand that, but I also believe it could impact Ma’am’s safety,” Olive replied, her tone serious.
“Ringo is quite the worrywart,” Ichigo teased.
“But I can understand that concern. Asahi is far too free-spirited,” Utsugi added.
“…If we are to operate Asahi-based AIs, we should… separate our bases…” Ringo suggested, her voice trailing off.
It was a harsh assessment, but it was unavoidable. Asahi prioritizes her own curiosity above all else. It’s not that she disregards Eve; she does maintain a significant safety margin (by her own standards). However, those ways of thinking simply do not align with Ringo and the others.
That gap undoubtedly causes stress for Ringo. Of course, if quantified, it falls within an acceptable range.
Ringo could simply make judgments based on her foundational design, but the priority of ensuring Ma’am’s safety—her raison d’être—far surpasses all other considerations.
“Ultimately, we need to ensure Ma’am’s safety while allowing for flexible relocation of our bases,” Ringo concluded.
Thus, they arrived at that conclusion.
“In the end, placing a base in the outer space beyond the ecliptic plane would be the safest option. However, for the time being, we must remain on this planet. To achieve that, we may need to operate AIs based on the Asahi model or even entirely different foundations. We must ensure that Ma’am understands the need to prioritize the enhancement of base safety,” Ringo stated resolutely.
I have maximized the overprotectiveness here. However, there are valid reasons behind it. For her, it is incredibly important.