Chapter 288: Sunbathing
“It’s such a lovely day, Older Sister!”
“…Indeed.”
For daily health, sunbathing is incredibly important. The ultraviolet rays known as UVB in sunlight help produce vitamin D within the body. Additionally, exposure to strong light promotes the secretion of serotonin.
Of course, it’s possible to supplement vitamin D through medication, and light for serotonin production can also be artificially generated. There’s no need to force oneself to bask in the sun.
However, perhaps due to her characteristics as a fox beastman, the act of dozing under the sunlight is crucial for Eve’s mental stability, as analyzed by Ringo. Thus, it has become a daily routine for them to sunbathe every morning and after breakfast.
Today, Asahi has returned to the fortress, The Tree, so the two are spending time together. Although Asahi is mostly mechanized and doesn’t benefit from sunbathing, simply being alongside her Older Sister has led to various improvements.
“It’s time, so I will activate the optical shield.”
A Communicator Android operated by Ringo, which had been waiting a short distance away, announced this. The layered crystal, charged with the appropriate voltage, eliminated harmful wavelengths of light, ensuring that even extended sunbathing would not affect Ma’am’s precious body.
“…Time, huh?”
Eve, who had curled up, slowly sat up. She stretched her arms high above her head. Asahi, who had been rolling around beside her, stood up straight.
“I’ll bring you a drink and a light snack, Older Sister!”
“Thank you~!”
Asahi dashed over to the self-driving cart, retrieving chilled glasses, a pot, and frozen treats before swiftly returning. Meanwhile, Eve had moved to a two-seater made of woven nylon fibers.
“Here you go~!”
“What do we have today?”
Asahi placed a tray on the table and poured a drink into the glass. The pot contained a carbonated beverage chilled to just below freezing, flavored with citrus fruits found on the Northern Continent.
“Mmm, delicious~!”
Asahi could digest sugary liquids like carbonated water and desserts resembling ice cream or sorbet. Thus, today’s dessert was a sorbet made from sweet fruits, one of Eve’s favorites, resembling mangoes.
The two enjoyed their dessert while snuggled together on the couple’s seat, relishing the moment. Normally, the other Five Sisters would return to work, prompting Eve to do the same, but today, with Asahi present, they could relax.
“By the way, Asahi, have you decided what you want to do moving forward?”
“Asahi?”
Asahi tilted her head, not struggling to answer but merely indulging in the moment.
“Well, for now, I’d like to land in the Divine Nation.”
“Oh, really? I thought you were heading to North End City.”
“That area is under Cosmos’s jurisdiction. Even if I went, I wouldn’t have much freedom there!”
North End City is being developed by the O-Class Strategic AI, Cosmos. They are actively setting up facilities for processing monster materials and testing equipment for exploring the Demon Forest.
It seems Asahi concluded that her presence there would only lead to a scramble for resources.
“I see. So, the Divine Nation it is. Indeed, the AI for base control there is still undecided. Iris is managing overall operations, but…”
“Yes, Older Sister. I believe that soon, Ichigo Older Sister’s I-Class will be established, but for now, it seems like the most freedom to operate and conduct research!”
Yakari Port, the landing base for the Divine Nation, currently has the O-Class AI, Lotus, installed, but it remains a temporary setup. Eventually, it will be relocated to build a production base closer to a large-scale ore vein further inland.
Given this situation, the safety of the Divine Nation is exceptionally high. In fact, it might be several times safer than the Afrasia United Kingdom, which still retains its local governance structure.
“Oh, speaking of which, you mentioned developing new guard machines. Will Asahi be using them?”
“Ah, yes, Older Sister! Yes, these are guard machines for Asahi, specifically for protecting important individuals! We’re planning to incorporate a magic tool called the Flame Wand, which we procured from North End City, for testing!”
“Oh, really?”
“This magic tool is made using the magic stone of a fire-breathing lizard, and when charged, it fires a ball of flame! I’m trying to figure out how to integrate this into the automated machines!”
“I see…”
“So, right now, we’re in the testing phase for the guard machines. If everything goes well, they might land at Yakari Port soon!”
“Be careful. While I believe it’s safe since it’s mostly within our sphere of influence, we haven’t completely eradicated threats on land or sea.”
“Yes, Older Sister!”
Eve is aware that The Tree is steadily expanding its sphere of influence. All known human civilizations have been accounted for, but measures against monsters and threat creatures are still lacking. However, they cannot simply remain fearful; they must continue to advance. They assess the threat level and, if within acceptable limits, continue to expand. This is the current state of affairs.
“For now, the issues in the Divine Nation are nearly resolved, but what are your thoughts, Older Sister?”
This is likely a genuine question from Asahi. Since she primarily focuses on research, she doesn’t have much access to undecided strategic information. She might download it if necessary, but this moment is merely for recreation. Eve understands this and shares her thoughts in a casual conversation.
“Well, Asahi probably understands, but we’re currently in an expansion phase. We’ve successfully secured resources, and production is on the rise. We’re strengthening our defense while increasing production facilities. The ore veins and land have significantly expanded due to our control over the Divine Nation.”
The Prava Divine Nation is an inland nation. By cultivating plains and creating fields, they are rapidly expanding their territory. The originally lacking military strength is compensated by the loyal monk soldiers, who serve as magical warriors.
“While the Afrasia United Kingdom has a considerably large territory compared to surrounding nations, it pales in comparison to the Prava Divine Nation. For the foreseeable future, we won’t have to worry about land or resources.”
“That’s true. There are still many untouched ore veins, and there seem to be large iron deposits within the Divine Nation, right?”
“Exactly. We’ve found traces of such deposits in the west. It’s a bit far, so we don’t have the details yet.”
The Northern Continent still stretches far to the east and west. There might even be human nations further west of the Prava Divine Nation. While satellite images haven’t revealed any, in a fantasy world, that offers no guarantees. Moreover, even if there are no nations to the west, there are still several unexplored nations to the east. Thus, preparation for potential conflicts is necessary.
Their controlled territory has expanded rapidly. Now, they must fully integrate it into their sphere of influence. For that, they still lack sufficient automated machines and AI.
“The Prava Divine Nation needs to advance the establishment of bases. Also, we should negotiate with the western nations. We have no information at all about the areas beyond the Forest Country.”
“That’s right. So, for the time being, we should focus on strengthening internal affairs! I’ll learn magic and show you! I’ll be of help!”
“Hehe. I’m looking forward to it, Asahi.”
It feels like a brief pause, doesn’t it? We’re in an expansion phase.