Chapter 306: Sparkling Party
The Hungry Fortress aims to create a massive battleship in another world. Volume 3 of World of Sandbox is set for release!!
The Tree, having rapidly expanded its influence over the entire Prava Divine Nation, successfully expelled all hostile forces from its territories. With a certain level of safety and stability secured, it was time to conduct an overhaul and detailed investigation of the local strategic AI, Iris. This was particularly necessary after the recent attempt to manage frontline control and the prolonged operation far from the main base.
“Of course, the main purpose of this trip is to reunite with my older sister!”
“Well, I understand that it’s a fixed installation and not something you can just move around easily.”
While Ringo assisted in overseeing the local operations, the Gigantia-equipped Elemurus Four and the Titan-equipped Wederia Series took over the responsibilities.
Although it was also necessary to provide some rest for them, that was a matter for later.
“Iris has returned.”
The aircraft carrier Myrkvid, carrying Iris’s AI unit, docked at The Tree’s pier. Simultaneously, Iris connected to The Tree’s local network, initiating a complete synchronization with the Communicator Android that had been prepared for this day.
However, this was the first time Iris would fully synchronize with the Communicator, and based on past experiences, it was deemed too stimulating for her to interact directly with Eve. Therefore, another unit controlled by Ringo accompanied her. The plan was to get accustomed to the Communicator itself before moving on to contact her beloved older sister.
“Welcome back, Iris. We have a party tonight, so look forward to it!”
“Yes, older sister. I’ll need a little time to adjust to my body.”
“Of course. Take your time.”
While Iris was a key figure in the conquest and unification of the Prava Divine Nation, there was another newcomer participating in this gathering.
“Have you gotten used to that body yet, Asahi?”
“Yes, older sister! Ringo prepared the basic control software! Just a little optimization of the motor functions, and here I am!”
Asahi, the youngest daughter, usually operated in a heavily reinforced humanoid unit. With the accumulated experience of other AIs remotely controlling Communicators to gain physical forms, Asahi had insisted on trying it herself. Indeed, Asahi’s unit was mostly mechanical, unlike typical Communicators, and her digestive system was rather underdeveloped, limiting her capabilities. However, a body capable of eating and drinking had finally been prepared for her.
“Hmm… Since it’s a special occasion, why not go see Iris? Your circumstances are the closest to hers.”
“That’s true! Then, older sister, I’ll see you later! Zoom!”
With that, Asahi dashed off with somewhat unsteady steps.
“Ma’am, it will take over an hour to transport the AI unit, so we have prepared seats on the terrace. Would you like to spend time there?”
Ringo, standing behind Eve, suggested this. It seemed Ringo wanted to minimize exposure to direct sunlight, as ultraviolet rays were the enemy of her skin.
“Is that so? Then let’s move over there.”
By the way, Ringo was holding a parasol behind her, shielding Eve from the threat of UV rays. Her overprotective nature remained unchanged. And there were no sentient beings here questioning that.
“It’s still quite hot; I’d love something cold to drink.”
“I have it prepared, Ma’am.”
“……”
Iris sat stiffly on the sofa, completely frozen.
“How cute.”
Behind her, Eve was gently brushing the hair of the girl in front of her, a broad smile on her face.
“Praising her appearance feels a bit narcissistic, though.”
All the Communicators present were manufactured based on Eve’s genetic makeup. Therefore, complimenting their looks was indirectly praising herself. However, there was no one here to hold that against her, so there was no need to worry.
“Iris will be here until the day after tomorrow, right?”
“…Yes, older sister. I expect the overhaul to take about 20 hours.”
“Take your time today and tomorrow. We can’t set too many holidays, after all.”
Due to the structural nature of the fixed installation strategic AI, they were quite large. Moreover, since their function was to oversee the local area, continuous operation was generally desired. To take time off, as Eve referred to it, required considerable preparation.
Until now, resources for manufacturing strategic AI units had been conserved. However, having already discovered multiple veins, secured oil fields, and even tapped into seabed resources, The Tree was currently thriving. In simple terms, it was experiencing a bubble economy.
“Let’s arrange for the local installation AI to be able to relax in parallel.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Typically, parallelization of AI units is done for performance enhancement or redundancy. To increase them solely for the purpose of setting holidays shows a remarkable level of surplus. Eve recognized the AIs as family, which led to such ideas.
“Iris hasn’t been active much yet, and her sensory organs haven’t developed, so just enjoy your favorite flavors.”
“Yes, older sister.”
The newly created Communicator Android had an underdeveloped neural network, leading to mixed signals regarding taste. While it would optimize over time, Iris was still quite immature in that regard—essentially, she had a child’s palate.
Thus, the food prepared for Iris’s party was akin to an expanded version of a children’s lunch, featuring rich tomato sauces, fried foods, and dishes made with dairy products. Of course, dessert cakes were also prepared.
All of this was carefully chosen by Akane. Iris was a mass-produced model of the Ayame Series, based on Akane, which likely contributed to her strong emotional connection.
Naturally, as a creation based on Akane, Iris shared the same love for books and food. In fact, that love was already spilling over.
“Iris, you can take whatever you like, but let me serve you first. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
With that, Akane placed the dishes she had prepared in front of Iris. She also brought her own plate and sat right next to Iris.
“Thank you, Akane Onee-sama.”
“Ma’am, please help yourself as well.”
Ringo quickly brought dishes to Eve, who was seated to Iris’s left. It was a considerate gesture, as it felt awkward to leave Iris behind to fetch food.
“Thank you, Ringo. Now, let’s eat. Come on, Iris.”
“Iris, can you hold it?”
“Um…”
As Akane began to fuss over Iris, Eve smiled brightly. Seeing Eve’s expression made Ringo smile as well.
Thus began the leisurely relief party, with everyone participating in high spirits. Especially Asahi, who was now controlling a new body, was eagerly stuffing her face with food.
“Yum! Mmm! Wow, this Neapolitan pasta is amazing! It hits the tongue with a bang!”
“Asahi, how about the hamburger?”
“Don’t forget the shrimp tempura!”
“Oh, thank you, Utsugi Onee-sama and Erika Onee-sama!!”
“Did Olive decorate this? It’s so delicate!”
“Yes… this. Older sister.”
“Wow, isn’t this your icon, older sister? Oh, and this must be Ringo!”
And so, with the arrival of new AIs, The Tree Fortress became even more lively. From here, the scale of the party would only continue to expand.
Invasion War (Party).
I apologize for the long wait. I’ve been focusing my efforts on writing the manuscript, and my main job has been quite demanding, making it difficult to find time at night, which has slowed my progress.
Until things settle down a bit, the frequency of updates may decrease, so I appreciate your understanding.
Now then, I’m pleased to announce that the publication of Volume 3 of the Hungry Fortress has been decided! Yay yay!!
The release date hasn’t been set yet, so please wait for further updates. Why hasn’t it been decided? Because I don’t know when the manuscript will be completed! (Darn!!)
I’m sorry; it’s my fault. Um, I’ll raise your expectations. The story has been refreshed, and more than half of it is new writing.
It’s my own doing, yes. It’s tough. Please look forward to it!