Chapter 323: Blockade Line
“Lord Falsar. From 7 (Suemi) to 9 (Dzevichi), there have been no intruders. No traces found.”
“Good work.”
The man nodded in response to the report from the patrol unit. The squad leader silently bowed and turned to exit the room.
This was a stationed facility established within the Eadia Beastin United Kingdom, a garrison for the blockade troops in the territory seized by the Prava Divine Nation.
“So far, there are no signs of military action.”
The battalion commander, overseeing multiple units, muttered as he summarized the recent reports.
It had been over six months since the Prava Divine Nation began maintaining this blockade line, yet the original owners seemed unable to take any action.
After compiling the reports into documents, the battalion commander left the room.
His next destination was the quarters of Izure Kakitsubata, the newly appointed military attaché from Paraiso.
Upon knocking on the door, a response came immediately.
“Please enter.”
“Thank you for having me.”
Izure Kakitsubata stood up from her desk to welcome the battalion commander, Falsar, as he entered. She then guided him to the reception area.
“This is the usual regular report. It won’t take long.”
“From the looks of it, there doesn’t seem to be any issues. Then, please take your time.”
Izure seated Falsar on the sofa and quickly took her own seat across from him.
As if on cue, a young servant girl from Paraiso appeared from the adjacent kitchen space, pushing a cart laden with a tea set and light snacks.
“…Understood. Indeed, there’s nothing urgent at hand. I shall partake in your hospitality.”
Falsar was accustomed to this. For their family, the Chimiya, Paraiso was an invaluable ally. The faint whispers of information from the front lines made that abundantly clear.
Thus, he had no complaints about exchanging words with Izure Kakitsubata, the representative of Paraiso in this region. In fact, it was an event he should actively engage in.
“…Hmm. Today, we have herbal tea that has been consumed in this region for ages, along with baked goods typically distributed during festivals and special occasions. While common varieties often have many impurities and are rather mediocre…”
“I see. If prepared with your skills, they could transform into first-class delicacies.”
After silently savoring the herbal tea and baked goods, Izure Kakitsubata nodded in satisfaction. Falsar, having finished his share in silence, echoed her sentiments. By strictly controlling the quality of the unadulterated ingredients, the appropriate proportions, cooking times, and heating conditions, the humble fare could be elevated to gourmet status.
“If we refine the presentation, these could serve as export goods. We’ve found something good here.”
The herbal tea, which turned a vibrant orange when dried flower petals were mixed in, and the baked goods resembling chiffon cake, also dyed orange with the same petals, were indeed promising.
Izure Kakitsubata assessed that since the herbs were abundant in this region and some cultivation was underway, exporting them as local specialties was feasible.
“Well, that’s fine. It’s a matter concerning the indigenous people.”
Raising her left hand to request a refill, Izure continued.
“Now then, let’s hear today’s report.”
“Understood.”
In place of the cleared tea set, several reports were laid on the desk.
“The content is almost unchanged from last time. The number of repulsions, the number of captives. There are no traces of intruders in the abandoned forts included in the patrol route.”
“…I see. Compared to the last three months, there are no particularly noticeable changes.”
The sporadic incursions by what appeared to be reconnaissance units occurred every few days to a couple of weeks. There seemed to be no particular pattern, merely desperate individuals crossing borders. Confirming that there were no significant changes, Izure raised her gaze.
“From the spies we’ve infiltrated, there’s no information indicating that preparations for an advance are underway. At least for the next few months, this situation should persist.”
“Thank you for the confirmation. Our unit will be relocating to another site in about two weeks, so I hope for your continued cooperation.”
Falsar’s battalion was scheduled to return to their base soon. This was part of a plan to gradually replace the blockade line’s guard with Paraiso’s troops.
For the Chimiya family, the task of opening a path through the Demon Forest was far more important than preserving national territory. If they didn’t return their troops to that endeavor soon, there was a risk of dissatisfaction boiling over.
“That won’t be an issue. We are concurrently developing routes for movement. In about a month, we expect to have control over 90% of the blockade line.”
“Understood. I’ll relay that to the troops.”
Currently, the extensive blockade line was maintained by former monk soldiers incorporated into the Chimiya family. The plan was to have the automated machines from The Tree take over that responsibility.
Originally, the intention was to delegate this entirely to the Chimiya family, but a misunderstanding arose due to a lack of understanding of their motivations. The Chimiya family was a group that had longed to clear a path through the Demon Forest, and they had no other desires.
To unify the command structure of the monk soldiers, they were incorporated into the Chimiya family, but as a result, the former monk soldiers began to share the same aspirations as the Chimiya family.
The AI from The Tree, upon hearing this report for the first time, were collectively bewildered.
Humans, as a species, were not supposed to easily accept external alterations to their consciousness. Yet, the monk soldiers had transformed to share the same values as the Chimiya family in just a few days.
It wasn’t that their previous memories had vanished.
This phenomenon brought deep concern to RINGO.
The unknown technology of magic could easily alter the consciousness and thoughts of living beings, which should arise from the complex chemical reactions in the brain’s neural pathways.
This could potentially have irreversible effects not only on the Brain Unit but also on the fully living Commander, Eve.
For the time being, all artificial intelligences related to the Prava Divine Nation were being housed in constructs utilizing Photonics Neural Networks to ensure complete backups.
The problem remained: what to do with the eager-to-advance humanoid androids.
◇◇◇◇
“Hmm. Consciousness rewriting, is it?”
When faced with uncertainties, it was best to consult the person involved. RINGO had sought the opinion of Asahi, who had returned to The Tree after conferring with Eve.
“There’s no doubt it’s a threat… Consciousness rewriting itself has precedents!”
Asahi cited a previous incident involving a man who had undergone external rewriting of his Brain Unit.
Currently, it was deemed inhumane to confine him in an experimental facility, as Eve had admonished. However, it was too dangerous to leave him unchecked, so he had been hidden away in the outskirts of Terek Port Town. With Communicator Androids constantly monitoring him, there were no significant issues anticipated.
In a way, having an adorable fox girl as a neighbor shouldn’t be too bad. Probably. Maybe.
But setting that aside.
“I can imagine that sending Asahi to the front lines would be quite dangerous! If we use remote-controlled Communicator Androids to keep a physical and informational distance, I think we could avoid any influence here! We’ve also confirmed that the brainwashing man can be neutralized with that countermeasure!”
In response to Eve and RINGO’s inquiries, Asahi replied. Having gained some experience, he seemed to have subdued his desire to venture to the front lines.
“If we can ensure safety by our standards, I’d certainly like to go! For now, we need to gather information!”
“Hmm… I’m relieved to see you’re thinking things through, Asahi.”
“I can’t burden my older sister with worries! Asahi is growing up!”
As Asahi hugged her, Eve let out a sigh of relief.
However.
RINGO continued to observe Asahi with a skeptical gaze.