Chapter 347: True to Desire
“The completion rate of the chemical plant complex is approximately 10%. It’s slightly behind schedule, but still within acceptable limits,” Alban Bleias, the Navy’s top officer, stated during their usual tea party, where they discussed matters of state.
“But, saying this now is a bit late, and even though I said I wouldn’t interfere, is this really alright? An ammonia plant, you say?” Duke Amadio Silverhead inquired.
Amadio Silverhead had publicly declared that he no longer intended to steer the country, and in practice, he only offered advice when consulted. If their relationship with ＜Paraiso＞ had taken a different turn, there might have been another path, but at least for now, he only held occasional secret tea parties.
“Are you referring to the ＜Wheat Country＞? Well, there’s probably no need to worry too much. If we export fertilizer to them, they won’t have any complaints. Besides, it has always been analyzed that their food shortage is hindering their development. They’ll likely welcome an increase in exports as well.” Alban said.
And so, the card of producing and exporting chemical fertilizers was played.
This was their usual tea party, meaning the two (or rather, two entities) from ＜Paraiso＞ were also present.
“Sufficient food is the foundation of culture. There is no problem,” Sera stated.
“Sera-jou is fine with that, I suppose,” Amadio replied.
Nevertheless, Amadio carefully reviewed the situation’s figures, projected growth rates, and potential friction. His complaint was a matter of principle.
The ammonium nitrate to be produced at the under-construction factory was projected to be ten times the amount that could be consumed within the Reputari Kingdom.
However, ammonium nitrate alone isn’t enough for plant growth. In addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are also necessary.
There were no developed mines for either, and the mainstream approach was to use guano or plant ash.
Simply adding ammonium nitrate wouldn’t yield very good results.
“We will also communicate the correct usage methods. The Reputari Kingdom has good control, so there shouldn’t be any issues. What the export destinations do is their problem. There’s no need for you to worry about it.” Sera said.
“Well, that’s true, but I think potassium chloride was found somewhere, wasn’t it?” Amadio asked.
“Yes. We have locations where potassium rock salt can be mined in our country, so we should be able to provide a relatively stable supply. The guano reserves don’t seem to be a problem for the time being, but as Asidancera-sama says, we should look for phosphate rock veins. The reserves are on a completely different scale,” Alban replied.
“The question is how well other countries can handle that… Considering its history, the Wheat Country will likely have few problems. Rather, will they even be able to use our fertilizer if we give it to them?” Amadio wondered.
“It will allow them to expand their fields to areas other than the Ipro River basin,” Alban suggested. “Since they’ll be starting with land reclamation, production won’t increase immediately. Asidancera-sama has thoroughly explained the fertilizer balance issues, so we’ll need to intervene in various ways…”
After this fertilizer discussion, the next set of documents presented concerned domestic mine development.
“Mine development in our country is also expanding rapidly. Thanks to the availability of high-quality steel and high-tensile steel from ＜Paraiso＞, the performance of various tools and machines has dramatically improved. High-carbon steel, which is used for rail materials, is especially helpful. Without it, railway development would have been delayed by another five years,” Alban explained.
“The steel mill construction is also progressing. If possible, we should continue to produce steel domestically in the future. And copper needs to be increased… Other metals are being extracted at a decent rate,” Amadio noted.
“The identification of various elements has been communicated. I hope they are used effectively,” Sera added.
The mines within the Reputari Kingdom were undergoing indirect modification by ＜Paraiso＞. As Asidancera said, devices capable of measuring the component ratios of the extracted ore were also provided.
As a result, the Reputari Kingdom had dramatically improved its mine redevelopment and new surveys. The discovery of new veins was also increasing production.
“The areas around the mines are bustling with a worker bubble. The port areas are naturally growing, and the train stations are also showing good growth rates. The new port has an attached industrial zone, so the commercial district can’t be too large… Maybe we should build something nearby?” Amadio suggested.
“A new commercial city, perhaps? Hmm, the railway is already there, and we could meet the demand by increasing the number of passenger cars,” Alban mused.
“We should secure land to adequately accommodate the expansion of railway lines. If we’re going to build a commercial city, we should create a round-trip route,” Sera advised.
“The area around Moore is probably at its limit, right? It might be a good idea to move commercial activities there. The current chaotic cityscape isn’t bad, but considering the future, the capital should be properly maintained,” Amadio said.
“It would be best to focus on government agencies. We should start with industrial-related facilities and proceed with the relocation,” Alban suggested.
Due to the Reputari Kingdom’s very high growth rate, the population concentration in the capital, Moore, was becoming a problem. Originally, urban planning had been carried out in anticipation of this, so it hadn’t become a critical situation, but issues such as sanitation and pollution were beginning to surface.
And then, the ＜Paraiso＞ boom hit directly.
People who had found new business opportunities were flocking in, dreaming of making a fortune. The city structure had originally been designed with some leeway, so it was still manageable, but this was a problem that needed to be addressed quickly.
“Shall we announce it to the whole country quickly? Those with keen ears will start acting immediately,” Alban said.
“You’ve become quite reliable…” Amadio said with a wry smile, as Alban quickly jotted down the idea.
Because the top had an overwhelmingly powerful control system, these actions were very fast-paced. Normally, urban planning should be carefully developed by the appropriate department over time.
“Fortunately, we have an excellent advisor. I am very grateful,” Alban replied.
“…Just don’t become too dependent,” Amadio warned.
“That’s already taken care of.”
Thanks to the observer ＜Paraiso＞, who understood one thing and produced a hundred, the Reputari Kingdom continued to leap forward today.
◇◇◇◇
“Are you treating it like a national management simulator?” Eve muttered, listening to the current situation report of the Reputari Kingdom, which ＜The Tree＞ was heavily involved in.
“Ayame Zero is doing it seriously, so it’s not a simulator,” Ringo replied formally.
Although ＜Ringo＞ denied it, it was undoubtedly positioning it as an experimental site, as it was recording and analyzing every detail of the implementation of various measures and the accompanying processes and results.
Of course, it wasn’t intentionally trying to make them unhappy, and it was intervening in a way that would develop them as much as possible, which was why Eve could watch with peace of mind.
“The Reputari Kingdom is fine, but the surrounding countries are the ones that smell fishy, right? It looks like information gathering is a bit behind…” Eve said.
“That’s because we’re limiting the resources we’re investing. We’re planning to expand to another continent in the future, so dealing with limited resources will become the norm. There’s no merit in intervening on a large scale in this region, so we’re taking the same approach as we would with them,” Ringo explained.
“Aren’t you still treating it like a simulator?” Eve asked.
“It’s unreasonable to invest endlessly. However, as you sense, Ma’am, there is room to add resources here. But even if we create local stability, it won’t have any ripple effects on others. We’ve determined that it’s better to use that amount to expand ＜The Tree＞’s military power,” Ringo replied.
What ＜Ringo＞ meant was that it was possible to place the surrounding countries under ＜The Tree＞’s control, but whether they did so or not would have little impact on future plans.
In that case, it would be better to keep the invested resources to a minimum and use the surplus to build a battleship. It was truly being true to its desires.
This is a story about leaving the area around the Reputari Kingdom to Ayame Zero-chan.
They are accumulating data and ultimately aiming to have a simple AI without will govern the country.
Eve-chan is finite, after all…
★ The Hungry Fortress Wants to Build a Battleship in Another World World of Sandbox All 3 volumes on sale!
KADOKAWA Official https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/series/417083/?i=322212000471