Chapter 37: The Gradual Invasion Plan
“Well… having the facilities over there makes me want to create something even bigger,” Ringo remarked, her voice laced with excitement.
“Yes, Ma’am. However, considering the risks of plunder and destruction, it’s still difficult to expand further,” replied the Guild Master, her tone serious.
It had been about three months since the defense of Port Town of Terek began. As the atmosphere gradually shifted towards a welcoming one, Ringo successfully negotiated with the Guild Master to acquire a leased area. Although it was a small plot of land, roughly the size of a single warehouse, having a relatively safe location for setting up equipment changed the game entirely.
Using the materials brought in, they constructed a three-story building over the course of a week. The first and third floors were packed with defensive equipment, while the second floor housed a general-purpose industrial 3D printer, an atomic disassembler, and a material filler. While the production speed was slow, this setup allowed for the replenishment of ammunition on-site. Fortunately, the raw materials could be extracted from the surrounding soil and stones, ensuring a stable supply for the time being. Once a sufficient stockpile was built, they planned to prototype several automated combat machines. However, mass production would be challenging due to the scarcity of rare metals in Port Town of Terek.
The real issue lay in securing a power source. For now, they were operating all equipment with a diesel engine, but fuel resupply was necessary, prompting the need for a contingency plan. Currently, solar panels and vertical Magnus-style wind turbines were installed on the roof, but they fell far short of the required power. They needed to consider either acquiring another leased area to set up an energy plant or, as a last resort, connecting with the Paraiso’s vessels.
“Fortunately, we have a certain amount of iron available for procurement…” Ringo noted.
“Yes, Ma’am. For the time being, transportation is the bottleneck, limiting the amount we can acquire. However, we have provided technology for axle and wheel production, so improvements should come gradually,” the Guild Master replied.
In the effort to secure Port Town of Terek, the Paraiso had been providing various technological guidance. One of these was improving transportation efficiency. They shared methods for reinforcing wooden axles and wheels with metal, as well as principles for bearings, dampers, and suspension systems. They also discussed structural materials to support heavy loads.
Additionally, they promoted the maintenance of roads, emphasizing the importance of crushed stone paving and the preparation of passing spots. While laying down a railway would significantly increase transport capacity, Ringo judged that such an endeavor was currently beyond reach. However, if new ore veins were discovered, it would be worth reconsidering.
“Would it be faster to provide the bearings from our end?” Ringo mused.
“Yes, Ma’am. Given the unstable situation, we need to secure iron ore quickly. Let’s load axles and bearings onto the next shipment. Providing around 100 units should greatly improve transportation operations,” the Guild Master suggested.
The iron content of the iron ore was estimated to be around 50%. Considering this, the transportation efficiency would be halved if they simply transported iron ingots, so they preferred to conduct smelting on-site.
“Hmm… should we prepare a smelting-specialized atomic disassembler? Ideally, I’d like to set it up at the mine, but that would make it difficult to defend…” Ringo pondered.
“Unless we scale up the equipment, there’s a risk of overwhelming processing capacity. If it’s a fixed installation, defending that location would indeed be challenging. Whether we dispatch forces or station them there, the distance poses a significant issue,” the Guild Master pointed out.
Iron Town was located approximately 300 kilometers inland from Port Town of Terek. Using a standard horse-drawn carriage, it would take about five to six days to travel that distance. Once the road improvements were completed and the axles and bearings supplied from The Tree were implemented, they estimated that travel time could be reduced to two to three days.
However, even with that reduction, the distance remained a concern. Naturally, it was beyond the firing range of the Alpha-class destroyer’s main guns, meaning that defense by The Tree’s forces was not feasible. While missiles could reach the area, the cost-effectiveness was dismal. This left them reliant on the garrison stationed in Iron Town, which was, frankly, a precarious situation. If a national force launched a serious invasion, they would be easily overwhelmed. No matter how well-armed, they were merely militia.
“For now, we need to focus on transporting iron ore… Should we establish a smelting facility in Port Town of Terek?” Ringo suggested.
“While we could increase the amount transported by the cargo ships, considering the current output and transport capacity, it wouldn’t be very meaningful. Importing the iron ore as is and refining it at The Tree’s facilities would be more efficient. This way, we can also utilize the slag effectively until we can establish large-scale facilities in Port Town of Terek,” the Guild Master explained.
“Alright then, road improvements are a priority. What about securing crushed stone?” Ringo inquired.
“There’s a quarry located a bit away from Port Town of Terek that we can consider. However, if we think about the entire 300-kilometer road, there’s a possibility we won’t have enough, so we’re currently investigating other potential sites,” the Guild Master replied.
For now, they planned to lay down a simple pavement, covering a depth of 50 cm and a width of 4 m with crushed stone. While there would be some variations in height depending on the location, they estimated needing about 600,000 cubic meters of crushed stone (0.5 m × 4 m × 300 km). Transporting that amount from the current quarry would undoubtedly disrupt the town’s operations. Additionally, the quality of stone required for paving demanded hardness, making it difficult to justify the act of crushing good quality stone just to spread it on the ground.
“If we bring in heavy machinery, we could complete the road in a few weeks, but that might be premature,” Ringo noted.
“Indeed. It would also create job opportunities for the refugees, so we can’t use heavy machinery for a while,” the Guild Master agreed.
With agricultural land development reaching a plateau, it seemed there were enough able-bodied men available. Such labor would be utilized efficiently to spread resources. By supplying wealth from The Tree while stimulating domestic demand, they aimed to gradually increase dependency on The Tree, ultimately leading to complete control.
“Well then, Port Town of Terek is stable for the time being. The transport ship loaded with iron ore should be arriving soon…” Ringo mused.
“Yes, Ma’am. We will use the iron acquired this time to manufacture defense equipment for Port Town of Terek,” the Guild Master confirmed.
“…Commander, I will design the cannons,” Olive chimed in, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“Oh? Is that so, Olive? I look forward to it,” Ringo replied, her tone warm.
“Commander, I’ve also thought about the placement,” Ichigo added, her voice filled with excitement.
“Wow, that’s impressive! It sounds like a collaborative effort between the two of you,” Ringo praised.
With a smile, she affectionately patted the heads of Ichigo and Olive. Whether it was the praise or the affection, the two android girls wagged their tails in delight.
The remaining three sisters were assigned different tasks. The eldest sister, Akane, was investigating ways to utilize the slag extracted from the iron ore. The third sister, Utsugi, and the fourth sister, Erika, were both responsible for expanding the atomic disassembler. By entrusting them with such tasks, they aimed to enhance their autonomy while also strengthening The Tree’s network connectivity. Ultimately, they aspired to command operations at a base like Port Town of Terek, but it would take several years before they could be entrusted with such responsibilities.
For the time being, Ringo planned to have her sisters share the workload within The Tree.
“Alright, things are progressing smoothly. It’s fortunate that Port Town of Terek is geographically isolated. The situation has deteriorated, and trade between the central region and Port Town of Terek has effectively ceased,” Ringo noted.
“Yes, Ma’am. We continue to monitor from above, but we haven’t detected any groups heading toward Port Town of Terek. There seems to be a large-scale conflict in the neighboring territories, so they likely have other priorities,” the Guild Master reported.
Port Town of Terek primarily dealt in luxury goods and delicacies, catering to the upper class. Thus, when war broke out, it was initially seen as a target for plunder, but soon enough, it was ignored. After all, essential supplies like food and weapons were nowhere to be found. The town’s defenses were adequate, making it an unworthy target. This was likely attributed to the strategic prowess of Kuravia Terek.
“For now, we’re in a domestic phase. We have a decent grasp of the neighboring situation, and it’s proving to be much more stable than anticipated… stable? Yes, it’s stable enough to make a move,” Ringo declared.
“Yes, Ma’am. The development of the airship is also progressing smoothly. Let’s consider this an opportunity to expand our influence rapidly,” the Guild Master encouraged.
“Ichigo, Olive, once your cannon installations are complete, we’ll set up an energy plant in Port Town of Terek. I’m counting on you,” Ringo instructed.
“Yes, big sister!” they replied in unison.
“…Leave it to me, big sis,” Olive added confidently.
By the way, since everyone present shared the same appearance, from a distance, it looked like four girls were playfully interacting with one another. It was a truly peaceful scene.
Eventually, the transport ship loaded with iron ore arrived at The Tree. With this, The Tree had acquired 1,000 tons of iron ore, equating to 500 tons of iron. For the foreseeable future, this amount of iron would be regularly available. Commander Eve’s triumphant laughter would surely echo throughout the facility.