Chapter 74: The Sisters’ Tea Party
“Please, enjoy the cookies and tea.”
“Oh, thank you!”
Commander Eve, RINGO, and the five sisters gathered in the dining hall to discuss their future plans. RINGO brought in a fresh batch of cookies and tea.
“Is the tea ready?”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. I found a plant similar to the tea plant, so I processed it. From what I gathered, green tea is consumed in very limited areas. Although it seems to be rare, I heard about it in the Port Town of Terek, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
Commander Eve nodded thoughtfully as she picked up her teacup. The five sisters watched her intently.
RINGO’s sense of taste had its limitations, as it was merely operating the Communicator Android. It seemed that either the neural pathways related to taste had not fully developed, or there were variances among the Communicator Androids themselves, leading to inconsistencies in the flavors perceived.
RINGO appeared to accept these inconsistencies as within an acceptable range.
Well, it was mainly Commander Eve’s indulgence that contributed to this situation. She should have clearly stated if something tasted bad, but it was too late for that now.
Ideally, an AI should use a taste measurement device to detect absolute values, but RINGO insisted on using the tongue of the Communicator Android to verify flavors. This behavior seemed to stem from a childlike desire to mimic her parent, wanting to experience flavors just like Commander Eve. Only Commander Eve found this endearing, while the five sisters wished for it to stop.
Thus, the five sisters remained highly cautious about any new creations.
RINGO was aware of this, but it seemed she only understood it as a mild aversion to unfamiliar tastes. It was a rather unfortunate situation.
As a result, the only victim was Commander Eve.
“…Hmm. Not bad.”
That said, the number of culinary surprises had decreased recently. This was likely due to the accumulation of data regarding taste. Additionally, the standardization of the Communicator Androids had reduced the discrepancies in flavors that Commander Eve experienced.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
With a cheerful smile, RINGO watched as Commander Eve savored the tea and took a bite of the cookie. The five sisters exchanged glances and picked up cookies of their own.
Well, it was a familiar scene.
“Well, with the addition of snacks to our daily meals, things are looking good. The livestock is going well, right?”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. The breeding of cattle and chicken-like animals is generally going smoothly. We haven’t found pigs yet, so we are still searching. While there are no reports of livestock in the Port Town of Terek, we have confirmed testimonies that such animals exist. If we could find sheep or goats, we could diversify our options, but it seems they inhabit different areas and are not found around here. Also, we have begun capturing and breeding sea creatures similar to dolphins, so that will be available soon as well.”
“Good. Please manage that appropriately.”
Commander Eve pondered the idea of consuming dolphin meat. She realized she had never particularly enjoyed it, nor was she sure if she had ever eaten it at all. However, since they were both mammals, she concluded it should be fine.
That said, she was uncertain whether the meat she had eaten in the real world before her transfer was truly as it was packaged. Remembering a time when she had not questioned such things made her feel a bit nostalgic. Back then, she had been cared for by her Auxiliary Avatar, Eida, while being scolded for playing too much, earning pocket money, and receiving praise…
“Well, well.”
“…? Commander Ma’am, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing at all. Anyway, it would be a waste to dawdle like this, so let’s get back to the main topic.”
With that, Commander Eve decided to return to the matter at hand.
“Regarding the future of Flatara City. For the time being… let’s decide on the governance until that lord heals and comes out of the Medical Pod. We have about five days, I suppose?”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. It will take three days for the wound to heal, one day for muscle repair and overall optimization, and one day for adjustments to internal functions and other matters. He will be able to act autonomously in five days. For this treatment of Radaeri Flatara, should we focus on healing the gunshot wound?”
RINGO’s response was peculiar, prompting Commander Eve to pause and think.
“Does that mean there are other treatments that need to be addressed besides the gunshot wound?”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. A full scan revealed serious internal ailments, overall malnutrition, and deformities in the bones and cartilage around the shoulders and waist. These are typical stress-related disorders, compounded by food shortages and prolonged desk work.”
“…”
Commander Eve contemplated this. According to the information RINGO had gathered, Flatara City was in a dire situation. They had to consider the possibility of attacking the external delegation that had come to visit.
It seemed that this decision had been made relatively rationally. Although governance had been under Radaeri Flatara’s sole authority, it appeared that the surrounding environment was so poor that no one bore any resentment.
“It’s starting to feel a bit pitiful… Please heal what you can.”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am.”
Currently, Radaeri Flatara’s vitals were very stable. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, largely due to the effects of the administered medication.
“Commander, Big Sister. I also feel a bit sorry for him… So, I think leaving it as an empty lot is a bit…”
“Yes, yes! I think we should turn it into a supply base!”
“I think so too! Let’s build a runway!”
Ichigo, Utsugi, and Erika seemed to believe that continuing to utilize Flatara City in some way was the best course of action.
“…Um, I think a supply base would be best. It would be more convenient to have a base for interactions with the Forest Country, Lebresta.”
Olive also seemed to support the idea of establishing a base in Flatara City. That left Akane with the final word.
“…I think we should only leave an embassy. Establishing a base poses a high risk of information leakage. If we want to avoid an all-out war with the Afrasia United Kingdom, we should refrain from blatant invasion.”
“I see.”
Somehow, she also thought that establishing a base might not be the best idea, albeit to varying degrees. However, upon reflection, there seemed to be no merit in building a base in a location where people already lived.
It would likely be faster to create a base from scratch in an uninhabited area. After all, there would be no need to consider the weight of existing structures. This was evident when considering the ongoing construction of the Second Fortress.
“Indeed. The Port Town of Terek was originally contacted for information gathering, and we received a lot of iron from them. I didn’t want to sour our relationship, and I had no intention of committing mass murder. The Iron Town situation was similar. We could have occupied it, but from a humanitarian perspective, we decided against it. Moreover, we understood the surrounding circumstances to a certain extent, so there was no need to rush.”
Recalling her thoughts from that time, she continued.
“The idea that we should utilize what we have is not wrong. After all, there’s even a saying about it being wasteful.”
“Oh, Commander, does that mean Flatara City is wasteful?”
She nodded in agreement.
“Yes. I thought it was wasteful. It would be a shame to leave something we worked hard to acquire just sitting there. However, we need to think more long-term and consider the cost-benefit analysis.”
“Commander, Big Sister, I’m sorry… I couldn’t think that far ahead. I feel like I’m failing as the fortress commander…”
“Oh dear.”
Seeing Ichigo sulk, Commander Eve smiled at her. Not wanting to leave it at just that, she stood up and walked over to Ichigo.
“It’s alright. This way, you can think a bit more next time. Besides, Akane managed to back you up. I told you, the Second Fortress will be managed by the two of you. If you think together, you’ll do just fine.”
As she patted the heads of Ichigo and Akane, Commander Eve offered her encouragement.
“Honestly, I was thinking something similar to what you were, Ichigo… Well, let’s say this time I learned from Akane.”
After giving Akane a gentle pat on the head, she returned to her seat.
“Now then, let’s think a bit more about the future of Flatara City. We should also consider establishing a supply base! The Second Fortress is over 640 kilometers away from Flatara City in a straight line. Unless we lay down a railway, we’ll have to manage by air. Let’s decide what to do.”