“This is the base...”
Stepping down from the truck bed, Nadira murmured without thinking.
This was the campsite many adventurers used in order to enter the <Demon Forest>.
But now, by <Paraiso>’s hand, it had been transformed into a splendid forward base.
Adventurer parties who had already arrived here early were each gathered in clusters, eating or holding strategy meetings.
“Hey, come on. Seriously? They seriously built a fortress like this?”
Next, Reidas grumbled that.
Likewise, Graver let out a “Hyu,” and whistled.
“This is amazing—what is this? Is that fence iron? Hey, Reidas, look at that—doesn’t that roof ceiling have glass set into it? How much did they put into this!”
As a gatherer, Graver seemed to take interest in the building materials first. Slinging his pack onto his back, he ran straight to the big roof.
“Today, we will meet the remaining personnel and verify our equipment here. Departure will be tomorrow after it gets light, if there are no particular issues. You can read numbers. There is a clock over there. All right—let’s gather under that big roof at twelve. Until then, you may do as you like. Also, after we gather, food will be provided, so there is no need to buy it.”
“Got it. Sulfareas, is it fine if we look around here and there?”
“It is fine. If anything comes up, ask <Paraiso> personnel. Then.”
Alpha Sulfareas=Cosmos conveyed the necessary points and turned on her heel. There was nothing in particular she needed to do, but the judgment was that it would be better to at least act like she was doing some work.
Of course, not knowing those circumstances, Reidas and Nadira only thought, she’s busy, and immediately started touring the forward base.
“There’s a clock. That might be a bit of a waste.”
“...I don’t know. For the <Paraiso> people, it might not be much of anything. I mean, they were moving that huge number of magical-machine golems. It wouldn’t be weird if they had clocks in bulk, too.”
“...When you put it like that, yeah. Wow. <Paraiso> is incredible...”
Even in the backwater United Kingdom of Aphrasia, each city had at least one clock tower.
Northend City should have had several as well.
However, they also knew that the mechanism called a clock was extremely complex and precise, and not something that could be made casually.
Therefore, while they could accept the clock tower itself, built right in the middle of the forward base, they once again felt awe toward <Paraiso>, which casually erected something so expensive on the front line.
It was a classic case of humans understanding something faster when it was familiar, rather than unfamiliar.
“For now, let’s go to the shop. I want to know what they’re selling.”
“Yeah. Depending on the prices, if we can get it here, we won’t need to buy it in the city and carry it in.”
And so, the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» two of them lightly hurried into the general store.
For the record, all three of them were late.
“No, really, I’m sorry... it was all rare stuff. I just...”
“I’m sorry...”
“My apologies. I reflect on it.”
“I understand having curiosity. This is within acceptable limits.”
Sulfareas forgave the three, who apologized while drooping, in a single sentence.
In reality, there was no particular problem. Today’s schedule would likely end in a few more hours, and the rest would be free time.
The only reason she specified a time was because she wanted them to share the experience of eating lunch together.
There was data that humans’ sense of solidarity increased simply by sharing a meal.
Since these were people she would be spending a long time with, it was necessary to accumulate these kinds of things.
“This is sand bread with pork and pork vegetables and salad—sandwiched in. The drink is fruit juice cut with carbonated water. We do not plan to stock alcohol.”
“Amazing... we can eat fresh vegetables? You’re serving this in the cafeteria?”
“That is the plan. Since we have the chance, I would like candid opinions as well. For today, all that remains is equipment verification. You may eat without holding back. However, I would like you to finish introductions first.”
In one corner beneath the big roof, six personnel were gathered.
Three from <Paraiso>—the advance team.
And three from the adventurer party.
These six were the first wave of the <Paraiso> <Demon Forest> investigation team.
“I am Chrysansamum. I would like you to call me Chris.”
The first to speak was Beta Chrysansamum=Cosmos. She, too, was an Android Communicator operated by Strategic AI <Cosmos>. The base looked like a monkey—her ears were in the same place as a human’s, but pointed upward and were covered in short fur. She also had a long tail, and could even grasp objects with dexterity.
“I am Atrosanguineus. Atro is fine.”
The other was Alpha Atrosanguineus=Cosmos. Her features were dark skin and protrusions jutting out from both sides of her forehead. Her base was a lizardlike reptile. The protrusions looked like horns, but they were scales that had enlarged and hardened. Fine scales also grew around the protrusions. Her tail was thick and impressive, and she could use it like a third leg, but she could not move it as dexterously as Chris’s.
“Nice to meet you, Chris, Atro. I’m Reidas, this party’s leader. During movement, I serve as the scout.”
“I’m Nadira. I’m this party’s attacker. Nice to meet you.”
“Graver. I look like this, but I’m a gatherer. Go easy on me.”
“Again, I am Sulfareas. You may call me Sulfa as well. I serve as this team’s leader.”
Alpha Sulfareas, confirming that introductions were complete, prompted them to sit at the round table.
“Then, we will continue while eating. Tell me if you want refills.”
“Yeah, I’ll eat without holding back. Man, that looks good!”
Like adventurers who prioritized practical benefit, the three of them took big bites of the sand bread. Judging that there was no issue with the taste, <Cosmos> also began eating through the Android Communicators.
These kinds of behaviors were likely shaped by the slight trauma that had been planted by the struggle between <Ringo> and Commander Eve. Perhaps it was fortunate that <Ringo> was not monitoring them in real time. If it was only a log check, no sense of incongruity would arise.
“So good! The meat and vegetables are fresh!”
“The bread’s totally different too... I can’t put it into words, but it’s incredible!”
“Meat with a proper degree of aging, exquisite salt balance. The greens are fresh and full of moisture, and there’s no off taste. In a backwater like this, ingredients of this caliber...”
Rating it noisily, the three adventurers packed it away at a rapid pace. As expected of adventurers whose bodies were their capital, the sand bread piled on the table vanished in the blink of an eye.
“More coming!”
An Android Communicator acting as staff added another large platter. The fillings were different, but this was also sand bread.
The staff Android Communicator was a mouse beastperson.
It seemed <Ringo> was operating Android Communicators with various gene patterns and collecting data. Under <Cosmos>, Communicators prepared with diverse expressed traits were in place.
“It was flawlessly delicious... I’d be fine with this every meal...”
“It can also be provided in the city. It is also something anyone can make, as long as there are ingredients. Trade will be reopened as well. Diet will become richer.”
While basking in the afterglow of the meal, the group resumed work.
Verification of each person’s equipment.
“First, I will tell you this. When entering the <Demon Forest>, that multi-legged machine over there will accompany us. With that in mind, I want you to guide us.”
As Alpha Sulfareas said that and pointed, it was a multi-legged general-purpose unit sitting in the corner of the lot.
Overall length three meters, and height around 1.3 meters, perhaps.
“<Backpacker>. It has several functions, but in short, it is a pack mule. It can carry ten times the cargo that any one of us can personally carry. With that in mind, I want you to propose plans starting tomorrow.”
