<Cosmos> used Alpha Chrysansamum and obtained several magic tools in Northend City.
Of course, it was through the proper route.
<Ringo> has issued orders to avoid using forceful methods as much as possible.
First, the ones the Adventurers’ Guild had secured.
A mana meter, Heal Potion, Heal Salve, and Magic Potion.
All of them were being stored so they could be provided or loaned out, or sold, to adventurers as needed.
They hesitated because it was an emergency stockpile, but setting aside the mana meter, the potions had expiration limits, so being able to release them was the kind of thing that actually helped.
It was probably just for show.
In addition, several weapons and pieces of armor that <Cosmos> wanted to confirm at the market.
It seemed some adventurers owned them too, but those were their livelihood. There was no way they would hand them over easily, and there was no need to go that far to obtain them, so <Cosmos> looked for items being sold.
A leather-covered shield that, despite its appearance, was extremely tough.
A fang thrusting sword specialized purely in piercing.
A fair number of both were circulating in the market, and for the sake of comparative testing, these two types were, for the time being, the ones that could be acquired in multiples.
Two mana meters were secured.
Apparently, they could not provide any more right now because the supply of materials was stalled.
The talk about material supply could not be helped, because it was due to the effects of <Paraiso>’s occupation operation. There were no adventurers going out on expeditions.
However, that problem would be resolved soon.
<Paraiso> has set no restrictions, and if anything, it is prepared to actively support the adventurers’ activities.
Heal Potion and Heal Salve also had inventory constraints, but in this case the raw materials were plants, and those raw materials also kept well, so there was apparently still some leeway.
However, once processed into medicine, it seemed they had to be consumed within a few days.
It appeared that, setting aside the effect, they simply rotted like normal food.
Even if wounds healed, there was no point if you ended up with diarrhea or sickness.
Magic Potion was the same, and it seemed they used it by manufacturing a certain number every day and then selling them to adventurers the next day.
Right now, because adventurers were not moving, the result was that inventory was piling up.
Since <Cosmos> was able to acquire a decent quantity of those potions, <Cosmos> decided, for the moment, to store some of them.
Some left as-is, some in a cool, dark place, some in a refrigerator, and some in frozen storage.
Since they could be obtained continuously, <Cosmos> decided to run detailed comparative testing separately, and began investigating each magic tool.
“Commander Sis-ter! Asahi, Asahi lodges a firm protest! A formal petition! A direct appeal!”
Asahi returned to <The Tree> in such a frenzy you could practically hear a shrieking sound effect.
“That’s rare. For Asahi to come back here.”
For the past few months, Asahi had been completely holed up in Telek Port City.
It seemed she enjoyed researching magic that much.
Although, from <Ringo>, I had heard the progress was not going well.
“It’s going nowhere, so I came back! Honestly, Cosmos is so stubborn! So mean!”
“Mean?”
“It is a word that means spiteful. If anything, it is classified as a way of speaking with affection.”
“H-Huh? Well, I get that Asahi and Cosmos are going at it, at least?”
Asahi, having stepped down from the SR-1 Albatross-Class Flying Boat, tried to press in on Commander Sis-ter, and was smoothly captured by <Ringo>.
She was pinched up by a manipulator for heavy labor and hauled away as-is.
“Aaaahhh, <Ringo>, let go, I still have things I need to say to Commander Sis-ter—!”
“Somewhere you can calm down.”
“Asahi, since you came back, we will do an overhaul.”
“I don’t have time for that, hey, <Ringo>, seriously, stop, hey, let go—aaahhh, don’t take control—Commander Sis-ter, Commander Sis-ter, help, help meee—!”
As this treatment showed, even though Asahi and the Strategic AI <Cosmos> were going at it, it was more like Asahi was snapping at Cosmos, who was steadily moving the work along.
<Ringo> also supported Cosmos, and because it was going nowhere, Asahi had come home to make a direct appeal to the supreme authority, Eve.
I had not heard the details, but Eve also understood the situation to some extent, and had no intention of complaining about Asahi’s rough handling.
“Go get properly maintained. I’ll listen to it afterward.”
“Nooo—! C-Commander Sis-ter, that’s so unreasona—aaahhh!”
The one who had skipped regular maintenance using <The Tree>’s internal facilities over and over was Asahi herself. Most likely, <Ringo> would inspect and service every last corner.
Well, it was not built so flimsy that a few months of neglect would do anything.
Asahi was a machine doll manufactured by <The Tree> with no regard for cost performance.
Even so, because operational records were still scarce, <Ringo> wanted to perform periodic inspections and maintenance.
But because Asahi had been so happily absorbed in it, Commander Sis-ter Eve had spoiled her.
Just as it was about time, Asahi ended up coming back, and was immediately captured by <Ringo>.
Of course, it would be easiest ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) to just seize control of the body.
But, to avoid putting unnecessary stress on the Brain Unit.
And for the sake of good form, it ended up being a physical capture.
She was flailing too much, so in the end control was seized anyway, but since it was in front of Eve, it could not be helped.
And so, Asahi, who had returned to <The Tree> first thing in the morning, was thrown straight into a maintenance pod, and only after eight hours was she finally released.
“I had a terrible time......”
“You got properly maintained, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”
Clinging to her beloved Commander Sis-ter Eve on the sofa, Asahi sulked.
“Compared to everyone else, isn’t the way I’m treated kind of weird?”
“Oh? Does this girl have no self-awareness?”
With her cheeks kneaded and ground around, Asahi let out a wavering sound.
“......Ughhh. Anyway, please listen, Commander Sis-ter......”
“Fine, fine. So what is this about, in the end?”
“Cosmos won’t—Cosmos won’t give me research materials......”
According to Asahi.
Even though they finally obtained a mana meter, that magic tool, <Cosmos> would not send it back later for research—this was what she meant.
“If we understand its mechanism, research into this mysterious something called mana should accelerate. If there are two of them, I can research them thoroughly and do comparative testing too, so Cosmos should give me those.”
“<Ringo>?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. Cosmos insists it should be used for the investigation inside <Demon Forest>. I agreed with that. First, to confirm mana distribution. Creating a mana density map. Whether there are density changes over time. Investigating sensitivity, verifying reproducibility, and so on. There are many items that must be confirmed on-site, and there are few mana meters. It is a natural decision.”
“It’s awful, even you too, <Ringo>! If we could mass-produce it, a survey like that would be over in no time!”
“The probability of mass-production is too low. We should do what we can do for certain first.”
That was probably a repeat of the argument Asahi had with Cosmos.
In reality, they were probably exchanging messages directly, so it was likely a dispute that reached a conclusion in seconds. But to let Commander Eve hear it, <Ringo> was deliberately turning it into voice.
“Okay, okay. I understand Asahi’s claim and Cosmos’s claim. And I also understand that Asahi is stuck.”
“Commander Sis-ter!”
“But if I hand a mana meter to Asahi, you’ll break it, right? So no.”
“Commander Sis-ter?!”
Asahi had no chance.
“Also, what about the possibility of obtaining more magic tools later?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. High probability. Adventurers have resumed material gathering, so soon. Cosmos is also examining the feasibility of dispatching units. There is little benefit to securing two mana meters at this point, and I predict it is better to collect operational records in the field.”
“Mm. Then Asahi, you’ll endure it a bit more. In a month or two, won’t they show up again?”
“Gnnn...... I-I cannot disobey Commander Sis-ter’s orders...... it can’t be helped......!”
“Really, how did this child end up like this......?”
“I have no excuse.”
What is needed to produce magic tools is material that has magical effects.
Until now, despite being excellent materials, magic metal and magic timber had not circulated much because of their volume and weight.
With <Paraiso>’s intervention, the collection efficiency would improve dramatically.
The monsters that became those materials were the Metal Turtle and the Treant.
Both were monsters that tended to be avoided because of their enormous bodies.
