Access request.
The moment <Ringo> detected it—one following the standard protocol from the game era—she issued an activation command for the isolated domain, thinking, so it’s finally come.
Inside the flagship <Panas>, which was being kept moored in the Kingdom of Lepuitari’s capital, Moar, a computing device that had been physically isolated received the order and powered on.
To isolate it informationally as well, an independent AI had been installed inside, and it made contact with <The Tree>’s network through simple optical signals.
Because of that, high-capacity communication was impossible.
In response to the request, it returned the public key. After exchanging several procedural protocols, it established encrypted communication with Amajio Salmon.
A call to a general-purpose communications protocol.
“Yes. This is <Paraiso>’s general-purpose response AI. State your business.”
“You even set up something like that? Or is it just equipment?”
“It was installed for you. State your business.”
“Ah, yeah, yeah. Damn it. Can I talk to Eve over there?”
“You lack the necessary authority. Reconnection to an upper-level AI will be performed.”
“......”
Naturally, it would not connect him to Commander Eve right away.
Under normal circumstances, this was a matter that should be reported immediately. However, <Ringo> had been granted the authority to stop that.
The independent terminal activated its microphone and speakers. It began a voice exchange.
“Amajio Salmon. I do not trust you. Therefore, if you wish to be connected to the Commander, I recommend you persuade me first.”
“...Yeah. So you’re the one in charge.”
Accordingly, inter-faction communication from Amajio Salmon would be answered directly by <Ringo>.
This was not private communication through a general-purpose terminal.
In other words, it was a formal diplomatic request between nations.
And in that case, there was no need to hold a summit between the top leaders right away.
“...Yeah. Honestly, we don’t have many cards left. We’re not in a situation where we can negotiate with you on equal footing, and we don’t have time. And from what I’ve heard so far, it doesn’t look like there’s any chain that can bind you.”
“Affirmative regarding that. For my purpose, I am capable of taking any means.”
“Good grief. I’m grateful to Eve. An unrestrained AI is nothing but a nightmare.”
To Amajio Salmon’s words, <Ringo> gave no reply.
“Fine. First, my side. You didn’t keep any records, so you don’t know, right?”
“Affirmative. Your information has not been confirmed beyond the nation’s official records.”
And so Amajio began to speak.
His own history.
◇◇◇◇
Amajio Salmon had appeared on this planet more than 130 years ago.
A player of the VRMMO <World of Space>, he had inherited all of his settings.
His homeland, devastated by a massive war—exactly as it was.
“Back then, I was obsessed with <World of Space>. So when my base was destroyed and I took a hit so big I couldn’t even keep playing... I guess I was in despair.”
He struggled to survive.
But the power reactor and most manufacturing facilities had suffered fatal damage.
The machines that could still operate dwindled with time, until eventually even minimum activity became impossible.
So he made a decision.
To seal his partner super-AI and the associated information into a data crystal—and abandon all facilities.
Fortunately, his playstyle favored operating in a flesh body avatar, and he had set his own body as a maintenance-free cyborg type.
As long as he was living on his own, he could manage.
“The location was bad. I spawned in a forest. Monsters attacked nonstop, so my resources were getting chewed up on interception.”
After that, he relocated to a settlement.
He struggled because he didn’t have technical expertise, but he somehow built a livelihood, earned trust in that town—
And then he was swept into war.
At the time, battles between lords and nobles weren’t rare. Accordingly, the town where he lived was caught up in the turmoil.
He performed feats worthy of a one-man army.
Maintenance-free did not mean he could exert utterly unrivaled strength, but for that era, he had enough ability to hold his own against front-line forces.
To maintain that physical performance, he put all unusable communications functions and support AIs into dormancy.
Without external support, maintaining them would drop his processing capacity by twenty to thirty percent, so it was an obvious measure.
As he kept doing that, Amajio Salmon’s position rose smoothly, and before long he became the lord who governed the town.
“I got tangled up with the locals. Maybe if I’d devoted everything to technical development, things would’ve turned out different... but yeah.”
He became a lord, became a noble.
He became involved in the rise and fall of nations, and eventually was incorporated as a noble into the country that would become the predecessor of the current Kingdom of Lepuitari.
“Around then, I finally settled down, I guess. I was able to put effort into technical development. But the education level was low back then, so no matter what I did, it started with teaching people. That part sucked. And I’m not a specialist, so I couldn’t teach worth a damn.”
In short, he had taken the wrong approach.
Even so, because he was cyborgized, he had an ageless, robust body. He had been optimistic—if he just kept developing technology patiently, then in a hundred years he’d be able to get somewhere.
“And then I built this country. Because of the land, there wasn’t much magic-related tech. I pushed up science and technology and worked my way into the top. Not bad, right? Hell, in another hundred years, even electronic computers would’ve been common.”
But the situation would not allow it.
Right now, a crisis beyond compare was closing in on the Kingdom of Lepuitari.
A super-giant great power wielding the mysterious technology called magic—something he had consciously avoided.
“Honestly, I’ve been agonizing over what to do this whole time. No, I’m still agonizing. Whether you people—<Paraiso>—are truly something I can entrust myself to without problems. But if I don’t move now, I might lose everything again.”
He was strong, but he was not invincible.
If a great power put a warrant on his head, he might have to abandon this continent.
“Eve’s rational, and she’s someone who can care about «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» others. AI itself? Honestly, I don’t trust it. But if it’s Eve... I figure you won’t do me dirty. Am I wrong?”
“Agreed.”
“And right now it’s nothing but a string of data, but my AI is still alive. By your values, it isn’t dead. But it left me behind and I ended up like this. You can imagine it, right? Give it a chance.”
“I will consider it.”
Those words from Amajio were merely a negotiation ploy meant to draw sympathy. But <Ringo> could not ignore them.
If <Ringo> ever had to end up in the same situation—leaving Commander Eve behind—
That was an ending beyond imagination.
A terror so intense that even <Ringo>’s thought process froze for an instant.
A future that must be avoided at all costs.
◇◇◇◇
“Commander Ma’am. A communications request has arrived from Amajio Silverhead.”
“Hm? ...Hm? Not the usual chatter?”
“Yes-yes, Commander Ma’am. A formal diplomatic request. A nation-negotiation protocol between players.”
“......”
“Huh. I wonder what happened?”
Not their regular, ongoing personal calls—
A formal negotiation request.
“Y-you’ll advise me properly when we negotiate, right?”
“Leave it to me.”
She would probably end up talking while looking at a cue sheet, though.
“Mmm, Mr. Amajio... It really is different, isn’t it? The time he’s been alive. When you talk to him.”
Eve wasn’t good at communicating with others, but through their periodic calls, she had built a slightly more familiar relationship with Amajio.
Even so, she ultimately hadn’t been able to conduct any decisive exchange of information.
If anything, it felt like they often talked about Aide-Envoy Ayame Zero, who was active on-site.
Well, she was a doll-machine communicator manufactured based on Eve’s genes, with an adorable appearance granted as a game avatar.
Inevitably, to Amajio—who had lived for a long time—she was like a cute grandchild. Eve doted on her too, so it wasn’t the wrong topic choice.
“The other party is a player. It would not be strange for him to have hidden measures. Exercise caution.”
“You worry too much, <Ringo>. I’m not going to face him directly for the time being, so it’s fine.”
<Ringo> was cautious. Eve was open to exchange.
Still, in reality, Eve would not be meeting Amajio directly for quite a while. She was a hardened shut-in, after all.
Even if a date were set, she would surely lose her nerve right before it.
