Eve and Asahi crouched in front of the mana-density meter on the pier, staring at the monitor.
“1,281.56%. Hmm. It doesn’t look like a mistake. There’s a possibility the electronic board is malfunctioning, but...”
“Did you ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ check it before you left?”
“Yes, Big Sis. I confirmed it was working. Hmm... right. The sensor part uses biological cells, so it’s possible it’s picking up some kind of strange noise, but...”
Because the sunlight was strong, Ringo opened a parasol.
They had been planning to head back inside immediately, so Eve had run out before even waiting for one. Ultraviolet light damaged skin and eyes, so Ringo would have preferred not to let her be exposed to it.
“Fantasy is full of phenomena science can’t explain, but that doesn’t mean there are no rules. Probably.”
“Probably?”
“The mana-density meter says the mana is dense, so I guess the mana is dense.”
The value on the mana-density meter wavered slightly, but it remained at 1,280%.
In other words, compared to the middle of the wasteland in the United Kingdom of Aphrasia, the mana density at <The Tree> was 12.8 times higher.
“Wait, really? Here? Dense mana... seriously?”
“Uh... sorry. Even Asahi doesn’t really know.”
“Asahi. Is there any possibility that this mana density could be having some kind of effect on us—or on Commander Ma’am?”
“Hmmm, who knows. I think the real question is how long this mana density has been sustained. If it’s been this way from the start, then it wouldn’t be strange if there were already effects. If it only changed recently, then I don’t know. Still, at the very least, we’ve never observed any phenomenon where living organisms were affected by mana density. What are you going to do, Ringo?”
“......”
This was a situation Ringo had never anticipated.
Her response speed had clearly dropped.
Even so—
“Ringo, no matter how much you calculate, you won’t get an answer if the necessary information doesn’t exist.”
Asahi cut in with a slightly exasperated tone.
For the AIs, who placed Commander Eve’s safety above everything else, this was extremely important information.
Fortunately, Asahi—an AI with some resistance to fantasy—was able to guide the others.
“You’ve recorded all of Big Sis’s vital data, right? Start by checking whether there have been any noticeable changes from the past up to the present. Check the equipment inside <The Tree> too, as much as possible. Then gather every mana-density meter we have and measure the mana density around <The Tree>. We already know from previous observations that mana density varies depending on location. So first, we need more information.”
“...Wow. Asahi is actually working.”
“Hey! Big Sis, that’s way too mean, even for you!”
“For now,” Eve said, standing up while patting Asahi on the head.
“Ringo, we don’t know what this mana density means yet. But I don’t feel sick, and there’s no immediate abnormal event happening right now. So there’s no need for me to evacuate right away, is there? If you’re worried, I can get into a medical pod. So gather information first.”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am.”
“And Asahi gets her overhaul as scheduled.”
“Big Sis!?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am.”
In the face of this emergency, Asahi tried to flee, but Eve grabbed her by the back of the collar, and a work machine controlled by Ringo promptly picked her up.
She looked exactly like a kitten being carried by the scruff of the neck.
“It’ll take time before we get results. You might as well finish the overhaul in the meantime.”
“Nooo, how cruel—!”
Waving at Asahi as she was hauled away, Eve also started walking back toward <The Tree>.
“So, Ringo. Have you found anything abnormal?”
“No, Commander Ma’am. No fluctuation has been detected that can be explained through scientific means.”
After analyzing all recorded data from the time Eve, Ringo, and <The Tree> had been transferred into this world up to the present, Ringo gave that answer.
“At the very least, no anomaly detectable by scientific methods has been found. As for whether some kind of magical-fantasy abnormality is occurring...”
“Yeah, that part’s a little beyond us to judge... Fine. For now, I guess we just wait for the mana-density survey results.”
The mana-density meters currently in use across the United Kingdom of Aphrasia had already been recalled.
A transport schedule had been set up to load them onto the flying craft Albatross in order of proximity.
However, there were only twelve units.
That was the full number successfully manufactured by <The Tree> and deployed as the initial mass-production lot.
Well, there were also the mana-density meters originally used in Northend City, so the total number wasn’t literally that low—but those had poor accuracy and, more importantly, could not be connected to electronic circuits.
Which meant <The Tree>-made mana-density meters needed to be mass-produced as quickly as possible.
“To manufacture mana-density meters, we need raw materials. Those raw materials can only be collected in the <Demon Forest>.”
“Yeah, figures that’d be the bottleneck. At this point, maybe we should just build a base inside the <Demon Forest>...”
If they intended to keep manufacturing magic devices going forward, then they might eventually need to build facilities near the <Demon Forest>—or even inside its territory.
But right now, there was a more immediate issue.
“For the moment, let’s increase the forces we’re committing to the <Demon Forest> and recover more materials. And put out a collection request to those adventurers. There are plenty of them, so maybe supply will improve a little.”
Northend City had a large number of humans who worked as adventurers.
Since they specialized in gathering and hunting inside the <Demon Forest>, it made sense to commission them as well.
In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that supporting them had been part of the plan precisely for handling situations like this.
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. I will see to it.”
The mana-density meter Asahi had brought back was put to use immediately as well.
An automated machine collected the attaché case and installed it directly into the cargo hold of the Albatross.
The Albatross would now fly around the area surrounding <The Tree> and measure mana density.
“So then, what do we do? Should I get into a medical pod?”
“...You may continue your normal routine.”
Ringo hesitated for a moment, but that was her judgment.
It made more sense to assume that the mana density had remained high for a fairly long time than to assume that, by sheer coincidence, it had suddenly spiked right when the mana-density meter was brought in.
If so, then the likelihood of Commander Ma’am being affected immediately was low.
Besides, even if something did happen, throwing Eve into a medical pod after the fact probably would not change the level of danger much anyway. Eve stayed shut up inside the fortress most of the time, so immediate response was always possible.
“Okay. For now... the mana-density meter’s readings can be transmitted wirelessly, right?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am.”
“Then let’s monitor the readings from the command room.”
The abnormal mana-density readings had already been communicated to the other sisters as well.
If they were curious, they would probably gather in the command room on their own.
“Hm. I wonder... was this one actually a nice save by Asahi?”
“If you mean that she discovered a phenomenon we needed to recognize, then yes-affirmative. If the mana-density meter had been brought into <The Tree> sooner, we might have realized it earlier.”
“We left use of the mana-density meters entirely to the other side, right?”
“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. Strategic AI <Cosmos> on site and Asahi were in charge of operating them. Since they were being used at full capacity to create a mana-density map of that area, bringing one back to <The Tree> was not an easy option to choose.”
If their judgment had been just slightly different, they might have noticed sooner.
Ringo seemed to be reflecting on that.
“Maybe the problem was that I just wasn’t very interested in magic devices to begin with... Oh well. We’ll be more careful next time.”
