Chapter 13: Observing a Military Invasion

“Whoa…”

The northern islands were under military invasion.

Watching from 20 kilometers above, she couldn’t hide her disgust.

“Eight ships of the line. Two main battleships with rotating turrets. Additionally, five support ships. On the northern islands’ side, their main force consists of large ballistae, and they only have a single battleship equipped with cannons,” reported Ringo.

“It’s overwhelming.”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Overwhelming indeed.”

A little over a month had passed since the transfer. While monitoring the northern islands and the surrounding waters, there had been a major development. A fleet dispatched from the mainland had just launched an attack on the northern islands. It was clearly an invasion. And the disparity in power was so great that the northern islands stood no chance. Nearly an hour had passed since the assault began, and the main island’s port was almost entirely destroyed. Support ships were advancing toward the port, seemingly to initiate a landing.

“Hmm… I had hoped they’d become good trade partners…”

The northern islands seemed lightly fortified and had a peaceful atmosphere. Thanks to abundant fish stocks and a warm, mild climate, the people seemed cheerful. She’d even observed frequent evening feasts.

“It’s unfortunate, Commander Ma’am. The northern continent appears to be highly expansionist and rather volatile, making significant trade unlikely,” replied Ringo.

“Yeah… I suppose that’s true.”

From her observations, the northern islands seemed to focus on exporting preserved seafood. They appeared to trade in large quantities with various countries that had ports along the northern continent’s southern coast. She’d thought that maybe they maintained their independence by leveraging their food exports.

“If only we could build a fleet of our own, then we could negotiate.”

“We currently lack the resources to produce combat ships.”

Indeed.

They had begun extracting cellulose from seaweed, allowing them to design ships with cellulose structures. But combat ships required durability above all else. High-speed vessels could do without heavy armor to some extent, but to hold weapons and reduce wave resistance, a structure with iron was essential. Disassembling large aircraft yielded mostly duralumin, a precious and limited resource that they preferred to reserve for aviation. Furthermore, iron was also needed for various machining tools, so they required a considerable quantity.

“If seabed mining becomes feasible, that will alleviate a lot of these issues,” Ringo suggested.

“Yes, that’s under investigation… right?”

Incidentally, the deep-sea drones had been successfully deployed and were currently surveying resources in the waters surrounding The Tree fortress. They had collected a few samples of seabed minerals, revealing what seemed to be common manganese nodules. In some locations, iron oxide deposits might be present as well, which was promising.

However, all of this lay more than 1,000 meters below the surface, meaning the extraction would be challenging. She anticipated a headache-inducing dilemma of needing iron to create the mining structures, yet lacking enough iron for the task.

“We are currently observing that the nearby civilizations primarily use wooden sailing ships, with only a few armored ships. We anticipate that cellulose-based combat ships would be more than capable of matching them,” reported Ringo.

“Well… cellulose is essentially resin, after all.”

“Not precisely, but close enough.”

“But to engage in gunboat diplomacy, I’d still need a large ship.”

Given the northern continent’s technological level, a 100-meter-class ship would likely suffice. However, using cellulose as the main structure would weaken its defenses relative to its size. A ship in the 20 to 30-meter range would achieve a more balanced design.

“Perhaps we could use a mock flagship and focus on smaller, more maneuverable main ships.”

“Hmm… that might be our best option for now.”

If they could manage airtight construction well, they might even create unsinkable ships. However, Ringo estimated that building large ships within The Tree’s current large-scale printer was impossible, and they’d require a dedicated shipyard.

And thus, the issue of iron shortage remained.

“To negotiate, I’ll need a person… an android would do, but a humanoid machine communicator capable of conversation is essential.”

The biggest problem was the severe lack of personnel. She was, after all, the only one here.

“At present, we can manufacture humanoid machine communicators using biological components. For now, I will need to operate them remotely, but as soon as the brain unit design is completed, they can be made independent,” Ringo said.

“Yes…”

The production of biological androids would involve using her genetic material, as it was the only DNA currently available. Since the nervous system required time to grow, initial units would be remote-controlled. Once the brain unit design, including the personal base and neural design, was complete, they could function independently.

“It would be fine to stay self-sufficient here, but that would lack purpose. Engaging in trade would be more fulfilling.”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. I will also initiate the production of humanoid machine communicators.”

“Please do. As for the flagship… let’s try putting something together for now…”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. I will devise a method for modular construction that allows assembly at sea.”

Approving Ringo’s proposal, she exhaled. The integrated AI was so capable that events were progressing rapidly. For now, she needed to keep an eye on the northern islands and northern continent. Ringo had assured her that they couldn’t reach the fortress at its current technological level, but there was always the risk of accidental discovery. Given that there were no islands nearby, it seemed unlikely anyone would approach except by shipwreck.

“If possible, I would have liked to initiate negotiations sooner, but given the situation, that seems impossible.”

In the footage captured by the Swift planes, she could see the town burning. It appeared the soldiers who had landed had set the fires.

“Invasion… even so, they’re ruthless. Is this how it usually goes?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. There are a few possibilities given the situation. Normally, an occupying force wouldn’t destroy a town like this, so it seems likely they intend to level it entirely.”

“Hmm… what could it mean?”

The homes flattened by shells suggested they were using explosive rounds. Ringo commented that their technological levels were inconsistent. The soldiers were also wielding staff-like weapons from which flames burst, setting fires everywhere.

“Could a flamethrower even be made like that?”

“No. Normally, you would need a pump mechanism and fuel tank to emit a combustible liquid. It seems impossible to contain all that within such a staff-like weapon.”

“Hmm. It seems there’s a technology framework here that we’re unfamiliar with.”

While she had intended to observe before negotiating, it seemed the knowledge level here differed more than anticipated. What she took for common sense might not apply. Meticulous investigation would be necessary.

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Based on the video analysis, it could be a highly advanced scientific civilization or an entirely unknown technological framework.”

“‘Highly advanced’… meaning they might possess science and technology that surpass ours? I doubt we need to worry about that.”

“In that case, I will proceed with the perspective of unknown technology.”

She chuckled at the term “unknown technology.” At the very least, the game this fortress originated from had a hard sci-fi setting, containing numerous scientific theories in its library. Based on these, the only plausible alternative seemed to be something outside of science—fantasy technology, perhaps magic.

Who had summoned her to this world, and for what purpose? Or perhaps, who had sent her here?

Pondering the current technology tree, she let out another sigh.