Chapter 18: First Negotiation with the Natives

“It appears we can manage the trade negotiations. With the language data we’ve collected, minimal communication is achievable.”

She listened to the report, seated on the sofa alongside Ringo’s terminal. The sofa was something Ringo had created at some point, likely inspired by some piece of entertainment media. When Ringo had shyly asked if placing a sofa would be alright, she had, of course, readily agreed. Such endearing requests were more than welcome.

“And why didn’t you prioritize language analysis?”

“As a precaution. I thought it best to appear distinctly foreign. We’ll adjust the language gradually through conversation.”

By learning the language through broken sentences, they would seem more like outsiders, which might allow certain unusual behaviors to be excused.

“From here on, we’ll present samples of our trade goods and proceed with negotiations. To be honest, it’s hard to say how far we’ll get in business with an unknown civilization.”

“Well, naturally… we don’t know their trading customs, and I’ve never really negotiated anything before…”

Naturally, Ringo had never interacted with any human besides her. She herself, in her real-world life, had left basic tasks to her assistant avatar, Ada, and had never engaged in any negotiation-heavy work or games. She was entirely inexperienced with negotiating. Luckily, Ringo had immersed herself in various media and guidebooks, which seemed promising.

“Well, we’ll make it work somehow. I’m counting on you, Ringo.”

“Yes, please leave it to me.”

For the time being, she decided to leave external affairs to Ringo. Watching the monitor wouldn’t do her any good, as it was all in a foreign language. There was nothing particularly entertaining about it either.

“So then… what should I be doing?”

She mused, though, in reality, she had no real duties. If anything, her task was simply to keep Ringo pleased with the occasional gesture of affection.

“Commander Mam. The extraction of broth from various seaweeds is complete, would you like a taste?”

“Oh, sounds lovely. Will you join me, Ringo?”

“Yes, of course, Commander Mam. I will accompany you.”

In truth, as long as Ringo could take care of her, she seemed content, and lately, she didn’t require much additional attention. Since Ringo had begun using the humanoid machine communicators, the need for her personal presence had decreased. Though Ringo’s insistence on following her everywhere had initially been a bit much, she’d gotten used to it by now. At least Ringo respected her privacy in the restroom.

After a few days of negotiations in Telek Harbor, they finalized the items for trade and their exchange rates. They also established a simple rule allowing them to set trade rates for future visits. Though they could negotiate each time, considering the system relied on bartering, some preparatory period would be beneficial.

Trade items included weapons such as cutlasses, decorated metal accessories like barrettes and buttons, thread, and cloth. Their salt was also valued for its high purity and was particularly welcomed. Additionally, dried fish from types not found in the waters around Telek Harbor were suitable for trade.

On the other hand, the locals offered perishable goods like food and water, as well as various crafts. Though the crafts were of little interest, outright refusal would have seemed odd, so they planned to select a few. They also managed to communicate their limited iron supply and requested iron ingots. Scrap iron would work too, but they refrained from asking, as it might seem strange.

They requested small amounts of gold, silver, and gemstones, suspecting these materials could provide insight into the region’s geological distribution and smelting techniques based on the purity of the precious metals.

Telek Harbor seemed to be a typical trading hub, with limited production facilities but a high volume of trade goods. They boasted about having access to goods from various cities, and it appeared the Paraiso’s merchandise held considerable appeal. According to information collected by the insect-type bots, the harbor city was eager to establish trade.

Weapons and metal accessories could be produced in sufficient quantities for trade. Additionally, thread and cloth were made from cellulose extracted from algae, and the seaweed farm was steadily expanding, ensuring abundant supply.

As for dried fish, they only needed enough to sustain her diet. Though the trade rate was slightly disadvantageous, it wasn’t exploitative; likely, there was limited demand for such items. While Telek Harbor was thriving, the surrounding city-states were tense, focused on military affairs. Consequently, the demand for luxury goods was low, though weapons commanded high prices.

On the fourth day since they anchored, however, an incident occurred.

“Emergency, Commander Mam.”

She awoke to Ringo’s terminal shaking her awake.

“What?”

“Hostile natives are approaching the Paraiso.”

“What?!”

She rushed to leave her quarters but was stopped by Ringo from behind.

“We have time, Commander Mam. Please, dress yourself first.”

“Dress myself… Right, I should stay calm.”

Apparently, Ringo’s standards did not align with her entering the command room in her nightwear (also created by Ringo). Trusting Ringo’s reassurance of available time, she quickly dressed.

The outfit she put on was a formal uniform Ringo had crafted from cellulose. In recent times, in addition to food production, Ringo had also taken up creating garments.

“Four small boats are approaching the Paraiso, carrying about twenty people. They debated whether to proceed but ultimately decided on an attack.”

“You were watching them from the start?”

“Yes, Commander Mam. Apologies; I couldn’t tell if they were serious or not and dismissed it as drunken chatter.”

“Hm… I suppose it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t have made a better judgment myself… but next time, let me know sooner?”

As she made this pointed request, Ringo’s terminal visibly drooped in dejection. She felt a pang of guilt, but the reminder was necessary.

If left unchecked, Ringo might begin making truly independent decisions without her. For now, she believed it was important to maintain a guiding hand.

“My apologies…”

“Oh, come on… It’s alright. Since we caught it in time, we’re good.”

She pulled Ringo’s terminal close, gently patting it on the head in reassurance.

Ringo, in turn, activated six humanoid machine communicators that had been in low-power mode. The other three remained stationed in the harbor’s guesthouse and couldn’t be mobilized.

Even so, one communicator would be more than enough to handle the natives, who wielded only primitive weapons. Swift, the solar-powered reconnaissance drone hovering above, provided clear night-vision images. If they encountered magical fantasy-style attacks, they were well-prepared. Ringo had observed the use of varied magic on battlefields, estimating that although magic varied in power and ease of use, it wasn’t much stronger than standard infantry weapons. Two types of fighters were observed: those using magic and those relying on weapons. It suggested that magic required some level of talent, necessitating separate classes for different abilities.

In any case.

The moment they attempted unauthorized entry onto the Paraiso, they became enemies.

Ringo saw no need to adhere to the port’s laws and decided to capture a few of them alive, positioning the humanoid machine communicators accordingly.