Chapter 33: The Girls Engage in a Strategy Game

"Alright, it's time for your lesson."

With a sharp clap of her hands, the Commander addressed her five sisters, seated and awaiting instructions. Each responded in their own way before turning to face her attentively.

"Today, we'll be playing a two-dimensional strategy game. Not that I’m an expert or anything."

"I will provide support as needed," Ringo interjected.

"I’m counting on you, Ringo."

On the large display in front of them, a gridded map of a tactical zone appeared, viewed from above.

"What’s that, big sister?"
"And where is it, big sister?"

Utsugi, the third sister, and Erika, the fourth, immediately started asking questions. Though neither excelled in theoretical studies, they were extremely talkative and proactive, a testament to their high communication skills.

"This is the place we need to protect. Telek Harbor Town."

"So, this is Telek Harbor Town…" Akane, the eldest sister, muttered as she gazed intently at the map, her curiosity piqued.

"That’s right. It’s located about 1,300 kilometers north of The Tree and is our first base of operations."

"A base? Does that mean we’ll be venturing outside?" asked Ichigo, the second sister, her serious demeanor making her stand out as the diligent and studious type. She was always eager to follow the Commander and Ringo’s lead.

"Yes, though we won’t be visiting it right away. For now, it’ll be operated remotely as an unmanned frontline base."

"Are we going to build something there?" asked Olive, the youngest sister, her eyes sparkling at the mention of a base. She had a keen interest in creating things, often engrossed in designing and printing models with her personal 3D printer. Her relentless enthusiasm for this never ceased to amaze the Commander.

"Yes, that’s the plan. It’s the only place where we can trade for iron, so we’ve decided to secure it actively."

"Iron is… important," Olive murmured with a serious tone, her deep interest in manufacturing evident. She could sense how dire The Tree’s hunger for resources was. The Commander couldn’t help but chuckle at her somber declaration.

"Exactly, Olive. Iron is critical. That’s why we’re going to have a strategy meeting to figure out how we’ll protect Telek Harbor Town."

"Let’s begin with an explanation of the surrounding situation," Ringo said, waving a hand to shift the map to an angled view from the south. The screen now showed the harbor, the town, the forest, and a nearby plain dotted with a yellow icon.

"Groups connected to or friendly with the town are represented by blue icons. Hostile groups are shown in red, and unaffiliated groups in yellow."

"Oh, there’s a yellow icon!"
"Does that mean those people aren’t involved?"

The label Refugee Group A appeared over the icon on the plain.

"Correct. These refugees are currently the biggest challenge. They’ve fled from conflicts in other regions. There are only about 5,000 of them, but they’re all starving."

"…Not having enough to eat is bad," Akane murmured quietly. While she was often seen as the bookish intellectual, recently she’d developed a growing appreciation for food, earning her the curious moniker of a "food-loving literature enthusiast."

"Indeed. If they succumb to hunger and turn into a mob, they could attack Telek Harbor Town. That’s our most immediate concern."

"We’re also monitoring the potential movement of armed forces from other regions, but for now, there’s no sign of such activity. Therefore, today’s discussion will focus on how to handle Refugee Group A."

The meeting was both a strategic exercise and a training session for the first-generation humanoid android sisters. While Ringo would ultimately make the decisions based on the Commander’s intentions, the meeting allowed the sisters to gain valuable experience.

"If left unattended, Refugee Group A will likely become a mob within weeks. Currently, they’re surviving on the supplies they’ve brought with them, so it’s not an immediate issue."

"Can’t they procure food on their own?" Ichigo asked.

"To some extent. They’ve brought a decent supply and appear to be hunting in the forest, but it won’t last. The forest isn’t rich enough to sustain that many people."

"I see… So to prevent them from becoming a mob, we’ll need to supply them with food."

Ichigo tilted her head thoughtfully, clearly contemplating where such food could be sourced.

"Utsugi, Erika, what are your thoughts?" the Commander asked.

"Huh? Us?"
"What should we say?"

Utsugi and Erika exchanged glances before responding.

"If we leave them alone, they’ll become hostile units, right?"
"Then we should just wipe them out now."
"Exactly."

The two often acted as a pair, tending to categorize people broadly into “family” and “everyone else.” While Ichigo leaned toward helping the refugees, Utsugi and Erika opted for immediate elimination.

"If we give them food, will they repay us?"
"There’s no return. They’re neither combat units nor productive units, are they?"
"Correct. Helping them wouldn’t yield much return for us at this point."

"Then we should deal with them now!"
"Eliminate future threats before they arise!"

Their opinions were starkly pragmatic. While their approach minimized risk to The Tree, it lacked empathy.

"If we eliminate them, won’t that damage the trust of the residents of Telek Harbor Town?" Akane interjected with a calm counterargument.

"There are many examples of that. Killing those who are not currently enemies simply because they might be in the future leaves a bad impression," Akane explained.

"You’re absolutely right, Akane. By the way, where did you learn this?"

"Keeler Krause’s The Battle of Belagger, Volume 3 of the Mercenary Series. It’s discussed in Chapters 4 and 5. Similar situations appear in other stories as well."

"As thorough as ever. But you’re not wrong. This scenario aligns closely with those examples."

"Indeed, Commander. Handling refugees is a complex issue, and Akane is correct that different stories reach different conclusions."

The Commander nodded thoughtfully. "Akane, what do you think we should do?"

"I don’t know the right answer. But if we intend to maintain a long-term relationship with Telek Harbor Town, we should avoid damaging their perception of us. Helping the refugees seems like the better approach."

"Would the benefits of helping them outweigh the costs for The Tree? At worst, we could eliminate both the refugees and Telek Harbor Town to ensure no lingering threats," Ichigo remarked.

The Commander fell silent, reflecting on the sisters’ perspectives.

These five android sisters were unaccustomed to interacting with others. To them, the line between their family and the rest of the world was stark, allowing for cold, efficient decisions. While these choices prioritized The Tree’s well-being, they lacked compassion.

"Ideally, I’d like to foster a future where we coexist harmoniously with Telek Harbor Town. Let’s think about this more carefully, shall we?"

The Commander’s words were met with a chorus of enthusiastic responses from the sisters, signaling their readiness to tackle the challenge ahead.