Isn't It Too Early For Diplomacy?
Morning. A pleasant awakening. I headed to a nearby hot spring inn to start my daily routine with a morning bath.
My house is near the hot spring inn in the residential area. Well, all the buildings in this residential area are basically mine. The reason I don't live in the hot spring inn is because I want to draw a clear line between an entertainment facility and a residence.
Speaking of hot spring inn, I imagine novelists or manga artists stuck there before their deadlines, with their editors keeping watch on them. Then they make excuses like they're going to the bathroom and then escape.
"Now then, shall we go to do some work before breakfast?"
Still in my yukata, I headed to the bridge.
Come to think of it, I left the Valkyrie to Octa One and Truss One to teach them about their jobs yesterday.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
When I arrived at the bridge, the flowers were in bloom.
"Good morning, Lady Misaki!" x9
They must have been waiting for me.
Nine beautiful women with their helmets taken off, bowed their heads in unison to greet me.
I don't remember making their faces, though.
"*beep*.... Good morning, Captain."
"Good morning, Octa One. Did you make their faces?"
"*beep*.... Yes. I'm truly sorry for acting without order. But this is my duty to prepare the most comfortable environment for the captain."
"I see.... Well, if I know you can make golems, I would have asked you to make them from the beginning yesterday."
"*beep*.... I have no such a program. I simply added the details to their outer appearance using magic plasma."
Does this mean she carved their face without using alchemy technique? That's no good. It could upset the balance. Even the slightest change could affect the overall flow of magical power.
"All right, everyone line up! I'm going to do some check-up on you."
"Yes!" x8
"Yees~"
Hmm? One of them answered differently.
"Who was answering dragingly just now?"
"It's me, Rossweisse...."
The youngest sister timidly raised her hand.
Well, I guess it's fine to call it a quirk.
"Is my way of talking weird?"
"No, I'll allow it as a quirk. Shall we begin then?"
I used Analysis and Maintenance on nine of them simultaneously. Analysis would detect any distortions in the flow of magical power and Maintenance would repair it.
It shout takes about 10 minutes....
After I finished with the maintenance, Octa One gave me a report.
"*beep*.... Then, I will report the results of yesterday's meeting. After measuring each Valkyrie's ability, we have assigned jobs to each member."
"So, how did it go?"
List of Ama no Murakumo positions
- Helmsman
Main: Gerhilde Sub: Valtraute
- Co-helmsman
Main: Sieglune Sub: Gerhilde
- Navigation Operator
Main: Ortlinde Sub: Sieglune
- Magical Engine Operator
Main: Schwertreite Sub: Ortlinde
- Communications Officer
Main: Valtraute Sub: Rossweise
- Combat Operator
Main: Grimgarde Sub: Schwertreite
- Captain's Secretary
Main: Hildegard Sub: Helmviecke
- Foreign Affairs
Main: Helmviecke Sub: Hildegard
- Miscellaneous tasks
Main: Rossweise Sub: Grimgarde
That's how it went. It looks like I'll be accompanied by a secretary from now on.
"Lady Misaki, I will do my best as your secretary from now on."
"Yeah, I'm counting on you. So, how’s their work schedule?"
"*beep*.... The main and the sub will switch roles every seven days in Earth time. Each member will be required to become proficient in both positions."
"No days off?"
"*beep*.... Valkyries are golems, so they don't need a day off."
I understand that much. Still, I want them to have a day off. I don't want to turn this ship into a black company. Since they look like humans, I want to treat them like ones.
I insisted, but Octa One said it was impossible because of a lack of staff.
"I see, so the problem is that we are still understaffed, right? Then I will make more golems. I'll make support staffs for each section so everyone can have a day off."
"*beep*.... If you are going to make support staffs, I recommend using cheaper materials."
"Eh? Not orichalcum?"
"*beep*.... Valkyries are Captain's arms and legs, weapons and shields, so we used the best materials available. However, for support staffs, it would be better if we use common materials."
I see. You've thought that far, huh.
"*beep*.... In addition, I think it would be better to make their appearance more robotic rather than humanoid."
"In the end, they're just support staffs, after all. Well, that makes things easier for me."
"*beep*.... Wasting important resources is unwise. Even on this Mobile Battleship Ama no Murakumo, resource depletion is a major issue."
"You have a point.... Then I will make two more humanoid golems in charge of Materials Management Department, so prepare some orichalcum. I will make the rest out of steel, is that okay?"
"*beep*.... Yes. I'll arrange it right away."
Alright, let's have breakfast first.
"Well then, everyone, I look forward to working with you from now on."
"Yes!!" x8
"Yess~" x1
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Tokyo, Japan. In the National Diet Building in Nagata-cho, the Mobile Battleship Ama no Murakumo Countermeasures Committee, was hastily established to deal with the unidentified flying object. This committee composed of representatives from the ruling and opposition parties and experts in various fields. Meetings are being held here, day and night.
"First of all, the only three things we know at this point are that it is an entity of unknown affiliation, that it has an invisible barrier that even the US strategic bombers couldn't scratch it, and that the person in charge is a woman who can speak Japanese fluently."
"I should add that when that object first appeared, China immediately contacted various countries through their embassies, saying it was their secret weapon that was stolen. They also said that they would personally retrieve it, so we shouldn't interfere."
"What a farce! Now they are lying low while watching the situation closely."
The heads of each party were listening to the chairman's report with their arms folded.
"Well, since it's a long name, let's call it Ama no Murakumo from now on. Ama no Murakumo is currently floating 500 meters off the coast of Ishikari, Hokkaido. If you take a look at the document in your hands, you'll see that it's floating in the air and fixed in place by something."
A video of Ama no Murakumo launching D-Anchors was being shown on the large monitor in front of them. However, no one present could possibly understand what was going on, except the fact that Ama no Murakumo was floating in the air somehow.
"How does that gigantic thing stay floating in the first place? Can't we create that with our technology?"
"That would be nice if we can recreate it. But right now, the question is what position we should take towards Ama no Murakumo."
Not long ago, a talk was held over telephone with Ama no Murakumo. However, their response was very vague, something like; 'If you leave us alone, we will leave within a few days'. Of course, the Japanese side couldn't just nod and accept it. After all, this case was clearly a territorial invasion according to the international laws.
The Japan Coast Guard or the Maritime Self-Defense Forces should have taken action immediately, but the US moved first, using the Japan-US Security Treaty as an excuse. The were also the Senkaku Islands and Northern Territories issues, so Japan had not been unable to take a very assertive stance here.
Later, through the United Nations, it was decided that Japan should allow up to three battleships and aircraft carriers from other countries to enter their territorial waters for security and peacekeeping. Japan can't deal with it alone, so we will help --- that was what they were saying and Japan was in no position to refuse it.
“That's why I said that we need to revise Article 9 as soon as possible. However, the opposition parties are unanimously opposed to it. Even when we put it on the agenda, they refused to discuss it, giving various excuses. Do you understand why we are in this situation now?”
The Defense Minister shouted, but the opposition parties quickly countered.
"As things stand, a solution can reached through discussion, so it would be best to continue the discussion and move in a direction that is mutually beneficial."
The talks continued to go nowhere, but a message from the UN Secretary General brought them to a halt.
"The UN will hold an emergency security meeting to deal with the unidentified battleship. Depending on the outcome, it may not end well for Japan."
Prime Minister Asao's face turned pale hearing this.
"A UN peacekeeping force will be established and sent to Japan. In the worst case scenario, Japan may become the main battlefield, so please cooperate."
Even if Japan opposed it, the permanent members would pass this resolution unanimously. A few days had passed since Ama no Murakumo appeared. During this time, it has become a hot topic not only in Japan, but all over the world. Some TV stations even broadcasted the battle between the US and Ama no Murakumo in real time. Every country was desperate to get their hands on this unknown giant weapon.
"Oh my goodness, what should I do? Should I take responsibility for this and call a general election?"
"That won't work. This time, even the opposition parties are reluctant. Even if we were to dissolve the Diet and call a general election, the opposition parties won't go along with it, because they know they will be held accountable for the war."
Prime Minister Asao was holding his head in the Prime Minister's Office. Meanwhile, the Chief Cabinet Secretary was also continuing to ponder what to do.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"That was splendid!"
"This is piece of cake when I get serious."
I wanted to do alchemy in a spacious place, so I had a warehouse near the hangar converted into my own personal Alchemy Lab. There, I created support golems, made from honeycomb-structured composite steel. By applying magical treatment to it, I created a smooth and flexible super steel with Mohs hardness of 12.
"This should be sturdy enough, right?"
"*beep*.... Yes. They are suitable for onboard support personnel. Now please mass-produce them."
"Okay, okay, Octa One is a bit rough on people... Deploy alchemy magic circle. Mass production of support golems 'Servant' begins.... Mass Production!"
The magic circles began to glow, and the material slowly melted and transformed within them, forming the shape of a humanoid robot. However, since a completely robotic shape would lack warmth, the design aimed to be somewhere between a human and a robot, but this has its own positive impact.
"With this number, it will take two hours to complete. Shall we take a rest until then?"
There were 50 magic circles in front of me, glowing and flickering. A formula was also incorporated to allow some variation in the design, so no two golems would be the same.
That should be the case, but I won't know for sure until it's completed. Well, let’s do my best to get used to my current environment, even if it's just a little at a time.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Lady Misaki, there is a call from Valtraute on the bridge. It's an emergency communication from Japan."
"Hmm.... ah, sorry I fell asleep. Did you say an emergency call? I'm on my way, tell that to Valtraute.... That's a long name. I was the one who named her, tho."
"Then let's call her Valt. I will tell the other Valkyries as well."
"Thanks. I'm used to Japanese names, so it's hard to remember long names in katakana."
Before I knew it, it was already evening. I sat in the captain's seat as soon as I arrived at the bridge.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Valt, open the communication."
"Understood, reconnecting."
It would be cool if the other person's face was displayed on the monitor in front of me here, but I don't think their system has that sort of thing, so that's impossible.
"*beep*.... I will tell you what to say on the monitor."
"Oh, that will be helpful."
"It's connected."
*beep*
"Now then.... contacting me at this hour, do you all understand your position...?"
Wait a minute, Octa One. What's with this line? This makes me sound arrogant and selfish.
"I, excuse me... I am the Prime Minister of Japan, Asao. Our country would like to have friendly relations with your country. In that regard, I would like to send a goodwill ambassador."
"There's no need for that. We cannot simply accept someone who might be an enemy into our country. We will send an envoy from here. Just specify the location."
Huh? Are we really going to send someone? I hope this can make the negotiation smoother.
"Understood. The location is the National Diet Building in Nagata-cho, Tokyo, Japan. If necessary, I'll come and pick you up."
"No need. As for those coordinates, we have already collected the data from a satellite orbiting this planet. I'll be there tomorrow, so keep that in mind."
"Understood. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow."
"Okay."
*beep*
"The communication line has been cut."
"Octa One, what was that? You made me sounded like an arrogant and selfish person."
"That's how a ruler supposed to behave. In my home world, this is what a monacrh is like."
"What kind of world is that? And who created you, anyway?"
"*beep*.... The Creator God."
"O-Okay, it's getting late so I'm going to sleep. Hilde, wake me up tomorrow morning."
"Understood."
That's right, I got this ship from the reincarnation bonus, so it must have been made by God.