CH 3

Side: Alex (Kazuma)

The space fortress had no enemies to contend with, and no other players were around, so we switched it to full standby mode.

The port at the Ogasawara Islands has already been partially completed.  It seems they made use of Roman concrete that was created using material found on the islands.  It was said to be extensively used in ancient Rome.  It’s great that we were able to reproduce such material. 

The harbor was now lined with brick warehouses. Houses and fields were also being built.  The fields were being prepared for cultivating the fruit trees that were available in the artificial farm of the space fortress.

It seems the buildings will be a mix between Western-style brick buildings and Japanese-style wooden buildings with raised floors.  Townscapes differ depending on the climate, topography, and history, and it seems ours will be a sort of multinational townscape.  

The main purpose of this base was for obtaining resources from the surface.   We were building a spaceport on Iwo Jima that had a lot of flat lands available, so we should be able to start securing resources fairly quickly. 

「After all, we gotta use sailing ships in this era.」

「Using a regular sailing ship will be dangerous, so we installed an ultra-compact antigravity engine and a nuclear fusion reactor.  We also equipped it with a laser cannon as its main weapon, as well as an auto-balancer and comm device.」

「Then it ain’t a sailing ship anymore!」

「Just in case, Commander.」

Also, we were supposed to use this ship to visit Japan, but it outwardly looks like a 500-ton galleon ship.  Anyway, I think this thing was furnished with an excessive amount of equipment. Heck, it was armed to the teeth.  I feel like Elle’s become a little bit too much of a worrywart since we found ourselves in an unknown dimension. 

As for cargo, it seems we’ll be bringing silk fabric, sugar, pepper, saltpeter, and the like for trading.  It appears to be able to load quite a bit of cargo, and a lot of barrels filled with goods were loaded inside it. 

「Tropical seas are nice, aren’t they〜?」

「Ufufu. I feel like converting this place into a resort.」

Well, I suppose that’s fine. After spending a week on the surface, it looks like all the gynoids have come to enjoy the tropical life. 

Of course, they were still doing their jobs properly regardless.  However, the stuff in Galaxy of Planets was highly automated.  So there would be no problems if the gynoids simply managed the work of each department and the development of the Ogasawara Islands. 

As a result, everyone seems to have a lot of free time on their hands.  And since it was just about time for the summer season, we indulged ourselves in swimming on the beach. 

This is no longer a virtual space after all. That’s why I don’t mind if they cut loose occasionally.  However, I’m not sure what to think about some of them going topless or completely naked though. 

Even though they were gynoids who I created with my own hands using the in-game character creator, it was a sight I certainly haven’t seen before because I didn’t mess with the settings regarding sexual stuff in the game.  It was a strange feeling, but I do admit it was a pleasure for the eyes. 

「Commander, are you listening?」

「Yeah, I hear you Elle. We’ll be leaving in three days, right?」

Elle seems to be sulking a bit as I indulged in witnessing such a wonderful spectacle.  Was it just my imagination? I’ve never seen her act like this before. 

My biggest enemy in a virtual space that has become real ended up being myself.  

But I was the one who increased the number of androids with the appearance of cute girls and beautiful women, so in a sense, it was me who led to this current situation.  To be fair, I never thought they’d all turn real, okay?

***

Side: Elle

Commander seems to be enjoying the situation.  This is a good thing.

The impact of leaving the virtual space and turning real was far greater on us organic gynoids compared to its impact on Commander. 

It may not be an exaggeration to say that I’m already a “me” that is not “me” at this point.

We were essentially gynoids created by Commander in the virtual space for the purpose of serving him. Even if we have been allowed to have a higher level of ego compared to other virtual beings, that fact hasn’t changed. 

But now, we may have been liberated from such a rule that we have always treated as a given. 

Both we and Commander should be perplexed regarding our situation.  I myself have undergone psychological changes that seem to come as an instinct to life forms that weren’t artificial intelligence. 

I did have emotions before, but with the disappearance of the barrier separating me from Commander, I have begun to think of him as a man. ‘

While I’m happy that he’s checking me out, I also feel embarrassed from being looked at with such a gaze by a man who I liked.  

Also, it seems I feel jealous whenever Commander pays attention to everyone else.  This is the first time something like this has happened. 

Life isn’t all about beautiful things.  Everyone should be feeling the same as well.  I wonder what’s going to happen in the future. I have to work even harder on making sure everyone is unified compared to before.  I need to brace myself.

***

Side: Alex

「What are you making, Commander?」

「A fishing reel. Since I’m rather free, I thought it would be nice to go fishing.  Though I can’t exactly make a modern fishing reel because it doesn’t fit the era.」

Our departure date has been decided, but I was still quite free.  I’d just get in the way if I participate in building the base, so I thought of making a fishing reel using the leftover lumber instead. I was in the middle of working on it when Katie called out to me.  

「Fish is delicious. But I can’t forgive the fact that there is no soy sauce in this era.  That will impact the deliciousness of fish.」

「Mm. Should we bring some soy sauce and other seasonings with us?」

「That would be nice.」

Katie was a gourmet.  However, the kinds of seasonings available in this era were quite limited, so should we bring some on our end instead? 

I don’t particularly want to stay on the mainland for long.  I only want to conduct some trades and check the town out for a bit.   I also kinda want to see Oda Nobunaga, but he’s not someone I can easily meet just because I want to. 

「Right, would you like to go fishing with me? It seems like you can catch tuna around these parts.」

「I’ll go.」

Now then, shall we go fishing for some ingredients for tonight’s dinner? We should be able to catch some by using a fish finder.  Alright. Let’s aim for a tuna-filled dinner. 

***

Side: Katie

Biological lifeforms sure are interesting.  There are various physiological phenomena, including cravings.  What the body and the mind want do not always match sometimes. 

I had a sense of touch in Galaxy of Planets, but I only experienced pain for the first time in this world.  It’s interesting to think that Commander had always experienced such things in real life. 

The deviance value between the knowledge and technology employable in Galaxy of Planets and this world was practically zero.  Since Galaxy of Planets itself was a virtual space that faithfully reproduced Commander’s original world, this world should also be operating using the same laws as his world. 

However, it was quite surprising that the super-technologies and super-theories that existed only in the virtual space and not in Commander’s original world could actually be used in this one. 

Currently, we still can’t verify our exact situation even with all the advanced technology at our disposal. 

「I’m already used to my body being younger now. It’s easy to move around in it, and I’m also really good at remembering stuff because of physical strengthening and sleep learning.」

Commander has changed after we came to this world.  No, I wonder if this was the kind of person he actually is in real life from the start.

I believe his tendency to think positively is a nice talent to have.  But our resolution to comfort him and give him advice if he ever broke down and started talking about wanting to go home has gone to waste though.

However, just as we have become living beings that are able to experience new sensations and physiological phenomena, Commander’s game avatar has also turned into a real body.  

Was it called sexual urge? I feel like his gaze is a bit different from before. 

I think both we and Commander need to get used to our new relationship dynamics a bit more. Melty seems to be up to something though.  But I believe it’s still too early for that.