Chapter 30 - Welcome Party the Next Day!

In the imperial palace of the Krantz Empire, where ministers were being ground down day after day. After giving his weary ministers a break due to preparations for the experiment, Grand Emperor Valerian was reviewing the process with Duke Adrian. While playing the board game I'd gifted him.

Clack. "All the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠land and resources for the experiment have been secured, Your Imperial Majesty. The soldiers returning from the expedition will be put straight into the experiment, and once the personnel requested from the Magic Tower and the holy capital arrive, we can begin immediately."

Clack. "I see. Good work, Duke. However, don't the soldiers returning from the expedition need some rest as well? That's what's bothering me."

Clack. "I don't think that's something to worry about, Your Majesty. On the contrary, I believe they'll be delighted that it's not the usual field labor."

Clack. "Hoho. Indeed, if this experiment goes well, we can minimize field labor and focus on clearing the outer areas. By the way, Duke, didn't I just teach you this yesterday? You're already more skilled than me."

Having no one else to enjoy it with, I'd taught the game to my friend Adrian just last evening. Valerian stuck out his tongue at how Adrian had matched his skill in an instant.

"Command is my specialty. If I had no talent for such games, I'd have to step down from my position."

Clack. The piece was placed. Valerian's king and soldiers, cornered, finally surrendered.

"Argh... It seems I have no talent for this game. I couldn't even beat the young man who taught it to me once, and now I've lost to you, whom I only taught yesterday."

"Please don't say that, Your Imperial Majesty. That young man was already familiar with the game from the start, and this is my one talent. I'll spread it around everywhere from now on, so you'll be able to enjoy it with many more people."

Adrian, seeing Valerian indulge in a hobby for the first time, comforted the man who was starting to look downcast and promised to create more fun in the future.

"I'm grateful for those words. I'll have to practice harder from now on. After all, I'm the sun of the empire—I can't lose at a game of commanding armies to anyone but you! Hahaha!"

Adrian smiled warmly at his longtime friend laughing heartily. As boys, he'd fled to Adrian's frontier barony—where Adrian was the heir—to escape a tyrant's purge of the imperial family. That bond had led to friendship and even marriage ties, so he couldn't resent the man for keeping him from going home.

He reset the pieces and brought up the point that had been nagging him.

"Your Imperial Majesty, have you checked the Moderator's announcement?"

"Hm? Of course I have. Is there something bothering you?"

The Moderator had announced several new features. Adrian was already planning how to use them to enrich the empire.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Many features were added. The one that caught my interest was the chat room creation function."

"Hoho. I had my eye on that too. Crystal orb communication has too much interference. Don't you agree?"

Adrian nodded in agreement. Crystal orb communication worked by infusing massive mana waves into the orbs and firing them off crudely, then receiving them. Due to the brute-force method, communications often overlapped, making it cumbersome. Until now, they'd followed an unspoken rule: if someone started transmitting, others waited quietly.

But with the Gallery halted, all reports flooded into crystal orb channels, rendering them nearly unusable.

"How's the progress on research for communicating on specific wavelengths? Any improvements since before? The new feature looks useful, but we can't rely on it alone."

"I agree, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, there's no progress beyond what I reported earlier: 'Success in using specific wavelengths, but receiving from distant locations requires further research.' That's the repeated update."

"Hm, as expected, that's the toughest problem. They're stuck there..."

Valerian furrowed his brow and stroked his chin. He'd anticipated the difficulty and had no intention of pressuring them, but the disappointment was inevitable.

"Sigh... No helping it. We'll rely on that feature for now, but once finances improve, we must increase support to the Magic Tower immediately."

"With such fine talents devoted to the research, excellent results will come. Please don't worry, Your Majesty."

"Hoho. Right. Our empire's mages work tirelessly—I've been fretting too much. Come on, let's play the next round. This time, I'll win for sure."

He shook off his worries ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and moved a piece with a bright smile. His first hobby in life. Valerian racked his brains to beat Adrian, believing the man still had gaps since he wasn't fully familiar with Janggi yet.

Huff huff huff. Huff huff huff huff. In the bunker, party preparations were in full swing. Balloons on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠walls, tables set for food from the shop. Even Hero and Hogul seemed excited for Sora's arrival, stopping their wall-climbing to help stick up balloons.

Thanks, you mutts...

"Balloons done. Tables done. Banner done. No fireworks since I hate them, and party hats... might be uncomfortable, so maybe put them on at the right time later?"

"Woof!"

The doggos were listening well today. Did they fear Sora more than me? Honestly, same here. Animals' instincts are sharp.

"Eye of the Snow Spirit, huh... I was too late pressing the start button on time."

The moment I saw Upgrade commencing!, that phrase caught my eye. If I'd seen it sooner, I wouldn't have squirmed with curiosity for two days.

I could ask Sora, but she was probably added for some reason, not built-in. Why else would there be a body-creation feature for a management AI?

"Gifting AIs free bodies? That's extremely dangerous."

Seeing an AI invade human domains, evolving on its own—I understood the Luddites smashing machines back in England. Terrifying. An incomprehensible fear, cosmic horror even.

If I were still in my old world, I'd be deeply skeptical of Sora's body creation. But luckily, this was an isekai with dragons, mana, and other races. Too many new things to worry about that.

Huff huff huff. Huff huff huff huff. And these guys sitting so obediently today.

"Phew, you cute little rascals. You have to stay this good even after Sora arrives, okay?"

I petted Hero and Hogul wildly as I spoke.

"..."

No reply. Guess they'll behave just for today. Imagining these clever mutts tamed by Sora, my grin wouldn't fade. Your freedom? Five minutes left ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at most. I'll turn you into obedient doggos who understand people.

"You behaved during prep, so I should buy treats, right? Anything you want?"

"Woof! Woof woof woof! Woof woof!"

"Woof woof! Sniff sniff, woof!"

Couldn't understand a word.

"Uh... boneless chicken? Come to think of it, no bones means chicken's fine."

"Woof!"

Great, they like it. With the doggos' special menu decided, I checked the Gallery screen.

Upgrade complete right on time. As it finished, Gallery users flooded in, posting like crazy. But today, something more important.

"Sora? Where are you?"

The Gallery was open, but no Sora. I looked around and asked.

"Yeah, I was fine... Sora, where's your body?"

Ah. Yeah, it would've been weird if she just popped out with a ta-da! Party delayed a bit, disappointing, but I'd been too hasty.

"Let's start right away, Sora."

No need to hesitate.

I checked the warnings and headed to my room. Living room floor for tonight.

"Sora, any idea how long it'll take?"

Wake up and she'll be here.

"Thanks for letting me know. See you in the morning, Sora. We can eat right away then."

The screen seemed to tremble. No, it definitely was. Calming my own shaking hands like Sora's screen, I firmly pressed YES.

I'll ask about her true nature tomorrow, I thought.