NABC Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 18
Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 18
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?”
“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.