第１８３９堀：南部の魔物と資源について (Part2)
"These gauntlets. May I try them on?"
"By all means, please."
With that, Yuki slipped them onto his hands.
"Surprisingly sturdy. It feels like armor plates fused onto leather. Yet, for how snugly they fit, they’re remarkably cool to the touch."
"It’s quite a surprise, but the monsters in the wastelands are naturally made of cooling materials. I assumed they had some way to regulate their body temperature due to the harsh sunlight, but..."
"So, it’s not a magical effect, but a biological trait of the creatures themselves?"
"Exactly. Though, I suspect they use magic to regulate their temperature as well. Otherwise, it would be quite difficult to survive the daytime, when temperatures easily exceed thirty degrees."
She was right. I don’t know if it’s just the season, but for the past month, the temperature in the south has consistently soared well past thirty degrees.
"I’ve heard the reports. It’s the south for you—Ohe is apparently an eternal summer as well. In that case, this gear is incredibly practical."
"Yes. At first, we didn't quite understand the armor and clothing provided by Ohe, but as more reports came in about their cooling properties, we investigated and realized it was a prominent feature of materials from the southern wilderness."
"Right, the materials from Ohe are primarily from forest monsters, so they didn't have that same cooling performance. Have you tested them for combat maneuvers yet?"
"Not yet. Firia, Aslin, and Labyris have used them, but I couldn't authorize them for the troops without your permission."
"That makes sense."
That was exactly why she had come to report to Yuki—to secure that very authorization.
"Understood. I grant permission for the troops to use these items to verify their utility. I’ll have you coordinate with Tori to get them into circulation."
"I understand. I’ll need the authorization documents and the necessary communications."
"You can hash out the details with Tori. Now, what about the weapons?"
"These were forged using ore harvested from the wilderness."
"Ore? Does that mean you can extract iron there?"
"Iron can be found almost anywhere, as you know, Brother. The real question is whether one possesses the technology to extract it."
"True. You don't necessarily need raw ore; you could gather iron sand. If you aren't picky about the method, there are countless ways to pull iron from nature. But for the sake of productivity, a steady supply from a large-scale mine is preferable."
Yuki generally avoids one-off items made from rare materials. He prefers tools that are reliable, replaceable, and easy to maintain. He’s the type who prefers mass-produced workhorses over specialized, high-maintenance prototypes. Naturally, he’s concerned about whether the materials for these tools can be sourced consistently.
"It’s fine. There seem to be veins running through the wilderness. It would be an exaggeration to say it’s everywhere, but there’s enough that you’d find some within a day’s walk. Here is the data."
Firia pulled out a map of the southern wilderness. It only covered the area near the fortress Tori had established, but even then, the markings were numerous. At a glance, there were over ten locations.
"That’s more than I expected. As for the reserves..."
"We haven't investigated that far yet. We’ll need more manpower."
"That will require personnel, too. This will be a major boost for the Intercontinental Alliance’s expansion into the new continent. I’ll prepare the paperwork."
"I appreciate it."
"And is this iron standard? Or is it some kind of special ore?"
"For now, it’s just regular iron. But it wouldn't be strange if there were unique ores native to the new continent."
"In that sense, it’s worth investigating further. Expand the search area."
"Understood."
With Firia’s report concluded, we enjoyed a brief tea break before returning to our respective duties. Both Aslin and Firia are diligent in their work. They are highly capable and have earned the deep trust of their subordinates. However, because they appear as young girls, they are often underestimated by outsiders. Aslin does have a "beautiful girl" form—her true self—but she seems to prefer her smaller appearance, as it makes others let their guard down.