257: Imperial Star Vanilla City Underlayer

"Destination reached."

The elevator stops, we pass through the airlock, and step out into the open building exterior.

"Whoa... It's endless ocean as far as the eye can see."

"Unbelievable. The scent of the sea, the sunlight... It's hard to believe there's a middle layer above this."

Before us stretches an endless expanse of ocean, the surface reflecting sunlight like a glowing light source.

Waves crash against the island's seawall and retreat, making a loud noise.

The seabirds seem to recognize the unfamiliar visitor, squawking unusually loudly, yet they show no sign of approaching.

Ah, I see.

It appears this structure—both an elevator and a supporting pillar connecting to the middle layer—was built by creating an artificial island right in the middle of the open ocean.

So, there's nothing visible beyond the horizon—no other structures, no islands.

No, if I look up, I should be able to see the bottom of the middle layer... but even the elevator we came up on has disappeared from view somewhere along the way.

"Ahh, I see. The lights designed to replicate sunlight must be obscuring the view of the middle layer's underside."

"Correct, Master Sata. There are also artificial rain systems and equipment designed to generate atmospheric currents, making it difficult to perceive the existence of the middle layer from the lower level."

It seems that due to various facilities and modifications, recognizing the presence of the middle layer has become increasingly challenging.

It's probably overthinking to compare this to how humans in the Vanilla Universe Empire find it difficult to recognize the existence of a creator known as Chirarizumu = Konpuraekusu...

Then, let's head to the spot where we can harvest vanilla.

Understood.

Once we boarded the vehicle capable of flight, we began our journey.

After flying for a while, green-covered landmasses appeared outside the window, along with pillars that occasionally stretched all the way to the middle layer.

Several mountains connected to the middle layer were also visible... but the junctions between the mountains and the middle layer seemed deliberately designed so they couldn't be recognized from a distance.

"From here, we'll proceed on foot."

Eventually, we arrived at a place that looked like a base, cleared and developed within a forest.

"I've heard about it, but you're quite experienced with this."

"The underlayer of Imperial Star Vanilla Sid is off-limits without permission, but conversely, if you have permission, you're free to enter. Since most reasons for entry involve retrieving some kind of item, it's only natural that frequently visited locations would be properly developed for convenience."

The lower levels of Teisei Vanilla City appear to be maintained in a way that increasingly resembles the state of the Vanilla Empire—the predecessor to the Vanilla Celestial Empire—possibly even prior to the empire's existence.

However, it seems that certain items, like Vanilla, are periodically collected by humans, and for their benefit, a very small portion of the area has been maintained using cutting-edge technology that minimizes any impact on the surrounding environment.

Yeah, apparently the original vanilla we're seeking is regularly harvested.

And the harvested vanilla beans are circulated only among the royal family, high-ranking nobles, or top executives of major corporations, labeled as rare vanilla essence from the underlayer.

In that case, I suppose there's no need for us to go through the trouble of collecting them ourselves...

"That's a contingency plan, to be used only if we can't obtain high-quality ingredients. As long as the quality is merely average, my skill can compensate for taste and aroma. But the story of Lady Viridianiela personally retrieving them herself would certainly captivate our customers' attention far more."

That was the explanation.

Since Lady Viridianiela herself agreed with Zallock's opinion, our plans remained unchanged.

"Beyond this point, we'll be entering the forest. There's no guarantee that dangerous mushrooms, plants, or wild beasts won't be present, so please remain cautious. Don't rely too heavily on shield mods or environmental stability mods."

"Noted."

After leaving the base, we entered the forest.

The military specialist leading the way cleared a path through the thick underbrush, and thanks to the few following soldiers pressing down on the ground, progress had become much easier. Still, this land rarely touched by human hands remained difficult to traverse.

The vegetation growing around us was a chaotic mix of random plants, many of which were unfamiliar to me.

Even more so, it was overwhelmingly disordered.

Compared to forests from other star systems, the sheer variety here was staggering.

More than double… perhaps even greater still.

Yeah, looking at this scene, it's clear even natural forests on planets in other star systems have been terraformed by human hands.

I can't quite put it into words... but in the underlayers of Imperial Planet Vanilla Sid, you just don't sense any human intention.

"Looks like we're nearing it. That over there is Vanilla, and those are the vanilla beans."

"That's... it..."

After walking for about an hour.

The vanilla beans we've been seeking finally come into view before us.

"The scent isn't present in this state, is it?"

"No, it isn't. That fragrance develops only through processing."

"No trace of mod-assisted growth, no human touch—truly natural, this is..."

"Truly a rare find."

"The tricky part is, just because it's rare doesn't mean it's good. For now, let me select the ones that look promising."

"Please, Master Zacrock."

There was nothing particularly unusual about its appearance.

After confirming this, we followed Master Zacrock's instructions and collected the vanilla beans.

Thus, without any issues, the collection of the vanilla beans was completed.

Yes, the collection of the vanilla beans was.