Ch.86It was far too large to be called a battleship.

# Chapter 86: It Was Too Large to Be Called a Battleship

“So, Arto, I’m counting on you for this matter?”

“Mm.”

“Please handle it well. If you succeed, we might even get our hands on some technology from the Dark Age.”

After somehow managing to obtain permission from Artlaia for this mission.

I immediately returned to the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency, rounded up those cultists suffering from Dementia syndrome who were holding meetings underground, and loaded them onto a shuttle for immediate departure.

“Please wait just a moment!”

“…”

“If we just continue a little longer, we can make them admit that our minister is more impressive than Ambassador Samiya…!”

“Could you please stop with these ridiculous pride contests?”

After stuffing those lunatics into the shuttle.

“From now on, you are a secret special forces unit of our Holy Sebelli Empire and the Prosnack Federation. Keep that in mind as you carry out your mission.”

“Yes! We’ll keep it in mind, sir!”

“The time has finally come to transform a spiritless vessel into a marine ship filled with fighting spirit!”

I decided to provide brief information about the current situation to the last people boarding the shuttle.

Namely, Meteorn, who was appointed as the leader of the purge unit.

And to ‘Gran’, the most senior commander of the Prosnack Marines.

“When you arrive at the site, there will be an advance team I sent ahead. It would be best to contact them, acquire additional information, and then proceed.”

“Understood, Minister.”

“Is that so? It seems the Sebelli Empire has moved faster than expected.”

Fortunately, the marine commander Gran stood out as clearly having a normal appearance and concept compared to those guys already talking about fighting spirit and whatnot.

Seeing this, I was desperately hoping in my heart that these two relatively normal individuals compared to the others would provide sensible leadership.

Seeing my expression, Marine Captain Gran tilted his head as if something didn’t make sense and asked me a question.

“Minister Virtorius? If it’s not impertinent, may I ask you one question?”

“Hmm, what is it?”

Could he be thinking there might be some issue with the operation?

With such trivial thoughts in mind, I asked, and Gran looked around before finally speaking to me.

“By any chance, where has that small aide of yours disappeared to?”

“You mean Riel? Why are you looking for him?”

“It’s nothing special, just that when people like you, Minister, brief us directly, it feels… somewhat strange.”

At Captain Gran’s words, I found myself nodding involuntarily.

“These things happen sometimes. Anyway, report back once you meet up with the advance team.”

“Understood, Minister Virtorius.”

And shortly after, after watching all the coalition members(?) disappear into the sky aboard the shuttle.

As I naturally entered the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency.

“Minister?”

“I’m sorry, Riel.”

I decided to quickly offer words of apology as soon as I saw Riel, who had been pushed around between the two fanatics and had literally gone dark.

Of course, I apologized quickly only because I felt sorry for Riel.

It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that Riel was glaring at me while holding a vicious-looking claw in one hand and a mace covered in spikes in the other, wearing what appeared to be wolf fur from who knows where.

——————————

After sending off the coalition unit.

“Still no report?”

“Logically, they have to go to the other side of the galaxy, so there’s no way it would arrive so soon.”

As always, I was doing my regular work and having leisurely conversations with Riel.

“AAAAARRRGGHHH!!!”

“Now, next you’ll tell us the location of your organization. One, three!”

“Blrglrglrglrglrblb…”

Conducting educational sessions using water and fire for those who dared to sell imperial secrets to foreign countries or act recklessly on their own.

While living such an ordinary and uneventful life… how should I put it.

‘Peaceful.’

That was the only thought that came to mind.

Hearing all sorts of confidential information from Prosnack, the Pioneer Empire trying to capture and punish us as heretics.

With all sorts of chaotic whirlwinds sweeping across the other side of the galaxy.

The fact that the combination of purge units and marines I sent would be performing a deep strike toward the Dark Age vessel by now.

All those situations didn’t really hit me with any impact, so it just felt ordinary.

‘Burnout, perhaps.’

At times like this, I understand why games allow you to quickly skip a day or a month.

Come to think of it, the current situation… by game standards, could be considered truly thrilling.

But now that I’ve been incarnated into the game and am actually living day by day inside it.

Even playing the game at the ‘slowest speed’ wouldn’t take this long, would it?

With such thoughts, as I left the ‘lecture site’ and returned to the Diplomatic Enforcement Agency…

“Riel.”

“What is it?”

“Why does the world turn so slowly?”

In this inexplicable sense of emptiness, I found myself complaining to Riel.

Of course, seeing me like this, Riel, despite being a humanoid, showed the remarkable sight of veins popping up on his face.

“Heh, while me, Alina, and the other office slaves are optimizing your work processes, you somehow manage to say such things.”

“Hmm.”

“Isn’t that a bit too brave of a statement?”

“I’m sorry.”

As Riel pointed out, my previous statement was certainly reckless.

I quickly apologized and began to focus on my work again.

But not long after, I no longer needed to feel burnout while focusing on such routine tasks.

While processing the pile of work accumulated on my terminal one by one.

-Ding♪

With that distinctive notification, the long-awaited communication report was finally connected.

-Crackle…

As soon as the communication connected, the screen on one side of the office began to emit the characteristic noise that occurs when hyperspace communication starts.

And right after that.

[Event: Ancient Vessel]

[The special forces you sent have finally succeeded in reaching the vicinity of the Dark Age vessel.]

[Having successfully made contact with the advance team you sent ahead and acquired information about the surrounding star systems, the unit members are now attempting to submit their first report to you.]

“…”

I couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded by the event message spoiling the report content before I even received it.

-“We’re connected!”

-“Minister, may I proceed with the report now?”

See that.

Perhaps because it’s been a while since they’ve communicated with me, they’re unconsciously nervous.

Meanwhile, the very person receiving the report has already had everything spoiled by the event message.

Since I couldn’t just refuse to receive it, I nodded my head in affirmation.

Perhaps the event message was just a summary, and the actual report might be different.

-“Yes, I’ll proceed with the report immediately.”

-“We have successfully joined with the advance team you had previously dispatched, Minister, and are currently building a base camp in the planetary system where the target vessel exists.”

“Hmm.”

-“Moreover, since the advance team’s agents have already mapped the interstellar network within the planetary system, additional information gathering seems unnecessary.”

“Is that so? Is there any additional report besides that?”

-“That is correct, Your Grace.”

I didn’t expect them to literally read out exactly what the event message said.

It was truly an indescribable feeling, so after issuing orders to prioritize the capture of the vessel unless otherwise instructed.

After ending the communication, I had to pause and make an effort to gather my thoughts about this bizarre situation.

———————————

Meanwhile, at the same time Arto was making a fool of himself.

Inside a certain area of the vessel that Arto and various other empires simply considered a Dark Age era ship and simultaneously a ghost ship.

“…Power source check.”

-Checking remaining energy in ship power source… Remaining energy 3%

-Due to power source energy depletion, most of the ship’s weapons are inoperable, external shield activation impossible.

-SOS signal transmission to home country in progress, response signal: 0

As a young girl’s voice echoed, a voice mixed with beeping sounds calmly responded with something.

“Sigh… at this rate, we might really become a ghost ship.”

In response to the machine’s guidance filled with beeping sounds, the girl’s voice was filled with lamentation and sadness.

-Beep beep

-Small vessels of unknown affiliation approaching this ship.

“Again…? I’ll have to drive them away somehow.”

But the girl’s voice answering the subsequent machine sounds seemed to be mixed with both irritation and sadness.

-Turret #3 commencing fire, hit, hit, evasion, unknown vessel evading, retreating.

And at the following report, the girl sighed deeply again and muttered quietly to herself.

“Haaa… I don’t like fighting.”