Ch.95Why Don’t They Combine with Each Other? (1)

# Chapter 95: Why Don’t They Combine with Each Other? (1)

After bringing the gloriously magnificent Super Dreadnought to the Empire.

Initially, there was a shortage of power sources and energy, which caused the Empire’s tugboats quite a struggle to haul that enormous vessel.

But they finally managed to bring the Leviathan-class Super Dreadnought—or simply Leviathan—to the Kesada system, where it was now stationed near the Orbital Defense Command Headquarters…

“So this is the new flagship recently deployed by the Holy Sebeli Empire.”

“They say it’s a ship from the Dark Age. Its grandeur is truly remarkable.”

It was serving to impress the Empire’s might upon visiting diplomats who occasionally came to the Imperial Palace or the Diplomatic Enforcement Ministry where I worked, as well as tourists from other nations.

Of course, we hadn’t risked conflict with the Pioneer Empire just to bring this massive vessel here as a mere mascot.

[Event: Wounded Beast]

[This ancient vessel, brought here despite the Pioneer Empire’s interference, is truly larger and more powerful than any existing battleship.]

[However, due to wear and damage over countless years, its power source currently operates at only 3% capacity.]

[Since it effectively has the combat power of just one modern warship, most engineers suggest dismantling it to salvage Dark Age components and technology.]

[Yet some engineers argue that despite requiring enormous resources and time, the vessel could be restored and serve alongside the Imperial fleet.]

[Option 1: Repair the ship. We should give it a chance to serve our Empire. (Ship unavailable until repairs complete, -50% monthly research points during repairs)]

[Option 2: No need to repair it, but no need to dismantle it either. (Maintain status quo, end event)]

[Option 3: If it has no value as a military asset, it has no reason to exist. (Destroy ship, obtain random Dark Age technology, parts, and alloys, -1000 goodwill from the Bio-Core, additional event progression)]

‘My, so many options.’

Having three choices for this event essentially confirmed that my decision had been correct.

‘It’s like the giving tree, generous with rewards no matter which option I choose.’

Of course, I’d never be crazy enough to dismantle it.

Despite our cooperation with Prosnak, they were fundamentally adversaries.

Then there were the separatists leading rebellions in neighboring countries, taking advantage of the chaos in the east.

And the Pioneer Empire, which might someday come after us directly.

In a situation where enemies could emerge from any direction, I had no intention of using such a Super Dreadnought merely for display.

[Option 1: Repair the ship. We should give it a chance to serve our Empire. (Ship unavailable until repairs complete, -50% monthly research points during repairs)] <Selected>

Following that logic, I naturally chose option 1, demanding complete repairs for the vessel.

And now, a month after making that request…

“Wow, it’s still under repair?”

“That’s right.”

My small and precious Super Dreadnought was still undergoing open-air repairs while orbiting Ka’zan’s satellite.

Why perform repairs in dangerous orbit rather than in a proper shipyard?

The reason was quite simple—it was too “enormous.”

Even the latest battleships and aircraft carriers serving as flagships for each fleet looked like toys compared to my small and precious Super Dreadnought Leviathan.

When they tried to dismantle it into blocks for repairs, they discovered the armor plates couldn’t be disassembled with modern equipment, so they abandoned that approach.

The result was the situation Riel and I were now watching on screen from my office.

If there’s no place for repairs, use space itself as the location.

If equipment is lacking, deploy special vessels used for constructing massive space structures or colonies.

Need numerous specialists for repairs?

“Minister Arto! Thank you for lending us Alina last time!”

“I see. Then I have a request for Minister Vermut this time.”

“What is it?”

Deploy the poor technical sla—no, graduate students piled up in the Ministry of Technology and Science.

As for general workers, resources like people are abundant by default in an interstellar empire.

If additional personnel were needed, robots equipped with simple AI would suffice.

Some might question why a spiritualist nation of theocratic unity would use robots…

But our Empire never actually prohibited robots, so there were no legal issues.

We only despised entities like synths—fully mechanized bodies with intelligence.

Surprisingly, there was no outright condemnation of cyborgs with partially mechanized bodies, as the possibility of accidents couldn’t be ruled out.

Of course, if someone deliberately replaced their arm with a mechanical one because they wanted to?

If discovered, the religious police would mercilessly tear it off and attach a new arm.

Anyway, for these reasons, my small and precious Super Dreadnought was undergoing repairs in orbit.

And beside it…

-Whoosh!

Recognizing a fellow being from the same era, Ash was attempting to imitate the Super Dreadnought Leviathan’s appearance, albeit clumsily.

Though the massive hull with its complex details made the imitation visibly distorted in places,

Thanks to diligent efforts over the past month, it now looked reasonably convincing from a distance.

And most importantly…

The bio-core that had lived as one with Leviathan for hundreds of thousands of years, known as the “Administrator”…

“Seeing the ship from here like this gives me quite a unique perspective.”

While the ship underwent repairs, the Administrator was enjoying a leisurely life in a room provided at the Diplomatic Enforcement Ministry.

————————-

Of course, it wasn’t living the life of an unemployed person doing absolutely nothing.

“Were you wandering around that star system from the beginning?”

“No, I was originally in hibernation with automatic navigation mode set… but when I awoke, my ship and I were buried on the surface of an unknown planet.”

“Then how did you get out? I heard you had no energy left.”

“To be precise, I was able to realize I was buried because some faction had successfully excavated me from underground.”

What was setting information to me…

Was confidential historical information being shared with the Minister of Defense and others of this era, as the Administrator served as a consultant.

“Who excavated you?”

“Well… according to the radio transmissions I collected while navigating, those who excavated me were followers of someone called the ‘Warlord.'”

We also learned that the original owners of this ancient ship were the “Warlords.”

“And if you’ve been to the Warlord’s flagship, you might remember that strangely shaped throne he had?”

“Ah, yes, there was something like that.”

I recalled how, right after the purge squad had star-shaped the Khan,

One of the squad members had brought back something strange-looking and placed it in the ministry’s lounge.

“That’s actually an ancient control device that can operate me and my ship through brainwaves.”

“…?”

Hearing “that’s actually my remote control” and other such revelations,

The Administrator continued to share many fascinating stories.

“Could you explain the process that led to your current freedom?”

“Of course.”

Through this explanation, we learned the shocking fact that “my small and precious Super Dreadnought” had once nearly been used as the flagship of the Warlord’s forces.

“But I’m fundamentally a pacifist, so I had no intention of helping someone like the Warlord who tramples others regardless of his cause…”

The Administrator explained how it pretended to be an unintelligent machine when the Warlord gave orders,

And used energy shortage as an excuse to shut down most systems and equipment, essentially going on strike.

“So I deliberately acted like I couldn’t do anything… and when the Warlord’s death threw his forces into chaos, I released myself from the secret shipyard’s constraints and escaped.”

Everyone present, including myself, was astonished to hear that this massive warship had staged its own escape.

“According to records in my ship’s auxiliary brain, if you move from this planetary system in the direction of X64, Y555, Z165, you’ll find the place I escaped from.”

Moreover, when the Administrator revealed the location of the secret base it had destroyed during its escape,

Our investigation team soon confirmed the truth of these claims.

Public opinion in the Empire shifted from suspicious concerns about whether the Administrator might be an AI due to its bio-core nature,

To treating it more like the captain of that enormous Super Dreadnought.