Ch.96Why Don’t They Combine with Each Other? (2)

# Chapter 96: Why Don’t You Two Unite? (2)

Of course, not everyone immediately believed such a story.

“Couldn’t such a tale be easily fabricated like a novel?”

“We’re talking about a ship with an operational history spanning hundreds of thousands of years and its administrator—couldn’t they easily make up similar stories?”

Some dismissed it as merely an interesting fabrication.

“It’s nothing but a ploy by a hostile intelligence to conceal its true identity.”

“Is a life form that can survive for hundreds of thousands of years even a common thing?”

Even excluding the hardcore AI-phobic faction who stubbornly suspected the administrator was a hostile intelligence disguised as a biocores…

“Arto, do you think what they’re saying is true?”

“Hmm.”

Even the very person who had ordered the administrator to be brought to the Empire was questioning the administrator’s words, so what could be expected of others?

[Event: Shawshank]

[The journey of the Leviathan-class Super Dreadnought after its excavation has been a series of truly cinematic situations.]

[What other massive vessel and its operator could possibly experience such spectacular events?]

Of course, I could believe it because the event message confirmed the administrator’s words were true, but…

I couldn’t force others who couldn’t see such status windows, including Artlaia, to believe it.

“If the Minister says believe it, there are probably hundreds of millions in the Empire who would kneel down and devoutly believe.”

“That’s not what we’re talking about right now, Riel.”

So after silencing Riel who was spouting nonsense,

I pondered how to make Artlaia and other skeptics trust the administrator’s words.

After much consideration, I decided to convene the brains of the Diplomatic Enforcement Ministry for an exchange of opinions.

And the solution to this problem came from a truly unexpected source.

“Mr. Small Flesh, haven’t you already prepared the answer to this problem yourself?”

“What do you mean, Alina?”

“During the past Warlord’s rebellion, didn’t you capture an admiral, flagship, and soldiers from one of their fleets?”

“Ah.”

“Did you forget, Mr. Small Flesh?”

As Alina pointed out, I did indeed have in my custody the admiral of the Warlord’s Keshik Fleet, who had devastated the allied fleet with mobile warfare on the southern front.

“Oh, then we can ask that admiral to verify if the administrator’s story is true!”

“Just as Mr. Small Quantum Core says, Mr. Small Flesh.”

I nodded at those words and requested information on what the Keshik admiral was doing and where.

And our super AI, Miss Alina, searched through all imperial communications in just a few seconds to report on the status of the admiral whose existence I had completely forgotten…

“Currently, the admiral is making money through publishing autobiographical works based on his experiences, such as ‘I Was a Warlord’s Admiral’ and ‘Everything About Fleet Mobile Warfare’.”

“…Huh?”

“Moreover, thanks to you not confiscating his flagship and vessels but leaving them with him, he’s even running a PMC business based on those ships.”

“…”

“Thanks to that, he recently ranked first among the highest taxpayers in that planetary system.”

For someone who was essentially a space barbarian, being from the Keshik, the Warlord’s personal guard…

To think he’s not only acting as a PMC CEO but also publishing autobiographies and succeeding as a businessman.

“First, let’s contact this person and confirm if there’s anything that matches the administrator’s testimony.”

“Understood, Mr. Small Flesh.”

I instructed Alina to contact the admiral and, under the guise of an interview, collect evidence to verify the administrator’s testimony.

“In some ways, he seems more civilized than us.”

“…”

“Unlike the office slaves who only do paperwork at the Diplomatic Enforcement Ministry, he’s living a proper social life.”

“…”

“Minister Arto, this barbarian admiral is a better functioning member of society than you.”

“…”

“Better than all of us!”

And so I spent time preventing a rebellion from Riel and the office slaves who were furious at the fact that a barbarian and prisoner was enjoying a more civilized life than the high officials of the Empire.

—————————-

Two days later.

I entered the imperial palace to report to Artlaia that the administrator’s testimony was true, based on the materials Alina had brought.

Naturally, the administrator who had been wiggling toes with Riel in the Diplomatic Enforcement Ministry also accompanied me to the imperial palace along with Riel, to confirm that their testimony would be effective.

However, while the administrator had been quiet until entering the palace, once we were inside and away from others… they began to show an extremely talkative side.

“Mr. Arto.”

“What is it?”

“I’m curious about something. Could you answer a question for me?”

At first, I nodded, thinking they were simply curious about many things as someone who had just started living a normal life in a civilized empire, but…

“Why don’t you and that person… Artlaia… unite with each other?”

“…”

“Pfft!”

I never expected them to directly ask something that could potentially cause a major scandal and lead to my purge.

So I ignored Riel making strange noises behind me, approached the administrator, put my hand on their shoulder, and said:

“I don’t know what gave you such a misunderstanding, but Artlaia… Her Imperial Majesty and I are absolutely not that kind of relationship.”

I squeezed their shoulder, hoping they would stop trying to assassinate me through a natural scandal, but.

“What? That can’t be right.”

“…?”

“Don’t you know how lovingly Artlaia—I mean, the Emperor—looks at you every time?”

Seeing their continued assassination attempt despite my warning, I hastily covered their mouth and looked around.

Fortunately, there was no one around, so I released the administrator’s mouth, sighed deeply, and said:

“Just in case, I’d advise you to avoid saying such things in front of Her Imperial Majesty.”

“Why? I already mentioned that I thought you two had that kind of relationship when we first met…”

Of course, the administrator didn’t seem to understand my behavior…

“There’s no way our Artlaia would harbor such feelings for me.”

“…”

“Besides, doesn’t the idea of love blossoming in a sovereign-subject relationship seem like something that only happens in novels?”

Our dog doesn’t bite… no.

Our Artlaia doesn’t do such things.

As I maintained this attitude, I could sense that the gazes Riel and the administrator were giving me had become quite peculiar.

“Hey, can I borrow your ear for a second?”

“What is it?”

Then our Riel whispered the situation to the administrator…

“Ah, so that’s it?”

“Yes.”

The administrator listened intently with quite expressive facial reactions.

A moment later.

“I see, I have realized the truth.”

With an exaggerated gesture, as soon as Riel finished speaking, the administrator’s eyes sparkled more brightly than a fawn’s.

At least they seemed to have come to their senses now.

I naturally led the two of them to the private chamber where Artlaia would be waiting and opened the door to enter.

“Welcome, Arto. You’ve brought company today?”

And as soon as we entered the private chamber, what we saw was Artlaia wearing a rather revealing, passionate dress that seemed like a fusion of formal attire and uniform.

“Well, I needed the witness and someone who could verify the interview was true, along with the person in question.”

“Hmm… well, that’s fine, I suppose.”

But despite being the one who expressed doubts, now that I’ve brought the results, she seems remarkably uninterested.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop my report.

While I was busy proving that the administrator’s words were true through testimony and cross-verification…

“…”

‘Wait, why is there no response?’

I suddenly realized that Artlaia wasn’t saying anything.

Pretending to look at the testimony documents, I secretly shifted my gaze toward Artlaia.

And what my gaze captured was Artlaia sitting with her legs crossed in stockings, particularly emphasizing the elegant curves of her legs.

“Artlaia?”

“What is it, Arto?”

At this point, I completely lost track of what Artlaia was thinking when she asked me to verify the truthfulness of the administrator’s testimony.