The Ancient Ship (7)
PAUSED
Return of the Dark Age
When you accepted the biological core’s proposal in a positive light, the ship’s power systems and weapon arrays began to activate in earnest.
It almost seems to rejoice at the prospect of entering the Empire’s embrace.
🎁 Reward:Leviathan-class Super Dreadnought ×1
That message was pure sweetness.
Would make a fine flagship for the Empire, wouldn’t it?
I would have to examine the finer performance specs myself once the ship actually arrived in imperial space, of course… but if my memory of its capabilities was accurate, this vessel had been the type that blanketed its entire fleet with massive buffs. Even if the real-world performance turned out a little underwhelming, its mere existence would more than justify the value.
Unfortunately, my current situation refused to let me focus entirely on that beautiful ship.
Call of the Precursors
Immediately after you claimed the Dark Age vessel, the Precursors who had been attempting to destroy it have hacked both your terminal and the Empress’s, opening a communication channel.
Why beings who, by their own laws, almost never intervene with other species or nations would take such action remains unknown.
📍 Choice 1: Accept the call (linked follow-up event will proceed)
📍 Choice 2: Refuse the call (event ends; Precursor Empire favorability decreases)
What the hell.
An event like this popping up the instant I got the ship? What kind of sadistic scheme was this?
Those prideful bastards of the Precursor Empire actually initiating direct contact with us “lesser species”… and now that I looked closer, they were offering a choice, but one of the options was basically worthless.
I hate these railroaded events.
If our relationship with the Precursor Empire had been neutral or even mildly friendly, I could have cleanly picked option two and ignored them. But…
…Nation window, check diplomatic status, Precursor Empire… hmm… Spiritualist?
As this diplomatic status window—something I had only recently stumbled upon—made painfully clear, relations between our Empire and the Precursor Empire were already hanging by a thread. More importantly, as Ambassador Zamiya of the Prosnak had informed me, the Precursors regarded our Empire as heretics…
Drawing unnecessary aggro here would be extremely dangerous. If we did something stupid, we might get crushed by a Precursor fleet even sooner than the Prosnak, who had openly smashed one of their own client states.
No need to overthink it.
With the answer decided from the start, I selected choice 1 and released the pause.
PAUSE RELEASED
Immediately afterward, without any input from us, the private-room screen linked to the terminal changed on its own. A perfectly clean black display appeared, free of any static, and a crystal-clear voice began to speak from within.
—“Can you hear us, heretics of the Sevelian Empire.”
“…”
—“Whether you wish to listen or not will not alter your ordained fate. Open every auditory organ you possess and lend your ears to our voice.”
The voice was steeped in chosen-people arrogance and self-satisfaction. I grumbled inwardly even as I began to respond.
“O great Precursors, we offer our respects to your civilization.”
Regardless of how unpleasant it felt, they had extended words before fists, so matching that approach was the only sensible course.
“Yet we cannot comprehend the reason you have chosen to contact us.”
My thoroughly deferential attitude seemed to please them; the high-handed tone from the other side of the screen softened, if only slightly.
—“Mm. Truly excellent conduct… If every heretic behaved as you do, this galaxy would know genuine peace.”
…
Was this really the same thuggish Spiritualist empire that, in-game, constantly picked fights with Materialist and capitalist nations and threw tantrums over a little planetary colonization? The sheer grandeur of the moment left me speechless with disbelief.
Of course, the Precursor transmission continued regardless.
—“What we have to say to you is this: it concerns the vessel you seized mere moments ago.”
Just as the event message had indicated, they were referring to the Leviathan-class Super Dreadnought we had just claimed. I nodded and answered.
“We have merely obtained a ship that was drifting through the sea of stars. By the lofty laws of the galaxy, ownership of that vessel rightfully belongs to us.”
—“Ah. The laws of the galaxy, is it.”
The Precursor on the other end of the line let out something that sounded like a derisive snort. Then, a moment later—
—“Very well. We have heard the will of you lesser species and heretics.”
The voice itself was the same, yet it carried a subtly different quality, as though another individual had joined the channel. The new speaker addressed us in a tone of open rebuke.
—“But that ancient leviathan is not something for beings as young and ignorant as yourselves to claim so lightly. Remember that.”
“…”
—“We cannot simply stand by and allow a young race such as yours—already existing alongside what may become the seed of calamity—to possess that ship.”
—“Cease this futile attempt to claim it, and entrust it to us.”
Interesting.
At first I had assumed they simply wanted to prevent us from obtaining technology on their level. But the longer the conversation continued, the more it felt less like simple plunder and more like… watching a small child play with a knife or a gas canister, panicking, and gently coaxing the child to put the dangerous object down.
As if to confirm that impression, a new event window appeared before my eyes.
PAUSED
Dangerous Plaything
The Precursor Empire, which has existed since ancient times, has requested that the Holy Sevelian Empire transfer ownership of the ancient vessel recently acquired to them.
The reason is unknown, yet for them to behave this way even toward those they dismiss as lesser species is far from ordinary.
📍 Choice 1: Transfer the ship (event ends; Leviathan-class Super Dreadnought destroyed; slight increase in favorability with the Precursor Empire)
📍 Choice 2: Refuse to transfer the ship (event ends; relations with the Precursor Empire will change)
Choosing option 1 meant the ship I had worked so hard to obtain would simply vanish. Option 2, meanwhile, guaranteed the very drop in Precursor favorability I had been desperately trying to avoid.
So there really is no paradise for those who run away.
I recalled that ancient proverb (or whatever it was) and sank into thought. This time I took a long while to deliberate… and finally decided to reject the Precursor Empire’s demand.
Where else am I going to find a ship that buffs an entire fleet?
How could any man refuse a colossal battleship? It was the vessel of dreams, hope, and pure romance.
Having steeled my resolve, I released the pause.
PAUSE RELEASED
I turned my head toward Artraia and exchanged a look with her.
I’m going to refuse.
For real?
Yeah.
Then I’ll trust your choice.
With her silent consent secured, I faced the communication screen again and delivered a polite yet unyielding refusal.
“It is not our intention to offend you, yet the Holy Sevelian Empire wishes to make it clear that we have no intention of transferring this vessel to any other nation.”
The Precursor beyond the screen fell silent for a time. Then—
—“…Young race, may you never come to regret your choice.”
Leaving that deeply ominous remark, they simply cut the connection.
Just in case, Riel double-checked our terminals and the communication feed.
“Yeah, the link’s definitely gone. No hyperspace connection point left either.”
Hearing her firm confirmation, I collapsed onto the sofa as if all strength had left me and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Haaaaaaaaah…”
After the sigh, I tried to sit up properly—only to clutch my head with both hands, fighting down the wave of despair rising from deep inside.
“Damn it all.”
“Are you all right, Arto?”
“No. Not even close… Now those damned Precursors could attack our Empire at any moment…”
The cold reality of the situation dragged another groan from me.
To end up on the bad side of the Precursor Empire just for one ancient ship…
Yet right before my eyes, a new event message appeared.
The Beast’s Gratitude
Moved by the fact that you did not hesitate to worsen relations with the Precursor Empire in order to aid it, the ship’s administrator has expressed deep gratitude.
In repayment for that kindness, it has contacted you offering to provide the Empire with a portion of the Dark Age technologies remaining in its neural core and onboard databases.
🎁 A portion of ancient Dark Age technology has been immediately unlocked in the tech tree.
The instant I read the message, I sprang to my feet and declared with full confidence:
“Even the Precursors have no right to dictate terms to a sovereign nation like ours!”
“Uh… uh…”
“Riel! Contact them and tell them to return to the Empire with the ship as soon as possible!”
Riel regarded me with an extremely complicated expression and left only a single remark.
“Oh dear… how pitiful.”
Artraia, for her part, even teared up at the sight of me.
“Arto…!”
As a result, clearing up the two women’s misunderstanding took far longer than I had expected.