Alexander, through an edict, made himself the Inquisitorial Fortress Lord. Theoretically, the one who lost the most power was Ers, as the Inquisitorial Representative.
After all, the position of High Lord should theoretically belong to the leaders of various important institutions. Previously, the Inquisition did not have a unified leader, which is why Ers, as the Inquisitorial Representative, needed to serve as a High Lord.
Now that there was Alexander, the Inquisitorial Fortress Lord, Ers, the Inquisitorial Representative, naturally lost the meaning of her existence.
So, was Ers sad about this?
Not at all. Ers even felt a secret joy.
She originally had a three-year term remaining, to continue working in the hell of a High Lord for another three years. After three years, she might even be re-elected by other Inquisitors.
Now it was good; the position of High Lord belonged to Alexander, and Ers could retire early. She could now go and happily slaughter the Emperor's enemies across the galaxy.
Ha! Xenos, daemons, traitors, and heretics, your beloved Mama Ers is back!
Ers even smiled involuntarily due to her joy.
Then, Ers felt a gaze fall upon her.
Alexander turned his head and stared silently at Ers.
Ers shivered all over.
With a speed that amazed Ers, Alexander pulled out a parchment scroll from his four-dimensional pocket, quickly signed and sealed it, and then shoved it into Ers' hand.
Ers didn't even have time to react.
She looked down blankly at the parchment scroll in her hand.
"In the name of the Emperor, Inquisitorial Fortress Lord Alexander is hereby relieved of his duties as Inquisitorial Fortress Lord immediately for stepping into the Inquisition with his left foot. The duties of Inquisitorial Fortress Lord shall be performed by Cleopatra Ers as acting Inquisitorial Fortress Lord."
Below was the Emperor's signature.
Ers' mouth gaped slightly as she stared in horror at the parchment scroll in her hand.
She looked up at the smiling Alexander, who nodded gently at her, a look of encouragement on his face, as if telling Ers, "You can do it."
How could this happen?!
Ers was annoyed, annoyed that she had been gloating too soon.
She should have secretly slipped out of this archive room just now, letting Alexander overlook her existence, so that the position of acting Inquisitorial Fortress Lord might have been given to the Inquisitorial Fortress Lord.
She missed the chance to retire early and had to remain trapped in the hell of a High Lord for another three years... Wait?!
Ers suddenly realized something and looked sharply at the parchment in her hand.
Her body twitched violently as she saw clearly written in one corner of the parchment, "The duties of Inquisitorial Fortress Lord shall be performed by Cleopatra Ers as acting Inquisitorial Fortress Lord, and this acting position shall be for life."
This parchment scroll instantly became a noose around her neck, and a wave of suffocation and dizziness swept over Ers' entire body.
If she wasn't a well-trained Inquisitor, she would probably have fainted by now.
Just then, the Inquisitorial Fortress Lord of the Inquisitorial Fortress looked at Ers.
"Then, my Lady, should we immediately notify the other Inquisitors in the galaxy?"
"Will you attend the next High Lord Council as the Inquisitorial Representative or as the Inquisitorial Fortress Lord?"
"How will your change in position be communicated to the other Grand Inquisitors, Grey Knights, and Deathwatch?"
"There are also some documents that require your immediate review."
The Inquisitorial Fortress Lord said to Ers in his characteristic dry voice.
Ers immediately felt that she might as well just faint.
Dust swirled in the Imperial Palace, and six massive cranes rumbled, making Tieron's ears ache unbearably.
Every time the High Lord Council convened, Tieron always felt that he was not the Imperial Chancellor, the Chief Bureaucrat of the Senate, but a common hive city foreman, toiling on the front lines of a construction site.
Each time the High Lord Council was held, the Grand Council Hall had to be dismantled and rebuilt. The ceiling had to be completely removed, and the small gardens around it would also be torn down to make space for those large machines.
This, of course, was not because the High Lords were extravagant, but because one of the High Lords was so unique, so immense.
A massive, heavy machine, almost as tall as the Grand Council Hall and with a base half the size of the hall, was hoisted by six large cranes and lowered from the ceiling into the High Lords' council hall.
In an instant, the ground trembled, and Tieron almost fell.
Fortunately, a hand reached out from Tieron's blind spot and gently steadied him.
"Thank you," Tieron said with a smile, nodding in thanks to the person in his blind spot.
Then the Adeptus Mechanicus Sages entered the council hall and began to install the outer parts of this massive machine.
Tieron often worried that if these Sages hid bombs or something inside this massive machine, they might send all the High Lords to meet the Emperor... Perhaps no bombs were needed; the machine's own firepower could probably rival a Knight mech, tearing the High Lords' flesh and blood bodies into pieces... Grand Master of the Assassinorum Fadix might survive.
Fortunately, Tieron's worries never materialized during his eighty years as Imperial Chancellor.
The Adeptus Mechanicus Sages finished installing the outer parts of the machine, inserting cables into the back of the two-faced dwarf.
That was the Mars Fabricator-General's terminal, responsible for communicating with ordinary people.
After completing all this, the Sages exited the council hall without a word.
For a moment, the entire council hall seemed to be left with only Tieron, the two-faced dwarf, and the massive machine.
"Your Excellency Oud Oudia Raskian," Tieron said, performing an aquila salute, his etiquette flawless.
But the two-faced dwarf said in a cold tone, "Please call me Oudia, Your Excellency Tieron."
"Do not think that because of Saint Doraemon's favor, you can humiliate me and not call me by the name Saint Doraemon bestowed upon me."
Tieron's expression stiffened slightly, then he bowed his head in apology.
Then Tieron spoke to his visual blind spot: "Your Excellency Harlequin, please clear the surroundings."
A flamboyantly dressed Aeldari Harlequin took off the Blind Spot Star from his chest, bowed slightly to Tieron, and then disappeared between light and shadow.
A moment later, some low wails sounded from the hidden corners around, and all the spies lurking nearby were cleared out by that Harlequin.
"Xenos," Oudia said dismissively.
"But they are very reliable, excellent spies and scouts, and look at their skulls, it's not strange that they are human subspecies, is it?" Tieron said with a smile.
"Are you teaching me biology and xenology, Tieron?"
Oudia was amused by Tieron's words:
"You may not know, but I hold three biological Sage titles: Neurobiological Sage, Genetic Biological Sage, and Xenobiological Sage."
"I can tell you very clearly, the Aeldari are Xenos. Although their skulls have a formal similarity to humans, their material, function, and evolutionary path are completely different from humans. More importantly, historically, the Aeldari existed long before humans ventured into the stars, so it is impossible for them to be abhumans."
"This is the conclusion of Mars' tens of thousands of years of biological and xenological research; it is common knowledge for every biological Sage."
"But I heard the Harlequins say that Saint Doraemon believes they are abhumans," Tieron said, hesitating.
"Then the biological Sages were wrong; the Aeldari are abhumans," Oudia immediately corrected himself.
Tieron couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"Then didn't Saint Doraemon ask you to reduce your size?" he inquired.
"Terra does not have the conditions for that. I will undergo the modification when I accompany Saint Doraemon to Mars later."
As Oudia spoke, he scrutinized Tieron:
"What about you? This flesh and blood body of yours is a bit too inferior. How can you better serve Saint Doraemon?"
"Come with me to Mars in a while. I will arrange a perfect modification for you, allowing you to acquire a body that can work continuously for five hundred years..."
"Spare me," Tieron hastily refused, then awkwardly and stiffly changed the subject, saying, "Let's discuss serious matters."
"Who are Saint Doraemon's enemies, and who are Saint Doraemon's loyal servants?" Oudia asked coldly.
"The Minister of Adeptus Administratum, the Minister of Justice, and the High Admiral. These three are the mainstays of the Conservative Party; they are our enemies."
"The Inquisitorial Representative, the Astra Telepathica General, and the new Pope of the Saint Church are our people. Of course, Lord Guilliman himself is as well."
"The Rogue Trader Representative has been dismissed. Now, the Great Canoness of the Battle Sisters has filled his position, and she is also one of us."
"The Navigator Ambassador supports reform, but Lord Guilliman believes he is too radical and has asked him to resign, so the position has not yet been filled."
"The previous Astronomicon Court General passed away, and the Astronomicon Court was almost wiped out in an attempt to relight the Astronomicon. His position has not yet been filled."
"Then there are the Custodians. They theoretically remain neutral and do not express their opinions, maintaining a detached stance from the Imperium... But I believe Lord Trajan Valoris leans towards the Primarch and Saint Doraemon."
"Finally, there is the Officio Assassinorum. You know, ever since Vangorich, the Officio Assassinorum has remained static, only casting abstention votes in the High Lord Council."
"The Adeptus Administratum, the Ministry of Justice, and the High Admiral are easy to deal with," Oudia said calmly.
"Oh?" Tieron couldn't help but want to know what brilliant idea Oudia had.
"The ship carrying the High Admiral just happens to malfunction and crash into Terra, then just happens to smash into the Ministry of Justice's Grand Judgment Hall, crushing the Minister of Justice to death."
Oudia said:
"I heard that Minister of Adeptus Administratum Irthu trusts you more. If you can arrange for him to just happen to visit the Ministry of Justice at that time, then we can eliminate all three at once."
Tieron's mouth slightly gaped open.