Three days had passed since he arrived in the middle-hive.
Life as a dependent was incredibly comfortable.
After delivering Magos Galahad's ordered items and neatly stacking them in the warehouse, Emrys' work was done.
His main job was to move some goods, which wasn't strenuous; in fact, compared to the lower hive, it could even be described as easy and pleasant.
He had originally thought there would be no remuneration, as the tech-priest taking him in and offering a stable job and resident permit was already the greatest help.
But unexpectedly, Magos Galahad still paid him 10 crowns daily, according to the middle-hive's standard daily wage.
Considering Emrys had just come up from the lower hive and likely had no money, Magos Galahad even prepaid him half a month's wages for daily food expenses.
Although Magos Galahad could sometimes be short-tempered, shouting 'Omnissiah above!' and spouting High Gothic curses mixed with binary profanities, at his core, Magos Galahad was an undeniably good man.
In the 40K universe, filled with demons, monsters, and fanatics, people like Magos Galahad were truly rare.
However, the only thing that puzzled Emrys was the complex, hard-to-understand emotion mixed in Magos Galahad's gaze whenever he looked at him.
"A tech-priest… wouldn't like *that* kind of thing, would he?"
Whenever he thought of this, Emrys couldn't help but shiver, immediately stopping such blasphemous thoughts.
No, no, it's impossible!
The Mechanicus isn't Christianity, and a priest isn't a father; how could he have such a fetish?
Even if you went a step further, if a tech-priest of the Mechanicus truly had a fetish, it should be for machinery!
"There aren't many goods today; you can rest early."
Magos Galahad was unaware of Emrys' 'blasphemous' thoughts; after inspecting the warehouse goods, he granted him half a day off.
"Thank you, Magos Galahad."
Emrys paused slightly, shaking off the blasphemous thoughts in his head.
This was a good opportunity for him to explore the middle-hive and perhaps acquire some supplies; who knew, there might be unexpected surprises?
"Go."
Magos Galahad moved with slow steps, turning and walking towards the side door.
Inside was the Tech-Priest's forge workshop, piled with various weapons and mechanical creations; though Emrys' eyes were greedy, he knew what he could and couldn't do.
Magos Galahad had treated him well; if he were to do something like that, wouldn't he be an ingrate?
Emrys withdrew his gaze and walked towards the outside of the sanctuary.
"Wait."
Just as Emrys had one foot out of the sanctuary, Magos Galahad called out to him.
"Magos Galahad, is there something you need?" he muttered, turning to look at Galahad, waiting for him to continue.
Magos Galahad slowly walked over and took out two 500-crown banknotes from his in my arms: "The grox meat pie at 105 Fernand Street is delicious. On your way back, remember to bring me a portion, and also a bottle of amasec. The rest of the money is yours to spend freely."
"I understand, Magos Galahad."
Emrys reached out and took the two banknotes, folded them, and tucked them into his inner pocket before leaving the sanctuary.
Amasec was the Empire's most famous strong liquor, produced in various Worlds, but its taste varied greatly.
He hadn't expected that a Tech-Priest of the Mechanicus would also enjoy it.
He wasn't particularly fond of alcohol, but the grox meat pie Magos Galahad mentioned made Emrys' mouth water, and he unconsciously swallowed.
Grox meat pie was made from grox, the most common livestock in the Empire; its unique flavor and rich juices made it a popular steak alternative among the working class.
After passing through a few alleys, Emrys suddenly noticed that there were an unusual number of people on the streets today.
Crowds surged, everyone seemingly heading in the same direction with a common purpose. Emrys was curious and stopped a passerby to ask: "Old man, is there something big happening today? Why is everyone out?"
"Young man, you must be new to the middle-hive, aren't you?"
The elderly man smiled, sizing up Emrys, and said with a proud expression: "Today, the great planetary governor Hadley will lead his guard to inspect the Capital. It's an annual grand ceremony, and no one wants to miss this opportunity."
Planetary governor Hadley?
Hearing that name, Emrys paused for half a second. Wasn't this the person Jackal suspected?
"Could you tell me about this planetary governor Hadley?" Emrys put on an unworldly demeanor and slipped the old man another 20 crowns.
Clutching the two crown coins, the old man's face showed a delighted expression; this was equivalent to two days' wages. He cleared his throat and began to speak about planetary governor Hadley.
"Fifty years ago, Losel was actually very barren. Because of the Empire's high taxes, many Planetary Governors were replaced until Governor Hadley took office."
"Lord Hadley is extraordinary. Not long after taking office, he resolved the Empire's taxes, encouraged everyone to produce and work, and created many job opportunities. This is how he gradually built the originally barren Losel into what it is today, not only reducing our taxes but also increasing everyone's income."
"Everyone in the middle-hive is very grateful to Governor Hadley, so many people spontaneously come to participate in the military parade Governor Hadley holds every year."
"Are such military parades held every year?" Emrys was somewhat surprised.
"Of course! Don't underestimate our Losel PDF; they are all elites!" The old man leaned in conspiratorially and whispered: "I'll tell you a secret: my neighbor's child was selected from our Losel PDF to become part of the Astra Militarum!"
Emrys grew even more confused. The Governor Hadley he heard about from the old man seemed quite different from Jackal's description.
One was a cunning old fox suspected of secretly supporting the development of cults and planning far ahead; the other was a diligent and honest Governor who deeply loved his people. Which one was the real one?
"I won't say more; the military parade is about to begin."
The old man left in a hurry, and Emrys, coming back to his senses, immediately followed him.
The crowd was truly too dense; he estimated that more than half of the middle-hive's population had gathered in front of the capital gate today.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Three muffled chimes echoed over the hive capital.
"This is... the Ecclesiarchy's bell?"
Although he had never heard it before, the melodious yet somber chimes, mixed with sacred hymns, were like holy Water cleansing the soul, causing Emrys to tremble from the depths of his being.
Immediately after, he saw the hive capital gate, hundreds of meters high, slowly opening amidst the heavy clanging of iron bolts and the whirring of machinery.
An absolutely luxurious hovercar, escorted by honor guards on both sides, slowly drove into the wide and spotless streets of the hive capital.
Flowers seemed to rain down, and beneath the sacred hymns, a ten-thousand-strong army followed closely behind the hovercar.
At this moment, the two figures on the hovercar caught Emrys' attention.
One was an older man; though he looked aged, his back was still straight, dressed in opulent noble attire, with a jewel-encrusted dueling sword at his waist. His posture was dignified and solemn.
Clearly, this was the rumored planetary governor Hadley!
And beside planetary governor Hadley stood a young man with snow-White skin and a slightly gloomy expression between his brows.
The moment he saw the 'young man,' Emrys felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, his head buzzing!
If it was previously impossible to confirm that the Hadley family had ties to cults...
Then, at this moment...
As petals scattered along the streets, and countless people erupted in a thunderous roar of cheers.
Amidst the echoing Ecclesiarchy bells, and the instant millions shouted planetary governor Hadley's name, Emrys felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, a chilling cold piercing him to the bone!
Because the handsome noble youth, elegantly dressed, standing beside planetary governor Hadley...
Was none other than the psyker of the cult Emrys had witnessed with his own eyes in the lower hive industrial district!
Sure enough, just as Jackal said.
The Hadley family, which controlled the entire world, had intricate ties to the cult in the lower hive!
Emrys stared intently at the handsome young man in luxurious noble attire, standing beside Governor Hadley in the opulent hovercar.
It was he who had funded the Iron Crows gang in the lower hive and used his psyker abilities to take his predecessor's life.
Calm, I must be calm. Emrys suppressed his anger, constantly telling himself to calm down, and averted his gaze from the young man.
But, just then.
The young man in the hovercar subtly furrowed his brow.
His five senses, greatly amplified by psyker power, allowed him to detect a 'killing intent' emanating from the crowd in that fleeting moment.
The young man turned his head to look at the dense crowd on the right-hand street, but the swarming masses made it difficult for him to pinpoint the source of the 'killing intent' immediately.
"Urien, mind your manners."
Governor Hadley, beside him, spoke softly in a low voice: "You should look straight ahead, displaying the dignity of our Hadley family, not gawking around like an untrained commoner. This will make other families mock the etiquette of our Hadley family."
"My apologies, uncle Galarion."
Urien responded softly, immediately withdrew his gaze, and resumed his serious, forward-looking demeanor.
"Very good, fulfill your duties. Don't forget your mission."
Governor Galarion Hadley looked straight ahead, completely ignoring Urien, his voice containing a hint of authority: "Before the true heir comes of age, you must bear the responsibility and duty required of a qualified heir. There must be absolutely no mistakes."
"Yes, uncle Galarion."
Urien maintained his noble posture, giving a light assurance: "I swear to His Majesty the Emperor, I will use my life to shield the true heir from all risks."
There was no further communication between the two, and a silent atmosphere settled.
Meanwhile, the parade outside was reaching its climax, propelled by the crowd.
The planetary governor's luxurious vehicle drove along the spotless, wide avenue, with the Losel PDF following closely behind.
From their marching pace and equipment, Emrys judged that this unit was definitely an elite force!
No wonder they could become a reserve for the Astra Militarum.
But this, imperceptibly, deepened Emrys' worries. If this power sided with the cult, they would all likely meet the Emperor before Imperial reinforcements arrived.
"When I get back, I'll tell Magos Galahad about this, then make a decision."
Emrys took a deep look at the noble young man in the vehicle, as if to engrave his appearance into his mind.
He quietly withdrew from the observing crowd.
As per Magos Galahad's request, Emrys arrived at Barren's Restaurant at 105 Fernan Street.
One grox meat pie and one bottle of amasec cost a total of 800 crowns, with the grox meat pie being 200 crowns and the amasec 600 crowns.
After lamenting that someone else's single meal could cost him nearly three months' salary, Emrys decisively abandoned the idea of tasting the grox meat pie.
For two hundred crowns, he'd rather eat an energy bar!
With the remaining two hundred crowns in his pocket, Emrys looked up at the time and, finding it still early before sunset, decided to browse the middle-hive's black market.
Black markets existed everywhere in the capital, which was not uncommon. After all, a portion of the goods traded in black markets were mostly illicit items from the upper levels, so Arbites usually turned a blind eye. As long as no one died, they generally weren't too strict.
After making several inquiries, Emrys found Marens Street.
Unlike the generally dirty, messy, and chaotic lower hive, the black market in the middle-hive was noticeably cleaner and tidier.
Perhaps due to the 'celebration,' there were very few people in the black market today, with only a dozen or so vendors scattered around.
Emrys, as usual, disguised himself, browsed for about two rounds, and stopped at one stall that caught his interest.
A small, exquisitely crafted, intricately carved censer caught his eye.
When Emrys picked up the censer, the Traveler System's appraisal results immediately appeared before him.
Detection of item: Blessed Censer (Old)
A censer blessed by a Ecclesiarchy priest. The remaining incense inside is scarce. During burning, it can greatly reduce the risk of attracting attention from Warp demons.
Energy provided: 0 units.
Oh, not bad, this is a good item!
Emrys' eyes lit up. A censer blessed by a Ecclesiarchy priest would greatly help him avoid the risk of Warp corruption when using his psyker abilities in the future.
"How much is this?" He looked at the vendor and asked.
"Three thousand crowns."
The vendor, clearly a bounty hunter with a rusty red long knife and firearms at his waist, immediately quoted an exorbitant price.
Upon hearing the quote, Emrys sneered and placed the censer back in its original position: "Alright, you keep it then. Goodbye."
With that, he turned to leave without hesitation, having no intention of bargaining.
"Hey, wait, don't be so hasty!"
At this, the vendor behind him called out to Emrys, a sheepish smile on his face: "I was just kidding, how about eight hundred crowns?"
"One hundred."
Emrys turned to look at the vendor, cutting the price directly down to the bone.
"Hey, I say, do you have any discernment?" The vendor, angered by the lowball offer, shouted: "This is a censer blessed by a Ecclesiarchy priest! Look at the craftsmanship. One hundred? You're dreaming!"
"A censer blessed by a Ecclesiarchy priest is very precious, but..."
Emrys suddenly paused, looking at the vendor with a playful expression: "The most important thing about this item is the incense ash inside. Your censer only has a fingernail's worth left. How dare you ask for 800?"
"Uh..."
The vendor suddenly looked as if his neck was caught, his face flushed, and he stubbornly said: "Even if there's only a little left, it's still a censer blessed by a Ecclesiarchy priest!"
"Then you keep it for yourself."
Emrys once again turned decisively to leave.
A blessed censer was very precious, but aside from its meaningless exquisite craftsmanship, the most important thing was the incense ash inside.
That stuff was the crucial material for resisting Warp erosion. As for the hollow alloy censer outside, it was purely a tradition of the Ecclesiarchy; it looked good but was otherwise useless.
Sure enough, just as he had walked three steps, the vendor became anxious and quickly spoke: "200, 200 crowns, no lower!"
Emrys turned, frowning: "150 crowns. If that works, I'll take it. If not, you keep it."
"Alright, alright, consider me unlucky, take it."
The vendor put on a show of great loss, saying with a pained expression: "This thing has been here so long and no one wanted it, so I'll just let you have it cheap."
Losing money was impossible; Emrys knew the other party was just putting on an act.
Aside from psykers, almost no one would want this item, and the censer was covered in dust, indicating it had been sitting for a long time, which was why he pushed the price so low.
Suddenly, Emrys' peripheral vision caught sight of something that looked a bit strange.
The item was dark, shaped like a palm-sized, semicircular metal device, with dark green interwoven patterns, appearing as if it had recently been dug out of the ground.
"What? Interested in this thing?" The vendor saw his gaze and chuckled: "Let me tell you, this is a good item. To get this, we lost over a dozen brothers. If you want it, it's 300 crowns."
Emrys frowned, picked up the item, and the appraisal results appeared before him.
Detection of item: Necron Scarab (Fine - Damaged)
A Necrons construct, used for repairing Necron devices. It can essentially decompose any matter into energy, but during its long slumber, the scarabs within the device have completely shut down.
Energy provided: 0 units.
Emrys' mind went blank; he was practically dumbfounded.
Was he kidding? He had thought the Nachmund Corridor, coupled with cults surrounding them, was already a hell-level start.
Did the Emperor think the difficulty wasn't enough? Unearthing 'Necron Scarabs' in this wretched place, didn't that imply a dormant Necron tomb?!
Losel hive world, geographically located at the edge of Segmentum Obscurus, Nachmund Corridor.
Emrys originally thought that was all the bad news, but unexpectedly, today brought another big 'surprise': Losel is suspected of having a Necron Tomb world.
The history of the Necrons is extremely ancient. Billions of years before the birth of humanity, they used the power of the Star Gods to transform their flesh and blood into living metal.
Although this act cost them their emotions, they gained Eternity and immortality. After successfully eliminating the Old Ones and sealing the Star Gods in the War in Heaven, they were the undisputed overlords of the Milky Way Galaxy!
However, defeating the Old Ones and the Star Gods came at a great cost to the Necrons, leaving them unable to contend with the Aeldari who survived the War in Heaven.
Thus, under the command of the Silent King, the Necrons decided to lie dormant, falling into a long slumber.
But Emrys never expected that this wretched place actually, fucking hid a Necron Tomb world!
Could it be that the Emperor saw him living too comfortably lately and decided to forcibly increase the difficulty?
No, it shouldn't be the Emperor. Emrys gritted his teeth, giving a mental middle finger: No need to say, such a wicked and nefarious thing must be related to Tzeentch.
In the Warhammer Universe, there's an unwritten rule.
If you think something is a conspiracy, then nine times out of ten, blaming Tzeentch is never wrong.
"Hey, do you want this thing?"
The stall owner saw Emrys holding the disk, unresponsive for a long time, and couldn't help but wave his hand in front of him.
"Yes, but there's something I need to clarify." Emrys took a deep breath, weighing the disk-shaped device, and asked, "Where did you find this thing? Can you tell me in detail?"
Logically speaking, Necron Tomb Worlds are generally hidden in hyperspace; unless they awaken from slumber, it's impossible for them to be discovered.
How could a few bounty hunters find a Nest Capital world?
Of course, there are exceptions, such as certain special circumstances where a Nest Capital world detaches from hyperspace and appears in the physical universe while the Necrons are still dormant.
So, he first needed to figure out whether that Necron Tomb had awakened.
This is crucial!
Assuming the Necrons have awakened, Emrys would rather risk being sent to fuel the Astronomican than stay and would take an Imperial Black Ship to leave.
Being discovered as a psyker by the Imperium doesn't necessarily mean death, but staying on a world where Necrons have awakened means certain death. If he's unlucky, even dying might be a luxury.
He didn't want to be captured by the Necrons for research, implanted with a Necron Scarab, and turned into a puppet.
"Of course, but..." The stall owner smiled, rubbing his index finger and thumb, giving a 'you know' expression.
Alright, this is very warhammer.
Emrys, clutching two 10 crowns coins, reluctantly handed them over: "Should be enough, right?"
"Praise the God-Emperor, may the God-Emperor bless you." The stall owner, beaming, accepted the 20 crowns and then began to recount: "A few days ago, a few of us bounty hunters received a bounty mission. The target fled to the wasteland outside the Nest Capital, and then while chasing him in the Paris Mountains, we accidentally fell into a cave."
Mentioning that cave, a hint of fear appeared in the stall owner's eyes, and his voice trembled slightly: "That cave was pitch black, we couldn't see anything. At first, none of us felt any danger, but while looking for a way out, someone suddenly started to disappear!"
"Disappear?"
Emrys' pupils constricted. Could the Tomb world really have awakened?
Judging from the stall owner's description, it's highly probable that they either accidentally entered the Nest Capital world's hyperspace or were dragged away by Tomb Scarabs.
Should he contact the Imperium's Black Ship fleet now?
"Yes, that's right, it was sudden... one moment they were there, the next they were gone!"
The stall owner swallowed, his face pale, and he looked left and right before leaning in and lowering his voice: "That damned cave was like a demon, it would devour any life that entered it. There were more than ten of us, but only a few managed to escape. It was simply terrifying."
"Nothing else? Then where did you get this thing?"
Emrys eyed the stall owner suspiciously, feeling that things shouldn't be so simple.
Rashly breaking into a Tomb world, let alone bounty hunters, even Astartes might not make it out. This guy doesn't look like someone who could escape from a Tomb world.
"Ahem, this thing was actually something I accidentally tripped over while escaping, and then I felt something was off, so I just shoved it into my pocket." The stall owner rubbed his nose awkwardly: "But I can assure you, this thing is not simple, it's definitely worth three hundred crowns!"
Indeed, coming from the Necrons, could it be simple?
Let alone three hundred crowns, if it were given to a knowledgeable Mechanicus, thirty thousand, or even three hundred thousand, wouldn't be a problem.
Emrys pinched his aching temples, looking helpless: "First, no one knows what this thing is. Three hundred crowns is too expensive. One hundred crowns, I'm just curious. If not, you can keep it, how about that?"
"No problem, deal!"
He had expected to haggle further, but unexpectedly, the stall owner said without hesitation: "This thing is yours, for just one hundred crowns!"
Emrys was shocked by the speed of this guy's change of expression, stunned for a full ten seconds.
But in the end, he still took the disk, gave the stall owner 250 crowns, and left the black market with the 'blessed censer' and 'Necron Scarabs'.
After all that, he still hadn't figured out whether the Necrons Nest Capital world in the Paris Mountains had awakened. Emrys sighed, a new layer of gloom settling over his heart.
The cult issue hadn't even been resolved yet, and now the Necrons had appeared. It was simply deadly!
"It's all bad news, isn't there any good news?"
As Emrys was complaining, he suddenly heard the 'Traveler System' voice.
[Ding~]
[Esteemed Traveler, a new world has been explored for you. Would you like to proceed?]
The loading is over?!
The gloom that had shrouded Emrys' heart for many days finally saw a ray of sunshine.
It was one of the few pieces of good news amidst so much bad!
He looked down at his wrist, and his personal panel appeared.
[Traveler: Emrys]
[Race: Human / Theta-Class psyker]
[Faction: Imperium of Man]
[Profession: scavenger]
[Anchor World: None]
[Remaining Energy: 0 units]
[Remaining Source Power: 3000 units]
[Current Status: New world explored, ready to travel at any time]
This exploration of a new world took about ten days. He wondered if it always took this long, or if this time was an exception?
"Decline, not going for now."
Emrys declined the 'Traveler' system. If he suddenly disappeared, Magos Galahad would undoubtedly be suspicious.
From his previous travel experience, the time flow between the two Worlds was 1:1. If he suddenly disappeared for a month, Magos Galahad and Jackal, no matter how open-minded they were, would notice something was wrong.
Therefore, he had to find a plausible reason to fool them.
He pondered in his mind what kind of excuse to fabricate.
Besides, the equipment he bought at a high price from Jackal was still in the sanctuary.
Today's follow-up reading performance will directly determine whether there will be a recommendation on Friday. I sincerely hope to make a push OTZ
Emrys, carrying a grox meat pie and amasec, pushed open the rickety wooden door of the sanctuary and saw a familiar face.
Jackal was sitting on a chair, legs crossed, looking as if the sanctuary was his own home.
"Sir Jackal, why are you here?" Emrys couldn't help but be curious, but his expression quickly changed, a premonition of ill omen: "Could it be... the cult has made another big move?"
Seeing Emrys' serious expression, Jackal could guess what he was thinking and shook his head: "Don't worry, kid, it's not as serious as you imagine."
Hearing this, Emrys breathed a sigh of relief. One bad news after another, he was starting to feel overwhelmed.
"Where's Galahad?" Jackal asked casually, his legs still crossed.
"He probably went out for something, I'm not too sure." This relaxed state of mind truly made Emrys a little envious, but unfortunately, he probably couldn't achieve it.
Suddenly, Jackal's gaze, like a hawk, locked onto the bottle of 'amasec': "Kid, you're doing well, you can afford this stuff now?"
"You might be mistaken, this wine belongs to Magos Galahad, I'm just running errands." Emrys' mouth twitched slightly, instantly seeing through Jackal's intentions.
It was too obvious; his eyes were practically bulging out, as if he wanted to stick to the wine bottle!
"Oh, so it's Galahad's." Jackal suddenly realized, then, with a speed Emrys couldn't even perceive, he darted over, hooked Emrys' neck, and said with a smile, "Galahad and I are brothers, we've been through a lot together on the battlefield. Let me help him taste it."
With that, before Emrys could even refuse, he snatched the bottle of 'amasec'.
Bang!
The bottle opened, and Jackal took a deep breath, a look of pure bliss on his face: "Wonderful! This is the kind of wine a real man should drink. Amasec really hits the spot!"
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Before Emrys could even react, Jackal downed almost half the bottle in one go.
As luck would have it, Magos Galahad pushed open the door and saw Jackal, who was gleefully guzzling the amasec.
After half a second of silence, Galahad looked at Emrys with a resentful gaze, as if to say: Why didn't you stop him?
Emrys looked helpless, an expression of powerlessness on his face: "Believe me, Magos Galahad, I swear by the God-Emperor, I really tried my best to stop him, but... I couldn't!"
"Omnissiah above, I'll slay this damned worm for the God-Emperor today!"
Without another word, Galahad's mechanical arm wielded a power axe, delivering a powerful blow to Jackal's forehead, with astonishing speed and force!
However, this old man from Catachan was clearly no pushover. He effortlessly dodged the axe, and with a flick of his pinky finger, he brushed back his long hair, saying quite provocatively: "So I drank a couple of your drinks, is that really worth hurting our friendship, Galahad?"
"Fine, go buy me another bottle, and I'll pretend this never happened." Galahad sneered, raising his hand and firing a bolt.
Boom!
The door, which had only been repaired a few days ago, was once again shattered.
Emrys, familiar with the routine, found a corner to hide in, waiting for these two 'old men' to finish their affectionate spat. To be honest, he couldn't quite understand their complicated relationship.
If Jackal hadn't dodged quickly just now, that axe blow would have probably smashed his head to smithereens.
Not long after, the two finally finished fighting, and the sanctuary was once again in shambles.
Jackal and Galahad sat amidst the shattered debris, taking turns drinking amasec, arm in arm, completely devoid of the murderous intent they had just displayed.
It was... just ridiculous!
"What's the matter this time?" Galahad, like Emrys, clearly suspected that the lower hive cult might have made a big move.
"The Iron Crows gang has eliminated the Bone gang in the South District, and their sphere of influence has expanded to two districts." When it came to serious matters, Jackal became a bit more reliable. He glanced at Emrys, then said in a low voice: "The scouts we sent out say that a large number of PDF' standard equipment has inexplicably appeared within the Iron Crows gang."
With that, he paused for a few seconds, looking at Galahad meaningfully: "You should understand what this means, right?"
"There are top-tier nobles secretly supporting the cult."
Galahad's expression was volatile, and he rasped: "Moreover, only a few families can provide the PDF' standard equipment."
The PDF, also known as the PDF, are armed forces controlled by the planetary governor, completely subservient to the local ruler.
And in the Losel Nest Capital world, the families that can control the PDF are only the planetary governor Galarion Hadley, and his allied forces who are in-laws with him.
"Galarion Hadley shouldn't be that kind of person." Even now, Galahad still couldn't believe it. He shook his head and said, "If it really were Galarion Hadley, why didn't he kill you back then? Why exile you to the lower hive instead? That doesn't make sense."
"I didn't say it was Galarion Hadley." Jackal sighed. In fact, he still held a shred of respect for the planetary governor.
Galarion Hadley was once the glory of the Astra Militarum, having achieved immense merits, he was then appointed as the planetary governor of Losel by the Empire.
If such a hero were to fall into the embrace of Chaos, Jackal would never believe it.
"The scope is too broad. As far as I know, there are three families that can provide PDF' standard equipment." Galahad frowned, saying in a deep voice: "The Hadley family, which controls the military, the Meyer family, which manages logistics, and the Cobdo family, which handles recruitment and training."
"Uh... I probably know which family it is."
Just then, Emrys suddenly spoke, and seeing their surprised looks, he cleared his throat: "In fact, I saw that psyker cultist who appeared in the lower hive again today."
"Where did you see him?" Jackal looked surprised, scrutinizing Emrys from head to toe: "No, wait, if you really saw him, how could you have come back alive?"
That was a bit disparaging. Emrys could vaguely understand why Magos Galahad always wanted to cleave Jackal with an axe.
"Today... Wait, you saw him at the 'Celebration'?!"
Magos Galahad's mind worked quickly, and he immediately guessed the key point. Red light flickered in his mechanical eyes, as if indicating his inner emotions.
"Praise Omnissiah, it's just as you thought."
Emrys' expression was solemn, and he said slowly, word by word: "The cult's psyker is Urien Hadley, the current first-in-line heir of the Hadley family!"
"Urien Hadley, how could it be him?!"
Jackal, who was nearby, was almost shocked into a daze by this news. He suddenly became agitated and roared, "Impossible, it can't be Urien Hadley, you must have seen wrong, right!"
Seemingly noticing the confusion on Emrys' face, Galahad's expression was also very complex as he explained: "When Jackal assassinated the suspected cultist who was the first-in-line heir of the Hadley family, it was Urien Hadley who interceded, and Governor Hadley changed his sentence to exile instead of immediate execution."
So that's it, but why did Urien intercede for Jackal?
Emrys looked at Jackal strangely, only to see him looking somewhat dejected, and he said softly: "I know what you want to ask. It was Urien who showed me the evidence of Kalen Hadley's fall to Chaos, and it was he who provided Kalen's movements and location, which allowed me to successfully assassinate him."
"So Urien used you to remove Kalen, that obstacle?"
Emrys suddenly realized, quickly clarifying his thoughts: "Then, taking advantage of Kalen's elimination, he ascended to the position of first-in-line heir, and also eliminated you, the most troublesome person!"
Jackal was in agony, his fingers deeply buried in his hair, his eyes bloodshot, like a ferocious beast: "I thought Urien was kind, he always cared for us old soldiers, but I never expected... it was him, orchestrating all of this behind the scenes!"
"It's not that simple, Jackal."
A low, chilling voice, as if suppressing anger and murderous intent, squeezed out from between Magos Galahad's teeth.
The tech-priest, always known for his calm demeanor, now displayed eyes that seemed to want to devour someone, and the grinding of his teeth made a chilling sound: "The matter of our 175th Regiment's retired brothers, who were all mysteriously wiped out during a mission in the wilderness, must be related to this scoundrel!"