The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Upon hearing the Lord Marshal bring up the Ecclesiarchy, Saint Dorton immediately retorted, his voice becoming incredibly loud.

"This is utter heresy! All worlds and hive cities are bathed in the Emperor's glory, there is no such thing as your 'web of sin'! The priests make the people docile, the nobles virtuous. Your baseless speculation is slandering the sacredness of the Throne! If you do not repent and continue to defame the Holy See, I will have no choice but to declare you an excommunicate traitor!"

"Your Eminence, if I present the evidence to you, point by point, will you still insist on your current position?"

"You—"

At the mention of evidence, Saint Dorton paused, clearly not entirely ignorant, but he grew even more furious afterward.

"Your mind has been filled with heretical doctrines! Repent! Thrice! Thrice!"

Earl Vaughn leaned on his cane, lowered his hand from stroking his beard, and said slowly:

"The Supreme Commander wants the situation to remain stable, that is the top priority. Only stability can ensure the success of the crusade. Enforcement is important, of course, but Marshal, you must distinguish between priorities. After all, the original intention of the Imperial Law is to maintain order. I think you should understand this better than I do. Some things everyone knows, but they are unwilling to say them publicly. But not saying it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You are known for your fair and strict enforcement, and the common people praise you highly. Isn't that enough? But we must consider the big picture, and these things will not damage your reputation."

"Reputation? Hahaha—"

Rory Figredo suddenly burst out laughing, then suddenly ripped open his ornate marshal's robes, then unbuttoned his undershirt, revealing a body covered in scars and metal patches.

"I became a full Arbites at 19, and it's been forty-five years. I've had one fatal gunshot wound to the head, three to the neck, nine to the internal organs, my left arm below the elbow was completely blown off, the sole of my right foot was completely dissolved by strong acid, my knees have been broken more than five times, and countless other non-lethal injuries. I don't even care about my life, would I care about reputation? I have dedicated my entire life to the law. My wife was killed by a bomb, my two children, one was poisoned, and one had his limbs chopped off, but I have never regretted it. I dare not say that I have never made a mistake in my life of law enforcement, but I always remember the words of my father, an old police officer who was shot by a drug dealer: 'We are the only ones in that dark hive city who can bring some light and comfort to the common people.' Perhaps some see us as oppressors, some see us as tools, but as the Supreme Commander said, the fall of a world begins with the fall of the hearts of the people. If even the Imperial Law, this last bit of hope, is gone, even if we defeat the Red Corsairs, there will still be Black Corsairs and Green Corsairs!"

"Your words are too severe."

"Earl Vaughn, that luxurious transport ship full of prohibited equipment that the Hoyland family sent you is still in your private orbital dock, isn't it?"

"You—you are slandering me! You—"

"Too presumptuous!"

Junot Rigo pointed at the other party with trembling fingers.

"You are spreading panic! Creating rumors that are detrimental to the crusade! You in the Department of Justice just stare at that Imperial Law, wishing you could see through it! You can't see anything else! Imperial Law, Imperial Law, what is the Imperial Law? Laws that allow those civilians to honestly listen to the Empire! Not laws for you to play detective games with! Don't forget, you are paid by the Empire, you are monitoring the people for the Empire and the Throne, your duty is only to prevent the hive cities from descending into chaos!"

"Heh, there are indeed some things I can't see."

"Ah? What?"

Rory Figredo didn't even look at the other party, still staring at Soshyan, who had slowly turned around.

"The hearts of the people."

But Soshyan still didn't react.

"The Department of Justice has been investigating the Hoyland family's series of crimes for a full one hundred and fifty years. How many excellent agents have sacrificed during that time? Who knows? Hundreds of informants risked their lives to infiltrate those criminal organizations, just to get even the smallest clue, and most of them can't even find their bodies! I have personally seen the bodies of several informants hanging on the building opposite the Department of Justice fortress, and I have personally seen investigators dismembered and sent to their families in boxes! Yes, the Hoyland family is finished, we can just end it hastily! Let's just let it go, and the Department of Justice can continue to suppress the common people! Just lock the law in a box that will never be opened! Every day, countless people say these things to me... but I can't forget those who died because of it, those agents who died for the sake of the little bit of justice that is insignificant in your eyes!"

As Rory Figredo spoke, he vigorously patted his scarred chest, which was still embedded with a fixed alloy plate, and tears welled up in his only remaining eye.

Earl Vaughn pursed his dry lips, then said in a low voice:

"Lord Marshal Figredo, why be so rigid? The situation is special now, there will be plenty of time to deal with it later. The Supreme Commander's intention is to postpone it..."

"I have served the Empire and the law for forty-five years, living an honest life and enforcing the law with integrity. All I ask is that evil be punished and justice be revealed. Unlike you, I grew up in the underhive. The people endure hunger, endure fatigue, endure war, they have endured everything. Can't we even give them a little bit of comfort now?!"

Soshyan's shoulders, who was facing away from the crowd, shook slightly. He didn't speak because he had nothing to say. Like with the Carcharodons before, he found his arguments so pale and powerless in front of these incredibly pure people.

He suddenly felt a strong sense of disgust. He no longer wanted to deal with these things, he just wanted to go back to being an ordinary Chapter Master, only needing to consider the battles and wars he could control.

At this moment, he had an unprecedented urge to end this crusade immediately, but not because of hatred for the enemy or responsibility and duty to the Empire, but to get rid of all these responsibilities. He suddenly understood why some Primarchs were still around but always unwilling to show their faces.

After a long silence, Soshyan's lips moved, but in the end, he didn't say anything, only a faint sigh.

Perhaps what could be said was just a cliché, and what he really wanted to say was impossible to say. Perhaps this was the mystery of the human heart, which even warriors who were fearless in the hail of bullets could not fathom.

In an instant, Rory Figredo seemed like a deflated balloon, his shoulders slumped suddenly. He silently put on his clothes, picked up his data slate, and turned to walk towards the exit.

"Lord Marshal Rory Figredo!"

Suddenly, Soshyan spoke, and Rory Figredo slowly turned around.

"Alright, I can temporarily allocate some armed forces to the Department of Justice, but I'm giving you a limit on the number of people you can arrest this time, ten million. You can only arrest up to ten million people. As for how you choose, that's up to you."

Rory Figredo nodded vigorously.

"I understand! Thank you very much for the Supreme Commander's support!"

After the Lord Marshal of Justice left, Soshyan briefly discussed some things with the remaining people, and then the meeting ended.

But the physically and mentally exhausted Soshyan did not rest, and immediately transferred to another more secret meeting place, where nearly half of the Inquisitors of the Great Vortex region were waiting.

The meeting room was not large, in the middle was a display surrounded by servitors, the Aquila emblem was hung on the wall, and there were no chairs, everyone was standing. When Soshyan opened the door and walked in, all eyes converged on him.