Chapter 73: The Disparity of Worlds
"May the light of the Emperor protect you, sister."
Arabella smoothly took off her own helmet. She knew very well that the holy warriors were not adept at dealing with religious fanatics like them. Of course, she wasn't very good at it either. But she didn't have to be.
The moment her face was revealed to the members of the Order of the Bloody Rose, the zealous Sisters fell into an even more fervent state.
"The revered Saint Arabella! Thank the God-Emperor for granting us the opportunity to gaze upon your heroic visage!"
"The Shrine of the Bloody Rose is honored by your presence!"
Everyone else looked on, surprised. They hadn't expected this. The Canoness who had been stranded with them on the Strike Cruiser was actually a celebrity?
"Do not speak foolishly," Arabella sighed, feeling the gazes from behind her. She did not believe she was worthy of sainthood, but with the Ecclesiarchy's deliberate promotion, the calls for her canonization from various shrine worlds were growing louder.
"We have brought arms and supplies. Next, I wish to have an audience with the Canoness Superior and the Bishop. The Angels of the Emperor have urgent matters to discuss with them."
"Yes, Saint Arabella! Please grant us the honor of guiding you."
Arabella returned the gesture. "Thank you, sister."
The Sister of the Bloody Rose stood up,激动, then ordered the menials to open the massive adamantium gates they had been guarding.
"Honored Angels of the Emperor, and Canoness Arabella, thank you for your aid. The Order of the Bloody Rose will forever remember your fearlessness and generosity."
As they walked through the radiant, magnificent halls of the shrine, a clear voice reached them before they even saw the speaker. Ah, the unique style of the Bloody Rose.
Everyone looked towards the end of the corridor. The Canoness Superior and the Bishop had already arrived.
The Canoness Superior wore a suit of fiery red, master-crafted power armor, upon which were painted numerous religious decorations symbolizing piety. A few streaks of blood, still wet, remained on her armor, a testament to the bloody battle her owner had just fought. But the most eye-catching feature was the two small angels floating behind her.
"..."
As the small angels approached, the four transmigrators, who had not flinched in the face of Chaos and xenos, all took an instinctive step back.
Cherubim. Servitors with the appearance of human infants.
Although, according to Ecclesiarchal propaganda, these things were essentially just another type of bio-servitor, serving the same function as a servo-skull, at most having a biological reaction similar to a cat or a dog due to their advanced nervous systems...
Nope—
Karna silently put his helmet back on. He was having trouble controlling his expression.
Sister Arabella quickly caught the shift in the holy warriors' mood and knew exactly why. In her long conversations with them, they had never hidden their disgust for certain practices of the Imperial Cult. For example, the "Cherubim" that followed the Canoness Superior. If the Ecclesiarchy had originally introduced these creations to inspire awe, they had certainly fulfilled their duty.
Arabella sighed, then smoothly stepped forward. "May the light of the Emperor protect you, honored Canoness Superior Elissa."
Arabella's natural grace dispelled the surprise that had appeared on Elissa's face at the Angels' retreat.
"May the light of the Emperor protect you, holy and selfless Arabella. Your fame has spread throughout the cosmos. Even in a place as remote as Pierdra, we have heard of your great deeds," the Canoness Superior said, making no attempt to hide her admiration. This Canoness, who carried the name of a saint and traveled the galaxy, had recovered countless holy relics for the Ecclesiarchy. And she had never kept these relics for herself, but had generously gifted them to the various shrine worlds before continuing on her long journey.
Noticing the holy armor Arabella wore, the Canoness Superior couldn't help but ask with curiosity, "On this journey, have you found the relic that will allow you to end your pilgrimage?"
"Elissa, my deeds are but a faint glimmer among the stars, not even one ten-thousandth of the light of a sun," Arabella replied humbly. "On this journey, we have brought aid, and we also hope for the assistance of your Order."
"Please, speak, Arabella," the Canoness Superior replied warmly.
Arabella then ceded her position to Romulus.
"There is something I need to understand," Romulus began. "Are you capable of effectively managing the populace that has been re-gathered after the riots? The requirements are to distribute food to every single person, maintain a stable order, and select the able-bodied among them to form an armed force."
The Canoness Superior looked confused, then glanced at the Bishop at her side.
"Of course, my Lord," the Bishop said respectfully. "We can preside over a mass for ten million souls without a single error."
"Good. Then take a look at this plan. You may raise any objections you have."
Romulus produced the report he had compiled on the way. It included plans for dealing with the various human settlements, the division of the shrine area, the management of the population by gender and age, and even arrangements for the Ecclesiarchy to form a crusade army of able-bodied men.
In the current crisis, simply sheltering this massive population was impractical. A significant portion of the able-bodied had to be converted into a fighting force in a short amount of time. The coming war was a war for survival. No one could remain on the sidelines.
"My Lord, the arms and food required to form a crusade army would be a great burden," the Bishop said cautiously. Lord Romulus's plan was very detailed, and many of its points were based on investigation. But the formation of a crusade army was a bit much. The Ecclesiarchy did indeed have boundless wealth, but on a planet like this, wealth alone couldn't buy anything.
"We can provide it," Romulus stated. "The modification of food production areas, the supply of armaments—we can provide it all." Food? This was an industrial planet; there was no shortage of promethium. Water? The fleet's water recycling systems were more than sufficient. And the infrastructure required to sustain such a large population—the transmigrators had the ability to set it all up quickly.
The Bishop then raised several pointed questions regarding personnel, but all were answered in detail by Romulus.
"I have no further objections," the Bishop said, falling silent. This lord might not understand the Ecclesiarchy, but he understood management. And that was enough.
"My Lord," the Canoness Superior said, looking at the articles in the document. Some of the requirements left her feeling a bit confused. "Why must we continuously divert a portion of our forces to rescue scattered residents, instead of concentrating our strength to fight the heretic and the xenos? The sisters have always yearned to unleash their fury upon the enemies of the Emperor."
Yes, why?
For a rare moment, looking at the Canoness Superior's genuinely confused, malice-free expression, Romulus's lips closed. He could no longer produce an effortless explanation.
He was stumped.
(End of Chapter)