Standing before Yarrick was not a military colleague, but a man dressed as an Imperial Noble.
His blonde hair was meticulously combed, as if every strand had been carefully groomed. His dress uniform was pressed sharp, silver medals glinting coldly in the dim light. The lace at his collar and cuffs was white as new, looking completely out of place amidst the surrounding ruins and smoke.
Several soldiers stood beside the noble, appearing more like personal attendants than warriors meant for the front lines.
They wore the uniforms of the PDF, yet they lacked the ferocity of soldiers, giving off the impression that they had never killed anyone.
Yarrick's glare did not move the noble in the slightest. He tilted his chin slightly, "Commissar Yarrick, calm yourself. I am here to assist you."
"Assist?"
This was a complete insult to Yarrick's own military knowledge.
He was almost laughing from pure rage.
Just moments ago, after seeing those Orks begin to rout, Yarrick was about to command the soldiers of the Steel Legion to organize armored squads to cull the Orks as much as possible, reducing their numbers and cohesion.
But at that moment, this Planetary Defense Force followed the gap his own troops had just punched through and entered the interior of this Hive City.
The Astra Militarum, who had just been in a killing frenzy, nearly mistook this unknown force appearing on the battlefield for Orks and opened fire, only stopping when they saw their human faces.
"First, your actions have completely interfered with our Legion's route of movement. You've made it impossible for us to split our armored strength and spread out to hunt down the Orks."
Restraining himself with effort, Yarrick said coldly, "Second, these are Orks, not Underhive Mutants you can hunt at your leisure! Though they are routing now, their savage nature remains. A new Ork Boss could emerge at any moment to organize an offensive and bite back at you."
"When the time comes and your untrained Planetary Defense Force collapses, I'll be the one who has to clean up your mess!"
"Do not be so alarmist, Commissar. Look at those Xenos; do they look like they have the strength left to counter-attack?"
After the noble finished speaking, a contemptuous smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Yarrick's eye twitched.
Based on his understanding of Orks, he was also very confused.
Normally, even if an Ork Warboss were killed directly and the Orks lost their will to fight and fled, they shouldn't route this thoroughly, thinking of nothing but running away.
In fact, Commissar Yarrick had even seen many Orks trampling over each other in their panic, falling to the ground and being stepped on by their companions as they continued to flee. Their eyes were full of terror, their previous fanatical battle-lust completely gone.
Just what had Lord Adam done? To be able to scare these fearless Orks into such a pathetic state.
If possible, Yarrick, who had held a deep grudge against Orks since childhood, really wanted to learn from him.
"Even if they are routed now, your behavior is obstructing military affairs."
Yarrick still refused to yield an inch. "Furthermore, I strongly doubt your motives. I've observed that your men aren't seriously killing those Xenos; instead, they are driving them everywhere and pushing deeper into the Hive City."
"What exactly is your purpose?"
Instead of answering Yarrick's question, the noble merely chuckled and changed the subject. "We are not obstructing military affairs; we are providing you with support. Your troop strength is limited, and this Hive City is massive. Our joining in is the better way to purge these Orks."
"I do not need such help."
Yarrick snorted coldly.
"That is not necessarily true."
The smile on the noble's face remained unchanged, but his eyes revealed a sense of calculated depth. "Commissar Yarrick, where did the artillery in your Armored Battalion come from originally? If we hadn't provided support, I'm afraid you wouldn't have been able to defeat these Orks, would you?"
Why was he mentioning this?
Yarrick was completely baffled, his face a mask of confusion.
It was true that due to the Astra Militarum's peculiar organization, his Armored Battalion didn't even possess sufficient Indirect Fire capabilities.
Therefore, upon arriving on this planet, Yarrick had decisively requisitioned the artillery from the Planetary Defense Force.
Of course, some nobles had tried to stop him or mediate, but they were all ignored by Yarrick, who held the biggest guns.
Was this what they meant by support?
Wasn't it just me taking it?
Ignoring what Yarrick was thinking, the Imperial Noble simply continued, his words even carrying a subtle hint of threat.
"However, as it happens, those guns and ammunition were originally meant to be handed over as our planet's Tithe. If the Departmento Munitorum were to learn of this, I'm afraid it would have some negative impact on your future career."
Yarrick suddenly fell silent.
Not because of fear, but because he was speechless.
What on earth was this guy thinking?
Oh, right.
Does he still not know that reinforcements have arrived on this planet?
Mistaking Yarrick's silence for compromise, the Imperial Noble said with an air of victory, "So, now that we've reached an agreement, there's no need to dwell on these trifles."
"This is a win-win. You will receive a medal from the Departmento Munitorum, and we will achieve our goal."
"Rest assured, this matter has absolutely nothing to do with you. I imagine that as someone about to leave this planet, you wouldn't care about such a boring detail as which noble family the next Hive Governor comes from, would you?"
"Oh, is that so?"
A faint female voice drifted over from behind the noble.
Who was it?
How could someone be so rude?
Although the noble didn't show it on his face, displeasure had already risen in his heart.
To be interrupted while speaking was something an upper-class noble, whose very bones were soaked in etiquette, found extremely loathsome and offensive.
As for those servants around him who were like useless trash, they couldn't even handle a small matter like driving away an intruder.
Once he returned to his manor, he would simply feed them to his pets; that would be a fitting way to recycle waste.
Thinking this, he turned his head slowly, his posture and etiquette flawlessly impeccable.
Then, the Imperial Noble froze, his body stiffening on the spot, unable to move.
There was no supernatural reason; it was simply because he saw the accessory worn by the woman who had appeared before him.
It was an Inquisitorial Rosette, radiating a silver-grey hue.
Not good! The plan is going to be exposed!
That was the first thought that flashed through his mind.