Chapter 209 04.0208: "Empire Double Agent"

"So, what is 'the grapevine'?" Horatio asked curiously.

"I used to be able to see what he was thinking, his next plan, and his motivations, so I was able to survive his targeting until today." Ravenno said:
"Until one day, I found that I could no longer see the 'bubble' above his head. When I tried to sneak into his mind, my mental tentacles were repelled by a terrifying psychic force.

Without the intelligence advantage brought by unilateral mind reading, I felt uneasy. From then on, I tried my best to avoid him and stay away from his reach. As for what specific gossip I found out in the process..."

The Inquisitor glanced at the array of Thinkers nearby and shook his head.

"Once I confirm it's true, I'll find a place to tell you."

He lit a cigarette, led Horatio outside, and closed the door:

“Also, the military supervision department of Abyss Harbor is carrying out a highly confidential mission this time. Serving William Cartel is just a symptom, or just a part of it.

But I can only tell you this much now. If I tell you more, someone will come to trouble me.”

"So you are aware of this, Inquisitor?"

Inquisitor Ravenor smiled playfully.

"I knew about her affairs no earlier than you did."

Then he sighed: "The affairs of the empire are complicated and intricate. We must not only see the surface, but also dissect and dig deep."

"A web of tribunals as tangled as power lines running down a street corner," Horatio metaphorically said.

"Pretty much. Just like most people will never know what an Inquisitor's true mission is, and we are not allowed to tell them."

After Inquisitor Ravenno said this, Horatio had a rough idea in his mind.

In other words, the military supervision department of Abyss Port may be serving the Demon Court, the Heretic Court, and perhaps the Alien Court at the same time.

Moreover, the missions have different levels of confidentiality, but they can run parallel to each other.

Since the Anti-Rebellion Order has secretly intervened, shouldn't the Holy Rose Battle Sisters also take action?
Originally I was just worried about Farida's safety, but the whole thing turned out to be more and more terrifying the more I dug into it.

And Horatio also knew that since the Military Supervision Department was carrying out the highest-level missions in the empire.

This means that I won’t be able to see Farida for a while.

At least, it’s not visible on the surface.

The alien inquisitor saw all of this.

"Why, you're feeling down because you can't see your lover for a while? Want a drink? I have some good wine from Polaberia in the Calixis sector."

"Not a little lover! I need to correct your wording, sir." Horatio sighed and immediately retorted firmly after hearing the words.

The Inquisitor laughed.

After confirming that Farida was safe, Horatio couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, when he thought about how they were forced to separate after such a moment of joy, he couldn't feel happy at all, and was left with all kinds of thoughts surging in his mind.

"I have to get back to work. The sooner I get this fixed, the sooner she'll be free, right?"

"Well, that's true in theory, but some things can't be rushed, and you still have to live your life well.

But it’s good to be young. You’re always motivated and energetic, which is a very good quality. But it will make you very tired, and after a long time you may become unbearable and numb.

You still have to combine work with rest and find joy in hardship, young man. Logically speaking, shouldn't you be the best at this in the navy?

Anyway, I wish you good luck and I'm going to take a rest." The judge smiled with understanding and gave him a thumbs up.

"See you later, Mr. Inquisitor. Thank you for your help."

"You are my collaborator, and we share the same interests in the general direction.

I will continue to keep an eye on your friend's movements. Don't worry, someone is keeping an eye on her for me. She will be fine.

You have to trust her as much as she trusts you.

And you must always remember that you are not fighting alone. Behind you is the Imperial Navy's Gothic Fleet, which has the largest resources and voice on the entire planet.

Even if I am a judge, my theoretical power is not as effective as your reputation and voice here.

That's why I came to ask for help from the Navy, because I know very well that only you can handle everything here."
-
Horatio opened the office door.

Before he knew it, it was already late at night when he returned. The anti-aircraft searchlights of the Admiralty outside the balcony window occasionally swept across the dark sky of Abyss Port. The neon lights on the skyscrapers in the surrounding metropolis illuminated the night as if it were day, physically turning this planet ruled by the guild capital oligarchy into a city that never sleeps.

There were not many people in the Admiralty Fortress except for the night patrols on duty, the servants of the Ministry of the Interior who were still working hard like worker ants in the brightly lit room, and the mindless, ticking servitors.

Compared to the bustling daytime, the Admiralty Fortress is much quieter at night.

Louise was still sitting in her chair, bending over to sort out the copies for him.

Seeing him coming, she straightened her spirits, put her short hair back behind her ears, stood up and brought him the refreshing tea that she had brewed in advance and kept warm in the warming cabinet.

"What's wrong? You look so depressed."

Her caring and efficient appearance made Horatio, who was originally exhausted, feel a sense of warm tranquility when he took the teacup.

"Thank you." The tea was a little hot, so Horatio didn't drink it immediately. He placed it in front of his seat for the time being, and the aroma of tea wafted in the air.

He took off his hat and hung it casually on the back of the chair, then leaned back and sat back in his office chair.

After running around all day and working hard, Horatio felt a wave of relaxation all over his body when he just lay back in the soft and comfortable ergonomic chair with automatic lumbar support. He spoke lazily, as if he didn't want to move.

"Something happened with Farida."

"God Emperor, is she okay? Her Excellency the Lieutenant General is going through this kind of thing now, I think she must be very sad, I understand her and I feel the same way." Louise frowned her heroic eyebrows worriedly when she heard it, then she thought of something and her eyelashes drooped.

She thought of the dark times in her life, the nightmare of the plague ship that she didn't want to look back on.

"I'm afraid she didn't even have time to feel sad. An inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Hammer brought her to the Military Supervision Department and made her a military supervisor. Then he recruited her to perform a top-secret mission. I'm worried that she will be in danger, but I don't know what she will do."

"She's not a child anymore, Horatio. I think she knows what she's doing.

Aren’t we already prepared for everything at this age? "

"That's true, but I don't know if her current condition can support her to carry out such a high-level mission."

“If she’s having trouble, we can help her.

The graduates of Abridar Loyalty College are spread across all walks of life, and we have predecessors in every department. Perhaps we can ask them about her whereabouts.

However, if she is on a top-secret mission, we have to be more careful."

She raised her hand, clenched her fist and extended it to him, saying, "Cheer up, we will take care of this matter."

"Yeah." Horatio reached out and bumped his fist with hers. His originally dim eyes met her bright purple eyes, and he couldn't help but cheer up a little. He chuckled and said, "Thank you, Louise."

"The Emperor expects everyone to do their duty," she encouraged with a brisk and confident voice.

"The Emperor expects everyone to do their duty."

With Louise's comfort, Horatio finally felt relieved.

In the quiet and silent night, an office in the Special Warfare Department of the Navy Department was still brightly lit.

The two young men worked tirelessly on the task at hand.

He and she believed that they would eventually win this investigation competition and protect the safety of those around them.
-
In the morning, Louise slowly opened her eyes.

Strange ceiling.

When it was three o'clock yesterday, she was so sleepy that she just wanted to lie on the table for a while, but she fell asleep without realizing it.

Now that she opened her eyes and felt the soft and elastic mattress beneath her, she knew without a doubt that she was lying on the bed in the lounge that had been converted into an office, with a newly opened quilt covering her body.

She sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and looked at the Victorian arched window next to her.

It started raining heavily outside late last night. From this perspective, today's weather is exceptionally good. The sun is shining brightly outside the window, and the blue sky is dotted with stars and clouds, which makes people feel happy, as if all the negative emotions have been evaporated by the sun, making people full of hope and confidence in the future.

Suddenly, a girl as delicate as a doll poked her head out from behind a pile of documents as tall as a hill and looked at her with a smile.

That smile was as clear as the sunshine outside the window, natural and bright, like a fresh flower with a moist scent after the rain. Just a raised eyebrow, a curved eye, and a pursed mouth, and it was so sweet that Louise, who was also a woman, was a little dazed when she stared at that beautiful face.

"you are……"

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Louise Tavira. I'm Thei Peru, Mr. Horatio's assistant." The sweet girl has an elegant temperament and speaks in a humble manner.

"It's...it's our first time meeting, Miss Peru. Please forgive my impoliteness."

She immediately jumped out of bed, hurriedly trying to straighten her appearance and her military uniform which had been wrinkled in her sleep, and stood up to salute the daughter of the brigadier general, who was also the throne agent of the Inquisitor.

"Don't be so restrained, we are colleagues for now."

"Yes, Mademoiselle Perroux," she answered in the same serious, military tone.

After saying hello, she walked out of the room and looked up to see Horatio still sitting in his office, with two empty cans of energy drinks next to the refreshing teacup on the table.

Horatio looked up as he saw Louise come out from the corner of his eye.

"How was your rest?" He turned to look at her and asked with a smile.

"Well, the bed was great and I had a good rest. Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep."

Louise felt a little embarrassed, but she knew without asking that it was Horatio who carried her to bed and covered her with a quilt last night when she was sleeping.

"You didn't sleep all night?"

“It’s just an all-nighter, that’s all.

Miss Peru and I have focused on the documents you sorted out and found some points that deserve special attention. We have made some progress and are more and more motivated as we check more and more."

Horatio looked at the pre-reconnaissance list and location on the table and snorted coldly with a bit of fatigue.

He turned to look at Louise and gave her another warm and gentle smile.

"Thank you, Louise, it's great to have your help."

"What are you thanking me for? This is my duty. Do you need some sleep? I'm very energetic right now and can take your place."

"That's totally irrelevant. I'm going to the Fleet Security Committee to meet with Captain Elphinstone. I'll ask the attendant to get you some breakfast."

He stood up, took a newly completed report and put it into his briefcase, then turned the bag into liquid and absorbed it into his iron hand.

This skill is very useful and safe.

In the current situation, the more cautious we are, the better.

"Same old, grilled Grox ribs?" He had just walked out of the door when a crooked head suddenly appeared from the door frame and asked with a funny smile.

"Yeah." Seeing Horatio come out of yesterday's worries and look brand new, Louise raised the corners of her lips with relief and nodded heavily.

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(End of this chapter)