Chapter 363 - 319: Hidden Event: Hurricane Rescue
The moment Robbie finished speaking.
Eerie blue text from the system appeared in Reinhardt’s vision.
[Clue discovered.]
[Hidden Event: Hurricane Rescue.]
[This is a private commission offered to you and the Vengeful Angels by the Sect Leader of the Secret Order, through the intermediary Judge Robbie Hiling.]
[In order to distance himself from the radical Blue Rock Island Rune Faction within the Inquisition as quickly as possible, the Sect Leader of the Secret Order must immediately correct a grievous error in judgment he made.
His poor decision and political maneuvering have implicated hundreds of innocent people, leading to their brutal persecution.
Reinhardt, your mission is to rescue as many survivors as possible from the secret prisons of Lundnia World before these dissenters can act.]
[Of course, as Reinhardt, the Great Tutor of the Vengeful Angels who now wields great power, you are entitled to refuse the Sect Leader’s private commission.]
[Event Completion Reward: Slaughterer’s Gun Upgrade Components.]
[Hidden Reward: The friendship of the Sect Leader. With the Sect Leader’s clandestine support, your influence among the various factions will be greatly enhanced.]
[Major Impact: World line alteration?]
Reinhardt raised his hand, taking the map and list from Robbie. He silently watched his old colleague from the training camp, whose expression had returned to normal.
Having fulfilled his mission on Savenxis World, Robbie raised his right hand. Blood webbed out from the veins in his arm, ensnaring the Judge he had under his control, Kavor Spencer.
He then tilted his head at Reinhardt, grinned, and took two slow steps back. A churning, boiling pool of blood gradually appeared behind him.
His expression turning crazed once more, Robbie left with a single sentence before dragging Kavor into the blood pool and vanishing without a trace.
"How long has it been since we had a good fight? Heheheh... I’ll be waiting for your grand arrival in Lundnia World, old friend."
After the dust settled.
Koller cut the Spiritual Energy communication link with the Imperial Navy. "Sir, in three hours, a Technician Priest will arrive to assist with the ship’s ascent. I’ve also contacted the Mechanical Order; they will dispatch a team to salvage Seventy-Six from the deep sea."
"Red Flame Son Warlord Fedor is asking what his next orders are."
Reinhardt didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he strode past Urus and Koller, picked up the fallen Vengeful Angel Battle Banner, and leaped onto the second-level command platform. He bent the twisted steel railing straight with his bare hands and refastened the Battle Banner to it.
Having done all this, Reinhardt said in a hoarse voice, "Inform Fedor to have his men stand by. In three hours, we prepare to depart for Lundnia World."
—
March, Year 1462 of the Radiant Calendar.
The Avenger Flagship.
Control of the ship was taken over by a Technician Priest from the Administrative Region Navy—the closest support Koller could find to Savenxis World.
Although this Technician Priest’s knowledge and abilities were far from sufficient to completely take over control of the Avenger Flagship, he possessed enough skill to get it airborne and into the Net Path.
Before his arrival, he had been given a single directive: hear nothing, see nothing, think nothing.
His mission was complete the moment he guided the ship to Lundnia.
Aboard the ship.
Urus and Stearns were both taking the opportunity to rest and recover their strength before the next battle.
But Koller, something of a workaholic, didn’t rest for a moment. He even showed clear disapproval of his two colleagues’ idleness, his brow tightly furrowed.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the First Legion’s Dusk, and he wasn’t the supreme commander. He naturally couldn’t impose the meticulous Battle Group culture he had grown accustomed to over a thousand years upon the Vengeful Angels.
In his eyes, an Imperial Knight was born to do only two things: fight and pray.
In battle, they prove their loyalty and valor to the Emperor with blood.
In prayer, they prove their piety and resolve to the Emperor through penance.
Any action that was not one of these two things was, in his view, superfluous and disloyal!
However, the benefit of having such a workaholic as the Commander of the Vengeful Angels was that he arranged everything in perfect order.
They hadn’t even left the Net Path, yet he had already finalized the preparations for landing on Lundnia and was now reporting to Reinhardt via an encrypted Spiritual Energy transmission through the Vengeful Angels’ command system.
’According to the Grand Governor’s plan, in the second phase, the Vengeful Angels will temporarily establish only two companies.’
’Regarding the first company, I’ve contacted the Military Affairs Department. Although the Vengeful Angels have been removed from the secrecy protocols, the relevant procedures and personnel requisitions are progressing slowly. Their response is that they are still coordinating with the various Battle Groups.’
’My analysis is that some Battle Groups are unwilling to cooperate and send their Elite Knights to serve with the Vengeful Angels.’
’The first batch of fifty Vengeful Angels for the second company is in position. I want to arrange for them to proceed directly to Lundnia World to assist us in our upcoming work.’
’Sir, what are your thoughts?’
Compared to his presumptuousness when he had contacted the Red Flame Sons earlier, after the events on Savenxis, the thousand-year-old veteran had clearly adjusted his attitude.
On some trivial matters, as the Commander of the Vengeful Angels, he had the authority to make decisions.
But on a sensitive issue like personnel deployment, he cautiously chose to seek Reinhardt’s opinion.
’You handle the personnel requisitions and the liaison with the Military Affairs Department. As for the second company, proceed as you suggested. Have them head to Lundnia to assist in our rescue operation.’
Although it was unrealistic for Reinhardt to expect to completely control the thousand-year-old veteran’s every decision, the benefit was that having such a commander—a man who was a living fossil, vastly experienced, deeply qualified, and proficient in all aspects of Battle Group affairs—meant many matters could be handled for him.
After dealing with the liaison matters, Koller seemed to think of something else. His brow furrowed, and after a long pause, he continued, ’Sir, that Judge we encountered earlier... he seems to be from the Secret-Keeping Order. Of course, that is only my personal speculation.’
’I, too, unintentionally came into contact with a Judge from the Secret-Keeping Order many years ago.’
’According to rumor, these Judges often have sealed within their bodies evil artifacts that the Judgment Court cannot handle. Any single one of these artifacts, if unleashed, would bring great disaster to our world.’
’Although he is on our side for now, Sir—and forgive me for being an alarmist—we must still be wary of him. We cannot trust him completely.’
Reinhardt’s knowledge of Judgment Court affairs was rudimentary at best.
Hearing Koller mention the ’Secret-Keeper Order’, he frowned. Years ago, aboard the Punisher Ship, he had heard Robbie call Raphael a ’Keeper of Secrets’.
’Elaborate.’