The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Chapter 2842: The Farmer and the Snake (Part 1)

There was a time when vast numbers of pilgrims would come to worship every day, and the population here once swelled to hundreds of millions, which later led to a series of problems. Finally, in the early 41st millennium, the Ecclesiarch declared the Edict of Purification.

The Holy War Cathedral and the surrounding hundreds of kilometers were declared a 'Land of Purity,' meaning it had been completely purified and no longer contained a trace of corruption. Therefore, to avoid contamination, pilgrims wishing to set foot on this land had to offer 'sincerity,' which meant sufficient tribute. This amount was not low, directly filtering out 90% of the pilgrims and reducing the population of the Holy War Cathedral to about three million, mostly clergy of the Adeptus Ministorum, along with some servants serving the higher-ups, officials, and a few merchants, etc.

Naturally, this, in a sense, alleviated the problems caused by population pressure. However, the number of pilgrims did not decrease; they could only kneel and worship the holy land from further away. Many people's pilgrimages often started at ten years, thus forming sprawling 'pilgrim villages' around the Land of Purity, which were still crowded and resource-scarce. Moreover, to prevent the uncontrolled expansion of the pilgrim villages, bulldozers would periodically clear them.

But overall, since the Age of Apostasy, Saint Caspalen had maintained thousands of years of stability and prosperity.

Unfortunately, this stability was shattered.

Huge and magnificent warships gathered in orbit above this peaceful world, foreshadowing the silent arrival of the clouds of war. The local Adeptus Ministorum's high-ranking officials waited anxiously outside a large landing pad one kilometer from the Holy War Cathedral.

Accompanied by the unique engine roar of the Stormbird, the giant steel eagle swooped down from the sky and landed on the landing pad with an impatient attitude, followed by a second, a third...

After a full five Stormbirds landed, the doors opened in unison. With heavy footsteps, towering Terminators strode out of the cabins, forming two rows, followed by two standard bearers, one holding the Chapter's banner high, and the other holding the Lord Commander's Aquila granted by Terra. After the two standard bearers stood firm, a grim-faced Sotha Nul slowly walked out.

Even in ceremonial armor, he was taller than the Terminators. Closely following him were Amnak and Robin—as Saul gradually distanced himself from the Chapter's core, Amnak replaced him as the Legion's main sword instructor and was the only one Robin respected. In a sense, the two had become mentor and student. Amnak also acknowledged Robin as a rare sword genius and praised Sotha Nul for his good luck, as such talent was rare even during the Legion era.

"Welcome—"

When he saw Sotha Nul approaching, Ecclesiarch Ignatius II, wearing a gorgeous robe and a towering triple crown, immediately opened his arms and bowed slightly.

"Champion of the God-Emperor, Guardian of the Imperium, Chapter Master Sotha Nul Aleksei, your presence is a sacred day."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the bronze bells in the cathedral district immediately shook in unison, emitting loud and orderly sounds, representing the highest honor of a Cardinal World.

Sotha Nul nodded slightly.

"Your welcome honors me, but I have some urgent matters to attend to. I will speak with you in detail later."

With that, he strode away, leaving the Cardinals looking bewildered.

Finally, one of them whispered his speculation.

"Could it be related to those from the Ordo Xenos..."

Sotha Nul ignored the kneeling priests along the way and walked straight along the avenue, soon arriving at the front of an ancient church. It was very close to the Holy War Cathedral and was generally used for daily rituals, but now some Space Marines were standing outside the church. Mantis Warriors, Flesh Tearers, and Lamenters could be seen.

Seeing Sotha Nul, they all looked excited, as if they had seen a savior.

As the door was opened, Sotha Nul walked in without saying a word. The Terminators remained outside, and only a few company commanders and attendants followed him in. It was a luxurious and magnificent hall. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, depicting patterns of angels and knights. A statue of the Emperor overlooked all beings, like a stern reminder, warning everyone present that everything was under His gaze.

At this time, there were already many people in the church hall.

Malakim, Second Company Captain Jeman Huares of the Lamenters, Chapter Master Metellus of the Mantis Warriors, and Chapter Master Seth of the Flesh Tearers were all there. In addition, Watch Master Vedrian Sino, who had previously visited Sotha Nul, was also here, along with more than a dozen Deathwatch Marines. Besides them, there were also two mortals, and their identities could be discerned from their attire—

The Inquisition.

Seeing Sotha Nul enter, one of the Inquisitors turned around.

"You've finally arrived, Chapter Master Sotha Nul. I am Skarman Havas from the Ordo Hereticus, and this is my colleague, Busa Hardt. We are here to oversee this battle against the Tyranid invasion and assess the scale of this Tyranid force. Based on the assessment results, we will determine whether to request more support. This is an extraordinary war, but before that, we need to address another issue."

Sotha Nul said nothing, just stood quietly, and the Inquisitor pointed his hand at Malakim.

"Chapter Master Malakim of the Lamenters fought bravely in the Battle of Sandheim V. He should have died there, but a group of Eldar xenos unexpectedly saved him, including other Lamenters. According to eyewitness descriptions, these Eldar perfectly match the characteristics of a certain Eldar dark power that the Inquisition is currently tracking. According to testimony, Malakim claims that he was sent to their ship by the Eldar while severely injured and unconscious, and he knows nothing about what happened afterward. This requires further investigation. At the same time, Second Company Captain Jeman Huares of the Lamenters is also suspected of engaging in secret transactions with the Eldar. Someone anonymously reported that he is cooperating with the Eldar and allowing the Eldar to capture Imperial citizens at will."

"You're lying!"

Jeman Huares immediately retorted, his expression was angry, but he still tried to restrain himself.

"The Tyranids were already approaching at the time, and the transport ship was damaged. Were we supposed to abandon those civilians? Did I have any other choice? As for the so-called secret capture, those people were all Genestealers."

The Inquisitor shook his head.

"Captain Huares, I even suspect that you have been implanted with some kind of subconscious by the Eldar. Since the birth of the Imperium, there has been an inviolable iron rule—no cooperation with xenos. All life and death are insignificant in the face of this rule. You could have chosen to leave; no one would have blamed you for it. I believe those civilians would have understood you even if they died at the claws of the Tyranids, so this is not an excuse for you to cooperate with the Eldar. Moreover, how do you know this isn't just the Eldar's sweet talk? How can you be sure that the Imperial citizens they captured are Genestealers? Perhaps you were wrong from the beginning..."