The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Taking several deep breaths, and struggling to break free from the fear of some enormous being, Mikael forced himself to remain calm. He took cautious steps on the red carpet, heading towards the godlike figure who was watching him, trying to suppress the urge to look down and avert his gaze.

Finally, after twelve steps, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He bent his knee, kneeling on the carpet, and deeply lowered his head, forming the Aquila symbol with his hands.

"Mikael Kolostov, representing my lord Governor Yuri Olrikov Pechinka, pays respects to the great Lord Commander of Governance, Sorshyan Alexey."

Silence filled the surroundings. The sounds of the busy bridge operation area seemed completely blocked out, with only the faint hum of artificial wind audible. The Terminators on both sides stood motionless, like statues.

Mikael kept his head lowered, the heavy fur pressing on his neck, making him feel hot. He suddenly regretted wearing such a thing.

Before such a godlike and majestic being, it was as laughable as rat fur.

Suddenly, perhaps it was just his imagination, he seemed to hear a soft chuckle.

"Commander Mikael, you are very young."

The seemingly plain sentence, amplified by the deep voice, was still very imposing. Mikael's mind raced, and he replied softly:

"Thank you for your compliment. I also feel much younger, probably because I witnessed your power and was touched by some of the glory bestowed upon you by the God-Emperor."

"Hahaha, no wonder you rose from a serf to a commander. You have a silver tongue. Rise, Commander of the Volistad Guard."

After waiting for three seconds, Mikael stood up, still keeping his head slightly lowered.

"Lord Commander of Governance, Sorshyan Alexey, my lord asked me to convey a message to you: the entire military and civilians of Volistad are grateful for your timely assistance. After defeating the aliens, they will erect a most magnificent statue for you on the planet's highest peak!"

The towering god shook his head.

"Spare me those."

With that, he raised his hand, and two flexible screens immediately descended. Then, images appeared on them.

Mikael cautiously watched the content on the screens. One showed land that had been reduced to scorched earth, with many Orks speeding away on crude motorcycles like fleeing beasts, but the gaze of death from the sky was destroying them one by one.

"The main force of the Orks in the Libashka Peninsula has been annihilated by our forces. Now, the only thing left to deal with is the Orks in the Southern Mountain Territory."

Sorshyan's words made Mikael's arm tremble slightly.

How long had the other party arrived? Such a powerful Ork gang had been annihilated just like that.

Mikael glanced at the screen. When the image passed over the demolished Stompa, he knew it must be true.

"What is the situation with the defense line in the Koporov Mountains?"

Hearing the other party ask about the mountain defense line, Mikael quickly replied:

"Everything is under... control."

At this moment, the screen on Sorshyan's left flickered suddenly, and then a top-down view appeared. It clearly showed a fortress standing on the mountainside, billowing smoke. Orks, carrying rockets and howling, kept jumping out of the woods and into the fortress, while poorly dressed soldiers ran out of various fortress exits in a panic, sprinting along mountain paths. More unlucky ones were directly thrown off the parapets by the Orks, and then the flag at the highest point of the fortress was also thrown down, replaced by a tattered Ork banner.

Then the picture changed, and another fortress at the mouth of a valley had become a dilapidated ruin. Many heads and corpses were piled into small hills, and roaring Ork trucks and dirty tanks were crushing the ruins, advancing along the relatively flat river valley towards the rear.

Watching all this, Mikael was dumbfounded, cold sweat pouring down.

"Commander, your defense line has long been riddled with holes."

Sorshyan's words were calm, but carried a hint of blame. Mikael took a deep breath and replied softly.

"The soldiers have limited equipment, insufficient training, and they lack food and clothing. They have done their best."

"Oh? I thought you would explain yourself."

"I am just a servant. I have never commanded an army, or even understood military affairs. I cannot explain myself. I prefer to call myself a firefighter rather than a commander."

At this time, Sorshyan picked up a data-slate next to him. A message flashed on it, and then he put it down.

"Someone reported that you are as timid as a mouse, refusing to fight and avoiding battle, cowardly and witless, abandoning land and people. Do you have anything to explain?"

Mikael raised his head slightly and responded to the accusation in a calm tone.

"Sir, although I don't understand military affairs, I know one thing: land without anyone to defend it is meaningless. I can understand the resentment of those who have lost their homes and loved ones towards me, and I am willing to bear that resentment, but I do not think my decision was wrong. This disaster came too suddenly, and no one was prepared. Those so-called armies can still catch bandits and suppress peasants who rebel because of taxes, but they are better at robbing people, gambling, prostituting, and reselling military supplies. I don't understand military affairs, but I know them very well. I know what they are capable of. In this situation, I can only choose to save those who can be saved."

Sorshyan suddenly asked a somewhat irrelevant question.

"Do those generals listen to you?"

Mikael was stunned for a moment, and then said cautiously:

"Some listen, and a considerable number are quite stubborn."

"Someone reported that you used unscrupulous means to coerce many commanders?"

Mikael squeezed out a smile.

"In response, sir, it is indeed unscrupulous. After all, which of these people doesn't have a bunch of mistresses, illegitimate children, and shady businesses?"

"Ha, interesting, interesting."

Amidst the banter, the mask on Sorshyan's face receded into the beast's mouth above his helmet, revealing his true face. He then said with a hint of jest:

"Mikael, now that you have control of the military power, haven't you thought about taking the opportunity to replace your master?"

"My loyalty to my lord is like my loyalty to the God-Emperor, only death can end it."

"But the Pechinka family is already failing. The direct line of the family has died cleanly, and the family territory has been reduced to ashes, leaving only a small part of the Northern Mountain Territory."

Sorshyan leaned back slightly, like a judge conducting a trial.

"Do you think it still has the strength to lead this world?"

Mikael was silent for a long time, and the calmness on his face gradually turned to sadness.

"...Sir, you are right. The Pechinka family has indeed reached its end. What my lord expects from sitting in this position is not to inherit power, but to lead the people of Volistad to overcome the aliens, get out of this disaster, and allow more people to survive. If this is the end of the Pechinka family, my lord hopes that it will at least have a decent funeral. For this reason, my lord has taken out almost all that the Pechinka family has left. The fields and farms have all been distributed to the refugees for free, all the wealth that the family can mobilize has been used as military expenses, and the real estate has all been converted into hospitals and refugee camps."

After hearing this, Sorshyan said nothing, but gently tapped the armrest of the throne with his left finger.