Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 1036, September 10:35: 『Top-Tier Case』

"How did the meeting go?"

When he returned to the hovercar, Yadwiga was sitting quietly in the back seat, having been waiting for some time.

"It's still Polaberia. This meeting was still fruitful. The state church, the St. Drusus Order, has extended an olive branch to us, willing to support and assist us."

"What?! It's Pola Bellia?!"

Unexpectedly, Poniatovsky, who was sitting in the front row driving the hovercar, burst into an extremely excited cheer upon hearing the name of the place. He was clearly unaware of this news beforehand.

“Oh! My brother! That’s my homeland!” He turned around excitedly, his face flushed. “I have a huge fiefdom there! The best tavern on the whole planet is there! When we get to Polaberia, I’ll treat you to drinks! Hahahaha!”

"Is there anything special about it?" Horatio asked with a smile, infected by his enthusiasm.

“Special features? There are so many!” Poniatowski proudly patted his chest. “The fruit trees used for winemaking are all imported from the legendary garden world of Quartis! The juice must be stomped barefoot by the young girls of the estate under the bright sunshine! The wine is aged in the finest oak barrels of Calicus and stored in underground cellars with the perfect humidity! I guarantee you, once you taste it, you will never forget it for the rest of your life!”

He smacked his lips, as if he had already tasted the sweet flavor.

Listening to his enthusiastic introduction, Horatio recalled his wonderful time in Macurag.

[I really want to go on vacation again.] he thought to himself.

"Of course, I also highly recommend the traditional rye beer of Pola Belle! If the fruit wine of Quadis is a consumer product sold to noble gentlemen, then our local rye beer is the life of every Pola Belle!"

For thousands of years, our ancestors rode warhorses, banners fluttering, patrolling their territory through the rustling wheat fields in the gentle breeze, receiving a large cup of chilled ale from the busy farmer and drinking it down in one gulp! Ah… those were truly good days!

He let out a long breath, the smile on his face gradually fading: "We may never be able to go back to the old days. Polaberia is already..."

He shook his head, full of helplessness. The current situation in Polaberia was beyond the control of a descendant of an exiled knight family like himself.

He was also unaware of the secret agreement between Horatio and Jadvig.

“Perhaps those days will return. But in a different form,” Horatio said.

The airship took off smoothly and pierced the sky above Sibelius's nest city.

The star emanated a fiery white halo, illuminating this world where ocean and land meet with a warm and comforting glow.

Horatio leaned back in his soft leather chair, scrolling through messages he hadn't had time to check during the meeting on his encrypted data board.

Suddenly, a notification popped into his eyes, and a faint vibration came from the data panel in his hand.

A classified message beacon is flashing.

The beacon was decorated with a rose knot, a design unique to the courthouse.

Without making a sound, he pulled a thin, retractable cable from the nerve plug at the back of his neck and connected it to the device.

In an instant, a holographic communication that only he could see and hear jumped into his retina.

"I heard from Captain Louise that you went to a military meeting." Thee's pretty face appeared on the screen, the background seemingly a heavily guarded communications room, creating a strange contrast with her quirky smile.

"By the time you see this message, I will have already received an urgent summons from the Inquisition to go to the Triangle Palace, the headquarters of the Calicus Secret Meeting, to hear about and participate in a top-secret mission."

"The summons came very urgently. I was still investigating the matter you entrusted to me before. I've compiled the current investigation results and placed them on your desk. In general, this matter is getting bigger and bigger. I've pieced together some clues, but for now, I must complete this confidential mission for the court." She emphasized the last four words.

“Oh, right,” she gestured to the side, “Falida is next to me. The Inquisition requires that each recalled judge must be accompanied by an untouchable.”

So, Farida will spend some time with me. Once we enter the Triangle Palace, all contact with the outside world will be temporarily cut off.

But don't worry, this time the most outstanding inquisitors from all the major religious orders in the entire Calicus sector have gathered together, it's quite a grand affair.

Moreover, we're in the safest triangle palace in Sintira, and we won't go anywhere else. It seems like this is also a desktop deduction task where we gather clues.

However, I am not a key member of the team; I am merely an advisor assisting in the case. Therefore, we should be able to reconnect with you soon.

"Keep Melon aware of the Star Language. I'm done, Falida, it's your turn~"

Tei chuckled and made way for her. Next came Falida, her brow furrowed and her expression tinged with resentment at parting.

"Horaceau, that's how it is. Thee dragged me along too." She sighed helplessly.

"Sorry~ The court said we need an untouchable person~" The apologetic voice of Thee came from the background.

"Take care of our child, little Horace, when you have time. Lina is working very hard too; both the child's parents are incredibly busy, and she's practically become little Horace's mother in effect."

Also, I heard that you and Louise had a child. Please give her my best wishes.

You're a father of two now, so stop spending all your time doing your own thing.

I know you're busy, but please try to visit them more often when you have time. Women need the most care after giving birth, you know?

Farida pouted, her tone full of unease: "I don't know what kind of mission this is, I only know that we are going to the Triangle Palace."

That is the Inquisition's secret fortress in Calicith, the safest place on the entire planet. The Inquisition has already arranged our food and lodging, and as the representative of the Military Supervisory Bureau, you don't need to worry too much about our safety.

We'll implement communication controls once we're inside. We're entrusting our child to you. Be careful in Polaberia. Tei and I will meet you after we're done. See you later.

"Bye~ Remember to check your Star Language communications!" Tei's voice added at the end, and then the communication ended.

[A top-secret meeting in the courtroom? ...]
Horatio's brow furrowed deeply. Normally, due to the secrets and calculations among the various orders within the Inquisition, such large-scale inter-order cooperation was rare.

Unless... something extraordinary happens that could shake the very foundations of the entire sector.

Could it be the Chaos Fleet that Major General Peru mentioned, the one that escaped from the Eye of Fear? Or has some other, even more terrifying threat emerged?

For some reason, Horatio felt a strong sense of unease.

[Falida reminded me that I've been so busy with various things that I haven't visited the children in a long time.]
He felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temples, which were throbbing from too many worries. A first-time father with no experience, he was now shocked to realize that his child was practically being fostered.

Let's go check it out tonight.
Just as he made up his mind, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the street corner out of the corner of his eye.

[Isn't that... Grand Counsel Javert? Didn't he say he was going to the Ministry of Justice fortress in Tarsus's hive? How did he end up on the streets of Sibelius?]
“Wait,” he immediately said to Poniatovsky, who was driving in the front seat, “drive over there and stop next to that checkpoint.”

(End of this chapter)