Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 1045 09.1044: 『Holy Temple Conferment』

"...He possessed unwavering will, unparalleled courage, and the determination to confront any formidable foe! He disregarded the ferocity of his enemies and the pressure from his political adversaries, proving to everyone through his actions that his judgment was correct when disaster struck!"
He is none other than the famous Imperial Navy Admiral—Speyer!

Now, the hero is gone, and we still know not his whereabouts or whereabouts. But he will surely return like lightning, just like Grand Marshal Saint Drusus, in humanity's most perilous moment!
And now, the inheritor of heroic blood! The writer of a real-life epic! The overthrower of heretical conspiracies! The slayer of blue-blooded aliens! The valiant and elegant honorary Macragge Knight! The noble Imperial Lord!

And, as you all know! The duelist in the Minerva dome! The conqueror who slew the traitor Aurelian Pompeii Severus!
Our devout Holy One—High Lord Colonel Horatio Cochrane—seats among you! He, like you, listens to the heroic deeds of Saint Drusus! Pray for him! Sing praises to him!

Historian Hieronymus Dorolosso's voice trembled violently with extreme excitement. The shepherd's staff in his hand, with the Book of the Word at its tip, rattled as he swung it forcefully, the metal ornaments on the staff striking each other with a crisp sound, like a warning bell before battle.

A huge uproar suddenly broke out among the believers.

The crowd, originally immersed in religious fervor, was as if a giant rock had been thrown into a lake, creating ripples everywhere.

Everyone began to stir, looking around frantically, searching for any trace of the legendary man.

"It's him! I saw this hero's descendant on the recruitment propaganda projection!"

"It was him! He took down the rebels' massive cruiser with just a light cruiser!"

"He's there!"

Soon, thousands of eyes, like searchlights, focused on a man whose physique was excessively large and tall.

His figure, as perfect as a classical sculpture, was so striking that even though Horatio had deliberately sat in the corner of the private listening area, he was still recognized at a glance.

"..."

Horatio instantly drew everyone's attention. This sudden focus immediately transformed him from someone who was enjoying a moment of family warmth into someone facing public scrutiny as a high-ranking military officer.

[Time flies, are we already at the second act of the omen fragments...?]
He quickly straightened his crisp military uniform, smoothed out any non-existent wrinkles on his cuffs, and resumed his upright posture, his face displaying the impeccable dignified appearance befitting an imperial soldier.

However, Doloreso's performance was not yet over. He fixed his gaze precisely on Horatio and, in an almost aria-like, sacred tone, announced the evening's grand finale.

"Today is an even more important day! For the son of this hero will be baptized in the capital of our Callisis, in this temple of heroes! And this child will surely become a great and steadfast hero, like Saint Drusus! The savior of mankind's future! A saint personally blessed by the great Lord of Mankind!"

"Before that, we sincerely invite High Priest Cochrane to come up to the stage and say something to everyone! So that everyone who participates in this sacrament may learn something from this devout saintly hero! And please accept the highest respect from the Order of St. Drusus!"

Empires need heroes, and so do state religious orders like the Drusus Order, which are founded on the belief in heroes and saints.

Only through the continuous emergence of heroes, and by accepting their crowns and baptisms, can we gain more faith, and the perseverance in Calicus will never waver.

Under the solemn gaze of the entire audience, Horatio calmly rose from his seat and stepped onto the red carpet leading to the pulpit. Two acolytes of the Order of St. Drusus immediately stepped forward and draped a bright red robe embroidered with a golden eagle emblem over his shoulders. This was a tradition unique to orders that venerate military saints, whose religious rites retained many chauvinistic rituals and objects originating from military life. He walked steadily and resolutely up to the pulpit.

Just as he stepped onto the stairs, Sister Arabella began to lead the singing of hymns, with Diana conducting.

The nuns' choir, positioned high up, also sang at just the right moment, following the rehearsal schedule.

The resounding hymns echoed in the hall, their voices seemingly descending from the heavens, adding an unparalleled sense of religious sanctity to the entire ceremony.

"On the orbit of Minerva, you charged toward an enemy many times stronger than yourself; with dozens of massive cannons pointing their dark muzzles at you, tell us, what gave you such courage?" Dorothea handed his staff to his left hand, waiting with an urgent, almost interrogative gaze for Horatio to give the one and only correct answer.

"It is a sincere faith in the God-Emperor, the most basic enthusiasm for the sacred mission, a love for the vast galaxy, a sense of responsibility to the citizens of the Empire, and..."

"Ok?"

Horatio added an extra "and" to the standard answer.

This unconventional statement caused Monsignor Dororoso to furrow his brow almost imperceptibly. He uttered a barely audible question to remind the high-ranking Imperial Navy officer before him that he was standing in front of tens of thousands of people, and any free speech that deviated from the doctrine could have unpredictable consequences.

"...and many other devout and dedicated Imperial Navy officers and soldiers like myself. Together we risked our lives and shed our blood, and only then, under the protection of the Emperor, were we able to achieve such results and honors."

His gaze passed over the pulpit and down to the audience. The people in the back rows followed his gaze and were surprised to find that in the front row of the church, in the VIP seats, sat a whole row of officers and soldiers in Imperial Navy uniforms.

Among them were officers, soldiers, and ordinary crew members. Although they came from different backgrounds, there was no doubt that they were all brave warriors who had made outstanding contributions in the Battle of Minerva.

"I will not, and cannot, embezzle the glory that belongs to the collective in my own name. The world should know that I cannot win this honor on my own."

"Therefore, I invite my comrades-in-arms, and the representatives of the officers and men of the attack ship E-99 who made great sacrifices in this battle, to come to the stage. On behalf of the Imperial Navy's Gothic Fleet, I hereby award them this honor that rightfully belongs to them!"

Horatio beckoned to the shadows to the side, and Major General Rana nodded.

A line of grenadiers, wearing towering bearskin hats and ornate red uniforms, carrying velvet boxes filled with medals, marched in orderly steps onto the pulpit.

Upon hearing the call, the row of naval officers and soldiers sitting in the front row stood up in unison and gave Horatio a standard naval salute to him on the platform.

Then, a naval lieutenant commander with a prosthetic eye that flashes red light and wearing a single epaulette led the way onto the stage.

(End of this chapter)