Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 900, page 08.899: 'The Former Naval Officer of the Wandering Merchant'

"Welcome to the Colonus Expansion, Your Excellency."

A powerful and confident female voice, like an invisible wave, greeted Horatio and his menacing soldiers clad in void blue armor.

At the far end of the Monarch's Court, Theodora von Valancius, the patriarch of the glorious and jewel-encrusted von Valancius dynasty, slowly rose from a huge, luxurious chair that rivaled a royal throne.

The chair was made of polished, alien-shaped skeletons and dark gold metal, with eerily glowing psionic crystals inlaid on the armrests.

She wore a deep red silk robe, perfectly tailored, which exuded both power and feminine charm.

Her gaze was sharp, with a hint of scrutinizing smile, as she looked at the leading Imperial Navy Captain.

Then, Theodora turned her gaze to her side.

A middle-aged man dressed in an Imperial Navy officer's uniform, with a gleaming, polished blouse and a row of meticulously maintained medals hanging below his left breast eagle, immediately understood and stepped forward to give Horatio a perfect nod.

His left eye was a scarlet, old but practical bionic prosthetic eye, which did not match his status as the chief steward of the dynasty, but instead highlighted the pragmatism of a soldier.

Horatio raised his hand, clenched his fist, a simple yet powerful gesture.

The guards behind him reacted immediately, silently splitting into two groups, their heavy boots clattering rhythmically on the floor.

They turned around and slowly closed the huge palace door, shutting out the noise and prying eyes from the outside world, and then stood guard on both sides of the door like statues.

The hall instantly fell into a stifling silence, a silence reserved only for those at the heart of power.

"You have come from afar, and you must be tired from your journey. We apologize for not being able to welcome you properly."

The middle-aged man spoke, his voice steady and clear, with the distinct articulation of a soldier, “There are indeed some important matters concerning the overall interests of the dynasty here, making it difficult for me to leave. Please allow me to introduce you to my master, Lady Theodora von Valancius. She is the current head of the von Valancius dynasty and also a great Lord Captain, diligently serving the Lord of Mankind in the Colonus Expansion District.”

He paused briefly, then turned his scarlet prosthetic eye toward Horatio.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Abelard Wilson, the steward of the Von Valancius dynasty. It is an honor to serve you, sir."

Abelard sported a neat mustache and wore a void-blue stand-up collar military uniform with fine gold thread along the edges.

Horatio once owned a uniform like this. He recognized it because it was the uniform of a Lord-Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy.

This means that the man in front of them was once a member of the Imperial Navy and held a high position on a ship.

Horatio barely paid attention to his introduction of Lady Theodora. His gaze swept over Abelard from head to toe before he asked directly, "You, were you formerly a captain in the Imperial Navy?"

This sudden, pointed question startled the man before him.

His natural right eye glanced nervously at the mistress on the magnificent throne, his lips moved, but he ultimately puffed out his chest proudly and replied:

"Yes, sir. I was once an officer in the Imperial Navy. No, 'once' is not quite accurate. For me, it was not just my job, but the meaning of my life, the essence of my being. I was very proud to serve Madame Theodora von Valancieus and her merchant dynasty, but in my heart, deep in my mind, I am still an Imperial officer."

"I apologize, I've said a bit too much. Please, sir, have a seat."

Abelard didn't want to talk too much about his past in front of the head of the family.

He respectfully invited the high-ranking officer of the Imperial Navy to take a seat, avoiding any discussion of himself in a humble yet courteous manner.

“No problem, Mr. Steward. Where is my seat?” Horatio treated the steward of the Merchant Dynasty, a former Imperial Navy officer, with due and decent respect, unlike the harsh treatment he had shown the governor.

“Here, please.” Abelard’s posture was very respectful, with the efficiency of a soldier, as he guided Horatio to his seat.

He clearly had an almost ingrained sense of hierarchical obedience to Horatio, the Supreme Lord of the Imperial Navy.

Even though he is now a powerful merchant dynasty steward, his words and actions still reflexively reflect the professional qualities he once had as an imperial naval officer.

For Horatio, this was a good thing. Having a former naval officer present as a mediator could reduce a lot of unnecessary conflict.

After they were seated, the governor’s servants filed in like silent ghosts, serving Horatio fine wines, exotic fruits freshly picked from the artificial garden, and delicacies from different parts of the world.

The ingredients all came from the top agricultural world of the Colonus expansion region. The wine alone, which exuded a unique aroma in a crystal glass, was worth as much as twenty years' income for a middle-class commoner in the city.

Among the other dishes and fruits, there were many luxuries that most of the empire's citizens had never even heard of in their lifetime.

As a gateway to expansion, the port's culinary traditions are heavily influenced by certain barbaric customs. People who frequently encounter unknown alien civilizations and beasts often use them as cooking ingredients, resulting in many dishes that would cause Imperial biologists great distress.

However, the socialites in this area consider it a symbol of courage and honor to be able to swallow exotic dishes such as dark green seven-eyed fish sashimi and some kind of alien, crystal clear, live brain without batting an eye.

If it were merely a matter of novelty in appearance, that would be one thing, but such dishes often contain various unknown chemical components and biological toxins, which can cause side effects of varying degrees and durations to consumers.

When Thee told Horatio these amusing anecdotes with a smile on the bridge, she particularly appreciated the twitching of Horatio's facial muscles.

However, the menu on the dining table at this time, apart from being of a higher standard, was no different from that of the empire's top nobles, clearly indicating that it had been specially adjusted.

Horatio, however, had no interest in these delicacies.

He came here only to deliver his mission, not to engage in a "tight front while the rear feasts" mentality.

"A list of delivered merchant ships is here."

Twelve ships sank and eight were damaged.

Approximately 80% of the goods have successfully arrived at the port of destination. Merchants and travelers, please inspect them.

Horatio sent a detailed list of battle damage and cargo from the data board to the data boards held by each of the merchants and ronin present.

These goods came from orders from more than ten different merchant and wandering groups.

“Shocking.”

Beside Theodora, a portly man, almost overflowing from his silk tuxedo, exclaimed as he rapidly scanned the data with his jeweled prosthetic eye, "The sunken ships only account for 21.82% of the total fleet! This is the lowest loss rate among all cargo fleets in the past five years!"

It is evident that he was an actuary of the Von Valancius dynasty, and Theodora's financial director and senior advisor.

"Commander Cochrane promised us before departure that he would do everything in his power to escort these ships. He did not break his promise."

Mrs. Theodora smiled and flattered, "Your Excellency truly deserves to be an outstanding naval commander personally recommended by Admiral Samuel Hood. You are young and promising, with an immeasurable future."

“But,” a thunderous, discontented voice boomed in the magnificent hall, “the lost ships are all grain transport ships from the agricultural world? Commander, you placed passenger ships that transport manpower too far inside the deck.”

From a profit perspective, passenger ships are the ones that should be placed on the periphery as a shield. We don't lack civilians, and the civilians on those passenger ships are far less valuable than having another grain ship to benefit the expansion of the Colonus region.

The speaker was an incredibly large man, his body covered in bulging muscles, looking like a small mountain even when sitting.

His bare arms were covered with scars and rough tribal tattoos, revealing his powerful physique and perhaps his volatile and irritable nature.

He was Carrigos Wintersco, the de facto 'emperor' of the Colonus expansion.

"Moreover, most of the sunken and damaged ships belong to the Wintersco family."

His gaze was like a raging fire, fixed intently on Horatio, his burning eyes seeming to ignite one's soul.

Horatio was displeased by this undisguised questioning.

“I hope,” Wintersko said, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, “that you can give me a reasonable answer, Commander.”

(End of this chapter)