Warhammer: Empire Reboot

Mature, voluptuous, with gentle yet not weak eyes. Her beauty is neither the sharp edge honed by faith and swords like that of a battle nun, nor the naturally aloof refinement of the Elven race.

Ilancia picked up the empty bottle and shook it.

"Your human wine is hard to drink."

Adela glanced at the label.

"This wine comes from the cellars of an old aristocratic family. Its value lies mainly in its vintage, origin, and rarity. As for the taste, I think it's just average."

Ilancia raised an eyebrow.

"You don't even defend it."

Adela smiled.

"The wine isn't mine. Besides, the Lord in charge never asks us to say nice things about things that taste bad."

Ilancia glanced at her.

This woman knows how to talk.

In one sentence, he neither belittled the Rosen collection nor appeared obsequious, but also subtly indicated the appropriate level of conduct he would take while working alongside Rosen.

Ilancia did not move.

I don't want to sleep right now.

Adela did not show any embarrassment.

"Then I'll have someone keep the dorm room heated. You can come over whenever you want."

Just as she was about to step back, Ilancia spoke up.

"Come over and let's talk."

Ilancia picked up another unopened bottle of wine next to the railing and tossed it to her.

"Want some?"

Adela caught the bottle, glanced at the label, and smiled.

"This bottle is too astringent; it's not suitable for drinking at night."

Ilancia raised an eyebrow: "You don't like it?"

“I like it sweeter.” Adela put the bottle back by the railing. “Life is already bitter enough. If the wine is bitter too, it’s just asking for trouble.”

Ilancia looked at her for a while.

"Do you know who I am?"

“I know you are the master’s guest, and I shouldn’t know things that the master didn’t tell me to.”

Ilancia suddenly became interested, and she deliberately said, "Those four battle nuns aren't as good at keeping quiet as you are."

Adela did not take the stab.

"They don't need to be like me."

“They are saints, swords, and banners. If they were to weigh every word as I do, believers would be disappointed.”

Ilancia scoffed, "You're speaking up for your competitors? Then what makes you think you can stay?"

"it works."

Adela continued, "I know about domestic affairs, etiquette, the greed of nobles, the minds of women, and the secret codes at banquet tables. I also know when to approach and when to retreat to the side of the door."

"There can be many women in a room, but not many battlefronts. Adults hate trouble. My value lies in reducing trouble."

Ilancia originally intended to sow discord between her and others.

They say the saint is young, that she has been replaced.

They said that it was the four nuns that Lawson took away tonight, not her.

But these words suddenly seem very low-class.

Adela has a very clear understanding of her position.

This kind of woman is hard to provoke.

Ilancia took a sip of her drink, suppressing her admiration, and asked:

"So what do you think of Lawson?"

Adela thought for a moment before saying, "If you ask me what I think as a woman, he is strong, cold, hard to please, and hard to truly be possessed by anyone."

Ilancia squinted.

"You dare to say that."

“That’s the truth. The Master of the Seal can enter a woman’s room, but will not be trapped in anyone’s skirt.”

Adele paused for a moment.

"If you ask me what I think as the Chief Steward, he is the only source of order in the Agrippina Sector."

"only?"

"Yes."

"For many commoners of the Empire, the Emperor is too far away. He is in icons, in prayers, in church bells, and in the last words spoken by the priest at the moment of his death."

She looked at Ilancia.

"But adults are different."

"He brought water, food, an army, doctors, schools, and laws. He killed heretics, cleansed nobles, dismantled gangs, purified pollution, and restored the sky."

"For the common people of the Empire in the Agrippina Sector, the Seal Bearer's status has surpassed that of the Emperor."

Ilancia's brow twitched.

If this statement were to reach the ears of some fanatical adherents of the state religion, it would be enough to burn a number of people at the stake.

Adèle, however, spoke in absolute terms.

Ilancia asked, "Aren't you afraid that this statement is heresy?"

“I wouldn’t say that in a church,” Adela replied, “but here, you’re asking what I think. I’m stating the facts.”

"The emperor is in heaven, and the lord is at the door."

Ilancia wanted to refute, but couldn't find a point to make.

So she chose a more malicious approach.

"Chaos will return."

"You humans are always like this, establishing a little order and thinking that darkness will bypass you. Chaos will not die. The orcs will regenerate. The Tyranids will continue to devour. The Necromancers of space will awaken. The Dark Eldar will reach out from the Web."

"Do you think Lawson can protect you forever?"

Adela even thought about it seriously.

"At least in the short term, Chaos will not be willing to come to Agrippina."

Ilancia scoffed, "You think you know a lot about chaos?"

"I don't understand."

Adela readily admitted, "My husband is a business expert. He taught me before that to see if a business will continue, you should first look at the benefits and costs."

“If Chaos comes to Agrippina and loses money every time, they will come less often.”

Ilancia paused for a moment.

Adèle's logic is very simple.

The forces of chaos may be raging, but that doesn't mean every warband is willing to throw their lives away. Even the servants of evil gods will choose more valuable prey, more profitable battlefields, and souls more easily corrupted.

If a sector makes them pay a price far exceeding the gains every time.

If each time they are torn apart by Lawson's army, their souls vanish, their supplies are seized, their ships are plundered, and their demons are destroyed.

They will indeed be afraid.

Looking at Adela, Ilancia suddenly realized that this woman was more clear-headed than many who talked about strategy.

A night breeze blew by.

Ilancia leaned against the railing and tapped her fingers on the wine bottle.

She suddenly asked, "Do you think I'm troubled?"

Adela glanced at Ilancia for a few seconds.

"If you're willing to talk, I can listen. If not, I'll take you to my dorm and then forget that I saw you drinking tonight."

Of course, Ilancia wouldn't tell a human woman about Saim-Han's predicament.

He would never tell her that the Eldar of the Ark were actually a group of exiles who were constantly being chased by the future, coveted by Slaanesh, and driven by the shadow of annihilation.

She thought for a moment and then changed her wording.

"Suppose there is a family."

"They were once very powerful, possessing immense wealth, art, technology, and glory. Later, they destroyed everything because of their own mistakes, and the survivors could only wander with the relics of their ancestors."

“They have an enemy. A very strong enemy. That enemy is watching their souls and will never let them go.”

"They can't stop, or they'll be found."

She looked at Adela: "If it were you, what would you do?"

Adela listened very attentively.

She smiled lightly.

"That's too easy."

Ilancia's brows furrowed immediately.

"Simple?"

Adela nodded: "If a family keeps wandering, it's because they're afraid of being hunted down by enemies; if they're guarding their ancestral relics but are powerless to protect them on their own; if they can't stop, they're tired of wandering."

She looked up at Ilancia.