"So, what's the 'rumor'?" Mr. Horatio asked with some curiosity.
"Before, I could see what he was thinking on the surface, his next plan, the motive behind his plans, which is why I've managed to survive his targeting until today," Inquisitor Ravenor said.
"Until one time, I found that I couldn't see the 'bubble' above his head anymore. When I tried to secretly invade his mind, my mental tendrils were repelled by a terrifying psychic force.
Without the intelligence advantage of one-sided mind-reading, I felt very uneasy. Since then, I've tried to avoid him and stay out of his reach. As for what specific rumor I uncovered during this process..."
The Inquisitor glanced at the thinker array next to him, then shook his head.
"Once I confirm it, I'll find a place to tell you."
He lit a cigarette, led Mr. Horatio outside, and closed the door:
"Also, the Military Supervisor Department at Abyss Port is currently carrying out a highly classified mission. Serving William Carter is merely a facade, or rather, only a part of it.
But I can only reveal this much to you now. If I say more, someone will come looking for trouble with me."
"So, you know about this, don't you, Inquisitor?"
Inquisitor Ravenor smiled playfully.
"I didn't know about her matter much earlier than you."
Then he sighed with emotion: "Imperial affairs are complex; one must not only see the surface, nor delve too deeply."
"A bewildering web of the Inquisition, like the power lines in a Lower Hive street," Mr. Horatio analogized.
"More or less. Just as most people will never know an Inquisitor's true mission, and we cannot reveal it to outsiders."
After Inquisitor Ravenor said this, Mr. Horatio generally understood.
In other words, the Military Supervisor Department at Abyss Port might be simultaneously serving the Daemon Court, the heretic Court, and perhaps even the Xenos Court.
And the mission classifications vary, yet they run in parallel without conflict.
Since the Ordo Hereticus has already intervened in secret, shouldn't the Order of the Sacred Rose be taking action?
Originally, he was only worried about Farida's safety, but the entire matter that was uncovered became more and more terrifying the deeper he dug.
And Mr. Horatio also knew that since the Military Supervisor Department was carrying out the Empire's highest-level mission,
It also meant that he would indeed be unable to see Farida for a period of time, at least openly.
The Xenos Inquisitor saw all of this.
"What, can't see your little lover for a while, feeling down? Want a drink? I have good wine from Polaberia in the Calixis Sector."
"She's not my little lover! I need to correct your wording, Your Excellency!" Mr. Horatio sighed deeply and immediately retorted firmly.
The Inquisitor laughed.
Confirming Farida was safe, Mr. Horatio couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, yet thinking that the two were forced to separate after a night of intimacy, his heart couldn't feel light, leaving only a flood of emotions.
"I need to go back to work. The sooner I resolve this, the sooner she'll be free, won't she?"
"Well, theoretically, yes, but some things can't be rushed. You still need to live your own life well.
But youth is good; you're always so motivated and energetic, a very good quality, but it will make you very tired, and over time you might not be able to bear it and become numb.
You still need to balance work and rest, and find joy in suffering, young man. Logically, shouldn't you in the Imperial Navy be best at this?
Anyway, good luck, I'm going to rest." The Inquisitor smiled with understanding and gave him a thumbs up.
"See you, Mr. Inquisitor. Thank you for your help."
"You are my collaborator; our interests are aligned in the big picture.
I will continue to monitor your friend's movements, rest assured, someone is helping me keep an eye on her, she will be fine.
You must believe in her, just as she believes in you.
And you must always remember that you are not fighting alone; behind you is the Imperial Navy Gothic Fleet, possessing the most immense resources and influence on the entire planet.
Even an Inquisitor, whose theoretical power, here, is not as effective as your prestige and influence.
That's why I came to seek the Imperial Navy's help, because I know very well that here, only by relying on you can everything be handled well."
—
Mr. Horatio pushed open the office door.
Unconsciously, it was late at night when he returned. The Anti-Aircraft Searchlights of the Navy Department outside the balcony window occasionally swept across the dark Abyss Port sky. The neon lights on the surrounding metropolitan high-rises illuminated the night like day, physically transforming this planet, ruled by guild capitalist oligarchs, into a sleepless city.
Inside the Navy Department Fortress, apart from the night patrol teams on shift, the Ministry of Internal Affairs attendants who were still working diligently like worker ants with their lights brightly lit, and the thoughtless, ticking Servitors, there weren't many people to be seen.
Compared to the bustling daytime, the Navy Department Fortress was much quieter at night.
Louise Tavira was still sitting in her chair, hunched over, sorting through the copies for him.
Seeing him arrive, she perked up, tucked her loose short hair behind her ear, and stood up to bring him a refreshing tea that had been brewed earlier and kept warm in a heated cabinet.
"What's wrong, you look so gloomy."
Her thoughtful and efficient manner made the somewhat exhausted Mr. Horatio feel a warm tranquility as he took the teacup.
"Thank you." The tea was a bit hot, so Mr. Horatio didn't drink it immediately, placing it in front of his seat for now. The faint aroma of tea diffused into the air.
He took off his hat and casually hung it on the back of his chair, then leaned back and settled into his office chair.
Having been running around and working hard all day, now just leaning back in the soft, comfortable ergonomic chair that automatically adjusted lumbar support, Mr. Horatio felt a wave of relaxing comfort spread through his body, and his voice became lazy, conveying a desire not to move.
"Something happened with Farida."
"God Emperor, is she alright?
With what the Lieutenant Commander is going through now, I imagine she must be very sad. I understand her and empathize with her." Louise Tavira's heroic eyebrows furrowed with worry upon hearing this, then she seemed to remember something, and her eyelashes drooped.
She thought of the gloom in her own life, that plague ship nightmare she didn't want to recall.
"She probably doesn't even have time to be sad. A Saint Hammer Order Inquisitor took her to the Military Supervisor Department, made her a Military Supervisor, and then conscripted her for a top-secret mission. I'm worried she'll be in danger, but I don't know what she'll be doing."
"She's not a child anymore, Mr. Horatio. I think she knows what she's doing.
Didn't we also make all the preparations when we were her age?"
"That's true, but I don't know if her current state can support her in performing such a high-level mission."
"If she encounters difficulties, we can help her.
Graduates of the Abridal Successor Academy are spread across all walks of life; we have seniors in every department. Perhaps we can inquire about her whereabouts from them.
However, if she's on a top-secret mission, we need to be more careful."
She raised her hand, made a fist, and extended it towards him, saying, "Cheer up, we'll handle this."
"Mm." Mr. Horatio reached out and bumped fists with her. His previously somewhat dim gaze met her bright purple eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a bit more invigorated. He chuckled softly, "Thank you, Louise."
"God Emperor expects everyone to fulfill their duties," she encouraged him with a spirited and confident demeanor.
"God Emperor expects everyone to fulfill their duties."
With Louise Tavira's comfort, Mr. Horatio's uneasy heart finally settled a little.
In the quiet, inky night, an office in the Imperial Navy Special Operations Division remained brightly lit.
Two young people diligently focused on their work.
He and she believed that they would ultimately win this investigative race and safeguard the safety of those around them.
—
In the early morning, Louise Tavira slowly opened her eyes.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
Yesterday, when she worked until three in the morning, she was so tired that she just wanted to rest her head on the desk for a while, and ended up falling asleep without realizing it.
Now, opening her eyes and feeling the soft, springy mattress beneath her, there was no doubt she was lying on the bed in the office's converted resting room, thoughtfully covered with a newly unpacked quilt.
She sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and looked towards the Victorian-style arched window nearby.
A heavy downpour had started late last night and continued all night. From this angle, the weather today was exceptionally good; the sun shone brightly outside the window, and the azure sky was dotted with scattered clouds, making one feel cheerful, as if all negative emotions had been evaporated by the sunlight, filling one with hope and confidence for the future.
Suddenly, a girl as delicate as a doll peeked out from behind a mountain of documents, smiling sweetly at her.
Her smile was as unclouded as the sunlight outside the window, natural and radiant, like a vibrant flower with the scent of rain after a shower. Just a raised eyebrow, a curved eye, and a pursed lip, and she was so sweet that Louise Tavira, also a woman, found herself momentarily lost in thought while staring at that beautiful and charming face.
"You are..."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Louise Tavira, I am Thei Perlu, Mr. Horatio's assistant." The sweet girl had an elegant demeanor and a humble attitude when speaking.
"Ni... Nice to meet you, Miss Peru, please forgive my rudeness."
She immediately sprang from the bed, flustered, trying to straighten her appearance and her crumpled military uniform from sleep. She stood at attention and saluted the Lieutenant Commander's daughter, who was also the Inquisitor's Throne Agent.
"No need to be so formal, we're colleagues for now."
"Understood, Miss Peru," she still replied in a military tone, very prim and proper.
After exchanging greetings, she walked out of the room and immediately saw Mr. Horatio still sitting at his desk, with two empty energy drink cans next to his teacup.
Catching sight of Louise Tavira walking out of the corner of his eye, Mr. Horatio looked up.
"How was your rest?" He turned his head to her, smiling as he asked.
"Hmm, the bed was very good, and I rested very well. I'm sorry, I accidentally fell asleep."
Louise Tavira was a little embarrassed. She didn't need to ask to know that Mr. Horatio must have carried her to bed and covered her with a blanket while she was asleep last night.
"You didn't sleep all night?"
"Just one all-nighter, it's fine.
Miss Peru and I have further sorted out some points of particular interest from the documents you organized. We've made some progress, and the more we investigated, the more energized we became."
Mr. Horatio looked at the pre-investigation list and locations on the table, and chuckled coldly with a hint of fatigue.
He turned to Louise Tavira and gave her a warm, gentle smile again.
"Thank you, Louise. It's really great to have your help."
"What's there to thank? It's my duty. Do you need to sleep for a bit? I'm quite alert now and can take over for you."
"This level is perfectly fine. I'm going to the Fleet Security Committee now to see Lieutenant Commander Elphinstone, and I'll have an attendant get you some breakfast."
He stood up, put a freshly printed report into his briefcase, and then absorbed the bag into his iron hand as if it were liquid.
This skill was very useful and very safe.
In the current situation, the more cautious, the better.
"The usual, roasted Grox ribs?" He had barely stepped out the door when a tilted head suddenly appeared from the doorframe, asking with a mischievous smile.
"Mm." Seeing Mr. Horatio emerge from yesterday's worries, looking refreshed, Louise Tavira smiled contentedly and nodded heavily.