Xenos Inquisition

Gao Yi didn't even wait two minutes before an Inquisitor from the Xenos Inquisition arrived with fully armed Astra Militarum troops, sealing off the scene.

A rough count put the number close to a thousand, blocking every surrounding passage. It was clear just how cautious the Imperium was about this kind of construct.

"Praise the God-Emperor. I am Derrick Octavian, Senior Inquisitor of the Xenos Inquisition at the Landing Port. That was quite a spectacle you put on for all of us just now. Your soldiers are formidable, and those unfamiliar pieces of equipment on them are quite unique. If I'm not mistaken, your deeds will soon spread across the entire Expansion Zone with the pioneers here.

I also want to thank you for wiping out those pirates. Otherwise, we might never have known they dared to hide a Halo Construct."

Derrick said with a smile.

Gao Yi looked at the Derrick before him—a deep black round hat, a robe of red and black, and a rose knot pinned to his chest marking him as an Inquisitor.

Gao Yi caught a glimpse of the Power Armor hidden beneath the robe, and the smiling face opposite him made it clear this was no easy mark. No one with squinted eyes was ever a pushover.

Close behind him followed two Combat Servitors, heavily implanted with augmentations.

Gao Yi noticed that the eyes of these two attendants were filled with a bloodthirsty gleam, fixed intently on him, showing not a shred of respect despite his status.

"Inquisitor Derrick, may the God-Emperor's Protection be upon you. Without your efforts, who knows what this savage star sector would have become? What I've done is nothing."

"Lord Gao Yi, you've only just become a Rogue Trader, haven't you? I had some acquaintance with Lord Ludwig. I heard he died fighting Warp Daemons?"

"That's right. Lord Ludwig was faithful to the God-Emperor to the end. If not for him, we might never have escaped the Warp."

"Then could you take me to see Lord Ludwig's body?"

"Unfortunately, Lord Ludwig's body was reduced to ashes by the Warp's corruption. But, Inquisitor, aren't you from the Xenos Inquisition? Are you taking on the Daemon Inquisition's work now?"

"You jest. In the Expansion Zone, the threats of xenos and daemons often intertwine. I was merely curious. Since it can't be done, so be it."

Derrick's casual words showed just how absurdly cautious he was. To him, a nobody suddenly becoming a Rogue Trader, then popping up with a bunch of never-before-seen soldiers and technology—that alone was suspicious.

Derrick walked over to the box containing the Halo Construct. After confirming the contents were correct, he spoke to Gao Yi again.

"You haven't touched these things, have you?"

"Of course not. I'm well aware of how dangerous they are. I don't want even the slightest connection to them."

"Good. If you had, I might have had to cut off your hand—or purify you entirely—depending on the situation."

Derrick said the harshest words with a smile.

"Hmph, Inquisitor, you'd better deal with these xenos constructs first!"

"Haha, don't mind me. I'm just going through the motions."

Soon, the Inquisitor's attendants brought in a large metal case and used tools to pack up all the Halo Constructs. Gao Yi let out a sigh of relief.

"These Void Concordat pirates will be put on the wanted list. They may have forgotten their limits. Lord Gao Yi, if you have any information about them, feel free to notify us. Anyone who touches heresy will feel the God-Emperor's wrath. Of course, I also hope you won't get involved with these heretical constructs."

"I'm a law-abiding Rogue Trader."

"Indeed, every Rogue Trader says that. But coincidentally, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Oh?"

"One of my subordinate Inquisitors happens to be heading to Agathos as well. I'd like you to take him along when you depart."

"You want to put an Inquisitor on my ship? Are you trying to plant a spy on my vessel or in my Capital World?"

"Haha, I really like you, Gao Yi Mongert. Compared to that previous Lord Ludwig's roundabout ways and meaningless noble etiquette, I prefer your directness. The Inquisition has spies in almost every Dynasty—that's not something to hide. Do you think Agathos doesn't have any now?

Don't worry too much. You hold a Trade Warrant. As long as you don't cross unforgivable lines, my Inquisitor might even become an asset to you. He'll help you identify xenos threats, even those from the Warp. As knowledgeable as you Rogue Traders are, you can't compare to the Inquisition's archives, which hold secrets from across the entire Imperium.

Besides, cooperating with the Inquisition has no downsides. Ludwig worked with us too. Building a friendship with the Inquisition will only make your Dynasty's affairs run more smoothly, won't it? A Trade Warrant doesn't let you rest easy. Sometimes, certain matters of a Dynasty fall outside the rights granted by the Warrant, and the Inquisition becomes the arbiter, doesn't it?"

Derrick's words didn't sound like a request at all—more like a threat.

Gao Yi forced down his anger.

"Isn't what you're saying a bit heretical? Are you deciding for the God-Emperor whether someone is guilty?"

"Isn't that our mission? It's all for humanity, wouldn't you agree?"

Derrick looked at Gao Yi with interest.

"Bold. Let me develop first, then we'll see if you can still say that."

Gao Yi thought to himself.

But on second thought, Gao Yi realized he had nothing to hide. He didn't touch xenos, nor did he defile Warp knowledge.

If a Warp construct accidentally crossed his path, it would just end up drained by him. Whether he agreed or not, Derrick would almost certainly find a way to sneak his eyes in anyway. After all, Gao Yi was about to recruit a large crew—there was no way to ensure every single person was clean.

Rather than digging out spies later and staying on guard, it was better to put this spy out in the open. Maybe he could even serve as a muscle. An Inquisitor's combat strength couldn't be weak, right? Gao Yi was sorely lacking in high-end fighters right now.

"Since you've put it that way, Inquisitor, I'll await your Inquisitor's arrival."

"You're very clever. I believe you'll become an excellent Rogue Trader! Things are about settled here, Lord Gao Yi. I won't disturb you any longer. I imagine quite a few people outside are looking for you right now."

"Looking forward to our next meeting, Inquisitor."

Derrick left, taking his Inquisitor and the Astra Militarum with him. As they departed, many people emerged from the shadows.

"Veil, help me receive and tally them. Also, arrange meetings at the Court of the Monarch according to their status. Looks like our plan worked—big business is coming."

"Should we keep a few Rangers? I believe after they watch up close, we can drive up the price even higher."

"Do as you see fit!"

At that moment, Gao Yi spoke to Jeyd, who had been patiently waiting nearby.

"Jeyd, I've never been stingy with rewards. Everything in the Void Concordat's warehouse is yours to handle. Sell it off, and take a portion as your due compensation."

"Jeyd Hadaly is most willing to serve you."

The entire contents of the Void Concordat's warehouse, if sold off, would amount to an extraordinarily substantial sum. Even if Jeyd took only half a percent, it would exceed her entire current net worth. Perhaps not all the goods belonged to those pirates, but since this was an illegal Cold Trade, if anyone dared to claim they were the rightful owner, Gao Yi would gladly hand them over to the Imperial authorities.

Jeyd was just an individual, while the Void Concordat was a major power in Landing Port. But that was now a thing of the past. The Void Concordat would still exist, and it would grow strong again.

However, recovering in the short term was impossible. Pirates could never be wiped out entirely, but after the Halo Construct incident, a batch of leaders would inevitably die, and new successors would rise.

The Imperium couldn't truly exterminate the entire Concordat either—these criminal organizations had long become part of Koronus's ecological cycle.