Chapter 46

There was, of course, more than one heretical noble house on Rostov II. Sixteen noble houses were excommunicated, twenty-seven nobles turned into human torches on the spot after drinking Blessed Wine, while their families were dragged to the square before the Ministorum Cathedral and subjected to thirteen hours of White Phosphorus Execution.

Normally, the Empire's White Phosphorus Executions did not burn for so long. They generally ended after four or five hours.

But at Chen Xi's suggestion, the duration had been extended to thirteen hours.

It needed to be explained that White Phosphorus Execution did not kill the condemned heretics immediately. They suffered for however long the execution lasted.

Thus, that day, the heretics' wails and curses continued for a full thirteen hours in the square before the Ministorum Cathedral.

No one showed any sympathy. Or rather, no one dared to show any sympathy.

Everyone did everything they could to distance themselves from any suspicion of connection with the heretics. Even close friends and in-laws severed ties at once, doing all they could to prove that they were not heretics and had nothing to do with heretics.

After all, everyone knew that the governor who had caused so much turmoil since taking office was an Inquisition Inquisitor.

An ordinary governor might still be open to negotiation in such matters, but a governor from the Inquisition had always dealt with heretics in only one way.

Connected to heretics? They had no desire to become the next unlucky fools hung in the square and burned for thirteen hours.

The Ministorum that presided over all this was quite... pleased to see it happen.

For the Ministorum, its duty was to spread faith in the Emperor and ensure that every person faithfully believed in the Emperor.

From the perspective of the 3K Era, this was fucking insane. The entire Ministorum was full of religious lunatics.

But from the perspective of the 40K Era, if you did not believe in something in this shithole... care to learn about the Plague of Unbelief?

In this hellish galaxy, like swimming through a septic pit, people needed to believe in something, and remain as devout as possible. Because when necessary, the Emperor truly could manifest and lend you a hand.

So when a wine capable of determining whether someone was a heretic was brewed, several Ministorum priests were already delirious with joy.

The aged Bishop, who needed an anti-gravity platform even to leave the house, nearly dropped dead from happiness. If not for the Hospitaller's timely rescue, he would have.

After his vital signs stabilized, the Bishop, said to be three hundred years old, rose directly from his anti-gravity platform, knelt before the Imperial Icon in the cathedral, and prayed devoutly, thanking the Emperor for bestowing a miracle and blessing upon His people.

The Bishop wished to name this wine that could identify heretics Blessed Wine, and purchase it in bulk on behalf of the Ministorum. He also reported the matter to the sector's Ministorum headquarters through Astropathic Communication.

Chen Xi had no great attachment to the wine's name. He merely told the Bishop that he hoped it would be named "Loyalty," then explained that the winery's current production capacity was extremely limited and that he needed support from the Ministorum to better develop the planet and expand production.

The Bishop could not even be bothered to raise an eyelid at Chen Xi's near-extortion. He ordered the deacon beside him to prepare 1.8 million Throne Gelt for Chen Xi, then said that he was merely a planetary Bishop with limited funds at his disposal. He believed the sector diocese headquarters would offer Chen Xi far greater support.

In response, Chen Xi merely knelt on one knee devoutly before the Emperor's icon and declared that he was a faithful believer of the Emperor, with his Inquisitorial rosette as proof.

At that moment, in the capital of the Mariupol Sector, Mai Mai was calculating the gains from this venture inside a villa.

During the year his controlled character had been under automated management, it had established contact with the sector nobility and successfully obtained, through the Sector Governor, the development rights to the sub-sector containing Rostov II.

For the Sector Governor, granting the development rights to an entire sub-sector to a Rogue Trader was somewhat excessive. But considering how much it could benefit the sector's tithe once the sub-sector was developed, the Sector Governor was willing to take a small risk.

Especially since this Rogue Trader served an Inquisitor, which gave the Sector Governor even fewer reservations.

Of course, it was not free.

The sub-sector containing Rostov II had thirteen star systems. Although no specific development plan had been settled yet, developing even one of its planets could bring immense wealth.

Though the Sector Governor no longer had much need for money, the governor's family still hoped to gain greater benefits within the sector.

Thus, Mai Mai had only secured the development rights to the entire sub-sector from the governor by promising to cede ten percent of the profits to the Sector Governor's family and appointing the Sector Governor's recommended candidates as Planetary Governors for at least three planets.

The price was undoubtedly steep, given that this was the revenue of an entire sub-sector.

But overall, obtaining the development rights to the entire sub-sector for just ten percent of its profits was still a worthwhile deal.

Of course, that did not mean the remaining ninety percent would fall into the hands of Mai Mai, Chen Xi, and their group.

First, for at least several decades, perhaps even a century, at least half of the profits gained from developing the sub-sector would have to be reinvested into its development to continue expanding production.

The profits that could truly be divided up would amount to roughly forty-five percent. Another five percent would cover potential losses and various expenses incurred during the sub-sector's development that could not be entered into the main accounts.

Of that forty-five percent, the Sector Governor would take ten percent.

Negotiations with the Ministorum were nearly complete, and it would likewise take ten percent.

As for the Adeptus Mechanicus... Mai Mai was helpless. He had spent the most time on the Adeptus Mechanicus and promised it numerous benefits, yet it still had not made a decision.

Even though Mai Mai had promised to give up ten percent of the profits, pledged that all procurement during the sub-sector's development would go through the Adeptus Mechanicus, and promised to build at least one industrial world to supply it with personnel, among other things...

The Adeptus Mechanicus simply would not give a direct response.

The moment Mai Mai arrived at the sector capital, he contacted the Sage Ovilia had mentioned. After seeing what Mai Mai brought, she had indeed agreed to help.

In fact, it was through Sage Donia's introduction that Mai Mai had later been able to meet the Forge Master of the sector's Forge World.

The Forge Master himself had little interest in excavating xenos tombs. He was indeed interested in the xenos technological artifacts Mai Mai had brought, but unfortunately, the items Mai Mai brought were simply not enticing enough.