As Atlas's professional intelligence department, the Ninth Company immediately sealed off all information.
After carefully reviewing the incident, Mordred realized that the kidnapping and familial slaughter weren't without a solution. Tom, that bastard, knew perfectly well that what he had done was inhuman, so he hadn't shown his true face when he left. Instead, he had disguised himself as a Rogue Trader.
Joseph also lived up to his reputation as a slick old hand who had risen through the ranks of the Alpha Legion. He directly arranged a hero-saving-beauty act for Tom.
First, they sent people to alter the memories of the Nightfall Star farmers who knew the truth. Taking advantage of the opening, they transferred the people, changed the transport ship's paint scheme, and sailed it to Serenity Starport. Finally, in front of the Nightfall Star natives, they had Tom call Atlas to board the ship and rescue his abducted countrymen.
Watching Tom wave his hands in front of the cameras on the starport plaza, moving them as if he were playing an accordion while passionately reciting his lines about how he had discovered the merchant's slave trafficking and rescued everyone, Mordred strode out and began his performance.
"That's right. Although our Serene World is still rebuilding from the ruins, we will never bully the weak!
"Everyone knows that it was our Atlas that took in refugees on the front lines, that it was our Atlas that gave these homeless brothers and sisters hot meals, and that it was through the efforts of every one of us that our homeland has steadily improved."
A few tears were forcibly squeezed out, dampening the corners of Mordred's eyes. Under the crowd's puzzled gazes, the golden-haired giant said sorrowfully:
"But I never imagined that there would be such fools, with nothing but themselves on their minds, who would actually persecute their fellow humans. This is all my fault!"
"No! Your Highness, this isn't your fault. If anything, blame yourself for being too good to us. We were simply unable to build our homeland faster, giving those bad people an opening."
The people's emotions were instantly ignited. They weren't ignorant fools who knew nothing; because of the starport, they had a very clear understanding of how people outside were living.
A middle-aged man in cheap work clothes waved his arm, drawing everyone's attention. With Mordred's approval, he jumped onto the podium.
"Your Highness, you've already done enough. Before I came to Serenity, the world I lived in was oppressed by aliens. Every night, the most important thing for everyone was to lock the doors and windows tightly, terrified that the hateful aliens in the darkness would snatch us away.
"But after coming to Serenity, I no longer have to live in fear at night. My children can even attend Literacy Class and learn the writing that only the educated people who call us scum know.
"So, Your Highness, you don't need to apologize to us. We're already perfectly content with the lives we have now. You are our pride!"
Mordred unconsciously glanced at his descendants behind him and thought, JOJO, you did a fine job. You even arranged a cheering section for me. He immediately spoke:
"No! This is what I should do. Besides, I'm no hero. You are—the real heroes are all of you.
"And I have another piece of good news to announce here.
"Through this rescue, Atlas has learned the whereabouts of a primarch who has yet to return to the Imperium. It won't be long before I lead my brothers back to the Imperium.
"Long live the Imperium!"
"Long live the Imperium! Long live Atlas!"
As the speech ended, a group of heavily armored Dog-men guards began clearing the area and escorted their leader away. Once they reached an empty place, Mordred immediately pressed one hand against Tom beside him.
"Boy, if you make me clean up your mess again, I'll send you to Green Grassland to raise chickens. Look at Joseph—he even knew to find actors to build up the atmosphere for me. Learn from him!"
"Huh? But, Father, I didn't arrange any actors."
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that our secret is safe. Now send a message to the Eighteenth Legion and tell them that your good uncle has found their primarch. As for us, we're leaving for Nightfall Star immediately.
"By the way, should I bring my brother a gift? Do you two have any suggestions?"
Joseph shook his head. Who knew what a primarch liked? But Tom felt this was a chance to restore his image in front of his father. He had been prepared for this long ago.
"Father, look."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Eighth Company Captain held out a bag of Crispy Fried Chicken that was still steaming. It was even coated in a layer of honey that looked incredibly appetizing.
Perhaps remembering Nightfall Star's rather hot climate, Tom had thoughtfully prepared an insulated box as well. Inside were several Iced Watermelons, all seedless!
Mordred nodded, picked up a piece of fried chicken, and tossed it into his mouth. Then he split open a watermelon and took a bite, unable to keep from praising it:
"Good. Fried chicken with watermelon. If I didn't know your background, I would have started suspecting you were a spy Old Man Huang planted beside me.
"I take back what I said before. Tom, you really are one hell of a talent!"
The enduring, scorching furnace fire was Burning Fiercely, illuminating the tall giant sitting in the center of the floor.
As a blacksmith who had grown up on Nightfall Star from the moment he Opened Eyes, Wokan had long since grown accustomed to the furnace's heat. But today, he was different, because Wokan knew clearly that he had already died once.
Seeing the giant sitting on the floor in a daze, Tu'Bel, one of the leaders of the Seven Sanctuaries, patted his nephew's arm worriedly.
"Wokan, it's already been two weeks. Those people captured by the raiders aren't coming back. This isn't your fault. No one could have predicted their arrival."
"No, they aren't those Pointy-ears aliens. They're humans—the same species as us!"
Tu'Bel fell silent. How could he not know that the creatures who had descended from the sky and wantonly captured their people were human? But he was even more worried about his nephew's condition.
"Wokan, I'm your uncle. If your father were still alive, he definitely wouldn't want to see you like this. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Gelt."
Wokan rarely cursed in a Nightfall Star swear word, which shocked Tu'Bel. Was this really his gentle, kind nephew?
"Uncle, those people are a bunch of bastards more despicable than aliens. Especially that scum piloting the aircraft—he actually toyed with me and chased me for ten whole hours.
"Whenever I slowed down even a little, he would shoot at me with his weapons. In the end, I couldn't take it anymore, and he even bombed me."
Remembering the humiliating experience of being unable to hit his opponent while being driven along by cannon fire, Wokan cursed viciously again.
But just as adolescent boys grew anxious about certain particularly hairy places, Wokan didn't tell his family that he had died once and then come back to life. After all, that was simply too fantastical.
"Bell, I'm certain those bastards will come back. We have to prepare in advance. This is an even more malicious gaze than the Great Cataclysm.
"Even if we assume the worst, and the humans beyond the stars are all this malicious, our people will surely be enslaved. Perhaps someone is already watching our every move from the sky.
"Wait...
"No! I think I really do feel some indescribably strange thing watching me. Bell, do you smell something? It smells so good!"
Through the window, Wokan suddenly discovered that the area outside was packed with people. Among the crowd stood a pale-skinned, golden-haired giant who was clearly not a local, seemingly selling something.
Looking at the dark-skinned big man walking out of the building, Mordred grinned, tossed battered chicken into the fryer with practiced ease, and shouted:
"Hey... you over there, Black Uncle! Come have some fried chicken!"
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