A Predicament

Alvin could guess some of the Lion King's intentions, but what puzzled him was why he would do such a thing. Had he forgotten about "Luther" from back then?

By allowing Luther to seize power, which ultimately led to the split within the Dark Angels, the Lion King should have been well aware of the consequences of his actions, yet the Primarch still did it—a fact that left Alvin utterly perplexed.

But things had come to this point, and as the fleet's supreme commander, Alvin could only take it one step at a time.

In the real world, how many people actually make predictions without first knowing the truth?

The more complex the plan, the easier it is to make mistakes; similarly, many seemingly grand schemes actually fall apart in the very beginning.

It's merely the strategist making the correct response based on each move.

The same goes for Alvin.

Now that he was already deeply involved in this game, he could only go with the flow and respond to all changes with unchanging strategies.

Soon, the fleet used the communication array to make direct contact with General Hal Kusman, the planetary lord of the Hive City located above Avalon.

In some Hive City, the position of planetary lord and Planetary General are two separate roles. However, in other Hive City, the planetary lord often holds the position of Planetary General concurrently. This Lord Hal is clearly such a powerful planetary lord who combines administrative, judicial, and military authority.

In the holographic image, General Hal is dressed in magnificent noble attire, with Duelist Sword at her waist. Although she is a woman, she possesses a heroic spirit that no man has. A ferocious scar running through her brow bone and lip further demonstrates that this planetary lord is no ordinary person.

"We have confirmed your identity information, Your Excellency Viscount Alvin Valshius. As far as we know, your fleet should have already entered the Black Zone. Why are you suddenly here?"

From the very first word, Hal accurately grasped the most crucial point and raised a question.

The news of the Alvin fleet's voyage was no secret within the Imperium, especially since this was the Dark Side. Despite the impact of the Warp Storm, the news of the Valshius Family restarting their route was still a bombshell within the Imperium!

Moreover, in just a year and a half, thanks to the Ministry of the Interior's promotion, the name Alvin Valshius had become a well-known "hero" among nobles throughout the Imperium.

Saving Losel, repelling the Black Crusade of Alert Star, assisting the Blood Lord in Baal to resist the Tyranid Swarm invasion, and helping the Imperium Navy on the frontier to reclaim the authority of Nomad Port —each and every one of these events was a momentous one!

But why would such a powerful and influential nobleman within the Imperium appear here?

"Governor Hal, the information you received is indeed correct. Not long ago, my fleet was still exploring the Black Zone," Alvin explained methodically. "But due to Warp Storm, I was separated from the family fleet, which is why I ended up on this planet."

The explanation was reasonable, but Hal frowned. It wasn't that she didn't believe it, but the timing of the fleet's appearance was too "coincidental," making it hard for her not to be suspicious.

Seeing her silence, Alvin continued, "Your Excellency Governor Hal, due to the Warp Storm, our fleet has suffered some damage. May we be permitted to enter Hive City Starport for rest and reorganization?"

However, after a few seconds of silence, Governor Hal shook his head. "I'm sorry, please forgive me, but I cannot grant your request at this time, Viscount Alvin."

"Does Governor Hal have some concerns?" Alvin wasn't stupid, and he immediately guessed that the governor might be facing some trouble.

Governor Hal cut to the chase, stating bluntly. "First, Avalon is under attack by the Chaos Fleet, and all starports in the Hive City currently under blockade. Second, I cannot fully trust that your fleet has no connection to Chaos; if you were allowed into the starports, I could not bear the consequences."

These two sentences also helped Alvin understand why Governor Hal dared not let them enter Starport.

To put it bluntly, it's a matter of not being able to trust anyone!

Despite having identification information, it cannot be completely proven that Alvin's current presence in Avalon has nothing to do with Chaos.

Secondly, Avalon is under attack by Chaos, and the starport is of paramount importance. As a planetary lord and bearing the heavy responsibility of the Imperium Governor, Hal cannot tolerate even the slightest mistake.

What if Alvin's fleet enters the starport, and he turns out to be a spy sent by the Chaos to infiltrate their ranks?

Hal dared not gamble, nor could he gamble.

Having understood Hal's predicament, Alvin pondered for a few seconds and offered another suggestion, "I understand your concerns. How about this—the fleet will remain here, and I, along with another person, will personally travel to Hive City to meet you. What do you say?"

Seeing that Governor Hal was still hesitant, he continued, "Of course, for safety reasons and for your duty, we are willing to be under the supervision of guards throughout the process, and we can remove our weapons."

In this way, they are essentially "no threat," demonstrating their sincerity to the greatest extent possible.

"All right."

Governor Hal nodded, indicating his agreement to the meeting. "I will have the Star Whisperer send you the specific location."

We hope you can keep your promise and understand our predicament, otherwise--"

Although Hal didn't say the next sentence explicitly, the threat in his eyes was quite obvious.

If she were to notice even the slightest abnormality in them, this decisive governor would not hesitate to end their lives physically.

"Governor Hal, please rest assured on this point. I swear in the name of the Emperor that I will never cross the line in the slightest."

Alvin immediately assured her.

After the holographic projection conversation ended, Zabriel couldn't bear it any longer. "My lord, I don't understand. Couldn't we just tell her directly that the Primarch has returned? Why go through all this trouble!"

From Zabriel's perspective, the return of the Primarch and the Emperor's offspring was enough to make the Planetary Governor kneel in welcome; what need was there for further words?

Looking at Zabriel, Alvin sighed, "Answer me one question first: how can you prove that the Primarch you speak of is the real Primarch?"

"This-"

This question really stumped Zabriel.

He stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then said naively, "Do we still need to prove anything? Primarch, isn't it? What's there to prove? Just have His Highness the Lion King appear before these mortals, isn't that enough?"

This idea proves that Zabriel's thinking is still stuck in the era Ten Thousand Years Ago, when Space Marine were high above and Primarch were deeply ingrained in people's minds.

"Zabriel, times have changed."

Alvin rubbed his temples and explained, "Ten thousand years ago, no one would have dared to question the Primarch's authenticity. But now, the Primarch have been gone for ten thousand years, and even their existence has become legend and myth. How can you expect these humans, who have never seen Primarch, to believe someone who suddenly appears and claims to be the Primarch?"

The Emperor's offspring?

Zabriel was about to say something when he was interrupted again. Alvin continued, "Besides, what's going on now? Avalon was just attacked by the Chaos Fleet, and then suddenly a warship appears, claiming that there are Emperor's offspring, Primarch, here. If you were in that situation—would you believe it?"

Zabriel was speechless.

If he were the governor of Avalon, he would find it hard to believe that a fleet would suddenly appear on his territory, claiming to have the Primarch. Who knows if this is a conspiracy by the Chaos Fiends?

You say no, where's the proof?

Lion King?

Sorry, the Lion King doesn't really count as evidence.

With his height of over four meters, it would be a miracle if he wasn't mistaken for Chaos Blessed when he stood there.

The idea of conquering with sheer force is contingent on them first entering the Hive City and meeting Governor Hal to convince him that the Lion King is the Primarch.

How can you talk about trust if you can't even get through the door?