Follow Me

Meanwhile.

Grey patrolled the first floor in his Power Armor, making sure he could immediately throw himself into battle when the rebels attacked.

When he reached the largest room on the first floor, Grey was suddenly called out. Turning toward the person calling him, he saw Laun.

Laun stood in the doorway, studying Grey with a smile. "Do you have time for a chat?"

Grey frowned, feeling intense disgust, but after thinking of something, he suddenly nodded. "Sure."

Laun ushered Grey into his room, closed the door, then went to the table and personally poured him a drink.

"What is this?" Grey stared at the cup and asked warily.

"Wine." Laun smiled, picked up the cup, and offered it to Grey with both hands.

"I've seen black wine and orange wine, but never clear wine. I didn't study much, so don't try to fool me." Grey accepted the cup doubtfully.

Laun merely smiled and said nothing, quietly watching Grey lift the cup to his faceplate and sniff it.

Though he could not see Grey's expression beneath the faceplate, Laun was certain he was utterly intoxicated by the scent.

Grey then opened his faceplate and drained the cup in one gulp. "Emperor above... what is this... Emperor..."

The taste of the wine left Grey shocked and bewildered. He timidly savored the pleasure, afraid to lose himself in it.

"Poor thing." Laun smiled and shook his head. "It's merely wine brewed from fruit, an insignificant luxury. Of course, for an Underhive dweller like you, it's a delicacy you wouldn't even dare dream of."

With that, Laun did something that astonished Grey: he gave him the remaining half-bottle of fruit wine.

"Thank you, sir." Grey accepted the wine with both hands and carefully tucked it into his Jump Pack.

The distance between them had narrowed somewhat, and Grey no longer hated Laun as much as before.

Laun first assessed Grey's attitude. After weighing it over, he decided to press further. "Did you know that the Governor's cousin's wife is my sister? I..."

"Why was a noble like you sold too?" Grey interrupted Laun and asked.

"It was all the Marshal's fault. He was too rash and overconfident. It had nothing to do with the Governor." Laun answered first, then continued what he had intended to say. "If we get out of here, I'll recommend you as a general in the Planetary Defense Force."

Upon hearing that, Grey raised his head and looked straight at Laun, his eyes beneath the faceplate filled with yearning.

Becoming a general was something an Underhive soldier would never even dare imagine.

Grey knew it meant he could become a noble, taking his family and friends out of the cesspit that was the Underhive and becoming one household in the clean, orderly upper hive districts.

"But you understand." Laun knew Grey had been swayed. "This is an exchange of interests. You must offer something as well—something insignificant to me, but extremely important at this moment."

"What is it?" Grey asked.

"Loyalty," Laun answered.

"..." Grey gave no further reply. He lowered his head and pondered.

Seeing his hesitation, Laun was not worried in the slightest. As a noble well versed in intrigue, he had a hundred ways to subtly probe Grey's thoughts.

In Laun's eyes, Grey was merely constrained by useless personal ties, unable to make a rational judgment and decision about his own future.

All it would take was a little probing.

"You don't need to give me an answer so quickly." Laun smiled and shook his head. "I'll be inspecting the other positions next, telling the soldiers there that someone truly capable of taking command of the entire defensive line has appeared. That someone is me. I'll make sure they understand that."

Grey listened quietly.

"If you're willing, bring your Power Armor, along with other soldiers like yourself, and come with me," Laun continued.

After making his request, Laun quietly waited for Grey's reply.

If Grey nodded, it would mean he yearned for power and status. Though he was still unable to break free from those useless personal ties and could not yet make up his mind to betray Qin Mo, he would sooner or later stand with Laun.

Beneath the Power Armor's faceplate, Grey's expression was extremely complicated. After considering it for a long time, he stood and walked to the door.

Laun thought in disappointment that Grey intended to refuse him, but Grey immediately pushed open the door and gestured for him to proceed. "It is only right that I obey your orders, sir."

"Excellent, soldier!" Laun smiled in satisfaction as he walked out of the room.

In the corridor, Laun strode forward with his hands behind his back. With Grey following behind him, even his bearing became more imposing and arrogant.

Laun was delighted. He did not notice, nor could he have noticed, just how vicious Grey's expression was beneath his faceplate.

Next door.

Lyle also had a room of her own. It had existed before the building was expanded into a fortress, complete with a bedroom and bathroom.

The fortress still had running water, so water suitable for bathing came out simply by turning the tap. It reeked strongly of filtration chemicals, but what more could one ask for in the Underhive?

Lyle locked her door, took a bath, then lay on the mat and recalled everything she had experienced that day.

Then she thought of the moment Qin Mo had sent her back, when he removed his faceplate and revealed his true appearance.

That man gave her a peculiar feeling.

It was neither the stirring of romance nor admiration or gratitude. He simply looked familiar, as though she had seen him somewhere before.

Out of professional habit as an Adeptus Arbites intelligence agent, Lyle took out her personal data terminal and searched the Adeptus Arbites database for the name Qin Mo.

There was only one person in the Hive City with that strange name, and the person who bore it was in the Adeptus Arbites database.

Name: Qin Mo

Prisoner Number: 444

Reason for Arrest: Unregistered Psyker, attempted murder using Psychic Power.

Beneath that information was a photograph of Qin Mo. He looked utterly miserable when the Adeptus Arbites had captured and photographed him.

"Number 444!" Lyle sucked in a sharp breath, shut her data terminal with force, and trembled all over.

She remembered where she had seen Qin Mo before.

During Qin Mo's arrest!

It was precisely because she had taken part in the dangerous operation to capture Qin Mo that Lyle had earned the qualifications to be promoted to intelligence agent. When Qin Mo was arrested, she had been standing nearby, though she had only caught one glimpse of him.

"Emperor above!" Lyle hurriedly dressed, pushed open her door, and headed for Laun's room. She had to report that Qin Mo was a prisoner.

But when she reached Laun's door and pushed it open, she found no one inside.

"Laun went out with Grey." Grot, who had taken over Grey's first-floor patrol, walked over and looked down at Lyle from within his Power Armor.

"Good evening, sir. Could you take me to the Legion Commander?" Lyle asked respectfully.

"If you have something to report, go directly to Qin Mo," Grot said.

"I'm sorry, but I really have something extremely important to report."

"Do you know where the rebels' leader is or something? If not, stop talking. You Adeptus Arbites lot sure have a lot to say."

"Please... sir..."

"..."

"Why won't I take you to Laun?"

A voice that sounded utterly terrifying to Lyle spoke from behind her.

Trembling, Lyle turned around and saw Qin Mo.

Qin Mo smiled like a perfect gentleman and extended a hand as though he were a genuinely kind person. "Come, madam. I'll take you to Laun."

"I don't need to see the Legion Commander anymore." Lyle shook her head hard, trying to return to her room as though nothing had happened.

But Qin Mo blocked her path and ordered in a tone that allowed no defiance, "You don't have to see Laun, but you must come with me."