The Ecclesiarchy respectfully requests Lord Lin En's instructions

When they finally arrived at Emperor's Scythes...

What's going on? There's absolutely no sign of the branch fleet outside the planet!

Sotha was in sight. The gray-blue planet slowly rotated, its orbit densely packed with defensive platforms and warships. The Emperor's Scythes fleet was arrayed in orbit, its formation impeccable, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The outside space was completely empty and clean, except for one insect.

Lin En turned around. "Phoros, did you detect the Kraken branch?"

Phoros stood in front of another screen, swiping across the data panel and reviewing it repeatedly.

No, there are no signals from the Kraken branch within the galaxy.

"... Could it be that it hasn't arrived yet?"

"My lord, the Emperor's Scythes had already detected the Tyranids branch fleet. We've traveled for a whole day, so the branch fleet should be ahead of us, either already there or nearby."

After frowning and examining the area, Phoros looked up at him again. "There's nothing on either side now."

Lin En turned her head back.

"Something's not right, something's really not right, could it be...?"

Just then, the communication channel crackled to life.

"Lord Lin En," Sosila's voice held a hint of awkwardness, "You've arrived. I'm at the orbital control center. Please, along with the other lords, proceed to the orbital docking point."

Lin En stared at him for two seconds, then narrowed his eyes. "Lord Sosila, you're not playing a trick on me, are you?"

"How could that be! Absolutely not! No way!!!" Sosila quickly waved her hands in denial. "It's just... the situation is a bit complicated. Please come to the planet's orbit first, and I'll explain it to you in detail."

Lin En raised an eyebrow.

He wanted to see just how difficult it was to explain.

"Okay, we're coming right now."

Ten minutes later, Lin En led Phoros and the others to the Sal Orbital Command Center, where Sosila was waiting for them at the entrance.

The Emperor's Scythes had a taut expression, as if he had swallowed a live fly.

"Lord Lin En." Sosila out.

Lin En shook his hand, skipped the pleasantries, and asked directly, "Where's the bug?"

Sosila took a deep breath.

They got away.

Lin En paused.

"What?"

"They got away," Sosila repeated, his expression resolute. "The Kraken branch fleet suddenly turned around and fled after reaching the outer reaches of the Sotha System."

Lin En: "What?!"

Sosila looked as if she had suffered a great injustice. She picked up a Dataslate from the side and handed it to Lin En: "Lord Lin En, this is our reconnaissance record. After the branch fleet reached the location of the outer planet of the Sotha System, it suddenly changed course, turned around, accelerated towards the Oort Cloud, and left."

Lin En took the Dataslate and stared at it for a long time.

The Dataslate clearly showed that the Kraken branch's trajectory turned around from the outer edge of the Sal system and accelerated away in the opposite direction.

"We've analyzed it," Sosila, bearing her humiliation, "And it might be related to your fleet."

"?"

"The Kraken branch can sense its surroundings. It's highly likely that the Kraken branch detected the approach of the Purple Carapace Chapter and identified it as a high-threat target, so..."

So they ran away, afraid of being eaten.

Lin En's hands were trembling as she gripped the Dataslate.

The sky has fallen.

Good heavens, even the Hive Fleet has learned to run away!

They came all this way, but the feed quota is getting tighter and tighter. The Mothership is getting indigestion and acting up because it's eating so much Greenskins. They finally got a Kraken branch, but it ran away.

I look down on them!

Chase!

Lin En led Phoros and the others and ran away.

Sosila called out from behind, "Lord Lin En! The branch fleet is heading Eastern Fringe! There are other Xenos activities there! Please be very careful!"

What?!

There are other Xenos?!

Lin En ran even faster.

Sosila watched Lin En disappear at the edge of the starport, then the Night Goddess and took off again.

Sosila stood there for a while, sighed, and picked up the communicator.

"Father, Lord Lin En has arrived. He learned that the Kraken branch has fled, and Lord Lin En has fled as well."

Guilliman replied calmly, "Yes, that's how Lord Lin En is. Alright, don't worry about it, let him fight it out himself, he's not going to lose anyway."

Sosila paused for three seconds. "... Yes."

Waaah, they're still too weak.

********

On the other side, Terra.

The Ecclesiarch also received a report from Bolomite: Emperor's Envoy Lin En controlled the Tyranids, sweeping away the Greenskins, Drukhari, and Necrons, expanding the Imperium's territory.

The Pope convened an emergency meeting.

The Ecclesiarchy's cathedral was luxurious and solemn.

This church is one of the largest buildings in Terra, with gold-inlaid murals covering the entire ceiling, depicting scenes such as the Ascension of the Emperor, the Horus Heresy, and the Sacrifice of Sanguinius.

Stained glass windows extend from the ground to the dome.

The Pope sat in the main seat on the high platform, with twelve Cardinal seated in two rows below him, each with a copy of a report in front of them.

The church was quiet, with only the occasional rustling of pages turning.

The Pope began, "I'm sure you've all seen Bolomite's report."

Everyone nodded.

The Pope then asked, "Which cardinal would like to speak first?"

The first Cardinal on the left stood up. "Your Holiness, Lord Lin En's actions have been effective! The Imperium has indeed restored order in these star systems."

"Yes, yes, isn't that a good thing?"

"This is a genuine achievement. The Emperor's Envoy, leading the Imperium auxiliary forces, has expanded the Imperium's territory. Now the entire nation knows that Your Excellency is a noble Living Saint. If the Ecclesiarchy doesn't even make a sound, what will outsiders think? What will the believers think?"

Another Cardinal said, "Yes! This is the Emperor's grace! And the glory of our Ecclesiarchy! Since Lord Lin En is Living Saint, and has not yet been registered, shouldn't we prepare a formal investiture ceremony for him?"

Another Cardinal said, "But he controls the Tyranids, so the Inquisition might..."

"The Imperium has always stipulated that all Xenos are enemies of humanity; they cannot be allied with, traded with, or coexisted with."

The third Cardinal said, "But the Emperor's grace can manifest anywhere, including Xenos."

"The Emperor personally ordered him to fight. He radiates Golden Light, can draw the Lord's Gaze, can heal warriors, can Purification corruption, and can see through illusions. What else could he be but Living Saint? Could he be a heretic?"

"But he is, after all, leading a swarm of insects..."

"Can the insects bestowed by the Emperor be called Xenos? They should be called the Emperor's Swarm."

"The Emperor's Swarm."

"Yes, the Emperor's Swarm. The Emperor bestowed the Swarm upon the Saints to aid them in war; what a great story! The Chaplain will have something to tell during their sermons."

The Pope tapped the table. "Very well. Whether Lord Lin En is a saint or not is for our all-knowing and all-powerful Lord to decide. Our work is to proclaim the greatness of our Lord. Starting tomorrow, have all the Chaplain chant ' The Emperor's Swarm' throughout the Imperium, with passionate tones, so that everyone in the Imperium knows that our God has not abandoned His poor lamb."

Then a cardinal slowly raised his hand. "Your Holiness the Pope."

"Speaking."

The Cardinal carefully chose his words: "You mean... to include insects in sermons?"

"Yes, write it in. ' The Emperor bestowed upon His Lambs a loyal auxiliary force; Emperor's Envoy Lin En, the Emperor's special envoy, commanded by the Emperor to lead the Zerg swarm to wipe out the Xenos.' That's how it should be written."

"But what if it's wrong..." one of the Cardinal hesitated.

"Our all-knowing and all-powerful Lord knows everything; we only need to act. If our supreme Lord does not refute us, it means we are walking on the right path."

The other Cardinal also hesitated. "What about Lord Lin En's investiture..."

The Pope remained calm. "Send a message to Bolomite first, and inquire about Lord Lin En's opinion."

They dare not claim that the Ecclesiarchy Living Saint grant them official titles or grant them titles whenever they wish.

They had to say, "The Ecclesiarchy respectfully requests Lord Lin En's instructions."

They will bestow titles whenever Lin En is available.