77. Sevatar

"Sevatar?"

Hades, practically welded to his desk, asked as he held a stack of files. Across from him stood two Space Marines with similar yet distinctly different temperaments.

One bat whelp, one raven whelp—one represented the Assassinorum, the other the Inquisition.

During Hades's first month back on Terra, these two Imperial departments had remained relatively quiet. Afterwards, they had both dutifully submitted respectable pledges of allegiance.

Now that most of the Imperium's power had fallen into Hades's hands and everything had returned to order, the factions truly pulling strings behind the scenes in those two departments were finally trying to make further contact with him.

Hades was in no rush. There were priorities in all things. The urgent matters were the Psykers, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Ministry of the Interior. As for these institutions that had managed well enough in ordinary times, Hades had set them aside for now. After giving them a warning, he had loosened the reins.

"Yes."

The bat, whose eyes still held a trace of white, said, "Lord Underking, forgive our presumption, but we have been searching for Lord Sevatar's whereabouts. We hoped to ask whether you knew any secrets."

"And whether or not you are willing to help us," said the raven with pitch-black eyes, "the Inquisition and the Assassinorum shall both offer you our loyalty."

Hades raised his gaze, his eyes moving thoughtfully between the two warriors.

"You only came to find me now?"

He raised a brow. "No hurry?"

"Please forgive us," Raven Guard Strike said. "As humanity's final line of defense against xenos, we must uphold our conscience."

Strike revealed a taut smile.

"And you showed us hope."

Before the raven could continue, a sharp smile appeared on the bat's face. Kellen bared his fangs.

"As for why we came so