On the transport plane, Lynn looked down at the Hive City.
Countless people gathered in the streets, waving homemade flags and portraits, and shouting "his" name.
Just as Lynn's fleet docked at the starport, the news had already reached Uptown Brevis.
As the transport plane flew overhead, the cheers from the crowd grew even louder.
Lynn was filled with mixed emotions.
Their demands are simple: to have enough to eat and to live peacefully.
For Rena's sake, and for theirs as well, he must weather this Tithe crisis.
The transport plane landed on the helipad at the Governor's residence.
As soon as Lynn stepped off the transport plane, he saw Carter and Leo already waiting for him there.
Carter was still the same as always, dressed in a crisp blue-gray military uniform, his face expressionless, and he was taciturn.
But when he saw Lynn, a hint of undisguised joy flashed in his eyes.
Leo, on the other hand, was a bit thinner and looked much more composed.
" Kerry! You're finally back!" Leo strode forward and gave Lynn a big hug.
"If you don't come back soon, I'm going to break down!"
"You've worked hard," Lynn said with a smile, patting him on the back.
"It's not hard work," Leo said, releasing Lynn with a pained expression.
"It's mainly emotionally exhausting. You have no idea what I've been through these past few months while you were gone."
The three entered the governor's mansion and sat down in the living room.
The maid served tea and snacks, then left and closed the door.
Although he deliberately adopted a dignified, patriarchal demeanor, he quickly dropped his pretense in front of familiar faces like Lynn and Carter.
His once spirited face, upon closer inspection, was filled with fatigue and weariness.
Although his hair was meticulously styled, he had heavy dark circles under his eyes.
"Tell me, how's things at home?" Lynn picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked.
"What else can I do?" Leo sighed and began to pour out his grievances.
"After you left, Luna's cronies who remained in Brevis started stirring up trouble, trying to seize power."
"I fought them for months, and it was only with great difficulty that I managed to stabilize the situation."
"And those old fogies from the Adeptus Mechanicus are even more difficult to deal with. They keep talking about the will of Omnissiah, and they say this won't do and that won't do."
"If it weren't for the lingering influence left by my grandfather, I doubt I would have been able to defeat them."
"Right now, I only control half of the St. Garus Family's power and assets; the other half is still in Luna's hands."
Lynn hummed in agreement; the result was better than he had expected, since the Knight House was heavily reliant on the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Leo's ability to fight Luna's forces, who are supported by the Adeptus Mechanicus, to a standstill using his legitimate bloodline is quite impressive.
"But the worst part is, my grandfather still hasn't been found." Leo's tone turned somber.
"I sent many people to search, covering the entire Brevis, but there was no trace of him. It's as if he vanished into thin air."
Lynn nodded and reassured him, "Don't worry, Lord Caladogon is very experienced; he'll be fine."
"Perhaps he's somewhere now, recuperating and rebuilding his life."
"I hope so." Leo forced a smile.
After pausing for a moment, he looked at Lynn and said seriously:
" Kerry, I won't say much else. Rest assured, the St. Garus Family will fully support you with the Tithe this time."
"Although Knight House are not required to pay the regular Tithe, we can provide you with food, military equipment, and funds as needed."
"Because we're friends."
Lynn was immediately overjoyed.
With the support of Leo and the St. Garus Family, even though it's only half of St. Garus, the pressure of Tithe this time is much less.
"Thank you, Leo," Lynn said sincerely.
"No need to thank me," Leo waved his hand.
"By the way, what about Luna? How is she? I heard she's not doing so well on Carl II?"
When Luna was mentioned, Leo's face lit up with a gloating expression.
Lynn smiled and briefly recounted what had happened on Carl II.
When Leo talked about how Luna was routed by the Orks and her fleet suffered more than half its losses, Leo laughed so hard he almost fell over.
"Hahaha, serves him right, that was so satisfying!" Leo said, slapping his thigh.
"Let her be so arrogant all the time, she's finally fallen for it this time!"
"Let's see how she dares to swagger in front of us now."
Seeing Leo come back to life, Lynn and Carter couldn't help but laugh.
The atmosphere in the living room became much more relaxed.
That evening, Lynn hosted a grand welcome banquet at the Governor's Palace.
He invited himself to meet all the big shots in Brevis.
Most of the guild leaders in Midtown, nearly half of the leaders of the Scavengers' Alliance in Lower City, and several noble groups that supported him.
There were also the nobles brought by Leo, who followed the legitimate St. Garus Family.
The banquet hall of the Governor's Mansion was brightly lit, and people were clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.
Everyone surrounded Lynn, showering her with compliments and praise.
They all wore genuine smiles.
For them, Lynn's victory was their victory.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Lynn stood up and raised his glass.
The banquet hall fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at Lynn.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lynn's voice was authoritative and loud.
"I'm very happy today."
"I'm so glad I came back alive, and I'm so glad to see everyone again."
"The victory of Carl II is not just my victory, it is the victory of all of us."
"It is a victory for every soldier who fought and bled on the front lines, a victory for every worker who silently contributed in the rear, and a victory for every citizen who believed in the Emperor Brevis."
"I'm here, thank you everyone!"
Lynn raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Everyone raised their glasses and cheered loudly.
After the cheers subsided, Lynn's expression turned serious.
"However, I have some bad news to tell you all." Lynn's voice lowered.
" The Imperium's Tithe -collecting fleet is about to arrive in Brevis."
The banquet hall fell silent instantly.
A solemn expression appeared on everyone's face.
Tithe —this was a mountain weighing down on every citizen of the Imperium.
No one wants to talk about it, but they have to face it.
"I know everyone is having a hard time," Lynn said sincerely, looking at everyone.
" Brevis has just emerged from war, and everything is in need of rebuilding."
"We lack food, supplies, and manpower."
"However, we must pay the Imperium's Tithe."
"If we fail to pay, what awaits us is trial by the Inquisition and annihilation by the Imperium."
" Brevis will be finished then."
"Therefore, I hope everyone can work together to overcome this difficult time."
"I've already discussed it with Archon Carter; the various labor unions will be responsible for providing the mineral resources and military supplies."
"The recruitment of soldiers is mainly handled by the Scavengers' Alliance."
"As for the most scarce resource, food, I hope my fellow nobles can lend a helping hand to Brevis."
"As for the Psyker might be subject to requisition, I will find a way to resolve that and won't cause any trouble for anyone."