The heavy interrogation room door closed behind me, shutting out the agonizing screams from inside.
Bishop Venka's knuckles turned white as he gripped the scepter, and the hem of his red robe swept across the smooth alloy floor, creating a muffled rustling sound.
He had just come out of the makeshift interrogation room, his cuffs still stained with damp blood.
That is the blood of heretics, the filth that has defiled the glory of the God-Emperor.
Throughout the journey, the members of the accompanying Ecclesiarchy Guard kept their heads down, none daring to look directly at the bishop's ashen face.
Everyone knows that this high-ranking pastor is known for his strictness and cannot tolerate the slightest imperfection.
It was bad enough that there were those filthy heretics in the Lower City, but now, even among the new recruits who were about to pay their Tithe, there were followers of the Plague Cleansing Cult.
In Venka's view, this was not merely a simple matter of public order, but a blatant challenge to the authority of the Ecclesiarchy, and a serious dereliction of duty by Governor Brevis.
Kerry von.
The name rolled off his tongue again, carrying a chilling rage.
The young governor rose to fame with several victories, and even Major General Dominic praised him highly.
Yet, a private religious sect with a scale of tens of millions has sprung up under his rule, which is a disgrace to the Imperium.
But Venka was not blinded by anger.
He knew very well that this was Brevis, Kerry Von's territory.
Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, especially since he was merely a representative of the Ecclesiarchy on board, not Inquisitor in the Inquisition, and had no direct authority to arrest the governor.
If things really come to a head, he'll be the only one who suffers.
To take action against this sect, or even against Kerry Von, one must first involve Dominic.
As the supreme commander of the Tithe Fleet, Rear Admiral Dominic had the authority to thoroughly investigate the source of personnel and intervene in Brevis's internal affairs.
Once he agrees, everything will be legitimate.
With this in mind, Bishop Venka headed straight for Dominic's temporary residence in Starport.
The naval guards on duty at the gate saw him and quickly saluted, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
The Ecclesiarchy holds a transcendent position within the Imperium; even a naval rear admiral must show it some respect.
The guards dared not announce his arrival and led him inside.
Dominic was standing in front of the holographic star map, looking at the progress report on the reclamation of Dorito.
Hearing footsteps, he didn't turn around, assuming it was his adjutant delivering documents. It wasn't until he heard the dull thud of a scepter hitting the ground behind him that he frowned and turned around.
Upon recognizing the visitor as Bishop Venka, a fleeting hint of impatience flashed across Dominic's eyes, so quickly it went unnoticed.
The two types of people he has the biggest headache in his life are...
One type is the bureaucrat in the Administratum who nitpicks over wording, and the other is the pastor in the Ecclesiarchy who spouts religious doctrines.
The former slows down efficiency, the latter hinders action; they are all useless red tape.
Despite the annoyance, the outward appearance must be maintained.
Dominic put down the Dataslate in his hand, forced a not-so-enthusiastic smile, and went to greet him:
"Bishop Venka, what brings you here? Please have a seat."
He gestured to the attendant beside him to pour a glass of holy water, a standard service for members of the Ecclesiarchy, even though Dominic himself felt it was no different from ordinary distilled water.
Bishop Venka neither sat down nor accepted the cup offered by the orderly.
He stood there, his gaze sweeping over the star map and tactical terminal in the room, his face devoid of any smile, his tone direct and accusatory:
"Major General Dominic, as the plenipotentiary tax collector of the Imperium 'Tithe, you bear the sacred responsibility bestowed upon you by the God-Emperor."
"But it seems you've focused too much energy on the battlefield and agriculture, neglecting the very core purity of your faith."
Dominic's smile faded slightly.
Imposing labels right off the bat is a consistent practice of the Ecclesiarchy.
He thought to himself, but remained outwardly calm, pulled up a chair, sat down, and slowly began to speak:
"Why do you say that, Bishop? The recruitment of soldiers has always been carried out in accordance with Imperium regulations, and each batch undergoes strict identity verification."
"Regarding religious matters, I remember that the accompanying Ecclesiarchy clergy would perform a standardized blessing ceremony before boarding the ship. Could there have been some mishap?"
Dominic isn't stupid.
The fact that Carter came to our door specifically, and with such a confrontational attitude, must mean that there's been some trouble related to faith at the recruitment site.
Nine times out of ten, it's Chaos Cultist or a heretical sect that has infiltrated.
In places like the Lower City, this kind of thing is like moss; it grows like crazy if you water it.
But he didn't expect that Venka's next words would directly turn the tables on Lynn.
"A mistake?" Bishop Venka sneered, his voice suddenly rising.
"This is more than just a mistake! It's a blatant blasphemy against the God-Emperor!"
"Major General, you should really ask your friend, Kerry von..."
"Ask him if his faith is still pure, ask him whose domain is Brevis under his rule!"
Dominic's brow furrowed even more.
Kerry? What does this have to do with Kerry?
He believed he knew Lynn fairly well.
Although that young man was a bit cunning and cold-hearted, he was absolutely on the side of the Imperium in the big picture.
Suppressing the Orks and retaking Dorito —these are all genuine achievements. How can they be related to impure faith?
"You flatter me, Bishop," Dominic said, his tone becoming somewhat somber.
"Governor Kerry's loyalty to the Imperium is beyond question."
"I fought alongside him, and I know his character well. I don't know exactly where he violated the doctrine; I would appreciate it if the bishop could clarify."
Seeing that Dominic was still defending Lynn, Bishop Venka's anger intensified. He stopped beating around the bush and slammed the interrogation record onto the table next to him.
The parchment struck the table with a crisp "snap".
"Speak plainly? Fine, then I'll make it clear to you!" Venka's voice was filled with suppressed anger.
"The faith of this batch of Tithe soldiers has been corrupted!"
"Tens of thousands of new recruits no longer regard the God-Emperor as the only true God, but instead pray to and give thanks to a heretical organization called the ' Plague Cleansing Cult '!"
He pointed to the record, his fingers trembling slightly with anger:
"These new recruits admitted that they were able to leave the Lower City alive and stand on Starport entirely thanks to the Plague Cleansing Cult, which provided food and identified the sick."
"They are more grateful to the sect than to the Imperium, and pray for the sect's protection than for the God-Emperor's!"
"What is this? This is heresy!"
"This is dismantling the authority of the Ecclesiarchy, shaking the very foundation of the God-Emperor's faith!" Bishop Venka became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his white beard trembling.
"Who allowed them to establish their own sect? Who allowed them to mislead the people in the name of 'salvation'?"
" The Hive City under Kerry Von's rule. How could he not know about such a large sect suddenly appearing out of nowhere? I think he's deliberately condoning it!"
With things having progressed to this point, Dominic could no longer sit idly by and simply deal with the matter perfunctorily.
He picked up the interrogation records on the table and quickly glanced at them.
The records above are fragmented, mostly testimonies from new recruits, mentioning things like the gray robes, the Plague-Cleansing Apostles, the burning of infected people, and the distribution of food.
There wasn't much core information, but it was clear that the Plague Cleansing Cult wielded considerable influence in the Lower City, with a large number of followers.
He pretended to still be pondering the contents of the note, but his mind was already racing with calculations.
Something's not right.
The last time he talked to Kerry about the heresies in the Lower City, Carey clearly listed four sects.
The Redemptionists, the Chaos Ascendant Sect, the Calamity Sect, the Doomsday Sect, and it was also mentioned that the Chaos Ascendant Sect is being suppressed as a key focus.
From beginning to end, not a single word was mentioned about the " Plague Cleansing Cult ".
Was Kerry deliberately concealing information, or is this sect a recent phenomenon?
Dominic prefers the latter.