The vehicle slowly drove through the city's wide streets, with towering buildings outside the window twinkling with lights in the Twilight.
Although the planet where Landon Abbey is located does not have massive Hive Cities like other worlds in the Imperium of Man, its urban scale is still astonishing—gigantic metal structures rise from the ground, and busy spaceports constantly see void ships taking off and landing, transporting goods from all over the galaxy to this planet.
Siddhga gently rested her forehead against the cold car window, watching the flowing streetscape outside.
It wasn't her first time in the city, but every time she stepped into this jungle of steel and concrete, she felt an inexplicable sense of detachment.
As an Untouchable, the Void Field emanating from her body was a fatal threat to ordinary people, which made it impossible for her to live normally in the city.
Only after many years of rigorous training at the Abbey, completely mastering the technique of controlling her field, was she able to briefly enter the city during her monthly supply runs.
However, even with the ability to control her field, poverty remained another high wall in front of her.
The meager stipends of the Sisters of Silences were only enough to purchase the most basic necessities, which meant she could only frequent the outer markets whenever she went to the city; the simple stalls selling cheap food and daily necessities were the extent of her knowledge of the city.
The brightly lit towers and elaborately decorated commercial districts in the city center remained an unattainable existence for her.
But today, everything was different.
Vincent drove the vehicle through her familiar market and continued deeper into the city.
Siddhga nervously clutched the fabric on her knees, watching the scenery outside gradually become unfamiliar and prosperous.
When the vehicle finally stopped in front of a magnificent palace complex, she almost forgot to breathe.
Vincent deftly handed the vehicle over to the welcoming official and motioned for Siddhga to follow him.
They passed through a heavily guarded courtyard and arrived at a flat helipad.
There, a shuttle was quietly waiting for them.
Vincent offered no extra pleasantries, simply making a concise gesture for Siddhga to fasten her seatbelt and place her luggage in the storage compartment.
Once everything was ready, the shuttle's engine emitted a low roar, carrying them through the atmosphere and into the vast starry sky.
The shuttle quickly broke through the planet's atmosphere, and the dark cosmic curtain unfolded outside the viewport, starlight shimmering like shattered diamonds.
Siddhga held her breath, watching the gradually enlarging steel behemoth ahead—a void ship hung silently in orbit, its massive silhouette gleaming with cold, hard metallic luster under the illumination of starlight.
This was her first time leaving the planetary surface, her first time witnessing the majestic sight of a void ship with her own eyes.
In her understanding, Landon Abbey was already a colossal entity, but this warship before her gave her a nearly suffocating shock—it was practically like a steel mountain floating in the void, its massive hull covered with turrets, sensor arrays, and thruster nozzles, with countless lights flickering on its hull like stars.
"Is this the might of the Imperium of Man?" Siddhga stood within the gigantic hangar, large enough to accommodate the entire Abbey, looking out at the boundless universe through the wide observation window, her heart surging with an unspeakable awe.
The busy ground crew in the hangar, the neatly arranged aircraft, the Tech-Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus moving back and forth—all of this reminded her that she was standing in a corner of the Imperium of Man's vast military power.
Vincent seemed to sense her shock, a slight smile playing on his lips as he explained, "This is just a Sword-Class fast frigate, one of the smallest types of active warships in the Imperial Navy.
However, it's fast and highly maneuverable, so the Governor specifically dispatched it to pick up the Sisters of Silences of the Hunter Demon Order."
"Are there other sisters?" Siddhga silently asked in sign language.
Vincent nodded in response: "A total of four Hunter Demon Orders have answered the Governor's summons, and your Landon Abbey is the second. We still need to pick up people from two other locations."
With that, he gestured for Siddhga to follow him, leading her into a spacious elevator.
With a mechanical hum, the elevator ascended steadily, carrying them to the frigate's upper deck.
The elevator smoothly stopped on the upper deck, and as the hatch slid open, Siddhga's eyes widened.
In stark contrast to the industrial style of the lower deck, with its mechanical hums and exposed conduits, the corridors here were covered with deep red non-slip carpets, the walls inlaid with brass decorative strips, and every so often, the Imperial double-headed eagle emblem and the fleet's honor banners were hung.
Soft lighting from the ceiling emitted a warm, pale golden glow, making the entire area appear solemn and elegant.
Vincent led her through several corridors, finally stopping before a hatch carved with the Imperial crest.
As the identity verification passed, the hatch slid open silently, and Siddhga couldn't help but widen her eyes—what lay before her was a suite comparable in size to Landon Abbey's main chapel.
The entrance led to a living room, furnished with leather-wrapped sofas and mother-of-pearl inlaid coffee tables, with oil paintings depicting glorious Imperial campaigns hanging on the walls.
Further inside was a spacious bedroom, with a bed covered in pristine white linen sheets, and even fresh flowers on the bedside table.
In the private bathroom, gilded faucets and marble-inlaid bathtubs sparkled under the lights.
Siddhga stood awkwardly at the doorway, her coarse nun's robe a stark contrast to the luxurious surroundings.
She subconsciously clutched the hem of her robe; such treatment was far beyond her imagination—at the Abbey, they even had limited access to clean hot water.
Vincent seemed to read her unease and said gently, "This is just the standard arrangement for important guests of the Imperium of Man; you are entirely deserving of these comforts. Please rest well; there's a long journey ahead."
With that, he handed her a subtly glowing data-slate: "If you need anything, you can write your requests on this. The ship's crew may not understand sign language, but they are all literate."
Siddhga gratefully took the data-slate, lightly touching the screen to try it out.
The decision of the old Nuns at the Abbey to insist on teaching her to read and write High Gothic now seemed so wise.
Only after the hatch gently closed and Vincent's footsteps gradually faded did Siddhga let out a long sigh of relief.
She cautiously stood up, her hands nervously rubbing against her coarse nun's robe, afraid her palms would dirty the gleaming surfaces of the furniture.
She gently placed her worn suitcase on the luggage rack in the corner of the guest room—this package, which seemed quite large at the Abbey, now appeared so small and shabby in this spacious room.
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