The group traversed the ravaged streets and finally arrived at the once opulent, now eerily silent Upper Nest District.
No sooner had he disembarked than Wolf Lord Krona's nostrils, more sensitive than a canine's, twitched violently. He took a deep breath of the air, thick with the stench of blood, gunpowder, and death, and a look of understanding dawned on his rugged face.
"The entire Upper Hive, I only smell sixty people," he rumbled, his voice echoing in the empty square. "And they all reek of gunpowder… It seems those former nobles died quite cleanly."
Robert, who was walking beside him, was startled.
The number Krona stated was precisely accurate! To be able to accurately perceive the number of people within dozens, even hundreds, of kilometers just by twitching his nose? Is this real or fake, big brother… This has already gone beyond the realm of biology!
Despite the turmoil within, Robert maintained a calm expression. He explained, "Yes, Your Excellency. Originally, there were some survivors who had only undergone minor modifications and still retained consciousness; they might have had a chance at recovery.
However, considering the potential for Chaos corruption and to end their prolonged suffering, we executed them all and then cremated them."
"Hahahaha! mortal, you don't need to explain so carefully!" Krona roared with thunderous laughter upon hearing this. "I am not here to demand an explanation, nor am I one of those 'petty men' who enjoy harming their allies! You did very well, exceedingly well! I forgive you for not preparing roasted meat for me."
Krona emphasized the word "petty men" with both his tone and volume. The Wolf Guards behind him also burst into boisterous laughter, openly directing their mocking gazes at Inquisitor Herbert and his retinue, who they had deliberately or inadvertently pushed to the back. Clearly, they weren't going to miss any opportunity to disparage the Inquisition.
And the main target of the mockery, Herbert… he was already used to it. The Inquisitor simply stood there expressionless, as if the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with him.
"In fact, even if you had given us preparation time, we could only provide nutrition bars." Robert thought for a moment and decided to be frank. He sensed that being straightforward might appeal more to these Space Wolves. "At most, a few bottles of fine wine temporarily scavenged from the Upper Hive.
We prioritized all resources for the front lines and transferred the entire Lower Hive population to the Mid-Hive factories, where they are producing military equipment day and night."
At this point, Robert paused, then added, "However, if you request it, we can try to make roasted meat. After all, with your help, we will surely end the war here quickly."
"Alright, alright," Krona impatiently waved his massive hand. "We don't need your supplies. I am not here to bully you mortals."
The group passed through the ruins of the collapsed Governor's mansion and arrived at a makeshift morgue. Sixteen massive bodies, covered in white sheets, lay silently there, their inhuman oppressive presence palpable even through the cloth.
A Wolf Guard stepped forward, nimbly pulling back the white sheets and carefully examining each body. After a moment, he returned to Krona and reported, "Sir, five of these bodies are severely fragmented, as if they were killed by high-caliber artillery at close range; nine have penetrating wounds from sharp weapons in their vital areas, but the primary cause of death appears to be heavy blunt force trauma; one was killed by a power sword, a single, clean strike; and another was stabbed like a porcupine."
"Hmm." Krona nodded, acknowledging his subordinate's inspection results. He turned, his eyes as sharp as the winter winds of Fenris, and looked at Robert. "Tell me, how did you take them down?"
"Our operation was divided into three phases." Robert said in a deep voice, beginning to recount the brutal battle. "Phase one, we used infantry as the vanguard, sacrificing their lives to draw enemy fire, creating an opportunity for our leman russ Vanquisher tanks to engage at close range; phase two, after confirming the elimination of five space marines, we detonated melta-bombs placed on the structural support points throughout the Governor's mansion, causing a massive structural collapse; phase three, we dug out and eliminated any Fallen space marines who might have survived the collapse."
Krona listened silently, a flicker of imperceptible admiration in his eyes.
"Very courageous, and you are honest." He pondered for a moment before giving his assessment. "Alright, we've seen them. Burn them."
The Helldivers, armed with promethium flamers, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward, ready to carry out the order.
However, Inquisitor Herbert, who had been deliberately or inadvertently kept on the periphery by the Wolf Guards the entire time, finally grew anxious.
"Wait! Don't burn them! I haven't seen them yet!" he barked, trying to push through the human wall. "I warn you, you are obstructing an Inquisitor in the performance of his duties!"
"You warn us?" Krona whirled around, the approval on his face instantly replaced by savagery. His voice was like the cold wind of the Fenrisian ice plains. "We've tolerated you for this long; do you really think you're important?"
"Shhh—"
Almost simultaneously, the Wolf Guards placed their hands on their chainswords and boltguns at their waists, and Herbert's retinue, not to be outdone, raised their muzzles. Swords were drawn and bows were strung, and the atmosphere instantly became tense, reaching a freezing point.
Of course, from a purely martial standpoint, the outcome of this standoff was without suspense—the Inquisitor and his retinue would be cut to pieces on the spot.
"Wait, Your Excellency Krona!" Just at this critical moment, Robert quickly stepped forward, placing himself between the two groups. "The front lines are currently engaged in fierce combat with the orks. Every bit of Imperial strength is crucial; it's best we don't fight amongst ourselves!"
A shocking scene unfolded.
Upon hearing Robert's words, the enraged Wolf Lord actually released his hand from his weapon.
"Hmph, you have a point." Krona glanced at Herbert, his tone full of disdain. "Let's go, lads! I want to see what interesting tactics these mortals, who took down a Chaos warband, will use against the orks."
With that, the Space Wolves truly ignored the Inquisitor's retinue, who were still in a standoff. Led by Krona, they swaggered away. This sudden change left Herbert and his retinue standing there with their guns raised, neither advancing nor retreating, utterly embarrassed.
Herbert quickly recovered from his shock, his face so grim it could drip water. He instantly understood the true intention behind Krona's series of seemingly reckless actions.
"This is him showing support for these mortals…" he muttered under his breath, suppressing his anger. "He's warning me not to lay a hand on them…"
Herbert's guess was entirely correct. For the Space Wolves, regardless of the methods used, anyone who could kill a space marine with a mortal body was a worthy warrior to be respected.
Warriors could die gloriously on the battlefield, but they absolutely could not be executed by their own people for some inexplicable reason.
"What do they take the Inquisition for?!" Herbert roared indignantly in his heart. "Some kind of shadowy organization specifically designed to slaughter Imperial heroes?!"
...Although, just moments ago, he had indeed entertained the thought of "whether these fellows had suffered hidden Chaos corruption" and had begun to seriously consider what means to use to confirm their loyalty.