Chapter 510 - 439: Everyone’s Reactions, Stearns’s Plans, the Grave Issue of Military Funds

That battle was a painful part of his past, one Stearns never wanted to speak of again.

Now, the Lord of Vengeful had forced a traitor with a sordid history into the Vengeful Angels. How could he not feel as though he had a thorn in his back?!

He would gladly die if his sacrifice could make the Lord of Vengeful see Nelom’s true face, and prevent more Battle Brothers from being slaughtered by a comrade’s betrayal.

It would all be worth it.

At that moment, Stearns was presiding over his company’s daily training, wearing only light armor. He suddenly whipped his head around and looked toward Holy Song Manor, a kilometer away. After confirming the Knightly Aura was coming from Reinhardt, a jolt went through him.

He immediately put away his practice Knight’s Broadsword and shouted an order.

"Training is terminated! Alrum, tell the Technician Priest to get my Power Armor ready! I’m going to see the Lord of Vengeful! This aura... it’s the sign of a promotion to a Six-star Earth Military Rank!

Go, now!"

Even though he harbored resentment because of Nelom, to him, Reinhardt was still the Vengeful Angel who had carved a bloody path for them out of Verne Port, the true hero of the Empire who had single-handedly covered their retreat!

Aside from the Grand Governor, Reinhardt was the Imperial Knight he respected most—bar none.

After forty-three days of arduous training, Reinhardt had advanced to a Six-star Earth Military Rank. Stearns was genuinely happy for him.

When the other warriors of the second company noticed something was amiss, they too lowered their weapons. They looked at each other, shock filling their eyes.

A Six-star Earth Military Rank!

For them, who were still at the Official Knight Military Rank, it was an unattainable height.

「Far away, in the grand conference hall of the Governor’s Mansion.」

After a quarter of negotiations, the Civil Affairs Department had finally sent word yesterday: the collection of the thirty million Radiant Gold Coins in war taxes was complete.

As part of the deal, the Vengeful Angels would release the rebels as promised. The Civil Affairs Department would also expedite commendations for them from the Imperial Administrative Region and the Dome Grand Council.

After all, the lords and masters of the Civil Affairs Department could never have too many commendations that required no actual cost.

A medal and a letter of commendation were all they were.

Even if the Administrative Director-General had to pay for them out of his own pocket, he would have gladly done so.

Lu Jia, now serving as the commander’s Adjutant, had been studying under Koller for three months and was becoming increasingly adept at handling the Battle Group’s internal affairs.

Moreover, she had learned a great deal about political maneuvering from these negotiations, even if she could only observe from the sidelines without speaking.

The advice Raphael Priest had given her back on the Ark of Calamity had stayed with her for life.

When dealing with Space Aliens and heretics, violence was the solution to everything. But when handling internal affairs, violence was the most dangerous tool of all.

Although she had been through a vicious battle, Lu Jia’s physical injuries had mostly healed after this period of recuperation. The only remaining problem was the poison the Judgment Court had used on her, which had left numerous after-effects.

Even the Alchemist Kael had no effective way to treat these ailments. The poison had deeply penetrated her tissues and cells. The only hope was for her to one day advance to the rank of Earth Knight and rely on a Knight’s powerful Physique to suppress the toxins.

Candlelight spilled onto her shoulders, casting flickering shadows in the cramped office.

Lu Jia’s delicate brows furrowed. Her soft white hair, untrimmed for a long time, cascaded onto the desk. Her right hand propped up her cheek, conveniently covering half of her iris tattoo.

Her left hand, holding a document, trembled uncontrollably. This was just one of the after-effects of the poison ravaging her body.

As she was agonizing over how to respond to the Military Affairs Department’s questions about the First Company’s staffing, a familiar Knightly Aura suddenly flashed through her senses.

Sensing something was wrong, Lu Jia shot to her feet. Her long legs pushed the chair back with a screech. She whipped her head toward the source of the aura, her heart leaping. ’Could it be Lord Reinhardt...’

"Delanxi!"

At her shout, the deceptively young-looking Battle Sister forcefully pushed open the door to the temporary office, a panicked look on her face. "Lu Jia! It’s the Knightly Aura of the Lord of Vengeful!"

"I know. You stay here on guard. Don’t let anyone touch the documents on this desk. I’m going to Holy Song Manor!"

In Lu Jia’s short life, there were two people who mattered most to her.

One was Sister Superior Eleonor.

The other was the Lord of Vengeful, Reinhardt.

A Military Rank promotion was a momentous event. She had to get to his side at once.

Unlike Lu Jia and Stearns, who were shocked, Koller was still on a Spiritual Energy comm, haggling with officials in Iberia. The message from the Administrative Director-General of the Military Affairs Department and the highest minister of the Civil Affairs Department was clear: the Vengeful Angels were authorized to levy certain taxes during the counter-insurgency war. They were to figure out how to solve their future funding problems themselves.

The thirty million Radiant Gold Coins they’d collected wasn’t even enough to fill the deficit on the Verne Front Line, so the Vengeful Angels shouldn’t even think about getting a share.

At the start of the counter-insurgency, the Military Affairs Department had only allocated five months’ worth of funding to the Vengeful Angels. It was now the sixth month, and they had also incorporated ten million former rebels into their ranks.

Where would the money to continue the war come from?

Shouting slogans and preaching sacrifice might win a single battle, but soldiers still needed to eat. Weapons, ammunition, and fuel did not grow on trees.

As the Vengeful Angels’ commander in charge of political work, Koller had spent the better part of a month negotiating with various institutions in the Iberian World to solve this problem, which was a matter of life and death for the Battle Group.

But the response he received could be summed up in a single sentence: as for support, they would of course stand up and raise both hands in favor of them winning the counter-insurgency war.

But as for money or supplies? They had none; he could take their lives if he wanted, but that was all they had to give.

Interstellar Pirates were currently rampant within the Imperial Administrative Region. Last month, the Civil Affairs Department sent twenty Tax Collection Ships to Golden City, and not even half of them returned. The escorting Imperial Navy also suffered heavy losses, even losing three Ship Guard Knights seconded from the Death Battle Group.

The Administrative Director-General’s original words to Koller were: he had already sold half of his family’s assets to support the Verne Front Line, and now they were asking him for more money? They might as well go to a butcher shop and ask how much his flesh would sell for to cover their military expenses.

It was at this moment that Koller, who had served for a thousand years, felt his first twinge of regret. ’Have I been too faithful to the code of the First Legion? Did I make a mistake by not going against my conscience and reporting a higher number to the Lord of Vengeful?’

The Empire was now fragmented. They even had to find ways to fund their own wars. Despite his thousand years of experience, this was the first time Koller had ever encountered such a problem.

In the old Empire, if nothing else, the Ministry of Internal Affairs had never dared to be late with the First Legion’s funding.

Just then, a cold, sinister voice spoke from behind Koller.

"That aura. Did you feel it?"

Koller didn’t turn around, his expression remaining calm. "It’s the Lord of Vengeful. His Military Rank promotion was faster than I expected."

As he finished speaking, a figure emerged from the darkness.

After a period of recovery, Urus’s injuries had fully healed. Normally, he could have discussed these matters over Spiritual Energy comms and wouldn’t have needed to seek out Koller in person.

But with Reinhardt at a critical juncture, he and Koller, as the Battle Group’s seconds-in-command, couldn’t risk the political fallout of being suspected of a coup by establishing a private, encrypted Spiritual Energy comm line.

Therefore, for important intelligence, Urus chose to speak with Koller face-to-face.

"My people have sent intelligence. Cicero may be planning a major move soon. And there’s a risk that Grand Lord Kles might make a move on Golden City."

"Right now, besides the Grand Governor, only you and I know about this. If they coordinate an attack from both inside and out, we will be at a severe disadvantage."

Hearing this, Koller frowned and turned to Urus. "When I was negotiating with the Civil Affairs Department, they mentioned that the plundering by Interstellar Pirates around Golden City has been getting more and more brazen. Even the Imperial Navy escorting the Tax Collection Ships took a major hit. It’s possible this is a precursor to Grand Lord Kles making his move."

"This is no small matter."

"Using the command system’s Spiritual Energy comms to report this isn’t secure. Wait for the Lord of Vengeful to return, then you can report to him in person."