Chapter 34: Are You His Illegitimate Son?

In Father Aluman’s description, Alvin gained a general understanding of their past.

Aluman Vila and Tark were both members of the Starry Army Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 175th Regiment, and had participated in hundreds of battles large and small.

Later, they were dispatched to the planet Cadia, where they took part in that horrific battle; the entire 175th Regiment was nearly wiped out, leaving only a handful of survivors who, under orders from the Department of Military Affairs, were discharged and settled in the forward outpost of the Nakmond Corridor, the Loser Hive World.

After their discharge, the surviving members of the 175th Regiment were assigned to various civilian posts, forever removed from the clamor of war.

They had believed their remaining lives would be this way—spending their days in quiet, uneventful mid-hive existence.

But as expected, the unexpected happened!

One day, a suspected Genestealer Cult was discovered outside the hive, so Galken Hadley assembled the Planetary Defense Forces and led them into the wastes to investigate.

Of the seven remaining members of the 175th Regiment, only Tark and Aluman found the mission troublesome and declined; the other five comrades all served as instructors in the Planetary Defense Forces.

Unexpectedly, those five squads and the Planetary Defense Force unit vanished completely after that.

Galken Hadley sent two separate teams into the wastes multiple times to search for the missing squads, but found not a single clue.

The five squads had vanished as if erased from existence, leaving no trace behind, disappearing without a sound.

Upon hearing the news, Tark and Aluman had also ventured into the wastes together to investigate, but found nothing.

That was when the later events occurred: Tark suspected a cult, and under Rashid’s deliberate manipulation, assassinated Calen, the Hadley family’s first-line heir, nearly getting shot dead by Galken Hadley; only after Rashid pleaded repeatedly and evidence surfaced suggesting Calen had colluded with the cult was his punishment commuted to exile.

Awesome... After hearing Father Aluman’s account, Alvin had only one thought in his mind.

It was said that Rashid was a distant relative, but the Hadley direct line was thin—Galken Hadley had only two sons; the eldest, Calen, was suspected of conspiring with the cult and was killed by Tark, who infiltrated his quarters and blew his head apart with a blast pistol, leaving the younger son still a child.

To protect the young second son, Galken Hadley named Rashid the first-line heir, intending for him to shield the child from other families’ assassinations until the boy came of age.

But now it seemed clear: from Calen’s suspected ties to the cult, to his assassination, to Rashid’s appointment as heir—it was all orchestrated by Rashid himself!

“I’m going to find Galken!”

Tark’s temple veins bulged as he rose abruptly, ready to storm out.

But he had taken only two steps when Aluman’s mechanical arm grabbed him; the Tech-Priest’s gaze turned dark as he said coldly: “How can you be certain Galken... doesn’t already know all this?”

One sentence froze Tark solid, his legs heavy as lead, unable to move another inch.

“But... he’s a hero!”

Tark struggled to defend himself, but his throat tightened, mouth open yet no sound came out.

“Even if he was once a hero, you and I have both seen how terrifying Chaos truly is.”

Aluman’s voice was low, his eyes dim: “Even the strongest will cannot resist Chaos’s corruption. And besides... Galken Hadley being a hero was sixty years ago—who can guarantee he remains loyal to the Emperor now?”

Yes, even if Galken Hadley had once been the Empire’s hero, who could guarantee... after all these years, he still held that loyalty?

Tark fell silent, but his face remained twisted in pain.

He knew too well how powerful Chaos’s corruption was—he had witnessed with his own eyes the roaring might of the Chaos Gods on Cadia, and thus understood better than anyone how hard loyalty was to maintain.

In the end, all his emotions dissolved into a long sigh.

“How did your contact fare?”

Tark, a battle-hardened veteran, quickly regained his composure and turned to stare at Aluman.

“I contacted an Inquisitor, but it will take at least a month and a half for them to arrive.” Aluman’s gaze flickered toward Alvin as he spoke, then added: “As for the other... it’s farther away—minimum two months.”

Alvin noticed Aluman’s glance and couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Just say it—why look at me?

“Two months? Given the current progress in the lower hive, I sense something major will happen within a month and a half at most.”

Tark’s expression turned grave; he frowned, pondered for half a minute, smoked one cigarette after another until his feet were buried under butts, then said slowly: “I’ll handle this. You contact a few mid-hive officers—get them ready as early as possible.”

“I’ll try contacting nearby Astra Militarum regiments.”

Aluman sighed deeply; the current situation had completely slipped beyond their expectations.

With Galken Hadley, the Planetary Governor, involved, only an Inquisitor or the Astra Militarum could intervene—our strength alone is insufficient to stop the cult’s rise!

“Wait, Mister Tark.” As Tark turned to leave, Alvin called out urgently: “Can I return to the lower hive with you?”

Tark stared, astonished: “Did an Ogryn eat your brain? The lower hive’s already a mess—why leave the safety of mid-hive to go down there?”

“Mister Tark, I know the lower hive is dangerous, but I have no choice but to go.”

Alvin knew simple lies wouldn’t fool Tark, let alone the Tech-Priest beside him, so he forced himself to speak plainly.

This kid’s hiding a lot of secrets... Tark gave Alvin a long, thoughtful look, then nodded: “Fine. I’ll take you back.”

“Wait, Tark—he can’t go with you!”

At that moment, Aluman, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up, his expression unusually stern: “Alvin must stay in mid-hive. I will be responsible for his safety—he cannot go to the lower hive!”

What the hell?

Alvin was stunned by Aluman’s tone.

Shit—could the priest have been possessed? Has he taken a fancy to my body?

As Alvin spiraled into wild thoughts, Tark noticed something odd in Aluman’s expression: “At least give me a reason, Aluman.”

“No. Just no.” Aluman shook his head, his face calm and indifferent: “He cannot go with you. The lower hive is too dangerous.”

Tark was speechless, turning to Alvin as if to say: I can’t help you.

“Father Aluman, I must go to the lower hive.” Alvin took a deep breath, meeting the Tech-Priest’s rust-red robes with earnestness: “Thank you for your care, but this matters deeply to me. Even if you refuse, I’ll sneak out anyway.”

Father Aluman’s face remained expressionless as he stepped forward, his nearly two-meter height casting a shadow that engulfed the boy.

An invisible pressure spread through the air; the Tech-Priest’s crimson cybernetic eyes scanned Alvin, yet the boy remained calm and composed, showing no fear, meeting Aluman’s gaze directly.

Tark made no move to step back, watching them with amused interest, even quipping: “At this distance, it’s either a kiss or a fight.”

The solemn atmosphere shattered instantly.

Father Aluman shot Tark a glare, then snorted: “Fine. You insist on going—I can’t stop you. But let me warn you.”

Though Aluman’s sudden concern left Alvin puzzled, he still nodded respectfully: “Please speak, Father Aluman.”

“Protect yourself. If things get beyond your control, find Tark.”

As he spoke, Aluman hesitated for half a second, then pulled a gear-shaped pendant from his robes, his face twisted in visible pain: “Take this. It can save your life in a pinch.”

Beside him, Tark’s eyes widened in shock: “By the Emperor’s beard—did you just give him that? Is this kid your bastard?!”

【ITEM DETECTED: Deflection Field Device (Excellent)】

【Crafted by Tech-Priest Aluman Vila of the Mechanicus. Automatically defends against lethal damage and carries blessings from the Ecclesiarchy. Has a chance to resist Warp corruption.】

【Energy Capacity: 1000 Units】

Holy shit?

A fully charged Deflection Field Device!

Before Alvin could even process the shock, Aluman slowly pulled a grotesquely oversized pistol from his rust-red robes and handed it over: “Trust me—one shot will solve most problems. If you encounter something you can’t handle... don’t hesitate—run immediately!”

“I’m seriously starting to wonder if you’re Aluman’s bastard...”

Tark stared at him with envy, saliva nearly dripping: “I’ve begged him for this thing hundreds of times—he wouldn’t even lend it to me—and now he just gives it to you? This isn’t logical!”