Chapter 374

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

The reconnaissance team's efficiency was high; in just six hours, the preliminary investigation results were transmitted back to the James Tong.

"Report to Major General Adult, an exchange of fire has broken out in the Bottom City West District." The intelligence officer stood in the command room, pointing at the transmitted footage as he reported.

"The two sides exchanging fire are the Brevis Vanguard Army and the Purge Plague Sect's armed personnel; the two sides fought fiercely for over three hours near the third layer of the West District, both sides suffering significant casualties."

"Currently the Vanguard Army has already controlled three Cult outposts in the West District, arrested over ten thousand peripheral Believers; the core 'Purification Apostles' have mostly already withdrawn, no live captures were made."

Dominic sat in the chair, fingers stroking his chin: "What about the soldier source?"

"The remaining four hundred million eligible population awaiting conscription have all been concentrated into the Middle City's Temporary Quarantine Camp." The intelligence officer continued.

"The Governor's Mansion has officially issued a notice, stating that heretical forces were mixed into the conscription work."

"To guarantee the Tithe Soldier Source's Soul Faith purity, Brevis's local State Religion Clergy were urgently mobilized to conduct comprehensive Soul Faith re-examination and Purification Rituals on all personnel awaiting conscription."

"Right now all passages from the Bottom City to the Middle City are under martial law; without the Governor's Mansion's hand order, no one is allowed to pass."

The briefing concluded, the command room fell into a stretch of silence.

The Deputy Officer looked at Dominic, saying in a low voice: "Adult, it looks like Governor Kerry discovered the matter of his subordinates colluding with heretics, and is urgently cutting losses."

"Both cleansing the Cult and having the State Religion re-examine the soldier source; the actions are very decisive."

Dominic didn't speak, merely letting his gaze settle on a name that repeatedly appeared in the intelligence — Paul Sera.

According to the Vanguard Soldier's account, the one who liaised with the Purge Plague Sect this time was most likely this newly promoted Vice Admiral.

It was he who forcibly pushed to borrow heretical power to accelerate the screening, and it was he who consistently concealed from the Governor's Mansion his secret dealings with the Cult.

Now that the scandal has broken, Vice Admiral Paul has already been suspended for investigation; all the dirty water has naturally and justifiably been splashed onto him.

A down-on-his-luck Noble, seeking quick success for promotion, colluding with heretics; after the matter was exposed he was made a scapegoat.

The entire logic chain is flawless, not a single flaw can be picked out.

Yet Dominic always felt something was off.

Too perfect.

Perfect as if deliberately staged for him to watch.

The timing is too coincidental, the charges fit too precisely; even the scapegoat's identity is just right.

A newly promoted Vice Admiral with shallow foundations and weak background, no one would speak for him; pushing him out to take the blame could not be more suitable.

If he hadn't infiltrated the Bottom City, if he hadn't obtained the Gene Thief sample.

If he didn't know that Cult was fundamentally not ordinary heretics, he might really have believed this narrative.

But he knows.

He knows the Purge Plague Sect's core is Gene Thieves, knows those "Apostles" are fundamentally not human.

Such a large Xenos organization, developing to a scale of tens of millions in Brévès Bottom City, a single Vice Admiral could support it?

Without tacit approval from higher-ups, it's fundamentally impossible.

And Brevis's highest level is Keli Feng.

Dominic leaned back against the chair back, letting out a long breath.

Reason told him, Lin En absolutely cannot be uninvolved in this matter.

Even this "exchange of fire" between the Vanguard Army and the Cult might be a self-directed and self-acted play, the purpose being to sacrifice a pawn to save the chariot, to cleanly detach himself.

But emotionally, he was somewhat unwilling to believe it.

He had seen Lin En's appearance on the Battlefield, seen his decisiveness when facing Green Skins, seen the look in his eyes when speaking of Multiple Cropping Dolido.

That doesn't look like someone who would collude with Xenos, betray humanity.

Perhaps... he is just like me, knowing those are Xenos, but also knowing they are currently useful, so choosing to temporarily utilize them?

The moment this thought emerged, Dominic himself froze for a second.

Since when did he start making excuses for a person suspected of colluding with Xenos?

"Adult, do you want us to investigate deeper?" The Deputy Officer, seeing him remain silent for a long time, asked cautiously.

"Strive to obtain the Governor's Mansion and Cult collusion's solid evidence."

"No need." Dominic raised a hand to interrupt him.

"Investigating too finely will instead make it hard to wrap up."

He stood up, walked to the window, back facing the Deputy Officer.

"Wait and see for now." His voice revealed no emotion, "See what this Governor Kerry will do next."

He wanted to see whether Lin En plans to just muddle through like this, or will give him an explanation.

……

Dominic did not wait too long.

Early the next morning, guards hurriedly ran in to report, saying Governor Kerry personally came to visit, currently waiting in the Outer Hall.

Dominic raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, yet also feeling it was within reason.

"Let him in." He straightened his uniform, sat back behind the Office Desk, assuming a businesslike appearance.

Soon, footsteps sounded, Lin En walked in.

Dominic looked up, his heart giving a sudden thump.

The young man before his eyes looked exceptionally fatigued.

The collar of his usually immaculate uniform had one button undone, and his black hair was somewhat disheveled.

Faint blue-black shadows lay beneath his eyes, and the whites were shot through with bloodshot veins — clearly he had pulled several all-nighters without sleep.

The corners of his mouth, which usually held a faint smile, were now pressed tight, and his whole person exuded a haggard air of utter mental and physical exhaustion.

It was as if he had wrestled internally for several days before finally steeling himself to make this trip.

"Dominic Adult." Lin En rendered a standard military salute, his voice carrying a touch of hoarseness. "Sorry to disturb you."

"Governor Kerry is too polite." Dominic rose, gesturing for him to sit, and had an attendant bring over a cup of coffee.

"You don't look well — has Bottom City's business run you ragged?"

Lin En took the coffee but did not sit immediately; instead he asked first:

"Adult, the isolation observation of the first batch of six hundred million soldier sources — no problems emerged, I hope?"

"Fairly smooth." Dominic leaned against the table edge, arms crossed, sizing him up.

"The State Religion and Machine Cult double-checked; no abnormalities found so far, and the overall attrition rate is even a bit lower than expected."

"That's good." Lin En let out a long breath of relief, as if a heart suspended for a long time had finally settled, and his taut shoulders relaxed a fraction.

He lifted the cup and took a sip; the warm liquid slid down his throat, yet failed to dispel the fatigue in his eyes.

Setting the cup down, he raised his head and met Dominic's gaze, which held an interested look, as if he had finally made up his mind.

"Dominic Adult, I came today to plead guilty to you."

He straightened his body and rendered another solemn military salute, head slightly bowed, posture placed very low.

"The matter of Bottom City conscripting soldier sources — I was derelict in duty." His voice was steady, without the slightest intent to defend himself.

"I was impatient to meet the tithe quota, and the plague business had me frantic; lax supervision let subordinates exploit loopholes and entangle themselves with a heretic cult."

"Not only did it damage the purity of the Empire's faith, it also delayed the tithe's progress — all responsibility lies with me; please dispose of me as you see fit, Adult."

The words were spoken crisply and cleanly, without a shred of delay.

Dominic watched him, and a measure of surprise stirred in his heart.

He had envisioned many possibilities.

Lin En might play dumb, might shove all responsibility onto Commandant Paul Sera, might offer all sorts of excuses to defend himself.

Only he never expected the other party to shoulder every bit of responsibility right out of the gate.

From beginning to end, he did not so much as mention the name "Paul Sera."