Horatio casually picked up a steak knife and cut into his steak, then impatiently used the tip of the knife to spear a piece of meat and bring it to his mouth, completely disregarding Farida's dining etiquette advice.
Farida, with a troubled expression, used her communication device to dial a communication code.
"+ Miss Hood, hello. This is George Davis, Security Inspector.+" A middle-aged man's urgent voice came from the output device.
Farida looked at Horatio, who was feasting without regard for his table manners, with a look of disgust.
Horatio, chewing heartily on the rich Grox meat, shrugged, using body language to convey: 'You can't expect someone who's been hungry for so long to chew slowly and gracefully like a Gentleman.'
[Damn! The meat of the Grox beast, which is supposed to be super fierce, is so fragrant. It tastes like beef with a pork texture, not fishy or gamey, tender and delicious, with a rich roasted aroma. Oh, it's so good! I thought my first meal in this dog-shit world would be corpse starch prison food.]
Farida rolled her eyes at Horatio, who was constantly exclaiming while eating, and then spoke clearly, "Hello, Inspector, what brings you here so late?"
"Coordinates P15.308.712, a hostage situation has occurred. We are on our way to the scene and require your support with high-precision sniping equipment! Please hurry!"
Usually, there are no missions at night, unless it's a particularly urgent, specialized mission requiring high-precision equipment support that would contact the most outstanding Hunter-Duke vigilante for assistance.
"..." Farida did not reply immediately. It was a while before her lips parted slightly.
"I understand, Inspector. I will arrive at the scene shortly."
"Thank you very much! The situation is quite urgent, please proceed to the scene immediately!" The other party still emphasized the urgency of the situation.
Farida hung up the communication with a worried expression.
What to do... If she goes, it might be a trap, walking straight into it.
If she doesn't go, the next day, the entire upper-middle class circle would know the stigma of the "Hood Family being cowardly and passively fulfilling their obligations," which would be akin to social death.
She could not tarnish the legendary reputation of the Hood Family, painstakingly built by her father, brothers, and elders, otherwise, she would never be able to face her family with honor.
If she brought Guards, given the situation earlier today, unless an entire company was dispatched for escort, the more people there were, the harder it would be to escape in case of danger.
"You're going to the scene? Take me with you."
Before Farida could figure out what to do, Horatio, using his dining knife to spear chicken, directly proposed a solution.
"You... sure?"
Farida looked at Horatio, who was feasting, going from meat to ice cream, then drinking juice, and felt quite hesitant.
This young man's combat skills were beyond doubt, not to mention his superhuman strength.
"Of course, if the mistress is going out, should I, as a guest, just stay here and linger?"
Horatio stuffed the remaining food into his mouth, filling it completely, and finished his juice in one gulp.
"Moreover, this is very likely a diversionary tactic. We have their secret letter, and they will never let us go.
If you get caught, then I'll be in trouble. They won't let me go, and your father won't let me go. It's better to combine our strength and strike together than to be defeated one by one."
Seeing Farida still hesitating, Horatio gave her a boost of confidence.
"We are now in the same boat, we must solve this problem together."
"Got it. Please wait a moment, I need to call someone."
Horatio nodded, stood up, and began to warm up.
"Mentor, it's me, Hood. I've received a mission stating that a hostage kidnapping occurred at coordinates P15.308.712, is that correct?"
"Kidnapping...?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line: "A Security Inspector did report an incident at that location, but he did not call for us Arbiters to cordon off the scene. Why, did he ask you to go for support?"
"Yes, Mentor."
"Honestly, why don't these guys follow the rules? Are you on your way? I'll immediately mobilize Adeptus Arbites officers to the scene."
"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Mentor!"
"See you at the scene."
The communication abruptly ended.
"Oh, we have reinforcements?"
Horatio, wearing the Adeptus Arbites's bulletproof armor that the maid had cleaned, finally eased the previously tense atmosphere a little.
"Once we arrive, we must stall for time. Adeptus Arbites officers will take longer to mobilize, as there are many administrative approval processes to go through, such as arrest warrants, search warrants, extreme force permits, and so on."
"Will it really not be too late by the time they arrive?"
[What the hell, is this the legendary 40K efficiency?!]
Horatio didn't understand, but he was greatly shocked.
"Even if we do solve the problem, my mentor will definitely arrest you."
"Then what do I do?"
"You must exercise restraint then, and absolutely do not cause any fatalities. If you are truly a family member of Captain Cochrane, I have a way to get you out."
"Instead of worrying about me killing Adeptus Arbites officers, you should first consider how I can avoid being shot to death by them!"
Horatio felt like crying but had no tears. How could this girl be so confused about priorities? Do I have that kind of ability?
I'm not Superman, I'll fall down after one shot!
"I will try my best to persuade my mentor. You must shout 'I plead guilty!' faster than he pulls the trigger, then immediately lie down and let him handcuff you obediently. Absolutely do not resist. Once it enters the judicial process, Adeptus Arbites officers will not shoot."
"..."
[Excuse me? What kind of idiotic legal procedure is this???]
Horatio was speechless at the Female Hunter-Duke's words, standing still with his armor half-on, staring blankly.
"Alright, I hope it really turns out as happily as you say." The buckles of the Adeptus Arbites's bulletproof armor were securely fastened.
——
The Butler walked slowly down the long corridor, carefully wiping each vase.
When he reached the defense control room, his brows furrowed slightly.
Although nothing seemed out of place, the nap on the carpet in front of the door was gently askew, appearing to be a small footprint.
If it were anywhere else, the Butler wouldn't have cared, but only he, the young mistress, and the master had the right to enter the mansion's defense control room.
The Butler opened the door using the iris lock.
It was pitch black inside, and all the normally present faint blue glow had disappeared.
[Why did the young mistress cut the power?] The Butler narrowed his eyes, pondering.
Could it be that she... brought a private male acquaintance home?
No, the young mistress had no reason to bring someone home. With her status and financial resources, she could easily stay at the planet's most luxurious hotel.
The Butler's eyes suddenly widened, and he quickly rushed to the master's study.
At this moment, Farida was wearing her second set of light power armor, holding a black sniper rifle as large as an anti-material rifle, walking in front, while Horatio, wearing a helmet, pretended to be a Adeptus Arbites officer and followed behind her.
Suddenly, the Female Hunter-Duke heard urgent footsteps from ahead.
She stopped at the turn of the staircase, leaning her body slightly forward, exposing her eyes towards the direction of the sound. Her nimble apricot eyes couldn't help but widen.
[The Butler? Why is he rushing to the study like that?!]
The normally spirited Female Hunter-Duke seemed a bit flustered. Horatio walked behind her, gently patted her shoulder, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing... Quick, let's get out of here now."
Horatio, taking advantage of no Guards seeing the shuttle, found an opportunity to sneak into the shuttle cabin.
The Female Hunter-Duke kept an eye on the Butler for him. After he went out, she started walking again.
"Miss, where are you going so late?" Lina, her personal maid who had just sent off samples and met her, asked urgently in a low voice.
"On a mission. I might be back a bit late. If..."
She put on her jet-black, high-end tactical helmet and whispered, "If I don't return tomorrow, please relay these coordinates to my father."
She wrote down the coordinates on the touch screen of her arm, then swiftly swiped, sending them to the message receiver installed on Lina.
Without needing to be told, Lina knew that her young mistress's emergency mission was not simple.
The maid straightened her back, took a deep breath, her chest slightly moving, and solemnly said:
"Miss, take care of yourself. You must return with glory, unharmed."
"Thank you, I will."
Farida nodded slightly, raised her gun, and strode towards the large door of the corridor leading to the landing platform.