"Is this the child of Lieutenant Commander Thomas Kirkland, the only descendant of Admiral Spire?"
"Yes, he is."
"All officers of the Unyielding salute the son of Thomas Kirkland, the sole descendant of Spire!"
Dozens of officers ceased their conversations and stood upright, performing the aquila salute towards Horatio.
Such a scene, where a group of Imperial Navy officers with sector-level assignments saluted a dirty boy wearing battle-damaged Adeptus Arbites body armor, was almost impossible.
The grand display caused other passing officers to look at the dirty boy, whispering things like, 'Hey, that's Thomas Kirkland's son,' and 'God Emperor, Admiral Spire's only descendant has been found.' Many Naval Officers couldn't help but stop, and some officers who greatly admired Admiral Spire spontaneously joined the ranks of those saluting.
Generations of Gothic Fleet Naval personnel, nurtured by the legends of the Gothic War since childhood, grew up with the epic tales of Ravensberg, Abri Dar, and Spire.
They were heroes held in the highest reverence, supreme legends inscribed on the Gothic War memorial at the Terra Imperial Palace.
"Eh?" Horatio was caught off guard by the officers' actions: "Uh… that…"
He didn't know what to say, so he decisively returned an aquila salute to everyone.
"We are officers from your father's ship. Your father was an outstanding Naval Captain. We deeply regret what happened to him, and there was much we didn't get to say to him," the leading Lieutenant said with a solemn expression, maintaining his aquila salute.
"If there is a next life, by the grace of the God Emperor, we still hope to work with your father! May his soul return to the Golden Throne."
The officers collectively removed their silver-brimmed bicorne hats and bowed their heads in solemn silence.
"Only my father… died…?"
Horatio instantly realized something. A Naval warship is a tightly integrated whole; once the Captain is lost, the officers usually have also suffered heavy casualties.
But so many people here clearly didn't look like they had just been through a fierce battle.
"My father, how did he die?" Horatio asked.
But the entire room was silent; no one spoke.
Finally, only the Lieutenant spoke: "I'm sorry, none of us know. After we returned to port for rest, after some time, the Navy Department informed all officers on the ship that Captain Thomas Kirkland had died, but they did not tell us what happened."
[Is the cause of death confidential…?] Horatio pursed his lips, realizing he wouldn't get any more useful information here.
However, for the Lieutenant, who was the Second Mate of a warship, second only to the Captain, and had stepped into the threshold of a senior officer, not to be informed of the situation—just how big of a deal did his old man get involved in?
A strange sense of panic swept over Horatio.
"My father, was he a very formidable person?" Horatio asked after a moment of silence.
"He was the most outstanding, boldest, and most tactically imaginative Captain I have ever met, bar none," the Lieutenant said solemnly, giving the highest praise:
"The Unyielding is a Dreadnought-class MK2 light cruiser, but under your father's bold and innovative tactics, we once defeated and crippled a traitor's large cruiser with torpedoes at the cost of minor casualties. Furthermore, he achieved the glorious feat of capturing and seizing tonnage that surpassed two Lieutenant Commanders. He was practically Admiral Spire reincarnated."
Horatio was dumbfounded.
Cross-class combat, and two classes at that, not only winning but with minor casualties???
This was a rare legendary battle in the entire history of human naval warfare.
"If he hadn't died, I believe he would have certainly forged accomplishments no less than the Hood Family, continuing the great legacy of Lord Spire."
As the Lieutenant said this, he gave Farida Hood a slight nod of apology for his presumption.
To dare to say this in front of a Hood Family member was enough to prove his recognition of Captain Thomas Kirkland, and it also highlighted Admiral Spire's own prestige in the Gothic Sector.
"Thank you," Horatio said with a bitter smile and a nod.
"If you ever need any help in the future, you can always come to us. While we cannot repay the kindness and benefits your father brought us, we hope to be able to assist his Loyalist Heir in the future."
[Naval connections?!]
Horatio was very grateful. It seemed his father, whom he had never met, had left him a considerable implicit fortune.
The Lieutenant and Rear Admiral Alexander Hood's Second Mate exchanged nods again, and the crowd dispersed, heading their separate ways.
The Captain walked forward and knocked on the double doors marked 'Naval Loyal Succession Department'.
"Come in."
Upon opening the door, the office was filled with smoke, and two burly officers were talking.
"Horatio Kirkland?" A middle-aged man in an officer's uniform extinguished his unfinished cigarette and stood up from the guest chair, simultaneously nodding to Farida Hood and the Captain.
He was robust and well-trained, his cheeks sculpted like they had been filed by two rasps, with sharp features, possessing the charm of a seasoned veteran.
The other person, who saluted from his chair, was a Brigadier General. From the desk plaque, it was clear he was the chief officer of the Naval Loyal Succession Department.
"Yes, sir!"
"I am Pringle Sterling, Lieutenant of the cruiser Unyielding. I served with your father on the Unyielding for five years in earlier years. Your father was the former Lieutenant, becoming one in his third year. He truly lives up to being Spire's descendant, the youngest Lieutenant." The man spoke unhurriedly.
Then he turned to the chief officer and smiled: "And then, his father was recommended by Lord Edward Peru to become a Navy Lieutenant Colonel, commanding a frigate. He was truly in his element then, commanding his own warship and making waves in the Gothic Fleet."
"Yes, what a pity," the chief officer nodded in agreement, searching through a stack of documents.
Then the man let out a long sigh: "But who knew he would fall like a meteor? His death is a major loss to the Imperial Navy and a significant blow to the Kirkland Family.
He was a rare living spring in naval warfare theory. If he could have left behind his writings and insights, the Imperial Navy could have cultivated more innovative officers like him in the future. What a pity."
"How did my mother die?" Horatio asked.
"Your mother was also a hero, a Battle Sisters of the Order of the Sacred Rose, who unfortunately perished while combating a ship plague."
"Can Battle Sisterss also marry?" The amount of information was a bit overwhelming for Horatio.
"It depends on the Nun Order. If it's the Order of the Sacred Rose, then yes. These Sacred Roses don't get along with the Ecclesiarchy; they preach their own doctrines and are very individualistic. However, the Navy likes the Sacred Roses' tenets, justification by faith, which suits our style very well."
Horatio had some impression that the Battle Sisterhoods were divided into two major orders, but he wasn't clear on the specific divisions and differences.
[I'll learn about these later, perhaps I can ask a Battle Sisters.]
The chief officer took a deep drag from his cigarette, stubbed it out in a ship-shaped ashtray, and then pulled out a document bag wrapped in kraft paper, handing it to Horatio, saying:
"This is your Loyalist Academy admission letter. After a meeting discussion, the Navy Department decided to assign you to the Fleet Maritime Department, to be trained as a prospective fleet commander. However, the path ahead is up to you.
Rules cannot be changed. Even if you are the only living descendant of Spire, some things must be made clear to you in advance so you can be mentally prepared."
"I'll tell him. I came from the Loyalist Academy myself," Lieutenant Pringle said.
"You're 16 this year, correct? This age is a bit old for the Fleet Maritime Department. Most people in your department are trained from single-digit ages, and Midshipmen directly assigned to ships are also this age."
"Selecting command talent requires weighing many considerations. If you cannot perform well, it is very likely to cause irreversible damage to the entire ship or even the entire fleet."
Horatio's heart sank.
"I can do it," he immediately straightened his chest and said solemnly.