At the end of the banquet, Horatio toasted Madame Mengsha and Thei, a young lady from a prominent family. The group chatted about the humanities and social sciences of Abyss Port until Commodore Edward stood up, bringing the conversation to a halt.
"At first, I was worried you'd be too reserved and at a loss, but now it seems my worries were completely unnecessary."
Edward, who had drunk three glasses of fruit wine, stood up, exhaled a breath of stale air, and chuckled:
"You can talk about anything, surprisingly knowledgeable. It's hard to imagine you learned so much in the Lower Hive."
"Thank you for the compliment. I still have much to learn."
"Well-mannered, humble, and not arrogant. With your character, you'll be very popular in the Navy."
Madame Mengsha was clearly enjoying the conversation. She smiled at Horatio, then looked at her husband: "Just like Edward."
The Commodore snorted a laugh: "Don't be like me. I was a troublemaker back then and almost got kicked out of the Navy for fighting."
Edward wiped his hands with a towel, stood up, and adjusted his collar: "I think, this was a very good meal?"
The three nodded.
"Good, my dear, you take Thei for a stroll in the garden.
Mr. Horatio, come to my study for a moment; I have something to tell you."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
[Is he finally going to talk about my father?] Horatio stood up and bowed to the mother and daughter as they left.
The girl, with a beautiful smile, said to Horatio:
"Sir, please be sure to see my garden during the day. Many of the flowers were planted by me personally, all rare species from other planets."
"Of course, I must admire your craftsmanship, Miss Thei." Horatio returned her smile.
The girl smiled even more brightly, linking her arm through her mother's, and walked towards the door accompanied by a maid.
Click—
Horatio followed Commodore Edward Peru into the study.
The Commodore leaned back in the chair behind his desk, pulled out a cigar, and offered one to Horatio.
"Care for one? Feel free to sit anywhere." Commodore Edward leisurely crossed his legs, yet without losing his dignified and elegant demeanor.
"I don't smoke." Horatio politely declined.
"Once you join the Navy, you'll grow to love this stuff…" The Commodore said as he lit his cigar, took a puff, and then slowly exhaled:
"How much do you know about your father, Mr. Horatio?"
"I only know that he died, but from what I understand, the reason is probably not simple."
Commodore Edward's expression turned solemn. He adjusted his swivel chair to look out the window at the star nearing the horizon.
"He committed suicide."
"Suicide…"
Horatio's brows furrowed sharply, a look of shock on his face: "Why?"
"I find it baffling too."
Edward pulled open a drawer and took out a beautiful, exquisite large-caliber pistol. The gun body was chrome-plated, shining with a bright silver luster, possessing both the luxurious temperament of nobility and the solemnity of an officer.
Between the trigger and the hammer of the pistol was engraved the Adeptus Mechanicus symbol of the forge world Gothic, clearly a finely crafted pistol custom-made for discerning wealthy officers.
The cylinder was large, making Horatio instantly realize it was a master-crafted blast pistol firing Navy .455 (11.6mm) caliber blast rounds.
"He… committed suicide with this gun?" With such a large caliber, Horatio couldn't imagine how bloody the suicide scene would have been.
"No. Although he first attempted with this gun, this master-crafted pistol unusually misfired. So, he used another small self-defense pistol to pull the trigger."
Commodore Edward handed the pistol to Horatio.
"Take it. It's your father's relic, his most prized sidearm. A Gothic MK3 Navy Revolver, a high-end item that can only be custom-ordered with a Naval Officer's Commission. This one looks like it was even handcrafted by a Tech-Priest, with intricate engravings, corrosion-resistant and durable."
"Thank you…"
Horatio felt a little heavy-hearted. He silently took the pistol.
The Navy Blast Pistol felt heavy in his hand, heavier than any pistol he had ever touched on Ancient Terra.
Through his metal bionic arm, he could feel the surging machine soul beneath the gun's solemn and dignified exterior, like an Imperial Guard standing before him, capable of instantly dispatching any attacking enemy with a single blow.
"In the Imperium, suicide is tantamount to betraying the Emperor, an act of dereliction of duty. The Inquisitor investigating this matter therefore froze all of your father's remaining assets."
"Since it's already been classified, why not directly liquidate?" Horatio found a problem.
"That's the problem. I don't believe he would commit suicide, and another Naval Investigator, Rear Admiral Alexander Hood, also believes so, and the third Naval Investigator, Lieutenant Commander Elphinstone, also agrees with Rear Admiral Hood's view."
"Rear Admiral Hood?"
"Rear Admiral Alexander Hood believes that Thomas Kirkland was in the midst of a rapid career ascent. Although the separation from his wife and child dealt him a great blow, if he were going to commit suicide, he would have done so long ago, certainly not waited until now. And I, Thomas, I brought him up from Midshipman all the way to Colonel. I've known him for over twenty years. He served as my Duty Officer, my First Mate, a Captain in my strike fleet. Don't I know his character? He would rather have his entire ship crash into a traitor's Star Fortress than choose to end his life alone in a room!"
"So… he was murdered, wasn't he?" Horatio suddenly leaned across the desk, asking eagerly.
Commodore Edward Peru sighed: "But according to our ballistic analysis, he did commit suicide. If it were an ordinary detective, the case might have been closed. But the three Lord Captains of our Navy investigation team have been traversing the star sea for so many years; what kind of bizarre Chaos and Xenos creations haven't they seen?"
"You mean my father was 'forced to commit suicide' for some reason?" Horatio's expression was serious.
He swallowed, a chilling shiver sweeping through his body.
"We haven't yet clarified the reason, but our three Naval Investigators unanimously oppose closing the case. The Star Realm Navy Department has agreed to a two-year extension for the investigation from the Inquisition. However, if there's no further progress, all of your father's assets will be confiscated, and the Kirkland Family will suffer disgrace."
"Is there anything I can do, Your Excellency?" Horatio asked cautiously, his face grave.
"There is, indeed." Commodore Edward Peru looked at Horatio and said:
"Most people don't know that the Military Intelligence Command of the Navy is actually divided into two parts: overt and covert. The overt branch is the Military Intelligence Command of the Navy, headed by Rear Admiral Alexander Hood, but behind it, there is also a Fleet Security Committee. This is the area I am primarily responsible for, specifically protecting the Gothic Fleet from being weakened and destroyed by conspiracies and traitors. In the mystery of your father's death, we smelled a conspiracy. We must uncover the truth and promptly eliminate those traitors who betray the Imperium! If there are any. At the same time, as the galactic war escalates, it is increasingly evident that the existing command and coordination system has made the Imperium appear very archaic and rigid in the intensifying galactic battlefield, surrendering the initiative to the enemy. Your principal, Admiral George Anson, wants to create a brand-new, regimental-scale land-airborne combat group commanded by our Imperial Navy. It would be specifically used to preemptively strike before the Imperial Guard arrives on the ground battlefield, then the Imperial Guard would take over the front lines, improving our initiative and coordination efficiency on the battlefield. Of course, to circumvent the problems caused by the guiliman codex, this unit certainly cannot be called the Naval Marines. Moreover, in the pilot phase, it's impossible to develop such a large scale, and we also have no experience commanding the Astra Militarum; many theories are still very vague. Therefore, at the suggestion of Rear Admiral Alexander Hood and myself, we will first establish a Navy Loyalist Heir Task Force belonging to the Military Intelligence Command of the Navy, with the nature of Navy Special Operations. It will be composed of the most loyal Navy Heir, trained by elites from the Storm Troops, and this absolutely loyal unit will be used to investigate those conspiracies behind the scenes."
[Good heavens, so the Imperial Navy has already started planning for combined arms tactics?] Horatio took a deep breath.
However, this was not a bad thing. As a transmigrator, he knew very well that even if the Imperial Navy didn't do it now, once the Primarch Roboute Guilliman returned and became Regent, he would also use similar methods to reform the Imperial military system.
So, since he was already in the Imperial Navy, what reason did he have not to support putting the initiative for reform in the hands of the Navy?