Horatio walked towards Sister Arabella, who was busy. She had just finished treating the wounded and was resting on a bench.
Today, she had also witnessed the passing of too many Sisters, but as a Medical Sister who had seen much death, her face only showed fatigue and weariness, and she quietly prayed for the departed souls.
"Is there anything I can help you with, Sister?"
Horatio sat beside her. If not for Sister Arabella today, the death toll would have been at least one level higher.
"Sergeant Major." She gave a bitter smile, exhaled a long breath, and asked, "Do you have a cigarette?"
Horatio was a little surprised.
"Just a moment."
He found Valina and borrowed a cigarette and a flint lighter from her.
"You smoke now too?" Valina chuckled as she asked. She seemed to have a few more wounds on her body.
"Thank you for your timely reinforcement, otherwise more of my subordinates would have fallen," Horatio thanked her.
"Take good care of your subordinates. Let them die a worthy death."
"Yes." Horatio saluted Valina with his legs together.
She also very solemnly returned his salute. There was an unspoken sense of responsibility and commitment added to their salutes.
Horatio walked back to the Medical Sister, took two cigarettes from the pack, gave one to the Sister, and held one in his own hand.
He lit the lighter, first helping the Sister light hers, then put the cigarette in his mouth, brought the flame closer, and took a light puff.
"If the Great Sister saw this, there would be a punishment, wouldn't there?"
"Of course." The Sister smiled bitterly, "I'm really too tired, I'm sorry to let you see me breaking the rules of the Order."
"It's human nature, I often break rules too." Horatio chuckled.
Sister Arabella took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Many times, people smoke just to help themselves breathe deeply and to refresh themselves.
The Sister sighed with emotion, "Today is an exception. The combat stimulants have reached critical dosage and cannot be used anymore."
She looked up at the frescoes on the ceiling of the Church and smiled at Horatio, "You saved too many lives today, Sergeant Major. The Emperor, Sanguinius, and Saint Arabella bless you."
"You too, Sister Arabella. Saint Arabella is proud of you; you have not failed this name."
The Sister, lost in thought while gazing at the frescoes on the Church ceiling, suddenly remembered something and pulled out an exquisite reliquary from her power armor's waist pouch.
"This is a grateful gift from our Order of the Sacred Rose to you. The Great Sister personally selected it from the Sacred Chamber to express our gratitude for your heroic resistance as the Church of the Celestial Woman's garrison officer, for upholding our holy ground from desecration."
Horatio took the reliquary from Sister Arabella's hand and gently opened it.
Inside was a white rose rosary, the emblem of the Sacred Rose.
"This rosary is a holy relic, said to be one of those used by Saint Arabella. It contains a force field shield capable of resisting 3 attacks, and it is also said to have miraculous effects, but we have never seen them."
"Is it really alright to give such a precious gift to me?" Horatio said with a bitter smile.
"If it weren't for you, leading the Soldiers to fight bravely at the most critical moment, awakening a miracle, and holding out until reinforcements arrived, all the treasures in the Sacred Chamber would have been destroyed. Thinking about it this way, can you accept it?" The Sister raised the corner of her mouth and chuckled softly.
"You protected Saint Arabella's burial place from desecration, and she will also protect your life in the future."
"Next time, I will make a special trip to the Order's headquarters to express my gratitude."
"You are chosen by the angels. The Order of the Sacred Rose welcomes you at any time, Sergeant Major." The Sister's voice was very soft and sweet, and she tied the holy relic onto Horatio.
"If you have time, next time I'll take you out for a stroll. It can relieve your stress."
"I hope I really do have time. I haven't left the monastery and medical ward since I was little. When I was young, the Great Sister was strict, and when I grew up, I simply had no time." The Medical Sister lowered her head, sighing deeply with regret, her smile tinged with self-mockery.
"You will. I'll take you to see the outside world and let you have a good rest."
"Thank you. Let's take the children out first. They need some fresh air."
"Let's go."
Horatio walked towards the little girl with heterochromatic eyes he had saved, the Bread seller's daughter.
"Big brother, are we still alive?"
She was sitting on the pure white marble base of a statue, her face no longer as red as it was initially, but she still looked very weak, her eyes hazy, her voice faint, and the wounds on her face were covered by Sister Arabella with disinfectant cotton, several in total, and her head was wrapped with a blood-stained bandage, which made one's heart ache.
"It's safe now. What's your name?" Horatio squatted in front of her, asking with a gentle smile.
"Triska." The girl looked at the black-haired young man in front of her with watery eyes.
"My name is Horatio. Can you still walk, Triska?"
The girl tried to move, but her legs were unsteady.
Seeing this, Horatio picked her up and let her sit on his iron hand.
"Brother, will my mommy and daddy go to the Emperor?" The girl trembled, not daring to look directly at the ground, so she just lay on Horatio's shoulder plate, asking timidly.
"They definitely will. Sanguinius has come to pick them up," Horatio said gently to the girl.
"Really?"
"Really, I saw it with my own eyes," Horatio said, looking at the light outside the Church.
"Thank you for saving me." The girl's tears pattered onto Horatio's shoulder plate as she sobbed, "And, thank you… for surviving."
Hearing the girl's last sentence, Horatio's eyes involuntarily widened slightly, with a hint of surprise.
He chuckled softly and walked with the girl towards the Church's main entrance.
A ray of sunlight passed through the translucent device designed for the Church of the Celestial Woman at the top of the geode, shining on them and bringing a long-lost warmth.
Sister Arabella walked behind him, her medical demolition gauntlet, stained red with blood and flesh, now holding a child's soft little hand.
The remaining Church defenders led the rescued children out of the front gate.
Outside, there was a sea of people: Sisters, Guojiao Priests, lay deacons, Soldiers, civilians, reporters, and officials.
Seeing the survivors of the Battle of the Church of the Celestial Woman emerge with the children, many civilians knelt on the ground in excitement, thanking the God-Emperor for his protection.
The Guojiao Priest solemnly declared this to be a blessing from the God-Emperor and sprinkled holy water on them.
Many fervent believers extended their hands, having heard of the heroic deeds of these Soldiers.
Now seeing them, they were as excited and trembling as if they had seen a saint, standing or kneeling on the ground, extending their dirty hands, muttering prayers and scriptures, hoping to touch a bit of their holiness and glory.
Countless dirty hands, amidst murmurs, touched Horatio's armor, body, and face, making him even dirtier all over, as if he had crawled out of the mud.
Even his Sergeant Major's beret, which he always wore, was touched off and fell to the ground, picked up by the deacons as if it were a precious treasure.
Even so, he didn't mind, only holding the child in his arms tighter.
Now, Horatio's body was far dirtier, more defiled, and bloodier than when he first came to this world as a death row inmate.
But his figure, holding the rescued child, was so tall, mighty, and sacred in the eyes of everyone around him.
Even if his broken body was stained with blood and filth, his Soulfire still shone brightly.