Chapter 105: The Fallen Knight House
The corruption of Khorne had now fully taken root. The nearby Warp surged with storms of destruction, swallowing any message that tried to call for aid.
And under the influence of Khorne's power, Chaos runes began to appear on the armor of the Emperor's Vow.
In just a few short days, the loyalists on the planet were completely annihilated. The Chaos cultists, selected through the crucible of war and slaughter, then split into several forces and set out for the various planets within Winterscale's Realm.
And at this time, Lucan's advance force was already heading towards Footfall.
Commissar Edgar was also among this force.
Three frigates, along with transport ships carrying large quantities of equipment and materiel, were navigating the Warp.
The Navigator, within his sanctum, guided the warships. These charted, safe routes seemed exceptionally calm at this moment.
And Edgar, on the bridge, seemed to have nothing to do. He swore to the God-Emperor that this was the most trouble-free Astra Militarum regiment he had ever seen.
There was no messy infighting, no pointless disputes. Strict discipline was thoroughly implemented among everyone in the army, from top to bottom.
He was growing more and more fond of this army called the Raiders.
Edgar took a bite of the mushroom can and fresh vegetables on his plate, a satisfied expression on his face.
This was also thanks to the ecological circulation system that Lucan brought back, allowing most of the crew to eat food that was once incredibly expensive.
However, this Warp journey was taking much longer than expected. A trip that was estimated to take fifteen to twenty-some days had already been going on for a month.
But the Navigator's report indicated that everything was normal.
The duration of Warp travel was inherently filled with uncertainty; no one paid it much mind.
And just when everyone thought this would be a peaceful Warp journey, the warship suddenly began to tremble.
Any anomaly that occurred within the Warp could be fatal to everyone. The entire crew of the warship grew tense.
And the Navigator's communication also reached the bridge.
"A sudden Warp storm has disrupted the route? We have to exit the Warp now? Navigator, where is our exit position!"
The Boatswain at the side immediately replied: "Vaporis. It's a feudal world belonging to the Winterscale Dynasty."
Hearing the reply, the ship's captain pondered for a moment. After all, this wasn't some trade planet. For a fleet to suddenly appear in another Dynasty's system would inevitably cause some misunderstanding.
But there was no choice now. It was impossible to charge directly through the Warp storm ahead. The frigates might be able to withstand it, but the large transport ships behind them could not. The unit's vehicles and supplies were all on those ships.
"Prepare for transition! At least they have traded with our Dynasty before. If we explain clearly, there shouldn't be any problems. All ships, raise alert level! Be on strict guard against possible Warp corruption!"
The captain issued his orders. The crew changed into combat suits and began to patrol the warship, stationing themselves in important compartments.
The power of the Warp engines was raised to maximum. As the warship burst out of the Warp, there was no look of relief on anyone's face.
The moment they entered the star system, a communication immediately popped up.
"Who are you! Identify yourselves!"
The other party's voice sounded extremely tense.
"We are the fleet of the Mongorte Dynasty. We made an emergency transition here due to a Warp storm. We will leave immediately after charting a new course!"
"By the God-Emperor! Don't leave! We need support!"
"Support? What has happened?"
"Lord Caligos is dead! The Emperor's Vow has been taken by Chaos! They have headed towards the capital world!
And this planet of ours has also seen an outbreak of Chaos corruption! The great Knight House has turned traitor!"
Hearing this news, the captain was stunned.
Caligos was dead? This was an event sufficient to shake the entire Expanse.
"Have you warned other worlds via astropathy! Have you reported this to the Imperium?"
"The nearby Warp is sealed off; no astropathic message can get out! Our Astropath has gone mad; I killed him myself! By the God-Emperor, how many men do you have? We can't hold out for much longer!"
The captain tried to contact Agathos via his own Astropath, and sure enough, the Astropath's attempts all failed. He even collapsed into a state of exhaustion due to the nearby Warp storm.
Fortunately, however, the warship also had another communication system: the quantum communicator that had been cracked and manufactured.
The captain left the warship and went to his own captain's quarters, where this device was installed.
As he sent the information he had learned to Agathos, the responsible communications officer immediately reported to Lucan.
"Caligos is dead?"
The development of events was beginning to change. He had never expected that his reminder, instead of saving this Dynasty, had actually accelerated its demise.
If the entire Winterscale Realm were to fall into the embrace of Khorne, it would be a major event that would sweep across the entire Expanse.
The opponent would no longer just be rebels. As the number of sacrifices increased, the daemonic legions of Khorne would also descend upon the physical universe, and there might even be Greater Daemons of Khorne.
After thinking for a moment, Lucan decided to first inform the Imperium and the Inquisition about this matter.
The support for the Halo Stars region would have to be delayed. If the fire in his own backyard were to flare up, it would be enough to burn countless worlds.
"Verre, assemble the troops! We're changing targets! Have the army prepare to head for Winterscale's Realm!"
And Harald also noticed the mobilization of the army.
When he learned that a Chaos outbreak had swept through many worlds, they also chose to join.
And the Raiders on Vaporis also received a reply.
The opposing feudal world possessed a Knight House. This was a perfect opportunity to test the combat effectiveness of the Thors.
It was also a chance to test the cooperation between infantry and these heavy vehicles.
Returning to the bridge, the captain immediately ordered the fleet to begin approaching the planet.
Edgar had not expected battle to come so suddenly.
But he was also very gratified by the decisiveness of these soldiers when facing the enemy!
As expected of an Astra Militarum regiment worthy of being the Hammer of the Emperor!
And as the fleet carrying thirty thousand men approached the planet, five more Gorgons jumped in at the location they had just left.
There were always 20 Gorgons in orbit around Agathos, ready to be deployed for support at any location.
Vaporis was a habitable feudal world, ruled entirely by a Knight House allied with the Winterscale family.
A total of 25 Knight suits was the entire strength of this Knight House.
But this family possessed none of the so-called spirit of nobility. Although they protected the people of this planet from external harm, internally, they not only exploited them but even forced the commoners under their command to engage in bloody gladiatorial combat.
Those who survived could become guards for these Knight nobles and escape the status of serfs.
And this martial custom, under the influence of Caligos in the past, had a tendency to spread to almost every world.
From the rebellion of this Knight House, one could tell just how deep the corruption of Khorne had penetrated Winterscale's domain.
Enjoying battle, a quality that warriors should possess, had inadvertently corrupted these loyalists.
By the time they realized there was a problem with their thinking, it was already too late.
The seed of Chaos had been planted in their souls, and when needed, it would burst forth and completely devour a person.
(End of Chapter)
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 400 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you