Traveling through time, I'm making pancakes in Warhammer

Chapter 261 Mutual Benefit

Late at night, Blackwater Fortress, Governor's Office.

If there were anyone in this hopeless universe who could indulge themselves without a care in the world, it was the planetary governor. Lower-level officials dealt with planetary issues like taxation and livelihoods, while higher-ranking nobles were swamped with the empire's major affairs. While their positions differed widely, they shared one common denominator: exhaustion.

Even among the High Lords Council, the highest decision-making body in the empire, there are members who die from exhaustion at their workstations; and the empire's grassroots officials, in addition to facing heavy workloads, have to engage in intrigues with monsters in various dark corners inside the planet, because only in this way can they keep their hard-earned status and avoid becoming one of the monsters.

Planetary governors are different. They are too insignificant to the entire empire. Except for a few powerful rulers, most governors are not qualified to participate in matters that determine the fate of the empire. For the lower classes, their status is too noble. Planetary governors are not appointed by voting, but by hereditary blood. Those who can hold this position are basically descendants of those whose ancestors have made outstanding contributions to the empire.

Therefore, for the lower classes, the position of the planetary governor is unshakable, and the planetary governor has only two tasks while in office: to remain loyal to the empire and to pay enough tithes.

As long as these two tasks are accomplished, no one can shake the governor's position.

In the process of the governor's continuous plundering of the people's wealth, the taxes collected in the end were often several times the amount paid. Most governors did not have the awareness to pay the extra money to the empire or return it to the people, and it often ended up flowing into the pockets of the governor and the nobles.

Therefore, the classes in the empire were extremely divided. The lower class people might die of starvation or disease lying in the stinking ditches, while the upper class nobles would party every night, with expensive incense burning in their bedrooms. The money spent for every second the incense burned was enough to feed a hundred lower-class families for a lifetime.

The office of Governor Karenya perfectly illustrates this point. Even with the war situation unfavorable and humanity controlling only one-fifth of the planet's land, a separate area of over a thousand square meters has been set aside for the Governor's office. This area is part of the luxurious Baroque Governor's Palace, which in turn sits atop Blackwater Fortress, humanity's last remaining stronghold on the planet.

Beneath the Governor's Palace stood not a solid foundation, but a jumble of chaotic buildings. These structures might have been the homes of the workers still employed in Karenya, military factories, or even the Empire's cathedral. To fully utilize every ounce of space, these structures were haphazardly and strangely interlocked, stacked one upon the other. Their pointed roofs resembled spears piercing the sky, yet they precariously supported the behemoth that towered over them.

The decoration inside the Governor's Office is also extremely luxurious. A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling of the office, and golden tassels droop like a waterfall. The floor is covered with a bright red carpet. The carpet is still a little old but still retains its bright color, which further proves that it has been carefully maintained over the years and has not been trampled by dirt. There are huge floor-to-ceiling windows on two of the four walls of the office. The window frames are etched with iris patterns with gold, and the other two walls are hung with the heads of various exotic beasts. These specimens are all made by masters. Their hair and scales are even more moisturized than their living counterparts, as if life will return in the next second.

Below the head of the strange beast is a bookcase filled with books. The books inside are enough for a person to read for more than twenty years. Who knows how much knowledge that people can never get contains in them, but now these books are only used as decorations.

Further inside the Governor's office were rows of low cabinets filled with wine and overly refined food, as well as cloth bags of coffee beans and a brass coffee machine. Next to the low cabinets was a burning incense that could feed a hundred working-class families for the money it cost to burn it for one second.

In the most conspicuous place in the office, there is a machine that looks like a combination of a telegraph and a radio. The shape of this machine is full of the rough style of imperial machinery, which is out of tune with this luxuriously decorated house.

At this time, the machine was turned on, but no sound came from it, only an endless rustling sound.

Although there is only endless yellow sand on Kalunya and the threat of orcs is imminent, an Amber Palace was still built here through foreign trade, support from the empire and exploitation of the lower classes.

If it weren't for the huge mahogany desk in the middle of the office and the messy piles of documents scattered everywhere, this place would have nothing to do with the word "office" at all.

However, this huge office desk turned out to be the only defective item in the room's decoration, as a long and narrow hole was drilled on it for some reason. This hole was beyond the scope of repair, so they had no choice but to fill it with some glue so that the desk could be used normally.

There were only two people in the office at that time. A young man with a somewhat haggard face, wrapped in a purple woolen robe, was sitting on a leather chair behind a red table. He stared expressionlessly at the table full of documents. The person who could sit in this position was undoubtedly the current planetary governor of Karenya.

The other person was a woman who looked quite busy. She bent down to pick up documents scattered on the floor and identify the necessity of each document, or ran around to classify a document. She was wearing a specially tailored military civilian uniform that fit her body well, and her body curves were clearly visible.

Finally the woman found all the documents she needed. After a little sorting, she handed them to the governor.

But when she pulled her hand back, the young governor caught it.

The female assistant did not resist, and the young governor held her hand with one hand and gently stroked the smooth skin on the back of her hand with the other hand. Then he slightly turned up his cuffs, revealing a piece of white shirt underneath.

"Jasmine, I still prefer your red dress."

"Please... please don't tease me anymore." The girl named Jasmine looked a little overwhelmed, and spoke with fear and timidity.

"I'm telling the truth," the Governor said with a smile.

"Then...then please give me some time, I'll go change my clothes..." Jasmine said in a low voice.

"Go!" The Governor let go of her hand and said with a smile, "Remember to spray some of the perfume I gave you."

Jasmine trotted out of the office. The Governor whistled and stood up from his office chair. He slowly walked to the door that Jasmine had forgotten to close after she left and closed it. Then he strolled over to the table where the coffee pot was and poured himself a cup of coffee. He turned on the radio and started playing music. Finally, he returned to his seat with the cup of coffee. Then he closed his eyes and completely relaxed, letting himself sink into the soft sponge cushions.

But as he was enjoying the peace, a dagger stretched out from the darkness and was placed on his neck.

"Long time no see. I hope you are doing well, Governor Esrick." The nun walked out from the darkness and greeted the governor in a special way.

"Long time no see, Hertala." The Governor opened his eyes and greeted the nun.

The nun was surprised by the governor's calmness. In her imagination, when she put the knife to the young pervert's neck, he should immediately kneel down and beg her for mercy, crying bitterly.

Things went against the plan and the nun didn't know what to do next.

"If you have something to say, you'd better hurry up. You only have fifteen minutes." Seeing the nun in a daze, Esrick reminded her again.

This time, before the nun could speak, someone spoke from the shadows behind her, but he was talking to the nun.

"Hey! Hey! Didn't you say before that he was a loser? He doesn't look like that to me!"

"Why did you come out?!" The nun was shocked and angry. She lowered her voice and said, "Hide quickly!!!"

"Why are you hiding? We've already been discovered. Didn't you hear him say 'you guys'?" the man said again.

The nun had no choice but to move aside, and then two people... no, a human and an elf walked out from behind the bookshelf.

After the elves came out, they immediately began to search the entire office, and after the human came out, he first walked directly to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup of coffee, then he took out a decorative antique plate, and then walked to the food area and piled it with various snacks. After doing all this, he threw a piece of smoked fish into his mouth without hesitation and started to chew it.

"I'm starving, I'm starving!" The human sighed while eating. During this time, he put the plate of food in front of the nun, but the nun had a dark face and did not respond to him.

After the nun ignored him, the human, with his mouth full of food, began to greet Esrick again: "You are so good, my name is Howard, where are you?"

"Esrick, the second planetary governor and supreme commander of Karenya." Esrick simply said his name.

The human named Howard chewed his food, trying to swallow it, then gulped down another mouthful of coffee before asking, "Why do you call the nun Hertala?"

"Goliath is her first name, and Hertala is her last name."

"Oh—" Howard nodded thoughtfully: "It seems you are very familiar with her."

"Stop talking nonsense!" the nun couldn't help but interrupt.

"I understand!" Howard raised his hands in agreement. Then he looked at the Governor and said, "You said we only have fifteen minutes. Is that because it took the girl ten minutes to change her clothes and come back? Did you send her away to protect her or to be on guard against her?"

The human's sharpness was beyond Esrick's expectations. He was slightly stunned, but then decided to tell the truth: "Both."

"I understand." Howard nodded, then sat down unceremoniously on Esrick's luxurious desk. "We do have some things to discuss and some questions to ask, but before that, you have to prove to us that you have a reason for us to tell you these things. Let me tell you, Miss Gloria came to you with the intention of executing you as a traitor."

"I'm not surprised that Hertara came to see me. It's not surprising that the Eldar would appear here, but who are you?" Esric stared at the human. "In every way, you... a human of unknown origin, shouldn't be here."

"This is a bit complicated to explain, but I think the nun can endorse me. What happened here has something to do with me, and our interests are currently aligned," Howard said.

Esrick used his eyes to inquire about the nun's attitude. The nun did not respond, which was considered as her consent.

"Since Hertala chooses to believe you, then I believe you too." Esrick said, then he stretched out his finger and touched the knife that the nun held on his neck and said, "Miss Hertala, could you please take this thing away?"

"I tell you again, you are not worthy to call me by my last name." After hearing this, the nun not only did not put down the knife, but instead went deeper into his flesh.

"Yes, Lord Angel." Esrick wisely chose to surrender.

"It turns out you are the angel of the Lord." Howard said, but what he really wanted to say was: You are indeed the angel of the Lord.

The angels mentioned here are not the messengers of God in Christianity, but... they are the messengers of the Emperor, the Lord of Mankind, because the group of Battle Sisters has another name: the Daughters of the Emperor.

As daughters of the Emperor, the Sisters of Battle have a hierarchy distinct from that of mortal armies or Astartes. Archangels are considered senior sisters beneath the commanding ranks of the Sisters of Battle, considered elite and powerful within the Order. Their style can be simply described as... uh... berserker?

The nun was speechless after being beaten by these two guys, but she couldn't lose her temper here, so she had to put down the knife angrily.

After the knife was removed from his neck, although Esrick acted so calm at first, he still subconsciously touched his neck at this time. Then he bent down and pulled out a document from the gap under the table. It was not known whether the document was accidentally scattered here or the governor was hiding and protecting it in this way.

"I should thank you," Esrick said as he handed the document to the nun.

The nun took the document, and her expression was filled with confusion at first, then surprise, and finally disbelief.

"This...this!" The nun threw the document in front of the governor, looking very excited.

"This is the follow-up result of the equipment theft case you investigated earlier. Thanks to your help, I finally have a reason to deal with those old guys." Esrick said.

"Are you using me?!" the nun asked angrily.

"Of course not. But if you just stick a knife in my desk and I hand over my authority, then I would be a failure as the governor. What we should do is more of a mutually beneficial relationship," said Esrick.