I'm in Warhammer, I just want to grow mushrooms

Chapter 217 Loyalty is Not Absolute

Apimette, Royal Court District.

That morning, a message in Star Language was delivered to Li Nuo's desk through Satana.

The letter came from the Imperial Ministry of Justice and contained information about the Bone Drinkers, as well as mentioning Planet Apimatt and the traveling merchant Brisso Lestot.

...

To the Acting Governor of Nestor-Epimet, Lino Wilsey:

May you be safe and sound amidst the turmoil stirred up by the Bone Drinkers when this letter arrives.

We regret to inform you that the Bone Drinkers have appeared on your planet Apimatt DE, and the wandering merchant Brisso Lestot has become their servant.

I am deeply shocked and surprised. Please read this letter carefully and strictly abide by the Imperial Wartime Secrecy Law. Keep the contents of this letter a secret.

In the name of the judicial power granted by the Emperor, the Imperial Ministry of Justice decided to bring Brisso Lestot to justice.

The Ministry of Justice has developed a meticulous arrest plan.

Justice Department Judge Jasper Andre will lead a team of arbitrators to your home city.

He is the commander of this arrest operation. Please follow his instructions and arrangements to cooperate with the Ministry of Justice in arresting the criminals.

May Your Excellency remember the ancient teachings of Terra: "Even the stars shine brightly, yet there is a shadow that nourishes evil."

If you fail to perform your duties as instructed in this letter, the Ministry of Justice will strip you of your powers as acting governor.

Action Order Review Committee Member: Verastan Andrew.

...

"King Lestrade V was a bone drinker?!"

Inside Satana's cabin, Li Nuo, holding the secret letter, exclaimed in shock, his face filled with astonishment!

Satana sat opposite him, knitting a sweater while gently comforting him:

“I know this is unbelievable, but the Ministry of Justice doesn’t fabricate lies. They only issue orders when they have evidence. However, judging from the contents of the letter, King Lester V has only submitted to the Bone Drinkers, not been parasitized.”

“Oh, right, right, yes, I misread it. The letter didn’t mention that he was parasitized.”

Li Nuo took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and asked with lingering fear and confusion:
"Madam, how did the Ministry of Justice know that there are Bone Drinkers on Planet Apimette DE? Did they send people there to investigate? They're really elusive; I didn't receive a single word from them."

On the surface, Li Nuo sighed repeatedly, but secretly he gave himself a thumbs up, thinking how great his acting skills were!
In fact, back when Alpharis was exploring Planet Apimette, Li Nuo had already guessed that the Imperial Ministry of Justice would take action against Brisso Lestot.

A wandering merchant is actually acting as a lackey for the Bone Drinkers. Where does that leave the Empire's reputation?

Let alone bringing him to justice, even if it's just to avoid tarnishing the Empire's reputation, the Ministry of Justice will definitely eliminate Brisso completely, both physically and mentally.

Satana, on the other hand, remained relatively calm, perhaps because she had experienced something similar before.

“That judge named Jasper Andre is no ordinary person. You must not defy his orders; it will not do you any good.”

"Yes, ma'am, could you tell me about this judge?"

Li Nuo asked the question knowing the answer already.

Satana recounted the situation of the Andrew family, then paused, closed her eyes, and emitted spiritual energy fluctuations from her body.

A few minutes later, a new Star Language message appeared on the table; the writer was none other than Jasper Andre.

The judge said in the letter that he and his team of arbitrators would arrive in Apimatt the day after tomorrow afternoon.

At that time, Jaspero hopes to meet with Lino in person.

In addition, Jasper inquired in the letter when Brisso Lestot would next arrive at the Nest, as he wanted to arrest the man in the Royal Court district.

Li Nuo opened the data panel and checked his recent schedule.

Five days later, I will send an armed cargo ship to check on the battle situation on Planet Apimette DE.

All the sights the ship saw there were orchestrated by Brisso and the Bone Drinker, and their plans had long been known to the lurking Bond 20.

Five days later, on Planet Apimatt DE, a bonfire was lit to burn the orc corpses in large numbers. Near the pile of corpses were the soldiers of the traveling merchant ronin who were cleaning up the battlefield.

To the Bone Drinker, this scene was enough to convince him, the gullible fool, that the orcs had been wiped out.

Later that day, Brisso would return to Apimette aboard a Volvo-class cruiser and an armed merchant ship.

In other words, Brisso will appear in the Royal Court district of the Nest City in as little as six days.

Of course, the timeline couldn't be specified so precisely in the reply to Jasper.

Li Nuo summoned Tido and pretended to discuss things with her in front of Satana. Finally, he replied with four words in the letter: "Within ten days."

"Are you planning to arrange a dinner to welcome Brisso back?"

Tido was unaware of Brisso's collusion with the Bone Drinkers and instinctively tried to think the best of things.

Li Nuo shook his head and handed over the confidential letter from the Ministry of Justice.

Tido turned pale after reading it, utterly shocked.

"How...how could this be? Why would a distinguished merchant ronin cooperate with an alien!"

"I don't know either." Li Nuo paused, a look of worry on his face.
"What I'm more concerned about is whether the orcs on Planet Apimatt have really been wiped out."

“Oh, right…” Tido felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this.

"When we hired King Lestrade V, we prepaid a sum of throne coins. Is it possible to get that money back?"

"That's unlikely," Li Nuo asked, turning his head slightly.
"By the way, ma'am. Has Terra sent any news regarding Apimatt's establishment of the Space Guard?"

Satana's gentle smile was like a spring breeze.

“I was just about to tell you this. Before receiving the letter from the Imperial Ministry of Justice, I received a message from the Wartime Council’s liaison office in Star Language that Apimatt’s draft proposal to establish a Space Guard will be voted on at a meeting in two weeks.”

Li Nuo's eyes lit up slightly, quite surprised:
"Why go straight to a vote? Shouldn't it be reviewed first, then discussed, and finally voted on?"

"It's mainly because of the Ulanor Orc Empire. In a sense, the orcs helped you."

"Why do you say that?" Li Nuo asked, puzzled.

Satana patiently explained:
“Ulano has tied up too many Imperial troops, leaving the Empire with a slight shortage of manpower. The Ministry of Military Affairs plans to increase the number of personnel next year, expanding the recruitment from the Planetary Defense Force to the Space Guard. After your Space Guard is established, about one-fifth of its personnel will be conscripted each year.”

Li Nuo now understood. It turned out that he had just encountered a period of rapid expansion in manpower, which explained why the draft bill was put to a vote ahead of schedule.

Li Nuo and Tido exchanged glances, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.

Regardless of how many soldiers will be conscripted in the future, this is good news; the two of them will finally no longer have to rely on other people's space forces.

Six days passed in the blink of an eye.

at dusk.

Apimette, Royal Court District, VIP Reception Room.

Brisso Lestot arrived at Nest City Airport and was accompanying the delegation sent by Lino to the Royal Court District.

The airport's scanning equipment did not detect the Bone Drinker on him.

This situation was within Li Nuo's expectations.

If he were parasitized or carrying parasitic spores, it would be impossible for him to go deep into Apimatt and invite Li Nuo to accompany him to the Apimatt DE planet to investigate the battle results.

Before Brisso arrives at the Royal Court, Judge Gastro gives Lino one last rehearsal.

“…Using the fabricated identity of the ‘immortal’ we’ve given you, we’ll guide Brisso to reveal his true purpose, make him expose his relationship with the Bone Drinkers, and create concrete audio evidence. Finally, we’ll take him down. Repeat what I just said.”

Jasper, dressed in special agent gear, opened his mask and goggles and smoked while wearing a helmet.

"Yes, Your Honor." Li Nuo repeated what he had said many times over the past few days:
“I am an ‘immortal,’ a persona the Ministry of Justice has created for me. I have seen through Brisso and the Bone Drinkers’ conspiracy. I will use this disguise to guide Brisso to confess his cooperation with the Bone Drinkers and help you obtain the recordings of the conversations. Am I right, Your Honor?”

"Hmm, not bad. Of all the governors I've met, you're one of the smarter ones."

Jastro stubbed out his cigarette, fastened his mask and goggles, clenched his fist and pounded his chest, and bowed to Lino:
"Then I'll go out on guard duty, Your Excellency. Best of luck."

Li Nuo nodded in acknowledgment.

Jasper turned and left, standing to the left of the VIP reception room door.

Li Nuo sat on the sofa, waiting quietly, replaying the process of meeting Brisso in his mind over and over again.

Pretending to be an "immortal" was not Li Nuo's idea; it was arranged by the Ministry of Justice, or rather, by Alpharis.

When the Primarch investigated Apimatt DE, he saw a recording of a private conversation between the Bone Drinker and Brisso within the Thinker Array. The Bone Drinker had revealed to Brisso that he and others suspected that "Linno Wilsey" was an immortal being.

Alpharees discovered this and used it in the Ministry of Justice's arrest operations.

Thus, the arrangement came about having Li Nuo disguise himself as an "immortal".

Why doesn't the Ministry of Justice just use an arrest warrant to arrest and interrogate Brisso?
Li Nuo consulted Jasper about this issue.

The other party's answer was very simple.

Merchants and wandering warriors enjoy extremely high levels of immunity within the empire.

The "Trading Licensing Act for Merchants and Ronin" contains two clauses related to the "boundaries of privileged privileges for merchants and ronin," which roughly translate to the following:
Article :
Merchants and ronin, as a privileged class, were only bound by this law and the tithe-related laws, and were not restricted by other laws.

Article :
It prohibits traveling merchants from engaging in large-scale slave trade and establishing long-term alliances with alien civilizations, as well as other serious transgressions.

When these two laws are combined, it's easy to see how great the privileges of traveling merchants and ronin are.

He can engage in the slave trade, as long as it doesn't become "large-scale".

He can form an alliance with the alien civilization, but not a long-term one.

The current situation is that Brisso Lestoit did indeed collude with the Bone Drinkers, but whether or not a long-term alliance was formed between them is the key to his guilt.

"Li Nuo, Brisso has entered the Royal Court District."

Amy's voice came through the communication rosary.

"Okay, I understand," Li Nuo replied simply, standing up to straighten his clothes.

Soon, footsteps approached from afar.

Li Nuo went out to greet him, and as soon as he stepped out the door, he heard a hearty laugh.

"Ha! Wilshire, you have no idea how intense this battle was!"

Brisso, as expected of the heir to the old dynasty of wandering merchants, acts without batting an eye, a true acting master.

He extended his right hand affectionately and shook hands firmly with Li Nuo:
"Come on, let's go inside and talk. I have some good news to tell you."

Li Nuo replied with a smile:

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Your Excellency Lestot. Please."

The two entered the VIP reception room, and the door closed.

The listening devices inside the room operated on their own, simultaneously transmitting the conversation between the two to the internal communication channel of the legal department personnel.

“Let me tell you about the situation on Planet Apimatt DE.” Brisso connected the data panel to the holographic device.

A holographic image of the planet appeared between the two, dynamically depicting the battle between the merchant ronin fleet and the orcs.

Brisso spoke at length, proudly and boastfully boasting about the fleet's achievements.

Li Nuo watched the other person show off with a smile.

After Brisso finished speaking, Li Nuo poured a glass of fine wine for the parched merchant-ron, and said casually:

"I wish my space guard could be as brave and courageous as your fleet."

"Hehehe, if you're planning to hire instructors, I happen to have a few outstanding veterans retiring."

Brisso held his wine glass, a sly smile playing on his lips as he narrowed his eyes, a calculating glint in them:
"By the way, Wilshire, has your proposal to establish a Space Guard been submitted to the meeting? I have a connection in Terra. The price is a bit high, but the success rate is very high."

"Thank you for your concern. The draft of the Space Guard will be voted on within ten days." Li Nuo had a confident smile on his lips, as if he were talking about something that was easy.

Brisso paused in surprise for a moment:
"Directly hold a vote? Why would they do that?"

"Of course it's because the Ministry of Military Affairs plans to expand its recruitment pool next year..." Li Nuo thought to himself, then smiled and said:
"I've just been lucky, Your Excellency Lester. I've been pondering a problem for a long time, but I'm still at a loss. I'd like to ask you for your advice."

Brisso composed himself, his eyes flashing subtly, and nodded thoughtfully:
"Go ahead, what's the problem? I hope I can help."

Li Nuo lifted the wine glass with his left hand, gently swirled it, and asked in a low, languid tone:
"A question I often ponder is, how much money can buy a person's loyalty?"

Brisso's expression changed slightly, and he shifted his hips uncomfortably a few times.

"I think money is omnipotent if you give enough, and it's not impossible to use it to buy someone's loyalty."

"Oh, really?" Li Nuo pulled a Throne Coin from his pocket, flicked it with his fingertip, and it made a crisp "clink" sound.
"This Throne Coin has a face value of 1000 million. Lord Lester, how many of these Throne Coins would I need to buy the loyalty of a wandering merchant? Would 1000 be enough?"

Brisso could no longer sit still.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his pupils trembled slightly, his breathing was erratic, and his heart was racing. He could only cover up the trembling in his heart by drinking large gulps of alcohol.

"Pfft...cough cough cough..."

Brisso choked, spat out a mouthful of foamy drink onto the ground, and hurriedly put down his glass.
"You...you know everything?"

Brisso's voice trembled.

Li Nuo crossed his legs and shrugged:

"I will always know what I need to know, otherwise I wouldn't be alive today."

Brisso's throat bobbed, his mouth opened and closed, but he stammered and couldn't utter a word.

Li Nuo crossed his fingers on his lap and said earnestly:
"You should be glad it was me who discovered your dealings with the Bone Drinkers, not the Ministry of Justice. Tell me, how are the Bone Drinkers planning to deal with me? Let's work together to figure out a way to get rid of those damned aliens. Or are you really planning to betray the entire empire for 100 billion Throne Coins?"

"I...I..." Brisso kept wiping away sweat, quickly recalling the people and things he had seen along the way, repeatedly confirming that there was no trace of the Department of Justice, before he relaxed a little:
“You’re right. 100 billion Throne Coins is not enough to buy my loyalty. Oh no, I mean my loyalty to the Empire will never waver, and no amount of Throne Coins can buy that.”

Brisso took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his face turned deathly pale, and the smug look he had shown earlier was nowhere to be seen.

Over the next ten minutes, Brisso recounted the Bone Drinker's plan in detail, leaving no stone unturned.

At this point, Li Nuo just needs to be a loyal listener.

"That's about it. The Bone Drinkers suspect you're immortal and want to infect you, so they sent me to lead you to this planet."

Brisso took a sip of his drink and asked cautiously:
"Wilsir... are you truly the legendary immortal?"

Li Nuo didn't say anything, and the door opened by itself.

Legal Department personnel, dressed as the Governor's Secret Service agents, filed in.

When Jasper removed his mask and goggles, revealing his distinctive Andrew family features, Brisso shuddered, his knees buckled, and he rolled off the sofa to the floor.

"Oh ho ho~ My Terra, there really are some roaming merchants who would be stupid enough to betray the Empire for Throne Coins. If I don't beat you to a pulp today, I'm not Andrew."

Jasper sneered and waved his hand, and the arbitrators beside him swarmed forward.

Li Nuo tactfully withdrew.

Brisso was lifted from the ground, his body trembling violently, his face filled with terror, and his voice incredibly hoarse.

"No...no...no...this shouldn't be...I'm a wandering merchant...I'm a high-ranking nobleman...you can't judge me here..."

"Clap."

The door was closed, completely isolating the room from sound.

Li Nuo waited in the corridor for a moment, and a figure was helped up from the stairwell.

Those are Satana and Tido.

Tido, supporting Satana's arm, escorted the elderly private star talker here.

Li Nuo nodded to the two of them.
"Everything is going well. His Excellency the Judge is interrogating Brisso inside."

Tido's expression was complicated; Brisso's betrayal left her speechless.

Satana sighed softly, feeling quite regretful.

After the three waited in the corridor for a short while, Jasper opened the door and invited Satana in.

The door closed again.

Li Nuo and Tido stood guard outside the door.

Li Nuo activated his Bacterial Ability - Vibration Sensing, and with a hint of curiosity, eavesdropped on the sounds inside the door.

Ms. Satana was speaking in an extremely soft tone, as if she were reciting a beautiful High Gothic poem.

With her soft murmurs, Brisso calmed down from his restlessness, his breathing became long and steady, as if he were drifting off to sleep.

(End of this chapter)