"Is there something the Old Bishop sent you for?" Inquisitor Alex sat down across from Williams, looking at the untouched meal in front of him, and couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you eating? Is it not to your liking?"
Inquisitor Alex's question seemed casual, but the two unrelated questions could disrupt Williams' train of thought.
This was a small interrogation trick: interspersing irrelevant questions between formal ones to disrupt the other party's thinking and break the continuity of his thoughts.
When a person's thoughts cannot flow continuously, he often cannot answer questions meticulously and is prone to revealing flaws.
"The Old Bishop sent me to remain by your side and offer you service," Williams seemed unfazed, answering Inquisitor Alex's two questions methodically. "As for why I'm not eating, it's simply because I'm not hungry yet."
Inquisitor Alex raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that an underage boy possessed such methodical thinking.
However, compared to that, the Old Bishop's intention in sending this boy to him seemed more worthy of Inquisitor Alex's attention.
So he asked directly, "The Old Bishop sent you to my side? Why?"
"The Old Bishop believes that Planetary Governor, you lack the services of the Ecclesiarchy. Although the Battle Sister provides you with combat support, services related to doctrine, administration, and faith are absent," Williams looked at Inquisitor Alex, still a bit too young. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing, "I understand that you need a Priest by your side for confession and to preside over worship.
At the same time, I will also serve as your advisor, providing you with service to the best of my ability."
"But that is not the Old Bishop's purpose," a sharp glint appeared in Inquisitor Alex's eyes, directly piercing through Williams' explanation.
Seemingly intimidated by Inquisitor Alex, Williams' gaze flickered before he continued, "That is just my personal understanding. The Old Bishop's intention is for me to mend your relationship with the Ecclesiarchy."
"Mend my relationship with the Ecclesiarchy…" Inquisitor Alex's lips curled slightly, his eyes seemingly turning purple. "An interesting turn of phrase, but I consider my relationship with the Ecclesiarchy to be quite harmonious. From where does this 'mend' come?"
Inquisitor Alex naturally understood why the Old Bishop said this, but he still wanted to extract more information from Williams.
For this, he even resorted to using Psyker abilities.
Williams was not a Psyker, and his faith had not yet reached the point where he could resist Psyker abilities.
Under Inquisitor Alex's Psyker influence, he answered candidly, "Because Planetary Governor, you hold a negative attitude towards the Ecclesiarchy's plan, which the Old Bishop views as your dissatisfaction and estrangement from the Ecclesiarchy.
He hopes that I can influence your attitude towards the Ecclesiarchy, thereby allowing the Ecclesiarchy to smoothly implement the Holy Site Plan."
This answer did not surprise Inquisitor Alex; the Ecclesiarchy having a plan was something he already knew.
In the Imperium, the Inquisition has many ways to uncover information.
And generally speaking, the Inquisition collects information through various channels and means, and it is natural for the Inquisition's secret agents to exist within the Ecclesiarchy.
Even if there weren't any before, Inquisitor Alex had been managing Rostov II for several years, so sending secret agents to infiltrate the Ecclesiarchy was not a problem.
Therefore, Inquisitor Alex knew that the Ecclesiarchy had a plan and wanted to make something happen.
He just didn't expect that he would become a stumbling block hindering the Ecclesiarchy.
However, the Ecclesiarchy seemed not to intend to remove him as a stumbling block, but rather to adopt a circuitous strategy, allowing him to lean towards them.
Thinking of this, Inquisitor Alex already understood why the Old Bishop sent a Priest who was almost too young to know better to his side.
In short, this young Priest was merely a letter from the Old Bishop to Inquisitor Alex, primarily intended to convey the Old Bishop's awareness that his time was short and his hope that this Star District would become a new Holy Site before his death.
And Williams was the Old Bishop's tool to express the Ecclesiarchy's stance to Inquisitor Alex.
Because Williams was too young, he wouldn't be perceived as having any hidden motives, making it easier for him to gain Inquisitor Alex's trust.
The Old Bishop believed that, with Inquisitor Alex's identity and ability as an Inquisitor, he could easily extract enough information from Williams.
This information could help Inquisitor Alex confirm the Ecclesiarchy's attitude, and while clearing up some unnecessary misunderstandings, also draw the two sides closer.
Things indeed developed in the direction the Old Bishop hoped, but Inquisitor Alex also gained more intelligence from Williams' words, and even saw the Ecclesiarchy's deeper purpose.
For the Ecclesiarchy, preaching and spreading the faith from the Emperor is their greatest goal and desire.
For this goal, they would spare no expense or do anything.
Extremists even sacrifice themselves or others, which, from any perspective, is utterly insane and fanatical, no different from a cult.
Through Pilgrims, to accumulate a massive number of believers on a planet, thereby creating a fait accompli, turning Rostov into a world controlled by the Ecclesiarchy, this is truly beneficial and effortless for the Ecclesiarchy, even a sure-win situation in their eyes.
Not to mention, the Ecclesiarchy's ambition is far from being filled by a single Rostov II; they desire the entire Sub-Sector.
"I understand the Ecclesiarchy's purpose. So, what can you do, and what services can you offer me?" Inquisitor Alex did not directly refuse Williams, but instead seriously inquired about his abilities.
The Old Bishop's move was essentially showing his hand, and it was also a threat. If Inquisitor Alex truly refused Williams, then things would escalate to a complete breakdown, and the Ecclesiarchy would not mind using a fait accompli to turn Inquisitor Alex into a figurehead Planetary Governor.
Furthermore, on another level, the Ecclesiarchy could elevate him to a saint, just as they could make him a blasphemer who failed the God-Emperor's expectations.
For faith, the Ecclesiarchy could do anything, including but not limited to dealing with a Planetary Governor personally appointed by the Emperor, if he obstructed the Ecclesiarchy's proselytization.
If Inquisitor Alex cooperated, the Ecclesiarchy would spare no effort to support him, providing manpower and money; but if Inquisitor Alex did not cooperate, then the Ecclesiarchy would act independently!
They wouldn't need to do anything else; they would just need to transport a billion Pilgrims to Rostov II and have them settle there, and Inquisitor Alex would be tearing his hair out.
Therefore, direct refusal at this moment was the worst option. Inquisitor Alex needed to at least accept Williams first, and then find a way to stop the Ecclesiarchy's madness.
Moreover, from another perspective, this was not a bad thing. After all, the Ecclesiarchy was quite sincere; the wealth and population they brought would aid the development of the Rostov Sub-Sector, it just depended on how Inquisitor Alex utilized it.
This was a trouble, but also an opportunity.
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