Whether it was a prosperous planet, a barren world in the backwaters of the galaxy, or a place where the methods of worshipping the Emperor varied wildly, there was one thing that remained constant.
That was the love for alcohol!
Drinking until one was dead to the world was the cheapest way for mentally exhausted people in this cruel universe to find relaxation. So, no matter where you went, taverns were always packed after the sun went down.
Ding-a-ling.
The wind chimes at the tavern door rang out. Two travel-worn figures walked into the lively establishment where glasses were clinking, instantly drawing the attention of the entire room.
They were wrapped tight in hooded cloaks—one tall, one short. their faces obscured, looking sneaky and not quite up to any good.
But this was the bottom layer of Adeli—Asheli—one of the over thirty-two thousand Hive Worlds recorded in the Imperium.
It was a paradise for criminals. Heretics, and even Xenos of other races, could be found mingling here. Imperial law was practically nonexistent; the ruling nobility looked down on these mud-legged lower classes and couldn't be bothered to govern them.
It was essentially fertile soil for breeding evil. So, basically everyone here had a questionable identity or was an undocumented resident who couldn't see the light of day. No one found the attire of these two strange in the slightest.
On the contrary, some people saw them as fat sheep. After all, despite the filth on their boots, one could tell they were made of high-grade material. Clearly, these were people who didn't lack money.
Clatter, clink.
Several rusty coins fell onto the bar counter, making a crisp sound. The tall man spoke in Low Gothic, the common tongue of the Imperium:
"Two glasses of distilled spirit. The best you have."
"Coming right up, guest."
These two were, of course, Kenmei Isayama and Elena. They were currently dressed as outlanders, a common sight in these parts.
According to limited intelligence gathered by the Imperium's omnipresent spy network, reports indicated that Kenmei, tracking the trail of the traitor Inquisitor Tosak Rome, had arrived at this Hive World, Adeli.
A Hive World was a massive, pyramid-shaped habitation structure built by the Imperium. Hive Worlds were also the largest and most chaotic human settlements in the history of human civilization. The upper levels, piercing the clouds, were inhabited by nobles and Imperial officials. The climate there was pleasant, no different from a Paradise World, and they enjoyed sunlight that the residents of the middle and lower levels might never see in their entire lives.
The middle levels were mostly inhabited by ordinary people, who made up the majority of the population.
The lower levels and the underhive were home to the poorest of the poor. Most were exiled here due to crimes or sensitive identities. There was basically no lighting, and gangs would fight over the most trivial disputes.
It was Kenmei's first time seeing such a dark and chaotic place. It was hard to imagine this was an area under Imperial jurisdiction, with deadly conflicts and filthy, turbid air everywhere.
Finding a decent-looking town was rare—like a piece of pure land in a bloody, chaotic hell. He and Elena had then come to this tavern.
After all, if you wanted to get the most local intelligence quickly, there were only two places to go.
One was a mixed bag of a tavern. The other was the red-light district, which wasn't exactly appropriate for Kenmei to enter with Elena.
Fortunately, this tavern was barely acceptable—much better than the filthy mess outside.
As an Inquisitor, Kenmei wasn't like the Astartes monks who served selflessly; his salary was actually quite high.
However, the coins Kenmei had just casually tossed out weren't traditional Imperial currency, but a special metal that served as hard currency in this city of crime.
The bartender, wearing clothes washed white with age, saw these coins and his eyes lit up instantly. He deftly swept all the coins into his pocket, then took down an exquisite metal bottle from the shelf behind him.
"This is good stuff the Scavenger team dug up from Albert. They say it's something only the noble lords get to drink."
Kenmei raised an eyebrow. Albert used to be a Hive World too, but decades ago, due to the betrayal of its ruling nobles, it was ruthlessly destroyed by the Imperium, which had zero tolerance for traitors.
Its ruins were just a pile of trash to the Imperium, but in the eyes of scavengers, it was an immeasurable treasure trove.
The bartender's fawning tone, though hushed, was clear enough in the not-so-large tavern.
"Damn it, Yuri! Where did you get that good stuff?!"
This scene made the alcohol worms in the bellies of the patrons, who could only afford the cheapest swill, twitch unbearably. Looking at the bottle with eyes like they were staring at a naked beauty, they started clamoring.
The timid ones only dared to run their mouths, but some of the bolder ones, fueled by alcohol, didn't care about anything!
Just like right now in Asheli, the lowest level of the Hive World: the timid starved, and the bold stuffed themselves to death.
A tall, burly man, drunk and flushed red, with terrifying tattoos all over his arms, slammed the table in anger and stood up, swaying as he walked over.
"Damn it! You have such good stuff and you didn't give it to Lord Jamie to drink!"
"Jamie, this is 'Ferocious Shark' territory! Even the boss of your 'Wild Horse Gang' wouldn't dare act wildly here!"
Although the bartender, Yuri, was afraid, remembering that he had the backing of the "Ferocious Shark" gang gave him confidence, and he immediately issued a warning.
Hearing the bartender's words, Jamie, who was already drunk out of his mind, just burped and spat viciously on the floor.
"Using the 'Ferocious Shark' name to pressure Lord Jamie? Yuri, you've got some nerve."
The drunkard spoke with a dismissive tone, revealing a trace of pride.
"Ferocious Shark might be the boss of Asheli now, sure. But my Wild Horse Gang recently got a new Second-in-Command. Asheli is about to change its name!"
The drunkard's words were like a bomb dropped into the tavern. The people watching the show were thunderstruck by this statement, then erupted into raucous laughter. Some even clutched their stomachs and laughed until they slid under the tables.
"Jamie, I think you're not just drunk, your brain is broken."
Kenmei had done his homework. The "Wild Horse Gang" this foolish drunk belonged to, while barely making it onto the stage in Asheli, was nothing compared to the "Ferocious Shark," who was vaguely recognized as the underground emperor.
Saying the "Wild Horse Gang" would replace "Ferocious Shark" as the boss of Asheli was as ridiculous as saying a Grot knocked out an Ogryn with one punch.
That was why everyone was mocking him, treating him like a clown.
"Save the daydreams for when you're asleep!"
Jamie, who had been full of confidence just a moment ago, turned red and then green in the face from the ridicule. He wanted to retort angrily, but a chilling voice suddenly appeared behind him, freezing him in place.
"Who is talking about my 'Ferocious Shark'?"
From beneath his hood, Kenmei observed the uninvited guest. A guy even larger than the daydreaming drunkard pushed open the tavern door and walked in, followed by a large group of people.
As he entered, the noisy tavern instantly fell silent. Especially the clown, whose face turned pale white; evidently, he was scared sober.
"Lord Kurr, what brings you here today?"
The bartender also recognized him as the Second-in-Command of the Ferocious Shark. He walked out from behind the bar to the group, ignoring his two big customers, Kenmei and Elena, and smiled obsequiously.
"Yuri, is the upstairs private room still available?"
"Of course! I have people clean it every day, just waiting for you lords to arrive!"
Kurr, the Second-in-Command of "Ferocious Shark," nodded. He didn't even give the clown a second glance, simply gesturing for his subordinates to drag the man who misspoke outside. A moment later, a miserable scream was heard from outside. Kurr sneered coldly and followed the bartender up the stairs.
Kenmei's take on this was truly, "A small pond full of big turtles." The existence of such low-level gang forms was a hallmark of uncivilized barbarism.
"Let's go, Elena."
Kenmei had merely sniffed the so-called noble wine the bartender mentioned and instantly realized it was new wine in an old bottle.
Decades-old vintage? Kenmei suspected the production date was this afternoon. A classic scam.
Also, as an Inquisitor, how could Kenmei not know? That bastard just now wasn't speaking nonsense after drinking; he was speaking the truth after drinking.