Traveling through time, I'm making pancakes in Warhammer

Chapter 154 Betrayal

Before using his own blood to heal Arabelle, Howard decided to experiment on other infected people to see the effects of his own flesh and blood.

But before doing the experiment, Howard had something more important to do.

That is to resettle these survivors.

He already had a rough idea in mind, but he decided to hear the opinions of the parties involved first, so he stood up and asked, "Mr. Francis, what are your thoughts on the current situation? What do you think has led to this situation? What are your plans for the future?"

"I think there must be some misunderstanding here," Francis said. "Those soldiers claim that all of us are contaminated, but we all know that most of those still alive have never been infected. Even if they were infected, they were cured. They can't be so arbitrary. There must be some reason why the person who made this decision misjudged the situation here. We need to find a way to explain this to the people above."

"You're completely mistaken," Howard said, looking directly into the gene harvester's eyes. "I can tell you very clearly that everyone here is contaminated. It's just that the contamination isn't physical, but mental. Look at those poor souls out there, terrified and unable to fall asleep at your feet. They are the most seriously contaminated. This mental contamination will stay with them for the rest of their lives. When they can no longer bear it, they will be corrupted and become the true source of contamination. The others are acting normal only because the seeds of contamination haven't sprouted yet, and no one can guarantee that these seeds will remain dormant."

"I can say Mass for them all my life," the priest replied immediately.

"Who will support them?" Howard asked again. "These people should be working and creating value for the Empire. If you follow your plan, not only will they be unable to work, they will also become a burden to the Empire. Who will pay for the living expenses of tens of thousands, millions, or even hundreds of millions of people? You think these imperial soldiers are coming to eliminate you because of a misunderstanding, but in fact, they understand the actual situation better than you do, and they have chosen the safest and cheapest way to deal with it, which is to eliminate all potential contaminated people."

"I..." This question stumped Francis. The usually calm pastor finally showed a hint of helplessness. He stammered, "I... I can give speeches and lobby to raise funds."

"You?" Howard looked at Francis and said, "I truly respect your determination, but haven't you overlooked one thing... You're not human. In Kalimdor, everyone accepts you because they know you. If you leave here, your own safety will be in jeopardy."

Francis was finally speechless, but he knew that Howard's questioning of him must have meant he already had a solution, so he asked, "Then...do you have any good solutions for our current situation?"

"Yes." Howard nodded. "I've thought about it for a long time. There's only one way to keep everyone alive, and that's..."

Howard paused for a moment before adding, "That means betraying the Empire and joining the Plague."

After saying this, the pastor looked at Howard with a look that immediately changed from eager to cold: "Mr. Howard, you are not kidding, are you?"

"I'm not kidding," Howard replied. "This is the only way for everyone to survive. I can open another portal and take you all..."

"Stop talking!" Francis interrupted Howard and looked at him with a hostile look. "Mr. Howard, if it weren't for the great dedication and sacrifice you've made for us, I would have the right to hang you just for what you just said."

"So what do you say? Just wait here to die?" Howard was not intimidated by Francis. "You haven't done anything wrong. You are also victims. It was the Empire that abandoned you first. You..."

"Even if we die at the hands of the Empire, it's better than living in the clutches of evil!" The pastor forcefully interrupted Howard's proposal and said, "Mr. Howard, for the sake of our friendship, please don't mention this matter again."

"You're willing to die for the Empire, but what does the Empire think of you?" Howard said. "Once, a plague broke out on a planet in the Ultramarines. The situation there was far more severe than here, and the demons themselves descended directly upon it. But when the plague passed, the people on that planet weren't purged. Instead, they were protected by the Empire. Because they were from the Ultramarines' sector, they were naturally superior to the lower-class citizens of you hives."

Howard was stunned again when he said this, because he remembered the saying that animals are born equal, but some animals are more equal.

Then he continued, "Mr. Francis, you have already sacrificed enough for the Empire. If you die for the Empire out of blind loyalty, the Empire will not benefit. And honestly, even if you defect to the Lord of Plague, you will not pose any threat to the Empire. I can find a way to preserve your consciousness..."

"Crack!"

Before Howard could finish his words, the priest pulled out a pistol from his robe and pointed it at Howard.

"Mr. Howard, I beg you... stop talking..." The pastor's expression was very complicated.

Howard was stunned at first, then he smiled. He took a step forward and put the muzzle of the gun against his forehead.

"Reverend, you shouldn't have pointed your gun at me," Howard said. "You should have pointed your gun at the people outside. Your decision is tantamount to depriving them of their last hope of survival and sentencing them to death. They're doomed anyway, and dying at the hands of a priest like you is worse than at the hands of the Imperial Army. You're so devout, and perhaps their souls, if killed by you, will sooner return to the Emperor's embrace... If you find shooting too brutal, I can find you some poison."

Two minutes later.

The pastor walked out of the basement in a trance, as if he had lost his soul, and Howard followed him out.

After the two came out of the basement, the survivors rushed up and surrounded them tightly.

After Francis came out, he sat down against the wall weakly, as if his spine was broken. This was very rare for him. The priest always required himself to behave properly and have a correct posture. This was the first time he behaved so decadently in front of so many people.

In the end, he still couldn't bring himself to kill everyone.