40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 243 14. An Uncomfortable Chair

Khalil held his facial muscles in check with such extraordinary control that he managed to keep them rigid without even blinking.

He sat on one of the chairs in the conference room with no expression on his face.

The chair was 'Primarch sized', so it could accommodate him as well. The chair was also very luxurious, and like everything on board the Emperor's Dream, it had a certain quality that made Nostramo eyesore.

But what about beyond that?

As a chair, does it feel comfortable?

the answer is negative.

Sitting on it felt like torture. Fortunately, Kalil had already experienced worse chairs. He could still keep his face expressionless and listened to the exchanges between the Emperor and his sons one after another.

"I am glad to see the three of you together without any barriers," the Emperor said. "Even after many years of separation, brothers are still brothers after all."

Sanguinius answered with one of his rare serious expressions.

Horus smiled, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Corax was the calmest, but his shoulders were raised a little too much, making him look as if he was sinking into the back of his chair.

The behavior of the Primarchs was certainly incomprehensible, especially Sanguinius's.

The Angel of Baal always has the right answer at the right time, and his words are always appropriate, whether to an Astartes or to a commoner. At this moment, he didn't say a word.

The Emperor appeared indifferent to this and announced the end of the meeting two hours, thirty-one minutes and seventeen seconds after he entered the meeting room.

For two and a half hours, he and his sons discussed stars, the universe, battleships, and legions. He described in detail some of the ancient animals that once existed on Terra and their close relatives today.

He talked about poems, stories, myths and legends, literary works, and paintings. He also talked about the night sky and early morning, and what a farmer had to do during farm work. He's never looked so 'close'.

Because of this, his sons were a little confused.

So, after they left, he turned his attention to the other person left behind, a person who did not blink at all.

"Did I do a bad job?" the Emperor asked in a tone that was not that of an 'Emperor'.

"No, Your Majesty," Khalil replied.

At the same time, he finally blinked slowly. The left eyelid is lowered first, then the right eye.

This deliberate behavior made the emperor sigh. He raised his right hand and rubbed the golden wristband on his left wrist with his fingers: "This is not funny."

"I didn't smile."

"Yes," said the Emperor. "If you must say so."

Khalil grinned, slowly. This is a naked, unabashed mockery. The mere presence of it on his face was startling, let alone the object of his ridicule.

However, despite this, the emperor behaved more relaxedly. He leaned back, slumped against the back of the chair, and then frowned.

"You seem to realize they're not very comfortable anymore," Khalil said with a smile. "It's so luxurious, every detail is considered, and the texture of the carvings is surprisingly fine. That's why it keeps rubbing your back."

"This is my first time using it." The Emperor turned sideways and began to stroke the back of the chair with his fingers.

He observed this larger gilded chair, and an undisguised true feeling suddenly appeared on his unmasked face. This feeling should not be present in the Master of Mankind, it is so human, it is almost a collection of fragility.

It's so... unbearable to look at.

Khalil looked away and observed the oil paintings on the walls of the conference room: "You still have a few minutes to show this expression, Your Majesty."

The 'Emperor' chose to remain silent.

His vision was boundless for a moment, wandering around the room. He was lost in one of those musings in which he often fell, the laurel crown on his brow still shining, his body tall and strong to perfection.

But this was just a lie. Khalil stared at the lights and made them recede with his eyes. Then, he saw the true face under the light.

A father who cannot fulfill his responsibilities, a friend in pain, and a prophet who blames himself.

Khalil sighed softly.

"Why this?" He sounded almost complaining.

"There is too little time." The Emperor stood up, took the initiative to end his 'few minutes', and once again put on the half-truth and half-false mask.

The mixture of his ambition and the ruthlessness he forced himself into made the mask a terrifying symbol. He moved the chair slightly away, put his fingers on its backrest, and slowly tightened his grip, like holding a sword.

".And I have too many things to do." The Lord of Humanity spoke slowly. "There are always people in the galaxy waiting for this salvation they don't want, but they don't have the right to choose. I won't let them have a choice."

"So-" He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the light had gathered again.

"——So?" Khalil cast a look.

"I want you to talk to Corax. I need him to lead his legion into the Great Crusade as soon as possible. It's best to do it willingly."

"Why don't you do this yourself?" Khalil frowned. "I'm tired of dealing with the Primarchs"

"Because after all, I still can't be completely ruthless to him." The emperor said. "If I go there, his home planet will become an industrial center and a transit station. I will ignore those who are oppressed, and I will let the Mechanicus completely transform this place into what I need. But you are different, you still have Not as far as I am.”

"Are you trying to express my weakness in a subtle way?"

"No, I'm expressing my envy in a subtle way." The Lord of Humanity said calmly. "Humanity is something that never recovers, Khalil, cherish what you still have."

——

Khalil climbed aboard the shuttle slowly, sinking suddenly as he landed.

The Emperor's Dream holds a special status within the Empire, and this status is reflected in many aspects. Her hull, which is so huge that it may cause tidal effects, is one aspect, and her appearance, which is different from any other warship, is also another aspect.

However, at this moment, there is only one thing that can really affect Khalil.

——Her security clearance level is so high that the servitors cannot even board any of her shuttles. This was a difficult thing to do, but fortunately he did not come alone.

Yes, I didn’t come alone.

Yago Savitarion reached out and took hold of the controller. His pale fingers completely wrapped around its edges. After all, the mainstream design of the shuttle was not intended for use by the Astartes.

There were many servants on the Emperor's Dream who would pilot the ship for him if Khalil would allow it, and they would consider it an honor, but he didn't want to do that.

Not at all, it was too much trouble - the fact that he had a room on the Emperor's Dream was already known to the entire crew of the ship, and the respect they showed was almost uncomfortable for Khalil.

He can accept flattery and false enthusiasm, but he cannot turn a blind eye to the true feelings that naturally arise.

Therefore, I can only suffer from Savita temporarily.

He had been indoctrinated under hypnosis with experience and knowledge that would take years to acquire, as would any Legionnaire. This includes piloting jetbikes, gunships, gliders and even Thunderhawks. Of course the shuttle is no problem.

Savita operated it skillfully, making the shuttle with wings like gold and a main body like glass fly in the dark vacuum.

Their destination was a moon named Lycaeus. It has no atmosphere and a harsh environment. The people on it carry out arduous and bitter mining work all year round to provide production raw materials for the giant enterprises on the main star Kiaval.

Very classic system.

Khalil commented silently in his mind as he thought about how to speak to Corax.

He wasn't much of a talker, he was just good at making it look easy. In fact, every time he spoke, he had to think about it in his mind for a long time. What's more, this is the case now.

Let a leader who led an uprising abandon his comrades and run around the galaxy to become a murderer who starts wars and has blood on his hands.

How cruel. he thinks. At the same time, he silently cast his gaze towards the rear of the cabin.

His weight was not enough for the shuttle to sink that much upon landing.

Khalil looked at the corner and did not speak. His eyes were dull, and the dark eyes characteristic of the Nostramo people were always very recognizable. Sevatar stood half-bent in the cockpit behind him, concentrating on driving the shuttle.

For a moment, there was only the slight sound of the engine running.

The shuttle specially provided for the Emperor's Dream is even soundproofed. Its interior decoration is perfect, luxurious but not overly expensive, and every aspect is taken care of for those who may board the shuttle.

It even has a built-in wine cooler, located just aft of the cabin.

Khalil walked over slowly, swinging his arms, and there was a cold light that flickered in and out of the cuffs of his dress, which he did deliberately. He came to the wine cabinet and before looking for the biometric device, it opened by itself.

The thick black armor plate opened automatically, and a pleasant synthesized voice immediately sounded: "Welcome to take the wine, Lord Khalil Lohars. You can enjoy hundreds of delicacies here."

Kalil did not answer the built-in voice, but silently observed the drinks that were placed steadily on the six rows of shelves. The cold air was overflowing, lingering and rising on their bottles with different textures.

Khalil saw Kalash, a specialty from Baal and a favorite of the Blood Angels. Fine brews, highly poisonous, often mixed with blood.

He also saw six kinds of wine from Ultramar. They all tasted good, but Khalil didn't like drinking very much.

His eyes glanced around casually, occasionally stopping, but he never really showed his affection. Until a certain moment, he slowly raised his right hand.

The cold light bloomed instantly, and a sharp wail erupted in the air. Sevata was slightly startled, then quickly released the joystick and turned around. Two short knives slipped out of the cuffs of his hands.

However, he did not see the enemy.

Actually.

Corvus Corax slowly looked away, not choosing to look at Khalil again. He lowered his head and expressed his apology in a soft voice: "I'm sorry."

Savita frowned deeply and did not speak rashly.

He wisely chose to withdraw his weapon and continued to drive the shuttle. He even pressed a button on the cockpit, causing an iron door to rise at the link between the cabin and the cockpit, completely isolating the sound from behind. .

He always knows what to do when.

Khalil let go of his hand and let the straight blade dissipate into the air.

"Psychic energy," Khalil explained. "A convenient, but dangerous power. It can be used for many things, such as forging weapons, hiding corpses, or creating temporary darkness to hide oneself."

Corax nodded and stepped back slightly. Khalil stared into Corax's eyes, catching a trace of shock that had not yet dissipated in the latter's eyes that were not completely dark.

"How did you find me?"

"Although the darkness is never forgiving, it is not stingy enough to not allow me to observe it." Khalil replied. "The answer to how I found out about you is weight, Lord Corax."

Corax nodded slowly, folded his hands, and placed his bony hands on his forearms. The clothes he wore were very special. They looked like robes, but the cuffs were very wide and not long.

Khalil narrowed his eyes and noticed what was behind this gesture. He changed his stance so that his left foot retreated slightly. The same thing happened with his gaze, and he began to stare at Corax's arm with anatomically sharp eyes.

Every muscle fiber was completely dismantled in his imagination, and a non-existent blade was gently cutting across the skin of the original body.

Corvus Corax's throat rolled up and down, and finally he chose to speak on his own initiative.

"You are going to Lycaeus," he said, in a declarative tone.

"Yes." Khalil said. He didn't want to hide it, and he didn't bother to hide it. Lies made no sense to people like Corvus Corax. "And you are going with a mission, but you should not be here, Lord Corax."

"...He asked me to go back down there, but I don't want to have contact with those people for the time being." Corax pursed his lips and excused himself with a not very convincing reason. "The way they look at me is so weird, I don't like it."

"Indeed." Khalil smiled slightly, turned around and came to a porthole. He showed his back completely to Corax, but seemed unconcerned.

"But that's all right, Lord Corax," he said softly. "Perhaps we can settle this matter before we reach Lycaeus' orbit."

Corax was silent for a moment.

"What's up?"

"You'll know." Khalil replied with his back to him.

Just one update today. If I don’t have a fever anymore, take it easy. I’ll start the burst update mode tomorrow to make up for the debt.