40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 256 27. Crow’s Visit (2)

"A little to the left," said Conrad Coates.

The servitor moved its hands dully, its pale arms danced stiffly in the air, and quietly moved a few centimeters on the wall with a painting.

"Well, let's go a little to the right." The Lord of Night said thoughtfully.

The servitor responded immediately to his command, its simple mind unable to resist any words that came directly from Konrad Curze. The neurons were stimulated, and its arms began to dance again, making a creaking sound that was reminiscent of a machine that had been in disrepair.

The painting moved again, and Coates was still unsatisfied.

He frowned, beginning to feel that the painting looked awkward wherever it was hung. The servitor turned his head and stared at him with a pair of red electronic eyes, waiting for the next order. The Lord of the Night sighed and shook his head.

"Thank you for your help," he said gently. "But, I'd better do it myself. You can leave, G-2-173."

The servitor bent down, put down the painting, and left his office silently. Coates stared down at the painting, with a rare expression of confusion.

The man in the painting wears court-style boots and breeches and a tight noble jacket, and even wears a silver rapier with a gold guard.

The black hair was tied up, forming a swordsman's single ponytail at the back of his head, and his pale face had an arrogant look that would never appear on the face of the main character. He stood in the shadows, with a dim moon rising behind him.

Yes, the man in this painting is Conrad Coates.

Terra sent this painting, which was said to be a work sent by a group of painters. They held an art festival and painted thousands of paintings of the original body. Each painting will go through their own selection, and the best ones will be given to the Primarchs.

But here's the problem, they have never met Conrad Coates at all, they just fabricated such an image based on some gossip.

The Lord of the Night really couldn't understand why these artists would paint him as a noble. If it was reasonable for Fulgrim to wear this kind of clothes, what's wrong with him wearing it? There is no regular clothes of this style in his wardrobe.

"They might as well stop painting clothes and just let me stand there with a white cloth wrapped around me like they painted Sanguinius." Curze said to himself. "This painting is unbearable."

Having said that, he could not throw away the good intentions of the painters, but he also gave up the idea of ​​hanging it up for the time being. With a sigh, the Lord of Night turned his head and ignored it.

There is a sofa behind him, which is made of genuine leather - to be more precise, it is the 'Caliban Animal Skin Sofa' sent by Leon El'Jonson.

Of course Konrad Curze didn't understand why the Primarch of the First Legion would give him such a gift, but how could he refuse?

Leon El'Jonson could look at the holographic projection of the ship with a livid face at that time, as if someone had cut off his hand with a sword.

If he refused on the spot, God knows whether the Lion would fly to the Nightfall in a shuttle and ask why he didn't accept the gift.

Of course, the sofa is not the focus, the focus is the person sitting on it at this moment.

His complexion was pale, but not as white as that of a long-lost corpse like Conrad Coates. This pallor is a pallor acceptable to normal people, with a texture close to that of an alabaster statue.

He also has black hair and black eyes, but his eyes are not completely black, there are still whites. There is no doubt that he is very similar to the King of Nostramo, but there are also many differences. The most obvious thing is his quiet and slightly melancholy temperament.

"What do you think of this painting, brother?" Curze asked, managing to keep his tone calm.

"Not like you," Corvus Corax answered quietly. "They also gave me a painting."

The Lord of Night raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Would you mind describing it for me?"

"Much like you," Corax said. "They even painted my eyes completely black and made me step on many skeletons."

Conrad Coates burst into laughter—what else could he say? The description does resemble him. He glanced at Corax, who was sitting upright on the sofa, his posture so upright that it reminded him of someone in the past. Corze narrowed his eyes and changed the subject: "How do you feel about the Great Crusade? brother?"

"Not good," Corax said. "I wasn't feeling well about my Legion either. Fulgrim suggested I come to you for advice, so here I am."

"Do you trust the advice he gives so much?"

"He is a good man, sensible enough, and sober enough that I think his advice will be helpful." The Primarch of the Nineteenth Legion said this, speaking softly and slowly. "Furthermore, my father also suggested this."

Cozz couldn't help but frown.

"What did he say?" he asked in a calm tone.

"He thinks that your and Instructor Khalil's years of experience on the Nostramo will be very helpful to me in building the Savior, but I'm more confused as to why he didn't just give me some advice."

The Lord of the Night chuckled, and the laughter was not very gentle: "This is how my father is, Corax, I suggest you get used to it as soon as possible. However, I have two experiences."

His smile gradually widened, and of course, it wasn't gentle either. In fact, it could almost be called malicious. Corvus Corax sat there indifferently and did not make any move.

He was very keenly aware that the malice shown by Conrad Coates at this moment was not directed at him.

"Two kinds." Coze held out two fingers. "The first one is the killer's experience, which is about how to create panic, brutally murder, torture, punish and extract pain from people."

"The second is to build cities, adjust various policies, tax exemptions, and investigate people's livelihood. But, to be honest, you can go to the Ultramarines for these things. They have much more experience than me."

"I've thought about it." Corax blinked quietly. "But I am not familiar with Roboute Guilliman."

Do you and I know each other very well? Conrad Coates wanted to ask such a question, but he held back.

"Well you need a little experience and help I guess that won't be a problem."

The Night Lord turned away and returned behind his desk.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, and began to write a data manual on the spot using a data pad. Some of the regulations were his own insights, while others were from the five hundred ultramarines headed by Lucretius Corvo.

Although they had long since returned to Macragge, what they left behind had a profound impact on Nostramo. When they left, they even did not forget to compile a volume of work reports from these years. It took Conrad Coates a long time to read them all.

"So -" the Lord of the Night lowered his head and asked casually while writing. "-Do you need anything else, brother?"

"Yes," Corax said. "I want to ask."

"Huh?" Cozz raised his head and saw that his brother actually showed a rare hesitation on his face. Out of some emotion that he couldn't quite explain, Curze put down the electronic pen in his hand that was specially designed for the data pad.

"Tell me, it's okay." The Lord of Night said softly. "Human beings are supposed to help each other, not to mention that you and I are brothers."

".Okay." Corax looked like he was convinced, or maybe he had finally made up his mind.

He raised his head and looked at Coze: "I want to ask, how do you get along with your legion?"

Conrad Coates was stunned, and some images flashed through his mind. They have never been forgotten and remain in the depths of his memory. At this moment, they flickered, like a clear night sky that was not blocked by anything, and all the stars in the sky were clearly visible.

"I can't agree on some things with my Legion."

Corax frowned, struggling to find his words. Curze also frowned, because he had a premonition that Corax's next words would probably not sound good.

"I'm referring to those Terran veterans. Many of them have a very cruel habit. They are keen on torturing their enemies and often execute prisoners of war and even civilians without any reason. Moreover, they -"

Corax took a deep breath before continuing.

"——I don't know whether I should say this, but many of them behave just like slave owners in daily life. They regard any servants and civilians as slaves, and their lives as their own private property. property."

"It sounds like the problems within your legion are serious." The Lord of the Night commented thoughtfully. "There is actually a conflict of values ​​between the Astartes and their Primarch. Have they expressed dissatisfaction to you?"

"My First Captain Alcahas Farr said it." Corax sighed. "He thought that I was too simple in my daily life. He persuaded me that I could-"

"What?"

"——He wanted me to be more luxurious." said the primarch of the 19th Legion. "I didn't know what he meant. I didn't ask any more and just finished my breakfast in front of him."

"what are you eating?"

"A bowl of delicious porridge," said Corax, looking utterly puzzled.

"And I have no idea what on earth made him feel wrong. After that day, he fed me a luxurious breakfast for nearly a month. Each meal had seven different meat and vegetable dishes, accompanied by a variety of Drinks and some fruits I can’t even name.”

"Okay, this is a bit beyond my expectation." Conrad Coates raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows.

"Let's do it, brother. I will hold an exchange meeting on Nostramo, Astartes style. Exchange martial arts, experience, share each other's culture and so on. You can make your legions from orbit. I'll have to wait until then to think of a solution."

"Sorry to trouble you," Corax said slightly apologetically. "Doesn't this really bother you? I mean, I actually have a way."

The Lord of Night smiled softly.

"Oh, it's nothing, Corax." He winked. "I said, you and I are brothers."

update completed.

To be honest, the Crow King's behavior towards these Terran veterans can be regarded as one of his few black spots.