40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 615 1. Alien visitors

The spacecraft landed and took off, people came and went, it was noisy and dense, and the cold wind howled. The old sailor Hayid squatted outside a tarmac, tucked his coat tightly, and took his hands out of his pockets again.

He wore thick gloves, but that still didn't stop the cold, so every once in a while, he had to reluctantly rub his hands and then his face, neck and ears in the cold wind.

If his nose or ears were frozen, he would not have the money to go to the hospital. At best, he could only buy a bottle of wine, drink it all in one go, and then sleep in his filthy home for a night, hoping to survive the pain.

This is considered treatment, and almost everyone does it. There is no way, Banjo-1 is such a cold and poor place, and it is rich in sailors.

Hayid didn't know the reason, but he didn't care. He just wanted to find a job - any job would be fine. In addition to being a sailor, he could also be a weak bodyguard, a bad cook, or a third-rate tailor.

Or a tour guide who walks slowly and talks obscenely.

Among the people passing by, Hayid saw a man. He was very tall, wearing a fedora hat, a thick black coat, and an off-white scarf. He was also carrying a medium-sized brown suitcase in his hand.

At first glance, he seemed to be no different from the crowd around him, but Hayid recognized him as a tourist at a glance. The expression of interest on his face was very obvious and clear at a glance.

The sailor with gray temples coughed, stood up from a corner between the two walls, reached into the inner pocket of his coat, and took out a square iron box.

He unscrewed the screw cap and took a sip of the strong drink. He waited for almost half a minute until the heat began to rise, and then he walked towards the man.

This was also a helpless move. He hadn't eaten anything all day and had to drink something to make his face look healthier.

It may be okay to hire a mud-legged person as a tour guide, but if it is a sickly mud-legged person, then I am afraid not many people will be willing.

However, Hayid was still a little confused: Why did this person come to Banjo-1 to travel?

With doubts in mind, he walked up to the man and spoke vaguely in the cold wind: "The throne is above -"

The man suddenly lowered his head and looked at him, and all the words Hayid had prepared disappeared. It was certainly not a pleasant experience, and the old sailor couldn't care less now.

He coughed twice, muttered and was about to lower his head and leave, walking unsteadily as if he was just a drunk looking for trouble. However, a hand touched his shoulder the moment he turned around.

A low but hoarse voice sounded above him.

"gentlemen."

Hayid pretended not to hear and wanted to break away from the restraints and leave, but his hand did not move at all and was as steady as a rock.

"gentlemen?"

"."

The old sailor regretfully swallowed his alcohol-smelling saliva and turned around. False enthusiasm flowed from every pore, creating a comical smile on his messy face.

He took off his hat and bowed slightly stiffly: "What can I do, my lord?"

The man smiled back at him.

Half an hour later, they entered a small and dirty tavern called the Stupid Fisherman's House - it was a very stupid name, but no one cared about it. There was hot fish soup and cheap home-brewed wine for sale.

The more important point is that in the lower city of Banjo-1, this is one of the few taverns with heating devices, and only three general coins are charged as a fee.

Over time, this place has become a gathering place for many sailors, and Hayid is a frequent visitor here. Therefore, when he and a strange man walked into the booth area one after another, the bartender Katerina was a little surprised.

"Then the old man won't find a job, right?" She asked her father and boss, leaning on the edge of the bar.

The bald bartender who was busy inside sighed and turned around, stuffing a menu into her arms: "Go to work, Katerina, and don't care about other people's personal affairs."

The red-haired waitress rolled her eyes, stubbed out her half-smoked cigarette, and walked towards the booth.

She was a little distracted, maybe because she'd spent a fortune on a piece of crap at a grocery store this morning, or maybe because she simply didn't like Hayid, at least not anymore.

This old man used to be a very likable, taciturn but very decent man, but now he drinks all the time and spends every penny he earns at the House of the Stupid Fisherman.

Many people have tried to persuade him to cheer him up. After all, the emperor will not give up on anyone, but this person must first be strong. However, Hayid seems to have made up his mind to die from alcohol, so almost no one has contact with him anymore.

Katerina walked outside the booth and handed the menu to Hayid. The old sailor gave her a pitiful smile of gratitude, but then handed the old and wiped menu to another person in the booth.

"Do you have any recommendations?" the man asked after taking the menu.

Catalina listened to his voice and was stunned for a few seconds before she remembered that she should answer this question, but Hayid gave her his own advice before she could speak.

"Fish soup, Mr. Khalil, the fish soup here is very delicious and very cheap."

"Okay, then do you have any other recommendations for two portions of thick fish soup, Mr. Hayid? I don't want my tour guide to go hungry."

"this--"

Hayid smiled awkwardly and looked up at Catalina, only to find that the waitress didn't look at him at all. He had to cough to recall her consciousness.

"Then give us two more fried fish and rice, Katerina? Oh, by the way, some more hot water."

The waitress finally looked at him, but her eyes were very strange, as if she was wondering why he stopped drinking. Or maybe she was just blaming him for disturbing her.

Hayid seemed more and more embarrassed, and had to cough again: "You heard it, Katerina, please hurry up and serve the food, okay?"

"I know." Katerina agreed and turned to the other person in the booth. "I said, sir, where are you from?"

The man who was looking down at the menu raised his head under the warm yellow light. His face, which had been as pale as a ghost in the cold wind, now looked a bit human, but his dark eyes still looked penetrating.

And Hayid knew that this probably didn't matter to Catalina. This young child is very curious about the world outside Banjo-1, and she has been asked many questions by every sailor who comes to rest.

What's more, this man is actually very handsome.

The old sailor sighed inwardly - he had seen too many such things. Men or women from other worlds met a short-term love in another world, each got what he wanted, and said goodbye to each other at dawn.

However, his employer did not give him the reaction he expected. No flirting, no smiles, just a flat, very plain statement.

"From a very far away place." Hayid saw his employer's calm expression replying.

For some reason, the old sailor suddenly felt shuddering.

He didn't know where this feeling came from, but he always felt that the man who introduced himself as Khalil Lohars was wearing a mask, and the mask seemed to be slipping off soon.

What will happen then?

"Where did it come from?" Katerina began to ask, her tone becoming softer unconsciously.

The man smiled, a little apologetically: "I'm sorry I can't reveal it. Also, please serve the food quickly, madam? We are all very hungry, please."

"Oh, you don't have to keep calling me ma'am."

Katerina left with a smile, her footsteps even lighter because of the name and smile.

As Hayid thought about these things, the chill in his heart suddenly disappeared. He pinched his thighs under the table in confusion, feeling rather confused and confused.

What happened just now? he thinks. What's wrong with me? Did you drink too much?

The old sailor silently put his hands on the table and held them tightly. After a few minutes, he managed to show a humble and flattering smile.

"I said, Mr. Khalil, what do you plan to do when you come to Banjo-1 this time?"

"Tour." His employer said, his long fingers dancing lightly on the greasy wooden table.

"But, there isn't anything interesting to see here. There are chimneys, factories and mines everywhere. To be honest, even if you have decided to hire me, I don't know how to be a tour guide."

"It doesn't matter, Mr. Hayid. By the way, where can I buy newspapers here?"

".newspaper?"

"Yes, I think it's still early. There should be newsboys or newsstands operating nearby. I've recently developed a bad habit. I like to read something while eating. Books, newspapers, magazines, I Not picky, but it must be available. Is it available nearby?”

"Yes, yes." Hayid replied quickly and stood up. "It's not far outside the door. I'll go for you."

"No need."

His employer stood up slowly, took on his fedora hat, raised the collar of his coat, and walked out of the door of the tavern with long strides, leaving his scarf and suitcase on the slightly dirty seat of the booth.

Hayid watched him go away and sat down at a loss. He stared at the off-white scarf and brown suitcase, falling into an odd silence.

If Catalina hadn't walked over with two bowls of thick fish soup on a dinner plate, I'm afraid this silence would have continued.

"Where is your employer, Hayid?"

"Went out to buy newspapers," the old sailor said absently, and raised his spoon to take a sip of soup.

The familiar smell fell into his empty stomach along with the boneless minced fish meat. The steam was steaming, and a sense of warmth arose in all the places he passed along the way. He sighed, took another sip, and his expression finally relaxed.

"Buying a newspaper? Are you serious?" the waitress asked doubtfully. "Also, he actually left his own things to you with confidence?"

Hayid shook his head and frowned again. He put down his spoon angrily and said, "When have you ever seen me do those petty thefts?"

Katerina bit her lip belatedly and whispered: "I'm sorry, Hayd."

"It's okay, go and get busy." The old sailor replied stiffly, lowered his head and continued to drink the soup.

A few minutes later, the door of the tavern was opened again, and Han Feng walked in with a man holding two newspapers in his hand. Hayid's employer just returned to his seat, his expression as usual, as if he was not shaken by the temperature outside.

He first handed a newspaper to the old sailor, then lowered his head and sniffed the thick fish soup in front of him when the latter was flattered, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"Real stuff." He whispered. "Six common coins can buy such a big bowl, Mr. Haid?"

"Add two common coins and you can get an extra serving of fish meat." Haid replied nervously. "Besides, there are no bones in the thick fish soup of the stupid fisherman, so it has always sold well."

"No bones?"

"Yes, sir. Look at the bar over there, see? The bald man standing behind the bar? He is the stupid fisherman himself, Li De Binsen."

"In the early years, he had a son. The boy was different from his sister, Katrina. Although he was weak, he studied well and was also talented in mechanics. He often helped his father make some useful little things."

"As a result, suddenly one day, the bartender A man in a red robe came to the entrance of the museum. He waited from morning to night until little Benson came home. Then, Li De's son went to be an apprentice to the man in the red robe. "

"Just like that, for ten years, we haven't seen him again, only some machines have been moved in. For example, fish bone removal machines, air purifiers and the like. Li De has always boasted about this, saying that his son will become an outstanding mechanical priest in the future. "

Hayed finished these words in one breath, picked up the fish soup, drank a big mouthful, and exhaled a breath of hot air with satisfaction. But his employer did not hold the spoon, but sat a little further away from the table and unfolded the newspaper in his hand.

The smell of inferior ink flashed by, and Haid looked up and saw a line of big words printed on the front page of the newspaper: Ultramar Five Hundred Worlds Regain Light!

Five Hundred Worlds? Where is that? Haid blinked, and wanted to read other people's newspapers calmly as before, but suddenly realized that there was a newspaper next to him.

So, he followed his employer's example, leaned back, unfolded the newspaper, and began to turn the pages. He knew how to read, but he read slowly and needed some time. He was not interested in the news on the front page, so he turned to the back.

And this time, the news published in the newspaper really attracted his attention.

"Dark Angels Chapter Visits Banjo System?!" Haid muttered in shock. "Emperor!"

Opposite him, his employer, a traveler named Caryl Rohals, narrowed his eyes in amusement.