40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 71 70. The Eighth Legion (6, 5k)

Few people know that the banquet hall of the Nightfall is actually transformed from three rooms connected in series - which of course does not comply with any standards. Therefore, the company commanders held many meetings to decide whether to do this. .

Fair was the one who voted no every time.

At that time, he did not think that a building like the banquet hall would be of any help to the Nightfall and the Eighth Legion. This view was completely overturned after a cooperation with the Ultramarines.

Since then, Fer Zalost's vote has been in favor.

As a result, the only banquet hall on the Night Veil was built. Although it was accomplished by knocking down walls and removing electrical circuits and pipes, at least they had a banquet hall.

And now.

Sitting on a long table, Feier carefully wiped his left fingernail with a cloth soaked in engine oil.

He executed so many people tonight that his gauntlets were stained with too much blood that he shouldn't have.

Originally, this kind of simple work was usually left to the servitors. Although no one likes to maintain their own armor, it is still a bit strange to sit in the banquet hall and do this.

But what can Feier do?

As soon as the trial ended, the Eighth Legion returned to the Night Veil without stopping.

The order given by their primarch did not include the intention of staying on Nostramo, as to why they returned to the banquet hall.

That's of course because the party hasn't officially ended yet.

"Are you really not going to eat some nutritious porridge, Company Commander?"

".I don't really want to talk to you right now, Adebeman."

"why?"

His former adjutant leisurely raised a metal spoon, and the steaming nutritious porridge that was so thick that it completely covered the spoon started a chemical reaction on it.

He did it on purpose. Feyre thought angrily.

Everyone knows that if the nutritious porridge is not eaten quickly within half a minute of contact with metal products, it will solidify on the spoon due to high temperature and a series of subsequent reactions, and become part of that spoon.

"You'd better not waste food in front of me." Fair said in a low voice. “The work of chefs should not be wasted.”

"I know, company commander, but don't you want to talk to me?"

Adebiman grinned and ate the nutritious porridge. While chewing, there was a dull sound coming from his mouth.

"When this is over I have to throw you into the cage."

Feier said dangerously, and at the same time shook his left hand. The gauntlet covered with machine oil was shining now and no longer looked like it was stained with blood.

"No one in the third company can beat me in the cage, company commander." Adebeman laughed softly. "You probably haven't forgotten this, right, former third company commander? Or is it that leaving office has made you forget some things that you shouldn't forget?"

With a sullen face, Feier lifted up the cloth soaked in engine oil, and then threw it on Adebeman's face.

He did this with such determination and speed that Adebiman even froze for several seconds. And when he took off the cloth angrily, his company commander was already holding a bowl of nutritious porridge and eating it, his movements were very natural.

"Childish revenge." The adjutant of the third company said coldly.

"As childish as you are," Feier replied with a sneer. "You have been teasing me about my resignation for the past two days. Adebeman, do you think you are not naive?"

"."

"Yes, I know you are resentful about this matter, and so are others, but the other lieutenants are not as over-the-top as you, Adebiman. The original body has already planned to resolve this matter at a meeting with us tomorrow, so you don't want to ——”

"——I must, Captain."

The adjutant of the Third Company of the Eighth Legion held his spoon tightly and spoke slowly in the crowded banquet hall.

"If it weren't for you, I would have died thirteen years ago. If it weren't for you, the seventy-three brothers who were in that bunker with us would also have died. You saved us, Fel Zalost, so You became our company commander."

"Therefore, if you were to step down without a word, the last forty-one veterans of the 3rd Company would not hesitate to turn against you with their new recruits. We would ask your opinion before every battle. If you don't release If you give the order, we won’t attack.”

"Nonsense!" Feier growled. "War is a piece of cake! And the original body has already said that we will not let us step down!"

"That's because of the kindness and wisdom of the Primarch." Adbeman said softly. "Because he knew what would happen. Company commander, you betrayed us yesterday. I hope you will not forget this."

Feier was stunned. He had never thought that he would hear the word betrayal from his adjutant.

At this moment, he felt as if he was struck by lightning. Then, he turned his head and looked around the long table - this table was full of people belonging to the third company, but no one looked at him.

Whether veterans or recent recruits.

Everyone - all looked away at the moment his eyes swept across.

"I" Feier's lips trembled. "I didn't betray."

"Maybe, but you forget that you saved us all," his lieutenant said seriously. "As for now, company commander, you should eat quickly. The nutritional porridge is getting cold, and the original body is here too."

What he said was true.

Feir suppressed his emotions and began to eat the nutritious porridge quickly with a spoon. At the same time, he turned around and searched for traces of their original body in the banquet hall that became silent.

His eyesight had always been excellent, so he quickly saw their primarch.

——

Conrad Coates didn't know how he got to the ballroom door—his mind was in turmoil as he did so. He just arrived here based on instinct and memory, nothing more.

Khalil's words almost shattered him completely, and what was worse was that he couldn't even bring himself to be angry at Khalil.

He knew, just like before, that Khalil was right.

Thinking of this, he frowned in annoyance. Although it was only for a moment, Conrad Coates still firmly remembered this anger against himself.

Khalil was right. he said to himself. You shouldn't go to him to get his approval, you should come and meet your legion first.

Pursing his lips, he opened the door and walked into the banquet hall.

There was an instant silence in the hall that had been bustling with people before. Twenty thousand pairs of eyes stared at their original body either brightly or heavily. Konrad Coates smiled slightly and threw all the emotions in his heart into a box in an instant. inside.

He would taste them when he was alone, but not now.

Now, he is the leader of the Eighth Legion.

"I want to thank you."

He stood in front of the door and spoke loudly without using the machine that could amplify the sound. "You have done what I failed to do, my Legion. You have tonight lifted many of the heavy dark clouds that have been hovering over Nostramo."

He paused for a moment and looked around, making eye contact with everyone who saw him and gazing at each other.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

There was no answer, only silence. The judges of the Eighth Legion looked at a loss and could not sit still.

Some people's hands holding the nutritious porridge began to tremble, and some people who were drinking bland beer suddenly took it into their mouths and forgot to swallow it.

The air filter installed in the banquet hall is working quietly, and the slightly fragrant air is continuously overflowing from the ground. However, for some reason, the main atmosphere here seems to be only a strange embarrassment.

——And this embarrassing person also includes Conrad Coates.

He stood motionless in front of the door, hoping for a reaction.

But those heirs who were still looking at him before now formed a strange tacit understanding. Everyone lowered their heads in unison, as if they had a communication channel except Conrad Coates. .

After a long time, a voice sounded. A man with high cheekbones and a fierce face stood up. It was Captain Van Cleef, a man who had even dared to advise their Primarch not to participate in this trial.

"You shouldn't thank us."

He said this with an emphasis on the honorific.

"As Primarch of the Eighth Legion, it is only natural that you lead us."

"Furthermore, even excluding this matter, the trial of Nostramo is already within the scope of our responsibilities. The Eighth Legion was reshaped by the Emperor and taken away from Terra as the judge of sin. Therefore. You should not thank us, your gratitude is "

He took a deep breath.

"...is torturing us."

Conrad Curze heard someone gasping for air in horror.

And Van Cleef was still continuing. The skin on his face and cheeks had begun to tremble, but he just didn't stop.

"You can't thank us," he said solemnly and seriously. "Unless we do something you don't expect."

Konrad Coates did not respond to his words immediately. He fell into deep thought. This kind of thinking came by such a coincidence and so timely. After a moment, he smiled bitterly.

What did I do? Just finished being trained by Khalil, and then being taught a lesson by his own company commander

"You're right, Van Cleef." Conrad Curze nodded. "I really shouldn't thank you, I want to apologize for this - but you don't seem to want to accept my apology now."

He laughed quietly, with a hint of bitterness in his expression.

Van Cleef actually had a lot to say before this moment, but after he saw the complicated expression of the original body, all these words were forgotten.

To make matters worse, his lieutenant even started gesturing at him across the table with the slit-throat salute.

"."

Van Cleef decided to pretend he saw nothing.

"Then, let's continue with the party," Conrad Coates said. "I want to celebrate, celebrate for you, and you should be happy that you did a great job tonight. You should celebrate too - so let the party begin again!"

He declared, walked into the banquet hall, raised his right hand, picked up a bottle of beer belonging to someone else from the nearest table, raised his head, and began to drink the unfamiliar liquid.

The soldier puffed up his chest excitedly, as if he had received some great honor.

As for his brothers.

Well, the gnashing of teeth isn't evident in the cheers, is it?

——

Khalil sighed softly.

"I can't teach you anything, Siani." He said. "My mastery of hand-to-hand combat comes from my familiarity with the tissues and structures of the human body. This dangerous technique is not suitable for sparring."

"But you achieved 1,233 consecutive victories that day."

Khalil was silent. After all, he didn't say that he was fighting them completely with reaction and strength yesterday - if he really said this, it would be too hurtful.

"And I - Siani of Terra!"

The warrior standing opposite him proudly raised his chest. Although he was covered with scars from the fall, he could still speak in a loud voice. "I must learn your skills! Khalil Rohals!"

".Okay."

"Ha!"

Siani gave a short laugh and then rushed over again. Khalil sighed and forced himself to stop the instinct to counterattack, but let Siani knock him to the ground again after rushing out six steps.

Throughout the whole process, he was very cautious. But it didn't seem so to Siani and the people under the ring.

"Good!" Siani bared his teeth and shouted while lying on the ground. "Six steps! I have improved!"

"Siani! Siani! Siani!" The Astartes of the Eighth Legion in the audience also shouted with him. "Siani of Terra! Siani of Terra!"

Lying on the ground, the young warrior laughed heartily. Khalil also smiled, but it was not obvious.

He shook his right hand and began to mock his behavior in his heart.

In just one day, you have mastered your acting skills to this extent? You are really a hypocritical person, Khalil Rohals.

"How is it?" Siani climbed up and asked with bared teeth. "Is it beyond your expectations? How have I improved compared to yesterday?"

Khalil did not answer, but just chuckled and shook his head.

His behavior of not knowing what to say was understood by Siani as a rejection. The latter frowned and put on a serious attitude.

"I know that if I really fight, I may not last even a second. But at least I have made progress, right, in terms of pure technique?"

"Of course, Siani." Khalil said. "Although I know nothing about technique, you have indeed made progress."

He was not lying, this was true - although the six steps that Siani of Terra took to approach him were due to his letting go, the strange steps that were learned without a teacher could not be explained by just one or two words of letting go.

If someone else had fought him, Siani would probably have suddenly appeared out of his opponent's sight. In hand-to-hand combat, this advantage is amazing.

"What do you mean by knowing nothing?"

Siani smiled and shook his head, leaning against the dark steel cage of the ring. The coldness made his swollen and painful skin a little better.

The young man spoke again seriously and seriously.

"I really want to learn from you, Khalil, so please don't say such overly modest words. Technology itself is complementary to strength. I am very grateful that you are willing to reduce your strength and fight me with pure technology."

"But I really didn't use any technology."

Siani laughed helplessly, raised his right hand and made a quick swing. His hand blurred in the air for a moment, and then, the attack that was originally a jab suddenly turned into a dangerous throat lock.

He retracted his hand.

"Isn't this also called technology?" Terra's Siani widened his eyes and questioned.

"This" Khalil was stunned.

For a moment, he didn't know how to refute.

Isn't that technology? In his opinion, it was certainly not. However, after he put himself into Siani's perspective, he immediately realized how lethal this change of moves that he was accustomed to was.

But he was not without a point to refute.

"What if your opponent is wearing power armor?" Khalil asked. "You can't expect to break the armor with your fists."

Siani laughed, very happily.

"I'm not a person who is ambitious, Khalil - I will learn all your hand-to-hand combat skills little by little, and then learn weapons from you." He smiled and blinked. "You won't refuse me?"

I thought so. Khalil shook his head helplessly.

"I won't refuse." He said seriously. "But I can't guarantee how long I can teach you."

"Huh?" Siani put down his hands just raised in astonishment. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing, Siani." Khalil said lightly. "Are you still going to study?"

"Of course!"

Siani of Terra frowned: "But what do you mean by that sentence? Don't you plan to stay with us?"

"I don't have any position in the Eighth Legion. You are now staying in Nostramo, so I can still walk on the Night Veil with the glory of Conrad Curze, but I won't stay shamelessly."

Khalil chuckled and shook his head. "You are a legion. Isn't it a bit ridiculous for someone like me who is not a soldier to stay here?"

"."

Siani was silent, and the Astartes under the ring were silent as well. After a moment, he nodded.

"Indeed." Siani of Terra said softly.

Besides that, he didn't say anything more.

There is still one thousand and one.