40k: Midnight Blade.

Chapter 278 49. Return
It is always easier to destroy than to build, and it is easier to kill than to save.

Standing on the towering city wall, Khalil looked down with complete calmness.The Iron Warriors in the city-state are marching, and some people are being escorted to the square for public execution.

Of course, he would not have any special feelings about this - what happened on Olympia may be shocking to ordinary people, but to them, it is just a commonplace thing.

Not all worlds are willing to endure the Empire's brutal taxes, and not all are happy to see their sons taken away by giants in armor, never to return.

Khalil respects their choices. Everyone has their own ambitions and cannot force changes.

But all he can do is respect.

Again.
"There are still some doubts that have not been resolved in this whole matter, Sir." Khalil raised his head and said.

It was already getting slightly brighter now, and the cruelty that had lasted all night would soon be over. When the sun shone on the land of Olympia again, everything would return to normal on the surface.

"What things?" Luther asked, he was busy packing his luggage with his head down.

Strange as it may sound, Perturabo meant what he said.He did not try to ask Luther to stay and provide more information. Instead, he generously prepared many weapons and ammunition for him to choose.

As for where Luther was going or how, he didn't ask at all.

Naturally, it was impossible for the old knight to be polite to a primarch, so he directly chose two submachine pistols capable of firing high-compression energy bullets, and a power dagger with Perturabo's personal seal.

Khalil did not miss this detail. Combined with the weapons he had seen under Luther's cloak before, it was not difficult for him to guess that the fighting style of the Calibans may have changed a lot.

"A lot of things," Khalil chuckled, habitually using the art of dialogue - riddles.

His words made Luther sigh, and the old knight raised his head and spread his hands at him with complaint: "Really? Do you have to use this Malcadian answer to talk to me?"

"Don't worry, Luther, I'm not finished yet." Khalil smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Although the whole thing is just like your investigation, there seems to be no doubt. It's just that the seeds Perturabo sown many years ago have now grown into towering trees, stealing the sunshine of Olympia."

"However, I'm afraid there are many things hidden between the canopy of this tree that we can't see. Before I took you into the council chamber, six assassins attacked us. They came very quickly and showed up with almost no warning. Judging from the subsequent investigation, they were all just farmers or workers and had not undergone so-called stealth and combat training."

"They were only wearing cloth, and they didn't have anything on them to support their invisibility. Even though Perturabo was busy talking to Lord Califon at the time and wasn't paying attention to the surroundings, he was still a person after all. It’s not easy to do this as a primarch.”

"Psychic power?" Luther was the first to throw out a possible explanation.

"It's possible, I'm also considering this answer." Khalil narrowed his eyes. "But here's the problem. If it's psychic energy, there will definitely be some traces left at the scene. But there are no such traces on those corpses that I need."

Luther was silent for a while, and his expression gradually became serious.

He left the Knights and Caliban. He originally thought that he would no longer have to deal with these intricate conspiracies and conspiracies. He only needed to accept tasks and orders to hunt endlessly among the stars.
But now, he discovered that he still retained some instinct in his heart.This instinct made him think almost uncontrollably. After a while, the old knight shook his head and took the initiative to cut off his increasingly complicated thoughts.

"I can't come up with any convincing answer, but I've seen a lot of things that can cover up traces of psychic energy." Luther said thoughtfully. "But without exception, they are all strictly guarded. Some of them are even exclusive to people like me who work for Malcador. Access or use is under the supervision of the person holding the seal."

"This is a new idea." Khalil nodded. "So, you are leaving?"

"Yes, I will leave Olympia on a merchant ship." Luther laughed. "Someone bought me a ticket on that ship. As for where to go next, I'm afraid I have to wait for dozens of days."

"Is this how you've been performing your missions for the past few decades?"

"Sometimes it is, but sometimes it's not." Luther waved his hand and sighed. "I prefer this method, which gives me a feeling of traveling. Wandering in the sea of ​​​​stars and ending with a killing. This is indeed a good pastime. As for other methods, it is a bit too fast and intense. "

Khalil also laughed, and he was happy for Luther's change: "So, Traveler Sir Luther, do you have any interesting experiences you can share with me over the years?"

"Do you want to hear?"

"Of course." Khalil nodded gently. "The chances of catching a Sealmaster agent are rare. Of course I have to interrogate you."

"Aren't you one of the agents?" "Strictly speaking, I have not joined this agent organization."

Luther shook his head: "Yeah, you didn't enter, you were one of the people who established it - well, since you want to hear it, I'll pick some to talk about."

The chat began, and above them, the sky gradually began to light up.It will soon become completely bright, but the dark night will come.

The night will surely come.
-
"I will not say that I am grateful for your help, but I will later declare that the Eighth Legion has gained the friendship of Olympia." Perturabo said, his hologram projection perfectly replicating his expression at this moment.

That look of fatigue and stiffness only appears in people who have experienced too much in a short period of time.Khalil nodded to him, accepting the friendship.

This probably means that the fleet of the Eighth Legion will be able to temporarily obtain some supplies when passing through Olympia in the future. Although supplying the Legion is what every imperial world should do, this is the home planet of the original body after all, and it is necessary to have privileges. of.

Of course, it is impossible to say that he is not surprised by this.

"You may want to be careful, Perturabo. There are still many unanswered questions about this whole matter."

"If those insects in the dark want to eat the steel, then let them come." Perturabo replied coldly. "They get nothing but death."

"Goodbye, then," Khalil said.

The light curtain dissipated, and Perturabo turned off the holographic image projection before him. This slightly weird competitiveness made Khalil slightly startled, and then he shook his head helplessly.

He still couldn't get used to Perturabo's weird character. In fact, he felt that this matter was beyond the scope of his character.A few words can't explain what kind of person Perturabo is, nor how much he has changed over the years.

If he really wanted to analyze it, Khalil would choose to make a psychic communication to the Emperor. If the Emperor had time, he would ask the Emperor to write a paper and analyze it carefully.

If they can figure this out completely, maybe Perturabo will become
Khalil frowned - a cold version of Roboute Guilliman?No, forget it.

He shook his head again, feeling the urge to laugh at his recent thoughts.At the same time, he also realized that he hadn't told a joke in a long time.His eyes narrowed slightly, and Khalil entered another world in the blink of an eye.

It was still the same broken glacier and cold light, but the glacier had recovered a lot compared to the last time he came here.Khalil stared at them, and through them at the dark water, feeling a twinge in his thoughts.Not many people would try to peer into their own hearts, and similarly, not many people could have an experience like his.The sea water was surging, and something shadowy was moving underneath it.Their shapes are not like human beings, but other shapes that do not belong to the world of the living.With longing, they cast a reverse gaze at Khalil, their eyes full of pleading.

"No, it's not the time yet." Khalil said softly. The cold wind blew by and his hair was slightly blown. He looked almost like an ordinary human being. "Keep waiting, the day to vent your hatred will come soon."

Opening his eyes, he returned to the world of the living.Yago Severtarion was standing in front of him, his expression slightly embarrassed.

"Instructor." He greeted. "Are we going back to Nostramo next?"

"Of course, Cy." Khalil glanced at him. "Otherwise, where are we going to get supplies? And those battle experiences, the new blood in the lair will need them."

"When I get there-" Saiveta said carefully. "——Can you just stay on the track and not go down?"

".This is your freedom, Yago Savitarion." Khalil looked at him amusedly. "But why did you come to me to talk about this? Do you want to get some permission from me?"

"Absolutely." Sevatar spoke Nostramo and started bargaining with Khalil in a market-like accent. "I want you to give me a mission. Any mission will do, as long as it can stay in orbit without landing."

"Yes, yes," Khalil looked at him strangely. "But why?"

Savita hesitated for a long time before handing over the letter.Khalil reached out and took it, and saw the mark belonging to the Imperial Fist on it. He opened the folded letter, and after a cursory glance, Khalil couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay," he said. "Okay, just stay on the track, but I can't guarantee whether he will come back."

"He'd better not," Seveta said gruffly.

　Just one chapter, no inspiration today (paralysis)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)