40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 72 71. The Eighth Legion (5k)

The meeting with the eight company commanders was not as difficult as Conrad thought. He originally thought that he would have to go through a lot of verbal confrontation.However, in reality there is none at all.

He stated that he thought it was inappropriate, and then explained the reasons to the company commanders in detail.

For example, he has no experience in managing the regiment, and there will be many problems in randomly assigning new officers to take up the post-he thought they would fight for their reasons, but the company commanders didn't say anything.

"If this is your wish." After the meeting, Captain Van Cleef, who stayed in the room, said so.

No matter how much Conrad persuaded him, he was unwilling to remove the honorific title. In this regard, he became the only person in the entire army who used the honorific title to address Conrad Koz.

"The meeting is over, aren't you going to refute me, Van Cleef?" Curz asked in surprise.

"What does the rebuttal have to do with the end of the meeting?" The company commander frowned, with genuine doubts on his fierce face.

"After all, you were the one who notified me about your collective resignation. You told me about it when we met for the first time. No matter how much I persuaded you, you were unwilling to back down."

"In the meeting just now, after I finished my statement, you were also the last one to vote yes. So I have reason to think that you are actually taking care of your brothers' feelings, which is why I left you alone .”

Conrad Koz smiled, and put his hands on the table neatly stacked together.In this way, he waited for Van Cleef's answer.

"."

His captain was silent for a long time before speaking.

"Actually, Primarch, I was only thinking about your words. I am a stuffy and old man, and therefore, any words I say to anyone will be answered after a long time of reflection."

"I have been convinced by you, Primarch. What you said is correct, we should not step down from this position, after all, it is not just a simple responsibility, but also the trust of many brothers. We should not disappoint these "

VanCleef kept his head down so he didn't see his primarch's expression.Conrad Koz exhaled slightly, and finally let go of his heart.

He really hoped that VanCleef would understand him, so he was glad to see it.However, although it is inconsistent to say so, if Van Cleef cannot understand, he will not force it.

Seek common ground while reserving differences.he thinks.

"That would be great, Van Cleef," he said heartily. "Also, can I ask you a favor?"

Van Cleef raised his head abruptly, his brows were furrowed, the speed surprised even Curz.Afterwards, he saw his first company commander put his right hand heavily and swiftly on his chest. Even though he was not wearing armor, the force still made his chest let out a muffled groan.

"I will go all out." The first company commander of the Eighth Army said solemnly.

"...It doesn't have to be like that, Van Cleef." Curz said dumbfoundingly. "I just want you to tell the clerical officers on board to send today's papers to the conference room. I want to deal with them here today."

"I see."

The first company commander nodded, then immediately turned around and walked out the door without delay or any intention of staying any longer.

Curz opened his mouth, but lowered his raised hand.He caught the sound of the automatic door closing, and then he raised his hands, covered his face with them, and leaned back on the chair.

A slightly dull sigh came from the palm of his hand.

exhausted.

This feeling kept him from moving his palms away for a long time, he opened his eyes, the soft light did not penetrate the crevices of his fingers, and the familiar darkness came again, just as reassuring as the corner he used to squat in.

But I can't just be Midnight Ghost.he told himself.I have responsibility on my shoulders, the lives of 2 people, and Nostramo. I can no longer lean against the wall and wait for Khalil to come home like I used to.

He moved his palm away, let the light hit him, and stood up without saying a word.He came to the edge of the long silver table and looked at the company flags hanging on the walls of the conference room.

They have a total of eight sides, with a pitch-black base, on which the gloomy blue outlines become sharp or dim lines, arranged in sequence, standing quietly on the wall.

Staring at them, Conrad Koz narrowed his eyes without saying a word.A word Khalil had spoken of many times began to slowly bloom in his heart, they were seeds long planted, now finally beginning to grow.

history.

He thought quietly, and began to meditate—history.He said it once in Nostramo, then again in High Gothic.The two sound very different, but both have the same weight.

before me
What history do they have?What sacrifices did they make?How many years have they stood up to see me?
Conrad Koz did not allow himself to continue thinking, he still has a lot to do today.

The paperwork for a conscientious individual to take over an organization as large as the Legions Astartes is staggering.

In the past, the officials had discussed with the company commander again and again and reached the results, and now they were all logically placed on his desk.Conrad Coates had no complaints about this, and was even happy to accept it.

However, he has no experience with these things.

Although he got started quickly, his efficiency inevitably slowed down.

He knew exactly how the problem was going to be solved—how else?
There's no way to do it other than multiprocessing them to accumulate experience.These jobs are not efficient with knowledge and analytical prowess, they require both, but more experience.

Shaking his head, the Lord of the Eighth Legion came to the door of the meeting room.

The door slid open, and he stretched out his hand like a prophet, and took away a large stack of paperwork and additional materials from the servitor's hand.

These were just the first batch, and Konrad Koz knew very well that he had to deal with at least six more batches of documents.When the logistics supply fleet comes, these things will go back to where they should go with them.

As for now
"Thank you," he said to the servitor.

The creature of flesh and machinery looked at him, not understanding what the word meant.

If it had even the bare minimum of intelligence, it would be confused at this moment.But it didn't, so it just stood there and spat out a cold sentence.

"Order?" it asked.

"No order," Conrad Curz replied calmly.

The servitor turned and left.

The Lord of the Eighth Legion lowered his head, and an inexplicable emotion began to surge in his heart.But he doesn't let it get to him, he throws them into the box in the back of his mind like before.
-
"Why not?"

Cyani of Terra asked angrily about his captain, who gave him an emotionless glance from his high cheekbones and shook his head slightly.

"No way." He said coldly.

"What's wrong?!" Siani yelled. "Don't you want Lord Khalil to stay?!"

"Of course I would, especially after seeing the circumstances in Nostramo. Morally, Caryl Rohars has nothing to blame us for. But I must point out to you, Siani, it is not up to us to decide whether Lord Khalil will stay or not."

Slowly, little by little, a deep furrow formed between Captain VanCleef's brows.

He glared at Ciani.

"What do you think?" he asked coldly. "Ask the Primarch if he can ask him to come forward and change Lord Khalil's mind? Are you sane, Siani?"

"Don't tell me you don't want to, Captain!"

"I want to, but I won't. Your behavior is simply disregarding the rules and regulations. We are the judges, Siani. If we don't follow our own rules, how will we face those who have crossed the border? Boundary sinner?"

Ciani's hands began to tremble. He let out a deep breath and put his hands on his company commander's desk.

"Would you agree?" said Siani of Terra in the most serious tone of his life. "Let me remind you, Captain, Lord Khalil is the adoptive father of the Primarch."

"Fairly enforce the law!"

After a long silence, he understood what Siani meant, and then roared out these four words in a fit of rage. "You go and copy the code of Terra three times!"

He stood up angrily and walked away.Ciani wiped the cold sweat off his forehead as if he was relieved—he almost thought that Van Cleef was going to punch him just now.

Everyone in the Eighth Army knew what kind of personality the first company commander had.He may be easy to get along with in private, but when it comes to codes and rules, he is unacceptably terrifying.

This is what we must do as the Emperor's punishers and judges.Van Cleef says that often.

but
Ciani sighed suddenly guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Captain," he muttered to himself.

On the other hand, Van Cleef, who walked out of the company's garrison, did not go straight to the conference room to find their Primarch Konrad Curz as Ciani thought.In fact, on the contrary, he went the other way.

He walked through the gloomy corridor, turned around the maze-like hall with thirteen doors, went up, down, and even used a short-distance elevator on the way-after a short but long 7 minutes passed, the Eighth Army Corps The captain finally arrived at their new training ground.

Not exceeding his expectations, he looked down and saw Khalil Rohars in the center of the ring.

The giant among the giants fought with his bare hands in the middle of the ring with a young man from the fourth company. The latter held an open-edged training sword in his hand and fought extremely fiercely.

However, this is far from enough for his opponents.

Van Cleef saw that Khalil Rohars dodged all the blade attacks with an attitude of understatement for the next five seconds, and finally even snatched the weapon from the young man's hand with one hand. .

The voices under the stage suddenly stopped at this moment.

"Well done," said the giant mildly. "Compared to last time, you've improved a lot, Harold."

The young man straightened his back suddenly, and said in a high voice, "Really, really, really, my lord?"

"Don't call me an adult, or I will take this evaluation back."

The giant chuckled and handed the sword back to Harald, with the blade facing himself, his posture surprisingly peaceful and calm.

"."

After a moment of silence, Van Cleef quickly walked down the long stairs.

He squeezed his way into the crowd, and at the same time began to take off his shirt quickly.

It was the only dress he owned that could be called a dress.It had been sitting quietly in VanCleef's closet for seven years, and if not for the return of the Primarch, it might have been lying there for much longer.

Van Cleef has always cherished it very much, but at this moment, he stuffed the clothes into the hands of a series of Astartes present.

"Watch it for me," he said curtly. "who is the next?"

"it's me!"

"The second company? I have an impression of you."

"Yes, Captain!"

"Can you give it to me? Please."

"Of course!" cried the young man. "Come on, Captain! Let Master Kalil see your strength!"

Van Cleef nodded expressionlessly, but smiled wryly in his heart.

strength?What strength?
He goes into the cage.

Khalil Rohars, the giant of giants, stood calmly where he was, gazing at him quietly.Immediately afterwards, Van Cleef spoke first.

"Good day, Lord Khalil."

"Good day, VanCleef, when will you drop the honorific?"

"Not so long as I live, my lord."

Khalil smiled helplessly. "But I don't think I can teach you anything—and, I can see, you seem to have something on your mind."

"Indeed." The captain said in a low voice. "But I don't mean to say it now, my lord."

"is it?"

"Yes."

Van Cleef took a deep breath, carefully set up a posture on the spot, and then slowly walked forward.

Khalil was much bigger than him, which meant that if he wanted to win -- or not get beaten as badly -- he'd have to try a different route.

But is this easier said than done?

He leapt closer and started punching.

Jab, swing, uppercut. VanCleef unleashes a dozen or so solid combos at dizzying speed, targeting the giant's ribs, where nerves abound, and he's only a few feet tall. Support him to attack here.

However, the result did not exceed his expectations, none of these fists could land on Khalil.

In all fairness, his dodging speed was not fast, but every time it happened to be just a little short.

Also, he didn't dodge before VanCleef punched.

In other words, this little distance is a gap deliberately left by Khalil Roharst. This gap is specially reserved by him for Van Cleef to breathe so that he will not suffocate to death.

VanCleef took a deep breath and took a step back.

In just 3 minutes, he was already sweating profusely.

"Astonishing technology, Captain VanCleef," he heard the giant of giants say in amazement. "Your skills are terribly solid, and you use them perfectly."

"But I still can't touch you."

"It's only a little short." Khalil replied noncommittally. "I'm not that strong."

"...Excessive modesty, it sounds bad, Lord Khalil."

"."

The giant frowned, and immediately apologized after a short thought, very sincerely. "Sorry, Captain."

"this is nothing."

Van Cleef calmly adjusted his breathing, and at this moment, he opened his mouth slowly.

"You don't need to apologize to me, in fact, I need to thank you. You have shown so much care in these details, if I am angry because of a small problem, then I don't know Anyway."

His words made Khalil's brow furrow tighter and tighter.

"I don't deserve your evaluation."

"I'm not praising your character, I'm just stating a fact, my lord. Besides."

VanCleef—VanCleef of Terra, upright VanCleef who never crossed the line—speaks in a tone almost humble.

"Will you not leave?"

"."

Khalil frowned slowly, and after a while, he whispered: "Let's go out and talk."
-
"...that's how it is." Van Cleef said calmly while sitting upright. "Siani is a rash young man, but he possesses a peculiarity so rare among us that I trust his judgment, my lord."

"...I'm not a soldier," Khalil said slowly. "And you are a Legion, Captain VanCleef, what self-defeating excuse am I to stay here?"

"You can be a soldier."

"Becoming a member of the Eighth Legion requires nineteen remodeling operations and the implantation of gene seeds—and I'm past that age."

"You don't need them, they are powerful enough."

"powerful?"

Khalil laughed.he repeated. "Strong? That's not the criterion to judge whether I can enter the Eighth Army, Van Cleef. You are brothers to each other, but I am not. There is no blood relationship between me and you, and Conrad Curz. Never before , not now, nor in the future. So how do I get into the Eighth Army?"

"."

Van Cleef was silent.

He was persuaded, he had lost the ability to argue.There was no way to refute every sentence of Khalil Rohars, and even the transition at the end of a sentence seemed like a heavy echo of a falling hammer-the sound made his heart seem to be bleeding.

He had broken his own rules—he had broken it, out of love for the Primarch.And now.
He was almost ashamed.

"Sorry." The company commander lowered his head and stood up slowly. "I was abrupt, sorry, Lord Khalil. I will—"

"—Sit down." The giant among the giants rubbed his eyebrows in pain. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but sit down, Captain VanCleef."

He sighed.

"I see what you mean." He said lowly. "I told Conrad before that we should return the kindness to those who have been kind to us."

VanCleef stared.

"So, I will not disappoint your heart."

"you?"

Khalil stood up slowly. "I will discuss this matter with the Lord of the Eighth Legion."

　It took two hours to write this chapter, and it was difficult to find the feeling, but after writing it, what do you think?
　　There are still 6k, I will as soon as possible, don't have to wait, go to bed early.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)