The Emperor’s Angel of Death

After quickly thinking through the key points, Sol intervened and spoke to Old Walker with a very solemn tone:

“Thank you very much for telling me all this, Chieftain Walker. You are a close friend of Ol’Orrd, a good friend of the Aleksey family, and naturally considered my elder. The Eternal Court will treat you as an honored guest, opening its doors to you. If you ever need my help, you can enter the Court at any time.”

Old Walker smiled, tapped off the ash from his pipe, and said with a sense of loss:

“When a person gets old, many things gradually fade away. Although I drank from the Fountain of Youth, I will still age, and this feeling is getting stronger. Perhaps I will return to the embrace of the ancestors soon. Consider what I've told you as the rambling of an old man. Ol’Orrd is a legend, and it would be a shame if even his descendants didn't know his story. I'm actually very fortunate to have found you before returning to the ancestors, Sol. I hope Ol’Orrd’s story can give you some inspiration. I can see that your dual identity brings you great pressure and trouble. The trials you face are much more severe than those Ol’Orrd faced, but as Ol’Orrd said, sometimes you don't need to care too much about your race. You are you, just do what you think is right. The galaxy is cold and dark, but there is also friendship, justice, and fairness that transcends race.

Sol nodded.

“I will definitely keep it in mind, Chieftain Walker. Speaking of which, I discovered a crypt of spirit bones left by Ol’Orrd in the family tomb. He left some images inside, but none of them mentioned you, otherwise, I should have talked to you sooner.”

Walker laughed heartily, and said with some helplessness:

“That's just his personality, sharp-tongued and vicious, but very sentimental. He didn't want to drag me into his affairs again. Actually, I didn't want to return to the galactic core that much, but he kept encouraging me to leave, saying that I was hindering his love affairs. Afterwards, I guessed that he might have discovered or sensed something at the time, and just wanted me to leave those troubles related to him.”

After speaking, Old Walker fell silent, slowly smoking his pipe, but Sol could see the regret on his face.

Perhaps letting his close friend face matters of life and death alone was a lifelong regret for this old Hearthkyn.

Then, Sol wanted to change the subject with some other matters, pondered for a moment, and said slowly:

“Regarding the proposals made by the representatives of the Greater Thurian League earlier…”

Old Walker waved his hand forcefully, took the pipe out of his mouth, and said while coughing:

“Cough cough… These things… you don't need to worry about me. I never care about the League's commercial affairs, but I can guess that the essence of business is to ask for the sky-high price and bargain on the spot. Just negotiate according to your own ideas.”

Sol placed his hand on the table, leaning his body slightly towards Old Walker.

“Chieftain Walker, what conditions are needed if I want the Court and the Hearthkyn to reach a true alliance?”

Old Walker seemed to know he would bring this up. He picked up his pipe and took a puff, but then realized there was no tobacco in it. So he fumbled around his body, took out a small cyan bag with a symbol embroidered on it.

Opening the bag and pinching some tobacco from it, Old Walker fiddled with his pipe while answering calmly:

“Since the Ancestors carried the Ancestral Cores away from the home world of Earth tens of thousands of years ago, the Votann race has maintained an independent structure of various Leagues. So, the Votann are not an empire. We don't have a unified country, or rather, each League is a country, and the clans within the League are small countries. This is what humanity used to look like.”

“Are the Hearthkyn… really also humans?”

“In a sense, yes, I suppose.”

After packing the tobacco, Old Walker stuck his right index finger into the pipe, and then a puff of green smoke came out. He took a light breath, and a wisp of smoke emerged from the corner of his mouth.

“But it doesn't matter anymore. The human Imperium, which has become stubborn, morbid, and full of paranoia, will not accept it, nor will the Votann, who witnessed the Imperium's many atrocities and massacres against other human civilizations during the Great Crusade.”

“So, if the Court wants to establish a true alliance with the Greater Thurian League, what should it do?”

“For a merchant, the first commandment is, never participate in war personally. Providing military services is one thing, participating in war as a political entity is another. No Votann League will get involved in the wars of other races, unless it is hired, that’s another concept.”

“What if my enemies hire Hearthkyn to deal with me?”

Old Walker raised an eyebrow, then smiled:

“They are probably not as rich as you. The Hearthkyn will not cooperate with the daemons of the Supreme Heavens, and those scum of Commorragh have no credibility or commercial ethics, and have long been blacklisted by the major Leagues… Aeldari trade is very profitable, no League would want to antagonize the Court.”

“Then if I want to hire a large number of Ironkin, how many is a large number?”

Sol narrowed his eyes, and said with a hint of confidence:

“All the Ironkin of the Greater Thurian League!”

“Whoa.”

Old Walker exclaimed, smacking his lips.

“That's nearly three hundred thousand Hearthkyn and Ironkin, which requires the wealth of a nation.”

“Money is not a problem, the point is, if needed, can I hire them?”

Old Walker was silent for a moment, then answered in a slightly dry voice:

“It is possible, but it may not just be a matter of money.”

Sol smiled slightly.

“I know, if it is really needed, I will offer a condition that no League can refuse. So, other Leagues can also provide Ironkin to the Court?”

“Commerce and trade are free, that is the second article of the Ancestral Contract.”

“I understand, thank you, Chieftain Walker, and please stay in the Court for a few more days, so I can fulfill my duty as a host.”

After speaking, Sol stood up, wanting to ask someone to arrange a residence for Old Walker in the palace, but suddenly he remembered a question and sat down again.

“Chieftain Walker, speaking of which… since Ol’Orrd caused so much trouble in Commorragh, why didn't I seem to have heard of this name when I went to Commorragh? Is it because it was too long ago and has been forgotten?”

“That's only part of it. Mainly, he suggested before entering Commorragh that we should use pseudonyms to prevent future troubles.”

“I see, what was his pseudonym?”

Old Walker exhaled a puff of smoke, which formed the outline of a phoenix with outstretched wings in the air.

“In human language, he was called Phoenix, and in Aeldari language, it is also Phoenix.”

“Phoenix…”

Sol blinked.

“And you?”

“Me…”

Old Walker coughed lightly, picked up his wine glass and took a big sip, then let out a long breath, a look of reminiscence appearing on his face.

“I gave myself the pseudonym Gotrek.”

Then he suddenly smacked his head.

“Oh dear, I've said so much, but I forgot the main thing. You see, old people are useless.”

Saying this, he held the pipe in his mouth, fumbling around his body with both hands, and then took out a collar from somewhere, followed by a well-preserved spirit bone shard, placing these two things on the table.

Sol curiously picked them up and looked at them, finding that the collar seemed to be made of some kind of animal hide and was nothing special, but it did have a name branded on it - Viktor.

“Viktor…”

Sol frowned, looking at the Hearthkyn.

“It wouldn't be who I'm thinking of, would it?”

The old Hearthkyn nodded.

“It is who you’re thinking of.”