Warhammer 40k: Shattered Steel Soul

In the original plan, Conor Guilliman wanted to prepare a grand banquet for the three Primarchs who came from afar.

The fountain in the center of the banquet hall will use flowing water to decorate the atmosphere of the gorgeous hall. Some low benches specially expanded to several meters in length will be covered with carefully selected large beast furs to meet the guests' need to lie on their sides while dining. ; Two exquisite small theaters will be set up at two corners of the banquet hall to provide music and drama, subtly showing the local culture of Macragge. Most of the nobles in the Senate will also be present, becoming some kind of foil in the banquet hall when the Primarch enjoys various local delicacies on the long table, thereby invisibly highlighting Macragge's message to the Human Empire. Pay attention to.

However, upon learning that the aftermath of these arrivals had shaken half of Ultramar's giants, who had spent years traveling across the galaxy in search of their lost brothers, Tarasha Euton immediately suggested that the large banquet be turned into one. It was a small family banquet, and the singers, magicians and jesters who had been invited early went to other nobles' homes to take up their posts - there was always someone in the 500-person parliament who would be hosting a banquet in the near future. Excessive servants were given a day off.

A long stone table of medium size has been pushed into the open-air garden outside the banquet hall. The pure white stone pillars erected in the scattered garden trees are connected with brightly colored satin, finding a carefully selected balance between artificial and natural design.

Four brand-new wooden chairs that are large enough are arranged around the table, and the three high stools provided for mortals reflect the Primarch's desire to enjoy dinner with the vast number of humans who have a huge height difference, and always have to overcome some interesting little things. difficulty.

Perturabo raised his eyebrows slightly at the third bar stool, held the top of the backrest of the original seat next to it, stepped between the seat and the dining table, and sat down.

Robert was sandwiched between Angron and Rogal Dorn, who were full of friendly hearts. He sat down holding Dorn's golden skull, and reluctantly placed the skull carefully on the side of the table, slightly away from the edge. distance to prevent accidental knocking of this golden item, which is extremely precious at first glance, on the grass.

Since Dorn tried to analyze the Golden Skull Principle in a form that barely conformed to the Imperial truth in the garden and failed, he solemnly entrusted the prop, which was essentially a psychic translator, to Robert Guilliman with both hands. Earth informed Guilliman that "in the process of observing and analyzing the skull at close range, we can re-establish our understanding of the true nature of the Imperium."

Perturabo did not comment on Rogal Dorn's choice, because the separation from the golden skull was extremely effective in inhibiting Dorn from joining the conversation and through a series of inexplicable language tricks, he turned a conversation filled with peace and A hopeful reunion between brothers turns to violence in which they press each other's heads into wall bricks.

When Mors and the two Macraggeans came from under the vine corridor in the garden and sat leisurely on the high stool beside him, Perturabo gave him an inquiring question. Eyes.

+Yes, I'm coming. +Morse stared at the dishes on the table, which were decorated with poultry meat in the shape of a peacock, and fell into a deep thinking about human diet. +Do you have any objections to my participation in your family banquet? +

+I didn’t mean that, it’s just that you said before that you wouldn’t come. + Perturabo replied, taking the silver fork in his hand. He could tell that the cutlery had not been out of the moulds for very long.

+The person I used to be is not the person I am now. What, you don’t want to see me? +Morse leaned calmly on the back of the high stool, and the hem of his black robe fell along the gap between the armrest and the seat cushion, hanging in the air.

+Absolutely impossible. + Appetizing shellfish for the table is one of the things his Olympia doesn't have. Perturabo put this food into his mouth, tasting it briefly, and at the same time freed himself from the idle situation during the banquet.

The Primarch's developed senses simultaneously enhanced his taste for the deliciousness and imperfections of food, and the latter was always more likely to overshadow the former under the influence of psychological effects. This made Perturabo always sit at the table since he was a child. Appears to have no desires. Additionally, Perturabo was often strangely shocked by Rogal Dorn's ability to allow surprisingly sweet foods to pass down his throat.

Robert Guilliman avoided the golden skull on the table and picked up the wine glass. The wine was filled with sweet aroma: "I am very happy to meet my brothers again today, Perturabo, Angron, Rogal Dorn, I feel so close to you, it's like we've never been apart. Macragge's wine is laced with honey, and I hope you get used to it, my dear brothers."

Unaccustomed to it, Angron picked up the luxurious wine glass with exquisite patterns in front of him and decided that this glass would be enough for today. He had to muster absolute concentration to restrain himself from thinking about whether Macragge's aristocratic life was based on the misfortunes of the lower classes - even though Guilliman could not wait to half share and half praise countless Macragges with his brothers. There is clarity and love for the people in the politics of Raghu.

On the other side of Robert, Donne calmly drank the alcoholic drink in three sips like an ordinary drink, and then said sincerely: "Thank you, brother. I can get used to it."

Perturabo believed that Rogal Dorn had used all his courtesy. He took a sip and turned his head to look at Robert: "Macragge's beekeeping level seems to be very good, my brother."

"We have a complete standardized honey production process, and I think today's honey comes from Chous District," Robert confirmed with a nod from the Chamberlain Euton, "The factory there has been providing the Senate with the highest level of banquets for many years. condiments. In the summer we make ice cream with honey from Chous and pepper from Astya.”

"If you are interested, I will arrange a tour." Connaugh said.

"If I don't get caught up in Legion affairs in the next few days, I'd love to tour all of Macragge. After all, I can't think of any place where our brothers could be raised better." Perturabo He answered, letting the wine gently hit the wall of the glass.

It is said that when alcohol takes away a person's rationality, his identity will be transformed, and his nature will be released in a state close to its natural state in this extraordinary devotion and enthusiasm. This is an experience that cannot be pursued by the Primarch, and Perturabo can see that none of the brothers present are people who will indulge in this - in fact, the Primarch he knows now is happy to immerse himself in uninhibited The only one who was drunk was probably Ruth.

But it was true that he had not experienced the collision and enjoyment of his senses and thoughts in drunken entertainment for some time. In fact, the period from leaving Olympia should be close to thirteen years.

Konnor's expression turned to joy at Macragge's praise.

The consul looked at each other happily and said: "Robert has brought us more than we can teach him. He read all the collections in the Deucalion Library when he was five years old, and when he was ten years old, he He was able to defeat the entire Senate of 500 people by himself, and he even defeated me.”

"He's always been a great kid," Euton said.

Robert Guilliman handed the wine glass to the attendant next to him. The attendant opened the special thermos and filled another glass of wine for the Archon's son. Robert then placed the gold cup back on the table as a symbol of temperance. Even senate nobles were expelled from banquets if they drank too much and failed to control themselves.

"I just fulfill my duty and do what I can do. When fallacies enter my ears, I have the ability to correct them, but I have no right to ignore them." Yuan, who wears a laurel leaf on his head, The body poses with a self-effacing and smooth face, and the skin like stone sculptures is slightly shiny - of course, as night is approaching, the electric lights installed on the stone pillars in the garden are quietly converting electricity into light.

Perturabo put down his glass as well. Spurred on by the red-skinned Prospero in Terra, he grew increasingly suspicious of wine laced with syrup or plain water.

+Your silence is not common, Morse. + He searched for the feeling of speaking in the psychic channel, and after accessing it, he found that Morse had never closed the channel.

+Because I have a very curious question lingering in my mind. + Morse looked at the bread and vegetables on the table with critical eyes, and his hand on the conical gold cup had not left the table. + I asked Conor Guilliman and Thalasa Yuden, but unfortunately I could not get an answer. This may be because I did not ask a question, but expressed my stubborn complaints in the form of a question. +

Perturabo could not guess for a moment what philosophical abyss Mors had jumped into. Before he could decide whether to ask, Morse picked up the silver fork and took a piece of animal meat from the palm of the table, which was decorated with a feaster pattern composed of different colors of food.

+ Roast suckling pig. +The craftsman said, +The richness of Macragge’s products is really impressive. +

Perturabo voluntarily exited the psychic channel.

After a few more pleasantries, the appetizers were removed and the main courses were served on the stone table one by one.

The division of the old night and the different natural environments of different planets have given rise to countless specious species. No one can reorganize all the edible creatures in the galaxy into the same category and regularly create scientific names in High Gothic. Perturabo decided to use his existing knowledge to vaguely summarize the food on the table, calling it fish, animal meat, and unknown roasted meats.

In order to satisfy the Primarch, the stone table was quickly filled with bread as a staple food, a variety of rich roasted meats, and a fruit plate that served as both decoration and food.

"In Macragge's historical documents, it is recorded that in the middle of human history, we learned to make bread." Robert saw the early bread machinery painted on the edge of the dinner plate, that is, slaves used long-handled wooden sticks similar to oars. Picture of mixing flour, water, grape juice and hops in a tube, "Before this, we ate other starchy products."

"Terra's archives believe that the invention of bread was roughly ten thousand years ago in the Age of Strife. The birth of this food was a by-product of biological research conducted by some special organizations. However, I think that making bread such as The true origin of simple, easy-to-store food is obviously an earlier point in human civilization.”

"Our culture contains a lot of vague and unresolved faults and imperfections." Robert regretfully took out a piece of bread with a silver fork. This was the first time someone took up his discussion topic on history. "This obviously affects Markkula." When culture’s shaping effect on people loses its transcendence and centripetal force due to the damage of its own integrity and consistency, then people’s motivation to move forward will undoubtedly be weakened, and this kind of The weakening then affects the culture itself, forming a relatively negative cycle.”

"Sometimes we have to create our own culture," Angron said, "a completely innovative new civilization."

Rogal Dorn unknowingly became the person with the largest pile of leftover bones on the dinner plate on the stone table. Considering that the only brother who could fight alongside him had lost his appetite due to the too gorgeous decoration and tableware, He is single-handedly fighting against food waste here.

He found an opportunity to speak when the waiter was changing his plate: "First of all, survival is the basis of civilization."

"You are talking about creation and re-creation, but what we are talking about now is thinking about how to revitalize civilization based on the continuation and development of existing civilization. In the library of Terra, I sometimes think about whether there is a possibility , completely sort out the main historical context from the birth of mankind to the present, and use this as the backbone to gradually explore the roots, side branches, dead leaves that disappear in time, and the core trunk that supports the existence of civilization. I don’t know if you have ever. Similar sentiments, Robert.”

Perturabo took the thread of the topic into his hand and handed it to Guilliman. Robert would make an excellent debating partner, he thought, and believed the other person felt the same.

"There are also corrections and detection of fallacies." Robert Guilliman happily took over the topic, looking directly at Perturabo with his blue eyes, "and to break the clouds of myths and superstitions, such as some obvious deviations that Macragge once had. The truth is extremely far away. I have long been deeply aware of the necessity and urgency of conveying rational and objective principles to these remarks that seriously violate rationality.”

He clearly still had the Emperor's Imperial Truth on his mind. It seems that the brilliant theory is really attractive to some people who are full of hope.

"Let me list some examples. Thinking based on reason and knowledge, I don't understand how sucking blood in those love drama scripts can make people exchange memories. How can people in the grand war records be able to rely on a few words in the vast universe? Praying can set a planet that is our enemy on fire. How could the city where Macragge's culture was born be built by a pair of brothers who were raised by wolves? It will completely freeze the minds of mortals at the level of beasts.”

"I agree with you, Robert Guilliman." A voice came from beside Perturabo. "But don't deny the existence of exceptions."

This was the first time Robert heard Morse speak. He curiously recognized the characteristic cold tone of the man whom Perturabo called "mentor" and remembered the unreadable smile on his face.

"Have you ever had any exceptions?" Robert asked. "I'll adjust my theory."

"Oh, of course." Morse smiled, picking up a piece of after-dinner chestnut cake sprinkled with sugar and nuts. "I have seen it, and Perturabo has seen it - I mean Leman Russ. ”