Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 111: Preliminary Selection (2)

"You must consider this clearly. The path to ascension will be filled with thorns and obstacles."

Yazdan spoke evenly. His voice couldn't help but remind Bahram of that old priest in his small town's chapel, except the other party wouldn't deliberately drag out the ends of his sentences for so long.

"Among those we select, only a very small minority will possess the physical and mental fortitude sufficient to meet our standards for joining us. As for those who fail, a portion will die outright. Those who succeed shall swear a lifelong oath of service to the Emperor, and in the process of fulfilling this loyalty, you too shall die."

There was no encouragement, nor any grandiose declarations. What Yazdan expounded was only the icy cold reality.

"Thereafter, your lives will be filled with endless wars and grueling hardships. Your only sense of satisfaction will come from war, and your only rest will come from death. Aside from the bonds of brotherhood, you will no longer feel love from others. You will have no families, nor any marks left for posterity, save for the records of your battles for humanity written into the Chapter's histories."

Hearing this, Bahram slightly lifted his head. He thought of his own parents.

When they discovered he was missing, were they very anxious, searching high and low for him?

When his younger brother couldn't see his older brother, would he constantly linger around the places they used to play?

Could he truly sever ties with all of this?

"...Even then, one day you will eventually be forgotten by people alongside these records. Your families will not know what happened to you. They will not be able to learn whether their child is continuing to fight for the Emperor, or has died in battle. The life of a mortal may be full of hardships, but it is life after all; it is the continuation of living. To become an Astartes means to embrace death, to become death."The Chaplain paused for a moment and swept his gaze over the kneeling crowd once again.

"Raise your heads and look at me. Look closely at me. This skull shall be the future for all of you, no matter which path you choose to walk. We shall give you one last chance to choose where you wish to die."

The kneeling boys raised their heads in succession. The pale skull helmet on the black-armored Chaplain seemed like a mockery.

Hesitant expressions appeared on the faces of some.

The Chaplain also noticed those individuals, so he emphasized his tone.

"I know that many of you went through thousands of hardships and obstacles, even wagering everything, just to reach here and become our brothers! Despite this, you still have the chance to change your minds now. Those who are hesitant ought to leave here, to choose life instead of death, even if this life is brief and cruel."

Bahram heard a low snicker from beside him. He turned his head and found that it was Haomo laughing.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I am laughing at those fools who would give up after reaching here. This Chaplain is obviously just scaring those cowards."

"I don't think so."

Bahram shook his head and continued to listen to the Chaplain's sermon.

"You can rest assured. Even if you choose to withdraw, no one will pass judgment upon you! But as for those who do not leave, and are selected by my brothers and I, your lives shall no longer belong to yourselves! This is the covenant we set; once it comes into effect, it cannot be broken! So now, act! Who wishes to leave?"

Scarcely had the Chaplain's voice faded when a boy stood up hesitantly and walked out of the plaza with his head hung low.

His departure attracted the gazes of many.

Once one person took the lead, the rest would quickly go and emulate his actions.

Not long after, a few more people walked out of the crowd in shameful silence.

One after another, a total of over one hundred people chose to leave. Behind them, contemptuous whispers sounded out.

"Judge not, lest ye be judged!"

Yazdan shouted solemnly. His voice echoed all around, making the crowd involuntarily shiver.

Subsequently, this black Angel swept his Scepter across the surroundings at shoulder height. His massive pauldrons moved in tandem with his actions, emitting sounds as if they were alive.

"You must remember: this act of admitting one's own cowardice is precisely a manifestation of courage. Some of these boys will become future citizens, future husbands, and future fathers! By fulfilling these identities, they too are continuing the future of humanity! Because perhaps one day, their children will also come here, and will gaze upon the Statue of the Emperor."

Bahram's knees quivered. He was hesitating over whether he should stand up.

But Yazdan's subsequent sentence hardened his resolve.

"For a person, the moment they realize their true value is sacred! No matter how humble this value may be, it should not be mocked!"

Bahram firmly believed his value lay in fighting amidst the stars.

The crowd quieted down.

"I will ask one more time. Is there anyone else who wishes to leave?"

This time, no one moved.

"Very well! Those of you who remain have agreed to undergo our examination. Your lives already belong to us. The screening begins!"

The Chaplain raised his hand and proclaimed.

The Chapter Serfs walked down from the platform, shuttling back and forth through the crowd, while another portion erected temporary isolation booths on the platform one by one.

They selected boys one by one, pulling them up and bringing them before the Apothecary.

Under these circumstances, even the most courageous of boys trembled incessantly in fear, while the weaker ones simply started crying uncontrollably right before this giant.

The Apothecary unhooked a device from his waist, placing it near the boys and inspecting the results displayed upon it.

The white Angel conversed in low tones with each boy; their speaking voices were so quiet that others couldn't hear them at all.

He would also bring the boys into the booths and pull open their clothes to conduct detailed physical examinations.

The Chaplain stood at the side, expressing his own opinions with a slight nod or shake of his head, and occasionally asking the boys some questions.

The boys who had undergone screening were brought to the front of the garden and divided into three groups.

Due to the enormous number of boys and there only being one Apothecary, this task lasted a very long time, until a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus joined in, at which point the situation finally took a turn for the better.

The crowd steadily shrank, while the the size of the three teams steadily grew.

Finally, it was Bahram's turn.

He walked up the stairs. Apothecary Bariel stood before him, seemingly even more towering than that Emperor Statue.

He smelled a strange odor, feeling like a mixture of machine oil, perfume, and a sweet yet brassy scent.

The surface of Bariel's instrument was covered in tiny needles. When it was pressed against Bahram's body, these needles pierced his skin.

The boy gritted his teeth and endured this bout of pain.

Soon, a burst of laughter drifted from the Apothecary's helmet.

"Child, your testing results are quite excellent."

That instrument let out a beautiful trill, and a ray of green light flashed out from it.