Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 137: The Agreement

"To the heroic spirits of the Astral Knights, to Chapter Master Soshyan, and to your warm hospitality,"

Magyar raised his wine goblet and spoke loudly, and the crowd responded in succession.

"To the outstanding exploits of the Excoriators, to Chapter Master Magyar, and to your firm conviction!"

Soshyan similarly raised his goblet.

"Long live the Imperium!"

They drained their cups in one gulp, and the warriors seated around the elegant long tables in the grand banquet hall also raised their wine goblets in echo.

There were a full hundred guests seated here—the Astral Knights and their colleagues from the Excoriators Chapter sat facing each other. This time, Lord Malakim only brought his Honour Guard and a portion of the warriors from the First Company. Even so, their numbers were greater than all the Astral Knights combined.

After the speeches concluded, music immediately began to play. A tidal wave of Servitors swarmed out of the back kitchen, presenting the first course of many dishes.

Soshyan and Magyar sat facing each other at the main table.

Illuminator globes floated above the banquet hall, while candlesticks with flickering flames lined the dining tables. The combination of the two filled the hall with a golden light—which reminded many present of the transcendent halos beneath Chapel domes.The banquet proceeded very pleasantly. The two Chapters forged a bond of friendship here, and the warriors also got to know each other.

The initial unfamiliarity and wariness quickly turned into familiarity and mutual appreciation.

When the banquet reached its climax, the two sides even engaged in a friendly contest of swordsmanship.

Fighting for the Astral Knights was Armin, while a young warrior from the Honour Guard fought for the Excoriators Chapter.

After exchanging blows for dozens of rounds, the representative of the Excoriators, having his sword flicked away, calmly admitted his defeat. Armin then cordially embraced his opponent, and they exchanged weapons as gifts.

Magyar marveled at the swordsmanship of the Astral Knights—they didn't look like Recruits at all, but rather like seasoned swordsmen.

At the close of the banquet, the warriors of both sides cast off the constraints of etiquette and began moving freely around the venue, chatting and getting to know each other. Only Sol quietly slipped away mid-banquet—he didn't want to draw too much attention.

As for Soshyan and Magyar, they adjourned to the Chapter Master's exclusive private room.

Here, they needed to have a more in-depth conversation.

"To have the Chapter regain its footing in such a short period of time is truly an extraordinary achievement, lad."

Following Soshyan into the room, Magyar smiled and glanced around.

"This is by no means a slight; I never doubted your competence. Yet, I am still shocked by your achievements... This castle, those seasoned warriors, all of this."

Soshyan pursed his lips.

"It is a duty. We all have duties, nothing more."

"Ah, that is indeed true."

Magyar murmured, as if pondering certain matters that Soshyan couldn't possibly know.

"Please, have a seat."

Soshyan pointed to that long table in the center of the room.

A long table carved from solid rock occupied half the room. Seats were arranged around it, all sized for the physique of the Astartes, and each seat was made of the same granite material as the long table.

Clearly, Soshyan intended to use this to host other visiting Chapter Brothers in the future, and Magyar was the first guest.

"These are your handiwork?"

"Just in case of contingencies."

Magyar nodded, sat in the nearest seat, and placed his armored hands flat on the tabletop.

Soshyan then stood opposite him.

"To be honest, I've heard quite a few complaints about your Chapter recently, especially from the Navy's side. Some people think you and your Chapter crossed the line."

"An expedient measure. The Chapter currently has too few personnel. Warships emphasizing high-speed assaults and boarding operations are not suitable for us. Instead, the Navy's ship classes align better with our need to eliminate enemies from long distances."

"Since you brought up the current situation."

Magyar revealed an intrigued smile.

"Then I am very curious. What enemies do you still need to eliminate?"

"All enemies of the Emperor."

Soshyan's answer was perfectly watertight, and fortunately, the other party didn't press the issue any further.

"Let's put the Navy aside for now. Actually, I have another purpose for this trip."

After a moment of silence, Lord Malakim looked down at his hands and said:

"Perhaps you have already guessed it."

"Yes."

The Chapter Master of the Excoriators raised his head to meet Soshyan's gaze.

"You brought up your plans with me, and that surely wasn't shooting an arrow without a target."

Soshyan said calmly:

"There aren't many Chapters garrisoned in the Segmentum Tempestus, and right now is an eventful autumn. Every Chapter is busy maneuvering and undertaking crusades all over."

"Then I will speak plainly. I hope you and your Chapter can lend me a hand, Soshyan."

Magyar said sincerely:

"Although we have recovered a portion of our strength, it is still far from enough. I hope you can help me maintain the Emperor's fractured territory and help me defend humanity's will."

"That you use the word help makes me very sad."

Soshyan sighed and shook his head.

"It is very ironic... No offense intended, Lord Malakim, but we are both Astartes. Everything you mentioned is our duty, yet you are doubting our loyalty?"

A tremble of remorse flashed across Magyar's noble face.

"Those are truly harsh words."

"But they are all true, and perhaps I should have said them earlier... I firmly believed that as a Hero of the Imperium and an elder, you could provide some guidance to the young survivors of our shattered Chapter. Yet you conversed with me with suspicion, and that hurt me deeply."

"I never said such a thing."

Magyar suddenly burst into laughter.

"You used the word help, which means subconsciously you assumed I would look for various excuses to prevaricate. You were reminding us of our duty."

Such straightforward words made Magyar experience a peculiar sense of relief.

But he also saw that Soshyan seemed somewhat uneasy with this kind of uninhibited conversation.

"Alright, it's my fault."

He admitted frankly:

"I did indeed harbor some misgivings earlier, because many Chapters that suffer severe casualties will refuse most summons for a period of time."

"That is true, but the heroic spirits of our forebears are watching us. We will not shrink back."

This instead made Lord Malakim somewhat hesitant.

"But..."

He pondered for a moment, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingers, intentionally or unintentionally looking at the Chapter badge hanging on the wall.

"Your Chapter's situation is indeed worse than I imagined. The proportion of Recruits is too large, and your numbers are too few... I initially thought you had at least a hundred warriors."

"We will not be intimidated by that."

"Alright, my proposal was rash. I withdraw it here. However, I still hope your Chapter can participate in some skirmishes; at the very least, it can still give those warriors of yours an opportunity for tempering."

"We are duty-bound to."

Soshyan nodded firmly.

The banquet ultimately concluded amidst the joyous laughter of the warriors. The Excoriators Chapter would stay here for one night and depart at dawn.

As for Soshyan and Lord Malakim, they established an agreement to rally at the edge of the Vorenus System one month from now.

After finishing all this, Soshyan returned to the room next door to that private meeting room.

Opening the door, Sol was currently sitting in a chair in the room, his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly resting with his eyes closed.

Upon hearing the footsteps, he opened his eyes, and a meaningful smile soon appeared on his face.

"Your eloquence is much more outstanding than your swordsmanship, Soshyan."

The latter smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Stop mocking me. Didn't you teach me this rhetoric, Combat Instructor Sol?"

"Hah, whatever the case, at least it got rid of that lad."

Saying this, he stood up and stretched his limbs. The air was immediately filled with the popping sounds of colliding bones.

"I haven't stretched my muscles in a long time. I hope the Greenskins this time won't disappoint me too much."