novelhk Page 47
Page 47
(I've posted this first, please give me your feedback after reading it. I feel there are some problems with the writing... If the feedback isn't good, I'll delete it and rewrite it tomorrow... I need to be present for all recommendations during the recommendation period [despair])
Chapter 62 Duties (4000)
After listening to Lynch's words, Ryan lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
Time ticked by, and Lynch didn't bother to urge the warband's priest. He lowered his head and began to devour the steak in front of him—a cut of hind leg meat from a local beast of Badab, cooked and served to Lynch by the warband's mortal cooks.
With one bite, Lin Qi felt that its texture was firm and similar to beef, but its flavor had a porky, oily aroma.
not bad.
Having made his assessment, Lynch put down his knife and fork. At that moment, Ryan also finished his thoughts, raised his head, and once again met the gaze of the "mortal" before him.
“I have no problem, Lord Lynch.”
"Well, then you'll be in charge of training the people selected by each of their squads. After all, their role is similar to that of your priests, except they've been assigned to different combat squads and don't have the power of judgment or execution."
Lin Qi's statement revealed his purpose in recently asking each combat squad to nominate personnel to him and assign them a mission.
After successfully rallying the team through his speech, Lynch planned to use a robust system to ensure this. And when it came to maintaining morale within a team, he instinctively thought of a profession—one that had proven effective in both his previous life's military and the Warhammer Legion.
That's the political commissar.
Within the Astral Army, the political commissar's primary responsibility is to ensure the unit's combat effectiveness, cohesion, and the loyalty and discipline of its soldiers.
This is exactly what Lin Qi needs. The newly united hearts and minds need to be protected, otherwise they will only fall apart again over time.
He can't possibly give a speech every time there's a gathering; aside from the inefficiency, he'd be exhausted himself.
However, Lynch would not directly establish the "profession" of political commissar within the Astartes Chapter. On the one hand, the battle clerics in the Astartes Chapter already have most of the functions of political commissars. On the other hand, if a political commissar position were to be established, the number of people would inevitably be too small to achieve the kind of grassroots strength he wanted.
Then Horus offered suggestions, successfully refining the model and making it feasible.
That means instead of creating new professions, we should assign "responsibilities".
For an Astartes, the duties bestowed upon them, especially those given by their genetic father, are sacred and inviolable. On the battlefield, if the mission and duty conflict, it is common for those who are slightly obsessed to abandon the former and pursue the latter.
Of course, Lin Qi had no intention of clamming with the Dark Angels; he was simply explaining some of the internal situations within the Empire.
That is, the binding force of duty is very strong, and if used properly, its impact on the Warband is far greater than that brought by the Primarch's personal prestige and charisma.
“I understand. I will lead the priests to provide basic training to the people you have chosen, to ensure they can play their part in the battles to come.”
"Well, you'll probably be quite busy once this plan officially begins, since as a high-ranking priest, you'll need to oversee its implementation. However, the lower-ranking priests will likely have it much easier, and you should be in the same boat once things stabilize."
This was Lynch's plan. He intended to assign those selected by each combat squad the responsibility of supervising other members within their squad, and, when necessary, to monitor the mental state of the squad members to ensure team cohesion.
In this plan, the pastors who were originally in charge of this aspect will provide short-term training to these individuals and assess whether they meet the requirements of their duties. A junior pastor is responsible for several people, while also ensuring the cohesion and loyalty of those under their care.
Finally, there are the high-ranking priests, who are in charge of the low-ranking priests and report directly to Lynch.
This five-layer structure is very simple yet very rigorous, encompassing the vast majority of warriors in the warband from top to bottom. Although it has not yet been implemented and its specific effects are unknown, based on Horus's deductions and Lynch's own judgment, it has considerable potential.
Anyway, if problems arise, they can be fixed. That's the power of the Primarch; it's enough to support Lynch in making changes.
“I understand... Thank you, Lord Lynch.”
"Don't mention it, your genetic father entrusted me to do this."
Lynch shook his head and spoke to Ryan.
“I am, after all, just a mortal. Although Terra has given me the transfer order, I am just an ordinary mortal until I officially arrive. I haven’t even been recognized by the state religion as the chosen one. Now, managing one of your warbands is actually overstepping my bounds.”
“That’s different, sir.”
"Same here, Ryan. In fact, your actions just now crossed the line to some extent."
Lin Qi spoke softly, staring into Ryan's dark eyes, his tone carrying a hint of weariness.
"When the Empire arrives, the Star Claws will inevitably face disintegration. I can guarantee that the chapter will not embark on the Atonement Crusade immediately, but being disintegrated is unavoidable."
"My lord, you mean...?"
"Well, since we don't know the specific details of the decree, we need to prepare early to minimize any leverage we can have, so that we can keep the initiative in the dismantling process in our own hands."
Lynch's words were quite clear, which made Ryan sigh deeply. An idea flashed through his mind, and as time went by, it brewed and grew deeper and deeper in his heart.
Finally, looking at Lin Qi, he couldn't help but voice his thoughts.
"Sir, have you ever considered implanting gene seeds in yourself for modification?"
"Ok?"
Faced with Ryan's question, Lynch was slightly taken aback—to implant a gene seed in himself, undergo nineteen surgeries, and become an Astartes—to be honest, Lynch had fantasized about such a thing, but fantasies are just fantasies after all…
The golden age for Astartes surgery is roughly during a person's adolescence. While it's not impossible to perform the procedure beyond that age, the difficulty increases exponentially, and a single mistake can be fatal.
Lin Qi's physical age was already over twenty, long past the golden age for transformation, and he had entered the dangerous period of transformation.
"Ryan, my age is a significant problem."
“Through consulting some ancient texts, I learned that during the Great Crusade, some Astartes were modified at a much older age than you, but they still successfully had their genetic seeds implanted and became Astartes.”
“That’s different. Those people were basically relatives and brothers of the Primarchs at the time, and undergoing the modification surgery was a kind of last resort. Not to mention that a considerable number of these people did not actually complete the surgery and could only be considered half-Astartes.”
Ryan remained silent, finally looking at the golden figure standing silently in the shadows.
"Perhaps the Imperial Guards can..."
"Alright, that's settled then. Why did you suddenly want me to do the modifications?"
"After the transformation, we can elect you as the new leader of the Star Claws. With this title, it will be much easier for you to carry out your actions, and you will have more power to do your job better."
Ryan honestly voiced his thoughts, causing Lynch to sigh inwardly. Ryan's thinking was far too naive. Even if the transformation was successfully completed, who knew what trouble would ensue if Terra discovered that the one receiving the decrees was an Astartes rather than a mortal?
It's important to understand that having an Astartes in charge of Badab and having a mortal chosen one in charge of Badab are two completely different concepts.
Even if we are to make changes, we should wait until we receive Terra's decree, so as to avoid them going back on their word.
"That's a good idea, Ryan. Don't think about it again next time."
"Hmm... Oh, right, sir, there are a few other things."
"whats the matter?"
"Regarding some official documents within the team, after Huron's death, these documents piled up naturally because no one handled them. After discussing it internally, we believe that even if you don't review them, you should at least sign them, otherwise these documents will not be valid in Badab."
Ryan's words completely stunned Lynch. He slowly put down the knife and fork he was holding, then looked at Ryan and asked his question.
"Why is it invalid without my signature?"
"Because we issued the proclamation in your name after the coup succeeded, you are now, at least nominally, the new ruler of Badab. All the hives and factories are awaiting your orders."
Lynch had imagined how busy he would be once Terra's decree came into effect a month later, making him the de facto ruler of the Badab system.
However, what he never expected was that he would have a month of private testing before the official start.
"Sigh, what a life of toil! That damned emperor really treats me like a beast of burden... Horus, you shouldn't sleep either, get up and come work with me."
"knew......."
Horus's voice was still weak, but it was much better than before. Lynch shrugged, stood up from his chair, and walked over to Ryan.
"Let's go, take me to review the official documents."
"Your meal..."
"I won't eat now, I'll eat after I finish work... Of course, I hope I can finish cooking before mealtime."
－－－－－－－－
I'm definitely not good with a sword.
Asford looked at Eric in front of him and sighed helplessly.
His opponent suddenly stepped forward, the tip of his longsword slicing through the air as it attacked Asford's body at a tricky angle.
A swift, accurate, steady, and ruthless strike. Although it was only one sword strike, it effectively blocked a series of escape routes around Asford.
But in the next instant, with a faint light flashing in his pupils, his speed suddenly increased, and he seemed to become a ghost, brushing past the longsword in a strange manner.
A cacophony of babbling began to echo in his ears. Asford took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he tried to ignore the sounds.
But at that very moment, his opponent seized upon this opening and unleashed a second sword strike at close range.
This was a powerful and heavy slash; an ordinary mortal would likely be sliced in two on the spot by such a sword.
But Asford would not, because he was an Astartes, possessing a spirit and body that transcended that of mortals.
Asford flicked his wrist, and the short sword in his hand flashed with a silvery-white flower. Then, with a "bang," the blades of the short sword and the long sword collided, bursting into dazzling sparks.
"You should remain calm and control your strength."
Eric looked at his brother, who had recently displayed his psionic talent, and spoke in a deep voice.
“Your psionic talent is excellent, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken on the role of instructor to provide you with temporary training while Bell was still recovering from his injuries. But you must also remember that having excellent psionic talent is not a good thing; in fact, you could say it’s the biggest curse in the world.”
Eric's arm muscles bulged, and veins popped out on his skin. Then Asford felt a tremendous force sweeping towards him, as if a speeding Land Rover Raider had slammed him into the air.
He staggered backward, but before he could react, his opponent's pursuit had already begun.
Asford hastily launched a counterattack, but in the blink of an eye, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist, a long line of blood appeared, causing his hand to lose its strength, his fingers no longer obeying his commands, and involuntarily opening, causing his weapon to fall to the ground.
"ended."
Eric sheathed his longsword, let out a long breath, and spoke to Asford.
"Your condition is much better now, and you're unlikely to lose control of your power during combat anymore."
Eric reached out a hand and helped Asford, who had fallen to the ground, up.
Asford took a deep breath and nodded to Eric.
"Thank you, Eric, brother."
"Don't thank me. Once Bell recovers, go find him to formally study psionics. Then we can see if you really want to go down the think tank path."
Eric shook his head, then sighed softly.
Asford's psionic talent was discovered a few days ago, and at the time he did not expect that there was such a person with psionic talent in the chapter.
Later, based on his judgment, it was probably because Lynch's speech in the square that day, delivered under the possession of the Father of Genetics, caused some unknown subspace reason, which awakened the dormant psychic talent in the other party.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Eric wasn't entirely sure, but he did know one thing.