"What do you say: you want to stop Killiman from prostituting your research?"

"It can't be done."

"I can't help it."

"Don't think about it."

【……】

"By the way, by the way, I would like to mention you: the warband rotation system you just discussed with your daughters will be promoted by Killiman in the Thirteenth Legion in five years' time, and he will also write an internal paper to explain to his descendants the six shortcomings that existed when you formulated this system."

"And this paper will be given to you as a thank you gift from Macurag."

【……】

"However, your unjust behavior is not without its benefits: the good thing is that until the end of this great expedition, our Lord of Otlama regards you as his best friend and his most trusted blood relative in the entire galaxy."

"He even named the most luxurious Communal Bath in Maculag after you, and the Citizen Arena of Maculag next to the Communal Bath was named after your Dawnbreaker Legion."

【……】

"In this sense, your luck is actually quite good, my dear Sister Morgan: our brother Killiman's character dictates that his friendship with you is quite pure, and the vows he pours out about friendship are unusually strong."

"If you take advantage of these friendships and oaths, it is not impossible to leverage the huge military power of the entire Ultramarines Legion and even the entire Five Hundred Worlds: if you add the Dawnbreaker Legion in your hands, and the Far Eastern Frontier......"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"That's really: there's a lot to be done."

The Midnight Ghost from Noslavo stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, he shook his head with exaggerated emotion, his long silky black hair swaying with it, groping his shoulders, and the banter in his pupils was almost undisguised.

The Eighth Legion's genetic protogent crossed his slender legs, and he leaned against the dark brown desk, on which were stacked with all sorts of books and other small objects, and he could faintly see the mountains of paint jars and paintbrushes in the corners: and at his hand was a dim lantern, the only dim sun in the whole room.

Of course, there are four rows of bright and powerful recessed ceiling lamps on the ceiling of this original abode: Morgan is not too demanding of his brother in this regard, but even after so many years of education under the command of the Spider Queen, Conrad's penchant for darkness has not changed in the slightest.

Although he did not resist standing in those palatial halls, smiling and talking to people, if he could, Midnight Ghost still wanted to enjoy his own space in the dark, conceiving his plans hidden in a smile.

One of the original hands held the pen tightly, and the pen was a blurry handwriting, surrounding the time called Nostramo, which looked like it had not been finished, while his other hand was accompanied by exaggerated shaking of the head and pretending to sigh, and took off the glasses hanging from the bridge of his nose.

【……】

Yes: glasses.

"Flat lenses."

Noticing the suspicion in Morgan's pupils, Midnight Ghost replied with a smile to his blood relatives, and with that, he put the pair of glasses on the table, and put his fingers into the corner of the edge of the darkness, and hooked the teapot and both teacups at the same time.

"I wear it when I write: after all, there is always a sense of ritual in life."

[It's nothing to do, Conrad.] 】

"Of course you can say that."

The Nostramo people spread their hands indifferently and poured tea for their blood relatives.

"However, such meaningless trifles are unavoidable in our lives: just as I know that the problem of Nostramo is a lot of problems, but I am still here to plan the best way to deal with it, and like you who have decided on the reform of the Legion, but still have to hold a meeting with your artificial little girls and pretend to listen to their opinions."

"Since you and I will do this, it means that this kind of trivial matter is not meaningless, and it has its own operating logic behind it, and it will also bring us benefits, isn't it: maybe somewhere else, this kind of nothing to do in your mouth is a noble and elegant etiquette, a rule that everyone must abide by, and an immutable ancestral law."

Midnight Wraith first handed his blood relatives the bright red tea, and then took a cup himself, while his other hand was closed with his fingers closed, fanning the breeze, gently blowing away the heat drifting on the water, unhurriedly justifying his actions.

It's just that the Lord of Avalon, who has long known the Midnight Geist, only laughed contemptuously in response to Conrad's sophistry, but there was no malice.

[Alright, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense here, Conrad. 】

[Also: I am not pretending to listen to the advice of my daughters, but I want from the bottom of my heart to draw on the wisdom and advice from all over the world before such a major reform is implemented: and this humility has indeed benefited me. 】

As he spoke, Morgan took a sip of his tea, the blood-like liquid redder than the progenitor's lips, and a bright color on the Spider Queen's pale skin: when Conrad's vision caught it all, there was a hint of pride in his heart.

[In fact, it was with the reminders of my daughters that I realized how flawed my warband rotation system was: I originally planned to rotate every two to three years, with a ten-year cycle: but such a rotation time was too short, and the actual service time of the soldiers was probably less than twenty months, regardless of the time consumed on the road. 】

[So, after the suggestion and calculation of my daughters, I decided to change the warband rotation system to one rotation every eight to ten years, that is, let the Daybreakers complete a cycle in twenty to thirty years, in order to get used to the three aspects of war: from the perspective of time, this is a relatively reasonable arrangement. 】

"Well, I also believe that this is the arrangement that will be implemented in the end."

Midnight Ghost nodded, but his tone of affirmation made Morgan feel a little curious.

How are you so sure? 】

The Lord of Avalon was even a little happy: Could it be that this younger brother of hers secretly made up for the knowledge of commanding the legion when she didn't know it, so he could answer this question fluently?

It's normal to think about it: after all, Conrad is about to meet with his legion, and it makes perfect sense that he is working hard on this, after all, he is no longer the bastard kid he used to be.

Thinking like this, the Lord of Avalon even crossed his heart with a hint of touch.

But this emotional psychology didn't hold on for even a second.

Conrad licked the tea casually.

"Because in the future, Killiman's article that points out your mistakes doesn't mention it at all: it means that at least you didn't make a mistake on this issue, otherwise that guy wouldn't have been merciful."

【……】

“……”

“！！！”

"Why are you splashing me?"

[Shut up!] 】

Morgan pursed the corners of his lips, frowned, and curled up two grumpy dimples on her pale cheeks, a simple combination of wordless annoyance, which made Conrad immediately retreat, while the Spider Queen just lowered her head and looked at the bright black tea that she had poured half a cup of, and drank it all in a frustrated manner.

Of course, she found that as time went by, her emotions seemed to become richer and more fragile: if it was Morgan twenty years ago, he would never have laughed at her daughters' [rude] choices, and would never have been so out of shape because of Conrad's unintentional words.

【……】

But everything has changed.

It's not twenty years ago.

Drinking the piping hot drink, the genogen could only sigh in her own heart: whether she regretted the change or not, Morgan had to admit that the change in personality was almost irreversible.

After she became a figure who felt helpless for her daughters and instinctively tolerant of her brothers, she seemed unable to return to the ruthless person she once was: the iron heart that could once slaughter Magnus had long since left her.

……

That's it.

Take a step, look at a step.

[Have you decided what to do with the Mother Star of the Night?] 】

The original body tossed the cup onto the table, and before the valuable artifact rolled to the floor, Conrad caught it and put it back into the darkness.

The Midnight Ghost quickly pointed to the full bookcases behind him: they took up an entire wall, and every corner of them was already filled with books and files.

"I've prepared a lot of plans, I've thought of every possibility I can think of, I've spent long hours searching through the archives of the Empire for similar cases, flipping through the damned books on sociology, psychology, natural sciences, and economics, and in these four drawers next to me are all the methods I might have adopted: they're all candidates."

"But even so, I don't dare say I'm ready."

Conrad put down his teacup, one arm of his arm resting on the table, his face on crutch.

"I don't even dare to pack a ticket for my Eighth Legion: whenever I think of their names, their figures, and their records in the Imperial Archives, there is always a ...... in my heart Smell a rat. ”

[Doubtful? 】

"For my own doubts."

"Although, I already know the names of the noteworthy men in the Legion, and their future, and when, where, and in what manner they will meet their deaths: but even so, I feel a wonderful sense of powerlessness at the thought that I will see them with my own eyes, and face them personally, and speak to them with my own mouth."

“……”

"It seemed like it was going to be an incredibly important thing for me."

"And I, don't want to mess it up."

Midnight Ghost's always cynical face fell silent in a rare way, and he licked his lips, his slender eyebrows furrowed, his gaze deep: when he finally looked up, Conrad tentatively approached his blood relatives for help.

"Perhaps you can tell me, Morgan, how you came about your reunion with the Legion of the Dawnbreakers: it's strange because I never seem to have heard a single Dawnbreaker put the beginning of this legend on their lips, and no one told the story or even left me indifferent to everything that happened."

Midnight Wraith shook his head, the exclamation in his words was genuine.

"You know, even the dark angels under Johnson's command paint a vivid picture of the reunion of the five hundred people with Johnson to their recruits, as if they were there: but I have never heard a story like this on the Goddess of Dawn."

[Probably because it's a very ordinary story.] 】

Morgan leaned back in his chair.

[No generous statements, no battles side by side, no feat of genetic protogens kneeling in allegiance to the Legion, and no madness to violently purge the unqualified: my reunion with the Dawnbreaker is just the ordinary in the moonlight, and the first story has nothing to tell compared to the twenty years I have experienced with them.] 】

[If you really want to say it: At that time, I was still called the Soul Drinker, but I don't know when this title will no longer be mentioned by anyone. 】

"Soul Drinker."

Conrad chewed on the name.

"Sounds a little scary: like my midnight ghost."

Morgan laughed.

[Maybe in another twenty years, or even longer, no one will remember the name Midnight Wraith: they may give you some other name, one you don't want but have to wear.] 】

"I hope it will last a little longer: preferably when I don't know."

Conrad smiled as well, and he replied to the words of his blood relatives with gusto, hiding his face from the faint light of the lantern, and for the rest of the day, neither of the two genogens spoke much, and all their opinions, arguments, ideas and opinions, all their love and hate, thoughts and worries, seemed to have been exhausted in the previous twenty years.

It's time for the last minute. The siblings just sat in their own darkness, staring at the lantern between them, their pupils lit up by the old light.

They were silent: at this moment, this silence was so precious.

"Don't you give me some advice?"

There's nothing more I can give you. 】

Morgan sighed.

If you really want me to say it, then just let it be, Conrad. 】

[Go with the flow, don't think too much about it here: many things in this galaxy are not so complicated in nature, simple thoughts can strengthen your will, so that you can really do something, in the stars, the most important thing is always courage. 】

[Just like the emperor may have to think of a million plans for his great expedition, but the real driving force for the great expedition is the lowest level of persistence and belief in his heart. 】

As she spoke, the Lord of Avalon stretched out her hand, and she gently patted Conrad's head like an ordinary mortal mother comforting her son, while the Midnight Ghost sat quietly in his seat, not dodging, not superfluous banter, and only listening intently to Morgan's words.

[Listen, my little one: Yu Gong, you are the creation of the emperor, a genetic prototype, and the thing in your head can make up the most impassioned speech in the galaxy at any time in a second, so you don't need to worry at all.] 】

[Privately, you are the genetic father of the Eighth Legion, their leader, and countless of them have crossed the galaxy of blood and fire in search of you: I think that your education is not too successful, but it will not be a failure, so what do you have to worry about since even a guy like Perturabo was able to successfully lead his legion in the end, rather than die in a mutiny that was too well-reasoned? 】

The Spider Queen sneered.

[So, what do you have to worry about, Conrad: since you can sit here and worry about how to meet your legion, it already means that you will be a good father of genes, and your son will only be proud of you. 】

[What you really have to do is relax, my little one: stop thinking about these things, relax and empty your mind, don't think about anything more, finish this journey, meet your legion at the end of this journey, I will be with you on this last journey, I will always be. 】

Morgan raised her head slightly, her entire face illuminated by the light of the lantern, and when she spoke of the Legion, the Lord of Avalon was clearly thinking of his own heir, and that brightness made her the most beautiful figure in the galaxy.

At the very least, in Conrad's eyes, Morgan was the most beautiful at the moment: her smile had never been so beautiful, her voice had never been so pleasant, and every word that came out of her mouth seemed to be deeply embedded in the heart of the Midnight Wraith and would never be forgotten.

When you see them, when you see their faces. When the names are no longer vague words in your memory, but are living beings standing in front of you, you will naturally know how to deal with them: because at the first glance you will know what they are to you and what role they will play in your life. 】

[At that time, you will naturally have a lot to say to them, and of course, you can keep your silence and replace words with a victory in a war: many of our brothers will do this, and they will turn the reunion with the Legion into a carnival of blood and glory. 】

[After that, you don't need to worry, the relationship between the original body and the legion is never an overnight thing, although the Eighth Legion has a not very good reputation in many cases, but it is not a hopeless or desperate force, and the soldiers of the Eighth Legion are not so desperate for the motivation and salvation from the genetic primordial. 】

This means that they have enough time to wait, for them to realize what kind of character their original body is, for them to learn to love their genetic prototype in their own way, and at the same time, for their genetic prototype: to learn how to love them. 】

Morgan's fingers slowly ran down Conrad's hair, absentmindedly grooming her brother's loose dreadlocks, her movements were already so skillful that such interactions had even become a habit between the two genetic protogens.

[That's it, Conrad, if you want to ask me how to get along with the Legion, that's all I can tell you, and if you ask me what I've learned in my twenty years with the Daybreaker, then all I can tell you is that when you strive to be a proper Father of Genes, your offspring will never disappoint you. 】

You don't need to hesitate, because you don't need to do your best, you don't need to do those great deeds, and you don't even need to make sure that each of your children knows the philosophy of your life: do your part well, do your duty, try to love them as a father and guide. 】

[Don't ignore their needs, don't belittle their honor, don't treat them as tools to be discarded, don't be among them, have to be paranoid about picking out the person you love the most: a smile is more powerful than a whip, a hug is more worthy of them than a medal, and when they do, remember to stand in front of them.] 】

[Remember: every Astarte warrior is fearless on the battlefield, and these characters born for war can really make them afraid of only one thing. 】

[That is to be let down.] 】

【……】

Don't let them down, Conrad. 】

[Do this, it's done.] 】

“……”

The Midnight Ghost was silent for longer than he had imagined.

Conrad had used almost all the strength of his body before he could barely ask a question: he even felt remorse for his actions, and how could he still have doubts at this time?

"Morgan."

"The galaxy will burn."

"And the end of my destiny lies in the burning galaxy."

"How can I live up to them?"

【……】

Faced with this question, the genogen just laughed, her fingers running down Conrad's hair, to his face, and slowly upward along the frowning eyebrow, until she touched the wrinkled edges of the Midnight Ghost's long stay up late, carefully smoothing out the wrinkled veins one by one.

She is so careful and careful, it is like caressing the most precious gem in the world.

Morgan smiled.

[This kind of question is not destined to have an accurate answer, Conrad, not every question in the world has its own answer: instead of getting a reply from someone else in my place, why don't you look for the answer that best suits you? 】

“……”

"How do I find it?"

The brows that had just been smoothed by Morgan furrowed again, while the genoplasms were unusually patient and continued to caress them.

[This is not achieved overnight. 】

But if you have to give me a guide: let me ask you a question, Conrad. 】

Morgan held out her other hand, her two hands on Midnight Ghost's cheeks, and they were face-to-face, eye to eye, staring intently at the color in Conrad's pupils.

[Have you ever wondered: What are you going to bring to Nostramo?] 】

"Of course."

Conrad was smiling.

"I've thought about this question for a long time, Morgan, and I've thought of the most important answer: it even needs your help."

【……】

[What could that be?] 】

"Light."

Conrad opened his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth, tearing at these two words, and there was a temperament that could not be refused.

He was quick to add.

"Of course, it won't be the real light: it's my light."

【……】

Why: Do you choose to bring the light in the end? 】

“……”

Midnight Ghost laughed, hiding his answer in his pupils.

"Because ......"

(End of chapter)