"I didn't expect you to say that." Conrad Coetzes said, breaking the silence.

At this moment, only the two of them were left in the banquet hall, the long table was empty, and the soft light was still working firmly overhead, shedding light. The decoration of the banquet hall is not ornate, and the eight flags gaze quietly on the wall, but there is another momentum.

As for why the Ultramarines left their seats so quickly, to tell the truth, they fell into a strange state that even a discerning eye could see after Carlil's speech.

On the one hand, they want to continue the question, but they don't seem to know whether to say it or not. On the other hand, they don't want to lose their manners and delay what they have to do.

Thus, Lucretius Corvo, with that complicated and strange emotion, made clear the main purpose of their visit and the attitude of Robert Killiman. After that, they left in a hurry.

Conrad Coetzes wanted to open his mouth to tell them that it was okay to ask directly, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back again.

An instinct told him that it didn't seem good to be so direct.

Carlil didn't answer Coetzes immediately, he just calmly pinched a fork with two fingers and picked up a piece of Glocks steak that was almost cold. After putting it in his mouth and chewing it carefully, he squinted his eyes and spoke.

"What did I say?"

"Nothing." Conrad Coetzes replied unnaturally.

He had wanted to talk while eating like Carlile so that it didn't look so tight, but he had already finished his share.

The Ultramarines didn't waste food, and neither did he, everyone ate so fast that for a while it even looked like they were racing at a pace. Only Karil ate very slowly, he drank porridge first, then mead, and now, steak.

Carlil smiled quietly, and then immediately let the smile fade. He lifted the tin, which was a little small to him, and drank all the rest of the porridge.

"Since it's nothing, let's get down to business." He put down the can that was completely empty, and said. "Like that letter written by your brother Robert Killiman—aren't you going to take a look at it, Conrad?"

"The dinner isn't over yet." Conrad Coetzes replied stiffly.

He didn't want to reveal the fact that he really didn't want to read the letter now, that something was hindering his ability to think, and in fact, he wanted to laugh now, but he didn't want to laugh. And all these reactions are naturally seen by Carlile.

He didn't debunk it, just sighed silently in his heart.

"It's over, isn't it?" Carlil continued. "The guests are gone, and by the standards of a banquet, it's over now."

"But you're still eating."

"I ate it very quickly, and I was left with only one last cutlet."

“.”

Conrad Coetze silently picked up the letter that had been handed to him by Lucretius Corvo himself, the list of supplies resting quietly on his right-hand side.

The body of the letter was encased in an elaborate envelope, the gilded lettering resting quietly on the cream-white paper, the intertwined blue and gold lacquer sealing its openings, and the logo of the Ultramarines shining in the center.

Coates stretched out his right hand and cut the fire seal with the nail of his index finger, which he could do without a letter opener, and took out the letter, which he began to read silently.

"The brother I've never met, Conrad Coetzes. I'm Robert Killiman, one of your many brothers you haven't met. ”

"My father's ship passed through Makulag on its way back, and I spoke to four brothers whom you have already met, by means of holographic projections. Frankly, I have some admiration for you. ”

"At your age, I was still studying, still trying to control my emotions so that I wouldn't get angry at the endless amount of work. You have taken up the most important responsibility on our shoulders. ”

"It almost makes me feel a little embarrassed, but I have to say at the risk of being disgusted by you, if you want to make Nostramo better, environmental modification alone is not enough."

"As you already know, there are three Mechonist ships in the logistics fleet, and they carry valuable machines that can clean up pollution and create a planet suitable for human habitation and survival."

"Fogrem described to me the environment of your home planet, he has always been a master of language, but he is very quiet when it comes to your environment."

"Thanks to him, I can't imagine exactly what Nostramo really looks like, but I can roughly guess a little."

"I came back a little earlier than you, I've been fighting in the galaxy for quite some time, I've seen planets like this, and I understand where the real difficulty lies in transforming them."

"Removing pollution from the environment is never the first step, and removing pollution from people's minds is the key."

"Therefore, I took the liberty of sending five hundred Ultramarines along with your logistics fleet. I don't know if you've heard of it, but my legions are pretty good at governing planets in the Empire. ”

"This is a difficult time for anyone, and I hope their experience with these things will help you in the early days of your tenure, and if you feel that this is inappropriate, then I apologize in advance."

"Their chief is Lucretius Corvo, a man of integrity, honesty and reliability. Either way, I hope they can help you. In three or five years' time, if things improve in Nostramo, I would like you to take time out of your busy schedule to visit Maculag. ”

"I sincerely look forward to your arrival."

"—Your faithful brother, Robert Killman."

Coetzes put down the letter in silence, and Carlil had just finished the last cutlet, just as he had said. He wiped his mouth with an odorless wet tissue and asked, "How's it going?" ”

He wants those five hundred Ultramarines to help us govern Nostramo."

"No, I didn't ask that, Conrad." Carlil smiled. "I mean, what do you think of him?"

Conrad Coetze looked blankly: "It's just a letter, Carlil"

"Words are sometimes the best way to reflect a person's true character."

"But why are you asking this?"

"Because he's your brother." Carlil said. "And you're going to have to deal with him sooner or later, aren't you?"

"I think he's not bad." Konrad Coetzes said. "But I'm not really sure, I mean, I haven't even seen him in person."

Carlil couldn't help but laugh: "Judging by that letter alone, you think he's not bad, right?" ”

"It's just like a little bit of pride. But I don't hate that pride. Coetzes muttered. If I had fought like him for a long time and saved a lot of people, I would have been proud. ”

As he spoke, he reached out and handed the letter over. Carlil raised an eyebrow, and refused directly without looking at the letter: "This is his letter to you." ”

"Aren't you going to take a look?"

"Listen, Conrad, your brother respects you." Carlil shook his head. "These things, I don't need to read the letter to feel them. A list of supplies, an escort of five hundred ultramarines."

"A person's character is hidden in these details. He respects you, so you should respect him too, don't you? If you want to respect him, you shouldn't show me the letters he wrote to you. ”

"What's wrong with that?" Conrad Coetzes asked blankly.

Only then did he behave like a one-and-a-half-year-old child - he was professional in the Codex. He also has ample ideas for the future of Nostramo. Only in terms of human sophistication, he still doesn't know much about it.

Carlil smiled.

"Unless an open letter. Otherwise any letter is private, Conrad. He's writing to you, not me. I don't think my name was mentioned on that letter, right? ”

"Nope."

"That's it, it's a letter for you. Therefore, it is only you can read. ”

I seem to get it."

"If you don't understand, let's talk about it later." Carlil smiled. "It's kind of interesting to help manage Nostramo, but in a way, it's also a relief for the urgent need."

"Our clerical officers don't even have five hours off a day these days. There are already many people whose bodies are showing signs of running under load. So if they can help, that's a good thing. It's just."

"Just?"

"It's just that I don't know if they want to or not. Moreover, you are the master of the Eighth Legion. Carlil said, glancing at Conrad Coetzes, then stood up with a chuckle and began to gather cans and cutlery along the long table.

The action was so sudden that Conrad Coetzes was stunned, and he didn't even have time to refute the second half of Carlil's words.

"What are you doing?"

"Do what you can." Carlil replied calmly. "It's hard to leave this to the servants, they have a lifespan, Conrad."

There is one more chapter

(End of chapter)