Fell's Zaloster lowered his head, trying to ignore something to get into the state of concentration he needed now.

But he failed, he couldn't do it—he could clearly hear his own breathing and the whirring wind in his ears, so loud that he almost wondered if he was on top of a mountain.

He could also hear his own heartbeat and the sound of blood flowing, all of which made his senses so tense and sensitive.

He held his breath in exasperation, trying to resist one of those sounds in the most primitive and most recent simple way, and it was as if a switch had been flipped - and then, his senses of hearing, sight, smell, and even the touch of his skin were gone.

In an instant, everything was gone from him, leaving only a soft darkness and a flame in the darkness.

The edges are pitch black, the inside is red, and it burns quietly.

After a few minutes, Fell's eyes snapped open.

His body began to twitch, his arms fluttering eerily from the intense muscle spasms, kicking his feet. His body rolled over on the iron bed and eventually collapsed to the ground.

So Jairziño Guzmán, who was waiting, immediately helped him to his feet and forcibly injected him with a light tranquilizer - after a dozen seconds, Fell calmed down, he gasped heavily, and his two hearts rang heavily, ringing in the quiet room.

"I failed." Fell spoke with difficulty. "I can't take the ceremony any further, I'm sorry, instructor."

"Your apology is unnecessary." Carlil said.

He stepped forward and carefully studied Fell's eyes. The latter's eyes were tired, as if he had just experienced a great battle, his arms were still shaking, and the beating of his muscles could not be stopped by himself.

Jairziño Guzmán took out a notebook and began to make some new observations.

They had been back in Nostramo for more than two months, and everything was being created from scratch in an orderly manner, both in terms of planning for future conscription and the 'division of duties' that the company commanders had been discussing for the past two months.

So, it's the same with what just happened.

It's been going on for three weeks, and it's not going to be openly discussed, it's not going to be documented — even the report in Guzmán's hands will have to be burned after some time.

"Something must have gone wrong." Fair said.

The commander of the third company and the chief think tank pondered, but could not come to any conclusions. He couldn't find what was wrong, and he didn't know what was keeping him from completing the ritual until Carlil spoke.

"That's true, but it's not your problem."

The instructors of the Nightblades lowered their heads, a cold light flashing in their eyes, and the fine lines that surrounded the iron bed lit up in an instant.

The misty blue light slowly advanced along the misty lines, like a liquid, forming an alternative flesh for the characters and lines, and suddenly changing color when it was fully formed. The blue glow of psionic energy faded, and a pitch-black flame took its place, dancing silently across the floor.

The medical officer and the think tank watched this scene solemnly, no matter how many times, they would not lose sight of what the flame really represented.

Fell whispered and asked, "So, what do you think is the problem?" ”

"This ritual is used to make people make a vow." Carlil looked up at Fair. "And you've made an oath, Fell. It is impossible to step into the same river twice. ”

He shook his head and chuckled, looking a little self-deprecating: "Such a simple question, I didn't even find out until now." I'm sorry to waste three weeks, Phil. ”

"Don't rush to apologize now, Instructor—" The Chief Think Tank straightened up, his expression finally less lost. "—In other words, the crux of the matter is, do we need to find someone who hasn't made a vow to participate in the ceremony?"

"I think that's how it should be." Carlil said he didn't care about Fair's words.

"So." Fell licked his lips nervously, his eyes longing. "Can we?"

Carlil didn't immediately answer Fair's words.

He certainly knew what Fell was trying to say, but, as Conrad Cotz had said, it was too early to recruit troops.

Every Astarte is a superman, and within a few years they will become a finely tuned killing machine. Therefore, you must be cautious when it comes to the selection of people, especially a legion like the Midnight Blade.

Their role in the Great Expedition was more than just conquerors. They also need to go to the extremes of human nature and act as judges and executioners. And these two jobs require many qualities, otherwise there must be a risk of depravity.

Moreover, even if these considerations are removed, they need to go through the ritual.

And it takes more than just determination to pass the ritual.

Carlil couldn't help but sigh - witchcraft was troublesome enough, let alone this kind of witchcraft that had half a foot in the sacrificial realm. Makado is really in the same vein as the emperor, and after throwing the relevant books to him, he doesn't care about anything.

Then, according to the current situation, if they want to have a complete understanding of the 'twentieth operation' before the official conscription, they must 'pull out the seedlings to help'.

"Instructor?" Jaircinio Guzmán raised the note in Young's hand, interrupting Carlil's thoughts. "What do you think? By the way, I think Company Commander Fell may still be in a state of unclear mind right now."

"What do you mean, Jaelziño?"

"I mean, Company Commander Fair, that inference you just made almost scared me to death."

Guzmán replied with a blank face, the same expression the Medic had worn since returning from the Makurag's Glory. Normally, it was fine, but now, looking at this face as pale as his, Fell felt the urge to punch past.

Moreover, Guzmán is even continuing.

"Get an innocent school-age kid and throw him on that iron bed, and let him lie on it, and face the darkness we've seen?" The medic shook his head. "The original body is above, Terra is above, my life is above"

"Didn't you throw me up many times too?!"

"That's at your behest, and you're an adult." The medic shook his head, and said no more, but it seemed like he had said everything.

Carlil stared at them silently, a smile on his lips.

——

Conrad Coetzes frowned silently.

In other words, if we want to figure out everything about the ceremony before the official conscription and minimize the risk, we must find one or more school-age children?"

"One is enough." Carlil narrowed his eyes and shook his head as he felt the cold wind blowing in front of him. "Mass conscription is not possible now, Conrad, so we only need one. But I'd advise you to think before you make a decision, after all, after taking the oath, he will join the Legion anyway. ”

Conrad Coetzes thought in silence, and after a while, he nodded, "Then do it. This matter must be resolved. ”

Carlil nodded at him, and closed the window of his office - yes, they weren't on the Nightfall, they were in Nostramo.

This is Conrad Coetze's office and study, located in the middle of the Quintus Nest. It's new, but there's something old in it as well. For example, a chair, and a heavy door.

However, the chair's treatment was much stranger than the thick door with the glowing Fist of the Empire logo. Conrad Coetzes put it in an inconspicuous corner, which is puzzling.

It's just that, having said that, no one asks why.

"Indeed, this matter must be settled—but before I leave," Carlil said, turning. "I have one more thing to discuss with you, Conrad."

"What's the matter?" The Lord of Midnight asked with a calm expression as he looked up from the mountain of papers. He didn't seem to care about the exaggerated number of documents.

"Don't tell me it's their company commanders fighting each other again. I don't want to deal with anything like this again, the last time I found eight company commanders in the dueling cage with real swords, it was enough to give me a headache. ”

"No, it doesn't have anything to do with them this time - of course, they've been arguing with each other lately, but for now, it's not that intense." Carlil replied noncommittally.

Coetzes snorted lightly: "Not very intense? If you don't use a real sword to enter the dueling cage, isn't the intensity low? The high-ranking officers under my command are actually fighting each other over something that hasn't been officially drafted yet, tsk, forget it. ”

He put down the pen in his hand with a headache, stood up and took a sip of the cold water filtered by the water filter, which was slightly bitter and not much different from the one he remembered liking.

"What do you want to say, Carlil?" With a black glass in one hand, Conrad Coetze asked, tilting his head.

"It won't be long before I'm leaving." Carlil spoke slowly—he was not surprised to see Conrad Coetzes quickly change his expression in the next few seconds, even his stance changing.

He used to stand in a relaxed and natural manner, but now he looked as if he was threatened, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his shoulders raised.

"Where are you going?" Coetzes asked.

"Go and support one of your brothers, or rather, stop him from doing something in advance." Carlil spread his hands and replied in a gentle tone.

"Who?"

"Peturabo - have you heard of that name?"

"Fogham mentioned it." Conrad Coetzes put down his glass, clasped his hands, and began pacing around his office. "He said that the people of Peturabo are not bad, but they have a very eccentric personality. I asked him why, but he didn't say more, just said, I'll understand later. ”

Eccentric personality. Carlil couldn't help but think of Machado's assessment of the son of Olympia, whom he had not yet met, and a subtle feeling came over him that made him sigh involuntarily.

"It seems that my guess back then was really correct." He chuckled. "Among your brothers, there are a few normal people, and the normal level is limited."

"You can say Roger Dorn directly." Coetzes said angrily. "But you just mentioned support, so this is going to be another war with us in it?"

"Probably."

"Well, then, that's the Legion's business." Coetzes nodded crisply. "That said, you're going to need human support - don't shake your head just yet, I know you want to shake your head, and you're going to glance to your left every time you want to deny me."

"Is there one?" Carlil raised an eyebrow and glanced deliberately to the right.

Conrad Coetzes covered his forehead angrily and sighed, "Stop kidding, Carlile, I'm not in the mood to joke right now. God knows how you'll come back this time? I don't want to see your bones again, and I'm sure neither does Jaelziño. ”

The instructor of Midnight Blade quietly looked away and did not answer Conrad Coetze's words.

"Anyway—" Conrad Coetzes said solemnly. This is a matter for the Legion, and I have the final say in the Legion. I'll give you three Dalian no, five, and you go directly to the night. ”

Carlil turned his gaze back in surprise.

"How?" Coates picked up his glass again, smiling as well.

"You thought I'd ask myself to come with you, didn't you? I won't, Carlil, I know what I'm supposed to do now. And I wasn't mentioned in that command, was it? Otherwise, you wouldn't just say you're going to help. ”

The corners of Carlil's mouth curled and deliberately lengthened his tone: "Okay then. ”

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me." Carlil said. "However, since the consciousness of the Lord of the Legion is so high."

"You—" Conrad Coetzee frowned, but didn't say anything after all. He could see the smile and another emotion in Carlil's eyes, and even if it was a little angry before, it was now gone.

At this moment, Conrad Coetzes didn't feel angry or other negative emotions, he was just slightly sad.

And he didn't even know where this sadness came from.

"Go ahead." He whispered. "There's no need to try to comfort me, I'm not a midnight ghost anymore, there's no way I'm going to leave Nostramo during this time."

He looked up at Carlil, staring at him, who stood silently in place, smiling the same.

"But I have one request."

"Please, Lord of the Legion."

"You are not allowed to leave us alone like you did last time." Conrad Coetzes said solemnly. "That's all I have to ask, Carlil."

"Okay." Carlil nodded submissively. "Yes, Lord of the Legion."

There's also a chapter of 3k.,I tried to write a two-in-one.,Failed.,Today's day is good.,I'm better than that.,I'd better not talk too much.,I'll probably write a long chapter in the next chapter.,I'm a person who sometimes can't hold back when I write.

(End of chapter)