The Astartes Family's Notebook

"The Katz brothers, literally emptying out the entire place."

"That was a terrible tragedy."

South of the Great Vortex, the nearest industrial zone along the subspace route is the Sabat Realms. It's normal for the Mantis Warriors to come here to make purchases; it's closer than going to Macurag.

If Siniax hadn't fallen, the production capacity of this northern stronghold would have been enough to cover the entire Maelstrom Line.

Unfortunately, there are no so many assumptions and "what ifs".

The Cataclysm campaign had already depleted a large amount of weaponry reserves, and with Star Claws also having to launch proactive attacks, they were truly stretched thin.

Kaz, thinking of them as fellow fighters, told Gilly about the situation in Balhout, suggesting that if they wanted to make a large purchase, Balhout was the best place to start.

"Kaz, now that you know the situation, why don't you lend me a hand again?"

"How to say?"

"My mission this time is to make purchases, not to beg for alms. We, the guardians of the Great Vortex, are not beggars; we pay."

"did you mean......"

“Going to Balhout is definitely the most cost-effective option. If we let the locals bid and drive down the price, the data will definitely look good. But we don’t have enough time. The battle group can’t wait, Badab can’t wait, and the Great Vortex can’t wait.”

So the meaning of Mantis Warriors is very clear: it's on credit, meaning you ship the goods first and then pay.

Astartes' reputation is used as collateral, with Badab, Sagan, and Endymion's unique outputs as payment.

Ha, that's what they were waiting for. I was wondering why the Mantis Warriors suddenly had a purchasing agent trying to get close to them. Turns out, they were waiting for me, Kaz.

"I know I'm putting the Kaz brothers in a difficult position, but..."

"Don't say anything more, I'll help you with this."

"..."

Geely was stunned.

Wow, that was so easy?

"Brother Gilly, I won't mince words. The friendship between Desolate Wings and White Scar has been tested by iron and blood. I personally have genuine respect for Zhu Dan. Your Mantis Warriors' troubles are my troubles, Kaz's troubles. I'll help you with this."

“Gilly it is, Brother Katz, I’ll remember this favor.”

The Mantis Warriors underestimated the power of the local bullies in the Pacific Starfield.

Kars didn't even need to bother Chapter Master Saladin with this kind of thing.

Katz sent out several messages, and within three months more than six merchant ronin groups arrived in Balhout.

Let's put the Epsilon brothers' matter aside for now.

Kaz, as the Eighth Company Commander, directly guaranteed the deal. Given Haven Star's strength in the border development zone, no one doubted that the Wasteland Wings would renege on this small amount of money.

After all, it's the price from the place of origin. A dozen or so ships of military supplies would cost at most three to five billion Throne Coins, which is really not expensive.

“Brother Geely, I can’t cheat these traveling merchants. You should discuss the escort with the warband.”

"No problem. With this centralized transportation model, it's easy to arrange for the battle group to draw on the fleet for escort."

Regarding payment settlement...

"With unloading and loading happening simultaneously, the specialties from the Whirlpool Zone will sell like hotcakes."

"Alright, once the first deal is done, you won't need me to get involved anymore. But these traveling merchants and their owners have taken risks, so you should give them the special treatment they deserve."

"Don't worry about the Kaz brothers, we understand."

Hearing Katz and Gilly discuss this matter face to face, the traveling merchants felt reassured. People are willing to risk their lives for a business, but no one would do something that loses money.

The route from Sabat to Badab is very risky, but the rewards are also great.

For a long time, this trade route has been controlled by the Imperial Charter fleet and the merchant ronin dynasty of the Sun Star Region.

If it weren't for Star Claw's actions, putting the Mantis Warriors on the hot seat, and if it weren't for Desolate Wings' reputation and strength, they wouldn't even have gotten a taste of this soup.

"By the way, Brother Gilly, can I ask you something else? Does Star Claw have a person named Huron?"

"Do the Katz brothers have a grudge against Luft Huron, the third company commander of the Star Claws?"

No, I've heard of that name.

"He went with his battle group leader."

Kaz nodded, skipping the topic.

These are turbulent times.

Hehe, every year the empire goes through a turbulent period.

Good deeds are rewarded. After helping the Mantis Warriors return to Balhout, the Deathwatch office proactively sent a message.

The latest whereabouts of the Epsilon brothers have been revealed.

Thank goodness Kaz came back, otherwise it would have been another pointless effort. Epsilon had gone from the southwest of the Sabat world to the northeast.

Damn, Deathwatch has such high mobility, it's constantly moving around all day long.

Chapter 485 General, Abstract

The pursuit of immortality is lightness, with no weight in body and mind, only in this way can one fly into the sky.

But the weight of human nature dictates that one must struggle and churn in the mortal world.

How do you interpret the character "侠" (xiá, meaning chivalrous/hero)?

Keep a low profile.

No, it's about being the one who gets welcomed with open arms.

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Capitalist industry and commerce were too advanced for the empire.

Katz genuinely hadn't expected that when he asked a few traveling merchants to run an express delivery, so many people would pull strings and use connections to warn him "not to break the rules."

Ha, this human empire was built by my imperial grandfather and will last for generations. The rules of Astartes are the only rules.

It's okay to feel a little crazy inside, but it's not nice to say it out loud.

"So, are you all willing to take on this job with the Mantis Warriors?"

I can accept the business, but cash on delivery is not an option; the risk is too high.

"Oh, I see. You want us, the Desolation Wings, to cover the cost?"

Yes, yes, oh no, no...

"Alright, include your fleet in the itinerary, I'll take you on the second trip."

Katz sometimes hates himself for how he turned into such a smooth and worldly adult.

Wait, that's not right. I am an adult.

With a jolt, Kaz, determined to deal with a few traveling merchants or local dignitaries, didn't care about saving face at all, relying solely on his more than one hundred brothers from the Eighth Company.

However, the pressure facing the Mantis Warriors Legion is now immense. They can only try to persuade a few more ships to deliver the urgently needed supplies. Sometimes it's better to play dumb.

Kaz's meaning was clear: this was an urgent order, and if you could handle it, he would tell the traveling merchants who came out of respect for the Wings of the Wasteland to get lost.

If you can't eat, then stop talking nonsense. This is a special case and not the norm.

Such an understanding Astartes is rare indeed, and most vested interests can accept this explanation.

But there are always those who are blind to reason.

My trade license is certified by the lords of Holy Terra, Holy Terra!

Hahahaha, Holy Terra, oh well.

The truly intelligent people have already huddled together, afraid of getting splattered with blood.

However, Katz always believed that if you're going to do something, you should do it thoroughly.

Killing a few representative professional managers is pointless; to deal with troublemakers, you have to pick the most troublesome one.

There were plenty of people willing to tip off Katz.

You're the Merchant Ronin Dynasty, right? I heard there's some chaos in your family, I'll go check it out.

Kaz was originally just talking nonsense with the intention of causing trouble.

When you're determined to find fault, you can always find a pretext. Where in the lands of feudal lords is there anything truly clean?

If one were willing to investigate, even the loyalist factions of Astartes could uncover a plethora of problems, not to mention the traveling merchants.

As a result, Draven took four tactical squads on a trip, and the reinforcements arrived later than the company that came back to deliver the message.

"Is the Chaos War Clan really in turmoil?!"

Ah, this...

Enough said, brothers, grab your weapons!

The Gilly brothers were also eager for battle, but they were burdened with the heavy responsibility of the warband and were kept in place by Kaz.

However, the enthusiastic fundraising efforts of the people of Balhout perfectly exemplified the "plastic brotherhood."

It's not just crosstalk performers who hope their peers will die; those involved in entrepot trade do too.

The more prosperous an empire is commercially, the lower the degree of capitalist penetration into industry and commerce.

Doesn't that sound counterintuitive?

The reality is that all commercial activities within the city are not actually determined by capitalists, or even by capital. Almost every profitable industry has its own industry association.

For example, the Water Purification Guild is the most typical example.

The same applies to the group of wandering merchants and ronin.

Depending on the level of the trade license, there are also informal "chat groups" and "small guilds".

Owning a family planet in the world of Sabat can only prove one thing: the family's ancestors were once wealthy, and it's even possible that they acquired their fortune by following Saint Sabat on expeditions.

But hey, the past is the past, the present is the present. Forget about what comes after. If you offend the company commander, you'd better be prepared to get a beating!

"That's not the case. Given the current state of the Sabatian realms, every force that remains loyal to the Empire is invaluable. I'm prepared to let him go."

Fine traditions need to be carried on. When Katz was giving a private lesson to the company's sergeants, he explained in detail the considerations behind each of his decisions.

The Darren Fast family holds several trading licenses, so it's not hard to understand why they got involved in the Mantis Warriors procurement case. They're the spiritual totem of the road bandits in the Sabat world; if you don't step up and be the leader, who will respect you?

Kaz originally ordered Draven to lead a group to cause trouble, intending to "take control" of the local bully.

The Merchant Ronin group is somewhat special. Although they cannot compare with the Astartes Chapter in terms of strength, they are extremely similar in nature. It can be said that the Merchant Ronin are a lower-level alternative to the Astartes.

The high degree of autonomy afforded to these traveling merchants meant that their hands were never clean. A simple investigation would reveal incriminating evidence, which was readily available without any need for fabrication.

However, once the traces of the Chaos War Gang were discovered, the nature of the matter changed.

You didn't actually vote for someone else, did you?

"My lord, I'm innocent! I'm a law-abiding citizen and a loyal subject of the empire. I'll cover your warband's expenses!"

Katz didn't make a big fuss about it; instead, he chose to talk about it privately with Cantonpe Darren Fast.

Then the merchant ronin family promptly knelt down.

Business is business, but even Astartes was willing to "argue his case" when it came to business matters.

However, joining the Chaos faction is an absolute red line for the Empire. If the Chaos faction is found to be active in his own base, what is the most important thing?

It's been discovered!

Just kidding. There are Chaos cultists on Holy Terra, so isn't it normal to have Chaos warbands in your own backyard?

But if Kars and the Desolate Wings faction find out, then the situation changes completely.

The normal reaction would be to wonder if the Chaos War Gang is planning some kind of sabotage.

However, Astartes ate at the same table as the court, so there were no normal people there. For Astartes, the first reaction to this was that this stupid [beep] traveling merchant must have gone astray.

As a merchant ronin family that has passed down a dynasty for five thousand years, Cantonpe did not hesitate for a moment. Stabilizing Kaz was more important than finding out the truth, and even more important than the safety of their stronghold.

What good are those so-called family planets compared to a few trade licenses?

A hundred years ago, it would have been strange if Katz hadn't given these bastards a good beating.