The Astartes Family's Notebook

Does 0.99... equal 1? Elementary mathematics tells you it doesn't, advanced mathematics tells you it does, and theoretical mathematics tells you it doesn't.

However, these arguments had little to do with Garland Gordon; Katz was simply lamenting that his sense of superiority from living a second life had been shattered in this small garden world.

Damn it, I worked so hard to pass the civil service exam and became a high-ranking official like myself, and yet I still have this day when I feel like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.

The private Masai has embarrassed the travelers from ancient Terra. Oh, the old man taught the Vadashi that when you're embarrassed, you should call yourself a Japanese.

Red bean paste private Marseille.

Having witnessed the Empire's various advanced technologies and weaponry, and experiencing the lifestyle of the Empire's elite for the first time, Kaz felt somewhat hesitant and timid.

3D-printed food cooking machine?

Bionic floor tiles with full tactile simulation?

Holy crap, an extinction mission!

Oh, it's a sanitation robot in the style of Ancient Terra.

I am so surprised.

Holy crap, a three-headed, five-winged giant comb chicken!

Didn't they say that all birds in Holy Terra were extinct?

What is meant by "mechanical education with a human-centered approach to biochemical technology"...?

Holy crap, a Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Stop bringing up the science and technology of Mechanics. I won't argue with your claim of being human-centered; Mechanics does indeed use humans as a basic material, but...

Holy crap, an anti-gravity tricycle, and it's even 10% clean!

Kaz transformed into a ruthless machine, his mind reeling, while he was extremely relieved that the Astartes tactical helmet didn't have an emoticon display screen on the front.

As a garden world teeming with the powerful and wealthy, even those from the Astartes must bow down to the overwhelming power of the human empire.

Although clearance was granted, all Astartes entering the Eco Dome, including Motor Sich, had to disarm completely and remove their power backpacks.

LOL, isn't this just deceiving themselves? If they let a whole squad of Astartes in, even if they were unarmed, Motor Sich could still lead his minions to slaughter the entire Eco Dome.

It's ridiculous to deliberately act disgusting when you need something from someone.

That was what Katz originally thought, but after receiving an exceptionally high level of hospitality, he realized he was wrong.

This is simply part of the rigid imperial system.

Although Garland Gordon doesn't look like Warhammer at all, but rather has the harmonious style of a space empire's pleasure haven in a normal space opera, once you peel back the high-tech exterior, the flesh and blood still retains the thick, irresistible sinister smell of the human empire.

Give me back my feelings of gratitude! Putting cute chef hats on cherubim and having them serve dishes—what brilliant idea came up with this? And it's supposed to be holy, elegant, and in the style of a national religion?

When Motor Sich came to handle this matter, in addition to his bodyguard Ingus, he also brought five veterans and five new recruits.

The fourth company commander himself did not believe in the theory of asceticism and self-cultivation, which relied on enduring hardship without effort. He believed that Astartes' loyalty stemmed from his faith in and pursuit of the glory of the God-Emperor.

Bringing outstanding comrades from the company here to broaden their horizons is both a reward and a test.

If this level of pleasure can sway one's mind, then there's no need to send them to Deathwatch; just kill them and recycle their gene seeds.

So, apart from the company chaplain Hammurabi and the company champion Ingus, who were wearing helmets and acting as doorkeepers guarding the company commander, the other nine combat brothers had already taken off their helmets and sat around the table enjoying their meal.

Ingus was diligently fulfilling his duty as a guard, while Hammurabi carefully assessed the mental state of the others through the rear-mounted camera and vital signs monitoring data in his power armor.

"So why do I find you here, Master Leothus?"

He didn't refuse the electronic cigar offered by the old thief. For Astartes, this level of hallucinogen was just a matter of passing through his lungs; its potency was not even as great as the dust cloud of Anvislan mixed with Waaaagh energy.

However, since the Grand Inquisitor of the Devil's Tribunal took the initiative to express his friendliness, Motor Sich did not pretend to be aloof.

Although his disciple Odachi was not yet mature enough, the old scoundrel was a social expert who was adept at exchanging favors.

It's not a loss to listen to what he has to say first.

"Because your entry permit, Company Commander Motor Sich, was approved through my connections."

Upon hearing this, Motor Sich frowned.

"Don't worry about it, Company Commander. This isn't the first time you've experienced something like this. For the Empire, there are certain places that even the Astartes can't enter and exit at will. It was only after I vouched for you with my own reputation that the Garland Management Committee made the decision to allow you to pass."

"Then I should thank you?"

Motor Sich wasn't a real clay figure, and his blood pressure also fluctuated abnormally.

"Not at all, I should be thanking you. It is the Empire's good fortune to have met you and the Astartes of the Fourth Company in such a critical moment."

After saying that, Leosys pulled a data cable connector from the back of his collar and handed it to Motor Sich.

Motor Sich stopped Ingus from checking on his behalf and reconnected his power armor.

"I'm sorry, Company Commander, but some things are not suitable for public discussion. Here in Garland Gordon, there is freedom of speech, but perhaps a little too much. Please understand. At the same time, I must remind you not to imagine that any secret room in Garland Gordon can truly keep a secret."

Upon hearing Leoser's explanation, Motor Sich immediately understood.

Social circles are intelligence circles; beneath the glamorous facade lies a brutal secret front.

So what do you want to say to me?

"I would like to ask you to make sure that the potential threat posed by the Chaos War Gang is dealt with properly."

"What do you mean?"

"The Pacific Starfield has been in chaos for too long, and Holy Terra is nearing the limit of its tolerance."

"So what exactly do you mean?"

"Let me give you a heads-up. Right now, there are several Assassin's Court agents in Garland Gordon. My colleagues and I have prepared enough countermeasures, and there are enough Imperial ships in the system. The threat from the Chaos Warband is really nothing to worry about."

"Master, my patience is running out. Please get to the point."

"Company Commander, I hope you can deal with this Chaos War Gang before the time specified in the crime warning letter arrives."

"Ok?"

"Coordinating logistics and planning routes are no simple tasks. I, we, and countless loyalists of the Empire have been working towards this goal for decades. As someone who frequently travels through the stars, you must understand. To invite all the planetary governors to this banquet, I sent out invitations twenty years in advance. If the Chaos War Gang had really interfered, it would have taken more than twenty years to arrange another meeting."

I understand, of course I understand. The Wings of Desolation still owe the Black Knights a favor that requires two companies to participate in a battle, while others can reserve it eighty years in advance.

"So what I hope for is not the safety of Garland Gordon, but that the important meeting concerning the stability of the Pacific region will not be disturbed."

What will your reward be?

Motor Sich skipped the ensuing tug-of-war, based on previous experience, it was better to be direct when dealing with this old scoundrel.

"Rewards? Haha, loyalty needs no reward, loyalty itself is the reward. I swear on my honor that you, the Fourth Company, and the entire Wasteland Wings will be satisfied."

Leothers, sensing the underlying meaning, knew that Motor Sich had agreed in principle, and couldn't help but smile.

"By the way, Company Commander Motor Sich, I'm not in a position to have much contact with you right now, so Nigel will be in charge of exchanging intelligence information with you."

Following Leothers's gaze, Madsich looked down and saw an Oglin barbarian in overalls and a black shirt feasting in the corner of the lobby.

"Oglin? You've put an Oglin barbarian in charge of intelligence work!"

"Hahaha, Company Commander Motor Sich, the Empire is so big, there must be some extraordinary people, right? Nigel is the smartest of the smart, a top agent I hired at a high price. Don't underestimate him."

Speaking of this Oglin named Nigel, Leothers' pride was palpable, as if Odachi were merely an adopted wild child, while Nigel was the true son of the Inquisitor Grand Master.

Chapter 90 Who in the world does not know you?

In our Warhammer universe, the development of things has universality and particularity, but it lacks objectivity.

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The universality of the theory of development is reflected in the fact that Baldwin, a familiar face in the Fourth Company and a legitimate psionicist of the Empire, is still alive and has even been promoted and given a raise.

The psionicists of the Empire are actually quite pitiful. They do the most important work but suffer the most brutal beatings. The fact that Master Baldwin was able to come out alive after being imprisoned in the Grey Knights' black dungeon is undoubtedly due to the extensive behind-the-scenes dealings of the old scoundrel Leothers. It's probably related to some kind of shady business.

"Master, what do you do for a living?"

"I used to work as a receptionist at a telecom company, and now I go on TV shows pretending to be a medium to tell fortunes."

Pretending to be a medium?

Aren't you a legitimate psychic?

Young people, you must trust science.

Wow, Baldwin's outfit is quite convincing.

When Katz first met Master Baldwin in Omidas, he was wearing a dark red woolen robe with black trim and a burlwood staff in his hand. He certainly had the air of a master, but according to the prevailing fashion in the Empire, he exuded an aura of poverty.

Now that we meet again, we've upgraded from ragtag guns to fancy cannons, and the extravagance is indescribable.

Kaz couldn't name the other understated yet luxurious and meaningful little accessories, but he recognized the psionic prosthetic body attached to his back—wasn't that a psionic amplifier made from the spirit bones of the Spirit Race?

Kaz and his crew had previously ambushed the Dark Eldar pirate raiders on the Pirate Star. After cleaning up the battlefield, they managed to get two barely usable spines. However, since the Fourth Company didn't have a think tank stationed there, they didn't know what to do with them and could only preserve them by soaking them in formalin and stuffing them with a static force field.

Oh right, there was also a Soul Stone among the loot. Ha, Ark Eldar, pshaw!

Master Baldwin is known for his steadiness. Although he is a Beta-level Great Psionicist, no impressive combat record can be found, and the Sector Government does not seem to have any intention of sending him to the battlefield.

When they first met, Kaz was just a new recruit who had just joined the company. He knew nothing about the unspoken rules of the Empire and did not feel that anything was abnormal.

Now that I've at least risen to the rank of sergeant in the company, I'm qualified to attend company meetings and listen to Company Commander Motor Sich tell those imperial tales that need to be told quietly behind closed doors. I finally understand the true value of Baldwin's reputation.

The Empire has a level 24 psionic rating. Nothing else matters; just remember level 4.

To be precise, it should be level five.

Although Alpha+ level psionicists are extremely rare and encountering one usually results in a gruesome death, it's still good to know the truth if you do meet one. Just be aware of it and don't worry about it. This question will not be on the test.

What truly needs to be remembered is that starting with Gamma-level psionicists, psionicists can already pose a threat to Astartes' lives.

Gamma level is the basic human right of legitimate psionicists in the Empire. Psionicists below gamma level are merely consumables, not considered human beings.

Above them, Beta-level psionicists, while being closely monitored by the Empire, are considered promising temporary workers and have the initial power to make demands on the Empire's regulatory agencies.

Master Baldwin is a psionicist of this level. Don't be fooled by the old man's ever-present smile and amiable demeanor. If he were to spar with Astartes in a one-on-one situation, unless he tried to trick or ambush him, Astartes would be the one to die if he encountered a prepared Baldwin head-on.

Moving up, there are Beta+ level psionicists.

Those who can maintain emotional stability at this level are all precious treasures of the empire.

For legitimate psionicists below Beta+ level, the Empire requires mental stability, while for psionicists above Beta+ level, the Empire only requires emotional stability.

Because without advanced technology and ruthless skills, the Empire wouldn't dare use a psionicist of this level.

When Master Baldwin went on a mission, the Empire sent two overseers carrying anti-psychic devices to keep an eye on him. When the master's psychic powers went out of control, the exploding collar and the large blade were enough to save Baldwin's dignity.

However, at the Beta+ level, psionicists have very few pieces of equipment that amplify their psionic abilities; they are mostly mind stabilizers and self-destruct devices.

As for the higher-level Alpha-level psionics, Motor Sich had only heard of them, never seen them, and couldn't say anything about them.

To put it more simply, a gamma-level psychic who goes out of control can only blow up a street, which is equivalent to the level of a street office director; a beta-level psychic who goes out of control can blow up a district, which is equivalent to the level of a district head in a prefecture-level city; a beta+ level psychic who goes out of control can turn a nest that can hold billions of people into just a crater, suddenly jumping from the level of a city-level cadre to the level of a continental governor.

What about Alpha-level psionicists?

This kind of cosmic power, even without losing control, can crush an entire planet with its bare hands.

That's how it is with psionicists; even among adjacent levels, the difference in strength is ridiculously large.

Why would the Star Government make strategic adjustments based on psychic divination?

The prophecy of the Shadow of Death gang attacking Garland Gordon was made by a Beta+ level psionicist after divination.

That doesn't make sense. According to the prophecy, if the shadow of death is bound to strike Garland Gordon, then what's the point of Leothus hiring the four to do the work?

"The outcome of a prophecy is predetermined, but that doesn't mean the process of the prophecy is unchangeable. Benefactor Katz, you are attached to appearances. Master Leothers did not want to reverse the outcome of Garland Gordon's attack, but rather that Garland Gordon would be safe and sound during the meeting. Think about it carefully; there is a great difference between the two."

Damn, if it were Master Baldwin who said that, Katz wouldn't be in such a bad mood, but being lectured by some Oglin is really making him lose face.

Being in Astartes is great because you don't have to take off your helmet to communicate with people...

Kaz was inexperienced and had not seen many Oglins, but in the Star Forces, the majors and lieutenant colonels had their own set of stereotypical ways of distinguishing them.

A character who can write his own name, count to five, and empty the bullets in a gun before using it as a fire poker is the clever one in Oglin.

The method of differentiation is rigid, but effective; Katz also learned this method.

So the sudden appearance of a philosophical Oglin, who speaks slowly and logically, seriously impacted the stability of Katz's worldview as a young Astartes.

So, the reason why Company Commander Motor Sich assigned himself to connect with this Oglin was actually because he was also mentally unstable, right?

The most sinister speculation is that this guy named Nigel might be one of Tzeentch's chosen ones.

No, no, Qingbao Tianzun also has a reputation to maintain. He wouldn't bestow a blessing upon Oglin. If word got out, how would the Lord of Ten Thousand Changes maintain his reputation in the warp space? No way.