40k: Midnight Blade.

Chapter 615 1. Alien Visitors
The spacecraft landed and took off, people came and went, the noise was dense, and the cold wind was howling. The old sailor Hayd squatted outside a landing pad, tucked his coat tightly, and took his hands out of his pockets again.

He wore thick gloves, but that still couldn't stop the cold, so every once in a while he had to rub his hands, then his face, neck and ears in the cold wind.

If his nose or ear froze off, he had no money to go to the hospital, so the best he could do was buy a bottle of wine, drink it all in one gulp, and then sleep overnight in his filthy home, hoping to get through the pain.

This is considered treatment, and almost everyone does it. There is no other way, Banjo-1 is such a cold and poor place, and there are many sailors.

Hayd didn't know the reason, but he didn't care. He just wanted to find a job - any job would do. Besides being a sailor, he could also be a weak bodyguard, a bad cook, and a third-rate tailor.
Or a tour guide who walks slowly and speaks obscenely.

Haid saw a man among the crowd. He was very tall, wearing a fedora, a thick black coat, a gray-white scarf, and carrying a medium-sized brown suitcase.

At first glance, he seemed no different from the people around him, but Haid knew at first glance that he was a tourist. The expression of interest on his face was very obvious.

The sailor with gray hair coughed, stood up from the corner between the two walls, reached into the inner pocket of his coat, and took out a square tin box.

He unscrewed the cap and took a sip of the liquor, then waited for almost half a minute until the heat rose, then walked towards the man.

This was also a helpless move. He hadn't eaten anything all day and had to drink something to make his face look healthier.
Hiring a peasant as a tour guide may not be a big deal, but if he is a sickly peasant, I'm afraid not many people would be willing to do it.

However, Haid was still a little confused: Why did this person come to Banjo-1 for a tour?

With doubts in mind, he walked up to the man and spoke vaguely in the cold wind: "Your Majesty, the throne is above—"

The man suddenly looked down at him, and Hayd's prepared words disappeared. This was certainly not a pleasant experience, and the old sailor didn't care about that anymore.

He coughed twice, muttered, and was about to leave with his head down, his steps swaying, as if he was just a drunk looking for trouble. However, a hand was placed on his shoulder the moment he turned around.

A deep but hoarse voice sounded above him.

"gentlemen."

Haid pretended not to hear and tried to break free and leave, but the hand did not move at all, as steady as a rock.

"gentlemen?"

"."

The old sailor swallowed his wine-flavored saliva regretfully and turned away. False enthusiasm flowed from every pore, creating a funny smile on his messy face.

He took off his hat and bowed stiffly: "What can I do for you, sir?"

The man smiled back at him.

Half an hour later they were in a small, dingy tavern called the Stupid Fisherman's House - a stupid name, but no one cared, because there was hot fish soup and cheap home brew for sale.

More importantly, in the lower city of Banjo-1, this is one of the few taverns with heating, and it only charges three universal coins.

As time went by, this place became a gathering place for many sailors, and Hayd was a frequent visitor. Therefore, when he and a strange man walked into the booth one after the other, the bartender Kaderina was a little surprised.

"Will that old man find a job?" She leaned against the edge of the bar and asked her father and boss.

The bald bartender who was busy inside sighed, turned around and stuffed a menu into her arms: "Go to work, Kaderina, don't care about other people's private affairs."

The red-haired waitress rolled her eyes, put out her half-smoked cigarette, and walked towards the booth.

She was a little absent-minded, perhaps because she had spent a lot of money on some crap at the grocery store that morning, or perhaps because she simply didn't like Hayd, at least not anymore.

This old man used to be a very likable, quiet but very decent man, but now he drinks all day and spends every penny he earns at the stupid fisherman's house.

Many people tried to persuade him to cheer up. After all, the Emperor would never give up on anyone, but the person had to be strong first. However, Hayd seemed determined to die from alcohol, so almost no one wanted to associate with him anymore.

Kaderina walked out of the booth and handed the menu to Haid. The old sailor gave her a pitiful smile of gratitude, but then handed the old menu that he had wiped clean to another person in the booth.

"Any recommendations?" the man asked after taking the menu.
Catalina listened to his voice and was stunned for a few seconds before she remembered that she should answer this question, but Haid gave his suggestion before she could speak.

"The fish soup here, Mr. Caril, is very good and cheap."

"Okay, then two servings of thick fish soup. Any other recommendations, Mr. Haid? I don't want my guide to go hungry."

"this--"

Haid smiled awkwardly and looked up at Kaderina, but found that the waitress didn't even look at him. He had to cough to recall her consciousness.

"Then give us two more helpings of fried fish and rice, Katrina? Oh, and some hot water, too."

The waitress finally looked at him, but her eyes were strange, as if she was wondering why he didn't drink anymore. Or maybe she was just blaming him for disturbing her.

Haid seemed more and more embarrassed, so he could only cough again: "You heard it all, Kaderina, please serve the food quickly, okay?"

"Got it." Caterina responded and turned to the other person in the booth. "Hey, sir, where are you from?"

The man who was looking down at the menu raised his head under the warm yellow light. His face, which had been as pale as a ghost in the cold wind, now looked somewhat human, but his dark eyes still looked creepy.

Hayd knew that this probably didn't matter to Kaderina. The young girl was very curious about the world outside Banjo-1, and every sailor who came to rest was asked many questions by her.

What's more, this guy is actually very handsome.

The old sailor sighed inwardly - he had seen too many such things, men or women from other worlds met short-lived love in another world, each took what they needed, and said goodbye to each other at dawn.
However, his employer did not give the reaction he had expected. No flirting, no smile, just a straightforward, very plain statement.

"From a very far place." Haid saw his employer's calm answer. For some reason, the old sailor suddenly felt a chill.

He didn't know where this feeling came from, but he always felt that the man who introduced himself as Caryl Rohals was wearing a mask, and the mask seemed to be about to slip off.

What will happen then?
"Where exactly is it from?" Caterina began to ask, her tone unconsciously becoming much softer.

The man smiled, a little apologetically: "I'm sorry I can't tell you. Also, please serve the food quickly, okay, ma'am? We are all very hungry, please."

"Hey, you don't have to keep calling me ma'am."

Caterina left with a smile, and even her footsteps became lighter because of the address and the smile.

As Haid thought about these things, the chill in his heart suddenly disappeared. He pinched his thigh under the table in confusion, feeling quite bewildered.

What on earth just happened? he thought. What happened to me? Did I drink too much?

The old sailor silently placed his hands on the table and clasped them tightly. After several minutes, he managed to show a humble and flattering smile.

"Hey, Mr. Carrier, what are you planning to do here at Banjo-1?"

"Tour," his employer said, his long fingers dancing lightly on the greasy wooden table.

"But there's nothing interesting here. There are chimneys, factories and mines everywhere. To be honest, even if you decide to hire me, I don't know how to be a tour guide."

"It doesn't matter, Mr. Haid. By the way, where can I buy newspapers here?"

".newspaper?"

"Yes, I see it's still early, there should be a newsboy or newsstand nearby. I've developed a bad habit lately, I like to read something while eating. Books, newspapers, magazines, I'm not picky, but I have to have them. Anyway, is there any nearby?"

"Yes, yes." Haid answered quickly and stood up. "It's not far from the door. I'll go for you."

"No need."

His employer slowly stood up, put on his fedora, turned up the collar of his coat, and walked out of the tavern door with big strides, leaving his scarf and briefcase on the slightly dirty seat in the booth.

Haid watched him go away, and sat down somewhat at a loss. He stared at the gray-white scarf and brown suitcase, and fell into a strange silence.
If Catherine hadn't come over with two bowls of thick fish soup on a tray, the silence would probably have continued.

"Where's your employer, Haid?"

"I went out to buy a newspaper," the old sailor said absentmindedly, raising his spoon to take a sip of soup.

The familiar taste, along with the boneless minced fish, fell into his empty stomach, steaming hot, and a sense of warmth rose everywhere along the way. He sighed, took another sip, and his expression finally relaxed.

"Buying a newspaper? Are you serious?" the waitress asked doubtfully. "And he actually trusted you to leave his things?"

Haid shook his head and frowned again. He put down the spoon a little angrily and said, "When have you ever seen me do those petty thefts?"

Catalina bit her lip belatedly and whispered, "I'm sorry, Haid."

"It's okay, go and do your thing." The old sailor answered stiffly, lowered his head and continued to drink his soup.

A few minutes later, the door of the pub was opened again, and a man holding two newspapers walked in with the cold wind. Hayd's employer returned to his seat, looking normal, as if he was not shaken by the temperature outside.

He first handed a newspaper to the old sailor, and then, seeing the latter's flattery, he lowered his head and sniffed the thick fish soup in front of him, and suddenly a smile appeared on his face.

"Real stuff," he whispered. "Six common coins can buy such a big bowl, Mr. Haid?"

"Add two more coins and you can get an extra serving of fish meat," Haid replied nervously. "Besides, the fish soup of the stupid fisherman has no bones, so it has always been selling well."

"No thorns?"

"Yes, sir. Look over there at the bar. See that bald fellow standing behind it? That's the stupid fisherman himself, Reed Benson."

"In the early years, he had a son. That boy was different from his sister, Kaderina. Although he was weak, he studied well and was talented in mechanics. He often helped his father make some useful little things."

"As a result, one day, a man in a red robe suddenly came to the door of the tavern. He waited from morning to night until little Benson came home. Then, Li De's son became an apprentice to the man in the red robe."

"That's how it's been. We haven't seen him in ten years. Only some machines have been moved here. For example, fish bone removers, air purifiers and the like. Li De has always boasted about this, saying that his son will become a great mechanical priest in the future."

Haid finished these words in one breath, picked up the fish soup, took a big sip, and exhaled a breath of hot air with satisfaction. However, his employer did not hold the spoon, but sat further away from the table and unfolded the newspaper in his hand.

The smell of cheap ink flashed by, and Hayd looked up and saw a line of big words printed on the front page of the newspaper: The five hundred worlds of Ultramar have regained their light!

Five hundred worlds? Where is that? Haid blinked, and wanted to read other people's newspapers quietly as he did before, but suddenly realized that there was a newspaper next to him.

So, he followed his employer's example, leaned back, unfolded the newspaper, and began to turn the pages. He knew how to read, but he read slowly and it took him some time. He was not interested in the news on the front page, so he turned to the back.

This time, the news published in the newspaper really attracted his attention.

"The Dark Angels are visiting the Banjo System?!" Hayd muttered in shock. "By the Emperor!"

Opposite him, his employer, a traveler named Caryl Rohals, narrowed his eyes in amusement.

(End of this chapter)