Warhammer: Start with a dog.

Chapter 825 What is the probability that the Pale King is a law-abiding and gentle person?
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The thin, pale young researcher walked along the quiet, brightly lit side passageway of the Destiny Steel.

The green leaves of the decorative plants on both sides of the passageway swayed gently in the breeze from the air purifier, stretching out freely in the light of the stars outside the window, filtered by the radiation-proof armored glass of the porthole.

Once this matter was settled, he could have gone straight back, disinfected himself, taken a shower, spent two hours writing an analytical paper, and then lay in bed looking at his phone until he fell asleep.

But he really missed the temperature and atmosphere here, and it wasn't because he was thinking about the consistently stable temperature and humidity near his residence this year, which felt like a slow simmer...

...Since I started working on this big project recently, it's been a long time since I've had a comfortable and cool natural breeze. Even when I go out at night, it's like a sauna in the 30s.

—I heard that Peturabo used someone's connections to create some nice green spaces and beaches along this cruise route, oh, and I also heard there are restaurants and other facilities, and the area is safe and secure, so a single stranger can get very good hospitality anytime, anywhere.

Most importantly, the waiters they trained based on the Cardians were professional, and the transactions were straightforward, requiring little extra social interaction. They also didn't have those annoying servants and slaves who practically fawned over you.

To be fair, in terms of comfort and lifestyle, Peturabo understood people's hearts better than a certain emperor upon first meeting.

It wasn't that the emperor didn't give him the best, but rather the old problem: what he offered wasn't suitable for his specific circumstances, and he couldn't even offer a second option. The feeling of being disciplined and expected to become some kind of template god or royalty still makes the researcher hiss with disgust whenever he thinks about it.

While it's certainly fascinating to observe the tricks of bacteriophages on E. coli under a negative-stain electron microscope, and microbiology and molecular biology are captivating, people also need to know how to balance work and rest to last, right?
His toes naturally turned in a different direction.

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"Once you finish this batch of canned goods, you can go home, girl."

Wandering through the harbor, the artificial night sky turned the western sky into a beautiful blue hue, contrasting sharply with the bright red sunset and the pale blue crescent moon reflected from the distant gas giants.

Many noblemen, travelers, and artists who have just arrived here are marveling at the beauty of the scene and trying to preserve it in various ways.

Wandering Harbor, which claims to imitate the weather, landscaping, and seasonal system of Holy Terra, was initially scoffed at by many nobles who had made pilgrimages there, who said, "There is no place this primitive on Holy Terra." However, some things that have been imprinted in human nature for millions of years are still quite impressive in the face of a mere 30,000 years.

Thus, Central Park here eventually became a renowned paradise, a place for those who didn't want to seek out the usual entertainment or spend their time in specialized garden worlds like Quartes, to enjoy inner peace.

Some people love to party and drink at six different clubs in one night, while others prefer to sit by the lake and watch the sunset or fish for twelve hours. It's all the same to them; there's no need to force it. However, such places are extremely rare in this galaxy—mainly meaning places where you can enjoy the scenery and fresh air while ensuring your safety and, if you get hungry, have a servant go or walk a short distance to buy the latest snacks and drinks from a food truck.

The day shift at the "delicious and nutritious" restaurant has finally come to an end.

Elsa Cassoline appeared calm as she waited for the end of her workday, but her subtle glance at the clock did not escape the notice of the sensors on Relano's body.

"Oh, Ms. Cassoline. Are you in a hurry? Are any of your companions waiting for you to come home?"

The voice emanating from the Holy Defiant's fearless megaphone was noble and elegant, in High Gothic with the authentic intonation of the ancient ceremonial officials of the royal palace region. It was melodious and deep, yet not at all unpleasant, simply as beautiful as an aria narration.

No, no.

Elsa, who was stuffing the baked military rations from two large trays into the automatic canning machine, was startled. She lowered her head slightly, revealing a hint of blush on the tips of her ears.

"Wow, wow, wow! It must be your sweetheart! I understand, ma'am, everyone has a youthful phase! Who hasn't been young? But don't worry, you'll be able to leave work on time."

“That’s wonderful, Lady Rellano,” Elsa replied. “Actually, no one was waiting for me. I was just… I was just having a hard time, but I felt it was such a trivial matter, not worth mentioning here, so…”

“I’ve already told you, Ms. Cassoline, even though you’re here to assist me, there’s no need for you to be so reserved.”

"This...this might not be in accordance with etiquette..."

"To conform to the etiquette of the Terran court, you should now be kneeling before me a dozen times more, and your skirt length, hairstyle, makeup, neckline, fan accessories, etc., are all inappropriate... Moreover, strictly speaking, a junior handmaid like you with almost no qualifications is not allowed to be in the same room as a high-ranking court official like myself. So, see, if you insist on talking to me about this, we simply cannot work. We are in the protected Wandering Harbor, not Lionsgate Airport. So just get to the point, don't worry about all that formalities—I only demonstrate my knowledge and authority where it is necessary."

Clearly, the chief of court etiquette's frankness only made Elsa Casolin, a country girl from a remote area, even more embarrassed. She tugged at her skirt—it actually reached her ankles, but was shorter than those of the ladies-in-waiting and court ladies for the sake of convenience.

“Well, sir,” she said cautiously, “I was wondering where everyone goes to rest after get off work at our restaurant. I mean, eat, sleep, and so on. I’m not sure if I should ask you this, but as far as I know, the holy and fearless elders usually need a pharmacist and a technical sergeant, and they also have to go to the armory, which is different from where we mortals rest. So do we provide staff quarters?”

"Is that the last question you wanted to ask, ma'am?" Fearless began stirring the seasonings in the ingredients for tomorrow's meal, using several precise measuring instruments to determine the proportions of the seasonings while answering her with a distracted expression.

"Thanks to the two lords and His Majesty, I am in good condition now and do not need to go to such a dark and cold place to watch centuries of boring holographic movies. Of course, mortals need food and lodging, but unfortunately, although we have staff on duty here at night, they do not include mortals."

Elsa lowered her head in disappointment.

"Of course, you did a great job today. We won't abandon employees we intend to hire long-term, so I'll tell you where to go next and what to do next."

She looked up.

"Go change your clothes first, and I'll give you a marked map. We have a partnership with an official integrated service facility in Wandering Harbor; you can find it using the map and apply for affordable housing there. The facility also has a restaurant and other service counters... Oh, did you apply for your first month's landing loan after you cleared customs?"

"Yes, sir, I've heard about this project. I'm wondering whether I should find a place to stay first or inquire about this place."

"No need for that. The Carlosini dynasty's administration has a window in this facility. Since you already have a job here, they will arrange everything for you. Just follow their instructions."

"Do you think they'll believe me based on just a map, sir?"

Rellano seemed to glance at her, and for some reason, Elsa felt she could see a half-smile on the fearless metal coffin mask.

"After you joined our company, all your information was transmitted to the Dynasty's management core."

Relano pointed to the sensors on her head. "I am a living, piloted machine, girl. It's sad at times, but it's also very convenient at others."

“How could it be so fast…so fast…that’s wonderful, sir, I mean. This is too fast!” She seemed overwhelmed by the unexpected good news. “So you don’t have to worry.” The Divine Defiant began wielding a spatula to stir-fry tomorrow’s ingredients.

A mechanical pigeon suddenly jumped out of the clock on the wall and began to coo.

"Oh, congratulations, you're off work now, see you tomorrow, young lady."

"...See you tomorrow, Lord Rellano."

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This place is really nice.

After successfully acquiring a Stormbird and two temporary pilots—meaning they would drop it off and then return to pick it up—through a series of clandestine contacts, the researcher successfully landed at the Wandering Harbor.

Of course, this matter did not cause the slightest ripple among the tens of millions of ordinary residents of Wandering Harbor today.

The most significant variables were that the priests of the state church were surprised to find that the candlelight seemed paler and weaker than usual tonight, and the incense emitted a damp, watery smell; the woods and swamps looked unusually deep tonight; or perhaps those who liked to bet on lucky numbers at the casino felt particularly lucky today.

So, the unexpected visitor was very pleased to find that he enjoyed everything he hadn't enjoyed in a long time, and his desire to relax was fulfilled.

For example, there is a cool breeze carrying the faint fragrance of lakeside cattails and water lilies, a humidity of 43%, a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, and no strong sunlight radiation that is dazzling and causes skin to redden and peel.

The lakeside sign in Central Park indicated that a non-toxic pesticide had just been applied. He sniffed; mosquito coils were still burning in the small stoves hanging above the trees, preventing any sudden itching from disturbing the strollers or fishermen—well, it could also be because he had seen quite a few couples venturing into the woods since earlier.

Free love is truly full of vibrant vitality.

The chattering and screaming children had already been called back to dinner by the adults, and on the other side of the reddish sunset and evening glow was a magnificent and spectacular alien starry sky.

Boats of all sizes busily come and go in the blue-to-black starry sky, like fish looking up from the bottom of a pond, while the real fish reflected in the lake below happily playfully dart around the anglers.

Everything is so peaceful and beautiful, and no one is giving you a second glance; you are the king of this promenade right now.

And if at this moment you're holding a cup of perfectly warm, fragrant corn silk tea in one hand, and your other hand is about to grab a hot, delicious avocado, vegetable, mushroom, and shrimp sandwich that a food truck vendor has just made for you, then you'll feel that the world isn't so bad after all, and it's not like you can't let it go for a while...

"Pong!"

"Crack."

"Oh dear!" the clerk exclaimed, somewhat annoyed. "That's my last batch of ingredients!"

……Son.

—I'm tired. Let everyone in the world die.

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"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't see it..."

Elsa Cassolin bowed apologetically, clearly upset, as the food truck server criticized her for speeding across the park instead of taking the main road, which led to the accident.

"Fortunately, no one was hurt," said the disabled waiter, who was clearly a veteran of the defense force, while glancing apologetically at the young man who looked very distraught.

"I accept your apology, but you should also apologize to this gentleman properly! You reckless girl! Why did you run so fast! I thought I was hit by a rhinoceros! If it weren't for the good quality of my food cart, I would have almost overturned! Aren't you afraid of hurting yourself with that much force!"

After scolding the reckless girl, he turned to comfort the customer who had suffered an unexpected misfortune.

"I'm sorry, sir, we've run out of shrimp and avocado for sandwiches. How about I make you another one? I have some very nice pasta grosques, some spring-cooked tuna, pickles, onions and lettuce, as well as toast, egg sauce and butter. Of course, this one is free."

"I'm hungry."

The young man had his head down, his gray hair obscuring the expression on his face.

"Yes, I'm so sorry that happened... Well then, I'll make you another grilled meat and fish combo with extra egg and sauce?"

The other person looked up, and the waiter could only notice that his brows were furrowed deeply, and two gazes looked down sternly at the two tiny mortals from a distant dimension.

"I only want my share."

The waiter seemed to suddenly realize how tall the young man was, and looked up at him in alarm.

Then, the waiter's body became completely immobile.

His eyes began to glaze over, and the breath of life seemed to be slipping away from him bit by bit with the growing chill of the breeze, while the embers of his soul flickered like a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished.

A sharp, piercing sound.

The energy field surrounding the blade sliced ​​through the chilled air, relentlessly and professionally slashing towards the young man's neck.

(End of this chapter)