Warhammer: Angron Training Manual

Chapter 336 Evil and Evil

"Just down the road is the base of operations."

"The base set up by the 12th Legion here is used to provide material supplies, medical logistics, and everything else for those who come here to carry out exploration and development missions."

Qin Xia pointed to the end of the road and said.

At the end of the road there is a vast space with a platform suspended in it. The entire space is infinitely close to a perfect circle on the physical level.

Humans today don’t even know what their ancestors created this space for.

Koz saw that there were already a lot of people in that space, like a large military base.

A lot of people have gathered there.

The first and second batches of World Eaters are non-civilian recruits.

Koz guessed they were here for training.

In addition to the Space Marines, there are also mortals, and some bloated Mechanicus battle-priests who dress differently from the normal Mechanicus and like to use abrupt and eye-catching red as decoration.

There were even some who looked like militiamen.

"Those militiamen aren't even dressed differently. What right do they have to come here?" Curze stared at the militiamen, dissatisfied with the fact that they were standing loosely in groups of three or five, in stark contrast to the mortal soldiers and Space Marines around them.

"They are not militia, but bounty hunters." Qin Xia stepped forward. "There is a hive world in the star zone with a small population. All of them are crowded on the top of the tower. Ninety-nine percent of the hive world is occupied by mutant monsters. So the profession of bounty hunter appeared on that planet. They are responsible for collecting technology, knowledge, and cleaning up mutants."

"These bounty hunters came here to earn money for their hometown and compatriots, so as to buy the necessities for expanding their homes after the Space Marines cleaned up the hive world."

"They charge by cabin and distance explored."

Listening to Qin Xia's explanation, Koz found it even more absurd.

This giant ship should indeed be cleaned up, but it is enough for the army to do this. The 12th Legion has so many people, are they just eating for free and not working?

So Curze asked: "Why do we need these bounty hunters? Are they more powerful than Space Marines? Or do they have some unique skills that are indispensable?"

Hearing this, Qin Xia stopped and looked at Koz with a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"

Realizing that Curze was not looking for trouble or joking, Qin Xia explained: "Because the Legion is not strong enough. There is nothing in this ancient giant ship that the Space Marines cannot handle, but because it is too large, if an entire legion is deployed here, it will delay many things, so we need the power of others."

"Just like the normal operation of a world depends on many people working hard for the same thing, it doesn't matter whether the Space Marines are strong or not, because there is strength in numbers."

Koz could understand that there was strength in numbers, but he didn't think these bounty hunters were qualified to do anything here.

A group of hunters.

Come for the money.

Can a guy who works for money come to work in such an important place?

Qin Xia read Koz's contemptuous look and continued, "It doesn't matter whether it's for money, fame, or something else. What matters is that they came here and fought for the same goal."

"for example."

"Just like on Nostramo, if you want to get crime down to zero and want to maintain it for a long time, you need the help of a lot of people."

"There will be people who support you for money and help you carry out your will. Even if their original intention is not as pure as yours, but to make profits from you, you should allow their existence."

“Because at least they do things.”

"When you are too busy to rescue a perfect victim who you think is pure and righteous, this majority of people in a group will help you rescue people. They will rush into the criminal's home wielding sticks or holding guns to rescue the perfect victim."

Hearing this, Koz suddenly realized that Qin Xia was implying that his rule over Nostramo was unqualified and what should be done.

But Coates also had his own reasons: "It's not like I'm unaware of what you're saying. But what if the kind of people you're talking about choose to go along with the bad guys just for fame and fortune?"

"The kind of people I'm talking about are not those who are crazy for fame and fortune and dare to collude with evil people under the threat of the midnight ghost." Qin Xia shook his head, "I'm talking about ordinary people. They are the majority of a group. They just want to make money to survive and live a better life. At the same time, they don't have much ambition. They are not interested in your so-called justice, but they are very interested in your ability to support them."

Koz thought about it and suddenly realized that the people Qin Xia was talking about were indeed the majority.

The same thing happened on Nostramo.

Those gangsters were just as Qin Xia described.

Sometimes wars break out between gangs, and then the gang leaders of both sides will pay money to bribe the other side's henchmen.

In the last second, a gang member walked onto the street with a backpack, shouting that he was willing to risk his life for his boss. In the next second, he received a phone call and hid in an alley, changed his clothes, and shouted that he was willing to risk his life for the boss of another gang.

Koz has also seen many kinds of people like this: they help the evil people with a helpless look on their faces, earn some money to make a living, and sometimes even give a little money to the weak.

But Koz didn't think they could become order-maintainers who shouted his name and took up weapons to save people for him.

In the darkness of Nostramo, as Night Haunter watched the bad-but-not-terribly-bad deeds of the mediocre, he already knew that they were the majority.

But that doesn't mean Conrad Coates doesn't think these people deserved to die.

In the final analysis, it is just mediocrity, doing whatever it takes to survive, and falling into depravity. I have a little sympathy for them, but when it comes to their own survival, this sympathy is gone.

"Mediocre is also a sin." Curze said grimly, "In the laws I made in Nostramo, it is also a sin to stand by and watch the evil deeds of the evildoers. Mediocrity is also a sin."

Qin Xia took a breath, looking helpless.

"To survive, you have to compromise with evil people in exchange for the living conditions. To survive, you have to steal... these are all evil." Coze said, "A person can starve to death, but he cannot steal or work for evil people! It is better to die righteously than to live evilly!"

Qin Xia stopped and walked to the porthole.

Koz also stopped and prepared to see what reason his brother's adoptive father would use to refute him.

Qin Xia's trip was not simply to get Curze's help. In fact, he wanted to convince Curze on certain things so that Curze would stand by Angron in the future Horus Heresy instead of standing on the side of the rebels. Then he died after leaving a sentence "If a person like me doesn't die, what kind of justice can there be?"

Outside the porthole is Nuceria.

Qin Xia asked Coze: "Do you think the Nu people meet your definition of the banality of evil?"

"Nu people?" Curze sneered. "They are natural warriors. In the memories that Angron showed me, they followed the City Devourer to rebel against the High Knights who controlled the powerful ancient relics. If this can be considered the banality of evil, then there is no one who is not evil, and they all deserve to die."

Qin Xia was not surprised by this answer.

Koze now looked much friendlier than when they first met, and he had obviously become much more normal after being treated by Angron.

However, Curze was shaped by the environment of Nostramo after all. Everything about Nostramo has left an eternal mark on this Primarch, so it is not surprising that he would have such an answer.

"The Nu did not rebel against the High Knights from the beginning. They used to have fun with me, Angron, and the other gladiators."

Qin Xia stared at Nu Xing outside the porthole and said calmly.

"They also want to resist, but they think they can't succeed, so they choose to live in shame."

"At that time, Angron hated the Nu people. He thought that the Nu people were a bunch of cowards. They were enslaved by the High Knights but watched the gladiators instead of resisting."

"But Angron later told me after the war: Why did I ask them to rebel against the High Knights in the first place? Just because I was a gladiator several meters tall? Just because I was a good fighter?"

"They didn't think a group of gladiators had any ability to resist the High Knights. In the beginning, these gladiators even attacked their companions without having to kill them."

"Until we fought our way out of the arena and wiped out a family of high knights, we used practical actions to show them that we had the ideas and the qualifications to change the horrific slavery that had lasted for tens of thousands of years on the entire Nu Star. They saw hope in us."

As he spoke, Qin Xia suddenly recalled the boy he saw in the arena.

The boy who was taken to the Desia Arena by his mother on his birthday and spent the money his family had saved for about a year to buy a ticket just to see his favorite gladiatorial star.

"During the Battle of Mach City, there was a child whose father chose to live a mediocre life even after his child was killed by the High Knights. Until we reached the Mach City area, we executed the surrendered High Knights one by one during the High Knights' arrogant live broadcast."

"Then the father, that mediocre and weak man, roared and rushed towards the guards beside him and bit the throat of a guard soldier. In the end, his head was cut off by the silver vine."

"Then the entire Mach City was like crazy. They used suicidal tactics to attack the Guards' front line... However, an hour ago, they were still people who dared not even look into the eyes of the Guards soldiers."

Having said that, Qin Xia turned and looked at Koz.

Koz thought for a moment, then suddenly sneered and said, "So that's what happened. I thought the people of Nu Star were controlled by my brother and turned from ordinary villains into rebels."

"He didn't have such strong power at that time. At the beginning, he could only sense emotions." Qin Xia said with a smile.

Coze nodded, was silent for a few seconds, and asked, "Do you think the Nostramo people are similar to the Nu people, unwilling to change because they see no hope and don't trust me?"

"That's right. Nostramo people are also human, so most of them are mediocre. They have no ability to change the environment, and they don't have too high self-moral requirements, so they choose to go with the flow."

"You deter them by spreading fear and control the crime rate to zero... Spreading fear is necessary in my opinion, because sometimes you need to show your evil side to deter others."

"But the problem is that you only have a requirement for the crime rate in Nostramo, and you choose to achieve it on your own."

Having said that, Qin Xia watched Koz gradually reveal a thoughtful look, and suddenly felt that there were fundamental differences between Koz and Perturabo.

Koz at least listened.

"Your choice is like choosing "or" between "yes" and "no", or choosing "sleep" over "treating a headache" or "treating a sore foot."

"You are the Primarch. You can certainly reduce the crime rate of Nostramo to the lowest level by killing people on your own. But when you leave, your deterrent will leave with you. Nostramo will soon become no different from before. In order to retaliate against you, they will even do something more unexpected and hateful to you."

"You should change the environment so that the mediocre people on Nostramo won't starve to death unless they serve the evil ones, and the naturally kind people on Nostramo won't die without a complete corpse because of their kindness. You should establish an order and rules that are based on and accepted by the majority of people."

"If you choose to accept people you believe have the banality of evil, their spontaneous protection of their own living conditions and interests will keep the crime rate in Nostramo to a minimum."

"Even if you say nothing and make no comment on the crime rate, those smart people who would have served the gang leaders will join your side, figure out your ideas, and mobilize millions of people to fight the crimes you hate in order to gain the favor of your monarch."

Koz opened his eyes and listened to everything Qin Xia wanted to say.

He thought about it and nodded, then said something to indirectly express his opinion: "The people of Nostramo are not completely rotten. I have actually met some good people, and they all got into trouble... I think it's because I didn't kill the bad guys horribly enough, but now that you mention it..."

Today I practice driving, a small update of 7,000 words

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(End of this chapter)