Chapter 712 5 Conversation Sparked by a Bowl of Fish Soup

Chapter 712 5. Conversation triggered by a bowl of fish soup

"Thick soup stew, grilled skewers, pies made from ferocious wild fish from four star systems or fruits from local manors--"

Fulgrim smiled and placed his hands on a smooth white tabletop, and asked softly: "What do you want to eat, Your Excellency the Grand Inquisitor who has come from afar?"

Sitting in a chair that was too big for him, Caril Rohals didn't know how to answer for a moment. He finally experienced this feeling, and was rightly embarrassed about it.

However, strictly speaking, what really made him feel this way was not Fulgrim's current problem, but some things that happened not long ago.

For example, the stiff figures of the princes after the hug he didn't want to recall, and the gloomy expression of the Phoenix after he finally landed and took out the data board to deal with the official business.

And the almost imperceptible laughter that came out after pulling the helmet-this matter is quite interesting, because the voice doesn't sound like him at all.

Combined with a subtle gesture made by Shangla a few seconds later, Khalil immediately guessed the true identity of the instigator, but he didn't have time to care about it now.

He had to answer Fulgrim's question quickly.

"Either is fine." Khalil said cautiously.

"Either is fine? I don't think this is an answer, distinguished guest - you have to have some respect for the chef who is about to prepare delicious food for you, okay? Instead of throwing back the crucial matter of deciding the dish, letting the chef add one more to the millions of issues to consider."

Fulgrim narrowed his eyes, raised his right hand, pulled out a long and narrow kitchen knife from the knife holder placed on the marble table beside him, held it between his index finger and thumb, and shook his wrist gently.

"What to eat?" He smiled again. "Please tell me quickly, Your Excellency the Grand Inquisitor."

"Thick fish soup." Khalil answered quickly, in one breath. "I once drank a boneless thick fish soup on the Banjo-1 in the Hazy Star Region. It tasted delicious--"

"--Good!" Fulgrim responded loudly, speaking faster than him. "Then how about a thick fish soup with fruit pie and local white wine for dinner?"

"Of course, Fulgrim," said Khalil. "I'm looking forward to it."

Fulgrim did not answer this sentence, but tied an apron and started cooking. His movements were very skillful. It was obviously not the first time he cooked by himself. Khalil finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, they were in a kitchen that was not too big. It only had a not-too-big table, which was placed next to the stove. The rest of the space was occupied by a large freezer and various kitchen utensils.

There were two sliding doors on the right side of the table, which had been opened long ago. A small balcony was faintly visible in the shade of the warm light in the house. In one corner was an astronomical telescope, and in the other corner were two chairs and a small coffee table.

One of the chairs is full of signs of use, such as a thin blanket spread on it, adjusted height and a cushion, while the other has not been used at all, with only signs of wear and tear left by nature and time.

If you leave the kitchen, you can see a long, white corridor that connects the rooms of the house, such as the terrace, study, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

For residents of other worlds in the empire, this is undoubtedly a mansion, and in some places even ordinary nobles cannot afford such a house.

For the residents of Chemos, as long as they become adults, they can receive housing quotas from the city government. According to the current popular culture trends and design costs, the houses they will eventually receive should be single-family, three-story houses with basements and gardens.

If you don't like this, you can also replace it, such as an apartment or an older wooden residential building, which will eventually be considered based on their work. In short, no matter what, such a house is excellent.

But, he is Fulgrim

Khalil looked up at the busy figure, and had some doubts with some sighs.

"Then ask him." A voice whispered. "Then we will see how his skills are."

Don't say it as if you will criticize him if the fish soup tastes bad, Conrad.

"Oh, father - this is my brother, Fulgrim of Chemos, do you think he can't make a bad fish soup? I am really disappointed with your idea"

Khalil shook his head, not wanting to have a long discussion with the idle man in his shadow for the time being.

Firstly, he still has things to do now, and secondly, he is afraid that he can't get the upper hand in this conversation. The man only needs to talk lightly about the consequences of his coming to Chemos without prior notice or formal letter, and he can easily win.

His head shook and received a slight laugh, as well as a gust of night breeze blowing from the balcony, and the kitchen was already filled with fragrance.

Fulgrim slowly turned around, holding a wooden round bowl, and came to Khalil.

The bowl was filled with a beautiful white color, with a whole piece of fish belly meat that had been cooked and had a pearly luster. The red pieces and tender green leaves used as side dishes floated in the soup, bringing a more complex aroma. A soup spoon was leaning against the side of the bowl, its shape was simple, and it didn't look like it was born from a machine.

"Try it." Phoenix smiled with his hands behind his back. "I think you'll like it."

"What about you?"

"You taste it first." Phoenix insisted.

Khalil had no choice but to do as he was told. The taste in the mouth is not obvious at first. It is not until the fish meat is chewed and mixed with the soup that the real flavor emerges.

In a very short period of time, it captured every taste bud on Khalil's tongue, bringing a mellow, fragrant, and delicious taste. The tenderness of the fish itself intensified this experience, making chewing irrelevant. , because it just melts in your mouth with just a little pressure, causing endless aftertaste.

"how?"

Khalil looked up at him, said nothing, and just scooped up a second spoonful of fish.

Fulgrim laughed, this smile was sincere and pure, causing the endless wind and waves on the sea to stop instantly. In just a few seconds, he seemed to be back to his old self.

——

After drinking and eating, they went to the small balcony and began to observe the night sky.

Fulgrim had a glass of chilled white wine in his hand, while Khalil only had a glass of water. None of them spoke for at least a few minutes after they sat down.

The night wind was still there, the stars were shining in the dark curtain, and a huge figure was looming in the clouds. It was the Wings of the Eagle, giant floating fortresses designed and built by the Adeptus Mechanicus that never needed to land to repair themselves.

A bird without legs.

After a while, Fulgrim took the initiative to speak.

"How about fish soup?"

"You're asking questions knowingly, Fulgrim," Khalil replied, looking at him. "Or do you just want to hear the compliment with your own ears?"

"No, I just want to know your opinion."

Khalil thought for a moment and spoke slowly: "I have never eaten any delicacies from mountains and seas, but there is no doubt about its deliciousness."

Fulgrim nodded, and after a period of silence, he talked about another thing: "As I said, the fish used to make this fish soup comes from four galaxies away. It is a planet marked as uninhabitable. , the environment is harsh and there is almost no land to speak of.”

"The Mechanicus is still transforming it and wants to turn it into a livable world. They never do anything without a reward, so I guess this world must be rich in minerals. As for this as yet unnamed Fish is probably just a by-product of mining seabed minerals.”

"At first, it was given as a gift to some nobles who were friends with the Mechanicus as a rare underwater beast. For more than ten years, no one discovered its deliciousness, until one was protected very well, but disappeared all day long. Children who have something to do find this kind of beast that can only be kept alone, is more than ten meters long, and has teeth that can chew steel. "

"She somehow moved a ladder and pushed a button to open the feeding trough. After her death, her mother ordered the fish's belly to be cut open and found the child's mangled body inside."

Khalil pondered for a moment and asked sincerely: "Do you think this is a story to be told after dinner, Fulgrim?"

Phoenix smiled at him and waved his hand: "Listen to me - in short, the mother went crazy after that and locked herself in the room without seeing anyone. She didn't see anyone again until half a year later, and announced two thing.”

“First, she has to undergo life-extending surgeries, one after another, until all legal life-extending surgeries in the empire have been used on her. Second, she has to eat this fish for every meal for the rest of her life. "

Khalil picked up the water glass, took a sip, and asked, "What next?"

"And she died," Fulgrim said lightly. "The year after she lost her beloved daughter, she started a rebellion out of madness. My legion completely killed her and everyone in her family. Of course, there was also her territory, her world."

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Khalil's right wrist. The force is not strong, but it can reflect his determination.

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"But you know, this is just the official statement." He said in a low voice. "You know why she went crazy, Khalil."

"Yes I know."

Phoenix closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Pillows fill the space around the waist, and a thin blanket is spread over the knees. He sighed, his white hair dimming in the dim light.

He closed his eyes and spoke slowly, sounding like waves hitting the rocks at midnight.

"I shouldn't say this, but I still have to say that I understand her. I understand how painful it is to watch a young, fresh and wholehearted life that trusts you disappear before your eyes, especially when the bloodline will When you connect, the loss becomes deeper and more brutal."

Khalil listened without saying a word, and the black shadow under his feet twisted, as if trying to break free from some kind of restraint, but he did not allow it.

"Over the years, as long as I close my eyes, I can see their faces, every face. From the first to the last."

"Their names are stored on the wings of the eagle, and their monuments, statues and paintings are preserved in many places in the empire. The reservists of Zhongji Academy and our legion will read about their deeds from books - but I am afraid that this world I am the only one who remembers them, only me, Khalil, not even Rayla and Thor.”

"How are they?" Khalil asked softly.

"Back then, on the Spirit of Vengeance, Rayla personally killed two old Dreadnoughts of his time. The impact of this incident can never be erased from his mind. Every time he falls asleep, he actually just returns to the Spirit of Vengeance and kills those two brothers again."

Fulgrim opened his eyes, picked up the wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I advised him, but Thor told me that this was his revenge on himself. As for Thor Tarvitz himself, he would take some time every ten years to observe those children who might become the new blood of the Legion."

"Each city secretly established a list, and he visited them on the spot. He knows every reserve well. He brought them from children into the Legion, turned them into war machines, watched them alienate, bleed, and lose their humanity, and finally died or were buried in the Dreadnought - so, they are probably not good, Khalil."

"So, what about you?"

Phoenix laughed out loud.

"I'm fine." He said calmly. "Didn't you see when you descended from the atmosphere in the shuttle? I made Chemos a new place."

"I did everything I could to ensure that they were well fed and clothed, and had meat for every meal. I made their culture flourish, and literature, art, mathematics, and science all developed and advanced. I even made their nobles a model. A noble born in Chemos would be sought after by the nobles of other galaxies."

"They." Khalil pronounced the word, grasping the key point of his words. "Is Chemos no longer your homeland?"

Phoenix did not answer this question immediately, until the stars were low, the clouds dispersed, and the moonlight shone on his thin face, and the man finally showed a little sadness.

"Part of it is." He whispered. "Because only a part of me is alive."

Khalil nodded silently, resting his hands on his knees, interlacing his fingers, and tapping his two index fingers against each other. After a while, he slowly spoke.

"I wanted to talk to you about official business, Fulgrim. But you didn't choose to have this meal with me in that floating fortress, so I guess you probably don't want to talk about these things today. This is a dinner without military rank, position and status, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, let's not talk about work today."

Khalil stood up, and under Fulgrim's puzzled and puzzled eyes, he bent down, his right hand sank into the ground, and after a moment, he slowly pulled out a slender and pale arm.

The empty wine glass in Phoenix's hand trembled violently.

"Hi."

A person straightened his clothes, smiled and winked at him, and pulled up the pendant on his chest, with bright moonlight above his head.

"Miss me, brother?"