- WHAT THE FUCK!!! - I screamed, lunging with my spear once again and not understanding how the hell Percival managed not only to block the attack, but to parry it with a counterattack of his ion gauntlet and shield. - AND I'M STILL A SORCERER AFTER THIS?! HOW DO YOU DO THIS, FUCKING WIZARD?!
- MASTERY!!! - Percival, in principle, always spoke in a raised voice, like all officers, but here he had to simply yell to call me to discipline. - IF YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME AGAIN, YOU WILL FLY OFF THE GRADE RIGHT THERE!!!
At that moment I needed to calm my emotions, but because of the psychic training my emotions were getting a little out of control. As a result, after half an hour I lost it again, cursed, and forgot to turn off the connection. Percival heard something he shouldn't have heard and my precious training ended early. It was a fiasco, time was already short, so because of my own impulsiveness I screwed up like a teenager and let myself down first of all.
But the dropped ones couldn't be returned, and the best thing I could do was to show up tomorrow and apologize to Percival, and then he would decide whether to allow me to train again.
"At least we'll get some rest," the bird noted, after which it incarnated on my shoulder while I, with the help of the engineers, slowly freed myself from the shackles of the Throne of the Mechanicum. "By the way, did you complete your elder brother's first task?"
"Yes, I think so," I answered and sighed, watching how the engineers recoiled when the demon revealed himself.
The bird didn't look at all hostile, and yet it inspired hatred or fear in almost every Alban. They even despised astropaths, although almost the entire Imperium rested on them. Such were the prejudices, and I couldn't do anything about it, and I didn't really want to. Alba would soon be left behind anyway.
As for the elder brother's task in the lodge, it was simple. The demon should have been given a name long ago, so as not to complicate interaction with it. The essence of the training was not only in improving psychic skills, but also in subjugating the demon using a variety of methods. After all, in relations with the demon, you were either the master or the slave.
"You will be Nadezhda," I answered, having finally decided on the name.
- Hope? Why, why?
"It's a beautiful name and it suits you," I answered, smiling mysteriously at my thoughts, and at the same time remembering my first meeting with the bird. "Fly for now, listen to what others say."
- I don't do anything else.
The bird was surprisingly useful, because it could not only ask questions, but also listen. It collected all of Alba's rumors and gossip, and then told me about it, without filtering what it heard. However, even so, I managed to learn a lot of new and interesting things. Like, for example, an emergency meeting of the council of the senior nobility of Camelot. The bird could not get into the meeting itself, but even information about the fact of such a meeting already meant a lot, especially if you knew the context.
And on the one hand, I suddenly had free time, but on the other hand, I didn't feel happy about it. I must admit, I liked such a tense soldier's life. In terms of everything, everything had already been decided for me, from the moment I woke up until bedtime, I had a schedule drawn up by smart people. Every moment I knew what I was doing and why, what I would do after. A clear and understandable goal, to which I simply had to go, fulfilling one order after another. No need to rack your brains, no need to be tormented by pangs of conscience, and responsibility does not weigh on you, because everything was decided for you.
I didn't appreciate it at all before, rather, on the contrary, I dreamed of how to change everything, to get into the body of a nobleman, not a lousy mercenary. Well, I got there and now I could see such rebirths in the coffin. Every second depends only on you, one mistake and you will go to the bottom, and you will also drag others down with you. And to prevent this from happening, you can... you can arrange a terrorist attack on yourself, killing innocent people and tormented by your conscience.
And no matter what anyone says, I had a conscience and it didn't die. Perhaps it will die after another ten reincarnations, when my experience will become incomparably greater than the experience of any other person, which will force me to treat people like monkeys or insects, at best pets. This is the price of immortality, live and be horrified by what you become. How you understand the world better and better and gradually kill any humanity in yourself, because for a creature that has lived at least five centuries, no moral rules invented by society will play any role.
So I returned to the ruins of my mansion. I just walked, breathed in the smoke and thought about everything at once, after which I sat down on the ruins and began to look at the sky. A crystal mug appeared in my hand, which immediately filled with an intoxicating drink. What is remarkable is that it was formed from condensate, the origin of which was already impossible to know. However, remembering the law of conservation of energy, one thing could be said for sure - somewhere beer disappeared in huge quantities to get here.
"Although maybe Tzeentch simply made everything necessary from protons and electrons, and didn't use movement," I suggested, but eventually the first mug went, then the second, and now the brain has lost the ability to be tormented by questions to which I had no answers and would not have.
"It seems to have begun," Birdie said. "The Imperial Army has begun to load onto the shuttles, just as something is being prepared in Camelot."
"They're probably deciding who will go to their deaths and who will stay to restore and prepare Alba for the next battles," I suggested without much interest, realizing that the alcohol had made my apathy even stronger.
Well, that's another plus of army life. A soldier's schedule doesn't allow for apathy, you're always busy, unless of course the commanders are incompetent. You have no time to lament the injustice and hardships of fate, first there's a forced march and you try to spit out your lungs, then shooting and strength exercises, if for some reason there's free time left, they'll order you to paint the grass. And then you jump out of this stream for a second and that's it, you go limp and drink yourself to death.
"Mr. Mordred," a voice suddenly rang out and turning my head, I saw Boris riding his carriage towards me among the ruins, carefully avoiding the debris.
"I'm glad you're alive," I replied, after which I again turned my gaze to the sky, which had already cleared: the planet was recovering from the war surprisingly quickly, much faster than people.
- And don't ask how I found you?
- You have eyes all over Camelot, and I didn't really hide, and my schedule is pretty tight. It won't be hard to find me.
"Yes, that's right," Boris agreed, after which he stopped next to me.
"Will you have some?" I offered him a mug.
- No, I quit drinking.
"I understand," these words made me feel even more disgusted.
"I'm getting married soon," Boris began to speak awkwardly, apparently feeling ashamed of what had happened in court. "If you have time, I'd like to see you among the guests."
- A wedding? At such a time?
- Yes, we actually played it during the war, under the roar of shells. But now we will hold a celebration for all friends and relatives. For the part that survived. It is important for them.
- Congratulations, but I'm afraid... I'll be flying away today. Probably forever.
- Really? Did something happen?
- Yes, the war is in full swing and since Alba has become part of the Imperium, its people will do everything to win. But it is unlikely to get worse. Unless, of course, we are defeated.
- So that's how it is... have you already said goodbye to Kara?
- Is it necessary?
- You still ask, Mr. Mordred.
Well, Boris had a point. I had been sitting around too long and had completely forgotten about the others. It was probably very important to Kara, she had dedicated her entire life to Mordred. It would be wrong to fly away without saying goodbye in person, even though I didn't like tearful goodbyes. It would have been much easier to just fly away silently, leaving only a note, but if not for myself in the future, then for Mordred in the present, I had to overcome this unhealthy egoism.
- See you again, Boris, give my congratulations to your wife.
- Yes, definitely.
— And as for the underground breweries, they will be a gift for your wedding. The paperwork has already been completed.
- It wasn't worth it, Mister Mordred, you probably have relatives... - Boris stopped short, apparently remembering my relatives at the trial. - Well, there are closer ones, Kara for example.
"Don't worry," I chuckled, feeling a drunken lightness in my legs. "I haven't forgotten about her. Bye."
And with a more cheerful gait, without unnecessary thoughts and with a clear goal, I went back to Camelot. How easy it was to live with a goal, to clearly understand what and why you are doing. Because of communication with Tzeentch, this was constantly lacking, but even though in the long term I did not have any goal, but I seemed to gradually learn to concentrate on such small tasks.
"Just don't think about what you can't influence," I sang, and my mood changed, becoming drunkenly cheerful. "Just don't think, don't think, don't think…"
The vehicles were already driving out onto the streets of Camelot, leaving their underground hangars and repair shops. It seemed that Camelot intended to transfer half of its forces to the Crusade. That was quite a lot, especially considering that the war on Alba was not over yet. Of course, Camelot could deal with the remaining traitors and sorcerers, but still, couldn't they have waited another week or two, so as not to take risks? Apparently, the Primarch or Primarchs were very pressed for time. I don't know who was in charge there, or if they were all on some council or reporting to the Emperor for every sneeze.
In any case, going around the columns, I got to the hospital, where Kara spent all her free time. There were far fewer wounded, but now she had to look after the cripples and those chained to hospital beds. She had a very difficult job, because she had to not only clean up the mess and monitor the intake of medicines, but sometimes she also had to drag people to the bathrooms. There was a great lack of strong male hands, and now the fair sex itself began to take on the male role, becoming coarser both in soul and body.
But still, the new generations of this world will not be raised by women, because even if one man without legs remains among twenty families, he will do everything to pass on his experience to the boys. After all, the war will never end and its shadow in the form of constantly working military factories will lie as a great debt on the survivors. Hard times will not end, giving birth to the strong without stopping, so that they become ashes in the crucible of war.
"Punishment!" he said with a smile, noticing his maid pushing a cart with clean bed linen.
- Mister Mordred! Have you been given leave? - She happily dropped everything and ran up to me with a smile.
- Not exactly... it's more of a disciplinary punishment.
- Oh, is that really bad?
- No, not at all. But I came for another reason. Soon the troops and fleet of the Imperium will leave, and I will leave with them.
- How soon?
— Loading is already underway, they will probably announce the assembly today and within 24 hours the first batch will leave, including me.
- So quickly? And when will you be back? - Deep down, Kara knew the answer and understood everything, but she still stubbornly held on to hope. - Can I go with you?
- It is forbidden.
- Maybe I can come to an agreement, nurses are needed for…
"I want you to stay here," I said firmly, placing my hand on her shoulder.
Kara lowered her head, then wiped her nose, but still did not cry and held back.
- I value you very much and I don't want anything to happen to you. Besides, I have a very important task for you. Here, - I took the chain with the key from my neck. - This is for the safe in the bank. I'm not very good at such dialogues, but I tried to explain everything on paper. I'm really counting on you. Can you handle it?
"Definitely," Kara nodded confidently and looked me straight in the eyes.
She didn't even know what she had to do, but she still didn't hesitate to answer and didn't hesitate for a second. I had never seen such loyalty and didn't even know how to react. So I smiled for the last time and hugged Kara, leaving her alone. Of course, I understood that Kara had feelings of love for Mordred, among other things. And Mordred himself also wanted a different outcome, but he still didn't pressure me and simply watched with pain the fate that was not destined to happen.
I will never return to Alba and therefore I really did not want to give Kara false hope. She is young and has her whole life ahead of her. And this life can be happy. That was my decision. I explained everything in more detail in the letter I left behind, which I wrote a long time ago, because I knew that everything would come to this sooner or later. However, I personally did not plan to show up, and did so only because of Boris.
And then I went to the location of my battalion, where the staff officer quickly found me and told me to go to the palace immediately. The troops were already forming up there, the first batch that would go to war in the depths of distant, dark space. And there was no end to the volunteers, more than eighty percent of the servicemen wanted to go into the unknown to defeat the enemy there and not let him return to Alba.
However, no one planned to take everyone. It was necessary to leave both veterans who would prepare the next ones, and forces for the garrison, the cleansing of all of Alba and the system. Therefore, a council of the highest nobility was convened, where the disputes did not subside for several hours. However, in the end, after a series of ultimatums, everything came to a decision that could not be influenced in any way.
- Lord Mordred! - As we approached the palace, a senior officer with gray hair, one eye and a disfigured face came up to me in a marching step. - Forgive me for not addressing you by your title...
- No need, my Knight is still in the process of being renamed, and therefore doesn't have a title yet. Just Mordred will do.
- Yes sir! I am the battalion commander of the former peasant regiment and now the honorary guard regiment! We fought with you against the Knight-Traitor! They wanted to disband us, but after the victory, by order of Sir Bedivere, we, like many other peasant regiments, were given lands, freedom, and also a place in the military structure of Camelot! For blood, for death, for courage and victory, we were awarded this honor! Including thanks to you! - the apparently deafened battalion commander spoke loudly and clearly, practically shouting in my face.
- Congratulations, I'm happy for you! - I also answered loudly, so that my interlocutor would definitely hear me. - Is that all?
- No way! I ask you to take our battalion into your Spear!
"Oh, how…" I was surprised.
A lance was a special military formation, actually a unit, which was led by a Knight. As a rule, it included support troops, but each Knight staffed his lance with whomever and however he wanted. Of course, the regular army actively participated and by royal decree the Knights were allowed to conduct recruitment in the armed forces. In addition, the lance almost always included a nobleman's guard, which in case of war was the first to rise under arms.
"Is this the commander's decision or the entire battalion's?!" I asked loudly and firmly, looking at the battalion commander with a testing gaze.
— The whole battalion!
- Well, I see no reason to refuse you! If Camelot and the commander-in-chief allow it, then I will be glad to fight side by side with you!
- Likewise, sir knight!
And after saluting, he immediately marched off to his men. I took my place next to my Knight. Right now, Galahad was announcing everyone who would be going on the Great Crusade. Among them were many famous Knights, including Lancelot, Bedivere, Bors, Gareth, the Red Knight, and about five dozen more war machines, not counting the squires. Many nobles were also going to war as commanders.
I stood silently beside my Knight, who was being repainted so that he could walk proudly with the others on his final journey to the cargo shuttle. I was sent to the command of the Eleventh Legion, while most went to the First Legion of the Dark Angels.
By the way, it was the Dark Angels who were perhaps the main force in this war. They possessed the greatest forces and in a furious rage, avenging the tragedy on Xana, for their fallen brothers from the Fifth and Nineteenth Legions, they cut down the enemies with fire and sword with particular cruelty. The Death Guard constituted the second main force in this war.
In turn, the contingents of other legions were much smaller. This also concerned the eleventh legion, which could not boast of a large number and was not even in the first half in terms of numbers among all the legions.
- HEROES OF ALBA!!! - Galahad roared at the end of his speech, and his voice sounded throughout Camelot. - TAKE MARCHING FORMATION!!!
And quickly taking my place on the Throne of the Mechanicum, I, along with the Spears of Lancelot and Bedivere, took my place at the head of the column. Rang where I had to wash myself in blood for every ruined fate of this world.
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