Just when Jacob was almost out of control because of his anger, a chill hit his forehead. It was the feeling of gray marrow pumping in his blood. Jacob lowered his head. He was still angry, but that was all.
Walking out of the collapsing building step by step, when the one-eyed man saw Alisa Bate sleeping in his arms, he realized what had happened and threw himself to the ground, howling and crying.
Jacob held Alisabet and walked step by step to the old bustard lying on the ground. She wanted to run before, but unfortunately she was controlled by the purifiers because this was the angel's wish.
"My lord! Angel! Me, me."
The silent Jacob stepped on her, crushing her like a balloon, and her internal organs and bone fragments were sprayed dozens of meters away.
At this moment, the roar of thunder eagles sounded in the sky, and a huge aircraft slowly descended. Before it could land, Bahram jumped down from it.
"Jacob, it's great that you're okay. We've been looking for you for almost two days."
Seeing the company commander, Jacob was not very happy. Bahram also noticed something strange about him. He glanced at the girl in his arms, the tragic situation around him, and the people lying on the ground shivering. Asked in a low voice:
"What happened?"
Jacob pursed his lips and whispered:
"Company Commander, I want to finish handling some matters before returning to the team."
Bahram nodded.
"Fine."
Jacob then asked the one-eyed man to lead the way and take Alisabet's body to the place where her mother was buried, on a hill not far from her former home, where Alisabet often played when she was a child. place, from here you can see the scenery of the river valley that nourishes the earth.
Then he went to the best coffin shop nearby, and under the horrified gaze of the boss, he took away the most luxurious coffin inside. This coffin was originally built for a wealthy businessman and was made of snow-white marble. Carving an angel, Jacob put it on his shoulders and took it away. The boss didn't even know what happened, but someone rushed over immediately afterwards and paid him double the price.
Taking the coffin, Jacob put the girl into it, and then pulled off a medal from the shoulder pad that he once regarded as a treasure. This was the award he received when he performed well in the first battle. Jacob put it away. When it came to the girl's hands, she closed the coffin lid with her own hands.
The one-eyed man had already dug the grave while weeping. Jacob put the heavy coffin into the pit and filled the pit with the soil together with the one-eyed man.
After doing all this, Jacob did not leave. Instead, he found a big stone and sat down, looking at the one-eyed man with a cane. He kept picking flowers from all around and sprinkled them on the grave. Perhaps this was his only gift. It can be done.
The soldier wearing the broken armor looked at the grave bag blankly, motionless, like a sculpture.
"What a pathetic man."
At some point, Bahram came to Jacob and put his helmet aside, and then sat down.
"I've probably already understood the matter. No wonder we couldn't find you at the beginning. The positioning device on you was destroyed, and the heavy rain washed away the traces. The little girl was probably frightened when she saw that scene, but It’s such a pity that she has the courage to find a way to save you, right, she called..."
"Elizabeth"
Jacob said the name calmly.
"15 years old, 43 days away from her 16th birthday."
Bahram sighed and said nothing more.
The two sat in silence for a while, watching the one-eyed man as busy as a hard-working bee. He seemed to be building his own garden, even though his actions were so clumsy.
Under a tree not far from Elisabeth's grave, there is a shallow pit that has just been dug. It was the grave prepared by the one-eyed man for himself. He told Jacob that he would be buried there when he died. There, he would never set foot in the church again in this life, let alone be buried in the church cemetery.
"Company Commander."
After a long time, Jacob spoke, his tone a little low.
“Can our fighting really make everything better?”
After Bahram pondered for a moment, he replied:
"No, our fighting is just to prevent everything from getting worse. We are the ultimate incarnation of human violence, and pure violence can hardly make things develop for the better."
Jacob pursed his lips.
"I originally thought that I was already a qualified warrior, company commander. A qualified Astartes would never be like me, right? But I still lost control. I was almost completely controlled by anger. I almost If I just let myself kill, might this make me a traitor?"
"You didn't betray anyone."
"I almost betrayed the empire's rules, but then I realized that what I did was actually part of the empire's cruel rules."
Jacob looked down at the dewy grass.
"Company Commander, I was wrong and got you into trouble."
Bahram shook his head.
"That's no trouble, and they do deserve to die."
"This is my mistake"
Jacob sighed.
"When I broke into that man's house and tore him apart, his family and children were screaming in despair. I was satisfied with the killing. I thought I was outside the rules of the empire, but then I found that I was against him. Punishment does not come from justice, only from strength."
Jacob looked at his bloody palms.
"Because I have power, I can punish him, not because of the justice and anger in my heart. I am the most cruel part of the cruel machine of the empire."
Bahram put a hand on his shoulder.
"But what touches you is her pitiful life experience and her kindness. At this moment, your anger represents the emperor's will, and her soul will get the protection it deserves."
"Maybe soul"
As he spoke, Jacob shook his head again.
"Company Commander, maybe my words are a bit rebellious, but... if a person suffers a lot while alive, then does it really make sense to think about what will happen after death? Is the hell after death really scarier than the real hell?"
Bahram did not criticize him, because he knew that Jacob was a little different from others, and thinking was not a bad thing for him.
"It seems like this incident has touched you a lot."
"This matter is not. I haven't even said a few words to her. The reason may be deeper. If our war group, like other war groups, washes away the memories of recruits, maybe I will just think that this matter is the darkness of the empire. The most inconspicuous speck of dust in the corner, my mother."
Jacob turned to look at Bahram.
"She is also a whore, a whore who struggled to survive in Hades's lair at a very young age."
Hearing this, Bahram was stunned for a moment, then pursed his lips and looked at the one-eyed man who was erecting a cross tombstone on the grave, his eyes becoming a little sad.
(End of chapter)
