Chapter 46: The Astra Militarum

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Silently adjusting the seat back, Yolanda no longer commented on the car, and indeed, no similar abnormal situations occurred thereafter.

In the midst of casual conversation, the convoy quickly descended via the elevator to the lower ring fortress.

However, just as Zhang Ge's vehicle crossed the fortress to the other side, it was discovered that the vehicles ahead had been stopped. A crowd of Astra Militarum had gathered around the front few vehicles, and the guards who had originally been riding in those vehicles had disembarked. Under the command of their captain, they were attempting to intercept the Astra Militarum.

When they saw Zhang Ge's distinct vehicle emerge, the crowd unanimously began to surge towards it.

Zhang Ge noticed that the majority of the Astra Militarum were from different units. A quick glance at their shoulder plates revealed over a dozen different numbers, and upon closer inspection, there were likely even more.

What's going on? Did the people ahead cause trouble? But how could they have provoked so many at once?

Zhang Ge said to Yolanda:

"Do not exit the vehicle, but do not activate the weapon systems unless I am directly attacked."

When Zhang Ge stepped out of the vehicle, the already barely holding line of guardsmen who were trying to stop the Astartes completely collapsed.

In principle, according to their duty regulations, they should have escalated to the use of lethal force. But just by catching a whiff of the accumulated filth and the unmistakable stench of blood from the long retreat of these Astartes, it was clear that would not be a wise choice.

The guard captain could only order his men to do their best before quickly running over to Zhang Ge, barely managing to explain the situation in the most concise manner:

"They are here for you."

Before Zhang Ge could fully process the meaning of those words, the foremost Astartes had already closed the distance to his front. Yet, the crowd that had been aggressively pushing against the guardsmen moments ago now seemed to be halted by an invisible wall, all stopping in unison before Zhang Ge.

Looking at the expressionless faces beneath the rows of ballistic helmets in front of him, Zhang Ge took the initiative to speak, asking in the most straightforward manner:

"What is it?"

One of the Astartes standing before Zhang Ge stepped forward, straightened his legs, and saluted. After Zhang Ge returned the salute, the Astartes spoke:

"466th Infantry Regiment."

Generally, Astra Militarum units from the same planet, after being conscripted as tithes, are organized into the same regiment as much as possible when forming new regiments. They are assigned a number to signify which Astra Militarum regiment they are from on that planet.

If they do not encounter allied forces with the same number, they can simply refer to themselves by the numerical designation. If they do encounter such forces, they distinguish themselves by using the planet's name followed by the numerical designation.

If an Astra Militarum regiment is deployed back to their home planet for combat, and if most of them are from the same region, they might have another designation, such as the nth regiment of a specific hive city or other location, and use this designation within their home planet.

For an entire hive city, an Astra Militarum regiment is a source of pride, significant enough to be recorded in the local history of the hive city. The regiment itself, of course, generally does not mind bringing glory to their homeland.

Additionally, if a planet has long been known for producing distinctive or high-quality recruits, the regiments from that planet are honored. In any situation, they can refer to themselves by the planet's name followed by the numerical designation to highlight their special status.

This unique method of designation is due to the sheer number of Astra Militarum regiments in the Imperium. If they were simply numbered sequentially, the numbers would quickly become too long to fit on a shoulder plate.

Returning our attention to the current conversation.

Zhang Ge did not interrupt the other party. It was clear that merely mentioning the unit designation was not all they intended to say.

Sure enough, they soon pulled out several medals from their waist pouch.

Given the efficiency of the Departmento Munitorum, surviving to receive medals either meant they had completed highly valuable special missions or hailed from a planet of significant military importance.

Even if one survived an entire campaign, without special merits like Zhang Ge's previous decapitation strike, the entire regiment might be reduced to a mere footnote in the records.

But now, after displaying these medals, the person let go, allowing them to fall to the ground.

"Former deputy commander of the 466th Infantry Regiment, one of only two survivors. Preserving the unit designation with one person is enough. Those medals were proof of my military skills. Now, I request to enlist as a new recruit in the Yarkalan First Mechanized Infantry Regiment of the Astra Militarum. Over."

Zhang Ge listened quietly as the person finished their statement.

On their face, there was no trace of relief, sorrow, pain, or anger—calm, as if they were recounting something unrelated to themselves.

"Why choose me?"

Why not choose other Astra Militarum regiments? Someone like him would not be rejected anywhere, so why choose a regiment that isn't even officially recognized by the Departmento Munitorum? To put it bluntly, if discovered, the entire regiment could be purged.

"In other regiments, all I could do is sacrifice, but I believe you can help me take revenge on them."

The parade had already ended by the time Zhang Ge familiarized himself with the garrison situation, and the propaganda had also spread here.

War hero.

Zhang Ge suddenly understood the weight and gravity behind these four words.

In a deteriorating war situation, meaningful sacrifice is a luxury, let alone hope? Perhaps whether Zhang Ge appeared or not, the nobles would have pushed forward a symbol of hope, but now it is him.

"You will die."

Zhang Ge was stating a fact. He wouldn't abandon his plan to die just because a few more people placed their hopes in him. Even if he were entirely selfless and didn't care about his life after becoming invincible, from the perspective of saving countless people from the mire, his death was far more important than theirs.

"Understood."

Hearing this equally concise reply, Zhang Ge suddenly smiled with relief:

"But at least I will die in the same place as you."

This time, Zhang Ge took the initiative to salute the other person, marking the end of their brief conversation.

As this signal of acceptance was conveyed, voices began to rise, abandoning their past identities, honors, and statuses. Perhaps it was a medal, a memento, or a pocket watch from their home planet.

Hundreds of people decided to entrust their lives to a stranger, betting on a regiment that might not even exist in the records.

Because.

Whether he was a puppet pushed forward by those damned nobles or not, since this bastard dressed in dead men's clothes had once miraculously brought back a Titan, why not choose to believe he could do it a second time, rather than die an ordinary death?

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