Signed: Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings

Chapter 48: Signature: Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings

"Where the hell is that bastard Rag slacking off now!"

Lena walked away, grumbling.

She said that Zhou Yun should tally up his losses himself, and all compensation would be deducted from Rag's wages.

If the money wasn't enough, she'd lose money herself to send Rag to the Upper Hive and have him modified into a servitor to repay Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun stated he would definitely take the money, but not the servitor.

Rag was too ugly, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he looked at him.

Zhou Yun pushed open the iron door with its hideous gaping hole and entered his house.

Then, he paused slightly.

Everything in the house was neat and tidy as before. The bed showed no signs of being disturbed, and the items on the small table were exactly as Zhou Yun had left them.

Zhou Yun pulled open the cabinet. The clothes inside had been moved, and one close-fitting undershirt was missing. All other items were completely untouched.

The strangest thing for Zhou Yun was seeing a letter placed on his bedside table.

Strange, too strange.

Zhou Yun's brow furrowed immediately.

He reached out, picked up the letter, and opened it, only to discover...

He couldn't understand it at all.

The letter was written in a beautiful, ornate script, appearing both elaborate and exquisite.

Each letter was neatly arranged on the yellowed paper. If not for the visible ink marks, Zhou Yun would have suspected it was printed.

Zhou Yun squinted, managing to recognize a few words, words similar to the Low Gothic used locally on Asphodel.

But more words were completely incomprehensible to him; he only felt the complexity and refinement of the language.

Compared to this language, Asphodel's Low Gothic seemed like a hybridized tongue used by barbarians.

Yet, strangely, Zhou Yun found this language somewhat familiar.

These words and letters somewhat resembled English from the 3K era, just more convoluted and complex.

But unfortunately, Zhou Yun's English had never been good since school.

After all these years, it was only at the level of nodding "yes" and shaking his head "no."

"This is High Gothic," the winged figure in the white light said softly.

"...Huh?"

Zhou Yun looked puzzled.

High Gothic was an official language of the Imperium, originating from Terra's America and the Pan-Pacific regions during the Dark Age of Technology.

In other words, it was a more convoluted and improved version of the English Zhou Yun spoke before his transmigration.

The North American continent of the Old Night had become a federation of Hive Cities, where nobles favored convoluted and useless etiquette. High Gothic was likely born from this.

Because of this, the language was extremely obscure and difficult for the vast majority of Imperial citizens to understand.

Only members of the Ecclesiarchy, high-ranking Imperial officials, and some nobles with too much time on their hands used it.

Most people used the hybridized Low Gothic found on various planets.

However.

"You mean to say, a petty thief from the lower levels of a Hive City left me a letter written in High Gothic?"

"How did he expect me to understand it? He thinks too highly of me."

Zhou Yun couldn't help but shake his head.

Let alone convoluted High Gothic, even if it were written in English, Zhou Yun wouldn't understand it.

Lena seemed to know some.

Her family had originally been devout followers of the Ecclesiarchy, and many of the Ecclesiarchy's sacred texts were written in High Gothic.

"Would you like me to read it for you?"

The winged figure in the white light chuckled.

"Although I was born on Baal, as a Primarch, I also received an education in High Gothic."

"I'm curious, would Angron know it?" Zhou Yun asked out of curiosity.

"That..." The winged figure in the white light was momentarily speechless. "You're asking too much of him."

"When it comes to brains, my brother here is biologically handicapped."

"Didn't Karn try to teach his father a little? His father also had to participate in the military council during the Great Crusade."

"You're also asking too much of Karn. If you want him dead, just say so," the winged figure in the white light shook his head.

Saying this, the winged figure in the white light looked at the letter in Zhou Yun's hand.

"I apologize for the violent entry into your home. I believe your income is commensurate with your contributions, so I did not visit your residence for the purpose of theft."

The winged figure in the white light softly recited the letter written in High Gothic:

"Attached is the Blood Coin, as compensation for your door."

"I have a job that can contribute to the Imperium and The Emperor, and is quite lucrative, which I wish to offer you."

"If you wish to discuss this in detail, I will await you tomorrow night at the garbage dump east of Sector 13 in the Lower Hive."

"For security reasons, I have written this letter in High Gothic. I trust you can read this ancient language."

"Also for security reasons, please do not disclose the contents of this letter to anyone."

"Signed: Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings."

"Huh?" Zhou Yun tilted his head in confusion. "Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings?"

A moment later, he realized, Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings was the self-proclaimed title of the Eager Thief.

What kind of ridiculous self-title is that?

Chickens are extinct on Terra, so why would someone call themselves Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings?

And if you weren't here to steal, why did you break into my house?

Zhou Yun looked strangely at the few Blood Coins peeking out of the envelope, They even thoughtfully included the repair fee for the door.

There were simply too many points of contention in this letter; Zhou Yun's expression grew increasingly bizarre the more he read.

What Zhou Yun found most bizarre was, How could this Eager Thief possibly think he could read High Gothic?

"It seems to possess a form of precognition, perhaps discovering your uniqueness like I did," the winged figure in the white light said.

"But as I said before, your destiny is triple-intertwined and unclear; it's possible they couldn't see it clearly either."

"You know, High Gothic is basically the cumbersome version of ancient Terra's English. You should be able to read it roughly."

"How many years has it been since I graduated?" Zhou Yun grumbled, frowning.

Zhou Yun was increasingly suspicious of the Eager Thief's identity.

Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings didn't sound like something a Lower Hive thief in 40k would know.

There's no "Crazy Thursday" in the Lower Hive.

Oh god, could it be Tzeentch getting revenge on him? Is it that fast?

Zhou Yun looked at the letter in his hand and couldn't help but shake his head.

Whether it was Tzeentch's corruption or not, He wouldn't go meet the Eager Thief calling himself "Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings" alone.

He'd bring at least two or three hundred people with him.

Zhou Yun thought for a moment, then stuffed the letter into his Fourth-Dimensional Pocket.

[Item: High Gothic Letter]
[Origin: Shield of Hades System - planet Asphodel - Fortia City Lower Hive]
[Evaluation: A letter written in High Gothic. The signature "Orleans Roasted Chicken Wings" evokes the deliciousness of Crazy Thursday.]
[Production Time: 998.M41]
[Status: Opened]
[Value: 0.001 Yuan]

No corruption.

Zhou Yun gained inspiration from the previous incident.

Any item entering the Fourth-Dimensional Pocket would display its relevant information.

If an item was corrupted, Zhou Yun would know.

Still uneasy, Zhou Yun checked all the items in his small room again before finally feeling a little more at ease.

He found a piece of composite wood board and plugged the hole in the iron door with it, then lay down on the bed.

0.3 seconds later, Zhou Yun was fast asleep.

In Warhammer, the Americans (not necessarily original, but Horus in the novels still called them Americans) lived all the way to the Unification Wars on Terra, becoming a coalition of aristocratic rulers of Hive Cities. They really were legendary survivors.