The Fallen Angels Who Nearly Had to Beg for Food

"You win."

When he said those words, Afkar's expression showed no sign of disappointment, as if he didn't care about the outcome of the duel at all.

"In the name of Caliban, in accordance with the ancient code of chivalry, I, Afkar, former Knight Commander of the Blade Legion, fulfill my promise."

Thump!

With a deep thud, Afkar took the lead, kneeling on one knee. "From this moment on, we will abandon the name 'Fallen Angel' and fight for the galaxy as the Sons of the Forest! Our swords will forever bear the glory of the Emperor and the Lion King!"

Seeing that even their "boss" had knelt down, Horok and Kay, who were standing to the side, also knelt down without hesitation.

Whether they win or lose, they don't care at all.

He won; that was just his usual performance. After all, he was a Knight Commander of the Blade Legion, who once single-handedly charged into the encirclement of Chaos and slew a Khorne in front of a whole army of Khorne Daemons!

Lost?

That must mean the knights went easy on them!

In their eyes, the Knight Commander had never taken anything seriously from beginning to end.

Besides, whether they win or lose, they won't suffer a loss, right?

Even if they win, who knows if Alvin will be able to deliver on his promise of generous terms?

But even if we lose, everyone's happy!

Joining the Lion King's Sons of the Forest Chapter not only grants them absolution for their sins and freedom from the pursuit of their former Chapter Brother, but also allows them to return to the Imperium openly and continue serving the Emperor and the Lion King. No matter how you look at it, it's all beneficial to them!

At the same time, seeing how quickly Afkar's attitude changed, even if Alvin was stupid, he figured out what the guy was thinking and said with a strange expression, "You had already planned to submit to the Lion King. Were you just putting on an act?"

Afkar knelt on one knee, and upon hearing Alvin's question, replied calmly, "I don't know what kind of person you are."

But I know very well what kind of man the Lion King is. If we refuse to be pardoned today, none of my brothers, including myself, will leave this planet alive, or even this tavern."

Alvin was speechless.

You know what, you really have to believe it—given the Lion King's personality, the fact that he could forgive these "Fallen Angel" is already quite a slap in the face. It's only because he's been asleep for ten thousand years, and his mentality and even his whole being have aged, that he's become more compassionate.

But don't actually think that the Lion King was kind.

He pardoned the Fallen Angel for a reason, but if you dare to refuse, you're definitely a piece of Chaos trash. Faced with such a Chaos element, the Lion King will definitely strike hard!

In other words, from the moment Alvin revealed his intentions, Afkar, who understood the Lion King's temperament, already knew their fate.

They either surrender, accept reorganization, or submit.

Either refuse, or you'll be smashed into a pulp by the Lion King!

Alvin seemed to have guessed something, his gaze shifting to Afkar, and he asked strangely, "So, you did this on purpose?"

"Yes."

Afkar nodded, directly admitting his thoughts. "If we don't want to be used as cannon fodder by the Lion King, we must demonstrate our 'value.' Loyalty is an unspeakable luxury for us Fallen Angel, so there's only one path left... defeat you, the Lion King's appointed First Watch Knight and Grand Master, and prove our strength and worth to the Lion King."

To gain a voice within the Sons of the Forest Chapter.

"You failed."

Alvin looked down at him.

"Yes—that's something I didn't expect," Afkar said readily. "If this were a battlefield, I'm confident I wouldn't lose, but this isn't a battlefield. Nevertheless, you've shown me that you're qualified to lead the Sons of the Forest Chapter."

"You went through all this trouble just to test whether I'm qualified?" Alvin raised an eyebrow and said.

"An incompetent leader will kill my brothers." Afkar said gravely, "I have witnessed such tragedies countless times—we are willing to surrender, we are not afraid of death, nor are we afraid of hardship, but I do not want my brothers..."

They'd rather die on a meaningless and worthless battlefield than from the mistakes of their commander!

Alvin nodded, understanding dawning on him.

In truth, this Knight Commander of the Blade Legion was simple-minded; he was willing to submit and accept pardon and reorganization.

His only worry was that his brothers would be used as cannon fodder.

Because they are "angels of forgiveness"!

They had lost their loyalty, so they worried about being used as cannon fodder by the Lion King, dying on a meaningless and dishonorable battlefield.

Understanding this point will also help us understand the complex psychology of Fallen Angel like Afkar.

"In the name of Alvin Valshius, I assure you," Alvin took a deep breath, his voice growing more solemn, "You will not be used as cannon fodder, nor will your deaths be meaningless. You will fight for the honor of the Emperor and the Lion King, for the future of the Imperium and humanity!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Afkar sincerely expressed his obedience. "We are willing to fight to the death for Your Highness and for the Sons of the Forest."

"I forgot to ask." Alvin suddenly remembered something that he could ask them to do, so he asked, "How many people do you have left? How's the equipment? I have something I can't ask others to do, and you guys can help me with that."

"The Old Blade Legion, including the three of us, has thirty-eight members remaining. The rest are scattered outside to avoid detection, and will only be summoned when necessary," Afkar listed the remaining personnel as if they were his own treasures. "As for equipment—besides the barely usable Power Armor, we have almost nothing else usable."

"We are confident we can handle small-scale battles, but if it's a large-scale operation..." At this point...

He paused, then said softly, "We need better equipment, including weapons, and our Power Armor also needs repair."

This is quite normal.

They've been holed up here to avoid being discovered by the Dark Angels. With such a small number of members, they naturally wouldn't raid other Chaos Gang. It's already quite an achievement that the Power Armor survived.

"No problem, I'll make up for it with the equipment!" Alvin waved his hand, his words brimming with confidence. "Putting everything else aside, I can definitely equip you guys!"

He's a man who owns five worlds!

"As for equipment, I don't think we need to rush." Afkar said with a bitter face, looking as if he was reluctant to speak.

"Now that you've joined the Sons of the Forest, feel free to ask me for anything you need!"

Alvin patted his chest and said confidently.

"Well, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me," Afkar said with a bitter expression, "Actually, ever since we were caught up in the Warp and wandered here, we've been struggling to survive. You know how much energy the Space Marine need every day; ordinary people's food can hardly meet our body's needs."

"Mmm, and then what?"

Alvin blinked.

"Ahem, could you... let us eat our fill first before you go and complete your task?" Afkar's face turned completely red as he said this.

The reason is simple: it's too embarrassing!

The mighty Blade Legion Commander, leading the most elite warriors in the galaxy, can't even get a decent meal. If word got out, the Xenos would laugh themselves to death.

To put it bluntly, almost all the Fallen Angel here, including Afkar, are suffering from severe malnutrition.

After all, standard Space Marine rations are mixed with various Nutrient Solution and Ceramite fragments, but where would you find such things in this godforsaken place?

Space Marine are demigods, but the price of being a demigod is that they need to consume an astonishing amount of heat to provide energy for their bodies, and that's just under normal circumstances.

In times of war, the energy consumption of Space Marine is even more extreme. Only Nutrient Paste made with Ceramite and specially developed for Space Marine can meet the energy needs of this demigod-like body!

After a long silence, Alvin patted him on the shoulder. "You've had a tough time—I'll figure something out."

Zabriel looked at his two brothers and asked a question that struck at the heart of the matter:

"How did you guys end up in such a miserable state?"

"Don't ask anymore."

Horok gave him a pained look. "If it weren't for those bastards burning our supply ship, we wouldn't have ended up robbing a merchant's ship and ending up in this damned Hive City!"

Upon hearing this, Zabriel understood.

Or perhaps he understood the situation deeply, patting his brother on the shoulder. "Don't be afraid, with Lion King here this time, we can go back openly and proudly, and tell these bastards, 'I'm back!'"

"You know how to be sarcastic," Alvin smirked, hoping that Asmodeus would still be this tough when they met!