Chapter 26: Iron Aquila Medal!

Wait a minute? A proper job? And there's a resident permit?!

Alvin performed a classic national essence 'face-changing' wave, looking like a fly rubbing its hands, his face full of smiles: "Are you serious? Introduce me to a job?"

Can't blame him for changing his face so fast; the 'chips' the other party offered were too tempting.

A proper job that allows settling in the Mid-Hive means he can throw away the identity of a smuggler and openly contact Mid-Hive enforcers to obtain many resources that can't be obtained in the Underhive!

Tuck looked at Alvin's fast face-changing action, slightly stiff for half a second, but quickly returned to normal: "Of course, my name, Tuck, should have some weight."

He didn't lie about this point. Jackal Tuck's reputation in the Underhive is obvious to all, and he is famous for 'saying what he does'.

However, despite being moved by Tuck's proposal, Alvin was still a bit hesitant.

Really... should he tell Tuck?

The main concern at the moment is, what if there is some unknown connection between Tuck and the cult?

Just when Alvin was hesitating, he heard Tuck say slowly: "I guess it should be related to the Blood Axe Gang being wiped out by the Hammer Gang, and the disappearance of more than three hundred people in the East District, right?"

He exhaled a smoke ring, and the white mist made Tuck look a bit unfathomable: "Actually, I sent people to investigate the clues of the disappearance of three hundred people in the East District, but unfortunately... nothing was found, only the land soaked in blood; besides that, there was nothing, including... corpses."

For the last two words, Tuck emphasized his tone.

"And then?" Alvin's face was as calm as a lake, completely unmoved: "And how did you determine that I came to the Mid-Hive because of these two things?"

"Very simple, I sent someone to investigate you, Alvin Valerius."

Tuck grinned, revealing two rows of teeth smoked yellow by cigarettes; under the fluffy hair scattered like instant noodles, his eyes were as sharp as knives, and his expression was intriguing: "An ordinary scavenger in the Underhive, normally speaking, would absolutely not miss 'Harvest Day', but you were not among them that day."

"Mr. Tuck, there should be more than one person who didn't go, right?" Alvin shrugged and said.

"Kid, I am not an enforcer; I don't need to figure out all the evidence."

Tuck smiled and flicked the cigarette ash, looking at him meaningfully: "I of course know that there is more than one survivor, but... my intuition tells me that you suddenly want to smuggle into the Mid-Hive at this time node is absolutely related to these two things."

Almost forgot, the Warhammer world doesn't care about evidence... Alvin's mouth twitched, thought for half a second, and turned to say: "Mr. Tuck, please forgive me for not being able to believe you."

"You are not willing to tell?"

Tuck frowned; he originally thought that offering this price would be enough to let the Underhive guy agree.

But the result seemed to be far from what he imagined; the other party actually refused a stable job in the Mid-Hive!

"I really want a stable job, but I can't trust you."

Alvin painfully refused Tuck's proposal, but he didn't completely block the way back.

"Can't trust me, you mean... these two things involve a lot?"

Tuck understood the meaning implied in his words, and his expression became slightly serious: "What do you need me to do to tell me?"

Alvin smiled without saying a word, completely without the intention of explaining.

Tuck read the meaning in Alvin's eyes, that is, unless he can prove himself, no matter what, this kid will not reveal half a word to him.

What a cunning kid... he sighed; as of now, he seemed to have no choice.

The things that happened in the Underhive made Tuck always feel a bit uneasy, always feeling that it was not as simple as it looked; the people sent to investigate brought back almost no valuable intelligence.

And among the more than three hundred missing people in the East District, only this kid... did not appear anywhere on Harvest Day!

This point is what Tuck truly suspects about Alvin.

Ask, how could a bottom-level scavenger miss 'Harvest Day'?

And it just happened that on that day, more than three hundred people in the East District disappeared; where in the world could there be such a coincidence?

Tuck hesitated for a long time, and finally, reluctantly, took something out from the inner lining of his clothes, showing it to Alvin with careful and gentle movements, as if holding some treasure.

"Kid, this thing should be able to prove that I am worth trusting, right?"

When Alvin saw clearly what was in Tuck's palm, his pupils shrank sharply, and he blurted out: "Holy s***, Iron Aquila Medal?!"

But the moment he blurted it out, he realized he had made a slip of the tongue.

Sure enough, Tuck revealed a look of surprise, and then stared at the teenager coldly, suspiciously: "Kid, how do you know this medal?"

An Underhive scavenger picking up trash actually knows the medal awarded by the Departmento Munitorum?

This is like finding a homeless person, then pointing to the Iron Cross of the Third Reich, and asking him what this thing is; the answer obtained is likely only 'medal'.

Alvin's eyelids twitched, and he regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself.

But facing Tuck's cold eyes, he could only bite the bullet and say: "Actually, my mother told me; when I was young, she told me a lot about the Astra Militarum, including many medals."

This excuse was too crude, but Tuck didn't seem to care.

Putting the Iron Aquila Medal into his arms, he said indifferently: "Since you know it is the Iron Aquila Medal, you should be able to prove that I am worth trusting, right?"

The Iron Aquila Medal, also known as the 'Eagle of the Madman'.

It is a golden semi-circular medal with an iron Imperial Aquila, which can be said to be the most famous personal honor.

It is usually awarded by the Departmento Munitorum to those who have faced a desperate crisis but still defeated the enemy and can still serve normally!

In other words... Tuck was once an Astra Militarum soldier!

Understood, this makes sense.

Why Tuck can get Astra Militarum equipment, and even Mid-Hive enforcers show respect.

Because he is a retired Astra Militarum veteran with an 'Iron Aquila' medal, and his status in the Hive is extraordinary!

But there is another doubt that troubled Alvin: "Since you have the Iron Aquila Medal, how did you end up in the Underhive?"

No matter how you think about it, it shouldn't be; an Astra Militarum soldier who can be awarded the 'Iron Aquila' medal by the Departmento Munitorum should probably have a military rank, and performed bravely; even if he is a noble in the Hive, he wouldn't easily provoke him; how did he end up in the Underhive?

"None of your business!" Tuck suddenly became ashamed and angry, like a goblin who was stepped on his toe: "Don't change the subject, hurry up and tell me, what happened in the Underhive!"

"Can I ask a question, what was the name of the legion you served in before?"

Alvin poked his head curiously; he was really curious about which legion Tuck served in before.

"You wouldn't know if I told you..."

Tuck's expression was very tangled, and he smoked three cigarettes before sighing, helplessly saying: "Do you know Catachan? I came from there." ===== CHAPTER 27 =====

Alvin nodded and said in a low voice, "It's not that I look down on you, but if it's not some powerful legion, it's useless even if you know."

Of course, this sentence was pure nonsense, just to coax Tuck.

Even if Tuck didn't say it, with his status as a Steel Eagle Medal recipient, reporting news about a cult would directly attract the attention of the local Department of Military Affairs and even the Planetary Governor.

He was simply curious, which is why he asked.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't know them..."

Tuck's expression was very conflicted. He smoked three cigarettes in a row before sighing and saying helplessly, "Do you know Catachan? That's where I'm from."