Emperor's Bane

Chapter 1026 No Secrets
"So, he didn't say anything, right?"

"Yes, Lord Guilliman."

"In the most recent round of communications, Lord Johnson made no mention of Lord Saint Gilles' existence: just as you predicted earlier."

"As expected."

The Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds nodded, seemingly unsurprised by his brother's concealment.

Then, the majestic Galactic King lowered his head slightly, his pale golden hair framed by his sea-blue eyes, and after a moment of contemplation, he turned and nodded again to the mortal attendant who had come to report.

"I understand, you may leave now."

"Also, please remind them for me: the welcoming ceremony must be fully prepared."

"Regardless of what they think: since we are practically part of the host here, we should do our best to be courteous."

"I don't want to give outsiders any leverage against me."

"I will definitely remind you properly, sir."

The mortal servant bowed repeatedly, then vanished from Guilliman's sight like a shadow.

The five hundred world lords stared at him until the figure completely disappeared from their sight, then relaxed and sighed in a corner where no one paid attention.

"Ugh……"

"You don't need to be so nervous, sir."

Another voice drifted out from behind the Primarch.

He was an exceptionally robust elite of the Ultramarines, but even standing next to the Primarch, he was still overshadowed by the Primarch's massive shadow, like a baby elephant strolling at the feet of a male elephant.

But his voice did not falter because of this.

"This is not the first time we have communicated with emissaries from Avalon or the Dark Angels."

"Moreover, judging from past experience, they are not that concerned about guests who are overly concerned with formalities."

"As long as the important things can be discussed well, the Avalon people are always magnanimous about these details."

“I know, Valentus.”

The Primarch turned around and glanced at his hero.

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

He didn't continue speaking, but instead strode to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Standing on a high platform more than ten stories high, surrounded by a vast, cloudless view, the Primarch and his heroes could easily see things further away.

They could see swarms of giant machines bustling about on the milky-white sand, with dark-skinned crowds moving among them like ants. Pale blue shuttles and transport planes occasionally streaked across the low sky, their tails fluttering past the Ultramarines' banners, the sound carrying all the way to the farthest city walls and sturdy towers.

This is a fortress, a brand new fortress where the concrete stains on the walls have not yet completely evaporated.

The Ultramarines and their mortal construction team spent several days building him, making him stand like a legendary giant on this sparsely populated land. The indigenous tribes, who were politely turned away, watched in awe at the actions of these gods: their folk songs would surely be filled with more exaggerated myths.

However, if architects who truly understand the art of war were to take a look at this small fortress with its magnificent tower gates and walls of gold and azure, they would surely laugh with disdain.

Any Iron Warrior or Imperial Fist could easily see that this magnificent fortress was not prepared for war at all.

The open-air plaza alone, wide enough to allow an entire troop of knights to stand in formation, yet completely lacking any corresponding anti-aircraft measures, was enough to become a glaring target in an assault.

However, if the purpose of building this fortress was not for defense but for welcoming guests, then this square would be the perfect ceremonial location.

This is true.

"That guy Zhuang Sen always likes to give me difficult problems."

Gazing at the military band in ceremonial armor preparing the music for the upcoming piece at the edge of the square, watching hundreds of banners descend from the tower, and seeing the lapis lazuli and marble transported from distant mountain roads being used to carve the tens of hectares of square: and then thinking that all this hard work was for that bastard, the Lord of Macragge's tone was not without sarcasm.

Compared to the Great Expedition, his relationship with Zhuang Sen had improved somewhat, but it wasn't good enough for him to speak well of Zhuang Sen in private.

"At first, he felt that Signas was too remote as a meeting place, and that it would take a long detour to get there, so he asked me to change it."

"Okay, he makes sense, I agree."

"And then? We deliberately changed the meeting place to Ocassis, which is easier to reach. That world is located right on the main shipping route between Avalon and the Five Hundred Worlds."

"He didn't say anything at the time, right?"

"Then, when I had prepared everything in Ocassis: the square was built, the necessary ingredients and equipment were deployed, I personally went to discuss with the local governor, organized several welcome rehearsals for the local people of Ocassis, and even the material compensation for Ocassis was settled."

"Then he told me that Ocasius was too conspicuous for the meeting, which would make our conversation less discreet: should we change it?"

"After going around in circles, we ended up in this place where there was nothing but shacks and savages: I even had to go to great lengths to import the cement I used to pave the ground from the Five Hundred Worlds."

"It doesn't even have a name."

"136-6."

"The 136th Expeditionary Fleet recaptured the sixth world during the Great Expedition: it's like a number on a military can."

"Really..."

At this point, the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds, feeling a surge of anger, pinched his brow.

“He should be thankful that he is the leader of the Avalon delegation this time.”

“Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t pay any attention to him: this scraggly lion can go wherever it wants, and go back to where it came from.”

"..."

Faced with the resentment of the father of genetics, Valentus could only offer an awkward but polite smile.

He knew, of course, that his original body was just saying things out of anger.

Whether out of courtesy or courage, Guilliman did not have the audacity to turn away a brother.

Moreover, it seems that the relationship between the Dark Angels and the Ultramarines is not bad at present: at least when a certain Lord of Avalon is present, it is not bad.

But if that lady isn't there...

Valentus swallowed hard.

He himself was uncertain: this matter was beyond the comprehension limits of everyone in both legions.

Asking this question is like asking what would happen to the empire if the emperor suddenly disappeared one day.

Well, it seems that the Empire's answer to this question doesn't quite align with mainstream values.

In the Far East, the situation seems to be more serious, and there is even less reference data.

After all, the lion from Caliban was a loner: he was unlikely to wander into other legions' territories without being led by his legal guardian, a woman, at least there was no precedent for that.

However, the Ultramarines have no right to mock the Dark Angels on this issue. Apart from the Dawnbreakers, Ravenguards, and Midnight Lords, they have no history of hosting other legions on their own territory.

Ah, I can't say there wasn't: last time I hosted the Imperial Fist at a homestead called Badab.

Thinking of this, Valentus could only hope that his genetic father could remain as calm as ever.

Although it seems unlikely at present.

What truly angered Guilliman was not just Johnson's meddling in the site selection process.

"If it's just this small problem, then forget about it."

Lord Macragge stopped looking out the window and turned to walk inside: on a round table, several letters were casually placed, but upon closer inspection, a discerning person would find the name and image of the Archangel Baal on them.

"The world has no shortage of building materials and money."

"Although sovereignty over the Ocassis sector is uncertain between us and Avalon, it wouldn't hurt to give them some assistance no matter which side it ultimately belongs to: after all, we've troubled them for so many days, and the local governor has always been deferential to us."

"But the real problem is..."

The Primarch walked to the round table and picked up a piece of paper.

“That guy Zhuang Sen treats me like an outsider, guarding against me.”

Lord Macurag sneered and relayed the contents of the letter, word for word, to his hero.

“Listen up, Valentus.”

"It is understood that His Highness Saint Gilles of Baal, the Primarch of the Ninth Legion, arrived in the Gulgrad Sector no later than thirteen days ago. He is currently staying at the Forgeworld Gulgrad and receiving hospitality. He claims that this visit is purely diplomatic, and His Highness Saint Gilles hopes to engage in exchanges with the Far East in multiple areas, including but not limited to psionic issues."

After reading this passage, Guilliman casually handed the intelligence to Valentus.

"Take a good look for yourself."

"It was on my desk two days ago."

“And at least a month ago, Johnson should have already known about Saint Gilles’ movements.”

"He has plenty of time to pass on this absolutely important information to me."

"Intelligence sharing".

"This is an alliance between Avalon and the Five Hundred Worlds."

"Morgan has never gone against this principle."

"Johnson should also abide by this: I don't believe Bernard didn't remind him of this."

“But he didn’t: even now, he still wants to hide Saint Gilles’ arrival from me.”

Guilliman slowly clenched his fist, a cracking sound coming from between his fingers.

"He has only been here for a few months, and he has already treated the alliance we have upheld for over a hundred years as worthless paper and trampled on the ground."

“Very good…very good!”

While Valentus was engrossed in reading, the Makulaq man spoke of his brother with low laughter.

"It's as if his little schemes can fool me."

"Hmm...Master?"

Valentus asked cautiously.

"what happened?"

"Was this intelligence sent to us by the Dawnbreakers?"

"No: they listen to Zhuang Sen now."

"How did you know that?"

This question made Guilliman, whose expression had been serious and sarcastic, suddenly falter.

The room became much quieter instantly.

"Hmm... cough!"

"I have a few... friends in the mortal forces of Avalon, and also in the forging world of Gulgrad."

"..."

Valentus remained silent.

He suddenly understood why Lord Zhuang Sen had kept this matter a secret.

Anyway, whether it's kept secret or not, it doesn't seem to prevent his genetic father from knowing about it.

He might know even faster than Zhuang Sen.

"So how do you plan to deal with this?"

Valentus wisely did not delve into this matter.

"Are you planning to use it as a bargaining chip in the upcoming conversation?"

"Cheers!"

Guilliman's voice instantly rose!
He turned around abruptly, his eyes, slightly darkened from frequent late-night work, fixed intently on Yingjie.

It was obvious that after being repeatedly tricked by Zhuang Sen about the meeting place, and after learning that his brother had actually kept such important information from him, even the usually mild-mannered Lord of Macragge was starting to lose his temper.

Even a filing cabinet can hurt a lot if it falls on someone.

After all, Guilliman was not a person with a naturally good temper: his magnanimous character came from his upbringing rather than from his genes.

But when facing Zhuang Sen, this composure always seems to vanish without him even realizing it.
"Don't you understand yet, Valentus?"

"This is a very serious matter!"

"Huh? Ah... Ah."

Valentus nodded blankly.

"What you mean by 'serious' is..."

"Think about it!"

The Primarch clenched one of his hands into a fist in the air.

Why did Saint Gilles come to find Zhuang Sen? And why did Zhuang Sen hide his whereabouts?

"The Archangel is now an ally of Horus, and Johnson has actually gotten involved with him!"

"What is he trying to do, that Dark Angel Primarch is actually going to find the Blood Angel Primarch?"

"Both of them are definitely suspicious!"

What do you think, Valentus?

"I?"

Yingjie blinked.

This kind of thing, which involves Primarchs, was somewhat beyond his brain capacity, and he could only imagine it as much as possible.

What could Saint Gilles' purpose be in seeking out Johnson?
Could it be that the archangel wanted to betray Horus and thus came to the Far East to discuss surrender with Johnson?
No, given Saint Gilles's character, the likelihood of such a thing happening is not high.

Or rather, Johnsen wanted to join Horus's faction, and Saint Gilles came to discuss the terms of joining with him.

Hmm... that possibility is even lower.

Since neither side is likely to defect, their getting together must be for...

"That's right!"

Guilliman nodded firmly.

“I can assure you, Valentus.”

There must have been a deal between the angel and the lion.

"And given their personalities, I don't think the angels will be the ones in control of this deal."

"trade?"

Yingjie whispered the word.

"But is there any way for the two of them to reach a mutually beneficial agreement?"

"This is where the problem lies!"

Guilliman slammed his hand on the table, leaving prominent cracks clearly visible.

Don't you think all of this is too much of a coincidence?

“Saint Gilles and Horus, how close they used to be.”

"As a result, as soon as the war started, problems arose in Baal's country, which required it to close its borders and keep the vast majority of its troops within the borders: Saint Gilles only sent a few thousand men to deal with the war commander, and the rest of the main force could stay in Baal with peace of mind, and could be dispatched to the Far Eastern border at any time, or quietly appear in any corner of the galaxy."

"Not to mention Zhuang Sen."

"What a coincidence! After the Terra crisis broke out, he just happened to go on an expedition to avoid the limelight. After Morgan left Avalon, he just happened to come back: he happened to appear in the Far East, and immediately gained real power in the Far East. Now the whole of Avalon listens to him, and he has become the largest neutral party in the galaxy without even realizing it."

"If he's willing to show his stance, wouldn't both sides have to offer their biggest bargaining chips to win him over?"

"Warmaster?"

That's just the starting price!

"This is a coincidence? That's far too coincidental."

The Primarch's fists slammed loudly on the table.

The solid marble slabs, like a pile of soggy cookies, were smashed onto the floor piece by piece.

Yingjie stared intently at the fragments, not daring to interrupt his father's complaints.

Valentus interjected at the opportune moment after Guilliman had temporarily stopped speaking.

"So you mean: Zhuang Sen intends to usurp Avalon's power and win over the angels as external allies?"

"I can't be sure about that."

Guilliman took a few deep breaths, regaining some composure from his sudden surge of anger.

His brows remained furrowed.

"But we cannot completely ignore this possibility."

"After all, as I said: it's all just too much of a coincidence."

"If it wasn't intentional, what kind of reason do you expect me to give?"

Is everything controlled by a god?

Guilliman smiled.

"I don't know about the situation on Baal's side, after all, Saint Gilles is indeed very well defended."

“There’s definitely something wrong with Avalon.”

“I don’t think Johnson went to the Far East because he suddenly missed Morgan.”

"By the Emperor, in the past two hundred years, that guy has never paid a visit to Morgan."

"I also didn't go to see Conrad."

"I have never been to the Five Hundred Worlds."

"I've been saving a suite for him all this time." "How come you're so familiar with him this time?"

"Um……"

Unlike the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds, who was somewhat blinded by his own involvement, the wise Valentus, as an observer, deduced a perfectly reasonable conclusion from these uncomplicated clues after only a brief moment of thought.

"grown ups."

Valentus took a step forward.

Is there such a possibility?

"The reason Lord Johnson went to the Far East was because before Lord Morgan left, she specifically invited Lord Johnson to help her guard the lands of Avalon: this explains both why Lord Johnson suddenly visited the Far Eastern frontier and why the Dawnbreakers obeyed his orders."

"At the same time, haven't we always been wondering why Lord Morgan left without any preparation?"

"If she really has prepared the Johnson card, then it is indeed in line with Morgan's meticulous and thorough nature."

"As for Lord Saint Gilles..."

Valentus paused for a moment.

"Perhaps it really is just... a coincidence."

"But in any case, Lord Saint Gilles is certainly not someone who likes to meddle in foreign affairs."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want to shed blood for Horus."

"..."

“You’re right, Valentus.”

After a moment of silence, Guilliman nodded.

"This is a very reasonable deduction, and that's exactly what I thought at the beginning."

"but……"

The five hundred world lords gritted their teeth, shook their heads and sighed helplessly.

"As the person in charge of the Five Hundred Worlds, I cannot draw such a conclusion so arbitrarily. I must think... more."

Valentus remained silent.

As Guilliman's handpicked hero, he was all too familiar with this situation of the Primarch.

Uncontrolled divergent thinking: This is both the Lord of Macragge's greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

No one can judge his habit.

Prior to this, such excessive thinking had indeed caused considerable trouble for the Five Hundred Worlds.

However, these divergent ideas have also saved the Ultramarines from being in danger countless times.

However, this time, things seem a little different.

Valentus noticed this keenly.

Compared to his previous divergent thinking, the Primarch's words this time seemed to contain some irrational anger.

Realizing this, Valentus hesitated only for a moment, but still decided to fulfill his duty.

"grown ups."

He interrupted Guilliman's thoughts.

"Please forgive my bluntness: I feel that your guess seems to contain a bit of subjective bias."

"Aren't you sometimes... a bit irrational?"

"..."

He took a deep, heavy breath.

Then he covered his face.

“You’re right, Valentus.”

I did lose my composure.

"I just... I just... how should I put it?"

He hesitated.

"I just don't quite understand."

"If Morgan were to choose an agent, why would it have to be Johnson?"

"He doesn't even respect his adoptive father!"

"He rarely takes the initiative to visit Luther!"

“He doesn’t know how to cherish anything. If King Connor were still alive, I would definitely…”

Guilliman's voice stopped abruptly.

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure, Valentus."

The Primarch covered his face and then took a few heavy breaths.

"Yes, I know that of all the brothers, Zhuang Sen and she have the deepest bond."

“But I am Morgan’s most steadfast and greatest ally, and our partnership is far superior to that of Johnson.”

"When she desperately needed help, I should have been the first person she thought of."

Why did I lose to Zhuang Sen?

"Even if they don't choose me: even Conrad would be fine."

“He’s someone we’ve watched grow up, someone we can trust.”

"Uh... sir?"

Yingjie raised a hand
"Lord Conrad left even earlier than Lord Morgan."

"..."

"That little brat!"

The Primarch muttered a curse under his breath.

However, the Primarch's interruption did indeed pull Guilliman out of his obsession: the Primarch quickly adjusted his mind and tried to sort out his thoughts.

He did not continue.

"Fine... Zhuang Sen it is then."

"At least better than Ruth."

Guilliman pinched his brow again, the return of rationality making his mind even clearer.

"What I'm really worried about is something else."

"Even the rise of Johnson and the visit of Saint-Gilles were just isolated and accidental pieces of information."

"But given that Caliban's character, it's hard to guarantee that he won't take advantage of these coincidences for his own benefit."

The Primarch's fingers tapped on the table, weaving a series of rhythmic, intriguing melodies.

"No, it should be said that Johnson will definitely seize the opportunity of Saint Gilles' secret visit."

"He will definitely make an issue of this."

"Greed and plunder are the fleshly instincts etched into the bones of that Caliban lion."

"He will keep Sanguis in his hands as a trump card when he fights against me."

"Trust me, Valentus."

The Primarch looked at his hero.

“During our negotiations, Zhuang Sen will definitely play this card at the right time to suppress me.”

"suppress?"

This term sounds somewhat unfamiliar to extreme warriors.

"But, sir: didn't the Dark Angels and we cooperate amicably in the past?"

"Morgan was still around back then!"

Guilliman waved his hand irritably.

“I did trust him.”

“But I don’t trust Johnson; I trust Johnson standing next to Morgan.”

“These are completely different species, Valentus.”

"Just as you can't lump together Johnsen, Ruth, and Khan: although none of them are late Homo sapiens, they are clearly at three different stages of evolutionary history."

"Even if I admit that Johnson is a trustworthy guy, his selfish nature would have ruined everything without Morgan."

"Just like now, my son."

"He has started to hide things from me."

“In his eyes, I am definitely not trustworthy.”

"He will definitely project his own thoughts onto me, assuming that I am eager to place my power above the entire Far East."

At this point, the Primarch shook his head dismissively.

"Perhaps in the past, he was able to hide it very well."

"But after Morgan left, Johnson could no longer suppress his greed."

"Wait, then."

"In this conversation, he will definitely use Morgan's orders and Saint Gilles to his advantage, trying to suppress me and act as the master, arbitrarily drawing resources and troops from the Five Hundred Worlds for his command, and making our legions obey his orders."

"His authority has surpassed that of Avalon, and now he is eager to become the master of the entire Far East."

"The obedience of the dawner is his sword."

"As for Sanguis: he was certainly a perfect puppet in his hands."

"..."

Valentus took a moment to process the message the Primarch had just conveyed.

Then, he discovered a blind spot.

"grown ups."

"From what you're saying, Lord Zhuang Sen will summon the entire Five Hundred Worlds to join his military operation?"

"He will definitely do it."

Guilliman turned around, his back to his offspring, placed his hands on the table, and lowered his head.

"I can already imagine the next steps."

He was almost laughing out of anger.

“He immediately questioned my stance, asking me who I would support in this struggle?”

"Then, he would interrogate me about my lack of preparation for war, accuse the Ultramarines of being completely unsuitable for combat, and even suggest sending Dark Angels to Macragge to teach us the so-called way of war."

"Then came a series of cooperation agreements and treaties: simply put, he would make demands, we would obediently comply, and we would have to take a series of actions to clear ourselves of suspicion. If I objected in any way, he would use Morgan and Saint Gilles to suppress me."

"Of course, besides that, he might also have some personal requests, such as hinting that I should support his coronation as the Far East War Commander: that's not impossible."

"However, I prefer the title of Duke Protector of the Nation. It's just that the title itself is a bit presumptuous. I wonder what Terra will think..."

"My lord? My lord!"

Seeing that his genetic father was about to fall into a vicious cycle of self-reflection and doubt again, Yingjie raised his voice.

"grown ups!"

"Ah? What's wrong?"

Guilliman turned his head.

"I mean……"

Valentus felt his voice was a little hoarse.

"If Lord Zhuang Sen insists that we immediately mobilize the army and follow him into battle."

“Then what about our previous contract with the War Commander…”

"Should we still abide by the rules?"

"..."

For a fleeting moment, Valentus never imagined that his father's expression would be so fascinating.

The first thing that flashed through his mind was bewilderment: it was as if the words "warlord" or "contract" had never appeared in Guilliman's dictionary.

Then came astonishment.

It was a kind of astonishment at suddenly discovering that Luo Jia should theoretically have three fathers.

Then, astonishment turned into silence.

Silence turned into thought.

Thinking turned into fear.

Fear turns into cowardice.

Cowardice turned into clenching one's teeth.

It turned into a silent resolution.

It turned into a do-or-die situation.

Behind the resolute expression on his face, a new sense of bewilderment inadvertently crept into his eyes.

Just like that, a moment later, Valentus felt the Primarch's hand press heavily on his shoulder.

"Valentus!"

Guilliman’s tone had never been so serious.

"Can I trust you, my child?"

"Of course, my lord."

Valentus nodded immediately.

"very good."

Guilliman glanced at the time quickly.

"Zhuang Sen will arrive in half an hour."

"Right now, immediately, go and summon everyone in the world who knows about this contract."

"We must stick to the same story: This did not happen!"

"Leave it to me, sir."

Valentus nodded firmly.

“I called them all over right away.”

"Very good, go and do it."

Guilliman nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Remember, no matter what…”

"This war has nothing to do with us."

"The Ultramarines Legion. There are no secrets."

"Understood, my lord."

Valentus hesitated for a moment.

"So, if Johnson speaks up, are we really going to defy Warlord Horus?"

"……snort!"

Guilliman lowered his head and gave a cold laugh.

"Then we'll have to see first."

"I have left my Lady Macbeth."

"How much courage does this Caliban lion still have?"

------

I encountered a small problem yesterday (I fell asleep in bed while happily writing because it was so warm), so I apologize to all my readers first.

This chapter is a way for me to get back into the swing of things, to review how Guilliman and Johnson should be written. The next two or three chapters will be a special feature on these two clowns. I'll first get the book back to that light and cheerful style, then shift the plot to Comoros and Taran, and then to San Gilles.

As for whether anyone feels that Guilliman's behavior here is a bit strange and doesn't quite fit the premise that his relationship with Johnson has improved, well...

That's all I can say.

Anyone with a little observation knows that when the lady of the house is away, the relationship between the father who is never home and the son who stays at home is always a bit awkward.

Yes, this is based on my personal experience.

(End of this chapter)