Emperor's Bane

Chapter 226 Hello, Guilliman ([-])

Tonight, as usual, Robert Guilliman had trouble sleeping.

After processing the last report that the vast territory of the five hundred worlds of Ultramar could give him, the Primarch of the Ultramarines discovered in a state of superposition of joy and distress that he still had a short period of time. The rare rest time can be used freely.

When he realized this, Guilliman, Macragge's consul, was stunned for a moment, and then squeezed out an indifferent, bitter smile on his somewhat tired face, It was as if deliberately telling his heart that he was very happy.

Without disturbing anyone, not even the two ever-victorious army guards who were on duty at the door, the actual ruler of hundreds of worlds quietly left his room like a cowardly thief. It reached the highest point of the inner court, and there was an inaccessible terrace. It was hidden and tall enough, allowing Guilliman to quietly overlook the farthest sea horizon and sky.

In the fifth year of the Primarch's presence on this world, he [discovered] this place, and happily appointed this secluded nook, which could just accommodate him, as his own independent kingdom from those annoying trivialities.

Guilliman likes to stay here very much, but he can't stay here for a long time: whether he was the genius adopted son of the Consul Connor before, or he is now the master of Macragge and even the five hundred worlds, the leader of the Ultramarines. The Primarch is really too important. Once he loses his whereabouts for more than 1 minute, the entire Hera Fortress and even Macragge City will be disturbed by the urgently assembled Ever Victorious Army Guards and Central Guards. The aftermath of the panic could be ups and downs in civilian areas for more than ten days.

In fact, a similar thing happened only once, but it was enough to make the memory of Lord Macragge for a lifetime. When he found that the entire inner court and Hera Fortress were in chaos because of his disappearance for 1 minute, his first reaction was A little disappointed and dissatisfied, but when he really saw the anxious faces of Auguston and Valentus flocking in front of him, with hope and joy written on their faces, a sense of guilt was overwhelmed. Assaulted upon the mind of the Primarch.

He apologized to everyone, right in the middle of the inner court, to those heirs and mortals who got up in the middle of the night because of his willful actions, but these sincere words could not stop him from going to a secret room afterwards. Here, complaining to dear Ms. Euton of his inner grievances, he pursed his lips like a wholly immature child, muttering long complaints about fuss and the passing of private time.

Thinking of this, a cheerful smile crept up the corner of the Primarch's mouth, dispelling most of the fatigue on his face. Guilliman stepped forward and leaned against the edge of the terrace. He didn't wear armor, only the most Simple ceremonial attire, when he leaned on the guardrail and looked at the city in the distance, those expensive cuffs were squeezed, and there were some ugly folds.

In the eyes of the Primarch, the city of Macragge bathed in the morning light may be the most beautiful scenery in the whole galaxy. With the alternate efforts of several generations of consuls, it has become the greatest and most brilliant city in the eastern border of the galaxy.

Macragge seems to be born with such a fate, even without his so-called Primarch: In many cases, Guilliman would think this way, because he is full of confidence and pride in the people and history here, He firmly believes that their strength is more important than his own leadership.

The city of Macragge was the central argument for this argument: it had stood thousands of years before his arrival, and it had always been so beautiful.

The Primarch looked up, and in front of him was a snow-white queen whose flawless skirt stretched from the peak of Hera's crown in the north to the coast in the south, in a world full of towering mountains. , Macragge City proudly occupied a whole piece of precious and fertile plain, but no one was even half dissatisfied.

The Lord of the Ultramarines set his eyes on the inner court where he was. He first looked at the Central Guards and the inner court guards who were patrolling around. These two guards composed of mortals have already proved themselves in countless previous tests. With their strength and loyalty, they stand proudly alongside the Primarch's Astartes Guards, protecting Macragge's Master.

Outside the inner court, there are barracks and parks. For Macragge, who has a strong sense of martial arts, this is not such a strange combination. The Primarch observed those early risers walking in the lush greenery. Satisfied with the ease on their faces.

Then, he turned his gaze to other places, to the majestic Hera Castle, and the fortress area high in the old city. Passing over the well-ordered residential areas and squares, looking at the densely packed buildings and towers, and finally disappearing into the distant skyline, the tall Sevian wall blocked his vision in the west, the Primarch He knew that behind that wall were slums that seemed out of place with the city, and those dirty and dilapidated buildings were the focus of his attention in the following decades.

Every city has its stains, its flaws: not even Macragge.

Thinking of this, the Primarch exhaled lightly, setting off a white air wave in the gradually warming air. He raised his head slightly, and saw that on the dome where the dark blue and gray and white intersected each other, hanging four The wheel gradually brought out the traces of the figure, which were the four satellites in Macragge's orbit.

Yes, satellites...

Guilliman blinked. He looked at the guards who had been running around Macragge for thousands of years, and fell into deep thought.

In the brain of the Primarch, which is capable of running the entire star sector, his greatest helper, his greatest opponent, his innate and proud multi-threaded thinking, began to operate uncontrollably: in the base In Liman's thoughts, countless events and thoughts are like a white horse passing by, causing his secret thoughts to flood at an uncontrollable speed, and he began to jump around the topic with an unimaginable speed, and finally went all the way to In a field that I didn't want to do at all just a few seconds ago.

He started to think, and started a different kind of emotion.

From the satellites to the guards, from the guards to the people around him, from the people around him to the Emperor and other Primarchs, and finally it was natural: I thought of someone who had just obtained the permission of the Lord of Humanity. Not far from the northern border of the world, there are blood relatives who continue to expand their territories.

That blood relative...

Guilliman sighed softly.

outpost.

Supervision.

Another brother, another pair of eyes.

Another offspring found by his genetic father from the ethereal stars, the silver-haired queen who was valued and trusted by the lord of mankind, the hero who rose up in the randan war, even the most ignorant Primarch, Will hear of her deeds and power.

And now, she is in the north of him, next to his Ultramar, establishing a brand new country, a miniature empire that is rapidly expanding: According to the few information collected by the Lord of Five Hundred Worlds Look, his blood relative, the Primarch who ran the Second Legion, took less than six Tara standard months to hold an entire fertile sector in her hands, and This is just her personal declaration, as for the real situation, no one knows.

The records of those battles that were revealed made people can't help but be overwhelmed. With a relatively limited military strength, the Lord of the Second Legion adopted a bold strategy: she generously gave a considerable amount of strength to a man named Luther's mortal command.

And Luthor did not live up to the expectations of the Primarch. With an extremely fast pace of war, he led an army composed of mortals, the Mechanicus, and some Astartes warriors, swept across half of the star area, and wiped out countless Countless pirate space stations finally successfully rendezvoused with the Primarch's army to defeat and wipe out a newly rising greenskin frenzy.

Now, this well-known mortal commander is leading a sizable army to march towards other star regions. The Primarch who got up was about to arrive in Macragge.

Morgan.

Guilliman had known this particular name for a long time, and he was probably one of the earliest informants of all the Primarchs, the ruler of Macragge accustomed to Inquire about some things in the legion, for example: What elite figures have been revealed under his brothers' command, or what excellent systems and weapons they have researched, and any other places worth learning.

Guilliman will take the trouble to explore and record these things, and strive to re-display the excellence of other legions in his Ultramarines. He will carefully check and select the best part, and put those who are not very good. It is suitable for Ultramarines, or those places that he thinks are relatively bad are discarded, and only the real essence is kept to strengthen the strength of the No.13 Legion.

In the eyes of Lord Macragge, this is a kind of learning, a kind of silent communication, and a kind of mastery. He will do this for any legion he can explore, and he doesn't mind other legions learning. Do any of the Ultramarines things: In fact, he can only be delighted by the mutual learning, which means that the Ultramarines and Macragge are the benchmarks and role models for others, just as he dreamed, Become a member who can better serve the empire and mankind.

If all men were Guilliman, if all men were better than him, if the name Robert could only be the most inconspicuous of all beings in the Empire, then he would be very happy.

But it is a pity that at present, it seems that no other Primarch can understand Guilliman's silent kindness. When something is different, there is often a subtle twist on their faces.

I just don't know if this blood relative who is about to meet will also be such a person?

Guilliman's face changed with a slight bitterness.

When he thought of this, he thought of Morgan's country, and he thought of the decree promulgated by the Emperor to all the forces in the Far East Starfield.

Although every senior official of the empire on the eastern frontier of the galaxy received exactly the same words, Guilliman was convinced that this order was for himself.

What does the Lord of Humanity want to express?
Is this a warning?Or a silent declaration?The lord of mankind once showed unimaginable tolerance and understanding towards his kingdom within a kingdom. Now, does he regret it?
So the Emperor seized the opportunity, seized the opportunity of the Primarch being so close to Guilliman to return to his side, and he decided to establish an outpost, a base next to the Ultramarines, to ensure that things Won't it develop to the stage where everyone can't step down?

If this is the case, then Guilliman is more than happy to accept this, and he is more than happy to flatter the silent and brilliant political actions of the Lord of Mankind, expressing a goodwill attitude to Holy Terra and the War Council.

He is even secretly planning whether to make concessions on some frontier land or material matters, it's nothing, the border of the Five Hundred Worlds is indeed a bit too far away from its core area, far enough to make people worry about Markkula Lord Grid's original intention.

For example, in the east shared by Morgan's country and the five hundred worlds, the unexplored empty territory temporarily named Sosa seems to be a gift that can be offered to the visiting Primarch.

It's just that such an empty and remote territory, if it is used as a gift, is it a bit too shabby, can it be understood as his expression of this Primarch, and even the Lord of Humanity behind him? contempt?
Speaking of which, he is not even sure what kind of attitude this visiting blood relative will have. Will she bring other words belonging to the emperor, or will she bring about a change in the attitude of the lord of mankind?
Thinking of this, Guilliman couldn't help touching his neck. He felt a gust of hot and humid wind blowing on his face. As the sun gradually rose, it seemed that this place was no longer a place for people to contemplate. out of place.

The Primarch turned around, and he returned to his office without disturbing anyone, but just as he was about to restart his Thinker, a familiar sound of footsteps came from the corridor, making Guilliman He raised his head in surprise.

The deep questioning voice of the Ever Victorious Army sounded outside the door, and before Guilliman could speak, the door was slowly pushed open, and the person who came was exactly the person the Primarch had thought of.

"Miss."

The Lord of Macragge showed a reassuring smile. In his eyes, the lord of the five hundred worlds, who is also the adoptive mother and steward of the Primarch, Tarasa Eudon, walked slowly. into the room.

Guilliman greeted him happily, but his joyful face was soon washed away by a worry, and the Primarch glanced at the clock suspiciously, as if confirming something.

"Haven't you rested, ma'am?"

"I just woke up earlier. You know, Robert, summer is here, and the air has become hot and humid. It's hard for people to sleep peacefully."

Eutun looked up and down at the giant she raised with her own hands. The lord of the palace originally wanted to fulfill her obligation as a housekeeper to report today's itinerary to the Primarch, but after seeing Guilliman for the first time, the 50-year-old Getting along made her discover some clues.

"Are you troubled by something, Robert?"

"Nothing..."

The Primarch instinctively wanted to deny this, but under the quiet gaze of Ms. Euton, he was defeated miserably in a second.

Guilliman pursed his lips, dragged his pace, and slowly returned to his special desk. He stroked the meditator left behind by his adoptive father with some reluctance, and glanced quietly at his palace lord Lord, it wasn't until the lady followed, also sitting on the other side of the desk, that the last bit of luck in my heart was snuffed out, and the Primarch sighed and had to speak.

"Well, ma'am, I was just thinking about something, some people."

"Thinking of your blood relatives who are about to visit."

"Yes, that's my guest."

"But it's your blood, isn't it?"

"That's a meaning, ma'am."

"No, it's not, Robert."

Joudun shook his head slowly but firmly. She stood up so that the Primarch could see herself better. Her tall and thin body under the white robe was very similar to her already aged face. , but even so, she is still respected by everyone in the inner court and Hera Fortress: not because she is the foster mother of the Primarch, but because of her achievements, wisdom and reason over the years.

In her arms, the Primarch of the Ultramarines spent twelve years carefree. Then, as the Lord of the No.13 Legion, he served humanity and the Great Crusade for nearly 40 years. For more than half a century, Euton has been by Guilliman's side. Time has taken away her once beautiful face, but it has also made her thinking more rational, her words sharper, and her gaze sharper. profound.

"Guests are different from blood relatives, my Robert, they are very different."

"You will meet hundreds of guests every day, whether it is the parliament hall in the inner court during the day or here at night, there will always be people coming to visit you, those planetary governors, rogue traders, and bishops of the forging world With the mechanical priest, you need to face these different but same faces every day."

"They want something from you, or they have something you want, you will remember their appearance and things, but there will be no more fluctuations in your heart: this is a guest, they recognized you and We met each other, but in the final analysis, we are not on the same road with you, you just happened to have a junction on your respective roads."

"But blood relatives are different. Apart from your genetic father, how many people can share the name of the Primarch with you? Fifteen? Or sixteen? No matter what the specific number is, for For Galaxy, this is a number that is enough to cherish, especially for you, Robert."

"After all, no matter where you are in the galaxy now, you all started from the same place. Your life trajectories have a common starting point and are destined to blend together countless times. You must learn to face them. To your blood, your brother."

"Not just brothers, ma'am."

Guilliman glanced at his adoptive mother first, and his gaze soon drifted to the morning light outside the window, where he sat with his arms on his knees and leaned forward.

"We are brothers, the blood of the Lord of Men, but we are more colleagues, allies gathered under one banner: you know, ma'am, when the mortals of the lower towns are discussing my brothers and I At that time, in their first thought, they didn't regard me and the other Primarchs as a group of sons of the same father, but as a group of generals under the same king, a group of generals in the same empire. Ruler of the Frontier and Lord of the Legions."

"When we gather together, our identities are often not brothers who jointly express friendship, but commanders who lead their respective legions to unite together. Tasks always take precedence over our family ties, not to mention, we There's not much friendship in itself worth explaining, and we don't see much of each other."

"Not much, Robert?"

The Lord of the Court asked back with a smile, her smile made Guilliman's words sound so weak.

"I think there is no lack of real friendship among your blood brothers. Some of them have such a passion for each other that even an old woman like me has heard of it."

"It's not that you can't make friends with your brothers, Robert, you're just a little too withdrawn. You will lead the army out because of missions that require cooperation, but when they gather together to expound friendship and family affection, you can't Always absent."

"You can't always miss these group activities, Robert. When you were a Macragge boy, you had enough reasons not to attend other boys' gatherings. After all, it's hard to say that they are the same as them."

"But now, since your loved ones are united and united among the stars, connected to each other's friendship, maybe you should really go out more, let them know what's on your mind, let them hear The plans and ideals you outline, maybe, you will become true friends."

Jotun's words silenced the Lord of the Five Hundred Worlds for a while. He raised his head again and looked at the clock on the wall: In less than ten Terra standard hours, a Primarch will come to Macragge In orbit, Acatlan and Coss had communicated their itinerary a few days earlier.

But in the end, he shook his head.

"Ma'am, if your words and suggestions are placed in an ordinary mortal family, it is an undeniable truth, but for me, it is different: we are not just brothers, we are the rulers of our respective worlds, powerful Commander of the Legion, our words and deeds, and any of our actions, symbolize the power behind us that can conquer and destroy the world."

"To put it simply, no matter what we say or what we do, we can no longer represent ourselves. People will not see what Guilliman did, people will only see the truth of Macragge. What did the Lord do. So I worry about what the five hundred worlds will do."

"From this perspective, we should keep a relatively safe distance from each other. Each of us symbolizes a giant beast in the jungle of the empire. Our encounter with each other is like a collision. , will bring down trees, will frighten birds, and will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble in the jungle."

"Whether it's for stability or to reduce these unnecessary troubles, we should keep an appropriate distance. You know this, ma'am."

"When I was very young, I was taught this truth: Those ambitious people who can rely on their connections and reputation to gather huge power are the most dangerous enemies of a stable order, because such a person Emergence often means that the word unity is no longer valid, and the seeds of division have taken root."

"Just as it was not Carthage, Macedonia, or Spartacus that brought the Roman Republic to its end, but the Gracchi, Marius, Sulla, and Caesar."

"You worry about this, Robert?"

"It's not a worry, it's just an instinctive consideration. Although I don't know my blood relatives well, I have great confidence in their loyalty and obedience."

"But that doesn't mean we can break these rules arbitrarily. Ma'am, no one should be the absolute core of anything except the Lord of Humanity. I may not be able to prevent such things from happening, but at least I It can start with me."

"You think you believe such words, Robert?"

Ms. Euton's words were very soft, she tilted her head, and there was a sly smile on her face that didn't match her age. If Guilliman could see it, he might be on guard, but Unfortunately, the Lord of Macragge was absorbed in the few rays of morning light outside the window.

"Yes, ma'am, as I just said you said, I endorse such a creed."

"Then why did you build such a room?"

Eudon's soft words made Guilliman's brows twitch. The Primarch turned his head in embarrassment and looked at his adoptive mother. He tried to stop her from continuing to speak, but he couldn't do anything. arrive.

"Create that room, that room that you don't go to often, but occasionally you visit, where you meditate, or fantasize about some future plans,"

"You showed me there, my Robert, what's there? A long table, 21 chairs, all made for the Primarch's figure, and each seat was made of the same material as the long table. granite."

"Banners were spread on the backs of the chairs, and the largest stone chair at the head of the table was hung with the banners of Terra, and the others belonged to the various Legions."

"I also saw the squires go to hang a new banner on that chair, the chair that symbolizes the Second Legion. I saw the banner with the symbol of a dark sun like a sea of ​​​​boiling fire. , but the patterns surrounding the sun are not in my cognition."

"Ring."

The Primarch explained slowly in a low and calm tone.

"It's a Celtic-style circular ring surrounding a smooth dark sun. It's a badge designed by the Lord of the Second Legion for her legion, and it will only be used on formal occasions."

His voice was very soft, as if he was deliberately avoiding the room that Ms. Euton described. Whenever the Primarch thought of that room, he would feel that he was a little too sentimental.

"You have to admit, Robert, that in a certain corner of your heart, you long to sit down with all your blood brothers, even your genetic father, and communicate with all of you on an equal footing about the past, present and future views and opinions.”

"It was with such a desire that you handed over the layout drawings of that room to the best architect in Macragge, didn't you?"

The Primarch of the Ultramarines coughed softly, his eyes dodged a little, and he kept jumping back and forth on the specially customized oversized furniture in the room. After a while, he opened his mouth a little while avoiding the important ones.

"Actually not everyone, like Russ...well, even Russ."

Euton smiled.

"You always mentioned him, although you never praised him, but such a dense frequency itself shows some problems, but you never brought him to the five hundred worlds, so that I could meet him, in fact, until now So far, I don't seem to have met any of your brothers."

The primarch cleared his throat.

"Russ has the demeanor of a king, but unfortunately his kingdom is not destined to be in the same territory as Ultramar, and he will not adapt to a civilized country with a pleasant climate. The square and sculptures of Macragge will make his Finn Reece has an allergic nose."

"What about your other brothers? Each of them is allergic to Macragge? Then I don't think they are the ones who are suspicious. We should think about whether there is something wrong with Macragge that hasn't been noticed."

"Macragge has no faults!"

The Primarch resolutely, quickly, and affirmed this point of view. His eyes stayed on the increasingly bright morning light, and he was silent for a while before he reluctantly accepted the stubborn gaze of the Lord of the Palace. Open your mouth.

"Well, this place is actually a bit remote, and the mission of the Great Crusade is so heavy, we can't expect my brothers to abandon their journey and mission and come here to visit us."

"But now someone is coming."

Euton smiled.

"A visitor, a blood relative, a character who came for you and Macragge, in less than ten tera standards, she will arrive at the Mandeville point of this galaxy to complete a crossing with you A meeting between the stars and time."

"Where are you going to confer with her, Robert, in that room?"

The Primarch thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

"I will have a formal meeting with her in the inner court, ma'am, I will show her the customs, customs, history and culture of the five hundred worlds. This is a very serious meeting. After all, I have not been able to determine the purpose of her visit. , you know, ma'am, the Lord of Humanity allowed her to establish a kingdom of her own, and this kingdom is right next to Ultramar, this may be some kind of supervision, some kind of power between Ultramar and Terra outpost or line of defense between them."

"Or maybe a bridge?"

Euton smiled and asked a subtle rhetorical question. She blinked and walked in front of Guilliman, forcing her adopted son to look at her.

"My Robert, why do you always imagine things so badly? Couldn't one thing develop in your favor? The Primarch who is so close to you must be the supervisor? Can't Is it a friendly neighbor whom fate has cared for, and which happens to fall by your side?"

"Those of your kindred have been scattered throughout the galaxy, from the empty stars west of Terra to Macragge where you are, and who decides where they end up, and one of them happens to be in your Isn't it a lucky thing that you will not be so far away from your blood relatives in the future?"

"...But her country..."

"Not so many buts, Robert."

Eudon patted the Primarch's broad shoulders lightly, and she raised her adopted son's head, stroking the remaining tiredness on his face.

"You also have your own country. Does your country pose any threat to your blood relatives, to your genetic father, or to anyone else?"

"You haven't met her yet, you haven't used your eyes and brain to distinguish and determine who she is, so before that, don't let your worries disturb you."

"She will arrive in less than ten Terra standards, you need an absolutely full state to receive her, no matter what, she is your blood relative, she has the same blood as you, you are the Milky Way The least likely people in the world to hurt each other."

"In that case, what are you worried about?"

The Primarch thought for a moment.

He smiled.

"Perhaps you are right, ma'am."

"I should check again..."

"You should go to rest, Robert."

"You should eat something, and then take the time to take a good rest. After all, there will be a grand welcome ceremony and talks waiting for you soon, and your heart and brain need to get enough rest."

"But those jobs..."

"No one should be at the absolute center of anything."

Euton blinked mischievously.

"Who told me that a few minutes ago?"

"It's different, ma'am..."

"What's the difference, Robert, can't the managers of the Ultramarines and Macragge prepare for an ordinary welcome ceremony without you? Or is there something important now that you have to Supervision?"

"I am your steward, I am your lord of the palace, you can't deceive me, I know there is nothing important now, you originally planned to explore the galaxy named Sosa on the edge of the Milky Way, But because of this meeting, the operation was postponed, and Ultramar is now peaceful."

"We'll take care of everything, you don't have to take it all on your shoulders, now you should get something to eat and get a good night's sleep in your lounge, maybe even on the sofa bed here All right, anyway, what you have to do now is to rest, Robert."

"Rest well, and then meet your blood relative with full energy. If you can, bring her to meet me. I have been curious about another Primarch for a long time. I have even heard that she is a female?"

"Gender doesn't matter, ma'am."

Robert stretched out his hand to tidy up the messy file bags on the table, his words were light and firm, as if he was expounding a truth that even children could understand.

"We are the Primarchs, rulers of worlds and Legions, and sex is a matter of indifference to us, as you know it, ma'am."

"Even for those kings among mortals, gender will not change anything fundamentally. When a person's identity and status are important enough, his appearance, his gender, and even his innermost feelings What he thinks is no longer important, he will become a complex of countless elements, but he will no longer be pure himself."

"In other words, a person who cares too much about gender or other trivial details will never be able to reach this position, or even become the ruler of any world."

Guilliman said, his words silently turned into some kind of preaching in a deep-rooted seriousness, which made Euton a little annoyed and funny. A sharp word.

"Okay, okay, ruler, I'm taught, stop your important words."

Guilliman closed his mouth, and he lowered his head a little sullenly, concentrating on dealing with the scattered items on the table.

Ms. Euton smiled, helping her adopted son with the paperwork on the desk. After putting them all together, the Primarch's adoptive mother looked at her child and watched him rub his face.

"Where are you going to talk to her, Robert?"

"As I said just now, in the inner court."

"No, I mean: After you have finished those official affairs, where do you plan to explain your friendship as each other's blood relatives and brothers, and where do you plan to show her? Let's drive them away."

The Primarch blinked, thought for a moment, then turned to his adoptive mother for help, and got a sly smile as a matter of course.

"If you ask me, Robert."

"How about the newly built Macragge Central Bath?"

(End of this chapter)