Emperor's Bane

Chapter 236 The Great Luthor

"A war, about killing, about thunder, about bloodshed and revenge, about the endless expansion of imperial hegemony, about the end of generations of ancient hatred."

"About Luthor."

"Mighty Luther, great Luther."

"Now the soldiers are talking about you like this, they like to put this or a similar title on you because of the things you bring to them: victory, honor, and being alive."

These are some florid flattery from an Iron Warrior, son of Perturabo from Olympia.

Dantioch stood in the huge shadow cast by [Heart of Steel]. It was a brand new battle barge, which was born from the void dock closest to Olympia less than five Tara standard years ago, and was then randomly handed over to Dantioch by the Primarch as an envoy's prop and an unintentional gift.

Though this does not speak to how much the Primarch valued his brood, the young Iron Warriors were accustomed to maintaining the ship with the utmost care and keeping in touch with it as much as possible: whether daily on its bridge or standing in its shadow.

He regarded this battleship as a gift from the father of Genes, the love that every Iron Warrior dreamed of, but never received a real answer. He saw this kind of thing that the sons of Perturabo longed for on this void engine that he had never met before, so he cherished it carefully, until this not-so-secret secret was known to everyone in the upper and middle ranks of the entire expedition fleet.

Everyone knows that His Excellency Dantioch from the Fourth Legion is a very rational and humble warrior, as long as you don't intentionally destroy the battle barge bestowed by his genetic father, he won't be really angry.

At the very beginning, this was a tiny secret that had been circulated between the Mechanical Priest and the Iron Warriors, and the crew of the navy only knew it unintentionally. It wasn't until a terrible routine maintenance made Perturabo's heirs rarely lose their temper that this secret became a fact that everyone dared not try.

Of course, not everyone is afraid to give it a try and use this secret to make jokes: such people are either particularly reckless, or have a particularly good relationship with the Son of Perturabo.

Luther fell into the latter category, in fact he was the first friend Dantioch made during this trip.

Although when the Lord of the Second Legion appointed Dantioch, an Astartes warrior, as Luthor's deputy, it had aroused the concerns of countless people including the two involved, but the two quickly proved that they could be very good partners.

Luthor's sophistication and composure are enough to make any real warrior respect from the bottom of his heart, while Dantioch showed his superhuman calmness and talent at the fastest speed.

After fighting side by side, they became friends, and after three more battles, they became confidantes, and now, they have spent side by side...

"Is this No.30 times? Or No.30 once?"

"Who still remembers how many times old Luthor won and conquered with honor?"

The joke-like rhetorical question was uttered from the mouth of the son of Perturabo, which made the two people on the high platform laugh: the Olympian was safely under the shadow of the battle barge, while the old knight of Caliban patted his head, his humble smile could not conceal the proud light in his pupils.

"This is No. 30 three times, my reliable Dantioch. Since Lord Morgan handed over this expedition fleet to us, this is the No. 30 three battles we have fought, and the No. 20 seven planets we have regained by force."

"Yeah, you completed all this in less than three years: you broke through two star regions, recovered 27 worlds, wiped out dozens of green-skinned rogues and alien pirates, and even had several beautiful persuasion activities."

"Now, Avalon's flag covers not only the star region it is in. In the two star regions that are separated, more than half of the galaxies have already knelt under the double-headed eagle flag of the holy Terra. The lord of the second legion can proudly declare that she owns more than fifty core worlds: you have credit for this, no doubt, isn't it?"

"Perhaps only the No.20 Third Expeditionary Fleet led by His Excellency Morgan himself can surpass you in merit. Luthor, you are now a well-known big shot. Even Ultramar has heard of your reputation."

"It's just a false name. Some of my victories are also due to luck and everyone's support, and this part is obviously blurred by rumors. It doesn't explain anything."

Luthor was still laughing, very humbly, but Dantioch could see the gleam in Caliban's pupils, and he knew that it wasn't arrogance or vanity, but a kind of sincere happiness brought about by the satisfaction of mission and the filling of honor.

In a sense, Luther is a very simple character, so simple that Dantioch saw him clearly and knew what he did early in the morning: he knew that the Caliban in front of him was rejuvenated due to the wind and sand of war and the frequent rejuvenation operations. He knew that under Luther's shiny black hair was the inevitable paleness brought about by age.

He was old, but he didn't want to admit it at all, so he redoubled his efforts in every war, more fanatical and fearless than any conqueror, and he often even charged forward, because in the eyes of the Calibans, both the glory of victory and the glorious death are wonderful gifts brought by war.

Dantioch saw this clearly, so he respected the mortals in front of him more and more, and also found his own meaning and value in the position of fleet deputy.

"Fame can't be exchanged for some things. It may be exchanged for temporary rampant or deceitful fame, but it cannot be exchanged for more things: such as real glory, such as the support of soldiers, such as the scene that happened before your eyes, Luther."

"If the soldiers don't love you, if they don't see you as a hero of victory and a great commander, they won't do it. Look at the cheers in front of you, Luther."

"You deserve it."

Luther blinked, and the words of the son of Perturabo were like the most precious drop in the silent spring rain that melted the cold winter: Although he had known and accepted it long ago, his heart still felt a certain kind of nourishment. The drop of dew that wiped away the dryness was called friendship and bond, honor and mission.

He has it all, doesn't he?
Looking at the scene in front of him and the magnificence under the high platform, Luthor couldn't deny this sentence.

He took a step forward, trying to see himself more clearly.

Luther stood on the dais.

Under the high platform, there is a grand military parade, a majestic display, and a hearty applause for another great victory.

This newly surrendered world already has a splendid human civilization. They have an ancient avenue that traverses the world. Its history is no different from the foundation of the thick and hive capital. There is nothing more suitable than this place to show force.

The noble platform made of black marble and thick granite is on one side of this avenue, facing the highest peak in the world, and the other end is the capital of the world.

Crowds of legions were advancing along this avenue, heading to and from the airport. They passed in front of the high platform where Luther himself was standing, cheering and respecting. The pillars adorned with the bones of war engines of the defeated were scattered along the avenue. After that, there were braziers filled with anthracite, endlessly illuminating the entire main road with its blue-white flames.

The first to pass was the small phalanx of the Iron Warriors. They came from a company brought by Dantioch. Although this company has suffered certain losses in the past few years, the blood shed by them is far less than what they shed under the command of the father of genes, and the honor and praise they have received may be more than the entire Iron Warriors.

Then came the successive squadrons of the Catachan Auxiliary Army. These unruly barbarians who are accustomed to wearing oil paint only took a few battles to conquer all the commanders. All their mavericks were regarded as an overflow of pride and ability. The material resources from Avalon continued to flow into the emerald green world of death. In contrast, there are now more than 15 Catachans fighting under the banner of the Second Legion. They have already won for themselves and the Astartes The same status as fighters.

When the target from the death world passed before Luther, their cheers and applause could even overturn the sky: Maybe the Calibans and Catachans did not get along well at the beginning, but they quickly found the heart and soul that also came from the dense forest. After Luther showed his sufficient trust, respect and even indulgence, he got the same from the Catachans.

"I heard that Lord Morgan is signing a further treaty with the Catachans."

"Yes, but it didn't go well. You know, Luthor, how casual the warriors of this dead world are. They won't even succumb to the light of a Primarch, but the treaty from Avalon is completely equal, so it should only be a matter of time before it is passed."

"It's a pity that the death world is too far away, otherwise it might be allowed to join the federation of Avalon, just like the foundry world Tigress. It is said that their covenant with the Primarch has finally been finalized?"

"Luther, sometimes your words make me suspect that you are an Avalonian."

"This galaxy has never stipulated that there can only be one hometown, has it?"

The Caliban raised his hand, responding to the cheers in the phalanx below.

"Then this hometown is a bit too huge."

The Son of Perturabo smiled without malice.

"Let me think about it, how many years have passed since that lord returned from the Five Hundred Worlds, or in other words, since she reigned in Avalon?"

"If it is counted from her King's Landing in Avalon, it will be a little more than three Terra standard years. If she visits the five hundred worlds and brings back hundreds of professional administrators, it will be about two and a half years."

"However, our expedition did indeed begin three years ago."

"Yes, in the past three years, the empire's rule has taken root in this remote and remote eastern border of the galaxy. Including us, the four expedition fleets under His Excellency Morgan's command have conquered more than sixty galaxies and hundreds of worlds. Although most of them are desolate wastelands without civilization, they still have enough resources to be mined, or valuable enough to carry out colonization activities."

"From an economic point of view, the Avalon star region and the star regions around it are rare fertile land. Even the chaos of the era of strife rarely affects this place. It's a pity that this place is too remote, and the light of Holy Terra is really hard to shine."

"But it does have unlimited potential, doesn't it? In the east of it there is still a large unexplored star field, and the trade with the five hundred worlds has established a lifeline from the south. Reza in the west is said to be very satisfied with the agreement with Lord Morgan. We have even become accustomed to fighting side by side with the warlike Titan Legion."

"They were really good, unforgettable comrades in arms."

Luther narrowed his eyes, and he saw that in the distance, in the layers of fog, in the gray-white curtain raised by the industrial waste gas of this world, several magnificent machines of God were walking in the fog.They also embarked on the journey back. They are very few in number, but they look more spectacular than an entire army. In the past few years, they have been Luthor's most reliable and respected comrades-in-arms. Even this old knight of Caliban had never had the experience of fighting alongside the powerful Titan Legion before, let alone thought that one day he would have the power to command the most powerful Iron Knights.

But the facts are always unpredictable: the female tyrant of Avalon, as a ruthless performance-considering machine, took the actual situation as a matter of course more than the illusory honor, when Luthor demonstrated his ability and value with clean victories.He naturally became the second person in the Avalon Federation besides Morgan himself who could command the Titan Legion.

Even the Dawnbreakers who are the heirs of Morgan have never received this honor and important task.

Before that, Luthor's army had already included Dark Angels, Steel Warriors, Reza's Skitarii, Catachan's auxiliary army, various mortal legions from Avalon, and even some Dawnbreakers and the occasional Luna Wolves who came to help.

Plus today's Titan Legion.As a mortal commander.His present status and power seemed unimaginable.

"It's all about the Primarch's trust, isn't it?"

"It's also because of your ability, Luther."

The son of Perturabo snorted softly, and made no secret of his approval for his best friend.

"People like us who are always far away from the main force of the Second Legion understand that the ruler of Avalon is a person who puts the actual situation above all personal thoughts, and she loves and respects her legion so much, and for an outstanding mortal like you, she will love you as her son."

"Yes, Lord Morgan always knows what kind of person to put in what kind of position, so she can achieve success and victory at an amazing speed, doesn't she?"

"Like Abaddon?"

"Like Abaddon."

"Your Excellency Morgan didn't put the Shadow Moon Wolf in any long-range fleet, but allowed him and his fighters to wander freely in the battle line, choosing any battle they thought was suitable to join in: I don't know if she has any deep meaning in doing this, but I think Abaddon personally likes this arrangement."

"Yeah, that son of Horus always seems to like to rush to the forefront."

The Caliban smiled.

Luther kept waving his hands, saluting every phalanx that passed in front of him. Even though his old body was already overwhelmed, even though his muscles and bones were retorting in pain, he still insisted on returning salutes to every soldier who cheered for him. In his cognition, this was the duty of a commander.

Just got it all.

Luther narrowed his eyes.

He saw it, he saw the endless army extending from one end of his pupil to the other, among them were mortals, Astartes warriors, and even the Titan Legion, they sang his name, they chanted his victory, they praised Luthor's qualifications and greatness as a commander, and they gave back in their own ways to make Luther's moving chants.

The cheers of the soldiers resounded through the sky, and the Titan Legion raised their heads and cannon heads to pay tribute to the great commander. Beside him, Dantioch patted his shoulder, smiled, and pointed to the highest peak in the world in the distance.

"It's a good place to photograph a fort, my friend."

"I think I will take people to the foot of the mountain there and build a fortress: it is a natural key point, it is enough to suppress the entire hive city and the wilderness, as long as we hollow out the mountain, we can store survival materials in it for ten years or more."

Dantioch was always like this, Luther thought, he was even used to similar words and actions from Perturabo's son.

Whenever the old knights of Caliban commanded armies to reclaim a world, the Sons of Horus would occasionally join in as hounds of honor in the charge, and Dantioch, though not obsessed with honor in war, was obsessed with building a great war fortress on each reclaimed world, and inscribed the name of his Gene-Father and his Legion.

This pattern has happened countless times in the past few years: Luther won the authority and glory of commanding the battle, the sons of Horus won the carefree and simple battle, and the Olympian warriors were sometimes praised as the backbone of the war, and sometimes in the rare free time, they crafted more and more perfect steel fortresses one after another, as their traces in Avalon.

Everyone is content with their lives.

At least Luther did.

The Caliban breathed deeply.

The gunpowder smoke after the battle seemed a little too strong, and the sunlight above his head seemed a little too glaring. Luthor could feel that a teardrop slipped out of his eye socket, crossed his eyes and cheeks, and fell on his stubble-covered chin.

He couldn't hear what the soldiers in the distance were shouting, and he couldn't see what kind of smile Dantioch was showing next to him. He couldn't even remember how many battles he had experienced, how many honors he had won, and how many times he had achieved everything he dreamed of in the forest of Caliban in the past few years.
It's like a dream, isn't it?
It was like a dream that he could not have imagined a few years ago: Who would have thought that a knight who wielded a sword in the forests of Caliban in his early years could now be the commander of such a huge fleet?Taking the stars and the Milky Way as his own battlefield, he lashed out at Fang Qiu.

Even the greatest and most exaggerated murals in the Knights may not be able to describe my thousand journeys at this time.

Even in the dwindling ancient forests of Caliban, every year, every decade, or even longer, is not as good as every second I experience now.

The stubborn teardrop was dragged by gravity, passed through his mottled armor, and blew all the way to the high platform next to the boots, but Luther didn't care about it now, he was indulging in a different kind of greatness, he was indulging in the regretless life written by mission and glory.

……

Maybe, at this moment.

He is happy.

------

"Maybe at this moment, you are the happiest person in the galaxy, aren't you?"

Hawthorne came here on purpose from Avalon, the home planet of the Second Legion. He came here on purpose from the round table of the mortal council, which had matured and grown larger. He came here on purpose for the precious world under his feet that would add endless support to his genetic mother in the future.

"The hundred-year long-cherished wish of the ancestors of the past generations has been fulfilled today. Your family, your surname, has once again become the master of this world, and will continue forever under the powerful protection of the empire. Compared with that, the price we ask you to promise and pay is really insignificant, isn't it?"

The tea in his hand is a rare boutique in Terra, and the paintings on the wall are also pleasing decorations. Even the mortal words that answer his words are flattering enough to make any ruler ecstatic.

"Do you want to regret it, sir?"

Facing the hesitation of mortals, Dawnbreaker blinked his eyes, and his pupils exuded a dangerous light that only belonged to Terra veterans, which was enough to make the hairs of mortals on the other side of the table stand on end, and immediately swore to God that he would never break his promise.

"That's right, Your Excellency."

The warm smile, as if the slight words just now, didn't exist at all.

"How could I worry that you would break your promise? After all, how many promises in this galaxy are there, as our genetic mother offers, tolerance and mercy.

"You have to know, Your Excellency, before meeting us, you and your followers were nothing more than a group of rogues in the star field, lingering under the pressure of those alien counterparts, the most precious thing in your hands is nothing more than this ancient claim to this world, but that was already a few centuries ago.

"Since your family has declined and fled in internal strife, all your ancestors can only pass away generation after generation in the regret of returning to glory, until you get our help and once again take your throne into your pocket."

"From today, this world, this huge industrial area in the world, its precious population resources, and its important geographic location, will belong to you, belong to the empire, and will always belong to our genetic mother."

The words that have been modified in every possible way could not wipe away the sad face of the mortal ruler across the table. After hesitating for a long time, he made a humble request to the figure in front of him who could represent a large army.

"Taxes and the conscription of Astartes warriors among the people are all right. I just want to ask for one thing. Can all my sons not be recruited?"

"You know, my lord, during the long Void career before, my family was already in a state of depleted population. I only have four sons and three daughters. Counting all collateral blood relatives, there are only less than 100 people. Although Lord Morgan's agreement is indeed very kind and fair, she requires all sons and even daughters to participate in the selection. Even the most outstanding descendants of those collateral lines are also candidates."

"A weak bloodline is not conducive to the long-term rule of the empire here."

"Look what you're talking about, sir."

Hawthorne smiled. He slowly sipped the fine wine in the cup, casually took out a roll of blueprints from his side, spread them out on the table, and told the new President of the World Parliament opposite him, telling the kindness from his genetic mother.

"First of all, there is a concept that needs to be cleared up. Your Excellency, our selection is not a feudal dynasties careless about human life. Our selection is aimed at the selection of the noble emperor's angels and Astartes warriors. You must know how many families in Avalon are willing to fight each other for such an opportunity. Your family will gain such glory and luck. Under the care, every generation of your family's descendants will join the selection of the Astartes Legion."

"But I heard..."

"But you have heard that the selection of Astartes warriors is very cruel, sir?"

"Oh, fathers like you who are worried about the lives of their children are really rare in the current galaxy, but please don't worry, we will use our reputation to guarantee that we will respect the lives of every candidate. After all, their ability to participate in this selection shows their excellence, and it also shows that they are not objects that will be ignored and squandered at will."

"I can assure you in my own name, Your Excellency, among the heirs you participated in the selection, those who are the most outstanding will become Lord Morgan's fighters and become the great emperor's angels, and those who show their talents but do not meet the standards of Astartes fighters will not be wasted. Sufficiently important mid-level technical officials."

"Of course, your daughters will also receive the same attention. Lord Morgan is working hard to create a unique mortal women's army. She even designed a power armor specially for this army. If your daughter can pass the test, she will also become a soldier fighting for the empire, and gain glory and life unimaginable by ordinary people."

"Of course, we won't just sit back and watch a loyal bloodline like yours be cut off. Those heirs who were too unfortunate in the selection process, or the oldest and stable heirs, will return to you again. They will become the successors of your rights and glory, inherit your family, and inherit the status of the speaker. As long as your bloodline continues in this world, the speaker of the world parliament will still belong to your family. This is a guarantee from the empire and Lord Morgan."

"Similarly, in order to reward you for your hard work to the empire, those distant interstellar, in another galaxy or even another star region, those worlds that are explored and suitable for colonization, will be given priority to you. If you want, you can send outstanding descendants of your family to give them help and support, and let them establish branches outside the distant star region."

"Of course, just like your sons who have been promoted successfully, it may be difficult for them to meet you again. After all, the stars are so far away, but I think the continuation of the family must be more important than these small indifferences, isn't it?"

"Leaving aside those bloodlines that became Astartes warriors, if your heir is lucky enough to become a governor, law enforcement officer or technocrat, he will not be active near his hometown, you know, the most basic hedging."

"But if their work is good enough, they can get rewards from the Primarch, and their lifespan will be long enough to meet you again. Of course, you must also work hard enough. If your shrewdness, cunning, and smoothness can make all of us shine, we will absorb you into a higher-level star council. There are countless elders of world ruler families who are as good as you. You will discuss the most important bills of the Avalon Federation and get sufficient life-extending surgery and protection."

"Think about it, Your Excellency, from now on, your family is so lucky, you have the possibility of rising to the top, every generation of your blood will kiss greatness, and your family will always be the president of this world council, and will always be admired. As long as you can maintain your loyalty to Lord Morgan, as long as you can faithfully fulfill every order from Avalon, your inheritance will continue forever.

"Of course, I know that this will bring some small troubles. For example, the scarcity of blood may lead to insufficient ruling power, but please rest assured that Mr. Morgan has already thought of all this for you."

"In this world, we will send governors who graduated from the Academy of Loyalty, and place them in the Ministry of Justice directly under Avalon. The governor will bring professional technical bureaucrats to solve your administrative troubles. The Ministry of Justice will ensure that the world operates in a fair manner. Of course, they may be Ultramarians in the past few years, but in the next few days, they will gradually be replaced by elites graduated from the Academy of Loyalty."

"With them here, you don't need to worry about your descendants suffering from complicated government affairs. You just need to enjoy the benefits and wealth brought to you by the empire as a matter of course. At the same time, the station of our auxiliary army is not far from here, and the outpost of our Astartes fighters can also complete the support within one Terran standard month. The safety of your family is nothing to worry about."

"Be good at the seat of the speaker. You don't need to worry about anything more. Whether it's the daily administration, the selection of soldiers and freshmen from the Academy of Loyalty, or the execution of the judiciary, we will do it for you."

"Of course, the parliament you lead also has the power to make legislation. After obtaining the approval of the governor, you can promulgate some laws applicable to this world."

"You know, Your Excellency, whether it is the supporting governor or the legal department directly under it, they are now benefits that only the core world can enjoy. The general world cannot enjoy such care from the Primarch."

"Then finally, let me congratulate you again."

"Welcome to Avalon."

"Welcome to Morgan's kingdom."

(End of this chapter)