Emperor's Bane

Chapter 564 Emperor - Bomb Disposal Expert

[So, this is the Emperor's true intention in holding this meeting? ]

[Rather than discussing psychic powers, what he really wants to do is: dismantle the contradiction? ]

"That's right, just like defusing a bomb, get rid of it before it explodes."

This is difficult.

"Yeah, I know it's hard."

Leman Russ spread his hands and put on an innocent expression.

"In fact, I am also surprised that the All-Father would make such a choice: when you and Guilliman were busy in the Perfect City, he came to my battleship and told me how he planned to dismantle the bomb, and how to dismantle it, and what I should do."

"That's right: he was standing exactly where you are now."

【…】

[Standing next to your two wolves? ]

"Ah, they dare not rub against him."

The Fenrisian grinned, a hint of cunning in his beard, and he looked with satisfaction at the two Fenrisian wolves he had summoned with his whistle, which were circling around Morgan's legs and rubbing against the tops of her boots: the Spider Queen was obviously not used to such creatures.

"Don't you like wolves, Morgan?"

【I am a cat person. 】

Morgan's voice was very soft. She was so focused on avoiding the two giant wolves surrounding her that her steps seemed a little clumsy. The Spider Queen didn't even bother to raise her eyelids. She could fully imagine that Leman Russ's stupid pupils had widened because of her answer, like a pair of rusty copper bells.

"My God!"

After a few seconds, the wolf king's extremely exaggerated voice finally came.

"I thought you were going to be perfect, Morgan."

Leman Russ was leaning there, on the steps below his ice stone throne, which was wide enough for a Primarch to lie down, and seemed more suitable for Russ than the throne itself: the Primarch leaned on the steps, looking at his blood relative, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

"I'm really surprised that your mammal aesthetics are so poor: how can you like cats? They are lazy and gloomy, have no group will at all, and spend all day and night worrying about the trivial things in their hearts."

[If you want to discredit Jonson, do it in front of him, Ruth, don't treat my ears as your trash can.]

"Then I wouldn't dare."

The wolf king chuckled and raised his hands exaggeratedly in a French military salute.

"I can't beat that guy, Jonson. When he gets crazy, he's even crazier than Conrad. But I don't think he taught you bad things. After all, I can't imagine Jonson raising animals, even cats, so..."

"Did you learn this from Guilliman?"

【…】

"Listen to me: Don't learn your aesthetics from that rich landlord, Morgan."

Why can you even blame Guilliman for such a problem?
At this moment, even the Spider Queen, who had thrown countless pots on the backs of the Macragge people, could not help but pray silently for her brother who was carrying the heavy burden forward, completely forgetting that she also had a contribution, and a considerable one at that.

At least 20% of the blame lies with Guilliman’s broken mouth, 60% to 70% of the blame.

After all, when Morgan thought of that think tank of less than 20,000 people, no matter how much guilt he felt, it was useless: Guilliman and the others should just take the blame.

"Don't think I'm talking nonsense."

The wolf king blinked at Morgan.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Guilliman also has a cat. Although he said that the cat is his adoptive mother's pet, how many of the words he said are true? It's always better to be more suspicious."

【This is truly a wise saying. 】

Morgan nodded.

[So, Russ, after our other brothers left, you kept me here on purpose, just to let me hear you say a few wise words? ]

"Ah...ha!"

The wolf king slapped his head with such force that Morgan wondered if the creature sitting in front of her was a hairy Ogryn.

"Look at my memory!"

The Primarch shook his head and sighed, then grinned, revealing his teeth, and made a "tsk tsk" sound from his teeth, calling back the two giant wolves that were entangled around Morgan's legs: the two ferocious canines coiled around their master as docilely as puppies, and Leman Russ leaned over and used the two giant wolves as his cushions.

It seemed that the Fenrisians planned to live on these stairs for a long time.

"You're welcome, sit anywhere."

The Primarch pointed to the stone-carved chairs nearby, and waited for Morgan to use his psychic power to drag one of them over, and then sat down less than five steps away from him: After doing all this, the Spider Queen did not forget to use her psychic power that had not yet dissipated to pull a large box of chilled liquor from the wine cellar in the next room, and threw it in front of Leman Russ.

#Ruth's favorability towards you +10#

A string of non-existent characters seemed to float in the air.

The corners of Morgan's mouth twitched. She tried hard to adjust her sitting position on the stone chair, but found that she was uncomfortable no matter how she sat. After noticing Leman Russ's playful look, the Spider Queen simply called on her psychic power again to create a layer of invisible cushion for herself.

"It's not a good idea to always rely on psychic powers in your daily life, Morgan."

Ruth's voice came leisurely.

"Your behavior always reminds me of Magnus... and Prospero."

【I'll pay attention, brother.】

Morgan opened her mouth and swallowed back the rebuttal that was about to come out of her mouth: After hearing the name Prospero, memories of the dead began to attack the Spider Queen. She remembered the scenes she witnessed on Magnus's home planet when she had just taken over the Dawnbreaker Legion, which were enough to shatter her worldview.

tsk...

What Ruth said was not entirely unreasonable.

Morgan pouted.

[But this is not what you really want to tell me, brother.]

"Just a reminder."

The wolf king opened a bottle of wine and gave a big gulp to the giant wolf beside him.

"Why do you care so much about why I asked you to stay alone, Morgan? Can't I just reminisce with you? After all, we have gone through a period of ups and downs together. When I want to recall this episode in history books, it seems that you are the only one I can talk to."

"That fellow Zhuang Sen... humph..."

Ruth snorted lightly, but there was no disgust in his smile.

"He is not suitable for reminiscing."

[You are not suitable either. ]

Morgan's words were sharp.

[Because you don't want to talk about the past, Ruth: When you started to recall our fighting side by side, you didn't even dare to look me in the eye.]

"...Tsk."

"You are talking about you..."

The wolf king was silent for a moment and shook his head repeatedly.

"You really don't give me any face at all."

[This is just curiosity.]

The Spider Queen laughed at the right time to ease the awkward atmosphere. Her eyes moved around Leman Russ and finally stopped at the Fenris giant wolf curled up under the shoulder of the wolf king: For some reason, this creature always made her feel familiar.

"Does it look familiar?"

The wolf king patted his wolves.

"Of course you would recognize it. When we first met, I suggested giving you this little fellow. It was just a wolf cub at that time. Unfortunately, before we officially parted, you secretly sent someone to send the wolf cub back."

"At the time, I thought I hadn't chosen a good enough gift."

"Now it seems that this gift just doesn't suit your taste."

The Fenrisian bared his teeth at his wolf, and the giant wolf bared its teeth in return.

Morgan looked at the man and the wolf rolling on the steps and felt a little speechless.

It's not her fault for her hasty words, it's just that Leman Russ's behavior was indeed a bit strange.

About fifteen minutes ago, this large family gathering that brought together six primarchs was hastily declared over. It only lasted for an hour or two in total: more than half of the time was spent secretly scheming against a brother who had not attended. Naturally, such a gathering would not make people linger.

Lorgar was the first to leave. Rather than attending the party here, the Great Word Bearer obviously wanted to return to his battleship and immediately start writing a new batch of devotional manuscripts to set the tone for the upcoming Space Crusade.

The Lord of the Seventeenth Legion said farewell to his brothers with a smile on his face, and promised everyone before leaving that he would soon write the latest version of the Holy Word based on the revelations he received here in the Perfect City: the first edition copied by his own hand would be given to everyone present.

After he finished speaking, Luo Jia left happily in the bleak silence.

The second one to leave was Guilliman, urged on by the fleet itinerary that had been scheduled long ago: this Macragge was already impatient to fly to his Ferrus brother, and the people present had no intention of stopping him.

Originally, Morgan was planning to take her two younger brothers to say goodbye to Guilliman at the same time, but after Leman Russ's words of persuasion, Conrad took Corax and left first. They will return directly to the Far East frontier and will not participate in Morgan's next action.

Perhaps during this journey, the Midnight Haunter will convey some life lessons to his Crow brother based on his own philosophy of life: Conrad is trustworthy now anyway, and he will never mess up such a small matter.

After taking this reassurance, Morgan looked at Leman Russ again.

She was very curious: if even the two of them colluded and sent information like Magnus and Mortarion at the same time, and could discuss it in front of the other four Primarch brothers, then how serious could the topic be that made Leman Russ leave her alone?

Morgan was eager to know.

Before her patience ran out, Leman Russ did not forget his business.

"This young man's energy is really growing stronger and stronger."

He waved his hand, making a gesture to chase them away, and the two Fenrisian giant wolves left the room very humanely, leaving only Leman Russ sitting on the steps and Morgan, who was almost out of patience.

【I hope your remaining energy is strong, brother.】

The Spider Queen narrowed her eyes.

[Now, can you tell me what the "bomb" you mentioned is? ]

"Of course, Morgan."

Ruth smashed open two more bottles of wine.

"Let's make this short."

------

"First, you should already know how serious the All-Father is about this meeting."

【Of course I know. 】

Morgan raised his head.

[If nothing else, he actually notified each Primarch who attended the meeting individually to set the tone of the meeting in advance: I have never seen the Emperor so diligent and cautious before. After all, this is a major project that requires finding more than a dozen Primarchs.]

"Yes: Jonson, Jaghatai, Vulkan, and Angron..."

【……etc. 】

Listening to Leman Russ talking about his brothers in detail, the Spider Queen was in a trance and suddenly thought of something.

[Did the Emperor ever tell you who he sent to find Perturabo?]

"…Perturabo?"

Leman Russ was stunned for a second before he remembered the meaning of the name.

"Hiss... He really didn't say that..."

[You won't forget it, right? ]

"impossible……"

The wolf king was a little unsure.

"How about you go and inform: when was the last time you saw Perturabo?"

【Uh……】

This time, it was the Spider Queen's turn to be unsure.

[It seems that the Emperor took me and him to pick up Corax. That was several years ago. I remember that after picking up Corax, I took Corax away from the Emperor's fleet. If I remember correctly, Perturabo should still be on the Emperor's Dream at that time.] "Are you sure?"

【probably. 】

Morgan muttered.

[Let me think: When did he leave the Emperor's Dream? ]

……

and many more!

Did Perturabo leave the Emperor's Vision?

Morgan thought for a moment.

She stopped thinking.

【Forget it, it’s not important. 】

The Primarch waved his hand.

[You should tell me what the emperor asked you to tell me. By the way, why did he ask you to tell me instead of explaining these issues to me personally? ]

"I know that."

The wolf king laughed.

"According to the All-Father, he does not want to be in the same room with you and Malcador. When both of you are present, he can only tolerate one of you. It is not impossible to be with both of you, but then the All-Father will feel..."

The wolf king paused.

"Ahem: I can't bear it."

[So, because His Excellency the Sigillite is by his side now, the Emperor would rather ask you to relay this matter than to face both me and Malcador at the same time: Right? ]

"That's it."

The wolf king pursed his lips.

"What did you two do to him?"

[You should ask the question the other way around.]

"?"

【……never mind. 】

Morgan held his forehead.

[Stop rambling and get to the point, Leman Russ.]

"understand."

The Primarch smacked his lips.

"It's not a big deal. I just want to discuss with you in detail how we should fulfill the task assigned to us by the All-Father at the meeting. The reason why I left you alone is purely out of the most basic need for confidentiality. After all, Lorgar and Magnus have a good relationship, but I really don't trust Guilliman."

【That’s it. 】

Morgan nodded.

【What do you think? 】

"I can't say what my opinion is."

The wolf king scratched his head and drank the wine from the bottle in his hand.

"I am just repeating to you everything the All-Father told me."

【Can't you add some personal thoughts? 】

"I can't help it. When the All-Father found me, he ordered me to repeat every word he said to you at this moment, and then let you understand and execute it yourself."

【…】

understood.

This old man has degenerated to the point where he doesn't even dare to ask someone to dictate the story in front of her.

------

"That's what the All-Father told me."

"Allfather said that after a long period of thinking, he finally figured out a simple truth: since his biggest goal in the short term is to ensure that the transfer of power on the Great Crusade front can be completed as smoothly as possible when he returns to Terra, then maintaining stability is the top priority compared to other issues."

[Has he finally understood that the fundamental purpose of any policy is to maintain stability? ]

"Really? Anyway, I don't know."

The wolf king shook his head in a very simple manner.

"That is to say, neither the so-called Psychics nor the Anti-Psychics are the All-Father's biggest enemy at the moment. Since what the All-Father really wants is a stable situation, then the only ones he needs to deal with are the Radicals. They are the enemies of stability."

"As for these radicals, whether they support psychic powers or oppose them is not important."

【why? 】

"Why!"

The wolf king laughed sarcastically.

"Answer me, Morgan."

"An extremely fanatical, pro-psychic guy."

"And an extremely fanatical, anti-psychic guy."

"Are there any fundamental differences between these two people?"

“They are all destabilizing factors.”

【…】

[In other words, the fundamental purpose of this meeting is not to discuss psychic issues? ]

“That’s not entirely true.”

The wolf king stretched out his fingers and drew extremely rough lines in the air.

"That's what the All-Father thinks."

"First, Morgan, if you were asked to pick out the most serious internal conflict that has existed since the Great Crusade began, which one would be most likely to cause conflict after the Emperor leaves? Which one do you think it would be?"

【…】

Morgan thought for a moment.

Mutant problem?

"Yes."

The Wolf King smiled.

"Mutants, including various subhuman races and those psykers, are the biggest internal conflict of the Great Crusade right now. For everything else, whether it's the conflict between the Astartes and mortals, or the conflict between the central authority of the Empire and the localities, fundamentally, there is room for negotiation and compromise."

"The problem with mutants is not that they don't have space and room, but that the space and room they have is minimal, and smallness is inevitable."

"After all, compared to the Astartes or the distant Terran Council, these mutants and subhuman races are more different. And psykers are the representatives of them. They perfectly illustrate the awkward position of mutants in the Empire."

"On the one hand, they are indeed a huge potential bomb within the Empire. Any out-of-control psychic is a nightmare. However, on the other hand, their power is indeed indispensable to the Empire. The most typical examples are the navigators and the Astropaths."

"Plus, those who support them and those who oppose them are equally numerous and powerful. If one is not handled properly, it will cause serious divisions within the Great Crusade. If the mutant problem must be solved forcefully, then the navigators alone will be enough to cause chaos throughout the entire empire."

“And this is a line.”

Ruth drew a vertical line in the air.

"Then answer my second question, Morgan: Among all the Primarchs, who are the most unstable?"

【You have already given the answer.】

This time, the Spider Queen didn't even hesitate.

【Mortarion and Magnus.】

"Yes."

The Primarch nodded again.

"Whether it is Magnus or Mortarion, they are the kind of people who would be foolish enough to stir up trouble when the All-Father is no longer at the forefront of the Great Crusade: therefore, both of them will be the All-Father's targets."

“This is another line.”

Ruth drew another horizontal line.

"So tell me, Morgan: when these two lines intersect..."

【It is a bomb.】

Morgan frowned.

[A huge bomb is the biggest hidden danger within the Great Crusade, and it also symbolizes the biggest internal contradiction and the most unstable element: unless the Emperor takes action personally, even if the successor Warmaster takes over the power of the Great Crusade, he will not have enough prestige and means to eliminate this primary internal hidden danger. ]

"Yes."

“And this is the purpose of the meeting.”

"The meeting took psykers, who represent mutants, as the theme, and attracted Magnus and Mortarion, the two most unstable elements. Various means were used at the meeting to separate them from the larger group: appeasing them, reprimanding them, and ensuring that these two unstable elements could settle down after the All-Father left."

"At the same time, we must eliminate the hidden dangers brought by mutants as smoothly as possible: using the Emperor's decrees and the testimony of all the high-level officials of the Empire as sufficient credibility, we can appease the hearts of the mutants, led by the psykers, and ensure that they will not continue to cause trouble during the Great Crusade."

"In addition, it can also deter those groups that discriminate against mutants. At least when the Great Crusade is underway, the All-Father does not want these two groups to continue to have internal conflicts."

"The minimum: delay it until the All-Father returns again."

[…That’s a good idea.]

After pondering for a while, Morgan finally nodded.

She had to admit that the emperor's design was indeed beautiful.

It doesn't look like he designed it at all!
But the only problem is...

[Has he told you how we should implement it at that time? ]

"Is this..."

Leman Russ's hesitation suddenly gave Morgan a bad feeling.

"He actually did."

[…Then tell me now! ]

"Well, that's what I said."

------

＋Just break my words apart, break them down, and explain them clearly to her. ＋
＋Yes, the cause, motivation, and the interest groups and individuals involved are all clearly stated. ＋
+ She is the person involved anyway. Even if she really wants to hide, she can't. If Magnus falls, she will be the only one among the psychics who can take the lead. +
"..."

+By the way, remember to tell her. +
+This time, I didn't force the task on her. +
+Who told her to promote her influence among the various Astartes Legions through that think tank project? +

------

【…】

"..."

#Get up#
"Where are you going, Morgan?"

【Go to your arsenal and find the most powerful bomb. 】

"...?"

[There is still time: the Emperor's Fantasy should not have gone far. ]

(End of this chapter)