Emperor's Bane

Chapter 598 The Wolf God's Ambition
+Eight Legions? +

+Where did the eight legions come from? +
+ The Eastern Front Division that Horus created for the pincer attack in the Battle of Uranus only had four Primarchs and legions in total? And he completed a series of troop deployments and military deployments in front of me. My friend Malcador: Where did the remaining four Eastern Front legions you mentioned come from? +

"From a Primarch whom neither you nor the Wolf Lord have deliberately turned a blind eye to."

＋Impossible!＋
Without any hesitation, the Lord of Mankind's voice of rejection was firm and decisive.

＋Since the day I brought them into this world, I have never deliberately ignored any of my bloodline, and I treat each of them equally. ＋
"..."

The seal holder did not speak. He just kept a rotten wood-like expression and stared silently at the Lord of Humanity who was standing across the table.

#gaze#
＋Ahem…Okay. ＋
+May be a little biased occasionally: technical errors are unavoidable. +
"Better so."

Malcador coughed and stopped dwelling on the issue: Apocalypse's self-deception was not a one-day or two-day problem anyway, and so far, it had not caused any irreparable huge losses.

The Sigillite's thoughts were confused for a moment, but that did not prevent his fingers from brushing across the war astrolabe in front of him. Malcador knew that this was the Ullanor expedition plan jointly planned by Horus and the Emperor before he arrived at the Emperor's Vision, and that most of the work was actually done by the Wolf God alone.

The Lord of Mankind has made up his mind to make the entire Ullanor Orc Empire the best stage for the Wolf God to make the Great Crusade bow down to him: even though this means sacrificing the reputation of countless warriors and victims, including himself.

And Horus did not disappoint his genetic father: when his war plan was finally laid out before Malcador, even the knowledgeable Sigillite had to admit that the Wolf God was indeed a great general.

Among all the Primarchs, perhaps only Jonson could compete with Horus in terms of achievements and strategy: Dorne lacked spirituality after all; Guilliman's poor popularity meant that he could not gather such a large team; Ferrus's several cases of commanding joint operations were not very successful; and although Morgan was trustworthy in terms of ability, she did not like such large-scale sword-fighting and her determination was also questioned.

In fact, even Jonson is not so safe: everyone knows that there are other people behind his achievements, and more than one person.

As for the other candidates, such as Sanguinius, Perturabo and Angron, who had a good reputation in conquering cities, they could not reach this level after all: only the Wolf God could do all this, and it was not just luck that he was favored by the Emperor.

This can also be reflected in another detail, that is, the number of legions gathered at the front line of Ullanor at this time: among the thirteen participating legions, except for a few like the Thousand Sons, World Eaters or Dawnbreakers who obey the Wolf God because of the Emperor's seal on Horus's conscription order, most of the other Primarchs and legions joined the war because of Horus' personal weight, especially those legions that participated in the war with all their members.

As for the Emperor's Seal?
But the icing on the cake.

The Imperium did not have strong power over the military deployment of the Primarchs. Unless there was a direct order from the Emperor or Terra, whether the Primarchs would participate in any battle basically depended on their personal wishes. Malcador hated this lack of system.

But this time, things are much better.

Among the thirteen legions that participated in the war, the Luna Wolves, Death Guard, Word Bearers, Imperial Fists, Blood Angels and Alpha Legions mobilized all their strength, and they were all summoned by Horus.

In addition, the White Scars, Ultramarines, Emperor's Children and Dawnbreakers did not send all their forces, but also dispatched tens of thousands of troops: the Ultramarines were the largest legion participating in the war.

The remaining three legions: the Thousand Sons, the World Eaters, and the Iron Warriors only sent a few companies, which was more symbolic than practical, but considering that they each had combat missions, it was enough to illustrate Horus's connections at the time.

"Thirteen legions, millions of Astartes warriors, and ten Primarchs. Such a huge force was gathered here just by Horus's words and personal influence. Do you think there are other heirs or generals under your command who can do this, Apocalypse?"

After carefully reading every star map and reference document, the Sigillite looked at his master with a serious face: the Emperor was sitting in his seat, absent-mindedly fiddling with the laurel wreath that symbolized the supreme power of the Great Crusade, like a child playing with stones.

The Lord of Mankind seemed to be eager to give away this symbol of power that everyone desired.

+What do you want to say, my friend? +
"Nothing: I'm just worried."

Malcador took a deep breath.

"Today, the Wolf God can mobilize millions of Astartes warriors with his personal influence alone, and more than half of the Primarchs are willing to fight for him. Before this, this was a privilege that belonged only to you, Lord of Mankind."

＋This is normal. ＋
The emperor was quite open-minded.

+ He will take over the responsibilities of the Great Crusade and my crown. If Horus cannot do this at this moment, then it is worth worrying about: the better he does, the more I can rest assured to hand over the entire Great Crusade to him, and there is nothing to worry about. +
"I hope so..."

The Seal Bearer sighed in his heart. He did not argue with the Emperor any more, because in the previous twenty or thirty years, or ever since the Emperor showed that he wanted to hand over all the power of the Great Remote to a so-called warmaster, the Seal Bearer and the Emperor had never stopped arguing on this issue.

The reason is obvious. As a thoroughly military empire, it is impossible for a supreme leader to transfer most of the military power to another senior official while still in office. Although such things have happened in the long and stupid history of mankind, even if the seal holder has exhausted all his knowledge, he cannot find even one example of a good ending.

Malcador even thought he could smell the smoke of rebellion.

In the face of his doubts, the Lord of Mankind's deep-seated arrogance prevailed: the Emperor insisted that he and his wolf-god would be the first example of creation, just like the human empire he had created with his own hands.

+ Before this, who could believe that the entire galaxy could really be ruled by a unified human regime? The so-called Dark Age of Technology or the Golden Age was nothing more than a loose union of separatist groups. They never formed a unified will, but my human empire did it, and it took less than two hundred years: it took thousands of years for humans to break out of the earth and break out of the solar system. +
+We are creating miracles, my reliable Makado, this is an age of miracles, you must have confidence in the future. +
The Lord of Mankind was full of confidence, and what could even Malcador say: he just hoped that the damn bastard was right again this time, he just hoped that the truth was on the side of the minority, or on the side of a madman like the Emperor.

Therefore, compared to these topics that have been debated thousands of times, Malcador is more concerned about some small things at hand: for example...

"Eastern Front Army."

The Sigillite pointed to the edge of the map, which was located on the side of the Far Eastern star field. At this time, flags representing four legions had been erected: Avalon, where the Dawnbreakers were stationed, was not far from the gathering place of the so-called Eastern Front Legion. The flags of the Ultramarines seemed to be about to arrive. The White Scars and the Emperor's Children were a little behind, but they were also very fast.

"Why four of them?"

Machado asked.

"Has your wolf god told you his military thinking on this matter?"

＋Of course. ＋
The Emperor nodded.

＋But I am more curious: what are the eight legions you mentioned? ＋

"Let's not talk about this for now: you first answer my questions about these four legions."

+All right: But this question needs no answer, my friend Malcador. +
The seal bearer looked at the emperor in surprise, and then found that the emperor was also looking at him in surprise.

"Why don't you need an answer?"

------

"Because it's obvious: this is the most suitable arrangement."

"That's true both from a military perspective and from a political perspective."

"I believe that with your rich experience and excellent command ability, you can see this, my sons, the Council of Four Kings whom I trust the most."

The fully armed wolf-god strolled through the ancient strategic hall of the Vengeful Spirit, his sharp claws rubbing against the brass edge of the battle table. The fine metal surface reflected the faces of Horus' four most trusted sons: Cyjames, Abaddon, Aximander and Torgaddon. Behind them stood dozens of main company commanders and senior officers.

This is a strategic meeting for the entire Moon Wolves.

"We do understand much of your strategic planning, Father."

As always, the first one to respond to the Primarch in the meeting was James.

"But I am only curious about one thing. Why do you design the Eastern Front Legion to be composed of these four legions? The addition of the Emperor's Children and the White Scars is particularly confusing. Why do you want to transfer them there specifically?"

"Perhaps because their performance on the front lines will be disappointing."

Before the Wolf God could speak, Abaddon, who was standing next to Sejames, spoke first. An extremely despicable smile appeared on his rough face, and he did not hide his contempt for other legions.

"So Lord Horus put them into the Bait Department..."

"Shut up! Ezekiel!"

Before he finished speaking, the wolf god's roar came as expected: Horus was standing on the other side of the table, between little Horus and Torgathon, but his voice still made Abaddon take two steps back, with large beads of sweat flowing from his forehead and neck.

"Sir...I..."

"I already told you."

The famous claws slammed onto the star field sand table of the battle cylinder.

"They are not baits. We will not use any brother troops as baits again. Remember this, Ezekel, because this is the last time I will remind you: some insidious tactics have reached an outdated stage. Don't keep them in your head. You need to accept some new ideas, my child."

"That won't be easy: especially with Abaddon's current brain capacity."

Torgathon, who was standing next to the Wolf-God, added a witty remark in time, using sarcasm to make everyone in the room laugh, and finally helped Abaddon out of the predicament: Sejames took the opportunity to support Abaddon who was retreating.

"Remember this, brother." He winked at Abaddon.

"Our Lord Wolf Shepherd is about to ascend to the throne of the entire empire's warmaster. Just imagine what kind of blow your words would cause to his image if they were to leak to the outside world. And as Lord Horus said, certain wrongdoings of the past will never be allowed again."

"There are no decoy troops: they are now bona fide friendly forces."

"exactly."

The wolf-shepherd god waved his hand.

"I know you are all confused as to why I would organize a special detachment, but this is a very simple military issue: the territory of the Ullanor Orc Empire spans across the two major regions of the Hazy Star Region and the Far East Star Region, and is heading towards important cities of the empire such as Avalon."

"If we only launch a unilateral attack from the Misty Star Region, we will have to confront the entire Orc Empire head-on, which will cause great losses and is not smart. However, if a sufficiently powerful detachment can launch a joint attack from the Far East Star Region, it will not only disperse the Orcs' strength, but also make the subsequent combat operations of all of us easier."

"After all, our main force can coordinate with the detachment in the Far East and launch a pincer attack, but the Orc Empire cannot do this. This is an advantage, an advantage that comes from the loss of one while the other grows. The success or failure of a war depends on the accumulation of advantages."

"in addition……"

Horus smiled.

"What qualifications do I have to ask the Dawnbreakers and Ultramarines to come all the way to the Nebulous Star Region and join my fleet? If I let them fight in the Far East Star Region, it would be a good thing for all of us."

"The pressure on our front line will be relieved to a certain extent, and they will not only be able to protect their territory in the Far East Star Region, but also will not have to travel thousands of miles to the Misty Star Region: this will greatly speed up the progress of the war."

"That's just one of them, sir."

Sai James spoke.

"It is indeed a long way to go to the Ullanor Expedition to send the Ultramarines and Dawnbreakers from the eastern part of the galaxy to join the Nebula Segmentum. So it is understandable that they form a detachment. Then what about the White Scars and Emperor's Children Legions?"

"As for the Emperor's son's problem..."

Horus felt helpless.

"You may not believe this, but Fulgrim asked me for it."

"initiative?"

"Yes."

The wolf shepherd pursed his lips.

"I'm not sure what he wants to do: but I respect his actions and ideas."

"What about Chagatai Khan?"

"We have to have some of our own on the Far Eastern front, don't we?"

The Wolf Shepherd God smiled quickly.

"And Chagatai is not opposed to his army fighting in a small division. In fact, he prefers the quieter eastern front to the main fleet under my command. For Chagatai, a large number of friendly forces is more terrifying than a large number of enemy forces."

Laughter echoed through the room until Horus motioned for them to stop.

"Of course, the most important thing is that their military structure is reasonable enough."

The Wolf Shepherd God patted the table.

"I have mobilized four of the thirteen legions to form the Eastern Front. Each of these four forces has its own role and mission: the Ultramarines have as many as 150,000 people, which can completely play the role of a stabilizing force; the Dawnbreakers have been working in the Far Eastern border areas for decades, and the benefits of being a local snake are needless to say; the Emperor's Children are a perfect troop that can adapt to any battlefield; the White Scars Legion can be used as a flanking formation, as a vanguard, and as a reconnaissance force."

"More importantly, the combined strength of these four legions has reached about 250,000. With such a force, even a small division can do a lot. If they make good progress, they can attack us from the front and back and completely crush the core area of ​​the Ullanor Orc Empire with a pincer attack."

“What if it doesn’t go well?”

Little Horus rarely spoke
"Then at least..."

Horus sighed. He really didn't want to imagine such a scene: deep down, the Wolf God still hoped that his thirteen brother legions could reunite with him in Ullanor. It would be the most beautiful picture if they worked together to destroy the capital of the Orc Empire.

"Even if they fail, they can still create enough space for us to attack: the characteristics of the orc race determine that as long as we can complete the decapitation operation on Ullanor, the entire greenskin empire will not be a concern."

"So……"

"Any more questions?"

------

＋Yes. ＋
＋What about the remaining four legions? ＋

The Emperor stood up, he seemed unusually persistent about this question.

"You really want to know?"

Malcador, on the other hand, was not in a hurry: especially when he got the answer he wanted.

+You tell me, those four legions came from a Primarch that neither I nor the Wolf Lord deliberately turned a blind eye to? +
"Yes."

The seal bearer curled his lips.

"Is this hard to guess?"

+...Alas... +
After a long silence, the Lord of Mankind let out a deep sigh.

＋It's not hard to guess, after all, this is just a multiple-choice question, but what really confuses me is that no matter how I calculate, Morgan can only bring in three additional legions. ＋
"You know it all?"

+ I am not blind: not even in the Far East. +
+ I know that although Conrad was unable to participate in the battle of Ullanor because he was launching another expedition against the Ghoul Stars, he has already sent his most trusted captain, Sevatar, to lead at least 30,000 elite veterans to assist Morgan in the Ullanor expedition. +
+ I also know that Jonson has sent Corswain and one of his knights to temporarily join the Dawnbreaker fleet. +
+ In addition, Corax and his Raven Guard should also be included. This legion, which has just been given a new name, now has less than 20,000 people. Given Morgan's personality and her relationship with Corax, she will not give them any difficult tasks: but it is still a legion after all. +
+So: Where is the fourth one? +

"Please wait a moment."

The seal bearer turned around and seemed to be looking for something.

"You have my intelligence agency to thank..."

"Give."

+A photo? +

The emperor took it doubtfully.

＋Who is this? ＋
"His name is Dantioch, and he is a warsmith under Perturabo. As I recall, he is in charge of the Fourteenth Battalion, but he is also Grand Duke of Salamas under Morgan. He is now in charge of communication between the two legions."

+So...+
"No so."

Macador smiled.

"He will bring the fourth legion."

+Iron Warriors? +

"That's about right: but with a little Avalon sweetness, you know."

"So where is the real Iron Warriors Legion now? Why are there two of them?"

"Um……"

"I think anyway: this isn't Morgan's problem."

(End of this chapter)