Emperor's Bane

Chapter 614 The Great Expedition Never Ends

"Excuse me, father, but such an empty reason cannot convince the entire legion."

"Not even Abaddon would believe it."

Among all the descendants of the Wolf God, only one person could say such directly hitting words without batting an eyelid. And at this moment, he was standing in front of Horus, sharing a private room with his genetic father, a room where the Wolf God could reveal his inner thoughts.

It was because Horus knew that the child in front of him was worthy of his absolute trust.

"Hasta."

The wolf-shepherd god smiled, a rare look of fatigue flashing on his finely carved face. Even his godly majesty could not conceal the dim color in his eyes: the war with the Ullanor Orc Empire might not make people feel desperate, but it was definitely long and difficult, and Horus was never a Primarch known for his tenacity.

From his favorite tactic, which is to use 3D teleportation technology to allow himself and the Terminator squad to carry out decapitation strikes on key enemy targets, it can be seen that the Wolf God loves the kind of war that is clean and neat, perhaps cruel, but never protracted, and the same is true of his Moon Wolves Legion: the Ullanor Crusade is precisely not their area of expertise, and the back-and-forth tug-of-war across hundreds of galaxies is more suitable for Dorn's Imperial Fist.

But even so, the exhausted Horus was still able to greet his most capable child with his best face: he also looked forward to using this private conversation to explore whether certain ideological trends within the legion were in line with his own wishes.

"You got here quicker than I thought."

"I beg your pardon, father."

Sadly, his children didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.

"When you see something stupid, the quicker you can stop it the better, right?"

The words were sharp: as they should be.

Sejanus, with a pair of moon-silver pupils, may be the greatest outlier in the entire Luna Wolves Legion: although there are a total of 140,000 arrogant Cthunian warriors under the banner of Horus, among them, no one can compare with Sejanus, whether in terms of ability, qualifications, achievements, or the favor of Horus and the support of other brothers, Sejanus is the number one among the Luna Wolves.

At any time, his words could greatly shake the Wolf Shepherd God's mind, because he could always stand on the right position and think about problems with the most rational point of view, even if the problems involved his own interests.

"I admit that it is the best idea for you to let our fleet stay outside the Ullanor system, take a short rest, and wait for reinforcements. We must at least unite the main forces of the Imperial Fists and the Death Guard to shake the throne of the Ullanor Orc Emperor. If we want to ensure victory in one blow, then we'd better wait for the arrival of the fleet of the Lord of Mankind..."

"Like Gojong?"

The Wolf-God interrupted Sejanus's chatter. He was standing next to the only window in the room. From his field of vision, he could clearly see the deck of the Vengeful Spirit: in the recent Battle of Goron, it was there that the Emperor met Horus, and then the father and son rushed towards the burning galaxy together.

"Yes."

Sejanus was stunned for a moment. The words of the Father of Genes reminded him of the glorious moment above the planet Goron. Sejanus had also stood in the ranks of the Moon Wolves and burst into tears for the arrival of the Lord of Mankind. He also knew how much Horus missed that happiest day.

The Council of Four Kings once joked in private when the Primarch was absent: if their genetic father could talk in his sleep, then Gorron would definitely be the second most common word. As for whether the first most common word was father or the Emperor, Abaddon and Torgaddon always had different opinions.

As for the Warmaster?

Everyone knows that Horus doesn't really care about that thing. Even Abaddon cares about this title more than him: if the title of Warmaster was given by the Terran Council instead of the Emperor, then it would be a question whether the Wolf God wanted it or not.

The wolf god coughed lightly, pulling Sejanus back to reality.

"In that case, why did you come all the way to see me, kid?"

"Because... um..."

Sejanus paused, not knowing what to say next: To be honest, Sejanus did not want to come to Horus to complain, but the pressure behind him at this time came from other Luna Wolves and from radicals led by Abaddon.

But Abaddon could not really be allowed to come: if the captain of the first company were to come in person, the outcome would most likely turn into one of the more intense daily quarrels between Abaddon and Horus among the hundreds of daily quarrels, which would not be a good thing for the wolf-shepherd god who was exhausted physically and mentally because of the war.

The reason why Abaddon and the warriors behind him were dissatisfied was very simple.

"We can all understand the Emperor, the Imperial Fists, and the Death Guard. It's no big deal to share the glory with them. We have all seen their sacrifices along the way. But why do you want to unite with the Dark Angels? Is there any indispensable reason for the First Legion? This is confusing both emotionally and logically."

"Is this what Ezekiel asked you to ask?"

Horus did not answer the question. Instead, he asked Sejanus a question, then slowly walked from the window to the desk made of black marble and granite. On it was an orc skull half the size of Sejanus. It was the spoils captured by the Wolf God on Goron, and it was also the reason why the Moon Wolves were unwilling to move forward.

Just a border warlord of the Ullanor Empire was so exaggerated. Who knew how powerful their emperor was? In the eyes of the Luna Wolves, it was somewhat unsafe to let Horus, a Primarch, challenge Emperor Ullanor.

"They just...somewhat don't understand."

Sejanus pondered the words.

"After all, whether it is Jonson or his Dark Angels Legion, or even the entire Eastern Front Legion behind them, they are now acting as our... competitors in a sense?"

Horus laughed.

"Faced with a powerful enemy, are the battle brothers still treating each other as rivals?"

"That's not what they meant..."

Sejanus argued in a low voice. He was keenly aware that Horus at this moment seemed a little different from before, but Sejanus did not hate this change: such an upright wolf shepherd god was the warmaster worthy of the loyalty of the entire Great Crusade.

Yes, even a cautious character like Sejanus had already regarded the Warmaster as something that Horus could easily capture, which was the main reason why he could now empathize with Ezekiel and the others: he also found it difficult to understand what kind of mood Horus was in when he actively asked for cooperation with the Dark Angels.

Even without the First Legion, they were strong enough to capture Ullanor: reinforcements from the Emperor and other Western Legions were still a few weeks away, and it would obviously take even longer for Jonson's reinforcements, so there was really no reason to join forces with him?
"All right, Sejanus."

The Primarch waved his hand.

"Tell me first, do the Four Kings Council and the captains hold this idea? They don't want to cooperate with the Dark Angels Legion, are full of doubts about my orders, and even want me to withdraw this alliance letter before it's too late?"

"Including you, my fourth captain?"

"… Each one is different, sir."

Hearing the terrifying anger in the Primarch's words, he lowered his head, swallowed quietly, changed the address in his mouth without a word, and then reported the actual situation in the legion truthfully: Sejanus knew how terrible the Wolf God's control over the Shadow Moon Wolves was, and lying to his father was never within his consideration.

Horus was a father.

But he is also a loving father when necessary.

"Although we are all quite confused about the order of the United Dark Angels, as long as you insist, no one will raise any objections: Please don't blame Ezekel for being reckless. We all know that he is your most staunch follower, but we also know that since he returned from the Far Eastern Frontier, he always likes to express his own opinions on the affairs of the Legion. You encourage this."

“I certainly encourage that.”

Horus snorted.

"I never doubted Ezekiel: next to you, he was the one I trusted most."

"But I also know that, a lot of the time, he doesn't actually understand what I'm thinking."

"Neither can I, Father."

Sejanus breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I promise that I will forget all this after the Ullanor Crusade is over."

"very good."

The smile returned to Horus's face.

"But don't forget it too clearly: if after the Ullanor War, I make a similar decision again, including showing some unnecessary kindness in your eyes to unite those estranged brothers, please don't question my decision again."

Out of sight of Sejanus, Horus took a deep breath.

"It's already difficult to make a decision, and your lack of understanding will only make it worse."

The Primarch muttered quietly.

"Understood, father."

Sejanus responded loudly, and the Wolf God nodded in satisfaction. He knew his child too well and knew that Sejanus' promise would last until the end of time: without him, what would Horus, the Council of Four Kings, and even the Luna Wolves do?

The Wolf God sighed, and he quickly walked to Sejanus and put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. After making sure that his offspring was in a normal mood, he tentatively revealed his anxiety to him.

"Serjanus, how many people like you do you think there are in the Legion?"

"Being able to understand my thoughts, at least being able to sympathize with my difficulties."

"We know that if we want to get something, we must pay a corresponding price: just like the position of Warmaster, it requires not only courage on the battlefield and the favor of the Emperor, but also care for other Primarch brothers, as well as unity and tolerance when necessary, rather than taking all the credit for ourselves like a jackal."

"How can I be a warmaster when I am alone?"

"..."

Sejanus was silent.

"That's a good question, Father."

After a while, he gave the Wolf God a bitter smile.

"It is no easier to make Ezekel and most of the captains understand the benefits of compromise than to chop off their heads. We have been the leaders of the Great Crusade for too long. The battle brothers may be able to tolerate sharing honors with those legions with whom they have cold relations with in a higher level, but they would rather die than see us actively seek help from other legions, because in their view, that is a disgrace to the honor of the legion."

"I know."

The wolf god shook his head and returned to his green-skinned bone sculpture.

"They want to be like kings, bossing their brothers around."

"As expected of my offspring."

"..."

Sejanus opened his mouth, but wisely did not respond to his father. Instead, he answered the question that the Wolf God had just asked: There are a few smart people in the legion.

Well...it's hard to say...

"However, not everyone agrees with Ezekel and the others. After your order was passed down, the captain of the 10th Company, Loken, clearly expressed his support for you. Although he also doesn't understand why we have to cooperate with the Dark Angels, he said that it is better to have more brothers on the battlefield than fewer comrades."

"Friendship is more precious than honor. After all, the galaxy is full of honor, but true brotherhood only exists between comrades who have fought side by side and trusted each other. The latter is the treasure that is truly worth cherishing in the galaxy."

“That’s what a smart person does.”

Horus sighed deeply.

"Do you think... Loken deserves a seat on the Council of Four Kings?"

This sudden question startled Sejanus.

You know, the Luna Wolves' Council of Four Kings doesn't follow the tradition of "there are actually five of the Four Heavenly Kings". It has only had four members from beginning to end. Generally speaking, only when a council member dies in battle will they choose a new successor from the legion: the current four members are all alive and well.

Yes, Abaddon is a bit stupid, and Torgathon is a bit unreliable. Horus is a bit of a drifter: Many times, Sejanus did wonder what the Council of Four Kings would do without him. They might not even be able to protect the Primarch.

Hiss...If you think so...

"He... deserves consideration."

After thinking for a moment, Sejanus nodded and spoke his true feelings.

"If you plan to expand the Council of Four Kings to five seats or more after the Ullanor War, then Loken will be my most respected candidate: his ideas always coincide with mine. Although his ideas may conflict with those of Abaddon and others, his personal relationship with Abaddon is very good and will not cause any fatal disputes. In general, he is a very capable and resourceful person."

"But a humble character?"

"To the Luna Wolf: Yes, he still has a few mortal friends."

"So, how do you think Loken compares to Torgaddon or young Horus?"

"Just a little experience."

Sejanus did not hesitate.

"But considering that he has performed well in matters concerning the Wolf Kingdom, I think this shortcoming is now dispensable: although some of his methods caused a large-scale quarrel between him and Ezekel, the two have not reached a compromise so far."

"Ok?"

The Primarch became interested.

"Something about the Wolf Nation?"

"Yes."

Sejanus nodded and sighed quietly in his heart: To this day, when he said the word "Wolf Kingdom", his lips were actually a little shaky. Until now, he couldn't believe that such a large territory would actually be divided under the Shadow Moon Wolves.

On the day the news was confirmed, the cheers of the Sons of Horus were enough to overturn the Vengeful Spirit, and it was from that day on that the arrogance of the Luna Wolves finally reached an unprecedented level. They considered themselves to be the leaders of the Great Crusade, and no other legion could match them.

The worship of the wolf-shepherd god also reached an incredible level.

"Interesting: Abaddon is actually interested in politics and mortals?" "He has always been like this, but he rarely makes serious comments."

Sejanus laughed.

"In fact, ever since he returned from the Far Eastern Frontier, Ezekiel has been boasting that he has his own opinions on mortals and politics. We are all tired of hearing his opinions. He always likes to copy the model of Avalon, but he will cut out the most essential parts because of his personal preferences. Therefore, his suggestions often sound out of place."

"So, Lorcan couldn't stand it?"

"If Abaddon could completely copy what he saw and heard in Avalon, I think Loken would be able to accept it. This is especially true for the matter regarding the Wolf Kingdom. Loken imitated the model of Sir Morgan, but Abaddon was very disgusted with this."

"Loken hopes to imitate the method used in the Far Eastern Frontier and delegate more power to mortal servants and governors, but Abaddon does not like this suggestion. He hopes to divide up enough core worlds and let the battle brothers become the lords of the worlds. This is because he does not believe in the loyalty of mortals, nor does he believe that more outstanding people like Lord Luther will emerge among mortals."

"Who do you want to give it to?"

"To the battle brothers."

Sejanus carefully observed the most subtle expressions on the Gene Father's face.

"Ezekel's ideas are very popular within the Legion: both the captains and the brothers in battle of the Legion believe that the Kingdom of the Wolf is a fiefdom granted to us by the Emperor to reward our Legion for its bloody battles in the Great Crusade. Everyone hopes to win a noble status for themselves after the Great Crusade based on their merits in the Great Crusade."

Horus was silent. He did not seem to share the pride with his sons: the [Wolf Kingdom] that had excited the entire Luna Wolves Legion was met with indifference by the Wolf God. When he heard that his descendants were excited about the world and land they could obtain, Horus frowned quietly in the shadows.

"Why? Doesn't anyone want to continue the Great Crusade with me?"

Sejanus did not answer, he simply smiled: The Fourth Captain naturally took the words of the Wolf God as a serious-sounding joke, and answered Horus' confusion in a humorous tone.

"Please understand, Father, that the vast majority of our battle-brothers want to continue serving under you, and that is why they want the Wolf Kingdom to become a reality sooner rather than later. We were warriors under you during the Great Crusade, and we want to become lords under you after the Great Crusade, so that we can continue to serve you."

The Wolf God muttered something, but he seemed satisfied with the answer.

"In that case, where does the conflict between Ezekiel and Loken come from? I have seen the plan that Loken gave me. He does want to hand over some important worlds to mortals for management. But those mortals do have the ability to do so. It is a good thing to hand over the rich and civilized world to them. Doesn't Ezekiel like this?"

"Not really."

Sejanus shook his head.

"The battle brothers don't really have any extra thoughts about what kind of world they will be assigned. As long as they are under your command, they will be satisfied. And we all know that after more than a hundred years of the Great Crusade, there are not many wealthy places in the northern part of the Milky Way where the Wolf Kingdom is located. The core issue that Abaddon is dissatisfied with is that he believes Loken has given mortals too much power."

"But you are still excited about the establishment of the Wolf Kingdom, aren't you?"

The Wolf Shepherd God snorted.

"That's because no matter what's going on inside, judging from the star map, the Wolf Kingdom is the largest of all the kingdoms. Even the Far Eastern Frontier and the Five Hundred Worlds cannot compare to our land in terms of the vastness of their territory. After all, they are only silver medalists."

At this point, even Sejanus himself puffed out his chest with pride.

"The largest fiefdom among all the kings is enough to prove that the Lord of Mankind recognizes the Luna Wolf as the leader of the Great Crusade and the most powerful of all the kingdoms under his command. This alone is enough to inspire the battle brothers. We don't need to care about the fertility of the land. We don't have those worldly thoughts."

"Whether it is Ezekiel or the other battle brothers, their thoughts are actually very simple: the Emperor's granting of the Wolf Kingdom recognizes our sacrifice and priority. After the Great Crusade, what we have to do is to continue to unite under your Warmaster's banner and enjoy the status and glory won through bloodshed. If war breaks out on the border again, it will be the greatest happiness to revisit the Great Crusade with you again."

“Why do we need to reminisce?”

Horus rubbed his fingers.

"Even if the Emperor leaves, can the Great Crusade not continue?"

He looks serious.

"Is this..."

Sejanus hesitated.

"We are all willing to march with you to the end of the galaxy, father..."

"But after Ullanor, after those scoundrels on the borders of the Empire surrendered, where else could the Great Crusade go? The entire galaxy has hoisted the flag of the double-headed eagle. No matter how powerful the army is, there is no next target. Even Ezekiel admits this situation."

"Who else can we conquer?"

"..."

Horus did not answer this question.

After a while, the wolf god seemed to feel tired suddenly. He waved his hand, and Sejanus tactfully retreated: but when he reached the door, the fourth captain who was reviewing the conversation still stopped.

After struggling for a moment, Sejanus returned silently to Horus.

"what happened?"

"Excuse me, father."

The fourth company commander bowed slightly.

"But I am still curious about why you behave so strangely and abnormally on the issue of Ullanor: I can understand the sacrifices you made for the seat of Warmaster, but this does not seem to be enough to answer all the doubts. What exactly supports these actions of yours?"

"Sejanus...Sejanus..."

The wolf shepherd god laughed and shook his head helplessly.

"Do you really want to get to the bottom of this?"

"For your own good, Father."

Sejanus spoke with sincerity.

"It's always good to talk it out."

"..."

"Yes, the friendship between Zhuang Sen and I is not that deep."

"I'm not doing this for him."

After a long silence, the wolf god's face returned to the stage that Sejanus was most familiar with.

"There is a greater reason that supports me to make so many compromises."

"Can you tell me, father?"

"Sejanus..."

Horus pursed his lips.

"Tell me: How do you think future epics will describe the Battle of Ullanor?"

"The greatest and most difficult of the Great Crusade..."

"Tell the truth in your heart. If you want to hear the carols, I can go to Ezekiel."

Sejanus was stuck, and after a long moment he managed to speak.

"If I had to say, I think Ullanor was the last major battle of the Great Crusade."

"It will be the end of the Great Crusade, marking the end of the climax of the Age: nothing more."

"That makes sense."

Horus nodded and closed his eyes in some pain.

"But even you have overlooked another meaning of Ullanor."

"And not just you: Jonson, Dorn, Morgan, Fulgrim, Mortarion, even Sanguinius. They all ignored it. They all actively or passively turned a blind eye to the simple truth that you mentioned so casually in your speeches..."

"…What? Father?"

“You don’t know yet?”

Horus roared and smashed the greenskin's skull with his fist, even though his own fingers were bleeding.

"Ullanor!"

"It's the Emperor! It's my father, in the last battle of the Great Crusade!"

"He and I started the Great Crusade together, started the conquest of the Empire, and started the greatest period of the galaxy. Ullanor marks the end of it all, the end of the Emperor's great achievements. He will leave the most glorious period of his life and return to Holy Terra to hide behind the scenes, leaving his glorious place in the history books to me."

"This is the Emperor's last stand."

"It was the end of his great conquest."

“That’s the most important point.”

The wolf shepherd god was breathing heavily, with flames burning in his pupils.

"So listen, my child."

"I will compromise with Jonson. I will ensure that Ullanor is foolproof. I will allow my father to occupy a central position in history in this battle, and then I will make Ullanor an epic that will last until the end of time: even after ten thousand years, the Emperor's people will always remember who brought them all this, and Ullanor will be the best proof. Everything about it must be flawless."

"No chance of accidents will be allowed."

"I will ensure that. I will ensure that the Emperor's final battle in the Great Crusade, the Emperor's and my final memories of the Great Crusade, will end in the most perfect way possible, even if it means I have to make all kinds of compromises. I want to stand on the same stage with Jonson."

"But let me tell you, I don't care about any of that."

"All I want is to give the Emperor a perfect ending to his Great Crusade before he returns to Holy Terra, an epic that is destined to be passed down for thousands of years: the strongest opponent should be slain by the Emperor himself, and all his children should unite as one and stand by him on the battlefield of Ullanor, so that history will always remember my father's name."

"I will do this."

"I will give my all until the moment my father is out of my sight."

"Then……"

The Wolf Shepherd God paused.

He thought a lot.

"Then, it's our great expedition."

“It’s just the beginning…”

------

"It will be long, Sejanus."

"I believe that."

After a long pause, Sejanus nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe decades, Father."