Emperor's Bane

Chapter 625 The Lion's Philosophy

[Horus... won? ]

【What do you mean, Jonson?】

"It doesn't mean anything, Morgan. This is a statement. All the inner meaning it has is these few words I said: Horus won. At least this time, in the competition about the Warmaster, our Wolf God is the foreseeable final winner. The Emperor will place the crown on the head of the Moon Wolf."

"They won: that's it."

【that's all?】

[You make it sound quite easy. ]

With her lips curled up and her eyebrows raised, the Spider Queen could accurately hear the laughter leaking out from between her own teeth in her pair of blue pupils: as cold as ice in January, wrapped in unspoken anger, enough to transform the most reckless Astartes warrior into a polite elementary school student.

She put her hands behind her back, the palm of her right hand tightly clasped the wrist of her left hand, her ten fingers mixed together, biting each other like ferocious beasts, tiny blue veins appeared on her fair skin, and the trembling waves of psychic energy symbolized the sudden rise of rage, quietly slipping away from the extremely repressive cage of rationality, and every strand of it would cause a wave of fear among the personal guards ten steps behind the two primarchs.

The Paladins and the Round Table Guards, the Lion King and the Spider Queen's respective confidants, a total of fourteen fearless warriors, at this moment, were like a group of penguins avoiding the cold, unconsciously huddled together, looking for a sense of security in each other's tough armor: such a move was of course somewhat inappropriate, especially when the leaders of the two guards, Alajos and Lana, inadvertently looked at each other.

The air was a little awkward for a moment, causing these two veterans who had fought for two or three hundred years to lower their voices.

"What are you doing?"

Rana was the first to attack.

"Same as you."

Alachios answered unhappily, without even turning his head, but focusing all his worries and attention on the two Primarchs in front of him: the worry belonged to Jonson, while the attention of the Shiver was on the low-pressure air surrounding Morgan, which was almost visible to the naked eye, making Alachios break out in a cold sweat.

Memories of the dead began to attack him.

"Mr. Morgan seems to be in a bad mood."

"You have a good eye."

Lana snorted.

"I have no idea what your Primarch is saying to my mother. I have never..."

"You have never seen Ms. Morgan so angry, right? Although her commendable rational thinking prevented her from doing anything impulsive, we can all feel the chaotic psychic waves. Even in battle, she rarely behaves like this."

"How do you know what I'm going to say?"

This time, it was Alajos' turn to give Lana a disdainful look.

The Dark Angel patted his shoulder.

"On this issue, the First Legion has more relevant experience than you do."

"Don't be jealous, it's not a good thing."

Then, perhaps out of instinct, Alajos rubbed his five fingers together, and although there was nothing in his palms, Rana on the side felt that the Paladin's current movements were as if he was kneading a lump of invisible dough: and this skill was much better than those of the scouts he saw on the Aurora.

The First Legion is indeed omnipotent...

"What do you think they were talking about?"

After a moment's silence, Rana decided to get to the bottom of the issue. He slowed down his pace to leave the two Primarchs ample space for conversation, and gestured to the two battle brothers behind him, signaling them to go to the flanks to clear out possible interrupters.

Two dark angels went with him.

"To be honest, I'm not very good at thinking about words."

Alajos sighed softly.

"But even I can roughly guess: it's nothing more than about..."

【Warmaster.】

After spending a few minutes calming the turbulent waves in her heart, Morgan finally regained her previous composure, but the coldness in her eyes had not yet dissipated: the Spider Queen believed that she had the right to be angry, because this anger came from a completely unreasonable failure.

This is like a cooperation plan. Morgan, as the Party B, has clearly formulated a perfect plan, attracted sufficient investment, found reliable friendly companies, and even finally followed the Party A's wishes and painted a scene of [Colorful Black] with great difficulty: But on the night before the project was about to start, Party A, who originally only needed to sign, suddenly broke the contract.

【…】

The Spider Queen felt that she was very broad-minded as she had not done anything impulsive that could be written into the Imperial Criminal Code. It seemed that her temper had indeed improved a lot over the years, so much so that even a guy like Zhuangsen dared to change his mind at the last minute with her.

This Calibanite lion had only dared to let Colswain speak for him.

Forget it...

At least he is better than his father in this respect.

The Primarch took another deep breath, suppressed the anger in her soul, and pushed away the Prince of Pleasure who took the opportunity to come up again and licked the [Waves] in her mind: After doing all this, the Primarch began to look at Zhuang Sen's face carefully.

This is her usual trick.

In front of Morgan, Zhuang Sen rarely had any secrets. Just by glancing at his thick eyebrows and the beard around his lips, the Spider Queen could follow the clues and reversely deduce the entire mental journey of the Caliban people in the past few hours or even days: She was not worried about knowing something she shouldn't know, after all, Zhuang Sen would never write those truly fatal secrets into his emotions.

He will hide them in a four-dimensional palace that even he cannot open. Only the instinct of the lion can open this palace and release tremendous destruction.

Morgan flipped through it carefully, and Zhuang Sen cooperated with her with ease. After checking every inch of the rough skin, the Spider Queen finally frowned, and the last trace of impulse and anger in her heart disappeared: because she found that Zhuang Sen was not what she expected.

【Can you say that sentence again? 】

"Horus wins."

The lion followed suit, and the Spider Queen finally discovered something wrong: Jonson was too calm. When he acknowledged Horus' victory, there was no sense of defeat or gnashing of teeth on his face, nor was there any lamentation for the invincibility of the wolf god: the lion was like a machine, explaining a person who had nothing to do with him and a matter that had nothing to do with him.

How can this be?

Morgan frowned.

Let’s not talk about the Warmaster for now: Jonson must have been a bit competitive with Horus.

The Primarch felt a little confused: She had only been handling chores for a few hours behind the battle line. Why did the Jonson who had vowed to take the seat of the Warmaster before suddenly become like this? He was quite normal before the battle...

Oh...wait...

Morgan blinked, and she suddenly remembered a small detail: before the war, Jonson was not completely normal. When he was on the Aurora, the Caliban man talked to Morgan and assured her personally that he was not interested in the position of Warmaster at all (Chapter 594).

【…】

Depend on!
He was serious at that time!
Morgan looked at Zhuang Sen blankly, and Zhuang Sen looked back at him innocently.

【Tell me, Jonson.】

It took the Spider Queen almost ten seconds to find her voice.

What did you experience on the battlefield?

"nothing."

The lion didn't care.

"I have explained everything to you in the past ten minutes. If you are curious about what I just said, my sister Morgan, I just figured out some truths after what happened with the Emperor, through the method you taught me."

[I taught you?]

“That’s right: put yourself in their shoes.”

Jonson laughed, his eyes returning to the height of the Great Crusade.

"Remember? That was seventy or eighty years ago. At that time, you had just led your Dawnbreaker Legion. Before we attacked Randan's home planet, before Luther and I had a conflict and before I sent him back to serve as the governor of Caliban, you proposed this method when you were trying to persuade me."

"Put yourself in Luther's shoes: Let me think about what I said from his perspective."

"Forgive me, Morgan. It took me until today to finally learn this simple method."

【Is it……】

The Spider Queen was a little absent-minded.

How did you learn this?

"Ashamed to say that."

The lion turned his head away, coughed heavily twice, and pounded his shoulders.

"In fact, I don't need to learn this. I will use it naturally when I want to. But before that, I instinctively resisted it because in my eyes, whether it was Luther or the other guys, they were not worth thinking about from their perspectives: Why should I stand at a lower level than me and think about what I said? The things I can see from a lower level are ultimately useless."

[How did you learn it this time? ]

"Because this time, the person I am thinking about is... ahem..."

[Emperor?]

"Only a few minutes, I swear."

The lion quickly added.

"Coswayen said I just stood there in a daze for a few minutes."

【I can understand. 】

Morgan never paid much attention to these presumptuous actions: as a Primarch who took off his shoes every night before going to bed and [occasionally] imagined the Emperor's bronze head as a cushion under his feet, this little problem was not worth mentioning.

[So, after changing your perspective, you decided to surrender to Horus? ]

This is what the Lord of Avalon couldn't understand: if it was because of her careless words decades ago that caused such a drastic and terrible change in Zhuangsen, then she should return to the Far East frontier as soon as possible and choose a southeast branch for herself in a Feng Shui treasure land.

She believed that her loyal Riza friends could help her fulfill this wish, but first she had to dig these guys out of the greenskins' garbage dump: Thinking of this, Morgan glanced casually and saw two figures with their buttocks sticking out in the distance.

Very familiar.

One is bright red, the other is ochre; these are exactly the conspicuous symbols of the two giants of the Mechanicum, Mars and Ryza. However, the owners of these two colors are leaning against each other at this moment, worrying about several intact green-skinned relics together. With the constant flashing of electronic tones, they are also attracting more and more mechanical priests.

But a few minutes later, the mechanical priests from ten different forging worlds gathered together like a group of sparrows, squeezing their heads against each other, and there was a unique atmosphere of harmony among them: if everyone had not put at least one hand behind their backs, holding a wrench or a laser gun in the palm of their hands, Morgan would even want to find someone to draw this scene.

But before she could express her feelings aloud, Zhuang Sen's voice broke in again.

It was a voice full of doubt.

"Admit defeat?"

The Spider Queen could see her Caliban brother's brow furrowed.

"Who told you I gave up?"

【what? 】

Morgan's eyes widened.

[But what you just said...]

"That's a statement: I told you that at the very beginning."

The lion frowned unhappily and waved his hand to interrupt Morgan's words. It was obvious that the Spider Queen's conclusion just now made him very unhappy.

"Please, think about it, how could I possibly admit defeat to that guy Horus?"

"Like I said just now, I am only stating a fact: in this competition about the Warmaster, Horus is the foreseeable winner. That's all, but it doesn't mean that I will admit defeat to him. I just found the fact that Horus will be the winner in those few minutes of thinking."

"Who told you I was going to give up?"

【…】

Morgan opened her mouth, but she wisely did not answer Zhuangsen's question because she found that no matter what she said, she would only be humiliating herself: But then again, this kind of Zhuangsen was the lion in her impression. No matter how his character changed, the people of Caliban would never admit defeat on their own initiative.

This is normal.

The Primarch breathed a sigh of relief, and then she realized something was going on.

its not right……

[How did you come to the conclusion that Horus would become the Warmaster?]

Isn't this Conrad's patent?

The question made Zhuang Sen fall into silence. He seemed to be prepared for Morgan's question, but he was reluctant to speak: Although the lion could still maintain the appearance of being sensible in front of Horus just now, he could not do that in front of Morgan.

Fuck the big picture.

The person standing before him now was Morgan, Lord of Avalon, the de facto [Deputy Primarch] of the First Legion. He was unique in the entire human empire, and even Fulgrim and Ferrus could not do this: this was his most trusted and closest blood relative, so why should he consider the overall situation in front of Morgan?
He could be narrow-minded as he pleased, because Morgan would understand and tolerate him anyway.

To hell with Horus!

Zhuang Sen frowned, and shadows rolled out of his pupils.

His voice became hoarse, with a rare hint of sarcasm.

"How could I not see it?" Having said this, the lion suddenly turned around without any warning and headed towards a remote corner. Morgan, who reacted quickly, followed closely behind him and waved to the Primarch's guards further behind, signaling them to stay further away: the following words were not suitable for anyone to hear.

"Listen to me, Morgan."

As he walked, Zhuang Sen spoke, spilling out all the words like pouring beans.

"In fact, a long time ago, when there was news about the Ullanor Crusade, I had similar thoughts several times. After all, everyone can see that the Ullanor Campaign is too flattering for Horus and the Luna Wolves. It is simply tailor-made for them."

"Think about it. In the past one hundred years of the Great Crusade, was there any expedition or campaign that was led by a Primarch when the Emperor personally participated? I saved half of the galaxy during the Randan War, but when the Emperor arrived at the front, didn't I hand over all power without reservation?"

"That's the right thing to do: Ullanor will naturally make people suspicious."

"But it's just... a suspicion."

The lion sighed.

"However, on the battlefield, after witnessing the Emperor's crisis and talking with Horus, my suspicions turned into certainty: I realized one thing. Although I don't know when the Emperor made the decision, he was ready to hand over the Warmaster to Horus."

“And I: can understand his thoughts.”

How to understand?

Morgan asked the question at the right time, with a bright light flashing in his pupils: Zhuang Sen is different now than he has ever been before. The thinking he showed on this issue, such a long and continuous thinking, made the Spider Queen's eyes light up. This was a scene she had dreamed of for a long time.

"first……"

The lion suddenly stopped, turned his head and looked at Morgan.

Focus on your work.

"Tell me, Morgan."

"Do you think that Emperor Ullanor really has the ability to threaten the Emperor?"

"Tell me the truth, we are all people who have experienced the Randan War."

Zhuangsen's eyes were as sharp as torches, fixed on Morgan's face. No mortal could have any thoughts or arguments under the Primarch's gaze. But Morgan was not a mortal. No matter how complex the language system the Spider Queen constructed in her heart, her face would remain the same.

【That's a greenskin, Jonson.】

The Primarch just smiled.

[Do you expect to reach a conclusion on the issue of greenskins? ]

"Too."

The lion just nodded, he didn't dwell on the issue.

"Okay, let's assume that the Emperor is really in crisis, and Horus and I have taken two completely opposite attitudes: no matter what we think in our hearts, Horus ultimately chooses absolute loyalty, while I put victory in the war above everything else."

【Loyalty and victory.】

Morgan pouted.

【An old topic. 】

"You mean, Horus' loyalty is more in line with what the Emperor expects of his Warmaster?"

“I don’t want to admit it: but it’s true.”

Zhuang Sen took a deep breath, and every letter he uttered was so difficult.

"You know, this conclusion made me furious, and it reminded me of the method you taught me, which is the way we just talked about: thinking from the perspective of others. On the battlefield of Ullanor, I spent about a minute thinking about this problem from the perspective of the Emperor."

How did you do it?

"Thanks to Luther."

The lion king's smile was a little bitter.

"He helped me with this. After all, he was the Warmaster I chose."

"And I thought carefully about why I chose him."

"Morgan, do you think Luther is the type who will choose loyalty or victory?"

The Spider Queen blinked. The answer to this question was obvious.

【loyalty. 】

"How to say?"

[If Luther is certain that you, Jonson, are in mortal danger, and you ask him to win on another battlefield: then if only one condition can be met, Luther will definitely give up your victory and do everything he can to protect your safety, even if it means disobeying your orders.]

[But no matter how many times, he will save you without hesitation. ]

"Yes."

"As Horus did to the Emperor."

The lion's voice was soft, perhaps he was thinking of his childhood, of his time on Caliban.

"He will disobey me. He will make the same choice as Horus."

"But the funny thing is, this is exactly why I entrusted the entire Caliban and half of the Dark Angels Legion to Luther: Since I chose him as my Warmaster because he placed his loyalty to me above true victory, then now that I think about it from his perspective, isn't it only natural that the Emperor would choose Horus?"

[…Interesting point…]

Morgan's brows twitched: It cannot be said that Zhuangsen's theory is without problems, but it is indeed a new idea. Moreover, in Morgan's view, the most important thing is that Zhuangsen can justify himself and ensure that he will not fall into the whirlpool of thoughts. As for theories, they are insignificant.

【Have you ever thought: What if that greenskin can't threaten the Emperor? 】

The Primarch raised the corners of her mouth, and she was visibly stunned when she saw Zhuang Sen's actions.

The lion was silent for a long time.

"Doesn't that mean that the Emperor has already made a choice in his heart?"

"I just have to obey."

【obey?】

Morgan raised his voice.

[What? You think Horus's choice of loyalty outweighs your choice of victory?]

"of course not."

The lion denied it without hesitation.

"But you have to realize, Morgan, that the election of the Warmaster is a multiple-choice question: Although I don't think Horus can beat me, I will not deny that his ability is actually worthy of the position of Warmaster. In other words, if the Warmaster needs a player with a score of more than 90 points, then among the Primarchs, only Horus and I can reach this threshold."

"My score is a few points higher than Horus's. If the best person had to be chosen, it would definitely be me. But the Emperor doesn't seem to want to choose the better one between me and Horus. He just wants to choose the one that best suits his opinion among the contestants who can reach 90 points."

[That is Horus? ]

"Yes."

"Just like I chose Luther because I had no better choice."

Johnson nodded.

He was a little insincere.

"Although, I don't know how to describe my feelings when I said this: But if the Emperor wants to choose Horus as the Warmaster, it is a tolerable decision. The Wolf God is not the best candidate for the Warmaster, but he is indeed capable of taking on the responsibilities of the Warmaster. In this case, we must respect the Emperor's choice."

"Even though it's not the best, the Emperor's will is what matters most."

[So, you told me that Horus has actually won. ]

Morgan finally understood everything, and she felt a lot more relieved.

【Then what? 】

[Are you going to give up? ]

"I told you: No!"

Zhuang Sen frowned. His behavior made the Spider Queen start to think again: Although the original plan had been disrupted, as long as Zhuang Sen had not completely given up, she could continue with some repairs. But first she had to make sure...

【What on earth are you thinking? 】

Morgan lowered his voice.

[You think Horus has won, but you don't want to admit defeat to him yet? ]

"of course."

Zhuang Sen did not look back, his figure melted in the smoke of Wulan.

"Answer me, Morgan. If you were engaged in a war with a huge disparity in power and no hope of victory, would you choose to surrender at the first moment? How many cases in human history have there been of people choosing death over surrender? What reason do I have to do worse than those mortals?"

"Horus won. What does it have to do with whether I admit defeat or not?"

"I will stand in this arena and confront him until the last moment, witness his victory and send my blessing, but I will not give up halfway through the fight: even if the rest of this warmaster election is already a foregone conclusion, but failure and giving up are essentially two different concepts."

“They can’t be conflated.”

"so."

"Horus wins."

“But the war will continue.”

“Because I haven’t failed yet.”

"I will never accept a subjective defeat. I will stand until the last moment."

【Is it? 】

The Spider Queen laughed.

【Very good, Jonson.】

[Well, I'm sorry, but I still have one last question.]

"Go ahead."

[Do you need an ally who is willing to stand with you until the last moment? ]