Emperor's Bane

Chapter 665: Guilliman is also thinking

[Are you serious? Robert?]

[You stood there, speaking directly to Angron, trying to get him to accept your proposal for the Marshall Plan: you even went so far as to explain what the term actually meant, what the history behind it was, and what effects it would have.]

【Have you said all?】

"I'm just worried that he won't understand this obscure historical term."

"I also suggested to Angron to check with Conrad himself."

Guilliman looked up: the Spider Queen heard smugness in his voice.

【Conrad? What does it have to do with him?】

"Conrad was the one who told me the story of the Marshall Plan."

"He is truly knowledgeable, Morgan: you have educated our brother well."

The Macragge man sighed softly: Morgan could hear his sincerity.

"Perhaps the Emperor should have given you the position that Horus previously held. You have the power to lead the other Primarchs. Although Horus was not bad, his abilities were evenly distributed in many aspects. He was not the most outstanding one when singled out. At least in this regard, he was definitely not as good as you. It's a pity that we have only just realized this now."

【…】

But it’s better not to have this kind of sincerity.

The Spider Queen sighed inwardly, feeling mixed emotions for a moment, not knowing whether she should be happy or relieved: after all, Guilliman's evaluation was a pretty credible compliment even for her, not to mention that the one who said this was the Lord of Macragge.

Every letter reveals the glittering golden light of the entire five hundred worlds.

But on the other hand, fortunately, it was the Lord of Macragge who said this: if someone close to Horus, or a brother who was always careless with his words, said this and then spread it, Morgan couldn't imagine how the already delicate relationship between her and the Wolf God would go astray.

This was not a good thing: although Morgan had no reason to fear Horus, in the foreseeable future, the Spider Queen and the Wolf God were destined to be one of the most closely cooperating Primarch combinations, so it was better to leave more room for maneuver between the two.

Although Horus can always pretend to be open-minded (which is also the most attractive quality in him for Morgan), who knows what will be accumulated in his heart: maybe some small thing will easily break the pressure limit of the wolf god's inner resistance?
When that time came, Morgan didn't want Horus to think of her first.

so……

[Don't say things like this in front of outsiders, Robert.]

Morgan leaned in close to Guilliman's ear.

[After all, one of our brothers has an unfathomable self-esteem. ]

"I know."

The Macragge laughed.

"This may be Horus' biggest shortcoming. May the Emperor bless him, and let him take his dignity so seriously. Otherwise, our wolf shepherd god would be too perfect: so perfect that it would even make people feel scared."

Do you think he is perfect?

This statement aroused Morgan's interest.

Why Horus? And not Fulgrim or Sanguinius?

"It's very simple."

Perhaps it was because the two of them had finally joined forces to solve the difficult problem thrown by the Emperor, Guilliman was obviously in a good mood at this time. He was willing to talk to his blood relatives and put forward some ideas that had been hidden in his heart for a long time.

"As for Fulgrim, we all know that he is definitely not perfect. He is far from perfect in many ways. True perfection is the ability to lead the people and things around him to develop and progress by one's own efforts. Phoenix obviously does not have such ability yet."

【He saved the Imperial Legion. 】

"Any qualified Primarch can lead his own legion and make it flourish."

【Are you sure? 】

Morgan rolled her eyes and recalled the group of narrators who had reported to her at the gate of the Dawnbreaker camp not long ago: the blue-haired Lady Catherine was the most eye-catching, her pride was enough to deter the Astartes, but her ability was worthy of this pride, and the music she composed herself was definitely the most pleasant sound Morgan had ever heard in her life.

The presence or absence of people like this can indeed affect Fulgrim.

[Our brother claimed that he wanted to build a perfect royal court.]

"This is where the problem lies."

Guilliman shook his head, looking like someone who had experienced this.

"When Fulgrim sees building a powerful country as the glory he seeks, rather than a burden he must bear or a difficult challenge he must face, he is doomed to be further away from success."

“No great ruler accepts the highest power for the sake of pursuing a glorious outcome: when you step onto the throne of power, you should feel the heavy responsibility and the air of treading on thin ice, rather than indulging in the distant future.”

[That is to say: Do you think Fulgrim's reign is doomed to fail?]

"I dare not draw a conclusion: but I remain pessimistic about this issue."

Guilliman's eyes wandered casually.

"I hope Phoenix won't stumble over some minor issues in his eyes."

[You mean: Fulgrim will suffer setbacks because of his high expectations? ]

"This conclusion actually applies to most of our blood brothers, doesn't it?"

The Primarch laughed.

"Even Sanguinius: I believe his construction of his domain would not be considered perfect."

【I believe Sanguinius would agree with your point of view.】

The Spider Queen recalled the bitter words that the Archangel had poured out in front of her.

[However: we have to admit that Sanguinius may be more imaginative. ]

"How to say?"

[You should know how bad the environment of the worlds he will rule is, right? ]

"Of course I know: I have been thinking about how I can help him."

[In fact, Sanguinius himself came up with an idea: Robert, if the angel comes to talk to you at the party later and hopes that you can support him with some technology to build a large space station, I hope you will not refuse Sanguinius' request.]

"Large space station..."

Guilliman hesitated.

"Are you serious? Living on a space station isn't going to be any better than living on Baal."

[It's not what you think, but a giant star ring that can surround the entire planet, and even produce a complete natural circulation system inside: we have seen this kind of thing on the home planets of many alien civilizations. If we integrate the technologies collected by various legions and then seek help from the Emperor and Malcador, it may not be impossible to make it a reality.]

【Moreover. 】

The Spider Queen's eyes darkened.

[You know: the gene seed of the Blood Angels never picks people. ]

[Even if they are mutants. ]

"..."

Guilliman fell silent.

"Okay: I'll go back tonight and see if there's any corresponding technology."

[Then I'll leave it to you. ]

Morgan nodded and quietly crossed out an item on his to-do list: It was rare for the archangel to take the initiative to speak up, and he hoped that the Spider Queen could help him do something. Even if it was just to accumulate some favors among brothers, Morgan didn't mind opening his mouth in front of Guilliman and others.

Anyway, it's just empty talk and doesn't conflict with her actual interests: but the other thing may not be the case.

[Robert: How do you plan to solve the problem with Angron? ]

"question?"

Guilliman was a little confused.

"what is the problem?"

The question, which was completely asked instinctively, silenced the Spider Queen.

She did not speak immediately, but looked at the lights not far away: Astartes warriors from various legions were lighting a giant bonfire dozens of meters high on the open space that the mortal servants had cleaned with great difficulty. The gray-white smoke rushed straight into the sky, and the crackling sound of burning wood was mixed with the desire for sword fighting and the temptation of all kinds of delicious food lingering around their noses.

In such a wonderful moment: Guilliman shouldn't be beaten?
Morgan was a little undecided, but decided to give a reminder.

【Robert, my brother.】

The Spider Queen waved her hand, and the Dawnbreaker Guards who had been following them silently took a few steps back. The Ultramarines next to them hesitated a little, but Guilliman quickly asked them to retreat. As for the Imperial Guards who were supervising at a hundred steps away, they were simply ignored by the two Primarchs tacitly.

[Robert, do you know what this so-called Marshall Plan means? ]

"I know."

"And I made sure Angron knew what that meant, too."

Guilliman nodded calmly.

"To put it in a positive way, this is the best way to support a giant economy. The Marshall Plan created countless economic miracles in the destination called Europa, allowing them to recover quickly from the war. Isn't it the same for Angron's Red Sand Protectorate? His territory is remote and desolate, and he needs the input of materials from me. I am the only one who can help him."

"Your Far Eastern frontier is too far away. As for the neighboring Corax and Vulkan, they do not have this ability for the time being. Terra has no intention of helping Angron at all. If they rely on themselves, it will be a long way off. Currently, only my Five Hundred Worlds can provide such large-scale assistance." [This is true.]

Morgan nodded: she knew that this was why Angron hesitated, rather than simply telling Guilliman no.

【But have you ever thought about this: this plan also has a huge negative effect. 】

"Of course I know."

The Macragge nodded.

"I even took the initiative to explain this so-called negative effect to Angron. This is exactly why I decided to sell him the Marshall Plan: because compared to the positive effects it can bring, the impact of the negative effects is too small, at least for Angron, it is true."

This time, it was Morgan who couldn't understand what Guilliman was talking about.

[You mean, you think it would be a good thing for our brother Angron to let Angron's fiefdom receive a huge amount of material assistance from the Five Hundred Worlds, so as to gradually tie his country and even his legion to the chariot of Ultramar? ]

"Chariot?"

Guilliman smiled, a sly curve at the corner of his mouth.

"There's no need to be so radical, Morgan."

"It's not that bad."

[You'd better convince Angron that the situation is not so bad.]

"I explained it to him."

Guilliman spread his hands.

"In fact, I have already thought of all the problems you can think of."

"Yes, I admit that if we accept this material support plan, then the two parties will naturally become increasingly bound together, and the weaker country will also be gradually influenced by the stronger country. But if we think about it from a different perspective, this is not terrible."

"Think about it, Morgan: bringing Angron into the Five Hundred Worlds system is like bringing him into the entire Far East system, right? After all, the Five Hundred Worlds are part of the Far East. If Angron joins me, he will naturally join us and become the fourth member of our group."

"At that time, the Far East Three Kingdoms will simply become the Far East Four Kingdoms. He doesn't have to worry about any power being taken away. The three of us are equal now, and with the addition of a new brother, we will remain equal as always, and the so-called shortcomings will naturally no longer exist."

"We won't be like the countries in the Marshall Plan, fighting for the leading position for the sake of interests. This is the beauty of family politics. Angron can put his axe across my neck at any time to ensure that he is not negatively affected by the plan and that he will not become a colony of the Five Hundred Worlds."

"Yes, some worlds under Angron's rule may become the lower reaches of the Far East's economic system, responsible for providing raw materials and manpower. However, compared to their current poverty and backwardness, this situation is much better. Moreover, our entire Far East model is developing rapidly, and the dividends will spread to them sooner or later."

"The brotherhood between the four of us can guarantee this, and ensure that their interests will not be deliberately ignored: this is the biggest difference between us and those mortal countries. Each of us can represent the country we own, and the friendship between us is sincere, so it is safe for our country to cooperate."

"There may be disputes, but at least we won't expect each other to die."

"Even if I really wanted to gradually bring Angron's territory under the shadow of the Five Hundred Worlds, would you and Conrad just sit back and watch? Would the other brothers remain silent? Would the World Eaters' war machine not work?"

"That's what finally moved me to Angron, Morgan."

【…】

"In that case: what is there to worry about?"

Morgan was silent: she had to admit that Guilliman's idea was very...

Pioneering.

[You want to pull Angron into the system we have been operating for decades? ]

"Yes."

"It's just that this alliance will first appear in the form of a Marshall Plan: Angron is of course equal to us, but his territory is destined to suffer some unfair treatment in the initial period, but it won't be particularly serious. Wasn't it the same for Conrad's Nostramo in the past?"

[The relationship between Conrad and me is not comparable to that of Angron.]

"I know."

【By the way: Did Conrad agree? 】

"Don't forget: Konrad told me this story himself. He also played a role in persuading Angron. The two of us are more waiting for your attitude. After all, the three of us are equal partners. We don't care about the minority obeying the majority. The three of us have the veto power."

【This sentence is correct. 】

Morgan snorted: Just as Guilliman said, ever since the three Primarchs decided to cooperate with each other for mutual benefit, all their actions must be based on the principle of unanimous approval. Even Conrad can veto Morgan and Guilliman's ideas.

If it weren't for this: Night Haunter wouldn't have gone with them at all.

If such a cooperation clause were placed before Angron...

Morgan hesitated, but after she had run a few circles on it, the Spider Queen always felt that something was wrong.

What is wrong?

Morgan ponders

Yes: Why would Guilliman care so much about this kind of thing?

Morgan blinked.

Now that you have grasped the problem, it becomes easy to think of the answer.

She laughed.

【Robert, my Robert.】

Morgan shook her head. She just gave him a look, and Guilliman knew that his little thoughts had been seen through.

He laughed as well.

"That's right, Morgan: I'm thinking about my five hundred worlds, too."

【Tell me? 】

"It's very simple."

Guilliman looked away, as if he was feeling guilty for his own little thoughts.

"You should know that Angron's territory is actually very uncomfortable for me. It is like putting a hard pillow under one's back when sleeping. Just having it there makes me feel uneasy and uneasy. I can't feel at ease at all."

"His fiefdom is like a sharp knife piercing the core of the Five Hundred Worlds. Even your far eastern border is not as close to Macragge as Angron. His easternmost part is close to the core of my ruling area, and his northern and northwest parts are close to my territory in the Maelstrom, as well as some of my vassals further away."

"In other words, Angron could split my realm in two at any time, or bring the war to Macragge, and his fleet could appear over Macragge after a few weeks of secret warp travel: something none of you could do."

“So, when I saw Angron’s future territory on the star map.”

You just want to hold it in your hands.

"...That's right."

"At least: I need a sense of security. I need to include him as an ally and include him in a system that makes me feel safe. While my northern city and my enclave in the Maelstrom are busy with their own affairs, I don't want them to have a dagger hidden in their backs, even if it's just a possible dagger."

"So I need to make Angron a friend I can trust."

"Even if it means I spend so much supplies on his land."

【That’s it. 】

Morgan nodded. She finally understood Guilliman's entire logic: there was only one problem left.

So why did you wait until now to start this project?

"Because only now do I believe that the Emperor is returning to Terra, that the entire Great Crusade will usher in earth-shaking changes, and I must consider the future of the Five Hundred Worlds: I must begin to think independently."

“And this is the first result I came up with after independent thinking.”

【…】

Robert.

"Ok?"

[You have a good idea, but later...]

【You should do something more in line with your professional abilities. 】

"It's really merciless."

Guilliman's smile was a little bitter, as if he had expected this.

Just before the two Primarchs returned to their silent trek, the Macragge sighed deeply or out of pure emotion, and spoke the last sincere words to his Avalonian relatives.

"I know that the idea I came up with is definitely not brilliant, Morgan, but I will put 120% of my enthusiasm into implementing it, because it is in my interest, because this is what I must do for the Five Hundred Worlds: the Emperor's departure symbolizes too much, but the most important point is..."

“Maybe the time for unity has passed.”

"We have to think more about ourselves, Morgan."

"Maybe you can stop me."

"But you can't stop every heart that's stirring in the shadows."

"It has nineteen of them."

“Even more.”

(End of this chapter)