Emperor's Bane

Chapter 668 I Pushed the Awkward Spirit
"Morgan, my sister."

"The Emperor sent me here to explain the truth to you so that you can obey."

Before they took the first step, the Lord of Death could not wait to speak: when he spoke, the evening breeze of Ullanor happened to carry the heat from the distant campfire and blew on the faces of the two Primarchs, melting the heavy smell that troubled Morgan and making Mortarion's words clearly audible.

Even the slight emotional ups and downs that he carefully concealed behind his words were captured by the sharp-eyed Spider Queen: Mortarion was not an expert in pretending, he liked to show his pride and depression on his face, but Morgan had a well-developed perception of the secrets deep in everyone's mouth. Even Chagatai Khan could not protect his inner world in front of her.

This is not a fair fight.

Before the Lord of Death could finish his smug first sentence, the Spider Queen had already understood every emotion in his tone as he elaborated on this sentence: the first and foremost was unquestionable pride, it was expected that he would stand tall in front of his blood relatives because of the Emperor's respect for him.

But Morgan had seen almost identical imitations of this kind of pride on the faces of at least fifty Custodians: each of them, like Mortarion now, had come to Morgan on the Emperor's orders to explain the truth to her.

The Lord of Death would not want to know what happened to these guards after they had explained their truths.

Morgan smiled, but her brows were slightly furrowed: because there was something in Mortarion's tone that Morgan couldn't understand, or something that shouldn't appear in him.

That is: sympathy for Morgan? Or a kind of superior pity based on brotherly blood? Is it a silent consolation to the loser after thinking he has won the game? Is he mercifully preparing to leave her a little escape route?
It has been a long time since anyone dared to act like this towards the Spider Queen.

【Explain the reason? 】

Morgan tilted his head and repeated it under Mortarion's gaze, genuinely confused by the word: they all took their own steps at the same time, chasing the large army that had long disappeared, and at least twenty pairs of eyes of the Guards were still staring at them all the time, which made the Lord of Death feel very uncomfortable.

"Yes."

Mortarion nodded, trying to ignore the rude guys.

[In other words, are you lobbying for our father? ]

Morgan smiled. She looked at Mortarion with satisfaction. His expression froze for a moment because of her question, and then he began to twist in extreme uneasiness: he obviously did not intend to become the Emperor's [lobbyist], but there seemed to be nothing wrong with Morgan's description?
A heavy snore came from behind the Lord of Death's dirty respirator, and the poisonous gas lingering behind him became more cheerful, unable to suppress the uneasiness in his heart: Morgan could hear the sound of Mortarion's teeth grinding as he was full of distress.

"It does not matter!"

After a few seconds, a dry and vicious tone was finally uttered.

"It is important that you recognize the dangerous situation you are in now!"

【We?】

Morgan hesitated for a moment, then looked at the Guards who had come to their side. The Emperor's brave and fearless creations stared at the Primarch in silence for a second, and then chose to leave his sight at the same time, as if they could not hear the subsequent conversation.

[Who are we? What does the Emperor think of my Dawnbreakers?]

It took the Primarch some effort to conceal her inner uneasiness: she had to admit that she and Sanguinius had a lot in common regarding the Legion, but she was not as timid as the Archangel.

"Not them."

Without even thinking, Mortarion gave the real answer. He hated Morgan, but he never thought of using this information gap to torture Morgan: the Lord of Death resisted this behavior from the bottom of his heart because he felt that the Emperor would do this.

"You: you! Sanguinius! Jaghatai Khan and Konrad! And everyone who has given himself up to sorcery (he hesitated for a second at the word fool). Don't you know that you are about to be doomed? You have walked to the edge of a precipice!"

[In your description, aren't we all walking on a tightrope? ]

Morgan spread out his hands and deliberately put on an indifferent attitude, as if he didn't take Mortarion's warning seriously at all: The Lord of Death took a deep breath, he was angry at his sister's ignorance, and the sound of his teeth grinding became more and more harsh.

In anger, Mortarion certainly did not notice the light in Morgan's pupils, but turned his head to look into the distance, with a reckless tone as if he was going to end this meaningless conversation in the next moment. He spat at Morgan with contempt and walked away.

Just imagining this scene was enough to make Mortarion feel ecstatic: Maybe he should do this, the Lord of Death constantly encouraged himself in his heart, why should he take care of these ignorant and arrogant guys? Isn't their destruction the result of their own pursuit?

He didn't need to worry about them.

Mortarion took a deep breath.

then……

"Listen up, Morgan! Prick up those weak, harmless ears of yours."

"I'll only explain it once!"

He raised his head, proudly grasping the power that could be taken away at any time.

Mortarion took a step forward. Morgan had never been so close to him before: in those deep sunken eye sockets like those of a seriously ill patient hung a pair of stubborn amber pupils. Sour breath floated out from the bronze ventilator, making a few strands of Morgan's hair flutter constantly. Mortarion's lanky figure could hardly cover the body of the Spider Queen, but the clashing sounds of the bottles and jars hanging on his chest really tortured Morgan's ears.

But what really matters is the harsh words of the Lord of Death: to say it is pity is a bit too proud, to say it is family affection is a bit too angry, to say it is responsibility is inevitably too casual. Perhaps even Mortarion himself is not clear, why on earth should he stand here and waste his breath?

But he still said: This is almost an instinct that comes from genes.

Can we barely call it kindness?

Anyway, Mortarion never thought of himself in this way.

"You have crossed a line."

The Primarch's voice hissed.

"One of you has crossed the line. He is foolishly seeking the skin of a tiger, making friends and deals with those who should be our enemies and are far beyond our understanding of reality. All of you will be affected by him! Whether it is you or that irresponsible eagle! You will get yourself involved!"

Morgan's eyelids twitched at these words.

[You mean the eagle: Khan? ]

"No one else deserves it, does he? It's a nickname full of honor."

The Lord of Death smiled.

"Chagatai Khan is a brother with merits and wisdom, but unfortunately, he did not use them. He could have had a brighter future than he did now, instead of exposing his irresponsible side: I hope he will regret it soon."

Mortarion expressed his views on Chagatai Khan in a tone that was all too familiar to Morgan: it was a kind of mutual admiration tinged with hatred. While acknowledging the Great Khan's abilities, he also despised his attitude and life choices. However, beneath the contempt, he quietly buried a glimmer of hope, hoping that the Khan could fight alongside him, and that they could forge ahead on the same path.

But the most important thing was that when Mortarion finished speaking in a dull voice, he first paused, then glanced at Morgan with a strange look: the next sentence was low and fast, making it difficult to hear: he wanted people to not hear it clearly.

"the same as you."

Morgan pressed the corners of his mouth, as if he was still chewing on the previous sentence belatedly.

[You said someone crossed the line? ]

"You should be able to tell."

The Lord of Death spoke with disdain.

"When all of us gathered at the star port, perhaps others could not detect the dangerous atmosphere. But you, my brother Morgan, you have spent decades in the field of witchcraft, but now you can't smell that abominable atmosphere?"

"Magnus."

He cursed the name, without a trace of brotherly love in his words.

"He has crossed the line. The psychic energy all over his body is disgusting. I have killed countless despicable alien wizards, but I have never felt such a terrible stench. It is simply the most terrible smell in the entire galaxy: Do you know what Magnus smells like?"

[Like your body odor? ]

"..."

At this moment, the Lord of Death seemed to be seriously considering how to kill her.

"Be serious!"

His veins were almost bulging, and his brass gloves were flying in the air, carefully brushing Morgan's hair: revealing his inner anger like a child.

"We are talking about serious things!"

After saying that, he muttered something quickly.

"Those bastards had the nerve to tell me you were a serious person."

"A bunch of blind people... all of them are blind..."

Mortarion shook his head sadly.

"That's the smell of the Warp, Morgan!"

[How do you know: Have you ever gone out for an outing while traveling in the subspace? ]

"The Emperor told me: he confirmed my suspicions in our conversation."

【And you believed it? 】

[Speaking of the use of sorcery: Isn't the Emperor more extreme than Magnus?]

This silenced Mortarion.

He opened his mouth, but for a long time he couldn't come up with a reason that would convince Morgan. In the end, he said something in a profound and mysterious way.

"He had no reason to lie to me this time."

【This time? 】

"Yes."

Mortarion's heavy laughter came from under the cloak as gray as a cumulonimbus cloud.

"You know Nikea: where we're going after Ullanor."

"Do you know what's going to happen there?"

As they walked side by side, slowly down the last step of Camelot Palace, stepping onto the soil of heavy surveillance, the Lord of Death's mood visibly improved, and he whispered to Morgan in a smug tone, as if trying his best to scare her.

[Evaluation of psychics?] "Evaluation?"

Mortarion smiled.

"Do all you wizards like to use words like this to deceive yourselves?"

"It was a trial! It was the stake! It was a court-martial for Magnus!"

"And his Thousand Sons Legion: They are all guilty and deserve to be punished!"

Morgan was silent and nodded.

[Is that so: Has the Emperor decided to sentence him on Nikaea?]

"of course."

Mortarion proudly showed his blood relatives the inside information he had obtained from Malcador. He was looking forward to seeing the fear and astonishment on Morgan's face, and then saving her as a savior: his amber pupils stared at the face of the Spider Queen, and the expectant gasps filled the respirator.

But soon, he was greatly disappointed.

"Didn't you hear clearly?"

This time, it was Mortarion who repeated the sentence in a daze.

"The Council of Nikea will be the trial of Magnus and the Thousand Sons!"

[Ah... then what? ]

Morgan nodded woodenly.

[You don't think the relationship between me and Magnus is really good, right? ]

"..."

The Lord of Death was stunned for a moment, wondering what was going on. Before Morgan could open his mouth to explain further, Mortarion suddenly realized it. His facial features relaxed as if he understood clearly, and he glanced at Morgan again with a hint of contempt in his eyes.

"Ah...I understand."

The Lord of Death laughed contemptuously.

"Wizarding friendships are always fragile: your selfishness does not surprise me."

Morgan blinked.

Never mind: if he says yes, then so be it.

"But you know what, Morgan."

Mortarion approached provocatively.

"You don't think that everything will be alright if you betray Magnus?"

"As I said, those of you who are into witchcraft will be affected: when the Emperor excommunicates Magnus for practicing witchcraft, what will you do? You are a witch and you can't get rid of the label."

[Does this have anything to do with you? ]

"of course."

The Primarch raised his head haughtily.

"The Emperor has promised: I will be Magnus's executioner. I will use the truth and words to expose his true face. Nikaea is the hunting ground prepared by the Emperor for me, and Magnus is the only prey!"

This makes you happy.

"Of course... No! Of course not!"

The radiant look on the Lord of Death's face was quickly dispelled by him when he realized what Morgan asked. He began to cough heavily, and with a serious face he denied his joy at the Emperor's arrangement, and instead put on an attitude of dedication.

"I will not be grateful for the Emperor's small favor. I don't need to be grateful to him. He is just using my tenacity to achieve his own goals: I do this for the future of the entire Empire. Even if the Emperor stands on Magnus' side, I will march towards Nikaea like a fighter!"

"And facing me like this, Morgan."

Mortarion stopped and stood one step away from the bonfire, hidden in the shadows: even the Astartes and mortals who were hurrying around the outermost circle did not notice the two silent Primarchs. As long as the Guards stayed fifty steps away, they were silent like perfect statues.

The Lord of Death's tone was a little strange.

"You: aren't you going to say anything?"

【say something?】

Morgan looked into Mortarion's pupils: although he was a little evasive, the expectation deep in his eyes was still clearly visible.

[You mean…]

The Spider Queen raised her brows: she deliberately made her tone sound soft.

【I should ask for your help: I ​​hope you can open a way on the Internet in Nikaia. 】

This "you" made Mortarion feel warm and proud all over.

"after all……"

He coughed, pretending to cough after every short sentence, making his voice sound hoarse and solemn.

"After all, even I have to admit one thing: Although a correct galaxy needs to completely eliminate the existence of witchcraft, that is too far away. We must coexist with witchcraft for a long time, and gradually weaken its influence through defense and domestication. There is a lot of room for this."

"And at this time, some less radical and redeemable wizards..."

“It’s the smart people who see the situation clearly and are willing to accept help.”

"It's not like he...they can't get some favor and help from me."

"After all, no matter what..."

Mortarion glanced at Morgan without any ambiguity. He deliberately stopped his chatter, wishing that in the next moment he could see Morgan lower her head and ask for help from her most tenacious brother: the Lord of Death had already made up his mind, although the Spider Queen had been as annoying as ever since their first meeting.

"But your work over the years... has indeed been fruitful."

"We have to admit that leaving some of your work behind is beneficial to the overall situation."

"So, you, Jaghatai Khan, and of course Sanguinius."

Mortarion pinched his lips.

"If you want to get my forgiveness on Nikaea."

"Then think about it carefully."

He clenched his teeth fiercely, wanting to use this intimidation to awed Morgan.

"Make your decision soon: lest you suffer the same fate as Magnus."

"You shouldn't be like this."

He muttered again quietly.

"Think about it carefully and stop wasting those good qualities of yours."

"I...I will always retain the power to forgive you."

After saying this, he seemed eager to hide in the shadows. Who knew that this lie would make him somewhat embarrassed? But when looking into Morgan's pupils, Mortarion felt that he needed to emphasize it.

"After all, I am stronger than all of you, and more resilient than all of you."

"So, I can forgive you."

"Don't try to push your luck: you still have to admit your mistakes and atone for your sins."

He left behind these words, and seemed to have also left behind his last bit of kindness. When the Lord of Death impatiently turned around and hurriedly disappeared into the shadows, he did not even look at the smile on Morgan's face, nor did he see his reflection in Morgan's pupils.

But some sounds seemed to stay in a place where only the Spider Queen could hear them.

"And one more thing."

------

"I don't know what kind of magic potion you have fed the Emperor, Morgan."

"But the things he prepared on Terra and on the Moon have made the Emperor even more disgusting. He looks at every star like a tyrant, as if he wants to kill or enslave them."

"Mark my words."

"Whatever you are doing, please carefully consider your own abilities."

"Otherwise, the thing he secretly hid in a place unknown to the Mechanicus will destroy all of us. That is not something that should appear in our world. It is another damned sorcery colossus!"

"..."

"He's almost got it fixed."

"He's also going...crazy."

(End of this chapter)