Emperor's Bane

Chapter 676 Brother! Brother!
"So, our Sigillite, who is so busy with all kinds of things, actually took out almost half of Terra's standard time to discuss a problem with you about me. And is it just to seek peace of mind?"

[To be exact, we discussed for a total of thirty-five minutes.]

"It's so flattering."

An unimaginably complex emotion froze for a moment on the cruel face of the Lord of Steel: Morgan couldn't tell whether what she saw was pride, anger, or sadness or sorrow that was almost impossible for Perturabo's heart to have.

Whatever it was, one fact was beyond reproach: when Perturabo learned from Morgan how his casual remark had caused such a huge chain reaction among the powerful Sigillites, the Iron Warriors' Primarch's expression only became complicated for less than a second.

Then, a smile that was heroic and a little bit satisfied appeared on his face, which was carved by a knife and an axe.

He was happy: it was obvious.

After all, whether it was fear or hostility, the Lord of Iron had never received such attention from the Sigillite and Terra before. He had shed the blood of 100,000 Iron Warriors, but could not get a single glance from Terra. Now, just a private remark...

Perturabo's pupils, which were as stiff as a dead man's, trembled, perhaps for the first time in his life, a hint of cunning flashed across them, and the corners of his mouth, which were usually as straight as the steel wire locks inside a battleship, also raised a terrifying arc: his mumbling echoed in the Spider Queen's ears, causing Morgan to prick up his ears unnaturally.

"I was misled for so long."

Perturabo was smiling, a smile that was the joy of sudden enlightenment, mixed with a little bit of gnashing of teeth at feeling fooled.

"I had thought that those great men on Terra, those chosen by our Gene-Father, Malcador and his High Lords, were not the same as the court jesters I had seen on Olympia. I had been misled by that impression for so long."

[Preconceived impression?]

Morgan raised an eyebrow.

[Do you also think that the high lords on Terra are thoughtful guys? ]

"also?"

The Lord of Steel turned his head.

[Guilliman told me almost exactly the same thing decades ago.]

The Spider Queen spread her arms.

[At first, he was also cautious about the bigwigs on Terra, but after several accidents and tests, he saw clearly what mortals were like: you know what happened afterwards, and Guilliman's little tricks in the Maelstrom are now known to the world. ]

“He’s playing with fire.”

Perturabo snorted, and there was a hint of admiration in his tone.

"I really can't understand what kind of mentality Guilliman had when he pushed the border of his kingdom to the Maelstrom, which was almost like putting a knife to Terra's neck: did he think that the High Lords would not dare to fight back? Or did he think that they would continue to tolerate him?"

【I think it is the third possibility. 】

Morgan paused, smiled at Perturabo, and winked.

[He didn't think so much at all: or he thought Terra would understand him. ]

"..."

The Lord of Steel was silent for a moment: then he burst into laughter as loud as a landslide.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Morgan...Morgan..."

"I haven't seen you for a few years. I didn't know you've become so humorous."

[Do I have it? ]

Morgan stopped smiling.

[Don't just laugh, my dear King of Olympia: You haven't forgotten that your fiefdom is right next to the Maelstrom, have you? And my Far Eastern Frontier also has interests there. If Guilliman and Holy Terra really collide head-on in the Maelstrom, it will not be a good thing for both of us.]

Perturabo's smile died abruptly.

"Are you serious?"

He was a little unsure.

"That Guilliman? Does he really have the guts to go toe to toe with Terra?"

[Badab is one of Guilliman's five hundred most core worlds: there are at least three thousand Ultramarines deployed there alone, and a whole branch fleet equipped with knights, battleships and star fortresses. The captain who commands them can also speak in front of Guilliman. Even if our brothers do nothing, how do you think Terra can bypass this force? ]

The Lord of Steel nodded, his genius brain working at a very fast speed.

"How determined do you think Holy Terra is to expel Guilliman from the Maelstrom?"

[Malcador's carefully selected tax collectors are ready and will set out as soon as Ullanor and Nikaea are done.]

"And... what about Guilliman's resolve?"

[His determination?]

The Spider Queen smiled.

[Let me put it this way: the number of Maelstrom warriors currently serving in the Thirteenth Legion exceeds four thousand.]

"That would be difficult."

The Lord of Steel shook his head.

"What do you mean? Who commissioned you to come here as a lobbyist?"

【I only accept my own commission. 】

Morgan turned around, raised her hand to her eye level, and knocked on Perturabo's breastplate: the power armor made by the Lord of Steel himself was perhaps his most stubborn personal symbol in the past hundred years. The pleasant sound Morgan heard at this time was exactly the same as what she heard on Dawn Star.

A trace of fascination with the past flashed across the Spider Queen's brows.

【I came to you only to get your opinion on this, Perturabo.】

[Do you mind telling me? ]

She blinked again, making sure Perturabo couldn't refuse her anyway.

"My point of view……"

The Lord of Steel hesitated.

"Honestly, I don't think I have any reason or sentiment to support Guilliman."

"But: since these Terrans want to plunder something from us before the Emperor truly leaves, I don't intend to help them. After all, Guilliman is our brother. In the eyes of outsiders, we are all Primarchs. In many things, we all prosper together and suffer together."

"If Terra can plunder something from Guilliman today, what will we do tomorrow?"

"Neither of us can help: but I hope Guilliman will not let us down."

Perturabo grinned, and he cast a tentative gaze towards Morgan.

"How about this answer?"

【United we are. 】

The Spider Queen raised her chin, clenched her hand seal in mid-air into a fist, and lightly touched it with Perturabo's iron fist: in this comparison, the Lord of Steel's palm was almost two or three times the size of the Spider Queen.

[So far, you are the seventh brother who has given a similar answer. ]

“How many people did you ask in total?”

【Seven.】

The next moment, the two Primarchs laughed in sync.

But the laughter has not yet faded...

"Including Dorne?"

【…】

really.

Morgan's eyebrows twitched. She saw the kind of competitiveness on Perturabo's face that seemed very familiar, but upon closer inspection, it had changed a little: Although the current Lord of Steel was different from before and regarded Dorne as a brother like an enemy, his competitive mentality in his bones had not diminished at all. [No, without him]

Morgan answered truthfully.

[But I did ask Lorgar: Even Lorgar felt that if Guilliman could teach Terra a lesson at the Maelstrom, it would be good for all of us, so that the High Lords wouldn't be able to insert their hands into our respective kingdoms and dictate to us in the future.]

"Luo Jia."

Perturabo chewed on the name, his subtle expression telling it all.

"Our pathetic brother Luo Jia has chosen a dead end for himself. In an era when humans have conquered the stars and put the legendary kingdom of gods under their feet, he still wants to believe in those illusory existences. If he looks around in the void for a while, he will find that there are no gods in this world. There is only the greatness of technology and numbers."

The Primarch laughed contemptuously.

"I didn't even bother to tell him off."

[It's no use telling me.]

Speaking of Luo Jia, even the Spider Queen felt a little helpless.

[Perturabo, do you remember what Lorgar's reaction was when you declared in front of all of us that you wanted to be on par with the gods? ]

"Of course I remember!"

The Lord of Steel gritted his teeth.

"I was watching him. Luo Jia had a hint of anger on his face at first, but it was more like an instinctive reaction. Our brother immediately smoothed it out and showed me that disgusting smile instead, like a person who holds the truth looking at a barbarian."

The iron fist was clenched, making a creaking sound.

"I know what he's thinking: he thinks I'm a pathetic fool, a self-important lunatic, a nonbeliever who is not worth getting angry at, but only pitying. He has been completely brainwashed by his religion, and my oath is just a provocation of the lowest level in his eyes, an irony that needs to be pitied, just as adults never care about children."

【Who says it’s not? 】

Morgan's eyebrows twitched. Perturabo's analysis was even more detailed than hers. Lorga was really in this state at the time: when all the brothers were curious about what Perturabo had done during this long period of disappearance, only Morgan could hear that Lorga not only had no interest in Perturabo's experience, but instead lowered his head and muttered to himself.

He was apologizing to the God-Emperor for his poor brother Perturabo.

"God Emperor, please forgive my brother's pathetic arrogance and ignorance."

To be honest, Lorgar's behavior made the Lord of Steel more furious than just walking away on the spot or fighting with Perturabo directly: this could be seen from the fact that the Lord of Steel was still muttering to himself after three or four days.

[But I think that Luo Jia can’t be blamed entirely for this matter. ]

Morgan's eyes rolled quietly.

[After all, not only him, but everyone, including me, is actually curious about your declaration, Brother Perturabo: Don’t you think this is a bit contradictory? ]

"Contradiction?"

The Lord of Steel looked at her: he seemed to be prepared for this question.

"What? Morgan? Even you are beginning to doubt my resolve?"

【That’s not the case.】

The Spider Queen shook her head.

[To be honest, Pertraber, after I joined the Great Crusade of the Human Empire, I experienced too many changes in people and things. Many of our brothers are now unrecognizable. My memories of them are mottled and distorted, but you are not among them: you are no different from the Dawn Star Savior a hundred years ago. ]

【Like steel, never changes. 】

"You too, Morgan."

Perturabo smiled with satisfaction and raised his head slightly. Morgan knew that this was a sign of his pride and complacency: whenever the Lord of Steel had an uncontrollable smile on his face, he didn't want others to look directly at his face, so he would raise his head slightly.

"Your keen eyesight and insight have not changed at all from a hundred years ago."

This statement is full of sincerity: by Perturabo's standards.

"Besides, I also know what you are confused about, blood relatives."

Perturabo spread his arms, obviously ready to explain.

"Aren't you just curious about my complicated attitude towards the concept of gods? On the one hand, I despise Luo Jia's belief in gods, but on the other hand, I want to announce in front of you that I want to join the ranks of gods."

【That’s the problem.】

Morgan narrowed his eyes slightly.

【Gods?】

"Yes, gods."

The Lord of Steel was very proud. He seemed to be very sure of the existence of this concept, but Perturabo did not see it. However, when he affirmed the gods with certainty, Morgan's pupils dimmed at that moment, and despair for his brothers rippled in his eyes.

As expected, he has already...

Before the Spider Queen could express her feelings, Perturabo started talking to himself.

"The gods begin with me."

【…】

what?
[Starting from... you? ]

The Spider Queen was stunned when she heard this.

"Yes."

Perturabo shook his finger.

"Abandoning the ridiculous and nonexistent things that Luo Jia believes in, I will open a path that belongs to the real gods. I will accomplish great deeds like gods with my mortal body, until they reverently put the crown on my head and worship me as a new god: a calm, rational god belonging to the future and reality."

"Abandon the lies of faith. I will open up this new path for you, and show every brother how to move forward, how to accomplish great deeds similar to mine, and how to use the power we were born with and will never forget, until each of us is a god."

He spread out one hand, and what came to his face was a grandeur that was enough to sweep across the galaxy.

"Now, do you understand, Morgan?"

[I think so...right? ]

Morgan tried hard to suppress the smile.

"very good."

Perturabo had no doubts.

"Just as I thought: your understanding is the best among all of us."

"Now, follow me. I want to explain my thinking to you."

The Lord of Steel smiled at her as if revealing the most precious secret in the world.

"First: I want to tell you what the nature of our Primarch is."

He lowered his voice mysteriously.

"Don't be frightened by the truth, my dear Sister Morgan."

【…】

The Spider Queen had to use all her strength and willpower to barely force out a very, very, very convincing smile: dazed and eager, stunned but excited, mixed with a few traces of worshipful conviction for Perturabo and a little doubt due to independent thinking, all of which were mixed on Morgan's exquisite face.

Like a glass of fine wine: Perturabo was intoxicated by just one look.

【OK. 】

Especially when the Spider Queen decides to speak in her softest voice.

[Thank you for your help...Brother~]

(End of this chapter)