Emperor's Bane

Chapter 680: Immortals Are Numerous (1/2)

"Who was the first one to come over?"

【White scar.】

"Has Chagatai Khan agreed?"

[I asked the Emperor to ask: Anyway, he said that Chagatai Khan had no objection.]

"It's obvious, Morgan: you're giving him another chance to evade responsibility."

Sanguinius leaned on his uncomfortable throne, avoiding the most crowded area on the terrace with disgust. The edge of the silk awning fluttered above his head with the red wind of Ullanor, making the archangel's flawless face float between brilliance and slight obscurity.

But there is no doubt that whenever he mentioned the Emperor, Sanguinius's brows would always frown a little deeper: the same was true when the magnificent music that never stopped playing in the square day and night reached the drumbeat and suddenly raised a pitch, irritating the Primarch's ears.

"It's hard to imagine that we have to stay here for several days."

"He must hate us to come up with such creative torture."

The angel muttered softly, and covered the only decorative spherical holographic projector on the railing in front of him with his palm. He kept jumping around boredly among the millions of camera ports connected to these instruments until he was able to peek at the parade ground below from the best angle, and then he nodded with satisfaction.

Although, this was totally unnecessary: ​​as long as Saint Gillesken stood up, even if there was a straight-line distance of at least several thousand meters between them, he could clearly see the faces and expressions of every soldier on the parade ground below, and recognize those warriors who had left an impression on him.

He could do this, but not all Primarchs could. As brothers who inherited the blood of the same father, although the physical qualities of the Primarchs had never fundamentally differentiated them into different classes, they could still be easily distinguished in terms of various details, without even having to engage in real combat.

Some differences are innate, for example, the Fire Dragon Lord Vulkan's strength and resilience are far ahead of his brothers, while the second is the ordinary-looking Mortarion. Some differences are acquired, like Chagatai Khan's sword is swifter than all his brothers, Morgan's psychic power always makes everyone think of the Emperor involuntarily, and Angron's various combat skills make him a unique master among the Primarchs.

Sanguinius had seen Angron wield a sword, and he was impressed: this brother who usually wielded a battle axe and a flail could carve out precise and intricate skills with a long sword that was no more than a large dagger to him. In terms of actual threat level, Sanguinius felt that Angron's swordsmanship was at least ranked fifth among his brothers.

The only ones who can rank ahead of him are Jagatai Khan, Fulgrim, Johnson, and Morgan who is on par with him: Guilliman's sword fighting skills are indeed good, but they are too conventional. You only need to fight him twice to figure out all his moves. Horus is more proficient in several other weapons.

As for Gorgon, who was also full of martial virtue and had a brilliant record of battle? The angel admitted that his fighting ability was indeed good, but if Ferrus chose to wield a sword instead of a hammer one day, it would definitely cause a big mess: because that would mean that Gorgon at that time would be so impatient that he would give up the field he was best at, and his fighting ability would definitely be greatly reduced.

As for Sanguinius himself?

He had never been a combative man: nor did he stand out among his brothers.

The wings on his back, which were not sure whether they were a blessing or a curse, did give him some advantages. In terms of speed and maneuverability, even Fulgrim could not match him. The sandstorms of Baal also sharpened his vision, allowing him to always see farther than his brothers, although it was often not clear, but frighteningly blurry.

It was like the fantasies of the future that flashed through his mind from time to time: so vague and fragmentary, like a halo, far inferior to Conrad's ability to control them at will.

Thinking of this, a trace of jealousy even flashed through the Archangel's heart. He had heard from others more than once that Conrad cursed his own prophetic ability and was like a collapsed prisoner, trapped in the torture of future fantasies in his mind: such rumors gradually disappeared about thirty or forty years ago.

But the Archangel remembered this day: Although they were both prophets, Sanguinius could not empathize with Midnight Haunter on this point. He never felt that his ability to predict was such a huge torture. Instead, he secretly envied Conrad's inner clarity.

It would be great if he could do that...

At least, we don't have to sit here and worry about the fate of the legion.

(Although Sanguinius had the same prophetic powers as Konrad, his accuracy and side effects were far inferior to the latter. It was not until the Siege of Terra that his prophecies became as strong as Konrad's before. Then the Archangel began to understand what kind of predicament Konrad was in.)
(By the end of the Siege of Terra, even the Archangel himself was a little overwhelmed. It can only be said that the prophetic illusion is much more terrifying than the nagging of the shameful blood god.)
Thinking of this, Sanguinius's gaze began to slowly shift, away from Yesugei, Torhan and others on the parade ground below, and stared at Morgan who was standing next to him: The Spider Queen was wearing a ceremonial armor with blue and silver as the main colors, and her five fingers were holding the goblet given to her by the angel. She seemed very aloof in this grand ceremony.

But the Archangel knew very well that his sister was not really a loner: the image of Lady Macbeth hidden behind Jonson might be very different in the minds of the various Primarchs, but no one doubted that Morgan could easily form a small circle centered on her on the terrace at any time. After all, her most trusted brothers were gathered on the other side of the terrace to chat.

Less than five minutes ago, Sanguinius had seen how Morgan had beckoned Jonson over, exchanged a few words, and then patted the Calibanite on the shoulder and sent him back the way he had come: the movements were smooth and effortless, easier than his archangel could command a silly wolf-god.

However, speaking of the Wolf God...

"What are you looking at, Morgan?"

Following the direction Morgan was looking, Sanguinius only saw a few Primarch's attendants who were chatting in low voices in the shadows of the Emperor's children. Zephon, whom he brought with him, was also among them. His every move still seemed a little unsteady, which made Sanguinius frown secretly.

【I am looking at that person.】

Morgan raised his chin and pointed at the Moon Wolf who was standing silently in the corner.

[Who did Horus bring: He is not in the Council of Four Kings, right? ]

"Indeed not, but he is a big shot among the Luna Wolves."

Sanguinius smiled. As the deputy commander of the Luna Wolves, in which he had served briefly, he naturally knew all the elderly men under Horus. He lowered his voice and a string of ominous names quietly slipped into Morgan's ears.

"His name is Marlowhurst, also known as the Twister, and he is a servant of Horus."

【Twister?】

"Praise his complex way of thinking."

The Archangel's smile proved his admiration for the twister.

"He has always been the chief advisor and spokesperson for the Wolf God. He has excellent coordination skills and personal strength. It is said that whenever Ezekyle competes with him, he has to worry about the position of the captain under him, because the Twister's loyalty to Horus is the most fanatical even among the Luna Wolves."

"He would do anything for him, and Horus's trust in him could not be greater."

【real? 】

"of course it's true."

The angel glanced around and then transmitted a voice mixed with psychic energy into Morgan's mind.

"I'll tell you a secret, Morgan. Don't tell anyone else. Horus has decided to appoint Malohurst as his chief executive officer. In other words, he will be the person who will assist him in managing the entire Wolf Kingdom in the future to ensure that the Warmaster's orders can be carried out stably."

【The Kingdom of Wolves.】

Morgan frowned slightly.

[I heard that Horus intends to hand it over to Loken for management? ]

"Your news is out of date."

The angel smiled and shook his head.

"Malohurst will be the behind-the-scenes leader of the entire Primarch Realm. Sejanus will take over the diplomatic affairs he left behind, and Agnes will become the new attendant of the Wolf God. As for Loken, he seems to have some disagreements with Horus on some major points, but our brother did not neglect this outstanding heir. He intends to let Loken practice it himself."

【What's the meaning? 】

"I heard that they plan to place Loken in a position to conduct specific negotiations with mortals."

The angel sipped his wine, distracted.

"Don't you know?"

[I never like to know too much about other legions.]

This answer silenced Sanguinius.

"why?"

After a while, he asked back.

Morgan turned her head. Sanguinius' question sounded a bit strange, but the Spider Queen did not take it to heart. Her attention was still focused on those primarch servants who she had only heard of in daily life: for example, Zefeng who was brought by the archangel, she had never heard of him.

But soon, Morgan noticed something was wrong: the aura emitted by Saint Guinius, who was sitting behind her, seemed completely different from before?

He... seemed to be asking seriously?
Morgan looked over suspiciously, and her solemn eyes confirmed her guess.

[You actually care about this? ]

The Spider Queen was somewhat amused: she did not think that her brotherly bond with the Archangel was deep enough for Sanguinius to take the initiative to care about Morgan's views on other brothers. Before this, the most profound topic between them was who was the more troublesome galactic bastard, Jonson or Horus.

So far, Horus wins.

"Just out of curiosity."

Sanguinius' tone was gentle, but he did sit up straighter.

"I'm curious about one thing, Morgan: Why do you treat other brothers in a completely different way? You have always been indifferent and cold to some brothers, including Horus. What are you deliberately avoiding?"

[Deliberate?]

Morgan suppressed the tremor in his voice.

【What's the meaning? 】

[Can't I have brothers I don't like and brothers I can't really get along with? ]

"Of course you can: it's normal for anyone, but not for you."

The Archangel's expression was serious.

"Think about those who chose to stand with Jonson a dozen days ago. Even Horus couldn't unite them, but Jonson could. Or you can: Everyone knows that Jonson is now controlled by you, so as long as you want, you can definitely get along well with him, even Mortarion. And honestly, do you really hate a brother? Even Mortarion?"

Morgan did not answer, but her brief hesitation was caught by Sanguinius.

After the hesitation, there is a smile.

So, what does this mean, Brother Sanguinius?

"If this happened to someone else, it wouldn't mean anything."

The archangel slowly leaned forward, still casually playing with the wine glass, with a faint smile on his face, but even the Spider Queen had to admit that as long as Sanguinius's attitude was a little more serious, his aura would be terrifying.

"But you're different, Morgan."

The angel's mouth straightened.

"We all know that most blood brothers are a bunch of arrogant schoolboys who judge one another based on their preconceived notions and rumors from those close to them: the ridiculous rumors about you were thus confirmed, and they remain misleading to this day."

【I don’t care about that.】

"I don't care either." The archangel moved closer.

“I care about the truth.”

Sanguinius took a sip calmly, the wine swaying in the golden cup, as if the person who had just scared Morgan was not him.

"Believe me, if you pay a little attention to every major incident that our Gene Father has resolved in the past few decades, especially those concerning our brothers: no matter if they are stubborn or enemies, as long as he wants to wipe out the waves between the plains, then your name must be on his plan. There are traces to follow."

"He could do without Horus, without Leman Russ, without Jonson, or even without him himself, but Morgan's name would always be there: the Lost Ones, Angron, Corax, the Immaculate City, Perturabo and Dorn, Magnus and Russ, and now Jonson and the Warmaster."

"Oh……"

He sighed softly.

"What kind of idiot would ignore a name that has been around for so many major events."

"The one who can do this may not be the closest person to the Emperor, but you are definitely the one he trusts the most. He at least trusts your ability. On the other hand, since you are involved, you must know more secrets and information than outsiders like us."

“So, the answer is obvious.”

After placing the empty golden cup on the railing, further below, accompanied by a new military music, the White Scars' troops began their march. The originally bustling terrace suddenly became quiet. Although the Emperor was not in the same room with them, his terrace was right above them, and no one wanted to be too noisy at this time.

Even when talking, speak in a low voice.

Sanguinius naturally understood this.

He took the opportunity to stand with Morgan, on the far right side of the terrace. The gloomy Angron and the unhappy Mortarion effectively isolated them from the other brothers: Horus and Fulgrim were at the other end of the terrace, immersed in their own conversation, while Morgan's relatives and friends seemed to have long been accustomed to the absence of the Spider Queen.

The Archangel glanced at them: Guilliman and Jonson were absorbed in the showy ceremony, Corax looked concerned about their situation, but Konrad quickly talked him down, and Midnight Haunter looked at the Archangel from a distance, a wan smile that made Sanguinius shake his head.

To be honest, he was actually quite envious of the atmosphere here in Morgan.

But his questioning did not stop.

"A brother who is deeply trusted by the Emperor and knows more inside information than the rest of us. She has the ability and motivation to develop a good cooperative relationship with all her brothers, but she has always suppressed her social skills and only used them to maintain a closely united organization."

"The people who stand with you are either those who have fought alongside you for a long time, or are brothers you have raised, or those whose territories are too close to yours and you have no choice but to make friends with them. As for those who are a little further away or have a little less trust, you try your best to avoid having any relationship with them, as if you are afraid of having more brotherhood with them."

There was a gleam in Sanguinius's pupils, and his voice trembled under the solemn yet noisy military music of the parade, causing Morgan to nod his head, a trace of cold sweat sliding down the dark part of his neck.

"Seriously, Morgan."

“It’s not like you’re raising brothers.”

"It's more like: building alliances."

At this point, even the archangel himself paused, as if frightened.

"Tell me, just a little: do you know anything?"

"Did the Emperor tell you?"

"Or did Conrad confess to you?"

The angel's tone was a little hurried, but he gave Morgan some time to think.

Morgan thought for about a minute.

【Answer me a question, angel.】

Her tone was equally serious.

[Can you keep an eye on Horus? ]

Sanguinius was silent, with no audible change in the tone of his voice.

"Maybe it was possible before: but the time we spend together will only get less and less."

【Will this be a problem? 】

"Of course, with so little time together, even Fulgrim and Ferrus will become indifferent."

Morgan raised his eyebrows at this metaphor.

[Then you don't need to know this problem too early, Sanguinius: Believe me, some things are bound to happen, such as the fratricide you are imagining in your mind, which is definitely not news in history. We can't stop it from happening, we can only do our best to prepare for it. ]

"For example?"

It took the angel almost two minutes to digest Morgan's words.

Sanguinius was calmer than expected.

[Govern your territory well: at least make sure your legion has enough people to support several wars of the same level as Ullanor.]

This sentence made the archangel stunned.

"Is it that exaggerated?"

He smiled, but it was a forced smile, as if he wanted to deny Morgan's words, but the Spider Queen did not respond to him, and Sanguinius did not ask any further questions.

The two men watched in silence as the White Scars array passed by, responded to the salutes from Yesugei, Qinxia, ​​and Tolhan, and reached a consensus in the following silence.

Sanguinius did not ask the question again.

And a few minutes later, just when Morgan thought she had found time to leave the archangel and return to her brothers, a sigh from Sanguinius entangled her steps: the angel glanced at Angron, who was closest to them, as if to gauge whether he could overhear.

"Honestly, Morgan, I'd love to follow your advice."

But you have concerns?

"Only a little."

The Archangel did not deny it.

"For my legion, it is not difficult to expand the army and prepare for war. The seeds of the Blood Angels can even breed useful warriors from mutants. If it were not for this strong adaptability, the Ninth Legion would not even last until the moment they met me."

"But the real question is..."

The Primarch's eyes darkened.

"How can I be sure that my expansion of the army today will not result in an even larger missing army tomorrow?"

Are you worried about this?

"You can have ten thousand reasons to argue that genetic diseases are not a concern, Morgan, but my descendants only have one life. They can sacrifice themselves, but they cannot be forgotten. I know you even forgave that guy Luo Jia on behalf of the Emperor, but religion is still a matter that can be discussed, but mutants in the Empire have only one fate."

【…】

Morgan was silent for a moment, then he laughed out loud accidentally.

[So many years have passed: Are you still struggling with this? ]

"I don't want to either."

The Archangel looked off into the distance.

"But a while ago, I seemed to hear little voices in my head that promised me a cure."

"That's pretty realistic, you know?"

【! 】

Morgan's eyes suddenly widened.

TMD
It's hard to guard against!

The Spider Queen felt that both of her temples were about to swell up to the point of exploding. The pain could not cover up the rage in her heart at all. Her anger caused golden flames to flicker on her fingertips, quickly burning the fingers and tongues wrapped around her neck and chest. Then, she took advantage of their unpreparedness and threw them behind her, leaving the moans and excited gasps to be heard in the void.

【…】

It’s not satisfying!
It’s not as satisfying as before!
I always feel like I want more...

Morgan took a deep breath.

What color?

She tried hard to suppress the anger in her chest.

"color?"

Seeing that the angel was a little dazed, the Spider Queen plucked a feather without hesitation.

[What, do you have a habit of curling up in your wings when you listen to your inner thoughts? ]

【Color! Give you the feeling! 】

[Red? Blue? Green? Purple? ]

In an instant, new anger surged and grew in Morgan's body. The frustration and long-term pressure accumulated in Ullanor were revealed. How could the unprepared Sanguinius resist it?

He opened his mouth to speak, his expression changing between confusion and determination. Then, he clenched his teeth and took advantage of the high-pitched music when another team entered the venue to whisper a few words into Morgan's ear.

“Neither. What I saw…”

(End of this chapter)