Emperor's Bane

Chapter 694: Ullanor is Over

"I imagined standing beside you long ago, Jonson."

"When I just came back: You should remember that the order of our return was next to each other, you came back three years earlier than me, so when I just came back, I often heard them mention rumors about you and couldn't help but compare us."

"I must admit, brother, you are the most talented among us, and your secret competition is full of challenging value: although I realized early on that it is almost impossible for any of us to win, and our most likely outcome is to stand on the podium together."

"Especially in matters concerning military affairs and the art of command, we are like two equally perfect pieces of metal: having a brother and rival like you is truly priceless. I will gladly accept the rare draw in my life. You are one of the only four brothers that I admire."

“We can stand side by side because I know it will look great together.”

"To stand on either side of the Emperor, eh? We are certainly more qualified than some."

When the two brothers accepted the Emperor's order conveyed by Dorne and walked side by side towards their father and lord, when they were about halfway there, the Lord of Iron suddenly opened his mouth.

He seemed to want to pour out these words in front of the person concerned, and didn't even care whether Jonson was listening carefully or not: Perturabo looked forward, his expression calm, his lips moving imperceptibly, and after pouring out all the thoughts in his heart, he suddenly straightened his chest and raised his head, striding forward in the direction of the Emperor.

The Caliban man was temporarily left behind by his brother. His usually serious face froze for a moment because of the words he just heard. It was unknown what he was thinking secretly. Then, Zhuangsen quickly caught up with his brother's pace. In the blink of an eye, two iron tower-like warriors stood proudly in front of their lord.

The way the primarchs bowed in greeting could bring about gusts of cold wind.

The emperor looked at them with satisfaction, leaning back slightly, as if there was an invisible chair behind him. He placed one hand on the scabbard and nodded with the other, stopping the two aggressive heirs.

The Lord of Mankind still looked like a pure king, but he was somewhat more gentle and fatherly than when he faced Lorgar. His eyes moved between Jonson and Perturabo, and finally landed on the Lord of Steel.

But the words were spoken to both of them at the same time.

+Do you know why I summoned both of you at the same time? +

"I can guess it."

Perturabo nodded first, and after letting go of some knots in his heart, the Lord of Steel's voice became much lighter.

"The brothers who returned earlier told us about the special positions they got from you. I think you summoned me and Zhuang Sen at the same time because in your mind's future we are a pair of partners and need the necessary cooperation?"

＋Not really a partner. ＋
The Emperor shook his head.

＋But the positioning is the same: you two will be my right and left arms in the future. ＋
＋As for who is left and who is right, there is no need to argue over such a small matter, right? ＋

The Emperor chuckled, but neither of his children responded. They just nodded with different expressions, absorbing and analyzing their current position in their hearts: Jonson's performance was obviously more calm than Perturabo's.

“What are our specific duties?”

He asked questions first.

+To be precise, the two of you are my direct legion commanders, independent of the Warmaster's command system: I have reached an agreement with Horus on this matter. He does not have the power to force you two and your respective legions, but I think... +
The Emperor looked back at his beloved offspring, then looked at his freshly-baked left and right arms with a smile on his face.

+ If the situation allows, and under necessary conditions, Horus has asked you to fight alongside him, and you will not refuse. +
"of course."

The Lord of Steel nodded first.

"Horus is an excellent commander, and I never mind having him by my side: he knows how to respect our strength, and is almost unmatched in macro-management. I will gladly respond to his call."

Having said this, Perturabo suddenly glanced in the direction of Horus obscurely. He bit the inside of his lip slightly, and it was unknown what he was thinking in his strange heart: Then, the Lord of Steel actually smiled and added a compliment that was obviously superfluous.

"After all, his military command level is comparable to Morgan and Johnson."

The hidden meaning of this sentence was so obvious that even the not-so-sensitive Jonson looked at his brother strangely: If he remembered correctly, Morgan seemed to have whispered to him privately some time ago that during the time Perturabo was in Ullanor, for some reason he was closer to Fulgrim?
Sure enough: even the tone of his speaking is now exactly the same as that of the phoenix.

Zhuang Sen shook his head secretly.

As for Horus...

Horus continued to smile: he could even squeeze out a reply from his smile.

"Thanks for the compliment, bro."

＋It’s best if you can think this way. ＋
The Lord of Mankind naturally saw all of this clearly, then he turned his head to look at the Caliban people, with an appearance of being completely unaware of the current situation, and waited attentively for Zhuang Sen's answer.

The lion's answer was slower, but more sincere.

"I have no problem. If it is really necessary, I am willing to temporarily follow Horus' command and dispatch. But before that, my Emperor, I want to know one thing: What are our specific duties? Will there be a conflict with the above situation?"

Perturabo also looked over.

+It's very simple. +
The Emperor seemed confident: he enjoyed chatting with his sons like Jonson and Perturabo, because they did not need more words of comfort, as long as they were clearly told what they needed to do.

Feed all those damned preambles and necessary words to Ruth.

＋Even though I have left the Great Crusade and returned to Holy Terra, it does not mean that I have no practical interests in the galaxy. In many cases, I need one or two legions to help me complete some special military tasks: such tasks should not interfere with the overall strategy and need to be handed over to solid and reliable people. ＋
Apparently, this ambiguous response satisfied both Primarchs.

+However, sometimes, the orders you receive may be stamped with the seal of the High Lords Council of Holy Terra: I don't always have the time to write orders myself, but as long as they are delivered by the Custodians, you can regard them as spoken by me personally. +
The Primarchs bowed their heads and kept the Emperor's instructions in mind.

+ Of course. +
The Lord of Mankind looked at his will being carried out with satisfaction, and according to the pattern he had rehearsed thousands of times in advance, he changed the subject and suddenly appeared to be extremely respectful and intimate. He personally helped his two offspring up, lowered his voice, and whispered as if he was telling a secret.

＋Your responsibilities do not stop here. ＋
The Emperor looked at Jonson.

+ My lion, we have discussed your responsibilities and missions countless times. I think I don't need to repeat them: the empire always needs a sharp blade that points outward. He will be anonymous and bear the most blood and pain, but he will also become the most trusted force in our despair. +
+ You will be my hand that reaches out to the rest of the galaxy, the hand that strikes out, before our enemies reveal their true colors, and they disappear from the Empire's sight. +
"With pleasure, my lord."

Jonson stood still and saluted as a knight: this seemingly demanding and thankless position seemed to be the most generous gift in the world that would make the people of Caliban happy. When he once again confirmed his future, there was even a faint smile on the corner of Jonson's mouth.

The Emperor paid no attention: Jonson's loyalty was beyond doubt.

compare to……

+Perturabo, my steel. +
The Lord of Mankind stared at the option that Morgan had promised him.

What did she say then?

+ Do you remember the oaths we made in Olympia? +

"Never forget, father."

When talking about that moment, the Lord of Steel's face was full of holy seriousness.

"Never get tired, never give in, never have emotions or waver: I am firmly fulfilling my promise. If this is the responsibility you will continue to give me, I will continue to fulfill it willingly."

＋Don't you want more? ＋
“More is better, but if I can’t get more, even if I have fewer resources than others, I can still achieve greater things than them: the amount of external forces is meaningless to me now.”

Perturabo's voice was as arrogant as the arrogance in his heart.

＋Very good. ＋
The Emperor nodded.

＋But I still want to give you more, my Perturabo. When Jonson is my arm pointing to the outside of the galaxy, I need my other arm to keep me in the universe and help us build the foundation we have laid: from now on, war is no longer just about iron and blood, it also exists in the realm of wisdom and spirit, in the pursuit of science and technology, progress, law, art and countless related fields. ＋
+ I hope you can set an example for everyone in the empire, build magnificent cities for the future of the empire, draw up detailed transportation for the development of the empire, and conceive reasonable guarantees for the stability of the empire: your talents should not be limited to war and conquest. This has been a huge waste from the beginning, and now, it is time for us to correct this problem. +
"That's exactly what I was thinking, Father."

Perturabo felt that his iron-clad body was shaking uncontrollably.

But he had one last question.

"but……"

＋But what? ＋

"Fulgrim has told me of the duties you have entrusted to him: is this a repetition?"

＋Repeat? ＋
The Emperor was prepared for this: in the face of his smile, any doubt or hesitation in his words would be a great humiliation.

+Perturabo, you should know what the duty I gave to Fulgrim is, right? +
"Your lips."

+That's right. +
The Emperor nodded and placed a hand on Perturabo's shoulder.

+Some things can remain forever in the conception of the brain, lips and ears.

＋But there are still some things that we need to build with our own hands, a talented mind, and a resolute soul. ＋
+Remember, Perturabo. +
＋You are different. ＋
＋Your burden will become heavier. ＋
＋Your responsibility will be more important. ＋
"..."

＋Are you satisfied with this answer? ＋
------

"I can't imagine any answer that would be more satisfactory to Perturabo."

"You're a genius, Morgan."

"Now I know where the emperor has hidden his ability to understand people's hearts."

Is this a compliment?

"Considering his ability to draw me into his plans: that's a compliment."

The Sigillite watched calmly as Perturabo and Jonson returned to the ranks of their brothers: one looked ambitious, the other was calm and silent. They quickly melted into the ranks of the Primarchs, and after a burst of low conversation and laughter, two brothers came out to replace them.

"Corax? Vulkan?"

Makado thought about it.

"What are their duties? I can't quite remember why."

[The Emperor's feet go down to the grassroots of the Empire, into the lives and well-being of mortals: in simple terms, it is similar to the role of a tribune or the voice of the people. 】

The Spider Queen yawned: She was indeed quite tired these days. After all, she had to engrave thousands of plans and honor schemes in her mind, and the talents and strategies of each Primarch gave these plans billions of possibilities.

"Corax and Vulkan: to be his left and right feet?" Malcador was a little stunned.

"I can already imagine the Empire limping in the future."

[Whatever. My old father will be a stay-at-home dad in the future, right? He won't need foot organs.]

The Primarch laughed casually, not paying much attention to the Emperor's direction: and since his dear gene-father was able to destroy the two insurance options, Corax and Vulkan, his next plan should be to find a guy who can understand human words among all the Emperor's heirs to succeed to the throne.

Well, join forces with Makado: there is always a chance of success.

At this point, the Spider Queen couldn't help but glance at Sanguinius: It seemed that in the final plan she gave to the Emperor, the Archangel of Baal would play a role similar to this invisible heir?

What is Sanguinius's duty?
Angel of the Emperor.

The Emperor's mouthpiece.

The Emperor's Spokesperson.

The Voice of the Emperor.

When the glorious image of the Lord of Mankind is finally about to fade away from everyone, is there any more suitable option than Sanguinius: he will serve as a brilliant substitute for the Emperor, wandering around those confused and chaotic worlds for him, calming the unrest with his smile, bringing loyalty and peace with his wings. He will set foot in the most unstable areas of the galaxy and turn them back into the foundation that the Empire can rely on.

A duty that was simple enough for Sanguinius.

Of course, Morgan naturally couldn't let the Archangel of Baal so easily: in the plan he handed over to the Emperor, there was an invisible clause that only he and the Emperor could see, but the main reason why he was able to convince the Emperor to let Sanguinius be his spokesperson.

Think about it: a person who actually knows little about politics and military affairs and has no ambitions in these areas, can correctly listen to the opinions of wise ministers, can deal with internal and external crises in a balanced manner, can use his glorious image to appease people's hearts, and unite various loose factions under his wings.

Looking across the galaxy, is there a better victim than this... ahem, the Emperor's heir?
If Sanguinius were to take over the position temporarily after the Emperor's retirement, even Horus would probably have no objection, right?

The only thing the Archangel lacks now is the experience of how to be a vase: isn’t this now a supplement for him?
Thinking of this, Morgan couldn't help but feel proud of her ingenious idea: but she knew that this kind of pride could only be secretly felt in her heart. After all, Sanguinius was much more terrifying than Leman Russ when he got angry, and Morgan didn't believe that the Archangel of Baal would like the position she arranged from the bottom of his heart.

Well: then she will say that Conrad deliberately encouraged her to do so.

Raise a child for a thousand days, use the child for a while.

The Primarch licked his lips, and in order not to arouse suspicion, he forced himself to turn his gaze away from Sanguinius, and glanced at Angron and Magrus on the way: these two brothers will be special today.

Because they would be the only two people who had not accepted the honors, Morgan had approached them in advance and done some preliminary preparations in the minds of the two blood relatives: specifically, to maintain Magnus's mentality, after all, Angron's attitude towards this kind of thing was well known to everyone.

The Spider Queen didn't even dare to let her brother stand too close to the Emperor: Angron's close combat skills were excellent, and even Conrad was at a loss when facing him. It was possible that the Void King would suddenly no longer be Void and would want to choke their dear Gene Father or make him childless.

Although Morgan really wanted to admit that this old man's parenting skills were worthy of his extinction, now was not the time...

As for Magnus...

From a distance, Morgan looked at the King of Prospero who noticed her, and they smiled at each other. Then Magnus turned his head as if nothing had happened, and watched Corax and Vulkan return leisurely, and then Mortarion took their place.

The Spider Queen, who was also watching all this, was calculating coldly in her heart: She was calculating Magnus's near-future fate.

In fact, Morgan did not arrange any position for Magnus at all. In her previous conversation with Magnus, she comforted the Scarlet King like this: Magnus' position would be very important and would require an entire Nikea Conference as a prelude and guidance. Afterwards, the Emperor would announce his arrangements in front of everyone.

It's easy to imagine that the Lord of the Fifteenth Legion firmly believes in this [preferential treatment].

As for whether he can still get his position after the Council of Nicaea...

Morgan smiled.

She did retain the position of [Honorary Director of Prospero Private Prison] as a precaution.

I'm sure Magnus will like it.

After all: he is the emperor's innocent child.

The Primarch glanced in the direction of the Lord of Mankind.

[After so many years, he and Mortarion are still so tense. ]

"There's nothing we can do about it."

The seal holder is not surprised.

"After all, the Lord of Death has always been a very...interesting guy."

"Honestly, his psychic potential is enough to rank in the top five among all of you."

"But I never dared to tell him."

"and……"

Macador seemed to have thought of something, and he gave Morgan a teasing look.

"I am also quite certain that among all your Primarchs, Mortarion is in the top five in the Emperor's favor. Perhaps even you cannot compare to him, Morgan. The Emperor favors and dotes on him, second only to the unreasonable partiality he showed to Horus."

【You can guess it. 】

Such a clumsy attempt at provocation only elicited a disdainful snort from the Primarch.

[Apart from the Warmaster, Mortarion was the only position the Emperor had personally chosen.]

"Yes."

The seal holder also felt a little emotional.

"The Emperor's Breath... I have a feeling Mortarion wouldn't like this nickname."

[Isn't it enough to explain: The Emperor appointed him as the Grand Inquisitor and granted him the supreme power to hunt down aliens and wizards. Everyone must give way to him on this issue. He is like the Emperor's nose and the Empire's hound, attacking everywhere and responsible for digging out and eliminating all the hidden dangers hidden in the galaxy one by one.]

【Mortarion will like these.】

"no doubt."

The Sigillite smiled as he observed the Emperor's cautious demeanor in front of Mortarion, as well as the sudden increase in the Lord of Death's resentment.

"But he will also hate the Emperor even more."

[This statement is baseless: but you are certainly right, this is Mortarion. ]

[This is the Emperor's Breath. Considering the smell on his body, it is hard for me not to doubt whether this is a humiliating nickname: thinking that the Emperor's Breath will lose the ability to track the enemy because of his overly strong smell, even the most ordinary Death Guard will proudly puff out their chests. ]

Morgan grinned.

[If you look at it this way, the Emperor is quite talented: but whether he really loves Mortarion is a question. ]

"There's never been something right with his favor."

The Sigillite did not look at her, but at the last Primarch who had not yet set out: Alpharius was naturally ignored, not to mention that he chose to stand beside the infamous Macragge at this time.

Everyone was wondering what kind of treatment Guilliman would get from the Emperor.

"He is so."

"Same for you, Morgan."

Malcador grinned and looked at Morgan's stagnant expression with satisfaction.

"Or should I address you by the honorific title that is destined to be long?"

"The Emperor's brain?"

"The Emperor's Mind?"

"The Emperor's second Sigillite?"

"Or……"

"The Prime Minister of the Great Crusade?"

【…】

During Morgan's long silence and the lingering murderous intent, the one who had personally promoted the Spider Queen to the position of [Prime Minister of the Great Crusade] smiled the most hearty and hateful smile since he set foot on the land of Ullanor.

"Now, if you would mind telling me."

"Why would you place Guilliman on such a strange component?"

"Ok?"

Malcador tilted his head: he seemed genuinely curious about the answer.

"Guilliman: The Emperor's stomach?"

"What on earth are you thinking, Morgan?"

(End of this chapter)