Emperor's Bane

Chapter 707 Noon has arrived
【By the way, Conrad: Have you seen Alpharius recently? 】

"Why do you suddenly care about them?"

[They? Don't we have only one brother named Alpharius?]

"One?"

#Nostramo's weird laugh. #
"I remember three? Or maybe more: who can tell about Hydra? Maybe we can find a dozen Alpharius, and if we kill one, two more will be born from its body, until they overrun the world."

【…】

[You have a very bad opinion of him: I remember Ran Dan was like that at that time.]

"It's just a bad fate between colleagues."

Conrad licked his lips and squatted on the ground with a lazy look on his face. His dark blue power armor was covered with dust from the basalt, which made the Spider Queen frown: whenever the mature and reliable Midnight Haunter was alone with his beloved adopted parents, he would happily regress to his childhood and carefully raise the Spider Queen's blood pressure.

Then when it’s almost reached the critical point, quickly call other people over.

As long as there are outsiders present, Morgan cannot do anything to Conrad, and Conrad in turn has to be obedient and sensible: this invisible tacit understanding between mother and son will naturally make the Midnight Haunter pay a heavy price afterwards. After all, Morgan is not an amnesiac and naturally knows who the culprit is.

But as for having fun: if you are not prepared to risk your life, how can it be called fun?
The worst result would be to add some fresh stock to Conrad's own private blood bank: he asked Sevatar to keep the key to the cold storage. After all, the Primarch's flesh and blood were priceless treasures, and maybe they would come in handy someday in the future.

I'll exchange the original body's heart for yours.

How many businessmen in the galaxy can resist such a bid?

Midnight Haunter shook his head, feeling proud of his good idea, but Morgan beside him was lost in thought.

[Traveling together? How do you say that? ]

"Isn't it obvious?"

Conrad silently changed his posture: even if he was the Primarch, his feet would get numb from squatting.

"If there was no Alpha Legion, the professional field that my Night Lords Legion would be responsible for might be broader, and the burden on my shoulders would be much lighter: if the Eighth Legion had been an organization responsible for both intelligence and suppression activities from the beginning, then even without me, I wouldn't have to worry about Sevatar and his men going to extremes."

"Our father made a mistake when he founded the various legions. He gave some responsibilities too broadly, which led to the rapid expansion of the power of some legions. However, he divided other responsibilities too finely, piling up several legions and causing a waste of labor."

"Think about it, Morgan. The legions responsible for shadowy operations alone include the Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Night Lords, Raven Guard, and Alphas: each of them is responsible for a tiny fraction of the force, and a quarter of the legion's strength is wasted in the shadows."

"What's more: some of them are terrible at doing their jobs."

[Alpharius?]

"That's right: the ultimate end of Hydra is that each head will turn on each other."

"Even if our Alpharius brothers hold a secret meeting of the highest level in private to discuss their most important mission, Morgan, believe it or not, no one present will tell the truth. Any conclusion they reach in the end is useless. Whether they are loyal to the Emperor or against the Emperor, there will always be another half of Hydra secretly turning against them."

【What does this have to do with me? 】

“Maybe in the future.”

Conrad winked at her.

"In a sense: we are both part of your blood."

"Your blood is flowing in my soul."

【…】

Morgan's brow twitched.

[You two?]

[You, and Alpharius?]

"What's the problem, my dearest foster mother?"

The Midnight Ghost grinned, revealing a bright smile.

Morgan-style confusion

At this moment, the Spider Queen felt that she should react to this sentence: What should she do immediately?
Before she could figure it out, Morgan was already physically taking action.

She knew what the outcome would be.

------

"Ah, the invincible Conrad has fallen."

"What a shame: I should have sold him a Macragge National Life Insurance policy a long time ago."

“Put my name in the beneficiary field.”

A spirited, well-dressed Macragge pulled a special candy from his pocket, crushed it, and threw it directly into his mouth: the crumbs fell to the ground, making a hissing sound, and the pungent white smoke emitted when the magma cooled.

On the other side, Guilliman nimbly moved the hem of his ceremonial armor, which was supposed to be inconvenient to move, to avoid the blood splashing on him from a few meters away: the Imperial Guards standing behind them had no such concerns, and their expressionless golden helmets were dotted with dark red blood, making them look even more eerie.

It's so weird...

Guilliman chewed the gum that could make Mortarion foam at the mouth, but he couldn't help shaking his head in his heart: he didn't know when it started, but he had become accustomed to the parent-child ritual between Morgan and Conrad with fists hitting flesh and bones flying. He could even roughly guess the Spider Queen's current mood by the angle of blood splattering and the order in which organs fell first.

It should be pretty bad, the kind that can scare off Jonson but not Russ: There's nothing strange about this: the heartless Fenris wolfhounds are always braver, and Jonson's eyesight is much better.

But the real question is…

The Primarch's gaze tilted slightly.

Why do these imperial guards in front of me look like they are used to it?
What kind of image does this gentle and refined relative of Avalon present to the outside world?

I can’t figure it out: I’d better eat candy.

As he was stimulating his brain cells with neurotoxins imported from Catachan to ensure that he could perform at full capacity at the upcoming Nicaea Conference, Guilliman noticed that Morgan had pulled down his sleeves, wiped off the blood, and came up to him with a smile on his face.

【I'm sorry to make you laugh, Robert.】

"Ah, nothing much: I haven't seen you two interact in so long anyway, I missed it."

"It's a pity that Jonson and Corax aren't here."

Guilliman shook his head.

[Jonson is at the meeting place. He is not suitable for the current occasion. As for Corax, he should be with Sanguinius. They will bring Mortarion with them: it is not easy to get him to stay with Magnus.]

"Mortarion?"

The Macragge's brow twitched.

"What is he doing here?"

[He insisted: He said he wanted to supervise Magnus's last journey.]

“Isn’t this the job of an angel?”

【Now it’s our turn. 】

Morgan smiled.

[We were responsible for escorting Magnus to the bronze gate, while Sanguinius, who was guarding there, was responsible for pushing the door open in front of Magnus and announcing to everyone in the venue that the suspect Magnus had arrived according to the Emperor's order and would soon face his trial.]

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Guilliman shook his head repeatedly.

"I bet you're not doing this willingly, is Sanguinius?"

[When he asked me to hold the Warmaster's crown for him on Ullanor, it was my own will.]

The slightly hideous smile on Morgan's face made Guilliman shut his mouth obediently. He could naturally recognize that this was the joy of successful revenge: presumably, where he couldn't see, the two good sisters were picking on each other's sore spots and fighting absent-mindedly for a while.

In a high-end game like this, he just needs to squat and watch quietly.

Guilliman crushed the candy, and after a temporary dizziness, his mind felt incredibly clear and energetic: he was glad that the tonic Morgan had prepared for him did not have any addictive effects, otherwise it would have really caused him some trouble.

The Macragge shook his head.

He glimpsed a red light on the horizon.

------

"Long time no see, Brother Magnus."

"Yeah, long time no see."

He raised his hand, waved it vigorously, pulled up the muscles at the corners of his mouth, and tried his best to force a smile: Magnus felt that everything he did was so deliberate, and he could not hide the nervousness in his heart.

Fortunately, none of his dear brothers and sisters seemed to notice this.

But then again: aren't there a bit too many people standing here to greet him?
King Prospero's gaze was now focused on Conrad, the first one who came towards him with his arms outstretched: The Midnight Haunter dressed himself spotlessly, except for his robe which looked a little messy, and he looked as if he had just been through a fierce battle, but his face was quite rosy.

Behind Konrad, Morgan, Guilliman and Corax stood side by side, while Mortarion stood further back, the only one present who did not smile at him: Magnus naturally ignored the large number of Custodian Guards and Sisters of Silence on both sides of the road.

He walked forward, embraced his brothers warmly, and greeted them in a low voice: Mortarion only nodded coldly. He was a little disappointed to learn that Sanguinius and Chagatai Khan had been assigned temporary tasks by the Emperor, but they arrived at the venue in time.

"Is this Malcador's doing again?"

As everyone stood shoulder to shoulder, casting shadows in the incredibly wide volcanic corridor, the deep-rooted desire to perform once again crept into his brain: Magnus couldn't wait to speak, and the questioning in his tone made Mortarion seem a little gentle.

"You owe respect to the Emperor and the Chancellor of all mankind, Magnus."

Guilliman warned.

"I have given him my respect: he deserves no more from me."

Magnus waved his hand casually. Rather than competing with Guilliman, he preferred to admire Perturabo's exquisite work: the military-grade hot-melt tools had opened up a wide and safe path in the ancient volcano. The nearly transparent shell allowed travelers to even see the magma gradually solidifying above their heads. The crystal veins on the winding walls were like silver blades wielded by nature, dividing the clearly visible sedimentary rock layers into two irregular parts.

Between each one, there is a blazing torch: even for the most solemn meeting place in the entire empire, the light here is too abundant. Magnus feels like he is walking beside the sun, and even his mood becomes brighter.

He didn't know if it was due to this: he felt that the tone of the conversation was also so cheerful.

Even if they were talking about Malcador.

[The seal holder is still worthy of respect. ]

Morgan said one thing, but the playfulness in her eyes betrayed her.

[Many people in the Empire believe that, in addition to his abilities and duties, Malcador holds a special place in the heart of the Emperor, our father. In layman's terms, he is a confidant. If he is of the opposite sex, perhaps it will be even further.] "Like Robert's parents?"

Corax turned his head curiously: he was responsible for separating Mortarion and the other brothers present on both sides of him, because the Lord of Death seemed particularly friendly to the Primarch of the Raven Guard, perhaps because they had the same humble and difficult birth environment.

"The king and his capable queen."

“That’s different.”

Amid the brothers' lighthearted laughter, only the person involved was shaking his head seriously.

"First of all, my adopted father, Lord Connor, is the Archon of Macragge, not the King."

"Secondly, there is no marital relationship between Lord Connor and Ms. Euton."

"..."

For a moment, the air was somewhat quiet.

"Aren't they your adoptive parents?"

After the surprise, Corax asked the question that was in the minds of everyone present: even Mortarion turned around curiously.

"That's right, but..."

Guilliman scratched his head.

"They are my adoptive parents, but they are not married to each other. Lady Euton is Lord Connor's housekeeper: they will attend public events together, play a domestic role in raising me, and occasionally rest together in the same room, but strictly speaking, Lady Euton is not Lord Connor's wife."

"..."

"Who will be responsible for the role of the wife of the Archon of Macragge?"

"When necessary: ​​Ms. Euden."

Guilliman scratched his head again: even he felt that something was wrong, but the stubbornness in his heart prevailed, and the Primarch decided to explain it again.

"It's mainly because of Lady Euton's presence that Lord Connor feels there's no need for him to get married. After all, the marriage system was popular on Macragge, and the official wife was mostly just an empty title. The position that was truly responsible for threading needles and maneuvering within the powerful class was the [Official Mistress], but it was obviously not worthy of Lady Euton's ability."

"Official...mistress?"

Corax was a little stunned.

“Normal stuff.”

Morgan next to him yawned.

"My adopted father in Avalon also has an official mistress of his own, the Countess of Pompadour."

"She is a countess?"

"No, she was born a socialite, but her husband was a count, so he could send her to my adoptive father's bed: she relied on providing male favorites to my adoptive mother to maintain her influence."

“But…but this…”

Corax's eyes widened: he felt as if he had stepped into a new world.

"Relax, brother."

Magnus also waved his hand.

"The chaotic relationships between some mortal nobles are far beyond your imagination: in Prospero before my reign, nobles used to marry their own brothers and sisters to maintain their pure-blood tradition. I remember that the same was true on the home planet of Jaghatai Khan."

"of course."

It was Conrad who answered.

"I once visited Chogoris, and Chagatai introduced me to his adoptive mothers: I remember that one of them was his adoptive mother and sister-in-law, another was his theoretical niece and sister, and another was actually his grandmother before that."

"The bad habits of ordinary people..."

"Who says it's not?"

Morgan, Conrad, Magnus and Guilliman: the brothers either smiled helplessly or with insight. They were either members of the noble class since birth or had seen and experienced everything. They casually dug out these ancient rumors and shook them up, just to ease the tension in the air.

But when they turned their heads and looked at the two brothers at the edge, they found that Mortarion and Corax were silent: they stared at their other brothers as if they were staring at monsters. In the simple souls of farmers and coal miners, it seemed that some originally ignorant areas were forever stained.

【Okay: just kidding. 】

Morgan waved at them, motioning for the two to keep up with their pace: after walking about one-third of the way in the passage, everyone could clearly feel that the lights on both sides of the road had become much dimmer, and shadows appeared on the faces of each Primarch. Perhaps because of the incidental impact, the originally joking voices in the conversation gradually became lower.

One minute, two minutes...

The road became longer and longer, the lights became dimmer, and the smiles in everyone's pupils faded at an alarming speed, until the faces of the demigods returned to silence, until the only sound in the corridor was the increasingly hurried footsteps: the Imperial Guards still followed quietly behind them, silently like a row of gargoyles.

No one spoke.

No one laughed.

The beautiful atmosphere that was temporarily created was eventually swallowed up bit by bit by the darkness in the face of the future that everyone knew.

Until Morgan sighed and quietly placed his fingers to his ears.

Until Magnus finally began to voice some anxiety.

"What is going on: how could Brother Perturabo be so negligent?"

"It's none of his business."

Mortarion's cold reply was three full men's distance away.

"This should be the Emperor's intention: He wants you to reflect carefully before starting anything."

"Reflection?"

Magnus was immediately furious.

"What I need to reflect on is: How dare you casually speculate on the Emperor's intentions?"

"Isn't that what you always do: arrogant Magnus?"

"What nonsense!"

"..."

In the blink of an eye, the friendly atmosphere that was still lingering a few minutes ago was torn to pieces during a few quarrels: Morgan shook her head helplessly at Conrad, and then responded to Guilliman's eyes with a smile, indicating that she was too lazy to mediate.

Let them quarrel: just think of it as a warm-up for what's to come.

Morgan said this with his eyes, and Conrad naturally shut up. Guilliman and Corax accepted it helplessly, but the Spider Queen ignored them: she listened patiently to the call from Chagatai Khan.

He brought the results from the Emperor.

Guilliman stared at her, carefully observing the changes in Morgan's expression, until a moment of coldness appeared in the Spider Queen's pupils, which made the Macragge man's back shiver and he hurriedly turned his face away: at the same time, he sighed in his heart for Magnus's end.

At this time, they also walked into the darkness completely, even Magnus and Mortarion stopped arguing: on the last stretch of the road as dark as the night, no one had the leisure to do anything, the footsteps of the guards behind them were like a death clock, making the primarchs just want to reach their destination quickly.

Fortunately: this last period of darkness was not actually long.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, brothers."

In front of the bronze gate leading to the core of the volcano, a tall and dazzling figure stood there, smiling at them: Sanguinius was holding a torch in his hand, and his beautiful face, which was unmatched in the world, was filled with passionate emotions for every brother present.

Magnus felt that it gave him especially much: the torch in the angel's hand was the only source of light in the darkness, and he instinctively walked forward, wanting to give Sanguinius a brotherly hug.

The angel had his way: the only problem was that the torch was a bit of a hassle.

"Let me do it."

Magnus held out his hand, intending to show off his psychic skills in front of everyone present, especially Mortarion: but whether it was the powerful inert material around him or because he was too focused on Sanguinius, when Magnus was about to use a simple spell that had long become muscle memory to receive the torch from the air, he suddenly forgot how to recite the spell.

How should that simple spell be recited?

It seemed like he hadn't spoken in a long time.

A moment's hesitation caused the torch to brush against the Primarch's arm and fall to the ground: before the moment's pain had passed, the only source of light in the darkness turned into scattered sparks. Magnus looked at his brother somewhat awkwardly, with a smiling sense of frustration in his heart.

"Ah, you're so excited, bro."

But the angel still smiled and hugged him.

They greeted each other: the little accident just now was quickly forgotten.

Magnus laughed again: but he didn't notice one thing.

As they embraced, Sanguinius neither closed his eyes nor looked at Magnus's face: in the darkness, the archangel glanced at Morgan obliquely.

It is both a question and a confirmation.

He needed answers from Morgan: answers from Chagatai Khan.

The Spider Queen said nothing.

In the pure darkness, Morgan just stood there quietly, as expressionless as a statue: until the last spark in the darkness happened to roll to the front of her boots, lingering on her toes through the leather.

This was the last of the light: it was as red as Magnus's skin.

The Spider Queen smiled.

Then, as the angel watched, she lifted the toes of her boots slightly.

The toes that were powerful enough to easily crush the helmet of an Astartes warrior now seemed slow, gentle and unquestionable.

"呲-"

Amid the laughter of the crowd, no one paid attention to the sound of the last bit of light being extinguished.

The surroundings returned to darkness: Sanguinius' pupils also turned cold.

"Come on, Magnus."

"I will be responsible for leading you...to your seat."

(End of this chapter)