Emperor's Bane

Chapter 715: The evil words incited the father and son to become enemies

"too long……"

As his boots stepped onto the marble table, feeling the attention from all directions, Ahriman was brewing a sigh in his heart.

The passage of decades had never left such a clear and regrettable scar in his mind, but now he truly felt the power of time.

The scepter in his palm, filled with arcane light, brought a heat different from that of the real universe, and the think tank coat worn outside the power armor brought him back to decades ago, back to the time when he was still a pure psychic.

That was a long time ago, so long ago that it seemed like a real dream: Ahriman had not stood in front of the public as a pure psychic for a long time. At this point, even he himself felt unfamiliar with the robes he was wearing.

This feeling is like in a bustling crowd, suddenly an old friend whom you haven't seen for decades walks towards you. You may not even recognize him at first sight, but after you recognize him, whether it is the mixed feelings in your heart or the natural smile after a moment, it is a beauty that cannot be described in simple words.

At least Ahriman felt indescribable.

In his heart, he suspected that this feeling was brought by his genetic father: when he passed by Magnus just now, although there was no verbal communication between the two, the bond between father and son was so deep that just a glance at each other was worth a thousand words.

And it was after he passed by Magnus that Ahriman felt that the psychic control that had been dormant in him for a long time seemed to be shattered in an instant: those psychic powers that had been as peaceful as a sleeping bear under Morgan's training were becoming restless again at an incredible speed.

He did not like this feeling, but Ahriman had to admit that for any psyker, such an active and abundant psychic atmosphere was a pleasure: Ahriman could not imagine what kind of invisible paradise his Thousand Sons brothers lived in on a daily basis.

They probably had no idea how horrible the real world was, and this naivety now revealed its evil consequences: when Ahriman, as the most steadfast cornerstone of the Think Tank and Guilliman's winning trump card, walked to the podium with his head held high, his Thousand Sons brothers could only stand below helplessly, waiting for him to use words to save everyone's fate.

Of course, Ahriman was not the only savior dedicated to defending the think tank system: behind him and the Lord of Macragge, there were a full fifteen figures who were standing up one after another, rushing to the marble table from different directions, forming a small but powerful legion with them.

These figures were all wearing robes and holding scepters. On their shoulder armor were painted the symbols of the Astartes Legion: Dark Angels, Dawnbreakers, White Scars, Night Lords and even Luna Wolves...

In fact, apart from the Emperor's Children Legion which had never had a think tank organization (Fulgrim's descendants believed that psykers were a kind of physical mutation that did not conform to their creed of perfection), the Space Wolves and Death Guard Legion which had clearly stood on the opposition position, the Alpha Legion which was like a shadow and invisible to any outsider, and the XI Legion which had long been wiped out: the directors of the think tanks of each of the remaining legions, who could represent the symbols of all the psykers of a legion, chose to rush to the battlefield of Nikea at this time to line up with the two imposing Primarchs, the Wolf King and the Lord of Death, to face each other.

"really interesting."

On the Primarch's viewing platform, far away from the sight of everyone present, Horus, with the Warmaster's wreath on his head, showed a seemingly surprised smile, and his sea-blue pupils lingered among fifteen different legion symbols in turn, and then he belatedly looked at the eagle beside him.

"Even on the battlefield, it's rare to see so many regiments united."

"No need to be jealous, bro."

Chagatai Khan was watching everything on the field intently. He did not pay special attention to Yesugei's direction: long before the Nikea Conference began, the White Scars' Primarch had found his think tank chief and allowed his most trusted child to act on his own.

"There are fifteen think tank directors. Many of them have never met before today. The reason why they chose to speak at this time is not because they have planned it in advance: the reason that unites them is not any one person present, not Guilliman and the Emperor, not even Morgan."

"They were just temporarily in a trench for a common cause."

"You know all about this, Chagatai?"

Horus raised his eyebrows. He was certainly not so stingy, but the Khan's words still aroused his curiosity: In response to his question, Chagatai Khan did not answer him immediately. He remained silent, and his voice was as ethereal as the breeze on the grassland.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't work with Morgan for long, Horus. It wasn't until the situation on Nikaea had developed to the point where it was unavoidable that I actually worked with her for the first time. But even though it was a short time, I was able to see through Morgan and know what kind of person she really is."

"..."

The wolf god came to his senses, his face full of inquiry. At this moment, even the tense situation on the field could no longer attract Horus's attention: to hear Chagatai Khan personally evaluate one of his most concerned sisters? Opportunities like this don't come around every day.

"Tell me about it, Chagatai."

"In a word."

The Khan gave it one last thought.

"Morgan is the kind of person who, at first glance, seems to have done nothing and doesn't seem to care about how things are going. But in fact, she seems to have done everything, and the direction of things has not exceeded her expectations and means throughout the process: Even if there are occasional mistakes, she will use her amazing on-the-spot reaction ability to force things back on track."

"At least it won't be too bad."

"Besides, I want to tell you: on-the-spot reaction ability is actually one of Morgan's weaknesses."

"A surprising weakness?"

"Yes, her ability to react on the spot is amazing in itself, but compared to her real strengths: for example, her ability to analyze things in detail and the preliminary preparations based on this analytical ability, these are the things that Morgan should really be valued for."

"Sounds like Guilliman?"

“Same, but also different.”

The Khan shook his head.

He thought again.

"Morgan and Guilliman both possess strong operational and logical thinking abilities, which is the fundamental reason why they were able to build a great country. However, when it comes to details, they each focus on different things."

"Can you give me an example?"

Horus touched his smooth forehead: he regretted not bringing paper and pen.

"I can't give you an example, but I can describe it to you in general terms."

"Guilliman's strength is that he can always make others overestimate his power, using advantages that do not exist to deter the opponent's actions: once the opponent is delayed, giving Guilliman enough time to operate and react, Macragge is invincible."

"He's always been like that."

Horus nodded.

"What about…Morgan?"

The Wolf Shepherd God did not notice that his tone had become a little heavier at this moment.

“Morgan is at the other extreme.”

Chagatai Khan turned his eyes to the side, and his eagle-like vision allowed him to easily see every detail in the Temple of Nikea: whether it was Leman Russ's hands behind his back, which were constantly clenched and relaxed, or Morgan's lips, which seemed to be muttering something, covered by his bent fingers.

"Morgan is better at, or rather, she prefers to make others underestimate her power. She turns her opponent's arrogance or carelessness into an invisible advantage for herself, thereby inducing her enemies to make wrong judgments and causing them to continuously divide their power, allowing her to eliminate her opponents at the smallest possible cost."

"I understand."

Horus understood everything immediately.

"In essence, Morgan's army is too thin. She doesn't like to fight with any opponent in a full-strength duel. Instead, she prefers to use various methods to divide her opponent's strength and then eat her targets in small bites."

"Yes."

The Khan nodded.

"In that case, aren't all the rumors about Morgan wrong?"

Horus chuckled.

"At least the [small-mindedness] aspect seems quite realistic."

"I do not think so."

The Khan shook his head and quickly rejected Horus's judgment: Under the somewhat surprised gaze of the wolf god, Chagatai Khan first closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he expressed his point of view with calm emphasis.

"I don't think Morgan's sympathy for the lives of the Dawnbreakers is purely emotional: essentially, she is a very rational person, rational to the point of being almost ruthless. The reason why she cares so much about the death rate of the Second Legion is simply because her legion cannot afford to lose people and needs to avoid more casualties as much as possible."

"That's all."

"And if she sees victory in war as more important than the lives of her soldiers, she will become a Perturabo-like figure, squandering the lives of the Dawnbreakers at will. She has not done so yet simply because there is no target of such high value in the galaxy right now."

"..."

"What a scary conclusion!"

Horus' lips twitched and he forced out three or two dry smiles.

"Why do you think so, my brother Chagatai Khan?"

"I remember you had a very high opinion of Morgan, didn't you?"

"Yes."

The Khan glanced at him.

"Don't get me wrong, Horus. This kind of cold and ruthless rational thinking is exactly one of the best impressions Morgan has left on me. It is also the most dazzling part of her. This kind of rationality is too rare among our brothers. And, do you know how I realized this? I realized Morgan's cold nature?"

The Wolf Shepherd God thought about it.

"Because of Magnus?"

"Yes."

The Khan's expression showed some emotion.

"Do you remember my evaluation of Morgan at the beginning? She seemed to have done nothing, but in fact she had already manipulated everything. I realized this from Morgan's attitude towards the think tank when I was working with her. I witnessed the whole process with my own eyes."

"What did she say to the think tanks?"

"Nothing said."

Khan shook his head. "She allowed them to act freely and vowed not to interfere with the private will and behavior of the think tanks. However, when the think tanks gathered in private to discuss how to act, I found that Morgan's influence on them was actually terrifying."

"Our sister is the mentor of almost every think tank director. Among all the fifteen think tank representatives, more than half of them obviously act according to her ideas, and the remaining half tend to regard her as a great figure second only to the Emperor and their own Primarch."

"They seemed to be discussing, but in reality, half of the representatives were just reciting the plan Morgan had given them in advance, secretly forming a group to guide the other half of the representatives to agree to the plan: but everyone was absolutely willing."

"They...can't see this?"

"They don't care, Horus: remember what I said, they are all Morgan's disciples."

"No wonder……"

Horus looked at a certain Librarian who was standing silently behind Ahriman.

"Is this also true for my think tank?"

"You let him go free?"

"Yes."

The Wolf Shepherd God will definitely come.

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

"That's right. I don't doubt the loyalty of any of the Luna Wolves to you, my dear brother Horus. But if you allow your Librarians to act freely, they will automatically understand that following the method given by Morgan is the best solution at the moment. In any case, it will never violate the interests of you and the Luna Wolves."

"Tsk..."

The wolf-god snorted, and then remained silent for two or three minutes: while Malcador chanted the platitudes of the meeting's re-opening on the marble table, Horus was not listening at all, and no one knew what he was thinking during this time.

Only his whispers could be heard.

"That is to say: I need a psychic power that can be completely controlled in my hands..."

"After all, even my think tanks are not so reassuring now..."

"What are you talking about, Horus?"

"Nothing: what about her ruthlessness?"

"How do you know Morgan is ruthless?"

"one thing."

The Khan's voice fell silent for a moment.

"Guess what: Who made the rest of us decide to abandon Magnus once and for all?"

"Although this is everyone's default: but someone has to bring it up first, right?"

"..."

The wolf-shepherd god widened his eyes.

"This is ridiculous: I remember her and Magnus being very close..."

"Maybe it was before, but now..."

Khan smiled.

"I have something to tell you, Horus."

"Is it a secret?"

"I suppose so: but soon it won't be."

"Did you see that man?"

Following Chagatai's guidance, Horus clearly saw the fiery red figure on the black marble table: he stood in front of the fourteen think tanks like a king, and when his colleagues were silent, he would speak as their only unified will.

"Ahriman: What happened to him?"

"You know who he belongs to, right?"

"Magnus's offspring?"

"wrong."

Chagatai chuckled. He was so confident that for a moment, the wolf god began to doubt his own brain: until he realized belatedly that Ahriman was indeed the son of Magnus.

"He was."

The Khan saw through his brother's confusion and his eyes gradually turned cold.

"But wait and see, brother."

"Just wait and see: in the ensuing verbal battle, this man, whom you call the son of Magnus, this man who is the only representative of the Thousand Sons Legion who can speak on Nikaea, this man who Prospero has high hopes for as the savior."

"Will he speak for his father?"

"..."

The Wolf God was stunned for a moment before he realized what the Khan meant.

He immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"Chaghatai, my brother, you are assuming a terrible crime."

“You think it’s hypothetical?”

"No Astartes would betray his Gene-Father, just as no Primarch would betray the Emperor: these are galactic truths. How can you shake them in my presence?"

"Oh, Horus, my Horus."

The Khan shook his head repeatedly, glancing at his brother as if he were pitying a child.

"I admit that some concepts of loyalty are absolutely noble in your hearts."

“But you have to see clearly.”

“Even the greatest loyalty, in front of some cunning pupils, in front of some smiling lips that pour out evil words that harm the people, will be like a stone dripping with water: without anyone noticing, it will be slowly but firmly shaken and shaped until it becomes what the owner of the pupils and lips wants it to be.”

"And now."

The Khan patted Horus on the shoulder. He stood behind the Wolf God. When the fight on the marble started again, Chagatai was guiding the Wolf God's vision and quietly glanced at the silver-white figure.

"Look, Horus."

"Look at her: right now she is letting go of her true self."

"Look at her and tell me: what goes through your mind?"

"..."

"Yes."

The wolf-herding god did not speak, but the slightest change in his facial expression gave Chagatai Khan the answer he wanted.

"Now you know, right? I just confirmed this not long ago."

"As long as she wants, she can become a demon to each of us and a curse to everyone."

"Whether it's you or me."

"Or...ah, that person..."

"This is not the power of the real universe. This is the same power as our father."

"With such power, our sister is able to trample even upon the sacred bond between the Astartes and the Primarchs: behold Ahriman in his high spirits, while Magnus was unaware that his proudest son had already given his allegiance to another."

"Our father should be amazed: this was a power that belonged to him alone."

“But then again: maybe this is what our father would want to see?”

The Khan was silent for a moment.

"What do you think, Horus?"

"..."

"Jaghatai."

"what happened?"

"Do you know...any way for me to become a powerful psyker?"

(End of this chapter)