Emperor's Bane

Chapter 762: The Lion Returns Home

Chapter 762: The Lion Returns Home
"Standing firm? Stop kidding!"

"In this world, there is no fortress that can stand forever."

"It's even more impossible to block the entire Eye of Terror with just a fortified fortress world!"

"Don't let your imagination run wild, Luther. Your Cadia Fortress cannot eliminate this danger for the Empire once and for all. Even if there really is a powerful enemy in the Eye of Terror, we should not be trapped in front of the gate. The right way is to take the initiative to attack and destroy them!"

"Just like when the Emperor set out from the Salamas Sector to expedition to the outer darkness, he wiped out the Heart Eaters civilization once and for all, crushing their nests and leadership to ashes: this is what the sharp blade of the Empire should do!"

“That’s what we should do too!”

The Lord of Caliban slammed his fist heavily on the stone table in front of him, creating a horrifying hole in the blink of an eye. Most of the table disappeared out of thin air, and the remaining half lost its center of gravity and rolled to the ground like a headless corpse.

Rolled to Luther's feet.

"..."

The Governor of Caliban, personally chosen by the Emperor and the Primarch, said nothing, but simply lowered his head and glanced at the furniture on which he had died.

“This is my favorite table.”

"Just change it!"

The Primarch waved his hand, not caring about these details: as if there was a grudge in his heart, Zhuangsen's tall figure kept searching back and forth in the conference room, like a lion trapped in a cage.

The fully armed Primarch was nearly four meters tall and huge to match, so everything in Luther's room seemed too narrow for him.

The Primarch's huge head was projected onto the neat grid of the marble wall through iron lanterns, and the mottled pattern made it look even larger than the stone sculptures: Luther's [skinny] figure stood beside him, as if he would be eaten by Zhuangsen at any time.

"This is different, Jonson."

But from his slow tone, it was not difficult to tell that Luther was the one who dominated the conversation in the room: he had a faint smile on his face, and his fingertips were entangled with a paper star map.

What is depicted on this star map is the star sea kingdom that belongs to Zhuang Sen.

But everyone knows that only Luther, the governor of Caliban, is the real leader of these hundreds of civilized worlds: the relationship between him and Jonson is infinitely close to the relationship between the Emperor and the Seal Holder.

"This table is of great significance to the Grand Knights. Thirteen important documents of historical value were signed on this table, including the approval of your application to join the order."

"..."

Zhuang Sen stopped walking, but his anxiety was still visible.

"Why? Do you think I should give it an award for outstanding contribution?"

"Or should I apply for a disabled veterans insurance policy for it?"

"That's not what I meant."

Luther bent down, picked up a sharp-edged fragment, and absentmindedly stroked the snow-white fractures.

"I am merely telling you that if you must choose a place to vent your lust for destruction, abandoned by the Emperor and the Great Crusade, then you'd better choose somewhere else: I have a whole list of alien worlds in my drawer."

"Don't act wild here. This is the former base of the Grand Knights. There are cultural relics everywhere, even the castle itself. If you tear down this broken stone house, where will I go to tell the new recruits of the legion about your heroic stories in the Knights?"

"You still know!"

Zhuang Sen snorted lightly.

"Do you know how important this castle is to us?"

"What happened, Luther?"

The Primarch clenched his fists and pointed out the window in annoyance.

"How are you going to explain this?"

"The castle is nothing like it was when I left Caliban, except for these few poor stone houses, ah, they should be called listed historic buildings: but look outside the window and see what has become of the rest of it?"

"Office building? Starport? Welcome plaza and the embassy's entertainment area?"

"You're also going to set aside a forest for these ambassadors to hunt for fun?"

“Technically, they are not ambassadors.”

Faced with the Primarch's temper, Luther was calmer than he thought.

"Those noble young men are your subjects, or my allies. They were chosen by their fathers to come to Caliban to learn the Way of the Knights: you know, just like the old squire system."

"Squire?"

The Primarch muttered in dissatisfaction.

"In my opinion, none of these idiots are qualified."

"After all, they are not here to be knights."

"Those who are qualified to be knights are already in your legion."

"They came to Caliban, immersed themselves in the thoughts and culture of Caliban and the Dark Angels, and then returned to their home planet to take over their fathers' positions as governors. They then sent their chosen successors to Caliban to continue running this squire system."

"I learned this in Avalon: it is very useful for maintaining rule."

"As for the castle: a small price to pay."

Luther smiled calmly.

"I must always have a place that is noble enough to accommodate these guests."

"Besides, didn't I apply to you for the command of a star fortress before?"

"I didn't agree."

The Primarch crossed his arms and leaned against the marble wall with a snort.

"Star fortresses are for fighting wars: leaving them behind is an unforgivable waste!"

"Then I can only make use of this castle below us."

Luther turned around, smiled, and looked at his still somewhat annoyed son.

"Why? Are you sad that the homeland in your memory has become completely different?"

"..."

Jonson looked away.

“It’s just a little bit uncomfortable.”

“There are still many things that I am not used to.”

Luther placed the star map between the papers on his own desk.

"Have you calmed down?"

He asked the Primarch without turning his head.

But Jonson did not reply.

"Come over when you've calmed down: let's discuss other issues you need to adapt to."

Just like a real father scolding his careless son, there was a calmness in Luther's voice that made the Primarch look sideways.

At least Jonson noticed that.

He noticed: Luther had changed.

A very noticeable shift.

Half a century after they had been separated from each other in the smoke of the Great Crusade, the mortal he respected most had developed a different kind of pride.

Zhuang Sen still remembered the last official meeting between Luther and him during the Randan War. Although Luther was also very experienced and calm at that time, his current state was completely different: the current Governor of Caliban had a nonchalant temperament, a calmness that did not care about anything.

The difference between the two is like the difference between a serious first mate with outstanding abilities but only a few years of sea experience and a seasoned captain who has been with the sea all his life: it is a kind of contempt that comes from being accustomed to strong winds and waves.

Is this what Morgan told him, the indifference that comes from being in a high position for a long time?
Jonson was not sure, but he was sure of one thing: he had listened to his heart and sent Luther to the Far Eastern frontier to command thousands of troops until he had his fill, and then made him the powerful Governor of Caliban, and he was able to do whatever he wanted in this position, commanding the galaxy for half a century.

This decision was correct: Luther today is the best proof of this.

A strange sense of pride began to grow in the heart of the Lord of Caliban. He walked to Luther's side and found that the old knight's office position had not changed much since they met a hundred years ago.

Jonson felt better.

He had to admit that although he never cared about the changes in Caliban, when he returned from the Great Crusade and found that the Knights' Castle in his memory had been transformed into its current weird appearance, he was indeed filled with anger.

It wasn't anger, but just an indescribable sense of restraint: the environment he was accustomed to had undergone tremendous changes, and he was like a beast that had been thrown away by evolution, and he didn't know what to do in the new world.

Maybe he still needs time to adapt.

Zhuang Sen muttered to himself.

Or maybe he should continue to devote himself to the war among the stars: although the climax of the Great Crusade has passed, there are still large tracts of dark stars waiting for the restoration of the Empire. As for the country entrusted to him by the Emperor...

Luthor ruled well, didn't he?
The Primarch tilted his head.

He suddenly found that he was somewhat envious of Conrad: if his Caliban could be as close to Morgan as that bastard Nostramo, he could also entrust the things he never liked to a reassuring brother.

Morgan is always the best choice, and Guilliman is a little unsettling: But no matter what, that Macragge bastard should not betray his brothers, and there are still some good points in his heart. Just like that, a certain Primarch, who was imagining things in his mind, saw his respected adoptive father spread out the star map and explained the kingdom of Caliban in front of him.

Luther spoke quickly, and when Jonson came to his senses, he seemed to have missed the most important point: Luther's eyes were fixed on the Primarch, like a teacher in the classroom looking for someone to ask a question.

"You understand all that, don't you, Jonson?"

“Ah? …Ah…Ah!”

"of course."

Jonson coughed.

"You made it very clear."

"That's good."

Luther breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, which problem do you think we should start with?"

"what?"

The Primarch was stunned for a moment.

"Is this..."

He pursed his lips and tried his best to put on a serious attitude, as if he was using his noble brain: the sweat beads on his temples were hidden by his long golden hair, and in his emerald green pupils, the gears of logic were running wildly like a roaring beast.

Think! Jonson! Think!

Think about it quickly! What was that trick you used to fool Morgan?

Which sentence does it begin with?

Ah...ah!

"I think... cough..."

The Primarch coughed.

"You have to know that I have been on the front lines for too long, so, Mo... cough! Luther, I still lack a systematic understanding of the things happening in the rear and the negotiations. The rash suggestions I make may lack on-site inspections and experience accumulation, and lead to bad things."

"So, why don't you tell me? You are in charge of this area, and I think you already have a plan in mind. Tell me your plan, and I will listen. If there is anything I can do to help, I will speak up, so that you don't have to disrupt your original plan."

"OK then."

Luther nodded and turned to get his quill, not noticing that Jonson was breathing a sigh of relief behind him.

"First of all, to be honest, the Caliban vassal state bestowed upon you by the Emperor is not a very favorable piece of land. In terms of area, it is not the largest among all nations, and it may not even be able to keep its place in the top ten."

"Among the Primarchs, the largest is the vassal state of Horus, followed by Guilliman, Morgan, Lorgar, Konrad and Perturabo, and then Mortarion..."

It’s really strange: why can Conrad also own such a large piece of land?
Luther was concentrating on explaining, and Jonson was naturally...

I was distracted again.

Come on: this is not something particularly important.

Besides, it doesn't matter to others...

Why were Conrad's guys able to build such a huge country?

Horus had nothing to say. He admitted that the Wolf God was worthy of the position of Warmaster, and Morgan and Guilliman were undoubtedly rulers, although the former was ten times better than the latter! But Guilliman was not completely without merit.

At least……

At least when sending troops, Guilliman was generous in his assistance.

And he was punctual: he would never be late for even the most unimportant occasion.

Perturabo is a very good commander and is capable of leading mortals. Mortarion's silence is reliable. As for Lorgar, he can only play a role in educating mortals for the Emperor.

But Conrad...

That guy who is reliable, smart, and can fight... but a jerk...

He is really...

"Jonson!"

"Are you listening?"

"of course."

The Primarch didn't even blink.

"What do you want to say, Luther?"

"..."

The old knight looked at him suspiciously.

"I want to say that since Caliban's geographical environment and internal conditions are not good, we should be prepared in advance: handle the relationship with our neighbors well, and deal with potential risks internally."

Jonson just nodded.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Let me think about it..."

"Perhaps you can help us establish good relations with the Iron Hands in the west..."

"I don't know Ferrus well."

"Then the Moon Wolf in the east..."

"Horus is someone to watch out for."

"...Then, the Space Wolves in the south..."

"Luther: Are you asking me to go and make peace with that barbarian Leman Russ?"

"..."

The old knight paused.

"In that case: perhaps you could lead the team to see the Eye of Terror?"