Emperor's Bane

Chapter 806 Horus Launches the Attack
"You know, Morgan, I've been wanting to talk to you alone for a while."

"No one else, just the two of us."

"After all, some things are best mentioned in private."

"Am I right, Lady Macbeth?"

……

Compared to the previous two times, which were so awkward and as if swallowing a piece of cold meat, when Horus sent the invitation letter to his sisters for the third time after the end of the False Emperor Campaign, both the writer and the recipient had become much calmer.

This time, there was no military parade, nor any grand extravagance: while the Dawnbreakers and the Luna Wolves were clearing out the last remnants of their enemies in the ruins of the Pseudo-Imperial Kingdom, the two Primarchs had already left and were watching the larger battle situation on the Spirit of Vengeance.

The Oberon, which had been loaned to Sejanus, returned to the Dawnbreaker's combat sequence. It carried Morgan back from the ground to the deck of the Aurora, followed by a string of transport planes carrying the wounded and spoils.

It took the Spider Queen two hours to deal with all this before she responded to Horus' invitation: Fortunately, the Warmaster's envoy was Malohurst the Twister, who was different from other Luna Wolves in that he possessed amazing patience and grace.

Although Morgan did not refuse Horus' invitation, she felt strange: they had just defeated a stubborn kingdom, and the enemies on the ground had not given up resistance. Wasn't it inappropriate to invite her to visit the Spirit of Vengeance at this time?
Or was it that Horus was stimulated by something in the battle just now?

The Spider Queen prefers this answer.

But even so, Morgan was invited to step onto the deck of the Vengeful Spirit: just as she expected, the Vengeful Spirit seemed very empty at this time, most of the Luna Wolves were fighting on the ground, and there were only a small number of officers and wounded on the ship.

As Malohurst led Morgan past a common room, the Primarch inadvertently caught a glimpse of Torgaddon of the Council of Four Kings: he was dejected because he was too seriously injured to fight alongside his company.

During the subsequent journey, Morgan took the opportunity to talk to Malohurst about the latter's views on his colleagues such as Torgaddon. Although the Twister's answer was very ruthless and he would criticize others wherever he could, the Primarch was surprised to find that many of Malohurst's views were highly consistent with hers.

Especially his way of thinking, which really deserves the title of the Twister: this title itself is used to refer to Malohurst's extremely complex thinking logic. This twisted brain network reminds Morgan of another person.

Machado: They are quite similar.

Both the Sigillite and the Twister possess extraordinary talents and huge ambitions that were once visible to the naked eye: but this ambition is now obscured by their boundless loyalty to the objects of their loyalty, and has been transformed into the path of willing vassals.

Then again, there is a lack of such a person under her command: perhaps it is because her personal charm is still insufficient to attract those truly talented people?

Just as the Lord of Avalon fell into her daily self-doubt, the Twister led her to Horus's reception room, then bowed and said goodbye, taking away Morgan's two lieutenants before leaving: it seemed that the Wolf God wanted to talk to his sister alone.

However, the "alone" in his eyes seemed to be somewhat different from what Morgan understood.

[Let me guess, Horus: You don't consider the servitor who brings us wine as a third person present, right?]

This was the first thing Morgan said to Horus after entering the reception room.

The room was spacious, and the Primarch even suspected that it could accommodate a row of knights. At the same time, it was also magnificent and worthy of the status of an Imperial Warmaster: the ancient paintings on the walls that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years and the golden statues of the Emperor carefully carved by Terran artists did not succeed in attracting Morgan's attention. Instead, the Spider Queen looked at the piece of meat holding a wine vessel standing next to the Wolf God.

Meat: This is the most accurate positioning of items such as mechanical servants in the Spider Queen's mind.

They can't be called human, but they're not complete machines either, so they're just [meat]: chunks of flesh with countless ceramic steel supports and organic biological implants incorporated into them.

Whenever he saw these things, the Primarch could feel the anger accumulating in his brain as it kept beating. These things that were neither human nor ghost would bring Morgan tremendous hatred when facing the aliens: although her beloved star maidens seemed to be no different from these things in essence?
No... there are still some.

Her star maidens were souls that gave life to dead matter, while these servitors were doing the exact opposite.

The Primarch refuted himself and looked at Horus who had just stood up.

The wolf god showed signs of fatigue, as if the battle just now was thousands of times more difficult than Morgan remembered. He had not had time to take off his armor, but the somewhat worn wolf skin had disappeared.

Ah, it was thrown to the ground: it looks like the servitor didn't have time to pick it up.

"Why? Are you worried that I've planted a bug or a recorder in there?"

Horus smiled, but it was a fragile smile that didn't even last long enough for Morgan to look away: the wolf god's mind seemed to be still in a trance, and he relied solely on muscle memory to step forward and give his visitor a warm hug.

Morgan didn't want this though.

She tried to use silence and a look of disapproval to dissuade the wolf god from giving up, but Horus did not notice this: fortunately, his enthusiasm was as casual as his smile, and he just patted Morgan on the shoulder, without the solemnity of the last time they met.

He is distracted.

Morgan was sure of that.

[No: I simply don’t see the point of things like robot servants.]

The Primarch did not suppress her disgust. After all, her aversion to these things had long been an open secret within the Empire: other Primarchs knew that Morgan would rather waste manpower by placing three breathing, thinking mortal servants in a room than put out a mechanical servant that was obviously more cost-effective.

This was in stark contrast to the Lord of Avalon's usual rational and calculating style, and therefore left a deep impression on bystanders.

And a fellow like Guilliman, who had nothing better to do, even did a special statistic: considering the size of the Aurora, the number of servitors Morgan had deployed on it was less than one-tenth of the necessary amount, and there was not a single one in key positions. Many critical departments were run purely by manpower rather than machines.

This report was not well-known, but Horus still knew about it. He had a very good chat with the Macragge people during the crises of Ullanor and Badab, and Guilliman did not think that these little things were secrets that could not be disclosed: he even dared to tell Horus how many troops were stationed in Macragge on a normal day.

"What's the point?"

Horus smiled and pointed at the servitor's dull eyes.

"He can cook, clean, wash clothes, do odd jobs and carry things, and he can do each of these tasks better than ordinary people. He doesn't need sleep, and his life span is far beyond the average age limit of the Empire's citizens. In addition, to maintain his body functions, you only need to feed him the food that should be fed to Groxmon."

"By the standards of livestock, they produce far more work than a mortal. Although there are some moral criticisms, from a purely utilitarian point of view, the existence of these servitors is indispensable to the empire: they are the most basic foundation of the entire building."

[Of course I know this.]

Morgan frowned and pulled away from Horus's embrace.

[I just don't like seeing a piece of meat being driven by a machine in front of me. ]

"Does that make you feel bad?"

【There are some.】

"Ok."

Horus smiled in relief.

"Then let me tell you, this guy was a rapist and murderer when he was a human, and he lived a sinful and dirty life. After being caught and sentenced, he was made into a robot servant, using his remaining body to make more contributions. Maybe saying this will make you feel better, sister?"

【Maybe. 】

Morgan was ambiguous. She was still guessing why Horus invited her here. This gentle argument also made the will of the Wolf God return to the real world completely. His eyes finally returned to their original agility like the ocean, and his smile when apologizing became much more lively.

"Sorry, Morgan, I was distracted just now: after mastering psychic powers, this situation often occurs."

[Because your brain function is not enough to control the rapidly expanding psychic power, it is trying to adapt to this new thing, and this process will take up a lot of your thinking space, and the external manifestation is inattention: Zhuang Sen also had this problem in the past. ]

Morgan waved his hand, and in return the Wolf God nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, sister: I have consulted many psionic masters over the years, but none of them could give a good answer."

[They are not the original bodies after all: there is an indelible difference between them and us. ]

"..."

Strangely, the Spider Queen's casual sigh made the Wolf God fall into silence again, as if Morgan had inadvertently torn open a wound that had just healed.

【What's wrong? 】

"No, it's nothing."

When he said this, Horus happened to turn around and gestured to the servitor beside him to "bring the wine", which happened to prevent Morgan from seeing his expression: The Warmaster did not turn around immediately, but asked in a low voice at an angle that Morgan could not see.

"Do you know what I asked you to do?"

[I don’t know, and I don’t care.]

Morgan's hoarse, flat answer successfully made Horus turn around and look at her in surprise.

"Really not caring?"

The wolf-god is smiling.

Morgan was smiling too: much more genuine than Horus's encouragement and support.

【I guess what you want to talk to me about is definitely not something important. 】

"How can you be sure?"

Horus was curious, his breath carrying a faint hint of frustration.

【because……】

Morgan stretched out her tone, her blue pupils narrowed into a long and narrow bright green, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly with muscles, as if she was smiling. Although her voice sounded serious, the way she slowly put her hands behind her back and the leisurely way she walked to a chair nearby showed that she didn't really care about the problem.

[If there was something really important that required me to come, you wouldn't be so perfunctory as to not even be willing to personally pour me a glass of wine.]

"..."

"Hahaha……"

Horus's brows jumped: first with surprise, then with laughter.

"Well, please forgive me."

Horus turned around and casually snatched the bulbous wine jar and two bronze wine glasses from the hands of the mechanical servant. Then, without caring about the pieces of meat that fell to the ground due to his huge strength, the Warmaster came to Morgan who was sitting, stood still, and a serious look appeared on his face. He meticulously poured a full glass of wine.

Then, the Lord of the Moon Wolf stood the small and exquisite cup on his palm, used his broad palm as a tray, bent down, and brought it to Morgan.

His tall shadow cast the outline of his shoulders on Morgan's knees, and his heavy breathing blew through the Spider Queen's hair. Even without looking up, the Spider Queen could feel that the pair of sea-blue pupils were looking at her face: with a hint of elegant smile.

"Please accept my apology, ma'am."

[Yes, dear sir.] The Spider Queen raised her head and was somewhat annoyed to find that even if Horus bent down, her line of sight could only be level with the wolf god's lower abdomen. She had to look up a little higher to see that sun-like smile: how similar to Guilliman's, but also a little different.

What's the difference?

While pondering the answer, the Primarch stretched out his fingers, held up the wine glass, pressed his lips to the edge of the crystal, and took a sip of the lavender nectar: ​​As Morgan tasted it, her snow-white chin raised, making the Wolf God feel that the crown on his head was a little tightened.

【It is indeed a fine wine. 】

The Primarch exclaimed in admiration, but the Warmaster could not tell whether it was genuine or just a show.

And when the Spider Queen put down the cup and looked up at him again, Horus could clearly see that her shallow and thin lips gave him a moist smile: the liquid that had not yet been transferred into her lips slowly slid down the dimples at the corners of her mouth, leaving a ray of luster on her pale skin.

It is blooming like a flower.

A voice, a voice that seemed to contain all temptation and desire, whispered quietly in the mind of the Wolf God.

[So...what do you want to talk about? ]

------

"I just want to confirm one thing."

"Confirm from you."

"Morgan, my sister."

"In the days before: I mean in the years since your return to the Great Crusade."

"You have always been our father's most valued Primarch, or one of them, right?"

"The Emperor's trust in you should far exceed that of everyone else: including me."

"If I'm not mistaken, compared to me, the First Son and the so-called Warmaster, when he encounters an unsolvable problem, you are the first name he will think of, and the only name he will think of: because no one else is worth looking forward to."

"Because if you can't do it, then there's no way the rest of us can do it."

"Right?"

The first words Horus said almost made Morgan throw the wine glass in his hand.

She had to use the same strength she had used to grab Conrad by the neck and slam him into the statue of Jonson that Guilliman had sent her, to keep her fingers steady: the Wolf God was still staring at her, their eyes still locked, and Morgan could only hope that Horus hadn't noticed the change in her eyes.

On the other hand, Morgan did not find any useful information in the wolf god's sea-green eyes: Horus' smile was more sincere than before, and the bottom of his pupils was full of clean colors, as if he was really asking an insignificant question.

Morgan swallowed his second sip slowly.

[It depends on how you define the word "trust" in your daily life. ]

"Ah……"

The Wolf Shepherd God laughed, stepped back a few steps, leaving Morgan a safer space to think, and slowly poured himself a glass of wine, but did not put the wine jar on the table.

"It's simple, Morgan."

The Warmaster did not answer the Primarch's question, he continued to carry out his own ideas.

"When I sit down, delete the self-deceptions I usually have, step out of my obsession with the Warmaster and my jealousy of my brothers, and look at everything that happened in the Great Crusade from the perspective of an outsider, I always get some different discoveries."

"In the past, I would block my vision due to some filthiness in my heart and deliberately turn a blind eye to these discoveries. But when I finally gathered enough courage and took the initiative to look at these bloody discoveries in my memory, I realized that they were not difficult to accept."

"Then, I would ask myself: When I stand in the position of the emperor, how would I solve these problems? How would I choose my assistants? Who would I ask to help me solve those problems? Who would be the first person I would think of at this time?"

"After understanding these, some of the problems that I have never understood can be easily solved."

【…】

Morgan held the wine glass and let the liquid flow into his mouth aimlessly.

【so what? 】

Her voice sounded vague, and compared to the casual play between brother and sister before, her cautious attitude was too obvious.

"Ah, that's not what I meant."

Of course Horus could hear it, and he immediately waved his hand to indicate that he was harmless.

"I don't have any other ideas, Morgan. I just want to ask you and listen to your feelings and thoughts back then. I want to know where your father's respect for you comes from, and how you help him solve his problems one by one. Even the successful experiences in the past are still priceless to me now."

"After all, being a warmaster is not easy..."

Horus' smile was a little bitter.

“This is not bragging, this is the truth.”

【That's it...】

Morgan nodded.

[So, you thought of inheriting my "legacy" from the Emperor? ]

"It's a bit rude to call it an inheritance."

Horus smiled modestly.

"But then again, we all know that as the Warmaster of the Great Crusade, I have inherited his position and responsibilities from my father. So according to the principle of equal rights, I am also entitled to inherit his other wealth: for example, the things he would rely on when he encountered difficulties should also belong to me, right?"

Morgan's brows raised.

【That is not the same thing, Horus.】

"Of course there is a difference: that is why I invited you to meet and discuss it in detail."

Horus walked slowly towards her.

"Listen to me, sister."

"Although I don't know what you and your father have experienced before, I know that his trust in you is not unfounded, and I also know that you are capable enough to match this trust: when you were going through difficulties together, how did you tolerate each other?"

"This, I don't know."

"But I am willing to try. Maybe I am destined not to be the best, but I can swear in front of you that I will try my best: I made this oath on the day I inherited the position of Warmaster. It will accompany me until the end of my life and the burning of my soul."

"It's for the Emperor, and it's for you."

"How much did your father trust you? How much did he rely on you? How much did he rely on your opinions?"

“I would do the same thing.”

"I will trust you just as much, rely on you, and depend on your insights and wisdom."

The Wolf Shepherd God stood before her, his tall figure engulfing Morgan.

"After all, like I said..."

"I am the Warmaster, his heir, the embodiment of his power and spirit."

"So, I must endure and accept everything he has endured and accepted."

"Including his responsibilities."

"Including his difficulties."

"Including his pain."

"And also...his treasures."

"To make these things mine: to care for them with all that I have, to make them the best they can be. That is my duty as Warmaster."

"You said: Right?"

"Ms. Soul Drinker?"

------

"I long for your ability, your wisdom, and everything you once showed in front of our father. I long for your dedication and loyalty. Even though I know this is a weak request, I still need them."

"need you."

"And what I can promise is that when this trust between us is established, I will dig out from my heart and put all the desires and dreams into it: perhaps you would rather call it determination?"

“I’ll give my all: everything you want me to give.”

"And crave your loyalty."

------

【…】

Morgan's fingers moved, but his lips felt dry.

Only then did she notice that the wine in the glass had been drained without her noticing.

At the same time, Horus had already bent down, with the wine jar in his hand firmly against the edge of the crystal.

"Another drink? My Sigilslayer?"

(End of this chapter)