Emperor's Bane

Chapter 809 Uninvited Guest

[Do you know what the entire Great Crusade Army is discussing right now? ]

Morgan huddled in her seat, her waist and thighs squeezed into the deepest part of the cushion, her spine conforming to the curve of the chair back, her feet together suspended directly in the air, shaking with the wine in the glass, and her fine gold high heels rubbing against the ground from time to time, making sounds.

It was the only sound in the room.

[They were all discussing: Without the Emperor leading the expedition in person, how far and how long could this Great Crusade go? ]

On the original body's face, one could see an abnormal blush, just above the corner of her moist mouth.

[The stars have almost been conquered by us, and there is no flag in the world that dares to defy the Empire's military. The last suspense of the war was crushed by you and him on Ullanor on the eve of the Emperor's departure. What remains are just some snacks to relieve boredom.]

[Without a vicious opponent and land to be conquered, war naturally loses its meaning: compared to the shock brought by the Emperor's departure, this future without any expectations is the end of the Great Crusade and the reason for us to stop. ]

The Primarch changed the way she held the wine glass listlessly. Even though the liquid was flowing right in front of her eyes, the Spider Queen's pupils were still pure blue.

[It represents a concept that is invisible and intangible, but cannot be eliminated or even fought against: just as the Dark Age of Technology could not stop the arrival of the Age of Strife, and the Age of Strife could not stop the Great Crusade, when the Great Crusade is about to end, how can it stop the next era?]

[Time is moving forward after all, and we cannot fight a great expedition for a lifetime: and the rules and traditions established in the past battlefield years, and the power and status gained, will certainly be changed and weakened little by little in the future peaceful years, until they are carved into a shape that conforms to the new era. ]

Morgan added a little emphasis to the last few verbs: she hoped for some response, but there was none.

[All changes will be visible to the naked eye and known to the world: just as the bloated expeditionary fleet will be disbanded, the chaotically managed star district governments will be reorganized, and some institutions or departments that were temporarily established at the critical moment of the war will also disappear at the right time, giving way to the power beasts of Terra. ]

[But there are some changes, as invisible as the changing times, which most people don't know or are unwilling to point out: civil servants with bow ties will replace generals with medals, bureaucrats from Terra will suppress local governors, and the statues in the square will be replaced from primarchs and Astartes to elites among mortals, and so on. ]

[The stage is changing. Although the drama called the Human Empire has only gone through its opening and first act, the tasks and time of some people on the stage have ended. They are leaving the stage actively or passively: in the eyes of the audience and successors, all their contributions to the performance have ended here.]

[After receiving their rewards, they can disappear from behind the scenes: some can withdraw their money and leave directly, while others have to stay on stage to cope with the encore due to workload or popularity issues, but in essence, they are also not needed. ]

They are outdated.

She sighed like this: as if she was not included in it.

[In today's galaxy, there are actually quite a lot of these outdated items. ]

[For example, the Mortal Auxiliary Army: a behemoth that controls both the space fleet and the land corps, will never be allowed to exist in a more peaceful human empire. It will definitely be split up and replaced by a more troublesome but more reassuring organization. ]

[There is also the Adeptus Mechanicus, another country within a country that can form its own system. It is essentially loyal to the Emperor rather than the Empire or Terra. At the same time, it is in chaos and has no system or constraints. Industrial Hydra: such a monster group is the natural enemy of any mature ruling body. As long as there is a chance, Terra will smash it to pieces. ]

【I don’t want to say more about the rest. 】

The Primarch waved his hand, and he knew all the hidden dangers of the empire.

[After all, there were quite a few stopgap measures during the Great Crusade: crudely crafted Imperial Truth and mottled faith issues, chaotic management departments, a tax system with no constraints or supervision, and various legions and fleets that were overly large because of the war.]

[These will all disappear: the Sigillite and Terra will make them disappear little by little. ]

[Whether it is Mars, a country within a country, the arrogant governor, the aliens and mutants that are temporarily tolerated, or the various feudal states and legions that are vaguely showing signs of independence, as well as the huge power they control. ]

【Oh, speaking of this, I have to mention the symbolism of all this. 】

Morgan suddenly smiled, with careless malice flowing in her pupils.

[The symbol of the Great Crusade, the most qualified word to represent the bloody storm of the past hundred years after the Emperor's departure.]

【Warmaster.】

The Primarch uttered the word, with an indescribable sense of temptation.

And the protagonist of this title remains unmoved.

[Horus, the Warmaster.]

[You: Of course it is also on the list to be cleared for the coming of the new era. ]

【after all.】

[For an era with the themes of peace, development, and mortals, Warmaster is a bit of an eye-catching word, isn't it? ]

After drinking the last sip of wine, the Spider Queen looked a little drunk, but her blue-green pupils were eerily sober: only when she turned her head to look at the Wolf God, was there a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

【Don’t you have anything to say? 】

"..."

[Horus? Brother?]

"..."

「Ah… Sorry…」

Morgan chuckled.

【Look at my bad memory. 】

She stretched out her free hand and slowly drew circles in the air in front of her. Psionic power flowed from the Primarch's will, easily crushing all the anti-psionic measures installed in the safest room in the entire Vengeful Spirit.

【come over. 】

She called out, and the next second, a red fruit floated to her side.

There was still the saliva of the Wolf God on it.

[What now? Brother? ]

"Ha ha---"

Horus still didn't answer Morgan: he was holding his chest, breathing heavily, trying to restore his face, which had turned red and almost purple, to normal.

"Morgan...you...you..."

Horus' eyes widened.

"Where did you get the fruit from?"

[I usually carry some food with me: I put it where you can’t see it.]

"Really..."

For a moment, he really felt quite angry: after all, the Wolf Shepherd God was not a person with a good temper at heart.

But as soon as he thought about how Morgan was chattering there and asking herself questions, and how he had tried his best to break free of the invisible ropes that the frail sister in front of him had tied him to the chair with, Zhan Shuai instantly felt that his anger had mostly dissipated.

Never mind, never mind, be magnanimous.

It's just a joke between brother and sister.

At worst, next time when Morgan tells him to shut up, he can just shut up. There's no need to stick his neck out and finish the last few sentences: It's really strange. He was obviously praising Morgan, and they were all sincere words after careful consideration.

Why are you angry?
After the Warmaster's breathing returned to normal, a resentful look mixed with questions kept floating over from the opposite side of Morgan: But this is only a short-term thing. The admirable thing about Horus is that he rarely cares about the past.

Even if he suffered a loss.

Before his complexion had fully recovered, the Wolf God had already begun to think about the questions Morgan had just asked him: Then, his complexion visibly became worse again.

"You are right to say that."

The Warmaster sighed.

"Rather, what you said is known to all of us: not just you and me, but also Terra, Mars, the various primarchs, and even the various fleet commanders. Who can't see that the Great Crusade has come to an end? Who doesn't know that once the war is over, many people will be swept away."

"Including us, the Primarchs."

The Wolf Shepherd God smiled bitterly and pointed at his face.

"Those Terrans are afraid of us, but they look down on us: they believe that they are the helmsmen of the new era, the elites of the mortal community and the civil service system, the will of Terra, and the management group that the Emperor has determined in his heart will replace us after the Great Crusade."

"Honestly, Morgan: what they say is not entirely wrong."

The Wolf Shepherd God picked up the wine glass, his fingers still trembling a little, not sure if it was because of the previous farce or the following words.

"As they say, peace, stability and prosperity are indeed the principles of the future. We will eventually bid farewell to the Great Crusade. As for me personally, it has been irrelevant since the moment the Warmaster's crown was placed on my head."

"I can always throw this golden crown on the ground whenever I need to."

“But none of that is the problem.”

Horus took a sip of wine and threw the cup aside.

"That's what really puzzles me."

The Wolf Shepherd God's breathing became fierce.

He slammed his hand on the table.

"Why, why do those High Lords of Terra think that only they can represent the peace, stability and future of the Empire? Why do they think that we must be eliminated? Why do they think that everything in the Great Crusade is something they can just move their pens, sign a few pages of paper, and throw away like garbage?" "Can't we and our descendants manage the country more efficiently and honestly than these mortals? The Ultramarines under Guilliman are the best of the best even in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Empire. They have no self-desires and crony corruption: Which High Lord dares to pat his chest to guarantee this?"

"Can't talents from other star regions and places walk into the hall of supreme power with their heads held high like the Terrans? How much worse are the elites who emerged from the bloody Great Crusade than those official families of Terra? Why should the former be eliminated? And the latter can become the future of all mankind?"

【…】

The Spider Queen raised a brow.

[You suddenly become very irritable, Brother Wolf God. ]

"not me."

The Warmaster shook his head, his composure returning instantly.

"I am only giving you a sense of my situation over the past few years. Do you know how many local tyrants, fleet commanders, and the so-called expedients you mentioned have come to me to denounce the Terrans' monopoly on the power of the Empire since I became the general leader of the Great Crusade?"

"It is not the Astartes who resent mortal rulers, but the mortals from other worlds."

"Even if I haven't thought about these things before, I have to think about them after hearing them so many times and dealing with them so many times."

“Then I figured it out.”

The Warmaster shook his head.

"I don't hate the mortals taking power or the end of the Great Crusade. Maybe I did think so before Ullanor, but please believe me, Morgan: this golden crown of the Warmaster has changed everything for me. It allows me to transcend the constraints of the secular world and power and look at things from a broader perspective."

"It also made me realize that what I hate is not the system of the High Lords, or the Sigillite, or any other Terran. What I hate is that everything that we, the warriors on the front line, have fought for was handed over to another group of people without our consent, without consulting us, and even without our prior knowledge."

"A bunch of guys who have nothing to do with the hardships and dangers of the Great Crusade: How can they understand how hard it is to come by all this? How can they maintain this Empire for a longer period of time? When the highest halls of the Empire are filled with Terrans and guys recommended by Terrans, can it really represent the entire galaxy?"

"What do you think?"

There was only silence in answer to Horus: but Morgan's silence was enough.

"You see, it's just like I said."

The Warmaster laughed.

"The real problem lies in the Terran High Lords Council itself: it cannot appease the huge army left over from the Great Crusade, nor can it win over the powerful in various sectors. It is even more helpless against the fiefdoms of our Primarchs. Instead, it will sow the seeds of countless disasters."

"In truth, you and I both know how weak Malcador's Temple is. He may be a fine mortal, but he cannot maintain the mess left by the Emperor. Our father laid the foundation of the Imperium, but it was also filled with countless stopgap measures, countless hidden dangers and sources of disaster. If the Great Crusade does not have a proper soft landing, then these internal bombs are enough to tear us apart."

"And the question now is, can Terra better dismantle these crises?"

[Of course not.]

Morgan didn't hesitate.

【It would be a good thing if Malcador and his bureaucrats understood taxation.】

"I think so too."

The Warmaster nodded.

"So you see, that's what's going on."

"We all know the countless hidden dangers that the Great Crusade has buried for the Empire. These hidden dangers will erupt sooner or later as time goes by. They will not disappear automatically. Countless conflicts of interest and hatred will continue to the next generation, and the next generation, until the moment when blood flows."

"And the current situation is that the High Lords are completely unable to solve these problems. In fact, their existence itself is an important reason why these problems are becoming increasingly extreme: powerful military groups and local forces are eager to get their share of the peace after the Great Crusade, but now, this cake has been taken away by Malcador and his Terrans."

"And this is just one of the more important hidden dangers of the Great Crusade. If the High Lords can't even solve this problem, we can't expect them to play a stronger role in other problems."

"After all, the High Lords' Council is only an institution to maintain rule and stability: but the galaxy still needs pioneers."

"Then here's the problem."

"Hidden dangers exist. If left alone, they will destroy our cause, and Malcador and the High Lord of Terra cannot solve them. If all three of the above points are true, if we want to maintain the cause of the Great Crusade, we must have another pair of visible hands other than Malcador and the High Lord to defuse these hidden dangers before they completely explode."

"This is not self-promotion, Morgan."

Horus stared at her closely.

"We, or I, are the only ones who are qualified and capable of dealing with or defusing these time bombs."

"Because I am the Warmaster."

"You can understand this, right?"

【certainly. 】

Morgan didn't object: Isn't this the beauty of the position of Warmaster?
"That's good."

The wolf shepherd god showed his white teeth.

"In that case, I'm sure you can follow the clues and understand what's going to happen next. If I want to solve these problems, I must have powerful forces and energy. Terra will never lend me their energy, so I must have my own trump card: a strong, united and determined group."

[You mean, us? ]

"It's us?"

The wolf god's finger circled between himself and Morgan.

"All of us."

"You, me, Jonson, the Angels, Guilliman, and Mortarion: every bloodline born from our father, every voice you and I can represent, every individual in our family, we must unite in a resolute attitude and form a common force to defend our cause."

"That's why I came to you."

Horus held out his hand.

"We must unite as one, we must maintain the friendship between each other, coordinate the voices and interests we represent, make all the primarchs unite as one, make all the legions move in unison, make the high lords of Terra fear our existence, and make sure those time bombs of the Empire are dismantled when facing us."

"And the first step in all this is to establish a good relationship between the two of us: as the spokespersons of the two brother groups, I can speak on behalf of half of the brothers, and you can convince the other group of brothers. As long as we can achieve true cooperation, tragedies like the one in Nikaea will not happen again."

“Only by uniting together can we preserve the legacy of the Great Crusade.”

"As for status, benefits, and the sacrifices and efforts made in dismantling these bombs..."

The Wolf Shepherd God smiled brightly, and his hand moved closer to Morgan.

"Please trust me, sister."

“I’m not someone who lacks a sense of the overall situation.”

【…】

Morgan was silent for a moment. She stared at Horus's sun-like smile, testing the sincerity of his words.

After a moment, the Spider Queen still held the Wolf God's hand tightly.

【Neither do I. 】

"very good."

Horus grasped Morgan's hand tightly and shook it vigorously.

"So……"

"grown ups!"

Outside the room, Gastalin's voice made the Wolf God somewhat unhappy.

"what happened?"

"One of Lord Morgan's...maidens? Come and see her."

"maid?"

Horus looked at Morgan in confusion.

"Those star maidens?"

[Hmm... I think so...]

Morgan nodded in a daze, she was also confused.

But what confused her was that she had only brought two maids with her on this trip. Besides Virgo, who would never disturb her at this time, there was only...

------

"All right, Miss Lucy."

"You may come in now."

(End of this chapter)