Emperor's Bane

Chapter 832 Taken advantage of

"Please understand that there is a reason why we have been reluctant to sign a peace treaty with your country."

"Estrangement is not out of hostility, but a compromise that must be taken in order to survive."

"If this attitude has caused any trouble to your country, please accept our apology here."

……

What somewhat surprised Morgan was that the three ambassadors from the Federation of Kings in front of him kept their attitude very low: although it was far from being utterly respectful, it was already very grand as a diplomatic etiquette.

More importantly, when they all bowed to apologize to the Primarch, the Spider Queen's psychic sense was also carefully scanning the hearts of the three people in front of her: what she felt was indeed the sincerity from the heart.

Unless these three guys have psychic powers far exceeding hers, this result should be correct.

It's... interesting.

Morgan maintained her original smile. Her unchanging stability was the Spider Queen's most powerful weapon at the negotiation table. She accepted the apologies of the three people with the most polite words, her eyes roaming among several pairs of old pupils.

【Don’t worry about this matter. 】

The Spider Queen's voice was brisk.

Of course, she could accept the apology from the Federation of Kings without hesitation. After all, their delay did not harm Morgan's interests. As for Horus, who really needed this apology? He also wouldn't care about such a small matter.

After all, the current Horus is as gentle as a white-skinned Vulcan.

It just so happens that they are all bald.

To be honest, the pacifist tendencies and overly lenient character displayed by the Wolf God in this joint expedition have already caused trouble to Morgan to some extent.

Although such a Horus would not make people feel disgusted, he seemed too strange to some extent: Sanguinius' silence and Fulgrim's complaints were also due to this reason. They all felt that the Wolf God had become a different person after Nikaea.

The Warmaster is still the same Warmaster: but something seems to have changed in him.

In the past, Horus was indeed a genius who was good at using diplomatic means and could skillfully control thunder and rain, but his nature was by no means a too gentle person: the Shadow Moon Wolves were known for their ruthless decapitation operations rather than frequent diplomatic offensives.

As for the Wolf God himself, he did use diplomatic means to peacefully recover many worlds and pocket empires, but this was not outstanding among the Primarchs: whether it was Morgan, Guilliman, the Archangels, or even Lorgar and the Phoenix, they were equally good at making people submit rather than destroying them.

But none of the above-mentioned masters of diplomacy would make people feel as abrupt and weird as the current Wolf God: Horus's change was very rapid, which made people suspect that this was a negative emotional effect after gaining powerful psychic power.

At least that's what Morgan thought.

The Primarch had tried to discuss this issue in depth with Lucy, but since that happy family meeting, her father and daughter had hurriedly left the expeditionary fleet.

Of course, in the words of the Emperor, she sensed some unusual fluctuations in Moro and Betanjamon, so to be on the safe side she had to check them out and she even pulled a small fleet away from Morgan.

The Primarch believed this explanation for the time being.

At the same time, she was also glad: if the Emperor was really here, she would not have been able to wait for the opportunity to have in-depth negotiations with the Federation of Kings.

As for the Nemesis Blade: there is a high probability that the old guy will take it away first.

Thinking of this, the Primarch couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, and his relaxed expression was regarded by the envoys in front of him as a symbol of reconciliation, so after another round of politeness, the atmosphere in the conference room was finally adjusted to a feeling where secret matters could be discussed.

It was the envoy on the other side who spoke first: When it comes to issues concerning the subspace, the Federation of Kings seems to be particularly impatient. They are not even willing to consider the most basic confidentiality and blurt out the most important information.

"So, according to what you said: Does your country actually understand the dangers of the subspace?"

[You mean: Chaos? ]

[Or: The Four Gods of Chaos? ]

"Yes."

The ambassador breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems that our idea is correct: no race can travel across the starry sea without understanding Chaos. After all, interstellar travel means using the power of the Warp, and anyone who uses the power of the Warp will ultimately be inseparable from those evil gods."

【This sentence is correct. 】

The Primarch glanced at the tea that the Federation of Kings had prepared for her.

She wondered how to measure the Federation of Kings' understanding of Chaos.

It would be better to...

The primarch smiled.

[But fortunately, the impact of chaos on the real universe is not that strong. ]

“This is a misconception!”

As expected, the three ambassadors on the opposite side immediately raised their brows.

"With all due respect, Chaos has never stopped its erosion of the real universe. It is just a fluke to think that their influence is not strong: perhaps in your country's history, the subspace has always maintained a relatively calm period, but this is only a short-term exception. Soon, Chaos will show their true madness."

【…】

Morgan did not respond immediately. He pretended to take a sip of the tea on the table and quickly thought about what he had just heard: Obviously, the Federation of Kings' understanding of Chaos and the Subspace is better than Morgan expected.

At least they can see that the calm of the last few hundred years was just an exception.

Just a joke: Such simple cognition is already better than Magnus, who is one of the top five psykers in the Empire.

Really...

The Primarch shook his head, then clasped his hands together on the table.

【very good. 】

She exuded psychic energy, allowing the Federation of Kings to feel her sincerity.

[It seems that we can indeed communicate with each other about the subspace: can we regard this as the first step of cooperation? ]

"of course."

Morgan got a firm answer.

"As long as we fight against Chaos, the Federation of Kings will always be eager for more allies."

"But, before that..."

The person opposite suddenly hesitated.

"Mr. Morgan, may we ask you a few questions first?"

【Let me guess. 】

Morgan separated his hands and used one to hold his smiling chin.

【These are the reasons why you keep your distance from me, right?】

“We have to do this.”

The ambassador did not cover up with lies, but just showed his bitter smile.

"Please believe that we are more eager than anyone else to meet our fellow humans from Terra. This is a dream that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years: in those darkest times, it was the name of the human home planet that supported us in the suffering."

"Please understand us. When we first encountered your fleet, we were indeed very excited. The entire Federation of Kings was in a frenzy because the long-cherished wish of thousands of generations had finally come true. However, after a brief frenzy and excitement, we had to face the cold reality again."

His eyebrows drooped, and even without the aria singers around him, Morgan could feel the sadness in his heart.

"We all know that after that damned era of conflict, everything that belonged to humanity has been shattered. Countless aliens and demons are wearing friendly cloaks, eager to tear us apart without any warning. Such tragedies have happened time and time again. Please forgive us for having to be on guard."

"We have to assume a very possible crisis, that is, the minions of the four Chaos Gods pretend to be our compatriots from the human home planet that we have longed for for generations, hoping to use this method to launch an unexpected attack on us: Please forgive my rudeness, because your fleet really has this omen to a great extent."

【omen?】

The ambassador's words stunned the Spider Queen for a moment.

[You mean: Do you think our expeditionary fleet is similar to the minions of Chaos? ]

"Not really: but you are uncomfortably similar in many areas."

The ambassador looked at her cautiously.

【Is it? 】

Morgan frowned slightly.

[So in your eyes: what should chaos look like? ]

"It's very simple."

The envoys immediately sat up straight.

"First, Chaos is the source of the most vicious and thoroughgoing corruption and brutality in the entire galaxy."

【…】

"It behaves in a brutal, greedy, and bellicosous manner. It is like an uncontrollable force of destruction, devouring everything in front of it. It lives only for war and massacre. Its armies are endless, with no possibility of communication and no desire for peace."

【…】

"They are either wizards with powerful psychic powers and magic, or executioners with blood on their hands. They regard war as sacred rather than tragic. Their warriors are very different from mortals. They are more willing to believe in brute flesh than technology, and have no other thoughts in their minds except fighting and destruction."

【…】

"besides……"

【Stop, don't say anymore.】

Morgan raised a hand.

【I think I understand now: this is indeed just a... misunderstanding.】

"Yes."

The envoy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then I can..."

【Keep asking.】

"Then allow me to ask, my lord, have you ever fought against the minions of Chaos?"

【No. 】

Morgan chose to conceal it.

[But I have fought against many aliens who secretly believed in Chaos. ]

"Alien?"

The ambassador was stunned.

"No wonder your country treats our alien allies so badly."

【That’s not the reason.】

Morgan retorted with a smile.

[Most of the aliens are either Chaos followers, pirates, or just looters and invaders: The human empire has trampled the galaxy, but we haven't found any alien allies to cooperate with, so naturally they won't have a good attitude.]

In terms of this negotiation, the following sentence seemed a bit redundant. The envoys could naturally hear that this was Morgan expressing her attitude towards the aliens, which made them look a bit embarrassed. "I can assure you, sir."

In the end, the first person to speak was the Foreign Minister of the Federation of Kings. He was the one Morgan admired the most among the three: in the face of the pressure inadvertently released by the Primarch, the civil servants and military generals all remained silent timidly, but the powerless Foreign Minister stood firm.

"The Federation of Kings has always regarded Chaos as our eternal enemy. For three thousand years, we have been fighting to the death with every force that secretly believes in Chaos that we can find. We have always maintained the habit of taking the initiative to attack and strangle any trace of Chaos in the real universe."

"So, please believe that every alien that can form an alliance with us is definitely not a Chaos believer. Even those Ulisalak trapped in the reservation are simply barbarians, not Chaos. Otherwise, they would have been wiped out by us long ago."

【This is your opinion.】

Morgan was noncommittal.

[I am just stating my attitude, and what I want to tell you is that my attitude is actually Terra's attitude towards the aliens. Horus is a little more gentle: However, he is the one in charge of this peace talk after all, so you can discuss the aliens with him. ]

【Let’s just say chaos. 】

"So best."

The ambassador breathed a sigh of relief: facing the majesty of the Primarch is not an easy task.

He paused for a moment, then remembered what he wanted to do next.

"Then, let me ask you: Your country clearly knows the dangers of the Warp and Chaos, and even has a special person in charge like you, so why does a master like Horus know nothing about the Warp and Chaos?"

"He...really doesn't know?"

【Yes. 】

Morgan nodded, then made some minor revisions to the truth.

[Since my father decided to leave the front line of the Great Crusade, the real power of the Empire lies in the hands of his confidants and our eighteen Primarchs. Except for me, my remaining seventeen brothers know little about Chaos and the Warp. ]

[Like the vast majority of the Empire's inhabitants, they believed that there was nothing inside.]

"why?"

The ambassadors' faces were filled with confusion.

"this is not……"

[Isn't this giving the Four Chaos Gods an opportunity to infiltrate? ]

Morgan interrupted.

【Are you asking this? 】

"Yes."

The ambassador was a little stunned.

【Okay, please think of it this way. 】

The Primarch's fingers drew circles on the table.

[My brother Horus should have told you the history of the empire, right? ]

"of course."

The Ambassador's expression remained calm: the glory of the Great Crusade had not shocked him.

"Your country has expanded from Terra to the entire galaxy in less than two hundred years. Such a great achievement is indeed astonishing."

【Then the answer is very simple. 】

Morgan spread his hands.

[For two hundred years, from Holy Terra to the entire galaxy, the Empire has survived in a rapidly expanding attitude: because we know as well as you do that the calm of the warp is a short-lived exception, and we must unite the human civilization of the entire galaxy as much as possible before then to meet the next storm. ]

[This is the highest principle. All problems must give way to this requirement: If the Empire maintains rapid expansion while also popularizing the existence of space and chaos to the people like your country, then we simply cannot have the best of both worlds.]

[What is more likely is that after we popularize Chaos, a large number of frustrated people and those who resent being conquered by the Empire will throw themselves into the arms of Chaos, thus giving the Subspace more opportunities to take advantage of.]

"Is that so?"

The envoys from the Federation of Kings nodded.

"It seems that we have overlooked something: your country does have real difficulties."

They laughed.

"If that's the case, then our biggest concern is gone."

"I believe we will soon be able to reach an amicable agreement with Lord Horus."

【So much the better. 】

【Besides, I am actually very curious too. 】

The Spider Queen took this opportunity to raise her own questions.

[According to my understanding, do you think that as long as everyone knows the existence of Chaos and resists it from the bottom of their hearts, you can avoid being contaminated by the subspace? ]

"Yes."

The ambassador nodded calmly.

"For three thousand years, we have been using this method to resist chaos."

"Another way is to find those forces that believe in chaos in time and destroy them."

【…】

The Primarch was silent for a moment.

【Has there ever been no trouble?】

“It never got out of control.”

They did not answer directly: but the pride and confidence in their hearts were not fake.

Morgan frowned. She wasn't sure whether the Federation of Kings had always been lucky or whether Chaos had other plans for them. An even more ridiculous possibility was that this method, which sounded completely untenable, was actually useful.

If this is really what the Federation of Kings came up with...wait?
Morgan's pupils moved.

She realized where her blind spots were.

So, the Primarch pretended at first, as if he was shocked by this novel method.

Her acting skills were so superb that the envoys from the Federation of Kings could hardly suppress the smug looks on their faces.

[Sounds interesting: Is this something your country came up with independently?]

"Do not."

The ambassador smiled and shook his head.

"We dare not claim the credit for this."

"In fact, when the Federation of Kings was first established, we also knew nothing about the contamination of the Warp and Chaos. It was our alien allies who told us about it: the Cainbridge people taught us the basic knowledge about Chaos and the Warp, but they also lacked sufficient means to resist."

"Thus, our inability to do anything about the Warp has plagued us for many years."

"Until we met the most elegant predecessor in the universe on the eve of the Age of Strife."

[Elegant...senior? ]

Morgan's brows twitched at the word.

She had a very bad feeling.

[You mean…]

"You must be aware that your country has set foot all over the galaxy."

The ambassador smiled, and he was indeed exuding pure kindness.

"In that case, your country must have had contact with the Ark Eldar, right?"

【…】

"It was the Ark Eldar, or, to be more specific, the Supreme Prophet of the Ulthwei Ark, His Excellency Eldarad. He and his fellow tribesmen spent decades teaching us the dangers of Chaos and how to defend against it through this kind of self-reflection."

[Did he come to you on his own initiative? ]

"No, it's because the patrol team of the Federation of Kings once rescued a lone Eldar fleet that was in distress. They belonged to the Ark of Ulthwe. Mr. Aidalad taught us how to resist the erosion of Chaos in order to repay this favor."

【Just be pure in heart and few in desires? 】

“That’s what they did.”

【…】

Good, they certainly didn't tell you that while they were doing this, they were also holding a little thing called the Soul Stone in their hands.

The Primarch suddenly wanted to laugh.

Once, there was a moment when he actually thought that he could get some inspiration to fight against the Four Gods of Chaos from the Federation of Kings.

In the end... the Eldar?
The Eldar's experience in fighting Chaos?
What a good hell joke.

The Primarch rubbed her temples: the disappointment came and went quickly. After all, she didn't have too many expectations for this land.

In that case: it would be better to think about her own personal affairs.

Then, the Spider Queen looked as if she was obviously interested.

【Is that so?】

She nodded as if she understood something, then shook her head regretfully.

[It's a pity that we had conflicts with the Eldar Ark in many places. The Great Crusade was bound to be accompanied by blood and rain. We didn't have that much time to reach a friendly agreement with the alien races, so we missed this method. ]

“It’s a real shame.”

The envoys from the Federation of Kings shared the same sentiment.

"But don't worry: we're happy to teach our compatriots the same methods."

【real? 】

"of course."

They nodded affirmatively.

"Whatever you need: We are willing to use all our means to help you."

【I am really grateful for that. 】

Morgan curled his lips quietly.

【I think: We do need some experience... and things related to chaos. 】

(End of this chapter)