Emperor's Bane

Chapter 836 The World Is Moving

"What the hell is wrong with you, Trazyn?"

This simple question has been bothering Rana for five full minutes.

Sergeant Trazyn, Morgan's image consultant, a veteran of the Dawnbreakers, a master respected by countless archaeology enthusiasts, and a well-known educator with students all over the world, has also been lying on the floor like a cricket for five minutes.

No, it seems a little inaccurate to call it a cricket pupa: the state in which it lay straight on the ground with its limbs spread out on both sides and twitching from time to time as if it had been electrocuted is more like a short circuit in the wires.

Lana could even see the light blue electric current dancing slowly in the shadows covered by the cloak.

"Tsk."

The chief guard held his hand to his temple.

Damn it, his head started to hurt again.

If he had known, he would not have listened to Leman Russ and his pack of wild dogs and tasted some Fenrisian specialty century-old wine: who would have thought that the stuff could make him drunk for three days in one breath.

Who could have thought that before he lost his will due to drunkenness, Rana had mistakenly handed over the most important keys to Trazyn for safekeeping: the result was that when he opened the door this morning, he saw some bastard lying dead on his favorite carpet.

Fortunately, this is a private lounge, and no one would come in unless there was something important: As the chief of the Spider Queen's guards, Rana had finally accepted the fact that a non-human was living openly in the legion, and he didn't want this secret to bother more people.

Especially: when it comes to the Primarch.

Lana sighed, rubbing his hands into wrinkles on his temples.

My head seems to hurt worse.

"stand up!"

After closing the door tightly and making sure that there was nothing unusual around the room, Rana touched his head which was not yet fully awake, walked quickly to Tarasim, and kicked him.

After the ear-piercing sound of metal collision, regardless of the bastard's reaction, the chief guard walked to the table next to him and poured himself a cup of cold tea to sober up.

"You know what? You look like a maggot that has lost its dream."

Trazyn did not reply: it was as if Rana's kick had broken him completely.

"What happened?"

After finding a place to sit down and drinking a cup of tea, Rana's swollen head finally returned to normal. While asking questions to Taraxin, he also recalled what he had been doing recently.

Well, after dealing with the Jingyuan Federation, he was invited by the Sixth Legion to go to the Governor's Palace of Fenris: which is now the official name of the Space Wolves and the lands under their jurisdiction, referring to the buffer zone sandwiched between the two behemoths of Horus and Holy Terra.

Lana stayed there for several months, and then spent several more months in other parts of the Solar Segmentum, not only visiting the various military strongholds of the Imperial Fists and Holy Terra, but was also shocked more than once by the huge scale of the Imperial tax fleet and the Word Bearers' expeditionary fleet.

It's hard to imagine: a tax-collecting fleet would have to be equipped with three battleships.

It is also hard to imagine that any expeditionary fleet in the Word Bearers Legion actually has more battleships.

After making many comparisons, the Lord Chancellor of the Guard came to an interesting conclusion: the defense zone governed by the Space Wolves might be the only loophole in the iron-clad defense line of Holy Terra, and it was completely incomparable to that of the Imperial Fists.

The Wild Wolves have weak management capabilities and interest in the lands under their command, but they just don't like being controlled by Terra. This has led to many uncontrolled gray areas and pirate dens in the Fenris space, which is a typical weak point from a military perspective.

But the Wolf King had no energy to care about these things: Lana had been summoned by him several times, and he felt that Leman Russ had already consumed all the wisdom of the Primarch just to control the existing land, expand the legion's strength, and balance the new and old factions in the wolf pack.

The Wolf King's rule is weak: the Emperor should not have given him the power to rule the kingdom.

Of course, Lana wisely did not point these problems out. He was sure that Leman Russ was well aware of them. However, his pride as a Primarch and his stubbornness as a military policeman of the Emperor prevented him from abandoning his responsibilities as an All-Father.

But the King of Fenris had hinted at his dissatisfaction to him more than once: for example, on the night when the wolf pack held a farewell banquet for the departing Dawnbreakers, the drunk Wolf King had complained loudly.

Roaring into Lana's ear.

"He threw that power on my shoulders in the interest of fairness."

"But I don't actually want this power or this kind of fairness."

"It will destroy me."

"And I'll destroy us all."

The Wolf King roared loudly, although it did not drown out the raucous celebrations in the Fenris Banquet Hall. Then he spent several hours in drinking and suffering, until he finally dragged over a barrel and knocked the Lord Steward down.

When Lana woke up again, the Dawnbreaker fleet had already left Fenris.

And Trazyn was already lying on the ground.

"Because I felt... grief."

After Rana finally sorted out the mess in his mind, Tarasim, who was lying at his feet, spoke at the right time.

“Sad.”

Dawnbreaker poured himself some tea.

"Don't tell me there's something wrong with the data we brought out from Jingyuan Federation."

"No, it's worse than that."

Trazyn turned his head, and the darkness under his cloak fixed his gaze on the Lord Commander of the Guards.

"These are the three early warning systems I left on the Aurora. They all went off just now."

"Do you know what this means?"

"what?"

"This means..."

------

"I have what I want, sir."

"Two statues from Ancient Terra, both authenticated as authentic: I never thought Lord Tarasim would have such a thing in his collection."

"No one in the team was killed or injured, and no one was seriously injured, but there were... one hundred and forty-five minor injuries."

"One more thing. I personally hope to transport these two statues to the ground, or you can immediately arrange a temporary job for me as far away from the Aurora as possible: Your most loyal Bernard."

[It’s quite efficient. 】

Morgan nodded with satisfaction: She thought that Bernard's team would need at least three hours to break through Trazyn's defenses. After all, that defense system was originally designed for the two Primarchs, Conrad and Corax, to practice infiltration.

However, it was scrapped after just a few uses: because Trazyn prepared two trophies for the two Primarchs who passed the level at the end, and the trophies happened to carry beacons that could directly teleport to the display cabinets in the Solonams Museum.

"What's efficient?"

Although it was just a low mutter, the man standing behind the Spider Queen obviously had better hearing: Sanguinius tilted his head slightly, and a perfect smile appeared in the mirror in front of Morgan.

[Nothing: I'm just helping Horus choose the state gift he needs.]

"I wish you were this attentive to your appearance."

The edge of the mirror caught a glimpse of Fulgrim's shining silver hair and the sound of his lips clicking in disapproval.

"I thank you for your kindness on his behalf."

Compared to Phoenix, the Archangel who is used to smiling and expressing gratitude is truly a pleasant brother.

Morgan almost forgot that he was one of the culprits who kept him here.

"So, have you chosen your people?"

Sanguinius lowered his head and chatted with Morgan, but he did not put down the work at hand: he was standing behind the Spider Queen, combing Morgan's long hair bit by bit with his round fingers like a skilled hairstylist.

Every mess, every fuzz, every strand of hair that withered from overwork: the angel soon discovered that his sister was different from the other Primarchs, and no matter how skilled Morgan was in psychic powers, there was no way he could ensure that every strand of his hair was always in perfect condition.

Thinking of this, Sanguinius picked up a strand of silver hair and gently ran his fingers over a dull section of it. This situation would not be possible with other primarchs, as their appearance and physical condition were rarely affected by time or other external factors.

But Morgan is different from all of them.

The archangel thought about it for a moment, but soon stopped thinking: such a question had already begun to touch upon his blind spots in knowledge.

So he simply focused on what was really important.

"Are you sure finger waves would be a good idea, Fulgrim?"

"Well, probably not."

Fulgrim, who was comparing two long skirts repeatedly, showed a rare hint of hesitation.

"I've also considered long straight hair with a middle part or Farah curls. Short, rounded hair is also acceptable: they're all much better than the simple high ponytail she has now."

"Don't listen to him, Morgan: I think the ponytail is pretty good."

The angel whispered to comfort the sisters.

"What do you think, Morgan?"

【I... am free. 】

Although the Spider Queen's words sounded a bit self-destructive, a closer look would reveal that this was not the case: the Primarch's vague tone was not due to frustration, but the fullness of chewing sweets vigorously.

"Eat slowly, there is still more."

Sanguinius glanced at the pastry army on the table shore, most of whom had been killed, and suddenly felt like laughing: his sister, who was famous for her mystery, was actually not that complicated in many cases.

Morgan is surprisingly profound, but Morgan is also surprisingly simple.

"Have you been losing weight recently?"

[No, but I didn't know that desserts made from Baal grapes would be so delicious.]

"Each has its own advantages and disadvantages."

The archangel's fingers moved, and in the blink of an eye he had braided a strand of silver hair in his hand into a beautiful little braid, and then began to braid the second one with great interest.

He likes to wear pigtails.

"Have you ever tried a double braided bun?"

【That’s too much trouble. 】

The Spider Queen stuffed another cake into her already bulging mouth, but the one in her left hand seemed to have no room to fit in: after hesitating for a moment, Morgan grabbed the cake to a high place, and after a while, Sanguinius leaned over and took it away with his teeth.

"Thank you."

[I prefer to wear my hair in a ponytail or simply put it up: especially when I am busy at work. ]

"Because it saves trouble?"

[That’s right: Sometimes I’m so busy that I want to shave my head.]

[It's really annoying to have a bunch of messy hair scattered on a pile of documents. ]

"I suggest you not do this." The archangel seemed to have thought of something, and there was not much joy in his laughter.

"Shaving your head makes you crazy."

[…Who are you referring to? ]

"Luo Jia, who else could it be?"

The archangel grinned: even his hideous appearance was startlingly beautiful.

"Horus' bald head just makes him stupider."

【Luo Jia? 】

Morgan paused: She really seemed to have not been paying attention to the news about the Word Bearers recently.

[What did Luo Jia do again? ]

"It happened not long ago."

The archangel frowned: He didn't know if it was his illusion, but every time his fingers stroked from Morgan's head to his neck, he always felt that the air around him was gradually getting colder, and it seemed that someone was staring at him?
Not just staring at him: that unnameable gaze was staring at both him and Morgan with an extremely fanatical expression?

Never mind: maybe he was just too nervous.

The archangel continued his story.

"About two months ago, Luo Jia personally went to Holy Terra and persuaded those high lords: You know, ever since the incident in Badab, the high lords of Terra have become particularly easy to talk to."

"In the past few years, Jonson, Mortarion, and Vulkan have all been to Terra and made suggestions to the High Lords. Basically, as long as the Primarchs want to do something, the High Lords will most likely not refuse it."

"I kind of like them all: tilt your head back a little, Morgan."

【That's because they are in civil strife. 】

The Spider Queen obeyed, put down the cake in her hand, closed her eyes, and exposed her face and neck to the angel's view.

"Civil unrest?"

[Terra's new taxation policy caused massive chaos in the territories under its rule. Many planetary governors rose up to resist Terra's rule, but were directly suppressed by the well-prepared Terra fleet.]

[The high lords do have some tricks. While collecting taxes, they also cleared out all the unstable factors in the entire solar system. Now, the so-called Terra Sky Territory is truly a solid block.]

[But this also has disadvantages. Terra can’t control the Primarchs during this period. They can only say nice things to us.]

"That's it."

Sanguinius nodded.

"Then I guess: the purge didn't allow them to collect enough taxes, did it?"

【how do you know? 】

"Because Lorgar and the Word Bearers arrived at Holy Terra with the new round of taxation fleet from the Pacific Segment Region. You know, they not only completed the targets set by Terra, but even exceeded them in many areas."

[The Emperor is above...]

Morgan groaned: As a ruler who had actually managed a country, she knew what the angel's words meant.

[It is hard to imagine what Taiping Xingyu would look like now. ]

"Obviously, the Emperor doesn't care about this."

Sanguinius was still smiling: but the words he spoke were cold.

"Thanks to his tax payment, Luo Jia received a special permit from the High Lords. According to the High Lords, this special permit actually came from the Emperor, but I think it is most likely a lie, because our father would never allow Luo Jia to do such an outrageous thing."

【What is he going to do? 】

Morgan opened her eyes: Sanguinius's golden hair fell across her brow.

"Lorgar said that the Emperor once gave the Word Bearers an order at the gate of the Perfect City to launch an eternal holy crusade until the galaxy was cleansed of all filth."

"Therefore, Lorgar asked the High Lords of Terra to grant him a special exception, allowing the Word Bearers' fleet to legally launch a holy crusade throughout the galaxy, and the local forces must cooperate."

[Tera agreed? ]

"Agreed: But when it comes to the specific aspects of any Primarch's fiefdom, Lorgar will have to talk to the other brothers."

[I won’t let him in anyway.]

"Me too: although I would like the Word Bearers to help me clean up the Baal Realm."

Sanguinius turned sideways, picked up Fulgrim's special essential oil, and after applying it evenly on both palms, he began to patiently knead the Spider Queen's scalp, smoothing her hair bit by bit.

Morgan closed his eyes comfortably.

It was incredible, the Archangel had never done this before, but both in terms of strength and experience, he was much stronger than the Virgo and the mortal servants who had practiced specially: I hope her daughter won't know about this.

"But compared to this, the second thing Luo Jia has to do is the real problem."

Morgan, who had been enjoying the comfort successfully at Sanguinius' words, frowned.

What did he ask for again?

Damn it, the Spider Queen could now actually understand the Emperor a little: back then in the City of Perfection, Lorgar and his Word Bearers Legion should have been crushed to ashes.

No, if that old bastard hadn't been ignoring the Seventeenth Legion, the situation wouldn't have developed to this point.

really...

"He asked to enter the Land of Terror...Ah!"

Before the angel had finished speaking, his customer jumped up impatiently.

【What did you say? ! 】

Morgan straightened up in his recliner.

[He wants to go to the Eye of Terror? ]

"No, I'm gone."

Sanguinius spread his hands.

"Not only did he go, he also brought the Word Bearers' main fleet with him."

【…】

【Where is Zhuang Sen? Didn’t he stop Luo Jia from going in? Is he dead?】

Sanguinius blinked, ignoring the tone Morgan used when speaking of another Primarch, almost as if he were directing a subordinate.

"Jonson is not there. You know the character of the Calibans. It is impossible for him to stay near the Eye of Terror all the time. It is said that Jonson is conducting a search expedition to the former Randan Empire to ensure that the strongest enemy of the Great Crusade will not have the possibility of resurrecting."

"As for the Dark Angels who stayed behind: Lorgar has Terra's permission and a huge expeditionary force."

"According to him, his purpose is to try to destroy the entire Eye of Terror and purify the Imperium's greatest filth in the name of the Emperor: so no one has any reason to stop him, because the existence of the expeditionary fleet cannot deceive anyone."

"Besides, it's not just the Word Bearers who have joined the crusade: there is also said to be a small contingent of Custodes and Sisters of Silence, as well as several companies of Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Imperial Fists, and Iron Hands, who have also joined the expedition to the Eye of Terror."

[Huh… Heh…]

Morgan took two deep breaths and reluctantly accepted the reality that had happened.

【He said he wanted to: launch an expedition? 】

"That's right: the Golden Crusade."

"An expedition to enter the Eye of Terror and destroy it utterly."

The Archangel uttered a word.

"That's what they said, anyway."

[What about Malcador? Didn't he say anything? 】

"It is said that Malcador went to the Terran Palace and stayed there for several days before allowing Lorgar to leave."

"After he came out, he approved the plan for the Golden Expedition."

"Moreover, it is said that the Sigillite also gave the Word Bearers a divine weapon?"

[Artifact? What artifact? ]

"I don't know that."

The Archangel pushed the somewhat dissatisfied Spider Queen back into the chair and had to concentrate on tying her braids.

"You can also go back and check it yourself."

【you're right. 】

Morgan closed his eyes again.

[I have to go back and check it myself. Anyway, things here are about to end. ]

"That's right..."

Sanguinius laughed, then looked out the window quietly: in the densely packed streets of Zenobia, the huge banners and electronic screens used for the welcome ceremony had marked the specific location of tomorrow's state ceremony, and a cheerful atmosphere was everywhere.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

The so-called national ceremony is nothing more than superficial work that does not require writing at all.

"The matter concerning the Federation of Kings has come to an end."

"okay."

"Let me tell you more about Perturabo."

【What happened to him? 】

"It is said that he has joined forces with the Casting General and some other people on Mars and is planning a..."

"Hey, what do they call that supercomputer?"

The archangel scratched his long blond hair.

He glanced at the pigtails on Morgan's head that he had tied himself, and then eagerly glanced at the butterfly hairpin on the cabinet next to him.

"Ah, right!"

"They are researching a project called [Long Stairway to God]."