Emperor's Bane

Chapter 839: The Current Status of the World Eaters
"do you know?"

"On my 30th birthday, Captain Khârn came to me on behalf of the Primarch Angron and said he wanted to give me a gift."

"Then, on the next day, I became the captain of the Glorious Queen."

“The Liberator became my ship.”

Whenever she said this, Lotara-Salin always liked to smile.

Her smile is not very pretty: the female captain of the Liberator is not a beautiful woman who can attract people's attention. Her charm comes from her decisiveness and achievements at a young age.

The two scars running from top to bottom ran through Lotara's long face, cutting her left eyelid and lip, making the female captain's joy always look hideous.

But she didn't hate them.

It was precisely because of these scars that she was able to seize the opportunity in time, defeat her opponent in that real sword duel, and become the top student in the Julska School of Geniuses. She then received an invitation from the World Eaters.

Because at that time, Primarch Angron personally watched the duel, and he witnessed how Lotara defeated an opponent who was much larger, stronger and more experienced than him: especially the female captain's desperate struggle at the last moment. In a trance, the Primarch saw the shadows of his former companions on Nuceria.

Although the other nine legions, including the Dawnbreakers and the Luna Wolves, also sent representatives to observe the graduation season of the Academy of Geniuses and expressed their interest in her, Angron's will and Lotara's own ideas ultimately led her to the Liberator.

She loved this ship: just as she loved her Captain's Throne and her World Eater.

Here, there were no bureaucrats, tax collectors, or artists from Terra; Kharn had driven them out by Angron's will, leaving only a handful of truly admirable ones.

The vast majority of them are lunatics who are willing to pick up their sabers and cameras, and rush to the front lines of the war along with the World Eaters just for a photo.

Here, there is no blood and madness as outsiders talk about.

At least in Lotara's opinion, the World Eaters were not an army that was fond of killing: perhaps they were in the past, but they were not now. It was just that the name of the legion and their hideous symbol misled outsiders.

But like the White Scars, the World Eaters do not bother to change this: they believe that doing their own thing is enough.

And this is just one of the many changes that Angron and Kaan brought to the entire Legion.

In the fifteenth year since the Lord of Mankind left the front lines of the Great Crusade, and the sixtieth year since Angron reunited with the Legion, the former war dogs had changed a lot: they no longer yearned for brutal tactics and killing as before; on the contrary, the entire Legion was now enveloped in a different kind of efficiency and tranquility.

They are always silent.

Or in other words: repression?
Lotara thought this word was most appropriate.

The World Eaters are a legion that has become accustomed to living in oppression.

And this repression does not cause them any inconvenience: after all, it is their own choice.

If an outsider stepped onto the deck of the Liberator for the first time, he would only need to take a quick look to come to the first accurate conclusion: the World Eaters are a very boring legion, and the same is true of their warships.

The exterior of this Glorious Queen-class ship had never been painted, and apart from the skulls and crowns of countless fallen tyrants, there was nothing special to speak of. The same was true of its interior: even Ferrus's Iron Fist had more life than Angron's ship.

Inside the ship, there may be more arenas than on any of its sister ships, but the enthusiasm of the Sons of Angron is not to be found here: they cheer for victory, fatal duels, and brilliant fights, but bloodshed is a taboo: the deliberate killing of a brother is considered more shameful than cheating.

Under the watchful eye of Khârn, Fourth Captain of the Legion and now de facto ruler of the World Eaters, there has not been a life-or-death tragedy in the Liberator's arena in thirty years: a testament to Khârn's command over the Legion.

With the orders of the Primarch, he successfully abolished the bloody duels that were once popular in the Warhound Legion: although Khârn never further proved himself in the arena, even the most experienced gladiators would not challenge his authority.

Because this taciturn captain of the Fourth Company had long since become the Primarch's most trusted subordinate: he was also, in a sense, a microcosm of the entire World Eaters Legion.

Wherever he stepped, more and more World Eaters became taciturn warriors who preferred quietness. There was brotherhood and honor among them, but few would choose to make loud noises unless on a battlefield or in an arena.

Of course, this does not mean that the atmosphere in the Legion will stagnate: the most important point that enables Khârn to gain unanimous recognition from the entire army is his impartiality. Under his management, a large number of capable young warriors and mortal officers have risen rapidly in the Great Crusade.

Lotara is a representative example: if Khârn had not discovered her talent first, the Primarch would not have been likely to watch a duel for ranking, as it would have brought back sad memories.

Angron only liked one kind of duel, that of pure combat between warriors, a contest of friendship between brothers: adding any element of profit to such an activity would quickly touch the Primarch's sore spot.

Everyone knew about it, and Kahn would make sure it never happened.

Therefore, the management of the Fourth Captain would naturally have nothing to do with blood, madness or dirt: the Liberator was always kept clean. Although it was not as good as the Goddess of Dawn, it was still a relatively cleaner and more organized one among the sister swords of the Queen of Glory class.

The sons of Angron actually didn't care that much about the situation on the lower decks, but they used strict laws and means to ensure that there would be no more vendettas on the ship: every deck must maintain the same order.

Meanwhile, favoritism and embezzlement will be met with an iron fist, as these are often the main causes of bloodshed: unintentional actions have earned the World Eaters considerable popularity among the folk of the lower decks, and the humblest people of the Liberator are proud to be servants of the XII Legion.

At least they brought order to the bottom deck and a level of fairness that kept everyone alive.

People here don't expect more.

On the upper deck, the military elites that the World Eaters had gathered from all over the galaxy always exuded an air of competence: the descendants of Angron did not have a so-called legion home planet, and they would be more liberal in selecting talents.

Whether Astartes or mortals, few people come from the same place.

At the same time, the Sons of Angron, dressed in blue and white armor, walked on the gray and white floors and corridors. Their number was always greater than expected.

After all, it was no secret that the XIIth Legion did not like to split up its forces for battle, and the main forces of the entire legion would basically gather around the Primarch Angron: naturally, their expedition efficiency was not outstanding.

On the other hand, the World Eaters make up for this shortcoming with their practical spirit.

The War Dogs no longer favor the pure direct assault tactics of the past, but have begun to try any means of warfare, whether it is naval warfare or psychic power. The World Eaters are not top-notch, but generally speaking, they do not have any particularly fatal shortcomings.

This balance made the Warhounds a template for the Legion in Terra's eyes, as they had almost no special features: ordinary size, ordinary conquest efficiency, ordinary legion style and ordinary combat effectiveness, plus a Primarch whose abilities and attitude also seemed ordinary.

Even their loyalty to the Imperium and the Emperor is ordinary: the XIIth Legion is not a force that Terra can regard as a confidant, but they have not done anything rebellious, and their presence is not strong most of the time.

Even towards the Terran tax collectors, who were hated by all the Primarchs, the descendants of Angron did not show a more complicated attitude: they paid as much tax as possible and then threw the tax collectors out of their country.

Among the dozen or so Primarch fiefdoms, this is already a mediocre performance.

At least they really tried their best to pay.

If anything, the sons of Angron would always prefer to deal with a newly discovered slave planet first, rather than the military order of Holy Terra: because the Primarch would personally participate in the battle.

But considering that after they conquered the tyrant's world, they would neither carry out massacres (with the exception of the original ruling class) nor take it for themselves without authorization, in most cases they would just hand it over to Terra, the high lords never expressed any opinions on this.

They gradually adapted to Angron's silence and the ordinariness of the World Eaters: after all, wasn't ordinariness an excellent quality for a military and a Legion?
At least in Lotara's view, being ordinary may not be an advantage.

This ensures that they don't consistently make mistakes in one area.

This is especially important for a captain who is responsible for millions of lives at all times.

"Especially considering that our Captain Kahn always prefers those who work silently and hard."

Captain Lotara leaned against the throne and placed one of her legs on the armrest on the other side: it was hard to imagine that this was a habit she had developed back when she was in the Julska School for Geniuses.

The female captain's voice was not serious, and there was a hint of teasing in her laughter: Apart from Lotara, few people on this ship would mention Kahn in such a tone, and most people didn't even dare to listen to such words.

“But I was lucky today.”

Lotara looked at her visitor.

"Because you are not among them: is that correct, Captain Margot of the Eighteenth?"

"I'm just not on his regular disciplinary list."

The elite veteran who also came from Terra did not show his smile: he and Kahn had known each other for a long time, and he had watched him climb the ranks to become the captain of the Eighth Company and the Fourth Company, and now the adjutant of the Primarch.

To be fair, Margo didn't really like Kahn's current state. He also had some complaints about the Legion's oppression and silence, but he never mentioned these things: he knew that this was Kahn's own choice, and he also knew that the situation of the World Eaters was not bad.

Even in the dark, Margot always has a strange premonition.

A silent Primarch, a quiet Kharn and a serious Legion?

Maybe, this is already pretty good?

Mago would never forget the sad shadow of their Primarch Angron during the Battle of Nuceria, and the terrible torture instruments and weapons in the hands of the slave owners: God knows what kind of childhood their father spent in this cruel world?
If they had known, they should not have let those slave owners die so easily.

He also thought of Kahn: What kind of person was Kahn in the past?

Maybe it doesn't matter: but now Kahn does convince the entire army.

Not relying on his strength, but on his silence and the way he handled things.

Compared to all this, although the current Primarch still only calls each of his children by their positions in the Legion, at least he is willing to spend more time with them: Angron would routinely participate in the induction ceremony of new World Eaters recruits, and he was often seen in the stands of the arena.

He was still very quiet, and his body smelled of ashes from a burning wildfire, but when he looked at the blue and white armor of the World Eaters and the proof of the Legion's past glory, the Primarch at least no longer showed disdain: he would stare at them in silence for a while, and the war dogs felt the respect in the silence.

As for Kahn?

Maybe he has changed, maybe he hasn't.

At least, apart from the voice, Margot could still tolerate Kahn now.

His attitude also represents the current thinking of the vast majority of World Eaters: the Primarch, Khârn and the Legion may not be as good as they imagined, but they are definitely not bad, they just live in a different kind of rules.

Perhaps, relatively speaking, the Great Crusade and the Legion lack some passion, but passion has never been a necessity for Astartes warriors.

"For you, no." Lotara's fingers stroked the keyboards on the armrests of the throne: she only needed to type a simple line of code, and this huge war machine would carry out her will.

Whenever she thought about how she, as the youngest person on the entire command deck, possessed such absolute power, she would feel a long-lost sense of excitement: Even for these reasons, what reason did she have not to die for Angron and the World Eaters?

They made her the youngest captain in the history of the Empire, the master of the glorious Queen who was destined to go down in history. The World Eaters were everything to Lotara.

Whether it was Angron in the distance or Margo in front of her, Lotara loved them with the same passion. Of course, Kahn would always get more: after all, friends and colleagues were different concepts.

Lotara snorted.

"You know, Margo: there are still people on this ship who will die for passion."

"You mean those..."

The 18th Company Captain's expression twisted for a brief moment, while the female captain was enjoying it all with relish.

"Yes, those Terran artists: the ones that Kahn managed to keep."

“They deserve our admiration.”

Margot nodded.

"At this point, I think we have to acknowledge Kahn's vision."

"He did pick out some that fit the World Eaters'... temperament."

"Who says it isn't?"

The female captain smiled brightly.

In fact, before this, Lotara also disliked this group of people from Terra. They regarded the female captain as a rare exhibit, and some even planned to seduce her: which triggered a rare personal action by Kahn.

After that, the Captain of the Fourth Company cleaned out a wave of irrelevant people in the Legion, including a large number of Imperial nobles who followed the Legion: they thought it was a good habit to be close to the Primarch, but never thought that their gorgeous shawls and jeweled shirts always meant some bad impression to Angron.

In Lotara's view, the fact that these nobles were able to survive just proved that Kahn was actually a relatively gentle person in his heart: he had been carefully controlling these nobles so that they would not meet the Primarch, although this was mainly done to protect Angron's spirit.

After sending away these chattering dignitaries and artists, the World Eaters' fleet was finally filled with only real soldiers: but a few Terrans were still left behind, and Kahn did not explain his decision.

Lotara was puzzled until she witnessed with her own eyes that one of the madmen rushed to the front line of the firefight between the Warhound-class Titan of the Ash Wolf Legion and the enemy's rebellious Titan for a coveted photo, and transmitted the film in his hand back to the bridge before the flying shrapnel and flames tore him to pieces.

This photo is indeed a classic, and the sculpture based on it was engraved in the War Dog Corps' most honorable hall.

"Since then, I have learned to look at these Terrans differently."

"You have to admit: there is a reason why they are the foundation of the entire empire."

"I don't deny that."

Margot nodded.

“But I thought: That doesn’t mean we’re going to absorb them into a more inner circle, right?”

"of course."

Lotara's brow twitched.

"What's your next sentence?"

"My next words are not mine, but Kahn's."

Margo spread her hands and looked directly at the female captain's deeply furrowed brow.

"He asked you to pass on a message?"

"indeed so."

"Then why doesn't he come in person?"

"He has more important things to do."

"Ah, of course."

Lotara sneered. She was no longer surprised by this explanation.

"Kahn, and others, such as the leaders of the previous generation of legions, always have more important things to do: every few months or years, I always lose contact with some of them."

"Maybe not in the future."

Margot just kept smiling: he was used to such complaints.

"after?"

Lotara's face became serious, and she seemed to have thought of something, her eyes shining.

"Okay: Kahn asked you to come here, what exactly do you want to say to me?"

“We just felt that…”

Margot paused: he made sure there was no third person in the room.

"You are already trustworthy, Captain."

"So, we formally invite you to join the true secrets of the 12th Legion."

"Become: a member of the Inner Circle."

"..."

"Inner ring?"

In a trance, Lotara felt as if she had heard this word before.

But it seems not.

"That's right: the inner ring."

Margot tried to be as brief as possible: he was not a talkative man.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you more here, but you just need to be mentally prepared: The Liberator is now heading to the location where the ceremony of joining the Inner Circle will be held for you."

"Please forgive our solemnity: this is the first time we attempt to accept mortals as members."

"Then I'm really flattered."

Lotara nodded subconsciously: but she soon realized a problem.

"wrong."

The female captain blinked and quickly reviewed the recent logbook in her mind.

"Our current course..."

"Isn't this a nature reserve that the Empire established just a few decades ago?"

This word, which is rarely used in daily life, is very difficult for Lotara to pronounce.

"of course."

Margot laughed.

This time, it was a real laugh: every time he invited new people to enter the inner circle, he could laugh like this. After all, information asymmetry is one of the important elements to create joy.

"Captain Lotara."

The World Eater's voice was soothing.

"Haven't you ever been curious?"

"Why does Lord Angron disappear every once in a while?"

"Now, let me tell you."

"He is actually..."

"Um……"

Margot hesitated.

"You can understand it as: vacation?"

(End of this chapter)